Jubilee stared at the knob, her hand still hovering over it. "Yeah, one sec," she said, willing her voice to sound calmer than she felt. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her hair and quickly assessed what she was going to say. I still want to be friends. Do you? That seemed too simple. The forthrightness of it made her heart pound. I think it's worth continuing our friendship and would be up for keeping in touch, if you are. Was that better?

Dragging a hand down her face, she dismissed the thoughts from her head and opened the door. She'd just have to wing it.

"Hey," she greeted casually, stepping back to allow L inside. "I just started packing. Come on in."

L gave a small nod and followed her back to her suitcase, where he stood a few feet away, hands stuffed in his pockets and shuffling his feet. She busied herself with packing to distract herself from his unnerving gaze. What had he come for? Were there still loose ends concerning the case? Or...could it be that he, too, wanted to remain friends?

Hopeful, she glanced over at him. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

L returned her inquisitive look with an unblinking stare. "Yes."

She waited. He continued to stare at her. "Well..." she began awkwardly, then decided to take a gamble. "I actually had something I wanted to talk with you about, too. Do you want to go first, or should I?"

He started at that, then a look of resolve entered his eyes. "I will go first." Turning, he walked slowly towards one end of the room, hands still in his pockets. "We make a good team."

"I agree," she said after a moment when he didn't continue. Not exactly sure where this is going, but it sounds promising so far. Friends were a team, right?

"And we balance each other well." He turned again to slowly pace in the other direction. "We each see things that the other person doesn't—literally and figuratively." He faced her. "You also have other qualities that are worthy of attention, such as your ability to draw deep insight from things, encourage those around you, and generally...appeal to people. All of which was demonstrated often during the case, and which contributed greatly to its ultimate success. I find all of these things, and more, admirable and valuable."

Jubilee struggled to conceal her confusion as her mind worked to understand what he was saying, and why. She thought back to moments on the case when she'd given a pep talk to him, or to other Task Force members like Mello and Matsuda. She remembered when she'd helped distract the members of the Yotsuba Group along with Misa, as well as how she'd befriended the younger girl. Was that what L was talking about? Is he giving me some kind of a post-job assessment? she thought, perplexed. "Thank you," she said at last, but it came out sounding more like a question than a statement.

L had already returned to pacing, eyes on the ceiling as though there was something worthy of observation up there. "Therefore," he said. "I wonder if you would consider the option of returning to England with me—as my partner."

She stared at him. "Your...partner?" she echoed.

L nodded, the air around him blushing slightly even though his face remained as pale as ever.

Jubilee blinked once, twice. Then she smiled widely. "You mean you're not going to be L, the lone detective anymore? You're going to let me be your partner? To solve cases together? Really?" She could barely refrain from jumping up and down with joy. This was even better than she'd hoped for. L not only wanted to continue their acquaintance, he wanted to work together. In person. Which meant that she'd get to be with him wherever he was.

"Er..." L's uncharacteristic stutter stopped her thoughts short. "That—wasn't precisely what I meant. I'm not proposing a business relationship."

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

Her heart plummeted.

He continued, "I would not expect you to work on cases with me. That is to say, it is no way a requirement." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Though I can see how you may have misunderstood my intentions. I did frame a lot of the examples of your characteristics just now through the lens of how they influenced the Kira case."

Jubilee wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. Of course, she'd misunderstood. She was an idiot. How could someone like her be work partners with a genius like L, the greatest detective in the world? What was I thinking? She paused in the middle of her mini-meltdown. Wait. What DID he mean, then?

L had returned to pacing. The blush of his aura cast a rosy glow on the myriad of colors about him, which were churning furiously. It was an enchanting display, and Jubilee found herself suddenly distracted by it despite her overwhelming disappointment and confusion.

"I acknowledge that I have many setbacks," he began slowly. "It likely does not need to be said, but I am awkward at social interaction and uncomfortable with physical contact. I am unused to both these things, and it will likely take me some time to change that. In short, I do not excel at interpersonal relationships. I realize that this—along with plenty of other factors, I am sure—makes me less than ideal as a romantic partner. However, if you are willing to be patient with me...I am willing to learn to improve." The blush over L's aura deepened as he finished, blending into the swirls of mauve which intertwined with the gold and cerulean hovering about him. Jubilee stared, transfixed by the sight. He stared back, like he was waiting for a response. But a response to what? He hadn't asked a question, he'd just said—

Oh. Oh. Jubilee gaped, his words finally registering. The mauve. The rosy blush. It all meant...

She took a deep breath, willing herself to keep her cool. It would not do for a grown woman such as herself to start squealing like a fourteen-year-old. Especially in front of L, someone who was likely unused to hysterics, and who might be perturbed by them, and—

And who likes me! her mind shrieked happily.

Unable to help herself, she broke into a happy grin. Covering her face with one hand, she turned away to collect herself for a second. L was clearly uncomfortable enough with the newness of this entire situation, and she didn't want to make him feel even more so. In many ways, this was foreign territory to her as well. She, too, didn't know what it was like to become close with another person within the context of an actual, healthy relationship. The thought used to strike fear in her—that anyone might ever get close enough to see the real her, and find out all she'd done. The closest she'd ever come to experiencing such closeness had always been an empty copy of the real thing—rushed into and out of, men using her for their own satisfaction as much as she had been using them her own security. For once, she'd like to take things slow, and actually experience something real.

She faced L again. "I am more than willing," she said, managing to keep her voice even. "And I find what you're proposing to be very agreeable. Therefore, I accept." With that, she extended a hand for him to shake, smiling softly.

L seemed to relax a bit at her more formal tone, the tightness in his shoulders disappearing. He looked down at her hand, as though considering it. So, approaching things this way is more his speed, Jubilee thought. Just as well, since she was more comfortable with it herself. She made a mental note to keep physical contact to a minimum, at least upfront, for both their sakes. Sure, they'd shaken hands before, helped each other up, and even hugged that one time when L died—Jubilee paused, at the absurdity of that thought, to say a quick prayer that that wouldn't happen again for a good long while—but it had all been in a different context. They were only colleagues back then and had been in a life-or-death situation, so tension and emotions were high. This time, things were different, and it wouldn't hurt to approach things a little more rationally. After all, they had all the time in the world to deepen their relationship.

L finally looked back up at her. "I find that, even when it comes to social and relational aptitude...I do not like to go backwards in my progress." Then, he grasped her hand, and pulled her forward into a firm embrace.

Jubilee stumbled into him, startled, as his arms encircled her. For a second she simply stood there, her head against his shoulder, registering the clean smell of his shirt and the warmth coming from his chest. Radiant colors danced all about, weaving together into a single tapestry that wrapped itself around the them. Somewhere in the background, she could hear Hellenos—and a multitude of other angelic beings, more than could reasonably fit in the corner where he was—tittering and cheering. Underneath the happy chorus was a sound both gentle and sonorous, like that of a deep, delighted chuckle. It warmed Jubilee to the core, buoying her spirits and flooding her heart until it felt full to the brim—and suddenly she knew, in that moment, that what she was feeling was the pleasure of God.

Yeah...this is good, too, she thought. Thanks, Dad. Smiling into L's shoulder, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a fierce hug back.