***Hello, everyone! I told you, I had this planned out. I own none of the characters, and let's go!
Chapter Nine: Family
Once Light was done with treatment, he was moved back to his old room. Needless to say, he didn't spend nearly as much time in his beloved corner for a while.
L never gave up on him. If he had to stand in the shower and help the younger man clean himself off, then so be it. If he had to sit at his bedside, methodically combing his hair to soothe him back to sleep after another nightmare produced by his paranoia, then so be it. It was worth it as slowly, surely, the results came back.
Light's mobility improved. His response times to everyone were faster and faster. He was finally getting better. And when he realized that, it only made him want to get better faster, to move on with life.
But L recognized what he needed versus what he wanted. Light wanted to go back to normal. He needed to settle back into life slowly and steadily, one step at a time. /span/p
And L was willing to hold him steady as he took his first steps back into life.
XxX
Light was fiddling with a puzzle cube that someone in his family had brought him during recovery one afternoon when the door opened, and clothes were tossed in front of him. L was the one who had come in (late as well) and had given him clothes.
"You might not remember, but these are your clothes. I visited your house this morning and spent my day talking to those higher up," he said.
Light looked at the clothes in front of him-a gray t-shirt and black sweatpants. "Why?" he asked softly.
"Tonight, you're going to leave this institution to eat dinner with your family. You'll have to be brought back, of course, as you're still a resident here. But this should help in your adjustment to normal life amongst your family," L said.
Light felt his mouth begin to water. He had fuzzy memories of the dinners his mother made for him and his sister, and his father, when Soichiro could make it to family dinners. And he remembered that it tasted far, far better than anything he'd had at the institution.
We leave in two hours. I would like you to get dressed by yourself. You've improved in your mobility, and I'll allow you the privacy you need," L said. He moved to a chair, then covered his eyes. Light took that as his cue to get ready now.
He slowly, steadily stood up. His legs still felt a bit sluggish sometimes, especially when he was just getting up after hours of being still. But now, he could work with it. It took a few minutes, but he carefully managed to wiggle out of the white shorts and t-shirt that patients wore. The cold air that hit his now-exposed tan skin was even more of a motivator for him.
Forcing his slightly-limp arms to work with him, he put on the t-shirt and sweatpants he was given. And for once, he felt proud of himself. "I'm good now," he said quietly.
L uncovered his eyes and nodded. "Good job."
XxX
It was bizarre, leaving the institution for the first time in years. And yet, no one said anything to Light as long as he stuck by L's side. Sure, there were disapproving glances, but no one said anything.
Light was led out to a black car that had evidently been imported from another country. L dug into his pocket and fumbled with a few keys before finding the right one. "You can get in the passenger seat. Your house is about half an hour away, so make yourself comfortable," he said, sitting in the driver's seat.
Light sat in the passenger seat, finally seeing his therapist sit somewhat normally… minus the fact that he was practically bent in half over the steering wheel. But that wasn't what was at the forefront of the younger man's mind. "They don't like you," he said.
"I know. It's just because of how I've gone about your treatment," L said, pulling out of the parking lot and getting onto the road. "It's working for me," Light said.
He could have sworn that he saw a smile that said I told you so in bold letters on L's face. "I know."
XxX
The drive was a relatively quick and silent one, with the radio providing a nice amount of white background noise. Light recognized his home, even if he hadn't been here in months. He'd been raised here. His family was here.
"Do you need help getting out? You haven't moved from your seat, Light." L's voice snapped Light out of his staring spell.
Light shook his head and got out of the car, shifting his weight from side to side before shuffling alongside L to the front door. The older man rang the doorbell.
Sayu answered the door, and she immediately lit up. It was clear that she wanted to hug and squeeze her older brother tightly, to squeal with excitement about the fact that he'd recovered to this degree after so long… but she restrained herself.
Rather, she hugged him in the doorway of their home. "Mom's working on dinner. Hotpot tonight, shabu-shabu style. When she found out you'd get to come home for dinner, she dropped what she was doing and went out to the market right away. She wanted to make this special for you," she said.
Light smiled into his sister's shoulder, and they pulled apart. "Come on inside. Dad's even home," Sayu said. As the two siblings went inside, L followed behind them like an awkward, silent shadow.
And that seemed to be the pattern for a while.
L eventually found a chair that was empty at the table to watch the heartfelt reunions Light had with his parents. Although Watari had been like a father figure to L, he wasn't a true parent. Idly, L wondered about it.
If his own parents were alive, would they have been this happy to see him recovering from his own illness years ago? Would his mother have been as warm as Sachiko was, and would his father have been as proud of his son's recovery as Soichiro was?
L would never know.
As dinner was finished and put on the table, he got out of the way. "I would have dropped Light off and come back for him, but the only way that I could ensure that he got to see you this evening was if I stayed with him the entire time. I'll wait in the living room," he said.
However, Light's thin fingers wrapped around his wrist as he tried to leave. "You helped me," Light said. "Enjoy this with us."
L looked at the family around him. Even if they'd had disagreements in the past, the end result was clear. L had helped Light, and the Yagami family was grateful.
"Sayu, pull around another chair from the island for Dr. Lawliet," Soichiro instructed. Sayu eagerly listened to her father, putting a chair on the end of the table.
L perched himself on it. "Call me L. Formalities can be forgotten."
XxX
In all honesty, L had never felt so accepted in his life. Listening to the Yagami family recall fond family memories from when Light and Sayu were young over a delicious, home-cooked meal… it was like a whole new feeling for the stoic psychologist.
But it wasn't an unwelcome feeling.
L felt bad when he had to bring Light back to the institution after a delectable dessert. So, Light gave his family his goodbyes for the time being, seeming a bit tired from doing so much after doing so little for so long.
No one was too sad, though-they all knew that he was going to recover, and he would be home soon. L led Light out to his car, and they got in. They drove beneath the stars back towards the hospital.
Light wound up dozing off, and L drove a little slower.
He just wanted to enjoy the lingering feeling of being a part of a family for a little bit longer.
***There's one more chapter after this and it'll be uploaded later tonight. Be sure to leave a review on the way out, and I'll see you all in the next one! Bye!