A/N: Yay, another chapter. I'll try really hard to update regularly, guys. I'm really motivated to work on this story right now. The only problem is that I can't upload from my own computer. I'll try really hard to sneak onto my dad's computer as often as I can.
Disclaimer: I don't own L or Light…and it's a shame. I really like them.
L frowned thoughtfully as Light sat down under the tree, and crossed his arms over his chest. "You really dislike Mello, don't you?"
Light snorted. "It's obvious, isn't it? He keeps trying to print trash about me to make me look bad. I hate that. And I hate having my picture taken."
L nodded solemnly. "I have heard that you wanted to fight him."
Light rolled his eyes. "Don't be crazy. I don't want to get kicked out of school over Mello. It's not worth my time. I don't hate him that much to sacrifice my education.'
"Well, that seems reasonable," L murmured.
"Just sit down with me," Light urged. 'I'm not leaving until that creep goes away. I can stay here the whole lunch period if I need to. It gives us time to talk."
L blinked. "What are we talking about?"
Light tugged on L's arm. 'Will you just sit down and hear me out?"
L reluctantly lowered himself onto the grass.
Light smiled. "Good. I'm glad you're willing to stay with me. I don't know what I would do without you."
L frowned. "You haven't even known me a week. You don't know me well enough to be helpless without me."
Light smiled. "Ah, but it feels like I've known you forever. You're so fascinating to me, L. You've got so many secrets. You don't trust anyone, not even me. Usually, everyone melts around me. But my charm doesn't work on you."
L sighed. "I think it works too well. No one else has been able to make me blindly follow them as they ditch school."
Light grinned. "We cancel each other out. My irresistible charm and your impenetrable fortress of solitude."
L frowned. "I wouldn't say that we are tied. I don't what skill it is that you possess that gives you control over me, but I don't like it. I don't like losing my free will."
Light shrugged and stretched luxuriously. "It doesn't just work on you. It works on everyone. You're the only one that has complained so far."
L eyed him critically. "I'm the only one who finds it unsettling to suddenly lose control of my mind whenever I look at you?"
"Yep."
L shook his head. "Everyone here must be an idiot."
"L, it's not as bad as you make it seem. If you just look at me, you don't lose yourself. I'm not that good. You can look at me when you're talking to me. You just can't look too deeply."
L frowned. 'So you're saying I bring it upon myself?"
"Not always. When we took you out on the tour of the town, I had to do part of the work. If I really wanted to charm you, you'd just look into my eyes and I would sort of will it to happen as if you had looked too deeply."
"That's still unbelievably strange that you can actually do that to people."
Light shrugged. "Maybe I was born to be a hypnotist. But you shouldn't call me weird. You're the one that eats cookies all day long."
"Eating cookies is perfectly normal behavior," L said indignantly.
"Yeah, it's okay to eat cookies, but eventually you have to pay the price for all those calories. I don't get how you can stay so stick thin and still eat whatever you want."
L smiled thinly. "It's a gift, I suppose."
Matsuda jogged across the grass and stuck his head down under the tree. "Mello's gone," he hissed. "You guys can come back now."'
"Oh good," Light said cheerfully. He stood and offered L a hand to help him to his feet.
Light slid into his spot between Matsuda and Mikami. L sat across from him.
"How nice of you to join us," Mikami muttered.
"How nice of you to scare Mello away for me," Light murmured. "Did you have to threaten him?"
Mikami grinned. "Nah, Misa took care of it."
Misa sniffed disdainfully. "Misa just yelled at them and told them to quit being annoying. Misa doesn't know why they are so scared of her, but they ran away."
Light laughed. "Good job, Misa."
Misa beamed. "Misa is happy to help Light." She elbowed L in the side. "Isn't L glad that those meanies are gone?"
"Hmn?" L asked, his gaze fixed on Light. Light smirked victoriously.
Misa scowled and kicked Light in the shins.
"Ouch!" Light yelped, scowling at Misa. "That hurt!"
L blinked and shook his head. "I see what you mean, Light. I could feel the change this time, how it intensified when you were concentrating on me."
"Light, are you really going to tell him all of your secrets?" Mikami complained.
Light smiled. "Not all of them. If he wants to know all my secrets, he's going to have to tell me all of his."
'Absolutely not," L said firmly.
"Well, there you have it." Light shrugged and began unwrapping his lunch.
L pulled his lunch out of the brown paper sack and set it down on the table.
Light frowned. "Peanut butter and jelly sandwich again?"
"No, just jelly."
Light rolled his eyes. "And M&Ms. You sure eat a lot of junk food."
"I am entitled to eat what I want," L said stiffly. "You are not my mother."
"Okay, okay. Just chill."
Matsuda poked at a tomato on top of his salad wistfully. "I wish I could eat like you, L. I'm on a diet." He gingerly took a bite of tomato. "Ugh, sour."
"You may have an M&M if you wish," L offered.
Matsuda's eyes lit up. "Ooh, can I really? Can I have a red one?"
"Matsuda, don't be picky," Light admonished.
"It is quite all right," L assured Light. "I know they are all supposed to taste the same, but I have a preference for the blue ones. Matsuda can have a red one if he wishes." L held out a red M&M to Matsuda.
Matsuda beamed. "Thanks, L."
Mikami sighed and began eating his hot dog from the cafeteria. A long period of silence stretched out as everyone else followed suit and ate their lunches.
Light smiled sadly as the bell rang. "Okay, guys. I'll see you later. L and I are off to chemistry." He stood and waited for L to follow after him.
"Oh, are you actually coming to class now?" L asked.
Light scowled. "I had a dentist's appointment this morning. It's not my fault."
"A dentist's appointment does not take up three class periods," L said stiffly.
"I had teeth pulled. I wanted to wait until the numbness wore off."
"Please do not lie to me," L said sternly. "It is Light's business if he wants to skip school. I could care less why he doesn't want to attend class. But please do not try to make up silly excuses. It only makes me think less of you."
Light sighed. "If only you knew, L."
"Then why don't you tell me?"
"I can't. You won't tell me your secrets, so why should I share mine?"
L pursed his lips and turned away from Light.
Through chemistry class, L was uncommunicative. He only said anything to Light when he needed Light to do something for the experiment. Light made a show out of being uncooperative and only reluctantly helped L out at all.
L got up from his seat as soon as the bell rang and headed straight for the door without giving Light a second glance. Light stayed behind to talk to Mr. Newton. As L headed out the door, he could hear Light hiss, "I want to change lab partners."
L was in a foul mood for fifth and sixth period. As he left sixth period, he saw Light standing by the gate, waiting to walk him home. L ignored him and tried to walk by. Light grabbed his arm.
"Let go of me," L hissed.
"No, you're coming with me," Light insisted.
L tried to yank his arm out of Light's grip. "I don't want to go with you. I don't want to have anything to do with you."
"You're coming with me whether you like it or not," Light growled. His face was contorted with fury. His lips were twisted into a snarl and his teeth were bared. He looked almost like a wild animal.
"Where are we going?" L demanded, as Light began dragging him down the street.
"Somewhere where you'll be safe."
L barked out a laugh. "So you're kidnapping me for my own safety?"
"That's exactly what I'm doing," Light said firmly. "You don't know anything that goes on around here. It's dangerous, too dangerous for you to walk home by yourself."
"And what exactly is out there that's so deadly?"
Light shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I'll just tell you now that this town has secrets and some people want them hidden so badly that they're willing to kill over them."
L frowned. "Why are you putting yourself at risk over me?"
Light was taken off guard. "Because I-because I care about you. Really, L. Don't be concerned about me. They're not going to go after me. I live here. You, on the other hand…"
L shuddered. "Light, are you being honest or is this another one of your crazy stories?"
"I'm not making anything up," Light growled. "I'm trying to protect you."
"Is this about that silly curse again?" L complained.
'This is serious," Light snapped. "The curse is real. If you're going to live in this town, you better start educating yourself. There's been one death already. I don't want to see another one. Cullen was a good kid. He was only around eight when he died. He was just a kid. But he was murdered."
"Light, are you honestly saying that ghosts murdered a little boy?"
"Not ghosts. Flesh and blood murderers. There are some people in this town that don't want any strangers moving in. They're downright hostile to any visitors from out of town and they don't like anyone moving in. They do whatever it takes to scare anyone out of that house. Just because you've moved in with Watari doesn't mean you're safe. There are still people that want you out of town as soon as possible. If scaring you away doesn't work, they'll try murder."
"Why would my presence be a threat to them?" L protested.
"You haven't lived in a small town before, L. We know everyone here. We're a close-knit community. Families have been living here for years. People are so used to knowing everyone here that it almost offends them to have someone they don't know invade their little town. It's strange, but true."
L blinked as he noticed the hill leading up to Watari's house. "Uh…thank you, Light. I'm sure I'll be fine from here."
"No," Light insisted. "I'm walking you to the door."
Light's paranoia was catching. L found himself jumping at the noise their shoes made as they turned onto the dirt path.
Light stopped on the front porch. "You can take it from here, L," Light said quietly, slowly backing up. "Remember, stay safe. I'll be here tomorrow morning to walk you to school."
L tried the doorknob and found that it was locked. He pulled out his key and began unlocking the door. "Thank you again for walking me home," he called over his shoulder.
"My pleasure," Light murmured.
L frowned. Light's voice sounded distant and strangely muffled. He glanced over his shoulder. Light was gone.
"How does he keep disappearing like that?" L muttered.