Light landed in his chair, his computer black with a lack of the usual electricity running through it's electronic viens. He flung open the pages to a perfect, untouched blank.

Finally, he thought savagely, finally I can kill L! Thanks to Misa...

He whipped out his pen, clicking it quietly in the silence of the empty house. The tip poised over the page, his movements desperate, to end this, finally-

He stopped. The pen then came down, making a single, tiny black '.' marking on the otherwise spotless paper.

Sometime later, Light turned his head to the right, only to see fourty-three minutes had gone by, had passed since he sat down-

"Hey, Light, there are cameras in the room again." Ryuk noted aloud from somewhere on the ceiling.

He stared at the '.' while bitting his lower lip, his thoughts no longer connecting.

If I do this-

If I do-

Then finally-

L will-

He couldn't manage to string the words together.

Light slowly lowered the pen, considering, he was checking every possible outcome and comeing to too many varying conclusions, but he needed to think this through, because this was-

"L." He said aloud, then, "Ryuk, what is the closest camera to me, one that is facing me?"

"...it looks like there's one directly in front of you."

Light blinked, sharply, his gaze landing on the tiniest camera, set precisely between the groove where two books met.

Even if there aren't any bugs..."L, you can read my lips, right?" He asked, making sure to stare into the camera.

His heart gave a lurch; what was he doing?

"This is called a Death Note. Any human whose name is written in this will die. That's how I kill people."

His thoughts came more easily after the initial confession, and it was all shockingly clear. He paused before speaking again. There are two paths before me; one containing L's death, and one containing L's life. "I...quit. I hereby relinquish my title as Kira, because what I stand to gain is not worth what I would loose." Light stopped again, steeling himself. "I have to go to school now, and I'm taking the Death Note with me. When you touch it, you'll be able to see the shinigami that follows me around, but he won'e hurt you. His name is Ryuk." He stood, sliding the Note into his book bag in clear view, not that he could have hidden it if he tried. "If you want to talk, or send police after me, you know where I'll be, L."

--

Light walked the grounds, avoiding his usual flock of fans in favor of solitude. Any minute, he could find himself in a cell. He sat down on the bench he had seem L on, not long ago. School started in half an hour, too-

L slid down onto the bench next to him, both feet resting customarily on the edge.

"Hello, Ryuzaki." Light greeted, expression perfectly neutral, although L saw his hands tighten on the book bag.

"Hello, Light-kun." L replied, then stood, his hands shoved protectively in his pockets.

Light followed, his fingers hurting from the grip on his bag, but he didn't bother to release it; all his attention was on the one who walked before him. He didn't bother with the thoughts that would have normally come in L's presence in any other situation. They didn't matter now, not anymore. This was the single scenario he couldn't rely on his mind to get him out of.

Because there was no way out.

--

Light glanced around the rooftop, confused, and tried to brush off the growing tension that lined his shoulders an filled his stomache. "We're going to talk here?" He inquired.

L walked over to the edge, leaning his arms on it. "It's nice up here, isn't it?" He asked calmly, conversationally.

Light moved forward, forcing his head to lift and lungs to fill with the cool breeze, and stood next to L silently.

"Kira."

A cold pressure rose in his throat; he swallowed, licking his lips.

"You could...push me over the edge, Light-kun." L tempted softly. "No one would ever know."

"I don't want you to die, L." He switched to his real name, as compensation for being called 'Kira'. "That's why...I...give up." It had been just as hard to say as he'd thought, all that and more. "I give up." His voice had shaken at first, but it ended on a softer, almost submissive note. He waited. He felt...release somehow. Relaxed. Relieved. Ah, that was it. Calm, and accepting. Scared, of course, there was that, and a little anxiety as well. But overall, he felt like he had regained the peace of mind he had lost the day he first killed.

"Light."

The slight demand made him turn. L lifted his hands and clasped Light's arms, dragging himself from his slouch so that his height rivaled Light's own. He then proceded to lean forward until their noses touched, unbearably unreadable black eyes staring into stunned hazel mirrors. "Make a deal with me." His breath brushed over Light's lips, fanning his cheeks. L was frighteningly close to him, the rise and fall of his chest nearly unnoticable.

Light gave a small, tense nod, all he could do. In place of his parasympathetic system, L's close proxcimity stilled his rapidly beating heart.

"Never use the Death Note again. Get rid of it. Hide it. Forever. And help me apprehend the other Kira's. I have erased the tapes that you confessed on. No one ever need know."

A moment went by, a beat, and Light nodded one last time.

L nodded back.

He breathed, his slim figners pushing their way up to Light's shoulder, the gentle, sensuous touches pleasant through the blazerless shirt. L grazed Light's neck with his thumb, before he caressed their lips together.

He pressed down harder, only a little bit more forceful, still kissing softly.

Light's eyes widened fractionatly, then he closed them, relaxing into the older boy's arms.

END