Now that the power was back on, Light cooked himself some pasta for lunch. Not very festive, but he didn't particularly care. He turned the television on to break the silence, and sat down to eat.

The news was on, but if he was asked later, Light would not have been able to recall anything that was reported. The news anchor, Kiyomi Takada, was far too distracting. Kiyomi was very popular and regularly came up on those inane sexiest celebrity lists. Light supposed that she probably was very attractive, to other people. To his ex-wife, for instance, who had brought her to live in the house they once shared.

Light changed the channel. It was one of those insufferable movies. In less than two minutes, he could tell that the blonde, smiley accountant from the city would fall for the burly man who was once her childhood sweetheart and would break up with her boring boyfriend, quit her job and move back to this small town whose only export seemed to be Christmas trees. Ridiculous. As if anyone actually believed that sort of thing ever happened. It made Light long to return to his job and the busy city streets.

He turned off the television and decided to call his sister. He wasn't going to harangue her about coming home, he knew she probably wouldn't be able to travel now until the new year. But he could at least leave a message for her wishing her happy holidays before she could tell him off for forgetting.

"Oh, dear brother, hi!"

Light was taken aback by the sound of Sayu's voice on the other end of the line, he hadn't expected her to pick up. "Happy holidays, Sayu," he said.

"It's only Christmas Eve, silly! Wait, is it Christmas day over there?"

"Not yet."

"Some of my new friends have invited me over for Christmas, isn't that nice?"

"Yeah, that's nice Sayu," Light said unenthusiastically.

"So what are you doing for Christmas?"

Light looked around the empty house. "Nothing."

"Nothing? You can't do nothing, Light!"

"I'll probably just catch up on work."

"You can't spend Christmas alone, Light. You'll make me sad. Say you won't spend Christmas alone, please!"

Light thought about protesting that he didn't know anyone in this isolated little town, but thought better of it. "I won't," he said.

"No-one should spend Christmas Day alone, it's too sad!"

"All right, I heard you," Light said.

There was a noise on the other end of the line that sounded very much like his sister hissing. "I'd better go-" – hiss – "I'm losing signal!"

"Wait, Sayu, I spoke to the lawyer-"

But it was too late, the line had gone dead.

Light went to get his his laptop from his bag and started wading through the endless pile of emails that he hadn't got chance to read or respond to. A lot of them were from people wishing him happy holidays, or telling him their company's closure period over Christmas. For almost every email he sent, he received an out of office reply from the recipient. It seemed like he was the only one working on Christmas Eve.

He thought about what Sayu said about not spending Christmas alone, then shook his head. It was just another day. What did it matter if he spent it alone? Not like he had anyone to spend it with anyway.

His thoughts drifted to Teru, and his Christmas day tradition of eating a meal alone. Would Sayu think that was sad too, even though he chose to do it, and he would be surrounded by other diners? Perhaps Light should have accepted his offer. Then neither of them would have to be alone. Teru was quite handsome. And smart, and generous, too. No. Those were just more reasons for Light not to accept his offer. It wasn't like Light was sticking around here. No need to make unnecessary ties.

Light turned back to his emails, and by the end of the day he had reached an unprecedentedly low number of unread messages in his inbox. If it wasn't for some matters that couldn't be resolved without speaking to people at his office, he would have cleared it entirely.

There were some reports he could get started on, but he was too tired to do that today. He shut his laptop and stared at the wall. While he was working, the sun had started to set. It was Christmas Eve evening. Normally by now, the four of them would be playing board games before dinner.

Light had to admit he was feeling a little lonely. Perhaps dinner with Teru tomorrow wasn't such a bad idea.

He found himself walking over to Teru's house and knocking on the front door.

"Mr Yagami? Can I help you with something?" Teru asked.

Light put on his best gracious smile. "Actually, perhaps you can do something for me. Forgive me for not accepting your dinner invitation earlier?"

"That's quite all right. Are you saying you have changed your mind?" said Teru, the edges of his mouth curling upwards.

"No-one should be alone at Christmas time," Light said.

"Then I'll let the restaurant know to expect two of us. The table is booked for seven, but if we arrive earlier we can have a drink at the bar."

"Sounds good."

"See you tomorrow… Light."

"Yes, tomorrow," Light said. And as he walked back down the path, he thought about how there was definitely something flirtatious about the way Teru looked at him and spoke to him. Well, there was nothing wrong with a bit of flirting as a distraction. He didn't have to act on it.

He glanced over at the house with the perpetually closed curtains on the other side of the cul-de-sac, and remembered how the detective said that he didn't have visitors very often. Did that mean that L would be alone at Christmas too? As strange as he was, Light had enjoyed L's company up until he made that sly jab at him. And inviting him along to Christmas dinner would be the neighbourly thing to do.

Teru would understand. It wasn't like there was any chance for the two of them anyway, with Light selling the house. But maybe Light would prefer having dinner alone with Teru. Then he pictured how disappointed Sayu would be with him for knowingly leaving someone alone on Christmas.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Light walked over to L's house. It took L a while to answer the door.

"Hello again, Light Yagami," L said.

"L, hello."

L widened his eyes. "Have you lost something else?" he asked.

"No," Light said, feeling himself instantly get annoyed. "Actually I was wondering if you would like to join me for dinner tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night? Hmm," L said, tapping his bottom lip with a finger. "I suppose I can make it. What's the occasion?"

"Well, it's Christmas, and-"

"Oh yes, of course. I don't celebrate, so I forget. What time?"

"Seven p.m., at Penber's," Light said.

L nodded and put his thumb to his lips and nibbling on it. "It's a date," he said.

A date? Light was left thinking as L said goodbye and closed the door. Oh no.

No, no, it's fine, just a turn of phrase, Light told himself as he walked back down the path.

A van had pulled up by the side of the road, and an old man with a grey moustache was walking towards Light, holding a pastel coloured box saying Watari's Candy Box. The man gave him a smile. "Nice to see that L has made a friend," he said. "Finally making my last delivery. Merry Christmas!"

"Great. Merry Christmas," Light said, smiling back. He wondered what would possess L to order more candy so close to Christmas, especially when his living room was literally full of the stuff. Perhaps L was one of those people who never threw away empty boxes? It would fit with his dishevelled appearance.

Light went back home, feeling pleased with himself for doing a good deed and making sure two people weren't lonely at Christmas. And also thinking that now his sister would have nothing to tell him off for.

When Light opened the curtains on Christmas morning, he was greeted by a thick layer of snow. It was suitably festive. But even so, Light didn't feel like he would get into the Christmas spirit this year.

He had not yet got around to going grocery shopping, but thanks to Teru's help with the electric, he was able to make himself some porridge and a coffee. He sat in the living room, where usually around this time he and Sayu and his parents would be starting to open their presents, his mother still insisting on putting them in stockings above the fireplace. Correction, insisted. This year, the fireplace was bare.

Light grabbed his laptop so he could check his emails and the news headlines. He sipped his coffee and skimmed stories he had no real interest in. At least he had dinner with his neighbours later to take his mind off it.

His aimless scrolling was interrupted by a scraping noise outside. The cul-de-sac was quiet, so even the slightest noise could easily be heard.

As Light went to look out of the window, he suddenly realised how those nosy curtain twitchers ended up how they did. Good thing he wasn't staying here for long.

Teru was outside with a shovel, clearing the snow from in front of his house. Light opened the front door. Teru looked up at him and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Thank you," Light said.

"It's no problem, I like to help."

"You've done an amazing job. How long did this take you?"

"Not long. I work out every day," Teru said, pushing up the sleeves of his coat and shirt. Even the muscles in his forearms were well-defined. "This is just an extra work-out for me. I should be the one thanking you."

Light laughed. Then he found himself glancing over at L's house. The curtains were still closed.

Teru must have noticed this because he said, "I expect you have met your other neighbour?"

"Yes. He's helping me find my wallet."

"I see," Teru said, leaning on the shovel handle.

Light shivered from the cold breeze blowing in. "Would you like to come in for a coffee?"

"That would be lovely. Thank you," Teru said, leaving the shovel against the wall and following him inside.

"I don't even know what his name is," Teru said as Light made coffee. "I don't think he likes people very much. Not that I can blame him. I'm not the most sociable person myself."

"I like people, but there are limits. Sometimes I just need to be alone."

Teru smiled and accepted a cup of coffee from Light. "I wonder what else we have in common?"

Light leaned against the counter and sipped his coffee. "Well, for one thing, this town."

"Yes. You grew up here, correct?"

"I did. Probably why I got such good grades in school. There's nothing to do here, no distractions. I don't think I remember you living here when I was young. We're around the same age, right?"

"I'm four years older than you. Thirty seven. I saw your birthday on your ID," Teru explained. "But no, you are right, I did not grow up here. I moved here after I… grew tired of the city life."

Light wondered if Teru had deliberately checked his age to determine if he could make a move on him. Or was it just a lawyer thing, filing away every piece of data for future use? He thought about this so intently he completely forgot to reply, so they finished their drinks in silence.

"I'm looking forward to our meal later. I was hoping for a chance to get to know you better, one on one," Teru said, putting down his cup. "Thank you for the coffee."

"You're welcome," Light said distractedly. Caught in the lawyer's sharp stare, he realised he couldn't bring up L joining them for Christmas dinner. Teru's words and manner left no opening for the suggestion.

After Teru left, Light paced around the house. His perfect plan for Christmas day was falling apart. He considered his options.

He could say nothing to either of them, and hope that they would both accept the situation and eat dinner together in peace. But then he would be running the risk of a public argument. He didn't fear losing his reputation in this town, which soon he would have no need to return to. But he did need to keep both of them on his side. Teru to help him to sell the house, L to help him find his wallet. So he'd better not risk upsetting either of them.

Alternatively he could go and tell Teru that he had invited L, and hope that he wouldn't take exception to that. And also tell L that it would be the three of them. But from talking to each of them, he got the feeling that they both wanted to have dinner with him alone. It would be a less public confrontation, but he still might cause either or both of them to turn against him.

He couldn't go to dinner with both of them at the same time without them knowing, but what he could do was change the time of one of their meetings. Teru had already booked a table, so that was set in stone. So that left one possible action.

There was no answer when Light knocked on L's door. He waited and knocked again. The curtains were always shut, so Light had no idea if L was awake or not. Or if he was out. Allegedly, L didn't often leave the house, but he had agreed to go to dinner with Light without so much as a moment of hesitation.

Light went back home, and tried again a few hours later. It was the same, no answer. Light was beginning to grow concerned. The longer he went without speaking to L, the less likely he would be to be able to fix his mistake.

Just after four p.m., L finally answered the door, wearing exactly the same clothes as yesterday. He stifled a yawn. "Light Yagami, you're early," he said.

"Actually, I just wanted to ask if we could change the time for tonight. Penber's is fully booked at seven, so I booked the table for eight."

"Oh. Yes, that's fine."

"Good. I'll see you there."

"Oh? We won't be taking a taxi together?"

"No. I need to... do something first," Light said, feeling L scrutinising his every movement. "It's a surprise."

"I see. You should have just said. Eight o'clock, then?"

"Yes."

"Then I must be going. You woke me from my nap."

Light's heart was hammering in his chest as L shut the door. This was no big deal, right? He could easily get a last minute reservation on Christmas day at the only restaurant in town, at a specific time. And not only that, think of some surprise that would justify him needing to go to the restaurant earlier. Yeah, no sweat.

He hurried home and looked up the number for Penber's, then sat waiting impatiently after a recorded message told him they didn't open until five.

"Penber's Bar and Restaurant, can I help you?" a woman's voice said when he finally got through.

"Yes, I hope so. Do you have a table free at eight?"

"Tonight?" the woman said incredulously. She sighed. "Let me see."

Light drummed his fingernails on the arm of the chair as he heard her flipping through pages.

"Nothing at eight."

"Nothing?" Light said, feeling the blood drain from his face. "Can you fit us in at all? Just a table for two."

"Hmm. No. No. Wait, I suppose I can fit you in at seven thirty, but there's another booking at eight thirty so you'll have to eat quickly."

"Do you have anything later? Eight thirty? Nine?"

"No. It's seven thirty or nothing."

Light quickly did the calculations in his head. He could meet Teru early. He struck Light as a person who would be early for arranged meetings. If they ordered quickly, skipped dessert and the food arrived quickly, they might be done by seven thirty. He could theoretically spend an hour with Teru so not as to appear rude, before shaking him off and meeting L.

"Sir? Do you want the table or not?"

"Oh. Yes. Please reserve it for me."

"Debit or credit?"

"Sorry?"

"For the reservation fee. It's the busiest night of the year, sir."

Light sighed. "Can I come down and pay in cash? I lost my wallet."

"Oh, it's you. Fine, I'll hold the table for half an hour, but no longer. No doubt there will be other people trying to make reservations."

"Okay, I'll be there as quick as I can."

Light grabbed his coat and the fifty dollars Teru had lent him and hurried down to the restaurant.

The restaurant was busy when Light arrived. The food smelled good and reminded Light that he hadn't had a proper meal in days. It hit him that he would soon have to eat two meals, one after the other. The staff wouldn't notice, would they? And if they did, surely they wouldn't say anything about it.

The woman with long dark hair was at the counter again. She was wearing a name tag which said Naomi.

"I've got the deposit here," Light said breathlessly, pulling the fifty dollar bill out of his pocket.

"Thank you," Naomi said, taking the bill and putting it in the cash register. She gave Light thirty dollars change. She flipped open the diary. "Yagami, right?"

"Yes, Light. One more thing," Light said, scanning the room. "I heard that my neighbour is also going to be here tonight, and I'd like to be seated far away from him if possible. So it won't be awkward, you understand?"

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Your neighbour?"

"Yes," Light said, trying to maintain the illusion of plausibility. "Teru Mikami."

"Sir, we are fully booked."

Light put on his best downtrodden look. "It's been such a hard time for me lately. And I wouldn't want to ruin his Christmas as well, I'm sure you understand."

Naomi sighed and looked at the diary. "I'll do what I can," she said.

"And, just one more thing?"

When Naomi looked up at Light, he saw that her customer service smile had completely dropped from her face now. "What is it?"

"Can you ask the chef if he would make a very special dessert for my friend? He has a real sweet tooth."

The woman shook her head. "It's just the set menu on Christmas day, I'm afraid."

"Please? For me? It would really make all the difference."

Naomi frowned. "I can't promise anything, but I'll ask."

"Thank you so much for your help," Light said, and hurried out of the restaurant.

This might work, he told himself. This might just work!