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As the sun faded away and the moon rose, L and Light were chained up in the same room together. L had always preferred the night; he hated morning. Especially during this case, as the sun would wake Light up as they got up for another day chasing the clues Kira left them. He hated it because he knew that once there was enough evidence, he’d have to say goodbye to Kira.
L had a love-hate relationship with how calculated and cold Kira was. He loved it because it kept them together for a little longer. Keeping it in his grasp for him to savour. But he hated it because he could see this was affecting Light. He was torn; his beliefs were strong, but why is he letting them get twisted for a man who is ‘straight’ ?
L’s original theory started to sound fake to him. But he couldn’t tell the team; they’d ask him what changed, and he had no heart to tell them it was Light… Light and his stupid perfect face, hair, and personality, even though he knows he is imperfect, everyone is. But he just can’t see that imperfect side of him, and he hates it. He hates that he can’t fully see Light as himself. Light may not know it, but this is as vulnerable as L gets.
But Light is clueless; even if he claims he isn’t, he is. Or at least, he cannot observe as well as L can. As L can observe how Light lingers on L's side of the bed when he waits for him, he sees when Misa comes over Light brushes her off. He sees how… flustered Light gets when he is close to him. His ears turn a new shade of pink; he hopes no one but him sees. L notices everything; Light only notices when it’s useful to him. Maybe that can be used as a piece of evidence? But if he gets enough evidence, he’ll have to put him away for life. Does he truly desire that?
“Are you… going to stay up again tonight, L?” Light questions whilst he is getting into bed, while L is grabbing his laptop from his desk. The chain is hovering above the floor. “I cannot sleep. We have been over this, Light. My work is a priority. Unlike you, you prioritise your looks, Yagami.”
“I do not!”
“You do. You have constantly spent 1 1/2 hours doing your excessive skincareroutine. You could be spending that time finding evidence so you can get unchained from me. Instead, you did that. Would someone who prioritises their work do that?”
“You know, you analyse too much.”
“You analyse too little.”
“Just go to bed at a reasonable time? Please, I can’t bear to look at your eye bags for another day.”
“We all know I’m not changing my mind for you.”
“Fine. Goodnight, L.”
“You too.”
He looks at Light's body going limp as he drifts into sleep. He keeps typing, distracting himself from his never-ending thoughts on the man sleeping next to him and his work. A part of him doesn’t want this. Want to get evidence to possibly lock a man he loves away… So he keeps leaving out some clues and theories for the team. Why is he protecting a man who may kill him in a week's time? L had never been in love, so why is he doing this?
Light suddenly starts to move, unlike him.
“Light?” no response; actually, he sees more movement.
“Light?”
“…I’m not gay.”
Well, that caught him off guard. Was he… sleep-taking? Was he… talking to a man? Oh my god. Has L’s heart been thumping for this long and this loud?
“Light. You're nonsensical. Wake up.”
“… L, I am not gay, we…”
“Light. You said my name; now this is where I insert myself. Wake up.”
Light wakes up to punches landing on his arm.
Lights eye half opens. “What the fuck was that for??”
“You were talking in your sleep. Your heart rate has increased, and you’re sweating. “What happened?” L questions if telling Light he was mumbling his name is the best thing to do.
“Oh my god, what did I say?”
“…that you’re not gay.”
quiet. Everything is still. There’s no sound other than their hearts thumping and their synchronised breaths.
“Oh.”
“Oh indeed. Who did you say that to, Light?”
“No one, just let me sleep.”
Light was a bad liar, wasn't he? Or maybe only when he is flustered, as L has never seen Light flustered this bad before. Did he find it… cute?
Light turns his back to L. Just as that happens, L’s laptop goes black. He could have sworn it was fully charged. But too late to change it now, he places it on the bedside table and turns to watch Light breathe.
Light goes back into a deep sleep, and L’s thoughts circle through every sign he could have given away that he wasn’t straight. He really thought Light wasn’t observant; maybe he wasn’t in general, but… maybe when it came to him, he was? L doesn’t dwell on that. He doesn’t like thinking of things that aren’t logic-based. Dreams are not defined by the universe’s laws or really any form of logic.
So with that, L tries to ignore it. As he closes his eyes, his thoughts somehow grow quiet, and there they sleep, next to one another.
In the morning, just like clockwork, L wakes up early enough to beat Light. And he watches Light.
“I... can feel you staring at me, L.”
“Apologies. You look…peaceful.”
That pause before 'peaceful' could easily give him away. L needs to be collated with this.
“Thanks, I guess? L, I’m still delirious right now; it’s like 3 in the morning. So I’m going to tell you you were the one I was talking to in my dream.”
Oh my god, Light was so delirious; if you told L that Light was drunk, he’d believe you in this moment.
“Very funny and light, but I cannot believe you remember our conversation.”
“You hear me say your name, don’t you?”
“…unfortunately. Light, what made you say that?”
“...I made us kiss.”
Oh, he was actually expecting that.
“This is a weird troupe; I don’t know how to feel about it.”
“Why are you acting like we are in a fan fiction?”
“It feels like it. Light, if you have something to say, I can keep it…”
“…I think I like you.”
“You made us kiss; I think that’s a good sign. But why did you say you’re not gay?”
“It’s wrong. We aren’t… It’s… It’s not what is normal. We aren't meant to like each other. It’s not normal. It’s not good. I mean, sure, I like you more than Misa, but you are a guy. We can’t… it can’t… it’s unnatural. Even though I do really like you, I just – my father –“
“Light.”
“Sorry, it’s just, we aren’t… normal. I’m not normal.”
“You are; you are actually weirdly perfect, except, I guess, for your internalised homophobia.”
“…what happens…now?”
“We can kiss in real life once you are much more awake and much more comfortable.”
“I’m awake now.”
“Your eyes are closed, and you yourself said you’re delirious. I cannot act on a man who is half asleep.”
“I consent.”
“light”.
“L, pleaseeee.”
“No.”
“You know I could kiss and dream you.”
“Or you could just have a shower? You said a week ago, “That’s how you wake up.”
“I’m running to the shower.”
“You’re still in bed. you haven’t moved actually.”
Light slowly moves out of bed. “It’s cold.”
“…come back to bed; apparently you’re a space heater, and the bed is cold without you…”
“Oh, I am sorry.”
Light actually listens, goes back into bed, and sleeps for another 4 hours. L has never seen a more desperate and exhausted man before. But against all odds, he likes him. A lot.
Light wakes up and isn’t tired. “So… what happened when I woke up?”
“You confessed an undying love you have for me, and we both agreed to kiss when you and I weren’t so tired.”
“You slept? You were tired?”
“No. but I felt you’d prefer if I said that to make you feel less guilty about making me wait.”
“Why do you like me?”
“…what do you think?”
“Oh.”
Light leans into L as he cups his face and brings their lips together. It is a mess of desperation and the realisation that, yes, they are in fact in love with one another. They are both painfully inexperienced in this, as their teeth clash together, and someone bites the other's lip, but they both cannot tell who is bleeding. Now there’s a weird mix of blood in their mouths. They break away gasping.
“You are weirdly inexperienced, L.”
“I didn’t have boys and girls flocking to me, unlike you.”
“You bite my lip? Our teeth clashed together like they were fighting.”
“Oh, sorry, I thought you bit me? but I … would like to get more experience … if you want that.”
“I mean—yes, of course that wasn’t actually…bad, just more bloody than normal, but that’s not bad.”
“Wanna do it again?”
“If we do, does this mean… like… we are… official?”
“Call it what you want; I am just here for you, Light.”