Death Note Fan Fiction ❯ Keep Your Friends Close But Your Enemies Closer ❯ Chapter 10

A/N: For those who will soon be wondering, apoplexy is (according to dictionary.com) “Sudden impairment of neurological function, especially that resulting from a cerebral hemorrhage; a stroke.” Heheh.

 

Chapter 10

 

Raito continued to cast glances at L as they left the café, and L continued to pretend he didn't notice. Finally, after several minutes of walking, Raito cleared his throat. “Which hotel are we staying at, Ryuu?”

 

L glanced over, a rather amused smile twisting the corners of his lips up ever so slightly. “The Hilton Tokyo.”

 

Raito nodded in acknowledgment, wrapping his arms tighter around himself. The night air was a bit chilly, since he was only wearing jeans and a cotton t-shirt, and he wondered why L was never cold. He glanced down at his feet and suppressed a shudder. The old tennis shoes he had donned really were atrocious.

 

After about ten more minutes of walking, they reached the hotel. L looked duly impressed at the grandeur of the lobby, while Raito rolled his eyes. He then realized, though, that rolling his eyes was most un-L-like behavior, and promptly slouched down farther, and ran a hand through his hair to mess it up a little more.

 

“I'd like a room,” L said, shuffling up to the front desk.

 

Eyeing his disheveled appearance, the receptionist asked, “Just for you…sir?” He added the last part as an afterthought.

 

L shook his head. “No, for the both of us.” he gestured in Raito's direction.

 

“So, two rooms?”

 

Raito felt his teeth clench. Was L really going to get two rooms for them? Has he been leading Raito on? Had he been behaving so…seductively on purpose?

 

“No, just one,” L replied, unfazed.

 

Raito was surprised at the relief he felt.

 

The receptionist looked the couple over once more and nodded, giving them a set of two keycards. “Room 464,” he said curtly.

 

As L palmed the keycards, Raito found his shoulders relaxing back into their L-slouch. He hadn't even known he had tensed so much and unconsciously straightened them up.

 

A few minutes later, Raito and L were opening the door to their hotel room. They walked slowly in, Raito a little apprehensive and L simply amused, and both sat down on opposite sides of the one bed in the room.

 

Raito had a sudden, irrational urge to say something inane, just to fill up the silence that had descended on the room. He mentally slapped himself for such silly behavior, and instead shifted uncomfortably. This, however, did nothing to relieve the tension in the area, of which he was uncomfortably aware.

 

It was ironic, Raito mused, that the one time he was actually frustratingly close to bagging L, he was too awkward to do it. Awkwardness was definitely not a feeling Raito had ever felt before. In fact, there was no rational reason why he was being awkward now! He was acting like a child, too caught up in his own mind to even notice the ridiculousness of the situation.

 

These thoughts reassured Raito somewhat, and so, to prove his point and overcome these “completely irrational” feelings, he turned his head to meet L's eyes, and then slid them across the other man's body, looking him over.

 

His t-shirt, twin to Raito's own, clung in all the right places, revealing L's lean and wiry frame. His pants comfortably hugged his hips, which Raito thought was a miracle since L obviously didn't buy them so they'd flatter his body type on purpose. His raven-colored hair, though an unruly mess, suited him strangely, and Raito could hardly imagine it in any other style.

 

L glanced over at him and smiled coyly. “Whatever are you looking at, Raito-kun?” he almost purred.

 

A sudden heat filled the pit of Raito's stomach and, he realized with trepidation, perhaps his feelings weren't quite so irrational. The man was quite a threat to his sanity. A very sexy threat to his sanity.

 

“You, Mr. Sexy,” Raito replied without thinking, too caught up in his own thoughts.

 

L's eyes widened ever so slightly. “I'm sorry, what was that?” he breathed.

 

Raito's eyes also widened, and he felt like hitting his head on the wall. What the hell had L done to him to get him saying such things? “Uh…I think I'm suffering apoplexy.” Raito wasn't entirely sure that wasn't true, come to think of it.

 

“Ah,” L answered, still a little shocked. Perhaps Raito wasn't being as well fooled as he had thought. Could have underestimated Raito, once again?

 

To say something so out of character for himself, knowing it would be one of the few responses to catch me off guard…Could Raito know my plan as well? L thought, a little impressed with Raito, although his features betrayed nothing. Raito was one of two people who could surprise him at every turn. The other was, of course, Kira. Which only served to increase his suspicion that Raito could be Kira…

 

Raito and L sat uncomfortably on opposite sides of the bed for a moment longer, before Raito chanced another glance over at L, who made a rather halfhearted attempt at batting his eyelashes. “Yagami-kun, you look a little tense.” L scooted a few inches closer to Raito. “Perhaps a bath would loosen you up?” he breathed into Raito's ear.

 

Raito's head nodded vigorously with enthusiasm before his brain had any time to think about a more appropriate reaction. “Guh,” he grunted, further confirming his suspicion that he was losing brain cells at an alarmingly fast rate.

 

L smiled sweetly at him, making Raito's heart melt and his mind wary. L was being nice. Too nice. “Look,” L pointed out the window, “how convenient. There's a bath house right across the street.”

 

***

 

Five minutes later, L padded across the tiled locker room and set down his basket of Samurai Shampoo, pulling off his shirt as he did so.

 

Raito found his eyes inexorably drawn to the naked skin of L's chest. L then reached for the zipper of his pants, and Raito found himself completely incapable of looking away.

 

Noticing this, L glanced up at Raito. “Is something wrong, Raito-kun? I've never been to a bathhouse before…is this not how one behaves?” he asked genuinely.

 

Raito shook his head slightly, mostly to clear his thoughts. “No, no, Ryuu, you're doing nothing wrong.” At this, Raito pulled off his own shirt, folding it neatly and putting it away. As he unfastened his pants, he stared resolutely at the wall, determined not to look over at L.

 

“Ah!” L exclaimed, forcing Raito to look up.

 

“What is it?” Raito asked.

 

“The zipper is stuck,” L said, giving Raito a mournful look.

 

Raito swallowed.

 

“Could you help me with it, Yagami-kun?” L queried innocently, an angelic expression on his face.

 

Raito tried to swallow again, but found that his mouth was too dry for that to be possible. Instead he walked meekly up to L and held out a shaky hand to lower the jammed zipper. To his surprise, it came without much force at all, but even that wasn't enough to save him from blushing like a schoolgirl. To avoid being detected in his uncharacteristic defenselessness, Raito shot out of the locker room towards the bathing area, intent on washing quickly and getting into the bath even quicker.

 

***

 

Another five minutes later Raito still wasn't relaxed. In fact, although he was now sitting in the purifying waters of the bath, he was decidedly more awkward. L, that devilish baggy-eyed bombshell, was sitting, stark naked, only two feet away from him, albeit in water up to their chests.

 

Raito chanced a quick look at L. His hair was curling in the steam, making him even more of a sultry minx, and the strong, flowery scent of the Samurai Shampoo he'd used in his rinse wafted enticingly though the air. “So,” Raito finally began, “nice water.”

 

L gave him a Look. “It would be even nicer…if you were sitting closer to me,” he suggested.

 

Raito coughed, mumbled something under his breath, and then scooted towards him. “It's very relaxing,” he remarked, to cover up his embarrassment.

 

L looked at him quizzically. “You don't look very relaxed, Raito,” he purred. “I think a backrub is in order.”

 

Raito's eyes narrowed and he contemplated L suspiciously. “A backrub? What kind of backrub?”

 

L stifled a smile and gingerly laid a hand on Raito's shoulder. The scent of his shampoo was overpowering. He was intoxicated, and even felt a little lightheaded, like he had that day he'd gotten drunk with L. He was, for lack of a better phrase, drunk on L-vibes.

 

“Raito, your skin is so soft,” said L sweetly, a lustful gaze in his eyes.

 

Raito overbalanced in shock and fell into the water. When he surfaced, L looked so concerned that Raito couldn't help but think that L's intentions might actually be sincere.

 

“I know what L stands for,” Raito murmured suddenly, surprising even himself by putting his hands on L's shoulders and looking him in the eye.

 

L gazed back at him dubiously. “Do you now?” he asked coolly, although he was somewhat alarmed by the idea that Raito might have figured out his true name, especially if he turned out to be Kira…

 

“Yes, I do,” Raito answered. “L stands for Loveable.”

 

He leaned over, closing the distance between them, and hesitantly pressed his lips to L's.

 

***

 

To be continued…