Chapter Three - Something to Think About

Hey guys, sorry, I know its been a long time since I updated. I'm trying to be good and keep this story and two others going at once. Oh and by the way, I forgot to mention that the start of the story is set within the two months between L and Light's first fist-fight and when Light discovered the connection between Yotsuba and Kira. Obviously the story will continue and overlap the cannon parts of the series but for the time being its set in that blank two month period.

I was almost asleep when I heard a knock on my door. Sleepily and forgetting that I was only wearing a singlet and my underwear, I went and answered the door. I blinked several times and tried to comprehend why L was standing outside my door… without Light.

"Uh… Ryuzaki?" I asked. L tilted his head.

"Can I come in?" he questioned. "I convinced Light that I needed to remove the handcuffs for one night only… he seemed kind of relieved actually. I want to talk to you."

"Um… sure." I was on red-alert now. Kind of suspicious. I'd learnt to feel that way around L a lot. I let him in and shut the door. We walked through to my lounge room and L crouched on one of the lounges and I sat opposite him, frowning. "What's this about?"

"A few things."

"Won't someone overhear us?"

"I convinced Watari to turn off the cameras and wire taps in your room. He was very agreeable when I told him I was going to try and fix things with you."

I stared at L, one eyebrow arched sceptically.

"Fixing things takes all active parties' cooperation," I stated.

"I know," L replied. "I plan on getting your cooperation."

I raised both eyebrows now.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" I questioned. "Last time I checked, you'd never convinced me of anything in my life and I've known you my entire life."

"I have my ways." L looked at me, his face impassive. I gestured with one hand airily.

"Do your worst, L."

He did nothing, he just watched me and then he stood up and stepped around the coffee table. I raised an eyebrow at him as he walked over to me and looked down at me. L was taller than me- even with his bad posture- and I hated it so I stood up so that he wouldn't think I was intimidated by him.

I was shocked to find that when I stood I had misjudged the distance between us and there was less than three inches between our faces. My breath caught in my throat as my eyes met L's.

"Um…" I struggled to think straight for a moment. L didn't say anything, didn't move. Just stared right into my eyes. I felt as if he was staring into my mind but luckily there wasn't anything in there for him to see anyway.

"Allylene," L stated. I froze. Good thing there were no wire taps. I guarded my real name with my life, unlike L did. I always thought L was taking a huge risk using L as his detective name. Everyone thought it was an alias. How angry Kira would be if he discovered what L's name was after he had lost.

"Yes?" I managed to reply. I couldn't find the right words to tell him not to call me by my real name.

"Ally… I'm so very sorry." L raised a hand and gently traced his fingers up my left arm. My skin felt tingly where he touched me and I couldn't breathe properly. "Please, forgive me for what I did for I was arrogant and refused to acknowledge my wrong. I never meant to hurt you."

I stumbled over a few incoherent words and then swallowed. There was intensity in L's eyes that had my heart racing and my stomach filled with butterflies. The tone of L's voice had my knees going weak and I hoped I wouldn't fall over.

L ran his fingertips up to my shoulder and over and down my back slightly.

"I… uh…" I couldn't find an answer to his statement. In fact I couldn't even decide whether I believed him or not. He was being so damn convincing right now. It was hard to doubt him with that blazing look in his eyes and the way his hand was raising goosebumps over my skin.

I opened my mouth to speak but L raised his other hand and touched his fingers to my lips and I was silent immediately. There was even less space between us now.

"Shh," L murmured. "You don't have to say anything."

I stared into his eyes as he took his hand from my mouth. I was so not going to say a single word now, not with the way he was looking at me.

Then he leant forward and kissed me. I closed my eyes and my whole mind flew out of the building, never to be seen again. L put his arms around my waist and I rested my hands on his chest. Usually I would have punched him for doing this but like I said, I had no mind then.

Who knew L could do that to me? Make me forget my feelings and feel so vulnerable. Who knew he could make me tremble with pleasure at a single brush of his fingers or a glance from his eyes?

I pressed myself close to L as he ran one hand up and down my side, making my skin burn where he touched.

Then it was over. I was breathing heavily and so was L. His eyes were on me and we standing close enough that I could touched him if I reached out but I didn't.

"What was that for?" I asked. Now that I was thinking straight I was regretting kissing him back but I couldn't find it in myself to be suspicious of L, there were too many other emotions racing around my head to have room for suspicion, but even if that wasn't so, I don't think I could have been suspicious of him. I mean, I'd kissed him back hadn't I?

"I'm not sure," L replied. "It just seemed like a good thing to do. I am sorry though, do you believe me now?"

"More than that… I forgive you," I replied with a slight reluctance. L smiled slightly.

"I'll see you in the morning then." He started walking out and then looked back at me and his eyes flicked over me slightly. "By the way… never mind." Then he left.

I was left, my heart pounding, my cheeks flushed and a million emotions running through my head that I couldn't even be bothered searching for the meanings of.

The fact is I wasn't sure of anything anymore. Whether L was sincere or if it was just a ploy to gain my trust. Surely he wouldn't have kissed me if it were only a ploy, that wasn't how L played it… at least not when I knew him but things had changed since then. We had changed since then, it was understandable. Both of us had been pushed to our emotional limits by what had happened.

And what the hell was with that last comment?

--

L walked into the surveillance room and found that Light was the only other one there. L looked at the coiled up handcuffs on the desk and sat beside Light.

"Did you have a nice evening?" L asked casually. He was still slightly shaky from the act he had put on. He hadn't expected that. He had thought it would be simple. Just like pretending he no longer suspected Light.

"Sort of," Light replied. He looked at L, frowning. "What about you?"

"It was productive." L clasped one handcuff on his right wrist and Light took the other one and clasped it on his left wrist and he continued frowning at L.

"What do you mean it was productive?"

"Unlike you, Light, I am willing to go to large lengths to ensure that my investigation works out the way it should." L pulled some reports closer and read through the first page.

"What are you talking about?" Light asked, confused. L didn't answer him and Light examined the cameras. "The ones in Shiori's room are turned off… Ryuzaki! You haven't!"

"I told you Light, I am willing to do anything to solve this case and catch Kira," L replied without looking at the young male. "Nothing is more important to me than catching Kira."

Light groaned. "You shouldn't play with people's emotions."

"Really?"

"It's wrong and immoral. You already had a messed up relationship with Shiori-"

"One that was irreparable at best and so fiddling around with it will do me no harm. I already accepted the fact that Shiori and I would hate each other forever so it is no love lost in doing something that, when she finds out, will make her hate me even more. It doesn't bother me."

"I'm sure it actually does!" Light grabbed L's chair and spun it so that they were facing. "I don't know what happened with you two but I do know that you used to be close otherwise you wouldn't hate each other so much so deep down you must still care about her and wish that you were still friends!"

"You are incorrect, Light," L replied. "Your deductive skills aren't as sharp as I thought."

"I'm not wrong and I know it. You can lie to yourself Ryuzaki but sooner or later you're going to have to come face-to-face with the fact that you need Shiori!"

"I will never need her Light. I used to need her but I have grown since then. I am happy not to be with her anymore."

"L!"

"Ryuzaki, please." L swung his chair back around. Light groaned and sat back down, shooting dark looks at L when he could. L ignored the glares and tried to focus on the old evidence and the new evidence.

It was difficult enough to try and piece together. His whole case had rested on the assumption that Light was Kira and now he had no leads. Now on top of all of that he had to deal with Allylene Stella Macarthur and all of the old feelings, the hate and the hurt and the confusion were back along with her. Then there was what had just happened.

This case really was the hardest case of L's life.