Something Wicked This Way Comes (Death Note, Raito/L, 16/30)
Something Wicked This Way Comes
~ An Alternate Death Note Fanfiction ~
by: aishuu
Notes: For 30_kisses To start at the beginning, go Here. This is going to start tilting to a strongly R fic - I'd call this section PG-13, but it's all downhill from here.
Part 15: Invincible; unrivaled
"Death Note?" Raito echoed. He paused, seeming to turn it over in his mind a couple of times. "Do you mean a suicide letter?"
"No, I meant Death Note," L said, before shrugging his shoulders, trying to appear casual while at the same time studying Raito for any hint of knowledge. "An acquaintance mentioned it to Watari, and I was wondering if you knew what it was."
Raito's eyes narrowed, and L recognized that he was caught in his own lie. L wasn't about to back down; the trick to lying well was not to give in when confronted with proof of your dishonesty. "I've never heard the term before. Does it involve the Kira case?"
"Maybe," L said. He weighed what to do with the matter. If he told Raito about Weddie, he'd be losing one of his best weapons. Weddie - and a few others like her - were the morally questionable informants he used to help furrow out the truth. L had learned long ago that while moral righteousness was a nice concept, it failed to translate well in reality. Sometimes to catch the bad guys, a few laws had to be broken. However, it was best no one else knew he was breaking the rules, since many got uneasy when faced with hypocrisy.
L merely considered it expedient. In the long run, he was doing more good for society than harm. Society couldn't function if only criminals could break the rules.
He still couldn't shake the suspicion that Raito might be Kira - the probability was higher for him than it was for most of the general population, although it was still under one percent. Maybe Raito was a split personality. L had read compelling work theorizing that many criminals might be committing crimes during dissociative breaks. It wouldn't excuse him, but it might be an explanation.
Raito watched him with a carefully blank expression, waiting for L to come to a decision. This was a pivotal moment in their relationship. If he didn't tell Raito, it was likely to come back and bite him in the ass. Raito was smart, and would continue to research behind L's back, even if he wasn't Kira. Raito was only going to give as much cooperation as he was given in return. L decided some obfuscation was in order.
“Watari runs my information networks. He has contacts from his old days - he was a real life James Bond, if you can believe it. Anyway, he has friends who will only speak to him, and then he funnels the information to me. I've always found his intelligence highly reliable, so I don't ask too much about where it originates since it can be shady,” L replied. “I can't do everything myself, after all.”
He couldn't make that leap of faith to tell Raito about Weddie, about how his networks worked. It was a potential liability, since Raito would be the logical person to step in and take over should anything happen to L. However, until he had Kira in his hands, he couldn't completely trust anyone. Especially not genius-level youths who might be able to outsmart L himself.
“I see,” Raito said, and L knew that he was referring to more than the alleged network.
“We're just keeping the possible routes of investigation open,” L replied. “Do you feel like apple pie? I think we have vanilla ice cream in the freezer, too.”
Raito shook his head, declining the offer. “I've got some research to do,” he said. “I'll be in my room, working on my laptop. You enjoy your dessert.”
L understood what that meant. They were beginning to draw the lines, and L wasn't sure they were on the same side anymore. So be it, he thought, trying not to feel depressed. He did not want to be Raito's rival; he wanted to be his friend. But that option seemed to be closing its door, and in the end, L would have to once again prove he was the best.
No matter how little sleep L required, there were times when even he had to cave into the demands of his body. If the mind did not shut down occasionally, there was no way for it to refresh itself. Every now and then, he would feel a flash of fatigue, and answer it by taking a slightly excessive dose of sleeping pills. His metabolism, which served him well due to his love of junk food, was unfortunately as effective when it came to processing drugs.
The drugs ensured a deep and dreamless sleep. He woke feeling clearer-headed than he had in a while. He had slept for eight hours, missing Raito's early morning departure. It was probably just as well.
L was the first to admit he had a tendency to react with paranoia; however he also believed that paranoia was healthy. There were many people out to get him, and it was better to suspect everyone than to let one of the bastards get a shot at him. However he was starting to wonder if he had miscalculated with Raito.
He showered and dressed, thinking about his plans for the day. He needed to make an appearance on campus, since his advisory was insisting on a consultation to discuss how his thesis was going. He found it an annoying waste of time, but he couldn't afford to blow his cover as a student now. There were other agencies out there looking for him; he hadn't needed Matsuda's alert to know that there were people who wanted him strung up as an example. The worst thing he could do was to go under, because he'd learned that there was always the possibility of being discovered no matter how well he hid, and running implied guilt.
It would be best to act normally and ignore the time limit on Misa Misa's life. Panic was the most common reason criminals were caught. Even though they were at the “two days left and counting” point, he refused to get stressed out about it. Besides, while she had agreed to help, there would be others. If she got really desperate, she could just cave to Kira's demands. He thought her instinct for survival would kick in soon. Unlike most of Kira's victims, she believed.
He made his way to campus, idly wondering if he should try to track Weddie down. Her abrupt hang up was worrying, but Weddie knew that she was on her own while on the job. L didn't have the resources to bail out any of his agents. A small, nagging thought started to prey at his mind, and he realized he had a pretty good idea what had happened to her. Ungrounded speculation, though, was unreliable.
He hadn't been good about attending his classes, but none of his professors took attendance so that didn't matter. He already had all his assignments, and most of them were completed. The high quality of his work would speak for itself.
He finally arrived at his advisor's room, just in time to catch a seat in front of her door as she invited someone else in. He squirmed a bit, trying to make himself comfortable, but nothing he could do would make the chair anything less than cheap.
It took fifteen minutes for her to admit him, and the less said about what happened inside, the better. If L had a thesis to discuss, it might have gone more smoothly, but L hedged for time, stating he needed to consider where his interests lay. He overwhelmed her with information, throwing out novels and authors like they were old friends. Name dropping worked, especially when he started talking about reading Shakespeare, Kafka and Jarchas, all in their original languages.
He left feeling annoyed, wondering if he was letting things slip. It wasn't like him to be sloppy about creating a cover persona, and Ryuuka Hideki was a skin he had to live within for a long time. Making a careless mistake now could cause things to come crashing down.
He figured the frown he wore could be attributed to his meeting. Many students on campus wore harried expressions, and L realized with a start that midterms were approaching. It was warm enough now for most people to be wearing short sleeves, though L was an exception. The only sign of the warm weather was his use of slip-on sandals. They were slightly - but only slightly - less offense to his bare feet than sneakers.
He had two options now that he had the formalities out of the way; he could head back to the apartment to continue his research, or he could extract Raito from his studies and go to see Misa Misa. He'd been delaying on visiting with the model again, but he estimated that with the 48 hour mark broached, she might finally be ready to spill what she knew.
He could do it himself, but he preferred to have Raito as back up. Besides, he needed to regain the ground he'd lost the night before due to his secrecy. He needed Raito to believe in him if the investigation was to proceed jointly.
He met Raito in the campus mall, sitting close to the same place where he'd initially announced his “transfer.” Raito was surrounded by his usual coterie, with Takada in the place of honor by his right side. She was wearing a modest yet elegant green outfit, but it was her hand on Raito's arm that caught his attention. For a moment L considered whether they were lovers, but dismissed the idea as inconsequential.
“Raito-kun!” L called, waving a hand to get attention.
The group paused, and L noticed the fleeting look of annoyance that flashed over the girl's face, although she suppressed it quickly.
“Hideki!” Raito called, and he waved his hand to acknowledge L's presence. Raito's expression warmed, and the polite smile that he wore was replaced by one that seemed more real.
It was subtle, and L mentally gave him an Emmy for his acting abilities. The way he also used L's “first name” also was a nice touch, implying familiarity. Raito was a dangerous person, L thought. He could lie with his eyes.
“Ah, I'm sorry - there's my roommate. I forgot I promised to get lunch with him,” Raito said, hesitating and he looked at the girl - Takada Kiyomi, the campus queen - and looking abashed. “We'll do lunch tomorrow?”
The girl murmured a polite acceptance, but L could see from her slightly pinched expression that she wasn't happy. It was hard not to twitch as she brushed an air kiss against Raito's cheek, before offering him a smile and demanding that he call her later that evening. Raito agreed, and then turned toward L.
“Were you in the mood for Chinese?” he asked, apparently forgetting the people who still lingered behind them. He placed a hand on L's shoulder, the casual invasion into L's personal space causing the hairs on the back of his neck to rise. “I know the best place...” he started, and then pressed L's shoulder as he guided them away from the group.
“What are you doing?” L asked, even though he had a pretty good idea what Raito was up to. He wanted to confirm it so he couldn't dismiss it.
“Establishing our new cover,” Raito replied, raising an eyebrow. There was challenge in the smirk of his lips, but L wasn't going to back down.
“I see,” L said. He glanced around for a more private place. They were passing by one of the older campus buildings, and he spotted a small alcove, originally used for a garden, but long since abandoned. He reached up to take Raito by the wrist and firmly steering him toward the inconspicuous spot.
Raito raised an eyebrow. “What do you think you're doing?” he asked, echoing L's earlier statement.
L smiled dangerously. He didn't like how Raito had assumed control of their “cover,” and he wasn't going to let it go. He savored the uncertainty that flashed over Raito's face as he pushed the younger man against the wall. Raito was watching him like he would a swaying snake, concerned about when and how he would strike.
L's experience in intimate matters was practically nonexistent (the one encounter with the highly paid escort had assured him he wasn't missing much). Now, though, he could feel the adrenalin surging in his veins, the excitement of competition fueling him, rather than lust.
He grabbed Raito's tie firmly - and it was Raito's own fault for wearing the stupid leash anyway - to keep him from moving. L straightened his back from his usual slump, leaning in to press his body against Raito's. Raito went rigid but didn't push him away or demand he stop.
It was a heady feeling of power as he used his left hand to clutch a handful of Raito's hair, pulling roughly as he brought the other man's mouth towards his own. L kissed him without tenderness, using his teeth and tongue forcefully.
Raito was acquiescent for several moments, trying to process what was happening. Imprisoned by L's hold on both hair and tie, he couldn't break away without causing himself pain, and Raito wasn't a masochist. L didn't think he would have backed down even if he had the opportunity. Backing down would have been a sign of weakness.
Finally Raito opened his mouth and kissed L back, his tongue tracing the top of L's mouth, running it along the front of L's teeth. He knew how to kiss - there had probably been plenty of girls willing to teach him. He growled slightly, aggressively, and L felt his body start to spark with sexual arousal.
That was enough, he decided. Abruptly he let Raito go, taking two steps back and admiring his handiwork. Raito's face was flushed, his breathing heavy and those dark, glittering eyes narrowed angrily.
L smiled, his mood shifting into a more pleasant mode after winning this battle. “Don't assume you're the seme of this relationship,” L said softly. “I don't bend over for anyone.”
~ An Alternate Death Note Fanfiction ~
by: aishuu
Notes: For 30_kisses To start at the beginning, go Here. This is going to start tilting to a strongly R fic - I'd call this section PG-13, but it's all downhill from here.
Part 15: Invincible; unrivaled
"Death Note?" Raito echoed. He paused, seeming to turn it over in his mind a couple of times. "Do you mean a suicide letter?"
"No, I meant Death Note," L said, before shrugging his shoulders, trying to appear casual while at the same time studying Raito for any hint of knowledge. "An acquaintance mentioned it to Watari, and I was wondering if you knew what it was."
Raito's eyes narrowed, and L recognized that he was caught in his own lie. L wasn't about to back down; the trick to lying well was not to give in when confronted with proof of your dishonesty. "I've never heard the term before. Does it involve the Kira case?"
"Maybe," L said. He weighed what to do with the matter. If he told Raito about Weddie, he'd be losing one of his best weapons. Weddie - and a few others like her - were the morally questionable informants he used to help furrow out the truth. L had learned long ago that while moral righteousness was a nice concept, it failed to translate well in reality. Sometimes to catch the bad guys, a few laws had to be broken. However, it was best no one else knew he was breaking the rules, since many got uneasy when faced with hypocrisy.
L merely considered it expedient. In the long run, he was doing more good for society than harm. Society couldn't function if only criminals could break the rules.
He still couldn't shake the suspicion that Raito might be Kira - the probability was higher for him than it was for most of the general population, although it was still under one percent. Maybe Raito was a split personality. L had read compelling work theorizing that many criminals might be committing crimes during dissociative breaks. It wouldn't excuse him, but it might be an explanation.
Raito watched him with a carefully blank expression, waiting for L to come to a decision. This was a pivotal moment in their relationship. If he didn't tell Raito, it was likely to come back and bite him in the ass. Raito was smart, and would continue to research behind L's back, even if he wasn't Kira. Raito was only going to give as much cooperation as he was given in return. L decided some obfuscation was in order.
“Watari runs my information networks. He has contacts from his old days - he was a real life James Bond, if you can believe it. Anyway, he has friends who will only speak to him, and then he funnels the information to me. I've always found his intelligence highly reliable, so I don't ask too much about where it originates since it can be shady,” L replied. “I can't do everything myself, after all.”
He couldn't make that leap of faith to tell Raito about Weddie, about how his networks worked. It was a potential liability, since Raito would be the logical person to step in and take over should anything happen to L. However, until he had Kira in his hands, he couldn't completely trust anyone. Especially not genius-level youths who might be able to outsmart L himself.
“I see,” Raito said, and L knew that he was referring to more than the alleged network.
“We're just keeping the possible routes of investigation open,” L replied. “Do you feel like apple pie? I think we have vanilla ice cream in the freezer, too.”
Raito shook his head, declining the offer. “I've got some research to do,” he said. “I'll be in my room, working on my laptop. You enjoy your dessert.”
L understood what that meant. They were beginning to draw the lines, and L wasn't sure they were on the same side anymore. So be it, he thought, trying not to feel depressed. He did not want to be Raito's rival; he wanted to be his friend. But that option seemed to be closing its door, and in the end, L would have to once again prove he was the best.
No matter how little sleep L required, there were times when even he had to cave into the demands of his body. If the mind did not shut down occasionally, there was no way for it to refresh itself. Every now and then, he would feel a flash of fatigue, and answer it by taking a slightly excessive dose of sleeping pills. His metabolism, which served him well due to his love of junk food, was unfortunately as effective when it came to processing drugs.
The drugs ensured a deep and dreamless sleep. He woke feeling clearer-headed than he had in a while. He had slept for eight hours, missing Raito's early morning departure. It was probably just as well.
L was the first to admit he had a tendency to react with paranoia; however he also believed that paranoia was healthy. There were many people out to get him, and it was better to suspect everyone than to let one of the bastards get a shot at him. However he was starting to wonder if he had miscalculated with Raito.
He showered and dressed, thinking about his plans for the day. He needed to make an appearance on campus, since his advisory was insisting on a consultation to discuss how his thesis was going. He found it an annoying waste of time, but he couldn't afford to blow his cover as a student now. There were other agencies out there looking for him; he hadn't needed Matsuda's alert to know that there were people who wanted him strung up as an example. The worst thing he could do was to go under, because he'd learned that there was always the possibility of being discovered no matter how well he hid, and running implied guilt.
It would be best to act normally and ignore the time limit on Misa Misa's life. Panic was the most common reason criminals were caught. Even though they were at the “two days left and counting” point, he refused to get stressed out about it. Besides, while she had agreed to help, there would be others. If she got really desperate, she could just cave to Kira's demands. He thought her instinct for survival would kick in soon. Unlike most of Kira's victims, she believed.
He made his way to campus, idly wondering if he should try to track Weddie down. Her abrupt hang up was worrying, but Weddie knew that she was on her own while on the job. L didn't have the resources to bail out any of his agents. A small, nagging thought started to prey at his mind, and he realized he had a pretty good idea what had happened to her. Ungrounded speculation, though, was unreliable.
He hadn't been good about attending his classes, but none of his professors took attendance so that didn't matter. He already had all his assignments, and most of them were completed. The high quality of his work would speak for itself.
He finally arrived at his advisor's room, just in time to catch a seat in front of her door as she invited someone else in. He squirmed a bit, trying to make himself comfortable, but nothing he could do would make the chair anything less than cheap.
It took fifteen minutes for her to admit him, and the less said about what happened inside, the better. If L had a thesis to discuss, it might have gone more smoothly, but L hedged for time, stating he needed to consider where his interests lay. He overwhelmed her with information, throwing out novels and authors like they were old friends. Name dropping worked, especially when he started talking about reading Shakespeare, Kafka and Jarchas, all in their original languages.
He left feeling annoyed, wondering if he was letting things slip. It wasn't like him to be sloppy about creating a cover persona, and Ryuuka Hideki was a skin he had to live within for a long time. Making a careless mistake now could cause things to come crashing down.
He figured the frown he wore could be attributed to his meeting. Many students on campus wore harried expressions, and L realized with a start that midterms were approaching. It was warm enough now for most people to be wearing short sleeves, though L was an exception. The only sign of the warm weather was his use of slip-on sandals. They were slightly - but only slightly - less offense to his bare feet than sneakers.
He had two options now that he had the formalities out of the way; he could head back to the apartment to continue his research, or he could extract Raito from his studies and go to see Misa Misa. He'd been delaying on visiting with the model again, but he estimated that with the 48 hour mark broached, she might finally be ready to spill what she knew.
He could do it himself, but he preferred to have Raito as back up. Besides, he needed to regain the ground he'd lost the night before due to his secrecy. He needed Raito to believe in him if the investigation was to proceed jointly.
He met Raito in the campus mall, sitting close to the same place where he'd initially announced his “transfer.” Raito was surrounded by his usual coterie, with Takada in the place of honor by his right side. She was wearing a modest yet elegant green outfit, but it was her hand on Raito's arm that caught his attention. For a moment L considered whether they were lovers, but dismissed the idea as inconsequential.
“Raito-kun!” L called, waving a hand to get attention.
The group paused, and L noticed the fleeting look of annoyance that flashed over the girl's face, although she suppressed it quickly.
“Hideki!” Raito called, and he waved his hand to acknowledge L's presence. Raito's expression warmed, and the polite smile that he wore was replaced by one that seemed more real.
It was subtle, and L mentally gave him an Emmy for his acting abilities. The way he also used L's “first name” also was a nice touch, implying familiarity. Raito was a dangerous person, L thought. He could lie with his eyes.
“Ah, I'm sorry - there's my roommate. I forgot I promised to get lunch with him,” Raito said, hesitating and he looked at the girl - Takada Kiyomi, the campus queen - and looking abashed. “We'll do lunch tomorrow?”
The girl murmured a polite acceptance, but L could see from her slightly pinched expression that she wasn't happy. It was hard not to twitch as she brushed an air kiss against Raito's cheek, before offering him a smile and demanding that he call her later that evening. Raito agreed, and then turned toward L.
“Were you in the mood for Chinese?” he asked, apparently forgetting the people who still lingered behind them. He placed a hand on L's shoulder, the casual invasion into L's personal space causing the hairs on the back of his neck to rise. “I know the best place...” he started, and then pressed L's shoulder as he guided them away from the group.
“What are you doing?” L asked, even though he had a pretty good idea what Raito was up to. He wanted to confirm it so he couldn't dismiss it.
“Establishing our new cover,” Raito replied, raising an eyebrow. There was challenge in the smirk of his lips, but L wasn't going to back down.
“I see,” L said. He glanced around for a more private place. They were passing by one of the older campus buildings, and he spotted a small alcove, originally used for a garden, but long since abandoned. He reached up to take Raito by the wrist and firmly steering him toward the inconspicuous spot.
Raito raised an eyebrow. “What do you think you're doing?” he asked, echoing L's earlier statement.
L smiled dangerously. He didn't like how Raito had assumed control of their “cover,” and he wasn't going to let it go. He savored the uncertainty that flashed over Raito's face as he pushed the younger man against the wall. Raito was watching him like he would a swaying snake, concerned about when and how he would strike.
L's experience in intimate matters was practically nonexistent (the one encounter with the highly paid escort had assured him he wasn't missing much). Now, though, he could feel the adrenalin surging in his veins, the excitement of competition fueling him, rather than lust.
He grabbed Raito's tie firmly - and it was Raito's own fault for wearing the stupid leash anyway - to keep him from moving. L straightened his back from his usual slump, leaning in to press his body against Raito's. Raito went rigid but didn't push him away or demand he stop.
It was a heady feeling of power as he used his left hand to clutch a handful of Raito's hair, pulling roughly as he brought the other man's mouth towards his own. L kissed him without tenderness, using his teeth and tongue forcefully.
Raito was acquiescent for several moments, trying to process what was happening. Imprisoned by L's hold on both hair and tie, he couldn't break away without causing himself pain, and Raito wasn't a masochist. L didn't think he would have backed down even if he had the opportunity. Backing down would have been a sign of weakness.
Finally Raito opened his mouth and kissed L back, his tongue tracing the top of L's mouth, running it along the front of L's teeth. He knew how to kiss - there had probably been plenty of girls willing to teach him. He growled slightly, aggressively, and L felt his body start to spark with sexual arousal.
That was enough, he decided. Abruptly he let Raito go, taking two steps back and admiring his handiwork. Raito's face was flushed, his breathing heavy and those dark, glittering eyes narrowed angrily.
L smiled, his mood shifting into a more pleasant mode after winning this battle. “Don't assume you're the seme of this relationship,” L said softly. “I don't bend over for anyone.”