L-ycanthropy

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, but I wish I did.

A/N: This is my first Death Note fanfic and I hope you enjoy it. If you're wondering how the idea came up, I finally made a facebook (cool, right?) and on it, someone happened to bite me as a vampire. But then I realized I really didn't want to be a vampire. I loved werewolves much more so I turned myself. :D Later... it struck me. How the hell would L be able to deal if he was to become one? Anywho, you'll probably just skip this A/N and get to the good stuff. I don't blame you; don't we all do it? Cheers and PLEASE, PLEASE don't forget to review! I need your input to make this fanfic pawn! :3 (I apologize in advance if it's a little slow this chapter. You know how all first chapters are. I have big plans for chappie 2.)

Chapter 1: Be Careful What You Wish For

The incessant sound of L's fingers typing at unimaginable speeds seemed to become second nature to Light's ears. L gazed at the screen of his laptop, not noticing that Light's eyes were resting on his stressed features. Light was dazing in and out of his fleeting sleep. He figured it wouldn't be any harm to see what was preoccupying the detective. Of course, it could have been the Kira case, but it seemed that something else was bothering L.

"I'm sorry, Light-san; may I be of assistance to you?" L asked in his signature monotone voice, startling Light out of his daydream.

"Oh, no. I'm sorry, Ryuuzaki, I'm fine," Light said quickly. L cocked his head slightly before stretching.

"I was wondering because you were staring at me for a while," L responded before Light sighed and sat up in bed.

"I was about to sleep but I wanted to ask…" Light started. L looked at him intently, waiting for an answer.

"You would like to know why I'm up so late… Am I correct in my deduction, Light-san?" L asked, handing Light his laptop nonchalantly. Light twitched slightly, wondering how L had come to know him so well. They were chained to each other every waking moment, and though Light showed subtle hostility, he eventually decided that it wouldn't be detrimental if he did in fact come to know his equal before he finished him off. Light nodded and took the laptop from L's hands without another moment's hesitation. He stared at images of horribly mangled bodies. The people looked as if they were mere rag dolls, the overall execution of the murders horribly sloppy and grotesque in their fashion. Limbs were either missing or seemed to be chewed up, with organs and blood strewn about the scene.

"What do you make of them, Light-san?" L inquired after seeing Light's repulsed reaction. Light glanced at the screen once more before looking back at L.

"The murders seem animalistic in their fashion, and the assailant obviously has no qualms about leaving their signature, or hiding their tracks… Could it be a sicko with an animal fetish? Are you sure they aren't just wild animal attacks? Simple tools can't make those sorts of incisions. I also see some sort of animal's footprint… Perhaps they were mauled by some sort of big cat or rabid dog?" Light guessed with slight conviction. L was now seated on his haunches with a thumb to his lips giving him a childlike look.

"I considered that possibility, Light-san, but how could a big cat, or granted that it was some sort of rabid dog, claim six victims in three weeks and not be caught in a city-type environment?" Light was taken slightly aback by L's statement. He blinked and looked back at the images to see most of the killings were in alleyways or by highway overpasses.

"I didn't know that information… could it be some sort of hoax?" Light said, scratching his head. L shifted slightly and looked back at him with a slight shrug.

"It can't be, Light-san. The FBI and the LAPD have been sending me the news feeds and case files. They have asked for my help and have even considered that Kira could now manipulate animals to do his bidding, which seems to be too fanciful for my tastes. These murders are too unstructured, even for Kira." Light smiled internally at the fact that L knew Kira wouldn't kill aimlessly and that he could distinguish his mannerisms. But at the same time, he wondered who could commit such macabre crimes.

"Are there other reoccurring patterns, Ryuuzaki?" Light asked, slowly watching L's expression liven.

"Of course, Light-san. There are many. That is the strange part. For starters, the killer is a cannibal. This is obvious in the lack of organs in the corpses and the fact that there are visible bite marks and scratches on the victims. As you stated before, he takes no care in covering up his tracks. Also, all of his victims seem to have struggled before death, so they were all taken by force. Often they were alone, and all the murders seem to occur in the late afternoon and early morning hours of the day. Our killer seems to have a fascination with the moon, and didn't kill on the new moon… I think you gather the point from all this information. There are so many leads that it surprises me to think that they could not capture him on their own." Light looked at L with a slightly baffled expression. Even with all the leads and all of L's assumptions, Light was just as surprised as L was.

"Then why the hell do they need you? Wait a second. There's something you're not telling me, right?" Light asked, raising an eyebrow. L nodded and started to chew on his thumb.

"Correct, Light-san. What has thrown them off is the fact that some of the samples retrieved from the scenes were in fact some type of canine hair… however, this canine hair doesn't seem to register to any type of existing animal, but it is closely related to that of a canine's. All the blood samples seem to be void as well, because the killer's blood mixed with the victim's won't give the LAPD an accurate reading." Light seemed to become increasingly more engrossed in L's words as if it were some sort of child's story.

"The thing they have in their favor is that all of the murders are taking place in the vicinity of Los Angeles County, which narrows down the immediate area of investigation. However, Los Angeles is so vast, and the killer could easily escape if he really wished to. Not to mention having Hollywood as a backdrop for these crimes, thus the alias for the murders, 'The Wolf-man Crimes.'" L seemed to pause for a brief moment and rubbed his eyes lightly. "This is very intriguing to me and is somewhat of a fresh breath of air. Not that the Kira case is of less importance. This just gives me something else to ponder."

Light gave L a slightly puzzled look before handing back his laptop. It was funny to see that the world's greatest detective was also human and became bored. Even though the Kira case could eventually cause his death, he, too, needed to entertain himself even if it was with something as morbid as a series of cannibalistic murders.

"I'm happy to inform you that I will be receiving an actual sample of the saliva from the killer tomorrow. I know they mean well, but I feel that I need to look into this more in-depth. They have a skilled forensics staff, but if I can take a look without having to go there in person, that would be all the more pleasant. Don't you think, Light-san?" L said before shutting off his laptop and placing it into its respective cabinet. Light nodded slightly and started to move himself into a more comfortable position on the king-sized bed. He pulled the soft blankets over himself, forming a sort of cocoon.

"Thanks for indulging me, Ryuuzaki. It's rare for you to share any sort of information regarding any other case," Light called from under the mass of blankets. The raccoon-eyed man nodded silently over towards him.

"Not a problem, Light-san. In fact, I was wondering if you might be able to aid me with this case. Since we're friends now, I figured we could be some sort of duo if I come out of the Kira case alive…" The statement made Light shoot straight up in the bed and look at L sternly. Light almost seemed to feel bad, and he hated it.

"What makes you so sure that you're going to die and that you won't catch him first? Do you even realize what you're saying, Ryuuzaki? Of course I'm going to help you with this case and any other that comes along, no matter the circumstance," Light said, realizing that he had actually said something very intimate to the other man. He had just made a promise. Light almost pulled his hands over his mouth to pull back what he just stated. He winced slightly before looking back over at L who was now staring at him with his dark eyes. L seemed to be calculating what he had just heard, disheveled black hair almost seeming to make him more dramatic. L simply yawned and reached over to the lamp that provided light for his side of the room, plunging them into calm darkness.

"Thank you… it's a really nice gesture, Light-san," L said with a small pause. Disregarding the fact that he was still in jeans, L pulled open the blankets and fell back promptly onto the soft mattress. Light felt slightly awkward and turned around so he wouldn't have to face L. There was silence, and sleep seemed to be so inviting for both men at the moment. The moonlight that trickled in through the curtains seemed to only add on to blurring the lines between reality and their dreams. L stared at the back of Light's head, wishing that Light would face him. L tried to be as honest with Light as he could at all times, and he felt that they did have a sort of chemistry when they worked together, even if they did squabble from time to time. Dare he say he had an affinity for the boy? He simply pushed the thoughts out of his mind before stealing one more glance of the boy's silky hair. With that, he closed his eyes and spoke his last words before sleep took him.

"Have a pleasant rest, Yagami-kun."

--

Light sat watching L set up his makeshift lab area in their bedroom. He pulled several machines out with care as he set them on the coffee table.

"I'm sorry if this is taking a while, Light-san. I'm using slightly more sophisticated technology since it's travel-sized. I thought it would be better to bring the lab here so it wouldn't obstruct you and Amane-san's date time, as it were. I think it would be rather anti-climactic if you two were to go to a lab with me. It seems science and love don't mix," L said, tinkering with one of the microscopes. Light had almost gasped; he had forgotten that the bane of his existence would be coming over that day.

"I told you, Ryuuzaki, there's nothing going on with us. It's all one-sided and I'm sure you can see that from a mile away," Light said, glancing at his watch. L, finally satisfied with the arrangement of test tubes, gloves, and other such equipment, looked at Light blankly before stuffing his mouth with a lollipop that muffled his voice.

"Is it okay to whisper sweet nothings to someone you don't care for, Light-san?" L asked innocently.

Light obviously didn't take the comment very well.

"What's it to you, Ryuuzaki? I think you should mind your own business, unless you're some sort of love guru in your part-time," Light said with eyebrows furrowed. L simply stared and pulled the lollipop from his mouth to point at Light.

"Oh, I beg to differ, Light-san… you are very much my business, just as Amane-san is, too. I don't want to start the day off on a bad note but you are currently under suspicion, if you haven't forgotten, and I was simply wondering how someone I hold in such high regard could lie about something so important," L said, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at the floor in a pensive manner before looking at Light's upset features. Light knew L made a very good point but he couldn't let Misa go just yet. After all, he still didn't know L's true name, and Misa, unfortunately, was the only one who could get it for him. It was almost disgusting to have L think of him so highly, but just the same, he could be playing some sort of mind trick as usual. Light simply shrugged and finally answered.

"It's all a game, Ryuuzaki… that's just how life is."

L put the lollipop back into his mouth and got up from the green couch. He stretched and hobbled over to the door. "I know, Light-san. That is one of the many things that keeps me up at night," L said. He shook his head and motioned for Light to follow him since the chain would only allow for limited distance.

The headquarters were seemingly deserted. Only the sounds of L and Light's chain making slow metallic noises as they moved against each other could be heard in the long corridors. It was Saturday, and most of the members of the taskforce were asked to take their breaks. Light looked over at the monitors to see them walking by on one of the screens. L made his way to the front door almost if by instinct. Just then the front door's bell began to chime.

"Amane-san?" L questioned sweetly before pushing the button.

"Yes please, Ryuuzaki-san. Let me in," she said, voice coming off strongly almost as if she were squealing to annoy them on purpose. With a final push of the button, L looked over at Light who was in obvious turmoil.

"You could have just left her out there, Ryuuzaki," Light suggested before running his fingers through his own hair in an attempt to ward off some of his frustration. L gave Light a soft pat on the back.

"It's a game, remember? I'm sure you can win, Yagami-kun," L joked.

Light looked over at L with a small smirk before bowing playfully. "Well played, guru-sempai."

L shook his head and smiled slightly before Light's focus became centered on the turning latch of the front door. Misa seemed to bust in with a flash of color and perfume, practically tackling a now floored Light.

"Light, honey, did you miss me? Because I was missing you!"

Light looked up at his gothic nightmare of a girlfriend. "Umm, yeah. So how's it been, sweetie?" Light asked, almost choking on his words. She smiled sweetly and pulled him up off the floor.

"It's been great! You know the daily photo shoots. They've been working poor little me to death! But what bothers me the most has to be you, Light. It gets so lonely at night." Light could only gulp as the aggressive girl pulled him closer to her face by the collar of his shirt. She was only inches from Light's face when she caught a glimpse of L watching them ardently. She pushed Light away gently to rebuke the peeping tom.

"YOU DAMN PERVERT, RYUUZAKI!" she yelled, practically foaming at the mouth. This happened much to Light's relief, as she let go of him and stormed over to L's perched figure. He was seated on his black leather chair, watching Misa's every step. She seized his shoulders and shook him slightly.

"Why don't you just leave us alone? Don't you have something better to do? I'm sure you still need to solve the Kira case, and you watching us won't help you solve it any faster," she chastised, looking directly into L's eyes as if trying to overpower him. L raised his eyebrow and gently pulled Misa's hands from his shoulders.

"I do have pressing matters to attend to, but it seems you like to shower Light-san with displays of public affection before my eyes. What else am I going to look at? I can't seem to understand why I'm the cause for your frustrations. Even if you did want to kiss Light, why would it bother you if I partake in a glance? You should be flattered, Amane-san," L responded calmly before getting up. He always had a way of coming back and being victorious.

She looked at him in mid-pout. "Yeah, whatever, Ryuuzaki-san. But if I catch you one more time!" she warned, waving a finger. L got up and gave her a crooked smile.

"You guys have something special, and that something you don't need to hide… now if you'll excuse me. I'm going to retrieve the saliva sample from just down the hall. I expect it has arrived by now." As L walked away from the seething girl, he stopped suddenly.

"Light-san, I'm going to unlock our shackles for now. I trust you and the Mrs. can act accordingly?" L said, searching around in the vastness of his jeans pocket for the key. Light looked at L with a surprised expression; he never allowed Light to roam around freely without his supervision.

"Ryuuzaki, are you sure?" Light asked in disbelief. Misa seemed to come back to life as she cheered.

"Light, did you hear that? We get time on our own!"

Light still waited for L's reply.

"Of course, Light-san. I mean, I won't let you two out of this level of the building, but you two can be in any room that you please. You're not a five-year-old, and I do wish to analyze the specimen in solitude," L answered, nodding and pulling the key from his pocket.

"Aww, come on, Ryuuzaki-san! That's not a real date and you know it," Misa complained with a scowl, at which point Light promptly put her in her place.

"Shut up, Misa! You're damn lucky he's doing this for you. He won't even let me roam around like this. We'll take you up on that offer, Ryuuzaki-san," Light said, quickly patting Misa on the shoulder.

L walked over to Light and unchained him before unchaining himself. "You two will have three hours together. So use your time wisely," L advised before pulling the chains into his arms.

"Ryuuzaki, you sure you don't need me for the specimen? I thought you wanted me to help you." Misa hit Light on the shoulder for the foolish remark. L paused for a moment before continuing on his trek to the bedroom.

"Don't worry about it just yet, Light-san. Enjoy yourself for now. Besides, I need to be able to make a clear deduction before I can even discuss the matter with you. You may feel free to join me after Amane-san leaves," L replied. He turned around the corner, and headed down the hallway to the bedroom. Light stood there for several moments wondering why L had become so lenient. Perhaps this was a spot of sympathy caused by last night's talk?

"God, that guy's a creep. Did you see the way he was staring? I will never get over it. Light, can we just kill him already?" Misa suddenly asked as she tugged on Light's shirt. Light couldn't believe how irritated he already was. It had been no more than a matter of moments before L had left him.

"Misa, you need to calm down. I told you a million times we need to do it at an opportune time. It would be too obvious if we did it now." Light's words came to no avail, as she kept pleading.

"I don't understand you, Light. I honestly don't. Shit, it's almost like you're getting attached to that loser. What the hell was that? Asking him if he needed your help? He should be on the floor worshipping the ground you step on. You are the god of this new earth and the best part is that it's all ours," she squealed. She pulled Light in closer but he simply pushed her away.

"You don't get it," Light said, straightening out his shirt.

"Fine, then. Tell me, what can I do so Misa can understand what Light means?"

Looking back at her in disgust, he mustered the strength to give her a hug.

"You see, there's this case that he's going to work on at the moment that has caught my attention as well." Misa nodded before Light went on. "There is a cannibal eating people up in Los Angeles and they can't seem to catch him." Misa's face lit up momentarily as she remembered something that she had seen on the news earlier that week.

"Oh! 'The Wolf-man Crimes?'" Light nodded and patted her lightly on the head; she wasn't completely vacant after all.

"Exactly, Misa," Light said as if he were talking to a young child. "They've gathered a fresh sample from one of the murder scenes and have sent it to Ryuuzaki, in hopes that he might be able identify the killer."

Misa smiled slightly. "This interests Light?" Misa asked sweetly. Light rolled his eyes a bit and granted her a smile.

"Yes, it does. The fact that L has to step in is actually quite a rush, and it gives us both something to look forward to in a way. It gives us a chance to prove that we're the best… like you proving yourself to be the best model in Japan." Something at that moment clicked in Misa's mind. Perhaps it was Light's choice of words that helped her to grasp what he was saying. She stood in silence for a moment before pointing her finger in the air triumphantly.

"If Light enjoys it, then Misa does, too! Why don't you go tell Ryuuzaki that you're going to go help him and that I'll try to help you guys in the best way I can? Like getting you snacks or something."

Light looked at her strangely. "Really, Misa?" he questioned before letting go of her. She nodded and pulled Light along quickly. Running down the hallway to the bedroom, Misa threw open the doors to find a half-naked L placing a solution in a Petri dish. After he finished pouring the solution, he turned on the machine, which began the mixing process.

"How may I be of service to you, Amane-san?" L asked bashfully, pulling over a green pillow to somehow shield himself. Light soon followed and looked over at Misa who now covered her eyes.

"Ryuuzaki, I was wondering if we may join you in helping to catch this 'Werewolf' killer," Misa said faintly. Light pulled her back slightly and spoke.

"I'm sorry if we're disturbing you, Ryuuzaki. We didn't mean to intrude, but we both came to the conclusion that we wanted to help you." L looked at them with a slight blush.

"It's okay. I just didn't anticipate you two coming in anytime soon. You see, right now this is the longer part of the process. The solution is mixing with a small amount of the saliva to reveal where and what it came from, but this can take about an hour, so I figured I would take a bath while it was mixing." L started, setting the pillow down and looking for his long-sleeved shirt. Misa and Light looked at each other dumbly.

"It's thoughtful of the both of you, though. I appreciate it greatly," L said, pulling the shirt over his head. "If you wish to help me, Light-san, could you check the current status of the case and see if anything new has happened? Miss Amane, would you like me to hook up the Playstation for you? I know how you enjoy Kingdom Hearts," L said, pointing over to the television in the corner. Misa shook her head and spoke.

"I want to be of help too, Ryuuzaki-san! Can I fix you and Light some snacks for the meantime?" L looked over at Light who shrugged in response. L scratched his head and walked over to the bathroom door. He stared at her silently before giving her a small smile.

"That would be capital, Amane-san, much appreciated." He closed the door behind him and left them to themselves.

Light was surprised at Misa's behavior. Most of the time, she would give no second thoughts to mocking L openly, but this time she seemed nice. Too nice. Dismissing his suspicions, Light began typing away on the bed. He was so occupied, he didn't even notice what Misa was doing. She tiptoed and looked at the test tube rack. She saw the sealed test tube labeled 'Wolf-man' and slipped it into her pocket, appearing as if she was cleaning up around the coffee table. She laughed silently as she made her way to the kitchen. It seemed that the coffee maker had already been set to make coffee. She watched as the brown liquid poured into the container below. She went to the pantry and pulled out a box of donuts that were intended to be for L, and retrieved some bread to make Light a sandwich.

She realized that it was either now or never. She took two mugs from a cabinet and poured coffee into one. Then, she pulled out the test tube. She hesitated for a second, and considered that she would be caught, but she really didn't care. She figured that from all the attacks this killer had made, this would practically guarantee that L could catch several diseases. L could probably catch HIV, but preferably, he would die or get very sick. At the moment she wanted payback for all the times he had undermined her. It seemed that justice would fail and would fraternize with the enemy. And it would be hilarious to think L would be partially kissing a mass murderer. She wanted to burst out laughing. She looked down at the cup and unscrewed the lid of the test tube. An ungodly scent came from the small tube as she looked at it questioningly. She focused once more and began to add drops of the cursed saliva into the cup. The horrible sent made payback all the more sweet in her mind.

"One drop… two drops. Thr-"

"Misa, are you feeling all right?" Light called from the kitchen doorway. She looked back and quickly screwed on the cap and put the test tube back in her pocket.

"Y- yes, Light. Would you like some coffee?" Light nodded and she walked back to him with the cup in hand. Light saw her face to be slightly worried but he didn't think anything of it. As soon as he walked off, she returned to the counter to pour coffee in L's cup. She made Light his sandwich, laid packs of sugar and donuts on a tray and made her way back to the room. When she walked back in, Light was busy hooking up the Playstation.

"I think you would much rather play videogames than be bored by this, Misa." She nodded and placed the tube back on its rack when Light wasn't looking. A total success, she thought. Just at that moment, L emerged from the restroom with a towel around his wet hair. Misa smiled and offered him his coffee. He accepted with a "thank you," and began to load it up with sugar as he usually did. Misa was in shock at how easily she had tricked L. She acted as normal as possible and sat down to contain her excitement. He finally sat down in front of his small workstation. The moment she had been waiting for had come.

L pulled the cup up to his lips and took long, languid sips of the scorching brown liquid. Misa wanted to jump up and down and scream at the top of her lungs but instead, laughed lowly.

L quickly drained the entire contents of the cup and began to review the results of the small Petri dishes. His eyes widened slightly and he looked over at Light who acknowledged him. Misa walked over to the Playstation and began to play silently while Light walked over to L.

"This saliva is infected by some sort of bacteria that I can't identify. It appears to be slow acting, but it's extremely potent... it almost behaves like a sort of venom," L started. L pulled up his laptop and opened a browser window, beginning a search for all known types of bacteria. With another, he messaged the FBI.

"Light-san, it appears that we have some sort of biological warfare going on. He's much more than a cannibal. I'm debating on letting the United States government know as well," L spoke gravely. Light looked at him with worry and looked back at the machine to view the results.

"Don't touch anything, Light. I'll dispose of it. It's become a sort of hazmat." L got up and handed Light the computer as he began to search for extra plastic gloves. "Please send off the emails."

Light looked over the emails and saw that they were written in English. He read what he could and was baffled by what L had discovered. Light read back what he could understand.

"A mix of rabies, blood poisoning and malaria. Who the hell is this man, Ryuuzaki?" Light asked, looking back up at L, who put the specimen in a special case along with the equipment in another box.

"Not 'who is the culprit,' Light-san. The new question is, what is he?"

--

A/N: Cliffhanger! DUN DUN DUN. I know, I'm evil right? Don't worry. Chappie two, I hope won't disappoint. ;D Please help a sister out and don't forget to review! 33