BAST

Bonus

[Bonus] Liquid Courage [Bonus]

Sometime during the Mockery of Bast, as the news was calling it, I did something very unlike myself and tried to end my woes by distracting myself.

With sake.

Lots of sake.

There were several things wrong with this and I have an inkling L figured them all out as I struggled to walk like usual and failed miserably.

"Chisuzu." Here we go.

"Yes?" I asked, perking up in my spot, ignoring how the word was just a tad longer than it should've been. The detective in question stared at me for a moment; assessing me.

Was he surprised to see me this way? While it was true, I didn't partake in even an occasional drink, the expression was rather amusing at the moment.

Just about everything was amusing, actually.

L didn't reply for a time and I found myself distracted by a few kittens playing with a very red feather on a long spring. Then a thought occurred to me and I was unable to resist it.

"L, when you and Light were handcuffed together, what were the sleeping arrangements?"

Now he stood and moseyed over to where the kittens were playing and picked up the feather toy, seating himself across from me and teasing them with it.

"I hardly slept for most of it and he kept a cot near my chair. By the expression on your face, I'm going to assume this isn't the answer you wanted to hear, but it's true."

Well, that's no fun.

"What caused you to choose the bottle this afternoon?" He questioned casually and I frowned, not wanting to really talk about it.

...L...

Her eyes trained on the feather bouncing dangerously on the thin metal spring and I watched her, trying to think of a way to cheer her up.

From the look of it, she was so far gone she wouldn't remember this in the morning.

"Do you remember Light's face? The one he made when he realized you had beaten him?" Without fail, a smile broke out across her once gloomy exterior. Chisuzu was dressed in her usual garb with socks up to her thighs under a yukata I surmised she had put on after awakening.

I saw no other possibility.

"Would you happen to have to have any ice pops?" She asked, not seeming to have heard. Figuring I wasn't going to get any answers unless I adhered to her current requests, I stood from my spot to check.

Careful to not hand her anything with dairy in it, I found a blueberry ice pop stored with some other variously flavored ones. Knowing she wouldn't be able to taste its sweetness made no difference as it was the timing of her request that threw me off.

It was still pretty cool out.

"I just wanted something cold. Thank you." She smiled as she accepted the treat.

"You're welcome." I considered the consequences of my next query before voicing it.

"What were things like before?"

Her eyes glanced up and she smiled a genuine smile this time rather than her usual polite one.

"What's your oldest family memory?"

"Helping my mom do laundry. She would always fold the clothes that were too big and while she was folding the rest, I'd chase the fish in our neighbor's koi pond. It was so strange, like an entirely different dimension for a time. She didn't encourage me to be different, but she did let me have fun up until I was about nine or so."

"What else?" She may be slurring but she was smiling wistfully at the memories and I decided it would have to do. At least she was no longer depressed.

"She used to brush my hair after every bath I'd have. It was always such a soothing feeling." It must have encouraged a subconscious habit.

Then the daze was lost from her eyes and I feared she had sobered quickly at the memories, when really she was just looking at me.

"You're kind of dumb for a genius, but in a different way."

"Oh?" This had to be good.

"Yes. What kind of man has to ask why a woman did something for him? Especially, when she's been around him for so long and through a case like the Kira case. Did you know I don't even like talking to people all that much? I find it tedious yet here I am ranting away at you." Her giggle made me smile a little. I could respond more honestly while she was in such a vulnerable drunken state.

And I did know, it was proven during the Kira case.

"I didn't risk my life to save yours just because I wanted my way." She frowned at her own words before eyeing the feather in my hand again, following it with her mismatched eyes.

"Well, part of it was but it's obviously not the only reason I did it."

"Because you secretly believe in doing what's right?"

"There's no secret about that, but no. It's because I love you." She grinned as if she had just unleashed some imaginary ace up her sleeve...and in a way she had.

How had I overlooked that?

'On purpose, that's how.' I hadn't been completely dumb to her possible interest, but didn't want to presume anything.

Despite how even I knew friends of the opposite sex didn't typically sleep in the same bed to comfort one another. Despite our agreed upon relationship, it was similar to my friendship with Light; unorthodox and atypical (At first I had recommended it simply to have a reason to be around her more). And finally, despite her having risked her life to keep me from ending up six feet underground.

For fear of getting my hopes up, I had remained in a cloud of denial.

"Do you love me, L?" I leveled my gaze on her, knocked back temporarily by her forward question. If she wasn't so intoxicated then maybe things would have been different.

"Yes, Chisuzu, I love you." Tumbled from my mouth, the words weren't nearly as scared as they could have been.

"I knew it." The corners of her eyes crinkled as she beamed brightly at me and I found myself scrutinizing the look, acquitting it to memory before shaking the feather in front of her face, lucratively sidetracking her.

Her lips had been too appealing in that moment, prompting me to kiss her. I only refrained for doing so because of...well...

I looked at here again, eyes zeroed in on the bright red tuft, shifting to keep it in her sights. Chuckling despite myself, I was sure to remember this as well.

There was more than one way to take advantage of a rare situation.

---Chisuzu---

Why does my head hurt so badly? I felt as though I had been hit by a bus...in a manner of speaking.

"There are some Aspirin and water on the table to your right." L's voice was soft and I appreciated it in the midst of my migraine.

No, I was hungover.

Searching him out as I popped the little white and red capsule and knocked back the water just as I had the sake however long ago.

"What happened?"

"Nothing really. You came stumbling down the steps and the next thing I know, you've passed out on the couch." L mumbled, dismissively as he toyed with a red feather on a spring.

Huh.

Hello dears,

Aza here. What do you all think of this little short? Let me know below and remember to message me if you have any ideas for a bonus chapter. ^_^