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“L, let’s go see a movie.”
L set down his fork, spinning around in his chair to face Light. It was just the two of them, working late into the night, looking into a new lead on Kira. Matsuda, Aizawa and Light’s own father had left hours ago, and the room was completely silent, save for the hum of computers and their soft breathing.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Light said, not looking away from the screen. “Tomorrow, let’s go see a movie. It would do us both some good to have a break.”
L stabbed at the strawberry cake in front of him, bringing the fork to his mouth. A movie with Light? Was this some sort of advanced plot Kira had cooked up to lure L outside of the safety of headquarters to kill him?
“It’s not some Kira plan, if that’s what you’re thinking. I just saw an advertisement for an interesting movie, and I’ve been meaning to ask for a day off anyway.” Light sighed, turning his head to the side to meet L’s intense, piercing stare.
Well, he supposed that he did need a break. He was only human, wasn’t he? And this trip may provide valuable insight into Light outside of a professional capacity. A potential breakthrough for the Kira case.
“Okay,” L hummed, tapping his fingers on the arm of his cushioned chair. “On one condition.”
“Which is?”
“You buy me popcorn.”
Light put his face into his hands, elbows on the cold table.
“You literally had a skyscraper built.” He said, hands covering his face. Hands moving against his will, he peeked through a crack in his fingers to see L grinning smugly at him.
“I can still want to be pampered.” L grinned lopsidedly. The slight humour was rare for the reserved detective, who barely cracked a polite smile at any of Matsuda’s (admittedly not very funny) jokes.
Seeing L’s face break into a smile made Light’s chest flutter just a little, the same way it did when L accepted his invitation. The same way he felt when L pushed a little sliver of cake at him after an argument. The same way it did when he’d blink at Light, when it was just them alone, and L was tired yet tried to hide it.
“It’s a date then.”
“Let’s not go that far now.”
ᯓ★
The next morning, at 11:30 am sharp, Light was woken by a knocking at the door. After finally managing to find a hazy, disjointed sleep sometime after 5 am, he was not awake enough to do anything but blink at his nightstand.
He was meant to be doing something right about now. He knew that. But for the life of him he couldn’t figure it out.
The knocking grew louder, filling the room.
“Light, please wake up,” L said through the door, voice muted by the barrier. Right, he needed to take L on that totally not a date.
“I’m coming! Just… go to your room or something.” Light yelled back, swinging his lower half out of bed. God, he was tired.
Twenty minutes later, he was dressed and ready to go. He shoved his phone and wallet into his bag, and on second thought, some extra cash. He had a feeling he’d need it.
Light walked down the hallway to L’s room, footsteps muffled by the carpeting. He wondered if the others were up already, having slept earlier than he and L.
He knocked on L’s door, and it opened immediately. Light gasps, involuntarily and unexpectedly. L glares at him.
L was wearing something other than his usual off white shirt and baggy blue jeans, for once. He was wearing a green jumper with gray jeans, and his dark circles had seemingly faded, lightening his face. Of course, there was no way they could have been removed completely, but they were less glaring. And he had what Light could only describe as fairy dust on his cheeks. It looked like glitter, dusting his cheeks and nose.
“You’re wearing makeup.”
“Amazing observation, Light. You could take over as L for me one day with skills like those,” L said, sarcastically. “Come on, let’s go. Let’s go watch your precious movie.”
Light grabbed L’s arm, pulling him towards the elevator.
“I’ve asked Watari to drive, we’re going to see this romance called Hikaru’s Death In The Summer.” Light said as he pushed the silver down button of the control panel.
“A romance?” L rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “I didn’t want to see a romance.”
“You agreed to it.”
Light couldn’t help the way his eyes slid over to look at L. There was just something so alluring about him, despite his… well, him.
“Doesn’t Light know it’s rude to stare?”
Light gasped in mock-disbelief. Oftentimes, whilst working, Light would look up from his screen to see L’s eyes boring into him. Sometimes he looked across the room to see L staring him down. “Hypocrite much?”
L ignored him.
ᯓ★
L climbed into the car, no decorum whatsoever. He drew his knees up to his chest in his signature position, watching as Light got in after him and pulled the door closed.
Once Light’s seatbelt clicked over his lap, Watari began driving, the streets surprisingly empty for this time of day.
“So, what’s the movie about?” L asked, staring out the window at fluffy white clouds. Probably thinking about cotton candy, the greedy bastard.
“Uh, well, it’s about this boy who gets replaced with this monster after he died.” Light said, clicking on his phone. L frowned, eying the clouds with suspicion.
“That doesn’t sound like a romance.”
“Well, I guess it’s not a conventional romance. Not like you would know.” Light said, face split into a small smile when L batted him playfully on the arm.
It’s nice to see L having fun, nice to see him not perpetually thinking like he was otherwise always was. It makes something bloom in his chest, the same feeling he gets when he gets a little too close to L. He squashed it before it could develop.
L tugs on Light’s arm as the car slows to a halt.
“I’ll be dropping you boys off here. Call me when it’s time to pick you up,” Watari said, smiling at them as they exited the car. He beckoned Light over, just out of L’s earshot.
“If you don’t treat my son right, I’ll make sure I’m the last thing you see as you die.”
Light’s eyes widened to saucers, and he flushed a red that matched the cinema’s logo.
“W-what? No! You have this all wrong, Watari-“ Light’s voice trailed off as Watari gave him a stern look, before driving off and waving them goodbye.
Shaking his head, he caught up to L and they walk into the theatre.
ᯓ★
L didn’t like standing in lines.
Much less lines with screaming children and arguing couples. He was stood with Light at the kiosk, as the bored teenage employee printed off tickets. The red velvet carpeting was squishy under L’s feet, much like all the other red. Honestly, why are so many cinemas red? What does red have to do with movies?
“Light, how much longer?”
“You’ve asked me this eight times, Ryuzaki, and we’ve JUST entered the line,” Light’s eye twitched. “No, don’t sulk because I snapped at you, that’s not fair!”
“Hmph. If Light insisted on asking me out on a date, then it should’ve been his responsibility to make sure all the preparations were made. Including booking tickets in advance.”
“Who said this was a date! I didn’t! You didn’t! This is just a friendly outing!” Light whisper-shouted, crossing his arms and shaking his head. Maybe in another life, Light was just a teenage girl flirting with her crush by insulting him. Or maybe in this life. Who knows.
“Light is aware that a date is not inherently romantic?” L said. “In fact-“
A hand covered his mouth, shutting him up for once. Light finally appreciated the quiet, disturbed only by the faint hum of noise from the crowd.
Until L licked his palm.
“Ew! What’s wrong with you!” Light exclaimed, wiping his hand onto L’s shirt. “You’re seriously gross, L.”
“You should call Ryuzaki in public.”
“Yeah, make me call you whatever names you want. You’re still gross.”
L had the audacity to smile at that.
Finally, the couple in front of them finished buying their tickets, and they stepped up to the counter.
L zoned out as Light applied his signature charm on the lady at the counter, no doubt to get some special employee discount. Seriously, Light could have any girl he wanted, so why didn’t he? With charm like that, he could easily get a girlfriend, or several. The thought of Light potentially having a girlfriend made L’s throat feel stuck, like he was choking. The feeling was confusing; the feeling made his head hurt. It felt like he was falling underwater.
It wasn’t like he didn’t want Light to get a girlfriend; it was just that it would be bad for the Kira investigation. A girlfriend would
mean that Light spent less time on the case, with the team.
Less time with L.
It wasn’t like he cared; it was just that he was someone whom L respected and whose company bothered him less than others. It was perfectly normal to want to spend time with someone similar to you. That’s what friendships were. And they were friends.
He’s broken out of his daze when he feels Light’s right hand take his left. He’s being pulled across the plush carpet, all the way over to-
“Heaven.”
“Popcorn. Just get the one you want and go. And only one!” Light hissed, squeezing L’s shoulder in warning.
A few minutes later, L held on tightly to the bucket containing caramel, sweet and salty and chocolate popcorn.
“I thought I said you could only get one.”
“Yes, I only got one bucket." L smirked, throwing popcorn into his mouth.
“Ryuzaki!”
ᯓ★
Seated in the back row of the cinema, L still had no idea what the movie was about.
“Hikaru’s Death in the Summer, huh? Doesn’t seem like a romance if someone’s dead.”
“Ryuzaki, I assure you it’s a romance,” Light said. “I’m just not sure if it’s a happy one.”
Worriedly, L looked down the row for the people he would potentially have to sit with for the next few hours. Hopefully they weren’t loud.
“Don’t worry, I had Matsuda book up this row so you won’t have to worry about anyone bothering you.” Light said, the corners of his lips tilting up into a smile. L blinked, opening his mouth to drop popcorn kernels in.
“Thank you, Light. That is very considerate.”
“Careful, I don’t think I can handle this much flattery.” Light laughed sarcastically.
“In the spirit of camaraderie, here,” L held out his palm, with five popcorn kernels on it. “Sharing is caring.”
“Are you serious?”
ᯓ★
L thought the movie would be two hours of him trying to force interest in a poorly acted romcom, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. And he wasn’t often wrong.
Firstly, it was an animated movie, and the two characters were both male. This automatically made it more interesting. Secondly, it was the saddest movie L had ever watched in his life.
About thirty minutes into the showing, L’s traitorous tear ducts had started watering. That was manageable, though, with a lot of aggressive blinking. Luckily, Light had been too absorbed to notice. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be so lucky, as with roughly twenty minutes left, L felt those treasonous tears rolling down his cheeks. Just two minutes later, Light had noticed his tears and caringly-if awkwardly- pat him on his wild black hair. Damn it.
Somehow, by the time the credits started rolling, L had ended up crying on Light’s shoulder as Light rubbed his back comfortingly.
As the darkness of the room lightened, the pair walked out, L still crying. Once they got out into the bright, natural Light of the afternoon sun, Light got an actual look at the detective.
Light’s heart skipped a beat as L wiped his tears, looking up at Light through damp eyelashes. The “fairy dust” L looked like he had on was now gone, and his nose was red. Somehow, he still looked utterly adorable.
Light guided L onto an outside bench, shaded by full willow trees. They sat below the waving canopy above them, Light gently rubbing L’s back like a child’s
“So… I take it you liked the movie?” Light’s question punctured the sharp silence that had been hanging between them.
“He never realized his feelings until it was too-“ L’s voice broke off into a sob, holding onto Light’s hand.
“The story would be so different if they just told each other how they felt.” L sniffed, wiping his eyes.
“It really would.”
Light met L’s eyes, the dark, piercing eyes that locked him away for 50 days. The eyes that accused him of being Kira. The eyes he resented with his entire being.
The eyes of the person he was now sure loved.
Slowly, Light took L’s face in his hands, giving the other plenty of time to move. Hesitantly, he inched their faces closer until their noses touched. And then he froze. He couldn’t do it.
But it’s alright. L could.
Their lips met, and they had their first kiss underneath the willow trees.
ᯓ★
A little while away, Matsuda snaps a picture of them from the backseat of Watari’s car.
“Watari, we’re about to make BANK off of Aizawa!”
The old man nods, smiling, watching the distant couple.