“Misa will get Ryuzaki outside if she has to use her hair as ropes!” The blonde pouted at the much stronger foe she now faced. All her other opponents were easily won over by her smile and charm, especially men. She practically could wrap them all around her finger. They would never know how much thought she put into doing so, and they would never see that she herself was a master in manipulation.

“Why is it that you wish for me to go outside so ardently?” Misa looked up at the slouching man, the world’s greatest detective, and biggest living pervert! L. He never stood straight, he acted as if all the knowledge in the world was garbage, and that his theories were perfect. He never cared for the well being of others, and more importantly, Misa couldn’t fool him or manipulate this man. “Huh? You said you wanted me to be what Ryuzaki?”

He shook his head, “I don’t like to leave unless it’s necessary and even then if it was very important that you take me ‘out for a night on the town’ as you said earlier, I wouldn’t go.” “You are so stubborn, Ryuzaki!” He turned to walk away, but called over his shoulder, “and you are not? I think you are missing the point Misa.” “And the point is?” He concentrated his penetrating glare on her, “I’m not going into public for absolutely no true reason.”

Light, who had been watching with a mild interest smiled, “touché, Ryuzaki.” L focused his intense gaze on Light, “you used it incorrectly as you are not in this argument and it’s pronounced as toosh!” Light rolled his eyes in annoyance, “no it’s not, for a genius, that’s really stupid Ryuzaki.” L shook his head and looked over at the two in order, “I’ve never been wrong, anyway, that’s something you wouldn’t get. I guess I have an ‘inside joke’ now?”

“Well, Misa is so going to get you out of here, one way or another!” L began walking away as she talked, unknowing and uncaring, that is until Misa took a head start, letting out a loud screech as she leapt onto his back. Luckily for her, L was stronger than his slim form implied and could support her weight, purse and all.

Light stared openly, gaping at the patience slowly draining out of the detective’s ever-perfect façade of calm. “Ryuzaki will go out tonight!” She tugged on his hair and held onto his waist with her legs. “Ryuzaki also needs to gain weight! We shall buy you as much cake as we can stuff down your stomach!”

“Miss Amane,” L said, anger pulsing into his oddly strained voice in small amounts, “I’ll say this once and only once, get off.” Misa clung tighter; not allowing L to turn around, for her life could hang in the balance with the unknown enigma. “No! Ryuzaki absolutely will go into town with no purpose tonight, Misa will make it so!”

Light had had more than enough, and he had no idea if L would toss her off, or simply sit completely still. “Misa! You can’t just jump on Ryuzaki like that! We barely know him! Oh gods…” L crouched, as if he were merely thinking about these events or he was about to jump. His face was completely hidden by his bangs, only leaving a sneer on it.

“If this is your way to get a piggyback ride for free, I’ll never look at models the same.” Misa smacked the sneering L in the back of the head. “Ew! You shouldn’t be looking at models at all! Pervert!”

Light nearly forgot to breathe, that sneer with those smooth features was making his thoughts come tremendously slow. His name was Light…Light…was it even Light? Light or L…or Larry? Luther? No. Who cares? He forced a single breath and walked up to the sitting L.

“Need help?” Light asked casually. L pivoted on his toes, causing Misa to slightly loose her balance. “I would except help from the devil himself if I wasn’t so sure he didn’t exist.” Light nodded and grabbed Misa’s hand. “Alright, time to get off the L, Misa.” Misa scowled daintily and clung to L’s neck.” He didn’t cough, but it was obvious he’d rather be anywhere else in the world in anything else’s clutches.

“Misa! I hate you when you’re like this!” The best possible choice of words to get her to release L and…three…two…one… ”Light! No, don’t hate Misa, she’ll quit it!” Misa leapt right over L, pushing his head down, and went straight into Light’s unopened, and very unwelcoming, arms. “Ow, damn it Misa! Get off!”

Light was going to die of over nuzzling by Misa, he knew it. She nuzzled him when they met, every second she was with him, and every time she departed. This pretty much meant always. He looked over at L, who stood straight in defiance to Misa’s new plan to get him outside. He was standing…straight…he looked…normal…what a change, and only in ten minutes.

L simply turned away from the two, slouched again, and walked away as he had attempted earlier. He began pinching the bridge of his nose to pull himself back into his mask of calm.

Light pushed Misa away and followed L into the kitchen. He had the fridge open and was taking out a tub of strawberries and a bowl of sugar. As L turned, Misa walked up to Light’s arm and claimed it as hers. “So L,” she said sarcastically, “why do you drown yourself in sugar? When you’re old, you’ll be a fat strawberry freak with a fat brain.”

L ignored her and took the food up a flight of stairs Light had scarcely visited. All he knew about them was that L’s original room was somewhere up there, and that the roof was, too. “Misa! Why are you such an ass to him? Answer me that.” Misa looked away, not bothering to look the least bit interested, “like you care about him, you hate L.”

Light sent Misa away by calling Matsuda in the bathroom. He booked Misa on a five hour photo shoot, curing Light’s problem temporarily…now for L.

Light made his way up the stairs hoping he could find L up here. His first thought was to find L’s room, but he decided the roof would be a better start. He knew where that was.

It was raining; Light could hear it and see it as he ascended the flight. He hoped L wasn’t out in this, he would surely get sick. The detective already should have a weakened immune system from being an insomniac, along with his eating habits, and seclusion from others, he could have ammonia by tomorrow!

Light ran as fast as he thought safe and opened the door to see L, just as he feared, in the sticky hot rain. He saw the untouched strawberries by the door, safe from the wet. Of course they were and he wasn’t.

“What are you doing?” He said in a normal voice, waiting to see if the rain was screaming at all other sounds to shut up. He didn’t even turn around, so he tried again. “Hey, Ryuzaki, what are you doing?” This time around, L turned a look of pure sadness and childish innocence across his face.

“Are you going to answer me? I asked what you were doing.” L didn’t answer, instead he cupped his ear with a hand, apparently he couldn’t here Light. “L! Can you hear me now? I asked what you were doing!” A goofy smile came around this time, his black eyes making it all the more funny. He almost reminded Light of a certain Disney character: A Horace the Horse, from the Mickey Mouse Club House.

L cupped his ear and leaned slightly, alright, Light thought, we can goof around before you die. Light walked out into the rain, startled as L hugged him. He was shivering slightly, his own fault. He should have known better than to come out uncovered in this weather.

“Why are you so cruel Light?” Light looked at him, confused at first, then slowly understanding, at least he thought he understood, but L continued his speech as if nothing else mattered, changing that for good. “Do you really know? I’ve tried so hard not to let you know this. If you don’t then I’ll be terribly embarrassed.”

Light blinked. “Excuse me? I’m lost…Ryuzaki…L…what are you…” L pressed his lips to Light’s, shivering and all. No, not shivering, Light decided, shaking, maybe trembling. L took away his lips when Light kept quiet, unsure and undecided feeling flowing through him. Never in his life had he ever felt this way, unsure, devoted, caring. All this hit him straight in the face, keeping him from the mask he thought he had perfected.

“Light, I’m sorry. I’ll never do that again.” L let go of Light and walked to the door. “I need something dry to…” L stopped in mid sentence to sneeze, “I need to get dry.” Light nodded in agreement. “Yeah, let’s get you inside, insomniac-sugar-addict-hermit-detective-thing. Now you have a reason not to go out tonight. Misa will be disappointed.” L rolled his eyes, “yes that’s very intelligent.”

“Touché.”

“It’s pronounced TOOSH!”