In The Spaces Between Words

---Heavy Starry Chain---


He’d thought it would be a one-time mistake. Indeed that was what it was supposed to be. And L knew that was how it should have stayed, but he hadn’t resisted the first time the Yagami boy had wrapped strong arms around him in the bathroom before pulling him into the shower to do more than just bathe together. He also hadn’t stopped the boy the first time a goodnight kiss had turned into something more. And because even he was not immune to the “foot in the door” phenomenon, needless to say, he hadn’t refused subsequent similar advances. Most of the time, he regretted it, being the flagrant breach of professional ethics that it was, but never when it actually counted. That wasn’t to say his suspicion of Light being Kira had subsided. In fact, he thought this a novel idea to test the theory: perhaps Kira would reveal himself if he thought he’d won L over. At least that was how he justified this the ninety percent of the time that he wasn’t being completely honest with himself. Somehow, he had come to the point of tempting Fate and Death to be with the younger genius.


They’d kept this development a secret from the rest of the investigation team, of course, although there were moments like these, when the brunet sat across from him with a fond smile on elegantly curved lips, that made him absolutely certain that no one on the team who should still be on it could possibly be oblivious to the change. They sat facing each other over a Go board, one of the two games they often played with each other when there was a lull in the investigation; the other was chess. Misa’s interview with Yotsuba was tomorrow, so for now, there was nothing to it but to watch and wait. The game was closely matched as he capped a row of black stones with a tsuke. Light responded quickly enough, and he made his next move. The next stone was placed with a resounding clack that startled the rest of the team with the way it sliced through the usual silence of their headquarters.


Yagami Souichirou turned at the sound of glass sharply hitting wood, absently wondering why they had to play so forcefully. He was thankful, however, that they weren’t physically fighting, at least. Indeed, the violent tension that had been roiling just beneath the surface between the two geniuses since the beginning of the entire Kira fiasco seemed to have somewhat diminished recently. It was a good thing, of course, but he had learned not to hope that it meant L’s suspicions of his son being the First Kira had abated with it. The private investigator was never going to give up on that thought, he knew, no matter how close the two whizzes became. Even now as they sat playing Go as usual, seemingly more comfortable with each other than they’d ever been since they’d met, he had to wonder how much of that ease was sincere and how much merely a façade. For Light’s sake, he hoped it was more genuine than not.

“I hope you didn’t think I’d go easy on you, Light-kun,” L murmured with a grin as they finished yose (endgame). He’d won by a slightly larger margin than usual and had been left to assume that his opponent hadn’t been trying as hard as he normally did.

“Of course not,” Light replied matter-of-factly. “I’d lose my respect for you if you did. I simply miscalculated one move. It cost me. And I suppose you’ll next accuse me of not playing my best, Ryuuzaki?”

“As you said, I’d lose my respect for you if so, but I must now assume that your miscalculation involves the mistake I made that you didn’t utilize.”

Light smiled slightly. “Perhaps,” he murmured in response, checking his watch. It was dinner time. “Let’s get something to eat,” he suggested.

The other nodded as he began clearing the board of white stones. “I think there’s still some of that chocolate cake from earlier. I’ll have Watari bring it up here.”

“Unlike you, Ryuuzaki, when I say ‘food,’ I don’t mean dessert,” he muttered drily, sweeping the black stones off the board into its tsubo.

The sugar addict’s lips curved into an amused smile. “What would you like to eat then, Light-kun?”

Light shrugged slightly. “Why don’t we go out?’

Now it was L’s turn to shrug and incline his head agreeably. There was nothing else of importance to be done anyway, and it wasn’t as if Light could kill him in public. They went to their room and donned their coats before making their way out.

“Going out?” the usually quiet Mogi asked as they passed each other near the door.

Light nodded. “Want anything?”

The older man shook his head. “No, I’m fine, thank you.”

“Going on a date with MisaMisa?” Matsuda piped up cheerfully from where he sat, looking over some files.

“Nah… She’d make it a long date. I just want a quick bite and some fresh air right now.”

The young policeman nodded, understanding.

“Want anything from outside?” Light offered, ever considerate.

“Hmm… Yeah, if you see a takoyaki stand anywhere, mind getting me some? I kinda miss it,” Matsuda requested sheepishly.

“Right. Dad?”

“Hm?” Yagami Souichirou looked up from the document he was reading. “Oh. Nothing. I’m fine. No, thank you, Light.”

“Then I’ll be going.”

With that, he turned to the elevators, and L merely nodded to the rest of the team as the doors shut. It was hardly surprising that Light was so popular; he always seemed so nice and thoughtful. They walked out into the open, and Light stretched as the first burst of cold fresh air hit him. The chain jingled between them, and L shivered slightly. The temperature had dropped since earlier in the day, and it was somewhat chillier than he’d expected. When the brunet began walking again, he simply followed without breaking the companionable silence between them, not much caring what they ended up eating, since he’d only really enjoy dessert anyway. He took the opportunity to pull his puffy black coat more snugly around himself as Light paused beside a ramen stand where a few people sat slurping down large steaming bowls of noodles noisily.

“How about here?” the younger boy suggested.

He shrugged, shivering a little as he did so. He had to admit the smell was tempting even if it wasn’t something he would normally eat.

“You should have worn more,” Light chided softly, noticing the frisson. Then he was unwinding the dark gray woollen scarf around his neck to coil it around L’s. “Here,” he murmured, arranging the muffler carefully around the detective’s neck.

“Won’t you be cold then?”

His eyes softened slightly at the older man’s concern. “I’ll be fine,” he said reassuringly. “This coat has a high collar,” he explained, zipping his light silver-gray trench coat up a little more.

L nodded as he found them two stools at the ramen stand, and he quickly ordered a shoyu ramen with pork chop. The other stared at the many hanging wooden signs that listed all the available varieties of ramen for a long moment before finally giving up and ordering the same, and Light figured that the genius had finally decided that some things just weren’t worth the brainpower. They sat in silence as they waited for their food, and Light wondered if L was thinking about the possibility of him being Kira even now. Speaking of Kira, however, over the past several days, he had come to wonder what he would do if he had Kira’s powers. If L was right, then he’d use it to eliminate criminals, but did he really have it in him to be a murderer no matter the justification?

“Say… I’ve been wondering…”

“Hm?”

“What would you do, Ryuuzaki, if you had Kira’s powers?” Light regretted asking the instant the question left his lips.

“If you’re trying to br—”

“Forget it,” he interrupted sharply, rolling his eyes. “Forget I asked. It slipped my mind for a moment there that I can’t have a hypothetical discussion about this with you.”

L fell silent at that, and Light was thankful for the arrival of their noodles, since it meant that they had an excuse to drop the subject. Unfortunately, he had also temporarily overlooked the fact that when it came to social situations, his companion genuinely didn’t know how to take a hint.

“Light-kun is cross with me,” the oddball remarked after several minutes, eating his ramen one strand at a time.

Light chose to ignore that for the sake of his temper. “If you eat like that, we’ll be here till midnight,” he said instead, keeping his voice even.

The sleuth acquiesced to his implied request, and began eating more quickly, that is to say, normally. “It’s good,” he commented after a few mouthfuls.

Light inclined his head agreeably. This was one of the better ramen vendors in the vicinity. “You’re probably enjoying the subtle sweetness of the soy sauce in it,” he muttered under his breath.

L blinked; he’d heard the younger genius’ quiet aside. Suddenly uncomfortable, he looked away, concentrating on his meal. “You know me too well.”

Coming from anyone else, that statement would have been fond, affectionate, but in L’s case, it was pure paranoia. Light sighed. “Anyone else on the team could have said the same, Ryuuzaki. Your sweet tooth is no secret.”

The detective said nothing, but Light heard his unspoken reply. You know that isn’t what I was referring to.

He sighed again, but chose not to say anything, and they finished their dinner in silence. He paid the owner before leading L a little way down the street to check if the takoyaki stand was there. It seemed Matsuda was in luck. He order two servings just in case one was not enough, and stood in wait as the plump middle-aged lady made the takoyaki, ignoring her less than surreptitious glances at the chain between himself and L. It was quite an obvious sight with them standing two feet apart. When it was done, he paid her for it and was about to leave to return to their investigation headquarters when he suddenly noticed another stall nearby.


He caught the questioning look on the detective’s face as he tugged at the chain lightly to make him come along, but declined to explain, merely glancing knowingly at his lover as they reached the little stall. It sold a variety of confectionery, including mochi, ohagi and daifuku. He was rewarded when L’s eyes lit up, quite like a child who had just received his favourite toy as a birthday present, and stood aside with a fond smile as the sugar addict ordered more of the confection than could possibly be healthy. When L was finally satisfied, they began their walk back, both with a bag in one hand, and the orphan immediately began munching on a strawberry daifuku. It wasn’t until they’d rounded the bend onto the empty street their headquarters faced that the silence was broken, amazingly enough, by L.

“Light-kun?”

“Hm?”

There was a long pause as L hesitated, uncertain. “…Thank you,” he said at last.

Light blinked, surprised and puzzled, having no idea what he was being thanked for. He thought to ask, but then decided the better of it and simply smiled warmly in response, taking a pale hand in his own. He didn’t let go until they reached the entrance.

A/N: And another part is up! Thank you for reading! Internet cookies for your thoughts? 8D?