The Pull by Armagnac (rated T or probably PG-13)

[sashocirrione.livejournal.com]

Fandom: DEATH NOTE
Pairing: none
Length: ~4000
Author on LJ: armagnacaflame
Author Website: Fanfiction.net (censored versions) | AO3 (uncensored versions)
Why this must be read:

This is one of the better gen-fics of L's childhood I've ever read. It fills out L's background in an interesting and dark way that outlines both L's slightly evil nature and his devotion to justice. What incidents made L into what he is? Why is he so untrusting and socially awkward? This fanfic offers some potential answers about a time in L's life that canon tells us virtually nothing about.

Technically, this is part of a series, and I could have recommended the entire series, a decision I struggled with. However, I thought it might not exactly count as a series because it is an untitled series and it is only a series in the sense that most of Armagnac's Death Note fanfics are set in the same timeline. They can all stand apart just fine, and readers only get a few bonuses in understanding if reading them in order.

The Pull is not only chronologically the first of this series, it is also probably the best, and I heartily recommend it.

The Pull