Light forgets how to breathe.
He inhales a lungful of air all too quickly, lips pursing into an 'o' as his face becomes a mien of tribulation. His eyes have grown wider, brows have raised of their own accord; his pupils have swollen to twice their usual size and his cheeks have taken the liberty of flushing with a rose colored tinge that feels, to Light, quite like a small fire. His eyes dart from left to right, surveying the subtle changes in Ryuzaki's mien- yes, he definitely just raised his right eyebrow a twinge. Panic encases his mind. How does he explain his way out of this? Kira - no, Light, he reminds himself - Light is an average student who dates girls and never gets flustered. He is not someone who takes interest in over-cautious, shoddy, and downright infuriating detectives who make him want to bite through his own tongue on occasion.
No, he doesn't like people like that.
"Light...?" Ryuzaki mumbles, sunken eyes drooping to half-lids. "Good, you're awake. I meant to talk to you about the Kira case. Going off of your lead, I found this detail last night in support of your claim, and... Oh, hold on." He shuts his eyes as he yawns, and when he is finished he keeps them closed, fatigue still heavy in his muddled brain.
"Ryuzaki... Are you tired?" Light asks, though he does not need to; he knows the answer.
"No. The world's greatest detective cannot afford to take breaks to sleep. After all, Kira is out there, killing people at a rate faster than we might even be aware of."
"Ryuzaki. You're only human, just like me. So what if you have to recharge after a while? It's nothing to be ashamed of. Would you like me to get you some coffee?"
He's playing the helpful Light persona today - one of his least favorites, but admittedly one of the most useful. People tend to respond well to it, and Light is not one to object to cold, hard facts. He wears a smile as he props himself up on his elbows, spurred only by his drive to adapt himself wholly to the persona. It has nothing at all to do with Ryuzaki's confused look as he wraps his brain around the unfolding situation.
"You're offering... to get me coffee? Is that right?" He seems dumbfounded. Internally, Light is snickering - what a fool. Thinking he actually cares. Hell, he could just poison him and be done with it all, but that would be no fun. No, the chase, the game - that's the real thrill. The fear of being caught lingering like a tall shadow behind his back. Fear makes the game more fun.
"Well, I suppose I'll take you up on that. Put plenty of sugar in it. Actually, no. Just bring the coffee and the sugar. I'll do it myself."
"Right. Pull up the case information you worked on last night. We can go over it while we eat."
"Eat?"
"Breakfast, Ryuzaki. Would you like anything?"
"Just a slice of cake."
Light rolls his eyes, but Ryuzaki is not paying attention, already set on entering the passcode to their laptop. His dull irises flick over the screen, from window to window, tab to tab. Light breathes a small sigh - Ryuzaki is always so absorbed in his work that he can't even appreciate Light's sass. The younger man groans as he tugs on their handcuffs, as if signaling, are you going to take these off or not?
"The answer is no. I'm coming with you," Ryuzaki says, as if reading Light's mind.
A sigh follows, but Light supposes it was worth a try. He waits for Ryuzaki to get himself settled with his information pulled up on the screen, then begins to walk towards the room's shut door, dragging a fatigued, sauntering Ryuzaki along behind him.
How infuriating.
YOU ARE READING
You Can't Really Save Me
AléatoireLight is Kira, and there's no chance of saving him from himself. That won't stop L from trying. Multichapter.
