Rejuvenation

Summary: Body shaking, heavy breathing. As he stared into his parents' dead eyes, Sayu broke the silence. "Aaaah!!" He'd kill the murderer. But will he find out his name and face before he comes for Sayu and Raito? For once, Kira was helpless.

Genre: Romance/Drama/Hurt/Comfort

Pairing: L X LIGHT !

Notes: In this story, the original story goes up to the handcuffed part and L doesn't die! The investigation team arrests Mikami and L declares the case solved…I know it sounds stupid but for the sake of this story, this takes place right after Mikami was arrested, but the month is sometime a few days before Christmas.

A/N: 10th chapter anniversary! Whoot! I'm very very pleased with the feedback so far… almost 100 reviews! MWAH - HAH, so happy! Well, here's the new chapter… I somehow think this story will surpass the 'oh, it will only be about 10 chapters long' … LOL, sorry. It'll most likely be 20 chapters.. O.O … Sorry for taking so long again - but Merry Christmas ).

Warnings: Yaoi, 'Mentally Ill L', Traumatized Light, Possible Sexual Scenes (Yaoi), homosexual fluff, coarse language, sexuality, etc.

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Rejuvenation - Chapter 10: Sweet

The man stood there, tall and dark. If it hadn't been the sadistic look on his face, he would also be handsome, as his son was. In alleyway, dark, shaded by the shadows in the night, he grinned at the young man who stood before him, hands behind his back. The young man who stood his ground against him, his white shirt shining against the light of the moon, blue jeans covering half his foot and his heels, which were, bare, as usual looked less nervous than expected. Wind ruffled L's hair, and a chill seeped through his clothing into his body. He shivered.

"O-oto-san…" his lips formed each syllable of the word carefully, whispering silvery soft, carried to the older mans' ears by the wind.

"L-kun," the man said with a evil smile. "It's been a long time, son."

"O-oto-san…" L again repeated slowly. He wanted so desperately to retreat, to step back or run away, but his heart and feet did not respond. The older man let a tear roll out of his right eye and down his cheek. A single tear, glistening in the starlight. He pulled from behind him, a knife in his right hand. A red-alert warning filled L's body, as his body finally gave in to L's mind's commands. Taking a small step back, his faced paled as he realized, he was against a stone cold wall. There was no escaping this terrible scene. His father took a full step forward, knife hanging limply by his side. "L-kun… forgive me…" he whispered.

White.

L saw nothing but white. A white wall. A white ceiling. White curtains, waving from the breeze outside. A cold breeze. Prying his eyes open, the room he slept in was illuminated by the moonlight, pouring in from open curtains. Terror struck his body - was he sleeping in the same white room in which he had seen his deceased mother and father, his missing - possibly dead - brother and sister? Sitting up quickly, he saw he was not in the house at all. On his right was an odd looking machine, which displayed a screen with a heart monitor going on at a steady pace. Looking at his right arm, he realized he was hooked up to it.

He was in a hospital.

Sighing, the young detective rest his back against the head board, and pulled his knees up to his chest.

"L, you're awake." came a masculine but gentle voice. Turning to his left, sitting by the large picture window was Light, faint black rings around his eyes, as if they were insulting the older detectives raccoon eyes.

"Raito-kun… what… happened…?" L said, more slowly than he intended. He didn't mean to sound so weak.

"You mean… after….?" Light mumbled in response, unsure if it was a wise subject to bring up. His fingers trembled in the chill of the night, so he got up silently and edged the window closed, the fluttering white blinds coming to a halt.

"Yes, I mean after that… event." L said, looking for the word thoughtfully, choosing the word carefully. Light sighed. "You fainted," he explained easily. "When you fainted, I tried waking you up, but you wouldn't. Your breathing became very shallow, so I called an ambulance."

L growled at his self in his head. How could he allow himself to be so weak? "I see…" he said, a grim look on his face. Who were those people? …they couldn't have been my family. Were they imposters? … no, I'd recognize that look on Mother's face, any day…

Light continued. "When we got to the hospital, your breathing had gone shallower. The doctors took you away, told me to wait, and wouldn't tell me what happened. A few hours later, they told me that something within you had hurt you, but they couldn't tell what. It had knocked you out -- sort of winded you from inside. They said you'd be slipping in and out of life until it remained at either dead or alive state." Light said softly. L's eyes widened ever so softly. All he had done was see his 'parents and siblings' and faint. "How could that have happened if all I did was faint?" L asked him, staring out the window.

Light frowned. "Like I told you. They said it was something internal."

- - - - - - - - - - -

L's Point Of View

I could hear faint speech, but it was blurred. My usually sharp ears weren't working for me today, while L talked to the reception people and paid the hospital bill. Raito-kun told me that I had been in the hospital for 2 days. Although Raito would never admit it, there was a 87 percent chance of him, being a bit mad at me inside. Here was Raito Yagami, a young, genius detective in training, his parents slain and sister kidnapped. He had only 20 days left, and here I was, fainting and nearly dying on him. Some friend I am.

I was sitting in one of the comfortable white chairs waiting for Raito to finish. I felt unusually impatient, which was odd. My right ear was itchy, and there was a heavy weight on my chest like I was riding an amusement park ride. One moment, my breathing was shallow, and the next it was okay. I notified the doctors about it, they checked me out, but said I was fine. I really didn't feel so sure, but I needed to proceed home and help Raito and the Investigation Team figure this out.

- - - - - - -

Light's Point of View

We're sitting in the cab now. It's a little after 1am, so it surprised me that all the cabs weren't all taken up by young Japanese people, teens coming home drunk or high from parties. I regret somewhat that I was never able to be one of these people - - the ones who live life without care, the ones who sit in super-charged cars or dance to trance, pouring out of large speakers, bass pounding. But I realize I am not one who is cut out for life like that. A party or two here, but then my mind would take over, and it would bring me home to sit down at my desk and study. L's staring at me intently. I noticed earlier he was sort of twitching, now he seems to have taken an interest in my face, or he's looking past me and out the window and the Tokyo city night life, the one I could have had.

But no. In exchange for a happy, party life, I took on the path of a genius college student, detective in training. I took on the path of the one trying to find out who killed his parents, who's taken his sister hostage, and where his best friends' siblings have gone.

What a lonely, and tragic life this is.

- - - - - - - -

Regular Point of View

Light and L arrived at the house in promptly 10 minutes. Pushing the door open, Light allowed L to step in before him. Following the older man inside the house, he shut the door with his leg and kicked off his snow-littered shoes. The house was light, so the investigation team was surely inside. 30 seconds following L kicking off his shoes, Mogi, Matsuda, Aizawa, and Ukita all rushed to L, faces excited but at the same time serious.

"Ryuuzaki! You're okay?" Aizawa asked, out of breath from dashing towards the door. As the grown men all crowded around Ryuuzaki, Light held up his hands in a 'back off' gesture. "Give him air, guys…" he muttered with a dark look. The investigation team backed off a little, and watched L trek up the stairs and onto the main floor into the living room. L took a seat in a snow white arm chair and pressed a hand against his sweaty forehead, which made no sense because it was cold outside and room temperature inside.

"I'm not feeling too well," L said, his onyx eyes dull with exhaustion. "I'll be sleeping a bit earlier tonight. Goodnight." he told them. The investigation team watched his retreating back with worry. This was not like L. Not at all.

Laying in his bed, L stared at the ceiling, forehead and face sweaty, eyes tired, breathing through his mouth heavily. He was as tired as when he played tennis against Light - and lost. What's wrong with me… L thought, the words even in his head sounded tired, like he was using every last ounce of strength to think them. If… this is going to be the… way I think in my head.… how am I to help with the Investigation?

Then it hit him.

"Raito-kun.……..!!!!!" L yelled at the top of his lungs. "Raito!" Light came dashing up the stairs and pounded into the room. "What is it, L?"

"I now know why I am so tired." L nodded to him. Light looked interested, and stared at him, waiting for him to speak. "Go on…" Light said, when L didn't speak.

"Well, that depends, do you want to help me get better?"

"No matter what it takes."

"I haven't had sweets in 2 days!" he exclaimed, quite out of character. Light was startled by the yelling, and he jumped back. The look on L's face told him everything. "What would you like me to go get you…?"

L smiled longingly before gunning off the long list of sweets, starting with a package of 1000 sugar cubes to compliment his tea…

- - - - - - - - -

When Light left, L felt a bit guilty. Sure, to get him up and running again, he would need his sweets, and that's exactly what the investigation team needed.

But the truth was, there was a reason he wanted Light to go.

Unlike L, Light was distracting. The smart, cunning brains underneath the pretty boy image. His Auburn, almost copper hair arranged on his head without much effort, the dark colored suit contrasting against his deep skin, brown eyes warm but small. L possessed very little beauty within him - shaggy black hair, ghost like skin, onyx eyes to match his hair. Skinny, athletic only tennis. The same outfit everyday; long-sleeved white shirt that did nothing for the tone of his skin, and blue jeans. L would never, however, admit that he had the same outfit lined up in a row in his closet. No, he did not wear the same clothing everyday: L valued hygiene. So, he simply bought 6 copies of the same outfit.

Light was handsome. More so than L, and L could admit that. But it was the attractiveness, the brains, the attitude. Everything about Light.

- And it was driving L crazy.

Shaking the thoughts off his head, L growled and laid back onto the headboard, pulling his knees up to his chest. He rolled his eyes at himself, and huffed. Throwing the warm covers off his self, he stepped off the bed, his exhaustion catching up with him. At that moment, L's sensitive ears detected the door opening, and unlike the other men in the house, it was shut quietly. He knew that it was Light.

Walking hastily down the stairs to greet the young genius and his sweets, sweat rolled down L's brow. How can I be sweating from simply walking, L thought to himself in disgust. This is disgraceful. I may be underweight but I'm healthier than that. He rounded the corner to see Light, fresh snowflakes nestled in his hair, the tips melting. He looked like a wet puppy. A really light wet puppy - sort of the opposite to what L looked like when he came in from the snow.

Light would drive L crazy before the investigation even started.

Great.

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Disgusting Chapter - I'm sorry ( … I tried keeping this chapter light-hearted since it's Christmas but geez. Forgive me, and try to enjoy this chapter.

x.chibininja