Title: Good, Clean Fun
Series: Death Note
Pairing: L x Raito
Rating: PG-13
Quote: "I know it's a rubber ducky, but why is it here and what on earth are you doing with it?"
For: svz_insanity because she's been writing so many good fics lately! You're a MACHINE, girl! Keep it up, haha. XP



“Ryuuzaki, there is absolutely no way two full grown men can fit in there.”

“Nonsense, Raito-kun, if you just sit like this -- Here, let me demonstrate.”

“Normal people don’t sit like that.”

“See? There’d even be leftover space.”

“You’re out of your mind.”

“Very well, we could just forget about it, if you insist on being difficult.”

Raito considered this option carefully. It had already been several days since his last shower and his Secret wasn’t holding out (‘Strong enough for a man’ was what hooked Watari that he’d even missed the last half of the slogan, much to Raito’s dismay). Even the musky cologne Misa had given him was just barely able to cover the distinct odour that was 3 consecutive all-nighters. He rubbed his temple and when he pulled his hand away, his fingertips were greasy. That promptly gave him his answer.

“So you say we have to get clean. Unfortunately though, the showerhead is broken, so this is the best we can do.”

“Can’t you just keep us unlocked for a bit longer than usual?”

“That sounds like Kira-talk.”

“Ryuuzaki.”

“I just call it as it is, Raito-kun.”

“Fine. Fine.” Exasperated, Raito began to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his white shirt (that wasn’t quite so white after L had knocked his coffee mug over). From the corner of his eye, he noticed that L was doing the same, though he had a much easier time since with his baggy pyjamas. From seemingly out of nowhere, L pulled out a small key and unlocked the cuffs. Four seconds later -- the time it took for Raito and L to pull off their right and left sleeves respectively -- and a click reconnected them.

The perctub had already been filled earlier and now the water was only hot, not scalding. Raito got in first, stretching his legs out fully. He was loath to retract them when L entered the water. The stress of the past few days seemed to dissolve from Raito and he unwittingly closed his eyes in relaxation. L chose that moment to start their little mind game.

“You know, on hindsight, we should have washed up before bathing. We’re wallowing in our own filth.”

Raito kept his tongue in check and didn’t jump to the challenge of debating this statement. He’d already immediately read ahead a few minutes and knew that someway, somehow, they would end up on the topic of using chemicals to kill bacteria, which would be like playing God and before they’d know it, WHAM! Right back onto Kira’s complex. As much as he hated to admit, he needed a break from trying to decipher L’s trick questions. It was a taxing experience, trying to hold a conversation with the detective prodigy.

L didn’t pursue the matter when it was obvious his tub mate wasn’t going to comment. Raito took it as a small victory and let himself soak. His thoughts drifted onto various subjects, ranging from world politics to what his mother was going to make for dinner that evening if he’d been home to enjoy it. He lightly scrubbed at his skin, watching in fascination as he left pink streaks on his arms. Then Raito noticed that his right wrist was starting to get smaller than his left. With a frown, he broke the silence. “Next time we should switch arms.”

“Oh? But I thought you were ambidextrous. Having your right hand chained would not handicap you as much as if I were to have mine bound.”

“That’s not the point --”

“Interesting. Very interesting,” L cut him off and Raito realized his blunder a second too late. Knowing it was impossible to retract what he’d just said without drawing more suspicion, he quickly went on the defensive.

“Will you stop it already? I don’t want to do this.”

“Stop what?”

“You know what.”

“No, I don’t. Why don’t you enlighten me?”

“You -- shut up and let me bathe in peace.”

Raito leaned his head back on the edge of the bathtub and closed his eyes again, missing L’s wry grin. He mentally congratulated himself for his quick thinking. What felt like only seconds later, something touched the side of his knee and he nudged it away. Then the light bump came again and he used his hand to swat it this time. “Ryuuzaki, quit it,” he muttered. The stupid feeling persisted and he said, irritated, “Stay. On. Your. Half.”

“If that’s the case, then you are clearly on my side.”

Sure enough, when Raito lifted his head, he saw that his legs had extended past the unspoken but agreed upon boundary. Then he became aware of something else.

“What the hell is that?”

“Your powers of observation astound me sometimes,” L said dryly, “It’s a rubber ducky.”

"I know it's a rubber ducky, but why is it here and what on earth are you doing with it?"

“It’s fairly common to play with floatable toys during a bath.”

“Yeah, common. With little kids.”

L simply continued poking the little duck with his index finger. Raito figured it would be best to disregard his freak of a companion and try to salvage what he could of his calm mood. He returned to his laid back position.

“Excuse me, Raito-kun, but your legs.”

“...”

“Raito-kun?”

Raito continued to ignore L, much to the other’s amusement.

The serene expression, even if forced, on Raito’s face made L almost into a hypocrite, but he knew better than to keep his eyes off a potential enemy. Raito, obviously, had no such qualms. L brushed his knuckles against the other’s knee and watched with odd delight as Raito showed the slightest signs of trying to keep himself under control. Really, he thought, he should have dismantled the shower earlier. The bath offered a surprisingly easy way to catch his suspect off-guard. L smiled, chewing on the tip of his thumb that was starting to look like a prune.

“You’re going to get a terrible crick in your neck if you go on sitting like that.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OMAKE! The next day...

“Ryuuzaki.”

“Yes, Raito-kun?”

“There is a 4-person Jacuzzi in the other room.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“It must have slipped my mind.”

“...”

“...?”

“You are so dead.”

“Hmm, that takes you to 7%.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN: The ending killed me. x___x;; And I'm not talking about the omake part, haha. XD; Anyway SVZ, I hope you liked it! Err, your second one will probably be shorter because I'm lazy. ^^;