So…it's summer. And you guys don't want to even know what took me so long! x.x

For now, here's a chapter. Enjoy.

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I can't believe it...

The world around Raito seemed to have taken on a darker shade, though the sun had already been covered by a thick layer of clouds. The snow and frigid air seemed like nothing but forces of a weaker power that couldn't knock the boy over if it tried. One would have believed the world to have been put on mute. Mouths of the Shibuya population moved without vain, and yet no sound seemed to emerge. Just a cold silence lingered, like a blanket of mist floating over ice-capped mountains. The teen's lips were twisted into a wicked smirk, one having the power to make any sinister mastermind green with envy at how truly wicked it made him look.

He turned away from the doors of the department store began to walk, calmly and slowly. The people around him kept moving and going about their days, unaware and naive of the events that were soon to come. A group of children ran past him, eager to spend their parents' money in the shopping hell that was Tokyo, and a couple walking arm-in-arm the other way didn't look his way once. He foresaw the nonchalant society as if it was beneath him like obstacles in a race, and effortlessly, he would dodge them like bullets- and maintain his grace while doing so. How foolish so many were to not pay attention…those were the ones who ended up getting hurt. Or killed. His footsteps echoed around him in that noiseless world in which he had ended up. The exact moment that he had gotten there had befallen him; however, he didn't too much care either.

Above him, a bird landed in a tree. The flapping of its wings had caught the boy's attention, as the commotion had broken his silent trance, but it wasn't he heard its voice that stopped mid step.

"Caw."

Raito turned slowly, his chestnut eyes turning a near-red as they moved to gaze at the midnight avian. He knew full well that those moonlit amber eyes were looking strait at him, a keen smile hidden within their depths. "Caw!" It insisted again, its midnight frame moving as it spoke once more, and the teen's heart leaped in his chest. It wasn't of fear; on the contrary. A feeling of pure thrill shot through him like adrenaline, quickly enough that it could have wiped him off his feet. But he held strong, staring back in a near stupor at the bird that had spoken to him and brought him such a feeling of excitement.

"Heh…" A manic smile swept over his face and his eyes retreated under the mask of his hair, sheltered from the world's vision for his own good. L…Do you know? A voice whispered and taunted around him, reverberating from every angle of the street. As if it had heard too, the crow leaped from its perch and called out to the world beneath him, ebony wings stretching from its body. In one shot, it had taken off into the sky, fading fast into the clouds in the distance. Whether it was irony or a simple coincidence, Raito couldn't help but notice the path in which it was flying- in the exact direction of the task force's headquarters.

That crows are birds of death?

"Heh heh…" A chuckle escaped his lips once, then twice, despite his efforts to contain it. He bit his lip, closed his eyes and clenched his fist to hold back. But the urge was tugging at his lips, his body tense with persistence. Finally, the student surrendered to his desires, unable to hold back for any longer.

A mass of auburn locks moved with his head, falling backwards. Despite the world's eyes watching him, Raito laughed. It started quietly, and then grew louder and wilder; more unrestrained and less tame. That very sound seemed to echo for miles, through the streets of Tokyo and beyond. Kira's victory bell had been rung.

But L could not hear it, oh no, and that's all that mattered. Though it was a mere laugh, he would have known the sound. Raito would give him that much. At the same time, one who looses a game is quick on realization, but slow to admittance, and L's personal qualities only doubled the probability that such stubbornness would be the case. He'd claw and he'd meddle, scrounging for his last shard of hope- or in this game, the one move that could save his king. But even if it were just the back of his mind that knew it, defeat was still defeat, and vulnerability was his downfall.

The game had been almost too easy. Sure, he'd had faith in his plan, and yet he was surprised by how swiftly it had worked. He hadn't expected it to go as smoothly either. It was as if freedom had taken a physical form and served him victory on a silver platter. One simple little phone call and he'd be well on his way. From there, it's be a quick hack into the server of English police department, and a scan through files which were documented about 15 years before then- particularly on those files relating to a captured serial killer who murdered two Japanese tourists, and more than likely, their son.

Like a movie, the boy could almost picture L back at headquarters, paging though the same records he had been the day before, playing with his chocolate, and sipping his coffee. The preoccupied detective, unknowingly in his last hours, would scour through meaningless clues and plan idle moves which he would never have the chance to take. "A dead man moves no pawns-" that had been Raito's motto to live by since the day he had found the Death Note, perhaps sooner. But the game was coming to a close, and one little white pawn stood very little chance against the entire fleet of dark chess pieces.

One move, and Raito would have checkmate.

He had gone through this routine before, where the sound of every dialed number seemed to float around him in a dream-like state. This, of course, was merely a delusion of reality, an effect created by the brown-eyed boy's mind to fit the mood which he envisioned. The world's perception of time appeared to still be off track in his eyes, as even snow drifted at an abnormal pace and the sky seemed to be tinted a deep, bloody red. If triumph was seen as insanity by the rest of the world's standards, then the student would gladly accept the deeming. They could lock him up, condemn him, put him in handcuffs, and yet again the Houdini god would find his way out of it. Through the power of charm and words, he had wormed his way out of a multitude of situations that had put him at risk; it had even protected his identity. The dark haired detective had been one of the very few to not fall victim to this tactic. Not immediately, anyway.

"Raito-kuun! It's you!" No sooner had he hit the call button on his cell phone that an obnoxious voice screeched into his ear from the other line. Taking a slow break to clear his dismay, the brunette spoke with a calm, collective voice- one he knew the blonde could not resist.

"Misa, listen, I need you to do something for me." Raito inwardly smiled at his brilliant acting, and how many times he had gone through the same routine. Butter the girl up, give her a kiss if necessary, and he would have anything he wanted. It had always worked for girls, and recently he had discovered that it worked for members of the male specimen as well. "I need you to set up the laptop for when I get there. This is very important so please listen very carefully, alright?"

The voice on the other line, as impulsive as it was girly, was prone to shooting back a series of questions and nonsense that the college student did not want to hear. Just to be sure, he said what he had to without letting her cut in. There was no time to waste.

"I need to search for something. I can't tell you what over the phone in case it's been tapped, but I might need to borrow your eyes as well." Getting down to business was easy, but then came the personal factors of getting what he wanted. It hadn't been long since she had assumed the rule of the second Kira, then days later showed up at his door, blatantly holding her Death Note in front of her for the world's eyes to see. Though he didn't too much care for the pop star, he did have an obligation to protect her. He had told her just weeks ago, when the Yotsuba case was at its peak, to give up ownership of the notebook if she ever found herself on the verge of being exposed. It wasn't for the girl as a person, but more for the benefit of his own cause and ambitions. As far as Raito was concerned, she was lucky to have even that much of his time.

Still, her efforts were important to his success. At least until L was out of the way, he could keep her alive for that reason.

He had dealt with the blonde so often in the past few months that bending her to his will had quickly become an automatic response that he didn't even have to think about. "Doing this for me would make me really happy. Do you understand?"

Maybe there was some hope for the girl yet. "I understand. I'll have it all ready for when you get here."

"Thank you Misa. I'll see you in a few."

Perfect.

"I love-!"

Click.

There certainly wasn't any time for that, was there? The air seemed cooler, like breathing became less tedious of a task. The boy inhaled deeply, letting the sensation wash over his body. It almost felt like relief. His breath floated around him in an exhale, drifting to the heavens above. In a few hours, L would be his to control, and then he would be dead. Soon following, the entire world would fall into his hands.

Things were going exactly as planned.

The teen's heart was in his throat by the time he had reached the hotel door. The world had maintained to its surreal state, and in his eyes, was being shot by a low quality camera. Everything was fuzzy, and objects passed him at a delayed rate. It was a sort of high that he sometimes felt when things worked out perfectly, especially when a great deal of effort had made it possible.

"Raito!" The voice of Raito's least favorite mistake was squawking at him again, this time in his face and choking him with her arms around his neck. Compared to being with the girl face to face, it was much easier to talk to her on the phone. He actually had to pretend to listen to her here. He couldn't just hold the phone away from his ear.

"Misa, I'm kind of in a hurry…" The boy lied, peeling the blonde off of him, and yet it was true. Despite being Kira, despite his ambitions to be a god, and regardless of every other reason why he needed the boy's name… was simple and strait forward curiosity. To find out information that was hidden so well was like a dream to every human being with a god-complex, even more to those who actually knew the detective in person. It was the one thing that the great L wasn't blunt and strait forward about, the one precious and personal secret that he owned, and frankly, it was bothering the red-headed teen. What was the name of that boy…the one whom he had been handcuffed to, and kissed again and again…?

Just once, he would have to do it. Whisper the boy's name in his ear…tell him it over and over until it burned a hole deep inside of him…The thought of that win sent shivers down the boy's back and adrenaline surging through him.

"Oh, Raito-kun, you've finished shopping?"

In a mere second, his feelings of excitement had come to an abrupt halt. His heart was apparently unaware of his body's memo, jumped in his chest while the rest of him froze stiff. That voice… The brown eyes shifted past the blonde and into the apartment, struggling to focus his eyes into the shaded hotel room. As the two pictures became one, it became apparent that he and Misa would not be as alone as he had thought. On one of the couches, in that awkward sitting position, eyes wide and alert, a coy smile on his lips, was L.

"From the way you made it sound, Christmas shopping is no short matter. Or perhaps I was mistaken?" Nonchalantly, a finger and a thumb gripped a fish-shaped pastry; one which the boy had learned was called 'taiyaki.' The tail was missing, presumably because it had already been devoured by the pair of waiting lips that were slowly but surely working their way towards the head of the fish. "I thought that perhaps I'd pay Amane-san a visit for old time's sake. I had no idea you had the same thought. Shows how perfect we are for one another, ne?"

The boy's toes battled one another, seemingly unbeknownst to him. His eyes his taken on a light different from what they usually held, so much that Raito himself noticed. Though the muddy orbs were bubbling with amusement, they also reflected another emotion- one that looked a lot like disappointment.

"Raito, what is Ryuuzaki talking about?" Misa's voice whined, sounding very far a way for someone gripping his arm. The named boy stood in a dumbfounded stupor, maintaining his facial expression to the best of his ability. Despite his calm appearance, a sea of panic had swept over his island and was raging around him, growing higher by the minute. It was hard to keep his balance and not fall. If he did, he would be swept into those depths, unable to surface and therefore be lost in the waves.

That bastard… No, why didn't Misa call me and tell me that he was here? That idiot! Raito's thoughts were frantic, as if he had plummeted into a realm of nothingness and had no way out. In place of the darkness that had plagued the world around his was a blinding light, an element the auburn-haired student could not stand. The sound of his heart beating echoed in the air around him like a drum, pounding at a rapid pace. No matter which direction he would turn, L was still sitting in front of him, gazing in his direction with dark, accusing eyes, and half of a taiyaki gripped in his fingers. But…it wasn't him that he was staring so intently at, he noticed, following the trail of the boy's gaze to find out exactly what had adverted the detective's gaping eyes from his original target.

No...It's no matter. It's my fault for not giving him enough credit. I underestimated you, L.

Raito's eyes landed on Misa, who had both arms wrapped around one of his. Her head nuzzled against his shoulder, letting out a giggle, a huge grin across her face. He could see the boy's gaze shift, falling back to the taiyaki. Just barely, manila poked from the head of the fish. With one more bite, the custard spilled onto his lips. A small, quiescent smirk crossed his lips and his tongue emerged to lick it away, cleaning the mess he had made with the precision of a typical obsessive-compulsive. Despite the detective's efforts, the university student could tell that he was using this little show as an excuse to fixate his eyes elsewhere.

It was then that it dawned on him exactly what was happening, and it took all the self control the boy had not to let a crazed smile sweep across his face. The emotion that he had seen before made sense to him now, like a code which had just been deciphered. It was too rich, the whole irony of the situation, and it was making more and more sense by the minute. For a moment's duration, the brown-eyes boy had been sure that he was busted, and trapped in a hole that had no walls to speak of. However, there was in fact someone in a pinch with no escape, but it wasn't him. It was L and his jealous eyes.

But now you're making it even easier on me.

"Misa, do you mind bringing us some tea?" Raito asked, using his best Tamaki voice for the occasion. "I'm a little chilly from the snow outside."

The girl nodded and seemed delighted to oblige, skittering off to the kitchen, humming a tune Raito recognized as one of her top list singles. But he really wasn't paying attention to her. He stood in front of the dark-haired boy who was avoiding his gaze, chewing quietly on his wagashi and watching his toes twiddle. It was obvious…If he didn't settle the situation while it was still ripe, the road ahead would be a lot bumpier.

"Ryuuzaki, why won't you look at me?" Raito asked softly, trying to remember what sadness felt like. Though it had been too long since he had faced the feeling, and though he couldn't quite recall it, he apparently did well at acting it out. L's eyes rose for an instant, only to shoot away and fall on the ground. Though a bit of color came to his cheeks, the auburn-haired boy could have sworn that he was still paler then usual. Frowning, he knelt in front of the boy to erase his last excuse and have front row seats to the real answer behind his next question. "Are you jealous of Misa or something?"

For a split second, all noise in the house ceased. Slowly but surely, the sound of Misa humming and moving around in kitchen faded into audibility once more, and time resumed it's normal course. "Jealous?" The charcoal-haired boy finally asked after what seemed like forever. A note of amusement was hidden in his response, a small laugh tacked onto the end of his response. "What kind of question is-"

"Are you jealous?" Raito repeated, taking his voice up a notch yet still maintaining his act without a flaw. His hand found the boy's cheek and cupped it gently, holding their eye contact without giving him the chance to escape. It was almost like the pale detective had become lost in his gaze; he wanted to look away, but couldn't seem to will himself to. In the student's eyes was the red glow of autumn, a vivid agglomeration of warm, mahogany-colored leaves swirling about and fading deep into their depths. The university student could tell that it took a great deal of effort for him to finally escape, as if Raito was a hypnotist that had captured the boy and put him under his spell.

Finally, L blinked, breaking the magic between then and settling back into the world which he was most comfortable; the world of logic. "I think the real question is: what are you doing here, Raito-kun? I thought you and I had an agreement." A hint of anger drifted in his eyes, but swiftly vanished into their stormy depths. All that was left was a dull tone of sadness, one that, weirdly enough, gave a tug to Raito's heart.

He hadn't thought that far, to be honest, and had no idea of what to use as an excuse. He wanted Misa's advice with shopping because she's the only girl he knows? No, not good enough, too quick on an answer. L would catch on, he always did. He was always particular to every detail, never missing a beat while on the job. And Raito knew, in fact, that the greatest detective that ever lived was always on the job.

The pale boy's impatient posture and boring eyes signaled that he was still waiting for an answer, and that the more time it took, the more suspicious it made him. The auburn-haired boy glanced in the direction of the kitchen, hearing the clinking of the teacups and the singing of the pop star that insouciantly went about her preparation, oblivious to the thick air of uneasiness that waited in the living room. He recalled that look in the boy's eyes, that swollen look of bitter envy, and the answer slowly but surely entered his mind. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense, and the more he realized how convenient the situation had set its self up.

"Ryuuzaki…" He started, the thought still playing out in his mind. No…There had to be some mistake. It was all too perfect, there had to be a loophole somewhere. He searched and searched for it everywhere, in every corner and every crevice. And yet...it wasn't changing. The idea was becoming more and more flawless by the second, growing like a monster that had absorbed another. He could play on this plan, but if he executed it perfectly, it would work out even better then if the boy had never shown up in the first place.

"I came here to talk to Misa about us."

As planned, it had caught the boy's attention. He could almost hear his breath stop in his throat just as well as he could see the blush spreading across his face. Hell, the words brought a tingle to Raito's lips and lingered there, so much that he had to reach up and touch them, as if in disbelief. His demeanor grew more confident after that sensation; a relieved smile falling to his face like a long kept secret had just been exposed; only no one had made a big deal over it.

"It's just not fair to you for her to always be hanging over me, especially not if we're together. It's just taken me so long to tell her because I don't want to hurt her. She's pretty obsessed with me, I'm sure you know. I was hoping to surprise you with this news, but it seems I had no choice bit to tell you. You understand, right Ryuuzaki?" Raito gave a more confident smile, taking the boy's hand in his own and delivering a kiss to the top. His hand moved the boy's chin and turned his head, his moving up to plant a kiss on the base of his neck and work his way upward. Even with his eyes closed, he found the boy's ear, and leaned closer to whisper the only true part of his lie. "I've never liked her the same way, and I thought maybe it was time for both of you to know that. Then maybe things between us can finally become more fun."

He knew the act was victory enough, but to feel the boy shutter beneath him was bonus points as far as he was concerned. His face had flushed a deep shade of red, and a small moan of liking had escaped him, quiet but existent. Though he had the boy wrapped in his plan, to his will, and exactly where he wanted him, that wasn't even the half of the best part, and Raito couldn't help but chuckle to himself at how impeccable a mere idea had become.

Misa had told him before, what seemed like months ago, that she would kill any girl who he dated. Even if it were just a cover up, she said, she just couldn't stand the thought of it. Raito was almost positive that boys applied to that rule too, if not even more. It would mean that she, a famous rich fashion idol, was not good enough for him, and it would destroy her.

So much, that she would do anything to get him back.

Even kill.

Almost as quickly as it had come, the smile vanished from Raito's face. He pulled away from the dark haired detective with perfect timing- just as Misa emerged from the kitchen area and was skipping her way back to the living room. He could feel the color draining from his face and his heart limp in his chest, as he had finally thought of the idea outloud. The girl's cheerful voice was but a hollow echo in the background, and like a plague it lingered as incessantly as her fingerprints on his arm.

That idiot would kill him on the spot if he admitted such a thing.

His eyes were angry as they peered up at her, watching her set a tray of sweets down onto the coffee table. No…I want to be the one to kill him. His mind concluded abruptly, sounding stubborn and childish for belonging to a teen. All of my efforts would be for nothing, if that was the case.

Sure, it was his goal to kill off that boy- the biggest obstacle in his game- and yet, he wanted it to be by his own hands. Perhaps it was an ego thing…or maybe it was something else. Over and over, in his head, Raito had envisioned the way the dark-haired detective would die. He had planned all aspects of its happening long before that time, including the how, when, and where. The ditzy blonde was just "the eyes" at best, and it almost sickened him to think otherwise. A frown fell to his face, and at that moment, he began to feel lost. He had made an impulsive move…no…it was necessary to save himself from that situation. But how he could use it to his advantage was beyond him, and he definitely wanted the rest of his plans to carry on as normal. The way things were going, he would have to make a choice: Get rid of him fast by the hands of someone who was not worthy to do such, or find a way to keep things according to plan so that the peculiar boy could live a little longer…and die like he was supposed to, of course.

"The tea is just about ready!" Misa chirped in a voice similar to that of a Disney princess, turning and skittering her way back into the kitchen. A look of interest had fallen on L's face as soon as he had spotted more food, curiosity arising as they were set in front of him. The brunette watched in silence as the boy poked a fork into the teacake closest too him, pulled off a small piece on the edge, and brought it to his mouth. Chewing thoughtfully, he gave his opinion with a lick to his fork and a nod of his head. He reached to test the next one, taking a bite out of that one too, and before long, he had tried each and every one of the fancy cakes.

Looking over at Raito with bright eyes, the pale boy smiled and held a finger to his lips, as if to say that his actions would be their little secret.

Shit…

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For all of you who don't know, Tamaki is a character from Ouran Koukou Host Club that is voiced by the same seiyuu as Raito. Except instead of being evil and manipulative, he's romantic and overdramatic. It's a hilarious transition when you've watched DN first. I was hoping that maybe some of you would understand the reference. (is an anime nerd)

I don't own Ouran or Disney. Hell, I don't even own L and Raito. I don't own anything! T.T

Oh, by the way, I'm contemplating a new fanfiction. It's a crossover, but with death note involved. Probably no Light, but L for sure. You may or may not be able to tell from this fanfic, but I'm actually a rabid L fan. It's just more fun to write from Raito's perspective.

/Lol, wut? You can't even keep up with one fanfiction!/

Yep. Awful, huh? I have an office job with the government now though, so in my downtime, I can write (and it makes me look like I'm working). If you want a full list of excuses though, it's in my profile XD

I've been so horrible to you guys. Those of you who are still here are the greatest. Can you ever forgive me? And review? It keeps me motivated!