Yes, the pairing is Light/Ryuk. Get over yourselves. I know it's out there.

I don't own a single volume of the Death Note manga, I haven't seen any of the anime, and I do not own an actual death note. I also do not have a shinigami.

Yeah, I think that about covers it.

Sorry, I saw that one panel in volume... three? And had to write this. I adore fluff far too much for my own good...

So, enjoy "Love Apples", my first Death Note fic.! Review, please!

"Ryuk, how many of those can you eat?"

"I'm a shinigami, kid. I could eat these forever," he answered between huge chomps of his current apple.

"You really shouldn't eat just apples, though. You should try to eat more of a–"

"Didn't you hear me the first time?" The death-god stopped eating; anyone walking by would see a half-eaten apple floating in the air. "I'm a shinigami. I don't even need to eat. Apples are more like cigarettes to humans."

He quickly polished off the apple and held out his hands for another.

Light had been reaching into his sack and tossing the fruit to Ryuk; but this time, after grabbing it, instead of tossing it to him, he merely held it up.

The shinigami stared at the red fruit blankly for a moment.

"Don't you want it?"

It took Ryuk a moment to figure out that the human expected him to eat the apple out of his hand. He laughed, then asked Light, "Aren't you afraid I'll bite off your hand?"

Light shook his head and smiled ever so slightly. "I trust you, Ryuk."

Ryuk's facial expression changed completely – the look on his face could only be described as shock. But he eventually – though hesitantly – reached out and began eating out of Light's hand.

It was strange. This wasn't the way he normally felt around humans. He felt... comfortable was the only word he could think of for this feeling. He didn't feel the urge to chomp away at the apple like he was some kind of wild animal – no, he felt the need to be gentle.

This wasn't a feeling Ryuk was familiar with. He didn't think he'd ever experienced it before.

No, it couldn't be–

The shinigami glanced up and caught the human's eyes. As usual, they were controlled, calculating. There was something else there, just beneath the surface; he was hiding something, also as per usual. But rather than cold and hard, as his eyes normally were, they were warm and soft.

Though that alone wasn't enough to tip him off. In the short time they'd known each other, Ryuk saw him make his first slip-up.

Because not even Light Yagami – the mastermind, Kira – could keep the small, but absolutely genuine half-smile off his face as he held the shinigami's gaze.

- Kuramastrass -