Goodnight Moon

Chapter Title: Ways and Means



Disclaimer: Death Note =/= mine. Volume 7 would have gone a liiittle bit differently.



Rating: PG 13



Pairing: L / Light



Warning(s): Contains spoilers for manga 1 - some-number-lower-than-7 but still including the Yotsuba arc, and however that relates to the anime.



Comment: Guess what-- when writing a fic, it really helps to reread the original material you're basing it on! You might find out fun things like the fact that you completely messed up the timeline. Like, say, you have Aizawa chilling with the others for days after they find out about Yotsuba corp., instead of having quit the investigation team already... And because of this, you may have to make up some sort of lame excuse, like 'this is AU, so in this version, there are several days between when Light discovers the link between Kira #3 and Yotsuba and when Aizawa is forced to call it quits.' And then you might have to scrap what you'd had written for the chapter thus far, and start from scratch with major ass-coverage.



You know, that sort of thing might happen.



Also, I'm still working off of the Orange Tangerine scanlations, so there are bound to be some very different things said in the parts I'm quoting. Bear with me. Until Aizawa actually leaves, things spoken in this chapter are from the OT manga-- after that is from my own demented imagination. Annnd in the original manga, this scene was not performed with Light and L covered in injuries and bandages. More's the pity.



Thanks again to Riven and shadowform-- having a repeat review is a very new thing to me. Shadowform-- there will be more of original style L soon-- next chapter if it works out right. Your review made me geekily delighted.



-----



"There is no one left to recruit now that the Japanese police force has yielded to Kira."



The announcement came as a shock, even to Light and Ryuuzaki. After Light's creation of a program that gave him worldwide access to police information, learning that Kira could kill in ways other than heart-attacks and above all the group's breakthrough several days ago discovering Yotsuba corporation's likely involvement with the latest Kira, it had seemed like finding the new Kira was imminent.



Watching his father in concern but still feeling detached from the conversation, Light remained by Ryuuzaki's side as his father gave an impassioned speech about resigning from the police force with Mogi to remain on the case. The decisions of the other detectives were of no real consequence to him; though they contributed as much effort as they could to the case, he didn't feel that any of them were vital. As long as Light and Ryuuzaki remained, there was no doubt in Light's mind that Kira would be caught. His surprise had been more at the fact that the Japanese police force had surrendered so easily to political pressure from Kira-- he'd held the justice system in high esteem his entire life, aspiring to be the chief of the police force someday in spite of the system's obvious flaws. To have that system fail now when it was needed the most felt almost like a personal betrayal.



Light was distracted from his thoughts by Ryuuzaki asserting that he believed the others should return to the police, and that he would continue with the investigation alone. Apparently, his fellow genius had not been following his train of thought and was instead expecting Light to leave like the others. "Ryuuzaki, you'll never be on your own as long as I'm still here," he reminded with an irritated frown, lifting his wrist and shaking it deliberately to make the chain rattle. "I haven't forgotten our promise."



Though his face remained hidden by his hair and his defensive crouch on his chair in front of the computer terminals, Light saw Ryuuzaki's head tilt slightly in acknowledgement and he relaxed. "That's right. I must ask Yagami-kun to remain here with me until I catch Kira. But everyone else should return to the police..."



No longer concerned with the conversation, Light stood casually at Ryuuzaki's side, absently studying the group of detectives as the older men argued with Ryuuzaki about whether they could stay in the investigation and what would happen with their families and jobs. Matsuda's insistence on remaining was mildly aggravating-- the man was completely useless-- but when it became apparent that Aizawa would most probably be leaving headquarters he felt mild regret. Mogi was a steady worker who could tirelessly collect tedious information that Light or Ryuuzaki would have otherwise had to waste time on, but Aizawa showed more of a tendency to come up with original suggestions.



He also had an annoying tendency to second-guess Ryuuzaki or Light's theories when they knew they were right, but Light also knew that this had come to his favor before once Aizawa became convinced of Light's innocence. Everyone in the group listened to the man's ideas when he spoke.



When Aizawa was teetering on the edge of two decisions, Watari's voice came through the screen, explaining about a lifetime pension available for members of the investigation who had been fired from the police. Noting the timing of Watari's intervention, Light barely kept from rolling his eyes-- he doubted any such plan had been in place until Watari thought of it to give Aizawa a way out. After all, there was no reason for it to not have been mentioned previously, when Ukita had been killed-- or even before that, when the secret investigation team had been first assembled, risking their lives to catch Kira. If Aizawa preferred to assume it was just Ryuuzaki testing him again-- well, he would be correct now. Light assumed with wry annoyance that the opportunity to poke at Aizawa and see how he reacted was beyond Ryuuzaki's ability to resist, even if it meant losing the detective's help on the case.



His assumption was proved right within seconds, and Aizawa stormed off after shouting how much he detested Ryuuzaki and that he wouldn't be able to stand working with him any longer.



When Aizawa was gone, and Matsuda and the former chief of police watched the door in stunned silence, Light leaned closer to Ryuuzaki and spoke too quietly for the others to hear.



"So much for genius poker bringing the group together."



Ryuuzaki brought his thumb to his lips thoughtfully and rolled his dark eyes up at Light. "...He didn't play."



Snorting softly, Light straightened again, arms crossed. "That must be it." From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Ryuuzaki smile.



He didn't realize that he was smiling, too.



---



Midnight found the two men facing each other on the plush couches in their suite. A table was between them, and on it rested an empty chessboard.



Ryuuzaki's sharp gaze tracked Light's hand as it reached out to the board, 'lifted' something invisible and moved it in a precise pattern. When Light sat back, the detective studied the board a moment before selecting another imaginary piece and sliding it diagonally across the board before stopping his hand much closer to Light's side. Light's brows drew together, and Ryuuzaki wiggled his toes on the couch as he idly studied the boy across from him in the comfortably tense silence.



Moments later, Light took a piece of air and moved it across two spaces and up one, away from Ryuuzaki's invisible bishop. Ryuuzaki nibbled his thumb before breaking the silence for the first time since the game had begun. "Is Light-kun sure he wants to move his last knight there?" he asked innocently before Light could release the imaginary game-piece.



Light's brows furrowed, and he swept his gaze with intense concentration over the board. Apparently seeing something, he chuckled distractedly. "Good try, Ryuuzaki, but I'm not falling for it." Pulling his hand away and leaving the 'bishop' where he'd moved it, he smirked. "You might want to move your rook, by the way, it's looking a little defenseless."



"A castle is never defenseless," Ryuuzaki argued placidly, not seeming concerned. "Some are merely better defended than others." He made his move with an air of nonchalance, expression controlled to keep from a smug smirk. The look of shocked anger that briefly flared in Light's honey-colored eyes was worth the risky move. "Light-kun always disregards the pawns," Ryuuzaki observed softly. "Even the smallest pieces can serve a large role."



A muscle in Light's jaw jumped, indicating his clenched jaw as he regained control, and Ryuuzaki shifted in a pleased way. The movement caused a heavily bruised muscle in his back to tighten uncomfortably, and Ryuuzaki tensed before carefully adjusting his crouch to put less pressure on the wound. Light's eyes flicked from the board to the detective.



"...That's from the counter, right?" he asked.



Startled, Ryuuzaki blinked at Light to buy time for a response. "...Light-kun remembers," he stated.



The young man across from him rolled his eyes. "Obviously, Ryuuzaki. We should probably avoid fights like that in confined spaces from now on. But I didn't think about throwing you against the sink... Are you okay?"



This required several blinks. "..." Mind working frantically fast to think what advantage Light could gain from acting as if he were actually concerned, Ryuuzaki scratched his knee nervously. "...I'll recover quickly, and required no stitches," he answered cautiously. "How is Light-kun healing?"



Light gave a wry smile and shrugged. "I'm doing all right. We both did a number on each other." Casually, he moved his piece, and the logic clicked. Ryuuzaki relaxed slightly.



"Light-kun can not distract me so easily," Ryuuzaki informed him, and was rewarded with Light's expression hesitating a fraction of a second too long before it changed to one of confused innocence.



"I was just concerned, Ryuuzaki. I'm not heartless, whatever you seem to think, and the edge of the counter is sharp. With how much strain you put on your lower back anyway sitting like that, it's not something you should ignore."



"..." Deciding to turn Light's game against him, Ryuuzaki made another move. "Light-kun is very observant," he commented, not looking away from the board but knowing he had Light's attention. "Most people would not be able to so quickly diagnose my problem. How did you know it was my back that was hurt...?"



Brows furrowing again at the unexpected verbal maneuver, Light slid one of his imaginary rooks sharply across the board. "It was obvious. You became stiff and I only had to watch which part of you was relaxed with the most caution-- you were favoring your right side, lower back. You don't have a scar there, so the easiest explanation was that you'd received a more severe injury in one of our fights. The only time something hit you right there was when you fell against the sink counter in the bathroom. It's simple deduction."



Ryuuzaki countered his move instantly. "I'm flattered that Light-kun spends so much time watching me." He lifted his eyes to Light's, widening them slightly. "Will you give me a massage when I win? My back really is distracting me..."



Light narrowed his eyes in disgusted annoyance. "Don't bring me down to your level, Ryuuzaki." He hesitated, and Ryuuzaki watched in fascination as Light's mind moved almost visibly, calculating possible gain against loss. "...Unless, when I win, you give me a piece of information that could lead to your identity." Smirking, Light brushed his hair back from his eyes and triumphantly took Ryuuzaki's remaining rook.



Ryuuzaki appeared to mull this over, looking intently at Light. Sighing as though in defeat, he nodded, and Light's eyes widened in shock. Picking up one of his pieces, Ryuuzaki dragged it across the entire board, into the space his rook had been, and he removed Light's piece decisively. "Check," he replied lightly.



Light stared at the board. The intensity of his gaze suggested he was desperately searching his mind for the pieces, trying out possible moves. Ryuuzaki left him be for a moment before leaning forward a bit and peering at the board in a mimicry of the younger man. "...My mistake," Ryuuzaki corrected himself, tilting his head and bringing his thumb to his lips. "Checkmate." He rolled his gaze up at Light in time to see the other man barely resist the urge to punch him. Definitely checkmate. Returning to his crouch in satisfaction, Ryuuzaki curled and uncurled his toes and took his first bite of cake in an hour, closing his eyes and relishing the sweetness as it burst into his mouth.



When he opened his eyes, Light was visibly attempting to calm himself. Before the genius could think of a loophole, Ryuuzaki swallowed and spoke. "I will save my massage for later. As it is, I believe it would do more harm than good. That was a good game," he added consolingly, stretching his legs out and standing to begin his shuffle to the bedroom. "Normally invisible chess is too one-sided... Light-kun?" he asked, pausing when he realized that Light was showing no inclination to move, and instead was staring at Ryuuzaki's closed laptop with suspicion.



---



Light needed to keep control. Watching Ryuuzaki wasn't helping that, and so Light had been trying to find something neutral to study while his mind calmed and could work out a good way out of this mess. When he saw the laptop, however, chess and the bet left his mind as a new problem entered it. A thought connected to the computer... Or the screen. His eyes narrowed, mind raising and discarding possibilities in less than a second and settling on one faster than his conscious thoughts could follow. Of course.



"Ryuuzaki. In the command center, when Aizawa was on the edge, Watari spoke... He monitors everything, doesn't he?" Light asked without emotion, sensing that Ryuuzaki had stopped beside him.



"...Most often, the rooms that we are in, though he keeps an eye on Amane-san's room when we are working," Ryuuzaki agreed, tone implying a question.



Light's shoulder's tightened and his next words carried the potential for instant violence in spite of their calm. "Tell me that he didn't see you-- what you did while I was asleep last night."



"..." Ryuuzaki looked to the ceiling for help, hands buried in his pockets. Before he spoke, Light felt him gather his balance for a fight. "...Even if he didn't see it as it occurred, it was taped from several angles, which he would have reviewed--"



Light was unsurprised when Ryuuzaki caught his first punch. That wasn't why he'd done it-- he'd merely wanted closer. His free hand whipped up and flung a couch pillow into the dark-haired man's face.



Purely on instinct, Ryuuzaki used both hands to block the pillow-- tried too late to stop himself-- and grunted in pain as Light's knee caught him hard in the side. He barely blocked the punch Light followed the kick up with. Before Ryuuzaki could retaliate, the phone sitting on a smaller table beside Ryuuzaki's loveseat rang. Both men paused, watching each other for which would be the first to look away and leave an opening. They held their positions, caught between blows and not daring to look away, tension vibrating between them.



The phone continued to ring.



Giving in, Ryuuzaki backed toward it, keeping in a slight crouch with his muscles readied to fight or dodge. He lifted the receiver delicately to his ear. After a moment, he blinked, dark-rimmed eyes on Light. "...He wants to speak to you," Ryuuzaki announced.



Light glared. "Why would I want to answer?"



"..." Ryuuzaki listened to the response. "He said that if we don't stop fighting, he'll assume we need help to stay friendly." Light scoffed, crossing his arms on his chest to show his opinion of Watari's threat. "...The help will be Amane-san."



Light and Ryuuzaki stared at each other, letting the thought of Misa invading their suite for any length of time sink in.



Sighing in annoyance, Light looked away first. "Fine, I can play nice. If you can keep from acting like a pervert, Ryuuzaki," he added.



Ignoring the jab, Ryuuzaki listened again, then carefully hung up. "...You know... Light-kun's reluctance to see his girlfriend does make the case for him being Kira stronger--"



"Acting like a pervert or accusing me of that again," Light snapped, flashing Ryuuzaki an annoyed look and stalking for their room to get his nightclothes. Ryuuzaki was dragged along in his wake.



"...When exactly did Light-kun notice I have no scars on my back?" Ryuuzaki wondered out loud as he was led by the chain.



"One more comment, Ryuuzaki," Light warned in a voice that barely held its calm. "I'll knock you out and take my chances with Misa."



For once, Ryuuzaki didn't press the issue to Light's breaking point and the truce held. Perhaps the possible information he might glean on Kira wasn't worth waking up to Misa's mindless chatter-- or he worried that Light would flirt back with her just to make the detective jealous.



In any case, the two got ready for bed safely and with no conversation. Once under the covers, Light informed Ryuuzaki that his notebook was now a hostage, and if he woke with Ryuuzaki kissing him again he was going to drop it out of one of their windows.



Wisely, Ryuuzaki did not inform Light that he had already had Watari prepare several spares after the last such threat. Instead, he nodded to show his understanding and curled up to spend another night in meditation while Light slept as lightly as possible.



-----



Whoo! This one was bothering me at work all day, so I started the re-write last night and got it mostly done around four AM. I have a direction and a plan now, though! Well, the better part of a plan.



Ways and Means is by Snow Patrol. This was an interim chapter-- next one there will hopefully be a little more of everything fun. See you around, lovely readers.