I Won't Say - Death Note - Pg-13 - LightxL - Ch 7
Title: I Won't Say
Author:
angeltrap
Pairing: LightxL (and hints of MelloxMatt, I suppose)
Rating: pg-13/T
Genre: Humor, fluff, romance - with a touch of emo-ness and Serious Matters every now and then, but I promise I won't let them take over!
Warnings: Yaoi and delightfully AU after the end of Yotsuba Arc. Oh yeah, and spoilers.
Summary: Having found out L's name, Light decides (not bothering to ask L's opinion) that while L will always be Kira's enemy, he can still be Light's boyfriend. So naturally he's supposed to spend Christmas with L and his family at Wammy's, right? LightxL, AUish
Comments: I got back to this chapter after a long time spent on another story when I got my hands on three CDs of the music for Tanoshii Moomin Ikka, Tales from Moominvalley (or whatever it's called in English...) If you have time and interest, go youtube "River of Stars" or "The Day to Be Going on a Journey". These two and some other songs were playing on repeat while I wrote the latter part of this chapter; I hope you find the ending as calm and sweet as I did when I wrote it. Oh yeah, and the fluff is back. :D
Chapter 7
Anonymous Chocoholics
Closeness was strange.
Physical closeness was uncomfortable. Mental closeness was dangerous.
The combination of the two was, however, not as bad as one would have thought.
There was the warmth flush against his back, and around his waist, and the breath ghosting against the back of his exposed neck, and the fingers playing with his. There was the low voice talking to him, and the silence that told him the other was listening to his answers. Listening to him, not just his deductions concerning a case.
L had a feeling that Light was listening so intently that he probably heard him blink his eyes, heard his blood coursing through his veins, heard his heart beat slowly - though he could probably feel the latter against his own chest, being that close to him. Such interest shown for L as a human being was so unfamiliar that he found himself stammering and stumbling over his words constantly. How embarrassing.
"Tell me something," Light said, and L wondered absently what on earth were they doing, lying in bed in the middle of the day, in each others' arms. The kiss from earlier must have knocked something off-balance in his brains.
"Like what?" he asked slowly, very much aware of the arm around him and the presence behind him, and very much determined to think about it later. He was feeling far too content where he was to start questioning why he was there.
"I don't know," Light replied quietly. "Something about yourself. Something you think you can tell. There's no need to push yourself. Tell me something insignificant. Like what are your favourite books, what you liked to do when you lived here as a child, did you have any pets..."
"We're not allowed to keep pets in Wammy's House," L said. That seemed like a safe thing to say. Except that... he had inadvertently said 'we' and used present tense, implying that he still thought of himself as one of the orphans living here, as he had never known any other home. To cover up this half-slip, he added, "I had a small cactus once. It died, so I suppose it's good I wasn't allowed to have a pet."
"You killed a cactus? How?"
"... Forgot to water it."
He could feel Light prop himself up to one of his elbows, could feel the amused eyes scanning his face, and refused to look back. "You managed to kill a cactus by not watering it?" the boy asked incredulously. "L, you truly are amazing."
"Or merely incapable of taking care of anything living," the detective muttered.
"You seem to do just fine with the kids here."
"They get loud if I forget to water them. Or... feed them."
Light laughed at him, and L was pretty certain he should have felt insulted. But, well... how do you tell your stomach to keep the butterflies from fluttering in there?
Silence reigned, L focused on his fingernails, the butterflies fluttered, and Light started playing with his hair.
"L."
"Light-kun?"
"You didn't punch or kick me when I kissed you. Does that mean -"
"I was in a state of shock, Light-kun."
"But you still haven't punched or kicked me."
"... I'm still in a state of shock."
"But your subconscious must have agreed with the kiss. If that wasn't the case, I'm sure -"
"In a severe state of shock, Light-kun."
"... Fine, whatever." Oh, L could hear the smirk in his voice! That son of a...
"What," he asked slowly, having to half force the words out of his mouth, "does Light-kun want of me?"
A pause. Light was considering how to arrange his words. "A chance," he finally replied. "A chance to at least attempt a relationship."
Wheels were turning furiously in L's head. Turning onto his back to get a look at Light, he questioned, "And what about Kira-kun?"
Light, still propped up on one of his elbows, looked down at him, but his eyes weren't seeing him. Deep in thought, the younger man stroked the detective's hair gently, apparently not even realizing he was doing it. L didn't deem it necessary to stop him; he was much too preoccupied by watching Light's face with interest for changes in his expression.
For a second, he thought Light's jaw tightened, his eyes flashing dangerously, but then he shook his head slightly, smiling a little. "Light was here first," the auburn haired teen reminded the detective. "Kira may have wanted you dead, but as long as you don't betray me, his wishes will always be second to mine as Light Yagami."
L was positively speechless. He stared back at Light, trying to read his intentions, weighing his expression and tone and words, coming up and abandoning different plots and schemes that might be behind those words.
And then he heard his own voice saying, "Okay."
What? When had that been decided? L scowled internally and made a note to himself to find out exactly what part of him kept throwing these unpredictable comments into the conversation every time he least expected it.
"... Okay?" Light asked slowly.
Half annoyed at himself for letting the word slip, half victorious because it had apparently caught Light off-guard as well, L nodded slightly. "Light-kun may try to prove me that he is serious with this," he clarified, coming up with the words as he spoke them and wondering what he was getting himself into. "As you must know, I'm still not convinced that this is not some sort of plot."
"But it is," Light said, shrugging and smiling. "Just not one of Kira's. This one is just because I like you." He eyed the detective carefully. "So I'm allowed to touch you now? Without the fear of having my teeth punched out or my ribs kicked in?"
L hesitated. What the heck was wrong with him? Did he really want to agree to this? "Within my comfort zone, yes," he finally consented. "Obviously, anything against my will will speak against your good intentions."
Well, actually, this was starting to sound like an excellent plan. Now, if Light were to keep true to his word, he'd have to not only treat L with care, but also obey him to a certain extent. Why hadn't he thought about this earlier? Alright, so the setting was a bit weird for them both - Light was holding the position of actual power over the other one, which L was more used to, and L would have to manipulate him with emotions and human contact, which Light was especially good at.
How had it turned out like this?
"L! Roger says you're going shopping, can we come too?"
"Can we please come too?" Matt corrected Mello's words as they barged into L's room. "Never hurts to be polite, Mel - uhh!"
Mello had stopped dead on his tracks, thus causing their collision and emptying Matt's lungs for a moment. "Who," he started slowly while Matt was still recovering, "who are you and what are you doing in L's room?"
Still wheezing but alarmed by his friend's words, Matt peeked over the blond's shoulder.
It was L (and Light, who had turned around and whose shoulders were shaking as if he was laughing soundlessly). It just didn't look much like him. The man standing in front of them was looking at them over an un-hunched shoulder; his hands had apparently been putting a pair of black-rimmed glasses on when they had interrupted him. His black hair had been straightened and brushed; it still stuck out at the oddest places, but in a way that made it look skilfully planned. His jeans were the same as usual, except maybe a size smaller, so they didn't look like they were about to fall off; his upper body was clad in a dark blue sweater.
He looked... like a normal young man.
"I'm disguised," the detective supplied after a moment of stunned silence. Behind him, Light let out a muffled snort. "With Light-kun's very friendly help," he added, glancing unhappily at the flat-iron resting on the bed.
Matt and Mello's mouths formed two neat little O's. Then Mello formed a very loud R.
"Are you wearing make-up?"
"It's Light-kun's," L informed with admirable speed.
"Just to cover the bags under his eyes," Light added with equal haste when the future detectives turned their accusing eyes to him. And since the touch of make-up really seemed to reside there merely to hide the marks of insomnia, the younger boys dropped the subject... for now.
"So who are you disguised as?" Mello asked.
"No one," L blinked. "I believe that is exactly the point. My normal appearance would have people staring at me -"
"I wonder why," Light said innocently.
"... so if I look like any young man, no one will pay special attention to me."
Mello and Matt lifted their eyebrows and glanced at Light. "He really doesn't get it, does he?" Matt said.
Light sighed, shaking his head and smiling slightly, as if L was an adorable and stubborn but slightly dumb kitten repeatedly trying to catch a goldfish through the glass of its aquarium. "No, he's absolutely convinced that his plan is flawless."
"I fail to see what in my disguise doesn't fit the picture of an average young man," L frowned, turning self-consciously to the mirror to inspect his appearance.
Light rolled his eyes and reached out to fix the man's hair. "You're way too hot to be called average, L, that's what's wrong with your plan. Every single female -"
"... and every single gay," Mello added cheerily, earning a half-glare, half-smirk from Light.
"... will remember you."
L stared at them with his usual unimpressed expression. "Doubtful. Now, what were you two screaming about before we started discussing my appearance?"
"Oh yeah! L, could we please -" Matt started, but was cut short when Mello elbowed him into the ribs.
"Matt just wanted to say that we are going to accompany you to the town," the blond said, smiling a honey sweet smile that could have made Light proud. "Light-o here will be needing some help keeping the greedy paws off you."
Light frowned and opened his mouth to object, but L got there before him. "Where's Near?"
Mello's smile turned from honeyed to syrupy. "Oh, he's safe..."
"... in a closet," Matt murmured, apparently cracking under the pressure L was placing on him merely by looking at him.
L's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly, and then he turned to the mirror again. "He'll be coming with us - and you two will be polite to him if you want to come too." He lifted his arm and looked at the chain lying on the bed with a perplexed expression on his face. "I... I must admit I did not think this far. How are we supposed to wear the chain and look anonymous at the same time?"
Light's mouth dropped open. "Were you actually going to wear that thing in public?" he choked out.
L blinked at him. "What would Watari say if we didn't?"
Mello and Matt followed with interest as the auburn-haired man rolled his eyes and stepped closer to the detective. "Well, I have an idea as to how we could leave the chain here and still be constantly connected. And," he continued as he took L's hand in his own in a rather decisive way, "I'm amazed you didn't come up with this yourself."
Even Light, who was more than used to watching his plans flow flawlessly, was stunned by how smoothly the day passed. Wammy's House was a short walk from the town, but L decided they would go by foot anyway, to Light's slight surprise. He had almost expected the man to call a limo for any walk longer than one hundred meters.
They gathered a lot of wide-eyed looks, horrified glances and amused grins as they walked the snowy streets; Light stopping to look at everything that differed from his home country, and effectively stopping L as well by the firm hold he had on his hand, with Mello and Matt running circles around them to see every display window, and Near shuffling after them, sometimes halting momentarily to cast a longing gaze at a toy robot behind the glass.
L tried to be a polite host by showing Light around this place he had always thought of as his home town, but was constantly swayed by the sweet scents floating from bakeries, candy shops and cafeterias; and when his nose was under control, Light would often make him trip over his words by suddenly squeezing his hand and smiling warmly, or by leaning unnecessarily close to him to inspect a book on a table. Light, though fascinated by the snowy English scenery and the place L called home, was at least equally interested in L's behaviour and made sure to lean a little closer than usual to talk to him.
"Ryuzaki, Near's lagging behind," Mello saw it fit to report during one of those moments, deliberately interrupting what Light considered a sensitive moment and L an alarming situation.
The detective turned to look and saw Matt dragging the small boy by his hand to catch the others. "What is it, Near? Are you tired?" L asked, extending his free arm a little awkwardly to beckon the boy closer; Light could imagine the older man googling the words 'a good older brother' so well that he probably should check the detectives page history once they got back home to see just what the man had read.
"No, I'm just a little cold," Near replied, and demonstrated exactly how 'little' cold he was by committing a highly unusual act: snuggling into the dumbstruck detective's arms - or at least the free one.
"He's freezing to death," Matt translated from Near to Japanese.
L looked troubled. "Near, you aren't even wearing a hat, a scarf, or any mittens. Why didn't you dress properly?" he asked, probably wondering whether it was his fault for not dressing the kid himself.
Light coughed. "Actually, I am the only one fully armoured." He glanced critically at the other four; L wasn't dressed any better than Near, Mello had gloves, Matt had opted for a scarf. "Alright, we're off to shop some clothes now. Come along, kids."
"Who are you calling a -"
"That included Ryuzaki as well, Mello."
"... Oh. In that case."
"I'm deeply flattered, Light-kun..."
"Oh, don't whine," Light scoffed as he led them into a small shop that looked like a potential place to sell the needed garments. "It's your own fault; you know they follow your every step. A good older brother needs to set an example for the younger ones."
L's hand flinched in his gloved one, and he knew he had guessed right what the man had searched from the Internet.
The problem was quickly fixed; L wrapped Near up in warm white clothes until the boy asked whether he was supposed to be able to move his arms and legs. Matt and Mello completed their attires with black and red, and while L was busy with Near, Light picked a black, thick scarf and wrapped it around the detective's neck before he could resist.
"Mittens too," he said when the man turned around to blink his huge eyes at him. "Your fingers are cold."
And L accepted the mittens he was offered, and didn't even say out loud that the coldness of his fingers could hardly bother the younger man through his gloves.
They shopped for some hours; finally the two detectives left their three younger companions in a small cafeteria to warm their hands around a cup of hot chocolate for a moment so Light could get them something as well.
"How is Light-kun going to get me a present if I am constantly in his company?" L pondered, only half serious, as Light was picking the handmade chocolates for Mello.
"Oh, I already have a present for you." Light smiled. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I'd like to give him something more... material. He'll eat these in a heartbeat and won't even remember who gave them to him..."
"There is no better way to get on Mello's good side but giving him chocolate." L shrugged slightly. "In the Mello Land, nothing is quite as material as chocolate."
"Fine, then, I'll take the risk and believe an unrepentant liar." Laughing, Light paid the sweets and, out of a spur-of-moment thought, bought a single extra piece of chocolate. "For you," he said, taking the sweet in his fingers and bringing it to L's pale lips.
L blinked and, as if on its own accord, his mouth opened to receive the handmade piece of chocolate. After the sweet Light covered his lips with his own, taking the detective by surprise; but once again, the younger man pulled back before L could react in any way.
The girl behind the counter was watching them with a wide grin. "You can get another sweet for free if you do that again," she chirped happily.
They found the three boys huddled around a small table in the same corner they had left them.
Their table was full of empty glasses and some plates that had apparently contained pie and chocolate cake. Near was sleeping with his head resting on his folded arms; Mello was licking his fingers and using them to pick crumbles of the cake from the plate, while Matt gazed into the starting snowfall behind the window.
"Are we going home?" Matt asked when they came over.
Light chuckled at the hopeful tone. "Yeah, Matt. We're done here, so if you're ready to go, we can head home."
"It's getting late, anyway," L noted, eyeing Near with an unreadable expression. Then the raven-haired man took out his cellphone and flipped it open to call someone to come get them by car.
Light's free hand closed around the phone. "No, let's walk. I'll carry him," he said, adding in his mind, and maybe, just maybe, the walk will tire Mello and Matt out as well and they'll go straight to bed when we get back...
L tilted his head, glanced at Near, then at his companions, and then back at Light, apparently understanding his point. The detective nodded, his eyes softening ever-so-slightly, and looked a little surprised when Light pulled his hand away from his. Almost as if he had gotten so used to the feeling of holding Light's hand, the younger man thought to himself as he went to gather Near to his arms, that he hadn't even thought about the possibility that Light would have to let go to be able to carry the boy.
Mello eyed Near with a calculating look in his eyes. "L, I'm kinda tired too..."
"I will not carry you, Mello."
"... Matt...?"
"No way, Mels."
"Oh, the cruelty of the world!" Mello wailed, throwing his arm across his face. "Oh, my poor brothers, who must be possessed by devils to act in such a mean way!"
"Just get your ass moving, Mels," Matt laughed, dragging the drama queen out of the café while L paid the bill.
The walk to Wammy's House was calm and uneventful; at the orphanage, L peeled the excess layers of clothing off Near and performed an inexperienced but gentle tucking in for the sleepy boy. Mello and Matt had crawled into their respective beds while he was at this task; after turning off their lights and taking the PSP from Matt he followed Light to his own room, feeling sleepy at eleven thirty for the first time in years.
Well, some coffee would fix that...
But he never got to get that cup of coffee, because Light pulled him under the covers as soon as he got into the room, wrapped his arm around him, and snuggled comfortably against his side.
"Light-kun," L murmured after a while. "I was going to work..."
"Work tomorrow," Light muttered back, tightening his grip.
The detective sighed slightly and decided to wait until the younger man would fall asleep. After all, they weren't currently chained... he could easily slip from Light's arms... a little later...
He dreamed about handmade chocolate and teapots that night.
A lot of you wanted to know more about L's memories - we'll get back to that later. And I suppose some of you expected a much more heated discussion after the kiss in the end of the last chapter, but I really liked it better this way. Even though L is a tad bit OC in this, this way seemed much more like him than getting all soap opera queen over a little kiss... :D
Once again, HUGE THANKS to everyone who commented. ;_; I luff you all like whoa.
Author:
angeltrap
Pairing: LightxL (and hints of MelloxMatt, I suppose)
Rating: pg-13/T
Genre: Humor, fluff, romance - with a touch of emo-ness and Serious Matters every now and then, but I promise I won't let them take over!
Warnings: Yaoi and delightfully AU after the end of Yotsuba Arc. Oh yeah, and spoilers.
Summary: Having found out L's name, Light decides (not bothering to ask L's opinion) that while L will always be Kira's enemy, he can still be Light's boyfriend. So naturally he's supposed to spend Christmas with L and his family at Wammy's, right? LightxL, AUish
Comments: I got back to this chapter after a long time spent on another story when I got my hands on three CDs of the music for Tanoshii Moomin Ikka, Tales from Moominvalley (or whatever it's called in English...) If you have time and interest, go youtube "River of Stars" or "The Day to Be Going on a Journey". These two and some other songs were playing on repeat while I wrote the latter part of this chapter; I hope you find the ending as calm and sweet as I did when I wrote it. Oh yeah, and the fluff is back. :D
Chapter 7
Anonymous Chocoholics
Closeness was strange.
Physical closeness was uncomfortable. Mental closeness was dangerous.
The combination of the two was, however, not as bad as one would have thought.
There was the warmth flush against his back, and around his waist, and the breath ghosting against the back of his exposed neck, and the fingers playing with his. There was the low voice talking to him, and the silence that told him the other was listening to his answers. Listening to him, not just his deductions concerning a case.
L had a feeling that Light was listening so intently that he probably heard him blink his eyes, heard his blood coursing through his veins, heard his heart beat slowly - though he could probably feel the latter against his own chest, being that close to him. Such interest shown for L as a human being was so unfamiliar that he found himself stammering and stumbling over his words constantly. How embarrassing.
"Tell me something," Light said, and L wondered absently what on earth were they doing, lying in bed in the middle of the day, in each others' arms. The kiss from earlier must have knocked something off-balance in his brains.
"Like what?" he asked slowly, very much aware of the arm around him and the presence behind him, and very much determined to think about it later. He was feeling far too content where he was to start questioning why he was there.
"I don't know," Light replied quietly. "Something about yourself. Something you think you can tell. There's no need to push yourself. Tell me something insignificant. Like what are your favourite books, what you liked to do when you lived here as a child, did you have any pets..."
"We're not allowed to keep pets in Wammy's House," L said. That seemed like a safe thing to say. Except that... he had inadvertently said 'we' and used present tense, implying that he still thought of himself as one of the orphans living here, as he had never known any other home. To cover up this half-slip, he added, "I had a small cactus once. It died, so I suppose it's good I wasn't allowed to have a pet."
"You killed a cactus? How?"
"... Forgot to water it."
He could feel Light prop himself up to one of his elbows, could feel the amused eyes scanning his face, and refused to look back. "You managed to kill a cactus by not watering it?" the boy asked incredulously. "L, you truly are amazing."
"Or merely incapable of taking care of anything living," the detective muttered.
"You seem to do just fine with the kids here."
"They get loud if I forget to water them. Or... feed them."
Light laughed at him, and L was pretty certain he should have felt insulted. But, well... how do you tell your stomach to keep the butterflies from fluttering in there?
Silence reigned, L focused on his fingernails, the butterflies fluttered, and Light started playing with his hair.
"L."
"Light-kun?"
"You didn't punch or kick me when I kissed you. Does that mean -"
"I was in a state of shock, Light-kun."
"But you still haven't punched or kicked me."
"... I'm still in a state of shock."
"But your subconscious must have agreed with the kiss. If that wasn't the case, I'm sure -"
"In a severe state of shock, Light-kun."
"... Fine, whatever." Oh, L could hear the smirk in his voice! That son of a...
"What," he asked slowly, having to half force the words out of his mouth, "does Light-kun want of me?"
A pause. Light was considering how to arrange his words. "A chance," he finally replied. "A chance to at least attempt a relationship."
Wheels were turning furiously in L's head. Turning onto his back to get a look at Light, he questioned, "And what about Kira-kun?"
Light, still propped up on one of his elbows, looked down at him, but his eyes weren't seeing him. Deep in thought, the younger man stroked the detective's hair gently, apparently not even realizing he was doing it. L didn't deem it necessary to stop him; he was much too preoccupied by watching Light's face with interest for changes in his expression.
For a second, he thought Light's jaw tightened, his eyes flashing dangerously, but then he shook his head slightly, smiling a little. "Light was here first," the auburn haired teen reminded the detective. "Kira may have wanted you dead, but as long as you don't betray me, his wishes will always be second to mine as Light Yagami."
L was positively speechless. He stared back at Light, trying to read his intentions, weighing his expression and tone and words, coming up and abandoning different plots and schemes that might be behind those words.
And then he heard his own voice saying, "Okay."
What? When had that been decided? L scowled internally and made a note to himself to find out exactly what part of him kept throwing these unpredictable comments into the conversation every time he least expected it.
"... Okay?" Light asked slowly.
Half annoyed at himself for letting the word slip, half victorious because it had apparently caught Light off-guard as well, L nodded slightly. "Light-kun may try to prove me that he is serious with this," he clarified, coming up with the words as he spoke them and wondering what he was getting himself into. "As you must know, I'm still not convinced that this is not some sort of plot."
"But it is," Light said, shrugging and smiling. "Just not one of Kira's. This one is just because I like you." He eyed the detective carefully. "So I'm allowed to touch you now? Without the fear of having my teeth punched out or my ribs kicked in?"
L hesitated. What the heck was wrong with him? Did he really want to agree to this? "Within my comfort zone, yes," he finally consented. "Obviously, anything against my will will speak against your good intentions."
Well, actually, this was starting to sound like an excellent plan. Now, if Light were to keep true to his word, he'd have to not only treat L with care, but also obey him to a certain extent. Why hadn't he thought about this earlier? Alright, so the setting was a bit weird for them both - Light was holding the position of actual power over the other one, which L was more used to, and L would have to manipulate him with emotions and human contact, which Light was especially good at.
How had it turned out like this?
"L! Roger says you're going shopping, can we come too?"
"Can we please come too?" Matt corrected Mello's words as they barged into L's room. "Never hurts to be polite, Mel - uhh!"
Mello had stopped dead on his tracks, thus causing their collision and emptying Matt's lungs for a moment. "Who," he started slowly while Matt was still recovering, "who are you and what are you doing in L's room?"
Still wheezing but alarmed by his friend's words, Matt peeked over the blond's shoulder.
It was L (and Light, who had turned around and whose shoulders were shaking as if he was laughing soundlessly). It just didn't look much like him. The man standing in front of them was looking at them over an un-hunched shoulder; his hands had apparently been putting a pair of black-rimmed glasses on when they had interrupted him. His black hair had been straightened and brushed; it still stuck out at the oddest places, but in a way that made it look skilfully planned. His jeans were the same as usual, except maybe a size smaller, so they didn't look like they were about to fall off; his upper body was clad in a dark blue sweater.
He looked... like a normal young man.
"I'm disguised," the detective supplied after a moment of stunned silence. Behind him, Light let out a muffled snort. "With Light-kun's very friendly help," he added, glancing unhappily at the flat-iron resting on the bed.
Matt and Mello's mouths formed two neat little O's. Then Mello formed a very loud R.
"Are you wearing make-up?"
"It's Light-kun's," L informed with admirable speed.
"Just to cover the bags under his eyes," Light added with equal haste when the future detectives turned their accusing eyes to him. And since the touch of make-up really seemed to reside there merely to hide the marks of insomnia, the younger boys dropped the subject... for now.
"So who are you disguised as?" Mello asked.
"No one," L blinked. "I believe that is exactly the point. My normal appearance would have people staring at me -"
"I wonder why," Light said innocently.
"... so if I look like any young man, no one will pay special attention to me."
Mello and Matt lifted their eyebrows and glanced at Light. "He really doesn't get it, does he?" Matt said.
Light sighed, shaking his head and smiling slightly, as if L was an adorable and stubborn but slightly dumb kitten repeatedly trying to catch a goldfish through the glass of its aquarium. "No, he's absolutely convinced that his plan is flawless."
"I fail to see what in my disguise doesn't fit the picture of an average young man," L frowned, turning self-consciously to the mirror to inspect his appearance.
Light rolled his eyes and reached out to fix the man's hair. "You're way too hot to be called average, L, that's what's wrong with your plan. Every single female -"
"... and every single gay," Mello added cheerily, earning a half-glare, half-smirk from Light.
"... will remember you."
L stared at them with his usual unimpressed expression. "Doubtful. Now, what were you two screaming about before we started discussing my appearance?"
"Oh yeah! L, could we please -" Matt started, but was cut short when Mello elbowed him into the ribs.
"Matt just wanted to say that we are going to accompany you to the town," the blond said, smiling a honey sweet smile that could have made Light proud. "Light-o here will be needing some help keeping the greedy paws off you."
Light frowned and opened his mouth to object, but L got there before him. "Where's Near?"
Mello's smile turned from honeyed to syrupy. "Oh, he's safe..."
"... in a closet," Matt murmured, apparently cracking under the pressure L was placing on him merely by looking at him.
L's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly, and then he turned to the mirror again. "He'll be coming with us - and you two will be polite to him if you want to come too." He lifted his arm and looked at the chain lying on the bed with a perplexed expression on his face. "I... I must admit I did not think this far. How are we supposed to wear the chain and look anonymous at the same time?"
Light's mouth dropped open. "Were you actually going to wear that thing in public?" he choked out.
L blinked at him. "What would Watari say if we didn't?"
Mello and Matt followed with interest as the auburn-haired man rolled his eyes and stepped closer to the detective. "Well, I have an idea as to how we could leave the chain here and still be constantly connected. And," he continued as he took L's hand in his own in a rather decisive way, "I'm amazed you didn't come up with this yourself."
Even Light, who was more than used to watching his plans flow flawlessly, was stunned by how smoothly the day passed. Wammy's House was a short walk from the town, but L decided they would go by foot anyway, to Light's slight surprise. He had almost expected the man to call a limo for any walk longer than one hundred meters.
They gathered a lot of wide-eyed looks, horrified glances and amused grins as they walked the snowy streets; Light stopping to look at everything that differed from his home country, and effectively stopping L as well by the firm hold he had on his hand, with Mello and Matt running circles around them to see every display window, and Near shuffling after them, sometimes halting momentarily to cast a longing gaze at a toy robot behind the glass.
L tried to be a polite host by showing Light around this place he had always thought of as his home town, but was constantly swayed by the sweet scents floating from bakeries, candy shops and cafeterias; and when his nose was under control, Light would often make him trip over his words by suddenly squeezing his hand and smiling warmly, or by leaning unnecessarily close to him to inspect a book on a table. Light, though fascinated by the snowy English scenery and the place L called home, was at least equally interested in L's behaviour and made sure to lean a little closer than usual to talk to him.
"Ryuzaki, Near's lagging behind," Mello saw it fit to report during one of those moments, deliberately interrupting what Light considered a sensitive moment and L an alarming situation.
The detective turned to look and saw Matt dragging the small boy by his hand to catch the others. "What is it, Near? Are you tired?" L asked, extending his free arm a little awkwardly to beckon the boy closer; Light could imagine the older man googling the words 'a good older brother' so well that he probably should check the detectives page history once they got back home to see just what the man had read.
"No, I'm just a little cold," Near replied, and demonstrated exactly how 'little' cold he was by committing a highly unusual act: snuggling into the dumbstruck detective's arms - or at least the free one.
"He's freezing to death," Matt translated from Near to Japanese.
L looked troubled. "Near, you aren't even wearing a hat, a scarf, or any mittens. Why didn't you dress properly?" he asked, probably wondering whether it was his fault for not dressing the kid himself.
Light coughed. "Actually, I am the only one fully armoured." He glanced critically at the other four; L wasn't dressed any better than Near, Mello had gloves, Matt had opted for a scarf. "Alright, we're off to shop some clothes now. Come along, kids."
"Who are you calling a -"
"That included Ryuzaki as well, Mello."
"... Oh. In that case."
"I'm deeply flattered, Light-kun..."
"Oh, don't whine," Light scoffed as he led them into a small shop that looked like a potential place to sell the needed garments. "It's your own fault; you know they follow your every step. A good older brother needs to set an example for the younger ones."
L's hand flinched in his gloved one, and he knew he had guessed right what the man had searched from the Internet.
The problem was quickly fixed; L wrapped Near up in warm white clothes until the boy asked whether he was supposed to be able to move his arms and legs. Matt and Mello completed their attires with black and red, and while L was busy with Near, Light picked a black, thick scarf and wrapped it around the detective's neck before he could resist.
"Mittens too," he said when the man turned around to blink his huge eyes at him. "Your fingers are cold."
And L accepted the mittens he was offered, and didn't even say out loud that the coldness of his fingers could hardly bother the younger man through his gloves.
They shopped for some hours; finally the two detectives left their three younger companions in a small cafeteria to warm their hands around a cup of hot chocolate for a moment so Light could get them something as well.
"How is Light-kun going to get me a present if I am constantly in his company?" L pondered, only half serious, as Light was picking the handmade chocolates for Mello.
"Oh, I already have a present for you." Light smiled. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I'd like to give him something more... material. He'll eat these in a heartbeat and won't even remember who gave them to him..."
"There is no better way to get on Mello's good side but giving him chocolate." L shrugged slightly. "In the Mello Land, nothing is quite as material as chocolate."
"Fine, then, I'll take the risk and believe an unrepentant liar." Laughing, Light paid the sweets and, out of a spur-of-moment thought, bought a single extra piece of chocolate. "For you," he said, taking the sweet in his fingers and bringing it to L's pale lips.
L blinked and, as if on its own accord, his mouth opened to receive the handmade piece of chocolate. After the sweet Light covered his lips with his own, taking the detective by surprise; but once again, the younger man pulled back before L could react in any way.
The girl behind the counter was watching them with a wide grin. "You can get another sweet for free if you do that again," she chirped happily.
They found the three boys huddled around a small table in the same corner they had left them.
Their table was full of empty glasses and some plates that had apparently contained pie and chocolate cake. Near was sleeping with his head resting on his folded arms; Mello was licking his fingers and using them to pick crumbles of the cake from the plate, while Matt gazed into the starting snowfall behind the window.
"Are we going home?" Matt asked when they came over.
Light chuckled at the hopeful tone. "Yeah, Matt. We're done here, so if you're ready to go, we can head home."
"It's getting late, anyway," L noted, eyeing Near with an unreadable expression. Then the raven-haired man took out his cellphone and flipped it open to call someone to come get them by car.
Light's free hand closed around the phone. "No, let's walk. I'll carry him," he said, adding in his mind, and maybe, just maybe, the walk will tire Mello and Matt out as well and they'll go straight to bed when we get back...
L tilted his head, glanced at Near, then at his companions, and then back at Light, apparently understanding his point. The detective nodded, his eyes softening ever-so-slightly, and looked a little surprised when Light pulled his hand away from his. Almost as if he had gotten so used to the feeling of holding Light's hand, the younger man thought to himself as he went to gather Near to his arms, that he hadn't even thought about the possibility that Light would have to let go to be able to carry the boy.
Mello eyed Near with a calculating look in his eyes. "L, I'm kinda tired too..."
"I will not carry you, Mello."
"... Matt...?"
"No way, Mels."
"Oh, the cruelty of the world!" Mello wailed, throwing his arm across his face. "Oh, my poor brothers, who must be possessed by devils to act in such a mean way!"
"Just get your ass moving, Mels," Matt laughed, dragging the drama queen out of the café while L paid the bill.
The walk to Wammy's House was calm and uneventful; at the orphanage, L peeled the excess layers of clothing off Near and performed an inexperienced but gentle tucking in for the sleepy boy. Mello and Matt had crawled into their respective beds while he was at this task; after turning off their lights and taking the PSP from Matt he followed Light to his own room, feeling sleepy at eleven thirty for the first time in years.
Well, some coffee would fix that...
But he never got to get that cup of coffee, because Light pulled him under the covers as soon as he got into the room, wrapped his arm around him, and snuggled comfortably against his side.
"Light-kun," L murmured after a while. "I was going to work..."
"Work tomorrow," Light muttered back, tightening his grip.
The detective sighed slightly and decided to wait until the younger man would fall asleep. After all, they weren't currently chained... he could easily slip from Light's arms... a little later...
He dreamed about handmade chocolate and teapots that night.
A lot of you wanted to know more about L's memories - we'll get back to that later. And I suppose some of you expected a much more heated discussion after the kiss in the end of the last chapter, but I really liked it better this way. Even though L is a tad bit OC in this, this way seemed much more like him than getting all soap opera queen over a little kiss... :D
Once again, HUGE THANKS to everyone who commented. ;_; I luff you all like whoa.