Nine Months Due

By: Kaytee Kudo

Category: Death Note

Genre: Romance, Humor

Rating: T

Summary: The Shinigami decide to take matters into their own hands and attempt to put the Kira case to a close by erasing the world's memories of Kira. But this is not without consequence…

Other Notes: Alternative ending bordering AU; LxLight, Mpreg in later chapters

Quick Recap from Previous Chapter: After the failed elopement by L and Raito, Souchiro finally agreed to make the two legally married, and arranged the circumstances according to each party's demands. Raito will then be bound for abroad after the solemn wedding took place...

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note…not even in my dreams…

CHAPTER 9

Family Blessing

"Here", Raito said as he handed L a small bag before walking out of the room again. The detective took it to himself to lean pathetically sprawled out on the couch, pretending to be in agony. "Jeez, stop acting like it's that bad. I know it isn't."

"Raito-kun is so cruel. I don't remember doing anything to make him want to hit me like that" L muttered as he took the bag from Raito. "What is this?"

"Ice packs", Raito explained. "Stop complaining and just put it on your eye."

L did as he was told, and did not say anything else as he watched the boy walk away from him.

"Where is Raito-kun going?" The detective asked as his curiosity overwhelmed him.

"To my room, obviously," he said as a matter-of-factly. "I still have a lot of things to pack before I can leave tomorrow."

"But you've already packed when we decided to elope, didn't you?"

Raito looked at him irritatingly. "I could hardly consider that packing. You literally dragged me to that airport in the middle of the night with only a meager amount of clothing, much less any other personal effects."

"But that was more than enough. Why does Raito-kun need to take all of that stuff with him anyway?" L asked obliviously.

Raito unconsciously puffed his chest.

"You obviously do not know anything about moving out. I need my things or else I'll be bothered and probably get stressed along the way."

"I only take what is necessary. It is quite practical to do so when you're traveling a lot."

"Well, I'm not like you and I suppose it's Watari who does the packing for you anyway, so you probably don't understand. Just sit back there and don't bother me."

"Raito-ku-n…" L deliberately prolonged the 'kun' at the end, just to get the boy's attention, which only ended up pissing the boy more. "You can do that tomorrow. Can't you just sit with me here for a while? I am lonely without you here"

"We are leaving tomorrow morning. Stop suggesting such selfish things and just let me finish packing." He looked away, trying his best to hide his red face from the persistent man.

"I can get Watari to do that for you. Why don't we just enjoy our time today? We just got married."

The teen looked tenaciously at the couch, which was presently occupied by the insensitive detective, and twitched.

"I'd rather do this myself." He said a little forcefully.

"And I had the impression that Raito-kun was an effective packer. He has been packing for two hours now. If it had been Watari, it would have only taken him 30 minutes."

That did it, apparently, saying such things still affect the boy's pride.

"Well," he said after breathing hard. "I'm nearly finished anyway. Stop bringing Watari to the subject."

"Will Raito-kun sit down with me now?" L asked expectantly.

Raito sighed.

"You really won't go easy on me, huh," he asked in a surrendered voice.

"But of course, Raito-kun." L replied assertively. "There are times when a man needs to fight for his rights."

He put his arm on the boy's shoulder the moment Raito sat down beside him, and he was about to uncharacteristically snuggle on Raito's shoulders when a very distinct and more assertive cough came on their way.

"L, I thought I was clear that I did not want to see any public displays of affection anywhere near my vicinity, let alone in my own house." Soucihiro said firmly, anger obviously rising at the second.

L immediately withdrew his arm from the boy, not even realizing that cold sweat was running from his back out of pure reflex.

"Yagami-san", he said tensely. "I was just…"

"Oh, don't be like that, dear", came another voice, which also reflexively made L sigh in relief. Sachiko always came just in time to save him from his husband's sudden outbursts.

"He just got home from his own wedding. You were also like that back then, right. Remember what you did when you…"

"All right," Souichiro said a little more loudly than he usual, obviously trying to put an end to the looming conversation and effectively stopping his wife from even going there. It was hard for L to hide his smirk at that point, as he easily got exactly what they were talking about.

"Anyway, I can sit here and entertain Ryuuzaki for a while. It's high time we get to know each other, if you know what I mean", she looked convincingly innocent at Souichiro, a feat only a wife can do at a certain overprotective husband. "You can rest for a while, if you like."

"Hmph", the tired police-chief grunted, puffing his chest a bit more to give a more authoritative effect. "As long as he doesn't do any funny business with my son"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Raito is going to prepare dinner anyway, won't you, Raito? I'll just stay here and entertain Ryuuzaki for a while", Sachiko nodded eagerly, and Raito had no choice but to follow his own mother's suggestion, lest he suffer the much feared rage of his father. He nodded weakly as he proceeded to the kitchen, sighing heavily as he left.

"Don't worry about me, Raito-kun", L assured him "I will be fine by myself with Sachiko-san. Please be at ease."

That earned him another heavy sigh.

"Look what I have here, Ryuuzaki-san!"

L cocked his head curiously to the source of the voice, and found Raito's mother shoving what looked to be heaps of books in front of L's field of vision. He blinked for a while, as his mind registered that one of the said books was placed on his lap, only realizing then that the fact that a book was on his lap meant that he was sitting like a normal man for once, and it meant abnormal for L. It was no wonder why he couldn't think clearly at the moment.

"What are these, Yagami-san?" L asked politely as the elderly woman giggled.

"Please call me Sachiko", she said casually. "These are Raito's photo albums. Do you want to see them?"

Sachiko did not even give the detective time to answer as she sat next to him and opened one. However, L's answer had been too obvious as he instantly darted his eyes to the nearest photo.

A single picture of a smiling woman greeted him, sitting on where he now sat, with warm eyes welcoming the camera.

"That's me more than eighteen years ago. I was three months pregnant with Raito then"

L looked at the picture before him, as he remembered Raito's face when he came back for him that time. There was a welcoming smile in his face, similar to the pregnant Sachiko in the picture. He remembered the happiness he felt at the moment, as he embraced Raito, reassuring him that everything will be alright. He had wished that the moment would last forever, just holding the boy closer, feeling his heartbeat meld into his own, and the boy holding him back. It was something L had longed for, and now treasured deep in his heart. This was exactly the same emotions he felt harbored on that one photograph. It felt as if he was connected to the picture somehow.

The youthful look in Raito's mother reminded L of the boy, and what he currently is. There was a kind of similarity showing on their faces, one L could not describe in words. However, it was a very welcoming feeling indeed, and L thought, he could not get tired looking at Raito's face, even if the years pass. He wondered if he could also capture Raito in that moment, smiling peacefully and endearingly, like what the old photograph did, showing everything he wanted in front of him.

"Now I know where Raito got his looks from. Sachiko-san looks very beautiful", L said wistfully. Sachiko blushed at the comment, but said nothing. Instead, he turned the page carefully, and gestured L to look at them.

The first picture showed the young couple, Sachiko smiling sweetly as Souichiro tensed close by. Raito's mother explained that the photo was taken just after their wedding, and that her husband was generally wary at cameras, so much that he always gets awkward in occasions like this, as evidenced by his stuck-up face. That seemed to explain the police-chief's attitude during Raito's wedding. He never smiled during any of the pictorials, and his stance was always so stuck up, that L got the feeling that the older man was still angry at L for knocking up his son, and that for some reason, he wanted to still stop the wedding.

Now that L knew, though, he understood that it was just the poor father's nature to get really tense in front of cameras. It would explain everything, L thought. The whole time, he was having the feeling that the old man was just angry at him. Now though, he was proven wrong. Or perhaps, it might have been a contributing factor. For all he knew, the man was just keeping his anger to himself, but now he felt relieved.

The succeeding pictures showcased a variety of shots featuring Sachiko and Souichiro, either alone, or together, and sometimes, with a couple of friends. It was evident that they were perfect for each other, and L envied them. He wanted him and Raito to be the same too, if not better.

Looking at the pictures reminded him of the time when he was first welcomed by the family. It was just after they had all agreed that the two of them must marry, and everyone was doing everything they can to prepare for the occasion. Raito said that it was Sachiko who suggested that they should invite their future son-in-law for dinner, though the boy also hinted that it would be the first phase in Souichiro's general 'suitor probe', or whatever ridiculous term Raito called back then. The police chief seemed to take the protectiveness for his children to a different level.

It seemed that L shared something in common with Raito's family—neither of them wanted to let go of the beautiful teen, especially with what had happened. It was a silent, mutual agreement, one that L could have chose to amend if he was not keeping in mind that he needed to pacify Raito's family, if not be on favorable terms with them. He had no choice but to try and be on the family's good side, which is a hard feat in itself. Besides, he can take Raito wherever he wanted the moment they get married, and so he chose to endure.

Besides, as long as he got to be with Raito, he shouldn't complain.

The family had been even considerate enough to let them have a room of their own before the wedding, namely Raito's room, which, although a little too small and uncomfortable for them (in L's opinion), still provided them a little privacy, something L took comfort in. They even gave him a futon, upon Raito's insistence, since the boy found it uncomfortable to share his single-sized bed to another man, let alone L.

All in all, it was a decent arrangement; at least L could endure in a short time. It was only the thought of them being allowed to leave after all of these that kept his hopes up. And anyway, as a form of consolation, much to Raito's disdain, he was beginning to learn more about the boy he was determined to marry. Not to mention, he was also learning things he decided he didn't want to know after all.

For instance, just now, as he was looking at the photo albums, he discovered Souichiro's prowess for guns, and interrogation skills for that matter; But more importantly, at guns. He was an excellent sniper, as his many trophies can attest to, and he was the all time sniper champion to boot, as evidenced by a picture showing just that. It was one of the main reasons to his ascent to police chief-hood, that, and his head strong dedication.

When L told Raito about the incident with his father at the shooting range just hours after they found the boy, Raito was genuinely amused.

"So that's it?" Raito goaded just after he finished his story. "He didn't do anything to you? Just like that?"

The boy was pressing on curiously, and L was honestly intrigued. Later on, L discovered that Souichiro was the force to be reckoned with, at least when it comes to the children's suitors. He heard through Raito just how much terror he could give to poor, innocent men who just happened to take interest to his children.

Like on one case, Sayu's would-be boyfriend never stood a chance to even make it to phase one. The thorough interrogation alone made him cry his eyes off, and these days, the poor boy avoided the Yagami family (especially the head of it) like a plague.

And then there was this one guy who used to be Raito's stalker. Being Raito was sometimes a curse, and even though it annoyed him, his perfect looks and personality attracted a variety of admirers, even those of the same sex. Raito unfortunately attracted creepy stalkers as well, and this one man had been noteworthy for it.

When his father discovered the existence of such a man, he started his own investigation for it, and within a week he got to apprehend the culprit. They never heard anything from him ever since. What happened to him, or where he was right now was a total mystery to anyone other than the police chief, and Raito just put it at that. It was good riddance anyway.

L could count himself a lucky man indeed, to not feel the wrath of Raito's father. Well technically, L was an entity higher from Souichiro anyway, way out of his league. L was the boss of Raito's dad. But Raito commented, gravely, that that fact never stopped his dad before, and that he really should thank his lucky stars, and Watari, bless the man. He would be seriously screwed without the elder man. Frankly, L decided not to inquire about what could have happened if not for his so called luck, although he already had a clue on how it was, considering how the man had a gun on his son's wedding day.

Flipping through the pages absently, he finally reached a page showcasing Souichiro's better half, Sachiko. The woman was noteworthy too, like her husband, in a different, but still disturbing sort of way. L's stomach could attest to that. The horrors of that day was enough for even L to get scared to the point that cold sweat was already running through his back.

L could still remember the first time he had dinner in the Yagami household. He was like a total noob, and L would rather forget that embarrassing moment. Sachiko greeted him with the same enthusiasm she had when she offered him to look at their family album. If only L learned about it earlier…

"Do you like cake?" Sachiko asked cheerfully the first time they met. L's eyes lit up remarkably at the mention of cake, and instantly nodded at the woman's offer as her smile widened.

"Well, you can eat as many as you want."

As promised, right after dinner that day, Sachiko happily served him a whole helping of cake. Raito, who sat next to him, being his fiancé and all, looked on with disgust. He finished the whole cake within minutes, and Sachiko immediately served him another one.

The scenario went on like this for what seemed like an hour, neither of the parties seemed to want to give in to each other. Soon, Souichiro left the table with work as an excuse, and Sayu said something about homework. Only Raito and Sachiko stayed with L, Raito mainly because he was trying to make L stop this nonsense. But L could be very stubborn when he wanted to, and Raito could only roll his eyes in irritation.

It was thirty cakes later when L finally realized that he bit off more than he could chew in this situation, both literally and figuratively. He honestly wanted to stop, but the smile in Sachiko's face made him want to go on, even while knowing that the cakes would continue to fill up his plate no matter how much he ate.

Raito's mother was scary in that way. L thought that such a tactic might actually work to stop sweets addicts like himself from being so. Personally, L would prefer not to see even a shadow of cake after all of this was over, for at least a year, but when he was there, face to face with Sachiko and the cake, he did not want to lose, he could, as he was already starting to feel sick from seeing the cake in front of him, consider this as a test from his future mother-in-law.

He did not want to lose in that respect. His pride would not allow it, being a notorious sweets addict that he was. And so, sucking up everything he was feeling at that moment, he went ahead and proceeded to devour the nth cake…

Only to be puked on by a sicker-looking Raito.

Apparently, watching the scene unfold before him was enough to make him nauseous, and with the pregnancy factor to consider, he could only take so much. He actually even surpassed himself by holding on until then. In a rather funny way, something in L wanted to thank the boy for doing that, for salvaging his pride. The vomit dripping from across his lap was enough reason for him to stop this foolishness, and it was just like L to seize the opportunity.

"Raito-kun, are you alright?" L asked urgently at the pale-looking teen in front of him, eyes filled with concern, that he promptly ignored the situation he was in himself.

"Ugh…" Raito groaned, "I don't feel so well…"

L smiled goofily at him.

"Come on, let's go", L gently assisted him off the table and into the bathroom as the boy walked faintly.

And now, after many trips to the bathroom later (both on L and Raito's part), and after giving a promise to Raito that he will never eat like that again, for both their sakes, the two of them felt much better, and L felt very much at home after that. He realized that he didn't need to pretend to be something else, or to force himself to the extremes just to be accepted. Being true to himself was just fine, and it avoided complications. L thought, that he never felt so conscious like this before, to actually go to such lengths. It must be because Raito was involved. He always finds himself so self-conscious whenever Raito was around.

At least, this time around, Raito would be the one to make dinner. All was well, in that case.

L finally reached the page that he had been longing to see.

"That's Raito, just a few hours after he was born. They don't allow pictures on the actual delivery room back then, so this was the earliest picture we ever got."

Sachiko proudly pointed to the picture of a small infant, still reddish from birth, held by a calm-looking Sachiko and a nervous Souichiro by his side.

Raito looked very small in the picture, L thought, and wondered if he ever got to be small like that too. He had no recollection of his childhood whatsoever, much less his parents, because he thought that such things were meaningless. When he met Watari, he was already acting like a real adult. As such, he could not remember anything about his childhood, or how to be a child. In fact there were no pictures to prove that he actually became one.

But Raito apparently became a child, and an extremely cute one at that. There were no bad angles as long as Raito was in the picture, with Raito's first smile, first laugh, first hair cut. There was a picture of him playing with his toys, singing, dancing and reading.

"Raito actually started reading when he was two", Sachiko pleasantly mused. "We saw him reading Souichiro's police report that fell on the floor. That was the time Souichiro knew that his son would be in the police force."

L blinked, impressed by that piece of information. But he wouldn't let himself be beaten just yet. Perhaps back in his childhood, which right now he was fairly certain he actually had (because Raito had one too), he must have read books before he even hit two. And he righteously assumed that he was just as cute as Raito when he was a child. All because, he wouldn't lose in those kinds of things. Besides, he treated Raito like an equal.

Sachiko smiled eagerly as she waited for L to turn on the next page. It turned out that his newly made mother-in-law's idea of entertainment was pretty much close to the boy's own idea of fun, that was, showing off his son to others, especially now, as they were browsing Raito's pictures on his cutest stages.

"And that's Raito's first commercial", Sachiko narrated excitedly. "Oh, and that's Raito's first modeling contest." The pictures went on and on, each showing just one of Raito's many 'firsts'. L's arms were starting to get numb from turning all the pages.

"I wonder, Sachiko-san", he said curiously after a while. "How many of Raito's firsts did you capture on film?"

"Oh, lots and lots", Sachiko said proudly. "That whole row displays all of Raito's firsts. I made sure to keep watch on his every move as he grew up. I even watch him on his sleep."

'O-kay', he thought. As creepy as that may sound, L could relate. At that moment, he felt a rather weird bond between the two of them, as he discovered his mother-in-law's stalker-like tendencies when it comes to Raito. Now he knew that he wasn't alone on his strange hobby.

It wasn't actually their fault anyway, he thought. When it comes to Raito, you tend to develop these tendencies. Even his own mother did, therefore, he realized that it was only natural for him to develop the same. They were practically soul mates now, and at least L can share his own fanaticism to another person. They could even be tea buddies.

"What's the matter, Ryuuzaki, do you find these collections boring?" Sachiko said worriedly when she processed the detective's latter questions. "Maybe you would like to see Raito's pictures when he's a little older?"

"Oh, not at all, Sachiko-san, in fact I find all of Raito-kun's pictures interesting", he said in an assuring tone. "Although, now that I think of it, I would very much like to see Raito-kun as he grew older."

The doting mother's eyes literally lit up at that notion, as she excitedly got up and searched eagerly on the whole shelf full of picture books, as if looking for the next book in a bestselling series.

"My friends all adore his pictures", she said proudly. "He is really cute as a boy. You're really one lucky guy."

Sachiko gave him a hard-bound leather book, which weighed at least a ton, thick with pages. It looked as if the whole book was custom-made, considering how thick this one book was, so that all of Raito's pictures would fit in one place.

"See there? That's Raito on his dad's police uniform"

If it was possible, L's eyes would have already popped up, as he discovered a new level of cute. Raito in his toddler years was definitely a testament to his sexiness in later life. If anything, he could swear that Raito must be the cutest five-year old he had ever seen, and it must have looked even cuter if he actually saw the boy back then. It would not be impossible for L to fall in love with him even back then, even if they were still young.

Raito looked adorable, hands down. Even with the very loose police uniform that was his father's, he managed to pull off a gorgeous effect. He was even saluting like he was a real police officer. Such pictures could melt anyone's heart.

Then L saw Raito in his pre-school uniform, and L could have been a pedophile just in that moment.

"Isn't he cute?" Raito's mother giggled. "That was on his first day of school, and that's his first play, and this was when he won a special science award…"

L could only look in awe. He was honestly tempted to just snatch all of these photo albums away and run quickly to keep it as his own, but he figured that it was all stupid, and that Souichiro, whom he already offended numerous times this week, would hunt him down and murder him if he added another crime on his list. It was a dangerous whim, one that a guy could get if he gets exposed to all these dangerous photos.

L observed that most of Raito's pictures in that age also contained another boy who looked pretty much like his age, always beside him, smiling cheerfully for the camera.

"Who is this boy, Sachiko-san?" L tried to be casual asking about this, but he found himself very curious as to the boy's identity.

"Oh, that's our next door neighbor, Yuuto-kun. He used to spend a lot of time here, with Raito."

"Used to?"

"Well, he's in America now. The Kawaguchis migrated there when his father's business boomed."

"I see…"

L evidently calmed down at this point. For a second there, he thought that he had a rival, but thankfully, it was just a false alarm.

L casually perused the pictures, showing Raito as he gradually got older. He took his time to enjoy this, really. Raito looked so young and innocent, pretty much like he was today.

It was at this time when the front door suddenly opened, revealing Raito, who was currently the epitome of sexy, even when he just spent his time in the kitchen.

"What are you two doing?" Raito asked suspiciously, looking around the area. From there, it did not take him too long to figure out what they had been doing the whole time he was gone.

"Mom, I told you not to show my pictures to anyone."

"But I can't help it Raito, you just look so adorable back then, I couldn't bear to just let it stored there, accumulating dust. Besides, he's you're husband, right? I think he has the right to see it more than anyone else"

"I agree with Sachiko-san. Pictures like that should be shown to everyone. It deserves that degree of attention, since Raito-kun is just so sexy", L seconded, in a slightly seductive tone that although Sachiko missed, Raito noticed, and already made the boy's ears turn red.

"Don't you get involved", Raito warned the detective, but it was a long lost argument especially with his mother around. He had no choice but to look helplessly in the background as his mother happily showed more of his pictures.

L snickered silently, but decided to not rub it into Raito anymore, and instead just enjoy all the photographs. At least in the pictures, his beloved Raito-kun will smile for him for all eternity, or at least, as long as it was not exposed to UV radiation.

"And this was when he graduated from Junior high. It was such a waste, you know? He quit all the activities he was involved in when he entered high school. I never got to take pictures…"

L looked on, and had to agree that the photos were considerably less than all of his childhood photographs, not to mention that Raito looked more serious in the majority of it. Perhaps it was adolescence kicking in, with Raito trying to find freedom and privacy.

The last photo was on Raito's high school graduation. Sachiko sighed.

"That was the only picture I got from his graduation. He didn't even smile, and his father never made it, because of that case", she recalled sadly. "After a while, Raito got involved, and I've barely even heard from them."

She sighed again, and L lowered his head, feeling a little guilty.

"Anyway, you should stop that for now. Dinner is ready and dad is hungry" Raito said, not minding the uncomfortable tension spreading the place. L smirked at that. The boy really had a way to break up the tension, but nonetheless, it was effective.

"Oh, of course dear", Sachiko hastily said as she scrambled to the kitchen, leaving the two of them alone.

"Well then, can Raito-kun lead me to the dining table?" L said casually, never taking his eyes off the boy even once.

Light snarled at L, who was currently looking at him with innocent eyes. Raito was right though, it was no use regretting about the past, and feeling guilty at mistakes. The present was all that matters, and he, being a future father, had to make sure that he would not have to be lost in the present and regret it later. Perhaps he could also document his child's life with pictures, or maybe, video recordings could be nicer. He was good at that. He unconsciously smiled at the teen who was carrying his would-be child.

"I hate you", Raito said spitefully, as he began rearranging the photo albums neatly in their respective shelves.

"That kind of honesty is what I like about Raito-kun. It gives me an assurance that I mean something to him."

Light pouted.

"I meant that in a bad way."

L could only laugh softly.

"I love you too, Raito-kun"

"There are three important things I learned about Raito-kun today."

L proudly announced as soon as the two of them were in the privacy of Raito's bedroom, just minutes after dinner. Raito looked curiously at him, eagerly waiting for what the detective had to say about him. The boy could be vain sometimes, and this was one of those times.

"What about me?", he demanded, pretending not to care but actually failing dismally at it.

"Well then, first, Raito-kun is a good cook. He made me want to eat healthy food that I used to shun from Watari, and it was actually good. Second is, Raito-kun is adorable as a child", L licked his lips. "The last one would be that he gets easily embarrassed at simple things."

Raito blushed furiously.

"Those are completely useless, untrue facts about me! You really are an idiot", the boy concluded, face already flushed from embarrassment.

"But I am only speaking the truth. Raito-kun is a real kitchen prodigy, and he is the most adorable child I had ever seen", L countered. "Besides, this is the first time I've seen a grown man lose dismally to his mother whenever she teases him."

The boy blushed even more, trying to redeem himself.

"I did not blush in front of my mom!" although, obviously, he did. "And it was only because she was saying inappropriate things."

"On the contrary, Raito-kun, I think it was very appropriate for a mother to worry about her son on his first wedding night, she was only showing her concern for you, and her warnings on not being too noisy is also well based, since she is only in the next room and she might hear us", L said in a very professional manner. "Besides, I would daresay that Raito-kun is old enough to know exactly what happens to newly-wed couples on their first night alone."

L took this as a chance to lie down on Raito's bed, expecting the boy to follow suit.

"It won't happen here, or anywhere else for that matter!" Raito shouted defensively.

"What is Raito-kun doing?" he half demanded, because he seriously was expecting the boy to be already in his arms at least five minutes ago.

"What are you doing there?" Raito asked in exchange.

"I'm sharing a bed with Raito-kun." L answered as if it wasn't obvious.

"You're not allowed to share a bed with me. Get out now."

"I've never thought Raito-kun to be this heartless. We just got married."

"That does not give you the right to sleep in my bed. Get out."

They got into a staring match after that. Surprisingly, it was Raito who won.

"Thank you", Raito said in relief as he lay on his bed.

"Anything for Raito-kun", L said sarcastically as sat on the chair instead, as he continued staring at the teen. It was not long before Raito became conscious at it.

"You can sleep on the floor, you know. There is a spare mattress on my closet."

"This is fine, Raito-kun. I prefer sitting anyway." L said offhandedly.

"Then stop staring at me!" Raito shouted, feeling very conscious by the second.

"I am not staring at Raito-kun." L countered. "I am just watching over him."

'I don't need to be 'watched over'." Raito contested. "Go away"

"You know, Raito-kun, most newly weds sleep together on their first night…"

"I don't need to hear that!" Raito blushed furiously when he heard what L said. "Besides, we're different."

The boy turned his back away from the detective, pulling up his blankets as he did so.

"Somehow, hearing that from Raito-kun does not make me happy"

Raito ignored the detective, as he tried to sleep. But L did not seem to give up, and even though he could not see it, the boy could feel the detective's strong aura that seemed to make him powerless from.

"Fine, you can sleep with me, but just for this night", Raito conceded in a very inaudible voice, but it was enough for L to hear. The big grin slowly forming in the detective's face was enough to confirm that.

When Raito said sleep, he really meant it. He fell asleep as soon as L got in his bed, that the poor detective did not have a chance to do any of his perverted plans with Raito. The boy must have been very tired after all. And now, as they walked towards the airport, it was the detective's turn to be tired.

He never had the chance to sleep, after all. It was so hard, sleeping very close to the boy whose sleeping form was pretty much eye candy, L couldn't help but ogle his eyes out, drooling shamelessly as he watched the boy's innocent figure in his sleep.

The teen's bed however, did not provide L of the usual comfort he had when they were sharing his very spacious one during the Kira investigation days. While the two of them would usually fit snugly on a king-sized bed, a bed designed only for one person did not actually work in L's favor. In the middle of the night, L decided to stop counting the times he fell, and just gave up on the idea that he could sleep on the same bed as the boy. Instead, he settled by sitting owlishly on the teen's chair, not stopping to look at Raito for even one second. That had been the exact scene when Raito first opened his eyes in the morning, that it wasn't entirely his fault to be creeped out enough to throw a pillow at the detective. L needless to say, did not have any sleep at all, and he was tired for the first time. He had been through so much over the past few weeks, and even an insomniac like him has his limits.

So he yawned widely as he sat on the cramped passenger's seat of the police-chief's car. If given his way he could have just picked Watari to drive, but none of his wishes get granted these days, that he had to convince himself that this was one of the changes of married life—getting along with the in-laws. When Souichiro insisted to drive them to the airport, L had no choice but to agree. This of course silently implied that the whole family will be going too, and so L was stuck to endure riding with Raito's family in a very tight car, forced to sit normally for the first time, and this was already too much for him to handle given the fact that he was used to being alone on car trips.

He was forced to sit in between Raito and Sayu, who was presently arguing about something nonsensical, and L found it best not to interrupt, even though he was practically in the middle of it. The third yawn probably got into Souichiro's nerves, enough to strike a conversation with the son-in-law he detested.

"Didn't you have any sleep?" The older Yagami asked in annoyance.

L blinked vaguely, and the annoyed police-chief would have smacked him in the head by now if he wasn't driving. The quirky detective considered it one of his lucky breaks.

"Unfortunately, Souichiro-san, I was not able to sleep at all last night. I appreciate your concern", he said a little tauntingly, at least in Souichiro's opinion.

"You didn't do any funny business then?" The conservative father tried not to sound so curious, but L caught him instantly.

"I don't understand what Yagami-san means by that, but I can fairly say that Raito-kun had a very good sleep. I made sure of that."

"Is that your purpose when I saw you staring at me creepily in my sleep this morning?" Raito asked quickly, joining in on the conversation.

"I was watching you in your sleep, Raito-kun, although I'm glad you stopped arguing with Sayu-chan. I have to add that you look good in anything you wear, and Sayu-chan seems to get it right when she suggested that."

The teen blushed furiously, as Sayu laughed heartily, thanking L for agreeing with her.

"You didn't have to say that!" Raito said, hitting L's head as he did so.

L quickly massaged his head, but kept on, "Oh, but I think Raito-kun also agrees that he is seriously hot. There is no need to be humble."

If it was still possible, Raito became even redder, and L would have followed up the comment if not for Souichiro stopping them.

"I do not want to hear any more of that conversation!" The tired police-chief shouted, and everyone had no choice but to continue on silently, even with Sayu's eyes glinting in mischief. This did not stop Raito to shoot L a very reproachful look, making the detective gulp involuntarily. The rest of the trip was spent in awkward silence.

When they finally arrived in the airport, Watari was already there to meet them. L hauled the majority of luggage (mostly Raito's) from the trunk of the car to the trolley Watari had provided for them, as the elder gentleman casually greeted the Yagami family.

Watari handed the boy's passport, as well as the other documents needed for the trip.

"I've already prepared everything." He assured the family. "Raito will be traveling to England as an exchange student. I've informed both schools, and filled up necessary applications as well. There is nothing to worry about."

Souichiro smiled for the first time, as he shook Watari's hand.

"Thank you for everything. Please take care of my son for me."

"It will be my pleasure, Yagami-san."

The worried father took this as a chance to say goodbye to his son for the last time. He hugged Raito briefly but tightly as he patted him on the back.

"Take care, son."

"Thanks, I will, Dad."

"Raito, we'll miss you," Sachiko said as she took his turn hugging her son. "Call sometimes, okay?"

Raito nodded, and also waved goodbye to Sayu, turning to leave.

"Hey, wait, Raito!" Sayu called, which made the teen turn back.

The young girl gave him a package, that he took with an astonished face.

"That's from Mom and me. We thought you need some help when you're alone, so we packed some of the things you might need, but don't open it until later, okay?"

Raito gave a light nod as L took his hand toward the airport.

"It has been an honor meeting you, Yagami-san. We will be taking our leave now."

"You better take care of my son", was Souichiro's parting words as the two of them went on inside, Watari taking their entire luggage along.

Raito was hesitant to move at first, but L pulled him slowly, squeezing his hand a little.

"We will meet them again, Raito-kun. But now we must hurry up or we will miss our flight." He reminded, and the boy nodded lightly. L carefully led the boy to where Watari was heading, making sure not to pull so hard, as the boy was still a little delicate.

"This will be our last look in Japan for a while, are you going to be okay?"

Raito nodded lightly, and L smiled as he took the boy to their plane.

"Are you all right, Raito-kun?" L asked again as he sat next to the boy on the plane. The teen was sitting in the window seat and was looking vacantly in the window. He looked up at L apathetically and smiled.

"I'm fine, L."

"This is most definitely not one of the usual standards I would have hoped to achieve but, I wish Raito-kun will not mind." He said as he bit his thumb, sitting in his usual way. "Watari probably made a mistake in booking our tickets. He usually does a better job than this…"

"We are in economy class" Raito pointed out.

"You're right, Raito-kun I also think that Watari set us up, though I don't understand why he would do such a thing. Do you think he was mad at me?"

The boy shrugged.

"I would also be pissed off if it was me."

"Thank you for pointing that out, Raito-kun, however, I don't think he will be mad enough to do this kind of stunt on me."

"Maybe you're low on funds? You did bought a helicopter and a building in just a span of two months."

"Money can not be a problem. Though I guess it would also be a way to tell me to spend my funds more properly." L mused. "Regardless, what Watari did was uncalled for."

"I don't mind…"

"But I wanted Raito-kun to be as comfortable as possible since the trip will be long, and this is Raito-kun's first time on a plane, right?"

"I'm fine, L. Stop worrying about me." Raito dodged. "Besides, shouldn't you be sitting properly in these cases?"

"I can sit however I like it. I'm used to it."

"If you say so…"

Minutes later, the stewardess announced that they will be leaving soon and inspected all the passengers if they were securely seated, and as Raito predicted, the girl insisted that L sit properly, else, they would kick him out off the plane. Ignoring the 'I told you so' look on Raito's face, he sat down properly as he pouted.

"This would not have happened if Watari just followed the plan" he grumbled.

"You really should set out an example to the others, you know."

"I was not trained for that purpose, Raito-kun. Besides, if I don't sit in that position, my…"

"Reasoning ability drops to forty percent." Raito finished. "Why do you need your reasoning ability in a plane ride?"

"I have to stay sharp to protect Raito-kun always."

"Whatever"

"I wonder, is there any food cart here? I want cake" L mused.

"I think it's only available on the first class areas…"

"Well then, is there any wine?"

"Ryuuzaki…"the teen finally said uneasily.

"What is it, Raito-kun?" the detective asked obliviously.

"You…is this your first time riding an economy class plane?"

"Precisely, Raito-kun. I am more used to private jets. Which is why I can't help but feel uneasy."

"Well, try not to make it obvious. It's embarrassing if you keep asking for things that are obviously not here."

L did not say anything for a while, choosing to just looking at the boy with an empty stare, until an annoyed look that threatened to smack him on the face forced him to answer.

"I understand, Raito-kun."

It became quiet for a while, and Raito sighed in relief knowing that he got his point across, only to realize that he was sorely mistaken.

"That's why I'm going to address this incident to higher management, please wait for me, Raito-kun." He said as he got up in his chair.

"Hey!", was all Raito could say as he watched the older man walk quickly to the front of the cabin. "Idiot…"

"So they kicked you out?"

"They did not kick me out, Raito-kun. I left on my own accord. I highly doubt that they could even do such a thing to me, anyway." L said defensively, sounding very agitated for a usually calm detective. "I do not think conversing with poor-mannered personnel would do anything good about the situation anyway."

"You know that they were only doing their job, right?"

"Which they were doing poorly." L said in an uncharacteristically annoyed tone. "They are seriously going to be in trouble once I…"

Raito let out a tired sigh as he let the older but more unreasonable man release his anger some more. He felt that the man really needed it, else he might just break down any minute. Come to think of it…

"Is this your first time confronting people?" Raito suddenly said, his face slowly turning to realizing something to the man like that of an epiphany. "Oh yeah! So you meant it when you told me that I was your first and only friend. You really don't talk to people, huh?"

"That would be Watari's role, as my spokesperson. I don't find it necessary to speak to people, since it only harbors opportunities for danger on my life's behalf." L explained, a little annoyed since he would have expected Raito to know by now. Surprisingly though, the whole idea seemed fresh to him, since it never crossed his mind to wonder why such things came to be. If not for Raito pointing that out, he would never have been conscious like this at all.

Honestly speaking, he did not find the need to communicate with people at all had it not been for the Kira case. The boy was right for pointing out that the first people L ever showed his face to, or talk to for that matter, was the Kira task force, and the discussions were usually professional in nature. Raito was the first person he ever talked to personally, since he always considers his talks with Watari as part of his job as a super sleuth. He was actually telling the truth when he admitted to the teen that he was his first friend, as pathetic as that may sound.

A sudden disturbance caused the plane to shake a little, and out of nowhere, L felt his arm get jerked violently on the side, as he realized that the teen unconsciously clutched on it tightly, whimpering a little, looking for safety. This sudden reflex made L smile.

"I can see that this is also Raito-kun's first plane trip as well", he said teasingly, amused at Raito's face as he realized what he had just done, and quickly let go of the detective.

"Sh-shut up! I just got taken off guard! Don't use this to conclude things!" He said as he blushed furiously and turned away from the older man, preferring the view outside. On second thought, the moment he realized that looking at the window confirmed that they were five thousand feet above the ground made him nauseous, so he had no choice but to face the man again, who was grinning mischievously. He wanted nothing more than to just wipe the grin off the man's face, but he had to admit that he really did something embarrassing, and there was nothing he can do right now to redeem himself.

"Raito-kun is cute when he is embarrassed. It makes me want to kiss him even more."

The already red face grew even redder, if it was even possible. L smirked.

"I don't think it's a bad thing to get scared at minor turbulences, Raito-kun. I think it's normal to…"

"Stop it!" Raito shouted out rather forcefully, causing other people to look at him. This made him more embarrassed as he slunk on his chair.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" the boy said a little while after, when he recovered slightly from his humiliation.

"Raito-kun knows that I do not intend to entertain myself on his own expense. I am sorry if it made that impression."

The flustered teen looked at him suspiciously, not wanting to let the crazy detective off the hook. Suddenly, he felt his insides squirm uncomfortably, and he felt very dizzy for a while, like he wanted to throw up. Unfortunately for L, the teen could not control his nausea and vomited directly on his front, causing the detective to go to the cramped bathroom in the back of the room, while the boy waited guiltily outside.

"I keep mentioning to Raito-kun that this is not his fault, and it will be all right for him to just wait for me back to our seats. What is keeping Raito-kun from staying here?" L asked as he continued rubbing his shirt in running water.

"What does it matter? Don't you want me here? And I already said I'm sorry." Raito said with a tone of guilt. Truth be told, the scene caused by him throwing up made him embarrassed enough that he couldn't go back there without L by his side. He just couldn't take it if he saw people staring at him with that knowing look in their eyes. He suspected that the detective already knew this, and was just asking him to confirm his suspicions.

"I worry about Raito-kun's health. His body still might not be stable at this point, and therefore I wish for him to go back to our seats and just rest there." L explained through the running water.

"I don't…" Raito said, a little weakly. "I mean, I'll just wait for you here."

From the hint of desperation he heard from the boy through the thin walls of the bathroom, he knew that the boy clearly needed him now, and so L hastened to finish cleaning himself quickly, opening the door again to find a weak-looking Raito looking for him.

"Let's go back, Raito-kun", he said gently, offering his hand to the boy.

The boy nodded, as he took his hand and walked with him, looking warily at the people around him.

"Don't think about it too much, Raito-kun." L assured. "You have me now."

He carefully seated him on his chair, noting that the boy had been extremely quiet and uneasy the whole time they walked. L found the need to protect him.

"Raito-kun", he said gently, patiently waiting for the boy to acknowledge him. "You can lean on me if you want to. I think that you need some rest."

The boy blushed furiously again, but L followed up his statement.

"Don't think about it too much. I just think Raito-kun is tired. Do you want to sleep?"

As a matter of fact, Raito was feeling very exhausted at the moment, but he didn't want to admit it to the detective, for fear of rubbing it in him. But at this point, it felt that it didn't matter anymore. He nodded, and the detective smiled as he took the boy's head and placed it on his shoulder, cradling it as he did so.

Raito relaxed to the sound of detective's breathing, as the man massaged his head. He felt his eyes drop heavily as his body declared that he needed sleep.

"I think that Raito-kun is right." L said after a while, when he sensed that the boy was still awake. "This may be his first time on a plane ride, but this would also be my first time interacting with numerous people. We are the same in both respects. And more importantly, this is our first time being parents." L said casually as he leaned back on his chair.

"I think that we should help each other on our weaknesses, that way we can both learn from each other. What do you think, Raito-kun?"

The teen looked at him disbelievingly, until he was finally convinced that the man was not playing with him.

"You're right."

"Can I take a picture with Raito-kun?" L said bracingly.

"Why?" Raito asked curiously.

"I just want to take a picture of us, for just one of the firsts we would have" L explained. "I think Sachiko-san would be happy to see it, and you still have to make up for the moments she missed."

Raito smiled.

"You're right", he said as he allowed the detective to click on the camera, smiling for the future people who might see it someday.

"Can I kiss Raito-kun now?"

"…"

"You're pushing it too far."

They stayed in that position for the rest of the trip, the boy falling asleep to the majority of the flight, and L patiently taking care of him. Through the rest of the flight, L came to realize what Watari's true motives were, and he was quite thankful to him that he did so. The old man never ceased taking care of him after all, and he even took effort to at least let the two of them communicate better. When Watari saw them holding hands as he picked them up, he knew that his plan was a success.