Arachnophobia

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Light muttered something incoherent, probably with the intention of being offensive; as L scuffled around on the bed. He had decided that 5AM was a good enough time to get some rest. Even if he had to be awake at 7AM to start working on the Kira case all over again.

The detective turned then turned again on his knees whilst arranging the bedcovers around himself as if he were in a cocoon. Light grunted as L tugged the sheets away from his legs, the teenager eventually lost his temper when he was wholly deprived of the duvet and kicked the irritating man beside him.

Light opened his eyes blearily and immediately turned to tiredly glare at L who was currently amongst a lumpy mountain of white cotton. Wide, grey eyes blinked back at him innocently.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me, Ryuuzaki," the suspect hissed, lunging forwards to wrestle L, desperately snatching at the covers to get them away from the greedy sleuth. Light unravelled some of the material before pinning L's legs down to untangle him.

"You're being very selfish, Light; you've had the covers for the majority of the night. It's my turn to have them," L said flatly, still eyeing Light as if he were oblivious. Light hated when the genius pretended to be clueless, he wasn't three for god's sake.

"That's your fault for not sleeping. If you're going to rest, you share Ryuuzaki. Do you know what that is, sharing?" Light taunted heatedly, thoroughly annoyed when L didn't loosen his grip on the sheets, Light could see his spindly fingers tensing over the fabric.

"Yes, I do know what sharing is, here, Light can have my pillow," the dark-haired man quickly shoved his pillow into Light's face who almost snarled and chucked it off the bed. "See, I can share, Light just chooses to be petulant."

Glowering like a scorned child, Light examined L's silently mocking features. The man was just so... insufferable. This was the first time Light had felt like screaming and throwing a tantrum. The chain rattled insultingly between the genii and the student had an epiphany. Angrily, he yanked the chain so L came flying out of his little nest; Light took the opportunity to steal his side of the duvet and tightly held it against him before feigning sleep.

This irritating routine between the two happened about every three days, every night L decided to sleep. Light could predict precisely what would happen next, L would scoot over to Light's side, cuddle up against him taking all of Light's side while invading his personal space.

L usually clambered on top of Light and tucked his head into Light's shoulder then would be sleep like a baby. At least this way, Light could actually keep warm so he begrudgingly let L have his own way but by the morning his torso would be dead from L's deceiving weight. He was bony but by no means slight.

Adjusting to the awkward, jutting angle of L's shoulder against his chest, Light finally returned to his dreamland where the world's greatest detective wasn't nearly as infuriating.

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"Light...," a deep, monotonous voice said, intruding on Light's peaceful dreams. The teenager's body was starting to stir away from blissful unconsciousness but he fought against and attempted to return to his dream.

"Light," it said again, this time louder.

Ryuuzaki. Ugh.

Light noted through the haze of slumber that L's voice had an almost inaudible edge of, what was that... fear? And L's fingers were frantically plucking at Light's pyjama top. "Light, wake up."

"What?"

"Wake up."

"No, I'm asleep," Light dismissed, shuffling further into the warmth of the bed to ignore whatever L wanted to bug him about.

"Light." Light's eyes blinked open, unfocused and dangerous-looking as they turned to observe L who looked like an abused puppy. His unkempt, inky tresses wildly falling over mirror-mirror eyes that actually seemed to hold a trace of fright in them.

"This better be good."

"There's a spider," L replied, long fingers still plucking on Light's shirt as he tried to push himself completely on top of the younger male. Light stared at the sleuth incredulously.

"There's a... spider?" Light repeated, a little taken aback that this intensely apathetic man who dealt with murders on a daily basis and had actually chain someone who he suspected to a homicidal maniac to himself was afraid of spiders. "Ryuuzaki, it's just a spider, it's more afraid of you than you are of it," Light sighed through a yawn.

"I don't think so, it's watching me." Having now climbed on top of Light, then over to the small space on the other side of the teenager so he was effectively hiding behind his suspect, Light failed to comprehend how someone who could act so childishly had so much power. "It's on the bed, you have to catch it or it might-"

"Or it might what? Pick up an axe with its front legs and hack us to death?" Light scoffed, smirking over at L who didn't seem to be amused.

"Exactly, I'm glad you understand," he countered, apparently utterly serious. "Either we die horribly, or you get it before it attacks us."

"You're ridiculous, you know that right?"

"Whatever you wish, Light, as long as you get it. Hurry up, it's moving!"

Light glanced over at the alleged spider that was a fair size with freakishly long legs, and was indeed scuttling across L's pillow. Funny, a few minutes ago L's head had been there, if he hadn't of woken up, that spider would have been getting comfortable in L's scruffy hair by now. Light grinned maliciously.

L's hands clenched around Light's forearm, urging him to get the eight-legged creature.

"He's cute Ryuuzaki, I think we should name him L," Light jested, knowing that it was his chance to push L's buttons like L was so fond of doing to his suspect.

"I don't appreciate Light naming that monstrosity after me." Oooh, he sounded pretty pissed. Light chuckled. "If you don't hurry up and get it, I'll kick you."

"If you kick me, I won't get it."

L's face softened and played the part of damsel in distress as he hid behind Light's arm and looked adorable. "Please, Light." By now, the spider had stopped and was having a staring contest with the exasperated Light. Relenting, Light casually scooped up 'L' in his palm, it remained frozen in Light's hand as the teenager moved to stand up.

L jumped up and avoided him like he had the plague, eyeing his closed hand like the soul of Kira was enclosed inside. Light took a step towards the skittish man just to test his boundaries and as expected, L frenziedly scrambled away simultaneously tugging on the chain so Light fell forward and the spider sprinted across the floor.

"Light!"

L pounced up on to the bedside table and curled up into his usual crouch, his dark eyes darting across the floor, following every move the spider made. He flinched when Light slapped a rolled-up newspaper against the spider and silenced the poor beast.

"There," Light groaned, feeling exhausted. L had better be grateful.

After a weighty silence, the detective slowly faced Light, his head slanted to one side. "I didn't want you to kill it."

Light gasped in disbelief, tempted to threaten L with death but knowing that would result in the Kira accusations. "L, shut up," Light snarled, clearing up the spider carcass in a tissue and tossing it into the waste basket, irritably murmuring to himself. "Thank you for saving me from the killer spider, Light, I owe you. You're welcome Ryuuzaki; I was only trying to help."

"Light did just murder an innocent spider... that could be considered something Kir-"

"Don't you dare, or I'll order the spider community to come down here and eat you alive." L didn't say anything, pressing his thumb to his lips and watching Light with his owlish eyes. "Bed, now."

"So demanding...," L muttered, Light smacked him across the head as they both collapsed on to the bed.

Getting comfortable, Light resolutely decided that he wasn't waking up to help L ever again, lest he resort to growing his own superspider and letting it loose on the detective. With that entertaining image, Light felt himself slipping into that wonderful place.

"Light."

"What now?"

"Can we swap sides? I think the spider's ghost is here."