How You Play the Game

[moontyger]

Title: How You Play the Game
Author: moontyger
Fandom: Death Note
Pairing: L/Raito
Word Count: 4100
Rating: R/NC-17
Disclaimer: To my continuing disappointment, I do not own Death Note nor these characters.


“I want to see Ryuuzaki,” Raito said, staring straight into the camera as though he could look through it into the dark-ringed eyes of the man whose presence he was requesting. Nothing in his manner suggested that he thought this demand would not be met.

“Interesting.” L watched, interested to see if the sentence would be repeated or if Raito would be content to merely wait. How long would he wait before deciding L would not meet with him?

On the other hand, it would probably be unnecessarily cruel to make him wait merely to satisfy his own curiosity. Kira didn't deserve his consideration, of course, and he knew perfectly well who he had imprisoned, but the rest of those around him weren't as yet convinced. And he was also curious what Raito had in mind. Curiosity was often L's weakness.

“You're not going?” Matsuda gasped when he stood.

“Why shouldn't I? He's restrained; the chances of him hurting me are small. And the cameras will be on, should I require rescue.” He hated having to explain himself to these people. There was a reason L usually worked alone and he wished this case had not required him to change that. These other investigators added too much uncertainty, with their blunders and second-guessing his decisions. And then there was the distracting and unpleasant way they stared at him when they thought he wouldn't notice. He did, of course, and they should have known it, but there was no point in acknowledging it and certainly no point in changing his behavior to conform.

As he often did now, he simply left, refusing to engage in any further discussion. At least seeing whatever game Raito wanted to play promised to be interesting and less of a waste of his time than staying here soothing Matsuda's nonsensical concerns.

Raito tried not to look impatient as he waited. Not like he was going anywhere, after all. How long would Ryuuzaki make him wait? Come on, you bastard. I know you're curious; you'll be here. What's the point of making me wait for what we both know you'll do?

He was right. Before too much longer, L was there, standing outside the cell, watching him calmly, studying him as if he were some kind of specimen under a microscope. Raito gave him a wry smile. “I knew you'd come.” Let him know he was predictable; maybe it would be a tiny bit of repayment for making him wait.

“Yes.” Ryuga refused to be baited. “I hope you aren't going to waste my time with protestations of innocence or trying to make me feel guilty for your imprisonment.” L met Raito's eyes without flinching. “Perhaps you wish to confess?” His expression made it clear he thought this unlikely.

Damn right it's unlikely. I'm going to play this game with you and I am going to win. I'll confess to your corpse. “Why don't you come in, get closer? Not like I can do much to you like this.” Raito smiled, tried to look harmless, like these precautions were ridiculous. Hadn't he gone into this willingly?

Ryuuzaki cocked his head and gave him a curious look. But in the end, he seemed to be satisfied with whatever he saw and entered the cell, shutting the door behind him. Raito gave him a hopeful smile. Perfect, he thought.

What was Raito up to? That smile, the way he was acting - the whole thing was strange. L couldn't imagine what he had in mind. So he might as well go see what it was. What would it hurt? It wasn't as if he were really vulnerable or unprotected in this situation. If he could have killed him for merely approaching, surely he would have done it by now. So as he sat beside Raito, he wasn't particularly worried.

The kiss was a bit surprising, if also disappointing. Not the kiss itself, which wasn't bad, but that he would try this sort of manipulation. Although Raito certainly seemed to be someone who knew he was attractive and exploited it freely, so L supposed it wasn't unexpected that he at least made the attempt. Perhaps it would even have been insulting had he never tried. Still, thinking sex likely to be his weakness was so predictable!

In this situation, however, when Raito was restrained and knew the other investigators were watching, he had thought the probability of him trying anything like this quite low, no higher than 17%. Perhaps he was counting on that, expecting L to stop him because others were watching, and thus he chose this occasion to try it so he wouldn't have to go through with it? Although, really, he should have noticed that L didn't care what the other investigators thought of him. He had expected better.

“Why did you do that?” he asked. He knew perfectly well why he'd done it, but he wanted to hear his explanation.

“I wanted to.” His smile was confident; he seemed to think L had been shaken. Well, he supposed he was perhaps a bit breathless. And he wouldn't mind doing it again. But it hardly made him think Raito was not Kira. Really, it was ridiculous to expect that it would.

L waited, watching him silently, curious if he would elaborate further given time to think, to wonder. Would he feel the need to fill the silence? Apparently he did. “I've been here alone for a week, with nothing to do but think. And I decided that if I'm guilty and going to be convicted, I might as well act on my attraction to you. What do I have to lose?” Raito's expression looked strained and he almost seemed sincere. L supposed the stress and isolation of his imprisonment could have that effect, although he still suspected the likelihood of his truthfulness was fairly low.

Interesting, both that he gave into the pressure to elaborate on his motives and the explanation he had chosen. At least he hadn't tried to claim he loved him, something they both knew wasn't true. L highly doubted Raito could love anyone and he would have been rather insulted if he had tried such a transparent story. This one, at least, might be at least partially true. Certainly attraction was one possible interpretation of the way Raito tended to watch him.

Well, either way, there was really no reason not to take him up on his invitation. Sex wasn't particularly a weakness of L's, at least it wasn't that likely to make him more disposed to think Raito was innocent or too attached to him to want to prove his guilt, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy it. “I suppose it is true that you don't have much to lose at the moment,” he said aloud. “All right, I see no reason not to.” With that, L kissed him, gently at first, and was surprised by Raito's response. Maybe, manipulation aside (because L was certain that was his primary motive), he really did want this, after all. Not that he had any intention of freeing his hands. Just in case.

Experimentally, he nibbled Raito's earlobe, then shoved his shirt up and sucked on a nipple, smiling when he heard him gasp. At least this promised to be enjoyable.

“This isn't fair,” Raito breathed, squirming under L's hands. “I can't touch you at all!”

L smiled at him mischievously. “I know.” He kissed him again and let his hands wander, demonstrating that he certainly had no such restriction. He had to admit that Raito did have a rather nice body. And a brilliant mind. A shame he was a mass murderer, really. But if Raito thought this would change his mind or influence him in any way, he was wrong.

Raito was frustrated. This wasn't working out at all the way he had planned. He had not counted on Ryuuzaki refusing to release his hands. Nor had he expected him to know what he was doing, which - he gasped as L sat on his lap, sucking and biting his neck, a hand teasingly tracing the skin just above the waistband on his pants, occasionally dipping lower - he had to admit he certainly seemed to. As odd and isolated as Ryuga seemed, who could blame him for assuming he completely lacked experience? It definitely didn't fit his usual mental image of him. In all Raito's planning and envisioning of this scenario, he had always seen himself in control: the seducer, not the one being seduced. He had no idea how to handle this unexpected reversal.

But he was nothing if not resourceful. All right, so it had not turned out as he had planned; it wasn't the first time L had gotten the best of him. He could still turn this around, could still take back control. At least, he hoped so.

He shifted, leaning forwards while twisting a bit so Ryuuzaki fell from his lap to the floor, then let himself fall on top of him. Without his hands to catch himself, Raito fell harder than he had expected and he winced as his knees hit cold concrete with bruising force. Nor did L's bony body provide much of a cushion for the rest of him. But he had no intention of letting a little pain get in his way. He had to act fast, before he lost the initiative again.

Quickly, before he had really recovered (but Ryuga was still gasping, too, seeming stunned at suddenly winding up on the floor), he made his move. He squirmed and slid, maneuvering until he could grasp the zipper of L's pants in his teeth. Pulling it down like this was difficult (funny how he'd never realized how much he needed his hands, for balance if nothing else, until he was trying to do this without them), but he was nothing if not determined, so he persevered. Underwear, however, was a bigger problem. Raito eyed Ryuuzaki's boxers doubtfully. He was trying to seduce him, so he didn't want to actually hurt him, yet it would be far too easy to accidentally bite when trying to move them with just his mouth.

He who hesitates is lost, however, and Raito was forced to reflect on the truth of this when L moved, sliding out from under him in one swift motion. “Not yet,” he said with a sweet smile, a smile that Raito burned to punch off his face. “If you really want to, you may later. But for now, this is for you.” Strong hands helped him sit up and steadied him until he was leaning against the wall. He hated it. He hated him. How dare he treat him like this! He wanted to scream with frustration at his own helplessness.

L smiled at the rage in Raito's eyes, but he made his smile soft, devoid of the triumph he felt. Raito's sudden move had confirmed his suspicions that this was a game, a game of power and control. Yes, there was a real attraction between them; anyone could see that, but it was almost incidental, beside the point. What mattered was who won this game. And L hated to lose.

He turned to smile directly at the camera, watching Raito's eyes follow the motion. He suppressed a shudder; L smiled at the reaction, barely visible but there nonetheless. Good, reminding him of their audience should keep him off balance. Of course, he had no way of knowing that his father was in another cell and not watching as his son was pleasured by the detective who had imprisoned him. Perhaps he should clarify that. L was curious if it were any audience at all that Raito found objectionable, or merely a parental one.

“Don't worry about the camera,” he said as he unfastened Raito's pants and carefully slid them down. “I promise, your father isn't watching it at the moment.” Raito sighed, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. As he had suspected, then. His opinion of the other investigators was low enough that he didn't really care what they saw or thought; it was merely his father watching that had concerned him. L mentally increased the probability that Raito was Kira by half a percent. Not that L cared what the others thought of him, but unlike him, Raito was a boy who invested a great deal in his image. In someone like that, this cavalier attitude towards taboo behavior with a particular audience was a bad sign.

L kissed him again, sliding his left hand down to cup him through his boxers. He noted that Raito did not try to take control of this kiss, seeming to have given up the struggle for dominance momentarily. He was not fooled into thinking this a permanent development. Even if he were not Kira, Raito did not have the personality to easily or gracefully accept defeat. He was just too competitive for that. L ought to know, as it was equally true of himself.

For now, he gently pulled Raito's erect cock out of his boxers and took it into his mouth, concentrating solely on the movements of his hands and tongue, though a part of him was always alert, observing and analyzing every movement, every sound his suspect made. L noticed the exact instant that he stopped thinking and gave himself over to pleasure by the change in the tension in his body and the sounds he made. He smiled to himself in satisfaction. He was even more gratified when Raito gasped out an almost startled “Ryuuzaki” as he came, arching his hips into the orgasm.

L kissed him a final time, running a hand through his hair almost tenderly, before gently dressing him again. There was no reason to be unnecessarily cruel, after all; especially not when kindness might have better results.

When he started to stand up, Raito leaned towards him, clearly trying to reach for him. L was honestly rather taken aback; he had not expected him to want anything else and had planned on just leaving. This was a game, nothing more, and he had proved his dominance. Why should he remain?

“Please,” Raito said in a soft voice. “Free my hands, just for a little while. I want to touch you.” L studied his expression carefully, weighing the probable outcomes, before making up his mind. Well, he had won this first round; he supposed he could be magnanimous. While he didn't doubt that Raito could hurt him before anyone came to his rescue, he doubted he would try it. After all, he was trying to prove his innocence here and attacking L would definitely count against him.

“All right,” he agreed, and fumbled the key out of his pocket. He watched Raito warily once his hands were freed, curious to see what he would do. L could practically see the possibilities racing through his mind as he slowly rubbed and flexed his wrists. Whatever he had considered, however, Raito's hands when he touched him, his lips when he kissed him, were gentle. L was oddly disappointed and he cataloged the unexpected emotion for later analysis. Raito almost seemed afraid L would break or vanish suddenly. Then again, he must be lonely, perhaps he merely didn't want to chance him changing his mind and leaving. L suspected that was only part of the explanation, however.

L made no attempt to resist or to wrest control from Raito. Even when he was rougher, biting his neck, leaving red trails on his skin from ragged fingernails, he merely gasped and did not otherwise complain. He knew it would drive him crazy. Raito had lost the first phase of this game; now he would want to reassert control. But he couldn't dominate someone who submitted willingly, who wouldn't play the game. He had won again and they both knew it

As he had expected, though, Raito did not give up, didn't shove him away and tell him to get dressed and leave. Instead he continued to play the part of a lover, pretending he only wanted to give L pleasure. He was hardly going to argue with that and easily gave himself over to sensation. It would certainly be illogical to deny himself when it was freely offered and he saw no reason for shame or embarrassment, even though they both knew every move they made was observed. L almost smiled, envisioning the scene in the suite upstairs as the other investigators watched. Matsuda was probably horrified, but couldn't look away. Aizawa -

“What are you smiling about?” Raito asked him in an teasing, nearly affectionate tone, before turning his attention to nibbling on L's collarbone and kissing the hollow at the base of his throat.

“I was just thinking about the reaction of those watching us,” L replied. Why should he lie about it?

Raito actually looked amused, his smile even reaching his normally cold and calculating eyes. “Do you like the idea of being watched?” he whispered in L's ear, his mouth so close that he could feel the hot breath that accompanied the words. L closed his eyes and shivered. “Then let's make sure to put on a good show.” He pulled L to the right a bit and turned him to a somewhat different angle: positioning them to give the cameras the best view possible.

Well, this was an interesting turn of events. L had already noted that Raito wasn't bothered by their audience now that he knew it didn't include his father (and interesting, wasn't it, that he'd take L's word on that?), but he had not expected him to want to show off for them. On second thought, though, it wasn't that surprising; Raito seemed to thrive on attention and showing off what he could do. L increased his mental tally of the percentage chance that Raito was Kira yet again. Kira seemed to have gone out of his way to seek attention, to accept L's challenge, when he could have remained hidden and not revealed himself by even that much. This behavior of Raito's was indeed consistent with Kira's personality. L wondered if he realized how much he was giving away.

A sudden hard bite on his shoulder jerked L from his thoughts and he gasped in surprise and pain. “Don't ignore me,” Raito hissed warningly, eyes narrowed. “It's rude.”

“Of course... Raito-kun. You are right. I am sorry.” Surely, given the circumstances, he was at least entitled to address him more familiarly. But was his voice shaking, just a bit? How unlike him. But then he had not anticipated Raito noticing that his attention had wandered, nor him taking action if he had. Apparently Raito could not resist asserting power over him, whether he were opposed or not. Fascinating. But it might be merely a natural reaction to imprisonment, which would make nearly anyone feel powerless and perhaps consequentially desperate to assert control. Perhaps L had been too hard on him, too suspicious. But he couldn't overcome the instinct that told him he was right.

Raito had been correct, however, that he was being impolite, so L tried not to let his mind wander anymore. And once he started paying attention, he wasn't sure he wanted to stop. L moaned softly as Raito sucked and licked a nipple attentively, a hand stroking him through his boxers. He didn't get such opportunities often; he really should enjoy it while he could.

Raito smiled at the sound. “Louder,” he instructed. “I want to be sure they hear you.” L flushed with embarrassment, yet he wasn't even sure why. Maybe it was merely a dislike of following Raito's instructions. Or that he saw a difference in not caring if people watched and actively performing for them. He felt the balance of power in this encounter shifting.

“Moan for me,” Raito whispered in his ear, hot and close, the tickle of his breath and the command in his voice sending a shock all the way down L's spine. He sucked and bit at his sensitive earlobe, his hand closing around L's cock and stroking hard, trying to elicit the reaction he wanted. And he got it; while it might be interesting to try to hold out, see what he would do to make him break his silence, it didn't seem worth the effort. L was startled by how aroused he suddenly felt, the slow heat curling in his groin building to an all-consuming flame.

“Good. That's much better. Now you won't ignore me.” Raito kissed him passionately and this time he was certain it wasn't feigned. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised that winning turned him on; it was quite possibly one of the only things that really did. For now, though, L let it happen, let Raito dominate him. He whimpered and writhed as Raito teased him, caressing his body appreciatively, licking and sucking his nipples for what seemed like hours, carefully ensuring that none of his desperate movements resulted in any stimulation that Raito didn't want him to have. Really, he had clearly been far too nice earlier. But then he should have probably expected this, too; it fit perfectly with his understanding of Raito. Even now, in everything he did, he gave himself away.

When he finally did take his aching erection into his mouth, Raito was slow and tantalizing about it, licking and exploring as though he had all the time in the world and couldn't sense L's need. Maybe, L thought, in a brief flash of insight, he was just trying to keep him here as long as he could. Not that his motive mattered much to him at the moment; nothing did but his long-delayed orgasm. For a moment, he forgot about the others watching, forgot that the man he was with was a monster, forgot everything but his body's pleasure. But only for a moment.

As he returned Raito's kiss, he was already becoming L again, already returning to the cold and analytical detective. This had been a very interesting encounter and he believed he had gained many valuable insights into Raito's, and hence Kira's, character. Yet L felt vaguely sad as he refastened the handcuffs around Raito's wrists and he wondered if maybe he was developing an attachment, if maybe this had been a mistake after all. Maybe he was weaker to this than he had thought.

Raito watched him dress and stand to leave, feeling pleased with the course of the whole encounter. Yes, all had not gone as he had planned, but he had learned some interesting things about L and his weaknesses. He chose to exploit one now, to test it.

“Will we ever do this again, do you think?” he asked, trying to sound hopeful, like he wanted it. He did want it, after all; he had enjoyed it more on a physical level than he had expected. In fact, he was rather uncomfortably aroused again, not that he intended to say anything about it. Surely Ryuuzaki knew, after all. And if he chose to do nothing about it, if L were going to leave now despite that knowledge, he would leave; far be it from Raito to beg unless he had to, which would involve reasons far more compelling than mere physical discomfort.

Ryuga stopped and looked back at him. “I doubt it,” he said, but there was regret in his voice, regret that Raito did not think would have been there before.

He tried again. “Will you at least come visit me? I get lonely down here and you were my friend.” He said it in such a way that they could both hear the echo of Ryuuzaki's words, calling Raito his first friend, in the words Raito said now.

Ryuuzaki's eyes softened as he looked at him and Raito rejoiced internally. Yes, he had him now. He had been right: L's weakness was his empathy, especially for someone he considered a friend. Pure sex was not enough, but someone who needed him: ah, that was much harder for him to resist. “Perhaps,” was all he said before turning and walking away, but even though he never looked back, Raito knew he had won. This whole thing had been a huge gamble, but it had paid off. He had lost the battle, but begun to win the war. He chanced a momentary triumphant grin and a surreptitious thumbs up at Ryuk, who had watched the whole thing with interest.

Two hours later, Yagami Raito forfeited ownership of the Death Note.