Chapter 37 - Morning Talks
"You think they're going to ever wake up?" Matt asked as he brought a cup of coffee to his mouth. Taking a sip, he grimaced as the bitterness assaulted his taste buds. Mello, who only ever made coffee black and would glare angrily if one even suggested or attempted to sweeten the flavor, had offered Matt a cup, and Matt knew better then to refuse.
Mello shrugged before taking a bite of his toast. "Honestly, who the fuck knows?"
Near nodded in agreement, causing Mello to shoot him a dirty look.
"Just because we're going to start working together, doesn't suddenly mean we're best friends, okay? I still hate you, and it's not going to change," Mello clarified tensely. Near simply nodded again as the edges of his lips pulled up into a gossamer smile. The action ruffled Mello, who eyes narrowed in anger. "How hard do you think it would be for me to kill you?" he hissed, mind temporarily lost to fury.
Matt realized that if he didn't act quickly things would take a sharp turn south, so he extended his hand to lay lightly on Mello's shoulder.
"Hey, chill out. It's okay," Matt soothed, relieved as he felt Mello relax under his hand. Mello shrugged again, turning away from Near.
"Yeah, whatever you say," Mello muttered, reaching to take another angry bite out of his toast. Matt almost groaned at Mello's childish behavior and petulant attitude. He shot an apologetic glance towards Near.
"I guess you'll be working on the Kira case first, huh?" Matt asked, hoping to redirect the conversation and diffuse the oppressive tension. His coffee was already bitter enough; he didn't need the mood to sour the rest of the morning.
Near nodded. "Yes, I imagine we will." Mello continued to glare at the wall.
"Yeah, it's going to be pretty serious, isn't it? He's killed a ton of people."
"He won't be able to kill anyone else once we're done with him," Mello proclaimed, directing his attention away from the wall and back to Matt. "That motherfucker is done for."
"He won't stand a chance," Near finalized. He knew arrogance could easily become his fatal flaw, but for this moment, he would allow himself to splurge and ignore his warnings.
Matt laughed, happy at the sudden, positive change in the room. "He really won't, will he?"
"Nope," Mello answered, pride lifting his voice, "He's screwed."
"Nicely put," Near replied, and this time Mello didn't latch onto Near's words and respond with hate. Instead, he allowed a brief silence fall over the room as the light streamed in through the window and scattered onto the table.
After a moment, Mello glanced at the clock, and tapped his feet in impatience. "I should just go in there and wake them up," he growled.
"If L is sleeping, then we should let him sleep. You know he little he sleeps already," Near gently reprimanded, as he thought back to the rare hours of sleep L would manage every so often. He and insomnia had always been close, and Near doubted he had been able to break from it in the past five years.
"True," Matt agreed, "And we've already waited 5 years, so a couple more hours won't hurt us."
Mello debated whether to argue, but decided against it. He couldn't successfully argue against both Matt and Near, especially when he knew they were right. "Fine," he muttered. "We'll wait."
Matt paused a moment as a question entered his mind. He had been wanting to inquire to Mello about it, but he had to be careful about how he approached it. Mello had a strong tendency for jealousy and possessiveness, and Matt didn't want to abruptly awaken Mello to a possibility, especially since he didn't have any solid proof. However, he wanted to know in case it became a significant problem, and their interactions last night hinted at more than just a friendship.
"Mello?" Matt asked, "What do you think of Light?" An innocent question. One that would hopefully trigger no alarms.
Mello shifted in his seat, but before he could speak, Near interrupted.
"Light?" Near asked in confusion. L had not mentioned a Light to him during their conversation.
"He's someone L met in Japan, and L brought him here," Matt explained. "He was tired, so after talking to me, L had me take him to a bedroom so he could sleep."
Near moved one of his hands to twist his hair as he considered the addition of this Light. Someone new, someone L felt was important enough to take him from his home, someone L must value…L was never the type to gain friends, so this felt peculiar. Light must be something special, so Near wanted to meet him so he could gain an illuminating impression of him.
"He's a pretentious asshole," Mello muttered as he stared hatefully towards the plate.
"Hm?"
"Fucking prick," Mello muttered again, confirming Matt's initial impression of Light. While Mello was quick to judge and more often than not viewed people unfavorably, he still had a good sense of people, and Matt usually trusted Mello's impressions of people.
"Really?" Near asked, earning a dirty glare from Mello. "I wouldn't imagine L to be willing to befriend someone arrogant and haughty."
"Same, but let's not forget B," Matt agreed, leaning back in his chair.
"B's dead," Mello declared after a few seconds of silence. The words spun through the room, promptly shocking Near and Matt.
"B's dead?" Matt choked out.
"Yeah."
"How did that happen?" Matt inquired. B was not someone who would easily succumb to death, least of all when L remained alive.
"I don't know. L didn't say. But it had to do something with Light, though," Mello said, thinking back to the initial encounter where Light regarded him with distrust and hatred. He had met one of them before, given his reaction, and Mello could deduce that it was B.
"Jealousy?" Matt offered, drawing a gaze from Mello. "You know how possessive B was of L. If he perceived a threat, there's no knowing how far he would go to eliminate it." Near nodded in agreement.
"I would imagine that would be the case, but that would suggest that L had played a large part in B's death. He might have even…" Near trailed off, allowing the idea to formulate in the other's teens minds.
"L's not a murderer," Mello hissed suddenly. Near watched him in silence.
"It's just a possibility, Mel," Matt soothed. The tension slowly diffused through Mello's body.
"I fucking hate this," Mello muttered, his words twisting in frustration.
"Why?" Matt inquired.
"Because we don't know shit! Fuck, it just feels like there's so much L's not telling us. Like I mentioned Kira to him, and he got all funny. And him and Light, there's so much more going on there that he's letting on. I just fucking want to know!" Mello exclaimed, swept up in a sudden burst of passion. His exclamation sent questions swirling through both Near and Matt.
"He was funny about Kira?" Near asked softly, concern dripping through his stomach. L was too intelligent to be corrupted by such a malicious criminal. He would never fall sway to Kira.
"He just froze when I mentioned his name and shit."
"Maybe he was simply alarmed," Near offered.
"I would fucking know alarm, wouldn't I? No, it was like he knew something. Something bad that he didn't want anyone else to know. And Light got all super defensive."
"He could be connected to Kira," Matt murmured. His words gave voice to the fear that resided in Near.
"He would never…" Near argued, before Matt cut him off.
"And him and Light? Is there something more going on between them?"
Mello stared down at his plate, a scowl crossing his face. He remained silent for a moment. "They're…"
"Yeah," Matt urged.
"They're fucking boyfriends or some shit, but they're definitely more than just friends." Mello grimaced, disdain coiling his stomach. For some pretentious pretty boy to steal L's heart, well, it just wasn't fair. L deserved much better than Light, and Mello grew enraged at the thought.
"Boyfriends," Matt restated. "I thought so…I just wanted to make sure." The revelation incited a wave of questions about the true nature of their relationship, to which Matt desperately wished to know. How did their relationship commence? L had never displayed any desire for romantic attachment, instead remaining fixated on studying. Light must have broken through that aloof barrier and reached out to the hidden inner workings of L. Their whole relationship intrigued Matt on a fundamental level since the two contrasted so strongly in appearance and manner but still managed to contain a powerful attachment.
"Boyfriends," Near whispered, the word tasting foul in his mouth. The whole idea sent a wave of bitterness coursing through him.
"Yeah," Mello muttered, running a hand through his hair.
"I wouldn't have…"Near trailed off, a sense of animosity and sullenness filling him. L shouldn't have been…L was above such trial and empty things. His intelligence should have prevented him from constantly being distracted by pretty face and empty promises. Near felt a stinging sense of disappointment. His best friend had changed radically, departing from his old self into a new, unfamiliar one full of secrets and blinded by romance.
"He never did like girls, so I guess it makes sense that he's gay. And with enough smiles, Light's pretty enough to manage to delude L. It sucks," Mello proclaimed, scowling at the ceiling. Matt nodded in agreement, while Near remained silence. Mello glanced over at him, his eyes narrowing. "He's not our L anymore, Near."
Near blinked slowly. Emotions threatened to burst, but he willed them to remain still. "It makes no difference," he uttered apathetically. Mello scoffed.
"This is why I can't stand you. It does make a difference, but you're too much of a coward to admit it."
"Mello…"Matt warned. Mello shrugged him off.
Near's voice caught in his throat for a second. "As long as L manages to maintain his intelligence and detective aptitude, then it make no difference. He will make an excellent A."
Mello burst out laughing, but instead of a vibrant, cheerful laugh, it was bitter and cold. "Yeah, whatever you say," he managed through the diminishing laughter. "Fucking coward," he muttered at the end. Near tensed at the confrontation, but refrained from responding. He would never admit that Mello held a touch of truth in his statements.
"I'll run a scan on Light later," Matt began, taking the burden of breaking the silence. "Find out everything that matters. Did you catch his last name?"
The tension and animosity eased off Mello's face as he thought. "No I don't think so, but he was dating this model named Misa Amane. You might be able to find something through her."
Mello's answer made Matt pause. "He was dating a model named Misa Amane?"
Mello nodded. "At least, that's what she told me. But apparently, that couldn't have been the case, unless he was lying to her."
"So he could be a liar then," Near murmured quietly, worry lacing his voice. Liars held a particular place of disdain in his heart and he hoped L would have had enough common sense to resist the charms of a poisonous liar.
Mello looked at Near, his head tilted slightly. "Yeah he could be," he muttered in agreement, sharing a concerned look with Near. The mutual agreement was surprising enough.
"Or it could be something else too. You never know," Matt countered, but fell quiet under Mello's skeptical stare. "Okay, I'll find everything we'll need to know about him. Everything that could possibly indicate that he lives in a façade."
"All of his secrets," Mello ordered, to which Near nodded.
"If he is a liar, he will have hid anything truthful under a blanket of lies. It is imperative we discover his secrets, to evaluate his moral standing," Near furthered, surprised at how him and Mello had agreed without reluctance and anger.
"Okay, will do." Matt leaned back in his chair, glancing at the clock. "No one can hide their secrets forever, and certainly not to me."
"Remind me never to piss you off."
Matt glanced over at Mello. "A bit too late for that isn't it?" A smile curled around his lips, and the tense mood lightened under the sudden amusement. It was peaceful sitting in this sun soaked room, the smell of aged wood and vanilla floating through the air. In these moments, the malicious world felt distant.
However, despite how much they wanted the rest of the world to retain this distance, it seemed determined to disrupt the peace.
A sharp knock interrupted their thoughts, and they all looked towards the door. After a moment, the door slowly opened and a mass of black hair peaked through the door way.
Obsidian eyes followed the hair along with lanky, pale limbs and ruffled clothes. L stood in the doorway as he observed the scene. His eyes possessed a weariness that seemed odd due to the many hours he had to sleep. However, his back had straightened slightly, with his shoulders pushed back with a determined eagerness. A renewed vigor had strengthened his body.
Light followed closely behind him. His auburn hair fell around his face, highlighting the sharp lines and soft curves that composed his striking face. One couldn't deny that Light was indeed quite beautiful, but his beauty made no guarantees of his virtue. Additionally, a trepidation seemed to pull lightly on his limbs ad he stared fixedly at a point of light on the wall. His demeanor had shifted from the haughty boy Mello remembered into someone much more subdued and concerned.
Matt took the job to break the silence and initiate the conversation.
"You guys slept for a while."
L nodded after a moment. "Yes," he began, his eyes darting around the room, "the jet lag was unfortunate. I hope you haven't been waiting long?"
"Not too long," Matt replied, shrugging his shoulders. He ignored Mello's pointed stare. However, he did notice Light eagerly eye the food lain upon the table. "You want some breakfast?"
Light licked his lips as his eyes remained fixed on the food. "If you don't mind," he stated, his voice significantly softer than previously. It seemed to have lost its arrogant edge.
"Not at all. We have eggs, toast, fruit, muffins, really anything."
"Some fruit and toast would be fine."
Matt nodded, gesturing towards the abundant fruit on the table. "Take your pick." He turned to L. "And you?"
"A muffin is fine," L replied, walking over to the table and pulling out a chair. In one swift motion, he sat down and pulled his knees up to chest to resume his peculiar posture. Light followed closely behind, sitting down and immediately reaching for the fruit.
"Light, I don't believe I have had the pleasure to meet you. I'm Near" Near stated, his hand reaching up to twist a strand of hair. His large eyes watched Light carefully.
Light swallowed a piece of cantaloupe before replying. He extended his arm to initiate a handshake. Near cautiously extended his own hand and grasped lightly on Light's. "It's a pleasure to meet you Near. L had told me a lot about you." His auburn eyes peered intently into Nears, surprising Near at the shocking intensity of his gaze.
"You're a long way from home," Near offered, wanting to continue their discussion. The longer he maintained the conversation the more he could deduce about Light's mannerisms and intentions.
A grimace flashed so quickly across Light's face that Near nearly missed it. To an untrained eye, Light would never have broken from the perfect countenance. Adept at hiding his emotions and controlling his expression Near noted, attempting to focus closely on Light so he wouldn't miss any other ticks or gives in his expression.
Light nodded. "Yes, I am," he murmured, his voice wistful. Emotion briefly flooded his eyes before he shook it away. Near watched all of this with a growing interest.
"How do you like England so far?"
Light took a moment to respond. "I didn't expect it to be raining this much."
"No one does, but unfortunately English weather is never as nice as one would desire." Near's words fell softly from his lips.
"Yeah, it's rainy, boo hoo," Mello scoffed, leaning back in his chair. His eyes flashed menacingly towards Light. "I'm sorry it doesn't meet your standards." His voice twisted with contempt.
Light blinked in surprise. "It was only an observation," he stated simply, his fork hovering over another piece of fruit.
Mello scowled at him, his eyes narrowing. "I'm sure it wasn't," Mello growled.
"Mello…"L warned, his voice quiet. Mello flashed his eyes in his direction. "There is no need for you to be so antagonistic."
"There's no need for him to be so fucking pretentious."
Light started at the comment. Irritation crossed his face as he glared at Mello. "I refuse to go through this again. I get it, you love L, but don't take your bitterness and disappointment out on me." The feeling of L's hand on Light's shoulder silenced him.
"Light," L began before Light shook his hand off.
"No, L, you don't understand. I didn't go through all this so I could be bitched at by some leather clad teenager. I'm tired of it okay? Especially since…" Light cried exasperated, his voice shaking with sudden emotion.
Near watched in silence. Light appeared weak and exhausted, a far stretch from how Matt and Mello had described him as the ideal, unfaultable individual.
L bit into his lip. He lifted his hand to gently trace it through Light's hair, confirming Near's supposition that they were lovers.
"I do understand, Light," L murmured softly. "He only says those things because he's worried."
Light leaned forward, holding his face in his hands. After a moment, his hand twitched before he suddenly reached for L's hand. Finding it, Light intertwined their fingers and held on with an unprecedented desperation. L watched him as worry sliced through his stomach. These reactions and emotions were unlike Light.
L trailed a slow hand through Light's hair, and then leaned forward to place a kiss on the top of Light's scalp. He could feel Light shuddering beneath him, and L had to resist the urge to pull Light into his arms and kiss him until all his apprehension and fear melted away.
"Is he okay?" Matt asked hesitantly, gesturing towards Light. L flicked uneasy eyes up at Matt.
"He will be."
Light gave a quick jerk of his head. "I need some air," he murmured, shaking off L's hand. He stood up hastily, looking towards the door. Facing no resistance, Light made his way to the door and disappeared into the hallway.
L watched him recede. Light's sudden shifts in mood inspired concern, and L debated following him. He had to make sure Light would be okay, but at the same time, he couldn't abandon Matt, Mello, and Near again. He would have to stay, and only hoped Light would be capable of working through whatever plagued him alone.
L turned his attention back to the three boys, struck by a sudden nostalgia over the many mornings spent together over tea and toast.
"So you really like Light, huh?" Matt inquired, attempting nonchalance as he took a sip of his coffee
"Yes, I do." The admittance curled off his tongue, echoing through the room. "He is unlike anyone I have ever met."
"Really? He's that special?" Mello asked coarsely, his fist clenching.
"He is," L replied, gazing coolly at Mello's antagonistic body stance. Light was obviously an incredibly touchy topic for Mello.
"Will he be…?" Near inquired quietly, his voice drifting through the sunlight. L observed him for a moment, deducing the rest of the question.
"No, he won't. He wishes to do something else, but we will remain together," L clarified, extending his hands to delicately grasp a muffin residing on the table. Bringing it to his lips, he took a bite. "Have you reached a decision, Mello?"
"Yeah, I have." For some odd reason, L noted a sense of wariness and apprehension residing in Mello's eyes.
"And?"
"I'll work with you, L. But Matt has to be with us."
L nodded his approval. "Of course. I would have asked you also Matt, but the idea struck me after our conversation."
"Don't worry about it," Matt replied, brushing it off. "So," Matt began, "I suppose since we're all signed up for this now, that we should make our way to Japan, right?"
"Japan?" L repeated, pausing in his movements.
"We're going after Kira, right?" Matt continued, casting an inquiring look at L. His body language screamed discomfort, until L seemed to regain control, dispelling his tension.
"Yes, but we also must not disregard any other cases."
The matter seemed accurately discussed, until Mello decided that he wanted explanations. As L took another bite of the muffin, he spoke.
"Did something happen with you and Kira? Cause whenever we talk about him, you always seem to freak out." The room fell silent as the question reverberated against the walls. L watched Mello with an unreadable expression. "Well?"
"I knew of him. I knew of A. And Light's father was a detective who assisted on the case."
"Worked on the case?" Near asked quietly, his words ghosting through the room.
L nodded somberly.
"Yeah? So what's the big deal?"
Near turned to look at Mello. "With your abrupt departure, you missed how C died."
"Okay…"
"The hotel room she resided in exploded presumably by a bomb. She perished in the blaze, but in addition, the task force compromises of Japanese detective, and who I assume to include Light's father, also died."
L nodded, confirming Near's statements.
"Of fuck," Mello stated bluntly. "Fucking hell."
"I'm sure you can understand why Kira would cause me some discomfort."
"Yeah, of course, fuck, I'm sorry about that."
"Me too," L responded, sorrow coating his eyes for a brief moment. "I don't wish any of you to die because of Kira."
Mello shook his head. "You won't have to worry about that. We'll take that motherfucker down." Near and Matt nodded in agreement. "We'll get justice for A and Light's dad."
L watched him, his eyes large and dark and sad. Matt couldn't shrug off the feeling that L was still hiding something, that he knew something more, that he had some further involvement with Kira, but now was not the time to press. L was obviously mourning, and Matt didn't want to worsen his grief.
"It's going to be okay, L," Matt offered, extending one hand to cover L's. The gesture appeared to bring comfort to L, who provided a small smile.
"Thank you."
"Anything for you," Matt replied, smiling gently. A troubled look briefly crossed L's face, but it melted under a hopeful gaze.
A sharp knock interrupted the moment, and they pulled away to look at the door.
"Come in," Mello called. He stood up, clenching his fists to display his power.
The door slowly opened, and an aged man peered out from the doorway. Dark lines adorned his curious eyes, and white hair fell in disarray. L started with recognition, recalling Watari's dire words.
His eyes landed on L and a series of shock, confusion, and interest proceeded through his eyes. L stared back coolly, attempting to reinforce the distance between them.
"L?" he called out hesitantly. He stared at L hungrily.
"Hello Roger," L greeted. He kept his voice impassionate, staring at Roger with blank eyes.
"How is this…?" Roger broke off. His eyes darted towards Mello. "You found him?"
A laugh escaped Mello's lips. "You bet I did."
"How exactly did you accomplish this feat?"
"Ah, I'd prefer to keep that a secret," Mello jibed, causing Near to scoff. Roger watched in silence, his lips pursed in thought.
"I will be assuming the position of A," L stated bluntly, breaking through Roger's musings. Roger nodded.
"Of course." His voice shook slightly. "That is what A would have wanted." He paused a moment as if debating to ask. "How is Quillish doing?"
L denied a response for a moment as he judged the intent of the question. He hoped that Roger was asking out of concern for an old friend, but was just as likely that he was inquiring to judge how much L knew about his experiments. "He's fine," L replied, leaving the statement ambiguous.
"You can tell him that he's always welcome back here."
"I will." L offered nothing else, instead turning his attention back to Matt, Mello, and Near. Roger took the hint, nodded to himself, and uttered a goodbye before leaving the room. Near watched L questioningly.
"What is it, Near?"
"You don't like Roger," Near observed. The sides of L's mouth tightened.
"There was a reason Watari needed to remove me from here."
"Well, what is it?" Mello asked, growing frustrated at the vague statement.
L glanced down and his hand tightened around the seat. "Roger would have…harmed me if I remained," he quietly admitted.
"Really?"
L nodded slowly. "Yes. Watari took me away before it happened, however."
"Okay," Mello stated dubiously. "If that's the case, then why is Roger still here? Since apparently he's down for hurting kids and all?"
"Watari has ensure that Roger hasn't harmed anyone else." L paused. "Watari told me last night, and I'm still attempting to make sense of it."
Mello stared skeptically at L, noticing the obvious cop out. "Okay, but still…" A hand on Mello's arm silenced him, and he looked over at a cautioning Matt. They held stares for a moment, before Mello turned away and admitted defeat.
"All that matters is that you're back now," Matt eased. A small smile appeared on L's face.
"Thank you," he began, "thank you all for everything."
Near, Matt, and Mello supplied their gratitude, and their conversation broke into easy topics about past memories of dashing through the hallways, exploring the fields, and playing the wild assortment of games that decorated their childhoods.
For the first time in a long while, L finally felt at peace.