"Ryuk, stop eating that," Raito said, pressing his ear to his door.

The crunching stopped. "You're no fun."

"Someone's at the door." Whether or not Raito was fun was irrelevant. His mother was talking to someone downstairs, and it wasn't someone that she recognized. Raito's heart started beating faster. Ryuk chuckled.

"...he's in his room. I'm sure he'll be happy to see one of his classmates."

His mother could be so naïve. Didn't she know how dangerous the world was? Though that would change soon enough.

Three sharp raps thumped against his door, making Raito's ears ring. "Yagami-kun, your mother said you were in there," rasped the person on the other side.

So come out with your hands up, Raito thought.

Ryuk's chuckles grew louder until Raito grabbed the apple out of his hand. "Aw, man, Raito! I really wanted to eat that!"

Raito ignored him and pulled open his door. "Ryuuzaki-san, what a surprise to see you here. Did you want to discuss the physics assignment?"

"No," L said pleasantly, ambling into Raito's bedroom. He looked all around, though Raito knew how well L knew every angle of it. L's long arms, curved spine, and chaotic hair made him look like a monkey, especially when his eyes went wide and shiny when he spied Ryuk's half-eaten apple in Raito's hand. That made sense, since it was the nearest source of sugar.

"Don't let him have that," Ryuk whined. "That's mine."

Raito looked from L to the apple to Ryuk, then smirked. "Would you like my apple, Ryuuzaki-san?"

"Someone's been eating it," L said.

Interesting, thought Raito. He didn't say I've been eating it, but rather someone. What does he know?

"I wouldn't think that would bother you," Raito said, dangling the apple by its stem.

"Yagami-kun is too smart for me," L said, wagging one long finger. He didn't take the apple, but rather leaned in sideways and bit into it, juice dripping down his chin. Raito's eyes widened. That was odd.

Ryuk was nearly sobbing in the corner. "That was a really good apple, too. You'd better buy me more!"

Raito nodded, almost imperceptibly. Ryuk could have all the apples he wanted if he helped Raito figure out how to defeat L once and for all. Once he had L's real name, once Raito was no longer under suspicion, there would be nothing stopping Kira's domination.

L wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "I didn't come to see you about school," he said. L's leg kicked back suddenly; Raito's door slammed shut.

"Is it Kira?" asked Raito, lowering his voice.

"Not Kira, Yagami-kun," L said, shaking his head. His hair fluffed out and pointed in twelve directions. "Not directly, at least."

This was ridiculous. Raito was standing in the middle of his bedroom dangling fruit and having cryptic conversations with the lead investigator on the case that could stop Raito's mission while a death god's mouth watered a foot away.

"I wanted to discuss us," L said. "Specifically this game we play."

"Game?" Raito asked, swallowing down the rage that had gathered in his throat. Was Kira just a game to L? Did L take the Kira case just for the amusement? Had he been toying with Raito all along, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal everything he knew?

L blinked at him, head tilted thoughtfully as he chewed on his index finger. "I know how smart Yagami-kun is. It's rare to meet someone so much like myself."

"Ryuuzaki-san is too kind," Raito said blandly.

"But it's tiresome. You are most likely not Kira. Probably not." L straightened up. They were nearly the same height when L drew himself to his full height. "When we aren't at school or discussing Kira with the team, I would like to try something new. If Yagami-kun is amenable, of course."

"Amenable to what?" Raito had no idea what L was getting at and that bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

"Well, truthfully, I find Yagami-kun very attractive and think we should engage in sexual activities at the next given opportunity."

Raito dropped the apple. It rolled into the corner, forgotten by everyone but Ryuk.

L stared at him without blinking, face impassive. Oh, God, Raito realized, he was waiting for an answer.

Then it hit Raito: This was obviously a test to see how he'd react. It was like L had a puzzle with two missing pieces and decided to fill the hole by jamming in any old chunk of jagged cardboard.

Raito should act embarrassed. He should blush and that wasn't too difficult to manage because he already was. "I'm very flattered," Raito said finally.

"I don't expect Yagami-kun to answer me right away," L said. He loped forward one step, then two. Raito stumbled back, but L followed until Raito's back hit his bookshelf. His collected works of Goethe fell to the floor. "But at least let me give you something to think about."

L's hands grabbed the front of Raito's shirt, yanking the front right out of his waistband. Then he kissed Raito, a hard press of lips against lips. Raito wanted to push back, push L away, but his knees were water and his fingers clutched at the nearest shelf and felt glued there. L's mouth explored quickly, efficiently, as though kissing Raito was a problem L had worked out long ago, tongue darting between Raito's teeth, then out again. He bit Raito's lip before pulling back.

He tasted like apples.

"Life is too short, Yagami-kun," L said, rubbing his thumb against his mouth. "Consider that." Then, without hesitation, L turned around and left. Raito held onto his bookshelf for dear life.

Ryuk rolled around on the floor, clutching his sides.

Raito stared at him.

"That guy just...ahahaha," Ryuk said, throwing his arm over his bug eyes. "Raito is interesting again! You should see your face right now."

"Your apple is fuzzy," Raito retorted, kicking it at Ryuk's head. He slammed his door shut and ran down the stairs after L.

Well, hell, Raito couldn't let L win like that, could he?

END.