Warnings: Misa-being-a-retard-because-she-was-born-that-way themes. Yaoi/Shounen-ai/Slashable characters: L and Light. Rated M for smut, language and boy kissing.

Summary: Kira brought Raito to L, the one person he could love. But, is love enough to concur the evil that is Kira? Or, is that love itself the true evil? L's life is at stake, and Raito is the only one who can save it, but will he? L/Light, Mello/Near. Yaoi.

Disclaimer: Just you wait.

Chibi Watari: Ho ho… ho.

Me: Yes, that.

Chibi Raito: Read and Review!

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I want to recognise
Your beauty's not just a mask
I want to exercise
The undisclosed desires in your heart

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Death Note:
Redemption

By NinjaKittyx3

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Soichiro Yagami was pleased knowing that his son could attend Sayu's birthday party. Yes, his own son had to get permission to attend his sister's birthday party.

It was all a bit dramatic, wasn't it?

But no one, not even him, would dare argue with the detective – one could not do so without being suspected or Kira-like activity.

Which… was a depressing thought.

But, Raito was going to his sister's birthday, none the less. He'd go if Soichiro had to drag him by his hair.

And L too.

Back at home, where he rarely ever was, Sayu was getting ready to go to bed, even though it was only nine-o-clock. Soichiro never really got to see her, or his wife, ever; because of work, but that was the price they paid for being wealthy.

It was either rich and happy, with no husband, or poor and miserable, with a husband.

It was kind of a done deal.

Assuming it was because her birthday was the next day, Sayu was unusually happy and bouncy. Soichiro loved Sayu as much as Raito and Sachiko, more than anything in the world, so it was sad that he was only home because of the occasion, and he'd be leaving soon to get back to headquarters.

Duty called. Sadly.

Damn panda-detectives.

"Dad, I'm going to my room to go on my laptop." Sayu informed him, kissing his cheek and skipping over to Sachiko. She kissed her goodnight and made for the stairs, stopping at the first step and saying behind her shoulder. "Do you know if Raito-kun is available?"

"Tonight?" Soichiro asked, standing up and reaching for his coat that was on the back of his chair.

"Yes. To… email." Sayu smiled strangely.

"I'd assume so, if he's not busy." Soichiro raised an eyebrow at her. "You need more help with homework?"

Sayu tilted her head and sweat dropped. "Uh, yeah. Heh."

And with that, Sayu bounced upstairs and the living room was silent until the slam of her door was heard.

"She seems so excited." Sachiko announced happily, but quietly, as to not let Sayu hear. She walked over to her husband and helped him on with his jacket.

"She does, it's nice." Soichiro replied, happily, smiling at Sachiko. "Well, I'll be off."

Sachiko nodded, her hair bobbing. "The last time you were here, Raito was with…" She suddenly looked very sad.

"Hey." Soichiro put a hand on her shoulder and rubbed soothingly as she sighed. "He'll be coming tomorrow, so he'll be home."

"But not for good." She mumbled back, shaking his hand off and opening the front door in a polite manner, nodding for him to go. "Goodnight, I love you."

Soichiro gazed at her for a moment, then made for the door. He bent down and kissed her goodnight, then was out the door, looking at his house slowly fade away in his rear-view mirror.

"Matsuda-san, do that again!" Soichiro heard Raito cry.

"Alright." There was a shuffling noise and then Raito laughed again, and was shortly joined by Matsuda, Mogi and… by the sounds of it… Aizawa.

Someone sighed.

"Matsuda-san, stop it." Soichiro heard Ryuzaki complain as he approached the main door to the room. Then Raito's laughter stopped him and he took a moment to get used to the sound, as it was not often heard. "Raito-kun, you are not helping, nor being very professional."

Soichiro found this moment appropriate to waltz in and make himself known. He was greeted with Matsuda poking his finger into a giant cake on the front table, and then Ryuzaki sighed again.

"Good evening, Yagami-san." He said politely, not taking his eyes off of Matsuda's intruding finger.

"Hey Dad." Light walked over to him and un-intentionally took L with him in the process. He smiled in apology to the man, who merely chewed his thumb and glared at Matsuda.

"What is Matsuda doing?" Soichiro asked, him too glaring at the man.

"Oh, he's trying to find his ring, he lost it when Mogi and himself were baking a cake and-"

"Why were they baking a cake?" Soichiro interrupted, looking at Raito. "This is an investigation, there is not time for cake."

He may have heard L 'tsk' under his breath at that.

"Ryuzaki told them to take a break, so that's what they did." Raito smiled. "Then we noticed that destroying a cake was a great way to get Ryuzaki more involved."

Soichiro glanced at the man in question, who was worriedly nibbling his thumbnail, looking at Matsuda. "But, all it is doing is annoying him, Raito."

"Exactly." Raito smiled at Soichiro's confused look. "Ryuzaki is normally only available to talk to if it is about the case, and by destroying cake, he gets annoyed and tries to defend it. It's a great discovery."

Before Soichiro could reply to the idiotic statement by Raito, a new voice beat him to it.

"Raito-kun is taking this 'discovery' a little too far?" L said it as a question, even though it wasn't.

"Maybe Raito-kun is." Light replied in third-person, causing L to scowl at him and return to his chair, pulling Raito along, who squeaked a goodbye to his father.

Soichiro sighed and glanced at his watch. Oh good, it was coming up for eleven o-clock. He'd get some work done before passing out somewhere. And Raito and Ryuzaki should be retiring to their room soon.

Because Raito was a normal human being who required at least six good hours of sleep a night, unlike some.

Soichiro sighed to himself before walking over to Matsuda and pulling him away from the cake, receiving a silent thank you look from Ryuzaki.

Raito yawned, and L glanced over to him. "Raito-kun, are you tired?"

Raito spared him a glance. "Sort of."

"Would Raito-kun like to go to bed now?"

Raito got the feeling L was trying to get them out of the room by his stare, and replied quietly. "Yes, please."

L bounced to his feet, pulling Raito towards the door, informing the others that they may remain to work, go home, or sleep wherever and whenever they wanted, then leaving the room, heading for the elevator.

"Ryuzaki, what's the rush?" Raito asked as he was pulled by the chain at L's walking pace.

"Raito-kun is tired, therefore Raito-kun should go to our room."

Some answer.

They got inside the elevator and the doors closed, Raito nearly tumbling at the sudden movement as it started to climb floors. "But, that didn't exactly answer my question…"

L glanced sideways at him, nibbling on his thumb. "Raito-kun, you said you are tired, and Sayu's birthday is tomorrow, I think we will both agree that you need a good rest for it."

"Oh." Raito mumbled, yawning and looking down. He had no idea L was so considerate of him.

Hey, what the-

FLASHBACK.

In the end, it had to be the longest, and perhaps best, but he wasn't going to admit that, kiss that Raito had ever had. He was gasping for air when they finally tore apart.

Raito actually had to lean on L's chest for support, while L played with his hair.

L bent his head towards Raito's ear and muttered something along the lines of "Aishiteru" … but Light didn't think he had caught it properly.

After a good five minutes, Raito finally regained his breath, and it sounded as though L had too, who was stoking Raito's hair.

Okay, it was official to him. Raito… liked L.

Really.

END OF FLASHBACK.

… Greaaaat.

The scene flashed through Raito's mind as he laid his head on the pillow and gazed at L, who was opening his laptop, running his fingertips along the keys whilst waiting for it to load.

What exactly had L said to him that day? How long ago was it now? Four days, was it?

Well, no matter how long it was, it definitely sounded like 'Aishiteru', and that was not a common Japanese saying.

Why had L said that to him?

"Ryuzaki…" Raito began, leaning up for a moment to look at L.

"Yes, Raito-kun?" Ryuzaki's eyes flicked from his computer and to Light's face.

Raito was about to ask him, but suddenly felt really nervous about approaching the subject with L.

Or anywhere near L, for that matter.

His face became hot and he bent his head back down.

"Nothing."

L looked at him for a moment, before muttering an "Okay" and looking back to his laptop. A few moments later, L spoke again.

"Raito-kun, do you know how hard it is to do your work with someone staring at you?"

Raito snapped back to reality. He'd been caught up in the dreaminess of L's face for a moment there, or had it been longer? "Oh, sorry, I never realised."

"It'd be best to go to sleep now." L suggested, closing his laptop, placing it on the bedside cabinet and laying down also, bringing the covers up to his chest, hugging them.

"You're actually going to sleep?" Raito looked tiredly amazed at the man who was currently looking at him through tiredly slitted eyes.

"I have to go tomorrow also, so it'd be helpful if I was fully awake." L said simply, turning on is side and facing Raito.

"Good idea."

Nothing was said as they stared at each other for a moment, then Raito sighed happily and snuggled closer to L, who froze, before realising that Raito was not going to kill him, and was only trying to go to sleep.

Raito's arm slipped around L's waist and he leaned his head against the insomniac's chest, pointing his face upwards towards L, who looked back.

Slowly, L kissed Raito goodnight, a slow and gentle kiss that was free of worry and the Kira case, and for a moment, they were only Yagami Raito and L, not Detective Ryuzaki and Kira – who Raito was not.

L's arms wrapped around Raito when they parted and Raito's head rested happily on L's chest. L found that Raito's hair smelled faintly like apples, and he didn't know why.

Raito's shampoo wasn't apple-scented. Was it?

However, he decided not to dwell on that fact and close his eyes, falling asleep instantly, in the hold of Raito's arms.

Chibi Misa: That's what's up.

Chibi Raito: Hey, since when am I the uke?

Me: Since you were… hey wait. You have a very good point.

Chibi L: I am the seme now.

Me: Uh, heh. Hey, L?

Chibi L: I bend over for no one.

Me: I'm afraid, you just might.

Chibi L: -cries-

Chibi Raito. That's what's up.

Chibi Sayu: Can I watch?

Chibi Watari: Ho.

Me: Note to reviewers, Watari is acting like Tanaka from the popular manga Kuroshitsuji.

Chibi Raito: Are you getting paid to say this?

Me: Quiet, you. Tanaka is voiced by Fujimura Shunji, who-

Chibi Sayu: Hey, doesn't he play Watari in the film-adaptation of Death Note?

Me: Correct. So, I thought it'd be fun to put it in there.

Chibi Raito: Shameless advertising!

Chibi L: Read and review!

Chibi Watari: Ho!