She didn't speak as she rolled away from him, still catching her breath. She tried not to think about whether he was watching her, what he was thinking as she silently began to gather he clothes from the floor. Sitting up, she fumbled with her panties until his fingers traced down her back.

"It's still early."

"So?"

"You don't have to go yet."

"I think I should." The sheets rustled and suddenly his breath was on her skin, his fingers moving slowly up and down her arms, giving her goosebumps.

"You're leaving soon enough already," he mumbled his touch growing firmer, grasping her arms lightly. "Shouldn't we make the most of the time left?" Hitomi couldn't help but smile at his clumsy attempt at subtlety.

"So that's what this is about," She turned back toward him, dropping her clothes back to the floor and putting one hand on his shoulder. "If you weren't done you should've said so." She pressed her lips to the crook of his neck, her tongue flitting across the skin just enough to make him gasp a little. His hands moved up, wrapping around her body, but when she moved up to kiss him, he pulled back.

"What now?" she asked in a small voice.

"Nothing."

"Then why aren't you-"

"No one said the two of us couldn't spend time together without engaging in sexual activity, Hitomi-chan." She stifled a laugh.

"That's dangerously close to dating, you know... Laying in bed together without doing anything..." His small smile flashed across his lips for a second.

"No one said we had to stay in bed, either, Hitomi-chan. You're assuming a lot lately." She narrowed her gaze at him, then resumed kissing his neck and chest, knowing the effect it had on him. One hand trailed down his stomach, beneath the covers until he audibly reacted.

"You talking like that gets me so excited, L-san." He stopped her hand, taking a shaky breath.

"I'm tired Hitomi."

"Then-"

"There's nothing wrong with two friends talking." She smiled again and pulled the covers up around her shoulders, settling in.

"Alright then, L-kun, what shall we talk about?"

"Raito." She rolled onto her back, away from him again.

"Aiya... You never give up, do you?"

"You should know better than that."

"Don't make fun of me. I don't want to talk about him anymore, okay?"

"Talking about painful things is said to help alleviate-" She looked back over at him, eyes pleading.

"Just don't. I'm asking nicely okay? As one person to another. Please, let's talk about something else. Anything else."

"The case?" She laughed aloud this time, amazed by how naive he managed to seem while being so devious.

"Alright, what about the case?"

"Did you notice anything else in the apartment?"

"I- uh.. There was a secret spot. Under the floorboards."

"You didn't say anything about this to Watari or myself-"

"And I didn't say anything to Raito or anyone else either, if that's what you're thinking. It was empty."

"Empty?"

"Why not? If I had to guess, I'd say she was keeping her notes there. In case someone broke in or something. So when Kira made her burn everything she had on the case, she would have emptied it."

"You make a good point. But still..."

"Look, I wanted to tell you in private, in case it was something important. I know that if you had been okay with everyone knowing the details, you would've sent Raito. But you didn't. And when we got back, I wasn't feeling well, so I came up to take something to settle my stomach before going to Yagami-san's house. But you were up here, and we had that talk, and then I had to rush out. The timing was just bad."

"I understand. You've told me now, and it doesn't hold much bearing anyway if it was empty. Thank you for being discreet, Hitomi-chan." She had to struggle not to sigh aloud and give away her relief. "Speaking of which, I don't appreciate how rude you were earlier." She rolled onto her side, scooting closer to him and putting a hand on his chest.

"I know. I'm sorry for that, L-san. But I had to do something. Sympathy wasn't working, and I just want you at your best for the case, especially now..."

"Now that you're leaving." She sunk her head down into the crook of his neck.

"Yes. You'll be on your own with the task force, but I believe in you all. I know you'll catch Kira. All of them. And if you ever want help, you'll know where to reach me. I can still keep tabs on everything, offer whatever help I can from New York-"

"No." His arm came up and wrapped around her back, holding her tight to his side. "If you aren't here under m- under protection, I won't have you work on the case. I won't have another situation like Misora." She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Alright. I promise I won't help you at all. But the offer stands. If you need anything, you can call me. Okay?" He didn't respond, but his hold on her loosened a little. Satisfied that he was more at ease with the situation, Hitomi lay in a comfortable silence for a few long minutes, almost drifting off to sleep listening to the steady sound of his breathing and his heart against her ear.

"L-san, are you awake?" He grumbled something unintelligible, clearly only awake now that she'd broken the silence. "Sorry, I just thought you wanted to talk..."

"Then talk about something," he mumbled, shifting under her and pulling the covers up over his stomach.

"Well, what do you want to talk about?" He took in a breath, but she stopped him with a small giggle. "Besides the case. Or Raito." There were a few seconds of silence.

"Sleep." He muttered.

"L-san..." She whined playfully, looking up at him enough to see that he was watching her with his eyes barely open, trying to maintain the appearance of sleep.

"You think of something. You're a smart girl."

"What do you think about kids?"

"They're essential to the survival of the human species." She laughed.

"No, personally. About having them."

"Hitomi..."

"I was just thinking, I'd have stayed with Raito, we'd be married by now. And I'd probably have a kid. That's what everyone expected from us, at least. It's weird. I think it is. And since we're supposed to be talking, I figured I'd ask your opinion."

"I would never."

"Never?" She looked up at him.

"I wouldn't get a woman pregnant without taking care of her and the child. And I wouldn't be able to do that because of who I am."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"I'm a world famous detective, Hitomi. Anyone attached to me, anyone that criminals thought I loved, they'd be in constant danger. Maybe I can keep my identity secret, but if there were others, then they'd be used. Hurt them to hurt me. And I wouldn't do that to someone."

"Oh."

"Don't you agree?"

"It's... Certainly thoughtful of you..."

"But what?"

"What if you can't help yourself? My father used to tell me you can't help who you fall in love with. I guess you know that, with Misora-san. So what if she had been... If she'd told you she was pregnant?"

"Then she would have had her fiance to be it's father."

"And if she knew it was yours? Insisted upon you?"

"Then there's only one option." She pulled back, looking surprised.

"That's selfish of you."

"It's practical." She took a breath to calm herself, knowing there was no arguing with him, and sank back to the pillows.

"I suppose you're right. It just seems harsh." This time he rolled toward her.

"The world is sometimes a harsh place. That doesn't change just because I fell in love. Or just because a condom didn't work. I would have done what I had to to make sure she was safe. That's love enough, isn't it?" A finger outlined her jaw, drawing her face back towards his.

"You're impossible to argue with, you know that?" She struggled not to smile, though her eyes still looked hurt.

"I'm very rarely wrong." Now her smile broke through, and he almost returned it, but when her gaze dropped from his he knew she wasn't completely over this. "What's this really about?"

"I told you."

"Then why was my opinion so important?"

"I was trying to make conversation. If you had asked, I would've told you my opinion too. That's what conversation is."

"I know what conversation is, Hitomi-chan." He pulled his hand back, now frustrated with the girl. "But you're upset. And you're hiding something from me."

"I-"

"Don't try and lie to me. The situation you presented was completely preposterous-"

"It was a hypothetical situation."

"An impossible-" she sounded frustrated now, too.

"That's why it's hypothetical."

"She wasn't. And her fiance took her back. He would've even if she had been."

"Fine! It's impossible!"

"Then your point makes no sense."

"Yes it does," She exclaimed, "You just aren't willing to listen."

"Then explain. I'm listening." She clenched her jaw, fighting the anger that always seemed to crop up when they talked, and thought of a way to make her argument work.

"Say... Say it was me. If I told you right now that I was pregnant, that you were the father, would you really look me in the eye and tell me my only choice was to get rid of it?"

"Are you?" She gasped, taken by surprise by his question, but quickly recovered.

"L-san, that's what you think this is?" She almost laughed at him, sitting upright and pulling the sheets up to cover herself. "You don't have to worry about that, okay?"

"Then why are you so upset?"

"You're right, I am upset, but just with myself. This whole thing with Raito has got me thinking about what a coward I am, running away like this. I helped my father teach shito-ryu, you know. I was certified at a master level at seventeen, and here I am, needing half the world's distance between me and my ex boyfriend. I could break his neck without breaking a sweat, but he's got me running scared at the first sign that he still has interest in me. I'm sorry... I must sound pathetic."

"Then don't leave. Face him."

"No. This whole thing wasn't about him and I. I came here to help you catch Kira, not deal with my own past. Maybe I was wrong to come in the first place, but I can't work with him like this. And he's always been smarter than me, so I wouldn't dream of asking you to send him away. This must just be how things were meant to turn out." L again didn't respond, and this time she wasn't going to risk another awkward conversation, so she gathered her clothes quickly and stood, out of his reach. She left quickly and without a word, falling into an uneasy sleep almost as soon as her face hit the pillow.