A/N: Not only is it Halloween today, guys, it's L's birthday! Yay, and a happy birthday to him! This is the second Halloween fic I've posted today, the first being a KH one. It goes to show how much the spirit of the holiday is holding me hostage. XD
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Halloween at Wammy's
It was very ironic that L happened to be born on Halloween. He looked like a living, breathing corpse with his pallid ivory white skin and dark unkempt hair that kept falling into his onyx eyes. Outside of his orphanage, during his detective career thus far, no one had ever glimpsed his face. He remained an enigma as he solved complicated case after complicated case with ease, impressing his older counterparts with his prodigy status.
L Lawliet managed to remember everything he ever learned from his stay until adolescence at Wammy's House. For that, he was grateful. However, he preferred to avoid that place whenever possible due to its depressing appearance and his childhood memories of being teased and bullied for his intelligence. It was when Watari (aka Quillish Wammy, the founder of the orphanage and a personal friend) told him about the successors that L decided to return.
These successors were still children, but also possessed well-honed minds that contained genius that could almost rival the young detective's. Roger, the cantankerous caretaker at Wammy's House, came up with the logical idea that every child who resided here should be given a number that meant what ranking at which he or she stood. In the event that L should die (and the detective in question thought this a morbid idea), the next successor would replace him.
This afternoon, L intended to meet his top three successors for himself to ensure Roger had done his job correctly. He had never trusted the unsympathetic old man, but when it came down to it, he proved himself worthy as an effective decision maker.
After an annoyingly long flight from the last place he had solved a rather complex homicidal case to London, L sat in his usually odd position in the back seat of Watari's limo.
Curious as ever, he inquired, "What are these children like, Watari?"
The orphanage founder's descriptions of the three boys were very concise. "Mello is somewhat of a loose cannon; he is very rowdy and longs to be better than your successor Near. Matt is languid and prefers to think for today, if at all. And, lastly, Near is exactly like you, L."
L chewed on the tip of his thumb, a definite sign of his manner of musing. He felt mildly concerned when it came to Mello's impulsiveness and Matt's apathy, so he figured that Roger did select the best person for the job in Near.
"I shall see for myself if Roger made the right decisions; hopefully, he will give me no reason to doubt his expertise."
"I wouldn't think on that too much," Watari advised. "Besides, if you want my personal opinion, I judge this trip to be totally unnecessary."
Sighing deeply, L settled on losing himself to his calculating thoughts. This was honestly not the way he wished to spend his birthday, today on Halloween of all days. But, he had sorrowfully resigned to the fact that he would pass his sixteenth birthday inspecting his three successors to ensure their worthiness. Maybe Watari did have a point by saying that that was unnecessary; after all, these boys had already been selected and ranked. It was his friend's way of telling him that he should just relax on his birthday.
How could L relax, though, when his anniversary of birth had never mattered to anyone? All of his oppressors had merely taunted him even more when Halloween came along every year. Other than that, they and every child in the orphanage eagerly dressed up in costumes. No matter, his birthday served no important purpose, L assumed, so why should he even remotely care about that? Today's objective was to inwardly test Near, Mello, and Matt. Nothing else mattered but his life's work and the people who could possibly take his place. No emotions would interfere with today. So, as usual, L resolved to throw himself into his work.
When Watari drove the limo by the frosty metallic gates of Wammy's House, he asked L, "Do you wish to stay in a hotel for the evening?"
The detective contemplated this question briefly. So many awful memories at this place, the place where he had known ninety-eight percent of his life... Did he actually want to waste the night there rather than a lavish hotel that included enjoyable suites? Was he willing to cede the consoling quiet of an expensive room for a room with thin walls and the noises of children near it? He decided on taking this risk, as masochistic as it sounded.
"No, Watari, I think I will just spend the night here."
He could never classify his orphanage by name; to merely utter it sent shivers down his spine.
The two of them emerged from the limo with the decision that Watari would knock on the door; L never liked socializing with others unless it was absolutely necessary.
Roger opened the door, his sour, twisted face looking disdainfully upon the detective, almost as if he had never abandoned his home.
"Look who decided to come back?" the manager asked sarcastically. "Well, the boys are in the den with the other children, like I promised."
L only bestowed a frigid nod to the detestable Roger before walking to the den.
Lively chatter burst from this room, even before he had quietly shuffled inside; talk of Halloween excited the children, who dreamed of candy that they could eat until they received cavities and actually being out of the orphanage for once to trick or treat. Among the massive crowd, L spotted three boys whose faces he had only glimpsed from photographs Watari had shown to him. Mello, the blond one, was practically yelling to a child under a white bedsheet, who L took to be Matt. Near, who merely observed the two with dead black eyes, only nibbled on a Halloween sugar cookie.
Since he had not gotten a reception, L figured that he should retreat to his room as silently as he had come to the den. However, approximately sixty pairs of eyes glued themselves to him.
"It's him!" Mello shouted avidly, bounding to him at an alarming speed, so alarming that the detective braced himself for impact. Luckily, Matt pulled him back by his vampire cape.
"Ease up, Mello. Is this what you want as a first impression?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Mello averted his attention back to L. "I'm a vampire this Halloween! See?" He showed off fake fangs in his mouth.
"Yes, I see. And you make an extremely fearsome vampire," L commented, though he felt somewhat awkward when it came to speaking to children.
They struck him as unusually hyperactive little demons, and he hoped he would never have to handle such aggression. At that moment, he noted that Near trod toward him.
"Hello, Near," he greeted, alleviated that he could see himself in this boy's dark eyes.
"Hello. I wish you a happy birthday today."
Ah, so Near remembered today after all. Strange, but it was very consoling.
Mello, heavily irritated by the albino unintentionally stealing the limelight from him, shoved him away from his spot in front of L.
"Hey, I talked to him first, you idiot! Sorry about that," he apologized to his idol, an innocent grin adorning his face. He then took out a chocolate bar and gobbled it down as fast as possible.
"There's no need to...uh...apologize, Mello." L was at a loss for words after witnessing the blond boy's display of crude behavior. Matt trudged up to him while proceeding to play a handheld game under his bedsheet that served as a ghost costume.
"Hi, L," Matt greeted casually, acting as though L Lawliet was not the most famous resident to ever come from Wammy's, "what's up?"
L took this question too literally before gazing at the paneled wooden ceiling.
"I suppose the ceiling is."
The redhead chuckled as his fingers rapidly pressed buttons on his handheld, which annoyed Mello thoroughly.
"Hey, you're being rude!" he shouted, shoving his friend just slightly.
"Just give me a break, Mello. I'm on level eighteen."
Sighing huffily, the chocolate lover hardly bothered him after that.
L rocked back and forth on his heels, unsure as to what to say next to these three successors. All he could dwell on was that Watari had been perfectly serious when it came to Mello's violent impulsiveness. Then again, if Near ever took L's place, he would play it too safe as he would solve crimes. Matt just flat-out wouldn't care. L cleared his throat slightly before attempting to stir up conversation again.
"What is Near going to dress up as for Halloween?" he inquired of the two boys.
"As himself, I guess. He's not a huge fan of this holiday—oh, I made it to level nineteen! All right, I rule!" Matt danced in a little circle, creating a comical sight since he wore a bedsheet with two eyeholes.
L sensed a flicker of a smile come to his lips, but suppressed it before it actually appeared.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me!" Mello snapped his fingers. "We made something for you. It's in the kitchen. Oh, and Near helped."
Aware that the chocolate lover's tone soured whenever he said Near's name, L realized that, sadly, this would develop into an intense rivalry.
Trailing after Mello and Matt, L couldn't help but wonder what lay waiting for him in the kitchen; he noted that Near had caught up to him, matching his strides with his small ones.
"We worked hard on the surprise, and we do hope you enjoy it," Near told him, all the while sounding grave and monotone.
Once L stepped into the kitchen, he discovered a wide chocolate cake with white icing and "Happy Birthday, L" written sloppily, childishly with frosting. "Personally, I wanted to put the words on, but Mello wanted to do it himself," Matt informed, feigning a reproachful glance at Mello.
"Hey, look, I think it's great!" he boasted, biting off a chunk of chocolate from another bar.
The sense of appreciation and the liking of acknowledgement for once cheered L to the point that a real smile, though small, graced his features.
"Thank you," he said as he sliced the cake and ate every piece. He offered some to the kids, but they insisted that it was meant for him and only him.
Watari came upon the sight of Matt, Mello, and Near avidly observing L eating the last slice of cake.
"So, L, have you been enjoying your stay thus far?" the detective's devoted colleague inquired, though he knew that his esteemed orphan was.
"Actually, Watari," L drifted his gaze to the proudly grinning Mello, the calmly laid-back Matt, and the stately grave Near, "I am. This...this is better than any hotel. I guess I forgot that."
All three children, even Near, smiled up at their idol. Even Matt had taken off his sheet to show himself, goggles and all.
A/N:I know that I made Halloween out to be like Christmas, but I can't help it. Halloween sort of IS Christmas to me. The candy, the costumes...everything about it is amazing.
I hope I did L's character some justice through this fic. Heh, ironic that I would say that, but anyway, please review. I'm begging ya! XD