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Ryuk was genuinely coughing up pieces of apple from his version of lungs, hand covering his mouth so they wouldn’t simply appear in the air.
Half-dead from his lack of sleep, Light had to ask again: “Excuse me?”
L didn’t hesitate, because manners weren’t something he’d been ever taught.
“Marry me.”
The silence that reigned over the Kira Task Force might be equal to the one that would’ve reigned had Ryuzaki dropped dead of a heart attack finally.
Is this a trick? Of course it is. A marriage would only benefit him, as L’s full name would be revealed, so why? Hm… we would not be able to testify against each other, and Ryuzaki wants to arrest me by this old world’s legal system, so it carries more risk on his end; he’s cutting off his nose to spite his face. But why?
What do I say? No, of course, would be normal; acceptable without explanation. But is there any benefit I could swipe from a marriage?
“So– so many ‘gami just won their bets.” Ryuk panted. Thankfully, Light didn’t have to signal his friend to continue talking; “The amount of bets for you and Ry-boy to get together is amazing.”
We’re not together, he thought. Hm. An odd emotion flowed through him at the thought, but Light pushed it aside. He had bigger things to focus his attention on.
Before Light said anything to that effect– to the effect of ‘I’m in love with Misa Misa.’ despite the taste of disdain that came over him at the thought of lying so blatantly, his father cut in.
“Ryuzaki! What is the meaning of this‽ Light is only 19! Not to mention– Light is no– not interested in men!” His father defended, and had Light cared about his orientation at all, he might’ve been worried over his father’s nearly-slipped ‘normal’ comment.
“Oh?” That bastard only gaped cluelessly, “Are you sure?”
“Yes!”
No, Light thought, because he wasn’t exactly into women either. He enjoyed the chase too much; the push-and-pull that no one could match him with. It wasn’t about what gender someone was, or what they were born as, but, tragically, something no one could match him in– Chase. Smarts. Intellect.
…L.
Sure, L could. The detective himself, but their chase was different. It wasn’t a chase of something as simple as emotions; as benign as that. It was a chase of the world: L, fighting for the old, broken one, and Light for the new one he’d create with the help of his Death Note.
It was the penultimate chase that had it’s ending so far out, Light wasn’t able to tell who'd win. Me, his ego claimed, but Light knew of hubris, and his logic said: L matched in me every way.
No matter the angle, the attack, or block or swipe or trap, L would either avoid it expertly, turn it on him, or fall and adapt. It was amazing to see when it happened while Light was close-by. A wonder of ever-battling intellect between the two.
An exception who hid his covert chance-crafting with luck, and the exception, who overtly made his own.
It was exhilarating. It was devastating, too, if he thought about it too long.
He’d kill L, without doubt, but it also meant he’d be the one spiting his face through his nose. Only the benefits of it out-weighed his own… a new world, costing only L’s life.
He may be a God, but even Gods had their limits– Shinigami couldn’t fall in love, and he couldn’t keep a fun distraction, no matter how challenging he was.
…and yet, that was exactly what marriages stood for, wasn’t it? A binding before God; defying the Death Gods’ limits. Was that what Ryuzaki was aiming for? A way for him to defy Kira’s God complex? A way to defy Kira? Or a way to bind himself before, and to, Kira?
“Why not let Light-kun speak for himself?” Offered the very same bastard.
I need to be calm here, and accepting of homosexuality. Kira may not target gay people, but I’ve established myself as an accepting person and supporting the gays would further that. Still, it’s best not to out-right reject L as I may be seen as homophobic… he’s expecting me to reject him! Of course! Despite his personality, Ryuzaki has to be well aware of how proposals and love works in order to establish motive, as a certain percentage are executed due to love quarrels and jealousy. He knows no proposal this blasé would be acceptable!
I can’t expect any better proposal from L of all people… proposals aside, what can I gain from this? What can he?
A marriage ceremony means a name for me to call him by. It gives me his name. Ryuzaki knows this, so why risk it? He had so little to gain… practically nothing. He loses. I can confess all I like, and he can’t testify in court to it. Of course, a wire is a different story.
Is he that curious? To risk it for a handful of minutes before I’m able to write the name I hear? He does get a handful…
“I have a girlfriend, Ryuzaki,” he tried, carefully, “but I’m sure you’re going to find yourself a lovely man eventually.”
A murmur quietly echoed in support of Light’s reply. Good.
“Whom Light doesn’t like,” Ryuzaki shot back, “and it’s not another man I want. I want you, to marry me.”
Petulant, wasn’t he?
“I admit I’m curious as to what brought this on,” he tried instead.
“Different question;” pointed L out. He mulled it over for a split second before answering: “It would be mutually beneficial.”
Oh? That’s a way to word ‘giving up…’
“How so?” Light pried.
A voice cut in, and shit, Light had forgotten they weren’t alone– “Light, are you seriously entertaining this?”
Ah. Father.
He cleared his throat a little, turning to meet his father: “It’s okay. I’m just curious.”
He turned back to L, who was biting his thumb, muttering out a “liar” between rolling his skin around on his teeth.
He ignored it, “How so, L?”
“Codenames, Kira,” sneered L. Light rolled his eyes blatantly. “It’s simple: you marry a man with much money to his name–”
What. Was Ryuzaki seriously not addressing the larger question?
“–and I have someone who can challenge me beside me.”
‘Someone who can challenge me,’ you say? But I do so much more than just challenge you, L. ‘Challenge’ implies a difficult victory, but is this not me, winning? Is this not you giving up? What is this, Ryuzaki?
Then again, he would ‘have’ me, legally, for a few minutes if I marry him. Hm. Does he have something in his will, then, to incriminate me?
That’s it! His will… meaning all I have to do is be married to him long enough to alter it!
“Okay, then,” he smiled.
Somehow, in the dim room of the Kira Task Force, on a chair he’d been sitting on for hours on days on end, chasing his own tail, between his father’s wide eyes and Watari’s calm, expecting ones, with the smell of vanilla and strawberry wafting through them, Kira bound himself before a God that he knew didn’t exist.
Bound himself before Ryuk– a Death God, defying their one rule– to L, as he'd find out, Lawliet.
“I do.”