Hardworking people have a charm that is difficult to ignore.
"If the password hint is this piece of music, and considering that the password creator is Chinese, I assume that even though the hint is based on Western music, Chinese composers often use numbered musical notation, using numbers instead of notes. This means that..."
Meredith picked up the pen beside her and began scribbling on a notepad, creating a soft scratching noise that became the second sound in L's room.
It was mid-January, and L's room had finally been restored to its usual order. With the supercomputer removed, the room felt significantly more spacious than they remembered. Watari had arranged a mattress on the floor as a bed, using cream sheets that complemented the room's decor, as L didn't like bedframes (which, he said, were unnecessary like socks). The old rug had been replaced with a larger, softer one, ensuring that any activities in the room would remain comfortable, even during the winter, despite L's room having a built-in heating system.
In the middle of the rug was a coffee table. They were currently sitting there, with her legs crossed, and L sat with his knees tucked amidst the scattered evidence pictures and documents. Watari had also positioned a large desk in the corner for L, in case he wanted to work. A plate of tarts, today's dessert, was in the midst of the chaos, along with another box of mixed hard candy.
"Using numbers that correspond to the notes, but also taking into account that this piece is in G major, which means there will be a slight change in the numbers. G corresponds to the number one, A to number two, and so on. So, we can conclude that the set of numbers is…5372451."
Her deductions were explained in detail, step by step, to help him keep up and provide moments for him to analyze their logical validity. However, none of her explanations aligned with his field of expertise.
This was her domain.
The hanging strands of black hair couldn't mask her intense gaze and determined demeanor. Like sheer curtains that could not block the warm sunlight. It was utterly captivating and made it challenging for him to concentrate on her explanations. Nevertheless, he did believe that her deductions on this matter were logical.
What didn't escape his attention was the set of numbers: 5372451.
"And judging from the rhythm of this piece, there should be a slight pause after the 7 and the last two numbers. If the safe is designed to calculate time, you might want to inform the investigators to consider this when attempting the combination."
Meredith added three dashes to serve as a reminder for the pause after those specific numbers, then tore the paper from the notepad and handed it to L.
"L?"
L clicked back to reality. "Thanks," he said, taking the paper.
Although she scribbled, compared to his own handwriting which he would describe as "chaotic" and sometimes even Watari needed to double check with him, the written numbers on the note were neat and tidy, as if they were calligraphy.
"…I should have asked you earlier," muttered L. This clue would significantly accelerate progress in his current case. With this new lead, he expected to wrap up the investigation within four days, making everything much easier.
Meredith swept and collected the eraser crumbs on the table. "You were in LA."
"Doesn't matter," replied L, playing his lower lips with his thumb. "Should have asked you instead of relying on the task force, they were all guessing on the volume number and the artist's birth year- "
"Opus number."
"Opus number, yes."
"You still have to cooperate with the investigation teams. Establishing credibility and authority is crucial," Meredith reminded, propping her cheek on her hand. "What do you need from that safe?"
L folded the piece of paper and carefully placed it in his jean pockets. "A piece of evidence. The police suspect the existence of a negotiable instrument that could substantiate the financial transactions between the suspects. The safe was confiscated, but it contains a self-destruct mechanism if it is forcefully opened. We need to crack the password."
When his hand reemerged, he unveiled the small item in his palm. "In return for your assistance, I present you with this piece of chocolate that I obtained while I was in LA. Happy birthday."
There was a flicker in her eyes that L wasn't sure if it was happy or confused, but her respond made it clear that it was the former.
"I thought you wouldn't remember. You never say anything about it," smiled Meredith, taking the chocolate from him.
"Of course I remember. It's you who doesn't talk about it, so I assumed you wanted to keep things low-key."
"Yeah, compared with your birthday," Meredith said.
It was as if each year's birthday cake grew along with him. Watari prepared a cake bigger than the previous year, probably following L's own agenda. What she could remembered they had were chocolate sponge cake with a rich ganache, Black Forest gateau, a fruit cake adorned with delicate decorations and whipped cream, and a cheesecake with marbling as garnish. However, his most favorite was still the strawberry shortcake, always the best choice for his birthday celebration.
"Cake tastes better on birthdays and special occasions."
She flashed a grin and examined the chocolate in her hand. It fell more into the category of pralines, but its shape was slightly uneven, likely melted because it had been in his pocket for a while. Maybe it was her taking extra time to figure out the password that caused the delay in him giving her the chocolate.
No, of course not. "Birthday gifts are typically given on that specific day," teased Meredith.
"I could send this to you via post," shrugged L, not seeing it as a big deal. "Perhaps next year."
"For just one piece of chocolate?" Meredith raised an eyebrow. He was being silly again. But with a serious demeanor. And that made it much more hilarious.
L stuffed a tart in his mouth and muffled, "The hotel only had two pieces for one room. I ate one and saved the last for you. There's nothing wrong with sending a small item back to England by post."
"Detective, you know that by the time the post arrives in England, you and Watari will have returned," chuckled Meredith. It felt nice that he remembered, even though she herself didn't celebrate her birthday. She had informed Watari that she didn't want to receive anything for birthdays after the first and last time Watari celebrated her birthday when she just entered the institution. Too much was given to Meredith, more than she could take, and there was no need for additional presents from the man who took her in. Therefore, she had no expectations of receiving anything on her birthday.
But maybe once in a while, to have your birthday remembered and celebrated, seemed like a nice idea.
"Go on, eat it," nudged L.
"Now? Alright."
She carefully unwrapped the metallic purple foil, revealing the chocolate, placed it in her mouth, and waited. The thin layer of chocolate melted within a few seconds, releasing the nutty-creamy filling inside, along with a burst of sweetness that made her squint.
L fixed his owl-like gaze on Meredith. "Do you like it?"
It was too sweet, Meredith thought. But, aside from the excessive sweetness, the flavor was sophisticated and exquisite. One could easily tell that it was high-quality chocolate. Certainly, England had fine chocolate as well, perhaps imported from Belgium or bonbons from France. It seemed that bringing a piece of chocolate all the way from Los Angeles to England was not necessary. However, the fact that he had this thought, restrained his sweet tooth, didn't gobble it all up when he was in LA, preserved it, flew back to England, and gave it exclusively to her, made the gesture even more special.
A birthday gift, he called it. He had never prepared birthday gifts for her before, and she never expected any from him. It would be a typical day, with them spending time in the room and engaging in activities together if it were the weekend, or simply minding their own business if there were classes.
The purple wrapping glimmered between Meredith's fingers, inviting a challenge to conceal the tickles of a fluttering sensation inside, as if a troupe of butterflies were swarming within her. If she did not hold back, they would burst out into the open air. She wondered if L could tell from her appearance; if so, she must be too disheveled with joy. If that were the case, she had to conceal it, or else it would be too embarrassing.
There was a need to express something more than mere appreciation, to distract her from the edge of embarrassment. After swallowing the last bit of sweetness, Meredith replied, "It's nice, but I still don't understand how you can stand such a level of sweetness."
"You know me for almost ten years and yet you still don't get it?" frowned L, tilting his head. He just had to remind her. "Sugar is good for the brain. You need sugar to help you think."
L took another lemon drop from the box before him and popped it into his mouth. Then he pinched one and offered it to Meredith. "Open wide."
Meredith glared back at him. "Excessive sugar can harm your health. Scientifically."
"I seem quite healthy," he replied, slowly lowering the candy.
"Wait until you get old," sneered Meredith, as she leaned into his ear and emphasized the word as if spelling it out for a first-time learner, "Diabetes."
Her sudden action and the sound of her voice tickled his ear, causing him to pull back and scratch his ear sheepishly. When did she learn how to tease effectively? He simply couldn't lose on this matter.
"If you use your brain enough, you won't get fat or diabetes."
"Rubbish," Meredith scoffed and backed away, but she still opened her mouth and allowed L to pop the candy in, and he placed the candy on the tip of her tongue. "I like lemon drops better. I'm quite surprised that you requested Watari for these. I thought you didn't like the sourness and that only I enjoyed them."
"I missed this flavor when I was in LA." L took another from the box and tossed it in the air and skillfully captured it after careful calculation of landing.
"Surely LA has lemon drops."
The sweet swirled in his mouth, coating every inch of his oral mucosa with sugar. "They don't taste the same. England's lemon drops are better."
The expression of suspicion was evident on her face and noticed by L. "It's true," said L, "I swear they don't taste the same. Someday I'll prove it to you."
"Like taking me to LA?"
"Yeah. Maybe on vacation."
"I have vacations, it's you who don't have vacations."
"Vacations are not necessary for me," said L before picking up his cup and sipping his tea, "But I could make time for you. Or maybe take you along with investigations if I'm going to LA again. You just have to take some day off from school."
"Hmm… That's too much trouble," replied Meredith, resting her head on her extended bent arm on the table. "I'll just wait for you to tell me what interesting things happened when you were abroad."
Her round, sparkly eyes and her gesture made her look cute. The thought crossed his mind. L copied her gesture, resting his head on the table, and stared into her gaze. He wasn't sure if he should tell her about the dream he had when he was in LA, and he also wasn't sure if he should let her know that he was serious about taking her with him on case investigations. He meant it. It was not a random proposal or a joke.
But, out of all those uncertain questions about whether to ask, he found himself asking something else.
He crushed the lemon drop in his mouth into pieces, and swallowed before asking, "Why don't you celebrate birthdays?"
Meredith's expressive eyes blinked. She certainly did not see that question coming from L.
There were some occasions when she would make up reasons for not celebrating birthdays, such as not wanting to make a big deal, finding it too troublesome, cutting down on sugar, or not wanting others to spend money on the matter. All were genuine answers. In most scenarios, except for Watari and L, hardly anyone would know when her birthday was, as she never mentioned it, or she would reply, "My birthday has passed, so don't worry too much about it."
As she searched for any sign of frivolousness in his eyes, it was in vain. He was asking in quite a serious manner, indicating that he truly was interested in her answer, and not just for a random joke, reply, or tease. L's gaze was sometimes like a black hole, as if secrets would be devoured and sucked out. She made sure not to be overly open about her true thoughts, as those secrets being pulled out would hurt severely. But today, his gaze was more like the night sky with stars in them. Not as terrifying or distant as the black hole, not the sharp look like a dagger that could cut through people wanting to approach him with intent. If looked at closely, she might be able to touch the stars in his eyes.
Meredith never wished upon a star in the night sky. Maybe she should give it a go. "Birthdays are meant to bring joy and happiness to those around you," she mumbled, but still fixated on L. "When I was born, I did not bring that to anyone around me."
At that moment, he was clueless about how to react. On most occasions, he would second-guess what others presented to him, be it in case investigations or even normal conversations with the investigators. Of course, the nature of his career would lead to such actions on his part. He highly suspected everything and doubted anything, unable to let go until it was proven honest or until he was proven right, meaning that the opponent was lying or not telling the truth.
But now, nothing came to his mind. Just purely receiving her statement, and thinking how to respond. How to package the words and form into a sentence that integrated his true thoughts on her response.
L didn't blink, nor did he move. And then the words formed naturally, and flowed.
"But I'm happy. I'm grateful that you were born, giving me the chance to meet you in later years."
His answer was the second unexpected thing for her. Her eyes slightly widened, feeling her heartbeat skip a beat. Usually, at times like this, she would turn her head away and refuse to look at him to avoid letting him see her blush, like an apple ripened before the eyes. However, perhaps this time she was too stunned to turn away, and her eyes remained focused on his iris.
Then she remembered that his gaze was night skies with stars all along. All the time.
A/N:
Another short chapter. Struggling with this arc.
I've just finished "Kaguya-sama: Love is War". Recommended by my friend after I vented about having not many thoughts on slow burn and romance. My thoughts after finishing the anime? L and Meredith's relationship is nowhere like Kaguya and Shirogane (lmao) but it's still a nice anime, although I tend to love and accept more youkai animes (As a person who had no problem with keeping up with the movie "The Boy and the Heron")
Argh. Now I have to find something else for inspiration.
Still doing a lot of reading. Still learning.
Hope FFN fixs its stats problem. I crosspost on Ao3, my pseuds: Lunalit_river