Bean

Chapter 21: The Scare

Weeks passed, and time seemed to hang in limbo for L. The case wasn't progressing, aside from a diary that had been sent to Sakura TV by the Second Kira. A clue inside it led them to the upmarket Aoyama district of Tokyo on a specific date ten days from the arrival of the diary. As the area was known as a hub for young people, it was decided that Light and Matsuda would go undercover in order to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. The outing seemed to yield nothing of use; however, three days later, another video was broadcast in which the Second Kira claimed to have found the original Kira, so something must have gone down in Aoyama... but what??

And in the meantime, L had begun spending more and more time with Light. He was such a sharp, intelligent young man who could keep up with L's train of thought and topics of conversation, which was refreshing. Having to constantly slow down, backtrack, and explain himself, as he often had to do with the Task Force, was tiresome and irritating... but he never had to do that with Light. So in that regard, he rather did enjoy having Light around; not with deep emotional attachment, but as an invigorating source of intellectual stimulation.

Ever since he was a small child, it had been a challenge for L to find activities that would sufficiently engage his brilliant mind. Television and the usual childish games were an utter bore, and the children who partook in such frivolity were even moreso. Growing up at Wammy's, L was a recluse who took neither interest nor pleasure in group activities. He dreaded the holidays and the picnics and the events- all the things the other children very much looked forward to.

Few were the recreations that held young L's interest and attention. He quite liked tennis and pool with their geometric strategies for success. He did enjoy field trips, as it was an opportunity to observe the world in real time and to ponder on the great mystery that was humanity itself. He liked puzzles and chess and other strategy-based games, but he was so good, no one ever wanted to play with him, and so a loner he remained.

It was Watari who had found ways to connect with the boy. He bought him increasingly challenging puzzles, and he often took time out of his day to play a game or two of chess with him. The old man was, in many ways, a father figure to L, even if he did take on the role of caretaker, butler, and liaison as well. But even above all that, Watari was L's very first friend... and his only friend until a quirky, blue-eyed Russian girl captivated him in a way he still couldn't quite explain.

This is why it was complete and utter balderdash when L muttered to Light that he was his very first friend. His ulterior motive was to observe Light's reaction to the words; to see if the sentiment was received with any kind of guilt or reciprocation or surprise at the very least. But alas, the little experiment produced nothing aside from a bit of amiable small talk, and so that was that.

It was frustrating to L to feel so conflicted. He wanted Light to be Kira, because then all of his hunches would be validated, and he would win the game, case closed. But all the same, there was a part of him that hoped he was wrong... the part of him that had found something of a friend in Light, or at least a person he found interesting to be around. The boy had potential. Unfortunately, that potential included the capability of being a mass murderer with a god complex.

All of this swirled around in L's mind like oil and water, and day by day, it consumed him.

But the bright spot in his life remained his little blue-eyed Bean. A constant source of smiles and affection, Bennett reminded L time and time again that there was more to life than winning... even if it was taking more and more reminding these days.

It was Watari who suggested an outing. It would be invigorating, he said, to get out of the suite and forget about heart attacks and shinigami eyes just for a little while. L was reluctant at first, but when he saw the excitement bubbling from the little boy about a day out with his Papa, he was compelled to give way to a smile and agree.