Death Note Fan Fiction ❯ PITCH ❯ The Snake and the Mongoose ( Chapter 30 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: selena281 
Anime/Manga: Death Note Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Psychological / Romance / Angst / Drama / Comedy | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 08.22.2011 | Updated On: 08.22.2011 | Pages: 8 | Words: 11.3K | Visits: 257 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Death Note Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Psychological / Romance / Angst / Drama / Comedy | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 08.22.2011 | Updated On: 08.22.2011 | Pages: 8 | Words: 11.3K | Visits: 257 | Status: Work In Progress
PITCH
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Light x L
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Part 29
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: Someone had asked me about translating this fic into another language (that should only take about 2 eons or so)... Well, sure, I don't mind. I think it's great, actually - just do the standard of giving me credit as the author and all that jazz. :)
Disclaimer: (See part 1 for full disclaimer.)
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.
Part 29: (The Snake and the Mongoose)
Watari sipped a cup of coffee and skimmed the local newspaper. L would often radiate a vague amusement at him for it, deeming ink and print to be unquestionably archaic these days, but he would simply shrug it off. He used computers for plenty of tasks, for near the entirety of the day. Was it really so strange that he liked the division between work and leisure? If he was doing a little light reading, he preferred to do it this way. No cables. No humming machine. No impulses to multitask and continue working.
His mustache swished from side to side as he settled more comfortably at the table and took another long sip from his cup. If he was honest with himself, he also liked the crinkly sound of the large pages as he turned one, or as he refolded the newspaper. L could have his computers. He should beware that his eyes didn't just drop out of his head one day, staring at the pixilated screen unrelentingly for so many hours a day. He really should find something, some activity, that he could do to give them a break.
"Watari?" Celia's voice drifted to him from the other room.
"Hm?"
"Dear, your cell phone is flashing. I think someone is trying to reach you."
Celia, bless her, liked to read books as she reclined tucked up in bed. Usually novels, but she also had interest in a fair number of subjects and it was sometimes this sort of reading he found her at in the cozy light of the bedroom.
"Thank you, I'll have a look then."
The newspaper crinkled its protest as he folded it and set it aside.
"Oh, don't you bother getting up," Celia waved him back into his seat with delicate hands as she swept into the room. She had her favorite robe wrapped around her, an off-white material with an English rosebud print, and her light hair was loosely piled atop her head almost like a bun. Little wispy bits had worked their way free and made a pleasant frame for her face. She offered his phone to him and distractedly patted her hair with her other hand as if expecting it to be disheveled.
Watari accepted his phone and flipped it open. He had a missed call from L.
He'd been wondering where the boy had slipped off to. He hadn't seen him since yesterday afternoon. Before that, he'd been working on cases with a frightening intensity, like he used to. But while it was good he was refocusing on his work again, he'd still seemed a bit off. Plus, he never did eat the food he'd brought him. L had likely just agreed to it automatically and then pushed it aside to keep working.
Watari sighed, shaking his head. He was glad he'd never had children of his own. L was enough to keep any caretaker quite busy. Though he was like an adopted son, really. Still, he could not imagine trying to have children of his own to take care of in addition to L. Maybe he wasn't cut out for such things.
He felt small hands start to rub his shoulders, and realized they'd been tensing up.
"You know, you're lucky if you've only had to worry about him for a few weeks," Celia said softly. "Most parents suffer years' worth of rebellious phases."
"I know." He sighed and was quiet a moment. "I guess he just never acted like a normal young person, so I never expected his behavior to change like this. He never showed much interest in people either."
"Did he tell you where he was?" She hadn't seen that there was only the missed call. Usually, L liked to text.
"Maybe in the voicemail." His voice came out a little strained. He might not know where L was, but he was pretty sure who he might be with.
"You have to let it go, dear," Celia responded to the undercurrent in his thoughts. "Even if you are afraid of him getting hurt, you can't tell him not to pursue a relationship he feels he wants. If we all held back like that, life would not be worth living, would it? And we would resent the ones who told us 'no', even if they had our best interests in mind."
"But why did it have to be this Raito fellow?" He turned to face her. "I don't trust that boy as far as I can throw him."
Celia shrugged delicately. "That's for them to know. You just have to try and be supportive."
"So, is that in my job description?" he grumbled, turning back to his coffee.
She swatted him on the back. "It's hardly part of your job that you care about him. Don't be churlish."
"Yes, dear," he mumbled in a faintly sarcastic tone as soon as she was out of striking range. Whenever he thought of Raito, it put him into an unpleasant mood. It was a little hard to digest that L's first relationship was with a boy, let alone that one.
"I can hear you, Quillish," she said primly. "You keep that up and I shall refuse to make you those pancakes you wanted."
Oh, his given name. What was his dear mother thinking when she decided upon that one? He much preferred 'Watari'. One of these days, he'd meant to change his name legally, but in all of these years he'd never seemed to have been able to get around to it. Though he figured Celia could call him whatever she liked. It sounded different when she said it anyway. Nicer.
"I'd rather have your pancakes," he said apologetically.
"All right then."
Watari turned his attention to his phone and the voicemail that yet awaited him.
'Watari, it's L. I'm sending you an email. Please read it.'
Reading mail on his phone was annoying at best. He wondered why L didn't just text him. Maybe the message was too long? His phone was known to receive bits all broken up and out of order...
"I'll be right back," he said to his companion who was busily amassing the ingredients for her special pancakes. "He said he was sending me an email."
"That's all he said?" She hummed. "Perhaps they are planning to elope? Or already have?"
She was obviously joking, obviously trying to wind him up, yet the mention of such a possibility struck fear in his heart. Not only did he keep mentally repeating, 'Why Raito?', but L had seemed to be an emotional mess these last few weeks since meeting him. Calm, analytical, deadpan L. It was worrisome indeed.
He made his way over to the computer and woke it up.
There. The notification that he had mail had popped up at the bottom right of the screen. There were multiple emails, but he only cared to read the one L had sent. The others were work-related and could wait.
He started to read.
The contents were significantly different than he had anticipated.
L was planning not to return for several days and, yes, he was in the company of the brunet. But under the circumstances....
Watari rubbed a hand over his face. He could hardly believe that they had suffered a break in at their house. Not only that - that it was Aiber. He never would have anticipated the blond detective doing such a thing. And to know now that he had been pursuing L with the intention of forcing some sort of physical confrontation, pushing unwanted advances upon him...
L certainly had some luck, he thought ruefully. First, someone like Raito had taken a shine to him. Now, a long-time acquaintance and working associate had designs on taking things to the next level.
L went on to describe the general shape of things, in his email, briefly also delving into Raito's personal situation and how that tied in to both Aiber and Misa.
It was a mess.
Utterly a mess.
Watari did not fault L's decision to stay away for the time being. This house was hardly safe for him at this time. And, he supposed, he could try and give Raito some credit for being there when Aiber had tried to accost him. L did not give the details on how the brunet had accomplished it or how it had been hidden from all of them; Watari wondered how L knew for certain the thing had actually occurred.
But he wouldn't have mentioned it to me if he was not completely sure. He would have verified the possibility first. If L was sure, than Watari had no reason to think that Raito was fabricating events.
L suggested that he relocate the base of their operation. Watari agreed. He felt unsettled thinking that anyone might pop in anytime they liked. Not only Aiber, but perhaps others who had discovered L and Raito's connection and were also looking for the brunet.
He was surprised beyond belief to hear that Raito had terminated his employment, but he approved. Heartily. Being a prosecutor ought to be more upstanding a profession than the political arena Raito had been involved in.
'If you agree to relocate,' L asked him, 'is there a possibility you could stay at Celia's for a short time? I would like to be able to pick up a few things and cannot return to our house, things being what they are...'
Certainly it was possible. Celia's apartment was on the other side of town. It was small, but would be serviceable for a brief time. He was sure she would agree to the arrangement, but he would consult with her first.
He didn't want L returning there either. The less attention those two attracted, the better. He also did not like the idea that L would be staying with Raito indefinitely, having nowhere else to go. Celia had a guest room that she would probably be happy to let L use until they were able to find a new location to live. Maybe he and L should move to another city altogether. Not that that would put some needed distance between L and Raito... the brunet was already in another city and L was right there with him despite that.
He finished reading the email and shut off his monitor. There was a lot to discuss. How would Celia feel about things if they were to move? Would she perhaps want to move with them? Of course, that might become complicated... He wasn't sure how L might feel if he were to relocate 'headquarters' (as they'd jokingly referred to it on occasion) only to have there be an additional occupant.
He rubbed a hand over his moustache. Despite L's blowup the other day, where he'd accused them of trying to form some sort of family around him without his say so, he believed L would not be opposed to such a thing normally. He seemed predisposed to liking the older woman. But as Celia herself had said, L seemed to be under some sort of stress. He wasn't acting like himself.
It had to be Raito's fault.
Watari had no issue with blaming the smooth-talking brunet. Everything about him practically screamed untrustworthy. Not to mention, anyone who went to such pains to be physically flawless had to be up to no good. Being around him in person exacerbated the effect. He didn't like the way that boy looked at L and it appeared that he had been right about that as well. There was probably little to no chance that Celia was mistaken about them having entered some sort of relationship. He wondered though, was it something the brunet had tricked L into? Was it really mutual?
But first things first. He should make sure that L's suggestion was ok with his sweetheart. As long as she didn't mind the boy using her guest room for a few days, they would have time to determine a course of action on the real move.
"Celia?" he called out.
---
"So, did he reply yet?" Raito asked, trailing lips across Lawliet's collarbone.
His detective was flushing adorably. Not only his face, but much of his bare skin as well. It heated to his touch.
"Not... yet..."
It was late afternoon. Neither of them had anywhere to be. There were no pressing matters except the boxes they increasingly felt inclined to ignore in favor of each other, and the immediate future which would be decided by Watari's response.
Raito knew that Lawliet was trying to secure another place to live, that he might not stay with him after these few days, so he wanted to make the best of it. The detective needed his escape routes all lined up in order to feel secure. Raito was learning things like this. He was learning - and learning not to take offense. For Lawliet did not seem inclined to be away from him now. Maybe he was just conforming to habit? Or perhaps he's trying to encourage me to be on my best behavior?
The boxes had been significantly reduced in number, but their productivity had started to flag as their eyes had begun snagging upon one another's more often than not. And in Lawliet's dark gaze, there was a quality of quiet acceptance that had not quite been there before. He seemed more accessible now, and more committed in a way. It let a bit of vulnerability slip out past the wall of his defenses, which was hard for Raito to leave alone. It beckoned him closer.
Soon, he was stilling those pale hands from their task of unpacking a box of newspaper wrapped plates, bringing one up to his mouth to kiss the soft skin of a slender wrist. He could feel the pulse jumping beneath his lips. He treasured the slight tremor in the captured arm as he tilted it upwards, and slid his eyes up to Lawliet's face. Those slightly parted lips were made for kissing. Made for sinking into. Those dark eyes were perfect just like this, black as night now, and watching him with all the stillness of a mouse watching a cobra. He flirted with the idea of consuming that mouth while his lips continued to play across his captive's wrist, and he caressed the delicate skin of the detective's inner arm with inquisitive fingertips.
He'd wanted so badly to have Lawliet again. That brief interlude last night hadn't been enough. But he'd been afraid of pushing things too far, and the stress of the situation had been eating at him besides.
But now, with so much talking and working having been done, followed by lapses into silence that were not uncomfortable at all...
Now he was feeling that pull that Lawliet had over him steadily increasing. He wanted to touch. He wanted to taste. He wanted to hear and feel Lawliet in much more intimate ways. Needed to. And that want kept his eyes drifting over his companion and kept insidiously redirecting his thoughts.
It's not only me though, is it, Lawliet?
And he knew it wasn't. For the detective's dark gaze had been flicking up to his and holding it a little too long to be purely innocent.
So when he abandoned that gorgeous arm for the greater prize of Lawliet's mouth, it was even sweeter than he'd imagined. His hand tangled in dark hair as he met that willing mouth, sinking in so deep he felt he'd be lost.
His eyes closed and he gave himself up to the feel of it. Desire rushed in him with a voracious will. Who would have thought anyone could make me feel like this?
Desire was sparking strongly and it seemed perfectly natural to sink down upon the floor, never breaking the circuit of their mouths. What did things like beds matter? He didn't want to part from this for something so trivial. He wanted to consume and be consumed.
His hands relearned the shape and contour of Lawliet's body, smoothing across the flat planes of his chest, the subtle curve of a shoulder, and the soft invitation of his neck. He pulled Lawliet's shirt off over his head, baring a canvas of pale skin.
It was as he stroked the fire that was building in that body that he began asking the detective questions. It was a weird habit he seemed to have developed, but he loved the way Lawliet tried to fight through the haze of passion to answer him. He loved the sound of his stilted voice, and the mild irritation that rode it because he knew exactly what Raito was doing.
Raito would have thought Watari should have answered by now. Especially if Lawliet had conveyed what they had talked about. He'd seemed reluctant about some of it, so he was starting to wonder exactly how that email had gone. "And you did mention dinner to him?" Raito prompted.
The detective's body was hot underneath his. Burning up. He couldn't help rolling his hips against the other's. It elicited such a gratifying sound. He hid his smile against the gentle curve of his companion's pale neck.
"Yes," the dark-haired man said with exasperation. His breath was coming heavily now. "I told you I would."
"And did you tell him about this?" Raito asked in a silky tone, hand drifting down Lawliet's hip, threatening to drag down his pants. His knuckles brushed down the other's abdomen and muscles jumped in response. He nipped at the soft skin of Lawliet's neck, making his breath leave in a harsh rush, then latched his mouth upon it, sucking gently. Lawliet's moan thrummed beneath his lips and tongue. Oh, it was amazing how every reaction just made him want him to do everything all over again and never stop. Amazing how it always left him wanting more. He became obsessed with dragging the other's brilliant mind so deep into desire that he could do nothing to control his voice, his body's reactions, or his mindlessly wanton actions. Raito was certain he could lose himself in that - bury himself in the whirlwind that he himself had created in the dark-haired intellectual.
His stroking fingers found silken flesh and the body under his jerked with a gasp. "Did you tell him how strongly you feel?" Raito breathed against his ear. Lawliet's honest reactions were affecting him intensely and already his voice had roughened. Desire was beginning to rage underneath his skin. It stormed within his belly as Lawliet's flesh became painfully hard in the coaxing embrace of his hand and as noises spilled from his lips. God, I want you, he thought fiercely, recapturing that gasping mouth.
He managed, with assistance, to drag Lawliet's pants off and didn't bother to do much more then unfasten his own. Anything more was a delay he wanted no part of. He prepared by slicking himself with some of his own saliva. It wasn't the preferred option, but it would do in a pinch. He sure as hell was not suffering either of them to search for lubricant in the bedroom. To hell with condoms, too. He had no patience for such things.
Lawliet's body bowed as he slid into him and the dark-haired intellectual groaned against it with clenched teeth, face flushing hard. Raito gasped as he was swallowed by blinding heat. Tight, gripping heat. His arms shook as they held him up, wavering in strength while pleasure overwhelmed him. God.
He claimed Lawliet's mouth as he started to move, melting into it and nearly losing his bearings. He was being swallowed up by sensation. The heat of a flush blazed across his cheeks and lit his body, making the air feel chill upon his skin. Their hips moved without thought, synchronized, debilitating.
He utterly lost track of time, driving forward into that welcoming heat, his hands drifting all over that pale body. He wanted this to last forever. Lawliet's arms held him close, nails sometimes digging in to his skin. They dug deep when Raito took his need in hand again, sliding his thumb up the length of it from base to tip. The kiss was broken then and the detective was struggling for breath as Raito stroked him.
Each shock of pleasure shuddered through his frail body and gripped Raito's flesh in undulating waves.
It was undoing him.
He eased his caresses until they were feather light teases and the detective was writhing beneath him. Then he drew out his thrusts until they were as long and slow as possible. Oh, it was torture. But it was exquisite. He made sure he was at the right angle to brush Lawliet's prostate with every stroke. Raito got a sick sort of pleasure that his partner would moan every time, even against his will. It was just so exhilarating. It made him want to make Lawliet beg. It was so becoming on him. But he should resist such impulses... Really, he should.
"Raito... I can't... take this," Lawliet said then, breaking into his thoughts.
"Begging already?" he taunted, sounding entirely too winded to pretend to be in control. "And I didn't even have to prompt you."
"Ah!" Lawliet cried out as Raito gripped his desperate flesh more securely and began to move his hand upon it in an unyielding rhythm.
"Was it something more like this you wanted?" Raito asked innocently, placing a kiss on trembling lips. His restraint was about at its limit. He couldn't hold back anymore. This slow pace was murdering him.
"Bastard," Lawliet gasped in a way that was nothing short of endearing.
"It's a shame how fast the begging is over," Raito taunted lightly.
It took all of his will to get those words out. Lawliet's body was wringing his hardened flesh unbearably. Finally, he could take it no longer and he began driving into that body as he'd been wanting to, Lawliet's harsh cries sounding in his ears like the sweetest music. He knew he couldn't possibly have been silent himself, but he wasn't aware of anything more then the sharp ache in his belly that was intensifying and blinding him to all else.
Lawliet's entire body stiffened and his nails raked Raito's back as orgasm snapped through him. Raito thrust into his shuddering body, his own limbs shaking and tightening, his breath coming as fast as if he were running a race. And then that tension exploded like white light and he was down and drowning in the force of his release.
---
A few hours later and they had resumed their battle with the boxes, if only to grant them some space in which to lounge in. Though without the boxes, there would be even less sit upon. Raito didn't seem to have bothered himself with furniture like chairs or a sofa, aside from the tiny kitchen table and chairs. The barren apartment held a true minimum of comfort items. It was even more pronounced than L's own room back at his house. It was very much at odds with Raito's previous style of living.
L was starting to contemplate buying a sheet to just throw over the remaining boxes. There were plenty that were full of books and things and yet there was no bookshelf to place them upon. Had Raito really thought this move through? Granted, the bookshelves at his old place were built in units that he couldn't have brought with him, but... This move seemed to have been haphazard at best.
Maybe they'd have to buy some cheap shelving and assemble it, he thought vaguely, checking his phone again.
This time there was new mail, aside from the usual. He clicked some buttons, accessing the message he'd been waiting for. He'd checked his phone several times for a response from Watari but it was only now towards evening that he was receiving it. "Raito," L called out. His eyes skimmed the response, reading quickly.
The brunet sauntered over wearing only a pair of pants, as seemed to be his standard dress at this new place. He was drinking from a water bottle while wearing an expression that was entirely too self-satisfied. It had been there for hours now. (It was mildly annoying, L thought, being at his expense.)
L lifted the phone at him and said, "Dinner is fine. Tomorrow. They've relocated to Celia's for the time being. I can pick up some things then, or even stay if I want."
"You aren't planning to stay there, are you?" the brunet took a slow sip of water. It was said very casually, but L detected a sudden tenseness in the young man.
"I wasn't really planning anything." And he hadn't planned anything. He had absolutely not thought past locating Raito. Once he'd found him, he'd had his hands so full dealing with each moment-to-moment that he hadn't had many resources left for considering the future. The future hadn't even seemed real to him in the face of present issues.
He looked at the brunet assessingly. "I did say I would stay here for a few days. But what if I did decide to stay with them for a while?"
Historically, this would be Raito's cue to flip out or become unreasonable. L watched him carefully for a reaction, hoping that this time it would be different. Already, since they'd met up yesterday, Raito had begun curtailing his behavior and acting differently than he had before. He had stopped being so commanding and had started giving L a longer leash. He must have started to realize the damage that it was doing; this had given L reason to believe they could work things out.
He hated to test Raito like this so soon, but... he had to know this sort of thing. He had to know that the brunet could control his impulsiveness and his temper. L was actually really considering Raito's earlier proposal about living together. If the brunet allowed the possibility of him leaving and staying somewhere else, then L would deem cohabitation a workable option.
Raito's expression remained largely the same. He'd developed a certain melancholy over the time they'd been apart that touched his face now and then since they'd come into contact. It flickered in his eyes subtly but was fairly well-hidden. "It is entirely up to you."
L hated that he'd become a damper on Raito's good mood, slightly infuriating though it had been. "You're not going to get mad?" he asked bluntly. He quickly stifled the urge to smack his palm over his face. However did that question get past his filters? It not only sounded childish but instigatory as well.
Raito raised an eyebrow. "Did you want me to get angry?"
"Well, no. I just... sort of thought you might have more to say about it."
The brunet's mouth quirked up at the corners and a laugh escaped. "You'd rebel against a display of possessiveness and yet, without it, you seem to be quite adrift." He smiled a little wider when L frowned at him. "Don't take offense, I merely find it interesting. Did you want me to tell you how much I would miss you, or grab at your arm, ranting over it and telling you that I wouldn't allow it?"
L fought the color angrily rising to his cheeks. "Well, it isn't like that would be out of character," he said defensively. "Except for the 'I'll miss you' part," he amended churlishly. He actually wouldn't have minded the brunet saying he'd miss him. He also suspected Raito knew that, and that's why he'd said it the way he did. Jerk.
"Yes, well, I'm trying to change that, if you hadn't noticed."
"Of course I noticed."
"It isn't easy," Raito said airily. "I hope you appreciate it."
L made a face at him in jest. "What, do you want me to wave a little flag for you?"
"My my, aren't we getting mouthy," the brunet said. His eyes were getting that shiny glint that usually signaled his urge to be sadistic, though he was clearly still quite amused. He moved forward, stalking L with playful menace.
Uh oh. L took a quick survey of the remaining boxes' location, then made a break for it. He jumped over the one large box that he didn't have time to weave around, and Raito was right behind him.
His heart was pounding, but it wasn't out of fear. It was more like the adrenaline rush one might get from provoking someone or something, knowing you shouldn't, and then doing it anyway. Perhaps like poking at a beehive with a long stick just to see if it was occupied, then running like hell. (Probably not the best of ideas, but fun in its own way.)
He tried to make it to the bathroom further down the hall, hoping to gain more of a lead in the extra steps than he would have if he'd gone for the closer door of the bedroom.
A hand caught at his shoulder and the chase ended almost as quickly as it had begun. L found himself pressed face first against the wall, mere feet from his goal, his wrists caught behind him and a strong hand against the nape of his neck.
"Got you," Raito said engagingly right next to his ear. "Now, how should I punish you?"
Normally 'punishment' would be along the lines of humiliating him sexually, but L was getting good at pushing embarrassment over such things out of his head. Especially since he didn't exactly suffer when such encounters occurred, other than the occasional smack to his pride. Raito managed to drag pleasure from him no matter what he did. He couldn't deny that, and he might as well enjoy it. Besides, this last time had been so... He shook his head to clear it from reliving it in all its erotic glory. But it really had been amazing. The way Raito had kissed him... and then when he'd...
"Your face is so remarkably expressive at times," Raito said pleasantly.
L's eyes flicked to Raito's and he knew by the smug, enigmatic expression the brunet was wearing, that his rampant thoughts had been easily guessed at. Ugh. He considered beating his head against the wall as Raito gloated over him.
"But that wasn't what I had in mind," he said silkily. "I think you'd agree that would hardly qualify as a punishment."
"Well, what did you have in mind? Unless it was to keep me here until the boredom steals my sanity?" Actually, stupid though it was, he found that he was getting a bit turned on.
"Oh, but as long as I'm around, 'boredom' would be impossible," he said suggestively, and laughed softly in L's ear. "I was thinking of trying to discover a latent talent for barbering. You'll help me, won't you?"
Geh! L tried again to twist out of the brunet's grip. He thought the prospect of a haircut was well beyond horrifying. It was a good thing Raito wouldn't have anything on him with which to shear his hair. "Raito-" he said in frustration, turning to the brunet after another unsuccessful attempt to free himself and took pause. "Wait - why are you looking at me like you know something really amusing that I will not find to be so at all?"
The hand on the back of his hand disappeared and soon returned with a pair of orange handled scissors which were brandished directly under L's nose. L recoiled. "That's not fair! Where the hell did those come from?"
"I was opening boxes earlier," came the pleasant reply. "Now, what should we do? A little off the top? A lot off the back?"
L struggled more determinedly to free his hands. Raito might just be mean enough to make his hair look really stupid. And that would probably give the brunet a sure source of amusement for weeks. "Neither! And if you do, then you'd better hope I stay with Watari and Celia or your hair will not be safe from me."
"Threats, Lawliet?" the brunet was still wildly amused and not put off in the least.
"I'll shave it bald," L growled.
"I'd wake up first," Raito countered infuriatingly.
"Not if I--!"
"Relaaax," Raito interrupted, placing a mocking kiss upon his cheekbone. A drop in the bucket for the tension that he had to be able to feel thrumming through L's body. "I like your hair - I'm not going to cut it off," The brunet soothed. "I'm just going to torment you at my discretion at dinner tomorrow night," he said sweetly.
"Oh, great," L muttered dismally as he was released. He leaned against the wall for support as his fight response suddenly left him hanging and anxiety opportunistically washed in. "So you're going to air our relationship and potentially be obnoxious about it."
"Depending on my mood." He smirked at L. "Though you've got plenty of hours between now and then to try and convince me to do otherwise."
---
Somehow Raito did not get lost trying to find Celia's place. L was pretty sure he would have, despite the directions they'd been given.
He felt uneasy as he contemplated the evening before them. Raito kept an innocuous smile plastered upon his face which gave absolutely no indication as to how the evening might progress. The brunet might have been thinking to take mercy upon him or, equally likely, could have been concocting a truly horrible scene to enact later for their audience.
But Raito aside, what about Watari?
What would be the tenor of his mood? Would there be more of that curt coldness he'd displayed towards the brunet? Would some of that now be directed at him as well?
Watari sipped a cup of coffee and skimmed the local newspaper. L would often radiate a vague amusement at him for it, deeming ink and print to be unquestionably archaic these days, but he would simply shrug it off. He used computers for plenty of tasks, for near the entirety of the day. Was it really so strange that he liked the division between work and leisure? If he was doing a little light reading, he preferred to do it this way. No cables. No humming machine. No impulses to multitask and continue working.
His mustache swished from side to side as he settled more comfortably at the table and took another long sip from his cup. If he was honest with himself, he also liked the crinkly sound of the large pages as he turned one, or as he refolded the newspaper. L could have his computers. He should beware that his eyes didn't just drop out of his head one day, staring at the pixilated screen unrelentingly for so many hours a day. He really should find something, some activity, that he could do to give them a break.
"Watari?" Celia's voice drifted to him from the other room.
"Hm?"
"Dear, your cell phone is flashing. I think someone is trying to reach you."
Celia, bless her, liked to read books as she reclined tucked up in bed. Usually novels, but she also had interest in a fair number of subjects and it was sometimes this sort of reading he found her at in the cozy light of the bedroom.
"Thank you, I'll have a look then."
The newspaper crinkled its protest as he folded it and set it aside.
"Oh, don't you bother getting up," Celia waved him back into his seat with delicate hands as she swept into the room. She had her favorite robe wrapped around her, an off-white material with an English rosebud print, and her light hair was loosely piled atop her head almost like a bun. Little wispy bits had worked their way free and made a pleasant frame for her face. She offered his phone to him and distractedly patted her hair with her other hand as if expecting it to be disheveled.
Watari accepted his phone and flipped it open. He had a missed call from L.
He'd been wondering where the boy had slipped off to. He hadn't seen him since yesterday afternoon. Before that, he'd been working on cases with a frightening intensity, like he used to. But while it was good he was refocusing on his work again, he'd still seemed a bit off. Plus, he never did eat the food he'd brought him. L had likely just agreed to it automatically and then pushed it aside to keep working.
Watari sighed, shaking his head. He was glad he'd never had children of his own. L was enough to keep any caretaker quite busy. Though he was like an adopted son, really. Still, he could not imagine trying to have children of his own to take care of in addition to L. Maybe he wasn't cut out for such things.
He felt small hands start to rub his shoulders, and realized they'd been tensing up.
"You know, you're lucky if you've only had to worry about him for a few weeks," Celia said softly. "Most parents suffer years' worth of rebellious phases."
"I know." He sighed and was quiet a moment. "I guess he just never acted like a normal young person, so I never expected his behavior to change like this. He never showed much interest in people either."
"Did he tell you where he was?" She hadn't seen that there was only the missed call. Usually, L liked to text.
"Maybe in the voicemail." His voice came out a little strained. He might not know where L was, but he was pretty sure who he might be with.
"You have to let it go, dear," Celia responded to the undercurrent in his thoughts. "Even if you are afraid of him getting hurt, you can't tell him not to pursue a relationship he feels he wants. If we all held back like that, life would not be worth living, would it? And we would resent the ones who told us 'no', even if they had our best interests in mind."
"But why did it have to be this Raito fellow?" He turned to face her. "I don't trust that boy as far as I can throw him."
Celia shrugged delicately. "That's for them to know. You just have to try and be supportive."
"So, is that in my job description?" he grumbled, turning back to his coffee.
She swatted him on the back. "It's hardly part of your job that you care about him. Don't be churlish."
"Yes, dear," he mumbled in a faintly sarcastic tone as soon as she was out of striking range. Whenever he thought of Raito, it put him into an unpleasant mood. It was a little hard to digest that L's first relationship was with a boy, let alone that one.
"I can hear you, Quillish," she said primly. "You keep that up and I shall refuse to make you those pancakes you wanted."
Oh, his given name. What was his dear mother thinking when she decided upon that one? He much preferred 'Watari'. One of these days, he'd meant to change his name legally, but in all of these years he'd never seemed to have been able to get around to it. Though he figured Celia could call him whatever she liked. It sounded different when she said it anyway. Nicer.
"I'd rather have your pancakes," he said apologetically.
"All right then."
Watari turned his attention to his phone and the voicemail that yet awaited him.
'Watari, it's L. I'm sending you an email. Please read it.'
Reading mail on his phone was annoying at best. He wondered why L didn't just text him. Maybe the message was too long? His phone was known to receive bits all broken up and out of order...
"I'll be right back," he said to his companion who was busily amassing the ingredients for her special pancakes. "He said he was sending me an email."
"That's all he said?" She hummed. "Perhaps they are planning to elope? Or already have?"
She was obviously joking, obviously trying to wind him up, yet the mention of such a possibility struck fear in his heart. Not only did he keep mentally repeating, 'Why Raito?', but L had seemed to be an emotional mess these last few weeks since meeting him. Calm, analytical, deadpan L. It was worrisome indeed.
He made his way over to the computer and woke it up.
There. The notification that he had mail had popped up at the bottom right of the screen. There were multiple emails, but he only cared to read the one L had sent. The others were work-related and could wait.
He started to read.
The contents were significantly different than he had anticipated.
L was planning not to return for several days and, yes, he was in the company of the brunet. But under the circumstances....
Watari rubbed a hand over his face. He could hardly believe that they had suffered a break in at their house. Not only that - that it was Aiber. He never would have anticipated the blond detective doing such a thing. And to know now that he had been pursuing L with the intention of forcing some sort of physical confrontation, pushing unwanted advances upon him...
L certainly had some luck, he thought ruefully. First, someone like Raito had taken a shine to him. Now, a long-time acquaintance and working associate had designs on taking things to the next level.
L went on to describe the general shape of things, in his email, briefly also delving into Raito's personal situation and how that tied in to both Aiber and Misa.
It was a mess.
Utterly a mess.
Watari did not fault L's decision to stay away for the time being. This house was hardly safe for him at this time. And, he supposed, he could try and give Raito some credit for being there when Aiber had tried to accost him. L did not give the details on how the brunet had accomplished it or how it had been hidden from all of them; Watari wondered how L knew for certain the thing had actually occurred.
But he wouldn't have mentioned it to me if he was not completely sure. He would have verified the possibility first. If L was sure, than Watari had no reason to think that Raito was fabricating events.
L suggested that he relocate the base of their operation. Watari agreed. He felt unsettled thinking that anyone might pop in anytime they liked. Not only Aiber, but perhaps others who had discovered L and Raito's connection and were also looking for the brunet.
He was surprised beyond belief to hear that Raito had terminated his employment, but he approved. Heartily. Being a prosecutor ought to be more upstanding a profession than the political arena Raito had been involved in.
'If you agree to relocate,' L asked him, 'is there a possibility you could stay at Celia's for a short time? I would like to be able to pick up a few things and cannot return to our house, things being what they are...'
Certainly it was possible. Celia's apartment was on the other side of town. It was small, but would be serviceable for a brief time. He was sure she would agree to the arrangement, but he would consult with her first.
He didn't want L returning there either. The less attention those two attracted, the better. He also did not like the idea that L would be staying with Raito indefinitely, having nowhere else to go. Celia had a guest room that she would probably be happy to let L use until they were able to find a new location to live. Maybe he and L should move to another city altogether. Not that that would put some needed distance between L and Raito... the brunet was already in another city and L was right there with him despite that.
He finished reading the email and shut off his monitor. There was a lot to discuss. How would Celia feel about things if they were to move? Would she perhaps want to move with them? Of course, that might become complicated... He wasn't sure how L might feel if he were to relocate 'headquarters' (as they'd jokingly referred to it on occasion) only to have there be an additional occupant.
He rubbed a hand over his moustache. Despite L's blowup the other day, where he'd accused them of trying to form some sort of family around him without his say so, he believed L would not be opposed to such a thing normally. He seemed predisposed to liking the older woman. But as Celia herself had said, L seemed to be under some sort of stress. He wasn't acting like himself.
It had to be Raito's fault.
Watari had no issue with blaming the smooth-talking brunet. Everything about him practically screamed untrustworthy. Not to mention, anyone who went to such pains to be physically flawless had to be up to no good. Being around him in person exacerbated the effect. He didn't like the way that boy looked at L and it appeared that he had been right about that as well. There was probably little to no chance that Celia was mistaken about them having entered some sort of relationship. He wondered though, was it something the brunet had tricked L into? Was it really mutual?
But first things first. He should make sure that L's suggestion was ok with his sweetheart. As long as she didn't mind the boy using her guest room for a few days, they would have time to determine a course of action on the real move.
"Celia?" he called out.
---
"So, did he reply yet?" Raito asked, trailing lips across Lawliet's collarbone.
His detective was flushing adorably. Not only his face, but much of his bare skin as well. It heated to his touch.
"Not... yet..."
It was late afternoon. Neither of them had anywhere to be. There were no pressing matters except the boxes they increasingly felt inclined to ignore in favor of each other, and the immediate future which would be decided by Watari's response.
Raito knew that Lawliet was trying to secure another place to live, that he might not stay with him after these few days, so he wanted to make the best of it. The detective needed his escape routes all lined up in order to feel secure. Raito was learning things like this. He was learning - and learning not to take offense. For Lawliet did not seem inclined to be away from him now. Maybe he was just conforming to habit? Or perhaps he's trying to encourage me to be on my best behavior?
The boxes had been significantly reduced in number, but their productivity had started to flag as their eyes had begun snagging upon one another's more often than not. And in Lawliet's dark gaze, there was a quality of quiet acceptance that had not quite been there before. He seemed more accessible now, and more committed in a way. It let a bit of vulnerability slip out past the wall of his defenses, which was hard for Raito to leave alone. It beckoned him closer.
Soon, he was stilling those pale hands from their task of unpacking a box of newspaper wrapped plates, bringing one up to his mouth to kiss the soft skin of a slender wrist. He could feel the pulse jumping beneath his lips. He treasured the slight tremor in the captured arm as he tilted it upwards, and slid his eyes up to Lawliet's face. Those slightly parted lips were made for kissing. Made for sinking into. Those dark eyes were perfect just like this, black as night now, and watching him with all the stillness of a mouse watching a cobra. He flirted with the idea of consuming that mouth while his lips continued to play across his captive's wrist, and he caressed the delicate skin of the detective's inner arm with inquisitive fingertips.
He'd wanted so badly to have Lawliet again. That brief interlude last night hadn't been enough. But he'd been afraid of pushing things too far, and the stress of the situation had been eating at him besides.
But now, with so much talking and working having been done, followed by lapses into silence that were not uncomfortable at all...
Now he was feeling that pull that Lawliet had over him steadily increasing. He wanted to touch. He wanted to taste. He wanted to hear and feel Lawliet in much more intimate ways. Needed to. And that want kept his eyes drifting over his companion and kept insidiously redirecting his thoughts.
It's not only me though, is it, Lawliet?
And he knew it wasn't. For the detective's dark gaze had been flicking up to his and holding it a little too long to be purely innocent.
So when he abandoned that gorgeous arm for the greater prize of Lawliet's mouth, it was even sweeter than he'd imagined. His hand tangled in dark hair as he met that willing mouth, sinking in so deep he felt he'd be lost.
His eyes closed and he gave himself up to the feel of it. Desire rushed in him with a voracious will. Who would have thought anyone could make me feel like this?
Desire was sparking strongly and it seemed perfectly natural to sink down upon the floor, never breaking the circuit of their mouths. What did things like beds matter? He didn't want to part from this for something so trivial. He wanted to consume and be consumed.
His hands relearned the shape and contour of Lawliet's body, smoothing across the flat planes of his chest, the subtle curve of a shoulder, and the soft invitation of his neck. He pulled Lawliet's shirt off over his head, baring a canvas of pale skin.
It was as he stroked the fire that was building in that body that he began asking the detective questions. It was a weird habit he seemed to have developed, but he loved the way Lawliet tried to fight through the haze of passion to answer him. He loved the sound of his stilted voice, and the mild irritation that rode it because he knew exactly what Raito was doing.
Raito would have thought Watari should have answered by now. Especially if Lawliet had conveyed what they had talked about. He'd seemed reluctant about some of it, so he was starting to wonder exactly how that email had gone. "And you did mention dinner to him?" Raito prompted.
The detective's body was hot underneath his. Burning up. He couldn't help rolling his hips against the other's. It elicited such a gratifying sound. He hid his smile against the gentle curve of his companion's pale neck.
"Yes," the dark-haired man said with exasperation. His breath was coming heavily now. "I told you I would."
"And did you tell him about this?" Raito asked in a silky tone, hand drifting down Lawliet's hip, threatening to drag down his pants. His knuckles brushed down the other's abdomen and muscles jumped in response. He nipped at the soft skin of Lawliet's neck, making his breath leave in a harsh rush, then latched his mouth upon it, sucking gently. Lawliet's moan thrummed beneath his lips and tongue. Oh, it was amazing how every reaction just made him want him to do everything all over again and never stop. Amazing how it always left him wanting more. He became obsessed with dragging the other's brilliant mind so deep into desire that he could do nothing to control his voice, his body's reactions, or his mindlessly wanton actions. Raito was certain he could lose himself in that - bury himself in the whirlwind that he himself had created in the dark-haired intellectual.
His stroking fingers found silken flesh and the body under his jerked with a gasp. "Did you tell him how strongly you feel?" Raito breathed against his ear. Lawliet's honest reactions were affecting him intensely and already his voice had roughened. Desire was beginning to rage underneath his skin. It stormed within his belly as Lawliet's flesh became painfully hard in the coaxing embrace of his hand and as noises spilled from his lips. God, I want you, he thought fiercely, recapturing that gasping mouth.
He managed, with assistance, to drag Lawliet's pants off and didn't bother to do much more then unfasten his own. Anything more was a delay he wanted no part of. He prepared by slicking himself with some of his own saliva. It wasn't the preferred option, but it would do in a pinch. He sure as hell was not suffering either of them to search for lubricant in the bedroom. To hell with condoms, too. He had no patience for such things.
Lawliet's body bowed as he slid into him and the dark-haired intellectual groaned against it with clenched teeth, face flushing hard. Raito gasped as he was swallowed by blinding heat. Tight, gripping heat. His arms shook as they held him up, wavering in strength while pleasure overwhelmed him. God.
He claimed Lawliet's mouth as he started to move, melting into it and nearly losing his bearings. He was being swallowed up by sensation. The heat of a flush blazed across his cheeks and lit his body, making the air feel chill upon his skin. Their hips moved without thought, synchronized, debilitating.
He utterly lost track of time, driving forward into that welcoming heat, his hands drifting all over that pale body. He wanted this to last forever. Lawliet's arms held him close, nails sometimes digging in to his skin. They dug deep when Raito took his need in hand again, sliding his thumb up the length of it from base to tip. The kiss was broken then and the detective was struggling for breath as Raito stroked him.
Each shock of pleasure shuddered through his frail body and gripped Raito's flesh in undulating waves.
It was undoing him.
He eased his caresses until they were feather light teases and the detective was writhing beneath him. Then he drew out his thrusts until they were as long and slow as possible. Oh, it was torture. But it was exquisite. He made sure he was at the right angle to brush Lawliet's prostate with every stroke. Raito got a sick sort of pleasure that his partner would moan every time, even against his will. It was just so exhilarating. It made him want to make Lawliet beg. It was so becoming on him. But he should resist such impulses... Really, he should.
"Raito... I can't... take this," Lawliet said then, breaking into his thoughts.
"Begging already?" he taunted, sounding entirely too winded to pretend to be in control. "And I didn't even have to prompt you."
"Ah!" Lawliet cried out as Raito gripped his desperate flesh more securely and began to move his hand upon it in an unyielding rhythm.
"Was it something more like this you wanted?" Raito asked innocently, placing a kiss on trembling lips. His restraint was about at its limit. He couldn't hold back anymore. This slow pace was murdering him.
"Bastard," Lawliet gasped in a way that was nothing short of endearing.
"It's a shame how fast the begging is over," Raito taunted lightly.
It took all of his will to get those words out. Lawliet's body was wringing his hardened flesh unbearably. Finally, he could take it no longer and he began driving into that body as he'd been wanting to, Lawliet's harsh cries sounding in his ears like the sweetest music. He knew he couldn't possibly have been silent himself, but he wasn't aware of anything more then the sharp ache in his belly that was intensifying and blinding him to all else.
Lawliet's entire body stiffened and his nails raked Raito's back as orgasm snapped through him. Raito thrust into his shuddering body, his own limbs shaking and tightening, his breath coming as fast as if he were running a race. And then that tension exploded like white light and he was down and drowning in the force of his release.
---
A few hours later and they had resumed their battle with the boxes, if only to grant them some space in which to lounge in. Though without the boxes, there would be even less sit upon. Raito didn't seem to have bothered himself with furniture like chairs or a sofa, aside from the tiny kitchen table and chairs. The barren apartment held a true minimum of comfort items. It was even more pronounced than L's own room back at his house. It was very much at odds with Raito's previous style of living.
L was starting to contemplate buying a sheet to just throw over the remaining boxes. There were plenty that were full of books and things and yet there was no bookshelf to place them upon. Had Raito really thought this move through? Granted, the bookshelves at his old place were built in units that he couldn't have brought with him, but... This move seemed to have been haphazard at best.
Maybe they'd have to buy some cheap shelving and assemble it, he thought vaguely, checking his phone again.
This time there was new mail, aside from the usual. He clicked some buttons, accessing the message he'd been waiting for. He'd checked his phone several times for a response from Watari but it was only now towards evening that he was receiving it. "Raito," L called out. His eyes skimmed the response, reading quickly.
The brunet sauntered over wearing only a pair of pants, as seemed to be his standard dress at this new place. He was drinking from a water bottle while wearing an expression that was entirely too self-satisfied. It had been there for hours now. (It was mildly annoying, L thought, being at his expense.)
L lifted the phone at him and said, "Dinner is fine. Tomorrow. They've relocated to Celia's for the time being. I can pick up some things then, or even stay if I want."
"You aren't planning to stay there, are you?" the brunet took a slow sip of water. It was said very casually, but L detected a sudden tenseness in the young man.
"I wasn't really planning anything." And he hadn't planned anything. He had absolutely not thought past locating Raito. Once he'd found him, he'd had his hands so full dealing with each moment-to-moment that he hadn't had many resources left for considering the future. The future hadn't even seemed real to him in the face of present issues.
He looked at the brunet assessingly. "I did say I would stay here for a few days. But what if I did decide to stay with them for a while?"
Historically, this would be Raito's cue to flip out or become unreasonable. L watched him carefully for a reaction, hoping that this time it would be different. Already, since they'd met up yesterday, Raito had begun curtailing his behavior and acting differently than he had before. He had stopped being so commanding and had started giving L a longer leash. He must have started to realize the damage that it was doing; this had given L reason to believe they could work things out.
He hated to test Raito like this so soon, but... he had to know this sort of thing. He had to know that the brunet could control his impulsiveness and his temper. L was actually really considering Raito's earlier proposal about living together. If the brunet allowed the possibility of him leaving and staying somewhere else, then L would deem cohabitation a workable option.
Raito's expression remained largely the same. He'd developed a certain melancholy over the time they'd been apart that touched his face now and then since they'd come into contact. It flickered in his eyes subtly but was fairly well-hidden. "It is entirely up to you."
L hated that he'd become a damper on Raito's good mood, slightly infuriating though it had been. "You're not going to get mad?" he asked bluntly. He quickly stifled the urge to smack his palm over his face. However did that question get past his filters? It not only sounded childish but instigatory as well.
Raito raised an eyebrow. "Did you want me to get angry?"
"Well, no. I just... sort of thought you might have more to say about it."
The brunet's mouth quirked up at the corners and a laugh escaped. "You'd rebel against a display of possessiveness and yet, without it, you seem to be quite adrift." He smiled a little wider when L frowned at him. "Don't take offense, I merely find it interesting. Did you want me to tell you how much I would miss you, or grab at your arm, ranting over it and telling you that I wouldn't allow it?"
L fought the color angrily rising to his cheeks. "Well, it isn't like that would be out of character," he said defensively. "Except for the 'I'll miss you' part," he amended churlishly. He actually wouldn't have minded the brunet saying he'd miss him. He also suspected Raito knew that, and that's why he'd said it the way he did. Jerk.
"Yes, well, I'm trying to change that, if you hadn't noticed."
"Of course I noticed."
"It isn't easy," Raito said airily. "I hope you appreciate it."
L made a face at him in jest. "What, do you want me to wave a little flag for you?"
"My my, aren't we getting mouthy," the brunet said. His eyes were getting that shiny glint that usually signaled his urge to be sadistic, though he was clearly still quite amused. He moved forward, stalking L with playful menace.
Uh oh. L took a quick survey of the remaining boxes' location, then made a break for it. He jumped over the one large box that he didn't have time to weave around, and Raito was right behind him.
His heart was pounding, but it wasn't out of fear. It was more like the adrenaline rush one might get from provoking someone or something, knowing you shouldn't, and then doing it anyway. Perhaps like poking at a beehive with a long stick just to see if it was occupied, then running like hell. (Probably not the best of ideas, but fun in its own way.)
He tried to make it to the bathroom further down the hall, hoping to gain more of a lead in the extra steps than he would have if he'd gone for the closer door of the bedroom.
A hand caught at his shoulder and the chase ended almost as quickly as it had begun. L found himself pressed face first against the wall, mere feet from his goal, his wrists caught behind him and a strong hand against the nape of his neck.
"Got you," Raito said engagingly right next to his ear. "Now, how should I punish you?"
Normally 'punishment' would be along the lines of humiliating him sexually, but L was getting good at pushing embarrassment over such things out of his head. Especially since he didn't exactly suffer when such encounters occurred, other than the occasional smack to his pride. Raito managed to drag pleasure from him no matter what he did. He couldn't deny that, and he might as well enjoy it. Besides, this last time had been so... He shook his head to clear it from reliving it in all its erotic glory. But it really had been amazing. The way Raito had kissed him... and then when he'd...
"Your face is so remarkably expressive at times," Raito said pleasantly.
L's eyes flicked to Raito's and he knew by the smug, enigmatic expression the brunet was wearing, that his rampant thoughts had been easily guessed at. Ugh. He considered beating his head against the wall as Raito gloated over him.
"But that wasn't what I had in mind," he said silkily. "I think you'd agree that would hardly qualify as a punishment."
"Well, what did you have in mind? Unless it was to keep me here until the boredom steals my sanity?" Actually, stupid though it was, he found that he was getting a bit turned on.
"Oh, but as long as I'm around, 'boredom' would be impossible," he said suggestively, and laughed softly in L's ear. "I was thinking of trying to discover a latent talent for barbering. You'll help me, won't you?"
Geh! L tried again to twist out of the brunet's grip. He thought the prospect of a haircut was well beyond horrifying. It was a good thing Raito wouldn't have anything on him with which to shear his hair. "Raito-" he said in frustration, turning to the brunet after another unsuccessful attempt to free himself and took pause. "Wait - why are you looking at me like you know something really amusing that I will not find to be so at all?"
The hand on the back of his hand disappeared and soon returned with a pair of orange handled scissors which were brandished directly under L's nose. L recoiled. "That's not fair! Where the hell did those come from?"
"I was opening boxes earlier," came the pleasant reply. "Now, what should we do? A little off the top? A lot off the back?"
L struggled more determinedly to free his hands. Raito might just be mean enough to make his hair look really stupid. And that would probably give the brunet a sure source of amusement for weeks. "Neither! And if you do, then you'd better hope I stay with Watari and Celia or your hair will not be safe from me."
"Threats, Lawliet?" the brunet was still wildly amused and not put off in the least.
"I'll shave it bald," L growled.
"I'd wake up first," Raito countered infuriatingly.
"Not if I--!"
"Relaaax," Raito interrupted, placing a mocking kiss upon his cheekbone. A drop in the bucket for the tension that he had to be able to feel thrumming through L's body. "I like your hair - I'm not going to cut it off," The brunet soothed. "I'm just going to torment you at my discretion at dinner tomorrow night," he said sweetly.
"Oh, great," L muttered dismally as he was released. He leaned against the wall for support as his fight response suddenly left him hanging and anxiety opportunistically washed in. "So you're going to air our relationship and potentially be obnoxious about it."
"Depending on my mood." He smirked at L. "Though you've got plenty of hours between now and then to try and convince me to do otherwise."
---
Somehow Raito did not get lost trying to find Celia's place. L was pretty sure he would have, despite the directions they'd been given.
He felt uneasy as he contemplated the evening before them. Raito kept an innocuous smile plastered upon his face which gave absolutely no indication as to how the evening might progress. The brunet might have been thinking to take mercy upon him or, equally likely, could have been concocting a truly horrible scene to enact later for their audience.
But Raito aside, what about Watari?
What would be the tenor of his mood? Would there be more of that curt coldness he'd displayed towards the brunet? Would some of that now be directed at him as well?
"You know," L said to his companion from the passenger seat, "I have to wonder about you - choosing to do this willingly." He still wasn't sure why Raito wanted to formally 'meet' his family. He himself had not enjoyed the same situation with Raito's family. In fact, he would have loved to avoid that whole affair. It had been nerve-wracking.
"Really? Why would you? This will be fun."
"Like pulling teeth?" L mused aloud sullenly. Raito was sounding nearly effervescent. This promised to be painful indeed.
"Lawliet, think of it this way. Instead of putting something off that has the potential to go either poorly or acceptably, you are meeting it straight on. Why beat around the bush? This will make all future decisions much easier. Either we will be accepted and you can rest easy, or we won't, and you can move on."
"I suppose it could be that simple if I didn't actually care about the outcome," L said pointedly. "You're not intrinsically involved, so..."
Raito shrugged. "Point taken. However, even if I did have a vested interest, I know when things are out of my hands. Mulling over how things 'might' go will not affect how they do go. It's a waste of resources."
"How do you know you cannot affect the outcome?" L said with frustration. Raito's hands-off approach was somewhat maddening. "Tonight, for instance, you could potentially win Watari over, or you could be more obnoxious to him than ever before, ensuring the opposite."
"Watari liking me personally or not is a different matter from him accepting your choice of partners."
"Perhaps it is, apart from him accepting my partner happens to be male; but him disliking you would certainly put a damper in his acceptance of my being in a relationship with you specifically."
Raito waved off his logic. "Which brings me back to my original point. You are much too headstrong to base your decisions solely on what Watari thinks. Therefore, Watari's opinion will not control your behavior. He seems reasonably intelligent, so he would know that accepting your choices is his only option on the matter. Unless he plans to have bad blood between you, that is. Very unlikely."
"Your dissection of people both baffles and astounds me."
Raito slanted a glance at him. "I know what you're thinking."
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"You're in awe of how I can make these sorts of conjectures and then operate as if they were 100% hard fact. You're wondering how I manage it without a second thought and without dropping the ball."
"It does seem like you should be falling flat on your face from time to time," he agreed.
"Welcome to the wonderful world of social skills, my friend."
L cocked a glance at him. "I do believe your talents far exceed that label. And where is it that you learned to lay your emotions to the side so that nothing can touch those as you do your maneuvering?"
A strange expression flickered over the brunet's face before he settled on a pleasantly bland smile. "Trade secret."
---
The rest of the car ride passed in relative silence.
Raito wasn't prone to being absorbed in thought while in the presence of others - he did not like the idea that he might not have iron-clad control over his expressions while he was distracted - but it did happen on occasion with Lawliet.
The other man had a way of waving aside all his trappings and zinging him with that blunt manner of his. Somehow, for all his lack of social prowess, he could at times see through him so clearly. It was a wonder he'd ever been able to pull anything over on the dark-haired intellectual.
Of course, that was in the beginning. And since then, Lawliet had been steadily learning more about him and assembling the pieces.
The notion made uneasy. He'd never given anyone the keys to knowing him, really knowing him. He'd never allowed anyone in like this.
He'd made his decision, however, and he trusted Lawliet. He did. But still, something like fear crackled along the edges of his consciousness. He'd almost lost this bond before... So it stood to reason he could lose it in the future. And such a thing might actually be out of his immediate control.
It was ironic, actually. So soon after telling the detective he should not worry about things that were out of his control, here he was doing just that.
Feelings, is it? Emotion? Is that the difference between the way we operate? Is that the reason I worry about this, about you, and not over much else at all?
He'd been thinking on what Lawliet had said to him.
'And where is it that you learned to lay your emotions to the side so that nothing can touch those as you do your maneuvering?'
Was there a time where he'd consciously decided to lay emotion aside? Was there? Or had he always been rather unfeeling and unmoved?
He didn't know for certain, and that unsettled him.
He also did not know whether the detective had intended the note of disapproval he sensed threading those words, or if it was even there at all.
Raito glanced at his companion. The air between them was not clouded by harsh feelings or discord. Mostly, the silence felt normal, if a little pensive. The dark-haired man was slouching in his seat as he looked out the window, a neutral expression upon his face. He'd worked off one of his shoes and had drawn one of his legs up to his chest, looping the closer arm around it. It was an awkward sitting position, but one he looked comfortable with.
Raito looked back at the road, though it was less pleasing to look at than the detective was.
So it seems that Lawliet, too, has his guard down in some ways. I haven't seen him sit like that since the very first time I saw him. The ease with which he did it made it seem like something of a habit. One that he'd apparently been trying to iron out since the time Raito had first encountered him in that bar. The deviation from clothing the spiky-haired eccentric seemed to prefer might have been another 'self-improvement'? Perhaps shoes were as well?
Granted, just now, the detective was wearing a dark, striped button down dress shirt and dark slacks, the clothes he'd been wearing when he showed up on Raito's doorstep. He'd donned the attire before making the trip to Raito's office, most likely. Otherwise, Raito was sure, he would be wearing the sloppy, loose clothing he'd been caught in a time or two - the baggy jeans and long-sleeved shirts.
As his own clothing did not do more than simply hang upon the detective's thinner frame, Raito washed the clothes he'd arrived in for him to wear today. Ill-fitting clothes did not matter while they spent time in the apartment or unpacked boxes... (though a fair amount of time was spent removing said clothing from Lawliet's pale, spare frame)
Raito ran a hand through his hair and tried not to be distracted by thoughts of claiming the other's body. It was very difficult. Even now... His eyes roved over his companion. Lawliet's inky black hair was wayward yet intriguing in its mess of spiked locks. His pale complexion was a pleasing contrast to it, and the smooth column of his neck was enticing, half hidden by the collar of his shirt. The delicate sweep of collarbones was also just visible beneath the parted collar of his shirt, as was a passionate marking or two. It called to mind the resistance of warm flesh under his mouth, the quality of Lawliet's quickened breathing, and the taste of desire.
Eyes back on the road, Raito decided he would keep the marks' visibility to himself. If nothing else, he could use such thoughts to pass the time if this dinner proved to be less than stimulating. No need to tell his companion and spoil the view.
---
L stretched, feeling utterly cramped in the confines of the car. "It isn't long now, is it?"
A minor accident had stalled traffic unbelievably and had added considerable time to their trip. Why people felt it necessary to gawk at a dimpled fender, L didn't know. It was also beyond him how that could possibly be enough to cause 5 lanes of traffic to slow to a crawl.
"No. I think it will be perhaps another 15 minutes." Raito met his eyes briefly. "You've never been to Celia's apartment, correct?"
L shook his head. "She is something of a new addition. I don't really know her that well either."
"Ah."
L sensed there was more going on in that head aside from 'ah'. "What?"
"Nothing." Raito shrugged. "Though I wonder why you'd be so concerned about what someone you hardly know thinks of you."
"She is dating Watari," L pointed out, "whom I've know for some time now. And it seems like it's pretty serious."
"So you care by association?"
L shifted and resumed a more conventional sitting position. "I suppose. Does it matter?"
Raito shrugged again. "Perhaps not. I was just trying to understand."
Hmn. L began lightly chewing on the tip of his thumb. Understand me? He wondered if the brunet had ever tried to understand anyone past his initial blow-by-blow assessments of them. There was a sort of gratification to be felt at the brunet taking effort to understand him, especially on a matter where their points of view were so inherently different. "Primarily I am concerned with Watari, not Celia."
"Well, she does seem the type to be more accepting. She didn't even falter that badly when she found out that I was the 'girl' you liked."
"That and the fact that she knows about us."
"You told her?" Raito was incredulous as he looked over at him. His eyes were quick, scouring L's face for more information. "Aha," he said after a moment with a small laugh. "No, that isn't it. Haha. You didn't tell her at all, did you?" Surprise turned into a smug little smile. Those ruddy amber eyes stayed upon the road. "She figured it out." Amusement rolled off of him in waves. "Which means..."
"Shut up."
"...you must have been giving quite a display for her to pick up on. Pining, Lawliet?" The smug smile blossomed.
"God, you're insufferable," he said, wishing there was something he could throw at him. There was no way he was admitting to 'pining', or as Celia had put it, 'ghosting around like his heart had been ripped out'. "I yelled at her." Again, he felt the brunet's surprise, and a weighty gaze. He elaborated, "At both of them, actually. She just put together that the only thing that had changed recently is that your shining countenance was absent." It was sarcastic. Just a little. But Raito was giving the impression that he was not going to let this go. He was like a damned bloodhound at times. Especially when it came to things that he did not wish to divulge.
"Are you sure you aren't leaving anything out? I hardly think that's enough for her to make the leap from friends to lovers."
L shrugged. "Search me."
"How forthcoming of you," Raito said under his breath.
---
And Lawliet accuses me of being secretive! Raito grumbled to himself.
But it was no wonder the woman had guessed something was going on between them. The detective was thin as a waif, more so than usual. If she'd been staying at the house with them, she'd be bound to notice if his appetite became poor or vanished altogether. Such was not a typical reaction to a rocky friendship, he would think. Add to that a change in the detective's mood or general behavior...
Raito felt vaguely irritated. He wanted to know if Lawliet had actually acted sad over him, pined over him - enough so that it had broken through his exceptional poker face and was bared for all to see. It wasn't for his ego or anything like that... he just wanted to know that the dark-haired man had gone through something anywhere near as intense as he had while they were parted. He wanted that solidarity. He hated being left in the dark, especially on important things such as this.
He was startled as a pale hand suddenly crossed his line of sight.
"There!" Lawliet was pointing out the window, waving his hand nearly under his nose. "Raito, that's our turn, you're missing it!"
Raito cursed his own distraction even as he assessed the distance of the cars in the oncoming traffic. He jerked the wheel hard to the left, whipping the vehicle in a U-turn that barely had enough clearance from the shared turn lane to the far curb bordering the slow lane. He gunned it immediately after and deftly avoided even a single honking horn from the cars that were now less than a car length behind them, for daring to slow their pace. Their turn was now imminent, on the right. He swung the steering wheel, hugging the curb, only slowing when they reached the first residential street.
He became aware of a pale hand clenching his shirt in a death grip, the very same one that had been pointing out the missed turn. His companion was wide-eyed and pressed into his seat as if held there by powerful centrifugal force. "You're wrinkling my shirt, Lawliet," he said mildly.
"You keep taking years off of my life," was the faint response.
Raito took Lawliet's hand in his and gently eased the clawed grip open. "Perhaps you should have mentioned the turn sooner?" Not that it was the detective's fault that he'd been focused on other things. He decided to keep the slender hand in his own and laced their fingers together, driving with his other hand. There was no protest.
Lawliet was nodding minutely in response to his question. "Or perhaps I should make learning to drive a priority."
"I don't know, seems like a lot of effort," Raito trailed in an affected voice, discouraging the thought. He was sure that the detective had never bothered with driving previously, as it would expend more effort than it would gain return. With public transit what it was in many places, cars were a luxury, not a necessity. Besides, he didn't want Lawliet to suddenly start driving himself everywhere, or feel that he did not want to be in the same car with him.
"Maybe."
"Sorry. I'll try to tone it down when you're with me."
"Make a right here," Lawliet said, pointing reservedly with his other hand. "You might tone it down in general. I don't want you to be in an accident either."
Raito guided the car into a smooth right turn. "I'll see what I can do." Their destination was a few houses down, a light yellow townhouse on the right. "I thought you said it was an apartment?"
"It... was supposed to be?"
Raito pulled into the driveway and released the detective's hand so he could put the car into park. "Maybe it's a split-tenant arrangement? One renter takes the bottom floor and the other, the top?"
"I'll call to make sure."
Raito waited while the detective confirmed this and that Celia had the 2nd floor rooms. He wasn't sure who provided the original instructions, but it seemed to him that this detail was a little important to have left out.
His passenger snapped his little red phone shut. Raito noticed he didn't feel quite so irked with its presence as he had on other occasions. Maybe he really was getting a handle on his jealousy. He felt pretty calm, and things that might have set him off before seemed less likely to do so now. Or was it merely that he felt more secure in their relationship now than he had before? Either way, it gave him room to breathe, so he wasn't complaining.
"Ready?" Lawliet asked him.
"Sure." The detective may have been wracked with nerves upon the prospect of spending an evening with Raito's family, but Raito did not feel much concerned with spending time with Lawliet's. Social situations did not generally put him off. At least, not in the same way as the dark-haired hermit. His greatest fear was being bored. Though perhaps, just this evening, his other concern might be leaving here without Lawliet in tow. He suspected it might come up. Why else would Watari mention that the detective could stay here if he wanted?
Listen to yourself. You're obsessed. Of course there were other reasons the older man might have made such an offer. Perhaps he wanted Lawliet to feel he hadn't just completely lost his home. It didn't have to be because the man didn't want them to remain together.
Raito shrugged off the mental chatter. Watari would either prove himself to be a problem, or he wouldn't. I should take my own advice and not worry about things until they actually come up.
---
L started up the outside steps that led to Celia's front door, Raito trailing behind him. The brunet was probably right, that it was better to just get this out of the way. And hadn't Raito done just that the first time he'd dragged him to his parent's house for dinner? He'd unapologetically announced that they were sleeping together. Which was utterly mortifying, but was not as poorly received as L would have thought. In fact, only Raito's father seemed to take issue with him, and that had only been because of a misconception over his profession. Upon hearing he was just a detective, Soichiro had warmed up to him immediately.
Raito's advice was something that he'd found worked for him through personal experience. It wasn't merely talk. L figured he should give it more credence.
So I'll just walk in there like everything is as it should be. I'll act like bringing a guy home is a perfectly normal occurrence, and that I don't expect there to be any sort of negative reaction. I'll tell myself that Raito will be on his best behavior, that he won't instigate with Watari or use Celia to that purpose, and that Watari will suddenly not dislike Raito or act as if he were a blighted viper who is poised to poison me and everyone else.
Yes... I have my work cut out for me.
"You seem tense," Raito observed, having caught up to him. They were standing on the small landing in front of the door. His eyes were dark gold in the dimming light of sunset.
"I was trying to be positive."
Raito cracked a smile. "Don't strain yourself."
"You're no help," L muttered and rang the doorbell.
It was inordinately weird to be standing there, waiting for someone to open the door and look at him for the first time as being part of a couple. He shot a quick glance over at the brunet. He was standing there looking composed and as benign as could be, congeniality lurking just beneath the surface. It was his game face. Raito's eyes were still his own though, holding a bit of amusement towards him over this situation.
The door opened and it was Celia who greeted them. She still gave off that doting air that was typical for her, but she seemed a little flustered.
---
Celia rushed to get the door, not wanting the evening to begin with her sweetheart getting things off on the wrong foot. Quillish was a dear, dear man, but he was really struggling over this relationship thing between the boys. It had surprised her, too, but it seemed he was going to need a little more time than her to adjust. It only made sense though, she hadn't known L for very long so it was not as personal to her.
She pulled the door open, but it took her a moment to properly greet her guests.
They made quite a pair. Mismatched and yet complementary. Striking. Raito was all golds -the tone of his skin, the highlights in his hair, his reddish gold eyes - and had a ready smile. Lawliet was subdued, watchful, and had cool coloring like the night. Black hair and eyes, skin pale like the moon. Yes, just like that, and Raito would be the sun.
She shook the fanciful imagery from her head. She'd been reading too much lately. "Welcome to my home," she said warmly. "Come in, come in."
Also distracting was the connection she felt between them. If she hadn't been sure that they had... been together intimately before, she was certain of it now.
And L, what a difference there was in him since the last time she'd set eyes upon him! He'd been coming apart at the seams, full of tense, listless energy and with a sharp tone at the ready. Then, if left largely alone, he seemed to be just drifting through the motions of living. But now, it was as if he'd gotten his feet back under him. He was still a quiet sort - that was part of his personality, she wagered - but he seemed more confident somehow.
She worried that Quillish would not be able to see all of this, that he would see nothing but his personal issues with the young brunet. Oh, she knew this boy was not nearly as wholesome as he tried to make himself out to be, but she liked him all the same. And L liked him especially - that was the important thing.
---
Watari sat in a recliner in the small living room area. He felt a little on edge since hearing the doorbell. Celia had been drilling it into him to be accepting and to try to be 'nice'. When was he ever not nice? He was the epitome of courtesy, composure, and refinement. A proper British gentleman.
That boy was the one who seemed to have problems being nice. He had a quick mind and a sharpness to his demeanor that did not go unnoticed. He was full of hidden thoughts and manipulations. That smile that he was so good at was just icing, a distraction.
He sipped his wine heartily, and tried to put himself in an 'accepting' mindset, if only to please Celia.
"Quillish, everyone is here," she called out lightly, before turning back to her guests. "Do you boys fancy anything to drink? Wine?"
Watari stepped out into the dining area with the rest of them. His eyes fell almost instantly on the pair of boys. Their body language completely mirrored one another's and they nearly seemed attached at the hip. In fact, underneath Raito's golden boy smile, there was a self-satisfaction that Watari didn't like. It echoed in his eyes, and turned a touch smug as their gazes met briefly.
The brunet extended his hand. "Good to see you again, Watari." Watari had no choice but to take it. He shook it in a gesture of good will, though he was outraged that Raito had so obviously made L fall into his nefarious clutches.
I should have warned L about him sooner. Maybe then... "And you," he said cordially.
"Here you go, dears," Celia said as she brought two glasses filled with red wine over from the counter.
Raito accepted both of them and handed one to L. There was a micro-interaction there, a meeting of eyes, silent communication, a brushing of fingertips. L disengaged first, hastily tipping the glass to his lips while Raito smiled engagingly at him.
Leech. Snake. Watari wished he could voice his thoughts to the room, but alas, he had to be NICE. Meanwhile, he had to endure signs that this brunet demon had already sunk his teeth and claws deeply into his protégé, and say nothing. Do nothing.
It was maddening. Certainly L could do better than this?
He tipped back his wine glass, practically hearing Celia in his head, saying, 'You have to be accepting, Quillish. Maybe Raito was not who you had in mind when you thought of L one day settling down with someone, but this is his choice and no one else's.'
He actually never had thought of L 'settling down'. L and settling down seemed to be two things that were mutually exclusive. If he had, however, what sort of person might he have imagined? Someone highly intelligent, for certain, but aside from that? Would he have imagined some pretty girl? Would a young man have even entered the realm of his speculation? His brow furrowed. He wasn't sure. He couldn't see L trying to have a family or anything of the sort. All in all he supposed that the pertinent things would be the person's mind and personality and that gender would not be that great of a factor.
He took his seat at the table and watched the brunet make conversation with Celia as L listened in. Does Raito really meet L's most important criteria in a partner? Was it possible?
________________________________________________________ ____
"Really? Why would you? This will be fun."
"Like pulling teeth?" L mused aloud sullenly. Raito was sounding nearly effervescent. This promised to be painful indeed.
"Lawliet, think of it this way. Instead of putting something off that has the potential to go either poorly or acceptably, you are meeting it straight on. Why beat around the bush? This will make all future decisions much easier. Either we will be accepted and you can rest easy, or we won't, and you can move on."
"I suppose it could be that simple if I didn't actually care about the outcome," L said pointedly. "You're not intrinsically involved, so..."
Raito shrugged. "Point taken. However, even if I did have a vested interest, I know when things are out of my hands. Mulling over how things 'might' go will not affect how they do go. It's a waste of resources."
"How do you know you cannot affect the outcome?" L said with frustration. Raito's hands-off approach was somewhat maddening. "Tonight, for instance, you could potentially win Watari over, or you could be more obnoxious to him than ever before, ensuring the opposite."
"Watari liking me personally or not is a different matter from him accepting your choice of partners."
"Perhaps it is, apart from him accepting my partner happens to be male; but him disliking you would certainly put a damper in his acceptance of my being in a relationship with you specifically."
Raito waved off his logic. "Which brings me back to my original point. You are much too headstrong to base your decisions solely on what Watari thinks. Therefore, Watari's opinion will not control your behavior. He seems reasonably intelligent, so he would know that accepting your choices is his only option on the matter. Unless he plans to have bad blood between you, that is. Very unlikely."
"Your dissection of people both baffles and astounds me."
Raito slanted a glance at him. "I know what you're thinking."
"Oh? And what might that be?"
"You're in awe of how I can make these sorts of conjectures and then operate as if they were 100% hard fact. You're wondering how I manage it without a second thought and without dropping the ball."
"It does seem like you should be falling flat on your face from time to time," he agreed.
"Welcome to the wonderful world of social skills, my friend."
L cocked a glance at him. "I do believe your talents far exceed that label. And where is it that you learned to lay your emotions to the side so that nothing can touch those as you do your maneuvering?"
A strange expression flickered over the brunet's face before he settled on a pleasantly bland smile. "Trade secret."
---
The rest of the car ride passed in relative silence.
Raito wasn't prone to being absorbed in thought while in the presence of others - he did not like the idea that he might not have iron-clad control over his expressions while he was distracted - but it did happen on occasion with Lawliet.
The other man had a way of waving aside all his trappings and zinging him with that blunt manner of his. Somehow, for all his lack of social prowess, he could at times see through him so clearly. It was a wonder he'd ever been able to pull anything over on the dark-haired intellectual.
Of course, that was in the beginning. And since then, Lawliet had been steadily learning more about him and assembling the pieces.
The notion made uneasy. He'd never given anyone the keys to knowing him, really knowing him. He'd never allowed anyone in like this.
He'd made his decision, however, and he trusted Lawliet. He did. But still, something like fear crackled along the edges of his consciousness. He'd almost lost this bond before... So it stood to reason he could lose it in the future. And such a thing might actually be out of his immediate control.
It was ironic, actually. So soon after telling the detective he should not worry about things that were out of his control, here he was doing just that.
Feelings, is it? Emotion? Is that the difference between the way we operate? Is that the reason I worry about this, about you, and not over much else at all?
He'd been thinking on what Lawliet had said to him.
'And where is it that you learned to lay your emotions to the side so that nothing can touch those as you do your maneuvering?'
Was there a time where he'd consciously decided to lay emotion aside? Was there? Or had he always been rather unfeeling and unmoved?
He didn't know for certain, and that unsettled him.
He also did not know whether the detective had intended the note of disapproval he sensed threading those words, or if it was even there at all.
Raito glanced at his companion. The air between them was not clouded by harsh feelings or discord. Mostly, the silence felt normal, if a little pensive. The dark-haired man was slouching in his seat as he looked out the window, a neutral expression upon his face. He'd worked off one of his shoes and had drawn one of his legs up to his chest, looping the closer arm around it. It was an awkward sitting position, but one he looked comfortable with.
Raito looked back at the road, though it was less pleasing to look at than the detective was.
So it seems that Lawliet, too, has his guard down in some ways. I haven't seen him sit like that since the very first time I saw him. The ease with which he did it made it seem like something of a habit. One that he'd apparently been trying to iron out since the time Raito had first encountered him in that bar. The deviation from clothing the spiky-haired eccentric seemed to prefer might have been another 'self-improvement'? Perhaps shoes were as well?
Granted, just now, the detective was wearing a dark, striped button down dress shirt and dark slacks, the clothes he'd been wearing when he showed up on Raito's doorstep. He'd donned the attire before making the trip to Raito's office, most likely. Otherwise, Raito was sure, he would be wearing the sloppy, loose clothing he'd been caught in a time or two - the baggy jeans and long-sleeved shirts.
As his own clothing did not do more than simply hang upon the detective's thinner frame, Raito washed the clothes he'd arrived in for him to wear today. Ill-fitting clothes did not matter while they spent time in the apartment or unpacked boxes... (though a fair amount of time was spent removing said clothing from Lawliet's pale, spare frame)
Raito ran a hand through his hair and tried not to be distracted by thoughts of claiming the other's body. It was very difficult. Even now... His eyes roved over his companion. Lawliet's inky black hair was wayward yet intriguing in its mess of spiked locks. His pale complexion was a pleasing contrast to it, and the smooth column of his neck was enticing, half hidden by the collar of his shirt. The delicate sweep of collarbones was also just visible beneath the parted collar of his shirt, as was a passionate marking or two. It called to mind the resistance of warm flesh under his mouth, the quality of Lawliet's quickened breathing, and the taste of desire.
Eyes back on the road, Raito decided he would keep the marks' visibility to himself. If nothing else, he could use such thoughts to pass the time if this dinner proved to be less than stimulating. No need to tell his companion and spoil the view.
---
L stretched, feeling utterly cramped in the confines of the car. "It isn't long now, is it?"
A minor accident had stalled traffic unbelievably and had added considerable time to their trip. Why people felt it necessary to gawk at a dimpled fender, L didn't know. It was also beyond him how that could possibly be enough to cause 5 lanes of traffic to slow to a crawl.
"No. I think it will be perhaps another 15 minutes." Raito met his eyes briefly. "You've never been to Celia's apartment, correct?"
L shook his head. "She is something of a new addition. I don't really know her that well either."
"Ah."
L sensed there was more going on in that head aside from 'ah'. "What?"
"Nothing." Raito shrugged. "Though I wonder why you'd be so concerned about what someone you hardly know thinks of you."
"She is dating Watari," L pointed out, "whom I've know for some time now. And it seems like it's pretty serious."
"So you care by association?"
L shifted and resumed a more conventional sitting position. "I suppose. Does it matter?"
Raito shrugged again. "Perhaps not. I was just trying to understand."
Hmn. L began lightly chewing on the tip of his thumb. Understand me? He wondered if the brunet had ever tried to understand anyone past his initial blow-by-blow assessments of them. There was a sort of gratification to be felt at the brunet taking effort to understand him, especially on a matter where their points of view were so inherently different. "Primarily I am concerned with Watari, not Celia."
"Well, she does seem the type to be more accepting. She didn't even falter that badly when she found out that I was the 'girl' you liked."
"That and the fact that she knows about us."
"You told her?" Raito was incredulous as he looked over at him. His eyes were quick, scouring L's face for more information. "Aha," he said after a moment with a small laugh. "No, that isn't it. Haha. You didn't tell her at all, did you?" Surprise turned into a smug little smile. Those ruddy amber eyes stayed upon the road. "She figured it out." Amusement rolled off of him in waves. "Which means..."
"Shut up."
"...you must have been giving quite a display for her to pick up on. Pining, Lawliet?" The smug smile blossomed.
"God, you're insufferable," he said, wishing there was something he could throw at him. There was no way he was admitting to 'pining', or as Celia had put it, 'ghosting around like his heart had been ripped out'. "I yelled at her." Again, he felt the brunet's surprise, and a weighty gaze. He elaborated, "At both of them, actually. She just put together that the only thing that had changed recently is that your shining countenance was absent." It was sarcastic. Just a little. But Raito was giving the impression that he was not going to let this go. He was like a damned bloodhound at times. Especially when it came to things that he did not wish to divulge.
"Are you sure you aren't leaving anything out? I hardly think that's enough for her to make the leap from friends to lovers."
L shrugged. "Search me."
"How forthcoming of you," Raito said under his breath.
---
And Lawliet accuses me of being secretive! Raito grumbled to himself.
But it was no wonder the woman had guessed something was going on between them. The detective was thin as a waif, more so than usual. If she'd been staying at the house with them, she'd be bound to notice if his appetite became poor or vanished altogether. Such was not a typical reaction to a rocky friendship, he would think. Add to that a change in the detective's mood or general behavior...
Raito felt vaguely irritated. He wanted to know if Lawliet had actually acted sad over him, pined over him - enough so that it had broken through his exceptional poker face and was bared for all to see. It wasn't for his ego or anything like that... he just wanted to know that the dark-haired man had gone through something anywhere near as intense as he had while they were parted. He wanted that solidarity. He hated being left in the dark, especially on important things such as this.
He was startled as a pale hand suddenly crossed his line of sight.
"There!" Lawliet was pointing out the window, waving his hand nearly under his nose. "Raito, that's our turn, you're missing it!"
Raito cursed his own distraction even as he assessed the distance of the cars in the oncoming traffic. He jerked the wheel hard to the left, whipping the vehicle in a U-turn that barely had enough clearance from the shared turn lane to the far curb bordering the slow lane. He gunned it immediately after and deftly avoided even a single honking horn from the cars that were now less than a car length behind them, for daring to slow their pace. Their turn was now imminent, on the right. He swung the steering wheel, hugging the curb, only slowing when they reached the first residential street.
He became aware of a pale hand clenching his shirt in a death grip, the very same one that had been pointing out the missed turn. His companion was wide-eyed and pressed into his seat as if held there by powerful centrifugal force. "You're wrinkling my shirt, Lawliet," he said mildly.
"You keep taking years off of my life," was the faint response.
Raito took Lawliet's hand in his and gently eased the clawed grip open. "Perhaps you should have mentioned the turn sooner?" Not that it was the detective's fault that he'd been focused on other things. He decided to keep the slender hand in his own and laced their fingers together, driving with his other hand. There was no protest.
Lawliet was nodding minutely in response to his question. "Or perhaps I should make learning to drive a priority."
"I don't know, seems like a lot of effort," Raito trailed in an affected voice, discouraging the thought. He was sure that the detective had never bothered with driving previously, as it would expend more effort than it would gain return. With public transit what it was in many places, cars were a luxury, not a necessity. Besides, he didn't want Lawliet to suddenly start driving himself everywhere, or feel that he did not want to be in the same car with him.
"Maybe."
"Sorry. I'll try to tone it down when you're with me."
"Make a right here," Lawliet said, pointing reservedly with his other hand. "You might tone it down in general. I don't want you to be in an accident either."
Raito guided the car into a smooth right turn. "I'll see what I can do." Their destination was a few houses down, a light yellow townhouse on the right. "I thought you said it was an apartment?"
"It... was supposed to be?"
Raito pulled into the driveway and released the detective's hand so he could put the car into park. "Maybe it's a split-tenant arrangement? One renter takes the bottom floor and the other, the top?"
"I'll call to make sure."
Raito waited while the detective confirmed this and that Celia had the 2nd floor rooms. He wasn't sure who provided the original instructions, but it seemed to him that this detail was a little important to have left out.
His passenger snapped his little red phone shut. Raito noticed he didn't feel quite so irked with its presence as he had on other occasions. Maybe he really was getting a handle on his jealousy. He felt pretty calm, and things that might have set him off before seemed less likely to do so now. Or was it merely that he felt more secure in their relationship now than he had before? Either way, it gave him room to breathe, so he wasn't complaining.
"Ready?" Lawliet asked him.
"Sure." The detective may have been wracked with nerves upon the prospect of spending an evening with Raito's family, but Raito did not feel much concerned with spending time with Lawliet's. Social situations did not generally put him off. At least, not in the same way as the dark-haired hermit. His greatest fear was being bored. Though perhaps, just this evening, his other concern might be leaving here without Lawliet in tow. He suspected it might come up. Why else would Watari mention that the detective could stay here if he wanted?
Listen to yourself. You're obsessed. Of course there were other reasons the older man might have made such an offer. Perhaps he wanted Lawliet to feel he hadn't just completely lost his home. It didn't have to be because the man didn't want them to remain together.
Raito shrugged off the mental chatter. Watari would either prove himself to be a problem, or he wouldn't. I should take my own advice and not worry about things until they actually come up.
---
L started up the outside steps that led to Celia's front door, Raito trailing behind him. The brunet was probably right, that it was better to just get this out of the way. And hadn't Raito done just that the first time he'd dragged him to his parent's house for dinner? He'd unapologetically announced that they were sleeping together. Which was utterly mortifying, but was not as poorly received as L would have thought. In fact, only Raito's father seemed to take issue with him, and that had only been because of a misconception over his profession. Upon hearing he was just a detective, Soichiro had warmed up to him immediately.
Raito's advice was something that he'd found worked for him through personal experience. It wasn't merely talk. L figured he should give it more credence.
So I'll just walk in there like everything is as it should be. I'll act like bringing a guy home is a perfectly normal occurrence, and that I don't expect there to be any sort of negative reaction. I'll tell myself that Raito will be on his best behavior, that he won't instigate with Watari or use Celia to that purpose, and that Watari will suddenly not dislike Raito or act as if he were a blighted viper who is poised to poison me and everyone else.
Yes... I have my work cut out for me.
"You seem tense," Raito observed, having caught up to him. They were standing on the small landing in front of the door. His eyes were dark gold in the dimming light of sunset.
"I was trying to be positive."
Raito cracked a smile. "Don't strain yourself."
"You're no help," L muttered and rang the doorbell.
It was inordinately weird to be standing there, waiting for someone to open the door and look at him for the first time as being part of a couple. He shot a quick glance over at the brunet. He was standing there looking composed and as benign as could be, congeniality lurking just beneath the surface. It was his game face. Raito's eyes were still his own though, holding a bit of amusement towards him over this situation.
The door opened and it was Celia who greeted them. She still gave off that doting air that was typical for her, but she seemed a little flustered.
---
Celia rushed to get the door, not wanting the evening to begin with her sweetheart getting things off on the wrong foot. Quillish was a dear, dear man, but he was really struggling over this relationship thing between the boys. It had surprised her, too, but it seemed he was going to need a little more time than her to adjust. It only made sense though, she hadn't known L for very long so it was not as personal to her.
She pulled the door open, but it took her a moment to properly greet her guests.
They made quite a pair. Mismatched and yet complementary. Striking. Raito was all golds -the tone of his skin, the highlights in his hair, his reddish gold eyes - and had a ready smile. Lawliet was subdued, watchful, and had cool coloring like the night. Black hair and eyes, skin pale like the moon. Yes, just like that, and Raito would be the sun.
She shook the fanciful imagery from her head. She'd been reading too much lately. "Welcome to my home," she said warmly. "Come in, come in."
Also distracting was the connection she felt between them. If she hadn't been sure that they had... been together intimately before, she was certain of it now.
And L, what a difference there was in him since the last time she'd set eyes upon him! He'd been coming apart at the seams, full of tense, listless energy and with a sharp tone at the ready. Then, if left largely alone, he seemed to be just drifting through the motions of living. But now, it was as if he'd gotten his feet back under him. He was still a quiet sort - that was part of his personality, she wagered - but he seemed more confident somehow.
She worried that Quillish would not be able to see all of this, that he would see nothing but his personal issues with the young brunet. Oh, she knew this boy was not nearly as wholesome as he tried to make himself out to be, but she liked him all the same. And L liked him especially - that was the important thing.
---
Watari sat in a recliner in the small living room area. He felt a little on edge since hearing the doorbell. Celia had been drilling it into him to be accepting and to try to be 'nice'. When was he ever not nice? He was the epitome of courtesy, composure, and refinement. A proper British gentleman.
That boy was the one who seemed to have problems being nice. He had a quick mind and a sharpness to his demeanor that did not go unnoticed. He was full of hidden thoughts and manipulations. That smile that he was so good at was just icing, a distraction.
He sipped his wine heartily, and tried to put himself in an 'accepting' mindset, if only to please Celia.
"Quillish, everyone is here," she called out lightly, before turning back to her guests. "Do you boys fancy anything to drink? Wine?"
Watari stepped out into the dining area with the rest of them. His eyes fell almost instantly on the pair of boys. Their body language completely mirrored one another's and they nearly seemed attached at the hip. In fact, underneath Raito's golden boy smile, there was a self-satisfaction that Watari didn't like. It echoed in his eyes, and turned a touch smug as their gazes met briefly.
The brunet extended his hand. "Good to see you again, Watari." Watari had no choice but to take it. He shook it in a gesture of good will, though he was outraged that Raito had so obviously made L fall into his nefarious clutches.
I should have warned L about him sooner. Maybe then... "And you," he said cordially.
"Here you go, dears," Celia said as she brought two glasses filled with red wine over from the counter.
Raito accepted both of them and handed one to L. There was a micro-interaction there, a meeting of eyes, silent communication, a brushing of fingertips. L disengaged first, hastily tipping the glass to his lips while Raito smiled engagingly at him.
Leech. Snake. Watari wished he could voice his thoughts to the room, but alas, he had to be NICE. Meanwhile, he had to endure signs that this brunet demon had already sunk his teeth and claws deeply into his protégé, and say nothing. Do nothing.
It was maddening. Certainly L could do better than this?
He tipped back his wine glass, practically hearing Celia in his head, saying, 'You have to be accepting, Quillish. Maybe Raito was not who you had in mind when you thought of L one day settling down with someone, but this is his choice and no one else's.'
He actually never had thought of L 'settling down'. L and settling down seemed to be two things that were mutually exclusive. If he had, however, what sort of person might he have imagined? Someone highly intelligent, for certain, but aside from that? Would he have imagined some pretty girl? Would a young man have even entered the realm of his speculation? His brow furrowed. He wasn't sure. He couldn't see L trying to have a family or anything of the sort. All in all he supposed that the pertinent things would be the person's mind and personality and that gender would not be that great of a factor.
He took his seat at the table and watched the brunet make conversation with Celia as L listened in. Does Raito really meet L's most important criteria in a partner? Was it possible?
________________________________________________________ ____
TBC
A/N 2: I don't have a song especially for this chapter, so instead I'll just plug the band I was listening to. Infected Mushroom. (Ewww. That name is just... lol) Some of my favorite songs are "Killing Time", "Becoming Insane", and "Saeed". This is music that really benefits from a decent set of headphones or speakers.
But here are some lyrics to chew on anyway. :D Love this guy's voice.
Killing Time Lyrics
In my dreams
(I can kill you)
Close to me
You open the cage and he sets you free
Come to me
(we run away forever from this misery)
Lost my mind
Are you calling me
Killing time that I left behind
Everything changes to a point that it stops and it turns around
I'm always falling down
Killing time that I left behind
Everything changes to a point that it stops and it turns around
It's coming for you now
(So how can it be)
The color of the world had turned dark on me
(Falling free)
Losing my reflection and my clarity
(Talk to me)
I feel the sickness taking over me
(Let me be)
Imagining that you are here with me
Killing time that I left behind
Everything changes to a point that it stops and it turns around
I'm always falling down
Killing time that I left behind
Everything changes to a point that it stops and it turns around
It's coming for you now
(I can kill you)
Close to me
You open the cage and he sets you free
Come to me
(we run away forever from this misery)
Lost my mind
Are you calling me
Killing time that I left behind
Everything changes to a point that it stops and it turns around
I'm always falling down
Killing time that I left behind
Everything changes to a point that it stops and it turns around
It's coming for you now
(So how can it be)
The color of the world had turned dark on me
(Falling free)
Losing my reflection and my clarity
(Talk to me)
I feel the sickness taking over me
(Let me be)
Imagining that you are here with me
Killing time that I left behind
Everything changes to a point that it stops and it turns around
I'm always falling down
Killing time that I left behind
Everything changes to a point that it stops and it turns around
It's coming for you now