Light lay on his side watching L work. His skin was almost grey in the laptop light. Since they'd been handcuffed, he'd been looking even more exhausted than usual, and closed his eyes when he thought no-one was looking. He did this now, only he didn't open them again after a moment. Slowly, Light reached out, holding his breath, and eased L's laptop from his lap.

He'd almost got it to the bedside table when L's hands shot out and caught hold of Light's. He still hadn't opened his eyes.

Light rolled his. "You know, it won't kill you to get some sleep. No-one's judging your human needs."

L still didn't open his eyes. "Give me my laptop."

Light sighed, keeping hold of it. "Come on, Ryuzaki." He gave it another tug, and to his surprise, L let it go.

Light closed the lid and put it on his bedside table, where L couldn't get at it without crawling over him.

"Wake me when you do," L told Light when he turned off the lamp, like sleep was some disagreeable activity he wanted to get over with as soon as possible.

"OK."

"I mean it."

"OK," he said, irritated. "I promise not to get started without you. Just get some sleep. You never know, it might even help."

He could still feel L's eyes on him in the dark. After a moment, he reached over and gently closed them. "I think you've forgotten how it works," he joked.

L didn't laugh.

Later that night, he thought L was saying something to him and leaned in to hear him better. It took him a moment to realise that L was asleep, and mumbling to himself in what sounded like Russian. That was new. It was usually French. Light sighed. Just when he thought he couldn't get any more annoying.

L tugged on the chain a few times, frowning, and his mumbling increased in urgency.

"Your idea," he muttered, but then he ran his fingers through L's hair. He'd done this several times before, and it always had an instant, sedative-like effect on L. Sure enough, L relaxed, the chain between them going slack. In another moment he was silent. Light sat there for a moment, his hand still in L's hair. He glanced at their reflection in the opposite mirror. Then he took his hand away and turned over, and didn't sleep.

They'd been side by side in bed the next night, ignoring each other with their laptops, when it happened. L's head dropped uselessly onto Light's shoulder. Light gave a start and looked up. For a moment, he thought L was just winding him up. And then he realised that he had actually fallen asleep. On him. He huffed in annoyance as, from the ceiling, Ryuk began to laugh. "Cute."

Light let L lie there. Seeing him sleep so little, he didn't really have the heart to wake him. It was also reassuring to see him sleep. It gave Light a childish sense of satisfaction. You're only human. Never forget that.

After a moment, he eased L's laptop out of his hands, closing the lid after a brief look at the screen, and set it on the bedside table. L slumped into him more firmly, breathing softly. His hair was just tickling Light's face. Otherwise, Light could continue working quite comfortably. He didn't want to ease him off completely and risk waking him. He typed more slowly, glancing up at the mirror now and then to see if the movement disturbed him, but he looked quite content.

"I bet he's even cuter under all that hair."

Light frowned at Ryuk. He didn't want to speak on the off chance that L was actually just testing him. He went back to his screen, but he'd lost his train of thought. He looked at their reflection in the mirror, fought a short battle with himself, lost and pushed L's hair off his forehead.

Ryuk hopped over for a better look. He whistled mockingly, laughing again. "I told you. You guys look pretty good together, too."

Light frowned again, but it quickly faded as he looked at them in the mirror. He couldn't help himself. He let L's hair fall back into place and leaned into it, watching their reflection thoughtfully. Not kissing him, just pressing his mouth into his hair, breathing him in, the laptop balanced awkwardly on his lap. Ryuk was right. They did look good together.

L sighed in his sleep and drew an arm around Light, curling into him as if Light were his pillow. Light stopped breathing, and Ryuk couldn't stop laughing.

Even when he did stop, and Light got over his initial surprise, he wasted an inordinate amount of time just staring at their reflection. He liked the feel of L's hair and his warmth, just thinking, wondering, until it began to depress him, and he snorted and woke his laptop up, moving his jaw away from L's stupid hair.

He planned to work just a little longer and then ease down into sleep himself when, annoyingly, L woke up.

He could feel himself going red.

L was sitting up, unperturbed. "Oh, did I drop off on you, Light? Sorry about that." He hauled his laptop from the bedside table and back onto his legs, totally unconcerned. "You can just shove me off next time." He began feeling around absently for the candy he kept beside the bed.

Light shrugged and resumed typing without looking at him. "You looked like you needed it. Didn't want to disturb you." He was typing the same sentence over and over. For some reason, he was furious.

L seemed to read it on his face and, for once in his life, misunderstood. He shifted away from Light as far as the cuffs would comfortably allow. "Maybe we should make a kind of pillow-barrier," he suggested. When Light didn't answer, he began to type again, and in moments was completely absorbed. Light didn't speak to him, or look at their reflection, for the rest of the night.

It happened again. Light's breath froze in his throat, and raised his eyes slowly to the mirror, as if the reflection would somehow be different. They were slouched further down the pillows this time, so Light could only see L's dark hair under his jaw.

Like last time, he gradually eased L's laptop to the bedside table. When he didn't stir, he put his own aside. Looked at them in the mirror again, thinking about how they looked together. Thinking…things. Things he really shouldn't. He put his hand in L's hair and stroked it thoughtfully.

This time, when he finally, finally tore his eyes from the mirror, L's dark eyes were wide open, staring up at him. Ryuk was nowhere to be seen. Not that he would have warned him.

Light shot up, taking his hand away as if he'd burned it.

"Sorry," he said. He sat there, struggling. "I just – I was half asleep – I… "

"It's OK." L looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Don't worry about it."

"I was half asleep," Light insisted, cheeks burning.

"I know," L said. "Relax."

Light was so upset, he couldn't even force a smile. He pulled his laptop back and began to type darkly, wishing he could throw it and break the mirror.

"Relax, Light-kun." L was getting under the covers properly, ignoring his own laptop. He jostled Light playfully with his foot. "I'm the one who fell on you, after all. I'm not going to tell Misa."

Light grunted. It'd be some time before he could get to sleep.

"Oh," L shot up in bed the next morning, looking stricken. Their limbs had been entwined moments ago, and he jerked Light awake with him when he sat up. "I slept for eight hours."

"That is the recommended amount," Light muttered, who had slept for about five.

L was looking distraught. It was hard to tell if it was the idea of eight hours sleep that disturbed him, or the fact that he had achieved it cuddled up with Light.

"Why don't you have another hour or so?" Light mumbled, knowing it was futile. "Case won't go anywhere."

He sneaked a glance at L when he didn't reply, who was hugging his knees again. His eyes were vague, distant, undoubtedly back on the case.

Light sighed, and pulled the pillow over his head. It would, after all, happen all over again that night.