#ALSO PLEASE READ THIS AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHTT

[totheidiot]

thy evil spirit

that short tiny moment from julius caesar act 4 scene 3 where the ghost of caesar shows up and tells brutus that he will meet him at philippi. but make it about light and L where L's ghost visits light in the morning of january 28, before the warehouse scene. enjoy :D

fandom: death note

word count: 1,410 words .

The ice-cold water from the faucet dripped on the basin in a methodical fashion. Light turned the faucet to the right, increasing the rush of water as he looked into the bathroom mirror. His reflection stared back at him: he took a moment to study himself as he gripped the edge of the sink. All was in order, it appeared. His hair was neat and his suit tidy, an apathetic expression on his face. As neutral as he seemed outwardly, on the inside, he thought he was the happiest man alive.

Today, it ends. He would win. He was sure of it. Every detail of his plan was absolutely perfect, he couldn't fail this. He would achieve what he wanted so many years ago, ever since he was seventeen years old. Perhaps he wanted this for much longer, even before he had found that notebook on the ground. Perhaps he had always wanted to be God.

His victory was so close, he could taste it. Unlike L, Light had never been one for sweets but now, his victory tasted so sweet and saccharine on his tongue. Light had never tasted something so perfect and divine. Oh, he could barely wait and he was so damn close. All of his life was leading up to this day: 1.28, 1 P.M. Victory belonged to him and very few things could stop his final accession.

With his right hand, he pulled at his sleeve, revealing his watch. His gaze turned to the time: it was a few minutes after ten in the morning. In about ten minutes, he would have to meet with the rest of the Task Force. But until then, he needed a moment alone. Just a moment to himself. Being alone had been such a privilege for him for so long. Just a moment alone in this bathroom, standing before the sink with his hands gripping the marble, looking to the mirror as the water fell from the faucet.

Cupping his hands underneath the tap, cold rushing water fell to his outstretched palms. He began to splash it on his face, closing his eyes. It felt like his skin was burning as the freezing water made contact with his face. Opening his eyes and turning off the tap, he let out a labored breath. Light's hand returned back to the edge of the sink as he stared right at the mirror. As he had turned off the faucet, stopping the sound of rushing water, the bathroom was completely silent. The silence was stifling, all that was left was him.

Water droplets clung to his skin and Light watched as they dripped back to the sink. He was oddly fixated on that methodical motion, watching water drop to the sink one drop at a time. Swallowing hard, he raised his head, expecting to see only his face staring back but when had his solitude ever been long-lasting?

L. Light could recognize his face anywhere: that familiar outline of his face, those black eyes, dark unkempt hair. Light's grip on the sink tightened and his eyes widened, his breath quickening. Through the reflection of the bathroom mirror on the wall, he could see that L seemed to be standing just behind him. Light instinctively turned his head, taking his eyes off of the mirror. No one was behind him, he was alone in the bathroom. He made himself look back at the mirror and there L was in the reflection. Standing with his hands inside his pockets, looking at Light with sharp eyes and a neutral expression.

Though Light was shaken up in the midst of L – after all, it wasn't everyday where you were faced with your dead rival – Light wasn't as surprised as he should be. For you see, this wasn't the first time he had seen him or felt his presence in this odd hallucination-like state, following L's death. Sometimes, amidst a crowd, Light might catch a glimpse of his face, so unmistakable that he just couldn't dismiss it as a misunderstanding or a trick of the light. Some nights, Light could wake up in the dead of night randomly and in his half-asleep daze, eyes half-lidded, he might find L lying next to him in his bed. Light never let himself think about it too deeply. Even after death, L was such a pain.

"Thy evil spirit, Kira."

With a start, Light stared at L through the reflection. Though Light had seen him countless times, this was the first time he had heard L speak in this state. Light hadn't heard that voice in four years and he was surprised to find that it was exactly as he had remembered. Even after four years, Light's memory of his voice hadn't failed him.

Light parted his lips, not knowing what to do. He closed his eyes, opening them again. L's face was still staring straight at him through the reflection of the mirror. It appeared that L only existed in the plane of that bathroom mirror as there was no one standing behind Light right now. "Why are you here?" Light asked, trying to sound as contained as possible. However shocked he was, he couldn't let it show.

L opened his mouth again and without taking a pause, he replied to him immediately. His voice was completely flat, not a single emotion at all. His face was the same. "To tell you that you'll be seeing me at the docks."

Light furrowed his eyebrows, what did that mean? Damn L, even in death, he was trying to confuse him. Just as infuriating as well. He sucked in a breath through his teeth as his grip on the sink loosened. "Well, then I'll see you again?"

"Yes," was L's simple reply. Then, a nod of his head. "At the docks."

Light let out a breath as he stared straight into L's face. Staring into the face of a dead man, the dead man in question stared back at him. That very face, it would forever be stuck in the age of twenty-five. Light reached out his right hand, unclenching the edge of the sink as he began to raise it. He touched the glass of the mirror, his fingertips meeting with the outline of L's face. What he felt was not skin but cold and unforgiving glass. L made no reaction at such a gesture, all he did was stare. For a moment, Light just traced over the reflection of L's face, his lips softly parted as he felt a pit in his stomach. Finally, Light spoke again, his lips moving to produce sound. "Then I'll see you at the docks."

L only gave a shrug of his shoulders in reply. He did not disappear immediately, instead only staring back at Light. Where was L, in which plane did he exist? Light watched as L began to reach out his hand also and slowly, it appeared to meet the glass. Light couldn't help but produce a small choking sound as he saw that L's fingertips met where Light's were. What separated them was seemingly just glass but Light knew better, there was no point in believing otherwise. They were worlds apart, literally. L was dead and Light was so alive. It was all Light's fault.

"Now that I understand," Light spoke, his voice strained and low. He looked to the side, not being able to look at L. "You can go now. You ill spirit, I wish we could have talked more."

When Light looked back at the mirror, L was gone, his fingertips were hovering over nothing. It was as if L had never been here at all. With a sigh, Light withdrew his hands and stood upright. That was a moment of weakness, he couldn't afford something like that. He needed to forget about it, forget what L had told him, forget how their fingertips connected together. There was no point in focusing on whatever that interaction was. Forget about the docks, whatever that means. L was dead and he was alive, and he would be alive for a long time. Light had won while L had lost. Light and L had parted their ways a long time ago, there would be no meeting between them. He pulled at his tie, adjusting his clothes as he looked back at the mirror with a stoic expression on his face. He had more pressing matters to deal with.