Yes, this is another one of those "what if Light suddenly gives up the entire God-thing and stops being a dick" fics. I mean, obviously there'll be other things happening, too, but I suppose this is the basic premise. This is actually really self-indulgent and me trying to "fix things".

Also, Beyond Birthday is gonna be there.

Without further ado, please enjoy and don't hesitate to tell me if you do - and don't hesitate to tell me if you don't either.

...

"What will Light-kun do, when he's been proven innocent? When I'm gone." He isn't sure if L means once Kira kills me, but he acts like he doesn't.

"I don't want you to leave." It's a lie, but at the same time it isn't, because he needs to watch L die, needs to feel his body go limp, needs to see the light leave his eyes, needs the last thing he hears to be "I was Kira all along. You were right. But it doesn't matter now, because I won"; needs the last thing L will ever see to be his face, as he dies in Light's arms like he was always supposed to do.

Light's hands fist into the bedsheets.

L doesn't reply, but instead considers him with a look that seems to know everything, but he can't know anything, because Light has been so careful all this time to not let the fact that everything has changed slip – he thinks about wrapping his fingers around L's pale, thin throat and squeeze, but that would really blow his cover.

"Yes, I suppose that would be quite unfortunate if you were Kira, wouldn't it," L says, and his fingers toy idly with the chain connecting their wrists like a thin silver lifeline.

"Ryuzaki, didn't this just prove that I am not Kira?" Light snaps, but for some reason his voice sounds more elated and giddy with excitement over the fact that their game can continue now than angry.

"No," says L, and Light can feel a little thrill run down his spine, because he knows L knows, but there's nothing he can do to prove it. "The thirteen day rule will prove Light-kun's innocence." Or convict him hangs heavily in the air between them.

Thumb between teeth, he looks at Light with wide, unblinking eyes, obviously trying to convei an air of innocence, but Light knows him, knows that L is anything but innocent. "For that time being I would like Light-kun to remain chained to me."

At this, Light wants to jump up, grab L from the computer chair and throw him at the floor and choke him choke him choke him until he surrenders, until he admits his defeat, until he lets Light talk to Misa and make her take the eye-deal again so he'll know L's name, so he'll win. But instead, he takes a deep breath and says, "I don't know why this should be necessary, Ryuzaki."

He wants to say don't you trust me? but he knows the answer already and he wouldn't want the answer to be anything else, even if it would make everything so much easier – but then there wouldn't be a challenge to their game.

And it's the first time in years that Light hasn't been bored, and it's the first time in years that another person caught his interest, and it's probably because they are so similar except for the fact that Light will beat him that Light will be better. He can't give that up just now, even if he wants nothing more than for L to be six feet under – or maybe Light will put him into a glass coffin so he will forever be able to look at L, beautiful in his defeat.

"Light-kun will still be under surveillance until his innocence is proven," L tells him, and it's in a voice Light doesn't know from him, he almost sounds like a man one could imagine being the world's top three detectives. Light doesn't want to think about why this excites him.

He sighs, and uses his half of the chain to tug L out of his spinny-chair, but he's not sure why, then says, "Fine. Fine whatever, if it'll finally convince you that I am not Kira." But I am, I am Kira, and you are L and I will kill you and you will die, you will die for me.

"Come," L says suddenly, and leads the way into the kitchen. "I know Watari made Bavarian Cream yesterday."

Well, it's just like L to eat at a time like this, at a time where Light is itching to get his hands onto the Death Note, to let the ink bleed into the pages as he writes down L's name with the utmost care. He'll make it beautiful.

But for this to happen he needs to get away from him and get to Misa and that won't happen until after the thirteen days are over – but then it will be too late.

They lean against the counter, shoulders almost-but-not-quite brushing, as they stand in silence, L eating his cream – he offered Light one too, but Light declined. It didn't seem appropriate to take food from someone you want to murder – not that that ever stopped him before.

He watches L swallow and wonders what it would feel like to sink his teeth into the pale, cold flesh and rip his throat out.

"Is Light-kun worried that the thirteen day rule will not take effect?" L asks, not looking up from his task of gathering as much sugary goo onto his spoon as he can.

Light feels a burst of anger jolt through him, because he doesn't know what to say in order to not give himself away or making L think he knows something about the Kira-thing he shouldn't know.

"I suppose we will see in due time," L says after it becomes clear that Light won't reply.

"I suppose."

Suddenly, L's finger is at his lips, trying to push some of that sugary goo into his mouth. And before Light knows what he's doing, he closes his lips around it and bites – but not as hard as he actually wants, and not hard enough to make L immediately pull away, and he's not even sure if he wants that in the first place.

After a moment, L does pull away, though, and says, "We should go downstairs."

"Yeah," says Light, even though he doesn't want to see the others.

Neither of them moves, though. And it might not be because they're comfortable with each other, but more because they're much less comfortable around everyone else. Light is glad that Misa's not there anymore, because right now she's not of any use to him anyway, and he's not sure if she can keep her facade up now that they both remember. But on the other hand, she's known for so much longer than Light and hasn't let anything slip – maybe she's better at her job than he gives her credit for.

And later, they'll go downstairs to where they left the rest of the investigation team, and L will explain to them that he'll keep Light under surveillance for a little longer, and Matsuda, poor naïve Matsuda, will protest that Light's innocent and his father will yell in that annoying way of his, "Ryuzaki!" and Light will say it's all fine, because if it helps with the case, he'll go along with it, and maybe L will smile at him.

They'll act as though nothing has changed, as though Light doesn't remember being God. They've always been good at keeping up appearances.