A/N: Here's chapter two! Well, Raito is staying with L because they're both working on some case together or a sleepover or whatever you want to think (or even Raito's house burned down and he's staying with L. :P Okay, maybe we don't want his house to burn down… ) Well, please read and review! Thank you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note.

It's the Thought That Counts

Chapter Two: The Heart in the Gift

A few hours later as the moon hung with its ethereal glow cast over the dark sky, Raito's key slid into the keyhole of L's apartment door. He opened the door with ease and turned to close it behind it. Suddenly, the doorknob became slippery in his sweaty palm and it eluded his grasp. The wooden door slammed itself into the doorway, echoing throughout the entire building.

"Shoot!!!" Raito emitted out of sheer frustration.

"Raito-kun," a familiar voice called him from the couch obscured beneath the shadows of darkness. Something next to the dark figure crouched up on the piece of furniture flapped it wings and opened its beak to let out a fearful quack.

"You have Ducky with you?" asked Raito in amazement as he fingered and flickered on the light switch.

"Yes, Ducky protects me from whoever comes in here… like you, Raito-kun," L explained as his fingers stroke over the white smooth head of the duck. "Isn't that right, Ducky?" he cooed as he turned to face Raito. "Raito, you don't make a very good burglar. You scream once you get inside to let the world know you're up to something no good…"

"Disturbing that you sleep with the duck… But I guess it's considered normal for you," Raito attacked back.

L pointed a finger at Raito and ordered, "Ducky! Attack him now!" The duck remained next to L, motionless. "I order you to attack the intruder!" L dictated again to his pet as L raised a foot and poked the animal.

The creature turned and began to drive its beak in L's leg. "Hey! No! Bad Ducky! That hurts!" whined L as he waved his hands toward the duck. Ducky pecked L several times in the leg before flying off into an open room. "Control your duck, Raito!" L complained.

Raito's eyes widened. "My duck?!"

"You were the one who got it for me in the first place!" L defended his position.

"You were the one sleeping with it! Besides, that duck can't protect you from a fly!"

"You have a problem with that?!" L threatened.

"You are one dysfunctional person…" Raito declared.

"Oh, and you're not? Looks who's talking. Did you ever look in the mirror, Raito-kun? You're the same as me."

Raito didn't respond to L's comment but instead walked over to the bathroom. "I'm brushing my teeth."

"Raito-kun, you might want to watch out for-" L never finished his sentence before Raito screamed.

"Ahh! Make it stop! Something's attacking me! It has a sharp beak!" Raito cried.

"It has appeared you ran into Ducky. I told you that duck occupies the bathroom 24 hours a day!" L said as he walked to the bathroom to assist his friend.

L appeared in the doorway right at the moment Ducky flew up and pecked Raito on the head. "Ducky! Bad duck! Stop attacking Raito now!" L ordered.

The duck suddenly stopped trying to impale Raito with its beak and flew towards L instead, it wings fluttering maniacally. "Oh my gosh! Killer duck on the loose!" L screamed as he ran out the bathroom.

"What about me?" asked Raito, in a timid voice. "I knew I should have taken that kung fu class! L, help me!"

"I can't even save myself!" L screamed over his shoulder as he jumped behind the couch.

Ducky stopped charging at L and retreated back into the lit bathroom. The moment Raito heard a quack emitted from the door entrance, Raito flew to the side of the wall to remove himself from its destructive path. The white flapping creature waddled past Raito and hopped back into the bathtub.

"Did you train it to be this monstrous?!" Raito gasped from loss of breath as he ran from the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

"I should have expected that duck to behave this way considering you were its owner!" L spat out.

"Call animal control or something."

"No! I'll throw you in the back of that truck!"

"Well, then cook it," suggested Ratio.

"I'll cook you if you lay a finger on my duck!" L threatened dangerously with malice glowing in his dark eyes.

"I'm brushing my teeth in the kitchen!" announced Raito as he gathered up his things and head for the kitchen.

"I'm going to sleep!" L shouted back. "I was sleeping so well before the world's worse burglar stopped by for a visit!"

Raito left the room muttering under his breath. "Stupid L… Cook me, huh? Cook you first!"

Raito felt something hit him on the back of the head and whirled around to find the culprit. It was an unopened chocolate bar. Raito looked at L.

"I heard that," he simply said.

With that, Raito stormed for the kitchen without another word coming out from his mouth for fear of more candy being thrown at him. After an unpleasant experience of brushing his teeth in the kitchen sink, Raito washed his face and toweled it dry. His hand fell on the fridge's handle and Raito pulled it open with an easy yank. He saw a packaged bag in the far right hand corner of the fridge and grinned to himself, considering L hides his most precious sweets in the back. Raito cleared a pathway for his hand to reach in and grab the wrapped object. He set it gently on the kitchen counter and scrutinized the appearance of the item. In bright black words scribbled over the surface of the bag read "Do not touch." Raito recognized the writing immediately as L's. Raito unraveled the plastic bag from it. His eyes widened with astonishment when the pie-shaped container fell out. It was the exploding pie he had given L a while back. 'He still have it? I thought he hated it!' Raito thought. 'Well, he still has Ducky even though it kept attacking him… Why?'

Raito wondered in bewilderment as he set the pie and bag back into the fridge where he had found it. He took his things and walked back into the living room of L's apartment. L sat on the couch with his arms hugging himself. As Raito walked closer, he saw that L was holding something in his arms as he slept. 'Is it his cake again?' Raito thought as he rolled his eyes. Raito looked at the small item surrounded by L's arms and immediately identified what it was. It was the teddy bear Raito had given him earlier that day.

He sat down next to L instead of going to his separate room adjacent to the living room. The reason why L kept all his gifts struck Raito the moment he saw the stuffed bear in L's arms. "He likes it after all. L actually likes my gifts…" Raito whispered to himself.

With that, L stirred hugged his teddy bear closer. L opened his eyes and looked at Raito, "I named it L #2. Daddy's going to take good care of you." L hugged the bear closer.

"You're not really good with naming things, are you?" Raito asked, surprised that L wasn't asleep. "You actually like my gifts…"

After placing his head on L's shoulder, he heard L whispered, "Of course, all of them. You had the thoughtfulness to get them for me and you intertwined your heart in them. I don't really care if it explodes in my face or attacks me. It's the thought that counts."

Raito snuggled next to L's left arm before hugging the blanket closer to his chest. Hearing L say that made Raito's whole day and night. Raito smiled as he felt the warmth of his best friend.

Suddenly, he heard a quack coming from the other side of L. Raito peered over and saw that it was Ducky.

"It's not going to go crazy and attack me, right?" Raito asked.

"I don't think so."

"Good."

Relaxed, Raito rested his tired head back on L's shoulder. After biding each other goodnight, the two geniuses fell asleep on the couch, under the soft blanket. Ducky slept next to L's right side as Raito leaned on his other and L #2 clutched tightly beneath his arms.

The End

A/N: Well, what do you guys think? I love Raito and L fluff!!! It's so cute and innocent!!! Best friends/brother and brother fluff! Constructive criticism is highly welcomed! Please review! Thank you!

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. cries