Friday

The day before Light had called L five times before giving up. It took those five times of anxiously waiting and hoping that L would pick up for Light to realize the gravity of the situation. L wasn't upset, Light reasoned, he was scared. After four years for knowing L, Light had picked up on the fact that, in the rare occasion that caused L to experience fear, L's number one tactic of dealing with this was to flee. Light didn't deem this cowardly, L had every reason to feel the need to automatically protect himself. However, Light didn't want L to be scared right now.

Sure, Light was stunned by what L had accidentally revealed to him. Yes, he still wasn't sure how to react or what he was feeling. Yet he didn't want L to jump to the conclusion that their friendship was over or had been altered for the worst.

When Light finally gave up on calling his friend, he reminded himself that they would see each other the next day at school. It was likely that L would try to avoid him, but Light didn't doubt that he would be able to conner him at least for a long enough time to say what he needed to. Although he wasn't entirely sure what that was.

Light's plan was shattered when he could not find L the next day. In the morning he had assumed that L was simply very good at hiding from him, but, when the insomniac was absent from all of the classes that they shared, Light began to worry. L never willingly skipped school. Even when he was sick he tried to show up, not wanting to get behind in his studies. At the end of the day Light contemplated showing up at his house to make sure that he was alright. However he doubted that L or his foster family would appreciate this, and it was unlikely that he would be let in or L would come outside to speak with to him.

Instead Light called L five more times. After going to L's voicemail for the fifth time that day, Light took a break to eat, do his homework, and attempt clear his head. By the time he had finished his work, it was already nearing dusk and his family was getting ready for bed. Light had to admit that he was tired, physically if not mentally, and considered showering and turning in himself. That was when full realization struck him and banished all thoughts of rest. It took seconds for Light to call L for the sixth time that day. Once again he went to voicemail, but this time he knew what to say.

"L, this is Light." He started, although of course L would know who he was. "I know you're ignoring me, but I need to talk to you. In person. There's a coffee shop a block away from our school that is open all day and night, I'm sure you've gone to it before, let's meet there. If I leave my house now I should arrive in about forty minutes and I plan to stay all night if I have to. I'll wait for you at one of the tables outside of the shop. Please come."

Light pocketed his cell phone and his wallet. He was grateful that he had settled on the coffee shop for a meeting place, for, if he was going to wait all night, he would need all the caffeine he could get.

L listened to the message twice to make sure that he had heard Light correctly. He had to admit that he did feel guilty ignoring all of Light's calls, but this guilt was not powerful enough to compel him to call Light back. Light hadn't done anything wrong, but L wanted to delay their inevitable confrontation. Staying home from school was a weak move, and came with even more guilt, but at least it had given L some extra time to think about how to move forward. Of course that time had not been enough to answer the six calls Light had made that day. It was true that he still wasn't ready, but he doubted that he ever would be, and he knew that letting Light wait outside of a cafe for him all night would violate whatever trust they still had.

"You can come in now," L called to the three that he knew were attempting to eavesdrop on a possible phone call.

It was Mello who had the bravery (or indifference to L's wrath) to open the door, Matt and Near trailed into the room after him.

"Why'd you play his message out loud?" Matt asked as Mello took a seat at the edge of L's bed, having no problems making himself at home.

"So you we could hear it," Near answered before L could.

"Oh," Matt looked slightly embarrassed for not putting this together.

"Well," L turned to Mello.

"What?" Mello pulled an innocent face that really did not suit him.

"You're dying to tell me what to do right now," L stated. "Go ahead."

"It's your call," Mello shrugged.

L blinked.

"That's all you're going to say?" He was dumbfounded.

"It's your cheesy romance not mine," Mello told him. "Go meet him. Ignore him. It's your call."

"And it's not very romantic to do what your younger brother told you to," Matt added.

L nodded. He was already leaning towards going, but had been curious as to what Mello would have to say about the matter. Making up his mind L stood up from his chair, and walked to his door.

"I'm going out," he informed the three eavesdroppers. "Please leave my room."

"Have fun," Mello smirked as the three of them dispersed.

L didn't wear a watch, but he glanced at the clock as he left his house. Light had left his message about an hour ago, meaning that, by the time L made it to the cafe, Light would have been waiting for him for at least an hour. Hopefully Light was serious about waiting all night and an hour wouldn't feel very long to him.

Light had bought a cup of coffee and a scone when he first got to the coffee shop. It took him minutes to drain the coffee, but he wasn't very hungry, so the half of the scone still sat on the plate in front of him. The night had shaped into a colder one that Light had anticipated, and he couldn't help shivering a little even with the coat he had brought. He yearned to wait inside of the cafe, but he had told L he would be outside, and didn't want to stray away from his original plan.

Light knew that there was a possibility that L hadn't listened to his message in the first place. He may have turned his phone off after the first five times Light had called him, and, if this were the case, Light could hardly blame him. If L didn't show Light hoped that it was because of this and not because he was that set on avoiding him.

As an hour drained by, it was hard for Light to remained confident. If he was completely honest with himself, his emotions were nearing irritation. After all, he hadn't done anything to deserve this shunning, had he? Sure he had pushed L to inadvertently confess his feelings, but that had not been on purpose. Yes, he had been upset the day before and did regret yelling as much as he did, but he still believed that he had good cause to be angry. Not that he still was. He supposed that L had a right to be upset as well, but Light knew that he would no longer see things this way after sitting outside for the entire night.

All of these thoughts and fears dissolved when he saw L turn the conner in the distance. Unfortunately they were only replaced with new thoughts and fears, and Light took a few deep breaths too keep them in check. When his eyes met L's he couldn't help but smile, even though L didn't let the eye contact last longer than a second. The fact that he had actually showed up was enough to fill Light with giddy relief.

L reached Light's table and sat down without a word. This didn't faze Light. He had a feeling that he would be doing most of that talking anyway.

"You weren't at school today." Despite knowing what he wanted to say, Light knew that it would be uncomfortable for both of them if he got straight to the point.

L nodded. Avoiding Light's eyes he tore off a corner of the scone that Light was clearly done with.

"Are you cold?" Light noticed that L was only wearing his usual white t-shirt and jeans, while Light was freezing even with the tick coat he had on.

"I'm fine," L told him.

"We could go inside, it's warmer in there," Light offered. "I could buy you a coffee or tea."

"You want to ask be about what I said over the phone yesterday," L did look at him now, but his eyes were careful not to reveal any emotion.

"Yes," Light admitted sheepishly.

"You want to know if I meant it," L continued.

"Yes," Light made sure to keep his tone level. "Did you?"

L's gaze fell away from Light's.

"Yes," he murmured meekly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to find out like that. I didn't want you to find out at all."

"Do you want to go on a date with me?" Light knew that L viewed this question as sudden from the surprised look that was now displayed on his face. Light took the fact that L's attention was on him and not the table as a signal to continue. "We've already established that we'd make a good couple, neither of us are interested in anyone else, and if you meant what you said-"

"You don't have to date me out of pity." L's tone was cold but there was no malice in it, only a melancholy that rendered Light momentarily stunned. "Neither or us would enjoy a one sided relationship, and those never last very long. I am content with our friendship."

"But I'm not," Light told him before he could get any further.

"What?"

"I'm not content with our friendship," Light clarified.

"Oh," L's voice was soft, but Light heard him clearly. A numb expression passed over his face, but it seemed that he had expected Light to say this. "I understand."

"No you don't," Light realized what he was thinking. "You don't understand because you didn't let me finish. Can I continue?"

"What?" was the best Light was going to get out of L at this point.

"First off, I'm an idiot," Light started.

"No you're not."

"Are you going to interrupt everything that I say?" Light laughed, but L wasn't humored.

"I will unless you say something that makes sense," he defended.

"I think I love you," Light blurted.

When Light had planned how he wanted the night to go, this had not been the way that he envisioned telling L these words. However, he was not complaining. His voice had come out louder than he had meant it to, but there wasn't anyone else around to hear his exclamation. L was staring at him through an expression of utter confusion that Light seldom had the pleasure of witnessing from him. Despite the fact that he knew his declaration was going to take more convincing, Light felt like he was on top of the world. His heartbeat quickened in acceleration as he longed to reached out and touch L. He wanted to be closer, the close the physical barrier between the two of them, but he knew that would only stun L further.

"That," L finally spoke. "Doesn't make sense."

"Why?" Light didn't seem the least bit offended at the doubt L felt and displayed. "What part of it doesn't make sense to you?"

L couldn't answer. He wanted to but his mouth wouldn't move, in fact he couldn't move at all. Every fiber of him was frozen as he searched Light's soft brown eyes.

"As I said," Light caught on to the fact that L was momentarily mute. "I've been an idiot. It took knowing how you felt from me to realize how I feel, how I've felt for a long time."

"How long?" L was able to utter the question.

"I don't know," Light ran a hand through his auburn hair as he contemplated this. "Maybe since we became friends. Maybe since I first realized how much of a genius you are. Maybe since we first met. Since I first noticed you and you first spoke to me."

"The first thing that I said to you was an insult," L reminded him.

"I know," Light was laughing again, and L allowed a smile to tease the corners of his mouth.

"Are you sure?" L let is tone slip back into a serious one. "You said that you think you love me, not that you do. Is there any uncertainty?"

"I've never been in love before," Light confessed. "There were times when I thought that I was, but now I realize that I was fabricating situations. I don't know what love feels like or how to recognize it. But I do know that I care about you more than I've ever cared about anyone. I know that you're the only person who's ever understood me, and I feel that I understand you just as well. I know that I could barely make it through today without knowing that you were alright. And I know that I want to kiss you and hold onto you for as long as I can. Is that love?"

"I don't know," L admitted. "But it's how I feel about you."

"So that's a yes then?" Light asked with a gleam in his eyes.

"A yes to...?"

"Going on a date with me," Light stated. "You want to, right?"

"Yes," L grinned. "I want to."

"If you don't mind I'd like to wait until tomorrow, though." Light added, rising from his chair. "It's getting late and you don't get enough sleep as is."

"You're right," L stood up as well. "Tomorrow night?"

"I'll meet you at your house," Light decided. "We can walk to a restaurant."

"Alright."

They stood facing each other for another second before Light stepped to him. Light's arms smoothly slid around L's waist and back, closing the gap between them. L buried his hands in Light's hair, weaving his fingers between strands that were softer than he had imagined they would be. L pressed his forehead to Light's before Light could bring their lips together, his eyes slipped closed as he inhaled the unique sent that was the boy he loved. After he was confident that he would never forget how it felt to simply hold Light, L tilted his head and brought it closer, surprising both of them by beginning the kiss.

Their kiss was soft. Once their lips met, neither of them moved, as if they both believed it to be a dream and if they made the slightest mistake it would jolt the both of them back to an undesirable reality. L didn't open his eyes until Light gently pulled away.

"I was right." The mouth that L had formerly been occupying shaped into a bright beam.

"About?" L asked, running his hand along the back of Light's head.

Light brought his hand to L's face, gingerly caressing his cheek.

"This," he whispered before pulling L's face back to him.

This kiss was deeper and full of the longing that Light had recently discovered and L had repressed for years. L didn't want that moment to end, he wanted to spend the rest of eternity standing outside of that coffee shop kissing Light. When they did break away it was only because both of them had run out of air.

"Yeah," Light leaned his head into L's chest. "I was definitely right."

L shivered, only then realizing how cold the air around him was. Light chuckled and backed away from their embrace.

"Here," he shrugged off his coat. "I'm not cold anymore."

"Liar." L took the piece of clothing anyway, reasoning that, if he couldn't have Light's arms around him, Light's coat was second best.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Light was ended their meeting the way he ended most of their phone calls.

"I shall say good night 'til it be 'morrow," L knew how corny this quote sounded in the situation, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast. Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest." Light quoted back without missing a beat.

"I was right too," L marveled.

"Yes you were." Light placed one last kiss on L's cheek. "Although I'm not sure why you opted to be Juliet."

"You're ruining the moment," L said dryly.

"There will me more moments," Light told him.

"Yes," L agreed. "Because I wasn't lying when I said that I'm never going to let you leave."

"I promise that I'll never consider leaving at all," Light smiled. "Not even hypothetically."

Well, this is the end. I'm extremely grateful to everyone who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed on this story! I didn't expect there to be as many of you and reading your reviews had definitely made my week! ;-)

I'm sending virtual cake to Animelover5008 for recognizing the scene from Macbeth that I quoted in the last chapter. Me quoting Shakespeare in this was inevitable, and, yes, I did have to end with quoting the balcony scene. I tried to stop myself to no avail (guess I'm still not over playing the Nurse).

Special thank you to those who reviewed on the pervious chapter, Callicanios, Animelover5008, Blazedoll, jaggedheart, Laonasa Enllyn Avery, Guest, Guestie, and SkyPumpkin.

Farewell!