Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or any of the characters. I have no money so please don't sue me.

Warning: LxLight, Mpreg, OOCness, Rated M for adult content, very dark themes later in the story, sex, nudity and language. Please, no flames. You have been forewarned of the story's contents.

Tears In The Cradle

By Pain's Disciple

Co-written with UnderneathTheRose

Chapter Four: It All Begins

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One month later at promptly three thirty p.m., Light announced he was tired. "I can barely keep my eyes open. Please, let me sleep." He then put his head on his desk. Ryuzaki, who did regret forcing him to stay up so late into the morning hours, laid a hand onto his shoulder for comfort.

"One more hour."

"NO. NO. I need sleep." He turned his head away from the other and snuggled his face into his arms. "I'll be really quiet."

Ryuzaki was about to poke at him hard in the side when Watari, who was replacing his trey of sweets, fake coughed for his attention. "You should let the boy sleep. He has been fatigued all week. No to mention he's so young, his body just isn't use to your patterns and bad habits. It's beginning to take a toll. Allow him a few hours."

Ryuzaki looked back at Light who was sound asleep. "Perhaps I do work him too hard." He stood, and lifted the light weight boy in his arms bridal style. Light didn't wake, instead he turned his head toward the warmth of Ryuzaki's chest. Ryuzaki paid no attention as he carried him up the stairs into the bedroom where he lightly laid the boy on the bed.

He'll get mad, He thought. But he shouldn't sleep in these clothes. After removing the chain, and careful not to wake him, Ryuzaki undressed the teen, replacing the nice dress clothes with a pair of warm striped pajama pants with a matching shirt he knew Light would like, then quickly changed himself into a pair of clean jeans, and crawled into the bed with his laptop. Just because Light was tired, didn't mean he couldn't finish his work.

The case was as cold as ice now and Light seemed to never want to help as he was too busy complaining of being kept awake at all hours of the night. Truth was, Light was not being kept awake. It seemed lately that the boy tired just from brushing his teeth or walking down the steps. He was always complaining. The first week of this he assumed Light was doing it on purpose, trying to get back at Ryuzaki for their one night stand by delaying the case, but now Ryuzaki wondered if the damned kid was getting enough exercise. Sometimes lack in physical activity could bring on fatigue, making one tired and irritable, especially if one was used to constant activity, and Light was an athletic boy.

Although the problems didn't cease there. Light constantly complained of being too hot or too cold or more recently, Matsuda smelling. Oh it wasn't always Matsuda. Sometimes it was Ryuzaki sometimes it was Aizawa or Soichiro. Funny how it could never be Light. The boy had complained just a week ago that he could no longer live with the smell of Ryuzaki's feet. Ryuzaki had smelled his feet and they were fine, freshly washed with strawberry and mango shower jell. Then Light decided his father asking him to call his mother once and while to be a personal insult against his maturity. Breaking down into tears he informed everyone that he was constipated the last few days and no one even gave a damn.

Well.

How very interesting.

But as interesting as it was, Ryuzaki vowed from then on to cover his ears whenever Light decided he needed to make a personal announcement to everyone.

Speaking of the devil, Light suddenly began to toss and turn back and forth between his right and left sides, groaning. Ryuzaki was forced to scoot further away to work.

"D-don't…" Light mumbled in his sleep, throwing himself flat on his back, trembling and beginning to sweat. Ryuzaki starred at him curiously. "Dad don't do this!"

A pinch a guilt wrapped itself around Ryuzaki's heart, knowing he was responsible for that dream. To put a gun to Light's head was all his idea and in the end, it solved nothing.

"Please, Im not Kira…Dad don't!" His eyes fell to the boy's feet that were kicking profusely, bouncing the bed and sending blankets to the end. The state he was in was growing worse, worrying the older detective who had no idea what to do. Light had nightmares before that would wake Ryuzaki in the night from the boy's whimpering or shaking, but this loud screaming was taking the cake.

To protect the laptop from destruction he laid it down on the floor then turned to the still thrashing around teenager.

"Light…I do not know how to help you. I'm afraid if I do what I usually do, you may get angry considering how lately you have come to hate me."

The boy's response was a fresh tear and rough trembling. In a broken voice he whispered, "Please… I don't want to die Dad…Please.." Those eight words ripped out Ryuzaki's heart. How ever did Soichiro manage the courage to look into Light's chocolate eyes while holding a gun to his forehead?

Light's anger be damned. He grabbed the blankets straightening them back out laying them on top of them both, then wrapped his arms around Light's whole body, protectively cuddling him.

"Shhhh" He coed into the boy's ear. "Shhhhhh Light. Shh."

Light's thrashing stopped immediately yet he continued to shake and shiver as if he were cold. Ryuzaki knew better. Light was trembling from fear. He decided that for now, he would blame it all on Light's high IQ. Sometimes it was too easy to forget that Light was not an adult, but a teenager. Especially if Light weren't Kira. If that was the case he pondered if Light would suffer from any mental damage when everything was said and done. Maybe he would get the boy a psychologist. Someone he could talk to without the feeling of being judged.

"Mmm, Ryu..Ryuzaki?" Oh no. He was awake.

Ryuzaki didn't move. He tightened his grip on Light, pulling him closer if it was possible. "You were having a nightmare."

Light's eyes fluttered open but did not look like welcoming eyes when they landed on the one holding him so close.

"Don't be angry with me Light. I was only helping." He waited for the screaming or the slapping or the shouting of him being a pervert to come and blast his ear drums. The only thing the boy did was push him and the blankets off as fast as he could. Then catching Ryuzaki off guard, he began to undress, shredding first his shirt, then his pants.

"Light, not that I want you to stop or anything, but what are you doing?"

"It's too hot in here. Don't you think so Ryuzaki?"

"No. The temperature is exactly 71 degrees. Considering the weather outside you should be comfortable Light."

"Well I'm not." He snapped. He then got out of the bed going into the bathroom to leave Ryuzaki in a state of bewilderment.

The curiosity is what pushed him on his feet, but it was the anger that caused him to open the bathroom door on Light. "Are you okay?"

"What the hell are you doing you bastard?" Blood rushed to the teen's cheeks, who was currently attempting to pee.

"I believe what I am doing is called making sure that you're alright. But it seems you're fine. Just as bitchy and annoying as ever."

"Get out! You can't watch me pee!"

Ryuzaki shut the door. "Damn little brat. See if I ever do that again." He gathered up his laptop and opened the night stand drawer to recover his stashed licorice.

"And you may have the entire room to yourself!" He yelled at the bathroom door. "I however have no intentions of spending the night babysitting you. Sleep, pee, have nightmares. I don't care!"

"I never asked you to care!"

"Well, don't! I wont help you. Oh and your percentage just went up. I hope you are satisfied."

Not bothering to wait for a response he left the room making damn sure to slam the door behind him. Light was either sick, mentally retarded, or just mad and trying to make his life so miserable that he will finally break down and commit suicide. Well Ryuzaki had news for the brat. He was not going to be broken! He took much worse from his preteen successors. He could handle anything that kid wanted to dish out.

Practically slamming his laptop on the kitchen counter, he pulled out a licorice stick form the pack and chewed down viciously not caring a bit that Watari was smiling at him from the door way, having been woken from all the shouting. He said ever so politely, "He's quite pretty when he is angry, isn't he?"

Mentally, and only mentally, did Ryuzaki agree.

~*~

One week later, Light sat looking over an old list of criminals. Everyone would be arriving soon yet Ryuzaki had not come out of wherever it was he had been spending his nights, which were not with Light in the bedroom. He knew Ryuzaki was more than likely was still angry with him. He had not placed the chain back on and with out actually saying it, Light knew he now had permission to be in a room by himself as long as he never left the building. He also knew that the missing chain just meant Ryuzaki was trying to avoid a fight, which was all the two ever did anymore.

He also knew it was all mostly his own fault, but he couldn't help it if he was getting sick. Which was the only explanation for things, like his sensitive smell and his mood swings. He didn't mean to blow up on people or break down into tears over spilling his coffee. He was just too tired lately and worn out. Too much stress and over working. That so called genius bastard just had to have his case solved no matter what. Light honesty wouldn't put it past the sleaze if he planted false evidence on suspects. Seriously. And he was wearing Light down to nothing. But Light missed the chain, that feeling of being connected with someone and knowing they would always be there because, well, the chain kept them there.

Suddenly, Light realized he was going to be sick. He covered his mouth, and took off to the bathroom only to drop to his knees and sling his head down into the toilet bowl where his stomach tightened, convulsed, and upchucked everything inside.

Dizziness swept over him, causing him to sway a little. He dropped his head down on the cool toilet bowl feeling like if he moved he would throw up his organs one at a time.

Make that two at a time.

Tensing and sweaty, his body prepared itself, then vomited again.

"Want me to call a doctor?" Ryuzaki asked apathetically as he appeared out of nowhere in the doorway.

"NO. It's probably just the fl --" Light upchucked once more, his hands gripping the side of the bowl for support, his body beginning to tremble.

"What me to call your father?"

Light shook his head miserably keeping part of his face in the bowl, not willing to show Ryuzaki his unfocused gaze.

"No. He'll only worry himself."

The older man took in the image of the boy in front of him. Dressed in a rather nice business suit with a matching red tie, he kneeled on his knees on the floor with his face half in the white toilet bowl and sweat matting his auburn hair against his forehead, he vomited once again.

"If you think you won't be able to work today, let me know now. I need to give one of the others your share of the work. This case is following a part. At this rate we will never catch Kira."

Is that all you care about? Light thought as what felt like his kidney came up his throat and out of his mouth leaving a horrible acid after taste around his tongue.

Ryuzaki grew bored and left Light alone with is vomiting.

Standing, Light wiped his mouth and gripped the sink for support. Fine, whatever. Stay mad Ryuzaki. I don't need you anyways. I'm an adult. He pulled his toothbrush from the cabinet, brushing the gross taste of his mouth before joining the rest of the team.

Around lunch time, not only was he bored but he was practically starving to death. When he had asked for breakfast Ryuzaki had simply told him to eat one of his cupcakes. The last time Light attempted this daring act he thought he would lose an eye, a finger, and his motor skills. No way in hell was he attempting that again even with the sugar eater's permission this time. He'd rather starve. Besides, he didn't want a cupcake. He wanted Sushi. Maybe some pickles on the side, but Ryuzaki wouldn't let him have breakfast.

"You'll only puke it right back up." He had told him. "Drink some water to settle your stomach. I'll have Watari bring a bowl of hot soup in for lunch."

Well now it was lunch time and the crazy ass detective was attempting to force them to work through lunch. How would they survive without food?

"Unless you want me to pass out, I suggest you allow me some lunch."

"Do you still feel nauseous Light?" The older man asked with out manners enough to bother to look from his laptop to the teen.

Used to the apathetic, uncaring detective, Light shook his head. "I feel great now. Tomato soup sounds good. Matsuda should run down to the deli across the street and bring back lunch for everyone."

This caught Matsuda's attention. For the past several hours he had been just as bored as Light from going over the same information over and over again. "Oh that's a great idea! I'm starving!" Matsuda threw his file down running off to get his coat.

Without looking up once, Ryuzaki replied how Matsuda was working on rechecking the schedules of all the university students of Japan, hoping to catch something they might have missed, and rudely told Matsuda to retake his seat. "You are not going anywhere. Light will have to wait until supper."

"You can stay mad at me all you want Ryuzaki, but you can not starve me! You can not let me go an entire day without eating."

"Fine. What would you like Light?"

"Sushi. And we all know you're rich so get the best Sushi around. Not from a stupid deli. "

Ryuzaki's eye twitched rapidly. He ordered supper for them all, and paid for it all, although paying for it wasn't what irritated him the most. What was the most frustrating part was how in between each person's order, Light wanted to add, subtract, or change items to his own order. He finally decided on Miso soup with a side dish of Wakame salad. Ryuzaki thought finally he was in the clear, but nooo. After the food was delivered, Light decided he wanted a bite of what everyone was eating. Having Light poke his finger into his mashed potatoes pissed Ryuzaki off royally.

"What? I can not take a small bite? You don't even like normal food. You eat desserts and candy. Why do you care if I have a bite of mashed potatoes? I like foreign food."

"Because they are MY mashed potatoes! The least you could have done was used a fork."

"You use a fork Ryuzki?"

"That's not the point!"

Light didn't say a word, not one word when he stuck his pre-licked finger once again into Ryuzaki's mashed potatoes, and smiled oh so sweetly.

~*~

It was a few nights later before Ryuzaki felt like it was safe enough to sleep with the oddly temperamental teen again, and Light was being so great about keeping close to Ryuzaki with out the nuisance of the metal chain that he decided to keep it off. Not to mention the fact Light was vomiting more frequently. It was true that Light was sick, but the flu or a stomach virus, after some research, he learned was not the cause. They both of course could bring on fatigue, tiredness, vomiting, constipation, sensitivity to smell and dizziness, but that did not explain his sensitivity to touch, his moodiness or his sudden new clingy attitude.

Needless to say, Ryuzaki was becoming concerned.

Just moments ago, before Light had talked him into letting him sleep, Light spent two solid hours in the bathroom vomiting. Ryuzaki did manage two more hours of work, but the sound of Light retching was just so distracting.

When it was finally all over, the boy crawled into the bed next to Ryuzaki cuddling up close. He looked pale and in the worst state the detective had ever seen him. Ryuzaki had a weird feeling to protect the boy, to make him feel better. So he e-mailed Watari asking for him to bring up a trey of white crackers and juice to help settle Light's stomach.

When they arrived, Light ate one or two, but Ryuzaki had to gain help from Watari to make him eat the rest. How peculiar. One minute Light is so hungry he's eating everything and anything he can get his murderous hands onto, the next he is refusing to eat. Up and down. Everything with Light lately was fluctuating.

"You do not feel feverish, but I'd like to make sure. When you finish your juice we will take your temperature to check."

"I don't know why you're pretending to care all of a sudden." Light said, his juice cup making loud slurping noise as he drained it of it's contents.

"I'm not pretending. Did you not believe me when I said that you were my first ever friend?"

"No." Was the deadpan answer.

Ryuzaki was shocked. Light believed him to be a liar? "I am not a dishonest man Light."

The boy began laughing so hard the bed shook ever so slightly. "Oh yes you are. You deceive people every day. You may catch the bad guys, which I admit Ryuzaki, you are pretty amazing at doing. BUT. You are dishonest. Like a crooked cop. And I'm not saying that because of my feelings."

Those words stung Ryuzaki in a way he never felt. It wasn't as if he concerned himself with Light's, or anyone elses, opinion of him. Most didn't care for his apathetic and weird appetite for sweets but none had ever called him something as low as a "crooked cop". But to call him something so vial? Was it true? Could it be? NO. His methods were a little unorthodox but he was not a crooked cop. He didn't gain anything from capturing criminals but his paycheck, and his evidence and deductions were always correct......weren't they?

Ryuzaki growled annoyed. Why was he letting some little brat get to him! Light didn't know anything, he was a criminal himself!

" Goodnight Light." He turned away from the teen, snuggling under the blanket and trying to sleep. Let the boy take of himself. He was a big boy was he not?

Light laid his cup back on the trey on the floor and snuggled under the blanket feeling horrible. He didn't think it was possible, but maybe he actually hurt Ryuzaki's feelings. Gently, Light laid an arm over the older man and tried to pull him close, however Ryuzaki's body was stiff with anger and pulled away. The boy let his arm drop back next to his own body, biting his lip. Don't cry, he scolded mentally. Don't. He'll make fun of you if you do. It'll make things worse. His eyes didn't listen. They squeezed out a few tears until his cheeks were streaked with the salty liquid and hiccups were on the way. He squeezed his eyes tight and tried to sleep, to forget about it. It didn't really matter.

Before long, he was asleep, leaving the room with only the sound of soft breathing from them both.

In the middle of the night, Ryuzaki felt Light stumble out of bed like there was a fire. Opening his eyes, he saw Light running into the bathroom. Ryuzaki slowely got up, his body stiff and not at all in the mood to deal with what he knew was happening in the bathroom. When he reached his destination, he leaned in the doorway quietly as he watched his suspect regurgitate crackers and juice into the white toilet bowl. He cringed realizing he was the one who forced the damned brat to eat the crackers.

"Light? Are you alright?"

The boy who was literally sitting on the floor, arms wrapped around the bowl with his legs spread out like a two year old because he just had no strength to sit up on his knees, shook his head so slowly Ryuzaki almost didn't catch it.

"Ryu...Ryuzaki...I do-" Was all he could manage to say before he threw up again.

Ryuzaki sighed and walked to the boy kneeling down beside him. "I'm right here for you." He began to rub the boy's back hoping to sooth him. "Take your time and then I'll carry you back."

Light lifted his head. With half lidded eyes he apologized for waking Ryuzaki from his sleep that he rarely got.

"Dont worry about that right now." He said as he moved himself behind the boy, pulling him between his legs and letting him lean back against his chest to relax.

It wasn't long before Light began to cry softly.

"I don't want to be sick anymore." He whined. "I'm tired of vomiting." Ryuzaki ran his hands through Light's auburn hair. It was messy, and drenched with sweat.

He whispered in the boy's ear, "I know, I know. I'll get Watari to notify your father, and to arrange a personal visit to the doctor."

"No. No doctor. Leave my dad alone. He'll only worry over me. He doesn't need the stress."

"Alright. I am still calling my personal doctor."

"No. Please. It's just the flue or something."

"Even Watari doubts that Light."

"But he'll touch me and give me a shot and put cold things on my body.."

Ryuzaki chuckled softly. Any anger or frustration or annoyance he had with Light diminished, and was replaced with amusement and concern. "I'll make sure it's a girl then."

Light was far too tired to care about making any remark. He didn't protest either when the detective lifted him up in his arms and carried back to the bed like a child.

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