Chapter Text
“You’re not Kira,” L muttered, sharp and deliberate from between his teeth. Which were currently biting dully into the pad of his thumb. “At least, not anymore.” His eyes shifted to meet Light’s next to him as he rocked against the balls of his feet in the chair.
Instantly, it became quiet enough to hear every little mundane sound in their environment. The two laptops whirring softly were particularly pissing Light off.
Light tensed, staring back at L in unveiled disbelief. Confusion laced his veins, swirling through him with the urgency of alarm bells.
What in the ever loving hell did he mean ‘not anymore’? How could someone have once been Kira and suddenly be divorced from that? Light knew that the persona was so interwoven into his being that there was little room for it to ever be unsewn.
But L seemingly thought it had happened in a finite span. It was a devastating blow to Light’s pride.
L tilted his head ever so slightly, a predatory glint in his eerie irises, as he pieced together Light’s intense reaction.
“Would Light-kun care to voice his thoughts on this?” L's tone was cool, a calculated whisper that pried at the edges of Light’s fraying psyche, diligently dissecting his credibility with words.
Light felt irritation nagging insistently at the back of his skull. The strange detective was always so sure of his ideals. What anyone else said hardly mattered, though he still had the nerve to always ask. Like he was simply toying with those around him.
Light did not respond, and L seemed to take delight in his stunned silence.
“Well then, if Light-kun is not willing to share his opinion of this theory, I will continue.” L declared, pale thumb dragging down his bottom lip in a way that Light thought to be almost sensual, if only he hadn’t known the man.
“You see, this entire investigation has hinged on the question of where Light Yagami ends, and Kira begins. Up until a week ago, the lines were nearly indistinguishable. Yet, within this time-span, your mannerisms have seemingly reverted to that of Light Yagami once more.”
L paused, hollow eyes slowly locking onto Light’s own, sending a wave of unease through him. A sadistic grin played on his lips as he thought himself to be correct.
Light, for once, did not know how to respond to the detective's accusations, they were scathingly close to the truth. One wrong word and he may be done for.
L, ever talkative today- carried on unperturbed. “Now, perhaps there is a reason for this other than the obvious deduction that you are Kira, and trying desperately to hide it. But if that is the case, then the silence regarding your innocence says something of your preservation skills.”
L stared triumphantly at Light. His expression daring, ‘Tell me that I’m wrong. Tell me you aren’t a mass murderer, and make me believe it.’ Next to them, a forgotten cup of tea billowed off the last of its steam. Neither paid it mind.
While he had felt he was trying a bit hard- Yagami hadn’t known he had been so obvious in trying to distance Light from Kira. But then, maybe he hadn’t been. Maybe L just watched him that closely.
Still, he felt insistent anger at the fact that he was caught in the detective's web of intuition once more- and that this time it was his own fault.
Just salt in the ever-present wound that was their intricate relationship.
Light controlled his expression. He felt the situation slipping from his normally unrelenting grip. Thus, his mind ran circles as he pulled strings for a way to get L to drop this.
After an embarrassing second of just staring at the detective, a light bulb sputtered brightly to life as he conjured something that could plausibly throw even the like of L off his trail.
.
.
.
Romance.
It was too easy! It had been right in front of him all this time, and yet he hadn't even thought of it.
All he had to do was tell the world's greatest detective that he was in love with him. That would surely change L’s perception of Light. He would go from a threat to the sweet partner at his side. The type of guy who would tuck L in when he got too tired during a case. The type of person L would fall for.
It posed some obvious risk- but Light (Kira) lived for that risk.
He steeled himself, putting on his best EmbarrassedAndTotallyShy-face, before looking at the floor rather than challenging L’s gaze. It felt too submissive. Unnatural.
“That’s- admittedly a good theory.” Light chuckled, rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck to cool his nerves. L’s intense stare encouraged him to go on, so he swallowed deeply and looked up to the mans' face, peering as if taking in all of its details. “I'm not Kira, that I can promise. Though…I guess I can understand where you’re getting confused.” L’s expression shifted, a small amount of uncertainty lacing his posture at the dig to his intellectual prowess- as if whispering ‘This is not how you normally play the game’. Yet a curiosity lingered in the way he leaned forward on the seat in his crouched position.
Light bit his lip, contemplating, before smiling brightly at L. “It could have something to do with what I’ve been meaning to tell you,” he spoke quickly, breathing only through his words.
Light took a moment to steady himself, locking eyes with the dark-haired man. “I have feelings for you, Ryuzaki.” He stated firmly, performing his best act of desire to convince him.
L's moon-like eyes widened, his breath caught around the words.
Light internally smirked, ‘Hook, line, and sinker!’. Any normal person would be dissuaded from their line of thought immediately when confronted with this situation. Although, L was not ‘any normal person’. So, he would have to lay it on thick.
It would be his victory in the end.
The air itself seemed to pause, as neither man dared to take a full breath.
With the way L was looking at him, Light was rightfully astonished that he hadn’t vaulted from his seat when confessed to. For the first time since the beginning of the case, L appeared genuinely shocked. His lips slightly parted in a gasp, as his hand fell slowly from his face. He watched L scramble to regain his composure. He could practically see the gears turning in his head as he tried to work through every conversation and insinuation of Light’s in recent memory.
L had heard before that a crush could make someone act kinder to their person of desire.
This alone was not proof enough that Light’s switch from sneaky with a thinly veiled god complex to honest and self-detrimentally kind had everything (if anything at all) to do with this new development.
L himself had very seldom been interested in relations- romantic, or sexual. He was too caught up in his games, and had no value for those he thought intellectually bellow him. He thought that if he were to give attention to any of them, however, it may selfishly be this one. For the case, of course.
Though this was all besides the point, as he did not think Light to be honest in his admission.
L carefully moved his office chair closer so that he sat with his toes bumping softly against Light’s knees, and their noses just a breath away from touching. He watched Light for signs of discombobulation. Scrutinizing him for disgust at the contact. When he found none, he spoke.
“Prove it,” L muttered, his calculating stare still intensely searching Light for any uncertainty. No particular affection or fondness lingered in L’s visage. This much Light could see. He did not appear particularly excited or depressed by this development.
But the fact that he was asking Light to verify he truly was interested- with more than words, meant something.
Light found himself unexpectedly excited.
And so, he eagerly pursued the crumbs L dropped along this newly established trail of their game.
“How can I?” Light let his gaze flicker down to L’s lips, which the observant man was sure to take notice of.
L quirked a brow upwards, finding Light's overly obvious action to be plastic-like. Physicalities were much too easy surely, for someone like Light Yagami, who had the infrastructure of a castle in his mind. Thus it held no weight to L without emotional charge behind it.
L brought a contemplative hand to his chin, thinking of how he could capture Light in his lie.
He could obviously not allow Light to kiss him, yet. It was too simple for their complex game, and he was far from a fool.
On one hand, this was a childish situation. On the other, L saw little room for himself to lose, as he had hardly anything on the line. This could be his opportunity to discover the deepest parts of Light Yagami, and therefore the inner workings of Kira. His chance to unravel the monster before him.
This could make for a swift and punishing win.
“I will give you a week,” L decided, simply. His eyes closed as he spoke lowly.
Light inched forward optimistically, and L edged back.
“A week?” Light questioned, breathily. Almost as if he couldn’t quite believe his luck. It was odd to L- who had seen many facets of the man. Though he factored that he had not seen Light in love. Perhaps this was how he acted when faced with such compound and, (judging by Misa Amane) new feelings.
“Yes. You may have a week to prove your affections. If by the end of that week, I truly believe you to be honest, I will drop any suspicion of your sudden behavioral change. And perhaps, be willing to give you a chance.” L vaguely acknowledged to himself that he was being an asshole if these feelings were real. But he rationed that Light had backed himself into this situation, he would enjoy watching him attempt to squirm out.
“Do not confuse this offer with me dropping suspicion from you still possibly being Kira altogether. That would take a lot more convincing if it could be done at all.”
In truth, he would have fun watching the formidable Light fumble for his favor.
"I won't disappoint, Ryuzaki!"
Light stood quickly.
L looked up at him, their gazes locking, both unrelentingly determined.
'Let the games begin.'