oh man...well, I just spent another wonderful interlude rereading this story, and I'm just so happy and pleased. The idea is brilliant of course, and the fact that it's pretty much canon (at least myth-canon) makes my heart happy. Love the way A and L are such *men* here...full-on-snark and brusque bonding and yet still the underlying deep-seated need. Love it, and will bore you with more of deeply-satisfied squeeage after the next chapter.

Oh, and L's reaction to A's attempt to be soothing re: his hands? Priceless!