A/N: I fucked around with ages/timeline/whatever...deal. Mello's 15, about to be 16. L's 26. Three years have passed since the story began. I just pushed everything forward so Mello would be a little older when the Kira investigation began.

THIS IS IT! Chapter's short and fluffy as all get-out.

THANK YOU TO ALL MY LOVELY REVIEWERS!

EPILOGUE:

YOU THINK YOU CAN GO AGAIN OLD MAN?

OCTOBER 30th, 2003

It was difficult to say if Mello was completely /over/ his past. As time when on, there were still signs that it affected him. The nightmares started again, shortly after he returned to Wammy's. He would go for weeks not sleeping. There were the times when he asked L to hurt him, got angry when L would refuse, instead just holding him tightly until he calmed or stormed out for the night, riding aound on the motorcycle L had bought him until he'd sorted out his head. But he'd begun to talk about it, though not with a therapist like his lover had demanded. L himself spent many nights listening, feeling terrible for just not knowing what to say. Though after their talks, Mello seemed much happier than after the few therapy sessions he had sat through.

Several months passed, classes began, and before he knew what hit him, L was turning twenty-six. Mello teased relentlessly about the ever closer big three-oh, though it did not affect the detective. His life was about to take a turn for the better, not due to the mountain of presents he'd be opening, or the special cake Watari would stay up all night preparing. L had tried to sneak into the ktichen several times, only to be chased out by an angry old man with a wooden spoon.

No, the reason had nothing to do with the approaching celebration, but the plans he had made himself in secret, behind the back of a certain gorgeous young blond (And good god, if he if he didn't get prettier everyday...). They lay in bed on the thirtieth of October, counting down the last sixty seconds until Halloween. At the exact stroke of Midnight, laying curled naked on the bed, L took a deep breath, and finally put his plans into action.

"Happy birthday, L." The blond was losing the fight against sleep, head on L's chest. The dectective kissed the teen's forhead, his cheek, the tip of his nose, his lips. "Mmm, L, not again...You've had your present three times over in as many hours. I'm /exhausted/."

"There is something that I must ask, and I will not wait a moment longer. Remember, it is my birthday, and you cannot say no."

Mello laughed. "Oh really? You think you can go again, old man? Because honestly, I can't." However, the blonde's mind was changed quickly, as his lover kissed the tips of each finger, bringing the ring finger of his left hand completely into his mouth, sucking on it.

"As beautiful as Mello is, I am also not sure that I have the stamina. But that is not what I am after." L rummaged through the pockets of his discarded jeans, holding Mello's left arm by the wrist as he slipped the band over his ring finger. "It is the third anniversary of the first time I realized my feelings for you. It is also my birthday. I would like very much if Mello agreed to marry me."

"We can't get married L. We're both men." Despite his protests, Mello took no action to remove the ring, simply staring at it, turning his hand over to get a better look. It was simple, though knowing L, it was also expensive, and thankfully, he'd known enough to make sure it was masculine in it's design. There were no gaudy heart-shaped diamonds, no fancy cut out designs, but it was definately meant for the purpose.

"Is that Mello's only objection, that law dictates we can not legally marry? Need I remind you who I am?" Mello giggled despite L's very serious tone of voice. He knew very well that the detective wasn't joking. Whenever he was told that something was impossible, or he was not allowed, it came back to that. He was L. He was justice. He would make it happen...

He was a brat.

"You're supposed to be tad bit more humble about this. You're asking, not telling." The blond couldn't help but think the childish behavior was cute. The detective almost always got what he wanted, if only to prevent him from throwing tantrums.

"Yes, and I suppose you are meant to be female, and at least eighteen years of age. Ours is an unconvential relationship. It is also a part of my life that I wish never to part with. Logically, the next step was to propose. Please accept." 'Please' was one of the least common words used in L's vocabulary, reserved only for something of great importance. Mello was only one of out two people that ever heard the man utter it. "I do not hear any protests."

"You know L, there's something I just noticed." L had kissed the boy when he had been given no further response, nuzzling his cheek. The blond had returned the gesture, looking ever more like a cat. "I have never seen you shave."

"I don't have to. As far as I can tell, neither do you. Now, love, was that meant as a way to change the subject, or have you conceded but are having difficulty in expressing the fact?" The topic of marriage had been debated in general once or twice, Mello bringing up statistics of divorce rates, spousal abuse, marriage of convenience, etc. He had argued his point and backed it up with a surprisingly thorough amount of evidence, cementing the fact that it had been a brilliant move on L's part by naming all three of the boys as his successors in the event of his untimely demise. But Mello had assumed L would agree, had been very surprised when instead the older man had said that nothing could possibly be more romantic, other than sharing the experience of creating a child.

"Yes." The response had taken so long that the dectective almost believed he would be denied in the end. He rolled over, laying on top of the blond. They kissed until they both couldn't breathe, the older relieved that the answer was yes, the younger nervous, but somehow happier than he'd been in a long time. "On one condition."

"Anything," L whispered against his lips.

"I get to tell Roger myself."