Burn

by xLion'sRoarx

When BB, a dangerous criminal, escapes from jail and sets his eyes on Light, the entire investigation is thrown into chaos. The Kira case flies off the metaphorical tracks, and as Light's world comes apart at the seams, his own emotions bar him at every turn, turning calculations into reckless actions and throwing into danger everything that he has fought to protect. LxLight

28. Fading Echoes

Welcome to the twenty-eighth and final chapter of Burn! I knew that some of you were going to be sad that I didn't kill Light off, but I hope that my decision didn't ruined the story's ending for you. I totally get where you're coming from; I'm a sucker for a sad ending as well; but in this case, I felt like this story needed to have a happy ending. Don't worry, there will be plenty of time for my next story to have a sad ending, if I so choose.

But anyways, thanks if you reviewed, and I hope that you enjoy the conclusion of Burn.

Chapter 28: Fading Echoes

The instant we were back in our room at headquarters, L had me pinned against the wall. His lips met mine with a fervor I had tasted only once before, his tongue darting out to lap at mine, dominating and sampling the interior of my mouth. One of his hands snaked up and grabbed a handful of my hair, forcefully tilting my head back against the wall to grant him better access. I gladly parted my lips, bringing both arms up to drape around his shoulders. A soft moan left me as the detective palmed me through my slacks, his movements hasty and desperate. As his grip on my hair tightened, his tongue forced itself deeper, his breathy pants and groans met my ears, I pulled him ever closer. I used my grip to tell him that he wasn't alone, that I was safe, that I was recovering. And he must have gotten the message, for his lips left mine to curve in a smile against my throat, nipping and sucking all the while.

"Lawliet!" I gasped, his real name leaving my lips without a second thought. "Lawliet, please…"

L's lips curled up against my flesh, and he whispered in a low tone, "Eager, aren't we?"

"Hmm…" I trailed off, pulling his lips back to mine, moaning softly as his tongue drug across mine, twisted to lap at every available inch of flesh. A moment later he began moving his tongue back and forth, mimicking a much more lewd, much more intimate action that we would soon be engaged in.

He broke away with a wet, vulgar sound, murmuring, "I'm surprised…" He pressed another kiss to my lips, drawing forth a soft whimper fro me. "…that you're willing to give up control again after so long without it."

For a moment I was confused. But then I realized that he was referring to Kira, and I barely suppressed a shudder. "It's okay," I insisted in a murmur.

"Hmm?" L inquired ineloquently, and I noticed that he'd stopped kissing me, stopped pressing his lips to my flesh, in favor of stroking his hands across my chest, running his fingertips along my neck, brushing over my cheeks and lips.

"It's you," I breathed in explanation, leaning into his touch. "It's not like before—I can give control to you, and you won't…won't abuse me."

L shivered at the statement, but it was a pleasant shiver—and the next moment his lips were back on mine, as if he'd been waiting for my explanation before going further. I bared my neck to his searching lips and the man responded with a low growl of approval, choosing a spot on my throat and biting deeply, blood beading to the surface before he soothed over it with an apologetic lick. He hummed against my skin as he repeated the action with another section of flesh, then another, and another until my throat was riddled with bites. The whole time I clenched my fingers in his loose shirt, head thrown back, moaning shamelessly. It had been far too long, I thought, since I had been with him.

"You're mine…" L growled lovingly, fingers pulling eagerly at the buttons of my shirt. I felt a series of soft tugs as each button was popped away, then a cool trail of saliva as L trailed his tongue over each new patch of skin as it was revealed to the air. "You're mine…"

"Yours!" I agreed in a gasp. "Yours, Lawliet…"

The last button was torn away impatiently, and my dress shirt was immediately pulled from my body and tossed away. L's mouth instantly latched over a nipple, sucking and nipping lightly at the bud. I moaned as his other hand shot up to pinch and roll the opposite bud between his fingers. My knees weakened. I struggled to maintain my position, but it only took a few harsh sucks before I slipped to the carpeted ground, L dropping beside me without releasing his hold.

L's mouth was removed for only a heartbeat before he began trailing soft kisses and licks down my stomach, dipping his tongue into my navel briefly. His cool fingers followed his mouth, making my whole form shudder as he pressed lightly on my lower stomach. Then L's delicate fingers found my obvious arousal, and he grinned up at me toothily.

"Are you enjoying this, Light?" he purred.

I felt my cheeks flush even darker as I murmured, "I'd say that's quite obvious, L."

The detective undid my belt with swift fingers and cast the thing aside, hands returning immediately to pop the button of my pants. His breath tickled my stomach as he lowered the zipper slowly, each click of the metallic teeth echoing in my ears. My pants were yanked off in one swift movement, revealing silky black boxers.

I was suddenly very aware of our unequal states of dress. "L, your clothing," I protested breathily, hands reaching down to tug at his shirt. "I want to see you." The detective paused his movements, staring up at me calculatedly. Then his hands went to the hem of his shirt, and the white garment was suddenly out of sight.

I reached both hands up and ran my palms over his chest. His pale flesh was hot to the touch, and slightly damp with a layer of sweat. My fingers explored his pallid skin, taking note of what made him squirm, what made him gasp. I raked my nails lightly over his neck before grabbing either side of his face and dragging him down for another kiss.

A sudden moan was torn from my throat as I felt L grip me through my boxers. He smiled into our kiss, massaging the bulge that only grew larger with every movement. His palm ground into me. I arched my hips into that hot touch, writhing and moaning endlessly. L chuckled softly.

"Impatient?"

I didn't respond, for L's fingers had just slipped beneath the hem of my boxers and were taking my member in hand, stroking teasingly along its length. His thumb rubbed along the head lightly.

"Oh…!" I panted. "L, more!"

A playful smirk accompanied his movements as he gripped me with firm fingers and began pumping with delicious force. His hand became damp with precum, aiding his passionate movements.

My fingers twisted in the carpet. I thought briefly that we should move to the bed, but all rational thought cleared as L's free hand yanked my boxers off, exposing me completely to the cool air.

"L…" I moaned. "I need more. I need you!"

L's hand tightened its grip, and his wrist twisted just a bit as he continued to stroke me—but a moment later that hand ceased its movements, provoking an unhappy groan. Then L grinned toothily and dipped his head downwards. I frowned, about to ask what he was up to, when I felt a warm heat engulf just the head of my cock. "Oh!" I cried out. "Yes! Lawliet…"

L hummed around me, his lips sinking lower and lower until he engulfed me completely, relaxing the muscles of his throat to draw me in further. I felt his tongue swirl playfully around my length, his lips press firmly against the pulsating flesh. My eyes flitted down to watch him, his cheeks hollowed, eyes half-lidded and glazed with lust. He gave a particularly hard suck, and my hips lurched upwards against my will. The detective clamped down on my hips in response and began to bob his head faster. I let out a breathy moan as I felt the head of my cock striking the back of his throat with every downward motion. His lips were tightening even further around me, those deep, insistent sucks were growing more and more intense, and his tongue was performing impossibly talented maneuvers, drawing me closer and closer to release with every moment. There was a fiery heat building in my abdomen, pooling and growing stronger with every motion L made, and it was only growing more and more intense.

"I'm g-going to—!" I warned the older man.

He didn't respond, simply sucked fiercely and hummed, sinking his mouth down as far as he could and staying there—and that added pleasure, that slight vibration around my arousal, brought me over the edge. I nearly screamed as I released, L's mouth milking me dry. He swallowed with a soft moan, tongue darting out to clean his lips as he sat up.

For a single moment we gazed at each other silently, my chest heaving in an effort to regain my breath, and his chest heaving as well, but in anticipation. Then he reached out slowly, giving me plenty of time to back out, and pulled me up. My legs were shaking as he pushed me back onto the bed. I hit the mattress with a huff, eyes seeking out my lover. He stood at the bedside, fingers unbuckling his belt and letting his jeans fall to the ground. His boxers joined them soon after, and I found slight amusement in the fact that today, at least, he hadn't gone without them. His cock sprang free, its impressive length sparking anticipation in me that I hadn't felt in months.

The detective was on me a moment later, lips crashing to mine, his mouth tasting salty and warm. He hummed his impatience into my mouth, one hand reaching to the bedside table to rummage through the top drawer. Without breaking our kiss he popped open the container of lube, squirting some onto three fingers. The next moment I felt one of those slickened digits at my entrance, gently pushing inside. I let out a soft groan as L began to work his finger back and forth, each time pushing a little deeper and opening me further to his touch. A dull burn spread through me, but it gave way to pleasure within minutes. Before long I felt a second finger join the first, then a third, scissoring inside me and seeking out the one spot that would make me scream in pleasure. It was all moving so fast—but it was okay, because I wanted this, and I knew that he wanted it too.

I jolted suddenly as an intense feeling of pleasure washed through me. "Mph!" I gasped. "L, right there, do that again!"

"As my Light wishes…" came the response, and I felt L's fingers sooth over my prostate once again, manipulating it with almost painful precision. He hit it once again, then again, and I felt stirrings of pleasure shooting straight to my ever-building arousal.

L pulled his fingers from me, and the wet, lewd noises I heard told me that he was applying lube to himself now. "Light, turn over," he whispered hotly, one hand tugging on my hip.

My teeth closed on my lip in anticipation as I obeyed the command, rolling onto my stomach. L's hands closed on my hips and pulled them towards him, dragging me onto my knees and elbows. I shot a look over my shoulder at him, and the look he gave me was quite possibly the most arousing thing I had ever seen. He leaned forward just enough to kiss the back of my neck, and I felt something much larger than three fingers prod at my entrance. His teeth latched onto the flesh of my shoulder momentarily, lapping at the bite mark as he drew away. He almost seemed to be stalling, and I longed desperately for him to continue…

"Do it," I instructed in a low groan. "Do it, Lawliet, please…"

"Begging, Light?" he asked, amused. "Have you fully submitted to me at last?"

I wanted to snap at him, to tell him that I had submitted to him long ago, to tell him to get on with it, but he moved before I could speak.

I yelped as L pushed in swiftly, sheathing himself fully within me in one sharp thrust. A piercing pain shot through me, enough to make me cry out again and writhe weakly in L's grasp. The detective littered light kisses down my back in apology and held still, waiting for me to give the signal to continue. I kept silent for a long few moments, waiting for the burn to go away. And in a few moments it did, the pain mingling with pleasure. It stung, yes, but I'd been through so much worse in the past few months that it paled in comparison. "Move," I instructed breathily, and the detective needed no further incentive. He pulled almost completely out, pausing in case I protested, then slammed in harshly. My body shifted on the bed, and I let out a loud moan.

L took it as motivation. He rocked his hips once again, soaking up the little noises that escaped my throat. He set a steady pace, cock pumping in and out, his angle changing slightly with every thrust as if he were searching for something.

"L!" I screamed. The man smirked against my shoulder, thrusting at that same angle and striking my prostate dead on. It took him a few more thrusts to pinpoint it, but after that every roll of his hips snapped directly into it, sending blinding pleasure throughout my body. "Faster!" I cried out.

L was only too happy to oblige, his hand snaking around to pump my fully erect member in time with his thrusts. His rhythm faltered now, and I could feel his breathy pants against my back as he began to lose control. "Light," he groaned, pace increasing until I thought I was going to split in two. There was an unbearable heat pooling in my stomach, and it was beginning to build higher and higher. And then, just as I was about to warn L of my impending release, he stopped.

For just a moment I thought he was going to tease me, make me beg—but then I felt him pull out entirely, and the next heartbeat there was a hand on my shoulder, tugging me in an attempt to get me to roll onto my back.

"L?" I whined. "Come on, don't tease…"

"Not teasing," he insisted, tugging impatiently. "On your back, Light…please…"

I heard the desperation in his voice, and with a slight flicker of confusion, I rolled onto my back. What I saw was stunning, and the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

L…his cheeks were flushed beautifully, a faint red tint painted across the normally pale skin. His lips, slightly swollen from the unfamiliar action of kissing, were parted just slightly, releasing a series of deep, heavy breaths. And his eyes…his eyes were dark and half-lidded, and glazed thickly with lust. He was stunning. Beautiful. And most importantly, he was mine—and I was his.

"Light…" he breathed, and I realized he was waiting for my assent to push in. I nodded wordlessly, and his hands were immediately at my legs, tugging them up and over his shoulders. My hands flew to the blankets below me as he entered me deeply, fingers twisting to stop him from pushing me back. "Mmm…" I moaned, pressing forwards as he paused for just a moment. For a heartbeat I was confused—this position restricted movement greatly, and was no doubt far less convenient for L—but then he thrust once, slowly, and I understood.

It was intimate. This position, the way he lovingly thrust in and out at a deliciously even, controlled pace, was completely, undeniably intimate. It turned the act of having sex into making love, turned lust into a deep, passionate sort of affection. L was telling me, with every roll of his hips, every soft, lingering touch of his fingertips to my skin, that he loved me. That I was his one and only, and that no matter what, he would never let me go. And then he was saying those things, whispering against my flesh as he thrust in and out, brushed across my skin with soft, innocent caresses. His pace, preciously harsh and violent, had slowed drastically, but was just as good, just as arousing.

"L…" I found myself whimpering, raising my hips to meet his. "L, please…"

And despite my soft begging he continued to move at that slow, loving pace, continued to touch me in that seemingly innocent way, continued to murmur those endearing things. He thrust in, deeply, and I moaned, my entire body becoming unbearably hot. And perhaps, I thought dimly, this pace was better, better because I could feel with every small movement the love radiating from the skin of the one I'd given myself to, better because it was just so good, and I could feel everything. And then, the next moment, L's hands were clamping down on my hips, and I felt the exact moment when his pace faltered just a little bit, when he allowed himself to lose control. But even as his pace quickened as he strained towards his release, even as I felt a shudder racking his form, his touch was still soft and loving, his movements inside me precise and meaningful. His hips snapped to mine faster, and as his whole body shook he leaned forward, clamping his teeth lightly to my neck, whimpering, "Light…"

"It's okay," I gasped in response, pressing against him, moaning as my movements allowed him to reach just a little bit deeper. "Release inside me…"

The words sent L over the edge. He snapped his hips forward one last time, his whole body pressed flush against mine, and I felt his cock jerk within me. A gush of fluid coated my insides, and I let out a low groan as the feeling sent a shiver up my spine. For just a moment L laid against me, his flesh pressed to mine, chest heaving. And then, the next moment, he was dipping his head lower, and for the second time that night I felt his lips close around me. I let out a loud moan, not having realized just how painfully aroused I really was. I barely felt what he was doing, and I felt everything he was doing—the slow, languid lapping of his tongue against heated flesh, the deep, insistent sucks, the deliberate way he allowed the head of my cock to brush the back of his throat. It was good, unbelievably so—and just when I thought I'd reached my limit, I felt something prodding at my stretched entrance, and the next moment three fingers were plunging deep within me, finding my sweet spot and pressing against it torturously.

"Ahh!" I gasped out, bucking my hips, whimpering when his hand held me down firmly. His fingers plunged in and out of me, stretching what needn't be stretched any further, making me moan shamelessly with every brush of his fingertips against that one, blindingly pleasurable spot. The suction of L's mouth increased as he thrust his fingers back in, and that pool of heat built up painfully in my stomach. And then he let out a soft groan, and the slight vibration combined with the thrusting of his fingers against my prostate, and the way he sucked me deep into his throat, was enough to make me moan, "L, I'm…"

He understood, and the next moment his mouth was gone, replaced with his unoccupied hand. He pumped me with long, tight movements, and it only took a few strokes, a few twists of his wrists, a few thrusts of his fingers, to send me over the edge for the second time that night. I came with a loud moan, coating his hand with my release, the fluid spurting beneath L's fingers and dripping onto the bed sheets.

L let out a low groan, pulling his fingers out of me and letting out a deep, exhausted sigh, collapsing on top of me with a huff. For a long moment I allowed it, for I was too exhausted and complacent to complain. But then I felt the uncomfortable feeling of my release cooling between our stomachs, and I murmured, "Lawliet, move… I need to clean up."

The detective groaned once more in response, still unmoving. "Not done yet…" he muttered. "…Got to outdo Beyond."

I frowned, the words not making sense to my pleasure-clouded brain. "Outdo him? What do you mean?"

I felt L's fingers moving carelessly over my flesh. "We've only had sex twice… that's not nearly as many times as you've done it with Beyond."

I laughed groggily. "So it's a competition now, is it?"

"It is," came the response. "And I intend to win…" he trailed off, and I felt the muscles of his jaw move in a yawn. "So cleaning up won't do any good…"

Another laugh left me, and I whispered, "Well, unlike Beyond, you have the rest of our lives to have sex with me. I'd hate for you to blow it all in one night."

L's breath ghosted across my chest steadily. There was no response. He'd fallen asleep. Momentarily I was annoyed, wincing at the uncomfortable position I had been left in. But with L's form pressing so warmly into my front, his fingers drifting unconsciously through my hair, and his lips brushing my flesh every time he inhaled, it was hard to stay angry for too long.

So with a smile on my face, I closed my eyes and let L sleep. After all, he needed it whenever he could get it.

†††

When I awoke, I was lying on my back, eyes locked onto the ceiling. I frowned, contemplating my change in position. The last thing I remembered I had fallen asleep with L stretched out over my chest, my front dirtied from our…activities. I reached out a hand and brushed it across my stomach. I was completely clean. Although, I noted, I was still naked.

My head turned to seek out my lover. Sure enough, he was lying beside me, gazing up at the ceiling thoughtlessly, no doubt waiting for me to awaken.

"L," I murmured, reaching out a hand and caressing the flesh of his bare shoulder. The man started, surprised, looking over at me.

"Light," he responded softly. "Did you sleep well, love?"

I nodded, stretching my arms over my head and crossing them to use as a pillow.

L's gaze flitted over my body, barely concealed beneath the thin bed sheet. "I took the liberty of cleaning you up after our little bout of fun last night. I felt quite ashamed of leaving you in such an uncomfortable position. I apologize."

The old me would have felt offended, but there was no flutter of anger in my heart. Only a lull of happiness. "It's okay," I answered honestly. "I'm sure you'll make it up to me later."

"Yes…" L trailed off. His expression grew almost troubled.

"L, what is it? What's wrong?"

He avoided my gaze. "While you were asleep, I did some serious thinking, Light, and there are things that we must discuss."

A flicker of trepidation shot through me. What was he talking about? "What is it?" I asked nervously.

"Regarding our living arrangements…"

"Oh," I responded uneasily. "Of course."

L turned his head to look at me, but he remained lying on his back. "I…I suppose that now things have died down, you'll want to go back to college and finish your studies? You want to join the NPA, do you not?"

"Oh…yeah, I suppose that's what I wanted, isn't it?"

L raised a brow. "Wanted?"

I raised a hand to massage my temples. What did I want? Well, that was easy—I wanted L. But what else did I want? What career? Where did I want to live? Now that everything was over, there were things that were going to have to be decided. For the first time in months I was reminded of my initial fear that L's work would make him leave me. For just a moment I felt that fear again, stronger than ever, but then I paused—he wouldn't leave me, not after so much work to get me back. He loved me, of that I was sure. "L…" I murmured after a long pause. "What do you want?"

He blinked, clearly surprised. "Pardon?"

"What do you want?" I repeated. "Where do you want to live, and what do you want from me?"

He seemed even more surprised as he said, "I want to live wherever you do. And I just want you, Light. Nothing more, nothing less."

Except, I could tell he was lying. "Do you want to stay in Japan?" I questioned.

He shifted uncomfortably. "I want to stay wherever you are."

"L…"

He looked up the ceiling abruptly. "I suppose…if you didn't mind…"

"L…" I repeated. I rolled onto my side, reaching out and caressing the side of his face gently. "Please, L. Tell me what you want. We're not going to get anywhere if we dance around it—no matter what it is, no matter how crazy, it sounds, I want to know what you desire. Then, maybe, we can deicide where to go from there."

"I can't," came the soft response. "You might get scared and leave…"

Now I was the one brimming with surprise. "You think I'll leave?" I echoed. "L, I swear to you, I'm not going anywhere. I love you. I'd do anything to stay with you."

He looked to me hopefully. "You really won't mind…?"

"Tell me. Please."

He looked terrified. But still, wincing perpetually, he nodded. "Light…" he began softly. "I've had a lot of time to think about what I want when you were still comatose. And after so much thinking…I've come to a decision."

My heart lurched. What was he going to say? Was this it? Once again I found myself grappling with the fear that he intended to leave me… after all, he was L, and he had other cases to attend to now that I was healed and the Kira case was over. I felt a terrible fear pierce my heart. "What is it?" I barely managed to ask.

L suddenly propped himself up on one elbow and leaned over me, his gray eyes gazing deeply into mine. For a long moment we stared into each other's eyes, his filled with some unreadable emotion, mine filled with trepidation. I hoped dearly that he wasn't about to leave me, wasn't about to tell me that he had to return to his duties as L…

"Marry me."

I choked, darting up in bed and nearly smacking L in the face with my forehead. "What?" Disbelief filled my chest.

"Marry me," L repeated, a goofy grin on his face that I'd never seen before.

My jaw dropped. "B-but that's illegal here!" I spluttered. "You can't just—!"

"It's not illegal in America," L smirked. "And I'm sure I could find a case or two to work on over there as an excuse."

I gawked at the man. "You want me to come with you to America?"

"Light Yagami…" He reached over, taking my hands in his. "You said you wanted to know what I wanted, so I will tell you. I want you to abandon your studies at To-Oh, give up on the NPA, say goodbye to your family, and leave Japan with me. I want you to come with me not just to America, but everywhere. I want you to be my accomplice. I want you to solve my cases with me. I want to wake up in the morning and see you lying beside me, and I want to know that you'll never be inclined to leave, no matter what. I want you, Light. I want to be with you."

I could barely force my lips to move. "Do you… really mean that? Do you really want me to travel the world with you? Do you want me to…leave Japan?"

The grin on L's face was nothing short of childish, despite his obvious nervousness. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't mean it."

"Oh god, L…" I whispered, struggling to process it all. "Give up on To-Oh, on the NPA, leave Japan, leave my family…"

He dipped his head slightly, and I could practically feel the disappointment beginning to radiate off him as he no doubt assumed that I was about to refuse. "It's okay if you say no," he assured softly. "If you want to stay here, then I'll be with you, no matter what. But you asked what I wanted, and so I told you."

My answer was already bubbling in my throat, and I longed to tell L just what I thought of his request—but I forced myself, just for a moment, to consider what I was about to do. If I said yes to what he was asking, then I would very rarely see my family. I would have to drop out of To-Oh, and I would never fulfill my dream of joining the NPA. I would be never be able to stay in one place for too long—I'd have to move around in order to protect L's identity. There would be endless danger as well, I knew. There wasn't a single moment in which L's life wasn't at risk during a case. If I went with him now, then my life would also be put in constant danger.

So…was that what I wanted?

"L…" I whispered, reaching up and hooking one arm around his neck. He stared down at me through nervous eyes, his fingers twisting in the blankets beside my head. "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure about anything in my entire life."

"In that case…" I pulled him towards me, stopping when our lips were just barely brushing. "My answer is yes."

Silence. Immediate and thick, it draped across us like a blanket, shrouding us completely.

"You…you're serious?" he whispered, eyes wide. "You'll leave Japan with me? You'll give up on your dream?"

"My dream is working with you," I responded in a hushed tone. And it was true. Somewhere along the way, I'd forgotten the NPA, and turned my sights on L.

His expression twisted, the trepidation slowly melting away, happiness and disbelief overtaking him. "And…what of my one condition?"

I frowned. "What condition?"

He blushed. He blushed. "I already told you, Light…I want you to marry me."

My heart fluttered in my chest. I laughed. "I can't believe you, L," I grinned. "After all this, you propose to me with two words…and you have the nerve to call it a condition?"

He suddenly looked worried. "Did I do it wrong? I don't have much experience…"

"No, no!" I laughed. I pulled him down into a passionate kiss. Just as I felt his tongue beginning to lap at my bottom lip, I pulled away and rested my forehead against his. "You've done nothing wrong. You are the most hopeless person I have ever met, and I love you."

"So… you'll marry me?"

"Yes, of course I'll marry you!"

The smile was back on L's face in a heartbeat, and his lips were on mine, tongue thrusting past my lips fervently.

I smiled into the kiss, relaxing beneath L's hold. Then the detective pulled back for a moment, and I took the opportunity to speak. "I want to add one condition of my own," I requested.

He nodded senselessly. "Anything."

"I want you to assign me a letter."

He jerked back sharply, surprised. "That's…unexpected."

I supposed that it was. I hadn't thought too hard about it previously—but now the idea sprung to the forefront of my mind, and I knew that if I didn't say something now, I would regret it forever. "I know…" I murmured, hoping he wouldn't refuse.

"If you're worried about me taking credit for your work, then you don't have to be concerned…we can just tell the public that a second L has entered the picture, and that we're working together."

"No, that's not it," I responded softly. "It's not because of my pride."

"Then why? Why do you want to be one of the letters?"

It was a bit difficult to explain, actually. "Just…I just do, L. Please let me do this. If I'm going to work beside you, then I want to have a letter."

He was clearly confused, but still, he relented. "Very well…if that is what you wish, then I will not protest. You will be Y, I presume?"

I hesitated. "No…actually, I was hoping, if you didn't mind…to be K."

He froze, and I could see the suspicion flaring to life in his eyes. "K?" he demanded harshly. "As in, Kira?"

"…Yes. That is what I want."

"Light, why?" he hissed, and I could see his anger growing. "Why do you want to be reminded of what you once were every time the public addresses you? What will the government agencies of the world think when L suddenly begins working with someone who calls himself K, right after Kira mysteriously vanishes? They'll think that you're Kira!"

"I was Kira," I murmured. I wasn't sure if I could make L understand just why I was doing this, but I had to try. "A long time ago, before this all started, I was Kira. And Kira…he wanted to rid this world of evil. He went about it the wrong way, and ended up evil himself—but in the beginning, even if it was only for a moment, he thought that he could use his power to make the world a better place."

"It doesn't matter," L growled. "You're not Kira anymore, and I won't allow you to act like him. You will not be K."

"L…" I begged. "I need this. I need to do this. I need to show the world that K can be something other than a murderer. I need to redeem myself, and if I take the name K and help rid the world of criminals the right way, then…then I think that I can do it. I think that I can make Kira what he was supposed to be, originally."

And just like that, I knew that he understood. "Oh, Light…" he whispered, anger melting away. "You don't have to redeem yourself. You've already proven yourself worthy of working beside me, again and again, and no one will ever think any less of you for having been Kira all that time ago, not after everything you've went through. You don't have to become K in order to redeem yourself."

"I need it," I insisted. "I need it, L. I need you to let me do this."

He looked sad, and very tired. "Light, you have to understand. If you do this, if you become K and reveal your existence to the world…they'll think that you're Kira. They may not know for certain, but they will not be swift to trust you. There will be rumors, horrible, despicable rumors about your involvement with me, and you'll never escape them, no matter how many years may pass. There will always be someone, somewhere, who remembers the time when Kira disappeared, and the mysterious man known as K emerged from the shadows. They will hate you, and they will never, never trust you. Do you understand that?"

I nodded. "Yes, I understand. But I want it. I want to take the name K, because if I do, I can prove to myself that I had good intentions when I first found the notebook. Even if it lasted for a mere moment, I still had good intentions…and I need to prove it."

"And…are you sure that this is what you want?"

"Yes. I've never been more certain about anything in my entire life." I echoed L's earlier words, and the expression on his face told me that he didn't miss the significance of such a thing.

"I will never call you K," he murmured, "because I know that you are not him, no matter what you may believe. But if this is your one condition…then I feel that it is a small price to pay. Light Yagami…from now on, as far as the public is concerned, you will be known as K, L's partner."

I closed my eyes, pulling my lover down to rest against me. "Thank you," I whispered genuinely. L hummed in response, and though I could tell he was still slightly tense, he melted into my embrace. "So…" I murmured, brushing my lips to his neck. "Now that that's taken care of, are you feeling up to something a bit more fun? You said it yourself—you have a long way to go before you catch up to Beyond."

He drew away slightly, staring into my eyes, and smirked. I felt the tension drain out of him as he responded, "I suppose I do. I think we can fit in a round or two before we have to go speak to the task force about the things that have been decided here, don't you?"

L's lips went to my bruised neck, and I breathed out, "And I'm already undressed for you…how convenient."

The detective purred in agreement, dragging his lips down my throat, and I sighed contentedly, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling serenely. As L's hands brushed across my chest, I couldn't contain my joy at the thought that I was really going to leave with him, marry him, spend my life with him.

I felt happy. Really, truly happy.

In fact, I had never been happier.

†††

"You're what?" Soichiro spluttered.

I blushed heavily. I hadn't expected this conversation to go well, but this…

"Your son is leaving with me," L said firmly, one arm flung around my shoulders. "We're boarding a plane tomorrow and leaving to travel around the world for a while, solving cases as we see fit."

Soichiro's jaw dropped.

"As soon as we decide on a date, I will take Light to America, where we have decided to get married."

"You're just leaving? Just like that?" Soichiro demanded. "You can't just leave Japan! Light, I understand that you love this man, and I don't disapprove of your being together, but—you're leaving?"

"Yes," I said hesitantly. "I'm sorry, but this is what I want. I want to leave Japan and travel the world with L. I want to solve cases with him, and eventually marry him. He's even let me take a detective code, like him." Of course, I thought, there's no way I'm telling him that my code is K. I looked up at my father hopefully. "I'm not leaving until tomorrow, so I'll be going back to the house to pack and say goodbye to Sayu and mother." I waited for my father to begin screaming, to tell me that I wasn't allowed to leave. But after a long moment, when I all I heard was a sigh, I looked up.

My father pinched the bridge of his noise between two fingers. "Light…" he sighed. "Is there nothing I can do to keep you here?"

"Absolutely nothing," L declared firmly.

I nodded. "I'm sorry, but no. And… I'll be back, at some point. And you'll definitely be invited to the wedding, if you want to come."

Another long, painful pause. Then Soichiro sighed again, deeply. He moved forward and clasped a hand to my shoulder. "I expect to be invited to the wedding. Your mother and Sayu too. And you will be the one telling them where you are going."

My mood brightened. A small smile graced my features, and I nodded. "Of course!"

L added, "I am not stealing your son away forever, Mr. Yagami. We will visit from time to time."

My father's eyes narrowed as he stared at the man who was stealing me away. "I expect you to take good care of him, L. I don't want you to treat him the way you did before this whole mess began. If you're going to drag my son across the world, then you're going to treat him right. Do you understand me?"

L nodded. "Yes, I do," he responded softly. "You have nothing to fear, Chief Yagami—no matter what happens, I won't let anything happen to your son."

Soichiro opened his mouth, no doubt to say something more about how I was going to be treated, but before he could, Mello suddenly butted in, pushing Soichiro aside and throwing an arm around my shoulders, effectively dislodging L. "Shacking up with the world's greatest detective's eh?" he cackled. "I suppose if you're going to be topped by anyone, it might as well be L, right?"

I blanched. "Ah…"

L cleared his throat meaningfully, pushing Mello off. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't accost my fiancé, Mello."

The successor threw his arms up exasperatedly. "So touchy!"

Matt darted forward and pulled Mello back. "You'd better invite us to the wedding," he warned L. "After all this, it's the least you can do."

"On don't worry…" Mello laughed, "we'll definitely be there, regardless of whether or not we get an invitation!" The smile that spread across his face was nothing short of demonic. I had a bad feeling that the successors weren't going to be the best wedding guests.

"You will invite the task force as well, of course?" Near questioned politely.

"If they want to go, they're welcome," L said. "But it won't be for a few months at least, so none of you need to worry."

I flinched, thinking of Sayu and my mother's reactions.

This was going to be interesting…

†††

One day later, I stared out the window of the L's private jet as it soared thousands of feet above the ground. The area below the plane was completely blue, and I knew that we were passing over the ocean on our way to the case L had picked out in Australia. I reclined in my seat, recalling the past day.

My mother had been stunned when I walked in the door with L, who I immediately introduced as my fiancé. There had been a small conversation in the doorway, which mostly involved my mother sputtering and gasping in surprise.

And then came Sayu.

She took one look at me and squealed. She ran right up to L and began interrogating him, wanting to know everything about him, his profession, how we met, when we were getting married. And surprisingly, L had indulged her, telling her everything she wanted to know. Now both mom and Sayu knew that I was engaged to the world's greatest detective. After all, L explained, now that Kira was dead, he no longer saw any threat in revealing (at least to his fiancé's family) that he was L.

It had taken a little convincing, and a lot of time. But eventually my mother had agreed to let me go, and Sayu promised not to hold a grudge as long as she was invited to the wedding. So that was that, and all I had to do was pack my things to leave. L aided me in stuffing my things into a few bags, and after receiving a few hugs from my parents and Sayu, we were off.

I turned my head away from the window to seek out L. The world's greatest detective was seated in the window seat across the isle on the other side of the plane. He was staring out the window, posture relaxed, head leaning on one hand. He'd forfeited his odd sitting position in favor of seating himself normally. I smiled, observing how the sunlight leaking through the window dappled his pale skin. He was beautiful. Odd, completely insane, and mostly remorseless, but still beautiful. I looked away, and my eyes found the notebook sitting on my lap. It wasn't the Death Note, no… that infernal thing was gone for good. This notebook was completely white with lined paper within. Clipped to the cover of said notebook there was a simple ballpoint pen.

Smiling, I flipped the notebook open to the first page. My name was etched on the inside cover from when I'd first gotten this notebook, many years ago. I'd meant to use it for taking notes in school, but I'd never needed it. It had been sitting on my shelf for years until this day, when I decided that I would put it to better use.

I looked up at L through my lashes to see if he was watching. Seeing that he was still daydreaming, I said, "You know, I'd like to write it all down someday."

That got his attention. The detective's head whipped around to stare at me, his eyes darting momentarily to observe the pen and notebook in my lap. "Write it all down? Like a book?"

"Hmm… I don't know. Maybe I'd just handwrite it, make it a journal."

L looked alarmed. "You can't do that!" he exclaimed. "What if someone found it and read through it to the end? They'd know my name and everything that happened here!"

"Come on, L," I sighed. "You know full well that no one would believe the story, even if they did actually read it to the end."

"And what if it fell into the hands of someone who actually checked the facts? If they looked up the death count and found it accurate to what you wrote down, or figured out that the criminals you talked about actually died in the way you specified, or even that Misa Amane disappeared at the same time you said she did? They might figure out that it's real!"

"Anyone could have figured all that out with a little research anyways," I responded. "No one would believe it. And just to be safe, I could change up some of the numbers. No one would know."

"Still, I can't agree to this!"

I smirked, well aware of how irritated I was making the detective. I put the pen to my lips, closing my teeth lightly on the end of the utensil. "Let's see… how should I start it?" I pressed the pen to paper and feigned writing. "I watched the chain of the handcuffs dangle from my wrist, clanking irritably against the metal desk I shared with L, who was undeniably the most irritating little imp of a creature that I had ever met…"

L stared at me with wide eyes, flickering with a hint of barely concealed amusement. "Did you just say you're describing me as an imp?"

I smirked teasingly, going on, "L Lawliet was a tall man with many strange habits, not the least of which being what he was doing at the moment—sitting with his legs tucked up to his chest and almost certainly damaging his already curved spine. His endless hours of sleeplessness had led him to develop bags under his eyes that made him look as if he wore buckets of liquid eyeliner beneath his eyes. He loved sugar so much that he refused to eat anything else, and I sometimes caught him spooning the stuff straight out of the bucket. I was certain that he was going to develop diabetes at an early age, or at least get fat, but for as long as I knew him, he was so skinny that his bones were visible beneath his skin. Skin, I might add, that was almost translucent in its paleness. " I paused and looked up at L with a toothy grin. "He was the very definition of the world freak."

"You are not describing me like that!" L yelped, leaping to his feet and flying across the isle. He made a mad grab for the notebook, but I held it aloft, laughing as the detective's body sprawled across my lap in a tangle of long limbs. "Give it here!"

"And there I sat beside him…" I laughed wildly as L moved his fingers sharply across my sides, sending a tickling sensation lacing up and down my flesh. "The pure picture of beauty with amber hair and caramel eyes, so perfect that no one could ever hope to be as perfect as me!" One of L's hands swiped at the notebook, and this time he caught the corner of it.

"Now I've got it!" L announced triumphantly, yanking on the book. "Maybe I'll write the story instead of you! How would you like that?" The notebook slipped from my fingers as his foot accidentally nudged the lever that made my chair extend backwards. He straddled my waist and looked down at me playfully. "Perhaps I will describe you as a princely figure who had so many girls throwing themselves at him that they scared him into perusing men instead!"

"Don't you dare say that about me!" I gasped, feigning anger, but it didn't last as L's fingers returned to my sides.

"Light Yagami, your typical arrogant, self-obsessed teenager sat beside me in the investigation room, reducing his reasoning abilities by forty percent by sitting in that boringly normal way of his, and eating absolutely no sugar despite the obvious advantages to be found!"

L's fingers left my sides in favor of griping the sides of my face, and his lips lowered so they brushed mine with every word.

"He was obsessed with his looks, always looking at his reflection in the dark computer monitor, and thought that he was better than absolutely everyone that had ever existed. Of course, he didn't know that the detective L was actually way better than him, and was only hiding his brilliance to make Light feel better! He was the definition of the word vain!" L's forehead met mine, and I could feel the smile curve against my lips. "How's that for a description, Light? Do you think I did you justice?" He dropped the notebook to the ground beside my chair, but I barely noticed. "Perhaps I should write, and you should be my editor!"

I leaned up minutely. "Good luck writing without knowing my point of view, genius," I purred.

"Good luck writing without my point of view!" came the response.

For a moment we held our positions without moving, lips barely brushing, chests pressed together, legs intertwined. Then I laughed and said, "Perhaps we should work together on this story?"

"If you are so insistent upon writing it all down, then I suppose I have no choice," L murmured.

I felt one of his hands brush through my hair lovingly, and then he pulled me into a real kiss, one that seared with love and affection. I felt his tongue push past my lips, and I hummed contentedly.

I was happy. For the first time in my entire life, I felt truly, completely happy, lying back with the man I loved stooped over me. With every moment that passed our kiss became more and more heated, and with every moment that passed I remembered.

I remembered that very first day, the day nearly six months ago, when I had sat with L in the investigation room and complained about being so stiff after months in confinement. I remembered falling ill, and how L had stayed by my side constantly, even when he thought I was going to die. I remembered Beyond's harsh treatment, and being rescued by my lover. I remembered Kira taking over, the weeks of darkness, and then my grand triumph over him. I remembered writing Beyond's name down in the Death Note with the intent of giving my life for L. And I remembered waking up with L beside me, and the joy of seeing those dark eyes gleaming with happiness. A happiness that I now shared.

L pulled away from me, his finger playing with the buttons of my shirt. "I love you Light Yagami," he whispered softly.

I smiled and returned, "And I love you, L Lawliet."

As L's lips crashed back to mine, I was happy. Because no matter what happened, no matter where we went or who we became, we would be together. We would travel the world, solving case after case, and eventually, when we decided it was time, we would travel to America to be married. We would spend our lives together, and eventually, when it all drew to a close, we would die together.

But no, I thought, as I looked out the window to the sea below, for now, I won't think about death—I'll just lay here in the arms of the man I love, and wait for the future to find me.

And so that was what I did. I lay there, curled around L, gazing out across the bright blue water, and waited.

†††

Seven years, seven anniversaries later, here we are. Nothing has changed, and everything has changed. It's funny…everyone always says that time changes everything, and that nothing lasts forever…and while it may be true that nothing lasts forever, so far I've seen no evidence that time changes everything. I still love L, and he still loves me. And if I ever doubt that, all I have to do is look down at that simple golden band on my finger, from that beautiful day six years ago. We always said we'd end up in America to be wed, and we did just that—L found us a beautiful little town in California, and we flew in my family from Japan, and the successors from England. Well, actually, only Matt and Mello were flown in from England. Near chose to stay in Japan, all that time ago, so he could stay with my sister. It's funny, really—I had no idea that they were so close until he was telling me that he was staying behind to be with her. But I'm glad. I left my family, seven years ago, and Near stayed with them in my place, in a way. He's kept them safe, and for that I am grateful. He still feels guilty for what happened in that forest so, so long ago, but I don't care anymore. Those events are in the past—the distant past—and I've recovered. L swears that I'm not better yet, that I'm not what I was before Beyond got his hands on me. And quite honestly, I'm sure that he's right. I'll never recover from some of the things that happened to me. There are still nights when I wake up, screaming, and L has to hold me close for hours before I can begin to calm down. And there will always be nights like that. It's something that I can't change, something that will always be there, lurking in the back of my mind. But L, the little devil, is dead convinced that he can stop the nightmares entirely. He's wrong, of course, but I don't have the heart to tell him. I let him try, and I take comfort in the fact that no matter what I am, no matter how long it's been and what my mind has warped into, he will always love me.

And then there's the little matter of my work.

I became K, just like I wanted to. And just as L predicted, the world wasn't exactly eager to accept someone calling themselves K into the inner circles of government. For a long while, they were even suspicious of L because of it, but that soon changed. The first case I took on as K, I took down a major crime syndicate, and that was enough to start me on the road to redemption. Of course, no one knows for certain that I used to be Kira other than L and his closest associates—i.e. the successors and the task force—but again, just as L predicted, rumors flew. There were whispers that L had caught Kira and had decided to join him, or that Kira had given up on justice and joined L. The most ridiculed theories arose when a certain few citizens began to speculate that maybe, just maybe, Kira and L had fallen in love and joined forces—but those theories were deemed absurd, and shot down as soon as they saw the light of day. In the end, all anyone knew was that Kira was gone, and a mysterious man known as K had joined L at the same time. And miraculously, crime rates didn't rise an inch. In a deadly combination of fear of Kira and fear of L, criminals were taken down faster than ever, and many people didn't even commit said crimes in the first place. And now, seven years after the initial surge of suspicion from the general public, things haven't changed. Kira's killings have stopped, but the fact that there's someone calling themselves K working with L has been more than enough to instill a deep, terrible fear into the minds of even the most hardened of criminals.

In terms of the work itself…well, I suppose one might call it incredibly dangerous. For the most part, L and I have tried not to get involved directly in most of our cases, and have entered the field very few times. But over the past several years, I've gained more than one fresh scar, and L has had his fair share of broken bones and swollen eyes. And every time it happens, every time one of us ends up spilling a bit of our own blood, we end up doing the same thing—curling up together, arms and legs intertwined, and refusing to let go until we're certain that we're both okay, that we're not going to die. After almost dying so many times all those years ago, it's become our way of affirming that we're still there for each other, that we're not leaving, that when we die, it'll be together.

That's the other thing…the fact that when I die, my soul will go to Mu. And L…I'm not sure what will happen to him. I have a suspicion…a deep, dark suspicion, that L did something foolish. I think that somehow, someway, seven years ago, he assured that he would go to Mu with me. Whether he used the Death Note or asked the Shinigami King for a favor I know not, but either way…something about the way he talks about life after death makes me think that he knows more than he's letting on. There's this ridiculous little grin he gets on his face whenever I happen to mention Mu. I don't think he even knows it's there, but…I see it. And while I may not be certain about its meaning, I can guess. I can guess that he's found a way to share my fate. And the worst part is, I'm okay with it. I'm almost happy that my lover has doomed himself, for it means that when we take that last step together, we'll stay together.

And that just brings me to my one, last concern—the Shinigami King. Have I created the perfect world he strained for? Has L created it? I wait, every day, for him to return and tell us we've failed, to spark some radical adventure just as he did the first time. But as time goes on, and years pass, that becomes less and less likely. We may not have created a perfect world just yet, but we're on our way. A few more years, perhaps, and it will become a reality.

I think I see him, sometimes. A shadow flitting past a window, a feather floating down from the ceiling, a faint outline against the sky. I can never be sure, but I feel like…like he's watching us. Like he's still waiting for us to take that last step in the creation of a perfect world. And then, once we finish creating that world, he'll finally leave us in peace. But until then, we work. We work, and we wonder about the past, and about the future.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure if I'll ever know everything that went down all those years ago. I think that there will always be secrets, that there will always be details and stories left untold. But like I thought seven years ago, as I stared up at L, believing that I was about to pass on to Mu…

Maybe there are some secrets that should just be left unknown.

"Light! Hey, Light, we're going to be late!"

I jerked my head up, nearly smearing the ink on the final word as I yanked the pen away from the paper. I looked towards the door of the study, where the voice had emanated from.

Then it sounded again. "Come on, you've been in there for an hour! We're supposed to leave now!"

Oh my god, I forgot! I scrambled to my feet, pushing back the desk chair and slamming the white notebook I'd been writing in shut. I swiftly placed the pen back in its holder and reached for my coat, which I'd thrown over the back of the chair. I heard the door open a moment later, and footsteps neared the desk. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and the next heartbeat that voice was insisting, "Light!"

I whirled around immediately, and was immediately met with dark, obsidian eyes. "L!" I burst out. "I completely forgot, I got caught up in writing, and—"

His eyes widened, darting to the table behind me. He reached for the white notebook, flipping through the pages until he reached the final few words. "You finished your part?" he asked, scanning the page, but not really reading it. He'd read it later, though, for sure. "You're finally done?"

"Yeah," I said softly. "Six years, and it's finally done." And that wasn't an exaggeration—it had taken me long, too long, to write down everything that had happened. It wasn't perfect—I'd left out certain parts entirely, namely my first encounter with Beyond, and most of the details involving L's identity.

"That's a relief," L murmured, putting the notebook down and whirling me around, pulling me into an embrace. "Now it can't hurt you anymore."

"No," I agreed in a low tone, leaning into my lover. "It can't."

L let out a soft, contented sigh before drawing back, keeping his arms looped firmly around my waist. "We are going to be late, though."

"Oh, right…" I chuckled. "I'm sorry, but I was just so close to finishing, and…"

He nodded understandingly. "It's okay, I don't blame you. But if we don't leave now, we're going to miss our flight."

"You know as well as I do that we can just take our private jet," I chuckled.

"Yes, but we've already agreed to arrive on a regular flight, dressed like regular people, acting like regular members of society. You know how your father gets when we go gallivanting away in the private jet—he's always suspicious that we only fly in the thing so we can engage in our scandalous activities."

"He only thinks that because it is the only reason we fly in the thing," I shot back playfully, burying my face in his shoulder.

"Not true," L protested with a small smile. "Sometimes we take it when we're running late for a flight, and need to be in Japan in approximately fourteen hours or your father will kill us."

I laughed, "I think we should be more worried about Near killing us. It's not every day one of your successors gets married, L, and if we're not there on time, he's going to destroy us."

"Yes, yes," L muttered. "And I suppose the bride won't be too happy either…"

"Oh no," I groaned, "I forgot! I promised Sayu that I'd bring her something from England as a wedding present, and I haven't gotten her anything!"

"Our wedding present to her and Near is the house we got them," L reminded me. "But I knew you'd forget about getting her a souvenir of sorts, so I took the liberty of picking something out."

"Oh, thank god!" I gasped, relieved. I hadn't seen Sayu in ages—she was twenty-one now, about to be married, and here I was, forgetting to bring her something as a present!

"It's waiting with the rest of our luggage," L went on, "which we need to take to the airport now if we don't want to have a raving Sayu and a furious Near on our hands."

"Right, right," I responded breathlessly. I finished tugging on my coat, pulling away from L long enough to reach over and grab my wallet and stuff it into my back pocket. "Matt and Mello are meeting us there, right?"

"Yes, their flight departed exactly seventeen minutes ago."

I chuckled lightly, swiftly arranging the objects on my desk, laying the notebook out perfectly straight, cleaning eraser crumbs from some of the earlier mistakes I'd erased from the sections I'd written in pencil. "You know," I remarked, darting into the adjoined bathroom and running a comb through my hair, "I wonder when we'll be getting their wedding invitation."

L hummed noncommittally. "I doubt those two will ever get married."

"Really?" I finished combing out my hair and moved to straighten my tie, which I'd pulled loose while I wrote. "I suppose you're right, actually…but you never know." I exited the bathroom, closing the door behind me, and announced, "Okay, I'm ready to go."

"Finally!" L exclaimed, a light smile on his face as he grabbed me by the hand, tugging me for the door. He flung said door open, and was just about to pull me over the threshold, when I stopped him with a tug of my hand in his.

"Wait," I requested, turning him around. My feet were still just inside the door, arms reached out through the doorway to grasp onto my lover.

L frowned. "Light? What is it?"

"Oh, nothing, just…" I pulled him close, and pressed my lips to his for a brief moment. When I drew back he was blushing, something that had become increasingly common over the six years we'd been married.

"What was that for?" he asked, fingers curling into my coat.

I kissed him again, once, briefly, and smirked. "Oh, no reason…I just love you, Lawliet."

He tilted his head to one side, clearly puzzled, but responded just the same. "I love you as well, Light. Is there a reason for your sudden declaration of affection?"

"Oh…" I trailed off. "Nothing. It's just…it felt important to say for some reason."

He shook his head, amused, a contented glitter in his dark eyes. "You and your random inclinations…" He gave my hand a light tug, insisting, "Now, come on—we've got to go!"

"I'm getting there, I'm getting there!" I assured him with another laugh.

"You're too slow! I'll meet you downstairs." Shooting one last look of adoration in my direction, L turned and headed down the stairs of the home we were currently staying in in England.

I immediately moved after him, grinning as I moved. But then, just as I was about to leave the room, I paused—and there, half in, half out of the bedroom I'd shared with L for several weeks, I looked back.

The white notebook was sitting on the table, filled with six year's worth of scribbling. Anyone who read it would think that I was insane—worse than insane. But it didn't matter, because the only one who would ever read it was L, and he'd lived it with me. That notebook sat there, white cover glittering harmlessly, a polar opposite of the black notebook that had once sat on my desk, staring up at me with white, accusatory lettering. It sat there and it stared back at me, whispering about all of the terrifying, horrifying events of seven years ago. It was strange, I thought, to be sitting here, seven years after the horror story, reducing such scarring events to words on a page. It made the whole thing seem very distant, very…fictional. I liked it, really—being able to pretend that everything had been fake. I wanted to look at those little words, slightly smeared from countless readings, and believe that it had all been a dream. But I owed it to L, owed it to myself, to remember what had happened. And so rather than shying away, rather than fleeing the notebook's story, I offered it a small smile. I smiled at it because I knew that now, so many years later, though I would never forget, though I would always, always have those shatteringly painful nightmares and those deep, ragged scars, I was going to be okay. L was right—the notebook couldn't hurt me any longer.

Now, for the first time in seven years, I felt wholly, truly, safe.

And so with that, I cast one last glance at the tiny room, flicked off the lights, closed the door, turned around, and walked away.

Fin.

At the end of the road, I have to thank all of my reviewers so much for sticking with me throughout twenty-eight chapters of my nonsensical writing. All of you are fabulous, and you've made me so happy with all your support! And I want to let you know my next story, suggested by the lovely May of Rose, is already underway! I'm not going to tell you about it quite yet, but the name I'm running with is Painted Faces, Mechanical Hearts, and I'm just about one chapter into it so far. I'm aiming for having it up in about three to four months, so be sure to keep an eye out for it!

In conclusion, I sincerely hope you enjoyed the final chapter of Burn, and just the story in general. And if you did, be sure to leave one final review on your way out to tell me what you thought, overall, of the story I worked so hard on!