Mr. Mom Complex // Chapter 2

Series: Death Note

Pairing: Raito(Light)/L

Status: WIP

Content: m/m (boys love), slight crack humour (?) T

Takes place sometime that L and Light were handcuffed together. 3

Disclaimer: Death Note and it's characters are (c) Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The kids are all my doing tho...

Ch. 2 of this fic. I was originally just going to make this a one-shot but that became a 3 parter instead.

I had huge doubts i'd ever finish this, since i rarely finish any of my fics. but, im glad i got this far.

i might want to do a sequel of this sometime, using Romi and Rowan again, so if you like this fic, you might like that too?

thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this fic on and (and where ever else i posted it ; ) Lolz, you guys make me keep on trying and encourage me a lot.

Mr. Mom Complex

"Goo..." Little Romi held onto L's index finger cheerfully.

The great detective let him tug experimently. 'Better my finger than my hair, I suppose.' He mused to himself.

Once Light had calmed down, L had instructed him to read over a list of things Misa had left for him to follow. It was taking quite some time as it was a rather long list. It must have been as thick as an adverage roll of toilet paper.

'Damn, Misa...She must have been pretty damn confident that I'd agree to this..'

Light trailed off and angrily looked up from the paper. His attention soon turned to L, who was less than 2 feet next to him on the sofa.

He thought it was a very interesting sight; L playing with a baby. Well, L playing with i anything /i besides his very unhealthy choices in food, that is.

Light couldn't seem to look away.

'L would make a good father...'

As soon as he processed this thought, Light bit his lip in surprise. 'What the Hell am I thinking..?!'

Strange thoughts like these were coming to him on a regular basis. Ever since L had told him how he really felt.

"Light-kun.. I feel as though I could fall in love with someone like yourself."

It had been almost a week since that night. Light had, at first, blown it off as another "weird thing L had said" to get a rise out of him. Perhaps, to get more of a percentage on his ever-growing "Kira-meter". But.. then again.

'He had looked so serious when he had said that...His eyes.. ' Maybe he had imagined it, but Light could have sworn he had seen L's eyes convey worry that night.

Light had secretly played L's words over and over in his head. At night, when he was allowed some precious sleep from working on the Kira case with L, he'd look over at the sleeping figure only a foot away from him in bed. He would listen to the words in his mind like a record of his most favorite song in the whole world.

A soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Light-kun?"

Light focused his eyes on the other man next to him. "..Yes?"

L turned his face to him, a serious look on his face. "Why are you starring at me as if you want to.. 'jump my bones', I believe is the term."

Light looked horrified for a moment and L used that moment of weakness to his advantage. He scooted closer to Light, so that now they were pressed together; hip-to-hip, shoulder-to-shoulder. Light looked even more surprised, but kept to his postion.

"Would you like to hold Romi-kun again, Light-kun?"

"...No. Why?"

"Light-kun doesn't have to always be so.. 'up tight'." Disreguarding Light's answer, L carefully placed the baby into Light's arms. "You should hold him like this.." And L began to show him the proper way to hold a baby.

"I know how to hold him." Light snapped mildly, pulling away from L, showing the detective what he knew.

"Ah. Very good, Light-kun!" L smiled thoughtfully at being able to get Light to hold Romi, 'Your pride is one of your biggest weaknesses, Light Yagami.'

Light allowed for a smirk to appear on his face and then he realized what had just happened. But, he didn't have time to become angry at L because Romi began to cough.

"Light-kun.."

"Don't worry. I know what to do." Light cut him off and quickly lifted Romi up a bit more so he could pat his back until he stopped coughing. "See?"

L's finger went up to his lips and he looked surprisingly intrigued. "My.. Light-kun, I'm very impressed."

Finally. This time Light really felt as though he had finally 1-uped L.

This was, of course, short-lived.

"Hey..." A small voice called from across the room. "I'm done eating now. I'm ready to play."

L turned to their other guest, Rowan. "Ah, Is that so?"

She nodded and shyly made her way over to the two boys.

"Well, what sorts of things do you like to play?" L asked, smiling lightly as he usually did to be polite.

"Umm.." Rowan gripped her skirt tightly with both hands as she thought. "I like to play hide-and-seek."

"Do you even know how to play that, Ryuzaki?" Light cut in, dryly, smirking at L.

"Of course I do." L's expression became blank again and he stood up, making Light stand up too.

"Ah..! You mean we are going to play now?" Light asked, more to L than to the little girl.

"Yes! Can't we, please?" Rowan asked, innocently.

"Of course we can. Light was entrusted to be your caretaker this evening, so he would be more than happy to play with you, Rowan-chan. Right, Light-kun?"

Light frowned, cursing inwardly. "Sure..."

"Oh! Um.." Rowan turned to L. "Will.. you be playing with Uncle Light and me?"

L's eyes widen slightly at her request. "Me?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir."

"If that's what you wish, I'll play with you too." L agreed. "But, you may call me "Ryuzaki". Not "sir". Alright?"

"Yay, okay!!" She giggled loudly. "Ryu..zaki.. Uncle Ryuzaki!"

L nodded his approval and she jumped up to hug him, to L's even greater surprise. Not knowing what else to do, L patted her head lightly, letting an awkward smile grace his lips.

Light, finding the extremely amusing, if not "cute", stood there watching. "So.. 'Uncle Ryuzaki', who will be 'It' ?"

"'It' ?" L repeated after Rowan left him go.

"Yeah. Who will be the one who 'seeks'?"

Rowan raised her hand "I know! I know! I want Uncle Light to be 'It'!"

Light had no choice but to agree to the terms.

"Light-kun, if you are seeking, then I will also have to seek." L lifted his right wrist, the jingleing sound of the chain of the handcuffs reminding him that they were connected.

"Okay! So.. I will hide," Rowan pointed to herself. "And you two will try to find me."

Light rolled his eyes slightly.

"But, please only hide somewhere in this room." L said.

"Aww! But.. Then, it will be easy for you to find me." She looked dissapointed.

L's thumb found his mouth again and he nibbled on it for a moment, "Then, only go two rooms away from this one. Watari will be watching you and will be allowed to cancel the game and bring you back here if necessary."

Rowan innocently nodded her understanding then began to walk to the door, but stopped abruptly turning back to them. "Hey, you guys have to close your eyes! For a whole minute. That's cheating.."

"Oh. Excuse me." L covered his eyes with his left hand. Light just looked back at Rowan.

"You two, Uncle Light..."

"I won't look." Light said flatly, turning his back to her.

Only pausing for a second, Rowan took off to find herself a proper hiding spot.

"Do we start counting now, Light-kun?"

Light looked over at him and couldn't hold back a small chuckle. "Yes, start now. But, you don't really have to cover your eyes like that."

L didn't waver. "Isn't that a rule of the game, Light-kun?"

"Yes, but we aren't--"

"Then, I'm going to follow that rule."

"Ryuzaki.."

Light looked away as L counted to 60. When he was finished he uncovered his eye sight and looked around. "Now, we go search for her, Light-kun."

"I already did that once today. I'm in no hurry to do it again. With you, no less."

"Is there something wrong with me?"

Light opened his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it.

There was that look again. L's eyes betrayed him.

"Listen, Ryuzaki.."

L waited for a moment, but when Light didn't say anymore, he tugged on their chain. "Let's find Rowan-chan. We shouldn't keep her waiting."

Light silently obeyed.

They looked for Rowan in awkward silence until their search turned up empty.

"She certainly is taking this game seriously.." Light broke the heavy sound of quiet between them first.

"Yes.." L ducked his head slightly under the last of the computer desks against the wall of the second room.

Light's arms were getting a little tired from holding a, now sleeping, Romi. He thanked whoever might be up there that Romi was asleep. He did not feel like carrying a crying baby around.

"Light-kun.. You can let me carry Romi-kun for a while if you want." As if L had read his mind, he asked this in a some-what caring tone.

Light shook his head a "No" and adjusted the baby in his arms a bit. "You know that she probably wondered off. It's unlikely that she just kept to these 3 rooms."

"No.. I doubt that. Watari would have acted then." L pulled Light back to the door that lead to the first room.

"What now?"

"We will simply go back to the beginning and start searching anew."

Light frowned, but didn't say anything until they reached the second room again without finding her.

"I think this is childish. You can't keep starting over. Looking in the same places over and over again. You need to stop and think."

"She could only go to these 3 main rooms so, there must be a place we missed.. If I can't narrow down my search anymore and with the possibility that she can move for place to place without us knowing, I have no choice but to keep searching like this. Unless..."

Light looked at him, "Yes?"

L's gaze hit Light hard. "Unless I could have some assistance."

Was L asking Light for help? Or, was this another trick? Light could have cursed himself for being so out-of-character, just because of these kids.. Or, was it really because of them? Could it be..?

'No.. I admit that L has distracted me before with his strange behavior, but..' He stole a glance at the great detective, L, who was looking around shelves and tables for the third time, dragging him along idly. He admitted that he thought L wasn't.. bad looking. Hell, you could say he looked down right sexy in his own, strange way. And, even though he had accused Light on many occasions of being a mass murderer, L was very bright and.. in some twisted way, Light felt as though he could count on him. Light could always count on L to be a good at matching him. Could always count on him to put up a good fight whenever challenged. And why in Hell was he thinking about this now?

"Light-kun.. Why are you starring at my rear instead of assisting me in my search? Last time I checked, you are playing this game too, am I right?"

Light hadn't noticed he had been starring at L's ass the whole time he had been thinking. His features were once more taken by ones of horror, more from L noticing than from what he had been doing.

Before Light could even begin to defend himself, there was a small "thump" coming from the other room.

"What was--" Light started to ask, but L cut him off by grabbing his mouth with one hand.

"Shh.. Light-kun." L whispered and Light figured out what he meant.

They crept through to the next room, Light behind L, with Romi snug in one arm. At first glance, there was not another living soul inside, but they were sure of what they had heard. Both boys exchanged looks then Light walked in snyc with L to the small china cabnet. L's pale fingers wrapped around the silver handle of the door and with a last signal from the boy standing next to him, he pulled the door open swiftly.

No one was there.

"What the..?" Light frowned, visibly confused. The baby started to stir in his arms, making small noises, as if it were uncomfortable.

L sighed. "Yes, my sentiments exactly, Light-kun." He turned to him and carefully took Romi from Light. "Here, I'll take Romi-kun and start looking over again. I know you must be tired of playing."

Just then, the cabnet shook and a box that was on the top started to fall. Light saw this and quickly grapped L, pushing him to the side, out of the way of the box's path. Romi was safely inbetween their chests as Light was ontop of L, sheilding them both from harm. But, in turn, Light was pelted with...

"Candy..?" Light opened his eyes, expecting to be crushed. Instead he saw hundreds small pieces of candy scattered about the floor.

"Rowan-chan...!" L said looking up, rather shaken up by what just happened.

Light looked up too and saw that Rowan was up on top of the china cabnet, behind where the box had fallen from.

"I'm... I'm sorry.." Rowan was just as shocked as they were.

Light turned to L, making sure him and Romi where alright. Romi had started crying but L tended to him, petting him motherly on the back. Getting up and walking to the cabnet, Light raised his arms and motioned for Rowan climb down into them. She did so, only hesitating for a moment and Light brought her down to safely. His face became very grave and made Rowan's eyes sink down to look at the floor; she knew what was coming next.

"What in the world were you thinking?!" Light's voice was very stern and his arms were up, moving in tune with his tone. "You could have seriously hurt me or Ryuzaki or even your little brother! Is that what you want? Is winning a game worth risking something like that?!" Light's mind stopped at that. He suddenly felt bad. 'Ha.. Who am I to say such a thing?'

Rowan couldn't even reply. She was very near the verge of tears, keeping her head down, clutching her clothes for support.

"No.. Listen," Light's angry glint in his eyes was replaced by a more gently one. "I know you never meant to hurt anyone, but at your age, it's important to learn to think. Think ahead before doing things. What you did was very dangerous. Even you could have been hurt. I don't want that and I'm sure your family doesn't want that either.." Light placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, reassuring her.

Rowan gave a few sniffs and looked up, tears welling up in her eyes. "I-I.. "

Light added one more thing. "You want to protect your little brother, right? I have a younger sister who I care for, too."

This seemed to do the trick, and Rowan understood. She nodded a "Yes" and Light nodded back.

L had stood up after Light's lecture and Light turned to look at him. There was something different about the look in L's eyes now. The younger man couldn't quite place it, though. It wasn't at all like the one he saw from that night..

L smiled. It was the closest one Light's seen to a real smile. "I must thank you."

"..For what?" Light found himself asking. But, of course, that was a stupid question. 'He must be thanking me for pushing him out of the way.'

"'For what'? For finding my box of chocolate candy, of course." L passed Light and walked to Rowan. "Thank you very much for finding it, Rowan-chan. Watari was trying, in vain, to stop me from eating so much sweets in case it was affecting my health more than perviously predicted. I'm glad they are found now." L picked one up and unwrapped it from it's foil prison, "Care to try one? They are some of the most exceptional candies I've come across as of late." Rowan took it with a smile and popped it into her mouth.

Light was just about to object when L looked to him, "Light-kun, would you please help me collect them and place them back into the box?"

Light's fingers found their way to his forehead and he frowned.

"Oh, Light-kun. Do you have a headache now?" L hunched down in front of him, half smirking.

"No.."

"That's good. I'd dislike it greatly if you had been injured while you had so bravely tried to save me earlier." L kept his smile as he started towards the door with Romi, beckoning Rowan to follow.

Light's eyes snapped open and he went after them. "Hey.. Let's get one thing clear. I was trying to save the baby, not you.."

L turned his head, "Oh, is that so?" And he kept walking.

"Ah, no!.. Ryuzaki.." Light could feel a real headache start to come on. "Can't I have tried to save.. both of you..?"

L didn't respond until they were to reach the main control room again. He made certain Light didn't see the small blush that was forming on his cheeks the whole way there.

((End//Chpt.2))