Shadowkitten: first Death Note fic, pairing is L and Sayu, if you don't like the pairing, then don't read it. Critics are of course welcome, but only to tell me whether I went too out-of-character. Or if my spelling was terrible, and such... Currently rated T. May go up later if I am so motivated.

Remember, I have only seen the first 11 episodes, plus the occasional spoiler, but I still am VERY far behind as in what happens in the series...T_T

Disclaimer(which applies to all chapters.): I own nuttin'...

Love...

No matter how much thought the young genius detective known as L thought of it, he could never quite figure it out... He understood such things as affection for one who took care of you, like what he had for Watari, or even the occasional bouts of lust like for a pretty girl like Misa Amane. Even compassion when a valued comrade had died. But love was something utterly foreign to him.

However, now was not the time for such things. He was studying Light Yagami's behavior, to see if he could find so much as the slightest mistakes as to confirm his suspicions that the young student was, indeed, Kira. This took pretty much all of his time, leaving no room for such small ponderings as love and such.

He was on his way to the boys house as it was, to study him, see if he would make a slip-up or do something truly suspicious.

So here he was, in his usual position, crouched in the passenger seat of a dingy car. They had decided to use a crummy vehicle instead of the limo so they wouldn't raise suspicion.

A mile from their destination Watari cleared his throat, alerting L that he wished to speak.

"Yes Watari?"

"Ryuuzaki... I was wondering if... maybe after the Kira case is solved... you would take a small break from your detective work?" The old caregiver stammered nervously.

L wasn't surprised. Every time he solved a major case, Watari would ask him to stop and take a break for awhile. Possibly retire from detective work, find a nice girl and settle down. But what did surprise L was how even on the rare occasion, Watari would forget that for him, living a normal life was impossible. Besides, most girls found him freakish anyways...

"I'm sorry Watari, but that isn't possible... Not in the slightest."

At that moment, the car stopped at the intersection one block down from the Yagami household.

"Will you at least consider it?"

"... Very well."

With that, L stepped out of the small car onto the sidewalk.

As he approached the front door, he trained his focus entirely on studying unusual going-ons in the house. With that in mind, he knocked on the door.

A loud yell and few seconds later, a young girl of 14 with long brown hair appeared. As soon as she saw him she froze. A usual reaction in his case. Nothing he wasn't already used to.

"Would Light Yagami be home at this moment?"

Sayu Yagami, the younger sister of the genius student, Light Yagami, sighed as she sat in the living-room, working on math homework. Which she knew all the answers to.

Because, unbeknownst to everyone, she was actually just as intelligent as her older brother. She just never showed it. The reason why being very simple, yet also, very hard to grasp...

She was born a girl. That's why.

Before she started middle school, she was a girl who had everything going for her. She was naturally intelligent, and despite being clumsy was impeccable at sports. Just like her brother...

But when middle school arrived, her feminism won out... And truth was, boys didn't like girls who were smarter than they were, or better at sports for that matter.

So, she gave up all her dreams of being successful in life, just because she wanted the boys to notice her.

And every time she acted stupid on purpose, or pretended to go crazy over some pathetic teenage boy band, a little more of herself died, day by day...

Sayu was brought from her musings when there was a knock at the door.

Jumping up to see who would visit at this hour, she yelled out "I'll get it!" towards her brother upstairs.

Opening the door, she recieved quite a shock.

Outside was a pale man who looked about 23 with dark, disheveled hair, wearing loose jeans and a very wrinkled white shirt. But the most intriguing thing about him was his eyes. They were fathomless dark pools wringed with black circles, as if he didn't sleep often...

What surprised her most was how such a handsome man had ended up outside their doorstep.

The apparition then spoke in an enthralling deep voice that sent shivers up her spine.

"Would Light Yagami be home at this moment?"

It took her a second to register he was actually speaking to her.

"Uh, Y-yes s-sir. M-may I a-ask who is luh-looking for h-him?"

"Tell him it's Ryuga Hideki..."

"As in... the famous a-actor?" Was he pulling her leg? Was Light in on this too? Nah, Light wasn't really the kidding kind...

"We only share the same name..."

"I understand. Please, come in... and leave your..."

She just noticed he wasn't wearing shoes.

"Right... I'll be right back, please wait here in the hall."

Making a mad-dash up to Light's room she knocked heavily.

"What?" He said irratibly.

"Onii-chan? There's a Ryuga Hideki here to see you..."

"Ryuga Hideki? What are you-?!"

There was the sounds of a book being closed, a T.V. being shut off and a drawer shut, not too mention a bit of muttering, then he opened the door nearly knocking Sayu over. He then walked downstairs to were the guest was currently waiting.

"Onii-chan! No need to almost knock me over!"

Following him downstairs, she went back to her spot in the living room. She watched queitly as her brother and Ryuga were talking quietly while heading up to Light's room.

Then, she checked to see if the coast was clear. Seeing nothing unusual, she reached into her school bag and pulled out a copy of Edgar Allen Poe's poetry and stories written in English.

Flipping to her favorite page, she began to quietly recite the words to herself in fluent English.

After bothering Light and asking questions that to the average person would seem harmless, but when asked to someone with a twisted mentality and listened to by a person who could define all the little idiosyncrasies of the human mind, would reveal many things left unsaid to the closed-minded. However, Light Yagami was far from average, and definitely no fool.

However, there would be a slip-up sooner or later. L was sure of it.

So an hour later, L quietly walked down the stairs, heading towards the front door.

Well, that was what he was doing. But before he reached the doorway that led to the living room, he heard a gentle voice, which was apparently speaking to itself.

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

It was a young girls voice, probably Light's younger sister, and she spoke English like she had done so all her life.

I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea;

But we loved with a love that was more than love-

I and my Annabel Lee;

With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven

Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsman came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,

Went envying her and me-

Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

The way she spoke, truly illustrated the writer's pain... With every word she spoke as if she could feel the emotion's as her own. Before I knew it, I was in the living room speaking along with her.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we-

Of many far wiser than we-

And neither the angels in heaven above,

Nor the demons down under the sea,

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

She seemed to notice me, but apparently didn't care. In fact, it appeared all she could focus on was the poem.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,

In the sepulchre there by the sea,

In her tomb by the sounding sea.

With that, she turned to look at me, a somewhat embarrassed look on her face.

"Please, don't tell anyone..."

"Why?"

She looked down and blushed a deep red. "I-i would rather not mention it..."

"... Very well. But you speak better English than most people I know."

She looked into his eyes. She then smiled. He nodded his head. As he turned around, he heard, "I'm a girl."

"Huh?" What on earth did she mean by that?

"The reason I don't show how smart I am is because boys don't like girls who are smart..." She was smiling, but the look in her eyes was sad.

"Who told you that?"

"Other girls in school..."

"..." L was stunned. Is that why girls acted stupid all the time? To impress boys?

He quickly regained his senses though. "I think your better being what you are instead of pretending to be what you're not. Apparently, these girls like being prodded about like cattle off to slaughter, and the boys who treat females that way are truly foolish. Do yourself a favor, and don't act like them."

Her eyes were then wide and her mouth slightly open in shock. And slowly, she started to smile again. However this time it was genuine.

"Thank-you... Hideki-san..."

"Of course Yagami-chan..."

"Please, call me Sayu."

"Very well, Sayu-chan."

"I hope you will come and visit again soon, Hideki-san."

"Sure."

Well, that is all for now. I will update sooner or later...