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The worst part of the confinement period (other than being accused of being Kira) was being forced to kick his smoking habit. Granted, it could’ve been a positive thing, if he didn’t almost immediately find a way to pick up exactly where he left off. He’d been trying to quit for awhile before confinement, too, although he couldn’t remember what had spurred it, but the stress of everything going on wasn’t exactly helpful to such a goal.
Luckily, Aizawa happened to have the same habit, and Light slipped a couple cigarettes from a pack he left out the first day he saw him in headquarters. He nicked a lighter from Misa's room, previously just used for candles, when helping tidy up. Thankfully, even with the insanity of the handcuffs, L still allowed Light the grace of showering and using the washroom alone. So, as Light ran the shower, he leaned against the edge of the sink and indulged for the first time in months. Whatever brand Aizawa bought was harsher than the ones Light normally went for, the tobacco stronger than he was used to, especially after such a long pause from smoking. He had to stifle a cough, but still finished it. He flicked the bud into the toilet, showered off the smell, and flushed away the evidence.
He only did it every few days, when Misa was particularly frustrating, or if L was more difficult than average. If L knew, he didn’t vocalise it, and Light began pondering how long he’d be able to continue being able to keep this secret.
It turned out to not be long.
Light was standing by the wall, window cracked open to allow Light to blow the smoke out of their room. L laid sleeping in his bed, Light having to carefully adjust the chain linking them together to allow him the mobility to get to his current position. Even if the chain had a fair bit of length, Light still felt lucky that L hadn’t chosen a particularly large room, so he could reach the window without too much trouble. He ground out the embers of the butt on the outer windowsill, then placed the butt in the frame of the window. He intended to close the window on it and retrieve it later to dispose of properly, as L never opened the window, but just as he was about to, L surprised him and spoke.
“It’s rather rude to make me get up in the middle of the night just to wash your hands,” L said, voice rough from sleep, but just as measured as ever.
Light froze momentarily, and knew without anything else said between them that L likely knew from the start what Light was doing, and simply hadn’t said anything. Of course. Far be it from Light to slip anything by L.
“Who said I’d make you do that?” Light questioned, taking the cigarette butt out from its hiding spot to instead throw it in the small trash can by L’s bedside nightstand.
“You’re not going to make your sheets smell of smoke,” L chastised. “Then I’ll have to smell it too, and I’m not exactly keen on trying to sleep to the smell of tobacco.” He stretched dramatically before clamouring out of bed, only to stretch again even more dramatically.
“Sorry,” Light offered a small apology as they walked over to the bathroom.
They were both silent as Light washed his hands, but as he dried them L said, “I’ll have Watari purchase them for you, I don’t appreciate you thieving from Aizawa.”
Light wasn’t surprised, it was the only logical conclusion to where he’d have obtained them. Still, Light quirked his brow, as if to silently chastise L in turn for facilitating him without actually indicating that he shouldn’t. The silent implication that he wouldn’t tell the others was appreciated.
When they laid back down to sleep, Light muttered his preferred brand, and although it was silent, he knew L had heard.
It wasn’t until a week later, when the rest of the KTF had retired for the day, and Light stood out on the balcony absently watching the sunset, that L finally did what Light was waiting for him to do.
“I didn’t peg Kira as a smoker,” L said, sitting with his legs up per usual in one of the balcony chairs, fiddling with a spoon after having already finished the sweet it came with. “And an underage smoker, at that. Doesn’t fit the perfectionist, self-righteous profile.”
“Is that so?” Light didn’t have to look at L to know that he was staring him down again. It was as if he could feel his huge dark eyes boring into him. He knew there was a ’however,’ coming.
But it didn’t come. If L had more thoughts along that route, he wasn’t inclined to share them. Instead, he surprised Light by asking, “Smoking doesn’t align with the perfect student and son image you project into the world. I wonder, what was the source of such a habit?”
Light rolled his eyes and took another drag before answering. “The same reason most people begin smoking, I suspect.”
“I find it hard to imagine you succumbing to peer pressure to feel accepted in a party setting by drinking and smoking.” L set down the spoon. “I would respect you less if that were the case.”
“You act like you have no bad habits,” Light countered, slightly defensive. “You know, the amount of sugar you eat surely wreaks havoc on your health.”
“That isn’t relevant to my question, Light. I asked why you started smoking.”
Light shrugged one shoulder. “Had a friend who smoked. They offered, I accepted. We’d spend lunch together, up until they graduated. They left, but the habit stuck around.” Light flicked ashes down from the balcony, tiny glowing bits that looked like torchbugs before the cooling afternoon air put them out. “Not particularly interesting, I’m afraid.”
“On the contrary, I find it quite interesting,” L replied. His thumbnail found its way into his mouth, muffling his next sentence. “So then, why don’t you quit?”
“Well, I tried to somewhat recently,” Light put out the butt and tossed it into the same receptacle Aizawa tossed his. “But I figure I can try again later, after this case wraps up. I’d rather not have to deal with hunting a serial killer, you accusing me of being said serial killer, and ignoring nicotine cravings. Choosing my battles, as they say.” The sky was darkening more rapidly now, and a slight breeze began to pick up. “I’m done, we can go back in.” L tended to get cold faster than Light. “You can shower first, if you like.”
“I would, actually.”