Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I wish I do.
--Chapter 4--
--New Arrivals--
A's funeral seemed like a gust of wind. Nobody really felt the loss of A since the boy never really tried that hard to meet friends. Only B seemed to be feeling loss or remorse ever since the kid died. The child deemed to feel that he was the only one that A had befriended, though Lira and L was not sure if A's real motive is to have a friend. L had seemed to deduce that A had tried to make friendly contact with B because A may have planned to bring B to a lower status. After all, they were both rivals for the position of L's successor. Lira had agreed mentally with L but had then decided not to voice her thoughts. She had been quite disturbed by the fact that B never touched his birthday cake and had chucked it out of the window the moment he gained composure again. What worried her more was the fact that B had never visited L again in his room ever since that incident. L had told Lira not to worry for the kid might be going through depression because of the loss of a friend but Lira seemed to think that B might be feeling that L was somehow connected to the death of his friend. After all, A was first in line to be L's successor.
Lira sat in the couch in the room she had shared with L these past few years. She stared at the crouched figure of L sitting in his usual fetal position in front of the computer. She had never seen his face clearly ever since he started his detective work. If ever they came in contact, which is to be standing side by side, trying to comfort a crying B. Lira vaguely wondered if L's face had changed. She sighed at the thought that maybe, L would leave this orphanage without even making one single proper friend.
Years have passed and still, Lira would sit in that same couch, staring at the crouched figure of L. She never knew if the boy had gained weight or maybe had increased in height. He rarely left his solitude, for the last time he did, it was on a very unfortunate day that he discovered the hanged body of A. Sometimes on the occasions that Lira got really bored she would start a one-sided conversation with L who would just grunt or nod his head to show that he was listening but nevertheless, he never removed his gaze from the effing computer screen. It was one of those bored days again as Lira entered the room she shares with L, sat on the couch and stared at the pale crouched figure of L. He was wearing his usual white long-sleeved shirt and baggy pants, you would never really know if he changed clothes. The last time Lira looked through his wardrobe, it was definitely filled with the same clothes, no other color of shirt but white and no other size of pants. Lira sighed again out of boredom and started speaking.
"L?" She said turning to look at the figure of L before the computer. He grunted to show he was listening.
"Have you ever wondered why B never visits us anymore? It's been like, five years since he last visited me. He never talked to you that time. He never even stared at you," the fourteen-year old Lira told L.
"Maybe he's got friends of his own now. There's no way he could depend entirely on his so-called mommy and daddy anymore," L replied.
"Don't you even care? I mean what if he made friends with the wrong people?" Lira said. Though it was not a one-sided conversation than what it used to be, she did not like it that L doesn't seem to care about B that much.
"You sound very much like a mother, I was wondering if we left this orphanage maybe you will have a husband in one year's time. Of course I care about him but it's not that I really have time to worry about how he chooses his friends. Wammy children are special. There's no way someone cracked up will be able to enter this place," L answered with a hint of a smirk on his face.
"You know very well that I might just go working once we leave this place. And you never really had time for anything except your stupid detective work," Lira answered back, looking darkly at the figure that was L. He turned his swivel chair to look at her and stood up. That was then that Lira had finally got all her questions answered. Yes, L had gained in height that he was towering above her even in his crouched manner, he looked kind of menacing. He then took the remaining sweet on the table beside him and walked towards the couch and sat beside Lira.
"I know you will become the world's greatest spy. You won't be sharing this room with me for the past ten years if they were not sure you would be the best. But, really, you shouldn't be worrying so much about B. He's ten years old now and even normal parents will decide that their son has grown enough to choose his own path," L said, while unwrapping the chocolate bar delicately and taking a bite. "You want some?" He asked and extended the hand holding the chocolate bar for Lira to take a bite. She leaned in and took a bite from the sweet treat, munching thoughtfully. Yes, she decided. She was not really B's older sister and she really should let him go. The kid is old enough to stand on his own feet. She turned to look at L who was staring at her. No, he was ogling at her with those large round eyes with dark circles of eye bags.
"Hey! Why are you not in your usual position in front of your effing computer?" Lira asked her eyes widening. L just gave her a smile.
"I'm already finished with my current case. It's quit easy. The killer was the secretary. She just doesn't want anyone to discover her affair with the company president. That's all. Just a piece of cake," L replied taking a bite off his chocolate but before he even got a bite, the chocolate was taken from his hand by Lira, who stood up, running to the door.
"You look so pathetic as a detective, you know that?" Lira smiled that wide smile of hers as she stepped out of the room, L sensing playfulness and decided to give in to the child inside him and Lira, knowing that L is in for a little game, started dancing out of the boy's reach and running through the halls of the orphanage, giggling madly as she did so.
L was quick for his frail figure. He could almost catch up with Lira who was skipping happily down the corridors. She reached the stairs leading to the ground floor of the orphanage and straddled it, waving madly at L shouting, "Catch me if you want the chocolate!" as she slid down the railings of the staircase. L chuckled lightly as she straddled the railings too and slid down the stairs. Lira was standing at the foot of the stairs as if waiting for L to come down. She approached him and tapped him lightly with her hand saying, "Tag! You're it!" and running to the direction of the main door. Just as Lira tuned and laughed at L, she hit something solid that knocked her onto the floor. L quickly ran to her direction and helped her up.
Mr. Wammy, picked up the half-eaten chocolate bar, thankfully still wrapped in its foil and chuckled. "I see, Shadow, you have finally made L leave your room," He told the Lira who was still being supported by L. Looking closely at Mr. Wammy, l noticed two children cowering behind the man's shadow, probably positively scared at the sight of two older children running amok.
"New arrivals?" L asked Mr. Wammy who nodded in answer. Lira, however snorted to L's choice of words. It was as if he was referring to the children as if they were packages to be sold at a department store.
"Oohhh.. I hope both of you will become next in line to succeed Mr. Meanie and then, you should defeat this sugar-loving bastard," Lira said and crouched low to smile at the children.
"Well, on that note, I think they should make up for B," Mr. Wammy smiled at L whose eyes widened.
"What? You mean I'll baby sit them? I thought I was through with that phase already!" L retorted.
"Nope, you never even got through that phase yet. You see, B chose you. You were not chosen to baby sit B. Now, since you're already old enough, you'll get to 'parent' these kids and no, you won't baby sit them alone. I'm sure that you roommate, Shadow, will be more than willing to help with these kids. Don't you, Shadow?" Mr. Wammy smiled at Lira who was still staring at the kids with that 'they're so kawaii' look on her face. She turned to Mr. Wammy.
"I told you. I feel like a billiard player when you call me Shadow. Just call me Lee, for goodness' sake. And yes, of course I would love to take these children. Even though some sugar-loving, coffee-intoxicated, insomnia-inflicted bastard does not want to," She said turning to give L a death glare.
"Well, In that case, you take them with you," Mr. Wammy said and with that, he left the newcomers staring up at Lira who looked quite pleasant and friendly, to L who looked downcast with the prospect of having children under his tow again. The smaller child, who looked younger with beautiful, long blonde hair, approached Lira who smiled at the child as the kid began tugging at the chocolate that was still in Lira's hand.
"Oh, you like it?" she said and handed the child the remaining chocolate and the child munched gratefully at it. "You're such a cute little girl, aren't you?" She said, patting the child's head and in a flash, the kid slapped her hand which turned bright red. Lira scowled and rubbed at the place where the kid had slapped it.
"What did you do that for?" L asked the kid furiously coming to Lira's aid.
"I'm a boy, alright! I'm Mihael Keehl!" The kid shouted back at L. Clearly, the chid does not care if L is bigger than him or whatever. He was quite infuriated by the fact that he was mistaken as a girl. L was taken aback and stared at the kid carefully. All signals told him that it was a girl. And clearly, he needed someone to get slapped furiously by the kid for him to realize that it was a girl.
"I'm sorry. He really gets angry when he's mistaken as a girl," The larger of the two, a redhead clutching a cheap videogame console in one hand said with pleading eyes to Lira.
"Well, it's quite alright, it was my mistake too. What's your name?" Lira asked the redhead.
"My name is Mail Jeevas. You can call me Matt anyway. A lot of people do. And you can call him Mello," The kid answered.
"Nice meeting you then, Matt and you, Mello. I am Lee and you can call him L. Don't ask why we introduce in that manner, though or he'll throw a tantrum. Now let's get you to our room," Lira said and with that, she took Matt's hand and Mello, though a little bit shy, grabbed a part of L's baggy pants and they all trooped to the room that Lira had shared with L for the past ten years. Again, they would be playing a rather improved version of 'family' that they had once played with B. Hopefully, the children will not request for their 'parents' to kiss or that would be an extremely awkward situation now that the 'parents' have finally grown up.
A/N: Hmn…this series is quite hard to write…lol…anyway, thanks to those who reviewed and added this to their favorites…you don't know how grateful I am. I thought the chase was pretty OOC but I can't help it. It's based on something I actually did to a guy friend during our last days at school…lol….Near would be in the next chapters coz we all know he's younger than Matt and Mello. Well, enjoy! Ciao!
(An extra A/N: I have received the red velvet cake. Quite yummy! You know who you are who sent it.thanks )