Now the story's played out like this,
Just like a paperback novel.
Let's rewrite an ending that fits,
Instead of a Hollywood horror…

It had all gone perfectly according to plan. Rem had killed Ryuuzaki, and he had neither complaints nor qualms. Rem was incredibly loyal, and Raito only wished there was no law proclaiming Rem would die should he have helped them. But Rem was the sacrifice to keeping himself and Misa alive and well. He would be safe, now… Never to be caught.

But the perfect slipped. The evil maniacal grin he gave Ryuuzaki just before his eyes closed. Now, Ryuuzaki had passed on knowing who the true Kira was. But his eyes, and the haunting look he had given him as they fluttered closed… that wasn't what Raito had been counting on.

"Shit!" he hissed, not loud enough to be heard, before screaming. He wasn't going to change the plans because of this.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he cried out. "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE."

Everyone began to panic, as he clutched Ryuuzaki's body close. The warmth was already fading. Two bitter tears slipped down his cheek, and he buried his face in Ryuuzaki's chest, taking in his scent and wiping his eyes.

"I'm going to put him in the room," Raito said, voice cracking as he trying to sound as if he truly cared. It wasn't hard to flawlessly act when he had been betrayed by his true feelings.

He stood, taking the body into a nearby bedroom. He placed Ryuuzaki on the bed and tucked the covers up. The hallway was decently lit, but the room was dark and empty. He stood in the doorframe, the light illuminating his shoulders.

There was a small movement as his shoulders shook. He felt like he was crying, but no tears were coming out. He bit back the words he wanted to say. How could he?

His mind was racing a mile a minute, as he wished he could take back everything he'd done. Why couldn't Ryuuzaki just be sleeping, and not dead? Why had he killed him? Why? All for Misa's sake. He did care about Misa, yes. But he wouldn't have felt this way if she died. If it was her in that bed, these feelings… They wouldn't be so strong. He'd cry a bit, half-acting, and not really meaning it. And he would move on.

But how could he move on from THIS? He had killed Ryuuzaki, the only person he had counted on, a real, true friend… Someone he loved just as much as his family. If it were Sayu in that bed, he would be having these same feelings.

How could he… But he was human after all, and his emotions betrayed him. But he felt like crying more when he realized that Ryuuzaki… Ryuuzaki probably hated him. He had betrayed and tricked him… Ryuuzaki wouldn't love someone who had pretended to be something he wasn't. He was Kira, and L hated Kira.

Sure, he had thought L had liked him. Maybe even liked him that way… The way Ryuuzaki seemed to be overly caring. Sometimes he had wondered if the handcuffs were a ruse to get closer to him, not just there to prevent him from being Kira.

But now… it didn't matter. Raito may have cared deeply, possibly even loved L… But there was nothing more to be done. L was dead, and he wasn't going to bring him back. As a human, he should have expected his emotions to betray him. Even shinigami, like Rem, were betrayed. He bit back his feelings, wiped his dry eyes on his sleeve, and attempted to lock back the feelings of this day and moment.

He was going to move on, and win. He would die a death of natural causes, in a paradise where no criminals existed. It was a wondrous thing, the century the world would live him.

And when he died, when he went to Heaven or Hell, or somewhere in between…He'd see Ryuuzaki again.

And Ryuuzaki would await him with open arms, and bless him for being Kira and saving the world from evil…

Someday.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Inu Kaiba: I know it may have been somewhat OOC, but I could totally see Raito growing to care very deeply for L. They worked on the case together, and this is the part where everything backfires – when he realizes he's actually in love with L.