Summary: One would think that being chained to an alleged mass murdered would be no picnic, but Light is quite sure that L has the better end of the bargain.

This is for my sister, who talks and laughs in her sleep just as clearly as when she's awake, and even responds to questions. It's also for my friend, who once told me that he sometimes solves problems in his dreams.

Sweet Dreams

When Light had been given the choice, he had eagerly taken L's offer. Well, perhaps "eagerly" was too strong a word for the situation, but he had certainly been more than willing. After all, being handcuffed to someone with four feet of chain between them couldn't possibly be worse than sitting all alone bound hand and foot in a barren cell.

Had he known it was going to be anything like this, though, he might have preferred the roomy jail cell. Or he would have at least racked his rather significant brains for another alternative.

But, as it were, he was now stuck to the eccentric detective with only four feet between them at any given time. L only allowed the handcuff to be removed when changing shirts, after which it was promptly snapped on again. He didn't even allow it to be removed during showers, much to Light's chagrin.

"Have you never showered in the locker room at school?" L would ask, in that aggravatingly sensible way of his, to which Light would be forced to agree. "Then I see no difference." Then his glance would grow keener and he would pin the other with it, as if trying to read his every move and thought. "Unless you have another, more valid reason to want to be alone for such an extended period of time?"

Light wanted to tell him that high school gym was a long time ago, and yes, it was very much different now, but no, he didn't have another reason. So he just gritted his teeth and swallowed his pride and had to put up with one arm always being uncomfortably restrained by L, sitting on the other side of the shower curtain.

He had only to remind himself, however, that they were doing this to help catch Kira. Once he was free of blame and at last cleared of all suspicion, then L could finally turn his full attention to catching the real Kira.

-

Light was quick to decide that, even though being unable to move freely without hauling another body behind him was quite bothersome, the nights were the worst.

L had had a room arranged with two twin beds in it: so they wouldn't have to share the same bed, he had explained. One wouldn't have thought there was much difference, since there was only a six-inch space between the two beds, but Light was infinitely grateful. Six inches would make all the difference in the world, he was absolutely sure.

Although he didn't even get to find out, the first night of his confinement to L. His first suggestion of being done for the night went completely unheeded as L continued staring at the information on his computer screen. Light, only slightly irked, went back to his own computer and waited an entire 45 minutes before nonchalantly suggesting sleep again.

This time L answered him, though he didn't break his staring contest with his computer. "You may sleep if you wish, Light-kun, but I am unable to leave this station. I believe I am on the verge of a considerable breakthrough."

Light didn't speak again and eventually fell asleep in a rather uncomfortable position in his rolling desk chair. Morning came, bringing with it aches and cricks in places Light didn't know he had, but no alleged breakthrough.

He began to wonder if maybe this was L's sneaky way of punishing him for secretly being Kira without giving up any evidence.

The second night, Light finally managed to persuade L to move his investigation to their shared bedroom around 2 A.M., long after everyone else had gone home or to bed. L consented only because he could continue his research on his laptop. Light wondered why he couldn't have just done that the night before, but was too tired to ask.

He lay on his bed with his eyes closed, but the luminescent glow from the laptop's screen still pierced behind his eyelids. Every time L moved to type something on the keyboard, the handcuffs would shift and jingle just enough to stir him awake again. Light was finally forced to turn on his side away from L to escape the light, but that only made every movement of the chain more pronounced. He clenched his eyes tightly shut and thought to himself, 'It's to catch Kira.'

Finally Light was able to fall asleep, despite the glow and the tugging and the quiet tapping of keys. Every time he woke, L was still up, sitting with his knees to his chest and hunching over the computer on his bed. Once, when he noticed that Light had awakened, he finally seemed to realize that the screen's brightness might be causing a problem, and apologized, dimming it. Light was able to return to lying on his back.

L was still awake when morning came and Light got up. He didn't ask if the detective had slept at all. The answer was obvious.

-

Light didn't complain when he was informed that L would also be tagging along on his dates with Misa. (The girl complained enough for the both of them.) He had expected as much. Besides, he would rather not be left alone with the clingy, childish woman. At least this way, she stayed off of him. Mostly.

And though he would not admit it, he found the two's bantering almost amusing most of the time. Or rather, Misa's name-calling and insults, countered by L's surreptitiously condescending deadpan replies. That was probably the most amusing part, Light decided: the fact that L was completely serious in all his remarks and that Misa just didn't seem to get it.

So the days passed, not being unbearably unpleasant, and the two geniuses almost even began to get used to being so close to another human being at all hours. And whenever things got particularly trying, Light would close his eyes and repeat his new mantra in his head: 'It's to catch Kira.' Then he would wonder if maybe it was even harder on the recluse detective, and if perhaps he was saying the same thing in his own head.

-

Light would always fall asleep while L was still doing research on his computer (the screen almost completely black) and L was always awake before him. He idly wondered if the world-renowned detective ever slept at all, until he awoke if the middle of one night. He was mildly surprised to find L sound asleep, but not surprised at all to find that he slept the same way he sat, only on his side. He also noticed that the thumb touching his lips looked dangerously close to being sucked on.

The next night, L did something unexpected, and closed his laptop before Light had fallen asleep. He looked pensive, but did not speak, and Light did not ask. He knew when it was better to simply leave his train of thought uninterrupted when the detective was thinking this hard about the case.

"Do you ever dream, Light-kun?" L's voice was quiet and completely unexpected, as were his words.

Light's eyes snapped open and he gave the other a sidelong look. "Of course I do, Ryuuzaki. Everyone does. It's normal for a human."

"But do you remember your dreams?"

Light paused, then nodded against his pillow. "Sometimes."

"What are they about?"

He shrugged lightly. "I don't know. It's mostly just my brain working over the past day and reprocessing it. Nothing too interesting. …Sometimes solving a problem."

L nodded distractedly. His thumb had moved up to his lips again and his eyes were staring beyond the walls. "I do not remember my dreams." Light just continued to look at him questioningly. "Sometimes I wonder if I too solve problems in my dreams, and if I might have this case solved yet if I could remember…" He trailed off.

After a moment of silence, L seemed to come back to himself, blinking and smiling slightly over at Light. "But there's no use in thinking about something like that, I suppose." He lay down, curled up on his side, and closed his eyes.

Light stared at the ceiling and couldn't sleep.

Three hours later, sleep still eluded him. He nearly jumped out of the bed when L's clear voice suddenly cut through the silence. "What are you doing?"

Light looked to his side, trying to make out L's form in the dark. "Are you still awake, Ryuuzaki?"

"Yes. Please call me Ryuumaru while we are in public."

"Ryuumaru…?" Light question in confusion. "What are you—"

"I believe you'll have to contact Watari first," L interrupted.

It was then Light realized something. "Ryuuzaki…Are you asleep?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's against the rules."

Light grinned broadly. L was dreaming. And talking in his sleep. If properly used to his advantage, this could turn out to be very…interesting.

L chuckled, then gasped suddenly. "Kira! So that is how you have been committing the murders."

Light's mouth dropped open. No way…! L was actually solving the case in his dreams?

"Ah, Kira! I know who you are now…solid proof…"

Light quickly contemplated waking L up. He had read once that the human mind only remembered dreams if it was awakened before they ended. If L was really solving the case in his dreams, then he needed to be woken up immediately. Light reached a hand over, but before he could shake the other man awake, he spoke again.

"Kira. I have only one question for you." There was a short pause. Then, "Are you going to eat that cake?"

L hummed in contentment and Light removed his hand, laughing silently. He decided that he could probably keep this little incident to himself. At least for a while.

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End. Thanks for taking the time to read. I hope you enjoyed.

I read somewhere that remembering your dreams is typically a female thing, and forgetting them is typically a male thing. You can do the math. (No offense, Light fans! Lolz.)