Death Note Fan Fiction ❯ Keep Your Friends Close But Your Enemies Closer ❯ Chapter 2

Raito tried to keep his face blank, but inside he was seething. It's only a matter of time before he gives in to my masculine charm, Raito thought. It was rather annoying how clueless L acted. But then again, Raito was the intellectual superior (or so he believed).

“No, Ryuuzaki…but I am aching…” he answered with a slight smile.

“Oh? Are you sick? Maybe I should let you sleep.”

“No…no. Ryuuzaki,” Raito conjured up every bit of resolve he had, thinking only of the look on L's face as he died of a heart attack induced by the Death Note, “I'm aching for you.”

L pulled his legs closer in. “Yagami-kun, Tylenol is more effective.”

Raito suppressed his frustrated rage, closing his eyes and slowly counting to five. By the time he had opened them, L had grabbed the TV remote and pressed the `on' button. The screen lit up to show a cooking program.

“Oh, my,” L whispered, eyes wider than usual. “What delicious looking desserts they're making. Raito, what is this show called?” He seemed entranced by the TV.

Raito's own eyes narrowed into a glare. “Iron Chef.” It was obvious his tactics were no longer effective. Time for a change in strategy. “Ryuuzaki, you look uncomfortable in that small chair. Why don't you come sit here with me?” Raito pointed to a space on the bed next to him.

“I'm quite comfortable…” L trailed off at the end, still staring fixedly at the men assembling desserts on the television screen. One man seemed to be making a flambé, a sort of cream pie, and a giant, three-tiered cake.

Raito wanted to roll his eyes. L was actually so simple as to be entranced by a cake. But this would be his downfall… “It's closer to the TV over here, you know.”

L barely glanced at the bed, but he started to slowly sidle over to it, not tearing his eyes from the program moving on screen. He sat down tentatively on the edge of the mattress.

Just then the program went to commercial break, and Raito seized his chance. He slid over to a spot on the bed next to L, slipping his arm around L's shoulders and leaning onto him.

L seemed to snap back to reality, looking mildly surprised at the positioning of Raito's arm. “Yagami-kun, if you're tired I can take you home.”

Raito's head relaxed on to L's shoulder. “To your home?” he asked almost hopefully. Only a little longer and he might find out something useful about this enimga of a man.

“You know I sleep at headquarters, Yagami-kun. Why would I need a house?” He said it as if it was the most obvious fact he had ever encountered, although Raito had never realized that L actually slept in their “office.”

“Oh, right,” Raito replied. He pulled L a little closer to himself, surprised at how easy this bit of acting was coming to him. He was used to acting the innocent little Yagami-kun around most people, but this seemed different. It almost came naturally. “If I can't stay with you, my best friend, then I don't want to go home!” Raito copied Misa's little pouting routine. Perhaps she actually was useful, at times…

L seemed, once again, surprised at being called a `friend'. “Raito…”

Good, he's dropped the Yagami-kun.

“You really are acting strange…” Not even when they were handcuffed together had Raito been so affectionate.

Hah, you don't know the half of.

“Are you sure you're alright?”

Just nod and smile.

Silence resumed, with Raito still hanging on L. “Ryuuzaki's such a long name…can I call you something else? Ryuu, maybe?”

L actually seemed a little disturbed by this, looking away from Raito and at the TV, and Raito wondered if he had gone too far. However, L spoke up before he could say anything. “Ah, the program's started again! I'm sorry, what did you say, Yagami-kun?”

Raito sighed and couldn't stifle a yawn. L smiled at that. Raito realized his mistake and quickly perked up, but inwardly knowing it was no use. And for some reason, L's little amused smile had made him feel a small tingle somewhere in his stomach. Startled, confused, and knowing he was defeated today, he finally resigned for the night, lying back on the bed.

Raito seethed. He had gone into this thinking it would be easy. But he had greatly underestimated L's power and intelligence, even after all the experiences he had shared with him. What he needed now was a little patience. In time, L would fall. He would slip up. He had to.

Raito smiled to himself and drifted off to sleep listening to the sound of the TV, aware of how unintelligent it was to sleep in front of the enemy but unable to stop himself. Although unsettled, there was a warm feeling in him that he'd never felt before. Perhaps the sake he had drunken at a meeting earlier in the day was catching up with him…



A/N: Yeah Raito, of course it's the sake…XD. This really isn't a complete chapter, but I'm going on vacation and wanted to get this up before then. Enjoyyyyy (I hope)!