I'm sorry for not posting a chapter yesterday, but I left the house early and went to the movies with my best friend, and returned very late. The chapter wasn't ready, it was missing a few details, and I didn't want to post something so incomplete. Anyway, here it is.

As a suggestion from Cursa, the best beta reader ever, I looked up the japanese equivalent of Creator, and found the word Sozoumeshi. From this chapter on (And sometime I shall go back to correct the others), instead of Creator I will use the word Sozoumeshi. XD

There's also a new separation between points of view, you'll see it. It was confusing to have them all mushed together, so I've begun to separate them (I'll also correct that in earlier chapters... someday).

I wonder... Did I have to clear up anything else...? Oh, yeah! I hope you like Frank Sinatra... I was in a Sinatra mood today and just HAD to add the song... You'll see what I'm talking about later on...

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"Mom, can I bring a friend over after school?" Lewis asked at breakfast.

"Sure." Mother answered, smiling at him. "Who is it? Have I heard of him before?"

"Or is it a girl?" Uncle Matt asked, leaning on the table to get closer to him. "If it is a girl, I can give you advice. I know lots about women... and I got that knowledge from experience." He winked at Lewis.

"Stop being such a liar, Uncle Matt. There is one girl you like, and she is completely oblivious of your intentions. I'm sure I could do better than that." Uncle Matt gave him a murderous look, but Lewis answered with an angelic smile.

"Really? Is there a girl you like?" Mother asked Uncle Matt, surprised. Lewis couldn't help noticing the slight blush on her cheeks, and how she knocked over her cup of coffee. So obvious.

"Yeah… but she doesn't like me back. As Lewis said, she's completely oblivious." Uncle Matt answered as he used a paper towel to clean up the mess, his hands shaking a little.

"Honestly, you two…" Lewis whispered, as he stood up, leaving the kitchen to go wash his teeth and grab his backpack.

Today, it was Uncle Matt's turn to drive him to school.

"Am I… am I really that obvious?" Uncle Matt asked, his face growing red, and lighting a cigarette. They were almost at Wammy's House.

"Yep. However, she seems completely lost in space, but so are you, Uncle Matt." Lewis answered, tired with the situation. "It's obvious she returns your feelings."

Uncle Matt almost choked on his cigarette. In fact, he almost swallowed it. Lewis tried to hide a smile at his uncle's expression, but it was no use.

"Do you really think so?" Uncle Matt asked, surprised. Lewis nodded.

"Yes, I think so. You both are impressive. I can't believe you don't notice." Lewis crossed his arms over his chest and stared straight ahead.

Uncle Matt sighed but said nothing. At last, they got to Wammy's House and, as he got out, Lewis said:

"You should make a move soon, Uncle Matt. I've been hearing Victor's name too much these days." He winked at his uncle and ran through the gate.

It was a lie. His mother had mentioned Victor, her classmate, just once. However, someone had to get them moving. She was too shy on these matters, and Uncle Matt too cautious. These adults…

A boy met him at the door.

"Hello, Jeevs." He smiled. It was Lewis' best friend, Josh. He was the boy that had teased him and whom he'd given a bloody nose in his first day. Strangely enough, in spite of that, or probably because of that, they had become best friends. Josh was twelve, and much taller than Lewis. He had light-brown hair and golden eyes, along with a big mouth that seemed permanently fixed in a mocking expression. Before Lewis got there, Josh had been the top student at the orphanage Now, they had a fiery competition inside the classroom and a strong friendship outside it. They understood each other perfectly, and were a great team.

Josh called Lewis 'Lewis' at first, just like everyone else. However, he soon grew tired of it and began calling him Jeevas, which soon evolved into 'Jeevs'.

"Hey, Josh." Lewis returned the greeting and smiled broadly. "Wanna come over to my house tomorrow after class? You can stay the weekend."

Josh was surprised. He had been in the orphanage ever since he was three years old, and since then, he'd never been in another house. He nodded dumbly and said:

"Sure. Why not?"

He was curious about life somewhere else, family life, if he'd fit in. He really liked Lewis, but he admitted to himself, in the bleak hours of dawn, that he was a little jealous of him. What Josh wanted most in the world was a home to return to, somewhere he would be hugged protectively and lovingly. Lewis had it, and Josh craved one just like that so much, it sometimes scared him.

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Matt thought about it. Maybe Lewis was right… Maybe he should make a move. The idea that some Victor could come and… It was too horrible to even think about. He would do better to come up with an idea to make sure she wouldn't reject him or something… He didn't want to mess up their friendship, it would be too uncomfortable. Therefore, he would probably…

"Matt! Are you listening?" She pulled on his arm. "You already drove past Wammy's House."

"Damn! Sorry!" He said, coming back down to Earth. He had been so deep in thought, he hadn't noticed where he was going. He drove around the block one more time.

It was Friday Evening, around five o-clock. The sun's rays illuminated the world lazily and bathed everything in molten gold. Slowly, they were beginning to fade, and the dark blanket of night began to cover the world. Matt gave Nilla a sideways glance and smiled. She was eating the world with her big eyes wide open and an awed smile on her face.

At last, Matt stopped in front of the orphanage. Lewis and Josh were already at the gate with their stuff. Nilla and Matt got out of the car and greeted them.

"Hi! What's your name?" Nilla asked Josh kindly.

"I'm Josh. Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Jeevas." Josh said, blushing a little.

"Mrs. Jeevas! I like how that sounds!" Matt thought, smiling to himself, and was surprised when he heard Nilla say the exact same thing out loud.

"Wait… You like it? What do you mean by that?" Matt asked, turning to her so fast his neck actually hurt. Could it be… it was her way of telling him she…?

"I like how Jeevas sounds. That's all." She answered innocently, and Matt felt someone had poured cold water on him. He picked up the boys' bags and put them in the trunk.

They got home and Lewis showed Josh the room they had prepared just for him while Nilla and Matt prepared dinner. Matt liked cooking, in fact, he was an excellent cook. Nilla still made mistakes, but he managed to spot them and correct them, guiding her until, together, they created a delicious meal.

Today, they were preparing spaghetti. Matt gave her directions and she obeyed, as always, but something felt different. She looked… Less cheery.

"Are you ok?" Matt asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. She flinched.

"Yeah, I'm all right. Why wouldn't I be?" she smiled at him and he saw 'LIE!' written all over her face.

"You're lying." He said quietly, slightly hurt that she wouldn't tell him. All these years, they had shared everything, except of course, their love lives. Yet, there was something bothering her and she wouldn't tell him what.

"I'm fine, Matt. I just…" she sighed. "I guess I'm just tired."

He knew her enough to realise this was a half-truth.

"Tired of what?" he pressed on.

She looked up at him, her eyes shining grey. That meant she was saddened by something.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you. I… I think that, if you knew, you'd be too uncomfortable, and that's something I really don't want."

Matt thought about this for a second. How could she make him uncomfortable?

"I don't know what it is, but I hate to see you worry." He said at last. He stroked her hair gently, and smiled down at her. "I can't think of a single thing you could say or do that would make me uncomfortable." He bent down and kissed her forehead.

When he looked into her eyes again, he was surprised at the change that came over them. They were green… a beautiful, shiny green. This meant she was as happy as she could get.

"Hang on… What did I do that was so special she became this happy?" he wondered. "I only stroked her hair and kissed her forehe…" His brain suddenly seemed jammed in neutral as the truth dawned on him. Then, it began running a thousand miles a second. "Lewis was right! I mean, she's… Oh my God, I need to sit down…"

"Matt? Matt, are you all right? Matt?" She was shaking his arm lightly. He gave her a huge smile.

"I'm more than fine, I just felt dizzy for a moment. Let's finish this."

They began to cook. He supervised the sauce while she watched over the spaghetti. At last, it was ready. Still, he didn't really care, he wasn't really paying attention. He was wondering how to make his move, since if he did something now it wouldn't be too romantic… Much less with two hungry kids upstairs… but he felt like dancing!

While she set the table, he went to the living room and put on a Frank Sinatra CD. He pressed forward until he got to the song he was looking for, turned the volume up and went back to the dining room.

"I've got you… Under my skin…" he sang along with Sinatra. "I've got you deep in the heart of me… So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me… I've got you under my skin…" He grabbed Nilla and began to twirl her around. She laughed, saying:

"What's come over you? Who are you and what did you do with Matt?"

"Come on! Have fun!" He tickled her a little and went to the kitchen for the pot of spaghetti. Nilla called Lewis and Josh down to dinner, and all the while, Matt kept singing along.

"I would sacrifice anything come what might
For the sake of having you near
In spite of the warning voice that comes in the night
And repeats how it yells in my ear
Don't you know, little fool
You never can win
Why not use your mentality
Step up, wake up to reality
But each time I do just the thought of you
Makes me stop just before I begin
'Cause I've got you under my skin
Yes, I've got you under my skin…"

Nilla just laughed,

"You know, Matt? I love you, but your singing's dreadful." She smiled teasingly.

"I don't care." He answered, and served the spaghetti as the boys sat down. "You know you like me anyway."

I gasped.

"Rem!" I whispered urgently. "What did that mean? What were you doing there? And what's this about a notebook of death?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as low as possible. I was at the park, and it was the day after Higuchi was killed. Lawliett had learnt about the Death Note and the Shinigami. I also had a serious talk with him and told him all about the Sozoumeshi. He asked many questions, but I couldn't tell if he was repelled by me or not. In the morning, he sent me out to buy more chocolate since he'd run out. Rem followed me, and we ended at the park.

"I was there because I haunt the notebook. I have to be close to it, and Higuchi had it. That notebook is the tool Shinigami use to kill people." Rem answered, but I already knew that.

"You're hiding information from me, Rem. That's not fair, since I've hidden no information from you at all." I frowned. "I suspect many things right now, and I don't like it. That's why I…" I looked at her with pleading eyes. "I want you to promise… You won't kill L."

Rem gasped, and then shook her head.

"I promise." She whispered, then smiled bitterly. "So you've found someone too? I'd warn you to be careful. Throughout the ages, Sozoumeshi that have fallen in love with humans have faced only misfortune. I hope it'll be different for you."

"Thank you, Rem. Let's go back." I slipped my arm through hers and began to walk out of the park.

"Wait." Rem said suddenly, "There's something I must tell you."

"What is it?" I asked, puzzled.

"If someone writes your name in the Death Note, you won't die. However, if the person is stronger than you, he or she will be able to absorb your Sozoumeshi powers without their restrictions, and you'll become human. That will only happen if you're exhausted, so do your best not to overwork, and sleep outside every full moon." She began moving again.

"What?" I whispered, but she wad already gone back to headquarters. I stood there, thinking, for a second, then a chill went down my spine. To have Kira become a Sozoumeshi… If he was trying to become a god, and he gained my long life, it would be a horrible disaster.

I shook my head violently. I simply would have to be careful, and use the powers to a minimum. That meant no singing, no music no creating of any kind until L caught Kira. After that…

I went back to headquarters, deep in thought.

"Nilla-san… Please come here." L called. I stood up and obeyed. He was at the main research room, before the many computers and screens.

"Yes? Do you need something?" I asked with a smile. He just looked at me, then back at the screens.

"What were you doing?" he asked. I frowned, finding this an odd question, and answered:

"I was reading."

"Please come read here, then."

Puzzled, I went back to the other room and grabbed my book. It was about Ayrton Senna, a great racer that died in 1994 and I had begun to admire. I put the book on the floor and lay down before it, as I had done in the other room. I looked questioningly at Ryuuzaki.

"Please continue reading quietly." He said in response to my look.

"Ryuuzaki, why do you…" I began but he interrupted me.

"I feel tense and lonely. I have a bad feeling." He answered. "I just want company, even if we don't talk."

I nodded and looked down at my book. I tried to read but couldn't concentrate.

"Oh, screw this!" I said closing the book angrily. I stood up and grabbed Ryuuzaki's hand. "Come with me."

I dragged him to my room and pointed to the bathroom.

"Take off all your clothes and lie down on the bed." He gave me a puzzled look and put a thumb in his mouth, a small smile on his lips. "It's nothing perverted. Now obey." I felt my cheeks reddening a little. As he went to the bathroom, I closed the door to my room and grabbed the remote control for the speakers (Since I loved music so much, Ryuuzaki put a surround system in my room). I turned it on and connected my iPod, selecting a playlist that only contained relaxing instrumental music.

I went to my shelf and grabbed a little bottle of lavender-scented oil and lavender-scented candles. When I turned, I saw Ryuuzaki was back, naked except for a towel wrapped around his middle. He lay down looking at the ceiling. "Turn over." I ordered, and he obeyed. I felt a bit in control. I lit some candles and put them in different sides of the room, then poured oil into my hands. I began giving him a massage.

"Your shoulders are really tense." I observed, but said nothing more. I continued with the massage and, after the first half hour, he began to relax. He even closed his eyes and made little noises of contentment. I smiled. He was so cute.

I worked for nearly two hours. My muscles hurt, but he seemed pleased. He was almost asleep.

I got a towel and cleaned off the excess oil, then turned off the light. He looked so relaxed and contented that I decided not to interrupt him. I turned the knob, deciding to go somewhere else to sleep so he wouldn't have to move.

"Nilla-san, please stay." He said, and my hand dropped the knob in a flash. I walked back to the bed and saw he had made a space for me. I lay down beside him, feeling strange. I was relaxed by the soft lavender smell, but having him so close to me made my heart race.

"Are you feeling better, Ryuuzaki-san?" I asked.

"A little." He answered. "I still have a bad feeling, but I don't feel quite so lonely. Thank you."

"You're welcome, but… What kind of a bad feeling is it?" I asked, looking at him in concern.

"I am going to die soon, Nilla-san." He answered, and I will never forget the sadness in his voice.

"Don't say that! Of course you're not going to die!" In my own fear, I sounded almost angry.

"We must all die someday. It's a part of life. However, I wish it wasn't this soon." He was smiling at me, and I couldn't understand it. How could he say such things with a smile? What was wrong with him?

His hand reached out and he stroked my cheek gently.

"Thank you, Nilla-san. You really have been a wonderful friend to me."

He was saying good bye, as if he really believed he was going to die soon! I felt like crying, and wanted to hug him so tightly it would be impossible to tear us apart. Gently, I got closer and kissed him. It was a plea, a confession, a denial, and a victory when he began to kiss me back. I ran my finger down his cheek, over his eyebrows, down his neck. I was trying to memorize all of him like this, and at the same time trying to keep him with me. I felt him respond, but deep down, I knew I would lose him. Still, I did my best with my hands, my arms, my legs, my everything, to forget, and just enjoyed the moment, enjoy Ryuuzaki. Years later, I could still remember that night vividly, every detail, every sensation, every drop of sweat.

Later, tired and between wet sheets, he smiled at me as he fought to stay awake. I had never seen him be so human before.

"Nilla-san… I'm going to tell you a secret. My name is L Lawliett." Right after that, he fell asleep. I was amazed. He looked so peaceful, so innocent… It broke my heart to think that he could be torn apart from me.

"Apart from you?" A mocking smile inside my head said. "This was an accident. You should remember that. You're always behind him, never beside him. He's in a completely different world, where no one can reach him."

"I don't care." I answered the voice. "I'll b there with him every step of the way, and I'd follow him to hell itself. I might never be beside him, but behind him, I can catch him if he falls back. I don't need anything else because he's like that, and I've known it from the beginning. If he can be so brae when facing his own death, I shall be brave living on."

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There! The first part of the chapter was too silly and I'm not overly happy with it, but it's getting late and if I rewrite it I won't have this up today, so there.
Sigh.