At first it had started out as an argument.

Then it had become a glaring match.

And soon, it became a staring contest.

Matsuda watched, fascinated, as Yagami Light and the mysterious L stared at each other, each determined to keep his eyes open longer than the other.
The atmosphere was tense.

"Matsuda, what are you doing?" inquired Yagami Soichiro, Light's father, curiously. He had just walked back from the bakery when he found the two boys crouching on the floor, watching each other intently, and Matsuda sitting at the monitors, but looking the other way, at the two.

The young man swiveled in his chair to look at his Chief.

"They've been staring at each other for hours," he whispered quietly. "It's a staring contest!" Soichiro frowned.

"Haven't they got work to do? We should be busy catching Kira," He murmured, slightly disapproving. Matsuda's eyes widened.

"Yeah! We totally should! Only… we should at least let them have a break. It's been months since they did anything but sleep and work…"

Soichiro sighed and passed a hand over his eyes.

"Alright. But, just today," he said resignedly. Matsuda beamed. "I'll be upstairs."

"Oh, and Matsuda? Don't do anything… stupid."

After Matsuda left in boredom (the boys did nothing but sit there and watch each other), the two began talking to each other.

"You're not going to win, Ryuuzaki. Your eyes are drying out, and you really want to blink…"

"I'm a few years older than you, Yagami-kun, and I've spent more time staring at computer screens. They normally dry out others' eyes, but my eyes are used to it. I will not blink."

"Oh yes you will. You will blink. After all, we've been here for hours, and you've had nothing to eat during that time. I'm sure you're hungry. You blink more when you're hungry," taunted Light, smirking as he saw L's expression change slightly for a moment only.

It could have been his imagination, but he could have sworn that L looked a little vexed.

"Is that true?" asked L, wondering if that was a real study. "How would you know? You wouldn't be… lying, now, would you Raito?"

The handsome teen was taken aback, and glared harder at his companion.

"Why don't you look it up, if you don't know? I'm pretty certain you are lying, Raito-kun," teased L. Light looked sullen and lifted his arm. The chains and handcuffs that linked the two boys rattled and clinked.

"I can't. We're connected, and I can't look at the computer while staring at you. I'd lose, or you'd blink when I wasn't looking. So no."

L's bored expression did not change. He shrugged, and poked his companion.

He poked again at Light's lack of reaction.

"What are you doing?" asked Light, annoyed. L was trying to trick him, he was sure of it! A distraction could make him blink, and he'd lose. No. He was determined not to lose to L. Ever.

L smiled a little, surprising Light (who resolutely kept his eyes open).

"Is this a trick question, Raito? I'm certain that what I am doing is obvious to you…" The boy resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"You know perfectly well that was not what I meant! Why are you poking me?" Light was growing incensed. L shuffled closer to him.

"What if I told you the reason was that I liked you?" he whispered softly. The auburn-haired boy's mouth opened a little in shock.

L shuffled closer. He could feel warmth radiating from the other boy's body.

Shock only slightly wearing off, Light regained his composure and looked down at L, indifferent and annoyed.

"I'd say that you were lying, because I know you don't like me like that: you're just trying to distract me and trick me into blinking so that you can win."

L tilted his head to the side and shuffled back, placing his index finger on his mouth.

"How perceptive. Yes… you're right. I don't like you," L stated simply. "And I do want to win. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I don't like to lose. Especially to Kira," he added slyly.

Yagami Light became furious. Standing up, he towered over L, who remained crouching on the ground, looking at the angry teen inquisitively.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm NOT Kira?"

The genius detective stared at him, with a ghost of a smirk on his face.

"If you are not Kira, Yagami-kun, then why are you getting so upset? Being defensive usually is proof that—"

"I am not defensive!" he exploded. "Or at least, I am, but I am not lying, L! It's just so annoying that you keep thinking that it's me who's the murderer, even though I am not! That is why," he took a deep breath as he tried to calm down; "I am angry. That is why I am 'so upset'," growled Light.

L stood up as well.

"I think I've asked you before to call me Ryuuzaki, Yagami-kun. It's rude to disregard others' wishes," he commented casually. Yeah, right, you hypocrite. You disregard my wishes all the time to not be accused as Kira!

"I apologize," said Light, with a touch of sarcasm. L tilted his head, but continued to hold eye contact with Yagami's son.

"You know… maybe you're not that mad that I called you 'Kira'," mused L. "Maybe you're redirecting your frustration because of me confirming that I do not like you…"

Light's jaw dropped.

"You think I'm gay?"

"Well, I do not see you with any other girl besides Miss Amane, and even then, you do not seem to enjoy her presence. Also, we're chained together. Surely so many months together would make you grow fond of me…?"

"One, I'm kind of stuck here with you. I didn't choose to be chained to you willingly, and it's rather annoying. I have no time completely to myself—"

"Which you'd use to plot more deaths and try to figure out my name, right?"

Light's annoyed stare reverted to his furious glare.

"—completely to myself so that I may think, and two, no, I am not fond of you, since you constantly accuse me of being Kira. And I'm not gay." He paused."What about you? Surely so many months with handsome little me 'would make you grow fond of me'?"

There was a thoughtful pause.

"What would you think about if you had time to yourself?"

"What? Oh… I dunno. Go over stuff in my mind, possibly daydream… why?"

L ignored the suspicious question.

"No, I am not gay either, Raito-kun…," Watari suddenly walked into the room carrying a large, cream-topped cake. L eyed it with his peripheral vision with extreme interest, hunger in his eyes. Tired of the game and hungry for the cake, L did something unthinkable.

Staring intently at Light (and managing to freak him out a bit), he clapped his hands right in front of his eyes, loudly, much to the astonishment of the stunned teen, causing the auburn-haired boy to finally blink. L grinned and headed for the cake.

"HEY! Ryuuzaki, you cheated!" called out Light angrily. He was so close to winning, and L had to snatch victory right from underneath his nose! Ugh, I HATE L!

L's mouth twitched into something resembling a smile, and cut into the cake, ignoring the indignant and outraged outburst from his suspect.

"… but I am bi."

Light's tired eyes widened. L looked at him and offered him a plate.

"Cake?"