Light's Surprise Christmas
Tick, tock, tick, tock... On and on went the clock. The only sound in an otherwise silent room, broken only by the sound of keys clacking rapidly. The occasional squeak of a chair, a sip of energy-inducing coffee, a casual sigh.
Light and L were alone in the large room, with nothing but the soft glow from the many computers for light, and no company but each other. Save only for the scarce moments Watari entered with a new tray laden with sweets or coffee and tea for the two boys.
L continued the tedious task of reading inumerable reports, barely blinking, and only moving his hands away from the keyboard to pick up a treat from a newly replaced tray. Quite awake and totally uninterested in what he was vaguely aware some people referred to as a break.
Light, however, was not like L. Able to stay awake for what seemed like weeks at a time, taking an hour-long nap every other day, or whenever L deigned to allow what he thought was a waste of time. So, unsurprisingly, Light was tired. And trying, so it seemed, to drink his weight in caffeine. Something L seemed too oblivious to notice. Only when Light's exhaustion interfered with his work did L sigh in an annoyed manner, and tell Light that it was time for a rest. Something Light had no problems with.
Light blinked his tired eyes, trying to clear away the bleariness, to read the little marks both on paper and monitor. The ones some people referred to as words. Another cup of coffee, another few sugar cubes, even a few of L's proffered sweets. L knew that the time for another break was near when Light accepted his offer of sweets. Light didn't necessarily hate sweets, but the amount L normally ingested on a daily basis would make anyone nauseous. And that was only when Light was simply watching.
Another coffee, another sugar cube, another piece of strawberry cake... At the very least, Light would need to visit the facilities soon. Tick, tock, tick, tock. Squeak, clackity-clack, sip, sigh.
What day was it anyway? That was the question running vaguely through Light's mind. There was no calendar in the room. He absentmindedly moved his mouse, prompting the arrow on the monitor to move towards the lower right corner of the screen where the time was displayed. It was December 23rd. Christmas was just around the corner. And he had to mentally slap himself as he almost turned his head to the (L-less) right of him, trying to see just what corner it was that Christmas was hiding behind. He didn't even celebrate Chistmas. Most people in Japan didn't. But Light's exhaustion had caught up with him, and he finally turned away from the computer screen, and looked properly around at the room for the first time in hours.
There wasn't anything different about it since everyone had gone away for the night. They remembered what holiday it almost was, and had gone off to shop for their loved ones. When Soichiro Yagami had asked his son, Light, if he wanted anything, Light was genuinely non-plussed. Soichiro didn't normally ask that question of him, and Light wondered what he had meant. Even L had looked up from yet another report to watch the father and son in question, watching and waiting for Light's answer.
"Huh? Um... No thanks," said Light, still slightly confused.
"Well, if you're sure," said Soichiro, watching his son almost as carefully as L was. "Then, I'll make it a surprise!" he finished with a smile. Matsuda grinned from behind him.
"A... Surprise...?" said Light, now more confused than before. L was still watching intently from behind.
Then, they all left without another word, waving cheerfully and smiling. Now Light had understood. Soichiro was asking him what he wanted for Christmas. Had Matsuda asked L the same thing? He had seen the young officer whispering with the quirky detective, stretching the chain as long as he could to be sure that Light wouldn't over-hear them. Why do that though? Had L known what Matsuda was asking about? Or had he been confused as well?
L didn't seem the type to celebrate holidays, or even be aware of them. For all he knew, the entire year consisted of only Sunday through Saturday, and nothing special happened in between. Save for a new case to be solved, or perhaps the weather. But the room they were in had no windows, and it was pointless either way to even try to discuss something as boring as the weather. And for L, there were no other cases of interest at all as long as Kira was still on the loose. There probably would never be another case as interesting as the Kira case again for L anyway. So, in short, the year consisted of only Sunday through Saturday. And there was nothing anyone could say to convince him otherwise.
However... If Matsuda had indeed asked L the same question Soichiro asked Light, why was Matsuda still smiling when he walked away from L? Still smiling when Soichiro walked up to his son, and asked a question that puzzled him until just now. Had L known what day it was? What holiday was coming up? Had L answered Matsuda's question without the confusion Light displayed for his father (and L and Matsuda who had been watching the two of them)?
Another cup of coffee... "Hmm?" Light peered, momentarily distracted, into his mug. Watari must've come in while Light had been pondering the day's mystery. The coffee was freshly brewed. Light continued to drink, gazing at the screen before him, but not really seeing it. His eyes slid in and out of focus. The coffee wasn't working. He reached over at the new tray of sweets and picked up a cookie at random. He munched on it slowly, vaguely aware that the tapping of keys had ceased, the squeaking, sighing, sipping, munching. The only sound to be heard was the clock, that was, for some reason, intent on keeping the time accurate. Light had finished the cookie, his mug was empty when he lifted it to his lips once more. He refilled it and continued staring at the screen before him. He had been staring at the same page, on both paper and monitor, for the past hour.
Light felt suddenly uncomfortable, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He put down his, once again, empty mug, and this time glanced to his left. L was staring at him. Light blinked and refocused his gaze on the computer. Watching, but not really seeing. L continued to stare. Light knew that stare. It was the one that came after Light's consumption of sugary confections. The slightly annoyed and, whatever L said, tired stare L gave the younger man when he stopped working. Light was completely oblivious, or at least pretending to be to get L... What? To get him annoyed? Make him say those words he wished he could hear more often? To take a god-damned break, just once?!
"Light," called L's low tenor. Light pretended not to hear. Perhaps he was just imagining it and L wasn't talking to him at all. Perhaps he should just put his head down on the table and just sleep. Consequences be damned because... Because, hell! He was human and needed some damn sleep once in a while! Wait, if he was tired, and needed sleep, and needing sleep made him human, what did that make L? He smiled slightly at the possibilities.
"Light," came L's low voice once more. Light heard it that time. The smile slipped off of his face as though it had never been there, and he turned fully to the left to face the sugar-obsessed insomniac.
"L," said Light in a matter-of-fact tone. L cocked his head slightly to the side. The way he did whenever Light behaved differently due to a lack of sleep. The way Light said that letter, that was also his name, wasn't just a statement, it was a question. A childish question, because, of course, Light knew what L wanted. What L was asking.
"Light is in need of what seems to be much required sleep." Just like that. No questions. No nothing, really, because the two boys now knew each other well enough to know what the other wanted or needed without saying a word. Without waiting for a response from the younger man, L slipped out of his chair, and led the groggy Light towards their room. A bed. That was all Light cared about being led to. And once there, Light flopped unceremoniously into the soft comfort offered by the large bed the two shared.
L padded quietly around to his side of the bed and sat, not gracefully but not as urgently as Light had done, against the headboard. He pulled his knees up to his chest, thumb in between two slightly parted pale lips, and turned his head to the right. Watching the clearly exhausted young man next to him in slight fascination. Light was already asleep, breathing softly and evenly. L decided to take the chance he could, because there was just no way that they would take a second break in the same day. He laid down, pulling the blankets over the young brunette as he went. Light was so tired, he fell asleep on top of the sheets. Not caring that he risked catching a cold by doing that. But L wouldn't have it. A cold would be the last thing he would tolerate, not that he was willing to tolerate anything that could put the case on hold. But to L, catching a cold was just stupid. Easily preventable, and they hadn't even been outside in months.
On the other hand... Could it be part of Kira's plan? Get Light Yagami to catch a cold, pass it on to L, and die? People die from untreated colds all the time. It was a stupid idea, but not something to be overlooked. It was December after all. L sat up and turned to the laptop he kept on the nightstand on his side of the bed. He flipped it open, and at once, the light from the white screen illuminated his features. A second later, a gothic W appeared on the screen, and the gravelly, yet kind, voice of Watari came through the speakers.
"Watari."
"Yes, L?"
"Please check the infirmary. Make sure we have plenty of medicine. Specifically, the kind used to combat a cold or the flu," said L softly so as to not wake the sleeping Light. Though, he thought, it wouldn't make much of a difference even if he spoke in his usual volume. The boy was so tired...
"Have you come down with something?" said Watari, sounding concerned.
"No."
"Then, is it Light Yagami?" said Watari, sounding equally concerned.
"No. No one is sick. At least, not at the moment," said L, glancing momentarily back at Light to make sure he was still covered. "But I won't take any chances."
L did not elaborate. But Watari seemed to understand. "Very well. Is there anything else you require?"
L stared at the black W for a moment, thinking. "As a matter of fact, now that you mention it, there is."
[break]
Now it was December 25th, at least, according to the computer. A little past midnight. Light was well rested after a good night's sleep. A whole night, he thought in wonder. He wondered why L allowed it. But in the end decided to be grateful rather than question him. It wouldn't hurt to have that happen more often. But curiosity overcame him once more when, just after glancing at the clock on the monitor, L stood up, and began to lead him back towards their room.
Another break, he thought in wonder, so soon after the last? L couldn't possibly be tired, and Light had been eating normally. No sweets for him just yet. It had come so suddenly, that he froze in his tracks. Refusing to move after L had gotten him out of his chair. L stopped as well, and turned around curiously at an even more curious Light. Really though, L wasn't all that surprised. Considering his usual habits, how could he expect Light to react any differently? Of course Light would question him, there was a 14% chance he would.
"What is it, Light?" asked L in a tone that suggested that what he was doing was so obvious that he wasn't expecting any questions.
"Where are we going?" asked Light in a tone that suggested that L quit messing with him right now, and tell him what was going on.
"To our rooms. To rest," said L in a "isn't-that-obvious" sort of way.
"Yeah, I guessed that much," said Light who was annoyed for some reason. "I meant, why?"
"Ah."
'Ah.' That was it? L drove him mad sometimes.
"I figured that much was obvious," said L in a bored tone. "We're going to our room to rest. To sleep." And with that, L turned once more and proceeded to drag Light from his momentarily frozen spot. Light lurched forward with the surprising force that the young detective had applied on their connecting chains. Sometimes, Light really wanted to punch L, even if it meant getting a response in the form of a kick to the face.
They were going to their room. To rest. To sleep. Well, thought Light annoyed, that much was obvious. He continued forward, not really caring to argue. Another break wouldn't hurt. With this much rest, Light was sure to get more work done later. But why was L so keen on it? He didn't seem the least bit tired.
And that was how Light found himself back in their room. Both freshly showered and changed. L was on his laptop, ordering warm milk for the two of them from Watari. Light was only a little tired, sleepy enough to be in the bed, but awake enough to just sit with his back against the headboard like L, cushioned by the pillows. Just staring out of the lone window that had remained covered from view until now. L had personally pulled the curtains back, and they both had stood at the window for a while. Looking out at the snow-covered city, feeling the cold coming from the sealed window, watching the snow fall. Light hadn't seen the sky for months. He found it to be quite beautiful. Even when they had both sat down on the bed, Light continued to stare out the window. Wondering, why was L doing all this? A rest after the previous had been two days before, a full night at that. Opening the curtains to their bedroom to watch what little of the world they could see beyond the glass. Ordering warm milk. And if all that wasn't strange enough, when they sat down on the bed, L announced to Light to relax. That they would be there all night, so that they could get another nice, long, uninterrupted sleep. And by 'they', Light understood that it was he that would most probably be doing most of the sleeping.
Very little time seemed to pass between the time L placed what seemed to be a special order, and it actually arriving. The milk was already in the mugs, and Watari, for whatever reason, handed Light's own mug to him personally. Rather than allowing him to choose from the two identical beverages. Perhaps, thought Light vaguely, L's had a lot of sugar already in it, and Watari didn't want him to get the wrong one. Rather kind of him, really.
Light drank deeply. He didn't usually drink warm milk. It was something to aide sleep, and at the moment, he preferred the caffeine infused drinks required to get through his 36-hour days with L. L drank as well, chatting with Watari who seemed to want to linger in the room for the mere purpose of gazing at the slowly falling snow. Perhaps it had been a while since Watari had seen the sky as well, and the sight was beautiful. Then why not fetch a drink for himself? Was he afraid of missing the snowfall? That it would stop by the time he returned?
Suddenly, Light became aware of just how exhausted he was. The suddenness seemed to hit him as though L had swung a pillow at his face. But the very idea of it seemed ridiculous. L only retaliated when Light initiated contact in the form of a fight. Why would L suddenly attack Light with a pillow, unprovoked to do so? It made no sense whatsoever. But then, why was Light thinking about his at all? He swung his heavy head around to stare at L and Watari. Neither of them were attacking him with pillows. They were still chatting quietly, totally unconcerned about anything else at all. Light might as well have not been there at all. Why was he thinking about pillows?
Light set down his empty mug, still contemplating his sudden exhaustion. His eye lids were drooping heavily as he leaned back into the pillows propped against the headboard. He continued to stare at the pair next to him. It was like he wasn't even there. Light had the funny urge to throw a pillow at L, but found that he had no strength to lift his arm, let alone a pillow. So he settled for staring at the snow that was still falling from the dark sky beyond the chilly window. His eyes threatened to close with every passing second.
December 25th. That was the date given to him by his computer, wasn't it? But why was he thinking about that? Was it important? He didn't think so. The voices sounded so distant now. L had allowed the two of them a break after the last one had been barely two days before. L had opened the curtains to allow the two of them to view the outside world. L had ordered warm milk for the two of them, and he could not remember L ever requesting that specific drink before. Was it getting darker? L was allowing him to get a full night's rest. December 25th. It seemed important somehow. What was it? Midnight... Snow...
"Christmas..." mumbled Light before finally losing the battle to stay awake. L and Watari finally seemed to notice the third party in the room, and that he had fallen asleep. L set down his own empty mug on the nightstand on his side of the bed next to his laptop, and proceeded to try and make Light more comfortable. Watari strode around to Light's side of the bed to help, and together they got him laid down, and under the covers. Sleeping peacefully. Finally remembering what day it was exactly, and not even awake to realize it.
L had already set to work, talking quietly to Watari while his eyes were fixed on the cuff around his thin wrist. "Thank you, Watari. That worked very well," said L as he worked his hand free from the silver chain that bound he and Light together 24/7.
"It was nothing," said Watari, "but thank you."
L slipped off of the bed. When he joined Watari at the doorway, they both stopped to look back at the unconscious Light. L brought his thumb to his lips, and Watari caught sight of a small smile before L turned and left the bedroom, Watari shutting the door behind them.
~*~*~*~
The dawn slowly crept into their bedroom as the sun began to rise into the sky. The sky still a chilly gray as the snow continued to fall to the earth. Light fell across two figures curled up beneath the covers on a single bed, attached by a single, silver chain. Light Yagami opened his eyes, not expecting light in the room, which was always dark regardless of the time outside. He squinted, though the light wasn't all that bright. His head hurt slightly, and for a moment, he thought about pillows. He sat up slowly with his unchained hand on his head, trying to remember what had happened the night before. Trying to remember what it was he realized before he passed out. Watari had taken the mugs away, he noticed, and L was sound asleep. However, at the light sound of the chain, L's eyes opened and focused almost immediately on Light. He sat up, stretched, and looked out the window, remarking casually to Light how beautiful it was.
It was beautiful, Light had to admit, but why did he feel like he was missing something? It couldn't be L, this was how he was. Normally, people are in a kind of limo for the first few minutes upon waking up. Completely lost to the world. But L was as abnormal as they came. It was like he had never slept, but simply blinked for an exceptionally long period of time. No, he was used to L. He was suddenly seized by an odd urge to fling a pillow at the man, but had no idea why. So when L asked him what was wrong, and pointedly looked at Light's hand, Light was surprised to look down to find his hand digging into his pillow. How very odd. He immediately loosened his grip on it.
"Is Light alright?" asked L with a note of humor in his voice. "You fell asleep quite suddenly, and you seem... unhappy with your pillow?"
Light felt a heat in his face and forced it to back off. Finally, it was all too much for him, and without warning, Light threw his pillow at L. L, not expecting this at all, caught said pillow with his face, nearly falling off the bed. Light smiled and laughed, not knowing why. L, hearing Light's chuckles, immediately noted that Light had not thrown the pillow out of anger. Light was playing with him. L smiled, and threw his own pillow at Light, who was fully expecting it. L had not been able to defend himself from Light's previous action, so Light allowed the pillow to hit him softly in the face without retaliating. One for one. Besides, a pillow fight between the two had a 50% chance of turning violent, and Light was in too good a mood to ruin the nice morning he had awoken to. Though, he did not know why.
The two showered and changed. Light stared out at the falling snow for a while, thinking that perhaps, once engaged in work once more, he'd never see it again. L had seemed to sober up, and proceeded to tug Light away from the window. Back to work. Still, a full night's sleep was nothing to complain about. A break, two days after the previous one.
There it was again. The feeling he had forgotten something. December 25th... Midnight... Snow...
"Merry Christmas!" cried several voices at once.
Light jumped slightly from the surprise. He had been so lost in thought, he failed to notice the new decorations that had adorned their work place. The festive looking food on a long table. The cheerful looking men who had been absent for two days. One of them wearing a Santa hat. Everyone, including Watari, standing around a tree covered in lights and shiny things. Holiday music playing through the computer's speakers. L led the way towards the middle of it all, not knowing whether to greet the men, visit the table covered with food, or wear one of the many Santa hats Matsuda had brought for everyone first. Light followed merely as to not look totally dumbstruck.
He stared around at everything, everyone, and especially L, who had decided upon the Santa hats. He thanked Matsuda for it, who proceeded to try and get everyone else to wear one as well (for if L approved, then they should, too), and picked up a second hat. L turned to face Light, hat in hand, and Light understood that he was to wear one, too. Not even given a chance for protest, L jammed the holiday hat onto Light's head, not caring whether he wanted to wear one or not.
"Merry Christmas," was repeated once more, for it was clear that Light was having trouble dealing with all this festivity at once. He hadn't removed the hat. He repeated the greeting, and his father, finally wearing a hat at Matsuda's insistence, clapped Light on the back, smiling and laughing.
"What's the matter, Light?" asked Soichiro happily. "Did you really forget about Christmas?" Light had no words, and decided to turn his attention towards the food covered table, which was something L had no problems with.
There was much eating of food, opening of presents and singing of Christmas carols, all accompanied by happy chatter. Finally, Light decided to try to relax and just have fun. After all, if L approved, then he should, too.
[break]
One thing still nagged him though. It was now December 26th. The time for Christmas festivities was over, and it was back to work on the Kira case. Matsuda seemed to be the one most depressed about this, but knew well enough to keep his mouth shut for fear of a scolding from Aizawa.
L was explaining to Light about the plans that had been made that led up to the prior day's festivities.
"I knew that you had completely forgotten about the holiday, and Matsuda seemed to really want to do something about it. I decided to humor him, just this once," said L.
"You just wanted to eat the gingerbread house," said Light who knew for a fact that no one but L had had a taste of said confectionery.
"Not true. Well, not completely," said L without a trace of embarrassment. L was L. That much could be counted on at least, thought Light with a hint of a smile on his lips.
"And that's why you insisted on a 'good night's rest'?" enquired Light. "So you could go through the preparations while I was asleep?" L said nothing, but merely hummed an affirmation. Soichiro was giving Mogi instructions in the background while Aizawa and Matsuda went through their own tasks.
Light still felt as though he was missing something. But what? He took a sip of his coffee, and froze. He remembered something. Milk...?
"L?"
"Yes, Light?"
"Why did you ask Watari to bring us warm milk?" L said nothing. He shrugged.
"I thought it might help us sleep a little better."
"But we both drank the milk. If you helped with the preparations, then you would have been too drowsy to do anything. Then again," he muttered, "you are L." L turned to look at Light. Did he suspect?
"Yes. I am L," he supplied dully, peering intently at the youth's face. He could almost see the gears moving in his head.
Various things began to race throughout Light's mind. L. Watari. Milk. Snow. Sleepiness. Pillows. Chrismas. December 25th. Midnight. So many different things, in so many different orders, all with an amazing rapidity that only he could comprehend. Then, it clicked.
"L?"
"Yes, Light?" Ah, thought L, he knows.
"Did you slip something into my warm milk?" asked Light, fully aware that the men behind them had ceased in their tasks to watch the two genius detectives.
"No, Light. Of course I didn't slip anything into your warm milk," said L looking Light straight into his eyes. The men's eyes shifted from one to the other in fascination. "I asked Watari to do that for me, before he even came into the room," finished L, without a trace of shame in his voice.
Even if he meant well... thought Light, annoyed, ...did he really have to go that far? L was L. That much was certain. But never, in a million years, would Light ever be able to properly know what exactly was going on in L's head.
"L?"
"Yes, Light?" asked L innocently.
L would soon be wishing they had pillows in that room. They hurt so much less.
~*~*~*~ Owari ~*~*~*~
