Meri,

The candied orange slices you made were delicious. Make some more.

-L

Dear L,

Let the treat be a special one that only appears on your birthday.

-Meri

Sometimes, Meredith would wonder how the teen before her could possess such high intelligence while also being utterly the most childish and capricious person she had ever seen. None of her schoolmates or university classmates could compare to his intelligence, but at the same time, no boy could match his stubbornness. Perhaps the line between genius and madness was much thinner than anyone could imagine. In this instance, she questioned why she had never punched him out of annoyance. It could only be explained by her unusually high level of patience with him, or maybe he had never done anything that truly got on her nerves.

"Make some more," L leaned in close, his hands on his bent knees, pushing his face right into her view, interrupting her focus on her psychology textbook and course materials.

For over half an hour, L had been poking her persistently, repeating the same sentence again and again, and there was no sign of him stopping. The gap between them had gradually shortened during this time, from him merely being in front of her, to crouching beside her, and now, leaning in close to the point where his face was inches away from hers, and she could feel his warm breath on her skin.

He could almost kiss her on the cheeks. Neither of them was aware of it, as L remained fixated on his request, while Meredith diligently ignored his relentless stubbornness.

Seated on the floor of L's room, she turned herself sideways in the lotus position, replying, "No."

L wasn't going to give up. He moved over and tilted his head, maneuvering himself to get back into Meredith's view once again. His wide black eyes bore intensely into hers, talking right into her face, "Make some more."

She turned again, replying curtly with the same answer, "No."

"Why not?" L's stare was unwavering. The expression on his face made it clear that he would persist with his request regardless of the reason she gave.

Not raising her focus from her textbook, Meredith answered, "It's time-consuming, that's why, L."

"How so?" L leaned back slightly, tilting his head to the side and pursing his lips.

Although L would continue to urge her to compromise, Meredith felt compelled to explain why she was reluctant to do so. Engaging in conversations and debating topics was a common practice for them. L was the type of person who would listen to her reasoning, even if he might not fully accept it.

He knew that sometimes Meredith was quite firm on certain topics and views, but there were occasions when she would give in and let him have his way, and that too was considered a small victory for him, in addition to solving puzzles and cases.

It was worth a try for both of them.

She closed her book and set it aside, facing him and giving him her full attention, "I have to do grocery shopping first, blanch the oranges, slice them evenly, cook them in syrup, and then they have to rest overnight. I have to repeat the process for five to eight days. It takes up to ten days to make those. I've decided to make it only once a year."

Counter-attacking her statement with a tone filled with expectation, L replied, "I assume that now you are quite familiar with the steps, so you will be much more adept at it."

"No, L, I've already said they're a special treat only for your birthdays. No one has that much time to do all that."

Special treat. There was something nice about it, knowing that it was exclusive. Seeing her huff of determination, L knew that he would lose this game of bargaining, but now it was not about winning anymore; it was about teasing and annoying her on purpose. He found it rather fun to see more expressions from her, and perhaps, with luck, she might give in at the last minute.

"Make some more," urged L, as he shoved his face in front of hers, relentless in his efforts to shake her resolve one last time. All Meredith could see were his black irises staring, and the long fringe of raven hair, which slightly tickled her nose. It was then she realized he had come too close, and with one more inch of leaning, they would ki -

She pressed away his face to avoid the scene that popped into her mind from actually happening, and L withstood the pressure of her palm, squishing his nose and lips. Catching her breath from the realization, Meredith said, "No. I'm not a pastry chef, and you don't need a baker. Watari would buy you better desserts from professional pastry shops."

"Hmm… perhaps I should hire a baker, and appoint you as my exclusive candied orange slice maker, even if you don't bake," L's voice muffled from the palm of her hand. The idea appealed to him.

Who has time for being his exclusive candy maker? Meredith narrowed her eyes, "Detective, hire anyone you like, but not me,"

L leaned back, escaping her palm, and his lips pressed together, displaying disappointment, "Fine then, I shouldn't have eaten them all in one go if I knew you wouldn't be making more." He had been planning to persuade her to make some more on Christmas, thinking she might have time during the holidays since the Japanese high school in England follows national holidays, even though Japan doesn't celebrate Christmas on a national level.

However, the girl before him had firm eyes glaring at him, and he considered it better not to press the matter further.

There was a pile of books that Watari borrowed for L at the corner of the room, and he reached for one with a chocolate package as a bookmark. She noticed the stack of books, too, and asked, "What are you currently reading?"

He turned to her and showed her the cover that stated, Soulmate from Hell, "It's a murder romance."

"I didn't know you would read these."

"I am analyzing them. I am currently handling a murder case where the culprit claimed that he murdered his girlfriend because of love. I am unfamiliar with the concept, so I asked Watari to borrow some books and resources for me."

"And what have you discovered from reading those?"

"Hmm... I see that love is something that I haven't yet experienced, judging from every description of the protagonist's perspective toward love and affection. That impulsiveness, that feeling of excitement, like electricity jolting down people's skin and bones, or missing someone constantly and wanting to be with them forever, or promising eternity... No. I have come to the conclusion that I do not love anyone."

He does not love anyone. Such an answer from L was so expected, as Meredith had never heard him express interest in any other girls in the orphanage or show interest in anyone from his workforce.

L would tell her if he had… perhaps, she thought. At least, in her understanding, L could say the darndest things without feeling shameful or hesitant whatsoever. Emotionally detached, rational—that's why he was the top one. His response also left her slightly depressed.

Maybe L couldn't love anyone, maybe he's aromantic, or perhaps he hadn't found anyone that he particularly was interested in.

What about her own feelings? Those feelings towards him were not as intense as those portrayed in novels or fiction. Yes, there were some occasions when his presence would give her a slight blush and a twinkling feeling, but most of the time it was...natural, just like before. She liked when L was around, she liked when Watari was around, and she cherished those familiar people who were close to her; that was enough to satisfy her. She shared what she saw and experienced, whether at school, during her studies, while reading, making observations, or just experiencing life. And she wanted to see the world through L's eyes. That's basically it. She doubted that anything had changed between them, or maybe it was just her feelings playing tricks on her. The few blushes and emotional fluctuations she rarely encountered were enough to signal that something very subtle was shifting.

Perhaps love stories were too dramatic, but even the typical ones she heard from her classmates—having a crush on someone, feeling nervous around them, and eventually falling in love—didn't resonate with her. She had never experienced anything like that herself. Maybe it was because her original family lacked love or caring, as mentioned in her psychology classes about childhood trauma and its impact on a person's perspective on relationships. Perhaps this affected her ability to love anyone as well. But at least she knew that she cherished Watari and L, and she knew that Watari had cared for her and given her the warmth that her parents did not provide.

Meredith gazed at L, who was chewing his thumb while focused on reading the romance novel single-handed. Well, it didn't matter whom he loved or whom she loved. As long as she still had L and Watari as company, that would be enough.

She sat behind L, and leaned back to back. He noticed her action, but continued his reading. All the sounds in the room were only the flipping of L's reading, and her scribbling notes on the post-it notes on her textbook.

They had sat in this position before—two children sitting together, not talking, simply engrossed in their own readings. But now they were no longer children; with L's seventeenth birthday having just passed, she noticed that the back she leaned on had become more... wide? Broad shoulders. He was thin, slender, and she could feel the small bulge of his spine touching hers. There was a comforting solidity to his presence and a gentle warmth emanating from his body. Although L always slouched terribly and showed no signs of wanting to correct it, leaning back-to-back with him still made her feel comforted and at peace.

L flipped another page, while simultaneously reaching for another gummy bear from the package beside him on the floor. When she leaned close, he noticed how soft she felt against his back. His focus quickly returned to the fiction he was reading, trying not to be distracted by her.

Aside from the book in his hand and in the room, there were more at his place, thanks to Watari, and he had been going through almost all of them, but they still didn't seem to offer a clear answer. Neither enemies-to-lovers stories, instant love, nor the most normal teen romance he read could adequately describe their situation. Academic works only explained the scientific aspects, with discussions about hormones and how the brain and neural network work, but they still didn't provide him with a sufficient explanation for what he was encountering. The feeling of falling in love didn't seem to align with what he was experiencing—the shift in their relationship and the unusual urge, or willingness, to be more attentive to her.

For now, he believed it wasn't love, but he still couldn't find the right answer to this perplexing situation. It irked his mind to discover something he didn't fully understand.

It was mid-November. Exams in Meredith's high school had finished in October, and although she didn't need to participate in classes, she still had to take exams. However, the results were anticipated – her scoring high grades left everyone in awe of the mysterious student. Unlike Americans, who have Thanksgiving, November was a quiet month with no big events, and no one really looked forward to it, merely waiting for December, as Christmas would be approaching.

Christmas. Wammy's House followed Christian traditions, and both L and Watari took breaks on Easter and Christmas. Although she didn't have any religious beliefs (and as far as she knew, neither did L), it was still nice to have specific dates to anticipate their return.

Christmas… Christmas… It reminded her of something, and as L seemed available for now, a bold idea crossed her mind. For once, she wanted to take a risk, to go for it, and follow her impulse, something she normally didn't do. But why not try and see what would happen between them? After all, it wouldn't hurt, and maybe L wouldn't even notice that it was a bold move from her, as he was always quite slow when it came to emotions and actions he couldn't understand.

Without a second thought, Meredith spoke up casually, as if it was just another topic for her to chat with him, "Our school is hosting a ball."

Ball? L lowered the romance book he was holding, shifting his attention towards her, and asked in confusion, "A ball? Why would a Japanese high school have such an event?"

Meredith shrugged, setting her textbook aside, while looking over her shoulders to L, "I think the administration wants us to experience something more culturally traditional, like what other Sixth forms in the country do."

She paused and turned to face L, her eyes meeting L's curious gaze, "We're learning a simple box step dance for the occasion. I haven't had a chance to practice yet. Would you be willing to practice with me?"

L considered her request, his dark eyes scanning her face before finally nodding, "What do you need me to do?"

Meredith stood up and extended her hand toward L. "We could start from practicing the steps first. After that, do you want to lead or follow?"

Without hesitation, L accepted her hand, "It doesn't matter. We can switch roles."

Accepting his response, Meredith led L to face her, and their eyes locked momentarily before they started learning the dance steps together. With their hands grabbing each other's elbows and locked together, they both gazed down at their feet, stiffly stepping through the simple dance moves. If anyone had burst into L's room, they might have mistaken the two for doing a bizarre exercise rather than dancing.

"What was this ball for- "

"Ow!"

"Sorry, my bad."

"It's fine. It's something like an end-of-term party, but in a form of a ball, more formal yet simply dancing- "

"Ouch!"

"Sorry- should step my right foot."

Although athletic like L, dancing with her was something he had never done before. After a few more instances of stepping on each other's toes and a couple of initial stumbles, they finally managed to become more familiar with the steps.

She cleared her throat, breaking the momentary silence of their focus,"I never knew dancing was so hard."

Her voice sounded a tad unsteady, and a rosy shade appeared across her cheeks, slightly embarrassed by how much time it took to get the simple steps right. L responded with a short "me either," but still dared not to look up at her face, keeping his gaze on his feet. He too felt his ears turning red, with the prickling feeling of blood rushing through the flesh of his ears, and he didn't want her to notice.

It was awkward to dance with her, with another feeling churning up inside. Do people dance like this? People... dance to music, don't they? Is it because they were dancing in silence, so that's why it's so awkward?

They continued to dance in silence, and finally gained enough confidence to tear away their focus from their moving feet and place it on each other.

"I think I am getting better at this," winked L, their hands still grabbing each other's elbows. Meredith laughed in response when she saw his proud expression, reminiscent of a toddler who had just learned how to walk.

"Then why are you still stealing glances at the floor?" she teased, observing his darting irises continuously gazing down.

"I am making sure you don't accidentally step on my precious toes," L replied with a playful grin, while Meredith retorted in the same tone, "That's what I wanted to say."

There was still a forearm distance between the two, and without considering the aftermath, she instructed, "Our school said we could hold hands in a 'V' position. Place your right hand on my back, just below the shoulder blade."

L did as he was told, and Meredith took a step closer to him, clasping his hand in hers. Together, they resumed the dance steps, but still avoided direct eye contact.

It was funny that everything in the room was the same - the white lights, the sound-proof walls, and his bulky supercomputer in the background (not currently in operation) - but the awkwardness was new, and the sensation was unfamiliar. They both knew it silently inside, unbeknownst to each other.

She finally could steal some glimpses of the seventeen-year-old teen before her as they swayed together slowly.

He might be 180 centimeters if he didn't slouch, Meredith thought while observing L, who was still gazing at his feet, but with a focused and calm demeanor, as if he was determined to master the box dance and ensure he wouldn't step the wrong way again. Since he was a child, he approached unfamiliar things with curiosity, analyzing and observing in detail, eventually mastering many skills. He was a quick learner, but only a few things truly piqued his ultimate interest, aside from detective work and investigation.

The way he concentrates - he hardly blinks when giving his full attention to something; in the current scenario, it was his feet and dance steps - her gaze lingered on his focused expression. She had always been fond of seeing him fully focused on the task before him, with unwavering determination as if he could change the world through his diligence. She believed he would, and perhaps he already had.

Has he found a person that could communicate with him on the same level of intelligence? Did he find a solution to relieve his boredom aside from his detective work? If not, it might be lonely to be the all-knowing person, to be the only one that could communicate to himself. To be burdened with the responsibility of changing the world, saving lives of victims, and determining and judging one's crimes.

Such a perfect person, yet lonely... Would L want her to stay close to him, as much as she wanted to stay close to him and Watari?

"You'll- Christmas, you and Watari, will take breaks, as usual, right?"

L noticed Meredith's grip tightening. Was it because she was fearful of the worst answer, and thus preparing herself for disappointment? He wasn't sure, but if so, his answer would provide her comfort.

"Yes," confirmed L, "We will be taking a break slightly earlier than before, a week before Christmas. But there is an abroad conference shortly after the new year, and Watari will attend that conference in person. I'll be accompanying him. So we won't be in England for New Year's Eve."

A faint grin appeared on Meredith's face, beaming brightly, although she looked away, trying to hide it from L. What would L think of her if he didn't have any other thoughts of her? If she was the only one feeling thrilled about their return, it would make her like a clown in front of him. She pressed her lips together firmly, attempting to conceal the mixture of warmth, happiness, uncertainty, and anxiety she was feeling, not allowing them to escape.

"Where would you two be going this time?"

"Los Angeles. I've never been there, but I'll share with you what it's like when we go there."

L finally considered that he could lift his focus from his feet and face her. Meredith seemed to gaze into the distance, despite the lack of anything truly far away in the square-sized room. Those lingering feelings that he couldn't explain—was it because she was the only female around him? But no, he had encountered many females at work, most of them he only considered as one-time encounter colleagues, unless they were senior officials more regularly involved in investigations. During breaks, he would overhear male investigators chatting about females from the computer, though he wasn't particularly interested in who was attractive and hot. Perhaps due to his intense concentration on the cases, he couldn't care less about anything other than clues and mysteries, having no second thoughts about them, unlike his male colleagues.

But the girl before him had known him long before he became the detective that Interpol relied on heavily, seeking his advice and assistance. In her presence, he could revert to being just L, the introverted weirdo from Wammy's House, a teenage guy who enjoys teasing her, rather than the "greatest" detective of this generation people expect to solve cases instantly, though he doesn't really care how people comment about him or consider him great.

When it comes to the aesthetics of people, he had no knowledge about such things. L's mind emerged with some faces that he remembered working with, and most were…just faces. Nothing much to comment on, really. He then fixed his gaze on Meredith's profile. He wasn't sure what to comment on either; he could only conclude what he had observed of her- black, waist-length glossy straight hair she has, with natural wispy fringes that thinly covered her eyebrows - he remembered seeing her trimming the fringes herself? Her double eyelid eyes, almond yet more on the round type, with lashes that were expressive, almost giving people the illusion that she enhanced her waterline with an eyeliner, but she didn't. With a soft beige skin tone, she was much more human-like, contrary to his own almost albino pale tone, which was the result of him hardly being outdoors.

Then, the thought of her having a face straight out of a magazine crossed his mind as a comment about Meredith's appearance. L blinked, quite startled that he had come up with a remark about her features, unlike just a few seconds ago when he considered he had nothing much to comment on. People look like their biological parents, right? Then…maybe it was a good opportunity to ask about her past, although he admitted inwardly it was quite strange to bring it up now, but it just felt…right.

"Could I ask you… if you remember anything about your parents?"

He tried his best to sound casual yet cautious, knowing that for people like them, discussing something about their past was delicate and perhaps hurtful. And… their relationship had always been, well, pure and innocent. She was too… should he consider gentle? Yes, she was so gentle that he dared not harm her in any way. But the current atmosphere made him want to know more about her. Maybe this would be the start of her revealing more about herself. Perhaps he would do the same.

Meredith lifted her gaze and met L's eyes. It was quite a surprise he suddenly asked about her original family, but at this moment, there was something magical about the room that made her feel slightly bolder to answer… maybe anything.

She nodded in response.

"Do you… look more like your father or mother?"

"More like my mother. And you?"

"I don't have any memories of them anymore. But if I do, I hope I look more like the better-looking one."

She chuckled at L's answer, "Then I suppose they both were good-looking."

"Your mother must have been good-looking," he purposely spoke in a fast manner, trying not to let her hear what he said clearly, but she nonetheless still understood him.

In response, her demeanor darkened slightly, like a grey cloud covering the sunshine, casting shadows.

"It's not a blessing to look like my mother," she spoke quietly, recalling her father's dominance. The words were still vividly remembered by her, and the vulnerability still lingered in her mind, but his face started to blur. Over the years, she had come to face her parents' words and figures more calmly, as their images were beginning to wither in her memories.

Gazing back at L, he had a face as if he did something wrong, and Meredith tried to ease his concern.

"But it's okay now."

"It's okay?"

Meredith nodded, "I have Watari—and you—so now those sad things have distanced from me for quite a while."

A flush appeared on L's pale cheeks when he heard her mention him, looking bashful yet reserved. He looked away and sheepishly responded with a faint smile, which she didn't notice.

L then remembered: if she was attending a ball, she should have a dance partner. Who would it be? He wouldn't be returning to Wammy's House until the holidays, so certainly it wasn't him. Someone else would be dancing with her, just like they were currently doing.

It was hard to imagine because it had never occurred to him, not even once, that someone else might come into her life and be closer to her than him. The thought of it was difficult for him to grasp, but as he thought about it, most students graduated from Wammy's when they reached the age of 18, unless other conditions were taken into consideration. Although she would stay in Wammy's House for another few years, just like him, she would eventually leave. She wouldn't be waiting for him at the orphanage's door or in his room, and he wouldn't be able to find her in her room anymore when he returned to the institution. She would meet new people, just like how she made new friends at school and in her music field.

It's fine if she has another dance partner. It's fine... What kind of person is her dance partner? Hope it's not Takashi. Wait, what if it is Takashi? Anyone but Takashi is fine.

But was it something that he could say anything about? He was a person who minded his own business, but now it seemed that he was losing his composure when it came to someone who would be close to her... L couldn't understand why he changed, but for now, he had to ask who her dance partner was.

Hesitating, but slowly, L felt himself become more cautious and nervous than when he asked about her past, "So, who will be your ball partner?"

He became clearly puzzled when he noticed the glint of mischief in Meredith's eyes, indicating that she was up to something.

She slyly replied, "I don't have a dance partner."

L's eyes widened, and before he could inquire further, she abruptly broke free from their position. A smile curved her lips as she added, "I'm the piano accompanist of the ball."

… Huh?

Before L could figure out what she meant, Meredith swiftly gathered her belongings and hurriedly made her way back to her room, leaving him completely blank and trying to process what had just happened.

A/N:

So many inner feelings and unspoken words in this chapter. Slow dancing is so intimate, but depicting the two teens dancing stiffly is more in character to me (evil laugh) after all, geniuses can't be good at everything, can they?