Raito was…..

Hot.

No, not in that sense. Well, yes, in that sense too but currently he's hot as in frying eggs, the devil's hell kind of hot. Sweating. Humid.

And Ryuk's Gone. Again.

Usually he cherished the moments when he doesn't have the great big bat hovering his every move, but the monster has been dissapearing

every night now, for long hours. It made his paranoia insticts kick in. What if Ryuk was plotting something against him?

When Raito asked him, he merely chuckled in his annoying way saying " Its hot. A little flying here and there cools me down."

Raito looked at him incredulously. " Can Shinigamis feel the heat?"

Ryuk grinned. " we are more like humans than you think, Kira."

Raito stopped asking about his night time escapades after that. Knowing Ryuk, he's probably hunting for some apples.


Two days later.

Raito went to bed early that night. Crime rates were low these days, Raito noted proudly. Maybe his dream wasn't as far off as he thought.

" Night Ryuk, " Raito stifled a yawn.

" Night Kira" Ryuk muttered distractedly, staring at the TV screen.

" Oh, when you sneak out to do God-knows-what, don't forget to close the window. I don't want to wake up with anything snuggling on me" Raito scolded, squirming around, getting comfortable.

" Hyuk, Hyuk, Hyuk….." Ryuk remembered that particular night- he came back and saw a fat squirrel eating nuts in Raito's covers, and then promptly fell asleep on him.

It made such a… funny feeling in Ryuk. A part of him wanted to laugh, and a part of him felt like he swallowed a sweet apple pie. He didn't really understand it.

Ryuk didn't have to glance to know that 'God' was asleep. The soft snores 'God' refused to admit he made reached Ryuk's ears already.

Ryuk got up, and as silently as he could, slipped off in the night.

But not before removing something that made him terribly uncomfortable on these hot, hot nights.

5 hours later.

Raito, despite being an extremely punctual and routine person, can't really get up very early in the morning without the help of an alarm clock, so it was odd that he stirred awake around 3.45 am.

Hm. Maybe it's cause he slept early.

That could be the reason.

But the reason for him nearly having a concussion from hitting his head at the headboard too hard was however, the exact reason why he was now, Wide Awake.

Why was he Wide Awake?

Well….

Ryuk's head was sitting on his desk.

Without the body.

His lips pulled up in that huge clown smile of his with razor sharp teeth and huge dead fish eyes staring at Raito.

What. The.

FUCK??????!!!???

Raito swallowed and took deep calm breaths. Alright, take it in, take it in… and think.

Raito looked around, there were no signs of a struggle, or Ryuk's body. No blood at all, but he doubted Shinigamis bleed.

So, that left to the other, safer, but odd option. Did Ryuk remove his head?

If so, why? So he can keep an eye on Raito?

Now that was plain freaky, but the longer he analyzed the grinning head infront of him, the more he is sure the head wasn't alive. Or wasn't functioning at the moment.

It was like a big doll, or a cool halloween mask.

Mask……

Wait…..

Raito didn't have time to think some more, because he heard the familiar flapping of wings.

Ryuk was back.

Raito scrambled back in his covers, feigning sleep. He figured he'll get more answers if he observed first.

Raito, the ever great actor he was, peeked a little under his long eyelashes, underneath the mess of blankets he thrown around him. Nevermind the heat.

It was dark, and Ryuk wasn't facing him,nor was he standing near the moonlight. His huge long body was hunched to fit in the window. He landed inside with a soft thud.

While Ryuk was straigtening his back, Raito got a glimpse of what he can make out as… a human neck and…. Normal ears. Raito gasped audibly, causing Ryuk to turn and stare at him. Raito gasped again.

Ryuk..

Ryuk…. Didn't look like a monster at all!!!!!!

On his head was something like the death god's hair, black and spiky. His skin was slightly tinted blue, but was pale enough to look almost normal. His eyes were black, or dark blue, and it held a mischevious glint in it. His lips… Raito can't really analyze because they had quirked up in a much smaller but more attractive smirk, but with the same sharp pointed teeth.

That snapped Raito from his ogling.

" Ryuk! " Raito whispered harshly at the death god. He looked more like a rockstar now, with all those chains and gothic attire. " Care to explain?" Raito gestured at the huge head and at Ryuk's…. real head.

" Oh. I didn't expect you to be awake. " Ryuk grinned sheepishly, Now that Raito has gone over the shock of it, Ryuk did resemble the doll like head, if only slightly. He was more human looking thought.

" So…. It's a mask?"

"… I guess you can call it that… yeah it is. But when I wear it, it's like a part of me. I move my mouth, my eyes my lips and it moves too, It's like my real head, but larger and heavier."

Raito nodded. " Let me guess. All death gods were humans once."

"Yes"

" Humans that are probably neither bad nor good."

" How did you know that?"

" Well, if you were good, you would probably go to heaven, If you were bad, you would burn in hell. But you must of did little or nothing of both. That puts you in a different position altogether. So you didn't appease nor anger the God, so you probably had to work for him instead."

Ryuk nodded. It was all nearly correct. The boy's mind never cease to amaze him.

"Why do you have to wear that head?"

"… We weren't suppose to look like humans anymore. Being a death god, you can't look like a human, so The Creator let us each have another head, another face."

Ryuk patted his huge head on the table. "I chose this one because it looks so cool. Scary and freaky enough, don't you think?"

Raito rolled his eyes while he digested the new information. Really, ever since the arrival of the death note, everything seemed more interesting.

" Do you Have to wear it all the time?"

" Well, not really, we can take it off-"

" Don't wear it."

" ….?"

" Look, you said the head was heavy right? So why wear it?"

" Hmm…. Good point. But it never really bothered me to wear it. Plus, the King might get mad if I don't."

" Why?"

" I DON'T KNOW. Ok?" Questions questons questions. They were driving him crazy.

" Sorry. Just curious."

" It's alright." Ryuk ran a hand in his spiky black hair and hid a smirk when Raito's eyes stared at him. He wasn't really attractive, with the crooked nose and pointy teeth, but he knew he was good looking enough. Maybe Raito would stop looking at him repulsively, like he did sometimes.

" I'll consider not wearing the head. It's not like I hear what the King says anyway."

Raito smiled, then scowled for not controlling that reaction.

"Well, whatever, do what you want. I personally couldn't care less."

"…… If you say so,"

" Goodnight, Ryuk."

" Don't you mean Good Morning?"

" Ryuk?"

" Yes, my pretty killing machine?"

" Shut the fuck up."

Yay! First chappie doneee!!!

I've been playing around with the idea ever since my baby cousin remarked a few things about Ryuk. The fact that his head was sewed on. He came into his own conclusion. The Death gods wore masks to avoid being recognised as they might have lived a life before being death gods. I sometimes forget he's only 6.

Well, I've also heard Obata sensei thought of unmasking Ryuk idea after he finished writing death note too—I'll surf on that :D

Hee, well, expect more unmasking Ryuk stories from me—I'm still excited at the idea—Hopefully the excitement would wear off after a fic or two about it- don't wanna bore you- LOL

Don't forget to R&R! stay tuned for the NEXT CHAPTER!

L: You have too. Thats when I come around.

Qurota: (Clamps hand over L's mouth) DOn't ruin the suprise dammit! ( Crunch) Fuck, He bit me!!! He BIT ME!!