Death Note/Fanfic Recs/Shipping Fics
These are recommendations made by Tropers for Death Note Shipping fanfic, all of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own finding to the list, but remember to use the template found here.
You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.
Stories focused on the romantic relationships between the cast.
Light x L and Mello x Matt and/or Mello x Near
A Cure for Love by halfpromise
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: L x Light, Matt x Mello, Matsuda x Sayu, and A x Original Character.
- Synopsis: When the Death Note becomes a political tool that threatens the entire world L and Light are united to find the culprit. How long until they are betrayed - or betray each other?
- Tags: The Yotsuba arc, Alternate Universe Fic, Slash Fic, Dark Fic, humor, fluff, Mind Game Ship, Angel-Devil Shipping, romancing The Sociopath, Yandere!Light, Love Martyr, Mood Whiplash, politics, intrigue, family drama, Big Brother Instinct, Enemy Mine, Evil Versus Evil, Transparent Closet, Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?, Original Character, Chronic Backstabbing Disorder, L (and all the Japanese characters) sounding very British, insanity, drug use, Deus Angst Machina, Character Death
A Visit To Wammy's House by dramaq
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Dormant
- Pairings: Mello x Matt and L x Light
- Synopsis: AU Romantic Comedy. The Wammy's boys are nervous because L is coming to inspect their progress and while Mello is trying really hard, Near is a creep and a cheater who will do anything to make sure he stays number one. Mello finds help from an unlikely source... meanwhile Near fears that L has become emotionally compromised...
- Tags: The Yotsuba arc, Alternate Universe Fic, Slash Fic, WAFF, Romantic Comedy, Wammy's House, Out of Character, Henpecked L, flaming!Light, Evil!Near
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: Hints of Light x L, Mello x Matt, and Near x Sayu
- Synopsis: Because of Light's actions when he was alive the Shinigami Realm and the Human World have become unbalanced with so much death and several new Kiras have begun killing. Light becomes a Shinigami and the Shinigami King tasks him with fixing the mess he made or else he will be crushed by the weight of both worlds-ideally WITHOUT killing anyone seeing as every life he takes will make his burden heavier. But this is easier said than done as Light is suffering from a severe murder addiction. Also the King warped reality so that L, Mello, Matt, Souichiro Yagami and Beyond Birthday are still alive allegedly to "help" him with this quest.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Slash Fic, Dark Fic, Back from the Dead, Shinigami, The Atoner, supernatural, horror, character death.
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: Light x L, hints of Mello x Matt
- Synopsis: Cyberpunk AU. NPA's Light Yagami grows obsessed with catching L, a hacker. To justify L's remarkable skill, Light imagines L is an AI and falls in love with the idea. Too bad L actually turns out to be an AI with some feelings for Light of his own.
- Tags: AU, Slash Fic, Cyberpunk
Constant Temptation by Dragonrider4000
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Light x L, Mello x Matt x Near, hints of Ryuk x Rem and one-sided Rem x Misa, one-sided Beyond x L, Beyond x Light, Beyond x Original Character
- Synopsis: A (very, VERY) AU light-novel in which things at the Yagami house are not as perfect as they appear and a threat worse than Kira arises to threaten L and all he holds dear. Featuring an ensemble cast (most of the characters make an appearance, plus there are several non-intrusive Original characters.
- Tags: The Yotsuba arc, Slash Fic, Backstory, Freudian Excuse, Abusive Parent, S&M, Lemon, The Atoner, Chains of Love, Out of Character, Disguised in Drag, Easily Forgiven, Badass Teacher Light, Messiah Badass Longcoat L, kidnapping, Cold-Blooded Torture, gore, conditioning, Fate Worse Than Death, Original Character, Doorstopper
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Light/L and hints of Mello/Matt.
- Synopsis: AU L knows Light is Kira but Light is blackmailing L with the knowledge of his true name. At an impasse they decide to spend Christmas at Wammy's House. It Makes Sense in Context.
- Tags: The Yotsuba arc, Christmas Special, Slash Fic, WAFF, Alternate Universe Fic, Harmless Villains, Promotion to Parent, Villainous Crush, Serial Killer Dogged Nice Guy
The Lion and the Shark and it's sequel The Lion and the Shark 2 by chana080310
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: Light x L / L x Light, Mello x Near x Matt
- Synopsis: L and Light are each at the top of their respective worlds, but when the two end up chained together, they discover in each other the only equals they've ever found. Will their growing feelings be enough to save them both from death?
- Tags: The Yotsuba arc, Slash Fic, Alternate Universe Fic, Fluff, Foe Yay, high school drama, Split Personality, Heroic Sacrifice, Back from the Dead
Monster by amour tue lentement
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: Light/L, one-sided Misa x Light, with a hint of team Mello and Matt
- Synopsis: AU Ryuuzaki, the secretary and police errand boy, suddenly finds himself pursued by unknown enemies and haunted by a past he can't remember.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Dark Fic, Amnesiac!L, Action-adventure, Death Note meets The Bourne Identity, Stockholm Syndrome, Slash Fic, Car Chase, Faking the Dead, Awful Truth, Psychotic Love Triangle, Batshit_Crazy!Light, Misa, Mello, Matt, Mikami, Ryuk, Aizawa, Matsuda, Souichiro Yagami, Kitamura and Near.
My Stupid Reality by Twisted Grim
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: (pre-slash) L x Light and Mello x Matt
- Synopsis: The Great Detective L is rounding up genii children for some nefarious purpose and so Light Yagami has pretended to be stupid for all his life. It works up until his senior year of high school when Light makes Just One Little Mistake that puts L on his trail...
- Tags: Obfuscating Stupidity, Brilliant but Lazy, Teen Drama, Alternate Universe Fic, pre-slash, Chase Scene, Noble Fugitive, Loveable Rogue, Stalker with a Crush
Point of Succession by Jedi Master Bag
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: pre-slash with hints of multiple Mello x Matt, L/Light, BB/Light, and BB/Mello, becomes L/Light in later chapters.
- Synopsis: AU, When Beyond Birthday kidnaps Mello from Wammy's House L must rely on the expertise of the criminal profiler who knows him best—one Light Yagami.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Slash Fic, Detective Drama, kidnapping, Teeth-Clenched Teamwork, Cold-Blooded Torture, Mind Rape, horror, Psychological Thriller, The Profiler, The Corrupter, Disguised in Drag, Lemon, Criminal Mind Games
Ragnarok (fanfic) by Skeptikitten
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: L x Light and Matt x Mello
- Synopsis: AU. A Serial Killer emerges in Japan, basing his murders on Norse Mythology. NPA star-detective Light Yagami and the World's Greatest Detective L are both targets, and the case may lead to the end of the world for both of them.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Slash Fic, Detective Drama, Criminal Mind Games, The Profiler, Playful Hacker, stalking, obsession
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: Light x L, hints of Mello x Matt
- Synopsis: Light is willing to do anything to prove that he is not Kira... and that Ryuuzaki truly is his dear, dear friend...
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Slash Fic, Lemon, mind games, Angel-Devil Shipping
L x Light or Light x L
After-School Activities by Subdivided
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairing(s): Light x L
- Synopsis: "Ryuuga" has been missing classes so Light has to bring him up to speed on their latest Psych lessons. The topic of the lesson is cult leaders.
- Tags: Does This Remind You of Anything?, Humor, Irony, Hypocritical Humor, Slash Fic
Beyond the Promise of Strawberries by Ruin Takada
- Recommended by Ruin Takada, feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairing(s): L/Light (no lime or lemon, just innocence), L/OC, Matsuda/OC
- Synopsis: After Light is sick and tired of L bringing strawberries into bed, and realizing that their fellowship is based on flimsy promises, L launches into a story of his first run-in with Love in the form of a fellow Whammy girl years ago, that may or may not be true. Cute, with shounen-ai (albeit a small amount), and almost-failing attempts at humor.
- Additional Info: Beginning life as an idea by Immortal Strawberries, a multi-chapter sequel to this is currently in the works. The opposite of its predecessor, it's expected to be a Supernatural/Horror fic by the name of 'Beyond the Horrors of Immortal Man'.
Bodies In Beds by Veterization
- Recommended by Stranger To Modern, feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Light x L, an odd sort of friendship between Light and Matsuda
- Synopsis: "Ever wondered what happened to L's body after he died? Light takes care of it. Matsuda watches it all."
- Tags: Antagonist in Mourning
Brilliance Tarnished by kk-twin
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: Light x L
- Synopsis: Light decides that L is more fun alive... and so takes steps to "save" him... as a serial killer would...
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Dark Fic, Angel-Devil Shipping, obsession, kidnapping, rape, Stockholm Syndrome, forced relationship
Christmas In July by StereoNights
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: slight L x Light
- Synopsis: Light deals with the aftermath of a college frat party.
- Tags: college boys, frat party, hangover, singing Shinigami, dancing the robot, Gay Moment
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: slight Light x L
- Synopsis: Matsuda asks Light to teach him how to seduce someone, so Light demonstrates his techniques on a none-too-willing L. L is determined to ignore Light regardless of what the teen does to him, but Light is determined to get a reaction.
- Tags: The Yotsuba arc, Ho Yay, The Casanova, dating advice, awkward
- Recommended by Marlee Cross, feral
- Status: Apparently Dead
- Pairings: L/fem!Raito
- Synopsis: An AU of Death Note in which Raito is female and uses her feminine charms to seduce L for her own gain.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Genderswitch
Heart of an Assassin by Song Of Eternity
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: L x Light
- Synopsis: AU in which Light is a world-renowned assassin (of the more traditional type) and L is trying to catch him.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Career Killers, Detective Drama, Foe Yay
- Recommended by twilightscribe
- Status: Dormant
- Pairings: L x Light
- Synopsis: During the investigation, an outbreak appears in Great Britain. It's known only as the Rage Virus, an infection that kills anyone who's exposed. Forced to divert his attention away from the Kira case and towards the new developing worldly crisis, L brings the soft and uncalculating Light Yagami with him to the UK. There, things change.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Slash Fic, zombies, horror, The Yotsuba arc
Je Fais Partie de Vous and it's sequel Mais ne Vous Appartiennent a Moi by Dragonrider4000
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Light/L
- Synopsis: Kira has won. The world is his to command. So why is he keeping L alive?
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Slash Fic, violence, imprisonment, Stockholm Syndrome, Noble Demon
Office Politics by rageprufrock
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Light x L
- Synopsis: L relates the trials and tribulations of having a sex-based work relationship with his nemesis.
- Tags: Comedy, Slash Fic, Alternate Universe Fic, Bad Break-up, Crazy Jealous Guy
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: L/Light
- Synopsis: Light is never getting out of here. L has gone insane. Dark Fic.
- Tags: Dark Fic, Alternate Universe Fic, captivity, conditioning
- Recommended by Nani
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: Light x L, one-sided Light x Misa, one-sided Aiber x L. There's also slight Aiber x Misa, as well as one-sided Hal x L (though it's more of a crush).
- Synopsis: L is a detective that takes his job far too seriously. He decides to go out and experiment by going to a bar, and meets a sophisticated yet irritating man there. Though he tries to avoid him, he ends up becoming involved with the mysterious brunet.
The Prince of Death by K. Kotone
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Dead Fic
- Pairings: L/Light
- Synopsis: Light becomes the Prince of the Shinigami and gets to relive his life with the knowledge of how it played out the first time around, some new powers (and even MORE arrogance...) and he is STILL collared by L.
- Tags: Continuation Fic, Peggy Sue, Slash Fic, Back from the Dead, Shinigami, Half-Human Hybrid, Possession Sue, Original Character, Evil Versus Evil, L is the Kid with the Leash
Sweet Surrender by Anonymous
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: L/Light
- Synopsis: Kira leaves L a slightly different message than "L, Do you know gods of death love apples" and L wants to test it out.
- Tags: Slash Fic, Lemon, mind games
To Be Like L by Flying Catfish Bird
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: L x Light (pre-slash), Misa x Light (friendship)
- Synopsis: All Light really wants is to meet and work with his idol, L. And what better way to go about gaining his attention then to become Kira?
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Slash Fic, Hero Worshipper, Alternate Character Interpretation, Attention Whore, Lighter and Softer, WAFF
True Elision by Ezan
- Recommended by Darkfire359
- Status: Dormant
- Pairings: Light x L
- Synopsis: After Light's death, his soul must go through a series of hellish trials. Lots of horror, but brilliantly made and with an extremely in character Light.
- Tags: Continuation Fic, horror
- Sequels: Due to a request on a Kink Meme, there was the oneshot The End by Viyola, with Light x L. This oneshot spawned a (continuing) threeshot Heart by ParanormalAvenue which -oddly enough- pairs up Beyond and Misa.
Verloren by Li the Twilight Knight
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairing(s): Light/L
- Synopsis: AU, Light realizes that he made a mistake and now must face death itself to bring back his beloved adversary.
- Tags: Slash Fic, The Atoner, To Mu And Back, Back from the Dead
Light x L x Beyond
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairing(s): Implied BB/L, L/Light, and BB/Light
- Synopsis: A tale of suspense set at the beginning of the second season. With the target of his obsession dead, BB takes to stalking the one responsible.
- Tags: stalking, obsession, evil twin
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairing(s): BB x Light
- Synopsis: Japan sends their most promising investigator to dissect the brilliant mind of Beyond Birthday. Every day, for one month, they will speak for one hour. "I will rip your self-control out, drug your sensibility, and violate your soul."
Light x Misa x L
Educational Experience by Nilahxapiel
- Recommended by Marlee Cross
- Status:
- Pairing: Light/Misa
- Synopsis: Basically, Light and Misa are having sex while Light is still chained to L, who provides commentary for their lovemaking.
- Tags: The Yotsuba arc, comedy, het, voyeurism
Going to Marrakesh by Edmondia Dantes Redux
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: L x Light x Misa threesome
- Synopsis: A post-Yotsuba "Light confesses to being Kira" AU.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Dark Fic, insanity, threesome
Let's All Be Friends Together by Sashocirrione
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairing(s): Light/L/Misa
- Synopsis: They worked side-by-side for months. Isn't Ryuuzaki their friend? Sure he wants to capture Kira but he is just misguided. Wouldn't betraying their friend be evil? So Light and Misa come up with a new plan...
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, captivity, Slash Fic, het, threesome, forced relationship
Puzzle Piece by Maiden of the Moon
- Recommended by Marlee Cross
- Status:
- Pairings: L/Misa
- Synopsis: Kind of a look at how a potential L/Misa pairing would probably play out. Not really heavy on the romance and is more of a character study for Misa.
- Tags: Het
- Recommended by chibiaries
- Status:
- Pairing(s): L/Misa
- Synopsis: It is an L/Misa AU from Misa's point of view—and let me tell you, a more understated kind of love does wonders for her character. She's still a Kira supporter, the Sakura Incident still occurred, and now Light has apparently caught on to the fact that she knows L, so the whole thing still has that essential Death Note air of tension that every other romance in the fandom lacks.
- Tags: Het
- Recommended by Marlee Cross
- Status: Undergoing rewrite.
- Pairings: L/Misa, Light/Misa.
- Synopsis: After Light dumps her, Misa decides to win him back by getting into To-Oh University and becoming a serious law student, befriending a weird fellow student named 'Hideki Ryuga' in the process.
- Tags: Het, Film Fic
Mello-shipping
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Mello/Misa, Light/Matt
- Synopsis: Misa would do anything for him... Alternate Universe Fic: Matt and Misa switch roles in the Death Note universe and the transition is scary seamless.
- Tags: Alternate Universe Fic, Crack Pairing, role reversal, Het Mello/Misa wtih mentions of Light/Matt, character death.
- Recommended by Maxi1234
- Status:
- Pairing: Matt/Mello
- Synopsis: Mello knew from the minute that smoke bomb went off that he'd never be able to see another sun rise and set, that he'd never be able to wake up with the smell of cigarette smoke cradling him to the one thing that held any lasting value in his world.
By Flashes of Lightning by Bialy
- Recommended by Clandestine Clear
- Status:
- Pairing(s): Mello/Sayu (And she writes it excellently.)
- Synopsis: At first, Sayu Yagami didn't know why she wasn't speaking. But the answer was never far, or hard to find.
- Tags: Het
- Recommended by KA
- Status: N/A
- Pairing: Mello/Near
- Synopsis: In which Mello is a Mafia wunderkind, and Near is a stool pigeon. AU
- Recommended by aimsme
- Status: N/A
- Pairing: Mello/Matt
- Synopsis: All Mello wants is something to die for. Matt's ruining everything by giving him a reason to live.
Shotgun Religion by Sutlers
- Recommended by Yuite
- Status:
- Pairings: Matt/Mello
- Synopsis: Matt falls in love with Mello—both continue to be totally fucked up people doing crazy, dangerous things while trying to catch Kira and one-up Near, and they try to not suck at being human beings with actual relationships.
- The Wammy's House Boys by Wammy'sHouseReject formerly Animeperson798
- Recommended by mmmmcookie
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairings: Matt x Mello, Mello x Near, and pretty much any other pairing involving Wammy House children, according to the author.
- Synopsis: Each boy who lives at Wammy's House has their own story to tell, and none of them are pretty. The first chapter involves a fair amount of Squick
Ryuk-shipping
7 Minutes In Hell by Mello_Sutcliff
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: One-sided Misa x Light and Ryuk x Light
- Synopsis: Misa's attempt to get some alone time with Light goes NOT AS PLANNED.
- Tags: Slash Fic, Crack Pairing, Lemon, Interspecies Romance, jealousy
Forbidden Fruit [dead link]
by ~apple-lurve
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Ryuk x Light
- Synopsis: Hmm... Did you want something, Shinigami? "You really are a bastard, Light Yagami."
- Tags: Slash Fic, Crack Pairing, teasing Shinigami, Interspecies Romance
The Life Script by MadxHatterxTeapot
- Recommended by Ailia Sparrowhawk
- Status:
- Pairings: Ryuk/OC. Yeah, really.
- Synopsis: What if there was a notebook that could counteract a Death Note? What would it be like? Would the same rules apply as in the Death Note? Who's hands would it fall into? Would it be used for good or evil? Find out in this fanfiction.
Touch of a God by theladyfeylene
- Recommended by sauronlulz
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Ryuk/Light
- Synopsis: "The human couldn't truly understand what it was to be a god. Ryuk could give him a small taste...." A snapshot from the beginning of the series.
- Tags: Unwanted advances
What Were You Thinking? by Near the Shinigami
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairings: Ryuk/Light ya, rly
- Synopsis: Light is stressed out. Ryuk wants to know what's on his mind.
- Tags: Slash Fic, Crack Pairing, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Interspecies Romance
Naomi-shipping
- Recommended by Halinmonk
- Status: Complete
- Pairing(s): L/Naomi
- Synopsis: He wants to take their lives apart and reassemble them so that their pieces would fit this time around.
- Be warned, it is best to have Tissues on standby
- Tags: Het
Other Ships
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Ongoing
- Pairing: canon, non-explicit Rem/Misa and one-sided Light/Misa.
- Synopsis: A character study on how Rem came to have feelings for a human girl and how Misa came to be the Second Kira.
- Tags: Backstory, Freudian Excuse, seduction, The Vamp, Mama Bear, Slash Fic, Het, Yuri Genre, Interspecies Romance
HoneyColoured Hazardry by Lisoata
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Aiber x Mogi, slight L x Light
- Synopsis: "People are People are set in stone. And Kanzo Mogi refuses to believe otherwise."
- Tags: Crack Pairing, Minion Shipping, Slash Fic, The Yotsuba arc
Nicotine Patches and Picture Books by Underwater Owl
- Recommended by Maxi1234
- Status:
- Pairing: Matt/Near
- Synopsis: As far as Matt's concerned, this 'saving' bit is the worst thing to ever happen to him. When you get gunned down, you should just die, not wake up in a hospital bed months and miles later. Bloody Near never could leave well enough alone, could he?
- Tags: Slash Fic
Of Tea and Men by Diluted Thoughts
- Recommended by sauronlulz
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Higuchi/Namikawa
- Synopsis: Higuchi Kyosuke was disgusting and vile and crass and ugly. This is what Namikawa Reiji always told himself.
- Tags: Slash Fic, Crack Pairing
- Recommended by feral
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: Light/Kira, no keep reading.
- Synopsis: Because Light is a very disturbed young man and this fic gives him a Backstory of what it might be like growing up a super-genius. It's creepy horror fic written for the Kink Meme about madness and Selfcest but also one of the most in-depth character studies I've seen.
- Tags: Lemon, Mental Issues, insanity, Depression, Freudian Excuse, Stepford Smiler, Mirror Monologue, Screw Yourself, A Date with Rosie Palms, Slash Fic, Narcissist, Backstory, Family Drama, Not-So-Imaginary Friend, Talking to Themself, Crack Pairing
Story of the Century by WhiteLadyDragon
- Recommended by ia7
- Status: Complete
- Pairing: L/OC- sort of. It's complicated.
- Synopsis: An amateur journalist's search for a story to finally legitimize her leads her tumbling into the heart of a monstrous war of minds upon seeing things she shouldn't have, starting with a strange photo and an even stranger young man.
- Comments: A solidly written fic with an interesting perspective on the story and characters from the OC, which manages to be both funny and poignant, sometimes at almost the same time. YMMV on the OC herself, but this story is worth checking out, with a lot of tension and doubt over what the outcome will eventually be. The author also has a series of oneshots based on this story, most of them "slice-of-life" gen fics.
- Tags: L-shipping, LxOC, friendship, What the Hell, Hero?, Break the Cutie, Break the Haughty, Not So Different, Hurting Hero, Warts and All, Jerk with a Heart of Gold, Stepford Smiler, Living with the Villain, He Who Fights Monsters, Jerkass/Stoic/Iron Woobie