Age 6
The moment the dark-haired child releases his savior's hand, the weight of what has happened over the past few months presses down on his frail-looking shoulders nearly crushing him all over again. The older gentlemen, sensing his despair, crouches down next to the young boy and smiles gently. It doesn't really help like it did earlier that day. The only thing the child wants is a distraction, and his wish is granted in the form of a tiny blonde girl bounding into the grand office. The child wonders briefly why such a young girl, clearly younger than himself and most likely just one of the many hopeless children here at what the man called "Wammy's House", has the freedom to barge into the headmaster's office like this.
"Grandpa!" she cries cheerfully while tackling said headmaster. Oh. She's his granddaughter. Her presence makes a lot more sense to the child now, but before he can ponder it any further, she turns to him with a huge smile. "Are you a new kid? Hi! My name is Awabella!" she said, and the boy could hear that she hadn't yet lost her toddler-like lisp. Her grandfather smiled once more and said to the boy,
"My granddaughter, Arabella. She and her younger brother are visiting me, along with their mother." Right on cue, a very young boy and a blonde woman enter. He can't tell if the woman is pregnant or just a little round in the stomach, and so he says nothing. Not out of politeness, no, but simply because he has said nothing since arriving here and intends to keep it that way for a while. No sense in talking to them if he won't be staying, he reasons. He still can't grasp the kindness of the man, who had called himself "Watari". It's getting to be too much, too many people...he feels himself beginning to be sucked under again, and looks for another distraction. He gets the same one as before, of course. Arabella walks over to him quickly and asks him what his name is. His name? Why would she care? Watari speaks from behind them. "L." He says firmly. "He will be called L".
"L..." the newly-named boy echoes. All heads turned towards him, except for the toddler, who tugs at his mother's hair playfully. He hesitates, almost surprised that he has spoken, but then continues. "Alright. I am L".
Reviews would make little L happy. Later chapters will be longer!