Ensemble
(Together)

When Light arrived at Ryuuzaki's front door, he honestly had no idea what to expect. Who could the anti-social violinist actually want to introduce him to? He rang the doorbell, listening to running feet coming to answer it. Definitely one of the kids.

Mello opened the door, chocolate bar clutched in his free hand. He looked at Light, a wicked smile on his face, before yelling over his shoulder, "Hey, Ryuuzaki! Light's here!" He continued to grin maniacally, stepping aside to let Light into the house before disappearing back upstairs.

Ryuuzaki came around the corner, a small smile on his face. "Hello, Light-kun." He hung back just slightly, and Light realized that he was waiting, also uncertain if yesterday had just been a fluke or a dream. Light smiled broadly, walking over and kissing him on the forehead. "Hi, Ryuuzaki."

The raven-haired young man grinned, hugging him tight before grabbing his hand and dragging him in the direction of the living room. Light followed obediently, wondering what they would find at the end of the hallway, and wondering why he hadn't noticed how strong Ryuuzaki was before. He had a feeling that if he tried to resist the other pulling him along, he would be dragged. What did he do all day to keep strength like that up?

When they emerged into the living room, Light noticed an old man seated in the armchair by the sofa. He had a kindly, grandfatherly face, and was reading the newspaper. He set the paper down as they got closer, looking up. "Is this your friend, L?"

Light blinked. He called him 'L'. That meant…

"Yes." Ryuuzaki replied. He turned to Light. "Light-kun, this is Quillish Wammy, our legal guardian. We call him Watari. He's… like our grandfather. Watari, this is Light Yagami."

"Nice to meet you, sir." Light said.

Watari nodded. "The pleasure is mine, Light. It's good to see L making a friend for once." He chuckled as Ryuuzaki scowled at him. "Don't make faces at me, L; you know it's the truth."

Ryuuzaki frowned. "Even Mello doesn't tease me as badly as you do!" he whined.

Light laughed, putting his arm around Ryuuzaki's shoulders. "You do make faces, though. He's right." He thought for a second. "Hey, were you going to…?" He trailed off the question, knowing that Ryuuzaki would pick up on what he meant. If Ryuuzaki was fine with telling Watari, he'd be fine with telling Light's father as well.

"I suppose… Since he's staying for a while it is inevitable that he will find out eventually." Ryuuzaki replied. He turned back to Watari, who was looking at them curiously, and said, "Do you remember the conversation you had with Mello on the phone, when he first brought up Light?"

"Certainly." Watari said. "Mello was being… immature."

"Well, at the time, only half of the information was true." Ryuuzaki said. "Now all of it is the truth."

Watari looked at them for a long moment, seemingly thinking. Ryuuzaki fumbled a bit before finding Light's hand and holding it tightly. Watari finally smiled, shaking his head. "Of all the things that I didn't expect to find in Japan… If this is what makes you happy, L, then by all means, go ahead. You know that I have never minded what you have done. Even if your eating habits are atrocious…"

"Thank you, Watari!" Ryuuzaki chirped before his guardian could launch into a tirade against his precious sugar. Watari smiled.

"Avoiding the subject, L. You've been like that since you were a child. Temperamental, determined to have things go your own way… Ever since you demanded that No, you wanted to play your violin instead of whatever I was asking of you…"

L rolled his eyes. "Of course, Watari." He turned to smile at Light. "That went well. Now your family just has to find out."

Light made a face that was akin to having just been told he had to eat live hissing cockroaches. Ryuuzaki laughed, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. "It can't possibly be that bad!" he said in mock-reproach. "Besides, it removes any influence Sayu has over you."

Light nodded. "Yeah, I can do this…" he said, trying to convince himself.

Ryuuzaki nodded to his guardian. "I might be back late, Watari. Don't wait up, and tell the boys I'll see them tomorrow, okay?"

"Certainly, L." Watari said agreeably, going back to reading the paper.

xXx

As the boys left the house, Light asked curiously, "Is he always so perfectly fine with whatever you want to do?"

"Watari has always believed in letting us do things for ourselves and handle our own affairs." Ryuuzaki replied. "He believes that will help us grow up to be responsible. That's why he allowed us to come to Japan on our own." He glanced sideways at Light. "What about your parents? Do they allow you that kind of freedom?"

Light frowned slightly, thinking. "They've really always kind of let me do what I want. Because I skipped grades, finished high school and college early… They always thought that I was smart enough not to get myself into trouble. But they never let me have quite that much freedom…"

"So, do you really believe that your father will be upset with us?" Ryuuzaki asked. "I can understand that he might be a bit disappointed, but to actually be angry… That escapes me."

"I honestly don't know what he'll do…" Light said. "He's stressed from this musician thing, and he's worried about me, obviously… This might just be a bit much for him to handle at the moment. But we have to try. Mikami said it would be worse if Dad found out by accident, and he's right."

Ryuuzaki nodded. "Let's just see what happens." He squeezed Light's hand, as they continued towards Light's house.

xXx

"What do you mean he's not home yet?" Light asked. They were standing in the kitchen, where Light's mother was fixing dinner.

"Your father is staying late to put in extra research on the case. He'll be back late." Sachiko said, raising an eyebrow at her son. She casually chopped up carrots for the dish she was preparing, asking, "Was there something you needed to tell him?"

Light turned a few shades paler, almost matching Ryuuzaki's skin tone. Ryuuzaki rolled his eyes, moving to Light's rescue. "Light wanted his father to have an opportunity to meet me properly, since we did not get a chance to get acquainted the other day at the docks." He glanced at Light, who was nodding, and sighed imperceptibly. Really, was it that big of a deal?

"Oh, is that all?" Light's mother asked. "That's no problem." Tossing the carrots into the pan on the stove, she asked, "Would you like to stay for dinner, Ryuuzaki-san?"

Ryuuzaki blinked at the stove. "Sure…" He glanced helplessly at Light. Light smiled wickedly. He had learned over his time of knowing Ryuuzaki that the other was not one for ordinary food. He preferred cakes and other sweet desserts… for every meal. A normal dinner wasn't something he had very often.

"You're welcome here, Ryuuzaki." Light's mother replied. "We're glad Light has found such a good friend." Light and Ryuuzaki glanced at each other, fighting the urge to laugh. Light's parents would see soon enough how good of friends they were.

Dinner actually passed without a hitch. Light's mother had made casual conversation, inquiring about Ryuuzaki's interests, and was pleased to discover that he was as much a fan of classical music as Light. Ryuuzaki managed to eat his dinner, finding that it was actually better than he had initially given it credit for; though he still enjoyed dessert much more. Sayu did no more than giggle at them occasionally from her place at the table, secretly enjoying watching both of them play the 'best friends' card.

The topic inevitably turned to the murders that had been taking place over the past two weeks. Mrs. Yagami turned to Ryuuzaki, asking, "What do you think of the murders, Ryuuzaki-kun?"

"I think it's awful. Frightening." he replied honestly. "I hope that whoever is responsible is caught soon, before they can threaten anyone else."

Light blinked as both Ryuuzaki and his mother looked over at him. "Oh, for pity's sake, not this again! I'm okay, seriously! Stop worrying about me!"

Ryuuzaki rolled his eyes as Mrs. Yagami motioned Sayu to help her clear the dishes. Light tapped him on the shoulder, saying in a low voice, "You said something on the phone about a performance…?"

"Yes!" Ryuuzaki said. "Thank you for reminding me! We need to talk about it."

Light nodded. He called in the direction of the kitchen, "Mom, we're going upstairs!" He got up, leading Ryuuzaki up to his room. He sat down on the end of the bed, Ryuuzaki climbing up to sit beside him with his knees pulled to his chest, the way he always sat. Light realized, surprised, that he had been sitting normally during dinner. When he pointed that out, Ryuuzaki laughed.

"It is often considered rude to sit the way I do in polite company." he said, smiling. "But I prefer to sit like this." He pulled a folded paper out of his back pocket and passed it to Light. "Anyway, about the performance… Kitaniji-san, the man who organizes everything for the concert spaces in A-East, wants us to do a short performance following a performance of Suki's symphony."

"Why both of us?" Light asked.

"Because we are the best." Ryuuzaki said. "He doesn't know that we are friends, but he chose us for our talent." He took the letter back after Light finished reading it, tucking it back into his pocket. "You will likely get your letter tomorrow."

"How did they know where to mail yours?" Light asked. "Surely it didn't come to your house…"

"I have a box at the post office, obviously." Ryuuzaki said. He sighed, moving to lean on the wall, working his toes absently against Light's bed. "We should come up with something really spectacular together, and surprise them all. After all, no one knows that Light Yagami and L know each other."

Light nodded. "What if we did something that we could play back and forth, like a mock-duel or something?"

"That would be fun…" Ryuuzaki smiled. "Let's try it."

xXx

Hours later, sheets of hastily scribbled music covered Light's desk, and he and Ryuuzaki lay sprawled on the bed and the floor, respectively. Light blinked, wondering when he'd lain down in the middle of the floor, and looked up at Ryuuzaki's hair, which was dangling off the side of the bed.

"I didn't know how late it was. It's midnight…" Ryuuzaki observed blankly. He sat up. "At least Watari knows I intended to come back late…"

"Just stay here tonight." Light said. "It's not safe to walk home. There's a murderer out there, Ryuu."

"I'll be fine…" Ryuuzaki tried to protest, but Light cut him off.

"Besides, my dad will be around in the morning, and we can tell him then." Light pointed out. He got up off the floor, heading for the door. "Let me tell my mom you're staying."

He disappeared for less than five minutes before returning with a sleeping bag. He spread it out on the floor, retrieving the blue pajamas Ryuuzaki had borrowed before. "Mom says it's fine. Go change. I'm tired."

Ryuuzaki decided not to argue with the sleepy young man, changing without protest. When he returned from the bathroom, he found Light already changed as well, sitting in the chair at his desk. He nodded as Ryuuzaki came in, moving to climb into bed and flick off the light.

"No goodnight kiss?" Ryuuzaki asked, pouting slightly. Light smiled, getting up and coming over to him.

"Of course…" He leaned down, kissing him softly on the lips. Ryuuzaki wrapped his arms around Light's shoulders, and Light responded by looping his own arms around Ryuuzaki's waist, keeping the slim body close to him. Remembering where they had been interrupted the day before, he licked at the raven-haired musician's bottom lip, coaxing him to open his mouth. His tongue dipped into the offered opening. Ryuuzaki tasted like sugar, sweet and good, and he let his tongue explore. He smiled into the kiss, feeling Ryuuzaki shyly responding, before pulling back. "There. Now go to bed."

"Light-kun is a tease…" Ryuuzaki sulked, but curled up in the sleeping bag regardless. Light smirked, crawling into bed and flicking off the light.

"I know."

xXx

"…Light what, now?"

"His friend Ryuuzaki came over for dinner, and stayed the night. That's what I said…"

"Wait, stayed the night?"

"Yes, in Light's room."

"WHAT?!?"

xXx

Light woke up the next morning to his bedroom door banging loudly into the wall. He blinked sleepily at it, not registering until he realized that his father was standing in the doorway glaring suspiciously. A quick glance at Ryuuzaki showed that the violinist was still peacefully asleep despite the racket. Light sat up, rubbing his eyes, and said good-naturedly, "Good morning, Dad."

Soichiro Yagami looked from his son to the sleeping young man on the floor. "Light. Explain."

"It was too late for him to go home, so he just stayed over here." Light said honestly. That was the truth. He could feel the disbelief in his father's stare, and got out of bed to wake Ryuuzaki.

"Light, I hardly think it's appropriate that…" He stopped as Light tried to shake the dark-haired boy awake. Ryuuzaki grumbled in his sleep, reaching out and touching Light's face as if to assure himself it was still Light, and not a vengeful Mello come to wake him too early again. Apparently satisfied, he leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before rolling over and going promptly back to sleep.

Light looked up at his dad, who was turning a strange shade of puce. He braced himself, waiting for the inevitable firestorm.

"Light! What is the meaning of this?!" Mr. Yagami demanded furiously, staring at Ryuuzaki as if he were some kind of poisonous thing.

Light smiled, running his fingers through Ryuuzaki's hair and listening to the soft hum of contentment he got in response. "This is Ryuuzaki, Dad. He's… he's very special to me. …He's my boyfriend."

Light's dad seemed stunned into silence. They stared at each other for a long moment, then Mr. Yagami said weakly, "Boyfriend."

"Yes."

"None of those girls that are ever around you are even the least little bit appealing?"

"They're all crazy stalkers, Dad. I have to get Misa and Mikami-sensei to help me beat them off with sticks." Light waited anxiously, feeling suddenly protective of the sleeping musician lying obliviously in the sleeping bag.

Soichiro Yagami was silent for a long time, then said tiredly, "I need a cup of coffee…" He left the room, and Light sighed.

"That went… better than expected." He glanced at his sleeping boyfriend. "At least he didn't throw you out a window. I knew a guy at my high school who had literally been thrown out of his girlfriend's window by her father."

"That would have been bad." Ryuuzaki said, turning back over. Light stared at him.

"You weren't asleep."

"No."

"You let me do that by myself, pretending to sleep!"

"Yes. Light-kun needed to learn how to overcome his fear."

Light threw his hands in the air. "You are so annoying."

"But you like me?" The cutely innocent expression was almost too much to resist. Light sighed.

"Yes, Ryuu. I like you a whole lot." He glanced at the door. "We'd better give Mom and Dad a few minutes to sort though everything, then we'll go downstairs.

"Sounds good…" Ryuuzaki murmured. It was the best night's sleep he'd had in a long time, and he was feeling amazing. He smiled. "Maybe I should stay here more often…"

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

:D

Light's a tease? I am too, I think. I'm going to write a lemon eventually, but not now. We'll save that for intermission, yes? :P

To the person who calls themselves '?': I really enjoyed your reviews, and I wish you'd get an account so I could reply!

Hope you guys liked this chapter. And to everyone who guessed that L's visitor was the murderer: What were you thinking!? O.o

Hugs!
Li