Warning: If you have something against men making out with men, don't read. Though with L and Light, how can you go wrong? –grin–

Rated for language sorta, and for Light and L getting a bit… frisky.

It follows the plot after Light is released from confinement, but since yours truly thinks the plot went down the drain after L dies, there's a different ending, so slightly AU? Whee for L not dying!

And if you haven't read vol. 7 or after of the manga, I just spoiled it for you. Sorry. XD

No telling how long this will be, since only about half is actually written. The chapters will probably vary wildly in length, due to my erratic Muse.

Anyhow, I'ma shut up and let you lot get on with reading.

"You got it, Ryuzaki! Let's catch Kira together!"

"Yes, I'm pleased to be working with you." L smiled his cute little smile at the computer screen, though from his seat in the back of a car Light couldn't see him. Well now, what was that little flutter of his heart when Light had made his comment?

Bad form to develop crushes on your suspects, fool. L chided himself. You don't even know if he's the type to like you back.

Light pulled a face, tugging at the chain half-heartedly. What a pain, being chained to Ryuzaki. Light sighed slightly, then glanced up at L. Then again, it may not be so bad…

He had yet to tell anyone that he was gay. Wasn't the sort of thing an eighteen-year-old brought up in casual conversation easily. Even his own family didn't know.

Well, if Ryuzaki is straight, I won't have a chance anyway! He stopped himself before a resigned sigh could escape his lips and turned to Misa, who was muttering darkly under her breath.

"Look, Misa…"

Misa turned her wide eyes on Light and pouted. "Light, you tell him! Dates won't be any fun with this pervert watching!"

"Who said anything about dates?" Light said with some amount of alarm in his tone. The last thing he wanted was for her to think…

"But… but…"

Light winced slightly. Great, a chick has a crush on me. That's just gross…

L watched Light's reaction curiously, but remained silent as Light was spared further torment by Aizawa showing Misa to her room. Interesting, very interesting. Even if a normal young man his age weren't attracted to Misa, L didn't think he'd reacted quite like Light just did. A tinge of hope entered his heart as the possibility became real.

However, he reminded himself that no matter what he hoped, it might just be wishful thinking. Even if he isn't completely straight, there's no guarantee he'll even like me. Let's face it, he probably dislikes me for keeping him confined so long and chaining him to me like this...

Several days went by reasonably uneventfully, as L slowly lost interest in the investigation.

What's the point? We're back to square one! It looks like I was wrong… but how could I be wrong? All the evidence pointed to Light and Misa! There was even that two-week period after Light was confined where the killing stopped! The power could be passed from person to person, and once that happens the user could forget. In fact, that's very likely considering what we've seen so far, but knowing how clever Light is, he may've set it up so that the power returned to him…But whatever happened then, there's a new Kira abroad. If the power can be passed to someone else, this whole investigations seems like an exercise in futility, because as soon as he catch one Kira another one crops up and the one we catch stops being Kira!

Light glanced over at L, his brows furrowing slightly at L's glum expression. "What's with the depressed look, Ryuzaki?"

L sighed heavily, wrapping his arms around his shins. "This whole thing seems like a snipe-hunt to me, by now…"

Light frowned irritably. "Oh, not again. Do we have to get in another fist-fight?"

L's lips twitched up slightly. "That was fun, actually. I'm curious to see which one of us would win."

"If our tennis match was anything to go by, I'd win." Light smirked.

"A lucky shot." L waved one hand.

Light snorted slightly, the smirk turning into an odd smile that L didn't fail to notice as he gazed out of the corner of one eye at the younger man. They both turned back to what they had been doing before: Light looking for more information on Kira while L killed time.

"Ryuzaki. I know you're not into this, but come over here for a second."

L turned curiously, bracing one hand on Light's shoulder as he peered at the computer screen.

"Take a look at this. Look at the changes here, and look at this sudden growth."

L's face lifted into an excited smile, a spark of enthusiasm entering his dark eyes once more as the gears in his agile mind whirred into action. Light saw the renewed resolve in L's expression, and couldn't suppress a grin. When he smiled like that, L's face was transformed.

Ah, no no. Dammit! Light tried not to stare, tried to push the thoughts of how L's usually languid face became oddly attractive if he just smiled.

Though his eyes were fixed on the information Light had pulled up on the computer screen, out of the corner L noticed that Light's cheeks flushed a faint shade of pink before he turned away.

That settles it, L thought with a tinge of smugness. He's not straight, and he's got a crush on me. L wasn't sure whether to be elated or hesitant. The one very small part of him that actually listened to his emotions was jumping for joy, but the rest of him was uneasy. Light still could be Kira, even if he wasn't currently aware of it. Was it so wise to even contemplate a relationship with a man you suspect of being a mass murderer?

Screw it! I don't even know if it's more than just a minor infatuation and will pass soon, so I'd better just wait and see if Light does anything.

Please read and review while I work on the other chapters! Hope you like it so far.