L always knew how to hold an argument. If this boy didn't go into law enforcement, he would've made a damn fine lawyer. When I made my serious proposal of staying in his ivory towers of task force headquarters, L dug his heels in. He knew I'd be able to help and that this would make some good research to keep in the back of my brain. However, to no surprise, L didn't want me getting caught up in the Kira crossfire. That's when I pulled out every mother's trump card. The one thing L couldn't say no to. The because I said so. And it worked like a charm.
That's how I ended up with my own floor. The only place in the whole tower that was a total dead zone. L knew I wasn't Kira, so there was no reason for them. That might have been my suggestion, though. He always was a little paranoid. Like he told Light, though. Two people in this world had L's complete trust. I can only assume the other was Watari.
As I sat alone in my living room, doing some margin doodles to wind down for the night, I felt a slight, sudden chill in the air. That's weird. My door never opened, yet somehow, I still had a visitor. And this late at night, too? Gee...I wonder who on Earth this could have been.
"It's been a while, hasn't it, Ryuk?" I smiled a bit, thanking God for no wire taps.
"Hiya, sweetheart," my favorite shinigami floated behind me, "What brings a sweet girl like you to a place like this?"
"The L in there," I refreshed his memory, "That's my L. Do you not remember me talking about him?"
"I guess I never put two and two together," Ryuk shrugged, rocking himself over my coffee table. I see someone hasn't had an apple in a while. I had brought back half a dozen last time I went shopping. He couldn't make them last?
"More importantly," I shut my sketchbook, "What are you doing playing with Kira?"
"You know?" he wondered, "That was quick."
"I'm not blind, Ryuk," I giggled, "I know a shinigami with a Death Note when I see one."
"It's funny you mention that," Ryuk followed me to the kitchen, "You shouldn't be able to see me. You gave up the notebook, last time I checked."
"I did," I confirmed, sitting on my counter top, "Insurance, remember? You don't think I didn't keep a few pages?"
"Smart, little human," he praised, "You know, I do actually kind of miss having you around."
"Really?" I awed, "The new master isn't good enough?"
"Light's not as accommodating as you," Ryuk pouted, "He's exhausting and annoying and he keeps me cooped up in here and his little girlfriend I want to drive through the wall. But she's cute, so I put up with her."
"By the way," I grabbed an apple out of my basket and tossed it up in the air. Ryuk was just as bad as a dog with a tennis ball, "Here."
"You always were my favorite," he caught it in his mouth.
"Now," I kept another one on hand. More or less as...Let's call it a bargaining chip, "You wouldn't happen to know what Light has planned when it comes to L, would you?"
"Well," I watched Ryuk start to sweat the more I tossed my apple in the air. Every little catch. Every tiny reflection on the skin.
"While I'm young, Ryuk," I tossed, "This is my last one and all the shops are closed."
"He plans on killing him," Ryuk finished his first apple, "Gimme, gimme, gimme!"
"When?" I held it away from him.
"Like I'm telling you," he pried it away from me.
"I haven't told L about Light," I pointed out, "And I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in this building...Hell, in the world...That could kill you."
Ryuk froze mid bite, "You remember that, huh?"
One night, I had gotten rather low after a phone call with L and an even worse date from the internet. I gave great consideration to writing my own name in Ryuk's Death Note and calling it a day. But that damn shinigami saw my lifespan start to plummet. He wasn't going to let it go down any further, so instead of me ending it then and there, Ryuk found a way of stopping me. At first, I didn't take him seriously. That is, until he proved it to me.
"You told me you loved me, Ryuk," I smirked, suppressing the guilty feeling of using that against him.
"And I regret it ever since," he grumbled.
Knock, knock.
"Hush," I shoved my finger in his face and got my door, "Oh...Hi, Light."
"Hi, Natalya," Light greeted me. Natalya was L's idea. Light needed something to call me and L wasn't giving him my real name for security purposes. When L told me it was going to be Natalya, a warm, fuzzy feeling ran through my body. Goldeneye was his favorite Bond movie and L was a sucker for a Bond girl.
Why the hell would Light be at my door? Especially uninvited at this time of night, "Did you need me for something?"
"No," the other side of Light's handcuffs came around the corner, "I did, though."
"Hi, baby," I pulled L inside, "What brings you here?"
"Apparently, I need to sleep," he figured, "My cognitive reasoning has fallen by thirty percent and Light said I'm cranky."
"You are cranky," Light confirmed, "And you haven't slept in three days, Ryuzaki. That's not good for a person."
"I'm not just a person," L pointed out.
"Yes, we know," Light rolled his eyes, "But whether you want to admit it or not, you're still human."
"So, boys," I split them up before a fight broke out, "Why are you at my door at this ungodly hour?"
"Well," L bit his tongue, "I can't sleep."
"And how is this news to me?" I joked.
"Do you think I could stay up here tonight?" L asked so innocent, so sweetly.
"Of course, L," I assured, "I'm almost insulted you had to ask."
"Light," he glanced over his shoulder, "What you're about to see is proof of my humanity in its highest form. If you could keep it between us, I'd really appreciate it."
"Sure," Light wrote him off as crazy. Just like everyone else.
"Come on," I took L's hand that wasn't attached to Light. Like riding a bike. L thumbed through my DVDs and put in From Russia with Love. As the theme bounced around the room, Light glanced over my shoulder, no doubt to see Ryuk floating there, "Light? Are you ok? You look like you just saw a ghost."
"It's nothing," he shook it off, "I thought I heard something."
"That's the TV," L climbed onto my bed, "Everything's fine."
"Ok," I got on the other side. Instinctively, my baby curled into my side. Yep. Like riding a bike. I had L. L had me. Just like it's always been. To no shock of my own, I don't think this poor angel made it through the opening credits. Sleeping like a baby. Light did say he hadn't slept in three days. And with L working this investigation, he's probably been running on pure caffeine.
"I don't think I've ever actually seen Ryuzaki sleep," Light chuckled to himself.
"It's quite a sight, isn't it?" I cradled my baby against my hip.
"It's like he's two different people."
"We used to do this all the time when he was little," I told, "It was how I got him to go to sleep. James Bond movies and a scoop of rocky road before bed every single night. I miss those days."
"It's strange to think he has actual emotions," he sighed, "Ryuzaki's usually such a robot. When he said this was proof of his humanity in extremes, he wasn't kidding."
"You know, Light," I stared a hole through him, keeping a light mood, "L is my entire world. And I'd do anything for him. I'd even kill a man. And if anyone tried to hurt him, they'd regret it. I wouldn't hesitate to hurt them back, even if it meant killing them. Even if it were Kira himself, I can promise you that my name would be their last words."
"You almost sound like Kira," Light looked awfully nervous for someone who was innocent in all this, "Are you sure you're not, Natalya?"
"Positive," I smiled, "Like I said. L is my whole world. Give me a good mother that wouldn't protect her baby. I was in a bad place when L came into my life. Even worse when he left..."
"No wire taps?" Ryuk chimed in, "Huh. Aren't you special?"
"So, Light," I pretended not to hear him, "If I ask you something, do you promise to answer it honestly?"
"Of course," Light swore, "What is it?"
"Are you Kira?" I asked, "This is the only floor that's not bugged and when L sleeps, he's borderline dead, so he can't hear you."
"I'm not, though!" he squeaked, digging himself further in the hole and making L shift around a little, "I'm not Kira!"
Still lying to me, are we, Light? Ok. If that's how you want to play this, "I believe you."
And I trust you as far as I can throw you. Light relaxed in his chair a little, "At least someone does. Hey, Natalya, can I ask you a favor?"
"What is it?" Hell no.
"Could you convince Ryuzaki I'm not Kira?" he begged, "At least enough to get the handcuffs off?"
"I can try," I shrugged him off, "But that's all on him. L's stubborn when it comes to his investigations. Sorry, Light."
There is no way in hell I'd ever let you out of L's sight. He's keeping an eye on you for a reason. If you're in L's line of sight, you can't use your Death Note. I'm sure you wouldn't want that little secret getting out, would you, Kira? Because all it would take is one little word from me and L would blindly follow me into anything. He already suspects you above all else. What's a little nudge in the right direction going to hurt? Consider this your warning, Light Yagami. You don't touch my baby.
A/N: I very well could be ending this next week. But because I'm sure there'd be some people that'd be a tad cross with me, I won't. Two weeks then. I promise it'll be a very satisfying ending. Pinky promise! But next week, we'll be making an introduction of someone new and…Oh, next week…Next week's going to be good. See you next chapter! xx
