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Tale of Two Death Notes	By : wordbombs Category: Death Note > Yaoi-Male/Male > L/Light Views: 1511 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Was Death Note a porno? No? Then I don't own it. And I don't profit from my non-ownership.

Chapter List
- 1
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- 3
Disclaimer- If I owned Death Note, L wouldn't have washed Light's feet. He would have pushed him down on the stairs and fucked a bitch. No lube but spit and rain drops.

L's thumb pressed against his mouth as he watched Light Yagami on the screen before him. The boy was not what he had been expecting at all. He moved with the grace and perfection of an automaton, handling school, prep school and family with the same easy indifference. He had absolutely no suspicious activity except for those magazines, and L was almost certain that was an act. The only thing that seemed off was sometimes, for a few brief seconds, his eyes would meet L's through the cameras. This always happened later at night, after Yagami Sr. had left for the day and L was left to observe the young man alone. Amber eyes would flick up and almost imperceptible smirk would cross Light's face before disappearing. It unnerved L.

L's thumb pressed against his mouth as he watched Light Yagami on the screen before him. The man was not what he had been expecting at all. When he had been given the case from an insistent American CIA three days ago, he had been informed that this supposed 'Death Note' was currently being held by the NRPS under the care of a 'Dr. Yagami'. L had thought it a bit unusual that the name was also given as his contact on the officer in charge of discovering the notebook, minus the titular 'Dr.', but the percentage of that being significant had seemed extremely small. He'd assumed that the two Yagamis were most likely unrelated and it was an interesting coincidence at best that two men in completely different departments had the same last name. It hadn't occurred to him to ask Watari to run a background check on the doctor, or he wouldn't have been so surprised to a tan skinned, auburn-haired Adonis walking around freaking out at Mello.

L rubbed his eyes and peered at the screen again, the feed for which was coming from a small camera attached to Mello's leather vest with adjoining microphone on the next button below. The man was just so incredibly young. Perhaps even younger than Mello. His face was smooth and had the kind of timelessness that could be either 18 or 28 depending on how the shadows hit him.

L glanced down at the freshly delivered and printed background check that he'd ordered the moment Light had said 'my chair'. This Light Yagami certainly was something.

Son of the police chief, two extremely difficult doctorate degrees, on top of a perfect record at To-Oh, on top of to national tennis championships during the two years he actually spent as an undergraduate. And now, claiming his status as an international tour de force in an extremely picky field of theoretical physics, having twice now contributed to major research projects all before his 28th birthday. The only time in which he'd even begun to become less than sensational in his field had been within the last six months- but of course L knew the reason behind that.

He turned back to the screen and was surprised to see Yagami practically throw the notebook at Mello, clearly seething with rage. Surprised and curious, L turned up the volume once again.

"So yah, really it's you who has no qualifications to be deciding what to do with a weapon of this potential. After all, you're just a physicist." Mello's smug tone wafted out of the television and L cringed a bit. The man had flare, and he was able to get into anywhere and talk to anyone, but sometimes he was just obnoxious. Judging by the slightly seething look on Yagami's face now was one of the more obnoxious times for the blond. Much to his credit, Yagami didn't even attempt to respond. He turned solidly on his heel and pushed out the door- probably going for a stiff drink if Mello's frequent conversation partner's past actions could be any indicators.

L turned off the feed from Mello's chest, as staring at the edge of Yagami's desk without Yagami wasn't particularly illuminating or even entertaining, and sat back in his chair, pulling his feet in tight.

He had initially planned on dismissing any further involvement from Japanese scientists when it came to the investigation, but with Yagami being in charge that might have to change. The man was certainly more capable than L had ever dreamed, and there was a high percentage that he wasn't actually involved or possibly even completely unaware of the political scandal that surrounded the notebook.

Still, the American government would not be particularly pleased if he chose to keep the auburn haired man in his employ. There was a delicate power struggle going on between the two countries and L didn't want to upset the balance more than the drunken antics of one misguided Interpol agent already had. L sighed and reached out for a piece of the strawberry cheesecake that had been left by Watari only an hour ago. It was already half gone, and L knew that was bad even for him and his seemingly undefeatable metabolism.

It was a risk to keep Yagami on the case. Not to mention the fact that he brilliant as he was, he was a theoretical physicist. L was not particularly concerned with the physics behind the notebook's power, though he could definitely see why it was such a passion of Yagami's after skimming through his findings. No, L was interested in how the notebook worked, but on a more layman's approach. Though he was reluctant to admit it, there was a high percentage chance that the notebook operated through a power given by a non-human entity. It was L's job, as dictated by the joint forces of the USA and an unwilling Japan, to find out the nature of this entity or power source and neutralize the threat so that Japan no longer wielded an incomprehensible military advantage over other Heads of State. That or deliver it to Interpol intact so that it could become a joint weapon in the war on global terrorism. L shuddered slightly at the thought. He wasn't sure that he would fulfill that part of his contract, even if it proved to be feasible. The idea of anyone, even Interpol, being able to strike down criminals with just a name and face disturbed L in a deep way. There was something about the idea that seemed to scream 'god complex', and L would not be a party to that. Nevertheless, that was something to worry about when he got to it.

For now, he had a doctor to meet, and a minion to scold.

Light was growing more and more wearisome of the odd boy sitting next to him, muttering in his ear about the Kira case. The clear disrespect the unusual foreigner was showing to To-Oh's welcome ceremony was abhorring, and Light wasn't fond of the fact that they would now be remembered together as the Freshman Representatives for the rest of his To-Oh years. And the way he sat…Light's train of complaints ran to a dead stop as the boy turned to face him. Light was on edge, scared to reveal any emotion that he shouldn't and annoyed that whoever this person was had essentially ruined his entrance ceremony.

"I wanted to tell you…I'm L". And the world faded away as the echo of those words pulled Light under.

Light was growing more and more wearisome of the odd man staring at him from across the cafe. He was obviously foreign and probably thought Light was too because of his unusual coloring. Great, Light thought, he's trying to make a friend of me. Well no! Light had enough friends! He glanced down at his cell phone that hadn't lit up once since he'd yelled at Tzuki and his father to leave him to his thoughts for the afternoon. Okay, maybe the idea that he had enough friends was an over-exaggeration. If Light was honest with himself, he knew that he kept a close group of associates in his profession that were often useful on a research team or had some gravitas to their professional name that could be lent to one of his more experimental theories. Other than that, he preferred to be alone. And certainly not with bed-headed strangers that watched him over cheesecake.

Light shook his head slightly at himself and turned back to his newspaper, taking a long sip of his coffee and tried to unwind. He shifted both of his shoulders, trying to ease the tension that lay between them and took another sip. Still feeling another's eyes on himself, he glanced back up at the bed-headed stranger. Black pools met solid amber, and the inky depths of the stranger's eyes pulled Light in, pulled him under. Smiling softly, the man kept Light's stare as he stood up and crossed over to Light's table.

"Hello Dr. Yagami. May I take a seat?" Light felt himself nod as he took in the man slouched in front of him. As the man pulled out his chair, Light allowed himself a quick assessment of the man. A thin but expensive looking white sweater clothed his torso, clinging to lean muscle flatteringly. Light would hazard a guess that it was made out of cashmere, and fine quality cashmere at that. Then jeans that rode low on athletic hips were of similar design- nondescript, but quality material and make. There was also an interesting lack of noticeable brand marks, and the leather slip on shoes looked professionally handmade and had an unusually thick sole similar to a running shoe- obviously customized. All of this set Light on edge more than the fact that the man knew his name. Many people knew his name, heck, many people knew he favored this coffee house regularly when he wasn't busy pouring over the Notebook. Many people had even shown up here after he'd been named Tokyo's most eligible- men and women alike peering at him over coffee and trying to hide admiring looks flashed through batted eyelashes. It had been awful; Light had been forced to retreat a full two blocks away to get his coffee for a solid month.

However none of those people had been dressed in ambiguous clothing that lent no detail whatsoever as to whom the owner could be or where he shopped. None of those people had set Light's teeth on edge by their ability and apparent desire to blend into the woodwork despite their own oddity. And in Japan most people certainly didn't know his name while wearing deceptively clingy men's sweaters specifically cut on the bias to flare out in the back, the purpose of which Light guessed was to conceal a back holster most likely containing a firearm. A back holster would imply that the weapon was either an extremely precautionary measure, never to be drawn- or that the man was just good enough to pull off that tricky of a draw in a time of crisis. Light wasn't sure which answer he would prefer, and had a sneaking suspicion that they were both true.

The man sat down and stared at Light with those closed off ebony eyes, only revealing a beautiful reflection of Light in their depths. The man was as closed off as Light knew he could become, and the bothered him.

"What have you figured out about me, Doctor?" There was an amused look on the man's face as he asked the question, as if he was asking the question to a precocious child. Light bristled.

But the question he asked was tricky. Light could feign ignorance and play the role of a brilliant but scatter-minded scientist, and see if he could get the man to reveal more about himself in the upcoming conversation- or he could answer properly with his observations and hope that the man respected him enough to confirm his quickly forming theory.

Or, he could go balls out and really fuck with the guy. Light felt a sharp twinge in between his shoulders, a pain that hadn't left him since he began working on the Notebook, and one that had only been growing since he'd heard of L's planned takeover of his investigation.

Balls out it was. Light could be a real bastard when he was pissed.

Light gave another slow glance for show before answering, eyes dancing from the bottom of the stranger's feet, up the fine muscling of his chest and finally to obsidian eyes.

"You're L." He dropped the proclamation with an air of casual indifference, as if commenting on the weather and was rewarded with a momentary widening of white surrounding black before hearing a soft chuckle.

"You don't disappoint. But tell me, what leads you to that particular conclusion? I could be merely another associate like Mello." Light shook his head to the man's response, softly murmured with a practiced empty voice.

"First, I don't believe L would fuck with me again by sending another obnoxious associate so soon after I threatened to tear the ball-sack off the last one." L looked amused at that for a moment, before sliding his face back into neutral.

"Second, your first associate set a precedent. He was quirky and loud, chosen to meet me to assess my role in whatever you want with the Notebook for his people skills- or lack thereof when he chooses. But he was unique. Highly describable, highly profile-able. I'd put 20,000 yen on a pyromania predilection after only a morning in his company." Light threw his answer out without real thought, focusing more on the pale man's reactions. A small tensing of his left hand that Light had noticed a small burn scar on during his 'for show glance over' pleased Light, and he plundered on.

"It is my guess that L surrounds himself by other such associates- highly capable in their chosen capacities, but in some ways deficient by their own quirky and faceted personalities. He lets them remain so in order to protect himself, because by comparison he is indistinct- a shadow. They run his connections with other countries, taskforces, etc and he is free to be merely an anonymous face in the background- always there and never known to be so. You fit that profile, down to your non-marking soles and untraceable clothing." The man leaned forward as Light spoke, staring intensely at Light's face and Light felt a small shiver at the base of his spine as he realized the man was reading Light as he answered. It was unnerving.

"You are correct in all these things, but it would appear" He sat back into the wooden back of his chair, no longer staring at Light as intensely with those keen eyes, "that you just made up everything you just said based on my admission by omission earlier when I did not deny your answer that I am L. So tell me honestly, Doctor" he leaned forward again, but this time the mood was conspiratory but Light felt in on the joke "how did you know I was L?" Light paused before answering. Ah, what the hell. He was feeling generous.

"I guessed." To Light's surprise, a small grin lit up the man's face, remaining for a brief moment before sliding off into the politely neutral countenance Light was beginning to label as 'default mode' for the foreign detective.

"I see. Tell me Dr. Yagami, would you like to work for me?"

Light had never been in a more unusual situation. It was almost amusing. The great detective L was telling him he thought he was Kira, while simultaneously offering him a job. It just proved the man had absolutely nothing on him, and Light felt a rush of power. He held the cards here. As long as he knew for a fact that L was L, and L could only speculate that Light was Kira, then Light would win. This knowledge…the superior knowledge that he would win…Light wondered if that's what godhood would feel like.

Light had never been in a more unusual situation, and that was including his senior year's formal where he had been coerced into taking an upcoming model named Amane Misa by a teen lifestyle magazine. It had not been amusing. He had been told by his school's administration (and dozens of his peers) that the publicity by being profiled in the magazine would be good for the school, provide a colorful note on his records, and overall be a good time.

It had been horrible. Amane had turned out to be the worst kind of model, constantly posturing and posing for cameras that stalked them the entire night instead of the hour they had told Light during the arrangements. She had also referred to herself in the third person, and had constantly and heavily implied that they should continue to see each other outside of his ruined formal.

But although his current situation was incredibly weirder than even that, it was also incredibly more enjoyable. He was seated across from the world's foremost detective who was eating a small tray of deserts, while sipping a glass of wine and being presented with what appeared to be an employment offer while seated inside the sitting room of a ridiculously plush hotel suite. Statues sat on pedestals around the room, and Light noted the expensive green orchids residing in an oriental face on the coffee table between himself and the detective. Bizarre, Light thought again, as L paused in his devouring of a piece of flan to hand Light a small folder.

"As you can see, I do offer extensive dental benefits." His eyes flicked to Light's lips which were currently engaged in a wine flavored kiss with the glass in his hand. "Despite your impeccable teeth, it might be a point worth considering. I have noticed that you drink a lot of coffee, and whitening is not included in your current benefits package. If you wish to continue to have a perfect smile, come work for me." Light snorted and put down his glass. L continued to get weirder the more he talked, and Light was beginning to believe that the calm façade he'd been witness to in the coffee shop was a very hard kept act.

"You're suggesting I base my entire decision to uproot myself for a very vague offer on your end over dental care?" L gave him another one of those small grins before he turned back to his desert.

"I'm suggesting Dr. Yagami seems to have a preference for dental hygiene and it would be worth his consideration when contemplating whether he wants to spend his years as a stymied doctor with bad teeth, or a high rolling international tour de force with a shining smile to blind admirers." Light couldn't help it. Perhaps it was the effect of the alcohol, or that for the first time in six months he didn't feel the Notebook's cloying presence eating away at the back of his head, but he laughed. Long and hard until he ran the risk of being rude by how long he was laughing. L merely watched him, a hint of his own amusement barely visible in the way his usual deadpan expression had changed slightly around the corners of his mouth, a softening and uprising that was barely noticeable, but it was there and it made Light feel all the more cheery.

"And I'm suggesting that if L wants me to take him seriously, he needs to present me with a concrete offer that doesn't use social anxiety tactics based off my appearance to get me to acquiesce. No more talking about how my auburn locks are less than lustrous due to florescent lighting and lack of sunshine, and no more comments from you on my intake of aspartame and caffeine to keep going- especially after I've seen what you eat. Level with me L, why the offer of actual employment as opposed to just working with me as partners on my case that you may or may not actually be cleared to consult on." There was no physical sign of the mood changing this time, but Light felt it as L's eyes penetrated his own and he could sense deep down that the man was making a judgment call on him the same way he had made a judgment call when he decided to name him as L in the coffee shop. It was instinctual.

"Dr. Yagami…you are a brilliant man, remarkably and dangerously so. It actually frightened me a bit at first when I discovered the nature of your mind, to know that I had missed such an intellect. I usually hand pick the best for my teams and overlooking you seems to be a large error on my behalf." Light felt a small rush of warmth in his stomach at L's words, and had to suppress his own pleasure at the detective's approval. After all, he was all the things L had said, and knew it. Just because L had stated them out loud didn't make them anymore true, and Light was resolutely holding onto his self-made illusion that he didn't care what the detective thought. He may seem nice, but he was still a vigilante letter fuck. Yes. That. Light chose to casually ignore that he was sipping the vigilante fuck's wine and rather enjoying himself. He couldn't help it if he was an agreeable person who got along well enough in just about anybody's company. Especially when there was wine.

"However, it's disquieting how remarkably naive you are. Your innocence is adorable, and you wear it well, but you honestly cannot discern why I chose to offer you employment in my own ranks? A position that would remove you from say…international scandal…before continuing your work?" Light stared. The fuck? The gentle warmth from earlier burned hotter and turned into anger. What exactly was the detective implying? That Light was somehow in a position to be in some sort of international fuckery in his current position? Light bit back a smart retort and took a long sip of wine to stop himself from biting off a reply in anger. He slowly put his glass back down on the coffee table, and took time to note the intricate pattern carved intaglio style on the marble surface. He reconsidered his placement of his wine, and reached for a coaster. Then he replied.

"You find me naïve? In what way, exactly? Yes, I was not aware that my country's government had kept the Notebook from Interpol, an action that I disagree with, but that hardly puts me in a position of scandal. I am a scientist, I can't be held responsible for the actions of politicians or policemen." L was frowning at him, and it bothered Light. No, no it did not bother Light, because L could disapprove of Light all he wanted and Light couldn't give less of a fuck. Yes. That.

"You don't believe that in a truly regrettable situation where they had to choose someone to pin the blame on for Japan using the notebook in a military manner, that you're name would be first on the list?" Wait, what?

"You don't believe that your name has already come up in such discussions? Are you really so naïve that you believe being an upstanding man of science is in any way going to dissuade the international sharks from tearing you down with your connection to a notebook of death? Be serious, Dr. Yagami."

"Excuse me? Are you insinuating that in some way I am responsible for any of those actions? I did not know that Japan had kept the Notebook from the international heads of states, as a matter of fact, I was led to believe that they had done exactly the opposite! And there's no way to use the Notebook for military power, it's under my supervision at all times! So yes, I don't believe that anyone can complain- international shark or otherwise- at how I've been conducting my research." There was that look again. That look of almost condescending apology. It made Light's blood boil and the fire in his stomach burned higher.

"Exactly, Dr. Yagami. You were led to believe. You've been led to believe a lot of things. You honestly think that if Japan came into true conflict with another country that the Death Note being under your supervision is going to stop your military from using it? That because you are too good to test it in the one way almost any other scientist would have tested it, it's going to stop anyone else from using it to kill? Yes, Light, it's obvious that you would not be and are not responsible for anything happening with the notebook, but that would not stop them from framing you, twisting your image, and ultimately destroying you. I am offering protection from that."

L's words swam around Light's head as he processed them, the only thing sticking was that the other man had called him by his first name. Light vaguely wondered if that had been a slip, because he was foreign and used to calling others by their given name. That was a weird tradition, Light thought, as he took another sip of wine. How did they show each other respect then?

"I believe you are mistaken. My government would never abuse the power of the Death Note, especially after it was used to kill off members of our own House of Councillors. And despite what you seem to think, my position is one that is highly sought after and respected. My supervision of the Notebook does mean that I can stop someone from using it to kill, actually." L gave him a small smile. Light was beginning to dislike the man intensely. Well, more intensely than he had already disliked the concept of L. Now he could personalize his hatred.

"It would appear we are at an impasse then, Dr. Yagami. For what it is worth, I respect your fastidiousness in your beliefs and truly wish that I could have as much faith in your fellow countrymen as you do. However, as my associate Mello informed you, I am here representing the USA's interest in what is the greatest military threat the world has ever seen. I will assess the validity of the threat, instead of treating it like my pet Nobel Prize project as you have done, and then I will neutralize it. I only hope I don't have to do the same to you."

And for the second time that day, Light walked out on someone mid-conversation, pausing only to place his glass of wine next to a particularly ugly statue.

L leaned back in his plush velvet chair and slid another piece of cake into his mouth. The cheesecake icing melted slowly, mixing perfectly with the moist cake the only incongruity in texture being the crunch carrots that L believed gave him all the nutrition he needed for today.

He sighed and placed aside the cake after two more quick bites and returned to thinking about his problem with a very obstinate brunet.

The man, no, the boy was even more clueless than L had thought. The way his sepia eyes had lit up as he talked about how he could protect the notebook had told L everything he'd needed to know.

It was almost…cute. Endearing. There was a dedication to the purest forms of justice and truth that had led Light Yagami through life, and he had stuck by it because so far he had been successful. It was truly a good thing he had gone into science instead of detective work, L thought idly. He knew the doctor consulted on cases, using brilliant logic to find and capture criminals from behind the scene, but that was a very different beast from working on cases day in and out. Being the first on the scene after a murder. Pouring over countless pictures of the horrors humanity was capable of. It changed a person, and no one L knew who had seen what he had could stand and say the same things Light had.

L shook his head. It was just bizarre. A beautiful and sophisticated mind like Yagami's, fully aware of the extent to which humans could become cruel and feral, and he rejected it- honestly believing the best of those around him in spite of every single evidence to the contrary. And more than bizarre, it was dangerous. Boyhood ideals wandering around in the head of the man in charge of the most terror inducing weapon mankind had seen.

And no matter how cute it was, L had to deal with the man. After meeting him, he had no desire to dismiss Light from the case nor to have him pinned with any of the blame that was going to come raining down should America and England have the slightest suspicion Japan had used the notebook behind Light's back, which L was 87% sure they already had.

That meant he had to protect Light, while also tending to that pesky ego of his. Pesky. That was a good word for Light. Pesky Yagami. It even rhymed.

"He's cute." L didn't look up, instead choosing to stuff his mouth with carrot cake before responding.

"Yes, he is. Your point?" Wedy took the seat across from him, previously occupied by their topic of conversation, and pulled out a carefully wrapped package, letting it drop without ceremony onto the marble coffee table.

"My point is you like cute. Remember that FBI agent, what was it his name? Oh yah. Williamson. He was cute. A bit bigger than this one and a whole lot slower, but real cute." L took another bite of cake, this one a bit petulant. Williamson hadn't been that slow.

"Regardless of what I like, not only does Yagami have a history of dating infamously beautiful women, but this is the kind of case where I cannot lower my reasoning ability by distracting myself with men, cute or otherwise."

Wedy shrugged, the casual gesture leaving L with the impression she disagreed with him, but since he was her very generous employer she was willing to stay quiet.

"What is it Wedy?" L had found that directness, while not always the politest of measures, usually resulted in honesty from the thief.

"I just disagree on him being that keen on women." L kept his face neutral, neither indicating for her to continue or stop.

"I mean, he passed by me in the lobby and didn't so much as give me a second glance! And before you tell me that I'm letting my vanity get the best of me, according to your data, he dates blondes. Lots of blondes. So not only am I his purported preference, but he's in a bit of an angry mood if the look on his face and yours is to be trusted, which is when men tend to do rash things. Like pick up hot girls in hotel lobbies." Wedy finished and leaned back, triumphantly.

"You mean to tell me that you're basing your hypothesis of his sexuality on the fact that he didn't favor you with a passing glance? Despite you falling within his historical preference, it's still a weak case. I expect better from you." Although L couldn't deny himself the small thrill he got at raising his chances by 2 percent.

"Actually, no. I dropped the package in front of him and he bent to pick it up for me. I tried to flirt with him and get his number, but he completely shut me down. I just didn't think you'd like that story." Ah, well, Wedy was right on that account, L thought.

"I'm going to ignore your complete lack of professionalism and I'm also going to completely let go the fact that you let a very sensitive package almost fall into the hands of the last person I want aware of this, in favor of this. You tried to pick up a man you thought I would like? Do personal boundaries mean nothing to you?" Wedy grinned at him.

"Well, if he was straight, what harm would it be? Besides, now you know you have a chance!" No, L didn't 'know' that. But still…7 percent. He'd bet on worse odds before and been successful…

"Moving on, I'll be taking this. You're to remain on retainer in Tokyo for at least the next week. Watari will address your concerns on accommodations and payment." L picked up the package and moved into the inner rooms of his suite as he heard Watari move from his ever vigilant watch over L in the next room through their elaborate camera system, into the sitting room to talk to Wedy. For now, L had to focus on the package and how to handle its brunet owner. He could worry about what else to do with the brunet owner later.

Perhaps while he showered.

Light sank down into his favorite chair and let every single muscle in his body slowly release the day's tension. He absolutely loved this chair. It was a large vintage chair that Light had received day while wandering through the halls of his old physics department after graduating for the second time. Light had not been in a particularly celebratory mood despite his recent success, feeling the looming weight of his future in front of him and wanting nothing more than the Head of the Physics to jump out at from behind his office door and offer Light a job. Instead, he had jumped out and offered Light a chair. The man had explained that he had taken it from the overseer of his own doctorate, and had completely re-upholstered the thing on his own during the month he'd had been graduating and starting working with Japan's space program. He went on about how it had relaxed him, how doing something with his hands had stopped his anxiety over leaving school. And as Light stared at the absolutely appalling hound's-tooth pattern that had faded over the last 43 years, he found himself agreeing to take the chair on and make it his own.

At first, Light had just stared at it. He didn't know the first thing about upholstery, and didn't own any furniture other than what he had kept from his childhood home. The ugly thing had just loomed in Light's new and empty living room. But slowly, Light realized that he was thinking about it then back of his mind as he tried to occupy himself during the two month interim between graduating and starting with the NRPS. Two weeks after he received it, he'd decided he wanted tan leather. Light had then gone out and found an amazing deal on vintage leather from an antiques shop down the street and across the corner from his housing provided he strip it from the old train seats himself. The seats were from America, the old owner had explained, he'd gotten them as an oddity for people who liked that sort of thing, but apparently those people didn't shop at his store. So he set Light to them with a seam ripper and somehow six weeks later as he was preparing to go to work on the first Monday of the month, Light laid his suit jacket out across his re-stuffed, re-upholstered, completely reworked large leather chair that stood proudly in his newly furnished living room. It had been that project that had made Light realize that he could do more than academia and tennis, that he could literally build up a chair with his own hands (cuts notwithstanding), and that he could tackle the professional world.

In short, nothing could bother Light while he was in his chair. Not that he had much time to relax in it lately. But maybe with L 'taking over' he could find a few nights to kick off early…sip wine, listen to music, read…all in his comfortable chair.

Light's cell phone went off and he narrowed his eyes at it, daring it to ring again. It did. Damn thing. Light sighed and pulled himself out of his chair over to his work bag and fumbled for the stupid thing. It was probably Tzuki calling to check in on why he had all but abandoned work for the day, and while Light knew in his head that it was a reasonable thing to ask of one's boss, it still annoyed him. Barely registering the unknown caller warning, Light flipped it open.

"Hello?"

"Dr. Yagami, we need to speak immediately. In person." L's smooth voice filled Light's ear and he felt a strange mixture of anger and pleasant warmth re-enter his stomach.

"No, we don't. I'm off the clock. I'm done. Go away." Light was aware he sounded like a petulant two year old, but honestly that was how the man seemed to see him anyways so it hardly mattered. Besides, Light was tired and entitled to be left alone at times. It was a basic right!

"Dr. Yagami, while I would normally respect your preference to be left alone to do whatever or whomever you fill your free time with, this is really not a request so much as it is me telling you to get yourself to my hotel immediately, or have my men pick you up." Light blinked. Had there been a subtle innuendo hidden in that speech? Do…whomever…

"L, I'm not in the mood. I'm really not. I'm sure whatever it is can wait at least until the morning." Who was this man that Light had to be giving him excuses? Yes, sure, maybe he was technically now in charge of Light's research, but still. That didn't mean he controlled Light outside of work hours. Great dental plan or not, there was no way Light would ever consider working for the man if this was how he treated personal time off. Not that Light had been considering the ridiculous offer at all. Really.

"I discovered the notebook's power source. I'll see you within the next half hour." The line went empty.

Light's hand shook softly and his phone dropped down onto the white rug beneath Light's slippered feet. He had..solved..

What. The. Fuck.

Light thought he must be going into shock. That had to be why even as his breathing shortened and his hands felt vaguely tingly, he was so removed from it. Oh look, now he'd dropped onto his knees. That was interesting.

"Breath Yagami. It's all going to be okay, shh shh, little scientist." There weren't many things that could have snapped Light out of the spiral of panic and inadequacy he had been about to enter. Hearing 'Mello's' voice next to his ear while a leather covered hand patted his back and then began to move in lazy circles across his muscles was one of them.

"The hell?" Mello smirked at him.

"You are just quite the eloquent one aren't you Doctor? Always such a way with words." He bent down and grabbed Light under his arm and hefted the shell shocked scientist up without much difficulty.

"Got a call from L, said to come down to your place because he needed to see you and you might require a ride. He wants you there fast, you see, and the subway's not going to cut it. So I get here, and he tells me he's going to try and convince you to come. Next thing I know, he's calling me again telling me I should probably keep you from collapsing in shock. And here we are." Mello threw Light's left arm around his shoulder and the brunet didn't even protest as he felt himself moved forward and out of his apartment. Light dimly noted that Mello shouldn't have been able to get into his apartment, but that was a problem for later.

"Did he really solve it?" Light turned to his puppeteer and saw a small, almost pitying smile gracing chocolate flaked lips.

"Yah kid, he did. Up we go." Light slid onto the motorcycle behind Mello, not bothering to care that if would force him to be in extremely close proximity with the volatile blond. He merely slid his arms around Mello's waist and pondered exactly how much he must suck at physics to be beaten by the detective. A letter. A letter beat him. What did that make him if he was less than a letter?

L stared at the Shinigami before him, who was casually munching on an apple and floating Indian-style in mid-air through L's sitting room.

"So you are the guardian of the notebook?" L held back a wince as the creature swallowed the entire core in one bite.

"Yup. We're sort of a package deal. And have a little more respect for the Death Note. Your little brown-haired friend has the right attitude about the thing. I like him better, why couldn't he touch it? Always wearing stupid gloves…" L merely raised an eyebrow at that admission and noted that apparently Dr. Yagami was appealing even to gods of death.

"What do you mean the right sort of attitude?" The thing grinned leeringly.

"He respects the Death Note. Have you ever noticed how he talks about it? He refuses to call it by its name; I think he's scared of it. Or maybe he's scared of how much he wants to use it."

"I don't think Dr. Yagami is interested in using the Death Note." Here the creature, Ryuk, burst out into full on laughter, braying horribly for a solid minute before quieting enough to answer.

"Maybe. But that doesn't matter to the Death Note. It makes you want it. And the dear doctor has been shitting his pants for the past six months over how much he wants it. Sure, he's told himself he just wants to figure out how it works- but really, he wants to possess the Death Note. Learn all its secrets. Master it. And before mastery, comes practice. You may not know this cause he's still so handsome, but he was a lot prettier when he first got the Death Note. It's been eating away at him. Literally." The sick cackle of the creature left a small queasiness in L's stomach as it resonated around the room.

"Dr. Yagami is an upstanding individual. Your opinion of him leaves much to be desired." The Shinigami then swooped in, close to L's face and L remembered vaguely that the creature could kill him whenever he chose.

Mortality really did suck.

"Yah, well, he's certainly not upstanding with what he does in the shower. Besides, as much as I like him, he hardly ever keeps apples in the house. What kind of person doesn't keep apples handy?"

L arched an eyebrow.

"What does he do in the shower?" The Shinigami leered at him. Leered!

"All the sorts of things I bet you wish you could do to him. To be perfectly honest, if I still had those parts I'd do it to him myself too…I like 'em young and pretty. Don't ever tell him I said that though. It'd be real embarrassing." Ryuk chuckled, and laughed more at L's expression. It was obvious the thing found L highly entertaining. L tried to avoid picturing the Shinigami and Light in the shower. Really. He just pushed that thought away.

"Well that's…interesting. Why does the Death Note make humans want to use it?" Ryuk swooped in a happy circle mid air before answering.

"You ask good questions. I can't think of the last time I heard of a human so interested in how it worked instead of killing people, except for Light. I think it's because the Death Note needs to be used, otherwise what's the point of it existing?" The Shinigami then busied himself with the barrel of apples and L accepted the dismissal, busying himself with his thoughts.

So the Death Note somehow appealed to humans enough to get them to use it. But was that a power of the notebook's, or a comment on humankind's nature? L knew it was tempting power to have, the ability to kill anyone anywhere with only a name and face. Not having to feel the blood on your own hands made killing just a matter of sending in an order. L would know, he'd wielded that very power for almost 20 years now.

So perhaps that was why he was disgusted by the notebook, instead of tempted. Of course, the Shinigami spilling apple flecks all over his carpet could also be a large part of his disgust.

Another thing that struck him was that by the way the Shinigami spoke of the notebook, as though it were a separate entity from itself. But hadn't the Shinigami created it?

"Ryuk, are you not the master of the Death Note? Did you not create it?" The Shinigami looked up from his apples, red eyes glowing and sending a shiver up L's curved spine.

"Not at all. You could even say it was the other way around." Well, perhaps L had been a bit early in his call to Light then. Perhaps he should call back and tell the brunet to come back in the morning, after L probed and prodded the creature for every last answer he could. After all, L had ordered ten gourmet apple pies not a half hour ago, he was sure he could truly get to the bottom of the notebook's origins by morning.

"Is that so? Why don't you tell me more, after I make a quick phone call…" The Shinigami laughed.

"If you're calling to tell little Light to not come because you fucked up, don't bother." L frowned. He hadn't 'fucked up', merely hyperbolized his findings.

"And why not?" The Shinigami pointed at the door, and L could hear Mello's voice outside of it, but he could only make out the word 'come'.

"They're here."

Author's Note: Well well, there was a huge horrible and not so subtle drop of foreshadowing in that second to last sentence there. Yup, you're all going to hate me come next chapter if you can figure out what's going to happen. Still, enjoyed this chapter? REVIEW! To my reviewers so far- You made my day, and made this chapter go all the faster. Chapter 3 is limping along, I'm just trying to decide which plot line to go into first, cause there's a lotta drama up in this bitch. But by limping along, I mean expect it by next week or so.

Also, on L's age- yes. All ages are canon.

This story is shaping up to be a lot more philosophical than I originally intended, so just fair warning, it might get deep as a mine shaft for a while. Hopefully, that excites you. But don't worry, I won't make you suffer through endless circular talk of purpose and ethics. We have plot and boy love to get to.

Thanks for reading!
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Tale of Two Death Notes