October

It took three tries for L, Light, and Misa to find a coffee shop to eat lunch at. While Misa was annoyed at having the leave the first two cafes, L was pleased that it wasn't entirely his fault that they had been kicked out in the first place. Light shared at least half of the blame, although you couldn't tell this from how high and mighty he was behaving.

"He's always like that," Misa commented after L voiced this observation.

"I don't think it's fair that the two of you gang up on me all the time," Light crossed his arms.

"Who else is there to gang up on?" L asked him. "When I make fun of Misa she takes it personally."

"And L doesn't get offended by anything I say," Misa added. "So you have to be the target."

"That is not fair in the slightest," Light complained.

"Light-kun, someday you will learn that life isn't always fair." L had meant this as a joke, but the look on Light's face after it was said showed that his friend didn't find it funny.

"Can one of you walk me to my photo shoot tomorrow?" Misa changed the subject.

"Why do you always want an escort?" L asked.

"It makes me look good," she answered honestly.

"If it's a nice appearance that you want, you should go with Light-kun," L advised. "I would only scare your coworkers."

"What did I say about being hard on yourself," Light gave him the sort of look a parent would give to a teenager.

"Oh, I would scare them on purpose," L added.

"Raito, you're going then," Misa decided. She gestured to L, "I don't want to see what he thinks he can come up with."

"You really don't," L agreed with a wide grin.

"I'm going to order now," Light decided. "L wants cake. Misa?"

"I don't know," she glanced at the menu posted on the wall over the cash register.

L disconnected from the conversation in order to turn his attention to his laptop. He pulled up a page that he had accidentally, but very fortunately, stumbled upon. It seemed that Beyond had been tasked with creating a blog for one of his classes. L was still a little surprised that a college had accepted his younger brother, and even more so that Wammy had let Beyond travel all the way to America unsupervised for his studies.

L was in the process of reading the article and taking notes of spelling or factual errors on a separate document. Once he had finished reading, he organized his observations in the form of a critical comment. Not wanting Beyond to think that one of his classmates was pointing out his flaws, L made sure to sign it 'your loving brother.' He was positive that B would know off the bat which brother it was.

"Were you actually ordering or just flirting with the guy at the cash register?" L heard Misa asked accusingly once Light returned to their table.

"Keep it going," L spoke up. "He might give us a discount."

"I need help carrying the food," Light stated. "And, if he does, will you pay for the rest of it?"

"No," L sighed as he stood up from the table. "It's your turn, I paid for breakfast."

"I'll pay after I get my paycheck," Misa volunteered.

"You say that every time," L reminded her. "Then you spend the money on something useless."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Usually new clothes," Light put in.

"Clothes are important," Misa said in her defense. "Do you want me to just walk around naked or something?"

"No," L said quickly.

"I'm pretty sure the majority of our classmates wouldn't complain," Light laughed.

"Of course they wouldn't," Misa took this as a compliment.

L turned his attention back to his laptop to check if Beyond had replied to his comment yet. While his eyes were on the scene, he felt Light gently tug the fork he was holding out of his hand. L turned his head to watch Light take a bite of his cake.

"If you wanted some you could have asked," L tried to take his fork back, but Light held it out of reach.

"Where's the fun in that?" Light took another forkful.

"That's too much," L complained.

Light pretended not to hear, and acted like he was about to eat the bite of cake. But instead of doing so, he pulled the fork away from his mouth at the last second, and smashed the cake onto L's face. L rolled his eyes and tried to wipe the frosting that he couldn't reach with his tongue off with a napkin. Light cackled evilly. Misa stared at both of them. It was only once Light excused himself to go to the restroom that she spoke.

"Is there something going on between you two?" She asked, L could tell that she was trying to conceal her hope toward the thought.

"No," he shrugged her off.

"Really?" her eyes narrowed in good-natured suspicion.

"That's just how Raito behaves," L justified the cake stealing. "You should know that, you've known him more than I have."

"Raito flirts with people when he thinks there will be no consequences," Misa stated.

"And that doesn't apply to this situation?" L raised an eyebrow.

"I guess you're right," she did not sound convinced in the slightest.

"The guy working at that cafe we ate at today gave me his number," Light told L when they were back in their room and Misa was gone.

"When?" L had only noticed Light talk to this person when ordering and paying for the food.

"When I was coming back from the bathroom," Light answered.

"Ah," L had been too busy telling Misa that he and Light had no attraction to each other at that time. "What was your reaction."

"I think I smiled," Light tried to remember. "Maybe that lead him on."

"You're not going to call him?" L needed clarification.

"Of course not," Light dismissed, but then thought better of his phrasing: "I mean, why should I? I don't know him."

"Attraction," L shrugged. "Why flirt with someone if you have no interest in them?"

"It's not that I didn't think he was attractive," Light stammered. "But I didn't mean anything."

"It seems he thought that you did," L pointed out.

"I was just fooling around," Light justified.

"Maybe you should avoid fooling around like that," L blandly suggested.

"Usually people don't take me seriously," Light brushed him off.

"Yet, when they do, you come off as rude an manipulative," L murmured.

"What?" Light looked confused and offended.

"Never mind," L wished he hadn't spoken. "What are you going to do?"

"Nothing," Light reiterated. "And feel sorry about it."

"We'll have to find a new coffee shop," L realized.

"Misa's going to kill us," Light joked. "After you got us banded from half of the places in this neighborhood."

"If I recall correctly, Light-kun was the one who started shouting at the second cafe," L reminded him.

"We both know you provoked me on purpose," Light defended himself.

"Light-kun is easy to get a rise off of," L admitted with a slight smile.

"Am I now?" Light chuckled.

"How long have you been friends with Misa?" L knew that the question sounded like it was coming out of nowhere, but by now Light was used to these sort of seemingly random conversations from him.

"We've only been close friends for about a year," Light told him. "But we've known each other since we first started high school."

L nodded, taking in the information.

"Actually," a grin broke across Light's face. "She used to have a thing for me."

"Poor girl," L deadpanned.

"Hey," Light crossed his arms.

"If she couldn't tell that you were gay, she deserves some pity." L bluntly said.

"I'll have you know, I used to come off as very straight," Light argued.

"I lack the imagination needed to picture this," L kept all expression from his face.

"Shut up," Light rolled his eyes.

"Did you and Misa date when you were pretending to be straight?" L wondered.

"Sort of," Light brushed the question off. "It didn't work out."

"Obviously."

"Yeah," Light laughed again.

Thanks to Callicanios, LadyRaven83, and Corliss Kat for the reviews!