Chapter 11: You Know, This is Oddly Similar to a Date
Light stared at L. L started back, his deep, coal-black eyes burrowing into anyone who dared look their way. Although, to be fair, there were a very select few who weren't unnerved by L's blank, unending gaze. Light was one of those people. In fact, Light enjoyed the stare quite a bit. He found it endearingly, really, for reasons he couldn't explain, but nevertheless, he found it... well... yes, he found it cute, not that L knew that.
Finally, L looked away, but Light wasn't about to settle with just a staring contest. He had invited L out to lunch on his only day off, and he wanted to actually talk to the detective. From Light's observations of L's behavior, though, L was definitely not the type of person to create a scene when in public, especially by talking, and he avoided attracting attention at all costs. Well, at least L tried to direct attention away from him. Due to the way L sat, ate, expressed emotions, and generally presented himself, it would take a lot of effort to keep himself hidden in public, which was probably why L didn't like to go out much.
Still, Light was grateful for whatever time he could spend with L, since L was the only person who really peaked his interest, so he didn't mind too much that people were giving uneasy glaces at L's posture and lunch of choice, an assortment of chocolates, small sponge cakes, and fruits, the entire plate being sprinkled in a light dusting of sugar. L didn't have much of an idea of table manners, too. Either that or L just chose to not follow said manners, since he often flat-out ignored the line that divided socially acceptable behaviors from actions that most people wouldn't even do in private, let alone in a crowded cafe.
Speaking of a cafe, though, the one they were in was bustling with customers and waiters, but it wasn't excessively busy. Light and L were sitting in one of the seats that were located outside, underneath the red and white stripped umbrella over their table, and it was a relatively sunny day. There was a light dusting of snow on the streets, and L and Light were wearing coats, although it wasn't as cold as it was a month or two ago. It seemed like an ideal situation, yet it was anything but.
Light wasn't used to seeing L like this. Sure, L had his shy moments, but throughout the three months that Light had known L, Light never figured that L would be this awkward in public. Light had seen L out in the open on several occasions, but it was nothing like this. All of the other times Light had seen L out of his hotel room, L was a little too blunt for the average person and too eccentric for most, but never before had Light seen L nibble on his strawberry so awkwardly that his teeth missed their target every three bites.
L was eating much slower than he usually did, too. Light had finished the fish he ordered about thirty minutes ago, but L had barely touched his food, which was, again, very unusual. Maybe the stress of being the world's greatest detective was getting to him again...
"L, are you okay? You usually finish your food way before I do, but you've barely touched it. Are you not hungry or something?" Light knew that he had to navigate around his concerns carefully. If he asked directly what was wrong, L would push him away, but if he was too passive-aggressive, L would easily avoid the subject.
"To tell you the truth, I guess I'm not too hungry right now," L admitted, and he sighed. He set down the strawberry he had been gnawing on and switched to his thumb, indicating that he was deep in thought. Light also noticed that whenever L was stressed, he tightly gripped his knees, which was exactly what he was doing at the moment.
"So..." Light said, trying to distract L from what his words really implied. Light found it as a useful technique when dealing with people who hid the truth, so this method of getting someone to spill a secret worked perfectly on L. (Or at least in theory) "Great job on solving that case. I was afraid that the murderer, or in this case murderers, would get away this time."
"I've never failed to solve a case, you know," L replied. He picked up his fork and used it to play around with the slice of spongecake on his plate. He stabbed the dessert, broke off a small, delicate chunk, and brought it up to his lips. He popped it into his mouth, and he chewed, which was something L often did when he wanted to steer away from conversation. At last, as his eyes revealed that he knew there was no way out of this, he continued, "But thank-you for your help. It looks like your theory of there being multiple killers is correct." The words came out as a nearly incomprehensible, soft murmur, and Light had to lean in slightly to hear the last part of L's sentence.
There was a painfully long pause, and the two geniuses just spent it staring at each other once more. While Light blinked a few times, L didn't appear to have broken his gaze once, and he absentmindedly scooped up a dab of frosting with his forefinger, plopping the cream into his mouth as his stare intensified.
Light swallowed the nervous clump in his throat. Things hadn't been this awkward since he had first met L three months ago, but even then, it wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as this silence. Before, things had flowed so naturally. Now, though, the conversation was stiff and unnatural, a stark contrast from what Light usually felt around L, but, despite L's attempts to hide it, Light was gradually piecing together that something was wrong with his friend. Too bad someone like L would avoid a subject like this as much as possible."
"How did your week go?" Light questioned, and he gritted his teeth at the small-talk. He and L, at this point in their friendship, rarely used normal conversation conventions, including small-talk, yet it had to be done. It was the only way to possibly have a chance at figuring out what was wrong with L.
"It's been fine..." L muttered, his voice as soft as the tone he had used the last time he spoke. "What about you?"
"There you go dodging the subject again," Light internally sighed, although he tried his best to not let it show. Based on L's people-reading skills, though, it was next to impossible to hide these things from him. In fact, Light was almost certain that L could guess what he was thinking word for word. It was scary, really, that two people could have such a similar thought process, and both L and Light found themselves finishing off the other's sentences with terrifying accuracy.
"I'm doing fine, too, do you plan on picking up any new cases?" Light noticed how L's shoulders relaxed when he said that. L was like that, Light noticed. L was completely comfortable within the realm of detective work and mysteries, and it was kind of ironic that while L could stay completely calm during a murder investigation, he often showed signs of cracking when faced with regular, day to day tasks such as talking to strangers, eating in public, and even going shopping. Even though Light found most of L's traits endearing, even adorable, he didn't want for L to feel so anxious when surrounded by other people. Light, even though he was occasionally a loner, couldn't even begin to imagine the misery of being constantly paranoid of everyone and everything around you.
"Any new cases, you ask? Well, yes, there are, actually. It's a massive array of crime that has swept the United States. I won't really be going anywhere, though, since I mainly operate within Japan. If I take up cases from all over the world, anyone trying to hunt me down would think that I'd move to whatever country I've been called to in order investigate. They wouldn't think that I just stay put here in Japan, plus traveling frequently all over the world is a massive and unnecessary inconvenience," L explained, and he broke off another small sliver of cake and ate it.
Light nodded, and he subconsciously perked up when L said that he was going to stick around in Japan, even though Light saw that as a little selfish. Who could blame him, though? He didn't want for the first true friend he had to move away after only knowing him for three months!
"How long do you think this case will take you?" Light asked, curious as to what L would say. The last case L had worked on, the one where Light and the NPA had helped him, took much longer than expected, so Light wanted to know what L thought of the investigation he was leading now. Plus, the mood was starting to lighten considerably for whatever reason, and Light wanted to keep it that way. L was someone who didn't really like going out, so perhaps talking about what he was the most familiar with, in this case detective work, eased L's obvious nerves.
"Well, that murder case you mentioned took much longer than intended, as there were multiple people that we needed to arrest, but since this is just a string of crimes, I'm hoping that the one or ones guilty will be less careful about covering up their tracks than in a murder, so it should take three weeks at most," L predicted.
"Well, if you ever want someone to text your nightly deductions to, then you know who," Light smiled, and L momentarily flashed Light a small, shy grin.
"Although, to be honest, we probably shouldn't be talking about this kind of stuff in the open," L glanced over his shoulder suspiciously, and he redirected his attention towards Light. "There's less than a one-percent chance, but there could possibly be wiretaps or something of that nature in here," L leaned in close to Light so that Light could hear his whispers.
"You're probably right," Light agreed while L was still leaning in close so that they had at least some privacy in their conversation. It was an odd sight, two grown men leaning in close and whispering to each other, but it was better than someone hearing the more than slightly suspicious conversation they were having. Before long, though, they backed away and were sitting at a distance deemed socially acceptable from each other.
L looked down at his meal and slumped his shoulders, "Strange, I'd normally finish this in about five to ten minutes." He paused, probably to think of what to say next, then opened his mouth after a minute or two of pondering, "Oh well, nothing we can do about it now."
Light and L paid for their food, and they got up, pushed in their seats, and strolled onto the sidewalk, where they walked side by side and were closer to each other than they wanted to admit. Their hands brushed a few times, too, but Light attributed that to coincidence, unaware of the emotions really going through his head. Yes, he felt those damn tingling butterflies in his stomach. And sure, he was a bit lightheaded. Maybe there were also weird and wonderful chemical reactions happening in his brain, but he still couldn't identify the source of all of this. Therefor, these feelings would mentally be a stone left un-turned until he was finally ready to face why he felt this way.
They walked for a little while, but they didn't go back to the hotel room just yet. They found a wooden bench that was located who knows where, and they sat on it for a while. A good, long while, both of them just enjoying the other. L gave Light the occasional smile, and he leaned on Light's shoulder a bit, not that Light minded the gesture at all. He quite liked it, actually, which was strange because even though he didn't downright hate being touched, he wasn't one to really appreciate tons of physical contact, either. With L, though, his touch was soft... it was safe and warm and a whole load of wonderful things.
Light looked at L, and L looked back, but this time, it wasn't a staring contest. It was just a nice, relaxing day-off to spend time with a friend. Right now, at this very moment, the general aspiration was to simply spend time with who you thought to be the most interesting person in the world, and to spend that time with that person within kissing distance of each other.
L fiddled around with the hem of his shirt, and he eyed Light, his face filled with emotions no one could ever dream to identify. They leaned in a little closer, but they both backed away after realizing how close they were. Light blushed, and so did L. They didn't speak for a while. They just sat with each other, the time around them slowing, but the time slowed in a good way. The time crawled through him and L in such a way that Light didn't want it to end. He wished that he could stay on this bench for the entire day and look at L and have L look back.
At last, though, L said aloud his musings, "Light, do you think that we were supposed to meet?"
"Why not?" Light asked as he quirked up an eyebrow. "If we weren't supposed to, why would've we met?"
"No, that's not what I meant," L sighed. Light should've known. It was unwise to take anything that L said at face-value. L continued, "Do you think that we were meant to be friends?"
"Well... that's hard to say," Light shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe we're enemies or something in a different universe, if that brings any comfort."
"It brings me none," L rolled his eyes, but his tone was somber. "Do you really think we were meant to be like this? Friends? Was I ever meant to even have a friend, or was this just some big mistake?"
"Why would you think that all of this is a mistake?" Light couldn't help but wonder. "I certainly don't think so. You know that I really like being around you, right?"
"I know, but... this feels... wrong, somehow," L exhaled deeply. "Don't get me wrong, I love being around you, but... I don't know... I get this strange, tingling sensation when I'm around you, as if something's not right. Do you? Do you get that tingling sensation in your gut? The butterflies in your chest?"
"Around you, I do," Light blurted out, although he wasn't exactly sure why. "I-I mean... I'm not sure if that's a bad thing or not, it's just... I... I don't know, it's-" Light waved around his arms, unsure of what to say, but L cut him off.
"Precisely, neither of us know what in the world is going on with the both of us," L shifted his position on Light's shoulder so that his head was cradled comfortably against Light's neck.
There was yet another silence. It should've been impossible, but Light could hear both of their heartbeats. Their hearts were thumping at a maddening rate despite the fact that they were only sitting down. What was this strange feeling he had around L? Light honestly had no clue... no clue at all.
"So back to the original question, were we even meant to be friends?" L asked, although it seemed like he was talking to himself more than he was to Light.
"Is it... that you don't like being around me?" Light held his breath in anticipation for an answer. He didn't think that he would be so hung up on a question like this, but he just had to get it out.
"What? Of course not! You're the first friend I've ever had," L looked taken aback, and he stared down Light. It was probably an attempt at being sincere and comforting, but the look on L's face resembled that of an owl. "I like being around you, I really do, and don't you ever think otherwise." Light sighed in relief, and L continued resting his head on the other's shoulder. "I'm simply wondering if this was meant to be, or is this just some huge mistake on the universe's part? I mean, the only reason we met was because of a dropped cheesecake."
"For the millionth time, I'm sorry about the dropped cheesecake! I offered to pay, but you said no!" Light crossed his arms, remembering the incredibly awkward exchange they had the first time they spoke to each other.
"But you ended up paying for it anyway," L stuck his tongue out to indicate that he was trying to press Light's buttons, and Light scoffed.
"You're such a tease," Light grumbled.
"You know you love it," L snickered.
"Oh stop it," Light sarcastically feigned hurt.
"I'm incredibly sorry if I've upset you," L smiled innocently, and he rested his hand on top of Light's.
"You and that damn innocent smile," Light retorted, earning a giggle from L. Light turned his head towards L, only to see the detective cup his hands into a heart shape and wink. Light couldn't help but laugh, and L's smile widened.
"Nice to see that you're enjoying yourself," L commented, and suddenly, he slid off the bench and shoved his hands into his pockets. "We should probably get going, though, I have some work to do. You... you can go home if you'd like..."
"Don't think that I'm just leaving you here," Light grabbed hold of L's hand and lead him through the street. "We see each other like once a week and can only text in between, so I'm taking as much time with you as I can!"
"So selfish," L said, although his massive grin said otherwise. They, although they were not completely aware of it, linked fingers and strolled along the sidewalk, not really caring about any funny looks they got. They pandered a bit through the streets, taking the long way back and stalling their arrival at L's hotel room by chatting the entire time. They elbowed each other on a few occasions, mostly due to how they absolutely reveled in poking fun at each other, and any tension from earlier was pretty much forgotten.
"I'm glad you had fun today," Light smiled, and at that moment, L looked slightly surprised, as he had paused in his stride and gawked at Light for a minute or two. A tickle of pink grazed his cheeks, and L turned away, presumably from embarrassment.
"What?" Light inched in closer, the concern for his friend building within him. "Is everything alright?"
"It's nothing," L quickly shook his head, then took several deep breaths to help get the blushing under control. "I'm fine, but thank-you for caring." L tugged his fingers away from Light, and it was only then that Light noticed they had been holding hands the whole time. It was now Light's turn to blush, and out of nowhere, he mumbled something he never thought he would say.
"You know, this is oddly similar to a date," the words left Light's mouth before he could stop himself.
"A date...? But... We're both-" L didn't finish his sentence.
"I'm sorry, it came out weird, and... and..." Light, who was exasperated, lifted his hands to his hair and combed his fingers through the strands, as the action sometimes calmed him. "C-can we talk more about this once we get back to the hotel room? People are staring at us." Light glanced over his shoulder to see a few people wondering about the conversation the two were having.
"Yes, that would most likely be best," L agreed, and slowly, painfully, they made their way back, and this time, they were careful to not get too close.
L and Light sat on the bed of L's hotel room. Watari was busy running some errands, so they didn't have much of a way of interruptions.
"Light... have you begun... questioning a few things since we've met?" L was the first to speak. Light didn't reply, but L waited. This conversation would be in no way an easy one, so it was best for both to just take their time. Neither of them had anywhere they had to be, anyway, so time was definitely not something they were running short on at the moment.
"Maybe a few..." Light revealed, and he looked into L's eyes. Those eyes were those of someone confused and unsure. L was confused, too. He didn't know what was going on.
"This is why I don't like getting tangled up with other people-" L couldn't finish the thought. When he thought about it, he didn't know how he had survived before Light stepped into his life. It was funny, really, that he never knew how lonely he was until he found someone to keep him company.
"Do you regret meeting me...?" L, unsure of how to carry out the rest of this chat, decided to say whatever popped into his mind, which was unusual for him, but hey, they were friends, right...?
"What? No, of course not, I hope you don't regret meeting me, either," Light turned away, his eyes shielded by his neat, hazel-colored hair. L shook his head, indicating that he had no regrets about meeting Light as well.
L felt his body relax at hearing that Light didn't have any ill feelings towards their friendship. He didn't know why he was so scared of Light secretly despising him, but he was. Light was the person he was most motivated to maintain a relationship with, other than Watari of course. Light shifted his position on the bed, and he leaned in, the distance between them less than when they were sitting on the bench. Feeling a pang in his chest and his heart skip, L could feel his face redden, although Light didn't comment on it. It was probably the weight and significance of this moment that prevented either of them from teasing the other, especially for something like blushing, as both of their faces looked like huge, talking tomatoes.
"Light, I'm not sure if I see you as only a friend," L didn't know exactly why he said that, but once he did, it felt kind of nice to get it off his chest, despite his fears of Light's reaction to what he had said.
"I'm not sure, either," Light inched ever so closer. His fingertips brushed against the back of L's hand, which was resting on the bed next to L's side. At the electric, magnificent feeling of Light's hand brushing against his own, L had the sudden desire for more of that amazing sensation he felt whenever Light's skin contacted his own.
"L..." Light, obviously not knowing how to word his sentence, could only say that before he wrapped his arms around L in a tight, warm hug. L didn't even wince, which was something that never ever happened. Normally, L would cringe at even the accidental touches that were inevitable if you were out in public, but for some reason, some will of the universe, L did not spring back when Light made physical contact with him. In fact, L lifted his arms and flung them around Light's waist.
"What are we doing?" Light mumbled through the mess of L's hair he had his face buried in.
"Honestly, I don't know," L, for one of the first times in his life, couldn't really find an answer to this situation. It felt so right, though... It was perfect, just perfect, and nothing could tell L otherwise. "But what I do know is that this is very nice. I'd prefer to stay like this, but it's up to you... if you feel uncomfortable, then we could seper-"
"I'd prefer to stay like this, too," Light tightened his grip around L, making L go red at not only the cheeks but also at the rest of his face and his neck. "You're cute when you're like this," L could hear Light whisper, although the detective wasn't entirely sure whether Light was aware of what he had blurted out or not. Judging from how Light didn't recoil and immediately apologize for his comment not coming out in the way he intended, though, it was safe to assume that Light was pretty much on autopilot.
Surprisingly, Light telling L that he was cute didn't bother L in the slightest. In fact, L, in one way or another, liked it, and L was quite fond of the way Light combed his fingers through his messy, tousled, untidy hair. L yawned as a sudden wave of sleepiness hit him, washing over his consciousness as his eyes felt droopy and heavy.
"L, how long has it been since the last time you've slept?" Light unexpectedly asked, his tone that of a stern yet worried parent. L scooted away, eyeing Light with his best puppy-dog eyes.
"I knew it, you haven't rested in days," Light sighed, and he pulled the blanket that was underneath them over L's shoulders.
"I'm fine," L insisted. Light clearly wouldn't have any of it, though. "Really... Besides, I don't want to hinder you just because I'm tried-"
"I'm pretty tired anyway, too, the job's been stressful, you know?" Light butted in before L could continue. It appeared that he would not give up on his quest to get L to sleep. All L could do was nod in agreement, and he finally caved in, curling himself into a small ball and snuggling beneath the sheets as he did so.
"Sweet dreams," Light gently smiled, and as L drifted off, he gingerly kissed L on the forehead, as if Light was L's mother.
"Okay... thank-you..." was all that had managed to escape L's lips before his eyes fluttered closed and his previously unknown exhaustion took over.
Light looked down at L's sleeping form. It had been thirty minutes since the detective had fallen asleep, but Light was in no rush. He had a day off today, and he intended to make the best of the only day of the week he had with L. Light, as carefully as possible as to not wake his friend up, ran his fingers through L's hair, stroking it with fascination. L's hair was a tangled, spiky mess, but it was much softer than Light had expected, not that he was disappointed. L was always full of surprises, so you couldn't really predict anything about him.
Sighing, Light accepted the truth that he would never be able to get over how cute L was, and he snickered as L, in his sleep, brought his thumb up to his lips and started nibbling on the nail. Light tenderly guided L's hand away from his mouth so that he wouldn't break skin in the middle of his sleep.
L looked so peaceful, so innocent, so calm, but Light knew better. There were so many things brewing in L's head, and Light was not sure if anyone could decipher what was going on in L's head, not even L himself, which was saying something, not only because L had exceptional people-reading skills but also because most people typically knew themselves relatively well.
"So adorable," Light let himself say, and with that, after determining that he had nothing else to do, Light settled himself next to L and joined in on the nap. Closing his eyes, Light smiled at the thought of L right before he dozed off.
"L, I'm back," Watari called out as he entered the hotel room. Silence. To be fair, it wasn't too unusual. L was often so entrenched in his work that he wouldn't notice right away when Watari came back. What was unusual, though, was that Watari found L's computer and equipment scattered across the sofa and table, a detective with insomnia and a sugar addiction not included. "L?" Watari looked around, but he still found no one.
He paused for a few seconds, set his grocery bags on the floor of the hotel room, and, in the quiet, heard... snoring...?
"L, how are you doing?" Watari asked as he entered L's room. L rarely used his bed, but maybe, just maybe, L was there. Sure enough, he was, and Light was snuggled up next to him. Watari had to admit, it was one of the cuter sights of his life. L had never cuddled with anyone, not even as a child, so to see him here, snuggling with his friend and getting some sleep for once... it was nice, and it eased Watari's nerves by just a bit.
Watari had seen it. The moment L had started talking about Light, Watari knew. Even though L didn't know it, Watari did. He knew that L was in love. What started off as simple curiosity for a strange, interesting man turned into this, a beautiful friendship that would eventually become a love story.
It didn't bother Watari one bit that L was attracted to the same sex. He was just glad that L had found someone. Besides, he had known of L's sexual orientation since L was ten. How did he know? Well, unbeknownst to L, Watari secretly kept all the crayon drawings the detective had made as a child, but there was one that was near and dear to his heart. Watari was doubtful that L even remembered drawing this particular picture, or even if he remembered his childhood crayon drawings at all, but to Watari, they were an important insight into L's mind.
Watari took a crumpled-up and folded piece of paper from his shirt pocket, and he smiled as he stared at it. It was a picture L had drawn approximately fourteen years ago. It was a stick-figure drawing of two men kissing. One stick figure was labeled "ME" in the messy handwriting of a child L, and the other was labeled "PRINCE CHARMING" in the same crude writing. There were other indications that L was gay as well, but this drawing was really the starting point of Watari's speculations.
"L, what are you drawing?" Watari loomed over L, and he smiled at the sight of L behaving like any other child. He had already been through so much, so Watari was glad to see L happily drawing with crayons. There were crayons and color-pencils scattered all throughout the rug on the floor, and L was laying on his stomach, furiously working on the drawing in question. As usual, he had the crayon clasped between his thumb and pointer-finger, as Watari had given up on getting L to hold things normally a long, long time ago.
L, the pride from his accomplishment etched all over his face, presented the drawing. "See? I saw Cinderella on TV the other day. I was jealous that she fell in love, so I simply drew myself in her shoes, so to speak. Although it can be taken in a literal context."
"Ah, so you want to fall in love like Cinderella and the prince did? You want to find your princess?" Watari tilted his head to the side, curious as to why L was suddenly so interested in love because he had never paid any attention to the subject matter before.
"No, I don't want a princess, I want a prince," L explained nonchalantly. L set the drawing back down, and he asked, "Watari, how come whenever I see a movie like Cinderella, there are never two men that fall in love? I'm quite confused by that, as I can't possibly be the only boy who wants a prince. Statistically, it is nearly impossible for there to be only one person who likes the same gender, given the billions of people that live in this world, so why aren't there any movies or TV shows or books, or at least not that I know of, that display a same sex relationship?"
Taken aback, Watari didn't know what to say. "L... how do I explain this to you...?" Watari, scanning over the words in his brain to make the blow of what he was about to say as gentle as possible, knelt down to talk to L at eye level.
"Explain what?" L asked, the obliviousness, innocence, and naivety of childhood still prevalent in the ten-year-old.
"Never mind," Watari sighed. He just couldn't say it. For some reason, he had this feeling that L wasn't going to change his opinions on boys anytime soon. He had never dealt with this before... Okay, okay, in his defense, he never had children, so he knew full well that raising L, who came from a trauma-inducing background, mind you, would be no easy task. But still, he had never thought that this subject would come up. It wasn't something he had expected...
The desire for knowing got the better of him, and Watari questioned, "L, do you think that you'll ever want a girlfriend, or be like those princes in the movies and marry a princess and live happily ever after?"
"Okay, first of all," L said in a matter-of-factly tone, "forty to fifty percent of first marriages will end in divorce, so a happily-ever-after is highly unlikely. Marriage sounds horrendous, Watari. I'm jealous of Cinderella, but saying that, marrying someone really does sound horrendous. I have no other way to articulate what I'm feeling, though, so I am forced to project myself onto movie characters. And secondly, I really don't know why it's so common in today's media that a boy and girl marry, especially since I like boys, so therefor, your previous statement will have pretty much a zero-percent chance of happening, or at least from my point of view. What is your input?"
"Hold on, I think I forgot something in the kitchen," it was a crappy excuse, but it worked. Watari scrambled into the kitchen. He needed time to let all of this sink in. Leaning against the kitchen counter, he sighed and massaged his temples. He knew from the start that raising a child as genius as L was would be beyond difficult, but once you added this, a topic Watari was unfamiliar with, into the mix, Watari didn't know what he would do.
Raising a child like L was a challenge... but then, Watari remembered, and remembered well. L was lonely, miserable, and abused for most of his childhood. He had the most precious years of his life robbed from him due to factors he couldn't control, and Watari was determined to help L in any way he could. All he could do was be there for the little boy. That was the only thing he knew. Yes, he was going to support L, for L was far too precious for Watari to let go. L was now his son, and Watari was going to try his damn hardest to make sure that L didn't feel alienated from his peers and to make L feel safe and secure. L needed someone he could lean on. It was a time for Watari to support L, not question him.
It was decided. Watari would research as much as he could about what L was feeling, and from then on, he could only support the little boy. Taking a deep breath, Watari said to himself quietly, "Don't worry, L, I'll be there for you. I love you. You're my son, and I'll care about you no matter what."
Smiling at the fond memories, Watari was about to get up to prepare himself a cup of tea, when a terrified, ear-splitting shriek ripped through the air.
"L!" Watari rushed into L's bedroom. Did something happen while he wasn't there?! Swinging the door open, Watari barged into L's bedroom.
L was there, and he didn't appear to be hurt in any way, at least not physically, anyway. Light, who had just awoken and appeared to be as confused as Watari was, was cradling L on his shoulder, trying to comfort the man who had just screamed. L was sitting there, bawling his eyes out, and his tears were soaking both his and Light's shirts. L was uncharacteristically shaking, and Light whispered, his tone soft probably because he didn't want to spook L any further, "L, what happened?"
L looked up, taking in his surrounds, and with his nose still sniffling, he sighed, relief clear on his features, "Oh thank goodness... it was only a dream." L's body crumpled over onto Light's, and Light's eyes widened. So did Watari's.
"L, what did you dream about?" Light questioned, his voice still soothing as he rubbed L's back to comfort him.
"W-why... why does my father... h-hate me...?" L whimpered, barely able to force out his sentence. More tears spilled out, and he gripped Light's shirt. "W-why does he hate me...?"
