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L was a man of mystery.
Light was sure not even Watari knew all about him. Maybe, not even L really knew himself.
After all, no one knew more about twisting oneself in lies until there was no saying what was real anymore, than Light.
Even handcuffed together for months on end, Light only learned about L what the older had wanted him to.
Did L really not sleep for days on end? Did L really not have any other clothes than blue jeans and white sweatshirts? Did L really not move at all during the little hours of sleep that he did get?
Did L really smile when he was watching something on his phone and thought Light wasn't looking? Was any of the person Light had spent so much time with real? Was it really L he got so dangerously familiar with? Or was it L playing Ryuzaki?
Light would never know if any of it was actually ever real.
Even in death L was a man of mystery.
Light had won. Light had won. This was his victory! He had bested L! He was the lone surviver! Light had won!
It didn't matter how. It didn't matter that L had been a simple human at the end and Light had a goddess on his leash.
It didn't matter. So what if their scale had been tipped?! So what if L had nearly beat him without any advantage?!
It didn't matter. It didn't matter! It didn't fucking matter!
L didn't beat Light in the end. L had lost. L was dead. Light had killed L. Light had been responsible for L's death. L had lost.
Light had wanted to take charge of the funeral preparations. He had hoped to have the satisfaction of choosing L's final resting place. Of proving once again that L was beneath him.
He had been told his old orphanage would take care of it instead, when he had brought it up the day after L's heartattack.
It had bothered him. This was his victory. He should be able to enjoy all of it.
The invitation his father recieved was simple, sleek and black. The lettering, white and equally simple, was sparse as the only information on it was the announcement of L's passing, the date, time and place where the funeral would be held.
No picture. No bible quote. No "he will be missed dearly" or "he will forever be in our hearts". Not even his full name.
Light asked himself for a moment if this was how L would have wanted it. He shook his head as if to physically rid himself of that kind of thought. Who cares what L would have wanted. He was dead. Light had won.
L was buried on a Wednesday afternoon. The weather was no better than the day he died.
The funeral was short and without much fanfare. Light didn't listen to the priests talk about eternal life in gods realm.
He was certain L hadn't been religious. Even if he had been, Ryuk had told Light there was neither heaven nor hell. No benevolent God waiting to embrace him, no final judgement and no pearly white gates at the end of the light. Just death. Quick and simple yet impossible to grasp for human minds.
Light counted 14 people gathered around L's grave as his wooden coffin was lowered into the ground. 16, if he included himself and his father into that list and 17 if the Priest was taken into account.
The majority of that were members of the task force, all of them wearing black suits with black ties. Six people had carried the coffin. Each one in all black and all of the wearing face masks, shielding their identity from Kira's watchful gaze. He was sure those were the same people who had sent the invitations and worked for or lived at the orphanage, as they had been there for Watari's funeral two days earlier as well.
Back then, Light had to suppress a grin at the thought of L creating safety instructions for his own death and funeral.
Even now he was filled with satisfaction, knowing a part of L had to have known that Light would win.
Light didn't recognise the person who stepped forward first and dropped a bouquet of white flowers onto the coffin.
The figure was mostly hidden under a black coat with a wide, low hanging hood. Their head was bowed, hiding their hair and face. Only when the men who had carried to coffin passed them and expressed their condolences in differently accented English could Light see the same black face mask covering the lower half of their face.
Whoever this person was, L had went to great lengths to keep them from Kira.
Too bad that that made them all the more interesting to him.
For two weeks Light visited L's grave daily at different times, sometimes multiple times a day in hopes of seeing that person again. They had left as soon as the earth was distributed evenly above the coffin and gotten into a waiting taxi. Light hadn't been able to follow back then but if there was someone that L wanted to protect, chances were high they wanted to say their farewell properly.
Humans were sentimental that way.
Wednesday, two weeks after L's funeral, a young man kneeled in front of his grave. Had he not been holding the same kind of flowers as the unknown person in the coat, Light might not have recognised him.
He had to be older than Light himself, maybe around L's age or a year younger.
Short, dark hair, brown eyes, clean and tanned skin and dressed in black jeans and a babyblue tshirt, he didn't look much like someone who would associate with someone like L regularly.
He was crying. Eyes too soft, skin too unmarked to be deserving of L's utmost protection.
Light hated him.
L cared for him.
Light needed him gone.
Kira approached with a perfectly sympathetic look, a bouquet of lilies in his hands that he took from a few graves down the line. The dead wouldn't miss them.
The man startled and turned away as he noticed Kira coming towards him and when he turned back towards the grave his face was once again covered by a mask. How stupid of him to take it off in the first place.
How stupid to think L didn't have reasons for his caution.
Kira greeted him in english and set his stolen flowers next to the ones of the stranger.
"Did you know him well?", Kira asked.
The man hesitated. Kira wasn't sure if L had warned him to stay away from everyone or just him but he really hoped it wasn't just him. It would be much more fun that way.
"Yes.", he finally answered, voice rough from crying, " Did you?"
"I wish to think I did. But Ryuzaki- I'm sorry, L, was a distrustful man. But I did consider him a friend."
"Ryuzaki? Was that his name?"
Interesting, Kira thought. The stranger knew L well but did not know his name. A childhood friend was therefore unlikely.
"No, I don't think so. My name is Yagami Light. Who are you?"
Sadly, the boy wasn't as dumb as Kira hoped.
"I'm not supposed to say."
"Ah, I suppose one can never be too careful here. What should I call you than, friend of L?"
"Oh we weren't - I mean - I guess Leo is fine. There's no shortage of those.", he attempted to joke.
Kira took it back, he was as dumb as he hoped.
Leo, he was sure, was much more than just a friend to L. Why else would he be invited to the funeral and why else would L try to protect him.
His little slip up just confirmed his theory.
It would take some digging but Light knew he would find out Leo's name.
He was patient and the thought of killing what L desprately tried to protect was motivator enough to guide him through the coming sleepless nights of searching.
The image of L pleading and begging him to spare his lover was all Kira could think about while he sat wordlessly next to his unassuming victim.
Had he not been so dreadfully sentimental, this wouldn't be happening.
But after all, L was still human.
And Kira still wanted his perfect victory.