FrappeG: Hello, again!

Yume: -waves nonchalantly-

FrappeG: For all the readers out there who continually read this fanfic of mine, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! Also, I thank my dear betareader DaAmazingMeepers for betareading this story!

Yume: FrappeG's on a roll!

FrappeG: Yes, that's what DaAmazingMeepers said! Well, I have to admit I was in a rush in making this, to make up for my absences in this website. School semester is going to start next week so I felt the need to do so. I'm a junior college student and I'm very sure I'm going to be really -REALLY!- busy the following weeks after!!!

Yume: Both of us are going to be busy for we are schoolmates. (-_-)

FrappeG: Note! I remind you that this fanfic is an x-over, so expect other characters from other anime!! Yey!

Chapter 22

"I have… issues."

After the incident in the comfort room, Ryuuzaki and Ayame decided not to go back to the party hall for their convenience. Since they both disliked being around so many people, they went up to the Mille building's rooftop where they might find quiet place to settle themselves. They went on ahead without even telling Light and the others where they were going.

Ryuuzaki opened the door that would lead them to the supposedly deserted rooftop and was greeted by a cold wind that sent shivers to their bodies. The two stepped out of the door, slowly adjusting them selves to the cold.

Dark clouds began to creep above the skies, its silhouette casting over the tall skyscrapers and everything else of the city, Rain threatened to fall and drench the fine structures, giving the city an aura of gloom to it.

Yet for them, it wasn't such a bad ting had they prefer the gloomy weather than being entangled with different people to a party they are not so willing to take part in.

They had not expected to hear a duet of violins playing somewhere around the place. Ryuuzaki and Ayame glanced to where the soft sounds came from and saw a couple passionately playing their respective instruments. One of the musicians was a young woman with long auburn hair that gently blew with the wind. The other one was a young man with hair was a light blue shade that matches the morning sky. Both had their eyes closed, focusing only their hearing senses, losing themselves to the soft melody they played.

"It's…beautiful…" Ayame whispered, careful not to interrupt the musicians.

"Ave Maria by Schubert… A remarkable duet they make." Ryuuzaki whispered back, his eyes never left the two figures that had their backs on them.

Ayame nodded. She stayed still listening intently, feeling a bit nostalgic and sleepy. There was a touch of sadness to the song yet, somehow it also gave her happiness. She and Ryuuzaki waited until the duet finished their beautiful piece.

Ryuuzaki's clap startled the musicians, they jumped even more as they saw Ryuuzaki and Ayame standing their behind them. Well, Ryuuzaki generally the cause because he is so creepy.

Ayame had given Ryuuzaki the same kind of stare the musicians were giving him now back when they first met. Ayame smiled to herself. Ryuuzaki may start out like that but once you try and get to know him, he's actually a great person to be with, though he may be annoying and very weird at times. No… most of the time!

"Neeeh… Outstanding performance!" Ryuuzaki's monotonic voice echoed through the silence that followed after. He showed his creepy little smile addressed to the two musicians who looked at each other. They were unused to Ryuuzaki. He was too weird to be considered normal even upon first sight.

It's funny how Ryuuzaki's compliments sent shivers into people's spines. It was awkward until the blue-haired guy turned to Ryuuzaki and started to speak.

"Thank you." Then the lad bowed his head formally like any person onstage would after their performance.

"Y-Yes! Thank you!" the red-haired girl followed and bowed too. "My name is Hino Kahoko and this here is…" she gestured at her companion. "Tsukimori Len."

Len calmly resumed to his upright stance and glanced beside him at Kahoko. "Kahoko, it's time."

"I know." Kahoko nodded at him. "It's nice to meet you." She smiled sincerely at Ryuuzaki and Ayame.

"Please excuse us. We have to take our leave." Len said icily. Obviously, he was the formal type, unemotional but polite in manners.

Kahoko and Len put their precious instruments inside their cases. With a last nod, the two left leaving behind Ayame and Ryuuzaki alone. Ayame gaped at the door through which Kahoko and Len just disappeared in. She missed the sound of the violin already.

Ryuuzaki went near the edge of the building; he gripped the rails and looked far down.

It was all quiet again.

"Ayame…"

"Hmmm…"

"Why did you bring me here?"

"I just wanted to talk a bit."

Ryuuzaki sort of whined. "About what exactly?"

"About you, duh!"

"You know very well that I would not encourage your anticipation in this let alone allow you in probing further into my private life. So, if you've got nothing else to say, then we have nothing else to talk about."

Shit! What an obstructive bastard!

That hit Ayame's nerve. She breathed in, calming herself, preventing her sudden outburst of fury ultimately preventing her self from pushing Ryuuzaki off the edge of the building for being so ill-disposed.

She approached the rails just right beside where Ryuuzaki stood.

"What is it with this devotion of yours to your 'private life'?" she quoted on the private life word. "It makes me wonder even more if you're actually hiding something."

Ryuuzaki stared at her through his peripheral view. "Like I said. Just wonder. By then, we'll get along."

Ayame cringed in anger. "Argh! Now I'm pretty, damn sure you are hiding something!"

"So what if I am? It's none of your business." Said Ryuuzaki bluntly.

"You're impossible, Ryuuzaki!"

Ryuuzaki scratched his cheek, nonchalant about Ayame's comment. "Won't you ever give up? It's okay to be friends, but there is a limit, you know."

"No wonder you don't have friends! You close yourself way too tightly!"

That sent a prick to Ryuuzaki's feelings. But he ignored it, well…tried to ignore it. Of course, he knew that.

"But I want to change that!"

Her last statement caught him by surprise. He jerked his head toward her and their eyes battled into a staring contest.

"Change me? Don't be so full of your self."

"You're the one full of yourself, you snob!"

Whatever, Ryuuzaki thought and did not reply.

He enjoyed her company days ago, but now this friendship of theirs is at a completely different level. She's starting to ask questions. Questions that could lead her to know who he truly was and he can't allow that. He should have known this even before she asked him to be her friend. He should have cut off the connection with her at that time! Damn it! Why didn't he did just that?

"If I'm a snob, then what does that make you? You're not all too friendly yourself."

Ayame pursed her lips unable to snap a combative statement. He was right after all. She broke eye contact with him and looked down sullenly at her feet. As if those newly-pedicured appendages could help her settle this argument.

"I have… issues." She said in an almost inaudible way. Ryuuzaki's interest piqued. It was his turn to be curious.

"What's this issue?"

Her face turned harsh suddenly. "NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"

"See? And her you were prying into my affairs when you yourself could not even-"

Grrrrr…… Ayame's mental growl goes.

"SHUT UP, RYUUZAKI! Do you have to point out every little mistake I make?!" She snarled. Ryuuzaki stayed silent. He shifted positions, leaning back on the rails and stared up to the sky.

Ayame forced herself to calm down. They were going nowhere with this kind of conversation. She breathed out a frustrated sigh.

"All right… you win. I'll tell you about this issue of mine." She finally said. If she wanted to change him so badly, then she would have to grant him some tidbit about her which eventually, she hoped, would enable him to gain certain of his trust. This tiny sacrifice might invoke his express himself openly which he never does unless if he was out being his cynical self.

Ryuuzaki moved nearer to her. "I'm listening…"

Ayame's expression turned sad again. Ryuuzaki knew now that her issues were more serious than he thought.

"I had a best friend back in elementary. She was my first friend. Her name was Immanuel." She started.

Ryuuzaki cocked his head regarding the things she said as irrelevant to the matter at hand which was Ayame's fruitless attempts to crack him up.

Nonetheless, Ryuuzaki refused to say anything, allowing Ayame to continue. It was better she talk about her self rather than interrogate him every second.

"She was the typical lonely, nerd in class while I was the unfriendly class athlete. Well… It's weird how we became close considering we belong to completely different groups. But anyway, for two years we had only each other to call friend."

"But we never share secrets. I never thought of sharing anything to her aside from my company. It was like we only put up with each other's presence in order to not feel too distant. I'm not really sure when we started to stick together, but we did."

"On our last year together, I started to actually feel that she was my real friend. She was kind, shy and talented. She was great at playing the violin and the piano. She even taught me how to play the play them. We'd visit each other's house and so on. Our activities would include her giving me music lessons and me encouraging her to play volleyball, which she never improved on."

She smiled for an instant, probably recalling happy memories. Her smile was short lived however, as this was quickly replaced by a frown.

"But then… suddenly, she disappeared."

"She died?" Ryuuzaki questioned.

"NO! I meant she left without a word!"

"Oh…"

Ryuuzaki thought. Well, at least Immanuel did not die. That'd be tragic.

"I found out later that she was going to transfer schools. I never saw her again after that."

Ryuuzaki waited until she'd tell him she was finished.

"So there, that's MY issue. I don't have real friends." She shrugged and clasped her hands together as if to let it be known that that was the conclusion.

"Ayame…" Ryuuzaki felt the urge to ask. Ayame must've associated him to Immanuel; the friend she lost.

"Do I remind you of her?"

Ayame giggled. "You bet! She was really weird!"

Weird…that word again…Why am I not surprised? Oh, I'd forgotten that she truly took a liking to weird individuals.

Ayame was more enthusiastic to talk about Immanuel now.

"She's germ phobic! You see, she carried around this sanitizer on her belt. She'd pour out all the contents on my hand after I play volleyball. I know she was being thoughtful, but isn't that too much?"

Ryuuzaki nodded.

"Also, I figured because she was too shy that's why she won't tell me anything. At first, it was always awkward between us but we got used to it sooner."

She sighed.

"I don't want that to happen to us, Ryuuzaki." Ayame said truthfully.

I see… in a way, she is trying to make up for that long lost friendship by sticking on to me. Great… why does it have to be me… Ryuuzaki thought.

"Well…I won't promise you anything." Ryuuzaki replied.

Ayame's eyes gleamed with hope. At least, now, Ryuuzaki understood her better. She knew that sharing this issue of hers wasn't enough to make him open up, but it was a start. In time, maybe he will do the same. He did not promise her anything but that statement surely meant he considered it.

So to start the blossoming of this friendship bud, what could be better than having a little adventure together? Ayame just had another brain wave for an exciting activity to turn events.

Ryuuzaki noticed her snicker at the thought and arched a non-existent eyebrow since his eyebrows are hidden behind a thick strand of hair.

"Let's get out of this building and have fun somewhere else. What say you, Ryuuzaki?"

A/N:

I know Len and Kahoko don't seem to fit in the story, I just felt like putting them there. They're my favorite pairing in La coda d'oro!! ^^ And I absolutely love their duet of 'Ave Maria'! Hey, maybe the music of the violin can set up the mood.

In this chapter: Ayame and L had the longest but not so open communication with Ayame trying too hard to break through L's tough shell. Haha! This is how L should have been the first time, but if you paid enough attention it was actually L who refused to let Ayame go. Now why would he do that? And now, he's pushing her away, it's getting confusing!!!

Also, in this chapter, Ayame's past friendship was revealed. Hopefully, it will enable readers to understand her more. I gave you hints about her change of mood when friendship is discussed back in the previous chapters. Like I said, you should pay closer attention if you want to understand these two.

Thanks to all the readers out there! I love you, GUYS!!! (By that I did not mean men, I'm referring to my readers TT_TT)