Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Light looked down at his wrist hanging by his side, flashing with the heavy cuff placed upon it. He shifted his arm slightly, the new weight feeling foreign and invasive. It was bad enough that L felt the need to keep him under surveillance. But to share every hour with L? It was infuriating. It was beneath him. He tried to keep his feelings of ire to himself, though it was difficult not to let his anger manifest across his face.

"Are you alright there, Light?"

The shock of the absurd question brought him back into reality. He looked over to the quiet detective, hunched over in his usual posture, staring at him as if he had simply asked what time it was.

"I'm not sure how you expect me to answer that, Ryuzaki," he remarked. He felt his brows begin to furrow, no matter how hard he tried to maintain his composure.

"Come now Light," L started, "I already suspect you to be Kira, there's very little you can say to change that. Any normal person would be allowed to voice some discomfort with this situation." He raised his own cuffed wrist in the air, peering directly into Light without any change in expression. "You and I will remain together 24/7, until either both handcuffs are on your wrists, or those of the real Kira," L finished, his voice inching towards sarcasm towards the end.

"I've already explained, I'm not Kira!" he exclaimed, now controlling his anger to provide an appropriate response. L was mocking Light openly, disguised enough that the detective knew only he would pick up on it. L was toying with him, and he knew I couldn't do anything about it. Not unless Light wanted to fall into his hands.

L turned away from the outburst and refocused his attention on the layout on the screen on the wall above them. It displayed a massive high-rise tower, detailing each floor with dozens of apartment-sized rooms, all promised to the members of the task force. Multiple rooms contained extensive computer labs and forensic equipment, and others were dedicated server rooms to power the massive feat. There were also a multitude of private floors with personal rooms for the Task Force to stay in.

Regardless of content, each room was under surveillance. Minus the personal rooms, L emphasised during his presentation. Only Light was under suspicion at this time, and L declared himself as the only watchful eye needed for the pair, as if it changed their situation at all. It was impressive the lengths he had gone to with security, though it was completely unnecessary. Light wasn't a complete idiot; there was no way he would even think of killing anyone inside the building, let alone under L's direct watch. Did he take him as some kind of fool? Another insult, right in front of him, only for him again…

"The complex is suitable enough to house over 100 members, should we fill the need to expand the task force for the investigation. With the resources we have here, there will be no excuse not to identify and arrest Kira. And we will remain here until we do just that." L finished, eyes locking with Light before looking towards the other members of the Task Force.

The room muttered with mixed replies, such as Matsuda's unneeded excitement at the drastic change, much to most of the task force's dismay. Light chose to stay neutral, hoping his staring at the detective didn't bring on any additional suspicion. He was enraged, knowing he was trapped with no way to escape. Not until L or himself was discovered by the other, and taken care of. And it sure as hell wasn't going to be Light going down. He was Kira, the God of the New World, and this little endurance test was simply the last obstacle he would overcome before he was truly free to rule his new utopia.

Chapter Text

L concluded the brief with the Task Force and stated the investigation would continue in earnest the following morning. He made his way to the elevators for the private floors with Light in tow. They both entered the elevator in silence, Light doing his best to get used to the new forced proximity the two shared. No matter how he tried, his focus continued to drift to the invasive cuff weighing him down. His energy shifted as the elevator chimed, signaling to the pair that they had arrived on their floor, and the detective led them down the hall to their room.

The two stepped into their new living quarters for the foreseeable future. The room was expansive, complete with a full-size kitchen, living area, and private master suite. Light had to admit to himself that the arrangements could have been worse. Had the situation been different, he would have enjoyed staying here.

“You can make yourself comfortable here Light,” L said, “We are going to be spending a lot of time together.” He gestured towards the couch, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“I don’t understand how you expect me to just relax like this isn’t completely ridiculous!” Light shouted, giving himself grace to let his feelings be known once more. “I don’t know why you thought any of this was necessary,” he waved in the general direction of the chain lying slack between the two.

“It’s simple Light,” L condescended, “I value my life as well as the lives of the Task Force. Including yourself. I intend to protect all of our lives until this investigation ends, no matter what the cost.”

He began to walk towards the couch, deciding their next moves for the both of them. Light did his best not to get dragged down by the sudden movement and begrudgingly followed the detective. “Our privacy is a small price to pay if it guarantees Kira is caught.” L perched himself at one end of the couch, leaving plenty of space for his chained partner. Light hovered above his source of newfound annoyance, standing in defiance. With a huff, he finally sat down on the couch, as far away from L as the chain allowed.

L gave no reaction and leaned forward to the small coffee table set in front of them, grabbing the remote and flicking on the screen mounted on the wall. It came to life with a slight hum, and he began flipping through channels until he landed upon the news. “Anything particularly planned for tonight’s set of killings?” L raised his thumb to his mouth and continued, “..Or do you even keep track of your victims at this point?” Light felt the detective’s eyes on him, awaiting some type of reaction, though he wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. He had already put on as much of a show as he intended for the time being, and quite frankly, he was exhausted after the day's events. This was going to be a long journey; there would be plenty of other fights to pick down the line. He was sure of it.

L returned his attention to the television after a moment of silence, staring intently at the current events as they broadcast across the screen. Nothing of note happened that evening, which elicited a small chuckle from him. Light immediately noticed, but again chose not to respond.

Instead, he exhaled a deep breath and let his eyelids close shut. He hated to admit it, but he had grown tired from his temper, and hoped he might find a moment of peace while L was preoccupied with the news. The monotone droning of the news anchor only further added to his exhaustion, causing him to fall into a lull. He felt his breathing start to relax, in contrast to the unfortunate situation he found himself in. His thoughts calmed as sleep slowly claimed his body; he felt his eyelids become increasingly heavy and unresponsive. Light drifted off to sleep, allowing L to sit alone with his thoughts.

-

After what felt like hours, Light stirred himself awake, feeling the uncomfortable sensation of being watched. He slowly peered his eyes open, only to be faced by the sight of L staring directly at him, closer than his original position. He jumped back with a yelp at his sudden proximity and tried to regain his composure. It was little use, as he felt a heat rise to his face in his embarrassment at being caught off-guard. If L found this amusing, it certainly didn’t show in his face, as his expression remained unchanged.

“Sorry Light, I didn’t intend to disturb your slumber,” L said, that familiar tone of faint sarcasm in his voice. Light glared in response. “I expect nothing less from you Ryuzaki. Is there something you need?” he raised an eyebrow, waiting for the detective to state the reason for his intrusion. “As much as I hate to awaken you from your much-needed rest, I regret to inform you that I need to shower.” L stated matter-of-factly. “I hope this fits your normal routine. I find it best to reset the mind in preparation for the night’s sleep.”

Dread welled in the pit of Light’s stomach. He knew eventually the topic of showering would come up, however he had small hopes that L would have the decency to separate the two for one moment of reprieve. Judging by the impatient look on L’s face, it appeared he had no such luck in this matter.

“Fine,” he said, letting out a frustrated sigh, “Let’s just get this over with.” L gathered himself and stood up from the couch, Light following his lead to the bathroom.

“Don’t sound so upset Light,” L began, cheerful almost. “I don’t find this any less pleasant than you do, I imagine. Though I had our room constructed with our situation in mind.” Light was intrigued by what this could possibly mean, and became increasingly curious as they approached the bathroom.

L opened the door to reveal a massive shower on the opposite end of the bathroom, equipped with two shower heads in each corner. Each shower station had its own faucet and set of toiletries, which allowed for some autonomy between the two. The only thing it lacked was a shower curtain between each station, undoubtedly on purpose.

“See Light, I’m not a total monster.” He looked over to Light with a calm resignation in his voice. “I did my best to make this arrangement as painless as possible.”

Light scoffed.

As painless as possible, huh? He pondered to himself.

While the setup appeared to have made things less awkward, there was no escaping the discomfort and annoyance of having to shower with another person. While he stood there in his thoughts, L began undressing himself in front of Light.

“L! What are you-” Light started, averting his gaze as quickly as he realized what was happening. L tossed his shirt in the corner, paying no attention to Light’s embarrassment at the situation.

“Unfortunately, we can’t shower with our clothes on Light, that would be very inefficient,” L said, stating the obvious.

“Well, I know that!” Light rebutted, “I just didn’t expect… a little heads up next time would be nice.”

L continued to disrobe, throwing his pants in the same corner of the room. “I believe the less attention we bring to the matter, the faster we can get this over with Light.” L left his boxers on and turned to Light expectantly. “Your turn.” He said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Light felt a familiar heat and anger return to his face and whipped around quickly to try to hide his frustration. After a pause, he began to undress himself as well. It took a moment to feed his shirt out of the cuffs and chain, but eventually he was able to free himself. He threw his clothes opposite L’s pile and turned to the detective, though he dared not make eye contact with him.

“There, was that so hard?” L relented. Light shot him a frustrated glare and made no additional comment. L paid the look no mind and walked to his side of the shower, turning the faucets on and grabbing a small washcloth next to the array of toiletries. When his boxers hit the floor, Light snapped in the opposite direction and began to start his own shower.

The sound of water hissing from the shower head started, and a light mist of steam slowly began to fill the room. When he was sure the detective was no longer paying attention to him, Light quickly removed his own boxers, kicking them away from the water stream. He grabbed his own washcloth and lathered himself, hoping to wash away his thoughts of anger and frustration.

It was no use, as occasionally he would feel a tug on the chain once he reached too far in one direction or the other. He hated this. He hated the feeling of having all his dignity stripped away, and he hated the fact that L found this to be just another minor inconvenience. He wasn’t sure if L was just a better actor than he imagined or if he found some sick pleasure in dehumanizing Light in this way. Regardless of the motives, he couldn’t stand it.

Following what felt like an eternity of awkward washing in silence, Light heard L turn off his faucet. The detective let out a sigh as the last bit of water rinsed his pale skin and reached for a towel on the rack above them. Light felt another pull in his direction from the chain, and let out a frustrated grumble.

“Would you mind?” Light exclaimed towards L. He refused to look the detective head-on, not until they were out of the shower entirely.

“Oh, my apologies Light. Do take your time, don’t let me get in your way.” L said. Again, the mocking tone remained in his voice, just barely there. Of course, Light picked this up immediately and felt himself being tested once again.

Light took a few deep breaths and pulled himself in front of the stream of water directly, again trying to have the water soothe him. He felt L stumble at his movement, and a faint smirk made its way across Light’s face. He finished up and turned off his faucet, grabbing his own towel, which further pulled L in his direction.

“Sorry Ryuzaki, I hope I didn’t disturb you,” Light mocked him, mirroring the same tone of sarcasm in his voice. He turned and faced L, who took his turn glaring at Light in annoyance. Light turned back and hung his head, hiding the amusement on his face. He hoped he was getting under L’s skin as much as he did his.

His triumph was short-lived, as L began to walk towards the bathroom door, dragging Light behind him in the process. He wrapped his towel around himself as they walked towards the exit, his anger returning as he stumbled in L’s footsteps. It had only been less than a day since their forced imprisonment began, and already Light had felt at his wits' end.

When L opened the door, it revealed the sizeable room. There was a computer desk in the corner, set up with two monitor stations, with a bookshelf filled with various reading materials on the opposite side. In front of the doorway sat the massive bed; on each side was a nightstand with matching lamps on top. The end of the bed had two sets of pajamas laid on the opposing corners.

“Home sweet home, for now,” L stated as he grabbed his set of clothes. “I’m going to get dressed now,” he continued, noting Light’s need for a heads-up from earlier in the bathroom.

“Oh, thanks,” Light responded, surprised that L accommodated his request. He faced away from the detective when he heard his towel hit the floor, and began to get dressed himself. It was like an awkward dance, waiting in turn to move his imprisoned arm, the chain limiting their movements.

Light sat on the bed with a long sigh as he hung his head, letting himself be consumed in his thoughts. He knew his plan to free himself was far from fruition, and he did not look forward to the time he had to spend chained to his rival.

“L, I know you believe I’m Kira,” Light began, finally looking at the detective, “but I’m not him. I don’t care how long it takes for us to find him, but I will prove to you I’m not a murder,” he finished with firm conviction in his voice. L looked back at him with his usual deadpan expression.

“I’m sure the truth will come to light in due time,” L responded. “For now, let’s get some rest. We have a big day ahead of us.”

With that, L turned off the lamp atop his nightstand and retired under the covers for the night. With no choice to continue the conversation, Light did the same and laid down on his side of the bed. He did his best to get comfortable under the covers, but with every movement he felt the chain pull at his wrist.

After an exhausted huff, he gave up and laid on his back, arms to his side as he stared at the ceiling above him. He could barely make out the details of the room in the dark, though he did see the rise and fall of the detective next to him out of the corner of his eye. He doubted that L would allow himself to fall asleep before Light did, but didn’t have it in him to see if he was awake. He had no energy to start another round of petty back and forth. His eyes were heavy, and all he could think about was sleep. He let himself fall victim to the wave of slumber as it washed over him, hoping to find peace in his dreams. Before he knew it, he was out, relieved this day was finally over.

Chapter Text

The next morning came sooner than expected. Sunlight began to flood the room, causing Light to groan in response as he felt the rays on his eyelids. He couldn’t help his irritation as the night’s sleep did little to refresh his mind. He felt more exhausted than the day before. Every so often during the night, the moment he felt enveloped in a deep slumber, he would feel the chain shift. At times, his wrist was jerked in a direction, immediately pulling him out of his sleep. The never-ending tossing and turning resulted in Light lying sprawled out in the middle of the bed. Before he could even gather his thoughts, he felt the chain once again shift next to him, and he prepared himself for what was to come. 

To no surprise, the detective was already awake and at work. He sat hunched over at the desk near his side of the bed, his messy hair and dark eyes illuminated by the light radiating off the computer monitor. In front of him sat a screen flashing with streams of data and camera feeds, while various files and notebooks were scattered upon the desk. Light turned to his side and watched the detective as he moved between tasks. Scanning the data across the screen, typing frantically, and jotting down notes on paper. When L felt the chain tug from his partner’s shift in position, he stopped. 

"Good morning Light," L said, turning to face him. Even through the bright sunlight glaring directly at him, Light could see the detective's eyes were puffy and slightly swollen from exhaustion. He stared at his partner with his usual owl-like expression, seemingly unaffected by his lack of sleep. "Did you sleep ok?" L asked, his voice faintly curious. 

The question took Light aback. It almost felt normal. 

"Sure, just fine," Light remarked sarcastically, eyes lingering on the chain between them. "Glad to hear that." L ignored Light’s tone and sounded almost genuine. Almost. 

Light rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up at the edge of the bed, letting out a long yawn as he stretched his arms as far as they could go. "Just how long have you been up Ryuzaki? Do you ever sleep?" he asked the detective. He did recall L lying down the night before, but was unsure if he was actually asleep or just pretending to be. He still didn't know if it was even possible for someone like L to let his guard down when around his number 1 suspect. To leave himself vulnerable around the man he believed to be a criminal. 

As if he were psychic, L answered Light's thoughts. "I sleep as much as I’m able to Light. With a case like this, anything can happen at any moment, so I like to be awake to catch anything suspicious. Plus..." he started and peered directly into Light's eyes, his focus unwavering, "I am the sole person responsible for your surveillance, and I take that job very seriously." He brought his thumb to his mouth as he shifted his position in his seat. "You can call my lack of sleep killing two birds with one stone."

Light shrugged him off, finding he had little energy to engage this morning. "You can call it whatever you like, L. If you want to bore yourself watching me sleep, be my guest. I have nothing to hide." He finished his statement, staring down at the detective. "On the contrary, Light, I find your sleeping habits quite interesting. Your breathing and heart rate slow down substantially, and your face relaxes in a way I've never seen before." A slight grin curves at the edge of L's lips, as if he were amused that he made such a discovery. "I'm slowly beginning to figure you out Light. I look forward to what more our time together will reveal."

Light tried to keep his feelings hidden as he felt his jaw clench at L's observations. It wasn't as if he could do anything suspicious while he was unconscious, but it was unnerving to have himself watched while in such an intimate position. The more L discussed their arrangement, the more Light suspected that he had only taken such a drastic measure to toy with Light. 

What is his end goal? Is this really just for the investigation? Light pondered to himself. Whatever the case may be, he knew he needed to free himself as soon as possible. There was no telling how much further L was going to push him. Or what type of actions he would take to do so. 

"Shall we get the day started then?" L's question snapped Light out of his whirlwind of thoughts. "We have a lot to review if we want to figure out what Kira is planning..." The detective trailed off, still staring at Light, waiting for his next move.  

"Sure. Lead the way, Ryuzaki." Light replied, doing his best to sound enthusiastic.

L stood up from his seat and began making his way to the doorway, Light following behind as had become routine. They took their turns getting dressed and ready in the bathroom, resuming their awkward dance as the chains limited their movements. To Light's surprise, it was less intimidating than the shower from the night before. But it was still far from normal. He felt L's gaze on him more than once as he got ready, as the detective studied his actions carefully. Light tried to pay little attention and instead focused on playing the role of the cooperative partner. Today was a new day, and he was going to prove to L that he couldn't wear him down.

-

The pair exited their living quarters and made their way down to the main computer room. They were greeted by the other members of the Task Force, all of whom were diligently at work. The layered sounds of hammered typing and papers shuffling echoed across the massive computer lab. The orchestra of the workspace was interrupted by a sound usually foreign to an office. The chain linking the duo rattled upon itself as they moved, announcing their presence to the room. The focus of the Task Force shifted as Light and L walked over to the computer station near the center of the room

"Good morning Light! Good morning L!" Matsuda exclaimed as they took their seats. "Ah yes, morning Matsuda," L replied, his tone teeming with annoyance at the policeman. Light hid a chuckle as he nodded in response to the greeting. If the two shared anything, it was their disdain for Matsuda’s childlike excitement at any and everything. Some things never change. 

“Did anything happen last night? Were you able to clear Light of suspicion of being Kira?!” Matsuda asked eagerly, his attitude closer to a hyperactive puppy dog rather than a special Task Force investigator. 

“Well, considering the handcuffs and chain between the two of them are still in use, I’m going to assume not,” Soichiro Yagami stated. The attention in the room shifted once more, now to the chief of the NPA. He looked worn out, undoubtedly from the case taking a toll on him. Or rather, knowing his son was the primary suspect in the world’s most infamous serial killing case to date. While he still presented with his usual professional appearance and demeanor, he had grown rough and disheveled at the edges. The bags under his eyes were deep and heavy, with gray hairs sticking out from his otherwise tidy head. He sighed and returned to reviewing the documents at his desk. 

“Oh, right, that makes sense,” Matsuda relucted. He chuckled nervously, trying to hide his embarrassment, though the other members groaned in response. 

“Right. While my suspicions about our dear Light remain the same, I do believe we are getting closer to solving the Kira case. It’ll only be a matter of time.” L stated, regaining the attention of the Task Force. “And I would say that we’re already getting used to our arrangement. Wouldn’t you agree, Light?” L looked over at his chained partner expectantly. For a moment, Light thought he saw a hint of amusement in the dark, pooling circles staring back at him. Light wasn’t going to fall for this trap. He knew L was baiting a reaction and ignored it. “Yes, we’ve been getting along just fine,” Light said confidently, smiling back at the owl-looking detective. 

“Well, that’s a relief,” Chief Yagami exhaled. “I can only imagine how it feels to be put in this situation. Please endure it just a little longer, Light. I’m sure the truth will reveal itself soon, and you will be cleared of all suspicions.” His father pleaded with him. Light gave a small nod in response to his father and sat down at the computer station in front of him, beginning his day of work.

-

The rest of the day was mostly uneventful. The Task Force continued to investigate a list of other Kira suspects and their actions, reviewing multiple sightings on camera and physical evidence reports. It would have felt mundane, had it not been for the chain linking the detective and his prisoner. Occasionally, Light felt a tug at the chain when he moved too far out of bounds or if L was assisting another member of the Task Force. The interruptions went from barely distracting to borderline irritating. Each time, Light was reminded that he was trapped, stuck, with almost no end in sight. Almost.

As the hours of work went on, Light used their forced company as a chance to study the detective more intimately than before. The more he watched, the more disdain he felt for his captor, and the more he despised the sight of him. Everything about L felt like a contradiction to his title. His black nest of hair stood out in almost every direction, undoubtedly tangled in some areas. The circles under his eyes were bruised and heavy from his lack of sleep. His oversized clothes were wrinkled and jarringly out of place when compared to the fitted suits worn by the rest of the Task Force. Even his diet was drastically different from his peers. It hadn’t been long before his desk was decorated with plates of various sweets. Of all the more “interesting” traits of the detective, this was the one thing Light always felt was the most childish and immature. The idea of the world’s greatest detective also having the world’s biggest sweet tooth sounded outlandish. It was both the most ironic and most appropriate icing on top of the cake that was Ryuzaki. And despite how incongruous it was, L continued to review reports in his strange, hunched-over posture, all the while indulging himself with cake and candy. 

The two continued to comb over the data presented in the screens and files that surrounded them. As they did, Light noticed that L began to pick up on the breadcrumbs he had left before his imprisonment. He continued to play the role of a supportive partner while agreeing with each of the detective’s findings. When necessary, Light would point out a clue, a suspicious trail of killings, a coincidental sighting that felt too abnormal. He led on just enough to fall in line with his level of deductive skills, but not too much that it seemed questionable. While Light wanted nothing more than to beat L once and for all in their battle of wits, he knew it was too soon to act. He would settle for leading L down his trail of deception for now. 

To the regular eye, Light was just an eager young investigator doing what he could to clear his name. He was the other brilliant mind for L to bounce ideas off of, to compare theories to, to collaborate with. He was the key to solving the case and bringing Kira to justice. When in reality, he was so much more. He was the creator, bringing life to a new world. His world. He was a God who rid the concept of evil and brought peace. He was justice. And soon, he would be the orchestrator of L’s demise.