A/N: Uhn… Ano… eh… What am I going to say? Uhm… Oh, yeah. Sorry for the much delayed post. And this might be the last chapter. Don't worry, you might see my pseudonym a lot (I'm starting to work on with a bleach x death note fandom, so with FMA-TSR, KKM, and prince of tennis).

Disclaimer: As always, I do not own death note. If I do, I could have just revised the anime and release a version.

-.-

"I love you, L."

Wow, he said it at last. He had gathered his courage to tell him at last. And whatever happens afterwards, he will still love him no matter what. But he's still shocked at what the other did.

L was shaken with Light's revelations; well, who wouldn't be? A topnotch, handsome, and thought-to-be-straight guy confessing to him like that is really surprising… pleasantly surprising. So to return the favor, he surprised Light, pleasantly.

Cold, saccharine lips met with warm ones, like they fit together. Long, pale hands made its way around Light's waist, hugging the boy closer; the latter's placing themselves in L's raven and astonishingly soft locks, deepening the kiss. When both pull out, gasping for air, L buried his head on Light's auburn locks. "I love you too, Light. No one could ever stop me so. And I love you so much it hurts when I see you hurt. I will never ever do something that will make both of us suffer in the end. That is to say that I won't allow the ICPO get hold of you, and even Amane Misa."

Light had to cling tighter to L, "but…"

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. I'm sure you're going to get what I mean," assured L. "Well, what is not you is Kira, and what is not Kira is you, anyway (1)."

"I understand." He leaned closer, letting the older man claim his lips once more in a passionate kiss.

"I only trust you, L."

Hovering over them and watching, was a reaper, Rem. She smiled at the scene below her. Yagami Light, I didn't thought it will result to this. You wouldn't need to worry about anyone's life. It's over once you are permanently relieved of your memories as Kira. That's a promise I will keep for saving Amane Misa.

She made to leave them, but before that, she spoke.

But I'll still be watching.

-.-

The Red Porsche was cornered in the side of the motorway by police mobiles with frosted window glasses. Higuchi was forced to go out of his car and pinned down by Yagami Souichiro, Mogi Kanzo, Aizawa Shuuichi, and Ide Hideki (who are all wearing helmets for safety precautions, as Higuchi did the eye deal and acquire the eyes of the reaper). Higuchi didn't have a choice but to submit.

The notebook was brought in the helicopter, where Ryuzaki was, and was able to see the shinigami Rem like the others. Ryuzaki handed it to Light, who, obviously, had retrieved his memories the moment he touched the note.

Flashes of images came into his mind; memories keep rushing through. Light was horrified – not because of the confirmation that all that he dreamed was true, but because he had let his self talk about it.

Shit, why did I let myself fall in this mess? It will be hard to retain my memories in this situation. If only I have known… if only I have known I would have fallen for that bastard, I shouldn't have forfeited the note in the first place! Now he knows… there's no choice but to proceed as planned.

So while he pretended to check the names in the notebook with the victims, he wrote down Higuchi's name in his spare piece of note hidden in his watch. Of course, that course of action, Light knew, was not classified to Ryuzaki. Forty seconds later, Higuchi collapsed on the floor.

All is going as planned, muses L. Now all was left is the finishing touches to the plot.

-.-

Long after the meeting with some delegates from Interpol regarding Higuchi's responsibility over the Kira case was over, and no one other than the involved people were left, L gathered them all to finish the matter completely.

"Now that we have cleared Amane Misa and Yagami Light of suspicion from the ICPO, we will now clear their minds of any memories as Kiras. But before that, we need to confirm it first with the real Kira. If you would cuff Yagami-kun's hands at the back, Matsuda-san?"

Matsuda Touta complied, and, without dallying, cuffed Light's hands as instructed. Light smirked in spite of himself.

"I'm not quite sure this will work out smoothly, L."

L raised his eyebrow in light in slight skeptic and curiosity, "And why is that so, Yagami-kun?"

"Nothing,"

Noticing Light slightly shifting further away from L, and about to do something with his watch, L already snatched Light's wrists towards him.

"Wait, Ryuzaki-"

But L had already pulled it four times with an interval of less than a second, and a compartment where a piece of paper was kept was opened. He read Higuchi's name in the piece of paper, which is written with something like blood, and spotted a piece of needle, which, he was sure, was the one Light used to write Higuchi's name.

L removed the note, holding the edge between his thumb and index finger, as if he will be contaminated by foreign objects from it.

Nothing happened. He didn't see a shinigami other than Rem, who appeared immediately after he touched the death note Higuchi used. So where is the other shinigami gone?

As it happened, said shinigami just arrived, definitely just in time. Ryuk descended, eating a light-colored Fuji apple (unlike those Washington Apples he used to eat – is living without Light affected his eating as well?).

"Hello, Reaper-san. I thought I might not see you," greeted L.

Thought the same, too, you know. I was busy eating apple, you see. It's quite disappointing for me to eat Fuji apples rather than those pure red ones, replied Ryuk.

"Ah. So you gods of death only eat apples, after all. But I haven't seen Rem eat even once."

Rem intervened, saying, technically, we don't eat. But we can be addicted over something. Maybe Ryuk is being an apple fanatic.

"Is that so? Well, Reaper-san, it's nice to meet you. I'm L."

Hehe, nice to meet you, I'm Ryuk (2).

"Uhm, Ryuzaki," said Souichiro at last. "It's kind of unfair to us, you know, that you're the only one who can talk to that reaper."

"Oh, yeah, you're right, of course, Yagami-san. You may take the other notebook from the case now, and pass it to the others."

Souichiro did as he was told, puling out the notebook from the suitcase, preparing his self to see a grotesque figure loom in front of him. But that didn't stop him from almost toppling over when he saw Ryuk. The others, as well, after they helped the reinstated Chief Investigator of Vicious Criminal Serial Killers Special Investigative Force and Vice-Captain of Japanese Police to stand up, took turns in touching the notebook, and was shocked to see the reaper.

Hey, what's with you humans? I'm not that scary, you know… said Ryuk.

"No, you're not. You just looked like a monster," answered an irate Light (well, who would not be incensed when you're handcuffed and can't think of sensible way to escape?).

Eh? Light, you're the one who screw things up in the first place. Ryuk said.

Bastard, stupid shinigami, Light thought. He only gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Well, Kira-kun, are you ready for your confession?" asked L.

Light's mind is a whirlwind of chaos at the moment. There is a battle occurring in his brain – the battle between Light Yagami and Kira. And, as of now, the status is 15-0, and in favor of Kira (is this tennis?).

"Is there really any need for confession? You have determined it. You won. So why won't you just kill us? Kill me and Amane Misa? Or if that doesn't suit your appetite, sentence us."

L mock-thought Light's suggestion for a moment, a feat that thoroughly pissed Kira. Finally, he said in a pseudo-pensive tone, "I thought I already discussed that matter with Light-kun, Kira-kun? Or, are you making me agree to you so that you can make Rem-san kill us all here? Really, Kira-kun, can't you think of anything fool-proof just because I have the upper hand?"

"You're the one to talk, Ryuuzaki! You made me fall for you, goddamn it!"

"You're sinking low, kira-kun. I didn't do anything to make Light-kun fall for me. It was sort of happened while he was oblivious of being kira. Obviously, you didn't foresee this situation. Clearly, you don't think you would fall for your adversary."

Blood was surging in Light's brain. He can't stand to look at Ryuzaki in the eye. He's cursing him in his head

Damn, Ryuzaki. Fuck you and that ego of yours! How dare you deny Kira, me, the God of the new world?!

"Are there nothing else, then? Let us proceed to what we gathered for in the first place."

Aizawa took out the notes from the safe box, and put it in a drum can in the middle of the room.

"Watch closely, Kira-kun. This will be the end of your reign."

L poured a bottle of kerosene in the drum, and then lighted it with a matchstick. The fire grew instantly, consuming the death notes and turning it into ash.

Light watched as the death note vanish – his dreams, his ideals, his plans – and turn into ashes, along with his memories. His brain unable to take so much stress and work with all the recovering and erasing memories, he lost consciousness and collapsed on the couch behind him.

L walked over to Light, saying as he bent over to Light, "And, also, as a restitution to Ryuk…"

He pull out the piece of the note taken from Light's watch and another piece of note taken from the notebook owned by Rem, and lightly brushed them to Light's hand.

"… Light will be able to communicate with him, and he will have a lifetime supply of Washington apples, provided by myself, of course."

Well, you really don't need to do that. But, if you insist, then who am I to refuse? Said Ryuk.

Light was still dozing on the couch, content showing on his face.

(owari)

Phew! Say, how was it? Eh?

Well…

What is not me is Hikaru, and what is not Hikaru is me (kaoru hitachiiin; Ouran High School Host Club, episode 20).

Reaper-san, it's nice to meet you, I'm Near. Hehe, nice to meet you, I'm Ryuk (conversation between Nate River, a.k.a. Near, and Ryuk; Death Note, chapter 103)

Just that, and before this ends, I want to say thank you, to those who read my work.

(Also, I'm not writing an epilogue, unless if many would convince me of doing so. . )