April 17th, 2005

Anju had recently celebrated her twenty-third birthday. It had been a delightful, eventful day. She spent most of it with her uncle, aunt-in-law, and one of her cousins (it wasn't Light; she didn't mind, though, because she had everyone else).

And when the evening came, she spent time with Hajime, eating at a restaurant for dinner. Partially it was because she wanted to make sure he was okay, after the passing of his adoptive grandmother, but the other half of the reason was because they were friends. Almost like siblings, even.

Today, Anju has dressed up nicely, more elegant than usual; the previous night, L informed her that he'd be coming to Japan for a brief visit (a week tops), specifically to speak with her (in person) about something very important (and spend some time with her, too). She's more than excited to see him again; it'd be his first time seeing her in person since she moved at the beginning of February. Oh, to just be directly in front of him again, hearing him directly, too; she might just melt into a puddle of joy.

When evening comes around, she gets into her vehicle and drives herself to a hotel, in which L fairly recently messaged her to go. It's really nice; fancy, something she'd probably be unable to afford, even with all the money she gained through music. The parking lot is crowded but she finds a spot, though it's towards the end of the lot, meaning a bit of a walk to the entrance.

Car parked and purse (with the keys inside) in hand, she walks across the parking lot and heads inside. At the reception desk, she asks the clerk for the room assigned to Ryuzaki. Once this is achieved, she heads to the elevator and goes to the eighth floor. She mumbles his room number to herself until she locates it. "...Ah, here it is." She knocks on the door.

Watari (or Tari) opens the door, politely gesturing for her to enter, offering a warm smile. "A pleasure to see you again, Miss."

She walks inside. When he closes the door behind her, she gives him a friendly hug, smiling back. "It's nice to see you, too, Watari." Pulling away from him, she follows his lead further into the room, which is massive; she definitely couldn't afford to stay here. Watari gestures forward, to another section of the room, before he turns and wanders off, likely to give them privacy.

She steps into the dining area, blushing slightly upon seeing such a romantic setting; a candlelit dinner for two, how quaint. L is already sitting at a chair, in his usual fashion, biting down on his thumbnail. Is he nervous? Contemplating something? I can't tell sometimes; he remains such a mystery to me, she thinks, silently staring at him for a moment, taking in his presence.

With a fond smile, she approaches him. "L." He immediately glances at her, lowering his finger from his mouth as he focuses entirely on her. She gently hugs him. Her heart warms when she feels one of his palms rest on her elbow, his own little way of returning the gesture. "I missed you."

"Distance makes the heart grow fonder," he softly says, perhaps the softest he's ever spoken.

She continues smiling; in other words, he missed me, too, she thinks. She releases her hold on him, blushing slightly again when his palm lingers on her elbow before dropping. She sits in the only available chair, which is notably seated as close to him as possible. She looks at the table, memorizing the details of this date; every moment with him is worth remembering in its entirety. "Oh, this is just so lovely," she comments. Although their plates and glasses remain empty, she knows, in due time, that Watari will serve them. She looks at L, who has kept his eyes on her. "How have you been lately?"

"As I have always been," he answers.

"I'm glad to hear it," she says, still smiling. "I can't express enough just how happy I am to be seeing you again; it's been such a long time."

"Yes, it has," he responds, speaking quietly again.

Almost as quiet as a mouse (the cart has a squeaky wheel), Watari briefly enters with their food; a plate of meatloaf and a side of vegetables for her, alongside a small plate that holds a slice of chocolate cake, and a particularly large plate of various sweets and desserts for L. As their beverages, herbal tea and hot cocoa. Watari leaves the room afterwards.

She sips her tea. "I don't know if I got around to telling you before, but I recently adopted a cat. She's an absolute sweetheart. Her name is Mikazuki." She cuts into her meatloaf. "The boy I used to tutor, Hajime, he calls her Zuki. She's something of a therapy cat for him, after the tragedy in his life."

"Mm. While I do not recall any mentions of a cat, I do remember the boy," L says, remaining attentive, although he's clearly distracted by something. "He is the only other person to believe in your secret. That alone can explain your fondness of him, although I know it is not the only reason."

Although she's aware that she's told him just about everything already, she reexplains things anyway, if only to fill in the void within the silence. "He and I have been spending so much time together lately, it's like I'm a big sister." She sighs, eating a piece of meatloaf. She continues after chewing and swallowing. "He doesn't deserve the friendship my cousin is giving him, which is no friendship at all; it's completely one-sided, but Hajime still wants to hang around him."

She pauses, again, to eat about half of her meal.

He picks at the sweets and desserts that lay before him, ultimately opting to sip at the hot cocoa instead. "Only he can choose what path he walks." Almost absentmindedly, he swirls the hot cocoa with a spoon, humming to himself.

She looks at him, her gaze soft. Maybe I should…? She bites her lower lip for a moment before proceeding. "Is something the matter? You haven't touched your snacks much since they were brought out…" Alongside her expression of concern, guilt can be found. "I noticed earlier that you were behaving a bit differently, but I assumed you were either nervous or contemplating, so I left it alone. I'm so sorry."

"No apologies necessary," he replies, tone gentle. "Both of your assumptions are correct, although anxious would be a more accurate term to describe what I am currently feeling."

She blinks in surprise; she hadn't expected that to actually be the case. "What are you anxious about?"

He is quiet for about a minute, maybe two. Then, finally looking away from her, he starts stacking the cookies on his plate. He slowly begins his confession. "In my time of investigation, my thoughts have never strayed from the deliverance of justice. Until recently." He turns his gaze back to her, stopping his stacking. "Before, I thought this feeling as something fleeting, but now, I see this is no longer the case. Now, when I think of you, I know that no one else will find their way there as you have. Very few hold my respect and, now, only one holds my deepest affection." He rests his palms on his knees, still staring intensely. "If you feel the same, then I propose we spend the rest of our existence together, however short or long that may be."

Throughout his speech, her eyes were wide. Now, as he finishes, there are tears within them. "...All my life, I was called crazy for having the ability to see spirits. You were the second person to believe me without a single doubt. I feel you understand me more than anyone else ever can." She reaches forward, placing her palm over one of his hands. "I love you, too, and I would be honored to spend the rest of my life with you."

Slowly, a small smile spreads across his face as he stares at her in an almost shy manner. "Thank you," he softly says. Lifting the hand she isn't covering, he finally starts digging into his sweets and desserts. She watches him silently, fondness in her teary eyes.

April 22nd, 2005

Five days after the proposal, Anju and L secretly marry. The ceremony happens on a private property, owned by a kind elderly couple and their equally kind middle-aged sons; they rent their garden as a venue.

L doesn't dress any differently from his usual attire of casual clothing but Anju wears something very radiant, befitting for a bride on her wedding day.

The white dress is simple, yet striking; it's off the shoulder with a lining that has lacy ruffles, the sleeves are long with ruffled cuffs, and the bodice is completely laced. Below the knees, the dress reveals itself to be mildly see-through, a short underdress of the same color beneath it. The see-through dress reaches to her ankles. It fits snuggly, hugging her natural curves. Apart from it, as an accessory, a silver circlet sits around her forehead, a tear-shaped opal in its center. Sitting atop her head is a wedding veil.

Their wedding is officiated by a minister. Their only witnesses are Watari and the family who owns the property (because L and Anju invited them to; otherwise, they would've stayed indoors).

And it is in front of these people that they share their very first kiss; short, simple, yet very sweet and full of love.

Shortly thereafter, everyone moves inside for the reception Anju never expected; L had Watari plan it in secret with the property owners, after inviting the aforementioned family to be part of the wedding. Everyone enjoys the food, drinks, and music. L and Anju even have their first dance, as awkward as it turns out to be.

Although not much else happens during the reception, the newly weds are content.

Eventually, the trio (L, Watari, and Anju) make their way back to the hotel room where L proposed. Fairly quickly, Watari makes himself scarce, leaving the wedded couple alone. Anju excuses herself to shower. L showers, too, in a separate bathroom, and much quicker than her. He is standing in the bedroom, looking out the window with a towel laying limply on his head, when she gets out.

She hasn't redressed; instead, she has only a fancy bathrobe on.

This still feels so surreal, like it's a dream I'll wake up from, she thinks as she approaches him from behind. She gently takes the towel from his head and starts dabbing his wet hair with it, giggling a little. "You'll never get dry if you just leave it sitting on your head."

The only movement he makes to acknowledge her is wrapping his fingers around a few of hers (from her free hand). She smiles.

A few minutes into drying his hair, he turns his head slightly to look at her. For a moment, she continues dabbing his head with the towel, but then, she slowly begins to stop as she leans in closer to him. They share a passionate kiss, longer than their first.

The towel falls to the floor, forgotten, as the newly weds start making their way towards the nearby bed. Anju's bathrobe and L's clothes quickly join the towel on the floor.

Beneath the covers, skin against skin, she feels her heart race. He, on the other hand, seems more composed, which isn't all that surprising. Her face flushes at every touch while his breath becomes slightly uneven.

The minutes tick by as the couple carefully, and lovingly, explore each other. And then, with a few forward motions, the two become one in heated passion. The only sounds within the room from that moment onward are her soft moans and his quiet grunts.

What feels like hours only lasts half of one. And another half hour later, she sleeps peacefully in the bed, all cleaned up and still nude, with L sitting beside her in his usual position, wearing all but his shirt again, brushing some of her hair behind her ear.

Unbeknownst to them, something wonderful has happened.

May 17th, 2005

Three weeks later (one after L and Watari left again), Anju has started feeling a bit differently. Every now and then, she'll get nauseous, even vomit if the feeling is too intense. Aside from that, she's noticed some tenderness in her breasts. Above all, her period hasn't shown up.

Deep down, she has an inkling on what's happening, but doesn't want to jump towards any conclusions and give herself false hope. She might be carrying her husband's baby.

Between a doctor's appointment and a home pregnancy test, she opts for the latter, buying multiple. And, in the end, they all come out positive. She still makes a doctor's appointment, of course, for later in the week as a means of confirmation, but she knows these five pregnancy tests can't all be playing a practical joke on her.

I'm pregnant, she thinks, placing a hand on her abdomen. There's a baby in me.

Immediately, she texts Watari, knowing she might not be able to get ahold of L at the moment if he's busy with his work; Watari, on the other hand, tends to message back immediately, even when preoccupied with helping L. She keeps her message vague, simply saying she has something very important she needs to share with both of them.

He messages her back within twenty minutes, letting her know to expect a video call around evening. She spends the rest of her day anxious to give them the wonderful news. Spending some time with her cat doesn't ease the feeling.

When the evening arrives, she sits by herself at her computer, awaiting L and Watari's arrival. Within the hour, the video call between the three of them finally commences.

The conversation starts with L taking things straight to the point. "Watari has informed me you wish to share something with us." The older man in question stands behind L's desk chair, listening silently. "Has something of significance occurred in our absence?"

"Yes," she answers immediately, before backtracking. "Well, no, actually, it happened before you left. As in…about three weeks ago." She gives them a moment to process her words. L catches on immediately, his eyes widening by a small faction but enough to be noticeable. Behind him, it takes Watari a few moments more before he lets out a barely audible noise, which sounds almost like a gasp. She smiles at them and nods shortly, happy tears in her eyes. "I'm pregnant."

Watari gently pats L on his right shoulder, smiling proudly. "Congratulations to the both of you."

L gets lost in his thoughts for a moment before a faint pink enters his cheeks. He glances away from the monitor shyly, scratching his left cheek with his index finger. "Yes, I can see how that might've happened."

She continues to smile, giggling a bit at her husband's shyness about how the pregnancy has occurred. We didn't exactly use protection that first time, she thinks. "I scheduled a doctor's appointment for a complete confirmation. Then, I suppose I'll be visiting an OB-GYN throughout the pregnancy to monitor the little one's growth and health." Left unspoken is a fear; the first three months are delicate, to say the least. She bites the corner of her bottom lip, staring at L specifically. "Hey… Ryuzaki… Are you…unhappy about this?" she softly asks.

L doesn't immediately answer, deep in thought, his eyes still gazing away from the screen.

She watches him closely for any signs of negative emotions. Maybe he's in shock, she thinks, or maybe he's thinking about something else relating to the news. Nonetheless, she waits patiently for his answer. As does Watari.

Eventually, L gazes back towards the screen. "I don't mean to cause you alarm, but this news, while it does please me, it has also made me apprehensive. As you are aware, I've spent my entire life dedicated to solving complex cases, which require complete isolation and focus; I will likely miss many milestones during this pregnancy and throughout our child's life."

Watari hums. "What Ryuzaki says is true. His work is not ideal for a family lifestyle."

She nods shortly, understanding. "It's never really bothered me, having such few moments with you throughout our time of knowing each other; I always understood your work, even before I knew exactly what it is that you do." She twiddles her thumbs. "I know you'll probably miss a lot and only get updates through the video calls we have, but I'll never doubt your feelings for us. And I know that, whenever you can, you'll come see us in person, just like you've been doing."

The softest look imaginable appears on L's face. He doesn't raise any of his other concerns; they'll remain his problem alone. "Then, I look forward to the months and years ahead of us." Watari nods shortly behind him.

She finally lets her happy tears flow. "So do I."

July 27th, 2005

Almost fourteen weeks into her pregnancy (three months along), Anju decides to let her family, including Hajime, know about their incoming new member, alongside informing them of their new in-law. How to do it, however, is the real question. Does she just state it outright, rip off the bandage, so to speak? Does she ease a conversation towards the topic of her marriage and pregnancy? And when she does get the information out, how is she going to explain why it happened in secret?

Maybe I'll tell them that Ryuzaki is a very private person, so we dated in the shadows and had a small wedding. It wouldn't exactly be a lie, she thinks, biting at her nails in anxiety. And I can say that his work keeps him away a lot; that's the truth, too. It's vague enough that they'll probably realize he's in the same work industry as Soichiro and it's good enough an answer that they won't press further.

They can't know that he's L. They can't know that the biggest reason they dated privately and got married secretly is because of potential threats; there are people who want to know who L is and they could be crazy enough to hurt people around him, a.k.a. Anju and their unborn child.

After going through the same thought process numerous times, she stops procrastinating and heads next door to the Yagami household. As she knocks on the door, she hopes that Hajime is inside, too, so she can reveal everything in one sitting but she's not sure if he's at his part-time job again or not; he works about four days a week and the specific weekdays or weekends he works is a bit inconsistent because of no shows, quitters, and so on.

Sayu, thankfully, is the cousin to answer the door this time; she didn't need Light souring the mood from the jump. "Anju!" The young female in question practically tackles her as she gives out a hug.

Anju giggles and hugs back, glad that her abdomen isn't big and round right now or the surprise would be ruined. "Mini Me!"

"Come in! Come in!" Sayu pulls Anju inside and shuts the door. She starts dragging her through the entrance hallway (or the small foyer, whichever it'd be called), through the living room, and into the dining area of the house, passing by Soichiro and Sachiko, who Anju quickly greets. "I got Mom to buy some stuff for cookies! And brownies, too! Please, make some! They always taste so good when it's you that's made them!"

Anju laughs at Sayu's excitement. "I'll make both, but I have some news to share with all of you first." She lightly pats Sayu's head. She turns to make a move back towards the living room but Soichiro and Sachiko have already made their way over, since the two areas are in the same room. "Is Haji visiting or is today a work day? I haven't been keeping up since the days started getting more and more inconsistent."

Sachiko smiles kindly. "Yes, he's here, upstairs with Light. You mentioned needing to tell the family some news?" Anju nods. "I assume Hajime is included?" Anju nods again, grinning. "I'll get them." She turns and heads towards the direction of the foyer.

Soichiro smiles slightly at Anju. "It must be good news if you want to share it with everyone."

"It is," Anju confirms, taking a seat on the long leather sofa.

Sayu immediately plops down beside her, on her right. Soichiro sits where the sofa starts curving. Within a few moments, Sachiko, Light, and Hajime join them; Sachiko sits beside her husband, Light sits beside his parents with obvious disinterest, and Hajime sits on the other side of Anju.

Anju nervously tugs on her jacket sleeve. "Okay, so, I'm just gonna…rip off the bandaid, I guess. Maybe… Uh… Well… How should I put this delicately…" She bites down on her lip before continuing. "I got married recently!" she accidentally yells, surprising everyone with the loudness and the news itself. "His name is Ryuzaki. He's a very private person, so we just never told anyone we were seeing each other. His work keeps him away a lot, but I trust him wholeheartedly and don't doubt his feelings."

Sayu recovers first. "Oh, how romantic! I can see it now! A college romance! Ooh, maybe he's older! Even better; a naughty companionship!"

Soichiro recovers second, gently scolding his daughter. "Sayu, that's enough. Congratulations, Anju."

Light and Sachiko recover around the same time, both giving their own congratulations, although one is a lot less sincere compared to the other.

Hajime recovers last, blinking away his initial shock. "That's g-great. What's his j-job?"

"Law enforcement," Anju answers vaguely, knowing there's many positions and jobs in regards to it.

Sayu pouts. "What's with this family and being drawn to people involved in enforcing the laws?"

Anju laughs at Sayu's comment. "You'll understand when you fall in love someday."

Sayu claps her hands together and closes her eyes, whispering. "Please, don't let them be in the law enforcement, too... Let the curse end with Anju..." Hajime overhears and snorts while Anju shakes her head at Sayu's antics.

"Right, so, that was just one of the two things I wanted to tell all of you," Anju announces, causing all the light commotion to die down entirely. She takes a breath and smiles happily. "I'm almost fourteen weeks pregnant."

Sayu immediately shrieks and hugs Anju tightly again. Sachiko gets teary eyed and stands, walking over to give Anju a hug, too, and whisper another congratulations. Soichiro just smiles. Hajime is grinning widely. Light just hums to himself, acknowledging the news but not particularly caring.

Anju smiles softly as she hugs her family members back.

Shortly after the announcements, Anju goes into the kitchen/dining area to begin making those sweets that were promised; now that they're aware she's pregnant, Sayu and Sachiko eagerly assist her as Hajime silently watches over them. Soichiro goes to do his own thing, leaving the women (and Hajime) to bond. Light just heads back to his bedroom, uninterested in the new family dynamic.

Hours go by. The sweets are eaten. The bonding occurs. Many questions arise. Many answers are given. Eventually, Anju returns home with a big smile on her face.

September 9th, 2005

Anju anxiously lays on a medical examination bed (or table), breathing a bit unsteadily. She is currently twenty weeks into her pregnancy (four months along). Standing in the corner of the room is Watari. L, sitting in his usual position on a chair that's directly beside the examination bed (or table), is patiently waiting for the ultrasound to begin.

The sonographer attending to Anju is an older woman named Ichika, who may or may not be within her fifties. Raising Anju's shirt slightly to reveal her abdomen, she spreads a gel on her belly and pelvis. Shortly thereafter, she moves a handheld probe over the area, glancing between it and the screen nearby.

"Alright," Ichika softly says, an image appearing on the nearby screen. A soft thumping sound echoes in the room. She smiles at them. "A healthy heartbeat."

Anju's eyes water upon realizing it's the baby's heart they're hearing, not her own. From the corner of her eye, she sees Watari stepping closer, happiness on his face, and L has a soft expression, staring at the image of their developing child.

Ichika looks for any underlying issues, such as abnormalities in the fetus, underdevelopment in the fetus, or incorrect positioning. Everything turns out to be perfectly fine. So, she then checks to see what the gender is. "And it looks like…" She grins at the new parents. "Congratulations; it's a boy."

Anju sniffles, a happy tear escaping. "A boy…" She keeps staring at the image on the screen, their baby boy. "Oh, he's so small…" She feels L gently grasp her hand.

"And he'll keep growing, as all living beings do," Ichika states, still grinning. "All signs point to perfect health. If this keeps up, you'll likely give birth without any complications." She starts messing with the equipment, getting a different setting ready.

Watari gently rests his palm on L's shoulder. "In all my years of knowing you, Ryuzaki, I never thought I'd see the day you'd have a son of your own. Yet…" He slightly tightens his grip. "You'll both do great as parents."

"Thank you," L softly comments, still staring at the 2D image of the baby.

"And you'll do great as a grandpa," Anju states, looking at Watari with a smile. She turns back towards the monitor just as the screen changes from 2D to 4D, giving them a much better glimpse of their son. "Oh," she gasps. "Oh, there he is…"

Their son looks like he's sucking his thumb.

As Anju sniffles again, crying tears of joy for certain now instead of holding them back, she tightly grasps the hands of L and Watari.

October 16th, 2005

Since the beginning of October, L and Watari have made a semi-permanent residence inside a hotel suite; their goal is to work closer to Anju, so that specific milestones to come will not be missed by either of them. For a few days now, Anju, currently at the twenty-five week mark (five months), has slept over, hoping to give L a chance to feel their son kick, an opportunity that Watari has already been blessed with, as he's not as busy.

Since the twenty-one week mark, their son has been having his own little routine. While he spends most of his time sleeping, which is funnily the exact opposite of his father who barely sleeps, he does become active at specific times of the day, and thus far, it's almost always been around the same time Anju starts making food. And each time, she apologizes to her little one for disturbing him with her racket before grinning as she feels him shift around.

Today is no different.

Anju is standing within the kitchen, beside Watari, working with him to create another yummy dessert, when she feels her son shifting. She smiles to herself. "The little one is moving again." She puts one of her hands on her belly, which has become a bit more round as the baby grows. "Good afternoon, sleepyhead."

Watari smiles warmly at the interaction. "Miss Anju, perhaps you should sit down and rest for a moment? I have been tending to Ryuzaki for years now; I can handle this on my own for the moment."

Anju shakes her head, grinning at him. "No, thank you. If I need rest, I'll sit. Right now, I feel fine. And happy." She continues assisting him with the baking. "And I'm excited for my husband to try this new recipe. Apple pie cupcakes. Who'd thought that existed?"

Watari continues to smile warmly. "You are truly one of a kind, Miss Anju. We're lucky to have you in our lives."

After about an hour and forty-five minutes, the dessert is finished; gingerbread cake with caramel apple filling and brown buttercream frosting with pie crust crumbles and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce on top.

Anju smiles proudly, pleased with how they have turned out. "Perfection." She places four of them onto a tray, alongside a cup of sweet tea and a small bowl of sugar cubes. "Thank you for the assistance, Watari."

He utters an 'you're welcome' as she walks away.

She knocks before entering L's room; an unused bed with multiple pieces of computer equipment on the floor in the corner where he's working. She looks at him fondly as she approaches.

Considerably, he stands up from his position on the floor, so she doesn't have to lean over. He gently takes the tray from her and puts it on the nightstand beside the bed.

"Watari helped again," Anju says. "It's a new recipe: apple pie cupcakes. I hope you enjoy them."

"I will," L says matter of factly. "I enjoy everything you and Watari make." He picks up a cupcake and begins eating it, humming softly in satisfaction. He finishes it pretty quickly and grabs another.

Anju giggles at his reaction, sitting down on the bed. "Unless it's something you can't sweeten; that's when you pass it off to someone else. Usually me." She makes a noise, putting a hand to her round stomach. "Ah, he's kicking again…! Ryuzaki, give me your hand!"

L immediately holds out his palm, looking at her with his mouth stuffed full of another cupcake. Probably his last one. She giggles at him before putting his palm against the spot where their son kicked. A few moments later, there's another kick and L's eyes widen noticeably.

"That's our little one," Anju whispers, smiling with tears in her eyes, happy that he's finally gotten to feel their baby kicking. "That's our boy."

L doesn't move his hand from her stomach, not even when their son stops kicking.

January 31st, 2006

At four in the morning, Anju was awakened from her peaceful slumber, feeling something like menstrual cramps again, something she'd been experiencing for a few days; she was in the early labor stage. The cramps weren't painful, just uncomfortable. She got out of her bed and headed for the bathroom, but halfway there, her water broke.

She immediately gasped, feeling at her wet pants, and called out for L, who rarely slept. He was in the room next door, working most likely; nonetheless, he stopped what he was doing to investigate her call of assistance. Once learning what was going on, L went to summon (awaken) Watari while Anju changed into dry clothes.

About an hour or so later, instead of heading to a hospital, a midwife came to them; they had planned a home birth. Watari had wanted her to give birth in a hospital but Anju refused, picking a home birth, so that L would absolutely be there when their son was born; she did not want to take the risk of him not showing up because of his work ethic. Luckily, Watari didn't fight her on that. Nor did L.

The contractions were a bit mild at first, but gradually, they became stronger and painful. The midwife monitored the mother and her unborn child, making sure everything remained as it should be. Between doing so, she reassured L and Watari, so they wouldn't worry.

Roughly fourteen hours since her water broke, Anju was finally fully dilated and ready for pushing. Body against the headboard of the bed and legs bent, she would push when necessary, a towel the only thing covering her lower half. Nearby, L was standing, holding her hand. At her feet, the midwife kept an eye on the process of the birth, always ready. Watari was not in the room, allowing the parents to have the precious moment together.

An hour of pushing went by.

Nine months, nine days. Forty weeks, four days. Two-hundred and eighty-four days. That was how long the pregnancy had lasted.

Shōta Murasaki was finally born. And his family couldn't be happier.

No one has brought it up, so I will; our version of L is a bit different than canon, as his manner of speaking is a bit more unique compared to in canon (I've been reading the manga since I last updated), where he was still an ordinary man, just one with a few quirks to him. The L from canon, his way of speaking anyway, will appear once we reach canon events, because I don't particularly want to change the dialogue. I hope you have no issues with that. Hopefully, when we get there, maybe it'll turn out that we didn't make him that different after all, and this author's note can just be marked as my paranoia getting the best of me, again. Or maybe the switch up with be subtle and vague enough to almost be unnoticeable. We'll see, I guess. I hope you remain with us for the journey, regardless of the potential mess-up.

Additionally, apologies for any mess-ups with the pregnancy timeline. We did our best to make it accurate; we've never been pregnant ourselves. That's why the pregnant milestone moments are relatively short; plus, we didn't want to make Watari and L too out of character.

Yes, their son is named after a character from My Hero Academia. Shut up. :D

It's good to be back in action, officially, after the move.