Disclaimer: I don't own the animes/mangas Death Note or Inuyasha.
AN: I received a lot of requests last chapter, so it's going to take me an extremely long time to get through all of them. I'm still accepting them (I'll need as many as I can get to entertain me this summer), but I apologize if it takes forever for your request to be posted. Also, there are a few anime/manga that I have not read, or have not been keeping up-to-date with, so I apologize for that, as well.
The requests for Samurai Champloo, Bleach, Gintama, MAR, Beauty Pop and Samurai Seven will probably take the longest. I know of all of these, and have read/seen a lot of them, but I need to get reacquainted with them. I read pretty quickly so I should be starting to write the One-Shots for them wthin the month. I have no idea how long it will take me to write them, though, so make sure to check back for updates on their status!
Thank you! You may go on.
Shinigami
One-Shot for pheonixstar123
L x Kag (Death note x IY)
firefox369
Tragedy/Romance
"Ryuuzaki-aniki!" a girl laughed and a dark-haired male glanced out of the corner of his eyes at her. For a split-second, his wide, alert orbs softened, the dark bags beneath them becoming more prominent. Slowly, he held out a hand in order to motion her over and sit beside him on the bench. She obeyed with a giggle, plopping beside him and smiling broadly at him.
"You should really fix that habit of yours, it can't be good for your back" she suddenly commented, a frown marring her features, and he glanced down at his body to gaze at his posture. His knees were tucked close to his body, his back hunched and elbows pressed against his sides with his forearms resting lazily against his legs, giving him a very 'mouse in hiding' look.
"I think better in this position" he replied simply, not taking his eyes off his knees, and the girl laughed once again before leaning forward and arching her head back to gaze at the sky.
"Do you believe in shinigami?" she questioned softly and he turned to gaze at her, calculating everything she had said so far in his mind out of habit. It was during times like these that he wished he was not a well-known detective.
"That was an unexpected question, Higurashi-san. What brought it up?"
"Nothing, really, I just got this wierd letter in the mail today is all" she replied, digging in her schoolbag for the small slip of paper. "You wouldn't believe how shocked I was when I pulled it out of the envelope this morning."
Curious, dark, gray eyes stared into worried cerulean as the small slip of paper was passed between the two. The girl watched anxiously as the young detective slowly unfolded the sheet with his thumb and pointer finger on each hand, holding it up in front of him as one with a wet paper towel would.
The shinigami is after you.
"What do you think it means?" she asked and he folded it back up to review later, stuffing it in his pocket.
"I'm taking it."
The girl laughed. "I thought you'd say that. Not like I want that note around my home anyway, my mother would freak if she saw it. But Ryuuzaki-aniki, it wouldn't put my family in any danger... would it?"
"It's possible that they could be involved."
A sigh too large for her small frame escaped her lips as her head dropped in her depression.
"You're always so blunt, but I suppose that's why I always come for your advice. No bias whatsoever." With that, she stood up and ruffled his already wild hair, messing it up even further. "Don't think too hard on it, ne? The last thing you need is a headache on exam day."
"You worry too much Higurashi-san" he stated when she began walking away and she turned around to look at him, stopping for a few moments in order to think of a response that didn't sound completely idiotic.
"Am I not allowed to worry about the wellbeing of my sempai? And please, call me Kagome" she asked, an innocent exression on her face. "If you could, would you mind contacting me if you figure anything out?" A bell began chiming in the distance and she squeaked in surprise as she whirled around and rushed towards a group of large buildings in the distance. "Ja ne!" she called, waving behind her at him.
"I didn't know you had a sister, Ryuuzaki" a voice mused and the young man turned around to face the brown-headed prodigy that went by the name of Light.
"She isn't."
"That's too bad. Would you mind if I took her?"
The dark-haired young man slowly stood up, arms in front of him as if he were trying to imitate a kangaroo, his back still hunched.
"I'm so jealous" he simply stated and Light smirked.
"Not my fault that you don't step outside your home very often."
Ryuuzaki listened without saying a word, making his way back to the hotel room in order to continue his search for Kira. His beaten and battered shoes hit the ground with soft 'pat's as his dirty, untied shoelaces dragged against the cement of the sidewalk.
The shinigami is after you.
Unconsciously, he placed his hands in his pockets, his right toying with the small slip of paper he had recieved from Kagome just moments before. What could it mean? Did shinigami actually exist? Kira's messages also spoke of reapers, or shinigami, and now Kagome was supposedly targeted by one as well? Was it a prank or was it purposefully sent by Kira in order to frighten the Higurashi household? Kagome did live on holy grounds, a place where miko and monks were previously trained. Perhaps that was why they received the letter?
Ryuuzaki glanced at Light, gazing curiously at him. He stood tall and proud, with a straight back and his head held high. His hair was combed, his clothes were clean and in good shape, and his leather shoes were polished until they glittered. Light was the example of a perfect student. Kagome's words slowly drifted into his mind and he tore his gaze from Light to look himself over once again.
Untied shoelaces? Check.
Mangled shoes? Check.
Patched up jeans a few sizes too large? Check.
Messy, black hair? Check.
Oh, and how could he forget the slouching? That was accounted for as well.
Was this what Kagome saw every time she looked at him? Was this what everybody saw when they looked at him? A deprived young man, was that all they saw in him? No wonder he couldn't attract the ladies. Of course, he wasn't about to change himself in order to get a love life. Nope. He was quite fond of himself the way he was, and if no one accepted him for it, then so be it. He highly doubted that a woman would be able to grow accustomed to his rigorous schedule, anyway.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ryuuzaki was faintly aware that if he stood to his full height just once, he may see Light beneath his eyes instead of the other way around. He was tempted to try it, but knew that Light's prodigious mind would know that something was bothering him the moment he started to straighten his back. No, he couldn't try to stand to his full height around his companion detective.
Crinkle.
"What've you got in your pocket?" Light asked as they entered the hotel and rode the elevator up to their floor.
"A letter from a friend."
"From the girl?"
"Yes."
"What's it say?"
"Nothing of importance."
"Now you have me curious, L" Light commented after they had stepped into their room. "I can't see it?"
"Of course you can't."
"Not even what it looks like?"
"That would imply me showing it to you."
Light laughed before nodding in agreement. "True. Are you going to meet her again soon?"
"I plan on picking her up some time tonight."
"Oh, a date, is it?"
"L has a date?" a voice exclaimed and L plopped into his designated spinny chair, turning it to face the large screen and gaze at the data. Surely one night with Kagome wouldn't hurt, right?
"I do not have a date. She simply has some business matters that she needs my help in taking care of."
"It's a date" Matsuda concluded, nodding. He always was easily taken in by gossip. "Definitely a date."
"It is not a date."
"It's a date" Matsuda repeated, smiling and laughing as he ran off to spread the news. "Hey, guys! You'll never guess what's happening!"
L blinked before slightly narrowing his eyes at Light. Light chuckled, holding up his hands as if to say "It's not my fault!"
"I blame you" L stated simply before returning his gaze to the screen.
"Alright, blame me. I know the truth and that's all that matters. You brought this onto yourself."
L remained silent this time, burying himself in the words and numbers of the computer screens to distract himself from Light, Matsuda and Kagome. No matter how hard he tried, however, his efforts proved fruitless, for not even ten minutes later he began to think of what Kagome had said about his posture. Again.
But Light was still breathing down his neck.
"Kagome's class should be ending soon" L suddenly stated, feeling surprisingly stifled by his peer looking over his shoulder constantly. He usually did not mind this, but today was a strange day. He wasn't thinking straight.
"You should really fix that habit of yours, it can't be good for your back."
"Have fun on your date, L" Light teased as the detective stood and made his way out of the room. Matsuda noticed and gave him a thumbs up, mouthing "way to go" as he walked past (?). L refrained from rolling his eyes. They were acting as if he were getting married. It was just a simple visit, and that was all!
When he was sure that he was a safe distance away from the hotel, and was positive that no one was following him, L slowly began to relax. His shoulders lowered, his eyes not quite as wide as before. He relaxed even more once he had reached the university campus. This was a place he had traveled to a lot, and felt the most comfortable here in the outside world.
L was rarely comfortable outside of his dark, confined, room.
"Ryuuzaki-aniki, have you figured out what the letter is about already?" Kagome's soft voice chimed in his ears and he shoved his hands in the pockets of his ripped jeans. He looked perfectly fine to anyone else, but Kagome knew him better than that. The small movements and gestures warned her of how L was feeling at the moment and Kagome stifled a laugh. She didn't need to tease him more than he needed. He seemed to be pretty flustered as it was.
"No, not yet."
Kagome didn't keep her laughter inside this time, and laughed full-heartedly. The sound of her amusement escaping her throat was like music to L's ears. No matter how many times he heard it, he was always fascinated by the sheer softness of it.
"Come on, let's get you something to eat, you look hungry" Kagome stated, gently taking his hand in hers and dragging him off to the nearest sweetshop she could think of. She smiled giddily when he saw L looking at their intertwined fingers with complete awe. He obviously was not accustomed to being around girls. "Strawberry shortcake, right?" Kagome asked and L's wide eyes flickered up to the back of her head, entranced by the wave upon wave of dark, flowing hair.
"Yes."
Kagome stopped in front of a small building. It was pretty battered on the outside, but the moment they entered L was in heaven. The scent of freshly baked cakes and fresh strawberries wafted into this nose and he felt his mouth watering like crazy. The sugar! The sweetness! Oh, he could not wait to shove the piece of cake into his mouth!
"Calm down" Kagome snickered when she saw his excited expression. It wasn't much different from his normal one. His eyes were still wide, his mouth was still shut, in all honesty, she did not know how she could tell the difference in emotions with L, but she knew them. It was as if it were emenating off of him.
They took a seat and L began to sit in his most accustomed position, but hesitated when his knees just rose over the top of the table.
"You should really fix that habit of yours, it can't be good for your back."
He lowered his knees and Kagome gazed at him curiously, head tilted cutely to the side.
"What's wrong?" she inquired innocently.
"Nothing."
"You're not sitting how you usually do. What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"If you say so" she grumbled, though clearly, she didn't believe him. L was 100 percent sure about that. Luckily, two plates of strawberry shortcake were placed on the table, along with a cup of tea for L. Kagome watched as L gingerly picked up his fork and nibbled away at this sweet, sugary, cake for a few moments before motioning for the waitress. "Do you think you can give us a few sugar cubes?" she asked kindly and the waitress nodded.
"Sure, I'll be right back with them."
L stopped his fork midway to his mouth, looking at Kagome suspiciously. He had never told her that he loved to eat pure sugar cubes. He had never told her that he loved tea. Heck, he never even told her that he loved sweets in general. How did she get all this information on him? As if reading his mind, Kagome tensed and smiled shyly under his scrutinizing gaze.
"I see them..." she whispered quietly.
"See what?"
"Them. The shinigami..."
"Do they like apples?"
She gazed right behind L and he went rigid. Was the shinigami behind him at that very moment?
"Judging by the look of yearning on his face, I'd have to say that yes, he is quite fond of apples."
"Is it associated with Kira?"
There was silence as confusion washed over her features.
"He shrugged." Kagome's gaze suddenly lowered onto L and she smiled knowingly. "Ah, I see."
"What did he tell you?"
"Your name."
L quickly finished his cake just as the sugar cubes were set down and he eagerly reached for one, popping it in his mouth. Kagome watched as he did so, highly amused. Her expression suddenly dropped, though, and L knew that the shingami had spoken to her again.
"Will you detain me?" she suddenly whispered. "Will you take me and interrogate me until you get all the answers you want?"
For some reason, L felt strange when she asked him that question. It felt as if he were being split in two, a feeling that he had never experienced before. He was not an idiot on those matter, though. He had heard from many others what it felt like to be indecisive. This came as quite a shock to him, for he never had to worry about it before, so what made it any different now?
"No, I will not."
Kagome visibly relaxed and they continued to question the shinigami, occasionaly getting responses some times and other times not even getting a blink of acknowledgement. By the time they left the store, it was dark out and the moon was far up in the sky. L, being the gentleman he was (he inwardly scoffed at the thought), accompanied Kagome back to her home and dropped her off. Even though he did not have a car (or even a bike, for that matter), he walked her home and stopped at the front of the shrine steps. On some subconscious level, he was aware that their hands had not separated once since they left the sweet shop, and were still connected.
"You know, Ryuuzaki" Kagome began and he raised his head to look into her ultramarine eyes, the color of the sky swirling around in their depths. "You don't have to change."
L blinked.
"I know what you were doing at the store, I'm not stupid. What I said about your posture today was bothering you so you tried to fix it."
He blinked again to show that he was listening.
"Your posture is what makes you, you, Ryuuzaki-aniki. If you change it then you won't be yourself anymore. I can't imagine you acting like Light, that would terrify me to no end. You don't have to worry about your posture, no matter what I, or anybody else, says."
L gazed at the ground when he noticed that Kagome's head was lowered and she was nervously kicking at the dirt with her feet, drilling the dirt with the toe of her right shoe.
"I guess, what I'm trying to say is... I guess I'm trying to say that you're fine just the way you are, Ryuuzaki-aniki" she mumbled, playing with the hem of her shirt with the hand that was not in L's grasp. "I like you just the way you are right now, and I wouldn't have you change for the world." Her face flushed as the words left her mouth.
L said "Kagome-chan" and she looked up at him, still blushing. Before she knew what she was doing, she quickly bent down and pecked his forehead. Then, she whirled around and sprinted up the steps two at a time, not daring to look back. L slowly raised a hand to the spot her lips had touched, the sensation of her full, soft lips still tingling his forehead. Well, he hadn't meant for it to turn into a date, but it had after all. It wasn't on purpose, that was for sure.
If Matsuda found out, he would never get the end of it.
--A Few Days Later--
Kagome once again sat across from him at the same table they had sat at last time, eating her cake with a grace that L had previously thought impossible. Apparently, Kagome had proven him wrong and ate the cake as if it were a dance. Until some cake fell off the fork right before it entered her mouth and left a trail of frosting down her chin before landing on the table. She blushed, grabbing a napkin and was about to wipe it away when she saw L reach over and swipe it off her face with his thumb.
"Can't waste sugar" he explained before licking it off, savoring the sweetness on his tongue. Even when all the frosting was gone from his thumb, he kept staring at it. "Soft" he mumbled.
Kagome's blush deepened.
"I should leave" she blurted, standing up, but L grabbed her wrist before sse walked away, slapping some money on the table and leaving with her, hands once again in each other's grasp. They walked to Kagome's home, but this time, before she ran up the steps, they both sat down on the very bottom and watched as people walked by, not bothering to make conversation. It wasn't necessary; both thought it was pointless.
"Kagome" L stated and she turned to face him to find his face inches from her own. "Do you mind?"
Kagome shook her head, the mass of black hair on her head ruffling before falling back into place around her shoulders. Having her permission, he closed the distance between them and they kissed. It was slow, sensual, yet oh-so-sweet. And short. As soon as it started, it was over, and L was standing up to leave. Kagome watched as he did so, not bothering to stop him from walking away. She licked her lips as she covered her flaming cheeks with her hands.
He tasted like strawberries.
A car suddenly drove up a few minutes after he had walked away. People stepped quickly out of the car before grabbing her arms and dragging her struggling, screaming form into the vehicle and locking her inside.
They drove away right after.
--
Today was a good day. It was a very, very, very, very good day. That was what L asserted after he had entered the hotel suite he was staying in, only to be stormed by the others that had joined the Kira investigation.
"We detained a girl that has information on Kira! She might even be Kira herself!" Matsuda informed.
"Who?"
"R-Ryuuzaki-aniki...?" a voice stammered and L stiffened.
Matsuda stepped out of the way, along with the others so that he could see more clearly the owner of the voice.
"Her name's-" Mogi began.
"Kagome, what are you doing here?" L asked, confused.
"What's going on?" Kagome demanded, struggling against her binds and rubbing her skin raw against the ropes. L made his way over to her side and kneeled beside her, staring into her terrified eyes.
"Why are you here?" he asked again and Kagome shook her head.
"I don't know! They just came to me a few minutes after you left and dragged me here spouting nonsense about Kira!"
"She's a suspect" Light clarified and Kagome shook her head.
"I'm not Kira!" she shouted, "Why won't you listen to me! I've told you over and over again, I'm not Kira!"
"Kagome, calm down."
"Ryuuzaki, please, you have to help me out of here. I haven't done anything! I swear! Tell them I'm not Kira, I beg you!"
"You need to calm down."
"Why won't you tell them anything? We've talked, I spilled my heart to you, do something!"
L felt that tug in his heart again. He cared for Kagome, he really did, and seeing her like this made guilt clench his gut painfully, but he couldn't set her free. His job demanded that he kept her under their control. If he averaged it out, she had a higher chance of being Kira than Light, though not by much. She had seen the shinigami, conversed with the shinigami, right before his very eyes.
"L, you really outdid yourself this time" Light breathed, looking down at the girl with pity. "You had her as a prime suspect since the very beginning, didn't you?"
L said nothing. She was a suspect, yes, but not prime. He watched Kagome's eyes widen with horror as her gaze shifted constantly between Light and himself.
"I'm impressed, forcing yourself out of this room to get closer to her and find more information on her."
He still said nothing. L had forced himself out of the hotel room to get closer to her and find more information on her, but that was not the reason he left now.
"She fell for it, hook, line, and sinker."
Kagome's eyes began to fill with tears and she shook her head.
"No" she whispered, "No, please, Ryuuzaki, tell me he's lying."
But L couldn't. It was the truth, in a sense, and he could not deny it in front of the rest of the team.
"Say something" she whimpered, the tears trailing down her cheeks. "Tell me he's lying! Tell me that this is all one, cruel joke!"
He remained silent.
"Ryuuzaki...?" she cried. "Say something...!"
Nothing.
"Say something!" she sobbed and he inwardly winced at the pain and disbelief in her voice.
"Take her to the other room" L commanded quietly and whatever hope may have been in her eyes disappeared with that one statement. As the men came and helped her, she did not fight. She saw no point in it. Kagome was in shock. She had been lied to by the one person she thought would never lie to her. She was broken, in horror, and scrambling to put the pieces of her life back together.
"Sorry" L whispered as she walked past. He meant it in a 'sorry, I'll explain everything later' context, but everyone else heard it differently.
When she was secured within the other room, the Kira investigation team cheered loudly and surrounded L, congratulating him on making such a wonderful plan to capture the girl, and that they had witnessed everything. Everything down to the very kiss they shared.
"Didn't know you could be so cold, L" Matsuda commented and L shifted uncomfortably to gaze at the monitor, hoping he would be able to see Kagome.
"The girl's cried herself to sleep, if that's what your wondering" Mogi informed and L nodded in understanding. He would have to visit her later. And visit her he did.
At about 3 AM, when everyone had long ago fallen asleep, he quietly snuck into her room. When he entered the pitch black room, he saw her sitting on the windowsill and staring blankly out the closed window and at the Tokyo lights.
"Kagome" he called softly but she did not move to acknowledge him. But he could see. He could see the tears still coursing down her tear-stained cheeks from her hollowed eyes. "Kagome" he called again but she still did not move. For the first time in his life, he was nervous and worried.
Kami-sama, Kagome was giving him a lot of his 'firsts.'
He walked over to her and was forced to stand up straight to become a little above eye-level with her.
"This wasn't supposed to happen."
Kagome shut her eyes as he spoke.
"I didn't mean for this to happen. In the beginning yes, but no so much anymore. When we first met and I first got info on you I thought you were a perfect suspect, but I don't think that anymore."
Kami-sama, he was repeating himself over, and over, and over again. Kagome laughed at his faltering, but it was a bitter laugh, one that sounded nothing like the carefree laughter he heard only hours before.
"It meant nothing, then?" she asked, her voice cracking and hoarse from her crying. After she had woken up she had begged for L to talk to her, but the rooms were sound proof and had no mics so her cries were useless. But she didn't know that. "Everything we did, it was all a charade?"
"No, it meant something. It wasn't an act."
L already knew that he had told her too late, but he felt the need to tell it to her anyway. He felt that she should know, that she had the right to know. The words were meaningless, now. If only he had told her about five hours earlier, he might have been able to save their relationship. The damage had been dealt, and was now irreparable.
"Even the kiss?"
"Especially the kiss. It was the most heartfelt thing I've done in my entire life."
Once again, he was using petty words that would have had an effect on her if she only heard them sooner.
"I really love you, you know that?" she laughed, the tears falling anew. "I really, really, really love you. Even now, with you ripping my heart to shreds with every passing moment, I love you."
"I'm sorry."
Kagome snorted, roughly wiping away her tears with the back of her sleeve. "And now that I know that everything was just a fake, a sham, false, I-"
"It wasn't fake."
"-I can't trust you anymore, Ryuuzaki. No matter how hard my heart wants to, I can't."
L lowered his gaze, allowing his emotions to be shown clearly through his actions. He shifted his weight to one foot and smiled sadly.
"I couldn't tell them the truth, Kagome, not with Light leading them. He would turn them against me, and I can't have that."
"I really love you."
"I... I really love you too, Kagome."
Kagome laughed again, but it was hollow just like all of her others.
"Even if your words aren't real-"
"They are."
"-let me... let me pretend they are for this one night" she pleaded. "Let me kiss you and pretend that none of this ever happened. Even though it all has no meaning to you, let me act oblivious to it all. Let me love you for one more night."
L, not bothering to waste their time by saying more, slowly reached up and cupped her cheeks in his hands, leaning forward and pressing his lips against hers. His heart ached, his throat was tight, his eyes burned, and the kiss amplified these feelings exponentially. It was torture, having the woman that he loved in his arms, knowing that she loved him back, but also knowing that their future together had been obliterated in one, single moment.
"I'm sorry" he breathed against her lips repeatedly, feeling her hot tears coursing down the palms of his hands. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Kagome released a sob and slid off the windowsill, burying her face in his chest and crying the tears for him one last time. L held her tight, not wanting to let her go, and felt her drifting off to sleep. He lifted her off her feet and carried her to the bed, setting her down on top of it. Gently, as to not wake her up, he placed one more chaste kiss on her lips before making his way to the door. He heard the clattering of chairs as he opened the door and saw Matsuda scrambling to make it to his room. Knowing that he had been caught, he laughed nervously and stood up straight.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to watch, but I came to make sure she hadn't run away and there you were, and then-"
L's solemn and pained gaze silenced him, clamping his mouth shut with a single glance.
"You'll let her go first thing tomorrow morning."
"Alright" Matsuda agreed. L moved to his spinny chair and pulled his knees to his chest. His large eyes stared up at the flickering TV screen, watching as Kagome slept with the crystalline tears still rolling down her face.
"Sorry we ruined it for you" Matsuda murmured quietly after a few moments, twiddling his thumbs. He glanced up to see L gazing longingly at the monitor. It was heart-wrenching, Matsuda had to admit, to watch. It was like those TV dramas but in real life. It wasn't nearly as amusing witnessing it first-hand.
--
L watched as the names of Kira's latest victims appeared on the TV screen, his eyes flicking over each name without much thought until Matsuda jumped to his feet and forced L to scroll up.
Morinami Ayumu - Kasuragi Daisuke - Higurashi Kagome - Hashimi Katashi
L froze, the sugar cube slipping from his fingers and clattering on the tile floor beneath his chair.
Higurashi Kagome.
"Oh" he muttered, his face strangely void of emotion.
The shinigami is after you.
"I'm not Kira!" she shouted, "Why won't you listen to me! I've told you over and over again, I'm not Kira!"
"I really love you, you know that?" she laughed, the tears falling anew. "I really, really, really love you. Even now, with you ripping my heart to shreds with every passing moment, I love you."
Kira Victims: Higurashi Kagome.
...Higurashi Kagome...
"...oh..."
Owari