Well, it was about time I plucked this story from my head and typed it out before it started eating me alive. I'm lucky I've made it this far into the new year without have brain damage do to content build up.

Basically, this story is a plot bunny that REFUSED to leave me alone and has been forming in my head for seven months now and I finally have the gull to write it. I was certain that some random writer who was far braver then me ( with more time on her hands) would come along with an idea similar to mine and type it out for the world to see.

It has failed to happen :/

So here we are!

Basically this is going to be twenty-six chapter story ( One chapter for each letter of the alphabet) and is a collaboration of elements from Death Note: Another Note mainly B and the original Death Note storyline.

Plus B is a main chracter in this story. If you don't know who B is, I suggest you do some research or simply wait to be surprised. For those of you who are truly clueless as to who this character is, the Death Note novel is being released this February so you can find out for yourself next month if you want. You'll fall in love with him in no time.

Full Summary: When a new case is suddenly called to Ryuuzaki's attention, Light is left in the dark as he struggles to find the reason behind the detectives mysterious behavior and countless attempts to prove his innocence. But things are darker then they appear and soon Light finds himself in a game far more twisted then what he had hoped for when a new enemy arrives, one who can lead both L and Kira to a death far worse then anything they had ever imagined.

Because even justice has it's flaws.

Pairings: LightxL BBxL BBxLight LightxKira

I will post warning before each chapter regarding it's content, savvy?

Off we go!

-----------------------------------

It was hard.

In a world where crime had risen to its peak, one couldn't help but gaze around and notice that what impurity remained was slowly beginning to fade beneath the growing pile of filth polluting society. It was casual, even; a flaw in the continuous circle of life most people chose to ignore. The need to fix society left to the politicians, world leaders, and law enforcers who beneath the surface were lower then the scum they were put into power to destroy. The world, overall, needed to be cleansed.

Someone had seen to it.

And Light Yagami, in all his adolescent beauty, was fully convinced he was not that person.

Others saw differently.

One in particular other.

"Light-kun, could you pass the sugar please?"

Florescent lights beat down upon the Investigation Team members in the dimly lit work room, the glass staircases glittering like jewels on either side. The high tech room had once held magnificence in Light's eyes but after spending most of his time trapped within it's walls, he had lost all wonder for it. Now it was nothing but an arena; a place where him and Ryuuzaki would argue during the long work days, the team members watching worriedly from a distance ( Except for Matsuda who found it within his power to break them up when things got to bad- Ryuuzaki always happily put him back into his place. ) If it wasn't for Light's father he was sure one of them would be dead by now .

Secretly, Light wouldn't mind.

But he could never say it out loud.

His percentage of being Kira had already risen three percent since the handcuffs had been slapped on.

Oh, about that…

Since Light was quote unquote, under 'investigation' Ryuuzaki had managed to find a way to keep watch over him without having to keep him in confinement. The handcuffs however, had been the last thing he expected.

He knew Ryuuzaki was...well… odd. But not that odd.

Apparently Light had been wrong.

For once.

If it wasn't for the fact Ryuuzaki seemed to be equally as irritated with Light as he was for the quirky detective then he may of actually considered him, as Misa put it, a pervert. But so far nothing perverted had actually taken place.

If you called depriving somebody of sleeping in the comfort of a bed perverted.

Ha…hahaha.

Ha.

To add the list of the detectives irritating and bizarre qualities, the twenty-three year old sugar loving man did not sleep.

…

At all.

So Light was subjected to the cold floor of Ryuuzaki's guest room while the detective click-clacked away at his keyboard into the wee hours of the morning until he managed to pry Light out of his sleep in the most unpleasant of ways to attend to the bathroom. On rare occasions Light managed to take advantage of this field trip and sneak a shower in despite the awkwardness (though L did take a shower on a few occasions and Light was left to wallow in his misery as far as the chain would allow him. )

Life on the chain ( as Light put it, ) was difficult in every way, shape, and form. It was a red mark on his pride and lowered his dignity past human acceptance. To Light, being attached to Ryuuzaki- despite the fact he was really the worlds number one detective- destroyed whatever qualities of a 'normal teenage life' he had.

Hating him was easier then ever.

It was no secret.

But Light was determined to prove that he wasn't Kira; and proving it would take every ounce of patience and self control he contained.

So it was no surprise that when Ryuuzaki asked if Light would pass the sugar that things suddenly became quiet.

Immediately Light's irritation rose, casting a glance around the room watching each member of the investigation team in turn as they shifted there eyes away from him. They all knew the routine. All it took was a simple request from Ryuuzaki to lead to a brawl. Hell, even Matsuda had caught on, as blunt as he was.

The teen hesitantly rolled his eyes toward the detective checking to see if the familiar black holes in his head he called eyes were staring at him in there usual creepy fashion. Usually when he requested something simple such as this he was watching Light, the words slipping from his sugar coated mouth secretly inviting him to play a game. Another chance to raise or lower his percentage of Lights innocence.

Thankfully however, Ryuuzaki's eyes remained glued to the computer screen. Watari was beside him, a silver cart parked beside the detectives chair loaded with various sweets and flavors of tea. Light's tea from earlier rested beside him, the liquid cold and bleak, no longer desired. He hadn't notice the sugar bowl positioned beside it and wondered how he had failed to return it to the detective.

He had only put a pinch of sugar into his tea, if that.

Ryuuzaki preferred the whole bowl.

Ignoring the stares from everyone in the room, Light picked up the sugar bowl without hesitation, feeling the chain attached to his left hand pull against his skin. Frowning, he leaned over to check to see if the chain had caught amongst one of the chair legs when Ryuuzaki reached up to grab his tea from Watari, jerking the teens hand forward, sending the sugar bowl shattered to the floor.

As common as the situation was, Light couldn't help but shift his eyes away from the others as Watari and L joined in on the spectating. The sound of shattering glass rang in his ears and clung to the sticky silence which had splattered the room like glue.

It didn't last.

"Watari, would you please assist Light?" Ryuuzaki asked, his words slightly muffled behind his thumb which was pressed against his bottom lip. "I'm sorry Light-kun, I believe that was my fault. "

"Y-yeah…" Light scooted his chair to the side to give Watari room as he came with broom and dust pan in hand to remove the glass and sugar. In the process of moving however his eyes grazed Ryuuzaki's face, the black orbs sucking him in, seeing past his chocolate brown eyes and into the inner workings of his mind.

That look…

Lights eyes narrowed.

'You look at me like I'm some sort of child Ryuuzaki…'

"No harm done." Watari chipped in, depositing the remaining mess into a bag located on the bottom of the silver cart, handing Light his own fresh cup of tea.

Light took it from him carefully, the steam from the hot liquid burning his eyes as he gazed down at it. Black tea, as usual…

"Perhaps you better put your tea on the table Light-kun."

Lights head snapped up and he blinked at the detective in confusion.

"Your more clumsy then I expected…" he mumbled, as if to himself. "I'll be making note of that."

The teens shoulders stiffened.

"And what does me being clumsy have to do with anything?" he snapped, keeping his voice low. "You said so yourself it was your fault the dish broke. "

"I have me theories."

"Care to share them?"

Ryuuzaki shook his head turning back to the computer lazily. " I have come to learn that every time I share my theories with you Light-kun it only results in making you flustered and I would appreciate it if I receive no more bruises this week, as should you."

'….why…?'

Light gaped at him silently, his anger rising and falling as he contemplated his words. He… he was right, as he usually was. But it was the fact that he was right which made it so hard for Light to just nod his head and accept it.

If he allowed Ryuuzaki… no… if he allowed L to be right then Light's chances of proving his innocence would drop. He needed to prove his innocence, he had too…

He just wanted his life back.

----

Light had kept his mouth shut in good manner for the remaining five hours he had to spend within the main room of the headquarters, avoiding eye contact with his dad and basically, every other soul that existed within the room ( though he thought he glanced Matsuda half heartedly slipping a coin into Mogi's hand as they went to grab there coats. )

It wasn't until the others had headed home and darkness had spilled across the sky that L stood up from his chair and headed toward the stairs without even so much as a glance in Lights direction.

"You could at least warn me before you decide to get up and leave!" Light hissed, tripping after him as the chain reached it's limit.

Ryuuzaki shrugged. "I assume you'll follow sooner or later."

"Like I have a choice…"

"Hush."

Before Light even made it to the steps, Ryuuzaki's cell phone went off, the unrecognizable jingle echoing across the deserted room. He flipped it open swiftly and held it up to his ear in his usual quirky fashion; Light would have found this normal if it hadn't been for the fact that the next few words which left the detectives mouth were unrecognizable.

… English?

The teen stood awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs; he had been at the top of his English class back in Grade School yet nothing the detective was saying made a lick of sense. Perhaps the reason why he chose to speak in English was so Light couldn't make sense of his conversation but from the way he had answered the phone the person on the other end was clearly not fluent in Japanese. The only person who ever called Ryuuzaki was Watari, though…

Was it possible Ryuuzaki actually had friends?

' The bastard did say he grew up in England…' he reminded himself, frowning. Perhaps that was why he was so quirky, what with the sugar and the tea and all. Though compared to what he had learned about people in England Ryuuzaki still came up short in society.

A swift tug on the chain brought him back from his thoughts and he followed in the mans wake as he continued to babble away into his phone. He hadn't even glanced in his general direction as he started walking making Light feel even more like a chained dog, forced to follow his masters every bleeding footstep.

What he wouldn't give to give the chain one hard tug and send him flying down the stairs, his spider like body breaking like a twig as it hit each step…

The elevator door shut with a snap as Light positioned himself against the wall opposite the detective, his back turned to him. Determined, the teen locked his chocolate brown eyes on the older mans face hoping to catch a glimpse of emotion. He had been looking, searching for along time now; hoping to catch the traces of a meaningful smile, confusion, perhaps even shock. Proof that the worlds top detective possessed some normal qualities.

For he could never push him down the stairs if he wanted to prove he wasn't Kira (Though he figured if Kira would have been in his place he would have wanted the same thing and would not have hesitated; and down would come Ryuuzaki, sugar cubes and all… )

Ryuuzaki shut his phone with a snap, his black gaze meeting Lights causing him to flinch. The expression in his eyes was unreadable, like a snake observing its prey waiting to see who would strike first.

Light saved him the trouble.

"Who was that Ryuuzaki?" he asked, keeping his tone light.

The detective continued to stare in his usual fashion until Light was sure he was gazing into his very soul causing him to fold his arms across his chest hesitantly. What was it with him? A Simple yes or no would do…

"I don't know if I should tell you Light-kun."

He forgot. Simple just wasn't Ryuuzaki.

Damn it all.

"Why not?" he pressed, keeping his anger tamed.

Unfortunately at that exact moment the elevator chose to arrive at the designated floor and the detective yanked him out into the hallway, ignoring him all the way until they were settled into his room, laptop open and settled at his usual spot at the coffee table. Light grimaced as he realized he would have to spend another sleepless night curled up at the detectives feet with nothing but a blanket and a decorative pillow from the couch, but he was more concerned by the detectives behavior- his face now visible in the pale light of the laptop.

He appeared… troubled.

Unfortunately it wasn't the sort of expression Light had been hoping for, wanting something more along the lines of anguish or disbelief; but to just see the delicate curve of his brow beneath his veil of ink black hair, his pale lips puckered into a frown was enough to replenish him after the sugar bowl incident.

He couldn't help but ask again.

"Could you please tell me who called you?" he asked, sitting beside him on the two person sofa.

The pale man scooted closer to the other end of the couch, his thumb buried between his teeth, his expression unchanged. "Why does Light-kun want to know so badly?"

"Because ever since that call you've seem troubled." Which was the truth, the best and most reasonable answer he could give.

Orb like eyes turned to him in the darkness, screens filled with static seeing in between the lines of Light's words.

"I am troubled Light-kun. But I'm still not sure if telling you why is a good idea." he titled his head, his fingers tangled in the material of his pants as he hugged his legs close to his chest. "Also I have noticed this is the most communicative you have been over the past week. The silence between us has been strong up until now."

"Yeah, well…" Light rubbed the back of his neck quietly. "Can you blame me? Every time I open my mouth you find a way to raise your percentage of me being a mass murdered."

"You should have expected that when I informed you of the circumstances." Ryuuzaki reminded him, holding the chain up into the light like a snake, glinting and dangerous.

"Yes, but I also agreed to work on this case with you and your making that hard for me." he added testily. "I decided to assist you as your friend."

"Actually you really didn't have much of a choice." Ryuuzaki piped in, tilting his head. "But since you decided as a friend, I am thankful. However having friends right now is a little out of the question."

"That still isn't answering my question of why you wont tell me who called you."

The detective stared at him awhile longer, letting out a half hearted sigh as if Light's inability to comprehend was wasting his time. However, the teen had only changed the subject to avoid the answer to Ryuuzaki's previous statement.

Him and Ryuuzaki weren't friends?

As odd is seemed, this stung a little; perhaps more then it should have. Light was popular, he had a lot of friends, top grades, a loving family, but in this new world which revolved primarily around whether or not he was Light Yagami or the infamous mass murderer Kira, Ryuuzaki was both his worst enemy and his only friend.

If they weren't friends then what was the point of helping him besides to prove his innocence? He had, from the bottom of his heart, offered to help Ryuuzaki with the case because they had become friends at the university.

But had that meant he had only befriended Ryuga Hideki and not Ryuuzaki? He knew being friends with L was out of the question; L's main purpose was to investigate him. But the remaining identity L had branded himself with, the one which was present right now…

… couldn't be friends with him?

"Light-kun?"

He looked up, startled. "Yeah?"

"You looked troubled. May I ask what is wrong?"

The teen angered broiled. "didn't I just ask you the same thing?"

"I was curious as to whether or not the friendship statement I made had any effect on you."

Light narrowed his eyes wondering whether or not he should risk hitting him across the face again; perhaps he would get a better reaction this time. Perhaps he would actually win for once against the detectives oddly stylized fighting skills.

Perhaps he would bleed- like a real person.

"Are you testing me again?" he snapped, pushing the violent thoughts from his mind. He could win this another way, his words would be his poison.

"No, I am simply wondering if me being your friend or not matters to you." he looked away from him, blank eyes brimming with another new look Light had never seen present before. Sadness perhaps? In the darkness it was hard to tell, minus the fact his hair was now completely shielding his face from view, his thumb still tucked between his lips. " You see, if you weren't my friend, then you asking me for information on who called me would seem suspicious. If you were not my friend then the fact that I am troubled would mean nothing to you, therefore, the information on my mysterious caller would only be for your benefit of knowledge and nothing more. From the call you can already tell that what was spoken to me has managed to make me restless and that I had also answered the call in English which you are unable to translate fluently given so little time between each of my words." he paused for a second, raising his head so he was staring at the black ceiling above him, his hair falling away from his milk white face. "So it would seem fitting for me to suspect that you would want to obtain such information because you are Kira."

"What does me wanting to know who the hell called you have anything to do with that!?" Light snapped, his fists trembling in rage. "Also, you're the one who said you couldn't be friends with me! Before that I had already told you that the fact that you were my friend was my reason for going along with the case in the first place!"

"Because the information that was given to me from that phone call can easily be used against me." he muttered, his eyes narrowing as he lowered his gaze back to his laptop, tracing his finger across the touch pad to remove the screen saver. "Since you are a suspect, I shouldn't be telling you."

Light kept his mouth shut. He couldn't argue with that… but he still wanted to know. He needed Ryuuzaki to trust him; trust that he wouldn't do anything to him so that he could stop imagining putting him to death every time they argued.

"But as a friend, I want too…" he added on silently, more to himself then the silent teen. "I want to be able to tell somebody."

Light blinked at him, watching as the detectives eyes stared into the black abyss of the room, lost in his own thoughts, his eyes wide as saucers. Whatever it was he was planning on telling Light was tearing him in half, the detective half of him arguing with the sugar loving reject who craved a companion. The sight would have been amusing to the teen if he hadn't noticed the thin trail of blood trickling from the detectives thumb latched in between his teeth, the substance pooling in the cotton material of his sleeve.

"Ryuuzaki, for god sake!" he reached out and grabbed the detective by the wrist, wrenching his hand away from his jaw and holding it out before him like a mother scolding a child. "Just tell me already, if it's bothering you that much, I'll listen. "

"But are you my friend?" he asked, owl like eyes zooming in on his face.

"You're my only friend Ryuuzaki, now just tell me so you can stop mutilating yourself." he snapped, looking around for some form of tissue, cloth, magazine, anything to clean up the blood. It was sickening…

"Light-kun, I can take care of it…"

"It's fine, I just need a tissu-"

"Light-kun, please just…"

"You can't do it yourse-"

"Light!"

The teen froze at the sudden change in the detectives tone of voice, glancing over at the man with wide eyes. Amidst his panic he had failed to notice his sudden change in behavior, his eyes planted firmly on the carpet, black as stone and blank as his ghost white face. His hand shook within his grasp, his body trembling like a small child as blood continued to seep from the coat dripping against Light's tan skin, hot and sweet. The tone of his voice had been demanding, sharp; yet it wasn't this that had caused Light to stop.

There had been fear.

"Light, let go." he mumbled, his voice trembling softly.

His fingers retracted automatically and Ryuuzaki pulled his hand away as if he had been burned, blood smearing across the top of Light's hand. He watched quietly as the detective rustled around in the darkness for a moment before pulling a small cloth out of the back of his pocket, wrapping it around his weeping finger.

"Ryuuzaki, what-"

"The thing I wanted to tell you was that a new investigation team member will be joining us tomorrow," he interrupted, his face molding back into its usual mask. "from America."

"What… why America?" he asked, frowning at the sudden information. Ryuuzaki had clearly proven that Kira resided in Japan, America wanted nothing to do with the case last time he checked ( his father viewed them as 'bleeding coward with little backbone' and after catching wind of previous investigations concerning America he believed his father to be right.)

Ryuuzaki played with the blood soaked cloth, twisting it around his finger thoughtfully. "Because there is a case in America which has been called to my attention and they feel the need to send someone over to assist us while keeping me informed."

"But what could possibly be more important then the Kira Case?" every country knew of the danger, of the importance of catching this mass criminal; as far as he was concerned L should be left alone, all other cases left to those below him.

"A case which involves a crime which is being committed especially for my purpose." he explained darkly, staring at the blood covered cloth as if it reminded him of the blood which was supposedly being shed in his name.

Light's eyes widened before he could stop them; this… this was what he wanted to tell him?

Ryuuzaki blinked at him. "Does this information shock you Light-kun?"

"Well… wait," he shook his head frantically as if it would help him hear better. "You mean somebody is killing people in America because of you?"

"Precisely." he nodded, removing the cloth and staring at his finger where a small cut was visible against the sore skin; a minor imperfection. "Gruesome murders, all at random. Limbs have been reported missing, eyeballs, tongues, teeth, fingers, mutilations which the FBI over in America has been unable to explain."

Light suppressed a shiver; it sounded like a horror movie and a bad one at that. Some serial killer going around mutilating people and unable to be traced. He recalled similar cases in the past, most which his dad had informed him of , edited for the sake of his sister. But that wasn't what bother him.

What bother him was that someone was going around doing this to innocent people because of L; his existence alone was causing people to die and all because of some psychotic murderer.

But if he was such a threat, then why hadn't Kira taken care of him?

"His name is unknown." Ryuuzaki piped in, still observing his wound in the light of the laptop. "So if you're wondering why Kira hasn't done away with him yet, that is the reason." he returned his thumb to his mouth, sucking the small trace of blood from the surface of the split skin. "Even Kira has weaknesses Light-kun."

"Everybody has weaknesses," Light frowned, wondering if this was just another test. If it was, he sure had a lot of nerve. "It's a fact of life. Even you have weaknesses Ryuuzaki."

The detective tensed at his words and Light feared for his thumb which was wedged even further between his teeth then before. Perhaps that wasn't the best thing to say… but it was the truth, nonetheless. Even the worlds greatest detective had to have weaknesses; or in other words, flaws. Not quirks, not weird sitting positions, but flaws- like every other human being.

"But this guy… whoever he is, how do you know he's killing people because of you?" he asked, hoping to break the silence. He needed to be on good terms with Ryuuzaki no matter how much effort it required.

The detective simply shrugged. "That… has yet to be determined."

"Then how-"

"The new team member will explain more to me when he arrives tomorrow. Until then, I suggest you keep everything I've told you quiet."

"Then what will you tell the investigation team?"

"That our guest has been sent over from America to help us with the Kira Case. " he leaned back against the couch, his back cracking as he reclined into a somewhat normal position. "I don't want any of them knowing. The case itself was only broadcasted in America in the first place so there will be no out of country interference."

…No interference?

So L wanted to handle this thing on his own.

As expected from him.

But taking on two cases at once…

"Ryuuzaki, you really shouldn't-"

"Please go to sleep Light-kun."

The teen froze, his chocolate eyes widening. "But…"

"I need to think and you are distracting me."

Face flushing, Light glared at him in the darkness grabbing his blanket from behind him. He really didn't understand him; everything was going along fine and he just cut him off like some child, as if talking to him was a burden. He was the one who said he wanted to tell him about the situation…

… because he was his friend.

Clearly Ryuuzaki didn't know how to be a friend.

"I'm sorry Light-kun." Light heard him mumble as the teen curled up on the floor in his usual spot, burying his head beneath the thin blanket to block out the shimmering glow of the laptop.

"No your not…" he mumbled back, loud enough for him to hear. For if the detective was truly sorry he would allow him to sleep in the untouched bed in the other room, allow him to clean his wounds, and stop accusing him of being a mass murderer.

It was no mystery.

The percentage of any of that happening…

… was zero.

--------

"Light-kun!"

That voice… he was sick of that voice…

"Psst, Light-kun!"

Maybe if he answered to it's call it would stop.

"Matsuda-san, what?" Light hissed, his eyes blood-shot as he wheeled his chair around to face the flustered cop. The Investigation Team was scattered behind him in different locations, all eyes focused on L who was chatting away to a proper looking chestnut haired man.

"Who… who is that?"

"Hell if I know…" he muttered, turning back to his computer. He was at fault to type anything do to the fact his left hand was stretch to it's furthest extent allowing Ryuuzaki to talk to the man in 'private.' he had dragged Light out of bed without a word, babbling into his cell phone in god damn English in the early hours of the morning to meet the so called 'American Man' at the front door without offering Light so much as a cup of coffee.

No sugar added.

Basically, last nights previous conversation had meant nothing; absolutely nothing. Light was reverted back to being Ryuuzaki's faithful chained mut instead of his friend. Or maybe he was just tired beyond reasonable thinking. The floor was starting to lose whatever hint of comfort it had possessed weeks before and the bed in the other room seemed to be calling to him in his dreams. If he could just convince Ryuuzaki to move camp… there was an outlet in the room for his damn laptop, it would work…

But how to convince the wallflower?

The chain slackened as Ryuuzaki finished his private talking session and stepped forward with the man at his side- his crooked posture and disheveled appearance clashing with the clean cut man like two opposite sides of a spectrum.

He looked like your normal cop; the ones you see in T.V shows and FBI movies( as Matsuda had so bluntly pointed out.) Ryuuzaki had introduced him as a local officer from Los Angeles, California, single, twenty-seven years old. His name was Michael J. Andrews, a name common over seas.

Perhaps a little too common in Lights opinion…

But the teen had more important matters to tend too.

Like convincing the stubborn detective to allow him access to a bed.

"You're fine on the floor Light-kun." Ryuuzaki mumbled later that evening as he poured over his laptop, not even glancing up at the teen upon his sudden request. "If you are as uncomfortable as you say you are, I can request that Watari bring up some more blankets and pillows for you."

"What is it that you have against sleeping in a bed!?" Light cried in exasperation, his hands tangling in his chestnut hair. "Did you have problems in your child hood or something?"

Expecting a smart ass comment in return, Light was surprised when all he received was silence. Now that he though about it, he knew little about the detectives past except for the whole 'five years in England' thing. It had never exactly interested him, assuming his child hood had a lot to do with how he turned out to be a sugar loving insomniac; the mental image of a smaller version of Ryuuzaki surrounded by different assortments of cake and American candies seemed more then fitting.

Cute, even.

"Please got to sleep Light-kun, I'm not in the mood to answer questions tonight." he sighed, a type of pressure in his words which somehow convinced Light perhaps he should leave the detective alone this one time.

But it was odd.

Ryuuzaki rarely passed up an opportunity to argue with him; it was the one time he had a chance to raise his percentage and drive Light toward the edge of insanity. He was lucky to even get a second of sleep, what, with the man hovering over him like some demonic bird hoping to catch some trace of a lie in his features as he burrowed into the collection of blankets Watari had graciously supplied him with. Only when he was securely snuggled beneath the cotton barrier would Ryuuzaki leave him alone.

But not any more.

For three nights Light was left to sleep in peace; three long, quiet nights. Even the sound of Ryuuzaki's fingers against the keyboard was more silent then usual. He never complained of course; in fact, this was what he had wanted.

Then why was he so upset?

He had wanted to say something about it, choosing his words carefully. He figured Ryuuzaki was just occupied because of the new case. But if this new serial killer case was starting to cause him to neglect the Kira Case, then Light wanted him to stop. He wanted the case to be solved, to find Kira, and get his old life back. If Light was just attached to Ryuuzaki's arm as a nice little accessory and not as a suspect, then he wanted off.

Now.

Sipping his tea one Thursday morning, Light turned his attention to Ryuuzaki hoping to catch his eye. The loser had his back turned to him, the backing of his computer chair shielding him from view. All he had to do was give the chain a nice swift tug and he would surely have his full attention.

Well, maybe not full. But just enough to ask…

"So how is it in America Mr. Andrews?" Matsuda's voice echoed from beside him and Light pivoted his chair to see the bubbly cop talking to the fourign man, his face set in a friendly smile. Light had forgotten about this newcomer, his existence over the past few days having little effect on his daily routine. He rarely talked, hovering like a ghost around the work room and making small talk with the team members- Light had never spoken to him directly.

'It's nice but I find Japan more charming then Los Angeles." he laughed, his Japanese clear but wavering with traces of an accent. "The facilities here are also nicer, especially in this place."

Matsuda laughed and opened his mouth to offer some lame ass reply when Ryuuzaki interrupted him, spinning around in his chair to face the two men reminding Light of Dr. evil in a small variety of ways. Except instead of a cat, a single jar of Strawberry jam was clutched between his fingers, it's contents smothered messily across the rim of the glass.

"So your settling in nicely I take it Mr. Andrews?" he asked, tilting his head to the side curiously.

Rolling his eyes, Light went to swivel his chair back to the computer not wanting to be a spectator of Ryuuzaki's messy eating habits; jam was meant to be spread on toast, not eaten directly out of the jar like some five year old kid. He stopped himself however when he noticed Andrews had gone slightly rigid, his mouth forming into a thin line as he stared at the detective in all his jam covered glory, licking the sweet red substance from his fingers like a cat.

"Yes… yes, I have…" he mumbled in reply, his brow knitted together tightly. Light would have found this humorous, assuming the reason for the mans odd behavior was because of Ryuuzaki's odd eating habits. But something about him told the teen this wasn't the case.

There was fear in his eyes.

Light straightened up in his chair, flashing his chocolate eyes at Ryuuzaki who was staring the man down with the ferocity of an animal; his orb like eyes seemed to glow in the florescent light, penetrating the man and pinning him to the spot as his fingers glided steadily into the nearly empty jar, scooping out the sticky substance and placing it into his mouth and sucking on each digit with care.

The teen looked away with a small cough; heat had begun to bubble beneath the smooth skin of his cheeks causing a small jolt of fire to irrupt from his groin feeling like some sort of grade school pervert. The way he ate that stuff… it was as sick as it was arousing. If only Ryuuzaki could eat like a normal person instead of curving his pink tongue around every inch of pale ski-

'God damn it, stop!' he gritted his teeth in frustration, turning his eyes back to Andrews in hopes of distracting himself. No way was he going to think about Ryuuzaki like that, the man probably had the sex drive of a wet washcloth- if that.

Plus Light had Misa, as annoying as she was. Fortunately for him the bubbling blonde idol had been spending most of her time at work. Some sort of movie production or something along that line, he couldn't remember…

As far as he was concerned, neither of them were capable of holding his interest in a relationship despite their differences. Misa was a chatter box and Ryuuzaki was… well, Ryuuzaki.

That was reason enough.

Looking more shaken then ever, Andrews had turned back to Matsuda changing the topic to sports; something Ryuuzaki held no interest in as far as Light knew. Assuming it was safe, Light carefully turned back to face the detective who had thankfully lowered the jar of jam to the table and was leaning over the keyboard, his eyes shadowed by his black locks.

"Ryuuzaki, what-"

"Please come with me Light-kun…"

The teen did a double take as the detective practically leaped from his chair, walking quickly across the floor forcing Light to follow. His steps were quick and urgent, all traces of bad posture gone as he made his way up the glass stairs rapidly to the second floor. This alone was odd, Light having never stepped foot on the second floor in his life. There had never been any need until now and he was still lost as to what exactly that need was.

"Ryuuzaki-"

"H-hush.."

Thrown off by the shaky tone of his voice, Light allowed himself to be lead down the deserted hall into a random room with no particular importance or difference from the suite Ryuuzaki and him were occupying several floors above. The smell of unused plastic and fresh paint had barely begun to tickle his nose when the detective bolted into the white marble bathroom, his hands stretched out before him as he fell to his knees, grasping the crisp white rim of the toilet and retching into the open space- red jam and tea spilling fourth into the clean water.

Lights whole bodily momentarily went numb as he tried to process what exactly was happening. When he had noticed the detectives urgency he had expected it to be something concerning the case, a private piece of information meant for Light's ears only, no one else's.

He had never expected this.

The site of the glass eyed, doll like man doubled over in front of the porcelain throne was a rare one, perhaps even humorous do to his usual cocky nature. One might even go as far as to say he deserved it.

But the expression on his face… the ghostly white tint to his skin…

Light felt sorry for him.

"I'm sorry Light-kun…" he gasped, tilting his face up toward him, his eyes cast downward in what he took as a sign of shame before promptly convulsing forward and retching again.

Light had opened his mouth to speak but stopped upon the detectives second convulsion. With hesitance the teen quickly decided to taking it upon himself to be a friend for once and pull the detectives ink black hair away from his face as the blood red substance heaved from his body, wracking his skeleton like frame.

It was an odd picture; the worlds top detective heaving into an open toilet while his seventeen year old suspect held his hair back like a mother to her sick child.

Yet… everything about it… felt right.

Maybe it was the way he shook when he stopped, sweat beading on his pale brow as he locked his gaze on the floor in every attempt to avoid looking at him. Or perhaps it was the trace of pain in his eyes which Light had searched so hard for in his attempt to find the older man capable of human emotion.

Ryuuzaki had never appeared more human before now.

Light waited silently for him to finish, his free hand messaging the mans back in slow circles as he sat gasping, his body shaking so hard Light was sure he would fall apart. He carefully sunk to the floor, his back resting against the marble tub behind him as he struggled to catch his breath; the teens hand remained reassuringly on his shoulder giving it a soft squeeze. Regardless of the detectives condition he found it hard to look away from him.

He looked so… broken.

"Are you okay?" he asked after several long minutes, the hazy blackness in the mans eyes starting to disintegrate. A sullen nod was all he received, his face turned away from him. Light expected nothing less.

Hastily, Ryuuzaki wiped his mouth off on his sleeve and Light frowned in disgust at the childish act. "Ryuuzaki, use a tissue for god sake, here." he reached into his pocket to see if he had any extra when the detectives raised his head, his beetle black eyes locking onto him coldly.

"Why…"

He glanced at Light's hand on his shoulder as if it were some kind of vile beast, reaching a shaking hand over and gripping the teens wrist, pulling it away slowly. "Why are you so nice to me?"

"Cause your throwing up, that's why." Light snapped, finding the question to be more irksome then any he had ever asked him before. He wasn't going to stand there like a statue while he was puking his guts out into a toilet no matter how annoying and strange he was.

"… is that all Light-kun?" he asked, his black eyes flashing against his deathly pale skin. There was something about him now… something that made Light uneasy.

Oh god, he wasn't going to start playing the confession game now was he?

"Alright, if your going to try and relate the fact that I helped to ease your suffering to the fact that I might be Kira then your fucking twisted, Ryuuzaki!" he snapped, rising to his feet with rage in his eyes. The nerve… he had just helped him regardless of the way the detective had been treating him over the last three days and he was going to take his good deed and use it against him?

"Actually…" the detective tugged on his sleeve from his spot on the floor. "I was just curious. Honestly, I'm not in the mood to play that type of game with you right now…" he smiled weakly at the teen, letting his head tilt to the side drunkenly, his black locks sticking to his skin.

Light sighed heavily, taking pity on him; he really didn't have much more of a reason… at least, a reason he could explain. It just felt… right. "You're my friend Ryuuzaki, that's just what friends do…" he muttered, choosing his words carefully. "It's… just the right thing to do."

His words hung in the air heavily, a silence developing between them Light couldn't quite put his finger on; it wasn't necessarily uncomfortable… it was more like a breath of understanding- warm and sticky against their skin.

Light didn't know what had come over him; perhaps it was the ultimate stress of the situation. Perhaps he was just relying on instinct. Regardless, the teen found himself reaching his hand out to the detective to help haul the sickly man to his feet. It wasn't long before he came to realize the overall purpose for his kind actions.

He could use this to his advantage.

After they had cleaned up the bathroom so it mirrored it's original spotless order, Light planned his words carefully, washing his hands off in the marble sink and wiping them off on a nearby towel . "Ryuuzaki, how about you lie down for awhile?" he suggested, guiding the detective out into the suite. A bed had to be somewhere; A sweet, glorious bed….

"Light-kun that isn't necessary." he frowned, pulling away from the teens grasp as if he had just asked him to lie down in an open casket. "I'm fully capable of continuing my work with the others."

"When someone's sick, they rest until they are better," Light explained, emphasizing each word in irritation; a good nights rest would do both of them some good. "I'm sure Watari would tell you the same."

"But I'm not sick…"

"Sure you are, why else would you thro-"

"Because I hate jam."

Light raised an eyebrow, perplexed. "Then why would you eat it?"

Ryuuzaki's thumb carefully anchored itself in between his teeth and he cast his eyes downward; Light was becoming all too familiar with this expression of his. Apparently the reason as to why he had purposely eaten something he disliked to the point of making himself sick was a reason he was not willing to share.

"I can't tell you Light-kun."

Predictable as usual, Ryuuzaki.

"Why not?" he asked angrily, stepping over his boundaries. "You have to have a reason why and it's better if you tell me so I wont have a heart attack when you start puking your guts out again!"

"I never said I didn't have a reason."

"Then what is it!?"

"It's my business."

"Ryuuzaki, just fucking tell m-"

" Twelve percent, Light-kun."

His words cut through the air sharply, serving as more of a threat then an accusation. Light was left dangling with his unspoken words still fresh in his mouth- forced to swallow them for the sake of his freedom.

God, he hated him.

Assuming Ryuuzaki's final words were the lock and key of the conversation, Light made to storm out of the room, ignoring the fact he was still securely chained to the walking corpse- he just wanted to get AWAY. If he kept pulling this sort of nonsense with him…

"Light-kun."

"Yes Ryuuzaki?" venom dripped from his voice, burning holes into the carpeted floor beneath his feet.

The detective awkwardly positioned himself between the chestnut haired teen and the door, his toes curling in and out beneath his faded jeans. "Since you did so graciously assist me, regardless of the way I have been treating you over the past few weeks, I am willing to make…well… a deal, of some sorts." he explained, tilted his head to the side, void like eyes glinting in there sockets. "That is, if your interested."

Light's eyes narrowed.

It was a trap.

It HAD to be…

…….

"I'm listening."

---

It was rare that L-being the stubborn, blunt, person that he was- ever obliged to a 'favor,' as Light called it. For the other part of the deal he had planned out for his benefit required little physical or mental stress on Light's part(which wasn't completely true but he figured things could have been worse. a lot worse. )

Ryuuzaki on the other hand…

It wasn't that he disliked beds. In fact, he didn't mind the comfort of a bed as much as he let on; he found the spacious square of cloud like bliss rather relaxing and soothing to the body.

It was the overwhelming feeling of vulnerability which came with it.

So when the Task Force Members had hustled home and the sun had sunk beyond the horizon, the raven haired man found it hard to sit still as he clicked away at his laptop on the far edge of the comforter, the pale light from the monitor causing his frost black eyes to glitter. Light had proceeded to take advantage of the situation and talk his ear off all the while, his hands folded behind his head as he relaxed against the covers, body slack with exhaustion.

Ryuuzaki clutched the laptop tightly against him.

He wasn't exactly looking forward to the sleeping part.

For reasons he didn't care to reminisce.

But he knew he couldn't avoid it any longer.

He found himself asking questions sometimes, each one directed at no one in particular; he just had kept everything in for so long he just wondered if maybe… if someone was listening…

What would they say?

How would they respond?

For years he had been wondering; each question silent against his lips, locked inside be sheer force of will. He wanted to know why things had turned out how they did, why his quest for perfection had ended so early in his life.

But he knew why.

He just wished… hoped… there was a better explanation.

He wished he had never lost.

To him.

To the sick, twisted, inhuman filth who paraded around wearing his face without shame; the one who was perfect and flawless enough to be his very shadow- his shattered image amidst a collection of broken shards.

Yes, L was certain…

As long as he existed… as long as someone out there knew of the wicked deeds which had befallen him…

Justice would never be perfect.

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I'm really not happy with leaving this here and to be truthful, I hadn't planned on leaving it here and I also planned on having this story out by Sunday. As you can see, that failed to happen.

The fact that I cut the chapter off here is going to bug me all week…augh…

Unfortunately my schedule is a mess and I have a lot to organize and get together so basically, I want to get this out of the way first. Will my schedule effect how often I update? Yes. But I am pleased to inform you I am very dedicated to this story and the possibility of me dropping this story before it is finished is highly unlikely.

So no worries, savvy?

R & R!

- Arrow