One Year Ago
L knew Beyond was Skyping Naomi in his room. As much as he wanted to actually be a part of the conversation—and knew that if he walked into the room Naomi would insist that he stay—L decided that it would be more fun to eaves drop on the both of them. Wether or not sitting with his right ear pressed against Beyond's door was bad for his back or not. This decision was only slightly influence by the fact that he was sure they would be talking about him.
"I don't nag him!" L heard Beyond exclaimed, proving his point exactly. "I make fun of him. There's a difference."
"It sounded like nagging to me," Naomi defended her previous remark. "I've seen the three of you five times, and you haven't stopped nagging him every time he was in the room with you."
"When you call it nagging, it makes me sound like an immature child," Beyond complained.
"Exactly." L could picture the expression on Naomi's face as she finished this.
"If anyone is immature, it's him not me," Beyond muttered.
"Or the both of you," she added dryly.
"I won't argue," Beyond decided. "It's a family trait."
"You're adopted," she pointed out.
"I didn't say it was biological," he responded.
"Right," Naomi must have thought it was better to accept the nonsensical from Beyond. "What I was trying to say is that you shouldn't badger him about something that makes him happy."
"By that you mean his love life," Beyond picked up on.
"Yes," Naomi confirmed.
"Fine," he sighed. "If you'll shut up about it so will I…for the moment."
"That's all any of us can ask of you," Naomi voiced.
"I have short term memory when it comes to listening to others," Beyond agreed.
"L told me that's why you're still single," Naomi stated.
"There's a list," Beyond said back. "Well, it's more like a two-hundred paged book."
"I would ask for a copy," Naomi started.
"But I'd have to kill you once you finished it," Beyond finished.
"Of course," she sighed.
"That one isn't a family trait, but I think I passed it onto Mello," he added. "Along with my anger issues. Anyway, what's new with you."
"Great segway," she commented. "However, something is new with me."
"You realize L's the one who will pretend we're more interested that we actually are," he deadpanned.
"Funny," she shot back.
"I mean it, but continue." This was Beyond's version of an apology.
"I'm officially no longer single," she told him.
"No, I have to deal with another couple," Beyond pretended to complain. "What's his name—it's a he, right?"
"Yes." L could imagine her rolling her eyes at this.
"Name?" Beyond repeated.
When she answered, L's world stopped.
"What?" The part of L's brain that was still listening registered Beyond's confused voice. "You said he lives here?"
"I didn't say," she said slower, possibly picking up on Beyond's reaction. "But, yes, do you know him."
"I think so," Beyond was trying to cover his own shock. "The name just sounded familiar. I have to go."
"What?"
Even through the myriad of emotions he was enduring, L still had the sense to stumble to his own room before Beyond opened the door. He knew that Beyond was headed in his direction, and wasn't sure if he wanted to pretend that he hadn't heard the conversation or not. Not that either choice would do him any good. Not that either would change the fact that Naomi had just said that she was in a relationship with his boyfriend.
"L, are you in here?" Beyond's voice was accompanied by a series of loud banging on the door.
"Knocking," L mused loud enough for Beyond to hear him. "Are you trying something new, B?"
The joke fell flat, but L doubted Beyond would notice.
"I was talking to Naomi," Beyond started.
"She is the only friend you have," L added dully.
"I need to tell you something," Beyond tried.
"Which is why you barged into my room," L continued.
"I'm being serious," Beyond growled.
"Clearly," L patronizingly agreed. "I'm only every able to fluster you when you have something important to say. What is it?"
"Naomi told me…" Beyond looked like he was searching the right words to say.
"Go on?" L said bitterly.
"I hate you," Beyond sounded a little sad now.
"Is that all?" L asked cautiously, he didn't know why Beyond spilled the news that had broken L's heart moments ago.
"Yes," he said through gritted teeth. L watched him turn to leave the room.
"When you Skype or take phone calls in your room I listen at the door," L blurted.
"What?" Beyond whirled around in an almost feminine manner.
"I've been doing it since we were kids," L continued with the smallest hint of a smile. "I'm surprised you haven't caught me after all of these years, although, it's not like you have that many phone calls."
"You were listening," Beyond stated, his face contorting into the expression that he used when he was trying his hardest to understand L.
"Yes," L brought his eyes away from Beyond and to the ground. "It's kind that you tried to spare my feelings."
"You're welcome," Beyond's voice was stiff.
"Should I take that to mean that you care about me?" L chanced asking.
"You're my brother," Beyond said a note away from dismissively.
"Thank you," L's voice was softer than he let it get around Beyond.
"What are you going to do?" Beyond seemed to be asking out of both curiosity and closest thing to sympathy that L would acknowledge from him.
"Yell," L said with a pained laugh. "Cry, blame myself, and then wait for you to say 'I told you so.'"
"I told you so," Beyond deadpanned.
"Funny," L muttered. "Can I be alone now?"
"Yeah." Beyond closed the door on his way out.
It was only when the silent tears met his cheeks that L realized he was crying.
Beyond had once accused L of having an eating disorder. This wasn't something that L had ever argued. He understood his own need to replace whatever negative feelings he was harboring with sugar, and had never once denied that this method was terrible for his health. At the moment—at most moments—L put his emotions over his health.
Instead of charging into a confrontation, L was sitting alone with his heartbreak, cake, and every cheesy anime he watched as a child. It wasn't helping, but he could pretend that it was. He could pretend that he wasn't breaking every second that he processed what Naomi had told Beyond.
L's attention was pulled away from his thoughts and episode five of Fairy Tale, by a tentative nock on the door.
"Come in Near," he called.
L could identify every member of his family by the way they knocked on a door. Beyond didn't (until earlier that day), Mello used his full fist (L considered this his way of announcing his presence), on the rare occasion that this guardian needed to talk to L when L was alone in his room, Wammy's knock was short and concise. Near's was always the softest. L had originally thought it was because the boys fist was too soft to give a decent sound, now that this no longer stood, he was sure it was merely habit.
"Are you feeling better?" Near asked, and L realized that Beyond must have informed the rest of the family of what happened.
"Not necessarily," L answered honestly. There was no point in lying to Near even about something like this. "What is it?"
L knew that checking on him wasn't why Near had ventured into his room while L was mid breakdown. He was sure that the entire family, maybe spare Mello, had realized that this was not a wise corse of action.
"I just wanted to let you know that Beyond and Mello left the house with a kitchen knife several minutes ago," Near said in a voice even more neutral than the one L constantly adopted.
"What?" L sprang to his feet.
"They said not to tell you," Near added.
"Of course they did," L muttered. This could only mean one thing. "I suppose they didn't pay you off either."
"I don't take pay offs," Near told him sincerely.
"No that would take the fun out of snitching," L was already running from his room as he voiced this remark.
"Exactly," Near didn't see this as an insult. "But I don't want them to be arrested for murder, any more than you do."
"Right," L said as he searched the kitchen counter for the keys to the family's second car. "If I don't get there in time start looking for places to hide a body."
L knew this was a bad joke, and it wasn't as if poking fun at the situation made the stress any easier.
"I've had a list for years now," Near sounded serious. "Can I come?"
"Sorry," L told him. He wanted to limit the amount off his younger brothers had to witness this confrontation.
"I'll just ask Mello for the details later," Near decided.
"You do that," L said before bolting to the car.
L had always been a better driver than Beyond. However, that by no means meant that he was a good driver. Fortunately, he was eight-percent sure that Beyond would not be speeding with Mello in the car with him. Unfortunately, he was ninety-five percent sure that Beyond had anticipated Near telling on them. There wasn't much that Beyond could do to plan around this, either than try his hardest to be faster than L.
Looking at the situation, L almost wanted to laugh. He was currently racing to beat his younger brother ( who spent most of his time proving his resentment toward him) to the house of the boy who had broken L's heart only a few hours ago, in order to stop said younger brother from gutting him like a fish, while L's even younger brother watch (and probably cheered). If the situation wasn't laughable, it was at least enough to give him a headache.
Despite driving as fast as he could without getting pulled over or loosing control of his car, L did not beat Beyond and Mello to his boyfriend's house. He hastily parked the car along the curb, and jumped from the driver's seat. Mello had noticed him, but hadn't spoke. Beyond was too busy attempting to stab the confused boy standing in front of the doorway of the house.
"Beyond, that's enough," L said loudly. His voice sounded like he was scolding a child, not exactly appropriate for stopping a would be murderer from killing someone close to him.
"Near told you," Beyond had turned around upon hearing L's voice.
"You knew he would," L replied evenly. "Please give me the knife."
"No," Beyond denied, but he didn't look like he was going to try to stab the boy again.
"Then give Mello the knife and get in the one of the cars," L all but ordered.
"L, what's going on?" The voice of the person L had thought loved him was close to panicked.
Beyond took a few steps back. L gave him the closest thing to a pleading look that he could muster. With a sigh, Beyond handed the kitchen knife to Mello. Neither of them moved toward the car, but L had assumed that request would be a long shot.
"L?" The voice spoke again.
L forced himself to look the boy in the eye.
"Naomi Misora," his was proud that he could will his voice not to shake as he spoke.
"I don't understand," the look on his face proved the opposite.
"I just stopped Beyond from sinking a knife into your stomach, shouldn't I at least get a shred of honesty in return?" L heard the exasperation in his own words.
"It's not what you think!"
"What is it then?" L asked harshly.
"I'm sorry—"
"Not good enough," L cut him sharply. "Do you even have an excuse? Or was everything a lie?"
"I'm sorry—"
"I already said I don't want to hear that!" L could feel tears stinging his eyes, but he refused to let them spill. He needed some pride left.
"I didn't mean anything," he started, and L didn't want to listen anymore.
"I don't understand what that means," L's voice was softer than he intended it to be.
"I can't tell anyone about us," he tried. "You know why. It's different with us."
"You cheated on me because you wanted something you could tell people about?" L demanded.
"No," he stammered.
"Then what?" L asked. He knew he wasn't going to get an explanation that made everything okay, but that didn't quench his desperation for one. He wanted a reason for everything to be okay.
"It doesn't mean I don't love you!"
These words rang in L's ears. He wanted to ignore that he could hear through them. He wanted to pretend that they we're flat, and fake, but he couldn't. He didn't believe them, and the was always right.
L felt a hand on his shoulder.
"We're leaving," Beyond told the boy at the doorway.
L followed Beyond and Mello to the car they came in.
"I should drive the other one," he said to them.
"We can get it later," Mello spoke up.
"You're too emotional to drive," Beyond said flatly.
"Thanks," L muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Can I keep the knife?" Mello asked, L suspected his goal was the lighten the mood.
"It's a kitchen knife, what are you going to do with it?" L wondered.
"Kill Near," Mello answered.
"We don't kill family," Beyond scolded.
L couldn't help a smile at this.
"Fine," Mello pretended to be greatly disappointed. "Can I kill someone at school?"
"Knock yourself out," Beyond gave his permission.
"I'm taking the knife when we get home," L informed the both of them.
"You're no fun," Beyond complained.
"I'm not supposed to be fun," L drawled. "I'm supposed to be moping."
"But you're not going to," Beyond's voice was harder now. "Because you're too proud for that."
"You really have a high opinion of me," L muttered.
"I actually do," Beyond didn't sound like he was lying.
"Good," L said as sincerely as he could. "You didn't have to try to kill him."
"Not kill, severely injure," Mello corrected.
"Is that any better?" L regretted this question as soon as it left his lips.
"If we got a good lawyer, I think we could clear him on those charges," Mello explained.
"I'm glad you've thought this through," L remarked dryly.
"I did," Mello insisted.
"I didn't," Beyond admitted.
"You don't think anything through," L dismissed.
"Yeah," Beyond admitted. "I think I get that from you."
"Before today I would have argued that," L sighed. "Now I don't know."
Thanks to America is Awesome, Callicanios, Guest, and fairytailasaurus for the reviews!
On the subject of the identity of L's exboyfriend (because I know at least one of you is going to ask), I left it open for a few reasons. One of which is because I feel that manifesting that role onto a cannon character would distract from the cannon characters I am trying to focus on. Also, I wanted to portray him the way that L would see or think of him. That being said, I may change my mind mention his name either later in this story or if I do another continuation. I think you can tell who I had in mind when writing this due to the other relationship.