It feels horrible still being a day behind... Nevertheless, here's the next day of adventures and whatnot. This took longer to come up with than I'd planned, but most of the blame can be put on my horrid internet. It will be connected for perhaps ten minutes, then disconnected for twice that amount. Oh well. Thanks for the feedback! :)

I don't own Death Note.

December 17
Maple Syrup Day

Yet again Light found himself sitting in the limousine. It wasn't a bad vehicle by any means, oh no. The seats were very plush. A TV sat in the front in all of its wide-screen glory and next to it was even a small fridge of sorts. On many a ride in the vehicle L would rummage through the thing and pull out puddings, fruits, sweet sodas, and bottled teas. Light declined having anything from the fridge each time. Now, though, L sat quietly and nibbled on a small bowl of strawberries sprinkled with sugar (of course). The detective fiddled with the controls of the stereo system on a remote, the device already on the classical music station. Some symphony was playing Christmas tunes.

The auburn-haired man gazed outside, watching the buildings of the city slowly begin to disappear. He'd been on vacation several times before away from the area in which he was born, but they'd always been the more "traditional" kinds. Cruises, theme parks, historical monuments, and so on and so forth with his family. Not once had he stepped foot in the woods. It sounded like an awfully dirty place with all sorts of bugs and other filthy animals… Well, it was winter, and perhaps there wouldn't be any bugs. That is, until L had reminded him of the mole cricket which could crawl…and swim…and fly…and just so happened to be active during winter. Fuck.

The detective mutely stared out of the window. Bare tree after bare tree whizzed by, each covered with a sparse amount of snow. Light was partially grateful for the music that played softly in the limousine. The silence could be maddening.

An agonizing hour later, L padded over to the front in order to reach the speaker. The strawberry dish had long ago been set aside.

He began speaking to Watari in the front, Light listening in. "Watari-san, could we come to a stop in precisely two minutes? I'm certain we're almost there. …Thank you."

Meandering back over, L actually began to pull on his often-forgotten black coat. Light looked at him curiously, already donning his own and as well as his scarf and beanie hat. The man even put on those boots of his. So they were going to get out…and go into the woods. Great. Staring at the trees zooming past the window sounded pretty appealing all of a sudden.

"Ryuuzaki, if you don't mind by me asking…why exactly do we have a bucket?" Light ventured as the detective was tying his boots' laces.

The large tin bucket sat off to the side, but L didn't glance over. "Light-kun, I'm certain you can use your intellect to figure out why we would need a bucket."

"I'm fully aware of how it could be used, but…really?"

L looked up to him, not quite impressed. "Yes. We are going to acquire our own maple syrup today. I've never tried such an endeavor, but it doesn't appear to be all that complex."

"How much research have you done on maple syrup?"

"Enough."

Oh. That sounded promising. They were going out into the woods with a bucket, an electric drill, and a spout with as much of an idea of what to do as a kindergartener would.

Sure enough, two minutes later the limousine came to a stop. L exited first with Light close behind, the younger man's gloved hands holding onto the bucket that also contained their other supplies. A shiver wracked L's body at once.

L's forcedly calm-voice rang out, "I never expected it to be so…cold…today."

Light rolled his eyes. "You could've worn a scarf, mittens, or even a hat, you know."

"It's not even the first day of winter."

"Do you ever bother to watch the weather channel?"

L made to reply to that, instead trudging off into the trees. Light dearly hoped the detective had some sense of direction so they wouldn't get hopelessly lost. He had zero survival skills and the detective's pale complexion certainly didn't scream an outdoorsy type. It was almost impossible trying to follow the haphazard path of the man. He'd suddenly turn a corner and the damned chain would get caught, he'd walk over a log and the chain would get caught, he'd semi-crawl under low branches and the chain would get caught… Light didn't doubt the man was grinning the whole time, putting him through the hell of it all.

Gathering up the freezing-cold chain once more, Light didn't really notice L had suddenly stopped until he bumped into the man's motionless form. He turned to face Light, cheeks already flushed a soft pink from the cold. The action was so swift, but the man looked oddly –

"We've found it."

Wait…how was that thought going to end? He brushed it aside, replying instead, "It?"

"The maple tree."

Not exactly an expert when it came to environmental sciences, Light looked around at the surrounding trees blankly. L let out a sigh, pointing to one with a warm-brown trunk and surrounded by brush. Off to the side stood some old, forgotten fencing that looked like it could snap at the slightest touch. Other trees surrounded it, but their trunks were bone white with patches of brown here and there.

"Well?"

Fighting the urge to grumble, Light walked over to the supposed maple tree. His hands, only slightly stiff, pulled out the drill. He went ahead and made a smallish hole of sorts that would be big enough for the spout, but he still had no idea what the hell he was really supposed to be doing. L had done nothing to brief him, and he had zero interest in a sweet syrup that oozed from trees. The spout was quickly shoved in the hole, bucket right underneath. It took all of about six minutes.

"Do you know how long this is going to take?" Light ventured.

"Not at the slightest."

"Wonderful."

"Though, it's only noon. We have plenty of time before nightfall."

Would it really be worth it to take the drill to his head and escape the misery? Light gazed at the power tool thoughtfully while L's gaze was focused intently on the maple tree.

Light brought his watch to his face. It had only been half an hour… The thought almost made him want to weep. The detective continued to stand as still as a statue. Trying to entertain himself as best as he could, Light began mentally going over his English vocabulary when suddenly –

"Light-kun, it appears my strawberries are frozen."

"…Excuse me?"

The detective pulled out a plastic baggie from one of his coat pockets. He stared at it glumly.

"So you thought to pack extra snacks and no gloves?"

"Yes…."

It remained silent for a few moments…until Light felt several small objects pelting the back of his head. He shot a glare at the raven-haired man who tried to innocently nibble at one of his completely solid strawberries. As soon as he finally switched his gaze back to the ever-exciting maple tree, the assault started anew. Not a drop was in the bucket.

"Light-kun, you have studied English through high school, yes?"

It had been another indistinguishable amount of time since he'd been attacked by means of strawberries. Light didn't even bother to look at his watch anymore. Any span of time felt the same. Whether it had been five minutes or an hour, there was no real difference. Perhaps he was trapped in his own personal Twilight Zone?

Tearing himself from his thoughts, he managed to reply, "Yes, I did. Why do you ask?"

"I just recently came across a particularly clever palindrome."

"…and?"

"Tacocat."

"You do realize…that's two words?"

"I reject your logic and substitute it with my own."

The drill was just calling out to him at this point.

Feeling rather tired, Light finally sat down against one of the other trees. It almost unbearably cold to sit on the snow, but legs had begun to ache. Sighing, he closed his weary eyes in an attempt to catch a small amount of sleep even though they were in freezing temperatures. With his vision not being used, he could far more acutely hear the sounds around him despite how subtle they were. A brief rustle of tree branches, more than likely due to a bird, the soft whistle of wind, the faint crunch of snow… He cracked his eyes open slightly, only to come face-to-face with none other than L.

He fought the urge to snap at him. Did the man have any grasp on the concept of personal space?

"Light-kun…I have some very important news." Come to think of it, his eyes were a bit more abnormally large than usual.

Light raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"In our bucket…we have precisely three drops of maple syrup."

The detective's hot breath hit Light's face, smelling distinctly of the strawberries he'd consumed throughout the day. Fighting the urge to shudder at the sudden burst of warmth, he pressed his lips into a thin line. L kept his mouth slightly open, awaiting the other man's response to the revelation. Upon realizing that he'd been staring, Light quickly tore his gaze away and brought it back to the detective's eyes. L seemed to be looking at him with a most peculiar expression then. A strange sort of nervousness started to pool within Light's stomach. Why the hell was he still so close?

"Is something the matter, Light-kun? Your face is increasingly becoming red." He brought his uncovered, clammy fingers to rest on his forehead. "Hm, it appears you're not terribly cold. In fact, just the opposite…"

He pushed the man's hand away. "I'm perfectly fine! Can I please go back to my nap?"

"Ah, actually…there was something I wished to discuss with you." Grimacing slightly, L sat down across from Light on the icy ground.

Light let out a large breath of air he hadn't been quite aware that he was holding. He kept his calm façade, however. "And that would be what?"

"I thought it'd be obvious." L wrapped his arms around his body, attempting to hold in what little warmth he possessed. Light's forehead had been almost scalding… "For the majority of today and yesterday I have been mulling over the most recent Kira tape. What are your thoughts on it?"

Light looked down to the snow in contemplation. He was familiar with this charade. While gaining another perspective, L was also analyzing him. It had happened since day one on the task force, and had in fact concerned the very first Kira tape. Not too terribly long before December had begun, Light had made special preparations with Misa. Under L's constant supervision or not, he'd wanted to experiment with the masses, to see if they'd abide to his wishes or blatantly disregard them. The outcome, of course, wouldn't be different. There would always be evil present, no matter how many chances he presented. Sighing, he returned his gaze back to L.

"With what Kira has done in the past, I think it's highly unlikely that he'd let so many off easily," Light began. "He'll more than likely pick the pace back up to its normal rate as soon as the new year arrives. Really, it seems as though he'd trying to manipulate his way into the hearts of people by appealing to them with some semblance of holiday spirit and forgiveness…which won't be awarded."

L, his thumb pressed to his lips, carefully studied Light's face.

"I see. My own conclusion was very similar. However, why did he wait until the middle of the month to make such an announcement? Surely the beginning would have been more practical."

"Perhaps…he was curious as to how people would act if he suddenly…disappeared. This might be his way of discovering what would happen if something did happen to him." Still thinking on his feet after L's disguised accusation, Light continued, "He's more than likely concerned about what would happen to his 'kingdom' if he were to be killed or stopped. Kira may have been hoping for another to rise up and take his position, but with no action taken for over two weeks his patience may have worn thin…"

"I agree."

Light, needless to say, was somewhat surprised. No further comments, no variables to speak of?

L then pulled out his cell phone and began playing Tetris. Often, he caught sight of the detective frowning. His fingers were undoubtedly stiff and unresponsive.

Light reached to touch his forehead. The warmth from his face had dissipated, but the cold of L's fingers lingered as if he were still there. He quickly drew his own hand away, trying to return to his attempt at a nap.

Someone was prodding his shoulder insistently. Rather than attempting to ignore it and win a few more precious moments of sleep, Light could distinctly feel icy cold ground beneath him. Consciousness sounded far better than sleeping out in the woods. From the stories he'd read and the movies he'd seen, it never ended well when you did spend a night in the woods. Ninety percent of the time, it ended up in rape. Wait…what? Pushing that obscure thought aside, Light pried his eyes open. L stood to his right, the bucket in hand. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, the lack of control seeming off to Light.

"What?" Light mumbled. "Are we done…?"

"Yes. You were asleep for about an hour, and it's nearly dark… The temperature has dropped roughly ten degrees Fahrenheit or twelve degrees Celsius, and will continue to drop as night falls."

Light rubbed his eyes, thankful that his overabundance of warm clothing had kept him from turning into a popsicle. He'd been asleep for that long, though…? Damn, anything could have happened in that kind of time! He glanced around the area, but nothing seemed out of place…

"Therefore, I think it would be highly advisable for us to return to the limousine," he concluded. Though he hid it astoundingly well, Light could hear his teeth chatter softly. Were his lips turning a faint blue?

Stiffly Light brought himself back onto his feet. The tingle of electric signals finally traveling through his legs caused him to grab onto the tree quickly. L's large black eyes continued to observe him, but a strange emotion seemed to flicker in them only briefly. It was gone as soon as Light had spotted it, and he'd finally regained his motor skills to a decent degree. They commenced the trek back to the vehicle.

Watari had spotted them as they made their way through the trees and brush back to the road. He exited the driver's seat speedily and opened one of the passenger doors. As soon as this was done, what energy L had was packed into a single burst. He practically bounded toward the open door and leapt inside, almost dragging the surprised auburn-haired man behind him. The door was closed just as swiftly and Watari returned to the driver's seat.

Light felt his limbs tingle at the sudden warmth of the interior of the limousine. He took off his gloves and held his hands to where he could feel some heat leaking out. He moved the digits around appreciatively and sighed. Thank god that was over.

He glanced over to L to see how the other man was faring. Despite the heavenly warmth surrounding them, L had his knees drawn tightly to his chest. His entire body trembled, as if still sitting in the freezing forest. There were no blankets around for him to pull around himself.

Light hesitantly spoke, "Ryuuzaki, is something the matter?"

A moment or so later, the detective managed to let out a weak reply. "No…I'm fine…"

Light could feel a frown settle upon his face. Here was the man he'd wanted dead for so long chilled to the bone. It was highly likely that the detective was slowly succumbing to the beginning of hypothermia. He hadn't dressed with nearly enough layers or other items of clothing to keep him warm, and he'd forced himself to be out in the winter air for hours. The results of L continuing to simply sit there and shiver until they reached the hotel would undoubtedly be less than favorable. He needed to make some effort to assist the helpless man, else he would be shoved further into suspicion and –

…he looked absolutely pitiful. L was the very personification of control, of precision, and there he sat with shakes wracking his entire frame. It somehow just didn't settle right with Light. Swallowing, he came to a decision. God, it would be humiliating…but he had little choice in the matter.

Stumbling over his words all of a sudden, Light said, "Ryuuzaki, could you…ah…well…"

L managed to tilt his head to shift his gaze to the younger man. His eyes looked weary. "Y-yes?"

Why now, of all times, did he have to sound like a complete idiot? Still resolute, he continued, "You're still shaking, despite the fact that we're in the warmth of the limousine. So, it'd probably be best for you to…uh…"

"What?"

"Just…come over here, will you?"

The detective still held a look of confusion, but his weariness was dominant over all else. "I still…don't f-follow. I…think I'll s-s-stay here." He buried his face on his legs once more. "S-say whatever you want n-now."

L's perception wasn't quite all that sharp, currently. He felt himself gradually losing hold of consciousness, a prospect that was starting to frighten him slightly. He was never one to give in so easily to sleep, and if he did while still so cold… However, if he stayed in the limousine for the duration of the ride to the headquarters, he'd surely be fine again. He was almost positive. But, the question remained: why could he hear chickens somewhere in the limousine?

All of a sudden, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso and pull him towards an even greater source of heat. His eyes widened in surprise, searching around only to find Light's face. He opened his mouth, but the words didn't quite come out and ended up being incoherent mumblings. Damn.

"If you'd be so kind as to be quiet, it would be greatly appreciated," Light snapped. "You'd probably succumb to hypothermia otherwise, so..."

As humored as he was by Light's failure at speaking properly, L still felt that the gesture was completely unnecessary. Though…he did feel incredibly warm. Despite his mental conflict he could feel his body just melt at the sensation, craving heat more than anything else. Before he even knew it, his eyes finally drooped closed. A shame how he couldn't point out how red Light's face was again…just like strawberries.