I Could Get Used To This

DN Mpreg Chapter XIV:

The helicopter touched down on the helipad with a soft bump, causing Light to feel a little more relieved now they were safe on the ground again. His eyes stayed on L, whom was still clutching onto the Death Note, as it read on the cover, with a tight grip. His body was still humming from the adrenaline, but now they had a new feeling to it, a more arousing feeling. It must be just the adrenaline rush, but he wanted to take L right there in the helicopter.

“I shall make preparations for Higuchi's cell for when he arrives, Ryuuzaki,” Watari said as he clambered out the helicopter with his equipment. As soon as the old man's back was turned, L felt something wet on his cheek. It was Light's lips. They were kissing him, and Light's nose was nuzzling into his own jet black hair searching for his ear to nibble on.

“Light-kun, please don't,” L said, pulling away.

“Oh come on, Ryuuzaki, it's still another twenty minutes before they arrive with Higuchi,” the auburn male said seductively, leaning over to his partner.

L grabbed the Death Note and stepped out of the helicopter, then he looked back at Light. “We should concentrate on the investigation and find out exactly how this thing works.” He held up the Death Note between his fingers as if it were a dirty rag.

“Sure...” Light said sitting back for a moment. He had hoped it would all be over as soon as they had caught Higuchi, but to L it obviously wasn't. It still left him with a question burning in his mind: Why had he suddenly felt like he hated L when he let go of the notebook; what had happened? And Light felt foreign to himself. He did not understand why he suddenly had to put the moves on L in the helicopter when he knew well enough that the detective would immediately decline him. L tugged on the chain impatiently, and Light followed, no choice.

Once downstairs in the investigation room, L sat in his usual chair, but Light noticed he was in a little discomfort when it came to sitting in his usual position.

“The one whose name is written in the Death Note shall die...,” he read aloud, “How peculiar.”

The brunet teenager said nothing as he was too busy watching L while deep in thought. Kill with a notebook; if he had that power, would he use it? Using it was murder, but it was also the perfect weapon. You would not even have to look your victim in the eye, there was no blood and, as L just read aloud, you could even choose how they died. He also wondered about the creature he had seen. What was it, that white skeletal being? A Shinigami, L had called it.

“Ryuuzaki.” A large W appeared on L's computer screen. “They are bringing in Higuchi now.”

“Very well, please show him on the monitor as soon as he is inside his cell,” L replied. A few moments later, L and Light observed Higuchi in his cell. He was bound to a metal rack very much like the one used on Misa, and his eyes were covered by a blindfold. The only sound he could hear was L's computerised voice though the speakers with the camera; Light recollected how miserable he had been during his time in the cell, having no one but an disembodied, scrambled voice shooting questions and accusations at him. A piece of him pitied the middle-aged man; but that piece of him was being shadowed by the larger piece that hated Higuchi for having all the blame and suspicion placed on his shoulders.

“Please state your name,” L asked him through the microphone.

“Where am I?” Higuchi called out in near panic, “I can't move or see a thing.”

L ignored this. “Your name,” he demanded.

Higuchi told them his full name. In the meantime Soichiro, Matsuda and the others had arrived in the headquarters. L continued his interrogating of Higuchi, trying to get answers from him. But Higuchi seemed reluctant to give him full details.

"We already know you are Kira," L said, aggravation beginning to show in his voice, "Who gave you the notebook?"

Higuchi was sobbing uncontrollably. "I don't know," he said; mucous was dripping from his nose like a crying child's.

One after another, L continued snapping questions at him, like bullets. L was in control again, and he liked it. He was the authority, and it felt great to be back in that seat, behind that microphone, and another suspect under his thumb; but this suspect was not going anywhere except the most secured prison in the world. Even Light, who was watching and being ignored from the sidelines was amazed and in awe of the exuberance L was placing into this. No one bothered him in the hours he continued to question, because everyone was glad they had caught him.

After a few hours, there was still no breakthrough; Higuchi was being stubborn. By late evening, everyone was exhausted, except the ever vigilant detective. He had already given the others permission to leave any time they wanted and to come back in the morning. The only ones left were Soichiro and Matsuda, and of course, Light Yagami.

“Ryuuzaki, when am I allowed to take my son home? I assumed as soon as you were sure he wasn't Kira, he would be released. Higuchi is obviously Kira, so why haven't you released him, yet?” Soichiro asked.

“I have not yet received a confession from Higuchi, yet, nor have I proof that Light Yagami is not Kira,” L replied, his eyes fixed on the screen in front of him, obsession glinting in his eyes from trying to gain evidence from Higuchi. Soichiro let out a disappointed sigh.

"However..."

Soichirou and Light both perked up. On the monitor, Higuchi was still sobbing uncontrollably, but the volume was turned low so it was hardly audible. L was flipping through the Death Note. "I've read over these rules several times." He turned his head, not to look at them but instead the scaly, white being. "Shinigami-san, can you verify that these rules are one hundred percent genuine and have not been tampered with in any way?"

No one had really noticed the Shinigami, so it surprised them all to see it there and for L to talk to it like it was human. The reaper stood haunched and eerily silent. Its yellow eyes moved to meet L's dark ones.

"They are real," it said.

L scraped his thumb across his bottom lip. "Shinigami," he called out to the creature again, "Do you have a name?"

"Rem," it answered.

"Rem," L repeated, "So Shinigamis have genders?"

"Yes," Rem answered, "I am female."

It was bizarre watching the two converse, living talking with dead. Only science fiction could create something like this, yet here they were. Then L began interrogating the Shinigami for answers of the Death Note, and just like Higuchi, she was not accommodating and the answers she bestowed led to dead ends. She told him several times that she could not disclose such information. It grated his nerves, yet intrigued him nonetheless.

"This notebook currently belongs to Higuchi, correct?" L asked, flipping through the pages countless times.

"Yes," Rem answered.

"And if I were to write down Higuchi's name while thinking of his face, what would happen then?"

"He would die, and you would be the owner of the Death Note."

"R-Ryuuzaki," Matsuda stuttered, "Should we really be talking to a...Shinigami?"

"Please do not be so rude to our guests, Matsuda," L said, still staring at Rem, "You will hurt her feelings."

Rem's eyes dragged themselves over to Matsuda. He became very pale.

Light approached L from behind. "These rules that you've mentioned," he said, "What are they?" He reached out for the notebook...

...and his hand was smacked by the detective.

"Don't touch," L snapped, "You're still my suspect for being the original Kira."

Light rubbed his hand, but it was his dignity he was truly rubbing. "What are these rules then? Say them out loud."

Spidery fingers lifted up the Death Note. He listed off all the rules and there was many. Several times he paused to ask Rem a question or two. He carried on without any interruptions until he came to the last ones written.

"If the owner of the Death Note does not kill within thirteen days of the last entry," L said in the same monotonous voice, "he or she will die."

"Wait a minute!" Matsuda piped up, "If that's true, then there's no way Light could be Kira."

"He's right, Ryuuzaki," Soichirou said, "My son was locked away for sixty days, and he's been with you ever since. If he was responsible for the killings, then he would have died."

"Yes! You're off the hook then, Light!"

L did not comment. He continued reading. "If the Death Note is burnt, destroyed, or otherwise damaged in any way, all those who have touched that Death Note will die." His eyes lifted back up to Rem's. She had been watching him all the while, but he seemed unperturbed by her yellow snake-like eyes. "Rem-san, are the rules I have just read aloud true?"

"If they are written, then they are true," she answered mystically.

"There we go," Matsuda said again, "Light, you're free."

"No, he is not," L retorted, "These rules could have been altered."

"But the Shinigami even verified!" Soichirou was beginning to raise his voice, "Ryuuzaki, you have to be pragmatic about this. There's no evidence against my son. You said you would let him go when evidence proved him to not be Kira, and you're holding it in your hand!

"Dad, please," Light said as he did not want to bear witness to his father and his lover arguing again.

"No Light!" Soichirou shouted, "I've put up with this enough. You're enslaving my son, Ryuuzaki. He's put up enough of this--"

"Dad!"

"No, Light-kun," L said calmly, removing his thumb from between his lips, "You're father is right. This evidence is clearly in your favour and against my theories. There's nothing left for me to do now, but to let you go."

A spidery finger reached for his laptop and pressed a key. A department clicked open right underneath the CD/DVD player. He removed the key and unlocked Light's cuff. It fell to the ground with a metallic clunk. Then L removed his own. The chain that had connected them was now on the table. Light lifted his wrist; it felt lighter and incomplete. He looked at L and suddenly felt as if he and the detective had grown meters apart in those ten seconds. He watched as L flipped through the pages again while his dark eyes read over every name written for whatever the count was now.

"Isn't this great, Light?" Matsuda said, wearing a large smile, "We finally got the evidence to prove your innocence. Ryuuzaki was wrong."

L flipped another page, choosing to ignore Matsuda's comment.

Light looked from him to Matsuda's cheery face. Slowly, he smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah," he said, and nothing else.
________________________________________________________________________

For hours, L remained in his seat, flipping through the Death Note, interrogating Higuchi, and firing questions at Rem. Matsuda fell asleep on the couch and could not be awoken; Watari had placed a blanket over him. Light sat at the other end of the table from L. Even without the chain, he still felt that he could not go too far from him. His eyes were drooping as balanced his cheek against his palm. L did not seem bothered by the lack of sleep. He was the most motivated person from the rest of them.

Light started when he felt someone touch his shoulder. It was his father. "Light," he said, "Let's go home. Your mother and sister will be happy to see you."

"I'm all right, Dad," he told him.

"Son, please, they haven't seen you in months."

He looked over at L, who was too busy keeping Higuchi awake and answering questions, then nodded to his father. "Okay, I'll come. But I will be coming back here tomorrow morning."

Soichirou nodded. "Okay then."

It felt much different leaving the tower without L by his side, or him being dragged along. His father wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder as they walked through the cold night air and into the car. Light rested his head against the window as Soichirou drove. It had been a long time since he had seen his home. The lights were out, meaning Sachiko and Sayu had gone to bed.

"They're probably asleep," Soichirou said, voicing Light's thoughts, "So be quiet when we go inside."

Light felt nostalgic as he walked up the sidewalk to his home. He felt like a stranger or a guest, not a resident like he should be. His father used a key to get inside; the place was dark thanks to the lack of lights. Soichirou asked him if he wanted to eat anything, but Light declined; he felt too tired to eat, and instead climbed the stairs on tip-toes to his room. It was exactly the way he had left it before, only with less clothes and a little less home-like. He found a pair of pyjamas for him to wear, and then spent ten minutes browsing around familiar, yet unfamiliar, territory. His fingers ghosted over the spines of books he had not read in a very long time.

His bed was cold from not being slept in for so long, but he was glad for the comfort it still supported. He remembered that he had not brushed his teeth but then decided to brush them as soon as he woke up. He thought about L. Was he still up at this late hour working? Of course; L had been waiting for this moment since the very beginning, and he was not going to waste a single minute, and to him, sleeping was wasting time. Was he eating? Light remembered L had not eaten a single item of food, not even sweets, since before they had boarded the helicopter. Now he was worried. L could not stop eating just because of Higuchi and the discovery of the Death Note. They were having a baby. He needed to take care of their son or daughter.

Light missed him, missed him terribly. The bed he laid in felt so much colder without another body joining him.

Suddenly Light sat up, caramel eyes glancing around the room. How bizarre. He felt as if...someone were watching him. His door was shut and nothing was out of place, so he surmised that it was just his tired brain. He laid back down to sleep and closed his eyes. His pillow smelled odd.
_________________________________________________________

L was still sitting in his chair going, eyes skimming over each rule of the Death Note carefully. Higuchi had remained silent for the last few hours, and L was alone in the room. As his eyes began to droop, causing the words written in the notebook to blur, he forgot Watari was still in the building when the old man came up behind him.

"L," he said softly,"I think you should go to bed."

"I can't right now, Watari. I'm right in the middle of this, and it's very important." He was very tired but his need for answers outweighed his need for sleep. He could not waste time.

"More important than your and the baby's health?" L looked up into the soft, blue eyes of his previous caretaker. It was probably the first time Watari had actually shown concern for the well being of L's baby, but of course; Watari had always had a weak spot for young children, did he not? Because he had none of his own, he seemed to adopt every child on the planet as his own grandson or granddaughter.

The ravenhead released a tired sigh. "I suppose I could try to get some sleep," L said, closing the Death Note and handing it to Watari, "Could you put this away somewhere safe?"

"Very well."

L went to his bedroom and entered the bathroom and was about to comment to his chained companion before he realised Light wasn't with him. His naked wrist felt strange without the chain attached to it. He sighed and left the bathroom, not bothering to get dressed for bed, and slumped down onto the mattress. The bed still had Light's scent on it. He climbed under the covers and wondered if it had always been this big and wide? He felt cold and rolled over to Light's side; it was empty and gave him no warmth. For the next two hours, he lay there with his eyes closed but could not sleep. His mind was constantly revolving around Higuchi and the Death Note, analysing every shred of information he had read. Finally, he had enough and decided to head back to the investigation room. Watari was probably sleeping by now, so he could not ask for the Death Note until morning. For now, he sat observing Higuchi, calculating and stringing all the events together.

Did they finally have Kira?
_________________________________________________________

The next morning, Light travelled by bus to the Kira Investigation tower and went through all the security measures before access was granted; now he knew why the others complained about it everyday.

When he finally came inside, he did not see L at the table nor was the Death Note. Light flipped on one of the monitors and saw Higuchi still strapped to the metal hanger and head down; he seemed to be sleeping.

"Ryuuzaki?" Light called out, "It's me, Light." He sighed and removed his blazer and draped it over the chair. If the detective was not in the investigation room, he was either in the kitchen upstairs or the bedroom. Light walked up the stairs and into the "living room" area of the flat. "Ryuuzaki," he called out again. On the table in the centre of the room was a black notebook, the Death Note. Furrowing his eyebrows in thought, Light walked over to it and looked down at it. Why was it here out in the open for him to take? And without it being in L's possession?

Of course, it was a test. L was watching from somewhere, the security room perhaps, and was waiting for him to touch the Death Note. He had specifically told Light that he was not allowed, but if he were Kira, how could he resist taking back his murder weapon? He imagined, or actually saw, L perched over a monitor that was focused on him, waiting for him to slip up. Only Kira would have desires to take the murderous notebook out of L's hands, and Light had to be Kira.

'I see your game, L,' Light thought. He did not touch the Death Note, but instead went around the table and into the hallways towards the bedroom. "Ryuuzaki, are you here or not?" He knew L was not there, but he still called out to continue playing the game. He opened the bedroom door and saw the bed was still neatly made and tucked in, looking like no one had slept it in. L was not in here either, but he spotted the door to the bathroom was open.

'Interesting,' he thought. His feet carried him over to the bathroom and he opened door more to peek inside. "Ryuuzaki, are you..."

His voice slowly trailed away when he saw a pair of legs poking out from behind the toilet.

"Ryuuzaki!" Light ran into the bathroom and saw the detective sprawled out next to the commode on his chest, his dark hair was sprawled across his face so Light was unable to see it. He rolled the detective over and his upper torso into his arms. "Ryuuzaki!" he said loudly as he tried to shake the detective awake, "L! L!"

L's eyes remained closed and limp in Light's arms. The brunet slapped his cheek a few times in an attempt to wake the detective, but he would not. Ultimately, Light pressed two fingers to L's pulse on his neck, counting the beats.

Only there weren't any.

Light backed away from the body of his lover and his tormentor. His limbs felt numb and shaky as he rose from his spot, but he must get help. Watari or somebody must be here to help him.

'He's not dead. He's not dead. He's not dead.'

He knew that mantra he chanted in his head was not going to bring L's heart back to life. The logical part of his brain, his frontal lobe, continued to remind him that he was. L was dead, and his baby was dead.

Help! He needed to find help! If they got L help very quickly, then he would be okay. He and the baby would be just fine. Yet his legs refused to go anywhere from where he was standing. His bottom lip was trembling, as was the rest of his body. His heart seemed to have lodged itself in his lungs, and he continued to stand there while L was dying.

'Move, dammit! Move!' he shouted inside his head.

He looked into the large mirror attached to the wall, and when his eyes met with his reflection, he backed into the wall in trepidation. His reflection showed himself, yes, but it also showed a lie. The red streaks of blood that stained his shirt were not actually there. His hands were not covered in the sticky substance, and he checked to verify.

Gods, they were! The red liquid was still warm on his fingers and dripping onto the floor in little droplets. The smell of iron and rust burned his nose. Blood! Blood! It was everywhere! And the source of that blood was L. Though he was still frightened, his body finally seemed to snap out of its petrification. He ran out of the room clumsily because of his stiff legs. It was too late to find help now. He had to get away. They would think he did it. It was all his fault. All his fault.

The bottom of his shoe stepped on something, and he looked to see what it was. The silver letters that spelt 'Death Note' stared back at him. With shaky fingers, he bent down and picked it up.

Then he heard laughter, a high manically laughter that echoed in the rooms. His body twisted in place to see where it was coming from.

"Humans are so interesting."
____________________________________________________

Light sat up in bed, panting harshly and hand clutching at the front of his shirt. His body felt wet, but he was so cold. His room was dark from the absence of sunlight. His head was throbbing and he felt sick, but he only sucked in gulp fulls of air. Finally he was calm enough. His body felt sticky from his sweat, so he had to remove his clothing. He sat at the edge of his bed in the nude with his head in his hands.

'Stressed,' he thought, 'It was only stress.'

His head continued to throb as if his brain was going to come firing out of his nose. He wanted to get back to the investigation headquarters as soon as he could; he needed to see if L was okay. He needed to hold him, unfortunately, it was still a few more hours before the rest of his family would awaken, and he still had to explain certain reasons for his absence to his mother and sister. Light laid back down in his bed and pulled the covers close to him, trying to calm his nerves and return to sleep.

The dream left him restless, but he was able to fall back into a deep, dreamless sleep. He awoke to sunlight spilling in through the window, dust particles dancing in mid-air above his desk. He heard noises downstairs that sounded like his mother preparing breakfast. He rolled out of bed and dressed before he made his way down the steps. He heard Sayu's sleepy voice as she discussed things with her mother. Sachiko cracked a few eggs into the frying pan.

"Good morning," Light called out when he entered into the kitchen.

There was a small gasp from his mother's part. Sayu's head snapped up from where it was laying on the table and her eyes stared at him in surprise.

"Light-kun, where have you been all this time?" his mother exclaimed as she rushed up to him when he entered the kitchen. Sachiko rushed over and cupped both his cheeks and covered him in kisses. "Oh I haven't seen you in so long!" More kisses were given to him and the hug tightened around his arms.

"Onii-chan, where have you been?" Sayu asked as she came up to him and gave him a quick hug.

Sachiko pulled back. "Yes, where have you been? Your father didn't give me a good enough answer."

Light gave his mother and sister a small smile. "I moved in with Misa," he expertly lied, "I wanted to tell you guys immediately, but the paparazzi has been all over her for her movie. She didn't want me to get involved just yet."

His sister seemed in awe of this, but Sachiko just shook her head. She held her son's cheeks as she looked into his eyes. "You look tired."

"I've been helping Dad out."

"And you couldn't even call us?"

"I'm sorry, but school and work has been taking up most of my time," he said, showing his mother and sister a sheepish grin.

Sachiko tsked at him but did not press further. Light talked to Sayu about Misa's new apartment and commercial shootings. Eventually, his father walked down the stairs and greeted his wife and daughter good morning.

"We'll be leaving as soon as breakfast is done," he said.

Light was partially grateful. He was not able to eat last night, and he was starving this morning. He ate quickly and followed his father to the car after hastily saying goodbye to his sister and mother. He stared out the window as they drove to the investigation headquarters; the dream he had was starting to fade in his mind, yet he clearly remembered seeing L's body and it made him shudder. A store's sign captured Light's attention.

"Can we stop here for a moment, Dad?" he asked as they came nearer to a convenience store.

"Why do you want to stop here? We're almost there." His father raised an eyebrow but slowed the car anyway and pulled up onto the parking.

"I want to get something for Ryuuzaki, a thank-you-for-letting-me-go present," Light answered as he opened and slammed the car door shut behind him.

They still had plenty of time before they were due to start work since Light had insisted they leave as soon as possible. He headed to the confectionery isle and knew exactly what he was looking for. In the centre of the isle was a rack where one could pick and mix their own sweets. Light took a bag and began filling it. He firstly filled it with random sweets that he knew L would like, then he reached for a bowl of gummy letters and carefully picked out the letters he wanted. He knew L was smart enough to figure out the message. After paying for the sweets and getting back on the road, they arrived five minutes before they had to start work. When they passed through the security's measure and entered, L's face seemed to almost light up when Light walked through the doors. The brunet was grateful to see his dream was not a premonition.

"Good morning, Ryuuzaki." Instantly, L's eyes fell towards the bag of sweets in Light's hand. "These are for you," he said, holding up the bag.

"Thank you, Light-kun," L mumbled past his thumb, "Although, you are aware I can get Watari to bring me any sweets I should require."

Light did not care as he handed the bag of sweets to the older man, gently brushing his hand against L's in a way nobody would notice. L's eyes looked up at Light and he gave a mischievous smile. Light took up his usual seat next to L and they continued the interrogation of Higuchi. The Death Note was sitting in front of L with it's gleaming leather black cover and silver letters glaring up at the ceiling. Light already knew he wasn't allowed near it, even though it was in reach, he did not want to displease (or please, depending on whose point of view) L by touching it and disobeying orders. Higuchi was taken away to use the restroom by Watari at gun point, leaving L to figure out his candy clues. There were only five letters used, S-I-M-Y-O-U, but multiples of the same letters. Though there were hundreds of outcomes, he deciphered Light's hidden message. Morning seemed to pass slowly; Matsuda and the others mostly sat around sorting through paperwork and waiting for Higuchi to crack. The long silence was interrupted by L.

"Light-kun, would you care to come here for a moment? Take a look at this." Light stood behind L very closely. He was leaning over his shoulder, observing the screen. In the bottom right corner he had brought up a console window that was unnoticed by the others. "I missed you too," L typed in the console so Light could read it. The brunet teenager smiled as L had obviously deciphered his letter candy message. He moved in a little closer now, as if to point something out. He could smell L's scent and he noticed when he looked down how L's stomach was starting to grow. If only they could sneak off alone, but that seemed a little impossible now that they didn't have the chain between them. Light's auburn eyes glanced around the room to see if anyone was looking. When he was sure the others were busy concentrating on their work, he gently ran his fingers along L's arm. The detective looked up at him, and Light gave him a reassuring smile; everything was going to be okay.

"Waah!" The surprised squeal came from Matsuda. He was frightened when Rem materialised through the wall right next to him, leaving him to clutch his chest and will some blood back to his face. The Shinigami seemed unmoved by this; mostly likely because this was the usual reaction she got when a human is able to see her.

"Good morning, Rem-san," L greeted to the undead woman, "I learnt a new fact about Shinigamis last night. It appears they cannot be seen on cameras."

"No, we cannot be captured on film or television," she answered.

"Intriguing," he muttered.

Rem's yellow eyes did not leave L's, but she had Light in her vision. She knew this was not how is plan was supposed to go, but Misa was safe for now, though she still had yet to retrieve her memories. And Light was still memory-less, too, thanks to the detective's intervening. She did not know what the previous Kira's plan had been exactly, but she assumed this was not part of it. Especially on L's part. Though it seemed oblivious to the other humans, Rem had caught on quickly to their romance and flirting; they were obvious closet-lovers. If Shinigamis were capable of stronger emotions, she might have been angered at Light's betrayal towards Misa, but alas, she just felt a slight annoyance upon having to witness them flirt.

However, just as L was with her, Rem was finding him intriguing as well. He was the only one of the humans that actually spoke to her. Most of their “talking” was him asking questions, but he was polite, nonetheless. She did not come across many humans, but of the few she did, he was the only one who referred to her as “Rem-san”. She heard the others mutter Shinigami when referring to her; she might not have visible ears, but her hearing was damn near perfect.

At night she roamed around the tower, either having to be close to Higuchi or the Death Note; the Death Note seemed to be surrounded by more interesting people, so she went along with that choice. But the most interesting of them all was L. He was smart, very smart, and he did not stop working. She had watched him as she floated by, head ducked over the Death Note or watching the computer screen. She also noticed him rubbing his stomach like he had a stomach ache every once in a while. It came to terms with her that she might one day have to kill this interesting specimen in order to save Misa one day; she was suspected as the Second Kira, and L had arrested her before.

However, this brought whole new problems. Clearly, even now, she could see the red letters with the mixed numbers of years left to live right underneath floating above everyone's heads, but L's was different. She could see his name, yes, and the number of years, but his set seemed different from everyone else's. She couldn't quite figure out why that was.

There! His lifespan. His numbers were clearly recognisable, but there was a whole other set mixed in with his. The numbers were blurry and were not seen at first glance. Why were they there? She remembered seeing this before, but they were usually over the heads of women not men.

L sat observing Higuchi, the man had remained silent for most of the day, and drained the last of his coffee, the large thermal coffee flask next to him was empty, too. He then noticed he had a message from Light. He brought it up and read over what was written to him.

"Can we go somewhere alone for a while? I need to talk to you." Light had asked.

"Not now, Light-kun. I want to be here if Higuchi reveals any information," he typed back.

Light's reply came quickly. "You've hardly eaten in two days. You need to take better care of yourself and the baby. Have you even slept?"

The pregnant detective frowned at Light, then gave a sigh; he supposed the Japanese teenager was right. Reluctantly, L stood up and stretched his cramped legs.

"I need some more coffee," he announced, "Would you like to come with me, Light-kun? I'm afraid to admit it feels peculiar not having your presence around me twenty-four/seven." Light's father gave L an odd look, but he seemed to understand that after being attached to one another for so long, it must be strange to be alone again. Watari was too busy attending to Higuchi's needs to be attending to the whole Task Force, too. Light followed L at his own pace to the kitchen, and L started to prepare the coffee machine in silence.

Caramel eyes watched L's back. The dream of last night surfaced in his brain. He stepped up behind the man and embraced him.

"Light-kun!" the detective exclaimed when he felt Light's arms wrap around him. Unconsciously, he stiffened. Light swept aside a lock of L's hair and pressed his lips against the other male's neck.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said, nuzzling the back of L's neck, " I had a dream last night about you... and Kira..." He did not say anything after that but continued to hold L close to him, just glad he was safe in his arms.

"What happened in your dream?" L asked relaxing to Light's touch.

"It was just a nightmare. And I thought I told you no coffee?" he said once he released his grip on his partner.

L turned round and raised an eyebrow at Light. He wasn't going to debate the matter; he wanted coffee and that was it. The look he was giving the brunet could almost be clarified as a pout.

"You need to take care of yourself," he said, "Not only for the baby."

"I'm perfectly healthy, Light-kun."

"...."

The male's uncharacteristic silence perked L's curiosity. He looked at him with a scrutinising gaze. "What are you thinking?"

"Ryuuzaki," Light said, "I think you have more medical problems than you're letting on. Am I right?"

L turned around to face the teenager. "Excuse me?"

"You're obviously not going to willingly tell me, so I'll tell you my theories," Light said, taking a step back, "Just like you like to throw your theories at me."

"I'm listening."

L was being quite snappy. His medical history was obviously a touchy subject. "Well," Light began, "I think that you have a Aniridia Syndrome."

"And you've made this assumption from my eye colour?" L stuffed his hands in his pockets. "That's a very serious accusation. Yes, my eyes are much darker than usual, and my pupils are not really visible from my irises, but I'm still amazed that you're accusing me of having Aniridia."

"I'm not accussing, it was just a theory. It was only the first that came to mind, but I quickly dismissed it when I reminded myself that you were neither brain-dead nor mentally retarded, and you're not blind, so my theory was quickly proven wrong."

L's dark eyes blinked at Light. "What else? You obviously have more medical theories."

Light gave L a stern look. "You don't have to be so snippy."

"I'm not," the ravenhead defended, "I'm actually curious to see what else Light-kun has assumed about my history."

"Okay." Light crossed his arms and pursed his lips in thought. "From the way you hunch your back, you could have Kyphosis."

"Intriguing," L said, "Not as far-fetched as Aniridia Syndrome, but still interesting. And it is something that can be caused by lack of nutrition, so you have evidence to support your hypothesis."

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Finally, Light smiled in subtle defeat. "You're not going to clarify whether or not you have this condition."

"Of course not," L answered with a shrug, "That wouldn't make it fun."

Light's grin widened. "Your habits and personality inspired this one." L smirked and chewed on his finger listlessly. "Your lack of social contact and skills, your OCD on stacking sugar cubes, holding papers and things so bizarrely, your dislike of any and all changes..." He took a breath, "...your particular diet and taste for only one food--being sweets--, your mental thought and process being in percentages, and the way you wear only one set of clothes all point to one condition."

L slowly lifted an eyebrow. "Being picky and odd is now considered a condition?"

"No, but it does explain Asperger's Syndrome."

"So now you assume I have autism?"

"I'm not assuming," said Light matter-of-factly, "This is something I have concluded that you do indeed have."

"What about my high I.Q.? Most people with AS have average or even low inteligence quotience," he said, "And as for my dislike of social contact, if it were as bad as you say, would I have built this tower and allowed the others to work in person with me?"

"If I recall correctly, this was a last resort. And you made sure that they went under strict security measures to work with you."

"But this was for my safety. My identity is my biggest secret. Of course I had to take security measures."

Light shrugged one shoulder. "You can just admit it, you know. It's not like I can figure out your real identity."

"I'm finding this redundant, Yagami-kun," L said in annoyance, "I am dismissing your theories from lack of evidence."

"Lack of evidence?" The brunet huffed in disbelief, "I'll admit the first one was a little far-fetched and the second was only a possibility, but I know I have enough "evidence" to support my hypothesis on you have Asperger's."

"The chances of someone having a genius level I.Q. with Asperger's is less than five percent."

"And yet, I recall being trapped in a tiny cell for sixty days because your suspicion of me being Kira was four percent." He raised an eyebrow, enjoying the glory of winning this argument. L might not admit it, but it was clear that the argument was over and won for now.

Light had become very talented in deciphering the looks and emotions that were usually hidden under the blank facade, so he quickly recognized the distinct almost eye-roll as L turned back to the coffee maker. "Yagami-kun, even if I had Asperger's, it is not genetic and probably would not affect the baby."

Yagami-kun, was it? L only used that name when he was annoyed or pouting, and he appeared to be doing both. He could be very immature and childish at times. 'Two can play at this game,' Light thought as he grabbed the man by the shoulder and spun him around.

"Don't be stubborn, L," Light leaned forward and captured his lips with his own. L didn't retract but instead embraced the kiss and wrapped his arms around Light. Light's hands rested on either side of the kitchen counter as the gap closed between them and his hips gently ground into L's; he wanted him. He exhaled a small moan as he felt the detective's tongue enter his mouth and brush against his own tongue. They're osculating became deeper and more passionate. It felt so wonderful to be connected again, to be holding each other, and to be feeling the other. Suddenly, L heard movement in the hall and broke the kiss, just in time, too, as Soichiro Yagami entered the kitchen a few seconds later. Light was casually leaning against the kitchen counter next to L, trying to hide the lusting blush on his face and acting like no passionate play had happened between them.

"I came to see what was taking you two so long?" Soichiro said as he eyed the pair suspiciously, "I also wanted to get the chance to talk to you about something in private, Light." He emphasised the word 'private' as he glanced over the the scruffy looking ravenhead, whom was pulling out one of the kitchen chairs to sit on.

"Considering that I'm still having doubts about your son's alibi," L said, "I suggest that whatever you have to say can be said in front of me, or my suspicions will rise by six percent."

Soichiro gave L a look of annoyance that did not go unnoticed. L simply ignored it. The policeman moved his eyes over to his son. The lines around his mouth deepened as he frowned.

"Light, why did you lie about being gay?" his father asked.

The younger Yagami's eyebrows knitted closer together in puzzlement. "What?"

"I found these at the entrance of the building." He dug in his back pocket and produced a folded picture. When he unfolded it, Light's stomach dropped to the floor; it was L's sonogram. "If Misa's pregnant, you don't have to lie. I mean, yes, having a child is scary, but it's not the end of the world."

L gave Light an odd look; as far as he knew Misa wasn't pregnant. Soichirou passed the picture to Light to see. There was no name on it, but because Misa was the only female in the building, excluding Rem, the Shinigami, he must have concluded that it was hers. The two shared a quick glance, not saying a word, but their thoughts were exact:

Shit.

Because of this, Soichirou was looking for answers. Was now the time to tell him?

"I'm not pretending I'm gay to run away from Misa being pregnant. And Dad, Misa's not pregnant," Light said looking is father in the eye. He handed the ultrasound to L who pretended to study it.

"She isn't?"

"Dad, I haven't slept with her."

"So I'm not going to have a grandchild?" The tone of his voice made Light unsure if his father was relieved or disappointed.

"Actually, that is your grandchild," L added as he held up the picture. He smoothed out the creases on the table.

Soichirou's eyes slightly widened. "No, you don't mean ... not my little girl, Sayu!"

"No, it isn't Sayu's," Light answered, exasperated, "Sayu is still a virgin, thank God."

"As far as we know," the detective mumbled.

"Ryuuzaki!" Both Yagamis shouted at him.

Light gave a sigh. "They're Ryuuzaki's pictures," he admitted.

"What?" Soichirou looked taken aback. "I had no idea that you were married, Ryuuzaki."

"I'm not."

"Then it must be your girlfriend's."

"Guess again."

The older Yagami looked between them both with a puzzled look. Of course he could not figure it out because there was a major factor that was being absent; one of them was pregnant, but they were all males.

They all knew it would be soon, when the truth came out; however, the anxiety Light was feeling could not be measured. It was one thing to come out of the closet; it was something on a different planet to tell them that he had gotten his androgynous lover pregnant.

"Dad...you might want to sit down for this," Light announced.
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(A/N): Oh, I am so sorry for the late updates! D: I had surgery and could not make it. So I'm uploading chapters 14 and 15 in the same day. Hope you guys don't mind. :P