AN: Man. How long has it been, five months? I'll give it that.

Well, I can fully say that I regret taking so long. Issues in my life caught up and I cast this chapter aside. In fact, even though I worked on it from time to time, I thought maybe I should just give up? But there are people out there who actually DO like my writing and who actually do read this.

So even if this is late, or whatever you want to call it, I thank you all for continuing to read. I thank you all for the reviews, and I'm sorry I can't get back to you all the time.

I had fun doing this chapter, and I intended to upload it on Halloween but something came in the way and it's now a week overdue. But oh well, at least it's coming up tonight.

Once again, I'm sorry, and thank you.

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to the respective owners and I do not intend to use this fanfiction for a profitable cause; it is merely for fun.

Enjoy~ ^^ I really hope you guys like this.

(Sorry for the depressive AN's btw. I really need to work on that ._.)

PS: Truth or Dare by Marianas Trench doesn't belong to me either. The song happened to come up as I was writing this so YEAH. AHUH IT FITS.


Chapter Twelve, Trick or Treat

"It's cold, Ryuzaki..."

"I know, I know. Please, just give me a moment."

There was a rustling sound as L retrieved something from his jacket pocket. In his gloved hand he held a silver keycard, and with his entire body shaking, he tried to insert it into the slot installed in the frame of the steel door in front of him.

"W-Why don't we just go under like we always do...?" Light shivered, his cold breath coming out in foggy gasps.

Even though it was still autumn (the 29th of October, to be exact), the chill of winter had rapidly crept up into the city, seemingly overnight that was.

"Because this way is q-quicker..." L's deep and smooth voice now held a tone of slight desperation as he found the card wouldn't move in the way he wanted. Instead, it vibrated between his shaking fingers, and in his stupor he almost dropped it.

"Oh, just move!" Light snarled in anger, snatching the card from the older man, and slid it easily into the slot.

The key reacted with a beep, and Light pulled off his glove with the edge of his teeth, before punching in the pin number a little too eagerly.

The lock rejected him with a toned buzz, and he slammed a fist into the wall in frustration. "Damn it! By the time we go around we would have frozen ourselves to death!"

L stood nearby, his eyes widened slightly as they always were, and he lifted up his shaking hand to bite his thumbnail.

Met with glove, however, he poked out his tongue sadly in response, and merely shoved his hands into his coat pockets, trying hard to keep himself warm.

"And it hasn't even started snowing yet..." Light moaned, and with a sigh he turned back to L. "What now?"

"Hmm? Oh, well, you can try the pin-code again, you know."

Frowning at his own stupidity, Light clicked his tongue and muttered something hateful under his breath, before pressing the buttons a little more carefully.

This time, a lighter buzz echoed from the pad, and a beep was soon to follow as the door opened gently in response.

Light turned the handle and made his way inside, L following along after him eagerly. They shut the cold out behind them, and shouldered over to an elevator nearby. Once they had reached their designated floor, the elevator doors opened with a smooth whir, and leaning against a nearby wall, waiting for them, was Matsuda.

He was donned in a neat, pale blue bathrobe, and as soon as he saw their faces come into view, his lips turned upwards into a satisfied smile.

"Did you get them?"

Raising his eyebrow a little, Light stepped forward and shook the water droplets from his hair, glaring slightly at the rookie as he held up a shopping bag in his free hand.

"Here you go, Matsuda. Five bags of ready to pop-popcorn corn kernels, Tokyo's finest coffee mugs and three large tins of cocoa."

He dumped the contents down in front of the rookie with a huff, and spread out his arms as if he were presenting something spectacular. "Anything else you need?" His voice was toned at the edges with a fine sheet of irritation, but Matsuda didn't seem to notice this as he simply shook his head and smiled warmly. "Thanks guys. That was a really nice thing to do for me."

"You know we're only doing it because we lost your car?" Light straightened up and removed his brown leather jacket, revealing a crisp black turtleneck beneath.

"Yeah I know...But hey, do you wanna have a movie marathon with me? That's kind of why I asked you to get more than one thing in the first place."

This piqued L's interest all of a sudden. "What movies are you going to be viewing?" He asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

"Oh! Well, first off there's Princess Dia-"

"Never mind." L and Light chorused in unison, turning back to the elevator gingerly.

"But there's also Bridget Jones's-..." He was silenced as the two's faces faded out of view when the elevator door's closed in front of them.

He scratched his head in confusion. How weird. Who the hell on earth would pass up an opportunity to watch all these movies on a cold day like this?

He simply shrugged, retrieved the bag from the floor and made his way down the hallway to where his beloved large flat screen television with its inbuilt surround-sound system awaited him.

After all, he could always ask Misa if she wasn't busy. And then maybe Aizawa would join if he liked, even if he was spending the day at home.

Meanwhile, L and Light had landed on their floor and shuffled towards their room, immediately being welcomed by the central heating installed throughout the building.

Light eagerly shoved off his jacket until it lay in a heap on the floor, then without consideration of putting it away, he merely shrugged his shoulders and leaned forward to pull his sweater over his head, dumping that aside also.

He gripped at his shoulders and shuddered slightly, his damp hair spraying droplets onto the linoleum floor. "Ryuzaki…" He began.

Oh boy…

"What is it, Light-Kun? I'm not in the mood to hear your bitching."

The teen's eyes widened in surprise. Since when did the detective use that sort of language?

"Uhm…I was just going to say…My wrist."

"What about it?"

The glare he received from L was rather frightening, and he took a step back to steady himself. He hesitated for a moment, before clearing his throat and replied, "It hurts. Like, really bad. I don't know if it's the cold or whatever, though it most likely is. It stings, and I was wondering…-"

"-If you could remove the handcuffs?" L's voice was point-blank, his gaze never alternating to anything else.

Light's own gaze was sheepish, and he rubbed the back of his head to accompany the feeling. "Well…Not really, no. I mean, I wasn't suggesting you remove them for good or something, just-"

"I say no, Light-Kun. I am not going to release you, under any circumstance. So, just bear with your cold wrist until you confess up, or man up."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know very well what it means, Kira."

The tone in L's voice hurt, more so than other times, Light came to realize. Was it because of the detective's sudden mood change…?

Or did he really just hate him that much?

Grimacing, the teen turned away and rubbed his wrist, knowing it was pointless to try and stand his ground. However, no amount of rubbing could calm the impeding feeling of insecurity in the back of his mind.

"Damn it Ryuzaki! It feels like it's about to just drop right off…"

"So will your genitals once I'm through with you. Now, shut up. I'll have you know I'm not feeling so warm myself either." With that, L turned with his back to the teen, kicking off his soaking shoes and began pulling off the bright green scarf that was fixed snugly around his neck.

He seemed to be having trouble however, and Light picked up on this by the frustrated grunts the older man was giving as he sharply tried to tug the scarf away, but only resulting in accidentally strangling himself.

The teen rolled his eyes and he stepped forward, grabbing one end of the scarf as he tried to pull the detective free. "Hold still…"

"Let go of me!" The loud shout from the detective ended up startling the younger, and he immediately let go, standing back and holding up his hands in his defence.

L turned around and pointed a finger accusingly at him, his glare still intact. "Don't touch me! Don't you ever touch me, you hear?"

Why was L so…angry?

"Calm down, you idiot. No need to overreact. I was just trying to help you-"

"I don't need any help, Light. Now, keep your hands to yourself." He snarled, before dropping the scarf onto the floor with just as much consideration Light didn't have.

Silence followed as the two padded out into the lounge, and Light gave a sigh of relief as the building's inner warmth gradually started to warm up his body. He rubbed his shoulders to maximise the sensation, but was jerked down suddenly as L flopped onto one of the leather couches just a few feet away.

The detective, his face contorting with contempt one moment then twisting back into annoyance the next as his weight sagged down into the piece of furniture, raised an eyebrow at the teen who was now kneeling comically on the floor.

Light clicked his tongue as he stood back up and brushed himself down, before straightening his collar and sitting down curtly on the couch opposite.

A ticking sound was to be heard from the clock mounted upon the wall, and Light was about to stand up and grab himself a mug of coffee when he suddenly heard something strange.

L had begun to utter something in time to the clock's ticking, and his voice rose up and down as he sort of sang, "Snape. Snape. Severus Snape."

What?

"Snape. Snape. Severus Snape…DUMBLEDORE."

The sudden shout caused the teen to jolt on the spot, and with a start, he eyed the detective warily. Had the detective just started talking about…

Harry Potter?

Light was about to question the detective's sanity levels, when he was simply met with a sigh. "I am bored…"

"So am I." Light abandoned his attempt at coffee and also any attempt of questioning the detective as he too slumped down into the couch with a grunt.

A moment passed before L's voice piped up once more, "We should watch television."

Light's gaze was directed in the direction of the large flat-screen TV mounted upon the wall opposite them and just above the fireplace. Such a thing left Light to ponder why a fireplace had been installed within an automatically heated building when he found himself lunging for the remote that was sitting on the coffee table.

However, L had made it his goal to reach the remote before the teen, transforming this little bout almost into a game. At the same time that Light had gone in for the kill, so did he, and no mercy was spared as their heads collided painfully.

Light fell back, clutching his head and hissing with pain, but the detective was quicker to react. L merely shook off the pain, ignoring the way his head swam, and swiped the remote up with trembling fingers. Grinning in triumph as he went to crouch back down on the couch, he was unprepared as the teen lunged at him instead, trying fretfully to snatch away the older man's prize.

"Gimme!" Light's childlike tone made L want to laugh and he stood up with one foot planted on the top of the couch and his chained hand up in the air, holding the remote above their heads. "It's mine, Light-kun. Admit defeat and I may consider giving it to you after I'm done."

Light suddenly found himself thinking how much he hated the dominance L had so roughly accomplished, and he glared up at him venomously. "Try me." With a growl, he locked his arms around L's waist in a bear-like embrace, and kicked off his feet, meaning to tackle him back onto the couch.

His attempt was short lived though as the couch rocked and then toppled beneath their combined weight, causing them to fall along with it. The next few minutes were spent for the two groaning in agony and Light's arms never letting go of their prize.

L weakly tried to squirm from the teen's hold, but Light only gripped tighter, and angled up so one of his arms tried to reach for the remote, which had fallen only a few centimetres away. The detective proceeded to wrap his legs around the teen's waist to get him to keep still, yet neither took into account the awkward position they were in until the clock suddenly struck twelve.

They were struck out of their own desperation, and L's eyes widened as Light reacted a second too late, his waist colliding and grinding up against the detective's own as he slowed to a stop, a suggestive blush creeping across his cheeks.

"L-Light-Kun, get off me…" L's tried to keep his voice level, but found it hard from the sudden pang of pleasure racing up and through his body, causing his fingers to shake.

The teen seemed to get the message and with a strained mutter of acknowledgement, he rolled to the side, struggling to stand up straight. L cleared his throat, and reached out to swipe the remote swiftly back into his hands.

He scratched the back of his head before pressing the on button, causing the television to come alive with picture and sound. A news commentator stood on the screen, rambling on about the recent rumours of Kira appearing as a guest speaker on a television show.

He huffed in account to such hokum, and was about to change the channel when something interesting reached his ears. "And now, we'll go to Edward, who is presenting live from the USA on his report about the Halloween Parade being held in the middle of Central Park. Take it away."

The screen then flashed to a different scene of a young man, probably about in his twenties, holding up a microphone and smiling with excitement at his presentation being aired. His brown hair fluttered in the light breeze as he shouted over the cheers of the crowd, "And what a wonderful day it is, Faith! Halloween has been celebrated for centuries all around the world, but it seems like today here, in the middle of Central Park, is where the excitement is happening the most."

"Change the channel…" Light's voice interrupted the stream of L's thoughts. The detective, however, remained still, staring at the TV with very wide eyes, almost in shock. Unbeknownst to the teen, a very good idea was starting to form inside of L's mind.

He simply turned to the younger, and beamed.

.:HeartBeats:.

"Again, Ryuzaki? I thought we were done with outside for the day…"

"I told you that I didn't want to hear your bitching again today, didn't I?"

The cold chill of the day bit into Light's cheeks as they walked along frantically to get to the downtown store. L's own breath was ragged as he huddled up tighter into his jacket, a misty residue making its home on his delicate eyelashes.

They quickly scurried across the road and onto the footpath once more, making a passer-by gasp in astonishment. L ignored such a thing and continued to hurry, pulling Light along behind him hastily.

Such action from the older man was leaving the teen perplexed. Why was he in such a rush…?

"Ryuzaki, hold on. Slow down." Light tried to make a stop, but it seemed like L wasn't listening as he found himself being dragged along harshly once more. He grumbled testily, clenching his fist as the cold handcuffs dug into his skin.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, until Light snapped back into reality when the tinkle of a melodic bell could be heard. "We're here." L promptly stated, that disturbing grin coming into view once more.

"We're here? For what, exactly?" Light glared at the older man. L, however, replied with an extension of his finger as he pointed at the window. The teen huffed, before turning to eye the window dryly, and his eyes were met with the colourful image of Halloween-themed décor.

A large jack-o-lantern twirled credulously on a piece of black string suspended from the roof, a mischievous grin cut into its surface, obviously being the centrepiece of the show. More jack-o-lanterns hung around in clumps, and a wretched looking witch travelled along beneath on an almost antique looking train set. The walls were decked in red velvet adorned with the silhouettes of bats, and a starry sky hung as a menacing looking backdrop, a yellow moon looming beneath a bunch of makeshift clouds.

"Wow, mommy! Look at this…" He was weakly shoved aside by a little girl, her hair as black as L's, as she peered into the window, a bedazzled look set on her face.

Light eyed the girl oddly, but his confusion became panic when L leant down next to the girl, and smiled. The little girl looked up at him with a goggle-eyed look, and L looked back into the window. "What's your favourite thing about Halloween?"

The child tilted her head, before smiling shyly, and she replied, "I like trick or treating. Mommy says it's not really what people in Japan do, but that's why daddy takes me. This year, I'm dressing up as a witch, just like the one on the train!"

"Hmm, very interesting indeed. Now, tell me, what do you like more? Trick or treat? Because I have a surprise for you."

The girl's eyes lit up as L pulled a candy bar from his pocket, and placed it gently into her hands. She was about to respond, when a voice was heard from the door of the shop. "Come along, Jamie! We have to go to the candy store to pick up the sweets for the trick-or-treaters, remember?"

The girl, or Jamie, stepped back from L, and she bowed at the two men before scurrying along after her mother. L watched in what seemed like satisfaction for a moment, and then he turned back to give Light a placid stare.

"What on earth is that look for?"

"Frankly, Ryuzaki, you seemed like a paedophile or something."

"Come now. Children happen to fascinate me, but I would never act on such an impulse."

"So are you saying you DO get impulses?" Light gave a snort and slyly grinned, causing L to scowl in discomfort. "Of course not! What on earth are you implying?"

"That your actions spoke otherwise."

But once again, L countered by stating, "So did yours, when you happened to be Kira, but now I'm forced to believe your word over my own judgement."

Light decided not to drag it out and instead he sealed his lips in a tight, white line, and adjusted his black beanie. "Let's just go inside."

"Indeed." The detective agreed, and they entered the shop quickly, shutting the cold out to dwindle on their fading resonance.

They were greeted by a rather spooky atmosphere, their surroundings being lit by a single candle and the light filtering in through the velvet curtains. L's defences immediately sprung up, and Light failed to notice as the detective curled over just a little bit more as his eyes narrowed in uncertainty.

First off, Light went to examine a pile of Halloween-themed props stacked neatly in one corner, leaving L to fend for himself in the dark a chain's-length away from his reassurance. The older man darted his head around, his eye's widening like an owl's as he scanned the area for any sort of miscellaneous disturbances.

Ashamedly, despite Halloween never really being a reoccurring theme throughout his life (in fact, today was the first time he had ever considered celebrating it truly, if one discounted when once as a child, he had in fact gone trick-or-treating, but that was many a year ago and such a memory had become fuzzy) L found that these scary scenes were a little…too frightening for his taste.

Contradictory to that fact, L had to suppress a distinct yelp of surprise as he felt something sharp pinch his behind. He covered up the mark with his hands, and swivelled on his heels to face his attacker, the chain jingling in response.

At first he thought it might have been Light being…creepy as usual, but when he was met with a pair of wide blue eyes and a smooth face framed by golden strands of hair, his discomfort transformed into annoyance instead.

"Misa Amane, what on earth are you doing here?"

The young girl had to suppress a gasp of her own as she stared in shock at the older man. "Ryuzaki? What the hell-"

"Language, Miss Amane."

"-Are you doing here?"

It seemed as if Light hadn't noticed his would-be girlfriend yet (that, or he was hiding away from her). Noticing that Misa hadn't noticed Light either, the detective tilted his head and asked, "Why did you just…"

"Oh, I thought you were Light. I heard his voice before from the back of the shop, and decided to see if I could find him. Looks like I got you instead. Oopsie."

L's glare ever so slightly became more noticeable. "It's nice to know how frisky you two are."

Misa's face screwed up in disgust. "Eww. You're such a pervert."

"I agree with you, Misa, not to mention he fancies little children." Oh, of course Light chose this time to come out of hiding and present a snide remark like that, even if it was at the cost of Misa tackling him. It seemed like Light's evil tendencies reached no end.

"Light!" Misa's shriek echoed through the detective's ears, and he gritted his teeth to still his frustration as the blonde flew past him and into the arms of her 'saviour'. "I knew I would find you here!"

Who's the stalker now?

"Hey there, Misa…" Light's own enthusiasm was dry, but he smothered it by flashing one of his award-winning smiles. This seemed to get Misa's hopes up, and she leaned up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips.

It seemed as if the familiarity of a kiss wasn't found with this girl, and as such, Light found himself caught off guard, and he took a step backwards, his eyes widening.

Suddenly, he found himself remembering the last time that he had kissed L, more out of spite than fear in reality, to mock him, and he gripped at Misa's shoulders, pushing her back gently. The blonde gave a startled look, and to reassure himself, Light blinked and gave another smile, "Not in here, sweety. People might see us."

For some unknown reason, those very words caused L's chest to go tight. His glare turned vile, and a dark feeling pooled into his stomach, causing him to shake quietly. The sight of Light giving any attention to that girl was…revolting.

But it's not like L gave a damn.

"Oh, yes! I understand…I'm so sorry, Light!"

"Other people cannot see you anyway, since there is hardly enough light to go around." The detective covered the sourness in his tone by examining the candle, the flame flickering when he drew too close.

Something in that sentence made Light's brain tick, but he dismissed it and stepped back from Misa before saying, "Do you think you can help us set up for…It's a celebration or something, isn't it, Ryuzaki? That's why you dragged me in here."

"Actually, a Halloween party, to be correct. But yes, I suppose we could use some help…"

Misa's smile returned. "Sure I can! Is it a costume party? Because first off, we need to get you guys some outfits. Maybe they have some in the back of the store."

"What?" L and Light chorused in unison, but they were hushed by the ditzy blonde.

She began to waddle through the shadows and to the back of the store, being greeted by another candle and a shop assistant wearing a very comical Edward Cullen mask.

The attendant, whom L couldn't figure out whether they were a male or female, silently pointed to a corridor leading down to the back and to a bunch of change-rooms.

"This is going to be so much fun!"

The eagerness in Misa's voice sounded just a little bit…too eager.

.:HeartBeats:.

"I am NOT wearing that."

"Whoever said that you were wearing it? No, Light's going to instead!"

"Wait, what?!"

The following conversation had proceeded by Misa pulling a Spock costume off the clothing rack, a playful grin highlighted on her lips. L had obviously, for some unknown reason, assumed that he would be the one to wear such a ridiculous thing, but he had been proven wrong when the blonde had gestured towards her boyfriend instead.

"But I don't even watch Star Trek!"

"It doesn't matter. I think Spock would suit you."

At this, L snorted, and Light flashed him a glare, before he rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers and turned back to Misa. "I'm not wearing that."

But he was answered by L as the detective pushed him into a nearby stall, unlocking the handcuffs and throwing the costume at him, all within a span of three seconds. "I'll let you out once you're done."

"But I-" The teen was silenced by the hurried motion of the changeroom curtains closing, and he scowled in remorse. Stupid L. He thought to himself as he turned his back to the entrance, eyeing the crumpled suit lying on the floor in front of him.

He picked it up between two fingers, very much in a fashion similar to how L held his spoons, scrunching up his face in disgust. Looking back at red velvet curtains (coloured to match the crimson carpet beneath his feet) and then back at the suit, he rolled his eyes and begun to undress.

Meanwhile, L was standing nearby, nudging the ground with the tip of his toe, while Misa was busying herself by searching through the racks of clothing, a bizarre look of concentration set on her face. He took no notice of the irritating girl, before she pulled back from the rack, gasping loudly.

"Oh my god."

"What?"

"Oh my god…!"

"…Misa, what are you so…shocked about?"

Immediately the older man wished he hadn't asked such a question as she spun around to reveal a giant panda suit. Bobble headed mask and all.

At the devious look on her face, he shrunk back in fear. "Don't you dare come near me with that!"

Misa's eyes widened. "But…It's so perfect! Come on, Ryuzaki! I mean, if you weren't a human-panda yourself, then this suit just completes you!"

"I'm perfectly fine with my natural bamboo-eating bear look, thank you very much!"

As these words passed his lips, a rattling noise could be heard as the curtains behind them were pushed to the side. Standing amidst his clothes that were now strewn around on the floor, Light stood, all suited up and ready to fly the Enterprise.

There was a moment of silence, before L promptly burst out laughing. He clutched at the sides of his stomach, keeling over as the noise grew louder. Light's lip twitched in a mix of embarrassment and anger, and he ripped the wig from his head, leaving his own hair messy in its wake.

L stifled a final chuckle, before he stood, giving Light the sign of peace that the character he was cosplaying was so well known for. "Live long and prosper, Light-Kun." He grinned.

"I'm going to kill you, one day, Ryuzaki." Light's voice was thick with venom.

"That only adds onto your Kira percentage, you know."

Before Light could lunge forward and tear out his enemy's throat, Misa stood in between them, cupping his face and planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "Light is NOT Kira! He's much too smart and handsome for that."

Light almost poked his tongue out at L, before the detective mused, "And you are too blonde to know the difference, Amane. So, your argument is invalid."

The teen growled. "Whatever. Don't listen to him, Misa. Now help me get out of this damn costume…"

"With pleasure!" The girl almost squealed, a happy smile coming into view as she squeezed her 'boyfriend's' waist tighter, directing him over to the change room with a rather seductive smile.

Light, however, moved out from under Misa's grip and came to stand beside L, once again raising his hands in defence. "Actually, I didn't mean it literally…That would seem just a little bit perverted."

At this, L cleared his throat, and the teen turned to him with narrow eyes. "Hey, aren't you worried about me now that the handcuffs are off?"

L stifled a chuckle, before replying with a naïve glint in his eye, "What are you going to do? Zap me with your laser gun, Captain?"

He rolled his eyes. "Real mature."

"Hey, wait…Are you maybe wanting Ryuzaki to change you instead of me, Light?" Misa's high voice broke the silence, and at these words, Light could feel the heat rushing into his cheeks.

Thank god for the dim surroundings.

"What!?" He exclaimed, looking over to the young blonde with a look of utter disbelief and embarrassment. Misa, on the other hand, couldn't decide whether to take her own joke as, well, a joke, and her face contorted between hurt and amusement.

L, meanwhile, just stood there calmly, looking over between the two would-be Kiras as they continued their small bout of arguing. "That's disgusting! I'm not gay, Misa!"

"But you're always with him! You were even taking a bath with him the other day. I saw you!"

"That's beside the point!"

"How is that beside the point? Are you saying that you don't love me anymore…?!"

"What!?" There goes that word again. "Whoever said I was in love with you?"

"So you must be in love with Ryuzaki then!"

"I told you, I'm not gay!"

"May I intervene?" L's voice was smooth, not showing any hint of how much he was terribly enjoying such an amusing scene.

"No!" The other two's own voices rose in pitch, and L shrunk back in surprise, before Light turned to him and pointed a finger accusingly at the blonde. "Ryuzaki! Tell her I'm not gay!"

L's eyes darted to look over the female. "He is indeed homosexual, Amane."

Misa's blue eyes widened, tears forming in the corners of them. "I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"Yes, indeed. And he is currently cheating on you with Matsuda."

"What?!" And once again. They both screamed, Light's gaze turning venomous while tears spilled down Misa's own cheeks. "With that idiot?! But why…? I'm so much more prettier than him!"

"He must have very bad taste in men." L persuaded, leaning back on his heels with an amused yet innocent smile.

"I'll show you, Light! I'll show you that I can be the one for you…!" And with that, the young girl stormed out, sobbing hysterically and slamming the door shut behind her.

There was a moment of silence, until…

"Well, that went well."

Light directed his glare back to L, and snarled, "You are an asshole. You are the meanest person I have ever met!"

"I beg to differ, Light-kun."

"Oh yeah?"

L came over and prodded Light's chest with a finger, almost forgetting the fact that the teen had just argued about his sexuality in a Spock suit. "You, are the meanest person you have ever met. And you are the meanest person you will ever know."

He barely had time to react as a fist collided with his face, knocking him off impact and sending him sprawling to the ground. "…I was asking for that, wasn't I?" He asked in a dry tone, the pain becoming dull in his cheek.

"That and more. You're lucky I'm not kicking your head in right now." Light spun on his heel, and retreated back inside the changeroom, closing the curtain behind him with a huff.

L sat up, rubbing his head, and just stared at the place the teen had once been. Not a moment too soon it seemed, Light came into view once more, fully dressed and with an irritated grin on his face. "Forget about costumes. The idea is pretty stupid anyway."

With that, he bent over and grabbed the end of the chain, clicking the cuff around his wrist once more and adjusting it so it sat comfortably and wasn't chafing against his skin.

He yanked his wrist, making L stumble to his feet, and shoved his hands into his pockets, walking back up the hallway and to the main part of the store.

L just watched him in silence.

.:HeartBeats:.

"Light-Kun."

Silence.

"Light-Kun."

Again, silence.

"Light. KUN."

"Kira. Kira-San. Kira-Kun. Yagami-San. Yagami-Kun. Light. Light-Kun. Asahi-Kun. …Light-Chan."

"Did…Did you just call me…cute?"

"Ah, finally you noticed." L's lips turns upwards into a satisfied smile, though Light wasn't sure what he was smiling about. Was he satisfied that Light had finally given him attention or maybe perhaps that the teen had acknowledged the comment? Was it even a comment in the first place…?

He adjusted his beanie with a tight scowl, and walked even faster, scorning himself for even answering back.

"The silent treatment will get you nowhere, you know. The handcuffs are still, and always will be, here until you confess to being Kira."

And he always had to make it so obvious as well.

The younger merely rolled his eyes and tightened his hold on the shopping bag he held in his midst, and brought his eyes up to greet the grey and foggy sky. Snow had yet to fall, though he presumed from the looks of things it might start later on during the day. After all, it the month was about to roll over into winter.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard a sound distinctly like a dog barking just over his shoulder. He spun on his heel and eyed the detective with wide eyes. "How did you-"

But the detective wasn't looking at him. In fact, he had his back turned to him, his eyes focussing on something on the ground. Light stepped from behind the detective, and found himself looking downwards at a small dog.

The puppy was a pug, who sported dirty fur. It sat there calmly, eyeing the two men with a casual look in its beady black eyes. It then came over, it's curly tail wagging feebly, and sniffed L's foot, before nudging it with the tip of its nose.

"Oh, how adorable…" L's voice was distant as he bent down to meet the puppy at an appropriate level, his lips turning upwards into another smile.

Light, however, kept his distance. The sight of a stray dog in such a filthy state made him shudder in disgust. "Ryuzaki-" He began, but L interrupted him by saying, "I thought you were not speaking to me, Light-kun?"

"Does it even have a collar?" He asked matter-of-factly, ignoring the comment L had made before. The detective shook his head, before (such an action surprised Light), taking the dog within his arms and cradling it gently.

The dog squirmed upwards to try and lick L's face, and the older man chuckled quietly under his breath, scratching it behind its small and floppy ears. "You're very cute indeed. Cuter than Light-Chan over there, in fact."

Snorting in annoyance to the fact that he had just been compared to a dog, he tugged on the chain and began to move again, turning back around and continued walking down the street that lead to the Taskforce headquarters.

They moved in silence for about two minutes, until he heard the detective muttering to himself like a crazy man would. He whipped his head around to see that the dog was still being carried in his accomplice's arms, and he stormed forward over to the two. "What the hell are you doing!?"

L looked up innocently, as did the puppy, who seemed to Light to have a devious look in its eyes, and the detective tilted his head to the side. "I'm walking. With you. Back home…?"

"Put it down, Ryuzaki."

"She is a she, not an it. Learn the proper way to address someone."

"It's a goddamn stray. I'm not going to make an effort to call it anything special when you just picked it up off the street like that."

L's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "There there, do not listen to him, Delilah. He's just a lowly human."

Light laughed rather loudly, and gave a sneer. "What does that make you then?"

The detective clicked his tongue, and stood up a little straighter, grinning in response as he lifted his free hand up to look like a lop-sided ear.

"Woof, woof." He barked heartily, wagging his behind comically to imply the notion of a tail, and flapped his hand to make the act even more believable.

Light laughed again, because the older man just looked so silly doing that publicly in the middle of the open street, and lifted his own hands to make ear shapes on top of his head. "Nyah nyah." His own voice became a little more high pitched as he tried to imitate the actions of a furry feline, before clearing his throat and stifling another chuckle.

"But seriously, Ryuzaki...These things have fleas-"

"We can treat her."

"-And they make such a mess..."

"We'll house train her, and teach her how to use the restroom if need be."

"It might belong to someone else?"

"No collar, and this adds onto the fact of such a state she is in. Look." He held the puppy up to show it's stomach. "She's very very VERY skinny."

Light groaned. "...Why do you want to keep her anyway?"

Thrilled slightly at the fact that the teen was now using gender-centric nouns to describe their new friend, he nuzzled into her slightly. "She's very dejected, and just needs someone to look after and care for her..."

The end of that sentence dragged out to sound just a little bit solemn, and in turn L's eyes drooped ever so slightly, before he fastened a look of determination, looking very much like a little child.

"Please, Light-Kun. I'll make sure she's very well taken care of."

...Please?

Rolling his eyes, he sighed. "Fine. But she's your responsibility."

"Oh, wonderful!" The grin that came after that answer made Light feel surprised, and L scratched behind Delilah's ears affectionately.

"Now I won't have to talk to the boring human all day." L's voice sweetened, his lips pursed to look like they belonged to a fish.

Light rolled his eyes and tugged at the detective's wrist, pulling him along behind him once more.

"Thank you, Light-Kun." L's grin hadn't faded, his eyes forever trained on the squirming bundle of fur he held in his arms.

Light smiled, a little warmly. "You're welcome, Ryuzaki."

.:HeartBeats:.

"You still haven't told me what these are all for." Light's good turn of nature had soon been thrown out the window as he dully watched the detective string paper pumpkins onto the walls, Watari helping him with a small smile.

"I would've thought you could've guessed from the evidence all around.

Light took another scan of the room, many different noticeable objects coming into view.

There was a pumpkin shaped punch bowl, piles and piles of assorted sweets, string decorations much like the one L was handling right now, a few bottles of white wine (the same sort that he remembered having sipped at the afterparty after the funeral) and sake, masks, candles, spooky ornaments, CD tracks of Halloween-themed music and a stack of halloween themed/horror movies.

"...I didn't think you were serious about this party, Ryuzaki."

"It is no mere 'party', Light-Kun, but a celebratory instance to commemorate-"

"Halloween, I know. It just seems a little bit..."

"What?"

"It's not your style."

Well, that wasn't exactly true. Light had found, lately, that he didn't even know what to expect from the detective. Not that he knew in the first place, however.

The man had always been subtly closed off with the world around him, up until the point in time where Light had spoken out against his stoical personality.

Light knew that L was a very prideful person, a little too proud, sometimes.

In fact, he was pretty sure this entire time with all the activities they had participated in, that L's number one goal was just to prove him wrong.

But then again, sometimes that pride would give way to the innocent and childish streak that he found the older man so duly carried.

This innocence had also become really apparent during the extended time they had spent doing these things. The detective had been right when he stated at the start that they may very well have the chance to see the barriers they both had broken down.

L was being more open and true than he had ever been, and despite the obvious danger he found himself in, he was enjoying it.

After all, what harm could come from all of this?

"Delilah! Ladies do not chew on things!" He suddenly heard the detective erupt with a gasp, and focussed his attention on them as he saw the older man gently tap the dog on her nose.

Delilah snorted, wagged her tail and began to pant, her breathing sounding too much like gagging.

It unnerved him a little.

"You could help, you know." L said, nodding rather stiffly in Light's direction.

Light snapped to his senses and bent down beside his company, reaching around for a thumbtack and anything to pin up on the wall.

He speared a paper bat through its head as he pinned it next to the TV, a little lower than the string of paper zombies that L had just finished handling.

Chuckling at his accomplishment, he went to put up another, when Watari suddenly cleared his throat. "Gentlemen. I am off to fetch some refreshments. Mr Yagami, might I get you anything?"

"Hmm? Oh, coffee would be right. Thanks."

"The usual, Watari. Thank you very much."

"Of course." And with a small bow, the old man left in silence.

"Hey, so..."

"What is it?"

"Is Watari...related to you or something?"

L rose a little stiffly, straightening out his back and blinking rapidly as he felt something pop.

"He is...something of the sort, yes."

"A caretaker, maybe?" Well, Light seemed curious.

"Well...You are correct. Watari looks after me."

"How long has he been doing that for...?"

L tilted his head and thought for a moment. "An odd...twelve years, maybe? I've lost count."

"Oh wow, since you were a kid?"

"Something like that."

Why they were on the topic of Watari stumped him a little, but it gave L a little room to think.

The old man had been in his life from the earliest memories he could really recall.

Perhaps the earliest that involved the two being together was L's tenth birthday. He remembered that had been the day when he received his very first kite. But like all toys and like the child he was, it lost his interest after the 3rd time he had used it.

It was a red kite, as bright as autumn leaves and cherries, and flew as high as he could make it.

It was almost like a bird, but instead of having a free will of its own it had its own freedom controlled by the very beings who manufactured it.

Made to be enjoyed, like any and every toy; L sometimes wondered if it would be easier being a toy train handled by a six year old or a doll handled by a little girl.

If he were a train, the only thing he would have to worry about is the occasional tantrum and the day his use had been worn, but then again, he would not need to worry because no emotions were apparent.

But if he were a doll, at least he could have a resemblance to a living human being, and his very life came from what the child gave and envisioned.

But to only be played, and the story may be different every time. Almost like a lie.

Almost like a game.

"So, do you have any parents?"

"Pardon?"

"Parents, y'know? A mom, a dad, or even any brothers or sisters?"

L blinked and scratched his head. "I am not obliged to give you such information."

"Fair enough...Also, why were you so pissed this morning?" Such a quick change of subject...The detective wasn't sure he could keep up.

"I have no idea what you mean."

Light smirked. "Oh right, because 'I don't want to hear any more of your bitching' is how you normally act. Gotcha."

L scowled. "I shall become nasty again if you keep that up."

With this, the younger boy hunched over on the spot, and stuck a thumb in between his teeth. He widened his eyes and tried to make his voice as monotone as possible as he said, "5% of being a total douchebag, Mr Ryuzaki."

He was just asking for it, wasn't he?

L rose both eyebrows, and stood up as straight as he could, reversing Light's own actions and flaunting a little as he gave a rather sassy resonance, "I am so not gay, Ryuzaki!"

"What the hell?! I do NOT sound like that! And I'm not gay either!"

"Oh, your actions state otherwise."

Light chuckled slightly, "Yeah, well, you have no excuse to be such an ass all the time."

"And you have no excuse to love MY ass, Light-Chan. Oh, burn."

From the chuckling erupted laughter from the both men, and Light launched forward, tackling L down to the couch. "Pfft, idiot. Your tush is way too tight for me."

"And here we go with your homosexual remarks once more." L said in between giggles, "Will you ever stop?"

"Not likely. Will you ever stop suspecting me of being Kira?"

"...Touché." The chorus died, and the two men lay there in silence as the clock ticked overhead.

"Tonight shall be very fun." L suddenly said, looking up at Light with those large, black eyes of his with a smile.

"You bet." Light nodded and sat up, rolling off the detective and slumping onto the floor beside the couch. "Because having a party with just four people is going to be swell."

"Is that sarcasm? I assume so because Miss Amane will do nothing but flirt and spoon you the entire time."

Light was momentarily frightened. Spoon? Had L messed up his Japanese? Had he even heard correctly...?

The detective confirmed Light's thoughts by saying, "It is English slang for...cuddling."

"Oh. Well, you're right then."

"I propose a plan."

"Huh?"

Looking up, he saw L rolling over on the couch to lie on his back, his hair splaying about him and a playful smirk on his face. "We shall get her as drunk as a dancing bear and then lock her in our cupboard for the night. What do you say?"

"What if we forget about her the next morning though?"

"Oh come now. She will not be missed."

Light laughed again, but became quiet when he felt something brushing its way through his hair. He looked up to see L straining his long fingers through the teen's amber locks with a contented look on his face.

It was almost, as if for just a moment, that L had forgotten that Light was under suspicion of being the greatest mass murderer in the history of mankind.

And just for a moment, it felt nice for him also. He found he wanted to return the favour.

He leant up, and gently placed his hand over the detective's own, an action which, though strange in itself, made the detective still, and their eyes met.

Those eyes that buried into him, unearthing emotions stilled prior to the event. Emotions that flared, and for a moment it denied all sense of logic as he leaned up to place his lips on his.

But the connection was never made as they suddenly heard the sound of footsteps, and Watari's voice as he declared, "Your beverages, gentlemen."

Light immediately came over, clearing his throat and gingerly taking the cup, sipping it quickly.

L was slower to react, and sluggishly rose, the aftermath of what had almost happened slowly sinking in, causing flames to flare up inside his chest.

They drank their tea in another silence, until Watari said quietly, "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything important."

Light was about to react with an embarrassed gurgle, but L raised a hand. "No, it's quite fine. Nothing important was happening anyway."

And then he waved a hand, promptly dismissing the older man as he drained the contents from his cup swiftly.

As soon as he left, Light was about to turn and continue to put up even more decorations, but was stopped when he felt something grab a hold of his cuffed wrist.

He was suddenly pulled close to the detective, and felt L's lips gently close around his own, momentarily stunning him.

Beneath their feet, Delilah barked, merrily wagging her tail and basking in the loving moment of her two masters.

As suddenly as the moment arrived, however, L pulled away, and whispered in his accomplice's ear, "Definitely not homosexual."

And then he continued to place decorations around, spreading the Halloween morbidity and acting like nothing had just happened.

Light still stood there, until he snapped back to his senses as L placed another thumbtack in his hand.

"Hop to it, Skeleton Jack."

"...R-Right."

'This is Halloween, This is Halloween...~!'

The music droned on in the background, a little too loudly for L's taste. Under the cat ears fixed on a headband on his head, and the ridiculous cat one-suit he had been forced to wear, he actually found he was enjoying himself. Standing next to him, not a single sentence ripe from his mouth ever since the kiss earlier on that afternoon, Light was dressed as a pirate, wooden leg and the parrot to go.

Too bad the parrot wasn't real. It really looked like the teen needed someone to talk him out of his stiffened stupor.

Ah. He had just the trick.

He tapped the teen on the shoulder, causing him to jump a little as he turned to L, his eyes widened slightly.

L held out a small wineglass, filled halfway with sake. "Here you go. You look like you could use a pick-me-up." Oh, how good he was getting at this party slang.

"Uh, no thanks." Light declined, turning with his back again to the older man.

Well, that had failed. L scowled and downed the contents instead, regretting it almost instantly as the bitter substance almost burned his mouth.

"Bleh." He muttered and placed the cup down on a nearby table. The room was lit in hues of ghastly purple, mystic blue and crimson red from the lights above, and small flecks of a silvery sort came from a small disco ball above their heads.

Furniture had been pushed aside to make room for a dance-floor, where a sailor Matsuda was strutting his stuff.

Sitting down on a couch was a devil Misa, Delilah curled up on her lap (a small pompom headband on her head).

When Misa spotted Light, she waved rather deviously and sent a kiss his way, causing the teen to fidget uncomfortably.

L placed a beetle-shaped chocolate in his mouth as the skimpily-dressed blonde made her way over, still holding the pug in her arms.

"Light! Come dance with me!"

"No tha-" But the teen couldn't disagree as he was promptly pulled and shoved at the same time until he was standing beside his 'girlfriend', who had begun to swivel her hips rather sexily to gain his attention.

Matsuda whistled loudly, while L stood as far away as the handcuffs would allow, rolling his eyes in disgust.

He then looked back at his company, and his eyes widened as he noticed something a little...drastic.

Through those fishnet stockings, Misa really did have a...fine ass, as today's youth normally put it.

Light must've spotted the detective staring (even though he had really tried to make it subtle), because the next thing he knew his wrist was tugged, but he was pulled in the direction he didn't want to go.

He stumbled over to the trio, now making a troupe, and stood there awkwardly as the rest of them danced.

Instead of joining in, and making sure his eyes didn't linger once more, he decided to observe them instead.

Matsuda really was going full out, strutting back and forth, flicking his head in time to the music and spinning in rhythm, ducking to the floor before sliding back up again, dragging his fingers up his body as he went.

It was a little bit freaky.

Misa was doing something similar to Matsuda, which gave L the conclusion that the rookie was in fact dancing very...femininely. The blonde came over and placed her arms around Light's neck, pulling him close and grinding up against him. Such an action received another cheer from the sailor, and Misa giggled, running her hands through Light's hair as she went.

L groaned. Why the hell had he invited the girl anyway?

...Because it would have been awkward with just the three males (if one didn't count Delilah).

At the thought, he bent down to pick up his canine friend, and bobbed up and down with her in his arms.

Delilah barked loudly and squirmed up to lick L's face. This was her own way of acting like an Amane, just doggy style. Much more attractive than an imbecile.

To make him eat his own words though, Misa came over and began to dance next to him with an enthusiastic laugh.

Light grinned and clapped his hands in time, and L flushed in embarrassment. He scratched the back of his head and placed Delilah back down on the floor, before taking Misa's outstretched hands.

"It's not that bad, y'know, Ryuzaki. Come on, just let go!" Misa flashed a pretty and warm smile and began to move their arms, guiding L along with the music.

L stepped in time, and smiled as he did so. He actually wasn't that bad...

Misa spun him suddenly, and laughed as he stumbled on the spot before falling back on his behind, causing Light to laugh also.

There was a moment as the blonde whispered in the teen's ear, looking at him with wide eyes.

Light rubbed the back of his neck nervously, before gritting his teeth and pulling the detective to his feet again, taking his hands and beginning to dance with him.

L blinked in surprise as they turned on the spot, and Light clapped once as a sudden loud thud echoed from the speakers. L began to mimic his moves, moving in time to the song as the song began to reach its peak. The chorus came, and Light jumped suddenly, causing L to be caught off guard and he jumped a second too late.

"It's as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Do you see what I do?

Truth or Dare yes I double dare you.

You, you me, now I think you got it,

One last breath and just spin the bottle now.

(You know you don't need to be so worried, even though, below, I'm still thinking about it)

1, 2, 3 and I double dare me as well.

Truth, Dare.

(Dirty little secret, dirty little secret)

This will be our little…

(Dirty little secret, dirty little secret)

This will be our little…~"

He found that decoding the teen's dance-moves was the most fun he had been having since the party had started, and very soon it turned into a competition.

L had caught on very quickly, and had begun to make up his own steps, of which were beginning to confuse Light a little. Misa cheered and clapped as the dancing reached a peak, because both men were surprisingly swift when it came to their footwork.

As soon as the song ended, L and Light backed away from each other, and L turned, dragging Light over to the buffet table.

As such, they seemed to be a necessity at every social convention.

"Well, that was fun." Light shouted as the next track played, and finally took a sip of that sake.

L didn't bother to look up at him, instead musing over which sweet he should pick next. "Indeed. Feeling better?"

"What?"

"I said, FEELING BETTER?" The detective lifted his head and shouted right into the teen's face, smiling rather cockily as he popped a lemon sherbet into his mouth.

He went to pop another one in, but was suddenly stopped as he felt a hand grab his wrist, and the next moment he knew he was shoved against a wall and out of sight of everyone else. Even the music seemed quiet in this secluded little corner.

He looked up into the teen's eyes, his arms pinned above his head as Light held him tightly.

"You...are an ass."

"You have stated this before." L retained a perfectly calm composure; however he could practically feel his heart almost bursting out of his chest from the moment, though he wasn't sure what emotion fuelled that resolve.

"What the hell was that before?"

"Dancing. A form of moving your body in time to a ballad or musical tune, and has been included in many cultures around the world. Did you know that it dates back to-"

"Stop being such a smartmouth. I meant..."

"The kiss."

Light snapped back to attention immediately, a curious and almost intimidating look in his amber eyes. "Yeah. I mean, what the fuck."

"I could ask the same about you."

There was a silenced fortune for about two seconds, until L started again. "You have asked that about every one we've had."

"No I haven't!"

"No need to be insecure, you're actually very good at it."

"Very good...?" He tried to hide the blush on his cheeks as he shoved L a little harder into the wall, gritting his teeth in irritation. "Whatever. Why did you do it?"

"Because I felt like it."

"And that means...?"

"Light." L began, and shoved the teen away, brushing himself down and straightening his cat ears once again. "It means absolutely nothing. Were you hoping for something else? Perhaps an emotional response so you can get a leg up in our little competition?"

"Our what?"

L sighed in annoyance. "Do you not remember, a couple of months back, when we started this agreement? I stated that it would be beneficial to the both of us in the fact that we could see the emotional sides to us? Though that proposal is strange in itself, you know very well that it is true. You are fascinated with me."

"That means you're fascinated with me though...!"

"Precisely. Now, back to the topic at hand...I simply felt like it. It's a nice gesture, you know. It feels very nice indeed."

Light's head was spinning. He was trying hard to comprehend one, two...no, five concepts at once!

He actually didn't think that the whole 'wanting to see the emotional side of things' was an actual part of the agreement, whatever agreement they had made in the first place.

If L wanted to kiss him...did that in fact make him gay? He could use that against him later. But it would make living with him a whole lot more awkward.

What if the kisses were just spurred from the tension that the handcuffs held between them? The solution was simple then. They could just take them off-Oh wait, no. Of course not. The whole Kira suspicion just had to complicate things, didn't it?

They should just stop kissing then...But it wasn't like they had been doing it frequently though! And what if it came up, that tension...? What if they couldn't control themselves?

Did that make him gay? ...Hell no! That was disgusting! Especially with that damned detective...

At the thought he turned to see the older man staring at him as he battled his own thoughts.

Damn it. The guy pissed him off so much...Not to mention it was creepy the way he would stare.

Standing like that, with his thumb in his mouth and that completely blank expression.

It looked stupid. ...And kind of funny...And a little bit cute.

...Damn it.

Light groaned and ran a hand through his hair. He should've just left it. Now that it was out in the open...

"Are you thinking of even more ways we could interact as such?" L suddenly said with a very curious smile.

"What the hell...No! Ryuzaki, you're such a pervert!"

"I'm sure you love it. Now, I accept your apology for pushing me into a wall, as the party awaits."

Without another word, L pulled him back into the living room, where Misa and Matsuda were ironically dancing 'The Chicken Dance' rather happily.

Light and L stood nearby, lost in their own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Delilah sat and watched the humans around her. She curiously lifted her nose to the air and sniffed; the scent of chocolate, alcohol and fried bacon reaching her nose.

She wagged her tail slightly. What could she do now? The female was too busy with the stupid one, and mama and papa looked too bored to notice their own little girl was at her wit's end.

She had to do something to save the party. It was losing its spark. And then she got a brilliant idea.

She should chase her tail, though she knew she would never catch it.

And that is exactly what she did.

.:HeartBeats:.

The party progressed on smoothly into the night. Once dancing had lost its edge, they pulled out a bunch of board games instead.

Light had won at Monopoly, while Matsuda won at Snakes and Ladders through pure luck.

Surprisingly, L won at the game of Twister. He never knew he could be so flexible.

Misa didn't win at anything.

A large vanilla and chocolate cake had been carried out by Watari, who was dressed as a ghost to suit the occasion, and the entire thing almost made it feel like a birthday party of some sort.

Which got Light thinking. Would they celebrate every sort of holiday celebration like this? It would be nice...But he didn't know how many parties he could handle. He barely went to any when he attended high-school anyway.

Truth or Dare had been sort of a disaster, with shots of alcohol being taken when a dare couldn't be undertaken or a truth couldn't be told.

As such, Misa had passed out on the floor and Matsuda was singing karaoke, half-drunk, in a lonely little corner near the dance floor.

This left L and Light left to play, and the two were still seated upright, a bottle sitting in between them.

Light's parrot, eye-patch and wooden leg had been abandoned nearby, while the only part of the costume L was left wearing was the ears. He was seated in his usual shirt and jeans, ready to take another shot if necessary.

At first, he denied taking in any part of such a ridiculous game. He was keen on keeping himself from consuming as much alcohol as he could. However, his mind had been swayed at the chance to express his thirst for knowledge. The rules of the game stated that a truth had to be told or a drink in its stead. The thought excited him beyond no ends.

In fact, he felt a little tipsy then. Was he drunk...?

Despite the foggy haze in his mind, he also thought the game had been a good chance to try and smuggle a confession out of the teen. He just had to wait until he was a little bit more intoxicated.

"Alright, your turn." Light smirked, swaying slightly on the spot with a little, stupid smile on his face. It seemed as if the teen had drunk just a little too much also.

"Truth or dare?" L's voice was a little slurred, but at least he was able to retain his composure.

"Um...Dare."

"I dare Light-Kun to shove this pineapple chew up Misa Amane's nose." The detective grinned at his own wit, and handed Light one of the many yellow sweets scattered about the floor.

Light crawled over and did as told, stifling a loud chuckle as the blonde snorted to the presence blocking one of her airways, but nonetheless she settled back into her drunken sleep.

Light sat back down, and regarded the older man with a sly smile. "Truth or dare?"

"Hmm...Truth."

"Oh, should be fun. Ryuzaki...Why do you call yourself that? It's obviously an alias, but where did it come from?"

The question caught L off guard. He turned and stared at the teen with a look that almost said, 'Why the hell would you ask that?'

"You alright...?" Light tilted his head a little in concern, and leaned closer, but L shrugged him off and mumbled, "It belonged to an old colleague of mine. However...he turned to a life of crime, and when he was arrested, I took up his title. It's merely a name. Nothing else."

Now this was interesting.

"Oh...What did he do?"

"He was behind a string of gruesome murders known as the Los Angeles Beyond Birthday Murder Cases. However, he died after a year in prison. I can only assume he was killed by Kira."

"Oh." Light fell silent, not sure how to take such information. "Sorry to hear that."

"Well yes, but what can you do in such a world? Nonetheless...truth or dare again, Light-Kun? ...Light?"

"Hmm? Oh, I dunno...Truth."

L smiled a little, and leaned a little closer. "Well alright. Tell me honestly..."

"..."

L's voice was barely above a whisper, more like a murmur than anything else. "Do you like it when I kiss you?"

"W-W-What...-"

"You heard me, Light-Kun."

Even though he was a little bit drunk, Light found that the question in itself startled him quite profoundly. He thought that just before they had just agreed to cut it off...

No wait. They hadn't said a word...It was Light's own thoughts, he remembered now...

Beneath it all, he found that his gut instinct wanted him to scream just one answer.

"Well?"

But his morality denied it. As did his mind.

"Yes."

L leaned just a little closer. "Excellent...And, if I asked, would you kiss me right now?"

Say no...Say no!

"Yes..."

"May I?"

Without so much as a nod, their lips were locked again, and they knocked over the bottle in their synchronised attempt at satisfying the burning desire in their stomachs. To be frightfully honest, this was terrifying to the both of them; the notion of stepping over that thin line and into the world of taboo guiltily clawed at their morality. But no matter how many times this was stated, the excitement and thrill of the touch urged them on and on, and each and every time they fell head over heels into this trap.

A loud and familiar bark ripped them from the moment, however, and they both turned away, flushing from what could have been the alcohol or the pleasure. L, instead, knowing that this was better off being unsaid, focussed his attention on their dog.

Delilah was seated at the window, her bug eyes wide and reflected off the large square balcony door. Another flicker of his gaze and he was met with a serenity of white, falling from the sky.

It had begun to snow.

…"Happy birthday to me, from beyond the grave…"


Yeah, abrupt but very peaceful ending. I happen to love how I just finished that. IT NEEDED TO BE FINISHED ANYWAYS *burning eyes*

R&R, if you managed to make your way through that long long chapter. Also, can anyone guess why L was so pissed? The reason shall be revealed in the next chapter, but if you guess the EXACT reason, I shall give you a mention or I'll message you and you can actually help me in the next chapter :3

Ps: Thanks a lot to my American buddy Ed for helping me with the overall plotline. This one is dedicated to you~ ^^ 3

MORE WORDS THAN THE LAST CHAPTER WHOO I AM ON A ROLL.