Author's note: Look! Another update! So soon! I know I told you not to expect one for about a week, but when I get to writing, I can't stop. Good news for you readers! Haha! Anyway, here ya go!

For those of you who are curious, I will be giving away another bit of L's past in the next chapter. Please keep in mind that it is nowhere in the real series and will be totally my own perspective on what I think L's past must have been like. I'm excited! I hope you are too!

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Light and Misa had been picked up by Matsuda in a separate car while the rest of the team headed back to base with the van. The equipment unpacked and taken care of, the rest of the team was already up in the investigation room by the time Matsuda arrived with Light. Misa, still very shaken, had headed to her room to steady herself.

Matsuda opened the door to the investigation room. Light pushed his way past the more passive man and inside. His eyes flamed with fury. He marched right over to L who was seated in his swivel chair typing away at his keyboard.

Light reached his target, grabbed the back of L's chair with one hand, spun it around, while lifting the other high into the air. The moment L's large black eyes were visible,

CRACK!

The strike had been so sudden and so powerful that it knocked L clear out of his chair and down to the tiled floor where he landed with a thud! The rest of the team was on their feet immediately. But it still took them precious seconds to reach the enraged teenager. In that time, Light managed to leap on top of the stunned detective, pinning him to the ground with a pair of powerful legs. Light curled his fists up and proceeded with his second beating in the past hour.

"You bastard! What the hell were you thinking? You scared Misa half to death! You scared me half to death! What the hell is wrong with you? You twisted son-of-a-bitch! And after you just gave me that speech about charades! You're sick!" POW POW POW! Light got in three good knuckle cracks into L's pale face before the team reached him. Immediately three men were on him. They grabbed Light's arms pulling him back. But it took some force! Light was fighting them with all he had, trying to get to the downed detective.

"You bastard! You hear me? You're a bastard L!" L sat up quickly; seemingly unfazed by the painful looking bruises forming on his jaw line and cheek. Instead, he looked slightly panicked by the use of his alias.

"I instructed everyone here not to use that name anymore Raito-kun! Especially since we just brought equipment inside! It hasn't been checked for bugs yet!"

"I'll call you whatever the hell I want, L!" He screamed. "If Kira kills you now, I don't think I could care less! Not after that stunt you just pulled!"

"You don't mean that Raito-kun! I know I've been difficult, but it's only because…"

"Difficult? You're impossible!" The men still hung onto Light's arms now, but he seemed to at least have stopped struggling. He glared death daggers L's way. "No wonder you don't have any friends! No wonder you shut yourself up and work yourself to death everyday! Who would ever want a friend like you! You backstabbing, hypocritical, idiot!"

L visibly flinched. They both knew that Light was pushing a button that was very sensitive. A button L had allowed Light to find, originally out of a plot or plan, but then it had been discovered that the real reason L had let Light in on such a secret was because he wanted to trust him. He wanted to be his friend. They had both been guilty of building their friendship that day. But now…now Light was…

"You're a moron L!" L flinched again, his black eyes large with disbelief. He knew Light would be angry, but he doubted he'd be this angry! Surely he must have realized L's reasoning. Surely he realized why L had done what he had done. He was smart enough to put it together. Didn't he understand?

"You're stupid L!" L felt something inside of him shudder at the third insult. His heart twisted in a curious way. Something hurt…almost like touching an exposed electrical wire. There was a buzzing. His chest tightened at that word.

"Stop it Yagami-kun! You're acting childish! We both know I am not stupid!"

"Yeah right! After what you just did? You are stupid L! You're the dumbest man I ever met! You're dumber then Misa!" L could not stop his heart from sending pulses of agony through him. Why? Why did this hurt so much? Why was his breathing picking up pace? Why was his heart racing? Why did his chest continue to tighten?

"You know that's not true Yagami-kun. I'm not…"

"Yes you are! You're a dim-witted," Stab. "brainless," Stab. "foolish," Stab. Each word sent a sensation of pain through his body.

"Yagami-kun stop!"

"…senseless, irrational…"

"STOP!"

"…freakish, retard!" L was looking practically crazed at the end of Light's insults. His eyes were three times their regular huge size. The rest of the team was looking quite uncomfortable.

"Light, why don't you uh…head to your room for a bit? Take some time to cool down." One of the men suggested.

"NO!" The cry had come so quickly and loudly that several people jumped. L was getting to his feet, the objection having come from him, not Light. He walked over to Light, grabbed the loose end of the chain, and then violently snapped it back on.

"He doesn't go anywhere without my supervision! Do you all understand? Yagami is the prime suspect in our case! After today's fiasco my suspicions of him have risen! He's at 15! Do you think I don't know what I'm doing? Do you think I'm wrong? Do you think it's safe to leave him alone? Even for a second?" L shot accusing glances at everyone around him as if they had only been humoring him throughout the entire investigation. As if they didn't believe he was capable of solving this case at all. As if they thought…he was too stupid to be followed.

"Yagami could very well be the mass murdering psychopath we've been looking for! You're suggestion of sending him to his room unsupervised is unacceptable! It shows that you doubt my methods and me! If you think I'm wrong or incapable of making intelligent decisions, then please, go work for someone else!"

The team froze looking shocked. L was…acting emotional. None of them had ever seen the usually stoic detective act emotional about anything. He hadn't reacted in any other way but calm, cool, collected. He was unmoved by death, even as it happened all around him. He was unmoved by betrayal, deceit, lies, blackmail, decadence, and all of the other horrible things that went along with solving murder case after murder case. L took it all like a bitter pill without flinching. But now, after a few childish insults…

"What're you all looking at?" L seemed even more frantic now then when Light had finished his barrage. Perhaps it was the fact that many people were giving him odd looks. Maybe it was the feel of so many doubting eyes upon him. Maybe it was the expressions that told him…they thought he was crazy. No! I won't fail! I won't let them… He stopped that thought wave immediately. He could not go down that path. He could not allow himself to lose his perfect control.

L tried to think about something else. He had to right this immediately, before the team thought anything less of him then genius. A perfect genius, capable of anything and everything.

"You…may release Yagami-kun now. He's no longer a threat." The men did as told, despite their doubting faces. L did not like the looks that had settled in their eyes. Light brushed himself off looking indignant, but other then that…L recognized the look of triumph on his face. Was that his plan? To get the team to doubt him? L knew it would work as long as he showed his weaknesses.

L knew he had to steady himself immediately. The dangers of not being perfect, of not being a genius, were real. Light did not realize the position L was in. L understood that. That was why…

No! I won't forgive him! His mind was racing with unwanted thoughts as quickly as he cleared it! He tried to clear his mind for a second time. It was chattering at him at a hundred miles a minute. He wondered briefly if the electrons in his neuron system would explode.

"We had a few good leads before lunch. Everyone please continue your work while I question Yagami-kun." The team members glanced at one another. They knew something was up, but decided perhaps it would be best to let L do as he wished for the time being. He seemed more stable now.

L, unable to handle the team's eyes any longer, trudged for the investigation room's door. The chain grew taught and he yanked on it roughly, coldly, to get Light to move.

Light followed, a sadistic grin on his face. Oh yes indeed, his plan had worked much better then he ever could have hoped for. Not only did he get to take his anger out on his so called "friend" but he also achieved his goal of making L look weak in front of the others. Without L's leadership skills and intelligence, he had nothing. If the team doubted him and would not follow him, L had nothing. The power he had now over the investigation would be gone. Kira would be that much closer to total freedom.

L dragged Light down the hall, walking far too quickly for Light to keep a comfortable pace. Light found himself needing to job a tad, then walk in long strides, then jog again just to keep up with L's short, frantic pace. Ohh, I got him good! L wasn't even bothering trying to hide how upset he had become. Perhaps he didn't bother, because he knew there was no point.

He had foolishly shared that hot button with Light, and now that Light knew of it, trying to cover it up would only make him appear to be more of a fool then he already felt like. So, let Light bask in his instability. I hope it at least makes you happy Yagami-kun. He thought bitterly.

The two were not headed toward their room, as Light originally thought. Instead, L took a sharp turn down the hall that lead to the kitchen. At first, Light had been a bit surprised, but the moment they entered the yellow painted room with it's cheery colored tiles, he understood. L needed some snacks. Not wanted, needed.

Light's suspicions were confirmed as L almost violently threw open the fridge. He stuck his entire head inside, as was his way, and began clattering around loudly. Light inspected one of his fingernails coldly as L frantically searched for the sugary treat that was the most sugary of them all.

"So…" Light started coolly. "…I guess we're even now?"

"We were never even to begin with Yagami-kun."

"Oh! Still pissed are we? Using my last name and everything. I guess I really put your panties in a twist."

The refrigerator door slammed shut with a BANG! L spun around to face Light, fury in his eyes and French pudding in his hand. Light was amused to see that the young, dark haired, detective was actually trembling slightly with the wrath of his rage.

"You have no idea what you could have done! You're a fool Light Yagami!"

"Oh? Throwing back insults are we? You know, being called a fool doesn't quite affect me in the way it affects you. You want to tell me what that's all about Ryuuzaki? And don't say your intelligence is all you have. I want more then that."

"And what, on all of God's green earth, makes you think I'm going to give you anything you want?" L ripped the plastic wrap off of the top of his pudding bowl. He went to a kitchen drawer and yanked it open. He grabbed a spoon, keeping his back to Light as the plastic cover fluttered to the floor.

"Because you told me about that little secrete button of yours. You wouldn't have done that unless you wanted too. There's no other explanation for it. You told me a lot in that IM. I've been turning it over in my head ever since, and you wouldn't have said any of those things unless you wanted too. You did it to get closer to me, right?" L did not answer; he did not turn around to face the younger man. He instead dug his spoon into his pudding and began eating standing up. Light watched with interest. He slowly took a few steps forward.

"Hey Ryuuzaki, you're probably thinking that you can't trust me now, but that's not true. I did it to get back at you. I was really mad, but…I guess I didn't think I'd shake you up this bad. We're still friends, right?" Light took another step closer. This was a delicate dance. He had to balance it just right. He had to keep L close enough to be considered a friend. He had to be just kind enough too keep his affections. But at the same time…it was…so easy to hurt him once any sort of secret was revealed.

L had said it himself once: Kira wanted to hurt him. Light felt it inside of himself. The innocent, young student wanted nothing more then L's friendship. But Kira…Kira wanted to hurt L. He wanted to make him pay. If Light played it just right…he could have both things. He'd been doing quite well thus far. For some reason…it was very important to keep up this complicated dance. And right now, Kira was drunk on his win. He was feeling superior. He'd been fed, and he wanted much more. But Light knew he could not take any more from L right now, or that delicate scale would be tipped.

"What's up with the sweets Ryuuzaki?" He asked almost gently.

"I'll never tell you. It's none of your business anyway." L scooped up another mouthful of chocolaty goodness, swallowing it almost the moment it touched his tongue.

"Come on…I was just mad. Ok?" Light carefully reached out and placed his hand on L's shoulder. Immediately, L flinched and then pulled quickly away.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch me Yagami-kun." L moved farther down the counter, then resumed his eating while standing up in his odd hunched fashion. Light frowned. Maybe he'd gone too far this time. Being called stupid really did something to L. Light wondered what it meant. Why could it cut such an unmovable man so deeply? Especially a simple word?

Light pushed Kira away for the moment. If he was to fix this, he needed to be Light Yagami. And he had to feel sorry. …and he did. It was not hard to figure out that L probably didn't have such a fantastic childhood, or a fantastic life. His oddities and mannerisms were proof of that. Not to mention the lack of friends. And the one friend he did make…was trying to hurt him. His only friend was trying to kill him. Light couldn't help but feel a little sorry. Ok…maybe a lot.

Truly regretful without Kira's influence, he walked over to the snack-munching detective once again.

"Hey, I really am sorry. As I said, I was mad that you tricked me like that. I was mad that you would go to such extremes to try and prove I'm Kira. I mean, after that talk we had about charades and no more games…"

"You mean the one where you denied my offer? The one where you in fact promised more trickery and games by walking out of the kitchen door? That talk?" Light sighed, unable to hide the bit of frustration he was feeling.

"Yes, that one…"

"Well forgive me if I took that to heart Yagami-kun. I thought you had made yourself perfectly clear. You're message was quite obvious. You said you wanted to continue the games and…"

"No! I said that I wasn't playing any games! In fact, I recall denying having ever played any sort of twisted game! I'm being totally earnest here! Just because you play games Ryuuzaki doesn't mean I do!"

"Don't deny me the truth! You do indeed play games Yagami-kun! You played a spectacular hand in the investigation room just now! You're intellect is sharper then a knife and it cuts much worse then one if you wish it to!" Light tensed. He could not deny that one.

"Ok…so maybe I do play a little. But I was mad! I don't play to the same level as you!"

"Really? You don't? Tell me then, tell me you weren't aware of the situation around you while you were in the bakery. Tell me that you didn't use it to your advantage to prove a point to me. Tell me that you didn't beat a man you knew was innocent, and then pull a gun on him. Is that not the same level as my games? Are guns not as serious? At least I knew the gun was empty. But did you Yagami-kun? Were you completely certain? You probably had a good guess, but there was no possible way for you to know for sure! Is that not a twisted game?" L's dark eyes were intense, and the power behind them was almost frightening. Even though Light was taller by a bit, mostly due to L's hunching, he was intimidated by that look.

"I would have never pulled that trigger if I even had a doubt that…"

"How did you get rid of that doubt? Do you have ex-ray vision Yagami-kun? Please, fill me in on how you discovered for certain the barrel was empty."

"Well I knew because…well because I know you! You never would have put Misa's life in any true danger!" L's expression was cold, almost unreadable. His dark eyes however, were just as intense beneath the chill that he had suddenly put into the air.

"Don't pretend to know me Yagami-kun. That is a much more dangerous game then you can even comprehend." A small shudder traveled through Light's spine at that, but he quickly suppressed it. His lips curled back into a snarl.

"And you don't tell me what I can and cannot comprehend!" L held Light's gaze for just a moment, and then seemed to almost get bored. He turned back to his French, chocolate pudding. He stirred it for just a second with his spoon, and then lifted up another glob full. He ingested it without a sound.

"Why not comprehend this, Yagami-kun…" he started. "Comprehend that you are never to challenge my intelligence in front of the others ever again. We can continue these little games of wit in the kitchen if you so desire, but if you bring this sort of thing public, I'm afraid I'll have to do more then just retaliate with my words next time." Light blinked, almost taken aback.

"W…wait…are you…threatening me?"

"If you'd like to see it that way, then yes." L took up another spoonful of pudding, content to put it into his mouth. Light stared. This meant much. Light never would have taken L as the type to threaten anyone in such an almost…primitive way. But the fact that L felt he needed to was proof that whatever Light had really touched on in the investigation room was bigger then he originally thought. Why was L so afraid of a few simple insults?

Was it more then pride?

Light watched as his friend…or was he his foe? Whoever he was…he was cleaning out the bottom of his pudding bowl now. He'd eaten it quite fast, even by L standards. He took the spoon, scraping it along the bottom now, trying to get the very last bit of goop onto the silver.

"Does sugar re-assure you somehow?" Light suddenly asked. L finished licking his spoon, then glanced Light's way.

"That's an odd question Yagami-kun." Ugh, he was still using his last name.

"Well, you always seem happier when you have some. And you calmed down pretty fast once we got into the kitchen."

"What makes you think that has anything to do with sugar? Perchance I was happy to threaten you?"

"No. Because I've seen you do this before. We're in here a lot you know." L sighed placing his empty bowl into the sink.

"Must I tell you again? I cannot share this information with you, since you are my prime suspect." Light nodded.

"I know…" He allowed the disappointment to show in his voice. "Just thought I'd give it another try." L turned from the sink and glanced Light's way. Slowly, and ever so gradually, a small smile spread over his face.

"We always fight in the kitchen. And a lot of the time over snacks!" Light blinked, then smiled as well.

"Yeah!" He chuckled. The chuckle lasted for a few seconds, and then died away. He glanced at L. At least he seemed to be feeling better now. Perhaps snacks really were a reassurance for him. Perhaps he didn't want to admit it. Light tried to puzzle it together once more. Maybe it was comfort food? Maybe when L was a child, he'd been given snacks when he was upset? Hmm…no…that wasn't enough for the strength of L's addiction.

"Raito-kun? Let's go back to the investigation room. We don't want anyone thinking you're beating me again." He smiled in good nature, but Light felt a sudden knot appear in his stomach. This was his second time hitting the small, fragile looking detective. And this time it had been much more serious. Light's gaze flittered to the large bruise on L's jawbone. It seemed to be growing even darker. Then there was the second bruise on his cheek just under his eye. They were dark and ugly against such pale skin.

The bruises were well timed. L had just started to heal from the attack they suffered from the gang. With those bruises fading…he needed a fresh batch.

Light felt something in his chest tighten. Would L always be forced to suffer Kira's temper? Even if Light didn't want him too? L blinked, his smile fading.

"Raito-kun? Are you alright?" He was using his first name again. Was L that easy to forgive? Even after Light had deliberately been so cruel? L's smile, and his ease in his ways made Light feel suddenly sick.

Why? Why look at me like that? I called you stupid. I called you a senseless retard. I saw what that did to you. I saw it on your face. It was almost crushing. So…why? Why call me Raito-kun? Light shook his head. Moron! This is what you wanted! His forgiveness! Now the charade can continue! Yes. They could keep the balance. Light forced one of his easy grins to his face.

"I'm fine Ryuuzaki. Let's go work."