Chapter Text
It was another relaxing, calm, and boring day at Kira Coffee. Light enjoyed the peace and quiet he can get when no annoying customers with overly complicated and demanding orders he’d have to memorize and recite back to Ryuk(although, it is fun whenever he gets to send for Rem whenever someone demands to see the manager). The problem with these easy days is that Light’s mind was always turning. He got easily bored. He had been told by many people(Ryuk and Sayu) that he got especially snobby and up his ass when he was bored.
That aspect of Light continually frustrated his parents. Sayu managed to be lively and excited enough by everything she talked about to always hold Light’s interest, but anyone else? Not really. When he was young, Souichirou learned discussing case details kept the ten year-old’s focus. When the superintendent retired to home, he could always expect his son to stay up wanting to talk. Sachiko noticed and taught Light that he can attempt to psychoanalyze people via small talk. Did they create a middle-schooler who was always just one boring conversation away from psychologically manipulating his classmates? Maybe, but Light was talking with his classmates at least. That is all his parents could hope for.
With a ring of the bell, Light’s undivided and bored attention was laser-focused on the new customer. It took all of Light’s willpower not to actively sneer at the man approaching the counter. This guy, this guy, had on a plain, white shirt that he obviously slept in, jeans that seemed to be comfortable but had an ill-fitting vibe, and the rattiest white sneakers that would make a homeless man tell him to burn them. Light’s pretty sure this is also the same guy Misa kicked out earlier for not wearing shoes.
God, I can already tell he reeks just by the state of his hair , Light thought to himself, straightening his back and uncapping his sharpie.
“Hi, welcome to Kira Coffee, what can I get for you today?” perfectly rehearsed words flowed off the young man’s tongue as he watched gray eyes surrounded by the worst eye bags Light had ever seen scanned the menu.
Everything about this man bothered Light. His hunched over posture, the hair that has never seen a comb or a proper trim for years, the thumb he stuck on his front teeth. Light guessed he had to be thankful for the fact that he was quiet. He didn’t seem like the argumentative type.
“A large earl gray with six teaspoons of sugar,” Light set down the insulated cup he picked up and turned back to stare at the(had to be) insane man a counter away.
Six teaspoons??? Just hearing him say that is making my teeth ache
“Could you repeat yourself?” Light tried to appear aloof.
The cold, lifeless eyes suddenly seemed to bear into the barista’s soul, “You heard correctly,”
Light let his face grimace at the customer’s almost rude tone and correct accusations, “Can I have a name?” He held the readied sharpie in his left hand, taking great pride as the nameless customer’s eyes appeared to take note of his hands. Light didn’t bother trying to hide his slight smirk at the stranger’s subtle head tilt and forward lean.
“L,”
A bit of an odd name, but hey, it’s not the weirdest thing people have said , Light thought with a slight cringe at the memories of the wave of Ben Dover ’s snickering teens told him, “And how do you spell that? ” He prepared to start writing an ‘E’.
“Oh, it’s just the letter L,”
And for a fourth time in five minutes, Light almost dropped that damned sharpie.
“Excu-”
“Once again, you heard it cor-”
“No no no,” Light cut off L cutting him off, “ Excuse me , your fake or joke name can be so much better than just L ,” he complained as he wrote the letter on the insulated cup with the ungodly amounts of sugar on it as well.
“I can do better?” L’s neutral expression suddenly turned into one that reminded Light of a cat getting attention through knocking cups over.
Light’s eyes widened as he realized the monster he created, “I mean, you didn’t say Mike Hunt, so,” he held out the “so” as he handed the cup to Ryuk, who recoiled at reading the amount of sugar. “Is that all?” he held back sir . This guy couldn’t be a year or two older than Light himself.
L spared a glance to the baked goods under the counter, “Could I get a slice of that strawberry cake?” L’s expression as he looked back to the barista was one Light was all too familiar with, analysis. A slight downward angle paired with the childlike smile that unnerved Light. Not enough to make him reconsider his similar treatment of his peers, but it still unnerved him.
What could he be deducing from me getting him cake? Is he even trying to learn something, or is he just messing with me? What is this guy’s deal?
Leaning forward over the counter, Light decided to play the game, “I don’t know. I mean, with all that sugar in your tea, I think I can just plop a strawberry in there and get the same effect,”
“Oh really,” L decided to match the barista and lean over the counter, “But if all we need to add to the tea is a strawberry, then the tea must have eggs, butter, flour, etc.,” L’s devious voice was barely over a whisper, now forcing Light to lean in more.
Light, fully unaware of how villainous his smile got, continued, “Oh you know, standard pro-”
“LARGE EARL GRAY WITH SIX TABLESPOONS OF SUGAR FOR THE LETTER L!!!” Ryuk shouted(despite the café being empty of customers outside of ones currently antagonizing employees), handing L’s drink over Light. The two men leaning on the counter were silent as L slowly took his drink over Light and got off of the counter.
“So, cake?”
“Yeah, sure,” Light brought a slice out and rang up the register. “Your total is $4.90,”
Pulling out his wallet and subsequently a ten dollar bill, L handed it over, “Keep the change,” he read the barista’s nametag, “Light,”
Light holds the dollar then looks back up to L, “Tha-” he stopped when he realized his customer had already left.
I didn’t want to thank you anyways