A Memory
Before Reading:Listen to Misa No Uta (piano solo) on youtube while reading this. I listened to it while writing. Very good, very sad.
It was Three AM. Hardly a time any human would like to see on a clock when still awake. Well, in all actuality, I suppose a human would have to be awake to truly see the bright neon numbers glaring back at you in almost laughter.
At that time of night, or rather day, it was just about time for someone to be telling themselves there brain must recieve rest, however, that was hardly possible when working on such a thing as the Kira case.
All five men who were currently on bored for the case, were staring at a bright screen. However, one person in particular seemed to be having trouble keeping their eye open.
In irony, it was the insomniac,
L Lawliet.
The greatest detective of all time who had never been seen asleep was dozing off in his own swivel chair. It was usually him who stay up all night when the others failed to and it was only one of many things he was infamous for.
This particular night, however, he was having a hard time keeping those dreaded eyelids from falling when usually he had a hard time even blinking.
Slowly, but surely he was falling asleep.
"Ryuzaki?"
"Mmm.."
"Are you falling asleep?"
"Not now, Watari..now now..."
"It's not Watari, Ryuzaki, it's Soichiro Yagami."
L's eyes snapped open all at once as he looked over to the left and saw the other three men in that direction staring at him, each of them somewhat perplexed by the fact that Ryuzaki was having the most trouble out of all of them, keeping awake.
L looked over to his other side and saw that now Light was also starring.
"I apologise. Today has just been a bit stressful for me...that is all..." L replied half-asleep already as he stared on at the computer screen.
"Ryuzaki, you have no right to apologise. You have worked double, perhaps triple the amount of hours on this case than we all have combined. You have also contributed more than any of us could of dreamed of. Please..sleep." Soichiro Yagami reasoned as he watched the Detectives head begin to droop.
"You know Ryuzaki, none of us would of even known you had a stressful day had you not just told us. You act indifferent no matter the circumstances.." Light said with an eyebrow cocked in almost amusment.
It really did tickle him a bit funny as to how this young man, not much older than himself, could handle emotions so well, a bored look always residing on his face, never sharing his problems or emotions with others. Perhaps thats how he became the detective he was today though.
Slowly but surely the others of the task force watched in amusment as L's eyes drooped still glued onto the computer screen before his head nodded a few times and he fell asleep. Still in his usual position.
His body, however, went limp and his head hit the screen softly. Cheif Yagami was the first to react. The others watched casually as Soichiro stood up and carefully put a hand on the detectives chest, backing his head away from the screen.
Then after a moments hesitation, he slowly picked him up bridal style. Carrying him as though he were a small child, he made his way to the couch and slowly let him down easily.
L's breath hitched softly before he slowly let his thumb come to his mouth and rest on his lower teeth.
It was quite a many of hours before slowly surely each person on the Task Force were turning in. All of them staying the night that day.
It was around five AM to be axact. This is also the time in which L woke up, in a cold sweat. Looking around, he saw himself lying on the couch and slowly but surely got to his feet.
He licked his lips thoughtfully before his feet slapped the cold flooring. He looked around in the vague darkness. It was too dim. Too dim..
He closed his eyes and he could feel that stinging behind his eyes. He lowered his head slowly as he shoved his freezing hands into his pockets and stifled a sob by breathing in a choked, shaky manner. He put one foot in front of the other slowly..carefully..
Each stair seeming more steep then what it was in reality. He found his way to the second story and turned his attention to a door straight ahead. He swallowed the lump in his throat and opened the door to the room. It was not the first time he had done it.
Most times he was asleep, having just dosed off. Sometimes, though he was awake and he would stand there in the awkwad silence as the other, older, man would fret about why he was just standing there in such a somber mood.
This time, he knew, though, that the older man would be asleep. He knew he would be asleep..
He turned down a hall and found a small closet in which there were extra white blankets. He grabbed one at a sluggish pace and dragged it down the hallway in tow with him as he opened the door.
The door slowly opened, a small squeak sounding through the room.
He stepped in carefully and looked down at the form on the ground. Blood was still in his mouth. His skin was a light blue colour in the light.
He lifted the blanket up to cover him, but couldn't bring himself to. He dropped it at the older mans knees and stared at his face for a moment.
At this point, he was on his knees, sitting on the backs of his feet. He looked at him for a moment before slowly lowering his head and putting his lips to the older mans forehead.
"Watari.." He whispered, his voice cracking and slowly he resumed to cover the body with the blanket. He held it up high and finally let it go across the body as though it were the final time he would ever see the face.
L sat in the silence and closed his eyes, bowing his head and then letting something escape through his lips like a very soft sob.
A shaky breath..
He put his hand to the older mans chest and took in some more racking breaths,
"Watari...what were you?" The question at first referred to his religion, he was almost positive he had been catholic. So really, the question was meant to only break the silence..he knew well what he was. He wanted, however, to give a pray for the man, even if he was, himself, not a catholic.
However, the question seemed to expan in his mind in the blue light.
"You..You were Quilish Whammy...an inventor...a virtuos man...no doubt that everyone in England found you as a charming man..."
L, here, smiled slightly and gave out a sort of soft ghostly laugh, one without sound.
"But...Watari...you were most of all..."
L stopped for a moment as a sudden stone seemed to occupy his throat, he swallowed harshly but it seemed to no avail. He breathed in again..and then out...and then in...
"You were most of all my father.."
There suddenly landed a shadow on the body beneath the white covers and then a hitched breath.
"Oh..Oh my god..."
L didn't even bother to turn around but instead let his final tear slide down his cheek and land onto the ground. If he listened close enough, he thought, that as that tear fell, he heard the bells...
Those church bells..
He thought, for almost a split second he could hear church bells...
So vividly..
A few more shadows began to surround the doorway until it was darker than ever before in the room.
"Ryuzaki...I am...I am truly sorry for your loss." Soichiro began at an utter loss for words. But weren't they all?
It was funny though, to hear someone say those words..they didn't even know the connection he and the man had had.
They didn't know what Watari had saved him from..they didn't know the saviour Watari had been to him..
L did not respond in this but instead only lowered his head down farther until his forehead touched Watari's dead corpse. There was no warmth anymore..only coldness.
L slowly tried as he may, to gather himself. He scootched over to the side a bit and slowly picked Watari's head up into his hands from beneath the blankets.
He felt his hair within his hands. He could feel his cold scalp against his own cold palms.
L sniffed slightly and breathed in shakily before switching his language to English, to ensure that those behind him could not understand him,
"Watari...I was not born your son...but I feel as though I was supposed to...I wasn't supposed to be born to the original parents I had...you found me for a reason...I belonged with you..I always have...I have belonged with you all my life. You, Watari, are my father...please know.."
L paused as he slowly pulled away the covers by his head and he looked into his eyes, "I love you."
Here L choked and his voice broke in an almost disturbing way.
"Re...Remember Watari...what you had done to..A? To A when we found his body?..." L stifled in his sobs and his voice came in racking waves of emotion as his body shook.
He put his finger on his mouth, and whispered, "This was your mouth..my father...it is what you used to speak words to me..."
He moved two of his fingers ontop of his eyelids which were still open. He slowly closed them with his fingers, "These were your eyes...you used them to see things in your point of view.."
He then put on finger to his forehead, "This was your brain my son...but your brain holds so much more than just information and knowledge..it held your personality...your hearts desires were sent to your brain...and I loved you because of your brain..but not because it held knowledge, but because it held you."
A few moments after, L quickly switched back to Japanese.
"Watari..." He whispered softly before bringing his head to his chest, and then slowly putting it back down.
Here, L stood up slowly and closed his eyes, stepping back a few steps to view the body from above.
"This was the work of Kira, was it not?" Soichiro asked thoroughly angered by the thought of the innocent old man dying for no reason.
He was a kind man.
A good man.
"No." L replied carefully, "It wasn't. This was fate...this is what was set to happen, it was unpreventable."
A flash of himself screaming in the corner of the church, tears rolling down his face briefly crossed his mind and burned into his brain before starring on again at the old man.
This time, L chose to speak in English once more,
"The Bells Watari...I had heard the Bells...that is how I knew death would be coming. I was sad..you knew it..and now you know why..the bells are gone now though...they are softly in the back of my mind still though..because I know not too long from now...I will die also."