BAST

Happy Halloween

Three days later, I woke to light scratching on my closet door until a dainty little paw swatted it open, moving to push it out of the way with their head. Now left vulnerable to the onslaught of the sun's morning rays, I hissed under my breath and covered my eyes like a cave dweller.

After recovering from the rather crude wake up call, I rolled off the shelf and stretched out my joints. Eyeing the ground accusingly, I tried to find the creature responsible. A familiar Turkish Van's tail was swaying playfully as he looked away from me.

Matlock, of course.

"I know I said I'd meet up with L on the main floor, but it doesn't mean you have to wake me up at...' I paused, squinting at the digital clock.

"Eleven in the morning. Okay, maybe that is a typically decent hour for waking up, but give me a break. I just solved a case, I deserve a little more sleeping in." He was likely doing the usual cat thing; ignoring me as soon as I started lecturing him on my way into the bathroom to put in my contacts.

My day vision was as terrible as usual, the clock I'd been attempting to read was only a couple yards away.

Shuffling down the hallway I adjusted my right sock, hopping a little. It shouldn't have been enough to knock me into the wall to my right, but I'd managed. Being used to this unwanted skill of mine, the pain didn't stick around for long and mostly stung.

I wanted something minty and I wanted it now, a bonus would be for it to be caffeinated.

As soon as the elevator doors opened I instantly picked up on the smell of coffee, following it with little sniffs of my nose.

"Ah, Chisuzu, good morning. How did you sleep?" L was in his usual spot before a blank screen, sipping from his cup leisurely.

"Good morning, L. I slept well enough, but I need some coffee before the smell drives me insane." I took a drink after adding some peppermint syrup and mixing it.

"That's better. Did you get any sleep, L?"

"Not really," He muttered, looking down into his mug, moving it around a bit and making the liquid inside swirl a little. It was about the same reply as usual.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do we still not have a new case?" I asked, despite knowing I'd suggested he take a break. They were still looking for cases too hard for authorities to solve and I had told them both I'd be staying to help.

"It would seem that way. Chisuzu, may I ask you something?" This is how he commonly started conversations that were more than small talk. Small talk was difficult for him; not interesting. He tended to go straight for either easy impersonal questions or, most of the time, he asked potentially very personal things.

"Of course," I said, taking a seat next to him.

"Was Naoya the last intimate relationship you had?" He inquired casually as he whizzed through potential cases on his laptop (Watari was a very discerning man when it came to such things). Was no topic hard for him to bring up? This one had caught me off guard.

"Yes and no. As much as I liked Naoya, my relationship with him was purely physical. He and I had trouble talking about some things because of his insecurities and our lack of common interests. Naoya enjoyed taking me out as often as we could with his busy schedule, and would buy me things as his way of trying to make-up for when he was called in for work or had to stay late. He was a good enough lover, though. Staved off my loneliness for a time. My cats are great company, but no amount of them can ever truly replace human companionship."

"Is that why your relationship with him lasted so long? You were lonely?"

"Yes. Well, I believe it was more my being afraid of being lonely."