Conclusion: Peppermints
My job had been simple: to be his extra eyes and ears. He had given me all the equipment for the job, all the connections I might never need. All the trust and respect I had ever wanted. And yet, when the moment came, I could do nothing to save him. From eight different angles I watched him struggle, suffer, and die. Every time I close my eyes, I see his last pained look, a name upon his lips. I name I'd give everything to know...
"Oomph!" My collision has brought me back to reality. I've walked straight into a five year-old, a chocolate bar on the cement sidewalk, a quiver on his bottom lip.
"Oh no! Are you alright?" I don't remember anything that nice ever coming out of my mouth before...
He points with a stubby finger to his candy lying on the sidewalk "Y... you killed it!" His lip quivers more violently now, bringing him threateningly closer to hysterics.
"No! Don't cry!" I look around frantic for ideas. "Here! You want a dollar? Or, uh, my earrings? They're shiny, see?!" I rip the stud out of my ear and shove it inches from his face. Oh please don't let him cry! It's only now I realize my studs are skulls and crossbones. Bad choice.
"Y...you're wearing dead people!"
Oh sweet Jesus..."No they're skulls! That's only the heads of dead people!"
"Mommmmmieeeeeee!" Quickly forgetting his chocolate, he bolts, leaving me alone once again. I'd never been good with kids...
I glanced over at the abandoned candy bar, and my thoughts returned to him. Nowadays, my thoughts always return to him...
Flashback
The third and final time I'd come face to face with L was a week before his death. He'd been holding a bouquet of celery, chives, carrots, and broccoli; tied together by a gold bow. And he'd been standing in my doorway.
"Can I come in?"
"No."
"But I brought you produce!" He held the vegetable bouquet out for me to take. Damn those puppy dog eyes!
"What do you want?"
From his baggy pants he produced a package of about twenty CDs. "It has come to my attention that your equipment is in need of updates. And as Watari is busy with matters concerning the Kira investigation, I took it upon myself to deliver them."
I looked quizzically, purposely shutting my door slightly. "If you're just dropping off programs, then why'd you bring me a salad?"
He pushed the vegetable bouquet towards me further. "They require installation."
Realization dawned. He would need to come in. To my apartment. "And uh, how long do you expect installation to take?"
"Optimistically? Five hours."
"Five!?" I pulled the bouquet from his hands.
-insert sound of celery colliding with his skull-
"Ouch!"
I allowed my door to open fully. "Know that this is only for the sake of the investigation."
He continued to rub the bump on now forming on his forehead. "Understood."
We made it thirty seconds without fighting.
"I thought you didn't like sugar."
"I don't. Why? Oh shit." I pulled out a nest of wires the size of my head. I sat discontentedly on the floor to begin the process of detangling. Six hours...
For once he made no comment about my sailor's mouth. Instead he chose to sit across from me, placing a bowl of peppermints between our feet. "I found these on your entrance table."
"I keep them for guests." I held the cord-ball up to him. "Do you see a plug in here anywhere?"
His hand disappeared for a moment, returning with a plug in between his slender fingers. "Am I to guess that they're years old, then?"
I took the plug from him, trying to ignore that our fingers had touched. "How did you.."
"You don't strike me as the kind of girl who brings home many guests."
"You judge me a lot, L"
Slowly, he unwrapped a peppermint and placed it in his mouth before answering. "Not as much as you judge me."
I felt my anger blaze again. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"The first time you met me you threw a churro in my face."
"Donut."
"What?"
"I threw a donut in your face."
"Ah yes. That's right. You told me to 'scrape fifty goddamn churros.'"
The plug and my mouth dropped simultaneously. "Did you just swear?"
"I was merely quoting."
"You still said it."
He snatched the wire ball back and became busy untangling. "Doesn't count."
I snatched the ball back. "Does too."
"Does not."
"Does too."
"Does. Not." He lowered his face inches from mine, snatching the ball back a final time.
And then, I did something I had never done before. And neither of us expected. In an unexplained passion I leaned forward, pulling him to me."
The kiss started light, changing almost instantly to hard, sloppy, and desperate,as if we'd been waiting a year just for this moment. (Not that I wanted to admit it to be true.)
He pulled away slowly, a single word on his lips. "Damn."
I smiled. "That counts."
"Yes. Yes it does." He frowned for a moment. "Where has my peppermint gone?"
I realized then that something foreign and disgustingly sweet had remained in my mouth. I stuck out my tongue for him to witness the striped candy.
"I should like it back now."And he leaned in again...
End of Flashback
"Excuse me."
"Huh?" I looked up stupidly, a dazed expression still plastered on my face.
"Did you drop this?" In his narrow fingers he held the abandoned candy bar.
"No."
"Good." He broke off the edges that had made contact with the cement and began munching.
I laughed.
"What?"
"Well, it's just, you reminded me of a friend of mine. He was a real sugarhead too."
"Was?"
"Well, he passed away recently."
He didn't say anything for a moment, as if contemplating what to do next. Finally, he held out his hand. "I'm Mello. Do you want to go get a coffee?"
For the first time in what felt like forever, I smiled. "I'd like that."
He led me down a few blocks to a sidecart, tubs of coffee steaming next to overpriced hot dogs. "Sugar dear?" the lady asked.
"Eight please."
She raised an eyebrow, but filled the order anyway.
Mello's leather vest crackled as he pulled me closer, arm around my shoulders. "Looks like someone else is a sugarhead."
I tipped my head so he couldn't see the tear that rolled down my cheek. "Recently converted.
End.
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A.N.: Ta Da! I think this turned out very well, though sad. But I REALLY want to hear what you, as the reader, thought. Feel free to PM me or just send a review, and I'd love it if you checked out my others stories too.
-M.C. Wilde
