Mello noticed that Light had disappeared somewhere between breakfast and lunch. He knew that it was human nature to assume the worse, and that his automatic reaction should have been worry. Yet, he didn't doubt that Light's absence meant that he was currently with L.

Mello couldn't help a sting of jealously that the thought that L had wanted to meet with Light alone. He had half a mind to ditch school himself and crash said meeting. However, Mello knew he couldn't leave without Matt noticing and asking one million questions. At the end of the day, he told his roommate that he had to meet with a teacher. Instead of calling L to ask if he should come to the hotel, he decided that his arrival would be announcement enough.

"Mello." When L opened the door to him, the detective did not look surprised in the least. "It's good you're here, I have some information you should look over."

Without giving Mello the chance to reply, L dumped a stack of papers into his arms.

"What are these?" was all he could ask.

"Accounts on Namoi Misora's behavior before she left America," L answered, picking up a separate sheet of paper. "In terms of proving that B is the culprit, this one this the most vital."

Mello put the stack of papers onto the coffee table, dropped his school bag on the ground next to it, and took the document from L.

"It's a copy of the letter that she was mailing to her fiancé the night she was murdered," L told him. "The mail in the outside boxes survived the fire."

"She knew she was going to die," Mello stated after reading the scribbled addendum.

"Yes," L said gravely.

"Why are you showing me this?" Mello asked.

"You seemed upset over her death," L answered. "I wanted you to know that she didn't die for nothing."

"But she did," Mello argued. "Her death isn't helping us catch Beyond at all!"

"I disagree," L's tone was firm. "In the least it gives me a final confirmation that this is indeed Beyond we are dealing with. It also proves that he killed her himself. This means that he isn't sending one of the convicts to do all of his dirty work and we may have a chance at catching him in an attempt to kill one of his victims."

"But that's not worth her life." Mello's eyes met the carpet and he had a strong urge to kick the side of the coffee table. "It's a waste."

"I wish she was still here," L murmured. "She was clever, one of the cleverest that I've ever worked with. Of course this wasn't worth her life, nothing is worth a life. But we know that she died trying to protect others, and that, by no means, is a waste."

Mello understood this. Truthfully it did make him feel a great deal better, but he didn't want to tell L this. He didn't want to say anything that would cause him to show anymore emotion. Therefore, Mello opted to change the subject.

"Where's Raito?" Mello referred to the teen by the name he knew L used.

"In the other room," L's eyes noticeably darkened.

"Why?"

"That it the second thing that I wanted to discuss with you."

L motioned for Mello to sit down, and Mello noticed that one of the four chairs usually around the coffee table was missing. Instead of asking where it was, Mello decided to let L explain what else was going on. As the detective did, the blonde felt a knot growing tighter and tighter in his stomach.

"You think that he's been giving B information?" Mello repeated after L finished his explanation.

"It has to be him," a sad gleam passed through L's eyes.

"Why?" Mello wondered. "From what you said you could either suspect him or me? Isn't my percentage of betraying you just as high?"

L smiled a tired and pained smile.

"I trust your loyalty, Mello," he said.

A terrible realization settled over Mello. He cursed his luck for giving him the praise that he had long been seeking from his mentor and then forcing him to give it up. Still, even as he tried to blame fate, part of him knew that this entire situation was all of his fault.

"You shouldn't trust me," Mello forced himself to say.

"And why is that?" The look L gave him made it hard for Mello to tell if he was being taken seriously.

"I've been keeping something from you," he continued, hastily adding: "But it doesn't have to do with the case. Not really."

L was silent. Mello took this as his queue to keep talking, avoiding the detective's gaze as he did so.

"When I first came here I told my roommate about the murders. I didn't tell him about you or Wammy's House, he just thinks that I want to solve the case because it's the right thing to do. I only told him because he's very intelligent, and I thought that it would make my job easier if I had him do the computer work. He's a genius when it comes to computers," Mello cleared his throat, but didn't pause his explanation. "After Raito got attacked I tried to get him to leave, but he didn't want to. He said that he wanted to help me solve the case, and I didn't think that it was fair if I withheld information from him."

"Are you telling me that you've been giving information to this boy the entire time?" The fact that L's voice remained level as he said this made his presence even more intimidating.

"Yes," Mello confessed.

"Did you tell him who I suspected the past six victims would be?"

"Yes," Mello stammered. "But he can't be the one leaking to B! Matt's a good person. He has a moral code."

"Does he really?" L questioned. "Or could he have been playing you since you first met him."

Mello refused to consider this. Matt couldn't be lying to him. He would have been able to tell wouldn't he? If Matt was a fraud then how could he see through Mello the way only someone who understood him could, the way only a friend could? How could Mello have feelings for a pretense? Feelings that Mello thought he'd be allowed to figure out. Feelings that he was almost certain would be returned.

"Did Matt know about Naomi Misora?" L's voice broke through the Mello's thoughts of his world crumbling, but only helped the ruins forge.

"Yes," Mello admitted. "He didn't want me to investigate her. He tried to stop me from going to her apartment."

"Why?"

"Because he thought it was dangerous," Mello remembered. "He didn't give any more reason than that."

"Maybe he knew who she was," L suggested. "Maybe B wanted him to keep the two of you from exchanging information before he killed her."

"No," Mello shook his head, wildly trying to find an logical reason for all of this. "If he is working for B, then why am I still alive? Wouldn't B want me dead?"

"Yes," L agreed. "But only after you fulfilled your purpose in his plan. You're not his target, Mello. I am."

"I can't believe this," Mello whispered.

"Neither can I." If L had felt like a fool earlier that day, then right now he thought himself an absolute moron. If his emotions had been a whirlwind before, now they were a tsunami. "I am beyond disappointed."

In both you and me.

L's thoughts shifted to Raito. Innocent Raito he had kept chained for hours while harping on a crime that he now knew the boy had not committed. Any relief that his friend had not betrayed him was drowned out by the knowledge that he certainly had betrayed his friend.

"I'm sorry," he heard Mello start to say.

"We don't have time for 'sorry,' " L did not care how harsh he sounded. "We're going to clean up the mess the both of us made and figure out where to go from there."

Mello nodded, mutely following L to the bedroom. Raito was still blindfolded, but the boy's head snapped up when he heard the door open. Raito didn't say anything, but after their first confrontation he hadn't spoken much. L silently walked to the chair and removed the blindfold.

L watched his friend's eyes widen in confusion before resuming their narrowed anger. Dried tears were marked around his eyes, and L felt a fresh wave of remorse sweep over him. Breaking eye contact, L walked behind the chair and produced the key to the handcuffs from his pants pocket. Raito snatched his hands away the moment that they were unlocked. L walked in front of the chair again. Raito stood, confusion again apparent on his face.

"I apologize for the past few hours," L met Raito's gaze as he said this. "Mello, would you like to explain to Raito what has really been going on?"

Raito didn't speak until after Mello finished talking. L tried to read the boy's expressions, but once Mello's explanation began Raito had slipped a mask over his emotions.

"Can you give us a minute?" Raito asked Mello, once the blonde finished.

Mello nodded, his shame making him obedient.

L's eyes followed Mello as he exited the room and closed the door behind him. His attention shifted back to Raito just in time to register the boy's fist as it collided with his face. Without the chance to anticipate the blow, L couldn't stop himself from falling backwards on impact. His torso roughly and painfully crashing to the ground.

"You lock me to a chair for hours and all I get is 'I apologize?' " Raito screamed at him.

"I'm sorry," L knew his surprise from the outburst was apparent on his face.

"Not good enough," Raito seethed. "You practically accused me of murder—"

He was cut off from any further retorts when L shifted into a backbend, swinging his left foot at the side of Raito's head. The boy lost his balance and ungracefully crashed into the floor. Without standing up, Raito delivered another punch. His disorientation caused him to miss L's face, and hit him in the shoulder instead. L ignored the dull pain to kick Raito in the stomach. He watched Raito sit up and didn't stop him from grasping a fist full of his shirt. L didn't wince, but mentally prepared himself for the punch.

To say that Raito's next actions stunned L would be the definition of an understatement. Instead of a raised fist smacking into L's face, it was Raito's lips that crashed down on L's jaw. L wondered if the amount of blows to the head that Raito had received that day had caused him to momentary lose his mind.

L didn't have the chance it dwell on what a shame it would be if Raito had been driven into insanity or to calculate about how long it would take for the teen to regain his senses. Wether or not Raito's actions were the product of confusion became of little importance. The hand that had previously held L by the shirt now snaked around his shoulders, palm resting on the back of L's head. Raito's fingers curled into his hair. L didn't move, but Raito seemed not to notice this. The lips that had met the side of L's chin smoothly found their original target.

Kissing, as well as most social interactions, fell into the category of experiences foreign to L. Despite the affection he knew that the gesture should entail, L had expected Raito's lips to be as fast and rough as the embrace the teen had him in. To L's surprise, Raito's lips felt cool and soft on his own.

The kiss was gentle. Raito didn't deepen it, seeming content with just their lips touching. L wasn't sure what to do. All he could register was that he wanted to be closer to Raito. He wanted to get as close as he could and not let go.

Acting on impulse, he hung his arms around Raito's neck, pulling the boy down to him. A surprised sound came from Raito as he fell on top of L's chest. It was only then that Raito broke the kiss, pulling his head back to look at L's face.

"I don't think I meant to do that," Raito's voice was as soft and intimate as a breath.

"I thought you were going to punch me again," L stated with honesty.

"Yeah," Raito hand's moved to touch the cheek that his fist had collided with before. "I meant to do that one."

"Do you regret it?" L couldn't stop himself from asking. "Not punching me. Do you regret…?"

L didn't know why he wasn't able to voice what had just happened.

"Do you?" Raito twirled his finger around a lock of L's hair, unconsciously bringing their faces closer.

"Are you flirting with me?" L was genuinely unsure.

"I think when I'm lying on top of you it goes a little bit past flirting," Raito told him with a grin.

In a burst of confidence, L raised his head and covered Raito's smile with his mouth. Raito emitted another surprised noise before giving up on holding the both of them up and collapsing into L. Raito was the one to deepen the kiss, sucking on L's lower lip before sliding his tongue into the detective's mouth. In that moment L gave into the bliss of being in Raito's arms, and let Raito take control. He silently wished that the two of them would not have to retreat back to reality in a few short minutes. He would have been content staying like that forever.

"How long?" L asked when Raito pulled away from him for air.

"How long have I wanted to kiss you?" Raito laid his head on L's shoulder as he asked.

"Yes," L rested the side of his cheek against L's forehead.

"I've been aware of it for not too long," Raito confessed. "It wasn't before we met face to face, if that's what you're asking. Although your intellect is very impressive, I'll admit that I'm shallow enough to need to see your face in order to be attracted to you."

"You're attracted to my appearance?" L was astonished and made no attempt to hide it.

Never had he thought himself to be remotely handsome. This wasn't something that he dwelled on, but he did acknowledge it. He had never had time to worry about his scrawny limbs or pale complexion. L had always thought that looks were something that only people as social or presentable as Raito bothered with. Only now did he wish that he made some sort of effort; he didn't mind the idea of being handsome for Raito.

"Do you think I would have kissed you if I wasn't?" Raito must have meant this as a joke, but L did not know how to respond to this. Taking the silence for it's true meaning, Raito pulled himself up to meet L's eyes. "You really don't think you're attractive?"

L directed his gaze to his hands, doing his best to repress a wave of self consciousness.

"L." He felt Raito's hand cup his cheek and guide his face back to the eyes of the boy on top of him. "You're gorgeous."

L couldn't help but smile at the completely serious expression that Raito was giving him. It was as if the teen saw L's low self esteem as a life or death circumstance. Speaking of life and death…

"We should be getting back to work," L voiced, gently removing Raito from his position so that he could stand up.

"Can you tell me how old you are now?" Raito asked suddenly. He tugged L's arms around him, so that they were once again tangled in an embrace.

"Do you think that you're entitled to this information because we kissed?" L asked back. He removed his arms from around Raito, and instead took the boys hands in his.

"No. I think we'd have to do some other things for me to be entitled," Raito shot L the most suggested look that the detective had ever received.

"This I will consider flirting," L remarked.

"Go ahead," the intensity of Raito's eyes did not falter.

L sighed.

"I'm too old for you," he said, dropping Raito's hands.

"Do you think I care?" Raito laughed, tucking a strand of L's messy hair behind his ear.

"No, but I wanted to give some warning," L muttered.

"I know that you're older than me," Raito told him flatly. "I've always known that."

L sighed.

"I'm twenty-four," he admitted.

"Really?" Raito looked taken aback. "Only twenty-four?"

"How old did you think I was?" L wondered.

"I don't know," Raito shrugged. "Twenty-eight?"

"It's nice to know that you think I'm a pedophile," L stated in a monotone.

"I think you're still considered a pedophile," Raito told him with a smirk.

"I suppose so," L tried to decide if this bothered him.

"We should go back out there before Mello gets the wrong idea," Raito suggested.

"What would be the right idea?" L countered.

"I don't know," Raito stood and walked to the door. He stopped right before opening it, and turned back to face L, giving the man's mouth a quick peck before continuing what he was doing.

L could not wipe away the smile that Raito's lips had brought.

Mello didn't bother wondering what was taking L and Light so long. He only hoped that their conversation centered on L apologizing for holding Light captive, and not the two of them agreeing over how much of a disgrace Mello was. Heartbreak and the pain that came with it were not new feelings to Mello. What surprised him was that it was not the fact that he had just blown his chance at succeeding L that was tormenting him. Matt lying to him hurt more than anything Mello could imagine.

Absentmindedly, he pulled his art book out of his school bag and opened it to a drawing of his roommate. He remembered that this had been what he was sketching the day that he met Light Yagami, although it was not the only picture of Matt that he had drawn. Maybe it was a little creepy that he drew his roommate so much without asking permission or even telling him. Then again, out of the two of them, Mello was not the one in the wrong when it came to secrets.

As he stared at his drawing, Mello remembered how long it had taken him to get the shading on Matt's hair right. If he did show the picture to anyone, this detail would have been his highest bragging point. It had taken serval class periods for him to be happy with the picture, and when he had finished the picture he was of the opinion that it was as impressive as Matt's actual hair. He had tossed out that opinion after Matt told him that his red hair was natural. Was that a lie as well? Not that it mattered…

Mello shook himself out of his thoughts when the door to L's bedroom opened and L and Light emerged. He quickly stuffed his art book into his bag, but not before Light saw the picture that it had been open to. Mello could only described the look in Light's eyes as pity, and chose not to hold that gaze. L's expression was oddly happy given the situation. Mello couldn't even guess at how their confrontation had cheered the both of them up.

"I have an idea," Light directed this to L as the two of them sat down in the remaining chairs. "And you're not going to like it."

"I'm sure you're right, but carry on," L replied.

"I think we should use the death note." Mello didn't know what this meant, but it cause an appalled look to pass over L's face, but Light raised a hand a quickly kept talking. "Not to kill anyone. I mean, one of us should make the deal for the shinigami eyes. Then we can pretend to predict that the next three victims will be boys that aren't meant to die anytime soon."

"And when B tries to kill them, we catch him in the act," L finished.

"Yeah," Light nodded.

"What are shinigami eyes?" Mello didn't hide the fact that he had no idea what the other two were talking about.

"I'll explain," Light volunteered and L nodded in an almost disinterested manner. The story Light told Mello was the most unbelievable thing that he had heard. This was saying something, considering the revelation that Mello had been forced to experience not long before.

"Raito-kun should understand that I still am not fond of the idea of using the death note," L continued once Light was done with the explanation.

"I know," Light said. "But we wouldn't be hurting anyone with it."

"We would be sacrificing half of a life," L argued. "And I don't like predicting the death of any of the students, considering what happened the last time."

"What else do we have to go on?" Light asked. "Three of them are probably going to die anyway. You're to one who told me that B doesn't back doesn't on anything."

"He won't," L agreed.

"Exactly," Light said. "I'll make the trade, since it was my idea."

"No," Mello spoke, the volume of his own voice surprised himself. "It's my fault he knew who you predicted in the first place. I'll make the trade."

"I can't allow that," L said sternly.

"Because I'm your successor?" Mello challenged, he gave a sarcastic laugh. "We both know that I just ruined my chance at becoming you. Even if everyone will be able to forgive my mistake, there is no way that I'll be able to beat Near with it on my record. My life's ambition is over. I don't care if a shinigami takes half of it now."

"You have more to live for than this," was all that L could say.

"Sure," Mello knew that he won. "But I'm making the deal."

L nodded his head once.

"I'll call Misa," Light suggested. "She can bring Rem here."

"Yes," L said.

Light then excused himself from the room. Mello didn't ask why Light thought he would need privacy for this phone call. When Light hadn't returned several minutes later, L also left the room to go check on him. This apparently didn't speed up whatever Light got side tracked doing, and neither of them returned to the room until Misa and the shinigami arrived. Mello didn't know what was so interesting in the kitchen that prevented them from coming back into the living room, but wasn't intrigued enough to check himself.

Mello wondered if he'd have to go back to Lowood after they finalized their plan. He knew that it would be nearly impossible to avoid Matt until they caught Beyond. Not to mention L would tel him that this would only make both Matt and Beyond suspicious. Mello still dreaded the next time he would have to see the redhead's face. How was he supposed to remain calm around him or pretend that nothing happened?

When Misa came, L retrieved a black notebook that Mello took to be the death note from his bedroom. He held it out to Mello, but Light lowered L's hand with his own before Mello could take it.

"You might want to sit down first," Light advised.

"Whatever," Mello rolled his eyes and plopped back down in his chair.

L handed him the notebook again, and Mello didn't hesitate before taking it. Automatically, he directed his gaze to behind Misa where he got the impression that the shinigami was standing. To himself he would silently admit that seeing the monster was the slightest bit startling. However, outwardly he maintained a collected and undaunted facade as his eyes took in the skeletal figure before him.

"You can call me Mello," he said to it.

"Rem," it replied.

"Can I stand up now?" He smirked at Light.

"Do whatever you want," Light muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You don't have to go through with this," L told him. Mello knew what he really meant was 'please don't go through with this.'

"Someone has to," Mello shrugged as if the decision meant nothing to him.

"I could," L said softly.

"Out of all of us, you are the one who certainly should not," Mello's voice was as stern as L's had been before. "Your prat successor isn't nearly ready to take on your job, and the world still needs L."

"Mello." The completely open expression of regret that L gave him was overwhelming.

"So, do I need you say something fancy or do I just say that I make the trade?" He directed his attention to the shinigami.

"If you're ready, all you need to do is state it," the shinigami confirmed.

"Okay," Mello took a breath. "I make the trade."

Mello half expected his eyes to glaze over with pain, or his vision to be engulfed by a red haze. Neither happened. The sensation was barely noticeable at all, he honestly thought that putting on contacts seemed more painful than acquiring shinigami eyes. With a feelingless blink of an eye, Mello was able to see the names and lifespans of everyone in the room with him.

L was the first person that he focused on, and Mello didn't hold back his laugh when he silently read the detective's real name. L Lawliet. He had to admit that it was clever, for no one would guess that L's name was the letter itself. The detective's most dangerous secret was hidden in plain sight.

"Oh," L must have realized what Mello was laughing at.

"Was that your idea?" Mello wondered.

"Yes," a smug look formed on L's face. "And you're only laughing because it was a genius idea."

"I guess," Mello grinned.

"What are you talking about?" Light asked loudly.

"Nothing." Mello was about to dismiss the dubious look he knew would be on Light's face, but froze one his gaze met the teen. A chill that Mello was not sure he'd ever be able to warm, ran through his blood.

"What?" Light's suspicion morphed into nervous confusion. "Why are you gaping at me?"

"Mello?" He had no idea how L had crossed the room, but the next thing he knew the detective's questioning eyes were inches from his face.

"Light," Mello murmured.

"Yeah?" Light raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry," Mello stammered. "You're going to die tomorrow."

So...someone finally kissed in this fic!

Reviews:

Callicanios, it's okay to sound childish, he can be a meanie-head sometimes. Beyond is also one of my favorite antagonists, it's hard not to both love and hate him (at least for me that is). He's far more fun to write for than I imagined. Sorry about the last cliff hang, you probably want to kill me after this one...

Rice Waffles, I'm really glad that you found the way I wrote Beyond creepy, the moments in his POV might be what I'm most proud of in this fic. You have a point with Misora's death. I was trying to subtly portray her capabilities slipping since the BB case, but you're right when you say she wasn't out of options and wouldn't surrender easily. My intentions at the end of the last chapter were for the reader to sympathize with Light, not to think that he got what was coming to him. I don't hate Kira. The reason that I incorporated Kira-like thoughts into the story was partly because the death note is a intersection plot devise, but also because I agree with them and think AU Light should. Personally, I feel that the fandom tends to soften L, when in the cannon he used unorthodox methods to do what needed to be done. Although he was wrong in thinking Light betrayed him, his actions were based more on more than just a hunch. Everything pointed to Light. Thanks for your review. I don't get a lot of constructive criticism, and it was helpful to hear a different opinion.

Bluxpudding, nice, you were the first to call it.

Guest, good prediction.

Cyinamas, sorry...

Guest, thanks for the review.

Thank you to everyone reading! Please review!