First, let me start by saying I finally got my laptop back! And to celebrate, a new chapter for you guys! This one took me a few hours to do as opposed to a few days of sneaking on my other desktop compy. There's another short lime-y bit that I threw in for ya, if you don't want to read it, skip down past the part in italics (that's the lime-y bit) and just keep on readin'! I'm probably going to sound lame for saying this but I'm so glad people actually read my stories. I mean 45 reviews are the most I've ever gotten, ever. I've seen stories with over 2,000 reviews so that's why I feel lame. I mean, I don't write for reviews (even though they are greatly appreciated and encouraging) I write because I like it and for the hopes that you nice people will like it too. Reviews are just icing on the cake. This is weird because I don't like a lot of icing on my cake. So let's say reviews are chocolate chip in a cookie. You can never have too many! …Ok as you can see, I'm not good at analogies, but it gets my point across. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

*insert disclaimer here*

Warnings: Language as always, a little lime, and EXTREME CHEESYNESS! Towards the end. Well at least I think it's cheesy. The last chunk in the chapter like oozes cheese, I'm not even kidding, like have a bag of chips to eat up the cheese with. That sounded less weird in my head. Ok I'm going to shut up now, enjoy!


It took me a few moments for my brain to process what events that had just occurred but after it did, it completely shorted out. I speed walked back to my room, trying to revive my brain by reciting the periodic table over and over. I reached the room in a matter of minutes, surprisingly out of breath. I dug down into my pocket to retrieve the key card and almost panicked when I thought I had lost it. I sighed when I remembered that Light had set it down on my night stand after he physically carried me inside. Damn it. I tried knocking on the door, figuring (hoping) that B would still be there. I didn't want to have to walk around the ship for another hour while waiting for someone to get back and risk running into Light's stuck-up posse. Not that Light was stuck-up. Of course what did I really know about the guy other than he was a devilishly handsome suicidal sex god. I quirked an eyebrow when I realized something in that description was contradictory. It had been about 3 minutes and I was about to start walking away when the door was flung open and I was met by Mello's body leaning against the doorframe, a mischievous smirk on his lips. Oh shit.

"Hey L." he stretched out the 'e' in 'hey' a lot more than necessary and I knew he only did that when he was drunk/high or when he knew a secret about someone and was going to use it as potential black mail. And the latter was far worse. I narrowed my eyes slightly as I slid inside the door, hands in pockets.

"Hey Mello." I deadpanned, trying to avoid any conversation that could lead to the proceedings that happened earlier. I quickly took off my jacket, throwing it to the floor beside my suitcase which I had placed beside the bed I was sharing with B (it was much more practical that leaving it in the closet) and grabbed some underwear and an undershirt from my bag and proceeded to make my way to the bathroom for a much needed shower. That was until Mello blocked my path. I scratched the back of my head, letting out an exasperated breath. "You wanna get out of my way?" I sighed. He shook his head, planting one hand on his hip. And so begins the unending string of questions.

"So B told me what happened a little while ago." He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I pinched the bridge of my nose. Damn B to hell. I could always count on him to spread news that I wanted to stay clandestine like wildfire. Mello continued. "Was it that Light Yagami guy you fell onto the other day? It was wasn't it? And you hooked up with him, good for you L! You haven't had any action in…well you haven't really had any action that I'm aware of. But I can't believe you snagged that sex god, I mean damn! He had a really nice ass…" his voice tapered off finally as I just stood there, slightly insulted by the fact that he though I hadn't had sex with anyone before. As accurate as his statement may have been, I was still offended.

Mello continued to prattle on for a few moments as I trudged towards the bathroom door until something he said stuck out to me: "Are you going to see him again?" he said excitedly. I closed my eyes, groaning inwardly. Deciding to just tell the truth (because he would have found out one way or the other), I turned to him, my hand clutching the restroom doorknob.

"Yeah…" I began tentatively, "tomorrow night at 7:30. He invited me to dinner with him." I deliberately left out the part about Misa because frankly I didn't feel like talking about the little bitch. I heard Mello squeal like some raging fangirl and I winced slightly.

"Oh my god L really?" He squeaked and I nodded vaguely. "I can't believe you have a date tomorrow night! I'm going to have to make sure you have the right outfit and everything, you'll look uh-mazing!" I grimaced at the word 'date'. It just sounded so…cliché. Blegh. I hated when Mello went all 'flaming homo' on me, he sounded like such a girl. Suddenly, almost making me jump out of my skin, Near appeared at the bathroom door, one towel wrapped around his slender waist, another on his head. Having not seen him in hours, it was surprising to say the least.

"Did you just say L has a date tomorrow night?" he almost gaped at me, but his usual stoic Near-ness didn't allow any more than an understated eyebrow raise. Before I could cut in and fabricate a lie, Mello nodded vigorously, grinning like a madman. I rolled my eyes and decided to tell the truth yet again.

"I suppose you could call it that, this…guy I met invited me to dinner tomorrow night and I said yes. That's all there is to it." I slipped past Near and into the bathroom, less than subtly pushing him outside the small room and shut (and locked) the door behind me. Stripping quickly, I hopped in the shower and turned the water on as high as it would go. Steaming hot showers were how I cleared my mind and just let me think for a good 8 minutes. At least it was some time away from those two outside. I massaged some shampoo into my hair, enjoying the sudsy feeling of cleansing myself and the scalding water on my now aching muscles was a blessing.

After a few blissful minutes, I shut off the water and climbed out of the shower and dried myself off, slipping on my boxers in the process. They were my favorite pair, embellished with cartoons of cake and strawberries and other sugary confections. You have no idea how many stores I had to turn upside down in order to find these and, although I would never admit it, they were among my most prized possessions. I slipped on my white undershirt and shook some of the moisture out of my hair, splashing water droplets obnoxiously across the floor even though there were clearly clean towels hanging on the rack above the toilet. After drying off, I gathered my dirty clothes and walked out to face Mello's barrage of questions again.

When I stepped out, he was aberrantly quiet. He and Matt (who must have slipped in while I was bathing) were already in one of the queen beds, cuddled together as they slept. Near was already settled in the pull-out couch, his precious Nui-chan snuggled at his chest. Even B was back in the room, in the bed we were sharing, the blankets pulled over him so that he was just a lump in the sheets. Mello and Matt had probably spent most of the night dancing and making out, and who knows what the hell Near had been doing all this time. I was extremely hungry, but I didn't feel like eating despite the sudden shrieking protests my stomach made when I crawled into my bed.

I yanked some of the covers from B's sleeping body, pulling them up to my chin. I glanced over at the digital. 3:34am. Had I been up all night, actually not doing work for once and it was catching up to me. The last thing that swam through my muddled mind was Light's beautiful tear streaked face, his smile causing some strange feeling flutter in my stomach. Can't stop…thinking… about you Light…My eyes felt heavy and my body refused to pull the blanket any further over my head as I normally would have. I finally felt my consciousness ebbing away, my eyelids drooping shut as sleep swallowed me whole.


"Come for me, Lawliet." Light's alluring voice purred in my ear. I felt myself shiver with need, my length hardening instantly. Light's hands moved across my chest, massaging the soft skin. I threw my head back, moaning softly. "You seem excited L." His voice wasn't pleading, just rapacious. "I owe you for saving my life earlier. We hardly know each other and it's wrong but…I need you." My moan grew a little louder.

"I need you too, Light." I managed out, a soft blush appearing on my cheeks. I couldn't see his face but I could tell he was smirking behind me. Two of his fingers pinched one of my nipples, making my yelp unexpectedly.

"You're so beautiful, Lawliet." Light murmured, nipping my earlobe. That blush came back even worse than before when Light turned me around to face him. Bad mistake because I was then faced with an eyeful of Light's golden toned body. His broad caramel chest, flowing freely down to his slightly defined ab muscles, then to his slender hips. I resisted the surprisingly overwhelming urge to lick those abs, to lick his whole body really. My eyes drifted lower to his manhood which stood at attention at least 8 inches tall. I gulped, my cock giving a painful twitch.

"Look at me, L." Light whispered huskily. Oh I am, trust me I am. He took my chin in his hand and guided my face up to his, forcing me to look into his eyes. Before I could say anything, his soft lips crushed onto my own, his tongue immediately entering my mouth. I was met by the same taste bud-exploding vanilla-cinnamon essence I experienced when we kissed before.

I reached behind Light's head, grabbing a fistful of his mahogany locks and pulled him closer, letting my tongue invade his cavern, exploring this glorious man's mouth. A moan escaped Light's throat and I smirked, taking the chance to run my hands over Light's toned chest. More moans rumbled in his throat as he struggled to regain dominance once again. He suddenly broke away from the kiss and spun me around again, pressing against my back. His arms were wrapped around my waist (which was bare for some reason) and I could feel his warm breath on his neck as he began to whisper into my ear.

"Come for me, Lawliet, and only me…"

I shot up in bed, hair clinging to my forehead with sweat. My breathing was ragged and shallow. I looked around my room to see the bathroom light on and morning sunlight filtering through the round porthole window. Near, B, and Mello were still asleep, Matt was presumably in the bathroom. I let out a deep breath, letting my body flop back into my pillow. It was all a dream. The cool sheets wrapped around my waist must have been Light's arms. The only thing that wasn't a dream was the painful tent in my boxers. Damn. So now incredibly flustered and horny, I couldn't do anything but get up and start getting dressed. I wasn't in the mood for a shower and there was no way in hell I was going to jack off in bed or in this room with anyone in it period. I tend to be reticent and easily embarrassed about things of that nature. Forcing my mind to focus on anything else other than that wet dream (like the cake I was going to have for breakfast, the fact that Near's socks stink like fuck when he doesn't wash them for a month, etc.), my boner eventually went away and I was able to walk around comfortably once again.

The time was about 7:30, breakfast was about to be served promptly at 7:45. Only about 4 hours of sleep but I've worked on less. I checked myself in the bathroom, performing my daily morning tasks like brushing my hair, teeth, and etcetera. Matt nodded to me lazily as he sat on the closed toilet seat, omnipresent video game in hand.

"Morning." He murmured. I smiled at him through the mirror, nodding.

"Morning. Sleep well?" he grunted in reply, his fingers clicking over the controls of his Gameboy.

"I was exhausted. Mello dragged me out dancing for hours. I have to admit though, it was pretty fun. I haven't gotten the chance to hang out with just Mello for a while, to sort of…reconnect you know? I think this cruise was a pretty good idea. I gotta remember to thank Mello someday." My smile widened and I walked over to where Matt was sitting, ruffling his dark red hair. He leaned his head onto my stomach because it was eyelevel, still playing his game, but I knew this gesture was one of affection and comfort. The fleeting thought crossed my mind that if it wasn't for Mello, I would have never met Light in the first place.

"I do too. Trust me Matty," I said, using his pet name, "I do too."


After talking with Matt, I grabbed a thin jacket and headed out before anyone else woke up. I slipped on some sweatpants and sneakers but all in all I still looked like I was in my sleeping clothes. The sun rise was absolutely beautiful when I stepped out onto the deck. A shimmering, gold disk began to shine, reflecting off the ocean. I stood there drinking in the liquid gold droplets that slowly began to warm up my pale skin. A moment later, I saw the golden sun sitting in its rightful place among the soft blue sky. I wasn't one for mushy stuff but what I saw was actually breathtaking. My feet had unknowingly led me to the same place where I stood with Light just hours ago, negotiating with him not to end his life. I sighed, leaning against the smooth railing, just gazing out at the ocean.

The ocean. Sometimes it's large and seems to be the most enormous thing in your universe. Other times, it's just not enough, you wish you had more. Sometimes it sparkles beautifully in the sun. Sometimes, it deceives and hides dark creatures deep within. Sometimes it provides entertainment, joy. Sometimes it only provides entertainment long enough to surround you for a while and then boom. You've drowned.

Well. That took an unexpected turn. I sighed, reaching into my jacket pocket. My fingers brushed against the paper money that had been given to me the previous night from Misa. I turned the hundred dollar bill over in my hands, just looking at it for a moment. Suddenly, and without any thought, I flung it over the side of the boat, the wind catching it and sailing it away out towards the sea. I didn't want their money, and I didn't want their pity. The only reason I was still considering on going to that dinner tonight was to see Light. That was all. Right? Right.

I let my elbow rest on the railing, cupping my chin in my hands. The sea breeze felt wonderful, the perfect temperature and the deck was silent, the soft rumble of the propellers slicing through the water as we chugged around the mid-Pacific far beneath me. I was so enthralled with the view that I didn't even notice when Light slid up silently beside me, leaning on the railing next to me.

"Beautiful huh?" he breathed. For some reason, I felt serene. I didn't even jump when he approached, it was as if I knew he would materialize soon enough if I kept thinking about him. I didn't feel the need to act all flustered and jumpy, I could just be me. Besides I couldn't not stay calm gazing out at the ocean. I didn't turn to him as I smiled.

"Yeah, absolutely stunning." I murmured. He looked over at me, and scratched the back of his head slightly.

"Hey, I'm really sorry about…yesterday. And for Misa. I didn't mean to get you thrown in the middle of this at all. I could completely understand if you didn't want to come to dinner tonight. I'm sure you feel like Misa invited you out of spite, very typical of her." His voice went from rueful to malicious as he talked and I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.

"Why are you engaged to her?" I asked quietly. It was quite a personal question but Light showed no discomfort to it. He shrugged indolently.

"Honestly, I'm acting on behalf of my father's wishes. It was arranged by our parents and I'm supposed to follow orders." He answered candidly. "High-class citizens marry other high-class citizens. That's how it works apparently. I hate it though, I hate her. She's not…nice, for lack of a better word. We have nothing in common, I can hardly talk to her without wanting to dry heave, and she disrespects me. She's rude, demanding, clingy, loud, every attribute I hate in a person she seems to possess. I'm not sure why I have to marry her." I had raised my eyebrows at this point, turning myself toward him. Who knew he felt such strong dislike to his partner. Was that why he was so quick to make a move on me? I let out a breath.

"Wow. I'm sorry you feel like that Light. Do you have to marry her? Can't you just refuse you father's wishes?" Light sighed despondently and replied,

"No, I can't refuse." His tone was resolute which left no more room for questioning. I didn't want to dig too deep into the situation either. Brazenly, and obviously without thinking, I reached over and clutched his cool hand in mine. He wasn't shocked or disgusted, but his face turned softer and slightly more contented as he gazed down at our hands together. Light moved his fingers to that they intertwined, caramel mixing with cream. He brought our hands close to his face and rubbed the back of my hand on his cheek, closing his eyes.

"You're my only escape. When I'm with you, I don't feel like I have to be this perfect Light figure that everyone wants me to be. I feel like I could just be... myself. I get so much pressure thrust upon me by my father, friends, Misa, and other members of high society to be this perfect well-groomed people pleasing god, but with you, there's no pressure at all." He chuckled softly. "I know this is probably wrong but, it feels so...right." I was frozen, a warm smile spread across my lips. I didn't speak, I couldn't I felt that if I spoke, this serene and utterly perfect would be gone. I felt that if I spoke, I would wake up and find myself in just another dream. Instead, I started to walk, leading Light by the hand towards the front of the ship. It took a few minutes but since no one else was out yet, it wasn't too long before we reached the bow of the boat. He had asked where I was taking him a few times but I just chuckled and shushed him as we walked. When we reached the very tip, as far as you can go on the deck, I led him to the railing.

"Close your eyes and step up." I murmured softly. I noticed the slight fear in his eyes as his memories of the previous night came flooding back. "I won't let you fall, I promise." He smiled softly and did as I asked, shutting his eyes and hesitantly lifting one foot, then the other, until he was standing on one of the rails and off the deck. Once he was up, I did the same, my legs straddling him on either side. I was pressed against Light's back as I felt him lean back slightly into me. I took his hands and raised them until he stood with them outstretched at each side. When I lowered mine, his stayed up…like wings.

"Okay, now open them."

I heard Light gasp softly at what he saw. There was nothing in our field of vision but water. It was like there was no ship under us at all, just the two of us soaring. The Pacific unrolled toward us, a hammered copper shield under a dawn sky. There was only the wind, and the hiss of the water 50 feel below.

"It's like… I'm flying!" Light breathed, awestruck. He leaned forward slightly and I quickly put my hands on his waist to steady him.

Light closed his eyes, feeling himself floating weightless far above the sea. He smiled, and then leaned back, gently pressing his back against my chest. I pushed forward slightly against him. Slowly I raised my hands again, arms outstretched, and they meet Light's, our fingertips gently touching. Then our fingers intertwine. Moving slowly, our fingers caress through and around each other like the bodies of two soon to be lovers.

"Omoi daseba haruka haruka…" I sang softly in Japanese into Light's ear. I was 98% sure he spoke fluent Japanese and was 99% sure it was most likely his first language. "Dokoedemo tsuzuiterunda ookina ganban no shita de…" he chuckled softly as he probably recognized the song and I smiled.

I tipped my face forward into Light's blowing hair, letting the scent of him wash over me, until my cheek was against his ear. Light turned his head until his lips were near mine and I freeze. He lowered his arms, turning further, until he found my mouth with his. I gently wrapped my arms around him from behind, and we kissed like this with his head turned and tilted back, surrendering to me, to the emotion, to the inevitable. We kissed, slowly and tremulously, and then with building passion. The morning sun cast a warm glow around us, wrapping us in our own private bubble even though we were on the most exposed part of the boat. It was perfect, exactly how it was supposed to be and more. Call me cheesy but I wished I could have stayed there forever, my arms wrapped around this beautiful man.

Light and the ship seem to merge into one force of power and optimism, lifting me, buoying me forward on a thrilling journey, soaring onward into a day without worry or fear.

From then on, I knew nothing would be the same.

In you and I there's a new land
Angel's in flight

My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah
Where fears and lies melt away
Music inside
What's left of me what's left of me now

I watch you fast asleep
All I fear means nothing

In you and I there's a new land
Angels in flight
My sanctuary my sanctuary yeah
Where fears and lies melt away
Music inside
What's left of me what's left of me

~Sanctuary by Utada Hikaru


A/N: Gahhhh see? CHEESE! Buuuut I thought it was kinda sweet so I left it. And I really hoped that what I put in Japanese that I had L sing (an excerpt from Sanctuary/Passion) was translated correctly and was the right phrase. He was supposed so be singing this: "In you and I, there's a new land…my sanctuary, my sanctuary yeah. Where fears and lies melt away…" I really hope I got it right. I love Kingdom Hearts and thought it would be cool to fit that in here too, plus, it sort of worked in a way. Aaaaaand I just love the song to death! Oh, and sorry about all the line breaks ^^;;

Also, it's kinda weird how the pairing kind of changed. It went from LxLight, to LightxL, and now it's sort of LxLight again. It's like half and half. I think I've decided not to exactly put a label on the pairing quite yet, I want to see more where this story might take me to decide first. So I guess you can think of it however you want, some chapters might sway more towards LxLight, others might swing towards LightxL. Poor planning on my part but as I've said, I'm totally winging this story! Just throwin' those darts and hoping I get a bull's-eye. Alrighty that about sums up this chapter, hope you liked it! Oh and there's that cool little button chillin' down there that says 'review'. Yeah, click on it please and let me know what you thought! ^_^