A/N: It's been about six days since I promised an update. Sorry, I haven't been in a writing mood and every time I would open Word, my mind would draw a blank. I'm surprised I managed to write this. Anyway, enjoy chapter four~
L sat in the booth in a quaint coffee shop he and Light visited quite often. He was relieved Light had been merciful enough to squeeze in an hour of free time for him because, honestly, the kids were driving him insane.
Luckily the sugar from his strawberry cheesecake was taking the edge off of the rare stress that he was feeling. He solves murder cases every day, yet he's never felt more stressed than he feels right now. Mello has lost his mind over a few needle pricks, and Matt decided to be smart-ass in front of the principal. He was thankful that at least one of his children wasn't so troublesome.
A waitress approached his table, smiling a grin that, at the moment, was slightly annoying to L. "Can I get you anything else, sir?"
L took an experimental sip of his coffee, frowning. Not sweet enough. "I will acquire a few more cubes of sugar, if that's all right." He glanced down at his watch. 1:24. Dang. He has to leave soon. "Also, a few more slices of this cake to go…"
"Ha! Beat you, Matt!" Mello teased as he burst through the front door of their house.
Matt trudged in lazily behind him, a PSP gripped tightly in his fingertips. Rolling his eyes, he replied, "I wasn't racing you, remember?"
Mello grinned anyway. "Whatever. I still won."
Matt glanced up, eyeing a small boy sitting in at the kitchen table, a knee drawn up to his chest and lock of white hair twirling between his fingertips. He knew exactly what kind of effect this would have on Mello, so he smiled slightly. "Look again, Mells."
Mello's victorious grin turned into a look of confusion as he followed Matt's gaze behind him. As his eyes laid on Near, he loud out a disapproving shout, "What the- I was with you the whole time! How did you…!"
Near, still twirling his hair in his fingers, smirked slightly. "Always first, Mello…"
This was an inside message between Mello and Near. Near was always first in everything at Whammy's. If Mello got a 99 on a test, Near would get a 100. If Mello scored three goals in soccer, Near would go out of his comfort zone and score four. If Mello declared he could eat five chocolate bars in ten minutes, Near would be him at his own game. Near was always right above Mello, even in the rankings at the orphanage.
Mello's eyes widened in rage. "Why you little…!" He lunged at the young boy before he was stopped by the redhead behind him.
Matt was grasping onto Mello's leather jacket, holding back the wiggling blonde. "Easy there, tiger."
L, deciding he had seen enough, walked into the kitchen from the hallway where he was standing. "Welcome home. Near, Matt, Mello."
Mello frowned at the raven-haired detective as he glanced at his arm, eyeing the beige band-aid he had received to keep his injections from getting infected. "Hey, Dad. Still don't forgive you for earlier."
"Mello, it has been an hour." L stated blankly before adding, "But even so, the shots were in your benefit. They keep you healthy."
Mello snorted, brushing his shoulder-length blonde hair out of his face. Light always pestered him about getting it cut, but L didn't see a problem with it. Not everyone has to have a perfect hairstyle like Light did. He recalled all the times Light tried to fix L up like he was on their wedding day, but he would have none of it. The other two children simply hummed or gave him a nod in greeting.
Mello tossed his black backpack on the kitchen table unceremoniously before announcing, "Daddy said he would take us to the park today, so now you have to."
"I am well aware." L replied flatly. "Did all of you get your homework done?"
"Didn't have any." Matt responded simply, though L suspected he wasn't telling the whole truth.
"I did it during school," Mello and Near said in unison, causing Mello to give him a sharp glare.
L smiled a small smile but as soon as it appeared, it was gone. "All right. We will leave in about fifteen minutes, so make the necessary preparations."
Mello took off running up the stairs, the other two children right on his heels. Just as soon as they reached their rooms, the fighting started. L's got to say, it's a record for them. Normally they had ripped each other's throats out on the way into the house. He's glad he didn't have to deal with that.
"Matt, don't touch my leather jacket!" Mello snarled from the top of the stairs.
"What was that? Sorry, can't hear you over the fact that you stole my Mario game this morning." L heard the gamer shoot back. "And don't say you didn't, 'cause Near wouldn't do it."
"Near wouldn't do it my ass!"
L felt a throb at his head- the signs of his first stress-induced headache beginning. He could already tell this wasn't a good idea.
"What do you mean you don't have chocolate sauce?" Mello shrieked at the employee at the ice cream parlor. "What kind of ice-cream shop doesn't have chocolate sauce?"
L blinked as the headache worsened. "Mello. You had a chocolate bar in the car on the way over here."
"So? I need chocolate sauce on my ice-cream!" Mello growled back.
"Are you PMSing or something?" Matt grumbled under his breath as his fingers danced across the buttons on his DS. Most eight-year-olds didn't know what that meant, but L had genius children who knew how to work a computer. And there are so many things a young child can learn from the internet, and not all of them are positive.
"Shut up, Matt!" the blonde snapped.
The employee blinked. He looked confused and was unsure on how to handle the situation. L didn't blame him; he didn't look much older than a teen, and Mello was being quite demanding. "Uh… You can have chocolate ice-cream, would that work?"
L closed his eyes briefly, expecting the explosion from Mello before it happened.
"No, it's not the same!" he retorted, slamming his hands down on the counter. "That's like saying caramel ice-cream is the same thing as caramel sauce. Or strawberry sauce is the same thing as strawberry ice-cream. Get what I'm saying?"
"I…guess?" the employee said slowly. "Look, kid, if you don't make a decision soon we're going to have to throw you out."
"I suggest that Mello makes a decision quickly…" Near said quietly, twirling his hair and gripping a monster figurine.
Mello shot the albino a death glare. "No one asked for your opinion, Near!"
"Mello. I will say this again. You had chocolate on the way here. You don't need to have this much chocolate." L sighed, rubbing his temple lightly. "Light wouldn't approve, would he?"
"I'm the fucking successor to L, I can have as much chocolate as I damn well please!" Mello exploded. He was certainly not in the mood for games. Either that or he, like Matt, was purposely making this hard on L.
"All three of us are successors to L," Near reminded him, a hint of irritation in his tone.
"I'm not," Matt said flatly as he concentrated on his game. "I want more to my life than just solving crimes later on."
"All right, then Mello and I are-"
"I don't care!" Mello yelled, interrupting Near's low monotone.. "I just want my chocolate sauce on my chocolate ice-cream with chocolate chips on-Mmph!"
Matt clamped his hand over Mello's mouth, holding his DS in the other. "I want vanilla ice-cream with gummi bears and strawberry syrup," he ordered, keeping his hand pressed against the blonde's lips. Normally L would disapprove, but considering the situation at hand, he let it pass. Just this once. "Near, order. Quick, he might get some sick idea soon…"
Near gave a small nod. His normally expressionless face was pulled into a slight smirk as he observed Mello try and pry himself from Matt's grip. "I would like mint chocolate chip… With whipped cream."
L noticed Matt was struggling to keep his brother contained, so he quickly added in his order. "I would like a slice of strawberry ice cream cake."
After L ordered, Matt released Mello, scowling and wiping his hand on his jeans. "You licked me, sicko."
Mello glared back. "Don't you ever do that again, Mattie. Ever."
The employee, after he finished preparing Near's, L's, and Matt's treat, gave Mello an uncomfortable look. "Hey, kid… You going to order now?"
Mello waved his hand dismissively. "Just get me chocolate ice cream with whatever chocolate thing you've got on top."
"All right, the total comes to $15.34." the employee said to L, who promptly handed him a credit card.
After paying for the ice-cream, the group walked out of the small ice-cream parlor. They got collective stares from everyone in the shop as they exited, all of them silent after hearing Mello's outburst. L stared down at Mello sternly, gripping a plastic fork between his thumb and index finger. "You act this immature in an ice-cream parlor and you expect me to take you to a park filled with other children?"
Mello smirked into his chocolate-filled treat. "You don't have a choice. Daddy told you to, and if you don't take us, we'll tell him. And you'll lose your little bet."
"For the final time, there is no bet," L lied yet again.
Matt smirked. "We know when you're lying."
"Do you?" L mumbled dryly as they walked down the sidewalk towards the park.
Matt tossed his empty cup that used to have ice-cream in it into a nearby trash can. "Just eat your cake, Dad. You have nothing to worry about. After all, we're always angels, right?"
L became uneasy at Matt's innocent sarcasm. He was right, this definitely wasn't a good idea.
It was hard to keep up with all three children at once. L learned that quickly after he arrived at the city's playground which, since today was a nice day, was crawling with children of all ages.
Near was easy to keep up with, considering he didn't go berserk like his siblings. Also, due to his strange hair color, it's easy to pick him out of the crowd.
Matt had taken off with his bag of video games and various gaming systems when he arrived and L hasn't seem him since. He's probably betting every child in his sight that he can beat them in a video game. L will have to confiscate half his earnings later- a rich genius child is a dangerous genius child.
Mello was anywhere and everywhere at once. One second he was swinging on the monkey bars and the next he was chasing some other child for no particular reason. He was the one L was worried about. After all, Mello has been the cause of everything wrong so far. The ice-cream parlor, attacking Near earlier that morning, the doctor… The only thing L can say he didn't do was Matt at the principal's.
L blinked and turned his head to the side to get a better look at the park. He was crouching on a wooden bench in front of the large, metal structure, his headache worsening at the sound of all the children squealing. He immediately saw Near, who was playing with his toys under a nearby tree. Mello was… He didn't know. Same for Matt.
He wiggled his toes over each other and brought a finger to his lip. Should I be keeping up with all of the children? It is an awfully hard job, considering Mello can't keep still… But I'm sure if they got kidnapped Light would make sure it's the end of me.
And so, with that thought, L shifted in his crouch position to step off of the bench. The first child he would find would be Mello, and then…
"Moooooommy! Mommy! Help!"
A desperate cry from a seven year old boy cut through the air as the child ran in front of him. Following right behind him was a blonde-haired boy in leather. Mello, there's not mistaking it.
"I'll skin you alive!" he roared, hot on the younger boy's heels.
L held out his arm and grabbed onto Mello's jacket as he raced passed. His body jerked forward, but was held firmly in place with L's strength. He was panting as he looked up at L, trying to yank out of his grasp. "Let me go, Dad!"
"Why are you chasing that child?" L asked calmly.
Mello scrunched his eyebrows in anger. "Because he called my hair girly! No one says that and gets away with it!"
"Mello, he is only picking on you because he has insecurities of his own," L explained, eyeing the small boy who was standing a few feet away. "Don't let childish insults offend you so much."
"Childish insults my-" Just before the profanity to leave Mello's mouth, L clamped his pale hand of the blonde's lips.
"Mmm! Mmm!" Mello protested, trying to pull off his father's hand.
"No profanity, Mello." L said firmly. "I have asked you plenty of times not to use that kind of language. Does Light let you use such words so freely?"
Mello's only reply was a heated glare.
"That is what I thought," L confirmed, releasing Mello's mouth. "You are here to enjoy yourself. Don't spend it chasing after children."
"Tell that to Matt," Mello muttered. "He's been flagging people down ever since we got here to bet them at his stupid video games."
L mentally sighed. That's just what he had feared. "Where is he exactly?"
Mello pointed lazily over to the park pavilion in the distance. There was a small crowd of children crowded around a picnic table, staring at certain redhead who sat on top. Matt looked like he was highly concentrated on whatever game he was playing as the children held out their own consoles in challenge.
"He's a monster," Mello said, shaking his head. "But it is a good idea. He's made a good profit so far. Maybe I should do something like that. What do you think, Dad?"
"I would advise against it," L said blankly. Having two sons betting other children for money doesn't seem like a walk in the park to him.
Mello snorted. "Whatever. Well, I'm gonna run. Catch you later."
"Try not to harm other children," L said as his son turned and ran the opposite direction.
Mello looked over his shoulder, his eyes gleaming in excitement. "As long as they don't touch me first! Or insult me!"
"Control, Mello." L mumbled probably too low for Mello to hear before turning towards the pavilion.
Even from there he could hear the chorus of disapproving groans ripple through the crowd of children as some of them pulled dollar bills out of their pockets to give to his redheaded son.
As he approached, he could plainly see the wide grin fixed on his face. "That's it, keep it comin'…" His gazed raked over the crowed before he pointed accusingly at one blonde boy that looked older than him. "Hey you, I know you bet me twenty bucks I couldn't beat that level in five minutes. Cough it up."
L blinked as he came to a halt behind the other children. He eyed the small pile of money beside him, which looked to be around a hundred dollars at least. This was worse than he thought. "Matt?"
Matt's expression was confused until his eyes fell on the raven-haired detective. "Oh, hey Dad! Came to make a bet?"
"About these… 'bets', Matt." L started, biting down on his thumb nail. "It could technically count as stealing. You know your skills are above average."
"But they don't know that!" Matt protested, before hastily saying to the crowd, "I'm really bad at Zelda. Just a hint, since I'm practically robbing you all and I want a challenge."
L sighed. "Matt, that is a lie. Zelda is the game you are most successful at. You own every copy of every version in three different languages."
Several kids let out noises of surprise when they heard this.
"You can read Japanese?" one of them asked curiously.
"Hai." Matt answered, an egotistical grin on his face.
"What'd he say?" one of the kids murmured to another.
The child shrugged. "I think it's yes in Japanese, my sister watches anime…"
"Awesome…!"
L mentally slapped himself. Instead of drawing attention away from the crowd, they were now fixed on Matt way more than before. "Yes, he is bilingual… Now about the bets…"
"Bi-what?"
Right. They were average in intelligence, they wouldn't know what that meant. He was about to explain, when Matt beat him to it.
"It means I can speak different languages." the redhead stated proudly. "My father is from Japan, so he's fluent in it."
A collection of 'wows' rippled through the crowd. No wonder Matt gets money so quickly, these children believe anything they hear. They aren't the brightest ones either.
"So you're Japanese too?" a child asked. "You don't look it."
Matt waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, I'm adopted. But I don't mind."
"You don't know your real parents?" one of them gasped.
Matt shrugged. "They didn't want to know me. Either that, or they died. I never found out which one. Now moving on… Next bet?"
L was about to protest when he felt a timid tug on his sleeve. He looked down, confirming it was indeed Near. He looked a bit distressed, but L could never tell with him. He was as good as keeping his emotions hidden as he was, if not better. "Something wrong, Near?"
"Mello buried my toy in the sand box and now I can't find it…" he said quietly, twirling a white lock of curly hair. "Is Matt betting again?"
"Buried your toy? I just told him to behave," L sighed. Does Mello ever listen? "And yes, unfortunately so."
Near smirked before turning to face Matt. What he said next is something L found out of character for Near. "I would like to bet you, Matt."
Matt squinted in confusion at the crowd. "That you, Near? You know you can't beat me, but go ahead."
Near pulled out a small chess set that her head tucked away under his shirt. He has the tendency to put things there, and L wondered how he didn't lose anything. "I bet, for all of your earnings, that I can beat you in chess."
"Chess?" Matt's eyes flickered in worry and confusion.
Near's smirk grew slightly. "Something wrong, Matt? You never made it video games only, did you?"
Matt gulped down his uneasiness, giving Near a determined glare. "You're on. Get up here."
L nearly wanted to cry. Near was getting involved in all of this too? The albino boy pushed through the crowd to join Matt at the picnic table.
"And if I win, I get to burn that creepy finger puppet you made of me," Matt told him. "It looks nothing like me."
"Fair enough," Near moved his pawn on the chess board. "Your turn…"
"I got my money on Matt!"
Oh no… That voice… Mello was standing right beside him, a monster figurine that had sand trickling out of it in his grasp. It must have been Near's toy.
"You will return that go him," L said sternly, his gaze fixed on Matt and Near as they rapidly played through a chess game.
Mello scoffed. "I wasn't planning on keeping his creepy doll. Just experiment with it.
"You will return it." L repeated, returning his gaze to his two sons.
"Stale mate…" Near mumbled as he began putting the chess pieces back on the board. "New game."
Mello plopped himself on the ground beside L. "This is gonna take a while, Dad. Near's good at chess and Matt's good at pretty much any game."
"I know," L replied blankly. "But we're on a tight schedule. We still have to pick up dinner from the grocery store."
"Hurray." Mello muttered and pulled out a chocolate bar.
"State mate," L heard again. "New game."
"Whoa…" several children chorused as they watched Near and Matt.
"They sure are fast," L commented as he bit his thumb nail. Matt's and Near's hands were moving like lightning across the board, pieces getting knocked out left and right. "Almost as fast as Light and I…"
"You guys are faster than the speed of Light," Mello said, annoyance backing his tone. He unwrapped a chocolate bar he had pulled from his jacket in one swift move. "I've got to say though, Dad. You're lasting longer in this bet than I thought you would. Daddy probably wouldn't even recognize you."
L didn't reply. It's true- he was doing exceptionally well. Of course, he never planned on losing from the start. But he also would have never had the idea that caring for his sons was so difficult. If his patience wasn't as strong as it was then he would have lost his sanity at Mello's breakdown at the doctor's office.
"Stale mate," Near announced again. "New game."
"That's three games already," Mello stated, his arm folded behind his head as he laid in the grass. He brought the chocolate up to his mouth to bite off a chunk. "I was right, this will take a while. They'll be at each other's throats by the end of this."
65 games later...
"That is an illegal move, Matt," Near stated jadedly.
L had joined Mello, who had been kind enough to share his chocolate, on the ground. Mello was pulling grass out of the ground and making a pile on his stomach, yawning every now and then. Most of the crowd have left by now, only a few curious children remaining. "They've been at this for an hour." Mello complained. "I want dinner."
L was about to open his mouth to reply, when Matt interrupted him.
"Not illegal, it's just never been used before," Matt countered.
"Because it's illegal. Just accept it- we're at check mate. I won."
L raised an nonexistent eyebrow, raising his gaze from the pile of grass on Mello's stomach to the two boys playing chess. Matt's mouth was gaped. "I've never lost a game before! Never!"
"Never lost a video game," Near corrected, smirking and twirling his white hair. "You just aren't good at board games. Now, I think my prize is all of your earnings...?"
"No way!" Matt shrieked, covering his pile of money like it's his child. "I earned all of this. Myself."
"And I just earned all of that myself," Near replied calmly. "You were too arrogant, Matt... Now quit being a sore loser and give me my reward?"
"...How about half?"
"No, all."
"Dad!" Matt whined, turning his desperate gaze to his father. "He can't take all of my money!"
"I believe he is in the right position to do so. You lost, Matt," L said carefully. "What were you planning on buying with that? You nearly have every video game in existence."
"That's the key word. Nearly." Matt protested. "I need more video games. I beat three a day, after all."
"I don't give a damn!" Mello shouted randomly, throwing the pile of hair into the air. Several blades landed on his face, but he didn't seem to mind. "I want dinner. Matt, cough up your money. Near, quit being yourself. Dad, get your ass in the car and drive us to the store before I do it myself."
"You cannot drive," L said, giving him a sharp glance.
Mello snorted. "Better than you. Hurry up!"
"Near, Matt..." L looked at them with expectant black orbs.
Matt frowned before shoving the pile over to him. "Take it, you cheater."
"Not cheating, Matt. Winning." Near corrected with a smile.
L stood up, his bones cracking from going into a different position besides crouching. "It is time to go now. We have to buy groceries. Is everyone ready?"
"Yes." Near replied, the money he won clutched against his chest.
"Whatever..." Matt muttered.
"Yeah, I've only been saying yes for the last hour!" Mello groaned. "Let's go."
The day is coming to an end. They only have a small portion left on the schedule, and then L would win! And how hard could cooking be? L doesn't do it often, but he couldn't screw it up that badly. Right? "All right. Let's go then."
A/N: There you go. Sorry for the late update again, I've been uninspired lately. I hope this was good, I did the best I can do when I'm not in the mood for writing. u_u Anyway, review if you like, as always.
