L watched the leaves falling outside the window of his room in Whammy's House and sighed

L watched the leaves falling outside the window of his room in Whammy's House and sighed.

Every year he came back here in the fall as a Halloween gift to his successors, Near and Mello. And every year they were beyond happy to see him. And every year, their joy (and Mello's obsession with free chocolate) drove his birthday from everyone's minds.

Not that L really cared about his birthday, mind you. He just wanted the cake. Yeah, that's it. He wanted the cake (never mind that he could have any kind of cake at any time of day just by telling Watari he wanted it).

Hearing the door to Whammy's House bang open, followed by loud shouts of joy, L deduced that Mello had gotten his free chocolate (as well as Near and Matt's).

Snapping his mind away from depressing thoughts of another birthday swept to the wayside, L rose from his crouch near the window and went downstairs to greet the three boys.

"L!!" Mello screamed when he saw the detective. Matt briefly looked up from his video game and nodded in acknowledgement. Near, however, was nowhere to be found.

"Mello, do you know where Near is?" L asked the hyper blond.

"Probably in his room. He said he had a stomach ache." Mello replied, mind too focused on the mass amounts of chocolate he had just acquired to be upset by the fact that L had asked about his rival.

L nodded his thanks and wandered back upstairs to Near's room, thinking he would check on the albino boy.

Opening the door, L gasped softly. Instead of being curled up on the bed, Near was sitting next to a small cake with strawberries and vanilla icing.

Upon closer inspection, L felt his heart swell a bit. The cake said "Happy Birthday L" in pink letters.

"How did you know?" L asked. No one other then Watari and himself knew when his birthday was.

Near blushed a bit. "I got Matt to hack the computer in exchange for agreeing to let him have Mello to himself on Halloween."

L smiled slightly, before walking over and sitting down next to the albino boy, who produced some forks from behind the cake, and handed one to the detective.

"Sorry about the lack of plates." Near said as he and L dug in to the cake. "Roger would have noticed if I took plates and a knife too. I barely got away with the forks."

"It is alright Near." L said, noting the slight blush when he said the boy's name. Interesting.

The two quickly finished the cake, and then they simply sat there, neither one willing to break to the comfortable silence between them for trivial things like cleaning up.

Finally, Near sighed and spoke. "You should probably get back to your room L. Watari will be wondering where you are."

The white haired boy watched sadly as L nodded and got up, cursing his inability to keep quiet. He saw his idol so rarely.

Suddenly, L turned back towards the saddened boy and gently brushed his lips across Near's before turning back and walking out of the room.

Near smiled slightly, brushing a pale hand across his lips. He would have to do this again next Halloween for sure.

Meanwhile, back in his room, L sat by the window, also smiling. Picking up his phone, L quickly dialed Watari's number.

"Yes L." Watari answered.

"Watari, please arrange for two more tickets to Whammy's House." L requested, a plan already forming in his head.

"But L, your visit has not concluded yet." Watari said, puzzled by the detective's odd request.

"That does not matter. I need these tickets for a different date." L said, beginning to stack some sugar cubes that he had left on his desk earlier.

"Very well." Watari sighed. "When do you need these tickets for?"

L smiled. His plan was falling in to place perfectly.

"Valentines Day, Watari. Valentines Day."

--The End--

A little contest entry for LxNear-fans on deviantart.

I still don't own Death Note cause Near and L are still wearing clothes.