Chapter 14: Birthday

Late July

Matsuda was driving Aya home on Friday evening. He would talk about any subject and his good mood was infectious. Aya felt like a kid again whenever they were together. It was easy to just have fun and laugh with Matsuda. He was the kind of brother she had always wanted.

When they arrived on her street, Aya saw a flashy sports car in her driveway. *Oh great, it must be some new rich jerk that Hana is dating. This is horrible timing…*

Matsuda pulled over on the street, which gave them a perfect view of Hana opening up the passenger door. The man inside pulled on her arm before she could leave and ended up giving her a lingering goodbye kiss.

Aya glanced at Matsuda, whose expression was one of surprised heartbreak. He was gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles had turned white.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that, Matsuda," she said, reaching out and touching his shoulder in a sympathetic way.

He let go of the steering wheel and gave her a brave smile. "Oh that's okay. Your sister is a beautiful woman so of course she would have a boyfriend."

"I doubt that it's serious, well at least not on his end anyway," Aya told him. "Hana always picks the wrong men to date."

They both watched as she closed the car door. The windows were tinted, which made it impossible to see what he looked like. Aya knew that he was probably gorgeous though. Hana was always meeting celebrities because of her job. The sports car pulled out of the driveway and sped down the street. Her sister was in such a daze that she hadn't even noticed them. Hana tucked a stray curl behind her ear and smiled happily as she walked up to the house.

Aya sighed. "My sister is so oblivious. She always falls in love too quickly and ends up with a broken heart."

After a moment, Matsuda said, "I think there's something admirable about people who can fall in love despite being hurt in the past."

"I guess, but it's also a foolish thing to do."

Matsuda gave her a sad smile. "We're all fools when we're in love."

"Hmm, you're surprisingly mature, aren't you?" Aya joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Of course I'm mature! Don't tease people who are older and more experienced than you are," he said in a stern tone, but he ruffled her hair to show that he wasn't insulted.

Aya laughed and ran a hand through her hair to smooth it. "Thanks for bringing me home."

"No problem. I'll pick you up on Monday morning at around ten, alright?"

"Okay. Have a good weekend, Matsuda." She retrieved her overnight bag from the floor and slipped the strap over her shoulder.

"You too, but don't go out on any dates," he added.

"Not you as well?" Aya said in exasperation. "My father is very over-protective of me, so I don't need you to be that way too."

"No, no, that's not what I meant!" Matsuda exclaimed, waving his hands in dismissal. "I said it because I was thinking about how upset Ryuuzaki would be if you got a boyfriend."

Aya blinked. "You really think so?"

"Of course. It's obvious to everyone that Ryuuzaki likes you. Well, he may not have realized it himself yet since he's quite ignorant about romance."

"I think he would object to being called ignorant, Matsuda," Aya said with a smirk. "Ryuuzaki would probably use the term 'emotionally immature' in reference to himself."

Matsuda grinned. "Yes, I'm sure that he would."

Aya opened up the door and got out of the car. Before closing it, she leaned down and said, "Don't give up on Hana because of what you saw today. I'm still determined to play matchmaker. She really needs a good guy like you."

"Thanks, Aya. I'll be counting on you then," he said, trying to sound cheerful.

Aya could tell that his tone was forced though. *Poor Matsuda… he's such an idealist that I'm sure his fantasies have been shattered because of what he saw.* She waved goodbye to him and then walked up to her front door, feeling irritated with her sister. *Why does she have to be like that? Why can't she just have good judgment about people?*

Hana's personality had played a key role in the development of her own. Witnessing all of her sister's mistakes made her determined not to repeat them. While Hana was fun loving and spontaneous, Aya was serious and dependable. In a way, she had taken on the role of the eldest sibling. Hana even looked younger than her most days because of the cute style that she dressed in.

Aya used her key to open the door and called out, "I'm home," as she entered the house. She had only just taken off her shoes when her sister appeared with a big smile on her face.

"Welcome back, Aya-chan! I just got home too."

"Yes I know. We saw you in the driveway," Aya said, putting on her slippers and heading for the kitchen. "So who's the guy this time? Please tell me that he's not an idol," she said dryly.

Hana drew her eyebrows together at her sister's disapproving tone. "No, he's not. His name is Keisuke Kanemoto and he's a photographer."

Aya opened up the fridge to get out the water jug. "Is he older than you?"

"Yes, he's twenty-eight."

"Well at least that's an improvement over your last boyfriend who was a twenty-year-old model," she said, pouring the water into a tall glass.

"Hey, what's your problem? You just got home and you're already getting an attitude with me."

Aya turned to look at her sister. "Matsuda saw you kissing that guy and it broke his heart."

Her eyes widened. "What? He doesn't even know me!"

"You're right, he doesn't, because there's no way he would like you if he knew how shallow you are," she said forcefully and instantly regretted her words.

Hana looked furious for a moment, but her expression soon transformed into a wounded one. "You'll always look down on me, won't you? No matter what I do, I'll never be good enough," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "Not for you, or for anyone else in this family."

Aya gazed at her sister in surprise. *Has she been feeling like this the whole time? I always thought that she was immune to criticism,* she thought, biting her lip. "I'm sorry, Hana. I shouldn't have said that. I'm just frustrated because Matsuda is such a good guy. I wish you would give him a chance instead of going out with rich assholes." Aya took a drink of water to settle her anger.

Hana wiped her eyes and gave a little laugh. "Calling them assholes is a little harsh, don't you think?"

"Not at all. Every guy you've dated has been one."

"Well they didn't start out that way," Hana insisted.

Aya sat down at the kitchen table. "Of course not. They put on their sweet act and you fall for it every time. That's a huge character flaw, Hana. You either need to stop being so gullible or you need to start dating a different type of guy."

Hana remained standing in the middle of the kitchen. "I can't control who I'm attracted to."

"You may not be able to control it, but you can stop yourself from acting on that impulse," Aya replied sensibly.

She shook her head. "You don't know what it's like to be captivated so completely by an attractive man. Until you experience that for yourself, you'll never understand me."

Hana walked out of the room, leaving Aya to consider her words. *Then I hope I never understand her. Being ruled over by your own desires is the worst kind of self-inflicted slavery.* She got up to put in a microwave meal and then went into the hallway to get her new ipad out of her over-night bag. Aya had bought it as an early birthday present for herself with some of the money from her first pay check.

She sat down to eat and opened her manga app. Aya was in the middle of reading 'Cat Street' when her mother came into the kitchen with a few grocery bags. Mrs. Takeda's curly, shoulder length brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she was wearing a light yellow sheath dress. The combination gave her mother a more youthful appearance.

"Hello Aya. I was hoping I'd get home before you, but the store was so busy today." Mrs. Takeda fanned her flushed face. "It's so hot out there that I can hardly stand it! I think I'll take a shower before your father gets home."

"Do you want me to get dinner started?" Aya asked.

"No sweetie, you just got home after working hard the whole week. I won't be upstairs more than fifteen minutes. Could you put the groceries away for me though?"

She nodded and closed the cover of her ipad. "Yeah, I will." Aya got up and began to unpack the bags. Besides the usual food to prepare dinner, Mrs. Takeda had also purchased cake ingredients. Aya's birthday was next Wednesday, but she would be celebrating it early with her family.

She had enough time to read two more chapters before her mother came downstairs again. Ciel had followed her in and Aya called him over. He jumped onto her lap and she ran her hand over his silky fur.

"Aya, would you like to go shopping tomorrow and then have cake on Sunday?"

She looked up at her mother, who was now wearing cropped pants and a T-shirt. She had put her glasses on too. "Yeah, that sounds perfect."

. . .

When L asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, Aya replied, "I want to go to Sea Paradise. It's a theme park aquarium."

L stopped licking the pink strawberry icing off a donut and looked at her. "That's a strangely childish place to visit on the day that you officially become an adult."

Aya shrugged. "Don't you like doing childish things?"

"Of course. I'm just surprised that you do. You seem like more of a museum girl to me," he said, taking a bite.

"Oh I am. I love museums, but I saw a commercial for it the other day and it made me feel nostalgic."

L washed the rest of his donut down with a swig of coffee. "Alright. We'll go on Wednesday then."

. . .

Aya was wearing one of the new outfits she got over the weekend to the aquarium: a pale blue chambray sundress and white eyelet ballet flats. It was another hot day, so she secured her hair in a low, messy bun with a rubber band and bobby pins. Aya put some light makeup on and then rubbed sunscreen on her arms, legs, and back. She made sure to pack her oversize prescription sunglasses and a cardigan before leaving.

Mogi, Matsuda, and L were already waiting for her when she arrived downstairs. Aizawa would be meeting them there because he was bringing his family along.

L was staring at her longer than usual. "What is it?" Aya asked him self consciously.

"I like your dress," he told her.

"Oh, thank you," she said, giving him a smile. "It was a birthday present from my parents."

. . .

Matsuda came over to them and said, "Ready to go, Aya-chan?"

She nodded and walked beside him as they headed towards the door. Matsuda was wearing stylish khaki pants and a blue polo shirt. L couldn't help but notice how good they looked together. *Like a couple,* he added to himself. He knew that it wasn't like that between them, but it still bothered him. L glanced down at the same outfit he always wore and thought, *I'm sure I look like a bum standing next to her.* He smoothed his shaggy hair and frowned.

"What's the matter, Ryuuzaki?" Ryuk asked.

"Nothing."

L also felt annoyed that he couldn't travel in the same car as Aya because the shinigami took up too much space in the backseat. He was starting to wish he had a Japanese driver's license, although operating a car wasn't something he was particularly good at. L had driven a bit while he was in England, but only on country roads without any traffic. It was much easier (and safer) for Watari to drive him around. He did have a moped and pilot license though.

"Mogi-san, I'll meet you in the car. I have to make a quick call," L told him.

Mogi nodded and headed for the door. L called Watari on his mobile and asked how the party preparations were going.

"Very good. I've just finished buying decorations and other supplies. Now I'm on my way to the florist shop. You said you wanted something with sunflowers, right?"

"Yeah and make sure it's large enough for a table centerpiece. What about the cake we ordered over the weekend?"

"It's ready. I'm picking it up last."

"Is Yagami-san still planning to come by for dinner?" L asked.

"Yes. He sounded much better on the phone when I talked to him earlier. I think the time off has helped him."

"That's good to hear. I'd really like to have him back on the team sooner rather than later. Well, thanks for picking up everything for the party."

"You're welcome. I'll see you this evening."

L ended the call and slipped his phone back into his pocket. Ryuk was still waiting for him. *It's like having a shadow that talks. I'm going to be stuck with him as long as the Death Note is around,* he thought bitterly.

As much as L wanted to get rid of the notebook, he couldn't destroy evidence just yet. He was still holding out a little hope that somehow it would be enough for a conviction. While L didn't want the public to know the full details about Kira, he was starting to think that it might be possible to inform the Japanese prime minister, who could secretly handle Misa and Raito's imprisonment in the future. Once that happened, L would be able to get rid of the Death Note and prevent the government from getting their hands on such a dangerous weapon.

"So what exactly is the big deal about birthdays?" Ryuk asked, following after L.

"It's just a way for people to celebrate someone's life."

"We don't have such things in the shinigami realm. We live so long that it doesn't really matter." Ryuk looked at L curiously. "So cake and flowers are standard practices for a party?"

"Yes. Not that I've been to any parties before though. I hope I'm getting everything right." L bit his thumbnail tensely. His eyes went back to Ryuk and he asked, "Did Raito really consider killing Aya?"

"Yeah, but I told him that doing so would only attract your attention even more."

L looked away and focused on the floor as he walked into the hallway. "Thanks for that."

Ryuk let out a loud cackle. "What's this? The great L is thanking me for something?"

L stopped in front of the door to the parking garage and looked over his shoulder at the shinigami. "Aya probably wouldn't be here today to celebrate her birthday if you hadn't talked him out of it, so yeah, I'm thanking you for saving her life."

"It was just a whim of mine," Ryuk told him. "I didn't do it to be noble."

"The outcome of a decision matters more than the motivation behind it," L replied, remembering what Aya had told him the day they played tennis.

"That's quite philosophical. Did you come up with that yourself?"

"No, that's what Aya believes. I've never given morals much of a thought. I'm usually an indifferent person."

"Yes, I've gathered that much. You know, I used to think that you and Raito were somewhat similar, but I know better now." Ryuk looked at him thoughtfully. "Ideals are everything to Raito and you don't care about such things. You play the game, but without any passion."

"And that makes me a defective human, doesn't it?"

Ryuk shrugged. "Not necessarily. You did just thank me for saving Aya, which means that you care about her in some capacity. That's more than I can say about Raito, who wanted to kill Misa. I don't think he has the ability to love anyone at all… so I would at least call you more of a human being than he is."

L felt very pleased at these words, but he tried to hide it by pulling open the door to the parking garage.

"Of course, you don't have as much humanity as the rest of the task force," Ryuk added with a laugh.

"Well obviously. They're the elite of society. Not many people have the same kind of lofty morals as they do." L opened up the car door and slid into the passenger seat. *I know that I'll never be as good as they are, but I'm satisfied as long as I'm less of a monster than Raito Yagami is.*

. . .

They ended up parking in a public lot and taking the train to Sea Paradise, which was located on its own island where cars were not allowed entrance. The place was huge and had many rides along with the aquarium. Aya saw L's eyes light up when he spotted the roller coaster.

"I want to ride it," he announced. "Who wants to go with me?"

"I'll go. I like roller coasters," Mogi told him.

That surprised Aya a bit since he didn't look like an adventurous person at all. She was glad that someone offered because heights scared her. While L and Mogi got in line, Matsuda and Aya went to meet Aizawa and his family who were in the food court.

Aya was introduced to Aizawa's wife, Eriko, and his daughter, Yumi, who looked to be around 4 years old. She was a miniature version of her mother with the same short brown hair.

"And who's this?" Aya asked, leaning over the stroller to peek at the baby.

"That's Arata. He's almost seven months old," Aizawa said with a fond smile.

His son was wearing a sailor outfit and he had quite a lot of hair, which was sticking up. Aya bent down and offered her finger to the little boy, who grasped it in his hand and looked at her with big brown eyes. She spotted a matching hat sitting on top of the stroller. "Aizawa-san, he's so adorable! I love his outfit too."

"I picked it out," Yumi announced proudly.

After the children finished eating, the group left to go and walk around the park. By that time, L and Mogi were done riding the roller coaster and met back up with them near the carousel. Yumi asked Aya to ride it with her and she agreed to go. Eriko held Arata on her lap and Aizawa stood on the steps, taking pictures as the baby boy laughed with glee. Yumi wanted to ride it again, and this time, Aya dragged L along with them.

"Get some pictures of this, Matsuda," she requested as she passed by.

He laughed. "Of course. This is a memory that needs to be documented. I bet Chief would love to see this!"

. . .

Yumi was on the horse next to Aya and L was on a horse behind them. When the carousel started up, Aya turned around and grinned at him. "Isn't this fun?" she asked.

"Not really," he replied. Ryuk was laughing at him from the sidelines, which he was trying his best to ignore. *It's a good thing these kids can't see him… they'd have nightmares for the rest of their lives.*

After their carousel ride, they went into the aquarium to get out of the heat. L stood in front of one of the massive viewing windows and marveled at the sight. Ryuk was enjoying it even more though. He kept flying around, making loud exclamations.

Aya walked beside L and they spent a lot of time pointing out sea creatures to each other. The underwater tunnel was his favorite though; partly because it felt as though he was inside the ocean, but mostly because Ryuk couldn't fit inside.

She got out her phone and said, "Lets take a picture together." Aya put her face next to his and held out the phone. "One, two, three, smile!"

L was too conscious of her close proximity and he didn't end up smiling in time.

When Aya showed him the picture, he thought he looked rather scared; like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. She laughed. "Lets try this again."

This time he was ready and he managed to give a little closed mouth smile.

Aya pulled away from him and said, "That's much better. I think I'll set this picture as my wallpaper."

She held her phone out so L could see. The blue light of the tunnel had helped to camouflage the dark circles under his eyes. "Will you send it to me?" he asked.

She nodded. "Of course." After putting her phone away, Aya slipped her arm through his. "It's so we don't get separated in the crowd," she told him.

Aya was still holding onto him even after they emerged from the tunnel, which caused Yumi to ask Aya if he was her boyfriend. L glanced at her, who smiled down at the little girl and said, "Ryuuzaki is my friend."

"But you're touching his arm," Yumi pointed out in that annoyingly obvious way that only kids have.

L was sure she was going to let go because of that observation, but she didn't.

"That's okay, friends can do this kind of thing with each other. If Ryuuzaki was my boyfriend, I would be holding his hand."

"Oh, I see." The little girl then proceeded to chatter about different kinds of fish. Yumi eventually left them alone after being called away by Aizawa.

"Do you hold the arm of your friends quite often?" L asked in a lowered tone.

Aya shook her head. "I don't really have any close friends anymore. I've walked like this with my family though." She met his eyes. "I can stop if it's bothering you."

"It isn't," he said honestly. L noticed a teenage boy giving Aya an appreciative glance. When his eyes met L's, the boy's expression seemed to ask: why exactly is she hanging on you? He wasn't sure of that reason himself, but he felt pleased about it nonetheless. L gave the boy a smirk. He frowned at him and looked away.

"Oh wow, these moon jellyfish are gorgeous!" Aya exclaimed, pulling L over to another viewing window. The jellyfish seemed to be glowing with an otherworldly light. Watching them pulsate and drift slowly through the water was strangely calming.

They spent what seemed like hours in the aquarium, but L wasn't bored at all. There was too much to see. When their group finally made it back outside, they were able to watch a dolphin show and then go around to separate tanks to see animals like penguins and seals up close.

It was around 4 PM when they went back into the food court to eat lunch. Before leaving, they visited a few gift shops. Aya bought some small souvenirs to keep and give to her family. L saw her pick up a penguin plushie and hesitate before putting it back on the shelf. When she wandered off to look at something else, he brought it up to the register. After paying for her gift, he found her looking at sunglasses.

"Ryuuzaki, come and try these on," she said, holding out a retro aviator style for him.

He slipped the bag onto his arm and took the sunglasses from her.

"Woah, you look so cool! Hold on, let me take a picture." She fumbled for her phone in her purse. "You should really get them."

"I don't go outside very much though."

She smiled. "Well I'll drag you out from time to time that way you can wear them."

L glanced in the mirror and thought they looked alright, so he once again made his way over to the register.

"I see that you found something else," the older lady said in an amused tone.

"Yeah, I was talked into it," L replied, reaching into his back pocket to get out his wallet.

She smiled at him and rang up the sunglasses. "I saw. Your girlfriend has good taste. These will never go out of style."

L could have corrected her mistake, but he chose not to. He didn't mind at all that they were being mistaken for a couple.

She ran his credit card through the machine and then said, "I'll just get rid of this tag for you and you'll be able to wear them out." The lady got a scissors from a drawer and snipped off the price. "Here you are."

L took them from her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Enjoy the rest of your day!"

He inclined his head. "You too. Bye."

Encountering friendly people was a rare occurrence for L. Hardly anyone even remembered to make small talk with him because they were too distracted by his peculiar appearance. For once, L didn't feel like a complete freak; in fact, he felt almost like a regular person.

. . .

When they were on the train, Aya looked at L's bag. "What else did you buy?" she asked curiously.

He handed it to Aya. "A present for you. I saw you looking at it before."

L watched her face transform into a smile when she pulled out the stuffed penguin. "That's sweet of you! Thanks, Ryuuzaki." Aya set the penguin on her lap.

"No problem, I'm glad you like it."

Matsuda ended up passing around his camera to show everyone the photos he took. L was surprised to see quite a few of himself and Aya in the aquarium. There was a shot of them from behind as they stood admiring a school of fish. Aya still had her arm linked with his.

"This is a really good one." She turned to Matsuda and asked, "Will you send it to my email?"

"Absolutely. I thought you two looked cute like that."

*Cute?* L thought, glancing at it again. *Could it be that we don't actually look that bad together?*

. . .

Aya took a shower before going down to eat dinner. It came as a surprise when she walked in to see multicolored helium filled balloons drifting up to the ceiling. There was a large bouquet of bright flowers set out on the table, along with clear turquoise glasses and matching plates that reminded Aya of the ocean. Everyone besides Aizawa and Watari were already inside the dining room. Even Chief Yagami was there.

"Happy Birthday!" they called out in unison.

Aya felt momentarily speechless, but managed to thank them. "Everything looks so amazing!" She sat in the empty seat beside Matsuda and poured herself a drink. L got up to move the flowers and when he sat back down, Aya smiled across the table at him.

Watari came in a few minutes later with a stack of pizza boxes. They sat around eating and talking about the day's events at the aquarium. Once they finished their food, Matsuda got out his camera and started showing Chief Yagami the pictures.

"You look like you're having fun on that carousel, Ryuuzaki," Chief Yagami teased. The expression on L's face in the picture was far from amused.

"Yeah right," L muttered sarcastically. "I felt like an idiot."

"Ryuuzaki was a good sport about it though," Aya broke in. "He rode on it as a favor to me."

"Is that so?" Chief Yagami asked, addressing L. "Looks like you've gotten more thoughtful in my absence."

L just shrugged and looked uncomfortable with the attention. Aya glanced at him and thought, *He has changed, hasn't he?* It made her feel hopeful.

. . .

They didn't have tea and cake until after 8 PM. Watari set out white china plates and cups with a blue flowered pattern on them. L carefully lit the twenty sparkler candles with an oversize lighter and the five men sang "Happy Birthday" in slightly off key voices that made Aya grin. She managed to blow them out in one breath, but she didn't make a wish. Aya had made wishes in the past and the opposite happened, so now she was superstitious about doing that.

Watari cut the cake and Aya took the first bite. It was delicious; chocolate frosting and a rich chocolate cake that had the consistency of a brownie. "My god, this is like heaven," she praised. They all agreed that it was one of the best cakes they had ever eaten.

"Good choice, Ryuuzaki," Mogi said appreciatively.

"Well he is a cake expert," Matsuda commented and then turned to L. "Have you tried this recipe before?"

"No, but I figured it would be good since it's from my favorite bakery."

After they finished eating, Aya was presented with a gift certificate to a bookstore. "You guys know me so well, thank you!" she exclaimed.

Chief Yagami left an hour later and Watari excused himself to clean up the dishes. The rest of them went up to the game room. Aya mostly watched them play since she had never been much of a gamer. By 11 PM, she was yawning.

"Are you tired?" L asked. "Do you want to go back to your room?"

"I probably should before I fall asleep. Will you walk me back?"

He nodded and they rose from the couch at the same time.

Aya said goodnight to everyone. Ryuk was too preoccupied with playing a Wii Mario game to follow after them, which both parties were grateful for.

. . .

L had just pressed the button for Aya's floor when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned around and didn't even have time to react before being enveloped in a hug. Aya's arms encircled his neck and he felt her warm body against his own. L's heartbeat quickened. "Aya?" he asked in surprise. She was so close that he could smell her shampoo.

"I've wanted to do this for a long time so please bear with it," she said softly and her breath brushed the side of his neck. "Thank you for making my birthday so special."

After a moment he said, "You're welcome," and placed his hands hesitantly on her back.

They stood like that until the elevator opened. Aya loosened her arms and looked up at him. Her cheeks were slightly flushed and she gave him a shy smile before stepping out of his embrace. Within seconds, she was in the hallway. Aya turned around and called out, "Goodnight!" before hurrying towards her apartment.

L watched her until the elevator doors closed. His heart was still racing. He had planned on going back to the game room, but there was no way he could do that now. L pressed the button for his floor instead. He was feeling many different emotions and he didn't understand any of them. *I need to think… I need to figure this out,* he told himself as he left the elevator in a daze. L knew that logic wasn't going to work though and he found that frighteningly exhilarating.

A/N: This chapter might be fluff overload, but I just couldn't resist ;) I was listening to instrumental covers of "A Thousand Years" (piano by Adrian Lee and acoustic guitar by Sungha Jung) while writing the scene you just finished reading.

I don't know Aizawa's son's name or age, so I came up with those details on my own. Sea Paradise is a real place in Yokohama, just outside of Tokyo (I wish I could go!) I got inspiration for the aquarium scene from episode 4 of Kuragehime :D Aya's birthday is July 25, which gives her personality traits of both Cancer and Leo.