Death Note Fan Fiction ❯ PITCH ❯ Skeletons in the Closet ( Chapter 14 )

PITCH

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Light x L

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Part 14

 

L is a reclusive detective who takes his job seriously. Too seriously, in fact. Once he takes note of how neglected and stagnant his life truly is, he decides to make some changes. Challenges arise through an unanticipated meeting. AU

 

A/N: Hello! Long time, no see!
Pressing matters are the bane of fic writers everywhere. They munch up all the precious time that could be better used supporting the cause, and makin' the boys get nekkid. Damn you, pressing matters, damn you. :S

Disclaimer: (See part 1 for full disclaimer.)

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Pitch: (def.) 

A substance commonly utilized to bind materials in construction... Tar pitch appears solid, and can be shattered with a hard impact, but it is actually fluid. Pitch flows at room temperature, but extremely slowly. To attain maximum fluidity, to be used, it must be exposed to heat.

 

Minds are like pitch. To reveal their full potential, they must be exposed to environs that apply stress. They must be challenged.

 

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Part 14: (Skeletons in the Closet)

 

"Twenty-four thousand, nine hundred and sixty six," L said. 

 

He'd crunched the numbers; he knew he was right.

 

"Sixty seven," the infuriating man across from him replied.

 

L felt his lips twist in a surge of irritation. "You're questioning my calculations by a number of one?"

 

"Should it be more?" the client asked gratingly. "I thought you stood by the accuracy of your calculations?"

 

"I do.  I also stand by my assessments..." L rose from his seat. "And, judging by your lack of cooperation, you obviously do not wish to move forward." He gave the man a scathingly bland look. "As such, you are wasting my time." The client looked slightly surprised, his mouth falling open a bit, turning to the blond man standing next to him as if to ask him what went wrong. 

 

L spared a glare at Aiber, who was acting the part of a stunned business partner, as he slouched towards the door.

 

Honestly. What was wrong with people these days?? Why bother hiring someone when you don't intend to let them do their job in the first place? 

 

"I'm sorry. I'll talk to him." L could hear Aiber telling the client as he pushed out the door. Talk? Did he appear to be in a nonsensical rage that could be talked down? He was perfectly calm and unerringly logical. Only now he was also extremely aggravated.

 

"L!"

 

L ignored him. He disliked working with Aiber anyway. 

 

The building exit was looking quite lovely the closer he got to it. In addition to that, it was Germany that lurked outside those double doors and a tempting little hole-in-the-wall bakery was less than a 10 minute walk away. He'd passed it twice now and was itching to try it out. Their sign outside the door promised over twelve varieties of chocolate cake alone. Who could resist? 

 

He was being the paradigm of a hard-working detective to leave that be while he met with clients. And for what? he wondered balefully as Aiber's half-running footsteps finally caught up with him, intent on ruining his day.

 

"Please refrain from touching me, Aiber-san."

 

The Aryan man had a propensity for being grabby, which baffled and annoyed L by turns. He also had a tendency not to listen to even the most reasonable of requests, and so his hand remained solidly affixed to L's arm.

 

"We're not in Japan right now, L. Call me Aiber."

 

"Force of habit," L said unapologetically. They had been in Japan, where he had first met Aiber, until just last week. "And hardly the point. What is it you wish to talk to me about?" His tone was loosely in the range of civility, but certainly not inviting. Actually, it bordered on acerbic. "I'll give you one minute and 32 seconds to convince me you weren't coaching the client."

 

L eyed Aiber critically and did in fact note a look of amusement about his rugged face. 

 

Aiber shrugged. Shrugged! Then he had the audacity to smile.

 

"Gah!" So the client was only acting as a mouthpiece for Aiber's annoying script which was crafted to push L's buttons in a way the stranger couldn't have managed on his own. "I knew you were the only one who could come up with such useless..." L broke off and also forcefully removed his arm from the blond man's grip. "But surely even you would have a reason for it?"

 

"Aside from seeing how immensely entertaining you can be when things don't go your way?"

 

L scowled, counting to ten before speaking. "Aiber, he's a mutual client..."

 

"Not exactly."

 

"What does that mean?" And here comes some angle he'd have been working on the side, I'd wager...

 

"It means, I am acting as a consultant. I'm very good at what I do, so not only do I know a top class detective like L, I know how to deal with his eccentricities and can guide my client through the sticky process of securing you on our case."

 

"Uh-huh," L said critically, "and I suppose this recent scare will allow you to charge more?"

 

"Of course," Aiber said with a flashy smile. "But you stand to profit as well since we are splitting the--"

 

"It's not worth the irritation." L continued down the hall.

 

"What?" Aiber laughed, somewhat mirthlessly, as he kept pace. "L, come on, you can't quit now."

 

L had the urge to kick him. Just for being an idiot. He most certainly could quit now. This sense of urgency is your own doing and not my problem. Besides, he'd warned Aiber about involving him in things like this. I'm a detective, not a show pony.

 

L said flatly, "I suggest that, if you are in need of a detective for these games, you start looking fast or become one yourself. I'm finished."

 

Sadly, L never did quite remember the chocolate cake he ate that day, only the amount of the rather hefty bill. Irritation was a fearsome force indeed.

 

--- 

  

Ah flashbacks, L thought idly, chewing on a peppermint stick. Mostly just good for showing us where we went wrong. 

 

This particular flashback demonstrated Aiber's penchant for being annoying even back then, as well as reminding L of some words said that he would dearly love to take back.

'Become one yourself' indeed. Who could've known how that would come back to bite him? And with such repetition. With the title of 'Detective' under his belt, Aiber had ascended to the ranks of the nearly intolerable. 

 

"So, tell me again why you think I have any reason to be talking to you right now?" L said.

 

Irritating nature notwithstanding, Aiber's attempt to lick his tonsils had made L even less enamored of him than before.

 

It was a fit of insanity, surely, that made L agree to speak to the addle-brained Nazi. L still maintained the sanctity of his cell phone however, refusing to relinquish its number and opting instead for an online video conference. Audio only. He made Aiber stare at his signature 'L', but in turn, he was forced to stare at Aiber's stupid, monolithic 'A'. 

 

This was not what ranked as fun on a Saturday evening, or any evening, as far as L was concerned.

 

It was the subject line that did it, really. Short and cryptographic messages weren't really Aiber's style, but the one-liner was an attention-getter.

 

'I know about the locked room.'

 

Do you now? And how might Aiber have come across something like that? L crunched on his peppermint stick, staring blankly at the 'A' as he mulled over his options. Let it go and be rid of Aiber, or....

 

Damn my infernal curiosity.

 

"Your curiosity won't let you ignore something like this," Aiber responded smugly. "You would have already known about the room, having frequented the location itself, and been wondering how you might discover what is inside."

 

Damn him. "That would be an invasion of privacy," L stated in a dull, bored voice. 

 

"Would that really be of consequence if you could get inside, unnoticed?"

 

L chewed on his lip. The thought had occurred. Raito, of course, would not excuse such an undertaking, being an extremely secretive sort of person... However, the brunet also willfully disregarded other people's privacy, which almost begged for something like this to happen to him. Plus... he didn't have to know.

 

L just wanted a peek. He just wanted a quick look around to lay his curiosity about the room to rest and put an end to the itching feeling of wanting in there. He wanted some of Raito's secrets. He wanted enlightenment. He wanted... to see if those damn coasters were hiding in there.

 

"You are as lacking in moral fiber as I remember, Aiber."

 

Stay strong, L. Resist temptation. As much as he may have liked to be privy to the Oz behind the curtain, L knew that to take such action, he must be prepared for both the findings and the potential consequences. Raito... would be furious. 

 

"Don't you want to know more about his sordid past and present before you get even more involved?"

 

"What exactly are you saying?" Did Aiber know how involved they actually were? If so, the con man was, as of yet, being much too easy-going for him not to be up to something. This was starting to feel bad. Very bad.

Not only that, to be beholden to Aiber for anything was not an option. Situations like this needed a big neon sign that said: Avoid at all costs. Danger. Explosions likely....

 

"I'm saying that I have a confidant and a way in."

 

"I'm not interested."

 

"Good intelligence says that he is out this evening."

 

"Aiber," L said more assertively, disliking the way he was getting pulled in as an unwitting accomplice. "I'm not interested."

 

"Oh, but I am." The man paused and L could sense the smugness that would be rolling off of him in waves. "When I go in, I plan to fully extort every incriminating little bit of everything I find."

He let L's shocked outrage sink in a little and allowed the weight of what he was saying to rest heavily on L's shoulders before continuing. "If, however, you accompany me..." Aiber said in a soft, sly voice, "we can keep it between us."

 

'Between us' sounded an awful lot like Aiber was going to try jumping him again. L would rather have his teeth pulled out than court that disaster with a 10-foot pole.

L pinched the bridge of his nose. But shit! Aiber already didn't like Raito and, boss or no, he would lose nothing from trying to ruin him. Shouldn't I do something to counteract this situation? ...but it's Raito's fault if he's done such shady things that he could be brought down by them, L thought stubbornly. It's not my duty to protect him from himself.

 

"How did you even know about it?" L kept his voice bland and hoped that Aiber would answer before demanding his answer. "I can't imagine that you've been inside..."

 

"Ah, yes," Aiber drawled, "Well, it is amazing what loose tongues libations and flirtation can give a person. Though Misa told me infinitely more from the comfort of her bed."

 

"You didn't!" L was appalled. Had Aiber slept with her that night? Merely to gain such information? Am I the only person who takes issue with such behavior anymore??

 

"Some of the best stuff came after the first few hours," Aiber said. "How would you like to bet that you are the mysterious person taking her precious Raito away from her? She cried, you know."

 

L gaped, not knowing what to say. First off, he neither needed nor wanted details on Aiber's sex life. Second, the guy was a bastard for trying to make him feel bad for Misa. A total bastard. Because it was sort of working. He had a half-formed and completely inane urge to ask Raito if he hadn't meant to break up with her.

 

Aiber tsk tsked then. "I can't believe you're getting in the way of true love like this, L. It's rather disgraceful of you."

 

L's eye began to twitch. True love? You've got to be kidding me. "I wasn't aware you subscribed to such notions, Aiber."

 

"It's hard to argue that they make a beautiful couple, and I cannot quite envision you on his arm smiling for the cameras."

 

"You're right on both accounts." L gritted his teeth, finding it difficult to tell the man that he was right about anything whatsoever, even if it was going to be followed by a counterargument. "However, it seems as if this 'true love' might be one-sided." And it was, if Raito's attitude towards her or his habit of laying L out on his back and rendering him incapable of speech were any indication. "In addition, it is obvious that society would not be as accepting of two males in the limelight, so such a couple could hardly be expected to act in the identical manner as a heterosexual one."

 

"So you've given it some thought," Aiber said smoothly. "That just proves you feel out of place." 

 

"No, that just proves you are being irritating and wasting my time."

 

"If you like him so much, I'm surprised you'd be willing to watch him go down in flames when you have a chance to stop it - just by being in the right place at the right time."

 

"It has nothing to do with me!"

 

Aiber laughed. "It won't look that way to him when I'm done with it. You are involved, no matter which way you look at it, L. I'll let you have a little more time to decide whether you want to keep his image and career intact or not."

 

It was Saturday night, and L was having even less fun than before. 

 

---

 

After some deliberation, L decided that going along with Aiber might be the worst thing he could do when it came to keeping himself intact.

If 'keeping it between us' wasn't meant to imply physical relations now, it well could in the future. With the added information that they would gain by raiding that room, Aiber would surely have ample blackmail material with which to bend L to his whims. Of course, this would only be successful if L were unwilling to let Raito be at Aiber's mercy. Conversely, if L were to find something that made him wish to sever ties with Raito, Aiber would have one less obstacle in his way.

 

In time, the blond man might worm his way into every little corner of L's life that he could, counting on L to give into him versus expending the enormous amount of energy it would take to keep him at bay. First his phone, then his address, then his work... and at some point in all of that, would be the gross violation of my personal space.

 

If something like that were to happen, L thought, he may have to look into purchasing a gun.

 

L didn't believe that the man would go so far as to kiss him, only to leave things at that. Aiber was likely only just getting started.

Ugh. Why me?

It didn't make any sense for Aiber to desire him physically. Or to like him personally for that matter.

The man was a pompous, disagreeable sort, and L was not given preferential treatment; of that he was sure. Still, even had Aiber attempted being nice, L still could not imagine wanting to bask in his company, or doing anythingelse for that matter. 

 

L stared at his cell phone. He'd also decided that he should contact Raito and make him aware of the possibility of a break in. It was... an unhappy task to undertake. There would be all manner of questions, and the potential for unpleasantness was high. Despite this, he found he wanted to give Raito a fighting chance. It was the least he could do.

 

L pulled up Raito's contact information in his phone and hovered over the send button. Aiber had said the brunet was 'out'. Could it be something work-related? It seemed that those in politics liked to dine out and discuss their business there.

 

L chewed on his lip speculatively. He disliked the idea of disrupting negotiations or otherwise intruding... but certainly this situation merited an interruption? "Right." He pressed the button and fidgeted as the call rang through.

 

"Hello, this is Raito--"

 

L felt annoyed and relieved at the same time. Voicemail. He'd only called Raito once before and talking on the phone was an awkward prospect, so he couldn't say he was disappointed not to have to do so, especially in light of the information he had to convey... but at the same time, this was kind of important and there was something of a deadline on the table.

 

"--leave a message after the tone." Beeeeeeep.

 

L considered just hanging up, trusting that Raito would call him back when he saw the missed call, but that felt like insufficient effort on his own part.

"Raito... this is L."

What to say? He couldn't launch into things on a message, and he did not trust that a summary in 20 words or less would come out right.

"Please call me back," he added, hanging up.

 

I should've said 'It's important', he thought dourly, staring at his phone. He considered calling back to add that minutiae but couldn't bring himself to. That will have to suffice.

 

He brought up some of his current cases to poke at while the situation resolved itself.

 

---

 

L was actually quite absorbed in the Schiller case when a familiar noise crept into the precision of his thoughts. His hand groped around the desk on automatic-pilot while he read, discovering his ringing phone and answering the call with the push of a button, all without the assistance of conscious thought. His mouth reflexively said 'Hello?' as the phone was brought to his face.

 

"Lawliet? You wanted to speak with me?"

 

That voice jarred L out of the lulling drift of analytical thoughts, surprising him with both the presence of the phone and that he had no idea what time it was. 

 

"Yes, I did," L said, glancing at the clock on his computer. It was nearly midnight? What had become of Aiber? This was many hours after he had spoken to the man and been given time to make his decision. Had he aborted this plan since he did not gain the sort of cooperation he sought?

 

"To what do I owe this honor? It's not like you to call."

 

"Were you out at a work function this evening?" L asked, buying time while he considered his options. If Aiber had decided to forgo his breaking-and-entering, then it would not be in his or Raito's best interest to mention it. It could have all the ill-effects that the thing itself would have caused, barring the destruction of Raito's image, and with no additional effort on Aiber's part. L would be doing the work for him - causing a rift in their already tenuous relationship. Was this Aiber's true plan?

 

"Yes," Raito responded. "Why?"

 

"Was Misa there?" That would explain how Aiber had known he would be out - if Misa herself would be in attendance...

 

Raito was silent a few moments. "Would it matter if she was?"

 

L frowned as he came back out of detective mode, which he'd been slipping into. Raito sounded displeased. He shouldn't have asked about Misa - she was a sore subject - but she provided a missing piece to the puzzle. 

 

"Not overtly, no," L answered his question in the most diplomatic way he could. "I realize that she is a part of your work, for some reason, and that you cannot choose to merely stop seeing her." 

 

Seeing her? I meant to say 'associating with her'. I didn't intend to make it sound like they were dating...

 

"It isn't that I can't choose..." Raito sounded vexed. "It's that it is --"

 

"Complicated," L interrupted, finishing the sentence for him. "I know." He'd heard that line enough by now to recognize it in the making. "But it seems that she idolizes you and may be thinking of you as her 'one true love'." 

 

Since when did I start using second-hand information from shady sources like Aiber in my impromptu interrogations? Not that Misa wasn't obviously infatuated...

 

"I am painfully aware of that fact," Raito sighed tiredly and L had the impression that he was rubbing a hand over his eyes. "But this is not the reason you called me, is it?"

 

"...no," L reluctantly agreed. Aiber must have abandoned his plan. And even if he used Misa as an informant, she was unaware that Raito would be out tomorrow to spend time with his family, so she would be unable to relay such to Aiber... He'd have no reason to forestall the intrusion to a day where he was uncertain of his victim's schedule.

 

"Is this about tomorrow?" Raito asked, annoyance creeping into his tone.

 

"Sort of?" It was as good an excuse as any. He silently thanked Raito for providing it.

 

"Lawliet, it won't be nearly as painful as you are imagining." His voice became mildly placating as he added, "And if somehow it is, then I promise we won't stay long."  

 

"Is that all right?" L was skeptical. "It's in the spirit of your birthday... shouldn't you be there for it?"

 

"I've told you my opinion on that already. It is more for them than for me, so if you find things to be beyond enduring, we don't have to stay."

 

"And what then?" L asked, feeling anxious. It seemed that evenings with Raito often turned out the same way... not that being intimate wasn't enjoyable, but it was nerve-wracking and sort of barred anything resembling intelligent conversation. Sex was not conducive to a wide vocabulary, he'd discovered, nor the faculties with which to use one. 

 

There was a calculating pause on the other end. 

 

"We can do whatever you would like." The words sounded innocently indulgent, yet had a silky undertone that L couldn't quite miss. 

 

L ignored the weak fluttering in his stomach and his immediate speculations on what was likely to occur, planned or not. For gods sake! You'd think that frequency of a thing would make it less desirable, but he found Raito to be as stimulating as ever. Though I would like to bear witness to the ways in which he might stimulate my brain sometime in the near future...

 

"I would very much like to challenge you to a game of Chess, Shogi, or Go..." L announced staunchly. "Whichever you prefer."

 

"I'm sure that could be arranged," Raito's voice smiled. "Your mind has always held great interest for me. I'll look forward to becoming more thoroughly acquainted with it."

 

Always... and we haven't even known each other that long...

 

A strategical board game couldn't turn into sex, could it? L wondered. Because Raito made it sound like it would when he played.

 

...Maybe I should've asked him out for coffee instead...

 

---

 

After the initial greeting, when Raito picked L up on Sunday, the two had passed the time in silence. 

 

It was not a hostile silence, nor an angry one that made the car ride seem like a small eternity, but a sort of silence that was hard to quantify. L refrained from looking at Raito too closely. Aiber's threat was still munching away at the back of his mind, making him generally unsettled. He didn't want the brunet to pick up on it, though Raito might assume it to be L's reluctance to experience more quality time with the Yagami family and their quirks. 

 

Then again, that explained nothing of his companion's silence, and L had to admit that that was eating away at him as well.

 

At times like this, he wished he knew more about the brunet. 

 

It feels like I know him... I can even anticipate him to some extent - yet I lack for details.

Even if he wanted to engage in small talk in an effort to gauge the mood, where would he start? The things he knew about were hardly things he wished to discuss... Aiber: always a bad topic; Misa: a touchy subject that was nearly guaranteed to start an argument; Raito's work: tricky, in that it always seemed to come back to what things the brunet was willing to do in the name of work which was sure to devolve into fighting as well. L also did not feel like launching into an account of his own work, or himself for that matter, and starting a philosophical discussion didn't seem appropriate...

 

"Raito, what is your favorite color?"

 

It sounded as stupidly pointless aloud as it had in L's head. L scrunched deeper into the seat with indifference painted across his face and told himself that the point was to gain a response and nothing more. This was not a test of his conversational skills. He looked over at the brunet from the corner of his eye.

 

Raito was staring at the road and seemed not to have heard him, though L was certain he had. He waited.

 

"Might I know your reason for asking?" Raito asked after a while, his expression not changing. It bore the slight frown of distraction but was otherwise rather blank.

 

"It's a simple question," L said, turning to face him. "Do you find it inappropriate in some way?"

 

"You can tell a lot about someone with simple questions such as that and the reasoning behind them. I wonder how I should answer."

 

"I wasn't asking in an attempt to profile you."

 

"No? That's a shame, I was under the impression you always thought like a detective."

 

L sighed and faced forward again. It's official. I suck at starting conversations. His eyes drifted then to the passenger side window and he watched the trees slide by in flickers between the cars around them. It was a little depressing if he could not even discover a simple thing like this, when he was asking without artifice. But perhaps Raito did not have a favorite color? 

 

"I suppose I favor black," Raito offered after a while, tossing the statement out as if disowning it. 

 

"Why?" L asked, assured that there was a reason. He hadn't originally planned to delve into it, but since Raito had clearly expected him to, there was no reason to quell his curiosity. The irony that his own attire was largely black these days when he left the house, and his hair as well, was not lost on L. He wondered if Raito was merely saying so without any conviction.

 

"It doesn't clash with anything," Raito said flippantly, making it obvious that if there were a reason, that would most certainly not be it. "And what about you?"

 

"I hadn't really thought about it," L said honestly. "White, maybe?" He had a closet full of his old white shirts to attest to some preference for the color. "I do find it interesting that white is the true absence of color, whereas many people assume that that would be black."

"Hm," Raito said, his eyes still largely on the road. His profile was as striking as always, down to the subtle curve of his perfect nose and the long lashes that framed his warmly colored eyes. L tried not to focus on his lips, though watching them move was always infinitely fascinating. "Yet white light is formed when you combine all the colors of light in the visible spectrum in equal proportion, so you cannot claim that white itself is entirely colorless."

 

"There is that as well," L agreed, distractedly noting that Raito was wearing white. It was odd that they would be wearing each other's color of choice - auspicious, maybe - but that made it all the more likely that one of them was not being forthcoming. "Either way, white goes well with jeans," he added, in line with Raito's earlier comment.

 

"I've seen that you wear primarily black. Why might that be?"

 

L chewed thoughtfully on the inside of his lip. He didn't exactly want to admit that it was because the salespeople who had picked out his clothing had insisted that black was a good choice. Because then he would be admitting that he couldn't even do so much as be fashionable on his own. Not that he would normally care, but in the presence of the ever-immaculately-dressed Raito, it would be like a normal adult male saying that his mother still picked out his clothes. It was not advantageous to relay that level of detail.

 

"I've been told that it is a good color for me," he said ambiguously. L couldn't say he agreed with their assessment, but what did he know?

 

Raito, of course, looked striking in any color he wore. Maybe it had something to do with his complexion and the sun-kissed tone of his skin, whereas L was so pale he was nearly white. Yes... the white, collared shirt that Raito wore fit like it was tailored specifically for him to wear, and the two undone buttons at the top allowed for a small peek at his beautiful collarbones.

 

Why was Raito so attractive? It shouldn't even be legal.

 

"Then maybe you shouldn't wear black," the brunet said.

 

"Because it looks bad?" L looked up in confusion. Surely that was what he was saying, not that he would somehow be jealous over him?

 

Raito's eyes flicked to his, then back to the road again. "Because it doesn't look bad," he corrected.

 

"Ah."

 

"You stand out too much, Lawliet," Raito said, quietly enough that he might have been talking to himself. "I wish you wouldn't draw attention to yourself."

 

"My normal attire draws more, I assure you."

 

Raito glanced at him again. "And did Aiber take it upon himself to kiss you then?"

 

Uh oh. Raito had uttered the taboo: 'Aiber', as well as an augmentation - the verb 'kiss'. The brunet looked somewhat surly now, his lips twisting in a sneer.

 

"No, he did not," L said. "That was something without precedence, and there are any number of factors that might have facilitated it. I highly doubt that a liking for clothing could make someone act so differently."

 

"Not by itself, it wouldn't, but Aiber was obviously in a position to be further enticed."

 

Enticed? Is he still claiming I did something to bring about Aiber's actions? "If anyone is prone to enticing others, it would be you," L said flatly. "I certainly don't have that skill in my arsenal."

 

Raito brought the car to a stop. The light had changed and they were now sitting in a turning lane. His eyes flashed and he leaned across the seat into L's. "Oh, but you do," the brunet said threateningly, threading a firm hand into L's dark hair, making L's heart start to pound nervously in his chest. He pulled L's head back sharply and hovered over his lips. "Don't tell me you didn't realize?"

 

L shook his head and winced at the tug on his hair. Saltiness pricked his eyes at the unrelenting pressure and the strained angle of his neck. He felt anxiousness filtering into his expression, despite his resistance.

 

"There," Raito said enigmatically, capturing his gaze with an even sharper one and laying a slow, deliberate kiss upon his lips. "That's the look."

 

L had a scattered whirlwind of thoughts that were half caught in trying to think back on whether he might have made such a face when he'd been with Aiber that night, and half violent worry that Raito himself found such unsettled looks to be enticing. It was like a throw-back to all of the times he'd feared Raito to be maladjusted, and possibly a sociopath. When the brunet was acting 'normal' it was easy to forget.

 

"That's the look that makes me want to take you apart from the inside," Raito murmured, staring at his lips like a hunter gazes at its prey.

 

L felt his throat constrict and it was with great effort that he said, "T-The light is green."

 

That heavy gaze left him, but L could feel its effects long after he remembered to breathe.

 

---

 

"Raaaaaaaaito!!" a young woman cheered as Raito and L entered the Yagami household. She bounced up to him, her ponytail dancing, enveloping him in an enthusiastic hug which he did not return.

 

"Hello, Sayu," Raito said in a near deadpan voice. He gave off the impression of a cat barely tolerating having its fur rubbed the wrong way. "Is university proving too easy for you that you have such ample time to waste at home?"

 

"Is that all you have to say to your gorgeous little sister?" Sayu pouted.

 

"And which sister might that be?" Raito responded offhandedly.

 

"MOM!" Sayu called out, frowning mightily as she released him. "Raito's being a jerk again!" 

 

She didn't seem overly hurt though, if her smirk at Raito's put-upon sigh was any indication.

 

"Don't start, you two," Sachiko called back. "Sayu, honey, help set the table and let your brother come inside, for goodness sake."

 

Sayu made a noise of annoyance and trudged out of the entryway and into the dining room.

 

"My sister," Raito presented in a solemn whisper, with a courtly bow.

 

Surprisingly enough, L caught no traces of amusement in his expression. "You don't get along?" he ventured, becoming fascinated despite himself at the transformation Raito underwent as soon as he set foot into his family home. Gone was the nearly sinister persona he'd been with in the car until a few moments ago, which had been making his heart pound in his ears; in his place was someone who seemed much younger and far less worldly.

 

"Not exactly."

 

It was pointless to dwell upon what had happened in the car, or try to address it at this juncture, so L decided to put it off and act like nothing had happened. For now.

 

"Raito," mother Yagami called out. "Don't loiter, dear."

 

Another deep sigh from Raito as he removed his shoes. L did the same, minus the sigh; although he could certainly feel the need to express one, he did not feel it would be appreciated. He needed to take Raito's family with a grain of salt and a dose of stoic martyrdom.

 

Raito surprised him by pressing a kiss to his lips.

 

"What was that for?" L whispered in confusion, the touch lingering pleasantly upon his mouth.

 

"To give me strength," Raito said before stepping into the main room.

 

---

 

Oddly enough, in a short amount of time, L found himself to be developing an annoyance with Sayu that had a flavor suspiciously like jealousy. Not that that made any sense - they were siblings, after all. She was also basically pleasant, he supposed, wondering at his growing dislike, but she had yet to say much to him personally.

 

L pretended to chew on a piece of bread, watching the brunette girl hang onto Raito, rendering him unable to eat without great difficulty. All over again, he was irked by the seating arrangement which had him sitting as far away from Raito as possible at a table that sat 6. Sayu sat next to Raito, their mother sitting across from her, and L was seated on the end between the two of them.

 

Though Raito was directly across from his father, he was refraining from antagonizing him like last time, and was rather quiet on the whole. 

 

"Here you go, dear," Raito's mother passed L a glass of wine from Raito's father.

 

"Thank you," L said, taking it with an inward sigh. He was not in the mood for libations, nor was he particularly hungry. He studied Raito, noting that he was refusing wine once more, though he most certainly drank it when he was not at home. But nothing was said on the matter this time around. Soichiro sipped his precious wine and conversed with his wife, while their two children carried on something of a conversation themselves. Not that Raito seemed to be enjoying it, but his face was looking the part. L himself felt like something tacked on at the last minute to this little group. He felt left out. 

 

"L," Soichiro called over to him a little while later. "Would you like another glass?"

 

"No I..." L paused. He'd been about to say he was still working on his first glass, but realized it was actually empty. "I probably have work later tonight."

 

Soichiro waved off his excuse and Sachiko provided him with L's glass with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. 

 

"Enjoy yourself, L," the Chief of Police said heartily. "There is time enough for work later. You'll have a second glass under your belt and processed in no time. No need to worry about it interfering with the old job."

 

"Thank you, sir."

 

L dutifully sipped the wine, not sure what else to do, wondering how he'd managed to drink his first glass without noticing. He went back into his shell and listened to what Raito's side of the table was currently speaking about.

 

"So, John and Abel are both calling me, asking me out to this thing and that," Sayu was saying somewhat smugly, "and both thought I would rather spend time with either of them than with my darling brother. They were positively devastated when I said they couldn't hold a candle to you." She laughed and squeezed his arm in a hug.

 

"Fascinating," Raito said drolly, carefully levering a fork towards his mouth in an attempt to eat dinner one-handed. Sayu seemed to have a direct correlation to the difficulty he was having in keeping food balanced upon it. "I'm sure you have all of them quite enthralled and desperate for even a little of your time." Raito nearly had the fork held to his lips, his mouth opening slightly, when Sayu knocked into him with a chaotic hug that toppled his prize back onto the plate.

 

He gave his sister a sour look.

 

"Onii-chan, you're so clumsy!" she exclaimed with an innocent look that was suspiciously similar to the one Raito liked to use. She giggled.

 

"I think you should date John," Raito said with finality.

 

"Whaaat?" Sayu whined. "John?"

 

"Don't you agree, L?" Raito said, catching his eye. 

 

L was surprised to be included all of a sudden, but just having Raito focus on him for even a minute made him feel much less out of place. "If John is the one that Sayu likes..." he fumbled, wanting to please Raito with his agreement, but without being offensive to his sister since it was her life they were discussing.

 

Raito watched him like a cat watches a canary in a cage, but true amusement colored his eyes and the faint smile that quirked at the corner of his mouth. It had a warming effect that softened his face, though it was subtle.

 

Sayu must have glanced between them in that brief exchange before their eyes disengaged because L caught the tail end of a rather sharp, displeased look hurrying off of her face.
 

"I didn't realize someone else had been a part of our conversation," she said primly.

 

L winced internally. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, nor engage in the conversation in the first place, but...

 

"Sister dear," Raito said in a chiding tone, using the endearment as anything but, "you might have known had you allowed others the chance to speak."

 

Her cheeks pinkened in embarrassment, and she released Raito's arm so she could collect her poise. Her head dipped down. "I apologize for being so uncouth," she said the last in a pointed fashion. She turned to L, the brief vision of her weakness dropping off of her like a discarded coat. "Rumor has it you are a good friend of Raito's. Might you care to elaborate on just how good of a friend you are?"

 

Something in her manner said she was intentionally trying to be confrontational.

 

"We only met a few weeks ago," L said with forced pleasantness, deciding that was the best tactic. That and being vague. He had no idea if Sayu was aware of the sort of relationship they had, and he did not need to be the one to offer up such surprises.

 

"I wonder then what you have been doing in that time," she said while examining her painted nails. "It seems to me that you are rather close."

 

L was amazed at some of the similarities brother and sister seemed to posses in their mannerisms and ways of orchestrating a situation to suit their needs. But whereas Raito was flawless, Sayu was still in training, and L was able to see her maneuvering. He was still at a loss of what to say, however. 

 

L glanced at Raito to see if he might be able to offer some nuance that could aid him in what direction to take. The brunet was frowning, which was not helpful in the least.

 

"Raito~," Sayu sang, turning her attention to Raito once more with a smile that was much too bright to be real. Was she actually trying to taunt him? "Where is Misa Misa this evening? You always bring her with you."  It certainly seemed that way... although the backhand was clearly meant for L.

 

"She's busy," Raito said flatly, dropping all artifice. He tilted his head imperiously as he regarded his sister coldly. "And I suggest you mind your behavior when I bring a guest into our home, no matter what their relation is to me." Ice crisped the words and the slight smile that they were delivered with.

 

She blinked at him with wide brown eyes, suddenly looking all of 10 years old as she lost her pompous confidence. 

 

"Sorry, Onii-san," she said in a cowed voice. 

 

L thought he detected a hint of reluctant awe in her manner. It seemed that she looked up to Raito and possibly had even spent the years watching and imitating him, which would explain a lot. Of course, she'd just been shown up by the master, so that was likely to put her in a bit of a mood. If it were Raito in this situation, he'd be peeved; but Sayu was a different person, so there was no telling. Maybe she would just act depressed.

 

"Kids," Sachiko was saying lightly to herself, passing off the awkward moment. "What can you do?"

 

L hid behind his glass of red wine. Were all families this uncomfortable, or was it just the Yagami household?

 

Sayu excused herself from the table momentarily, looking like a forlorn pixie with her drooping ponytail. After she left the room, Raito beckoned him over. 

 

L  got up and tried not to shuffle across the carpet though his poor posture nearly demanded it.

He did not fancy the idea of sitting at Sayu's place, so he stood next to it, even though that clearly went against what Raito wanted him to do.  Russet amber eyes were turned up to him, exerting pressure upon him to take the seat.

He did not.

 

"Lawliet," Raito intoned under his breath, too softly for his parents to overhear.

 

L was being commanded to comply.

 

L shook his head and stared back at him willfully. "Sayu will be back at any time." He'd be damned if he was going to encourage more drama to head his way. In fact, his goal was to be as little noticed as possible, thus lessening the pain of this whole experience. 

 

Raito sighed and spared a glance for his parents who were playfully arguing over something and were too preoccupied to notice them. "All right then, come with me," he said, rising from the table and snagging hold of L's arm.

L had to work to maintain his balance, temporarily, as Raito tugged him to the other side of the room.

The adjoining living room was darker, with an out-of-the-way feel and a sunken floor that made it almost seem as if it were part of another house. Dark brown leather furniture circled a stone fireplace, and plush throw rugs woven in subdued reddish hues lounged upon the glossy wood floor. The architecture afforded them a small place of privacy, as the beams that bracketed the room were extended beyond the walls to encourage the look of separation from the dining area. It was in the sheltered nook of one of these pillars that the tugging, pulling compromise to his balanced ceased, and his back met the wall.

"What is it, Rai--?"

 

The brunet cut him off with a deep kiss, taking L completely by surprise. It jittered through him, pinging his nerves and raising the fear that someone would see. Raito's parents knew about them, so that would be not so much a shock as embarrassing, but Sayu.... L was half afraid the girl would turn into a flame-breathing dragon. Was it normal for siblings to be so monopolizing?

 

Raito's mouth devoured his heatedly, and he was reminded of the look that had been on the brunet's face in the car and the tone of his voice... The feeling that was telegraphed was possession, and L was becoming weak to it.

 

An arm snaked around L's waist, pulling him closer as sensation was frying his synapses. He shouldn't be pressed up against the brunet like this.... certainly not here... but he could do nothing but let Raito consume him where he stood. It was sinful what Raito could do with his mouth alone.

 

"I'm sorry that Sayu is acting obnoxious," Raito murmured, breaking the contact in order to speak, but remaining close. "I really did not expect it." His breath feathered L's lips, distracting thought. Hovering there as if they might descend at any moment to steal his soul through his mouth.

 

"It's...fine..." What was he supposed to say? Your sister is acting like a possessive little brat?

 

"She must've changed the seating as well," the brunet mused, breathing him in. "My parents would know better than to separate us."

 

L felt a little thrill at the notion that Raito would be irritated at being away from him. Was that a truthful statement he'd issued? But aside from that... "Raito... is there a reason your sister does not seem to know about us?"

 

There was a pause and Raito's beautiful eyes were evasive. "It's for the best."

 

"Even if no one told her," L insisted, "she seems to be figuring it out. So why--"

 

"Plausible deniability," Raito said, sinking him into another demanding kiss, ravaging him with lips and tongue and teeth and the poignant taste of forceful desire.

 

Really, L thought in a haze as he was swept under against his will, You'd think he'd practically rape me here if he could get away with it. Why was he always so demanding in such an inconvenient place as this? Was it linked to his desire to be in control? Did he really feel at such loose ends here as to exert his dominion in this way?

 

Not that it was any less affecting to have the brunet kissing him senseless.

 

Oh yes, his knees were threatening to buckle even now.

 

Raito certainly had a way of kissing him like they were on a bed somewhere, naked, and only breaths away from going further. It felt so thoroughly indecent and undeniably...erotic. 

 

Raito pulled back again, with effort. "I'm sorry, Lawliet. It's just... she's driving me crazy with how she's trying to keep me from you." His voice was hushed and he was staring at L's lips as if enraptured. "I tend to get fixated and want to..." he trailed off.

 

"Want to what?" L asked, his pulse skipping, quickening in his chest. He was fairly sure he knew, but for some reason he wanted to hear Raito give voice to it. 

 

But even as he watched, Raito's expression was shuttering and his eyes were dimming into something more acceptable for a wide audience. He was taking apart the mood between them like a mason deconstructing a wall brick by brick. It irked L as the distance between them widened and Raito became not-his again.

 

"It's nothing." Raito offered him a fake smile. "If she throws a fit, that's fine. I'll not cater to her any longer."

 

He turned, leading the way back to the table and L had no choice but to follow. As they came back to the table, L noticed that Sachiko was giving them the eye. "Be mindful of what we talked about, Raito," she said.

 

Had she seen them just now? 

 

"Yes, mother."

 

"And what was that?" Sayu asked suspiciously, sitting at her place at the table once more.

 

"Nothing, dear," Sachiko said, "eat your potatoes."

 

Was it Raito's mother who had decided their relationship should remain hidden? To what end? To shelter Sayu? Or was Raito correct in thinking it would cause a scene if his sister were to know about them for certain? He didn't know.

 

L took up residence in his seat, wondering how long dinner would possibly stretch out. He was contemplating this as Sayu once more grabbed Raito's attention, and as his cell phone buzzed against his leg.

 

L glanced at Raito, more than aware of the brunet's hatred of his phone, and communication with other people in general, and deemed him to be thoroughly tied up. He fished the phone out of his pocket. 

 

He stared at the screen, unprepared. Aiber?

 

L's heart began to race, limping sickly in his chest. He wouldn't... Even the possibility that he might be doing what he'd told L he was going to do... 

 

It was at that same moment that the doorbell rang. 

 

L looked up; Raito looked suspicious; Sayu jumped up, singing, "I'll get it!"

 

She returned with a bashful, yet glowing blonde.

 

"Good evening, Yagami-san, Sachiko-san," she said politely, bowing to them both as she entered the room. "Good evening, Raito-kun." She blushed as she greeted the love of her life.

 

L was in a state of shock. Misa... MISA was in the Yagami family house and making eyes at Raito as if no one else was in the room.

 

"Aren't you happy, Onii-chan?" Sayu said in a gilded voice. "Misa Misa was able to make it after all."

 

---

 

That little snot! Raito raged internally as his parents greeted Misa with surprise, though they were warm about it. Sayu stuck her tongue out at him as Misa wound herself about his arm. His sister wiggled her phone at him when no one else was looking to indicate that she had either called or texted the girl in order to bring about this monstrosity.

 

Sayu's eyes said she understood what Lawliet was to him, and that she would rather have Misa in that position, between the two.

 

Lawliet...

 

Raito felt his heart sinking through the floor as he contemplated the complications this would bring about. Just yesterday the dark-haired man had witnessed Misa throwing herself at him wearing nothing but a negligee.

 

Sometimes he dearly hated his sister.

 

However, when he looked, Lawliet seemed preoccupied with something. The glare that should have been in place was absent, and it was obvious that his mind was elsewhere....

 

---

 

L's hands were shaking as he thumbed through Aiber's message again. 

 

'Can you guess where I am right now?'

 

'You're not.' he texted back.

 

This couldn't be happening. Aiber was messing with him. He had to be. 

 

L kept his phone under the table, out of sight and inconspicuous. Raito glanced at him briefly, but L made a nonchalant production out of drinking some wine. 

 

He jumped when his phone buzzed in his hand and nearly dropped it.

 

He fumbled the cellular device and pressed the buttons that would let him read the message. It appeared to be blank at first, with a title of 'Are you sure?' Seconds later, he saw that it was not blank, but was in fact a slowly downloading image that was inside the message. L wouldn't have recognized a picture of the secret room, having never seen it himself, but he did recognize the interior of Raito's living room as it revealed itself from the top down.

 

Shit.

 

Aiber was there. He was actually there!

 

The foreboding that descended on L was like a thick, choking cloud. What am I going to do?

 

'Leave now, you shouldn't be there.' he texted. 'Who knows what precautions he might have in place? He could arrest you.' He hoped that mentioning incarceration might stay Aiber's hand, but he wasn't holding his breath.

 

"Misa-chan," Sayu said sweetly, "have you met Raito's 'friend' L?" She gave a small emphasis to the word friend - just enough set the word apart a little.

L glanced up.

Misa gave her a slightly questioning look, but seemed to shrug the thing off with the air of a princess. "We met just the other day," she replied, flashing the room a smile and looking congenial as hell. Sayu looked disappointed. "He's a detective that Raito was thinking about hiring." Misa cozied up to Raito and added, "Though I am not quite sure why he's here..."

 

L, distracted as he was, still found himself bristling.

 

Raito tried to free his arm from her nefarious clutches in a polite way, for some reason, which is likely why he had no success. L wanted to offer his own services in prying her off or perhaps removing her arms entirely, but he beat the lovely thought back into submission and held his peace. 

 

"Actually, I've already decided to hire him," Raito said, sighing slightly as he gave up on his arm.

 

"You did?" L asked. This was news to him. Not only that, he'd been certain that the entire thing had been a ruse. So did this mean he was really going to be working for the brunet? He had a moment of panic. What would he do about his real job?

 

"It's been agreed upon. I was going to tell you this evening."

Wha...?

"Oh, is that why?" Misa spoke up. "But usually you don't meet with people like that here... you go to one of your usual places to do business..."

 

"As Sayu so kindly mentioned," Raito said, "we are also friendly enough. I think it odd to have to set up a separate arrangement when it was more convenient to invite him here as a guest, don't you?"

 

Misa, in her tailored, stylish navy blue skirt-suit pouted. "I didn't know you were friends... I thought you just met him on Friday."

 

L winced internally as Sayu's introduction of him as Raito's friend was now interfering with the cover-up. Not to mention his own admission to Sayu that he had known the brunet for a few weeks. If Raito agreed to having only just met him... Sayu could blow them out of the water. From the look on her face, she was just dying to.

 

"Formally," Raito said with an easy smile. "We became acquainted a few weeks ago, although I was unaware of L's profession at the time."

 

L was impressed. Raito really didn't miss a beat; he knew how to straddle the line between too much information and too little, and had dispelled the situation with expert ambiguity. 

 

Sayu was scrunching down in her chair, looking defeated. 

 

Meanwhile, Misa lost the suspicious pout and was back to batting her eyelashes at her beloved Raito, which earned her an annoyed look from both L and Sayu. If the brunet had one to add to the stack, he kept it well hidden. 

 

 "So, now that we're all together," mother Yagami said cheerfully, "who wants cake?"

 

There was a unanimous silence.

 

"We're here to celebrate a birthday," father Yagami said gruffly. "Now, who wants cake??" He panned the room with his evil eye and with every face it passed, there was a small voice added to those asking for cake. L was not exempt. As those piercing, threatening eyes moved over him, he also was meekly requesting the item in a subdued voice. Cake. That was about the last thing on his mind right now. 

 

"Sayu, come help me get out the plates," Sachiko said as she moved toward the kitchen.

 

"But--!"

 

"Come along, dear," her mother snipped out in a brusque tone that threatened to turn icy. "Let your brother have some time with his friends."

 

L did not like being referred to as a friend, but was quite pleased to hear Misa described as such. She looked put-out. He smiled to himself.

 

"Raito," Misa whined in a delicate, solicitous manner. "I'm not just a friend, am I?" She was like a fragile flower, turning her face towards the sun.

 

The sun shown down upon her benevolently. "Misa... darling... we aren't dating anymore, so what else would she call you?"

 

"But--!" Her eyes shimmered with tears. She was on the end of the table directly opposite L, so he could see everything clearly. She lowered her voice, but he could still make it out. "But I'm not the same sort of friend that he is, am I?" she pleaded.

 

"In no way whatsoever," Raito said, flicking his eyes to L and making it clear to him that it was Misa that paled in comparison, though the blonde girl took it the other way.

 

"I'm so happy, Raito," she sniffed, one tear rolling down her cheek as she closed her eyes, clenching his arm emotionally. 

 

The touching display of Misa's one-woman-show was interrupted with the arrival of cake, and the ominous buzzing of another message hitting L's phone. 

 

Tension sizzled up L's spine and he had no eyes for the decadent slice of chocolate cake that had been set in front of him. Biting the inside of his lip, he prayed that Aiber was merely conveying his withdrawal from Raito's residence. He read the message.

 

'Well, now, this lock was nothing special.' Aiber had texted back. 'Mere child's play. You could have done this yourself.'

 

L felt like he'd just had ice-water poured through his stomach.

 

"I'll be right back," L excused himself from the table. He headed toward the hallway, phone clutched in his hand, and surveyed his options. A glass-paneled door he hadn't previously noticed promised to take him outside, and that seemed more favorable than the choice the bathroom offered, so he took it. 

 

Once outside, he leaned against the wall of the house, willing the restless tension crawling through his limbs to cease. He was pissed and scared, and above all else, he did not feel able to stay calm. His hands were shaking again with nervous energy and it was unbelievably difficult to guide them upon the keypad as he broke an unwritten rule.

 

He put the phone to his ear as the call rang through on the number Aiber had given him ages ago. There goes the secrecy of my phone number, L thought palely, too anxious to be properly agitated about that.

 

"Hello?" a larger-than-life voice drawled cheerfully.

L's stomach churned, making him regret the feeling of food in his stomach, though he hadn't eaten much. Anger. Anxiety. Anger. "What are you doing??" L hissed, jumping on him immediately.

 

"Just what I said I was doing," Aiber said conspiratorially, a taunting smile warming his voice. No introductions were necessary, Aiber had recognized his voice in an instant. "Are you surprised?"

 

"Yes! I'm surprised you would follow through on such an outlandish thing," L seethed. "This is completely unacceptable and--"

 

"What are you going to do about it?" Aiber challenged him.

 

"I could have you arrested," L said point-blank.

 

"Nice try, but you'd be incriminating your upstanding little friend, now wouldn't you?"

 

Damn it, Aiber.

 

"I've barely begun to poke around in here," he drawled. "There is still time to stop me."

 

L clenched his hand upon the phone and heard the protesting creak of plastic. "Say clearly what you expect of me, Aiber." 

 

"So you can refuse?" He laughed humorlessly. "I don't think so." 

 

L's phone protested more loudly in his iron grip. "Aiber..." he warned.

 

"Meet me somewhere."

 

Noooooooooo, the voice in the back of L's mind wailed. (The voice of reason?)

 

"Where?"

 

"The old train station. Within the hour."

 

"What?" L's voice finally broke out of the flat, carefully inflectionless tone he'd enforced upon it as apprehension rode up his spine. Having a location named made it seem that much more immediate. That it was a low-traffic, nearly abandoned area made everything worse. His slim ray of hope that this could potentially be about business alone was fading.

 "I can't go now!" L said in a harsh whisper, trying to keep his voice down so he would not be heard by those inside. One hour? He'd have to leave almost immediately in order to make it. "We only just got here--"

 

"Come alone," Aiber said and hung up.

 

L swore and snapped his phone shut. What in the hell should he do? 

 

The priority was to get Aiber out of Raito's house. If he did as Aiber asked, that would be accomplished. After that, he could see how unreasonable Aiber was planning on being for himself. He suspected it would be very. But there was a chance Aiber would merely be securing him as a partner once more. With him on the cases and Aiber working the clients, the money had been very good indeed. It was a small chance that greed was the motivation. L tried to refrain from optimism. Likely he would be having that conversation, the 'Aiber-broke-in-and-knows-all-your-secrets' conversation, with Raito in the very near future and the brunet would have to decide how he wished to go about damage control.

 

"Lawliet?" Raito's voice called quietly from the back door, making him jump. 

 

L shoved his phone back into his pocket. "Hi," he said, turning towards the door  he hadn't heard open. Had he been caught that unaware of his surroundings, or had Raito been intentionally unobtrusive? Had he heard anything??

 

"What are you doing out here?"

 

"Just getting some fresh air..."

Ok, that was lame. And exceedingly unlikely for someone like himself who was quite happy not to go outside for weeks at a time. Raito appeared less than convinced and his gaze was assessing.

 

"Are they proving too much for you? Would you like to leave?"

 

L's toes scrunched deep into the bowels of his shoes. "Actually, something unavoidable has come up... could you drop me off at home?" He hated the lying. Not that it was an actual lie, because it wasn't... but he was certainly not being forthright and he was cancelling the plans they'd made with no notice.

He felt rotten, even if he was doing this with Raito's best interests in mind. He cringed a little as he waited for the brunet to say 'no' or require further explanations. 

 

However, Raito did none of these things. He merely looked at L and waved him through the door with a 'shall we?'.

 

It was... unusual behavior.

 

---

 

"You're leaving??" Misa cried. 

 

"It is necessary," Raito told her. "L has had something come up which he must see to immediately, and I am his ride home."

 

"Well, you're coming back, aren't you, dear?" Sachiko asked.

 

"I suppose I could," Raito relented with all the enthusiasm of someone picking out their own coffin, his eyes studying L surreptitiously.

 

L had a sinking feeling as Raito agreed. Not that it truly mattered if the brunet came back or not, but he'd had the wild hope that Raito would put up more of a fight and keep him from meeting Aiber - that he might demand more information and thus absolve L from this secrecy. 

 

He really did not want to go.

 

If business was not what was on Aiber's mind, what would he do this time? 

 

L bit his lip as he thought of it. He could not help being overpowered that last time at the bar, as he'd had far too much to drink. It was the only reason Aiber had been able to force a kiss on him. This time it will be different. I'm not at a physical disadvantage.

But the memory of it still got under his skin, not that it was that long ago. That had been Friday night and this was only Sunday....

The force of Aiber's hand upon the back of his head had been unyielding as he had pulled L into the unexpected kiss. It was the hand of someone more than willing to exert as much pressure as necessary to get what he wanted, and Aiber certainly had the strength to back it up.

 

It won't matter... I'll keep my distance. If he had enough room to work with, he could kick Aiber's chiseled face into the dirt. Still, in a matter of brute strength alone, he was no match for the blond man. It was worrisome... 

 

"L, dear, I hope you are able to put matters to rest without too much trouble," Sachiko said lightly.

 

L realized he'd retreated too far into his thoughts and he was making it impossible for proper goodbyes. She was a polite and shrewd woman, Raito's mother. He tipped his head at her in acknowledgement and said humbly, "As do I." How much trouble would Aiber cause him? He could only guess. "Thank you for having me in your home," he added a bit awkwardly, feeling that some additional social nicety was required. 

 

---

The train station was not as old or run-down as one would guess. Though the location had been abandoned, it didn't appear to have been for any reason other than to make way for a slightly newer station that was less than two blocks away. It seemed wasteful.

L shoved his hands deep into his pockets, wishing that the city would have had the courtesy to at least have been more wasteful with the electricity in the area. The streetlights that remained illuminated were a dull, heavy yellow that seemed less useful than the moonlight that brightened the concrete pillars and walkway now and then. They seemed to encourage the lurking shadows.

His shoes scraped at loose gravel and weeds as he walked.  Surely a haphazardly constructed chain link fence was not thought to keep trespassers out of the area? It mostly blocked access to the tracks, but did nothing to discourage people from the station building itself, and more light would certainly increase the safety of pedestrians that still passed this way...

A scuttling movement caught L's eye and he stopped short. There was also a soft click clicking noise that dropped out of his hearing almost as soon as he'd heard it.

He waited several moments, scanning the shadows, but found nothing. Must've been an animal.... a stray dog or something...

Resuming his approach, he also saw nothing of Aiber. L pulled out his phone to check the time. Thirteen minutes to spare. He'd made the deadline.

The station building, on second glance, had a chain link fence stretched across its side which would prevent access to the inner, covered walkways of the building. Or would have, if it hadn't been torn down in the middle. L shook his head. If they weren't going to maintain such a barrier, they needn't have bothered erecting it in the first place.

Again, he panned the area, looking for Aiber.

It was possible he was inside, just past the fence.

Of course, there was no telling who or what else might be in there as well.

L chewed on the inside of his lip as he considered. Aiber should be here. If he had decided to send L here while he raided Raito's room, which was possible as well, he would be giving up a significant amount of the pull he had over the situation. Unless his motive is different than what I surmise, he is here... somewhere...

Should I call him, or go a little further?

Not wanting to be night-blinded by opening his phone again, L moved forward, stepping gingerly over the roll of torn-down chain link, and into the cooler shadows of the station's parking-garage-like walkways.

 

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TBC

A/N: The next chapter is written and awaiting beta. My GOD. We'll have a timely update next week!! <3 -Zero