[A/N] Hello, again, everybody! This is my first time writing a Professor Layton story, but I'm sure that anyone who knows me knows that already. For the purposes of this story, which I hate having to explain, but must anyway, this takes place a couple of weeks after the events of Unwound Future, but about six months before Luke leaves for 'Murica. Luke and Flora have confessed feelings for each other, but at this point, it's more of a crush that will eventually turn into love. They have been dating for about two weeks. They are each about a year or two older, but with the same personality, if only because that's easier to work with. And besides, if I don't make them even a little bit older than their age in the actual game, I'm gonna get flames galore. Finally, the story is set the night before New Year's, which is actually in about a month's time. As for when on that night… Well, that's for you to decide. Also, to anyone who can't tell, NO, there is not a prequel to this. I'm just explaining everything here. Of course, a better explanation of all of this will be in the story itself.

Well, now that the Declaration of Independence up there is over, what say we get on with the story?

So, without further ado…

Up on the Roof

They were up on the roof, as should be said.

Luckily, he was prepared.

Luke had always thought that the roof of Professor Layton's university was a pretty nice place to sit and think, and one day, he had an idea; What if he brought Flora up here?

And that is just what he did.

It was a cold night in December, when he carried out his plan. He had prepared for it the day before, carefully clearing the snow off of a large area on the roof where he liked to sit, and setting up a blanket so it wouldn't come back. He casually asked Flora if she wanted to come up to the roof with him that night, and she said yes, suspecting nothing.

She didn't know it, but that (in Luke's mind, anyway) was their first date.

A couple of days later, he asked her out again, but this time for real. Again, she happily agreed, and Luke took Flora out to a fancy restaurant, where they ate, laughed, talked, and eventually shared their first kiss. That was the night that Luke realized he had something very special.

When they walked home, the two scarcely said a word, except for wishing each other "good night" before they each went to their rooms.

Now, it was the night before New Year's, and Luke decided to ask out Flora for the night.

That day, Luke walked up to Flora while she was working on a puzzle the Professor picked out for her, and he said, "So, Flora."

"Yes, Luke?" she asked politely.

"I was wondering, d'you… ah… that is, d'you…"

"Do I what?" she said. She was starting to get confused.

"D'you want to come up to the roof with me tonight?" He felt about as nervous as when he asked her up there the first time.

"Oh," she replied. "Well, I'd love to…"

YES! Luke thought.

"But I can't."

Luke wasn't sure he heard her correctly.

"Luke?" Flora was starting to get a bit worried. As soon as she said that she couldn't, he froze up and didn't move a muscle. It didn't even look like he was breathing.

"Oh," said Luke. He tried to act cool on the outside. "Well, alright then. Sorry for bothering you."

He may have said that last part a bit to coldly, because as soon as he saw the hurt look on Flora's face, he clomped upstairs so he wouldn't have to see her cry.

When he got up to his room, he locked the door, flopped onto his bed, and started to cry. He seemed to all of a sudden have no control over his thoughts. He imagined himself striking her across the face for refusing, running off and never coming back… everything he was thinking, he imagined the Professor saying, "Now Luke, a true gentleman never…" with multiple endings to that sentence.

Back downstairs, Flora was just thinking about the exchange they had just had. She wasn't crying, but she was imagining how much she had just hurt Luke. She decided to go up to his room, and talk to him.

As she walked up the stairs, she could hear him sobbing into his pillow, and she wondered whether or not she should talk to him at all. It was then, however, that she had an idea.

She went back downstairs, found pen and paper, and wrote a note for Luke that said "Dear Luke, I'm sorry that I made you so upset at my refusal. I would have loved to come, except I already made plans with my friends. I just hope you aren't too angry at me. With love, Flora." In the same nature that she always used when she wrote her notes to him, Flora dotted all of her I's with tiny hearts.

She went back up to his room, where Luke had stopped crying. She slipped the note underneath his door, with such care that it made little to no noise, and he didn't even notice it appear.

Luke didn't come out of his room until the Professor made him and Flora supper. It was quite awkward. Luke didn't look up from his food once throughout the entire meal. Flora kept trying to talk to him, but every single time she attempted, Luke would ignore her and strike up a conversation with the Professor about a puzzle. Each time, Professor Layton wouldn't answer him, and instead try to help Flora, who in turn would try to speak to Luke, and the whole cycle started all over again until Luke was done with his food.

At this point, Luke quietly moved his dishes to the sink and walked back up to his room without another word.

"What happened between you two?" asked the Professor.

"He asked me if I wanted to come up to the roof with him tonight," Flora explained. "And I refused."

That left the Professor silent too, trying to figure out how to smooth things over between the two of them.

When Luke went back up to his room, he saw the note that Flora had left him. He read it, and suddenly all of his anger toward Flora disappeared.

He just couldn't believe how stupid he had acted.

Luke walked back down the stairs and saw Flora sitting in the living room, working on another puzzle.

"Listen, Flora…" he started.

But she had already forgiven him. She walked over to wear Luke was standing, pulled him close to her, and kissed him.

When they broke away, Luke stammered, "Um… alright, then," and they both broke out laughing.

"I guess that means you've forgiven me then," he said.

"Yes it does," she replied. "And I've also changed my mind. I'll go up with you tonight."

"Really?"

"Yes. Nobody should be alone on New Year's, after all."

"Thank you," he said.

"For what?" asked Flora.

"For everything. For kissing me just now, for agreeing to come up with me, forgiving me after I had been so stupid," he babbled.

"Oh!" She put her hand over her mouth. "That reminds me; I've got to go call my friends and tell them I can't come."

"Alright," he said. "I'm going to go get dressed up, and I'll meet you on the roof."

"See you in a bit," Flora replied.

As Luke went back up the stairs, he met the Professor coming down them.

"Ah!" he said. "There you are, Luke. I just want you to know that you need to patch things up with Flora, and I have figured out just the way to d-"

"Professor," Luke interrupted. "It's alright. We already did."

"Well, that's good," said Professor Layton, a bit taken aback.

"I'm going to my room to prepare right now," Luke said. "See you later!"

"Good-bye," said the Professor. He reflected on how smart his students were. He would need to take lessons from them soon!

Up on the roof, Luke was bundled up for the cold, on the same spot that he sat with Flora the first time they went up there together. He looked around anxiously, waiting for her, when he saw her head poke up over the roof.

"Hello," she said.

"Hello to you, too," said Luke.

Luke checked his watch. It was only five minutes until the new year!

"You know," started Luke.

"I know," said Flora.

"You do?"

"Yup," she said, nodding. "The first time you brought me up here was supposed to be a date, wasn't it?"

"How on Earth did you guess that?"

"Oh, just the way you were acting," she replied. "It didn't seem like you were just talking with your friend, it seemed like you were on a date with her."

"Well, I think there is one thing you don't know."

"Really?" she asked. "And what would that be?"

"There's only thirty seconds left until midnight."

As the couple counted down together, staring into each others eyes, slowly inching closer and closer together, the only thought that was running through Luke Triton's head was that there was no better place than the place he was right now.

"Five… four… three… two… one…"

"Happy New Year," they said in unison.

And just as the fireworks lit up the night sky, they leaned in and shared another kiss, this one to last throughout the whole night, and that they would always remember.

[A/N] …Wow. I can't believe what I just wrote. I think I'm gonna start crying… No, just kidding. There's no crying until the end, after all… Wait, wrong game. Well, read, rate, and review, as usual.