After school, L was about to head home when he remembered he was supposed to meet Light. He dragged himself back across the campus.

"Past!"

He paused at the theater. B was sticking his head out the door.

"What do you want?"

"You're meeting Light dressed like that?"

"This is how I always dress?"

"Exactly!"

"It's not actually a date, Mello and Matt were just-"

"I know that! But it's still Light Yagami! Aren't you going to show a little bit of effort?"

"No."

"Ungh! You're insufferable." He turned to look back into the theater. "Yeah, I'm coming!" He rolled his eyes at L. "Light's in Drama, you know, but he doesn't put in the time to be a lead. Like me."

"Get over yourself."

"Have you talked to Naomi yet?"

"B, it has only been, what, three hours?"

"Right, sorry. I said I'm coming, sheesh! Got to go." B closes the door and L continued walking.

Light was waiting inside, sitting at one of the tables. He already had his book out. The seat next to his was empty. L headed over and sat down.

He has to admit, he was a little perplexed by all this. Light was smart enough, so he wasn't trying to copy his work. And L didn't think Mikami was really busy. What did Light want from him?

"Hey," Light smiled and L looked back at him blankly. "Should we get started?"

They both did the problem quietly, then Light compared their answers and nodded to himself, before moving on. It went on like this for most of the page.

Then Light struck up conversation.

"Thanks for doing this me, it really helps to work with someone. You know?"

"Yes, I also find it to be useful." L's legs were practically itching, and it took all his willpower not to pull them up, but the chairs at the library were brittle and made so that there was no way he could sit in his preferred position and do his homework.

Light laughed. L almost groaned. He probably thought he talked weird.

"Hey, you're in my dad's Law and Gov class right? Wasn't there a big test today?"

"Yes, I think I did alright."

"I'm sure you did. Dad thinks you're a great student."

"Does he."

Light finished the last problem, took L's paper to compare notes, then handed it back. "I guess we should head out. Where do you live? I can give you a ride."

"It's fine, I prefer walking."

"Mind if I walk with you, then?"

"Alright," L agreed, a little suspiciously. Light asking to do homework with him was one thing, but walking him home? That was very, very strange. He slung his bag over his shoulder and they left the library.

"So, I know you're in my math class, and you have Law and Gov, but what other classes do you take?" Light asked.

"I'm in AP Comp, Honors Psychology, Honors Physics, and Music. You?"

"I'm also in Poetry, then Philosophy, Honors Bio, AP-USH, Law and Gov, and Drama."

"Oh, yeah, how's the play going?" L asked.

"Jekyll and Hyde? Alright, I'm playing Utterson."

"Is that a big part?" L asked.

"Yeah, pretty large. He's Jekyll's lawyer."

"Right." L nodded. "That's pretty good, then, huh?"

"Thanks." Light smiled at him, his teeth sparkling in the late afternoon sun. L almost had to shield his eyes. "So you've got a free period then? Lucky."

"Yeah, it's pretty nice. And it's right before lunch."

"Okay, you can't see it, but my face is green with envy."

L smiled, almost laughing.

"Do you do any extracurricular activities?"

"Well, I'm head of the Young Detectives Club."

Light frowned. "We have a Young Detectives Club?"

L grinned. "Yes, that is the typical reaction. Obviously, we don't do any detective work, since we're all teenagers at a B-rate public school."

"Ha! So, how many members do you have?"

"There are six regular members, including myself, but we have over ten official participants. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you in any activities outside of school?"

"Oh!" Light nodded. "I'll probably join basketball once the season starts, and Drama kind of counts, doesn't it?"

"Yes."

This was weird- he was initiating conversation with L. People rarely ever did that. Sure they chatted, but this was different, Light kept chatting. With B, L just let him run on and talk. With A, a few comments every now and then were optional but long periods of silence were necessary. He supposed he conversed with Near, but never about trivial things, with Mello he listened to his rants, and Matt normally played games on his phone. He also talked to Naomi and Matsuda, but Naomi and Matsuda initiated that, and never for as long as Light.

Light kept L talking the whole walk home. He was getting him to open up. This was really weird. He'd never had to open up before. He'd known A since kindergarten, B since elementary school, and Mello and Near since the seventh grade. They'd seen him grow up, they knew how he worked, and what made him tick. He'd also known Light since the third grade, but they'd never been close, and now, apparently, he wanted to change that.

"Thanks for meeting me today," Light said when they reached L's apartment. He frowned at the door. "Is anyone home? It looks dark in there."

"My parents travel a lot." L headed for the door.

"Oh! Well, see you in class tomorrow!" Light waved.

"Yeah, see you." L headed inside, and Light turned to walk away.

Almost immediately, L's phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered, heading over to the kitchen. It was A.

"I know, he walked me home." Maybe it was because they'd known each other so long, but L and A barely needed words to communicate anymore. Besides, L wasn't an idiot, A's house was nearby and if he was in his bedroom, they'd have seen L and Light walk by.

"But what does that mean?"

"Like I know?" L opened up the fridge and pulled out a cake, cutting himself a large slice.

"His idea?"

"Correct," L said, carefully setting his slice down on a plate. "First he offered me a ride, then when I said I preferred walking, he said he'd walk with me."

"He's walking back to school."

"Seriously?!"

"Yeah, he just went by."

"Are you sure he's not going home?"

"Have you ever seen him on the way home?"

"No."

"Then he's going back."

L sat down and had a bite of his cake. It tasted like a dream come true. "Okay, so what does that mean?"

"Sure this wasn't a date?"

"I'm positive! He's straight."

"Are you?"

"What does that have to do with anything? I don't know what I am! I've never dated anyone!"

"You dated B for three weeks in the eighth grade."

"That wasn't dating! You guys dared us to do that!"

"You kissed him."

"Mello dared us to do that!"

"Yes, but then you did it again."

"This is irrelevant!" L picked the strawberry off his cake and ate it. "It wasn't a date, so it doesn't matter."

"Was it a date for you?"

"No."

"Was it a date for him?"

"I don't think so."

"You don't think so? Don't you know?"

"How should I know?!" L shovelled the rest of his cake into his mouth. "It probably wasn't, we discussed his two girlfriends at lunch."

"I think Mikami might be dating Takada, though. Anyways, keep me posted," A said. "Also, call B and ask him. He has a lot to say on these things."

"B has a lot to say on everything."

"Yeah." A hung up.

L rolled his eyes and put his plate in the sink. He'd wash it later. What time did rehearsal end? He picked his phone back up and called B.

"What is upeth?" asked someone with a British accent. L was fairly sure it was B.

"A said I should call you. You're not going to keep using that accent, are you?"

"Of course I am, I'm practicing it."

"You don't have to practice a British accent!" B had perfected his British accent long before he met L. "And upeth?"

"Thank you, old chap, but it's for Drama. Director says I've got to keep practicing whenever I can, so I made a list of people it'd annoy the most, and you're at the top. Also, I went through the basement- we have a wig that looks just like Light's hair! Well, almost, it's just a smidge too dark, but I think that if I use a darker skin tone, no one'll notice."

"Ungh, don't make a Light costume."

"Have you talked to Naomi yet?"

"No!"

"You suck. Why did A say to call me?"

"Well, they called me and asked about things with Light, and interrogated me. Then A said 'Call B, he has shit to say on this' and hung up."

"A swore?"

"No, I added that."

"Figured. Sooooo, tell me about your study date!"

"For starters, we didn't study, and it wasn't a date. We just did the math homework, then he offered me a ride home, and when I said no he walked me instead, and we talked, and now he's going back to school." L paused. B never let him talk for this long. "Are you listening?"

"Ohmygod I just had an idea."

L sighed. "Do I want to know?"

"Raye Penber costume! Ha! That'll get Naomi! Got to go!"