Stairway to the Heart

Author's Note: So hello there again! You can blame Episode 25 for this little romance fic +g+ Come on, just look at that one scene! It practically screams shounen-ai! Anyway, here is another take on the stair-scene of episode 25, this time with a "slightly" differnet and more fangirl-friendly outcome ;-)
I hope you'll enjoy it and I'd be glad if you left me some positive feedback:-)

Disclaimer: None of the characters in this story belong to me.

"A massage."

Light turned around. "What?"

"I'll massage your feet." Ryuuzaki put the towel he had on his head away and kneeled down on the stairs next to Light's feet.

Surprised, Light looked back at the other boy. 'What kind of strange idea was that again?' "No, come on, you really don't have to do that." Politely he tried to turn Ryuuzaki down, but the latter simply took Light's right foot in his hands.

"I'm not at all bad at this." With these words, Ryuuzaki started to move his fingers across the foot gently.

At first, Light winced a bit at the touch, but Ryuuzaki only looked up at him and said with an unreadable expression: "Don't worry, Light-kun. You'll get used to it." He smiled and there was something in his expression that Light had never seen before. It was like a slight smile, a strange warmth coming from the other boy. It didn't match at all with his usual weirdness.

Ignoring the other's puzzled gaze, Ryuuzaki continued gently.

Light, however, couldn't help, but wince once again. 'Stupid, why am I acting like this? We've been chained together for months! His presence shouldn't be a bother to me at all.' But deep inside his heart Light knew that it was not Ryuuzaki's presence which bothered him. It was his touch.

Though they had been together day and night for such a long time, there had hardly ever been any physical contact between the two of them. And now…

Eventually, Light tried to relax and turned his head away. Never before had he imagined what Ryuuzaki could be like towards other people… That he could be concerned about someone... That he could be gentle.

"It's sad, that it'll soon be over again", Ryuuzaki said after a while and brought Light back to reality. His expression was nothing like the stoic detective anymore. That smile made him look so alive… and almost something like pretty.

"What will be over?", Light asked as neutral as possible.

"It's almost time to say farewell." Ryuuzaki just threw an intensive glance, which Light didn't know how to interpret, back at him, then continued to tap around on the soft skin of other's foot.

Cold water drops touched Light's leg. Slowly, he turned around, took the towel next to them and held it to Ryuuzaki's hair in order to absorb the dropping water.

Ryuuzaki paused astonished.

"You're still wet, yourself", Light whispered and stoke the other's hair with the towel.

"Sorry…", Ryuuzaki answered and slowly moved up one stair, closer to Light.

A shy, brief and gentle kiss, that was all. Nothing more and nothing less.

Ryuuzaki sat back and pulled his legs closer to his body. He didn't dare to look at Light's face, so for a short while they remained silent like that.

Eventually, Ryuuzaki felt the towel touching his hair again.

"Nothing will be over, Ryuuzaki", Light finally said and dried Ryuuzaki's hair gently. "Not as long as we don't want it to be over."

Ryuuzaki's lips formed a slight smile. "I'm glad, then."

"Me too", Light answered and let his head rest on Ryuuzaki's shoulder. "It's cold here."

"Yes."

The room was filled with warm, bright sunlight, as Light slowly opened his eyes again. His gaze fixed on the white ceiling and the modern lamp with its dark shade.

At his right arm he could feel Ryuuzaki's warm grip clutching the soft cloth of his sleeve, the latter's forehead against his shoulders.

He didn't dare to move, because he feared it could break this wonderful, snug and magical moment.

'What I've always been looking for all this time, I finally found…', Light thought, breathed in deeply and closed his eyes again, nestling his head against Ryuuzaki's messy hair.

For a few minutes he just stayed like that and enjoyed the other's presence in silence.

"Ryuuzaki", he eventually whispered gently. "Are you awake yet?"

The other boy didn't react.

Light gave him a soft nudge while he pulled his arm away. "Wake up, Ryuuzaki! Lots of sweets are waiting for you for breakfast." He smiled, sat up and turned around.

Ryuuzaki was still cuddled to where Light's arm had been a few seconds ago. His expression looked happy and peaceful.

It made Light's heart warm up. "Hey…!", he whispered again and shook Ryuuzaki's shoulder.

Nothing. No reaction, no sign of life.

Suddenly, Light's expression changed. 'It couldn't be…!' "Ryuuzaki! Open your eyes!!" A strange fear rose inside his heart. 'He couldn't be dead!! Not now! Not after…' "Ryuuzaki…" He started trembling as he cradled the other boy's body with his arms. It was just like he had planned it all along… But now… He felt empty. It wasn't an opponent he had lost, not a challenge. It was a person, a person who had just gotten more precious to him than anything else on this planet.

Anger and sadness were about to tear Light's heart apart. "This is so unfair!!", he screamed, tears filling his eyes, as he pulled Ryuuzaki's body closer, burying his face into the other's white pullover. "Not now!! Ryuuzaki!!!"

A movement. A dozy voice. "What are you screaming around, Light-kun…?", Ryuuzaki murmured and opened his eyes.

In shock Light stared back at him. "Ryuuzaki…!" He closed his eyes. "I thought you were dead…" He shook his head, a reproaching look on his face. "You freak. Not only do you walk and sit weird, you also sleep weird, scaring everyone around you to death! I thought everything was over! Everything we just gained."

Ryuuzaki looked back at him, his gaze becoming amused and loving. "Tears, Light-kun…?" He reached out his hand and gently touched Light's cheek, wiping away the tears.

Light lowered his head. "Don't…"

But Ryuuzaki hushed him instantly. "Nothing will be over, Light-kun." And with a happy smile he wrapped his arms around Light and kissed him with all the kindness in his heart. "Not as long as we don't want it to be over."