December

"Your boyfriend illegally drove Mello to rescue his friend," Near informed L his first night home.

"Still tattling I see," L mused. Light was currently in the shower, and L didn't doubt that Near had been waiting for this moment to report the information to L. "I was wondering how Mail got here."

"They didn't want to tell you," Near added. "Mail's parents are mad at his sexuality."

"Let's keep your talent for verbally over simplifying situations exclusive to our conversations," L made a mental note to ask Light for further details on why Mail was now spending the holiday at their house.

"I've realized that no one finds it amusing," Near told him.

"But that doesn't stop you," L commented. "How have you been, Near?"

"Fine," Near shrugged. "I like Light Yagami better than the last boy you brought home."

"Really?" L raised an eyebrow, but didn't suppress his smile.

"Granted, that isn't saying much," Near continued. "He seems smarter than the last one."

"He is," L told him.

"You deserve someone smart," Near sat down in the middle of L's floor.

Near had never liked chairs. Usually he made up a reason to this, Near liked to appear just as strange as the rest of the family, but L knew it was because sitting on most chairs hurt the boy's burised tail bone. The whole family knew this, but they all went along with whatever reason Near was currently settled with.

"Mail isn't very smart," Near added.

"You can tell after only knowing him of a few hours?" L knew that Near made quick, but logical opinions.

"He can't tell that Mello is in love with him," Near explained.

"That doesn't mean that he isn't smart," L contributed to the opinion. "Mello's emotions are more obvious to people who have known him longer."

"No, Mello is an open book," Near argued.

"Some people are blind to emotion, it had nothing to do with their intelligence." L wasn't sure if Near could tell that he was speaking from experience.

"I see," Near took this in. L watched him make the connection. "Did Light like you first?"

"Yes," L admitted.

"That's good," Near decided.

"How so?"

"He's more trustworthy that way," was all the explanation Near gave.

"Near, Light is different than—" L was cut of by the door to the room opening, and a half dressed Light entering.

"Goodbye," Near stood up.

"Am I interrupting something?" Light asked sheepishly.

"No," Near said as he made a beeline for the door, forcing Light to scramble out of the way.

"I still can't decide if I made a good impression," Light admitted after closing the door.

"You have," L decided to let him know. "Where's your shirt? It's winter. You should wear a shirt to sleep."

"How much is your electric bill, because this house is warmer than mine is during the summer," Light countered.

"That was an over exaggeration," L felt the need to point out.

"Yes," Light admitted. "But it's hot, and if I wear a shirt to sleep I'm going to sweat through it."

"We can't have that," L murmured. "I'm tired."

"You're never tired," Light sounded surprised.

"Lately I have been," L informed him. "In a good way, I mean."

"I see," Light crossed his arms and looked at L critically.

"What?"

"I slept on the plane," Light admitted. "I'm not tired."

"Oh," L was slightly disappointed.

"But I'll stay with you if you want to sleep," he added warmly.

"Alright," L hopped into the bed that he had slept in for most of his life.

"This is why you didn't get me a futon," Light observed, as he climbed into bed next to L and wrapped his arms around him.

"Yes," L confessed wistfully. "I wanted to know what it felt like to be with you here."

"In your real room?" Light clarified.

"I sleep better here," L added some more explanation. "And I sleep better with you."

"Yeah," Light brushed L's bangs off of his forehead.

"I'm happy you came," L added, aware of how his voice was heavier."

"Yeah?" Light began to run his fingers through L's hair.

L drifted out of consciousness.

"Can I get my present now?" L asked Light.

"Merry Christmas to you too," Light joked.

Mello, Mail, and Near were busy deciding who got what of the handful of Japanese candy L had thrown at them. L had purposely waited for a moment where he had Light to himself before asking for his gift.

"I've waited two days," L pointed out.

"So have I," Light reminded him. L picked up a package that he had tucked under the couch two days prior. He gingerly put the parcel in Light's lap. "There."

Light laughed.

"I take it you still want to go first," Light ran his fingers along the wrapping paper.

"Go ahead," L shrugged.

Light gently ripped the taped folds that L hadn't carefully wrapped. L watched as he pulled the paper off the hidden object.

"It's a heart," Light held up the thin glass vase. Inside was a slip of paper, Light carefully extracted it and read: "Raito."

"Yes," L leaned his head onto Light's shoulder.

"It's your heart," Light realized. He gently ran his fingers along the edges. "It's fragile, but it can hold more than it's weight."

"And you're in it," L whispered. "I couldn't come up with anything cheesier."

"I like cheesy," Light's lips touched L's forehead. "But most importantly, this vase can store candy."

"Exactly," L liked the way that Light thought. "Your turn."

"Close your eyes," Light instructed.

"You have it with you?" L thought that Light had left the gift in his suitcase.

"Close your eyes," Light repeated.

"Fine," L did as he was told. He felt Light take his left hand. Something cool slid onto his wrist. L opened his eyes.

"You're giving me your watch?" he stared at the contraption.

"You like it?" Light sounded nervous.

"You've had this since you were a child," L remembered Light telling him how his father had given it to him.

"Yeah," Light cupped L's cheek.

"Thank you," the words didn't seem enough.

"I guess we both went for cheesy," Light joked.

"Cheesy is good," L pressed their lips together.

"No kissing in the house!" L heard Mello exclaimed in disgust.

They broke away laughing.

It wasn't long before drama arose. L knew he was partly to blame, after giving Mello the advise to be honest with Mail, and after the truth had proven a hard pill to swallow. Still, L was confident that things would turn out okay. He dropped Mello off at the diner that Matt had chosen as his location to cool down, and told Mello that he would pick him up if things didn't go well. Twenty minutes later he returned home confident that things had gone well.

"One of us should call Misa," Light voiced his realization.

"Right," L murmured. "She's probably expecting at least a call."

"Not it," Light tried.

"She was your friend first," L reminded him. "Besides, she doesn't have faith in my manners. If I don't say anything, she won't get upset. You on the other hand…"

"Fine," Light sighed dramatically. "I'll be in your room."

"You're such a good friend, Light-kun," L beamed at him.

"Shut up," Light rolled his eyes.

L waited three minutes before following. Rarely did L eaves drop of Misa's and Light's conversations. However, he wanted to know what Light would tell the blonde about L's home (and he was more than certain the girl would demand details). L was reminded of his childhood, as he crouched with his ear to the door of the room Light thought he had privacy in.

"They threatened me," L heard Light explain and knew he was referring to Near and Mello. "No, it's not cute!"

L chuckled, he could imagine the exasperated expression on Light's face.

"It's nice here," Light continued. "I like it…in his room…we share a room at school…yes…stop squealing or I'm going to hang up."

L pieced together that Misa had asked if Light and L were sleeping in the same bed or not. He was grateful that Light was handling this conversation, for, whenever Misa asked him questions like this everything he said only excited her more.

"Of course, in every way." Now L wasn't sure what Light was talking about. "Do you really have to bring it up? I've been trying not to think about it…I didn't tell L."

"Didn't tell L what?" L murmured, trying to dull the sense of suspicion rising in him at these words.

"Because I don't want to…It might hurt him…Look, I don't see why he would need to know what happened last year anyway…Why would he be talking to Kiyomi in the first place…she's not going to tell him, she doesn't hate me that much anymore…I don't want to talk about this!"

L stood up and took a step backward. Something was wrong, and Light was keeping it from him. L remembered Light had told him that he'd gone through something difficult the year before, but L had assumed that Light would explain it to him when he was ready. L hadn't thought that he was deliberately keeping it from him.

He didn't understand how something from Light's past was supposed to hurt him. L hadn't realized that Light knew Kiyomi Takada, and had no idea that the girl had once hated him.

"How'd that go?" L pretended nothing was wrong when Light eventually exited the room.

"Fine," Light shrugged.

L knew that now wasn't the time to broach the subject—he knew that he didn't want to ask Light about it in the first place. If Light was so set on keeping things from him, he wasn't going to come clean when L asked. If Light wasn't going to tell him, then L knew one way he could get answers

Stealing Light's phone was easier than L anticipated. This was probably due to the fact that the boy was on vacation and wasn't expecting any calls. All L had to do was slip his hand into the pocket of Light's jacket while he was distracted. The first thing that L did was check to see if he was right in thinking that the number he was searching for was indeed there. When he was proven correct, he slipped the phone in his own pocket. He decided to wait until after Light fell asleep before making the call.

"Hello?" Despite the neutrality of the word, Kiyomi Takada's voice was full of distaste.

"This isn't Raito," L replied. "This is L. I'm in your Literature class."

"I know who you are," now she sounded curious and a little annoyed. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"No," L admitted. "I forgot to check."

"Why are you calling me on Raito's phone?" It leaned more toward curious.

"I need to ask you a question." L sighed. "Did something happen to Raito last year that concerned you as well?"

"Why do you want to know?" she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"It's important to me," L stated.

"Just ask him then," she sounded like she may hang up.

"He won't tell me," L tried.

"Then why should I?" Why was she protecting him if he thought that she hated him?

"I'm Raito's boyfriend," L let the words fall from his mouth. "He wants to keep it from me and I don't know why."

"You're dating him," she didn't sound completely surprised.

"Yes," L knew she wasn't asking, but he answered anyway.

"He's going to kill me," she sighed. "Not that I care."

She cared.

"Please," L added.

"Fine," she complied. "Before I start, I want you to know I'm not mad at him anymore. I tried to tell him this more than once, but every time he sees me he walks the other way."

"I didn't realize you two knew each other," L remarked.

"He blames me for everyone hating him," she sounded frustrated now. "It's his fault, even though I've moved on I still blame him."

"This has to do with why he was getting bullied in the beginning of the school year," L had suspected that it might.

"Yes," she confirmed. "Are you sitting down? It's going to be a long story."

"I'm ready, please go on," L encouraged.

"Alright."

Thanks to Cyinamas, Callicanios, America is Awesome, and Corliss Kat for the reviews!