It's been way too long, I know. My apologies! School started back up with a vengeance. Lots of late nights and stuff. I did manage to get a number of snow days with which I used some of my time to plan out further the next couple chapters. There are only five left! At the very most, maybe six. Excluding this one, that is.

I'm clearly way behind schedule at this point. At the latest, I wanted this finished in January, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen anymore. But, I'll most definitely finish this by the end of February at the very latest. This last stretch is the most important, and I want to make sure they're of quality and not stuff I tried to slap together and update as fast as I could.

Anyway, I listened to a few songs for this particular chapter. They were Tongue-Tied by Aqualung and 24 Preludes, Op. 28: No. 15 in D flat major "Raindrops" by Chopin (again). Both were played while writing, but they hold some significance, too.

As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed and has continued to follow the story! But, of course, I love new faces as well. I may do something special for the 200th reviewer (Ha, just watch. No one will review now just to spite me. In this case, I will go to my corner for a while and cry softly (Just kidding.).). Man, that's way too many parenthesis. Never doing that again. I apologize.

Note: Most of the time, the fic tends to be Light-centric. It'll switch to L at one point, but still is not first-person.

I don't own Death Note.

December 27
Fruitcake Day

Evening had arrived, the sun already past the horizon. The windows were all drawn shut by the detective who hurried hither and thither around the floor in which they resided. Light had little choice but to follow. L would peer under chairs and couches, behind furniture, in drawers…. Every time Light would attempt to ask him what it was he appeared to be looking for the man would only look at him strangely and carry on with his obscure search. It was as if L expected him to be a telepath. Light would only get to sulk for a short moment, staring at a painting on the wall or at a potted plant, and then get dragged off to the next room to examine every square inch.

Currently, L was at work in the coat closet. Anything and everything on the top shelf was either pushed out of the way or thrown behind him. Light could barely dodge the barrage of flashlights, scarves, and miscellaneous blunt objects. He moved his arms to protect his face while L was oblivious to his state of peril. It didn't last long, however, as L crouched down to examine the various boots and whatnot in the bottom of the closet. Light breathed a sigh of relief. Though, they hadn't visited the kitchen just yet… He shuddered at the thought of L tossing plates and knives while Light stood behind him helplessly. Perhaps it would be best if he did help the detective in his search…if he even knew what he was looking for.

Just as Light was about to verbalize the proposition to the detective, he was silenced by L's voice.

"There you are." Half of his body was still in the closet due to his digging in the depths. Light peered inside, curious. L continued, "I was wondering where you went. Now, we have things to do and you have eaten up a significant portion of our allotted time. You should feel ashamed."

Light couldn't tell exactly what it was. L's body blocked his view. Surely it wasn't anything living. He doubted L would misplace something animate. However, when did L ever lose anything, really? It was particularly odd. Perhaps even stranger was the fact that he was talking to the thing. He knew the man was eccentric, but still.

Finally L began to crawl back out, getting onto his feet at once. He turned around and held in his arms…

…a white Bengal tiger stuffed animal.

"Julia, Light, I'm sure you remember one another. Though it has been a while since you saw each other last, I will admit."

Almost instantly Light's mind procured his memories regarding the stuffed animal. He said quietly more to himself than L (or Julia), "Cotton Candy Day, December seventh…"

"Correct." He ran his fingers over the synthetic fur languidly, as if it was an actual cat in his arms. "She will be joining us in the festivities, as will your bear if he or she does so wish. Tell me, have you thought of a name for it?"

"No, not really…" Light admitted.

"Now that is a problem. How will I be able to properly address them if they have no name? Though I suppose that would keep them safe from Kira…"

Light sighed. He couldn't really say anything about it, given it wasn't even an indirect accusation of him being Kira. However, L was making it clear that he was indeed still thinking of the case. The detective now looked to him expectantly, as if naming the stuffed bear was placed above anything else that had to be done. He still stroked the white tiger which stared unblinkingly at Light, very much like its owner. L should've purchased a panda…

"Its name is…Ted."

"How original."

"Look, it hardly even matters if it has a name or not. I'm not mocking your tiger's name, am I?"

L paused his stroking to hold the toy before Light. "I'll have you know Julia's name is very tasteful. Her name was derived from the similarly named Beatles song, after all. You do know of The Beatles, do you not?"

"Of course I know The Beatles. What do you take me for? And don't say Kira, for the love of god."

"The thought never crossed my mind…" He cuddled the tiger back to his chest. Bullshit, Light thought to himself. Though holding the stuffed animal like that and with his thumb to his lips as L always did when contemplating things… L resumed, "Now that we've located Julia, we may begin today's holiday."

"It's something to do with food, right?"

"Naturally."

There on the neatly-made bed (courtesy of Light) was a tray of sorts that held an enormous, freshly baked fruitcake (courtesy of Watari). Steaming cups of some kind of liquid were at either nightstand. "Ted" had found his way onto the bed and had on his lap a doll's teacup, nothing really inside. Light merely observed the scene with a raised brow and found a spot on the side of the bed on which he slept. L set his tiger down carefully beside the bear before perching on his side. He took delicately took the knife provided on the tray and cut two generous slices, placing them on a pair of plates. Light was handed one along with a fork, but L frowned at his own portion.

Light, before eating the dessert, took a sniff of the contents in his cup. The scent was unmistakable; it was lavender. It was the sort of tea he'd indulge in to help him get to sleep, but knowing L there'd soon be three metric tons of sugar within his tea. It defeated the entire purpose, really. However, there weren't any sugar cubes in sight. It was entirely likely Watari had added L's sugar beforehand, though it was still strange. Even stranger was that L was reluctant to eat a slice of cake.

"Is something the matter, L?" Light inquired.

L hesitantly poked at his fruitcake with a fork. "Yes, there is… The words of a fairly famous American comedian come to mind."

He wasn't…exactly sure what to make of that. He'd never actually witnessed the detective laugh, so why would he be knowledgeable on comedians' jokes? Light asked, "And those would be…?"

The fork was set down upon the plate. L still looked at the fruitcake with disapproval.

"'I don't understand fruitcake. It doesn't make sense. Fruit, good. Cake, great. Fruitcake, nasty crap.'"

"Have you even tried it before?"

L's gaze still hadn't met Light's. "No. I put my full faith in that man's judgment on food."

"Well, I will have you know that fruitcake tastes perfectly fine. In fact, Watari has proven to make your desserts excellently, hasn't he?"

"Yes, of course he has." L sighed, almost pouting. Almost. "I enjoy fruit and I enjoy cake. Some cakes are acceptable with fruit, such as strawberry shortcake. However this…this is a Frankenstein of fruit and cake, if you will. It looks questionable at best."

Light fought to keep his hands from covering his face. "You're acting extremely childish."

"But, you yourself would have to be childish in order to make that assessment, would you not?" L pushed around some crumbs with his fork, still not meeting Light's gaze. It reminded Light of how in youth to make it look as though you'd eaten your vegetables, you'd push them around a little and spread them out.

"That's totally irrelevant. You're being stubborn and picky. Something else I can deduce," he said, crossing his arms, "is that you dislike change."

L's fiddling with his fork and the fruitcake halted. It had made soft scraping sounds on what appeared to be the porcelain material of the plates. Now, however, there was a brief and slightly grating silence. Light felt a twinge of anxiety.

"Are you referring to my eating habits still?" L inquired softly. He peered through his hair dangling in his face, his back arched more than usual because of the food before him.

A wave of confusion went over Light. What else could he have been talking about? It was a simple observation. Any time that L had been confronted with a food that didn't have sugar of some kind within it, he turned up his nose. Light would have his persuasion skills put to the test to even get him to take a nibble or a spoonful. L hated to change what he ate and he would put up a battle of will like no other to prevent that change. He wondered briefly what would happen if L let up on the sugar for an extended amount of time… However, he was ripped from his thoughts upon realizing that L was still staring at him as if he was the one who ate the last cookie in the cookie jar. Needless to say, it was a look filled with suspicion.

"Of course I was. What did you think I meant by it?" Light's fork made its way to the fruitcake and took out a small bite-sized portion.

L set down the plate to his side near Julia. "Nothing. Forget I even mentioned it."

Of course, it had to have been another method of eliciting a reaction from him. He shouldn't have expected anything different. As Light finally brought the piece of fruitcake to his lips, L had taken his cup of tea and began to drink. Light didn't pay the action much mind until the detective's lips turned downward and he brought the cup up to take yet another drink. Fruitcake only partially chewed in his mouth, Light could only look at the man strangely. He never drank tea without what he deemed to be an appropriate amount of sugar, and here he was still drinking it without any additions of the substance when he was clearly dissatisfied. It looked as though he was forcing himself to drink medicine with the look of disgust on his face.

Finally swallowing the fruitcake, Light said, "L, out of curiosity…is there any sugar in your tea at all?"

The detective released a heavy sigh. "I'm afraid not…. It's not all that good without any sugar. But, if I am to sleep tonight I don't suppose adding copious amounts of sugar in this tea would help at the slightest. If anything, it defeats the entire purpose."

Wait, what? He was voluntarily giving himself up to sleep? L planned in advance to sleep? Again, Light was growing steadily more and more bewildered. It seemed peculiar. Too peculiar, perhaps.

"You're planning…on sleeping?"

"Yes, I did say that."

"Tonight?"

"Again, yes. Is there something wrong with that?" He forced more of the warm tea down his throat. "I was under the impression that sleep was necessary for good health."

"Says the one who avoids it like the plague."

L, now apparently finished with the tea for the time being, set down the cup and brought the plate of fruitcake back to his lap. He stared at it momentarily before actually acquiring a small piece onto his fork, but he hadn't yet brought it to his mouth.

"I take naps."

"When is that, exactly? I've never seen it."

"Typically when you are sleeping." L examined the piece of fruitcake at a variety of angles, apparently trying to determine whether or not it was edible as Light claimed. "Though sometimes when you are conscious. During those instances I keep my eyes open. They're 'micro-naps' if you will. Naps are short enough that I may get some rest while still keeping my subconscious from wandering."

It was absolutely maddening. Light had begun to focus less and less on what L was actually saying, and more on the slice of fruitcake he insisted on poking, probing, and studying. He'd done everything possible with that dessert except the process of eating it. L, it seemed, was indeed worse than a child when it came to eating habits. One way or another L was going to have to consume some of the dessert, though. While it was necessary due to the rules L himself had put in place, Light couldn't help but to have a hunger for revenge. After all those times of fried horrors and overly-sweet confections… His stomach churned at the mere memory.

How this act could be achieved, Light was still trying to figure out. It would be impossible to take hold of L's own plate and fork. The detective would easily react in time to block any attempts of being force-fed. Light's own fruitcake, however… He may have eaten half already, but there was plenty left to get an appropriately-timed bite shoved into L's mouth. Light would simply have to wait for the perfect opportunity. Now, to come up with a conversation topic…

It would need to be something to occupy L's attention enough, something he was deeply interested in. It didn't take long for Light's sharp mind to find a solution.

"L, could you possibly put in order your top five favorite fruits, and how they are best served?"

L's grip slackened ever so slightly on his fork. "For what reason?"

"None, really. If we are having a tea party, which this most certainly looks like, you have to keep up conversation. Primarily, the conversation is trivial in nature." Not wanting to give away any sign of his plans, Light took another small bite of his fruitcake. There was still plenty left.

"I see…. I'm not familiar with the practice. I apologize." The plate was set down to the side. L brought a thumb to his lips, clearly having to think thoroughly on the matter.

Just as planned.

Light calmly took another sip of the lavender tea, feeling it run down to his stomach and warm him from the inside. He had to admit, he was starting to feel drowsy. But, he had to remain alert enough to act when the time came.

"Well, first and foremost I love strawberries…. They are perhaps the sweetest, easy to find fruit there is. I like them best in strawberry cake or strawberry shortcake." He paused, still gazing at some far-off object. "Then, there are cherries. The pit is bothersome, which puts them in that position. Cherry cheesecake is quite delectable. Third, I would say are red gra–"

It was too late for L. As he had began pondering what desserts that were delicious could possibly contain grapes – it took only a brief moment to think of raisins and raisin pie – Light had already made his move. While his mouth had been open, the younger man had taken a small piece of his fruitcake and forced it in. And this hadn't been done by means of a fork. Heaven forbid that Light Yagami chose to use proper eating utensils to accomplish the task. He chose instead to use his fingers. Needless to say, there was fruitcake that managed to get in L's mouth…but also all around his mouth and between Light's fingers.

Still partially stunned, L could do little but chew the unexpected food now in his mouth. Light busied himself with cleaning off his hands with a napkin, having a most "grossed-out" expression on his features. L would have noted it as comical had he not been focusing on the taste of the fruitcake. There was a distinct amount of cinnamon, some lemon peel…and all sorts of nuts and fruit. It wasn't bad, not necessarily…. The detective continued to chew the foreign substance thoughtfully. He was in a terrible middle ground, not sure if he should be disgusted or relatively pleased.

Once having finally swallowed the thing, he stared at Light most accusingly. He, however, was unaffected.

"You tricked me."

Light hid a smug smile behind his teacup as he began to drink from it again. "And I succeeded. Consider yourself freed from having to deliberate over your slice of fruitcake for hours upon hours."

"I wouldn't have taken nearly that long, I'll have you know."

"Sure."

Only the two small bedside lamp lights illuminated the bedroom. The two stuffed animals retired from the tea party and were set down in an armchair together. The teacups and plate of fruitcake on a cart were pushed to a wall, plenty of the tea and dessert still remaining. L drew his legs to his chest while sitting atop the bed. Some distance away Light changed into a set of pajamas. The detective's toes moved along the fabric of the sheets ever so slightly. He'd never really taken into account how smooth and soft they really were. Each time he'd succumbed to sleep in the bed it had been so unexpectedly that such details were impossible to notice. It was no wonder that Light looked forward to sleep so much every night, with how comfortable it was.

Soon enough, the younger man had made his way to his side of the bed. The chain's rattling became muffled upon making contact with the bed sheets. His weight settled onto the bed, making it shift downward just slightly.

While Light busied himself with pulling the sheets over his body, L still sat hunched-over. He wasn't positively sure how he would go about lying in the bed. Most of the times that he'd found time to sleep, it had been sitting in a chair. Light apparently seemed comfortable to lie on his back, but the position looked dreadfully uncomfortable to the detective. Lying flat was out of the question. Therefore, he'd not be on his stomach, either. Though, perhaps on his side….

A solution in mind, two of L's fingers reached to switch off his lamplight. The relative brightness of Light's still remained. Peeling back the sheets, L awkwardly moved into more of a lying position. On his side he was almost as curled-up as someone could be, as if hiding inside himself. Then again, it was relatively the same as his sitting posture. The detective managed to pull the sheets up over his body up to the bridge of his nose. He was turned to face Light, only his large eyes peering out from under. The younger man looked at him a bit strangely for a moment before finally turning off his own lamp, putting the room in complete darkness. It was a strange thing, there always having been at least L's laptop running. L felt an unnatural, slight tinge of uneasiness enter his stomach. It was as if he were a child spending his first night without a nightlight. He mentally shook himself from the irrationality of it all.

With his visibility for the most part gone, L could only take note of the sounds around him. Namely, Light's movements and breathing. There was a subtle change in one of those things at once. Light's breathing pattern changed just slightly, as if he had noticed something of interest. L's gaze immediately traveled to the ceiling. Sure enough, there they were. A few hundred glow-in-the-dark stars had been stuck to the ceiling. With such an absence of light in the room, even L felt himself transfixed for a moment.

Light's voice, still awake but growing weary, spoke, "Why are those there?"

"The stars, I assume?" L found his own voice was muffled by the blankets. He still kept them there, though. They were very warm and comfortable, after all.

"What else? You can't see anything other than those things." A twinge of annoyance. "Why are they on the ceiling?"

"When I informed Watari of my plans to sleep tonight, he thought they would assist me in that goal. They are supposedly calming, as they would give me something to focus on other than my thoughts." L paused, contemplating continuing. "And…I thought they were 'cool.'"

A humored snort came from the younger man. "Cool, huh? I haven't had those things in my room since I was in elementary school."

"I still fail to see anything wrong with it, other than the fact that Light is ashamed to occasionally act like a child. How dull must your existence be."

Light shifted around slightly, perhaps drawing the blankets around him more. L felt a small smirk creep to his face at his small victory.

"Whatever, L," Light muttered. "Could you just start with that 'trying to sleep' thing?"

"No."

"No? What do you mean, 'no'?"

"I have something to ask of you."

An exasperated sigh left Light. "Fine. But, you have to agree to stop talking and let me sleep as soon as you're done. I don't want to be up until five playing twenty questions."

"Very well. Do you recall December the tenth? This is not my primary question."

"Uh, yeah. It was…something regarding souls of whales. Dead ones, specifically. What of that day?"

"You are correct. But, this is the question I wish to pose to you: do you merely think I was talking about the deaths of whales?"

A pause hung in the air. Light, L assumed, was taking the moment to formulate a proper response. Though he couldn't help but notice his eyelids becoming just a little bit heavy. Now wasn't the time for sleep, however. He regretting drinking any of that lavender tea.

"Knowing you, it was unlikely you weren't implying other things," Light finally said. He'd brushed off some of the weariness in his tone, but it still remained. He continued, "So, my answer is no. You were talking about more than the whales."

L chewed on his bottom lip gently. "As I thought you would."

"Is that all you wanted to ask?" Light couldn't hide the hopefulness in the statement. His mind was beginning to shut down for the night, and things would be slipping through the cracks as that did.

"I will answer your question with a question. What did you take out of it?"

"Well, you quickly made it clear that you were talking about Kira. The whales symbolized today's criminals, the people still symbolized society, but the whalers were Kira. In a nut shell, so to speak. But to elaborate on the subject, which I'm sure you're wanting…. The people in either scenario wanted to have killed whales or criminals." Light paused once more, but L made no comment of it. "I'm going to stick to present-tense. Otherwise, this is going to get confusing…."

L could hear him shift around some more. The young man seemed to need to move to organize his thoughts. L didn't move a muscle, still listening attentively. His eyes grew more and more accustomed to the dark, making out the outline of Light's face.

"Anyway, the people want the criminals or whales dead whether or not it may be right. Sacrificing their sense of morality and justice sounds like a fair trade-off for a peaceful utopia or food on the table. Therefore, the whalers and Kira are supported and they continue killing. What the people didn't count on is other countries opposing those individuals. While with the whales it's a simple matter of the continuity of different whale species, today…it's condoning murder. The line between right and wrong is beginning to blur in society. Crime has decreased astronomically, but at what cost? The outcome this time around, however, is more difficult to predict. It's not a matter of simply firing whalers. I want more than anything for these murders to end, but…."

L's voice, though still soft, rang out clearly in the quiet of the room. "I see. So you still insist that you are not Kira. I can't say I'm surprised. However, I have one last question regarding the matter."

Light's breathing had not changed very much at all. Either he was controlling himself to the highest degree, putting his anxiety on the backburner to avoid suspicion, or he was merely beginning to doze off. It was customary of Light to go to bed at exactly eleven o'clock every night, and now it was a good half-hour after that time. L waited only another short moment longer, feeling for the slightest movements or listening for the quietest of sounds. Evidence gained from it would be trivial, but…any evidence he would grab for gratefully.

L said, cutting into the silence once more, "What about the boat?"

An arm moved around under the sheets.

"You mean that little paper boat?" Light replied, voice getting heavier with weariness.

"Yes."

Light released a sigh. "The candle…wasn't just for the whales."

"Go on."

"I can't deduce anything else, though," the younger man admitted.

Either he was lying through his teeth, or just absurdly tired. L pulled his sheets tighter around himself. Sure enough, Light's first answer was spot-on. He expected as much. But…he had been hoping for more out of the conversation. With Light's guard down, he should have been more likely to let something slip, to vocalize one tiny incriminating detail. However, L wasn't so lucky as to get that kind of clue. It was a bit depressing. However, there was still one more thing.

"Your analytical abilities are usually better, Light," L said. His voice was still muffled by the sheets. "Normally, I would not spell it out for you. This, however, is something which you must hear. The boat was sent out for two groups, excluding the whales. The first being all those killed by Kira. Despite their crimes, I would not wish for anyone to be a part of a slaughter of that caliber. Even though Kira thinks his judgment to be without flaws, I'm certain innocents have slipped through the cracks as well. The second was Kira himself."

Light appeared to sound taken-aback. His acting skills were impressive, L had to admit. He nearly believed him. "Kira? Why would you send out a candle for Kira?"

"It's difficult to say…. Kira, whether he's aware of it or not, has subjected himself to intense mental degradation. Even though he has distanced himself from his kills, I'm certain it has poisoned his mind. He has probably killed those who he hadn't originally planned to kill, people who he knew personally. Perhaps he has not. In any case, taking human life is always detrimental to the killer. Often times they are not aware of this. I suspect this is true with Kira. What saddens me is that he is undoubtedly a very intelligent individual. I haven't faced a killer so difficult to catch in all of my prior cases. He's wasting his brilliance and turning himself into a monster for a foolish ideal. He's not going to be able to rid the world of criminals. It's simply impossible. I accepted this fact the day that I introduced myself as L. Sadly, Kira has not. I pity him."

"You…pity Kira? Kira, of all people? The criminal you swore to catch?" Light asked, incredulous. He barley clung to consciousness.

"I do. I wanted to send the candle to Kira because I pity him. That does sound about right. Nevertheless, even if I am to never catch him – the thought disturbs me, but I can't rule out the possibility – I wanted to show him the magnitude of what he has done, and will do. I wanted to illuminate all of his wrongs, to show him what he has done to himself in the hopes that he would try to save himself. He's running after an ideal that's unattainable, and he cannot run forever."

There was no reply from Light this time. He was certain the younger man had heard him, though. If Light was Kira would his words have fallen on deaf ears?

Feeling that no more would be said by Light, the detective said softly into the darkness of the room, "Good night, Light."

"Good night."

It was twelve-fifteen in the morning. Light had fallen asleep twenty minutes prior. He was, however, a very light-sleeper. L hadn't budged at the slightest since their goodnights, though now his eyes were half-lidded but as observant as ever. The younger man's chest rose and fell rhythmically, his breath distracting L from the static sound of silence.

A single thought had been greatly disturbing the detective. What were exactly his intentions in the Kira case? Almost at once, his brain came up with a very predictable response. He wanted to catch Kira and he wanted him to face charges for his crimes. It was likely after going through court Kira would serve a life sentence. More likely, he would face an execution date. As nice as it was to have extra help on the case, he made a resolve to himself that he would not restrain himself from putting any one of the police officers in prison if they proved to be Kira. Even the son or daughter of the chief of police. Kira killed so many people and he deserved to face justice.

Now, though, that outcome didn't settle so well with him. Kira was almost certainly Light Yagami. But, he had not enough to prove this to the world. If he did, would he act?

He wasn't so sure.

What were his feelings toward Light? He'd avoided that question for so long. It was as if he was afraid of the answer. Why did an answer like that frighten him more than the possibility of dying for the case? He'd accepted that easily enough. He had known how dangerous it was from the very beginning. He hadn't counted on getting close to his top suspect, however. L had always made it a point to never mix his own emotions with his work, so why now of all times? At first it was bad enough to consider the possibility of sending a friend to his execution, but now… What was it? What was the nature of things between him and Light?

The stars on the ceiling barely glowed at all anymore. They were faint things, like the stars just outside the window over Tokyo.

Light was just inches away. At foot, at the most. It was a foreign thing to have someone occupy that empty space on the other side of the bed. He could remember those endless nights sitting on hotel beds, typing away on his laptop, skimming through case files, researching news articles, and having no one there beside him. He never felt lonely. There hadn't ever been anyone there before, so why should he have? Now it was almost customary to have someone there through those nights. Those moments when his mind was fatigued and no sweets were on hand, instead of drowning in the maddening silence he would shift his gaze over to Light and listen to his even breaths. It was calming to see him so deep in sleep, to hear something so innately human. It was in those late nights and early mornings that L regretted more and more his future plans.

What would it be like to no longer have Light to lie in the bed beside him, even if he was still up all night working? Would it be as it always had been, not caring one way or another if it was cold and empty there? That the silence couldn't put him at ease and make his head stop pounding? Light would wake as a grumbling bear or a disoriented zombie and make snide remarks. Would he really miss something as small as that? Light kept him entertained, kept his mind active. Undoubtedly, dullness would ensue. He would work in monotony as he always had. But would it be painful?

The month was quickly coming to a close. It would all end soon. He could feel it distinctly. None of it was going to last for much longer. In one form or another, they would be parting ways. It was so certain that he may as well have heard bells sounding from some far-off place. The sort of bells you would hear for a wedding, or in this case perhaps a funeral. Now, though, all he could hear was Light's gentle breathing in the quiet of the bedroom. There were no bells chiming.

He had talked of things with Light he had shared with no one else. Some things not even Watari, though he was certain the man knew anyway. He never dwelled on thoughts of his family. It had been so many years ago, anyway. Even though he had told it to Light so plainly, not feeling the gravity of his own words, Light's had stopped him dead in his tracks. He knew well that he was alone. He didn't bother to obtain any friends or anything past that. They weren't necessary for what he did. He could live without socializing with others or having little friendships here and there. But Light's proclamation, that he pushed others away…. Was he pushing Light away, a person who had said he offered friendship? Was he merely afraid of making and keeping that bond, and letting it strengthen? After all, all bonds could be severed. He knew that for a fact. No amount of love in the world had allowed him to keep his mother, and nothing could keep Light where he was. It was hopeless to wish for anything more than the next few quiet nights and days spent with Light. He cared for the man, despite how dangerous the notion was, but how much?

They had kissed. Multiple times, in fact. He didn't think much about the first mistletoe incident in the living room. He had merely given him a peck on the cheek. It was a customary practice for when two people got caught under a bundle of the holiday plant. Then on the evening just before Christmas, when they drank eggnog and watched a Christmas movie, things had changed ever so slightly. Light had been drunk, that was certain. He couldn't have been held accountable for his actions in such a state. And yet he had kissed him directly on the lips for a fleeting moment. Rather than repulsion or indifference, he immediately felt shock. Light continued to cuddle against him until succumbing to unconsciousness, but in the far reaches of his mind L had pondered what it feel like if he placed a quick kiss on the man's lips. Would he enjoy it? Would he feel nothing at all? His curiosity drove him insane with possibilities, but the first frightened him the most. He would not, could not, enjoy kissing Light. It troubled him enough to forever be haunted by the fact that his first kiss was perhaps shared with someone who had killed countless, someone who he would turn in to the authorities only to be killed or rot away. How deeply would Light's death affect him?

Then there was Christmas. They had gone up to Light's room, the younger man intent on fixing his closet and his bookcase. And, lo and behold, there was an incomprehensible amount of mistletoe on the ceiling. There was not a single spot two people who stand at where they would not be subject to the rules of the plant. L could have easily ignored it and never said a word to Light. He was too distracted with his organization. But what if Light had felt something for him? If, by gaining his trust in that way, by making him feel safer around him, could he coax out more clues? Or, better yet, a confession? Would Light fall victim to his own emotions? L hadn't exactly planned on such a thing to plague him. He didn't expect the sensation of truly kissing Light to feel as good as it did. It shouldn't have felt right, as if it were something he'd give up his lonely nights for to experience each and every day. And yet he had been so bold as to use mistletoe slyly handed over by Sayu as they exited the home while in the limousine. He told himself over and over again that it was merely for the case, to confuse Light and have him feel a greater sense on ease. How much of it had really been for the case?

He would set his next plan into motion. Very, very carefully he would shift around "in his sleep." Each time it would be closer and closer to the person lying beside him. The movements wouldn't be enough to wake Light. But, when he got close enough to snuggle against him as if clutching to something while unconscious, the man would most certainly awake. L would be paying close attention to two things at that moment. One: Light's reaction to the situation. This would be a true judge of character and his actual feelings. He would have no reason to display falsities if he thought the person against him was merely asleep. There would be no one he'd have to fool. Two: his own reaction. How would it feel to hold someone and fall asleep, if he did manage such a feat? Would he be able to sort through his confusing feelings, memories from the past few days, and make sense of it all? Would his answer finally appear to him in some moment of realization? He hungered for an answer.

He kept his breathing slow and rhythmic, not unlike Light's. An arm would slide gently toward the other body, then perhaps a leg a few minutes later. He rotated his torso ever so slightly, nuzzling his head against the pillow as a sleeping person would. Light still did not stir. It took well over ten minutes before L found he was sufficiently close enough to Light. Then, he buried his head against the younger man's side and moved a hand to his stomach. Both moved were languid, but they immediately woke Light.

Not a word came from his lips, but his breathing quickened ever so slightly. He was thinking. L briefly wondered if he'd be pushed off back over to the other side. However, none of his predictions could have prepared him for what really did occur. After several long minutes, Light carefully shifted his own position in the bed. Rather than lying on his back, he moved onto his side. A warm arm made its way to rest on L's back, drawing him to his chest. It took every bit of control he had to maintain his appearance of sleep and keep his heartbeat from giving him away. His mind, however, was a mess. Not only had Light tolerated his move to sleep against him, but he had wanted more. He wanted to hold him as he slept. He didn't want to be alone, either.

L knew very well that his head, specifically his scalp, was the one of the most sensitive regions on his body. He could feel a single strand of hair being touched if someone walked past too closely. If someone were to stroke his head, the extreme tenderness of the area being touched in such a way would result in pure contentment. That was why he was without a doubt positive that he felt a pair of lips briefly press themselves to the top of his head and then draw away.

He drank in the warmth of Light's body, listened to the slow beating of his heart and the breathing above his head. It smelled like the tea he had drank not all that long ago, having hints of lavender. Nothing outside of the room mattered at that moment. All he wanted was to stay awake and hear those sounds and feel an arm hold him securely. He could not have been happier, and his notions of fear were put on hold. He could have been content to remain as he was indefinitely. His later self would hate him for it, curse him endlessly, but…perhaps he did feel something for Light.

Even though he tried his best to stay awake L would fall asleep minutes later. He did not experience a single nightmare through the night.

Misa was alone in her own bed, but no longer in the task force building. The only people there this month were Ryuuzaki and Light. Or rather, L and Light. She hadn't seen her boyfriend for almost an entire month, and that pervert spent every waking moment with him. It was frustrating to the highest degree for the young model. Instead of sleeping, she lied atop her sheets and stared at the ceiling above her.

She sent out the tape, just as Light had instructed, on the sixteenth of December. He said sending it to Sakura TV as soon as the month started would be too suspicious, and to make sure none of her fingerprints or strands of hair got on anything at all. So, she had another person entirely complete the task. Misa had been entrusted with Light's Death Note, after all. It was simple. She went out one day and recorded the name of a woman she saw on the street, but made sure to add in some finer details of her actions before death. Light had mentioned one day of all the things you could make a person do before dying. An unsuspecting woman created the most recent Kira tape and delivered it to Sakura TV. It would never be able to be traced back to her. Even Rem agreed that her strategy was flawless. Misa could hardly wait to tell Light how she'd done it. He'd be pleased with her, she just knew it.

She turned her head, looking around for her Shinigami. Sure enough, Rem was not far off. Her yellow eyes gazed at Misa in the dimness of the room. Misa's computer was still on, sitting on her desk, as was a lamp. She had no intentions of falling asleep just yet.

"Hey, Rem?" she said suddenly.

The Shinigami, as if disturbed from her thoughts, delayed just slightly in her response. "Yes, Misa?"

"Do you think I'd get to see Light on New Year's Day? L said, after all, that that day would be the end of his weird observations of Light. And, it would be the end of December… Oh, I miss him so much!" She pulled a stuffed bunny close to her chest, pouting.

"I believe you could be reunited with Light Yagami on the first of the coming year."

Misa sighed. "Good. But, I wonder…if I could get a glimpse of that guy. L, I mean. If it weren't for him, Light and I wouldn't be apart and Light wouldn't have to go through all he has to keep us safe."

"Are you wanting to write the detective's name down in the notebook?" Rem ventured, curious.

"Yeah, I do." Misa stretched slightly and sat up. "Light had asked me in that note he left with the Death Note to write his name down, but…I totally forgot it. I didn't know it was important when I saw the guy! He went by a name other than what it said over his head, but people do that sometimes. It's not really all that weird. So, I have to do that for Light. Besides…."

Rem blinked, still staring at the woman.

"It'll be the best New Year's present ever! I can't wait for Light's reaction." She pressed the stuffed bunny to her chest again, her mind occupied only with thoughts of Light. Nothing would ever get between them again, not even that pesky detective.