Sometimes L wished they could go back to the good old days, before they joined To-oh. Back when it was just the two of them, because Raito was too much of an arrogant prick to stomach anyone else's company. Back when the droves of idiotic admirers had fawned over Raito from a distance, too timid and awed to attempt any actual interaction with their idol. Back when their days consisted of tormenting each other, entertaining each other….when their days had consisted of each other.

L hadn't really minded it that much at first. In fact, when they first began to amass a small group of friends (or as close to friends as people like L and Raito would allow) it had been Raito who had been irritated, irrationally so. Everything about them drove Raito mad. Matt stank of smoke, Mello was promiscuous, and who in the hell told Near that pajamas were acceptable clothing choices for all hours of the day? If it wasn't for the fact that their new "friends" were persistently stubborn (one of the many traits they all had in common) and found tormenting Raito to be endlessly amusing, they might have ended up just the two of them again due to Raito's queenly attitude. But they didn't, and Raito had eventually submitted to the idea that this band of absurd, socially challenged genii were all his.

No, what drove L to longing, sometimes fervently, for the old days, was that Raito's admirers, once shell-shocked into silence and just-barely-stealthy stalking, were now bold. They would appear at all times of the day, before class, in class, after class, popping up out of seemingly nowhere and proclaiming their love for Yagami Raito, the beautiful, single genius. Luckily, for L's sanity, Raito's opinion on the matter hadn't changed and he would (albeit, politely) inform them that he wasn't interested. At all. Not even a little. Most of them would take the hint and settle for watching from afar, sighing dramatically as he passed. Some of the more idiotic ones (ahem, Misa) would continue to harass the undisputed campus prince, but Raito would pretend to be oblivious (which in itself was a ridiculous notion because Raito noticed everything, about everyone. The ass) and continue to sidestep their advances with minimal effort.

That is, until Mikami Teru showed up. The bastard (as Mikami was to be known as from then on out) played Raito's ego in a way only L thought he knew how. He caught Raito after a lecture in his criminal justice course, in which Mikami (aka the bastard) acted as a teaching assistant. He had graded the last set of papers and asked to speak to Raito about his. Raito, being the princess he was, was more than happy to discuss his work, especially when Mikami, an intelligent, reasonable enough character, was clearly impressed. From there they discussed theory, and punishment, and global justice, and the conversation dragged on so long that they ended up relocating from the lecture hall to a local coffee shop where Mikami paid for Raito's tea. The whole time Mikami subtly and cleverly fed Raito's ego, engaging him, praising him, without being either overly enthused or insipid, which would have put Raito off immediately. Later, when Raito told L about the whole meeting, he couldn't keep the self-satisfied smirk off of his infuriatingly attractive face.

L almost pointed out that this whole thing sounded a lot like a date. But he had been afraid of giving Raito any ideas.

Since then, Mikami had become a semi-regular part of their lives. He and Raito often spoke after class, which caused Raito to be consistently late for his lunch meetings with L (This had, however, given L an opportunity to determine that his cake-consumption rate shared a direct relationship with the length of time he had to wait for Raito) and every so often Raito would even bring Mikami to lunch with him. It was in these moments specifically that L decided he hated university life. Because sitting there, watching Mikami interact with Raito, was torturous. The not-so-subtle way Mikami would lean into Raito's space whenever Raito spoke. The tender, longing look Mikami would get whenever he thought Raito wasn't looking. The way he would always pay for whatever Raito ate, like he was Raito's goddamn boyfriend or something. The way he would completely ignore L's presence. Didn't the bastard know that L was Raito's best friend? Didn't he recognize the importance of that?

Didn't he view L as any kind of threat at all?

This thought made L feel incredibly sour and he found himself avoiding lunches with Raito, which was almost as distressing because the waitress there always knew exactly what to get him, and this cut down how much time he got to spend with Raito nearly in half. Plus, eating lunch with Matt, Mello, and Near was a circus which resulted in there being a 31.73% chance of L leaving covered in some kind of food (Never cake, because he somehow was always fast enough to catch the cake). But quite possibly the most infuriating thing about the whole ordeal was that Raito didn't seem to notice. Or if he did, he sure as hell wasn't mentioning it. The bastard. (Raito, not Mikami... Well, no, him too.)

For a while, L thought that it couldn't get worse. Being the exceedingly intelligent person that he was, one would think that he would know better, but alas, he did not. The dinner dates began. Raito didn't refer to them as dates, he referred to them as meetings, but they always involved restaurants and L had calculated that there was a 98% chance that Mikami always paid. That number locked on to a solid 100% when Raito refused to comment on the subject. Feeling sick about the whole affair and not wanting to examine why, L began to avoid Raito after classes as well.

Days went by where they wouldn't see each other. Or they would pass each other and Raito would offer him one of those faux-polite greetings he graced his army of followers. After a few such greetings, L stopped going to classes. It's not like he really needed them anyway. He would show up for exams and that would be that.

This successfully reduced the amount he saw Raito to…well….never.

L thought it was working out. Watari would stop by a few days a week to bring him food, Matt, Mello, and Near invaded his space just often enough for him not to be considered a total recluse, and he never had to think about Mikami. Or Raito. Or Mikami with Raito. Or Mikami talking to Raito. Touching Raito. Kissing-

He didn't have to think about that.

He thought it was all going rather swimmingly, really. At least, until the night Raito showed up at his apartment soaking wet and furious.

L rarely slept, but even he knew that showing up at someone's apartment door and pounding on it with such ferocity was rude at one in the morning. So he assumed it was Mello, because Mello was rude and that seemed to follow logic. The fact that it was Raito didn't follow anything close to logic.

"Where in the hell have you been?" Raito demanded, chest heaving slightly, his white, button down shirt clinging to his skin in an almost obscene manner. Golden-brown eyes were narrowed in anger and he shoved L aside, forcing his way into L's untidy apartment. L's dark eyes were wide, in shock as he was, and the door hung open, like a gaping mouth. That seemed an appropriate enough metaphor for what L was feeling.

"Close that." Raito snapped, shoving his wet bangs away from his face. It was raining outside, quite heavily, and it had been for several hours. How long had Raito been out in that? An hour? A few minutes? Either one could have drenched him this completely. His shoes were squealing unpleasantly when he walked and it made L wince. He hated shoes…and socks...

"Take those off." He retorted, matching Raito's demanding tone note-for-note even as he obediently closed the door. Raito rolled his eyes, but toed them off, obstinately leaving on his drenched socks. L glared at them, pouting slightly.

"Where have you been, Ryuuzaki?" Raito demanded again, approaching L until they were standing directly in front of one another. L, shorter because of posture alone, looked up at Raito through short, dark lashes.

"Here." He answered simply, tempted to straighten up so he could enjoy the benefit of height. Raito scowled, his normally stoic politeness abandoned. Not that L couldn't see through it, anyway.

"Do you know, I spoke to one of your professors? He seemed concerned because you hadn't been to class in two weeks." Raito commented, tone casual in a way that didn't fool L for a second. Especially not with the way Raito's mouth was curling into a slight sneer as his eyes raked over L's messy apartment. L shrugged. "And the waitresses at the café haven't seen you in a month."

"Watari has been bringing me extra cake." L explained lamely. Raito had begun to move away from him, picking up a few pieces of loose clothing off the floor and folding them absently. L had to fight to keep the corners of his mouth from turning upwards at that. Raito was as obsessively tidy as ever.

"Matt said you've stopped going to your other classes as well." Raito placed the folded clothes into a pile and began to move towards the kitchen, where he would no doubt begin to do the dishes. L noted with amusement that his pants were leaving wet puddles on the floor.

They were also clinging rather tightly to his….

"I have been doing some independent work." L lied, trying to discreetly admire the curve of his friends hips outlined by his wet clothing.

"Hmm." Was Raito's noncommittal response and, just as L had thought, he rolled back his already drenched sleeves and began to fill the sink with hot, soapy water (L was amused to note that he actually had dish soap. Watari must have left it). L moved into the space next to the sink, leaning his back against the counter so he could watch Raito work, fascinated by the subtle movement of his muscles underneath the slightly tanned skin of his forearm.

"What kind?" Raito's voice came from nowhere and L realized that he had been staring. Glancing upward, he was relieved that Raito hadn't seemed to notice, the younger boy's eyes completely locked onto his task as one-by-one L's sugar-coated dishes were scrubbed clean.

"what?" L responded dumbly when he finally realized that Raito had asked him a question and he hadn't actually responded. From this angle, he could tell what color Raito's eyelashes were.

"What kind of work have you been doing, independently?" Raito repeated, finally glancing up at L, eyes hooded and face deceptively calm. L sensed a fight brewing, but couldn't quite find it in him to try and avoid it. It seemed that avoiding Raito had only succeeded in making him more devoted to the infuriating young genius and L found himself desperately wanting to experience every aspect of their former relationship, from baited conversation to all-out aggression. He wanted Raito to be angry with him.

"Nothing that would interest Raito-kun." L offered evasively. Raito's mouth thinned into a tight frown and he leaned into the sink to get more leverage to scrub a particularly dirty dish.

"If it didn't interest me, I wouldn't have asked. I'm not prone to asking superfluous questions." Raito jerked his chin to get a few strands of dripping hair out of his eyes. A few cool strands of rainwater were cast out of his hair and landed on L's cheek. He caught a droplet on his tongue. It tasted sweet.

"I've been reviewing a few cases for the NPA." L decided to play it safe and tell something close to the truth. He had been a silent consultant for the NPA for several years and Raito sometimes even read over the case files L was given. "They've been particularly engrossing lately." Okay, that part was a lie.

"Oh? Do tell." Raito pressed. He had finished up the dishes and turned his full attention on L. This could mean trouble. Raito at full capacity was a force to be reckoned with. "I haven't heard anything on the news lately."

"A lot of it is international. Covered by agencies in multiple countries." L nipped at his thumb. The clinginess of Raito's shirt was distracting. L could see the dip of the other boy's collar bone with striking clarity. "The NPA is obligated to secrecy." L hoped that his carefully maintained eye-contact was convincing.

"Really?" If Raito's smirk was any indication, he wasn't buying it. Damn! "It must be good, if it has your full attention. Maybe I could take a look?"

L had seen this coming.

"I'm afraid the agencies that the NPA is working with have required complete confidentiality." L didn't elaborate, staring relentlessly into Raito's eyes. Raito's narrowed, melting-gold, angry eyes. Raito was absurdly attractive when he was angry.

"Unlike with the other cases they send you, which you didn't seem to think required any confidentiality at all." Raito's tone was acidic. "At least, not when it came to me."

"Is Raito-kun implying he is an exception?" L murmured, intensely focused on the thumb at his lips and the hems of his jeans. "How very conceited of him." Raito crossed his arms over his chest and scowled, tension and irritation ringing out through the lines of his body. His shoulders were tense and his stance aggressive. If L kept pushing, they'd be in a physical altercation within minutes.

L's heart sped up with anticipation, which indicated a 67% chance that he was mildly masochistic.

"Have you ever showed your cases to anyone else? Near, perhaps? Or Matt?" Raito snapped. "Or perhaps you and Mello cozy up together and discuss suspects over chocolate and cake."

"Or chocolate cake." L muttered under his breath. "I have not, Raito-kun."

"Then I think it's you who thinks of me as the exception." Ah, checkmate. How annoying.

"Raito-kun is getting my floors all wet." L pouted, silently acknowledging his loss with his rapid subject change. Raito's face was irritatingly smug, reminding L of exactly why losing to Raito was worse than losing to anybody else.

Not that L had ever lost to anyone else….

"Yes, well, it's raining and I don't have a car." Raito grumbled. "Maybe you'd like to get me a towel or something?" L thought it over, rivulets of water still trekking down Raito's neck, and decided that no, he wouldn't like to do that. But he also didn't want a trail of moisture forming pathways around his apartment.

"There are towels in the bathroom. I will bring Raito-kun a change of clothes." Which meant a loose white shirt and a pair of baggy blue jeans, since that was all L had in stock, really. Not exactly Raito's normally fashion, but he would survive.

"At least make them clean." Raito called after him. L muttered 'yes, Raito-chan' under his breath but Raito either didn't hear or was choosing to ignore him because he ducked into the washroom without another word. L was pleased to note that Watari had done his laundry recently and there were plenty of clean clothes in stock, so Raito would be getting his way after all. That should shut him up to some degree, at least.

L handed off the clothing to Raito, telling himself stubbornly that it was not disappointment that he felt when he had arrived at the bathroom door to find Raito fully-clothed. It was illogical to expect Raito to have undressed before being given a new set of clothing.

L growled softly to himself when his bare foot slid a little on a streak of water left near the fridge. Cake would clearly be required in order for L to maintain his sanity. Had he been this bad before? Or had a month without any serious Raito-interaction reduced his resistance to the disarmingly attractive younger man?

Strawberry cheesecake, two slices, a la mode. It was going to be a long night.

"How you manage to walk around without your clothes falling off of you is a defiance of gravity." Raito called as he exited the bathroom. L swallowed an unusually large helping of cake. The collar of the white shirt was large and revealed the long span of Raito's collar and part of his shoulder, especially when he was shifting it around to get it to lie comfortably. L could see the line of jean beneath the hem of the shirt and knew that they were riding low on Raito's hips. "I hung my clothes on the shower railing. They should be dry by tomorrow morning."

"You're staying the night?" L's toes wiggled against the kitchen chair he was perched on as L debated on whether or not he was pleased at the idea. Raito raised one eyebrow at him delicately.

"It's pouring down rain, I walked here, and I'm wearing your clothes. I thought it would be more practical if I stayed." Raito's eyes were staring into his intently, searching for something that L knew he wouldn't find, because L was the master of blank stares. The master. "Although, I suppose if you don't want me to stay…"

"You can stay." L mumbled around a mouthful of cake.

"…It's too late to call my father to give me a ride, but…."

"You can stay." L pressed, his dark eyes narrowing at the steadily increasing antagonistic tone in Raito's voice.

"…I could always call Mikami and see if…"

"I said you could stay!" L snapped, scrapping his fork across his empty plate. Raito fell silent, looking over L's stance, taking in everything about the socially challenged genius. L felt like scowling, because now the score was 2-0 with him on the losing end and he didn't like it.

"You made me coffee?" Raito graciously relieved him of a full surrender by changing the subject himself, moving over to the counter where an empty mug awaited filling. L curled his toes around the ledge of the chair, suspicious of Raito's kindness. Raito was never kind unless he was up to something.

"You won't eat cake." L grumbled, pulling close the platter that contained the other half of the cheesecake he was steadily consuming. Raito poured some of the bitter black liquid into the mug L had set out (Watari would be so proud of his courteousness) throwing a smug smile over his shoulder. His nearly bare shoulder, as the movement of Raito's arm had pushed the shirt he was wearing off to the side.

"How thoughtful, Ryuu-chan." Raito purred. "What a charming hostess you're becoming." L was full-out sulking now.

"Raito-kun is being very insufferable today." L groused, running one long finger along the surface of the table absently. "Perhaps I would have found my evening more enjoyable if he had spent it elsewhere." There was a loud, heavy thud and when L looked up he noticed a puddle of coffee had sloshed over the rim of the mug when Raito had slammed it down on the table. His hands were white around the knuckles, a sign of how tightly he was gripping it. L wasn't sure how, but he'd managed to shift the score to 2-1 unintentionally. Raito had lost his temper.

"Yes, that would make your life easier, wouldn't it? You don't have to go out of your way to avoid me if I'm avoiding you." Raito snarled and L felt a little jolt when he realized that there was hot coffee running down Raito's hands and the younger boy was making no move to wipe it off. It must be burning…

"I'm not avoiding Raito-kun." Lies! "Raito-kun should go run his hands under cold water or they will blister."

"Oh you're not avoiding me? You didn't stop going to the café where we always meet for lunch? You didn't start letting all my calls go to voicemail? You haven't holed yourself up in your apartment and stopped going to classes to avoid seeing me on campus?" Raito ignored L's comment on his hands, dropping them onto the damp surface of the table carelessly. L, in agitation, began to nibble on his own finger.

"I have been busy…" L tried again, cut off when Raito snickered. L let the explanation die, because both he and Raito knew that L was never too busy for him. For a long moment L was silent, thinking over his choices slowly and methodically. If angering Raito was his goal, then it would be rather easy. He was already on the edge as it was.

"I...have not felt the desire to share Raito-kun's company." L lied expertly. Raito's eyes narrowed, but he seemed reluctant to unleash his temper again. L would have to attack Light where he was most vulnerable. Ego. "And with my new cases, I have hardly needed Raito-kun to amuse myself." L was pleased at how convincing he sounded. He even managed to make his tone flippant. That should do the tric-

Raito punched him. L wasn't sure how, exactly, considering there was a table between them, but one minute he had been comfortably seated with a healthy-sized portion of cake, and the next thing he was on the floor and his face hurt. And his cake was ruined.

"Oh, I amuse you, do I?" Raito hissed, moving to stand over L. L thought that Raito must also want to fight physically, or he wouldn't have moved within his range so readily. "Or at least, I used to. Is that what you're saying, Ryuuzaki?" And so L kicked him. Since he was asking for it, and all.

Raito's back slammed against the table and it skidded backwards under his weight. He braced himself against it to keep from falling from the force of L's strike. Hopping lightly to his feet, L went out-of-turn and hooked his foot behind Raito's knee, sending the younger man into a sprawl. L had just enough time to admire the sight of Raito lying at his feet before two strong hands grabbed his ankles and yanked his feet out from under him. L managed to cushion the blow, twisting his upper body enough that he could catch himself. He jarred his elbow rather hard, but his head was mercifully spared being smashed against the tile…at least temporarily, because a few seconds later L's back was forced flat onto the ground and his arms were pulled straight, letting his head hit the ground with a dull thump.

Raito had pinned him to the ground.

And perhaps the most annoying thing about it was that L could have very easily prevented it, except that the feeling of Raito's knees brushing his hips was incredibly distracting and had caused his brain to cease function for a few seconds. Now Raito held his arms against the ground, had his legs trapped in his own, and was smirking triumphantly down at him. And hell, if the annoyance L felt at the situation didn't feel forced.

He was being pinned to the floor beneath Raito. Annoyance was an understandable response! Annoyance was….was…logical! It should come naturally.

"Amused, Ryuuzaki?" Raito tone was acidic and his smirk was slowly twisting into something darker. L resisted the urge to squirm under the intensity of Raito's eyes. Instead, he stubbornly stared up at Raito with blank, black eyes.

"Raito-kun is hurting my wrists." L informed him calmly. Raito glared at him ferociously, but nevertheless his grip loosened slightly. They stared at each other silently, the heat of the moment wearing down into something much more intimate and frustrating. Underneath the wild, dark anger that was Yagami Raito at his ugliest, L could see that he had hurt him. Pissing Raito off was one thing, but that L could actually misread his boundaries enough to hurt Raito…

That was…unusual.

"I would like to get up now." L informed him softly. Raito didn't move, except to narrow his eyes slightly, until only a sliver of golden irises was visible.

"Mikami kissed me tonight." Well, if Raito was looking for the equivalent of punching L in the gut he had found it. L's breath left him in a flash and any thought he'd had of pushing Raito away died when his limbs suddenly went limp.

He could see it so clearly it hurt. Raito's soft, pretty mouth as Mikami pressed down into him. That bastard's dark hair falling around Raito's face, shielding him. He probably touched him, those sneaky hands all over Raito's waist and chest. Maybe buried in that soft, shiny, gold-red hair. L was suddenly gritting his teeth so hard his jaw hurt and he wanted to hit something.

He settled for kneeing Raito in the gut. It was awkward and at a strange angle due to Raito's body holding him down, but it did the trick. Raito was pushed off of him with a sharp grunt. L took advantage of Raito's temporary shock and slammed his fist into Raito's jaw, causing the younger male to skid across the floor a few inches. Raito snarled and shot his foot out. Though his kick lacked the strength that L's held, it was enough to snap L's head back and make him see white.

"He told me…" Raito was panting slightly. Apparently L's strike to his gut had been more powerful that he had thought. "That he…loved me." L dove, his body slamming into Raito's as he took his turning pinning him to the ground, much less elegantly as their limbs somehow got tangled. One of Raito's arms ended up wrapped around his neck while the other was pinned between their torsos. L's were on either side of Raito's waist, holding L's body up and away just enough to create a thin strip of space between them.

"He asked me to be his…." L wasn't sure if it was in his head, out-loud, or both, but he roared and hooked his thumbs under Raito's chin, slamming the brunet's head into the ground. Almost instantly his whole body collapsed on top of Raito, the strange heat of having someone beneath him faintly numbing the shock of just having smashed his friend's head against the ground. He could still feel Raito's breathing, the soft rise and fall of his chest pushing up into L evenly. He felt Raito begin to chuckle before he heard it, fearing for a moment that the strange jerking he felt in Raito's chest was some sort of blunt-head-trauma induced convulsion.

"…boyfriend." Raito crowed the word out, sounding twisted in his smugness. He was laughing in a way that could only be described as maniacal, his chin tilted upwards, blocking L's sight of his expression. "He asked me to be his boyfriend."

L didn't say anything. He rested his head, exhaustedly, on Raito's chest, staring up at the curve of Raito's upturned chin. He thought he could almost see his pulse moving beneath the skin and was momentarily distracted by the idea of running his tongue across it. What must Raito taste like?

Mikami knew. The bastard.

"Amused, Ryuuzaki?" Raito murmured again, his voice no longer angry or vengeful, just listless. He dropped his chin, turning his face to the side, watching L out of the corner of his nearly-closed eyes. L pushed himself up, his lower body still draped across Raito's sloppily. He hovered over Raito, who turned to look him straight in the eye. Their faces were so close that the tips of L's spiky hair were brushing the sides of Raito's face.

"I am afraid I am in no mood to be amused tonight, Raito-kun." He found himself whispering, although he wasn't sure why.

"That's a pity, L, because I came here specifically to amuse you." Raito's voice was sharp and his use of L's given name made L falter. There was something he wasn't analyzing correctly about this whole situation. Something was off. Fingers brushed along L's sides and he twitched in surprise, glancing down to see Raito's fingers drawing slowly up the sides of his body. He didn't move, didn't dare disrupt the path those long, pale fingers were tracing. He couldn't take his eyes off them.

Which is probably how he missed Raito leaning forward, running his lips lightly along the shell of L's ear.

"If I were Mikami's boyfriend he would kiss me all the time." Raito's voice was silky and malicious. It was persuasive. What exactly was it Raito was trying to convince him of? "He would touch me, press his body against mine…." As if to demonstrate the lewdness of these possibilities, Raito enacted them, his fingers tightening on L's hips and pulling the shocked genius down on top of him. L hissed in surprise, the heat of Raito's body sending shivers down his spine. "…I might even let him…fuck me." Raito had lost his mind. And L, god help him, had too, because that simple, two-syllable explicit phrase had both outraged and excited him in one dangerous blow.

Because the idea of….fucking….Raito was by far one of the most appealing things that had ever passed through L's head. But the idea of Mikami…

Of Mikami…And Raito.

His Raito!

Mikami wouldn't dare. Raito wouldn't let him. The very idea of it was ridiculous, and yet L had never felt so angry in his life. Years of carefully cultivated calm and apathy were tumbling down around him because of one beautiful, intelligent, vindictive, petty boy and his ridiculous ego.

"But, then again, I might not." Raito sighed, staring upward through the chunks of L's black hair. "When I first considered it, the whole idea seemed rather repulsive. Like losing." L's lip curved up into a grim smile. Yes, Raito would see it like that, wouldn't he? So competitive. L knew how he felt. After all, L was pretty sure he was losing now and he despised it. "And losing to Mikami?" Raito's voice was full of derision.

"And who would Raito lose to?" L had actually not meant to say that out loud. He blamed the fact that his body was still pressed against Raito's. That much physical contact was frying L's nervous viciously. And Raito's body was so hot. He was burning L through their clothes. "I don't think Raito-kun can stand to lose to anyone. How very unfortunate for him, to remain a virgin forever."

Well he had already started talking. He may as well commit. And sickeningly enough somehow Raito remaining a virgin forever sounded like a pleasing alternative to the previously presented options.

"I lose to you about as often as I win."

L's heart stopped.

Raito's didn't, because L's hand was resting over it and he could feel it. It didn't speed up either. What did that mean? Did that mean anything? Did what Raito said mean anything?

Raito wouldn't have said it if it didn't mean something.

"You seem to be losing right now, Raito-kun, since I have you pinned to the ground." L pushed himself up so that he was once again hovering over Raito, his dark eyes drilling into Raito's insistently, demandingly. He needed to understand. He needed to analyze. This situation had gotten too out-of-hand.

"Ah, but you're the one sweating." Raito countered with a smirk. And he was right. L's face felt hot and he knew his hands were damp. He may have come out on top, but he was in a far worse state, nervous, agitated, and excited.

"That does not indicate you have won."

"But I didn't lose."

"I suppose it is a tie then." L's mind was working frantically, piecing together everything he knew about the situation, trying to form a decent understanding of the situation. But something crucial was still missing, because nothing was adding up correctly. Raito's lowered his eyelids, his eyelashes softly draping his eyes, staring up at L through them smugly.

"If you're willing to settle for a tie, you really never will get to fuck me."

L jerked back so hard he hit his elbow on one of the table's legs. It sent a numbing thrum through his arm that L didn't even notice because all he could focus on was removing every inch of himself from Raito's body, on creating as much space between them as possible. This resulted in him sitting, knees to his chest, underneath the kitchen table, staring at Raito as if he'd sprouted wings.

Or fangs.

Raito sighed, sitting up so that he was leaning heavily on his arms extended behind him. He eyed L with a strange kind of exasperated amusement that normally L would have found touching. Instead he just felt cold, cold all over and very, very confused. Maybe he had imagined it? Maybe Raito hadn't actually said it?

Raito's lips twitched into a slight smirk as if L had said that out loud. L wanted to scoff at his arrogance but couldn't quite get his facial features to change from the wide-eyed, vacant expression it had frozen into when Raito said…

When he said…

…fuck me….

L shivered. Raito was practically grinning at him now with a clever wickedness that made his whole face look dashingly dangerous. He moved closer slowly, his eyes never leaving L's, twisting his body so that he was kneeling before L, his hands on either side of L's feet. The shaggy haired genius was relieved that his knees were between them, a lanky barrier of sorts between their faces.

"My, how the great L blushes." Raito cooed. "So pretty." L, frantically searching for his wits, glared at that, petulantly aware of Raito's insufferable tone. But then Raito's hand was on one of his knees, pulling his leg flat, and L shuddered. Narrowing his eyes, he followed Raito's movements, from the way his fingers curled slightly around L's knee as he tugged, to the slow way his lips uncurled, settling from that infuriating smirk to a soft frown. L let his other leg fall flat as well, unable to help how curious he found Raito's expression. In seconds Raito seemed to sober, his amber eyes studying L's face intently.

Raito was now on his hands and knees, L's legs sprawled beneath him, and his face only a few inches away. If Raito found the position he was in embarrassing or suggestive in any way, he didn't show it. His face was contemplative and distant.

"Ryuuzaki….L…" Raito reached out, his fingers brushing L's cheek lightly.

And then everything went terribly, terribly wrong.

L was a thinker. That was what he did. Everything he said and did was planned, thought out, all the variables and reactions planned.

But how was he supposed to work with this? This situation…there was no planning.

So he shouldn't have been all that surprised when his body, confused by the lack of directions from his brain, reacted instinctively.

He kicked him. In the face. Hard.

Raito's body slammed upward, into the table, toppling it. L jerked to the side to avoid getting crushed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Raito climb to his feet, a smear of blood ran across his lower lip and down his chin. He had a split lip.

No.

Raito froze for a moment, staring at L, his eyes wild but steadily growing cold. Glacial.

NO.

"Raito-kun…" The brunette just scowled, lifting up the sleeve of L's shirt that he was wearing, and wiped the blood from his face.

"Right. Well. I see." The tightness in his voice gave L the distinct impression that he did not see. "Good night, Lawliet." L's stomach lurched as Raito turned his back on him, storming toward the door.

"Raito-kun! Raito!" L was on his feet in seconds, chasing after him.

"What, L? What in the hell do you want?" Raito snapped. L noted with some agitation that there was still soft smudges of brown-red blood stuck to his bottom lip and along his chin.

"What do I want?" L responded, startled by the rawness of Raito's anger.

"Yes, Lawliet. What do you want? Obviously," He was sneering again and L found he rather missed the soft, prettiness of his expression before he had kicked him. "It's not what I thought you wanted, so why don't you enlighten me?" L stared at him, owlish eyes slightly wider than usual, enjoying the way Raito's fierceness made his eyes flash. But that blood was maddening. He could see the dark mar on his bottom lip where it had split, the blood clotting there.

"And just what exactly did Raito-kun think I wanted?" L murmured, and was more than a little surprised when Raito's anger faltered and he blushed this time.

….fuck me…

L's eyes widened, and his brain finally engaged. Raito looked away, crossing his arms across his chest. The position was much more defensive and insecure than Raito's usual posturing and L straightened to his full height so he could look directly into that familiar face.

"Raito-kun thought I wanted to fuck him?" L brought his thumb to his lips, nipping at the skin lightly as he took in the situation, reanalyzing things he had missed earlier in the haze of confusion.

And who would Raito lose to?

I lose to you about as often as I win

"Well I certainly didn't think you wanted to kick me in the face." Raito snapped, his jaw tight and his eyes still locked firmly on the door. He seemed to be considering his chances of getting out before L caught him.

And L would catch him. This conversation was far from over.

"I think Raito-kun should explain his actions tonight." L murmured around the soft flesh of his thumb. His gaze was unwavering and merciless. "Starting with his actions with Mikami." Raito scowled resentfully, hands clenched harshly into fists.

"I believe I explained the situation with Mikami very clearly." Raito snapped. "He kissed me. He told me he loved me. He didn't kick me in the face." The earlier rush of jealousy L had felt against Mikami had faded slightly to dull agitation. L didn't think he was that important anymore.

"But Raito-kun has yet to tell me what he did afterwards." Raito was avoiding his eyes, staring stubbornly off to the side. L's teeth sank lightly into his thumb as he admired Raito's profile.

"I didn't do anything worth telling you about." Raito ground out. L's eyes narrowed.

"Did you kiss him back?" L pressed stubbornly.

"….I didn't push him away."

"Not the same."

"Then no. I didn't." L hummed at this, unable to help but feel pleased.

"Did you agree to be his boyfriend?" Raito shot L an incredulous look.

"I wouldn't kiss him back and yet you think I would actually agree to be his boyfriend?" L shrugged.

"Do you love him?" Ratio turned then, to meet L's eyes, his expression torn between fury and offense.

"If I loved him I wouldn't be here with you!"

L's eyes widened and Raito made a strange choking sound on his own words.

"Ah." The sound escaped L involuntarily, a soft sigh of air. "Ah." And when L moved forward, gently placing his hand on Raito's chest and pushing him back against the wall, he could feel a slight tremor work its way through Raito's body. L moved into his space, until there was only a thin strip of air between them, and rested his forehead against Raito's. The younger man didn't move, didn't resist. Just stared silently into L's face.

"I'm sorry for injuring Raito-kun." L murmured, slowly tilting his face so that the tip of his nose brushed Raito's cheek and his lips hovered just over Raito's. The younger boy's lip curled lightly into a sneer that L thought was most likely directed at himself.

"I would like very much to kiss Raito-kun." L mused. He stared relentlessly into Raito's sharp eyes, which watched him with cold distaste. L had irritated him very much, it would seem.

"Is that a question?" He hissed. L thought about this for a moment.

"No."

"Well then get on with it." Raito sneered, the challenge in his tone mocking.

And so he did. And it was strange, stiff, warm, hot, awkward, and overwhelmingly right. Raito, in one of his more childish moods (getting kicked in the face does that to a person, L supposed), refused to make it easy, and at first remained coolly unresponsive. L's lips moved against his prone ones without hesitation, despite the fact that L really had only a vague idea of what he was doing. His scattered sexual experiences never included kissing, and Raito's stubborn refusal to reciprocate made things difficult. But Raito was warm, and his skin was soft, and L indulged himself and buried his fingers in Raito's hair, and it was good.

And when Raito finally started kissing him back, it was incredible.

Raito was more skilled and easily guided L's mouth in the right direction. Graceful hands fisted in L's shirt and pulled him closer so the angle of their bodies was less awkward. Then his lips parted and a slick, warm tongue brushed against the seam of L's lips. L, in a moment blind obedience he hoped Raito would be unable to inspire outside of such activities, parted his lips in acceptance. For a moment they were pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses against each others lips, L's fingers tightening so hard in Raito's hair that he growled and L eased his grip. But Raito's tongue didn't venture any further, and L's brilliant mind struggled to understand why, which was made significantly harder by the fact that Raito had taken to sliding his fingertips down L's chest so slowly that it made L's abdominal muscles twitch in anticipation.

It wasn't until Raito's tongue brushed lightly against his lips again that L realized what he wanted. L shuddered and crushed their lips together, invading Raito's mouth with what he was sure was sloppy enthusiasm. Ratio didn't seem to mind, and his tongue twined around L's with delightful cleverness. L was suddenly glad Raito had never had a chance to drink any of his coffee, because he greatly enjoyed the refreshing organic taste of Ratio alone.

It didn't occur to L, who was used to thinking excessively, that he was thinking more than was normal in such situations. But when Raito's fingers slipped under his shirt to rest gently on the smooth planes of his slender stomach, he felt his brain practically shut down. He shuddered and untangled one of his hands from Raito's hair to push Raito harder against the wall so he could crush their bodies together. He needed more touching, more tasting, more Raito.

But Raito, ever insufferable, chose that moment to turn away, presenting L with the still altogether appealing sight of his jaw and neck, which L immediately began to run his mouth along in defiance.

"I… would not have imagined" L smirked against Raito's neck at the breathiness of the other man's voice when he spoke. "such enthusiasm, based on your earlier reaction."

"I was not thinking." L managed, sucking on the junction of Raito's neck and shoulder.

"And you're thinking now?" Raito laughed breathlessly, in soft pants.

"Less and less." L admitted softly. Raito seemed pleased, and the fingers under L's shirt squeezed his hips. L responded by nipping the curve of Raito's ear. Raito made a strangled hissing noise and his hips jerked against L's, the sudden pressure making L gasp. He did it again, harder this time, and Raito's nails dug into his skin in response. Their bodies slammed together, against the wall, mouths reconnecting. L found a good angle and aligned their hips, thrusting experimentally.

Raito moaned and abandoned the skin at L's hips in favor of digging those long, graceful fingers into L's hair. L was vaguely surprised to find that his scalp was apparently very sensitive, and the dull feeling of Raito's fingernails scrapping across his skin made him feel half crazed.

"R-raito…" L broke away from the hungry pressure of Raito's mouth. Raito didn't seem to approve and followed him aggressively, crushing their lips back together. L shuddered, desperately wishing he had more of an appetite for masturbation (he very rarely felt the need and considered it a rather frivolous waste of time) because he was too far, it was too much, and he wanted- so much- to last long enough to make good on Raito's earlier offer of fucking him. But every shift of Raito's hips against his, every tug of his hair, every time Raito's tongue did something sneaky, and sexy, and clever, he felt the desperate ache of his body.

L, following Raito's earlier example, turned away, presenting Raito with his neck. The younger man took immediate advantage and L moaned. It appeared his neck was also unusually sensitive.

"Raito-kun." He tried again, pleased with the steadiness of his voice this time. "I do not think that I…ah…." Raito bit his neck. "..I am afraid I…will not last much longer…"

Raito pulled back, smirking wickedly.

"I know." L stared at him, so handsome, so arrogant, so smug. "And I have given it a great deal of thought." L glared at him, rather offended that Raito could think at all, let alone a great deal, with him pinning him to a wall. "And I have decided how I'd like to see you cum." L found this remark exceedingly lewd and tried to ignore the little rush of excitement he got from hearing Raito talk like that.

"Oh?" L grumbled, pouting to himself. "And what has Raito decided?" L was slightly concerned that Raito would tell him to finish himself in retaliation for kicking him the face earlier, which is why he wasn't too particularly irritated when Raito reversed their positions, slamming L (rougher than necessary, probably) against the wall.

"When I came here tonight, I had a plan. Of course, you didn't stick to the plan." Raito glared at him, as if L had known, the whole time, how he was supposed to behave and had not done so on purpose. "If you had stuck to my plan, I would have let you sleep with me tonight." As he spoke, Raito was sliding his hands back under L's clothes again, all over his stomach, hips, and chest, always just missing brushing against his nipples or sliding under the waistband of his jeans.

"And although I would enjoy, very much, making you regret that err in judgment…" L felt rather put out at that, for he was not prone to errs, especially not in judgment of all things. "But I've decided to be generous." Raito was smiling that sneaky smile of his and L glared at him. Raito was never generous.

"Of course, you'll have to make it up to me." He sounded so pleased with himself.

"Naturally, Raito-kun." L replied in monotone. "What did Raito-kun have in mind?" Raito's eyes gleamed wicked, and he pressed both of his hands against L's stomach, flattening him against the wall.

And then, to L's utter astonishment, Raito began to undo the buttons to his jeans. Warm hands slipped under his waistband and L just stopped himself from gasping in a rather undignified manner.

Raito's hands were warmer, and much more firm, that L's ever were.

"Tell me something, Ryuuzaki…" Raito's mouth pressed below his ear. L pouted.

"L." He corrected, and Raito, the cheat, took that moment to swiped his thumb from base to tip, making L say is name is a breathy hiss.

"Tell me something, L." Raito corrected mockingly. "How is it possible for someone nearly as intelligent as myself" Ratio certainly had a masterful grip on his own self-esteem. "manage to be so completely unaware that his closest friend is in love with him?"

L came.

Author's notes

This one-shot took a surprisingly long time for me to finish. But I'm glad I chose a one-shot, because if it took me this long to write this, I don't even want to think about how long it would have taken me to write a multiple chapter story…*sigh*…my life used to be a lot less busy…

I softened L and Raito's characters for this story, I'm sure some of you noticed. I'm not upset with how it turned out. I think, considering this particular environment, their relationships and their personalities would be somewhat softer than in the original Death Note (where both are in constant risk of death and are mortal enemies). I hope that didn't ruin it for any of you.

*AthenaAlpha*