• Chapter Fifteen

    L/ Light

    The rest of the Task Force had really gone to sleep, for the first time in at least months. Finally going to bed at a normal time, and for more than just a couple hours. They had reached a bit of a roadblock. Nothing to do now but wait. So, after a few awkward minutes of staring at each other in silence, Matsuda suggested they take the opportunity and sleep while they could. Everyone had drifted off to various guest rooms and the room was empty, except for L and Light. L, of whom, was still sitting at the computers, and Light who hadn’t made it too far on his way to the bedrooms and just dropped on the couch. Light laid his head on throw pillow and curled up on the couch cushions. After a couple seconds of silence, Light propped his head up and twisted around to face L’s turned back. He waited for L to leave. L didn’t leave.

    “Aren’t you going to sleep?” Light asked. L shook his head briefly, not bothering to turn. Light hesitated awkwardly.

    “You know, you can’t survive on 50 pounds of sugar daily and two hours of sleep,” Light added critically.

    “Well it’s certainly working out for me,” L responded, still facing the glowing computer screens. Light shook his head in disapproval, then turned back around to lay on his back. A couple seconds passed where only the click of L’s keyboard could be heard. Then, the constant clicks ceased, hesitated, then Light heard L’s chair swivel around on the wheels. Light sat up again. L was facing him now, leaning forward in his chair.

    “If I ask you a question, will you answer as truthfully as possible?” he asked. Light blinked. He wasn’t expecting this. He nodded.

    “Do you really love Misa?” Huh?! This question had caught him totally off guard, something he had assumed would never had passed through L’s head, and certainly not his lips. For a fleeting second, Light considered lying. Saying he did love Misa, with all his heart, and that no force could ever sever their eternal love. But that wasn’t what he said.

    “No,” Light responded flatly. The answer shocked him. He hadn’t meant to tell the truth! He didn’t want Misa hearing that! And this would obviously surprise L. But no emotion betray him, and every thought remained concealed tightly, secretly, behind those wide, wondering eyes. In fact, L didn’t seem at ALL phased. He actually looked like he had expected that! L nodded and began to turn back around.

    “Thank you,” he added quickly, then resumed his work. Light blinked, still in shock, and then called L back over. L turned.

    “Can I ask YOU a question now?” L sighed.

    “I should have expected this,” he mumbled under his breath. “Fine,” L agreed.

    “Why did you ask me that?” Light inquired quizzically, waiting firmly for his answer. L hesitated before answering.

    “I was wondering if you could answer any more of my questions, but that would require your first answer to be yes.”

    “Did you want to ask about Misa?”

    “No.”

    “… What did you want to ask about, then?!”

    “. . .” L took a long time answering. His eyes still revealed no emotion. He took a forced breath, chewing on the corner of his bottom lip a little. “I… I wanted to ask about … Love.”

    “Love?!” Light cried, stunned. Why on earth would L of all people be asking about THAT?

    “Yes,” L turned all the way back around. “It doesn’t really matter, I was just wondering,” he added swiftly. Light narrowed his eyes.

    “Tell the WHOLE truth. I did,’ Light pestered. He could see the truth in his words grating against L’s conscience, and finally L turned back around for the third time.

    “It’s about Otaku,” This got Light’s attention.

    “Otaku?! But SHE’S only fourteen!!”

    “This is something I will only discuss with Otaku. It doesn’t concern you.”

    “Tell the whole truth.”

    “That is the whole truth. Really, can you put nothing together on your own?!”

    “I did! But I want to hear it coming from your mouth.”

    “Never. The reason I wanted to ask you was to be sure.”

    “Sure about whaaaaat?”

    “It. Does not. Concern. YOU!”

    “I don’t care! I answered your question!”

    “In one word!!”

    “But that was the whole truth, you are leaving things out, I can tell!”

    “You have no right to just pry into my life!!”

    “Neither do you.”

    “I’m not going to sit here and put up with this. I’m going to bed,” L stood, gritting his teeth, and kicked his chair away from him. He stalked angrily towards the door.

    “Try to get more than two hours, alright!” L slammed the door behind him, agitated at Light’s greediness for gossip and L’s private life. Gal, since when did he have a PRIVATE LIFE?! L stopped and rubbed his eyes. He was confused and tired and irritated, and that was definitely NOT a good mixture. The best thing he could do now was to go to bed and hope when he woke up that Watari remembered how to make breakfast cake.

    “Oh, hello L-I mean Ryuuzaki!!” A cheerful, bubbly voice chirped. L looked up. Otaku stood in front of him, her hair falling in her face, adorned in a simple white nightdress that reached her ankles. She offered up a bright, reassuring smile and L suddenly felt better. Any agitation at Light vanished, the heaviness that weighted his eyelids was gone. A bubbling, pure feeling warmed his chest as he gazed down into her face. Before he knew it, he was reaching over and gently brushing the stray hair from her eyes, cupping her chin in his palm. She closed her eyes and tilted her face up at him. He was leaning over, he was going to kiss her-but he stopped himself and jerked his hand away. Otaku’s eyes flickered open, startled when L pulled away. He could see longing in her eyes. L turned away.

    “Goodnight,” he mumbled awkwardly and hurried away down the corridor. Otaku stood, still in shock, watching him retreat down the hallway. Feeling emptiness in her heart, a heavy loneliness, Otaku returned to her and eL’s bedroom. eL was already asleep in the next bed over, so Otaku climbed into her own bed and fell asleep, along with everyone else but L.