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Father Figure
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Yagami Soichiro closed the bathroom door silently behind him, and heavily leaned against the doorframe in the hallway. Splash of cold water to his face had done little to lift away the fatigue. He was getting too old, he thought, for pulling an all-nighter like this. He resisted the temptation of just walking out of there, the spacious but oppressive hotel suite which happened to be their headquarters for the time being, and return to the comfort of home, into the safe embrace of Sachiko. No, he reminded himself. No more comfort. Cameras were about to be placed there. His family would have to be "observed." He closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
"Chief Yagami."
He opened his heavy eyes at the soft voice calling his name.
"You must be quite tired. Can I get you a cup of tea? Coffee, perhaps?"
Soichiro straightened up his stooped shoulders and turned toward the gentle face of Watari.
"Oh, no. It's quite all right. Thank you, though. I'm very appreciative of what you've already done for us," he said with a smile, pointing at the empty ice cream carton in Watari's arms.
"Ah. That's nothing. Anything I can do to help smooth progress."
Even though his mind had been in turmoil at having been pushed into considering his own family as possible suspects, he found himself calming down considerably in the presence of the polite English gentleman. Heaviness momentarily forgotten, Soichiro stood observing the pleasant face of bespectacled man. Quite the contrast, he mused. Unlike his often-abrasive young protégé, this old man oozed kindness with dignified air. If Ryuuzaki had the tendency to make them stand nervously on their tiptoes, Watari had the soothing ability to somehow put them right back at ease, even though he was just as reserved, if not more, and rarely offered petty pleasantries.
"I'm sure you have better things to attend to than keeping us fed," he said with a good-natured chuckle.
The elderly man returned a smile. "Actually, keeping Ryuuzaki well fed is a very important aspect of what I do: maintaining the maximum efficiency."
Soichiro's smile faltered.
"That sounds a little… I hope you don't take this offensive, but you almost make it sound as if he's a machine."
The gentle expression remained on the aged face but his voice took on a serious tone.
"When he is at work, Chief Yagami, he is a machine. No. To be more exact, I should say… he is a specialized weapon as the product of society needing to fend itself against certain forces. This entity we call L is a trained sniper with a mission in a war of stealth, and I am his support battalion. For individuals like Ryuuzaki and I, our purpose comes before our humanity. It is heartless, yes, but certain criminals… they are beyond humanity, as we are seeing now with our current case. And in order to apprehend those ruthless criminals…"
"We must be ruthless as well," Soichiro finished for him in understanding.
A contemplative silence fell between them. Then Watari gestured toward the kitchen.
"Come. Let us have some tea and I would like to go over the location of surveillance cameras with you. I can pull up the floor plan of your house in my laptop set up in there."
Soichiro's eyes twitched ever so slightly. So these two had been preparing for this already… always one step ahead.
Moments later, they were seated in front of Watari's computer, showing each room of Soichiro's house in a 3D grid. On the table sat two teacups cooling quickly in the chill of morning air.
"…It should be easy for your daughter's room since it is quite small… I was thinking here, and here… However, Tsuki, on the other hand…"
"Light," Soichiro interjected.
"Pardon?"
"We call him Light," he explained with practiced ease.
"Ah, I see." Watari glanced at Soichiro's face, which could not hide a hint of pride as he said his son's name.
"It is a good name," Watari added.
"Thank you. I know it's unusual but when Sachiko gave a birth to him and I held him in my arms…"
Realizing that he was offering unnecessary personal account, Soichiro lowered his head with a blush on his cheeks. When he looked back at Watari, however, the older man's gaze was on him with a slight raise of his drooping lids in an encouragement to go on. Soichiro chuckled, embarrassed by his own forwardness.
"He already had those bright eyes of unusual intelligence even as a baby. We thought the name only fitting for him."
"He's a bright kid, no doubt?"
"Extremely. So much so that it worries me sometimes. I know you probably think it strange."
"No, not at all. I also know too well how worrisome… even sad… it can be when a child knows too much."
Soichiro searched Watari's face when he detected a wistful note in the voice.
"Watari… in spite of what you said earlier about you and Ryuuzaki…"
Watari nodded.
"I do not deny… I have a tremendous affection for him."
Soichiro could almost hear the words left unspoken.
Like a son.
"Shall we continue, Chief Yagami?" Watari broke the reverie, his wrinkled hands beginning to tap busily on the keyboard.
"Watari… Please, call me Soichiro."
The tapping paused momentarily. Watari's droopy eyes studied him, before he gave a slight nod.
"Very well, Soichiro."
……
His son was calling him, pleading.
His flesh and blood. Ever since that day he held this boy – so tiny back then – in his arms in wonder, Light never let him down. Now grown into this beautiful young man, Soichiro knew he need not feel the worry and anxiety any more.
The dying man's only wish was to have more time, more strength. There was still so much he wanted to say to his son, to let him know how proud he was, how grateful he was having had such a son who made his life worthwhile. He knew he had the chance, a lifetime of chance, but it was never enough when the last of his breath was leaving his body.
"I'm glad... I never doubted your innocence."
The grief-stricken face of his son blurred in his vision.
"Light…"
My beautiful son.
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