Suddenly Raito felt a pang in his chest; a shot of pain. He reached his hand over his chest and looked to Ryuk; the demon smirked. Raito went to speak, but was silenced by the pain. Ryuk's eyes glistened with sinister pleasure as the scene melted and Raito found himself in his bedroom, back in the mansion. His cell phone was ringing with Misa Amane's name flashing, but Raito did not acknowledge it; he simply looked shockingly to Ryuk. The demon curled his dark, stretched lips and snickered, "Havin' some trouble there, Light?"

Raito gripped his chest, over the his heart and muttered, "I-I'm going to die o-of a heart-attack? R-really, R-Ryuk…t-that is so-so unbef-fiting…"

Ryuk chuckled; there was the old Raito he knew, over-confident and acting as if nothing could kill him but silver bullets. Ryuk replied, "Not quite; but I'm not the one killing you, Light, so I don't really know how he's doing it…"

Raito's eyes widened as he repeated, "…him?"

Ryuk's irises glowed with dark satisfaction; Raito asked, "L…L-Lawliet?"

Raito's body pulsated, almost echoed with intense pain as he gripped his chest more tightly. For moment, then…he saw inside himself. Inside the fragile little organ that kept him running, that made him blush and breath and scream and judge. And it was tightening around something spherical. Raito suddenly tasted blueberry and vanilla in his mouth; he didn't usually like sweets, but it was satisfying as he fell to his knees.

He closed his eyes; their weight overwhelming him as he prayed inwardly,

L…Lawliet…

"…L…R-Ryuuzaki…Lawliet…"

Oh, God, L…oh, God, Lawliet…

"Oh, God…" he cringed in pain

"Light-kun, are you in need of my help?"

"Unless…are you embarrassed to be working with me, Light-kun?"

"We may go now."

"Don't touch me like that…you scared me."

"Oh…God, L-Lawliet…" His heart tightened around the sweet in torturing pain

"I don't know if everyone in the office received memos directing them to ask my about my love-life, but I'll tell you also, Light-kun, that I do not hold interest in romance."

"It is what I believe, Light-kun, and nothing can change what I am."

"Time was passing, and I did not want to waste it."

"Please, L-Lawliet…s-save me…" he whimpered as he fell to the floor completely, gripping his chest, seething in pain

"We're going to walk through them."

"I wouldn't break for you either, Light-kun."

"Because it is the closest to my name."

"I would like to travel to the Boboli Gardens before I die."

"I've never really been happy."

"I-I wasn't…s-strong enough…I …I wasn't g-good enough f-for you, L-Lawliet…" he cried

"You're good at being my friend."

"I…I had a weak moment. I didn't mean to burden you with that."

"But…you say you like to see me alive…"

"If you so wish, Light-kun."

"P-please, L-Lawliet…y-you showed me h-how love is p-pain…that d-day…you r-ran to me e-even though y-you bled and h-hurt…y-you went through t-the pain t-to get to t-the love…t-to me…" he begged to nothing visible

"I lie about nothing, Light-kun."

"I don't want you to ever call me that again."

"I am nothing compared to you!"

"If you won't break, I won't."

"My heart, Light-kun…my heart led me to you…it needed you…"

"I-I have…s-suffered t-to love you t-too, L-Lawliet…"

"I want you to call me L again…"

"Save me, L!"

Then there was blindness; Raito lost sense of everything and there was no other way to describe it, but utter nothingness. There was no color, there were no sounds but he certainly felt closer to Lawliet. He felt closer than he had for a long, long, long while…

He opened his eyes; there was darkness all around him, he stood stripped of any clothing and for a moment, he thought memory. He looked around and called out, but no sound came to his disposal. Suddenly there was a light before him and he felt as though he was drowning; there were no directions, no left or right or up or down. Only this light.

"…Light…"

Raito's eyes widened as the form suddenly morphed into something much more familiar. Lawliet's ebony irises were staring back at him; his charcoal hair was spread feathery across his features along with a soft fluster as he stared indifferently at Raito. Raito finally felt his voice, it came out scratchy and as if it hadn't been used in ages as he asked, "L-Lawliet…I…I didn't think you'd forgive me…"

Before he could say anything more Lawliet capture Raito's lips with his own, running his spidery digits through Raito's hair and along his neck. Raito happily abided; tears falling from his eyes that had been washed of their bloody stains. Raito did not know exactly how the thoughts formed, and he decided he wanted to believe that Lawliet transferred the sentences through his lips, into Raito's mind. And it explained everything, telling him simply; Justice is equivalence and that is all the great detective L wanted to be.

And he was.

But Justice was unmoved, untouched, and unwavering. He only knew fact and never felt guilty or unsure. Lawliet, loved Raito, though. Meaning that among all of humanity, there was one existence that Lawliet, Justice would treat with more compassion, with more mercy…and now he was no longer balanced. Lawliet could no longer be Justice, because Justice could not love.

Here and now, Raito gave up his crown of Kira, for he too, did not want to be Justice. Not if Justice could not love; for he loved Lawliet. Lawliet broke from his kiss with Raito and took Raito's hand in his own. There formed a door suddenly; it looked very old, though the handle was shiny and clean. Raito looked to Lawliet and the detective reached over to open the door, but Raito stopped him by stating, "You know…"

Lawliet looked to him…

"You are the most disgusting, infuriating and aggravating human being I ever encountered."

Lawliet simply smiled and told Raito matter-of-factly, "I already knew that, Light."

Raito smiled as Lawliet gripped his hand a little more tightly and opened the door. It didn't matter, what was on the other side, though. It didn't matter to Raito. Because L saved him. As much as L was his downfall…L had been his savior. Raito smirked, and all this time, he thought only justice could change this world, but Raito watched as light flooded L's features and knew that love, and only love, could save him. Only love could save them. Only love can save us.

End.

Author's note: Thank you all for all your wonderful support in reviews and PMs, it's all been really wonderful and greatly, greatly appreciated! I hope you all enjoyed it and I'll be back soon with a brand new fanfiction! Hope you all loved the ride as much as I did! 