AN: So after reading through Death Note twice and watching snippets of the anime I have become an absolute L fangirl. And after watching a cool AMV set to Muse's beautiful "Time is Running Out", a big huge plot bunny with pointy fangs came and ate my brain. Seriously, the carnage was heinous. And this is the result. :) Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't think I'd ever be able to come up with characters this convoluted on my own.

Our Time is Running Out

"You still won't take this off?" Metal gently clinked as hands moved over skin.

"No."

"You still don't trust me." A grunt of irritation was given between heated breaths while lips found sensitive places on necks and behind ears.

"No." L waited with interest to see what Light would do next. The teen continued to ask the same question and L continued to give the same answer. At times Light's frustration with it was enough to cause him to lash out at L, even in these moments.

But not today apparently. Light's handsome features contorted for a moment then he began undoing the buttons of his preppy shirt, his movements swift and brusque, yanking the material open to expose his chest. Light always seemed to crave as much skin-to-skin contact as possible though it made little difference to L. Next the teen's skilled fingers slid up the older man's back taking his casual pullover with them, pushing the fabric off his left arm and over his head, leaving it to scrunch and dangle around L's right wrist. Then L was pulled back against the teen, two thin bare chests melding as Light led him into another open, zealous kiss.

Light Yagami. Model student, model son, no doubt brilliant future detective with his nearly flawless reasoning capabilities. Perfect looks, perfect manners, perfect skills, perfect principles. And almost certainly a perfect mass-murderer. It was the way it had to be, the way L wanted it to be. The duality of the situation was something he pondered frequently.

It wasn't love, of that much he was sure. Or at least, it wasn't merely love. The bond between them was too intense for so simple a label with too many other things wrapped up in it including the ever-present drive to compete. If he were predisposed to believe in such things, L might have called it fate. Really though, it had started much like one of their fights, a violent unplanned eruption that left them clinging to each other, hands roving and grasping, lips seeking and demanding, bodies held tight and close. Oddly, L could not recall who had started it, though the probability was high that it had been a nearly concurrent decision as their minds often seemed to be on the same wavelength. And there really was a certain inevitability about it.

L's back butted against the desk as Light became more aggressive. This was the only place they were free to do this, late night the only time they could be together in this way. By virtue of what it was the control room was the one place in the building that had no cameras. After all, not much point in monitoring the monitors. The few who now resided in the building went to bed well before Light and L on a regular basis anyway so there was nothing unusual in their being alone together in this place. Still, L knew how dangerous this was, not only because of the possibility of discovery but because this was the one person who would do anything to end L's life and the person L might very well have to execute himself. Someone else might have assumed that this bond between them would make such a thing impossible but L knew better than that. He himself would not have been above using a carefully controlled act of seduction to attain what he wanted but the fact was that his interpersonal skills were simply not good enough to allow it. It was the sort of thing Light Yagami would undoubtedly be able to pull off yet L knew that's not what this was. At least not at this point.

They had begun their unspoken battle for dominance – always competing – and Light won this time. L's pants were unbuttoned and slid off along with his boxers, leaving him as naked as the handcuff allowed him to be, his shirt still bunched inanely around it. Light's shirt was hanging loosely on his shoulders and he undid his own slacks, pushing them down to his knees with his underwear. Sitting in one of the chairs, he pulled L down with him, facing out so they were chest to back, using those agile fingers to open L before slipping inside and joining them together as close as it was possible to be. Light circled his left arm above their heads, wrapping them both in the chain that connected their handcuffs, the physical manifestation of their binding. It was something Light often did when he was in control and L wasn't quite sure why. He didn't need to be reminded that he was bound to the person. Even without the handcuffs he would have felt it, every moment.

They set a slow pace, neither in a hurry, though the sensations were no less intense for the speed. As usual they were silent but for the sounds of their labored breathing, gasps and occasional moans. It wasn't necessarily that they were quiet to avoid waking the others but rather that they didn't feel the need to fill the silence with empty words. No syllables of excitement, no protestations of love. After all, it wasn't love; and it was risky and stupid but L couldn't stop and neither, it seemed, could Light. But it had to end sometime and L had the feeling it would probably be soon.

The two came, almost at the same time – Light usually did his best to make sure that was so – and sagged against each other, breathing heavily. L closed his eyes and let his head fall back onto Light's shoulder as the teen wrapped his arms around the older man. Still no words were spoken between them while they came down from their shared ecstasy. Then, in a sigh of pleasure: "Ryuuzaki." Eyes still closed, L reached up and touched Light's face with the tips of his sensitive fingers. He wondered, as he often did after these encounters, if he would come to regret this. He still didn't know.

xXx

"Everyone, the shiniga—" The words were cut off as sudden, intense pain blossomed in L's chest. His weakened fingers lost their grip on his spoon as his body lost its hold on his chair and he fell ponderously to the floor.

"RYUUZAKI!!" Just before he hit the floor arms wrapped around him, arms that were so familiar, that had held him so many times before. But there was nothing familiar as he looked up at the face above him. Light Yagami was gone. In his place was Kira, the mad god of the new world. The lips curled and eyes glowed in triumph as L lay dying in his killer's arms. He took a certain satisfaction that he'd been right all along, Light was Kira, but it hardly mattered now that he'd lost. And did he regret it?

L's eyes slipped closed for the last time before he could reach an answer.

Originally written 15 May '08