004 // survival

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L is on the scene; he glances left than right before assuming his preferred crouching position, palms laid out upon his knees. He waits a moment before lifting a hand and chewing thoughtfully on his thumb.]

B, are you here? Mr. Fang King?

Comments

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[B ponders, with his finger to his lip. It really does seem like a game. All investigations are, he knows, and his own crimes had been a game to him. But this is different, in that B gets to see it for himself by taking a peek inside L's mind. The real L's mind - not the idol B always thought he knew.]

L. L. [God, he loves saying that letter. He says it multiple times, like a verbal tug on L's shirt.] L, you won't lose. Losing isn't an option for you, so you won't.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L pauses, looking at B with perplexity in his eyes that doesn't show on his face. It feels like he's yet again missing something, a piece of a larger puzzle he couldn't fit together.]

I'd certainly hope not. I have no intentions of dying anytime soon... [he puts a finger to his lips and chews absently..]

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[B's face is blank. He doesn't want to show any emotion related to the mention of death for L.] Yes. Yes. But if you did, you would come back.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L gives a meager nod of his head.] This is true. ...though if I returned, Light Yagami would likely kill me again... I wonder if it would be possible...

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

You would come back. [He is yet again trying to convince himself. B is acting more and more childish, though he's not aware of it. He's not really thinking about anything he says.]

Has anyone here died more than once?

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

I can't say. I haven't come across any information about multiple deaths, here.

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[B ponders, and makes a mental note to try and find information on that later. He is silent, staring directly at L, from one eye to the other, unblinking. He has his finger to his lip, and his jam in his other hand.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[L wonders why B has suddenly gone silent, after being so talkative; upon further examination, B has been acting strangely all evening.] Is something wrong, B?

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[B looks down at the "ground", staring for a long while before he says:] No... [His tone suggests that he's not necessarily lying, but that he's eliminating some truth.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

...

If something were bothering you, I'd hope you'd trust enough in me to tell me. I wouldn't want you to feel as though you had to keep any secrets.

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[B felt a rush of affection pass through him. He wanted to look up at L's eyes, but he didn't think he could arrange his expression properly. Instead, he smiled at the ground.] L wants me to trust him?

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

Of course I do. Why would I want you to distrust me?

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[Pondering.] Not distrust, no. But maybe it doesn't matter either way.

[Remembering:] But L cares about me. [The words are said entirely to himself. They give him a sort of adrenaline rush.]

[Looking up at him, thinking:] I trust L.

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that you do, B.

Are you sure that nothing is wrong, in that case?

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

Nothing...is wrong. [Pause.] But B knows things. [This is the absolute closest he's come to telling anyone about his eyes since he was very young.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

'Knows things?'

[B most definitely has L's interest, now.]

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

Yes...well, B used to know more. But...but no one wanted to believe him. Not even at Wammy's House.

[He's sort of evading answering. He actually does want to tell L, and he does trust him, but he's so used to keeping it a secret.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

I trust B would not lie to me. [L lays both his hands out on his knees, looking directly into the other's face.]

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

[B smiles faintly. Then his smile fades, and he says:] B's eyes...are not normal. They - see things. [He's a bit jittery; his eyes dart to the side as he says this, and the teeth chewing on his thumb rattle a little.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

See things...? [This was not what L was expecting, but he listens carefully.]

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

See...[He pauses - waits, as if the fact that he says it slowly makes it okay.] ...names. I see names, true names...just by looking at a person's face. [He looks up at L's face.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

[That's all it takes - considering the investigation, it's no surprise at all what the immediate conclusion L draws is... His eyes go wide, and he's staring at B with a look that suggests that something has just clicked.]

...You... have the eyes...

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

The...the eyes? [B is confused that L seems to know something about them.]

[sucre-justice.livejournal.com]

The... Shinigami eyes...

[L's face suddenly takes on a look of disbelief, of misunderstanding, intense thought. How was this possible? Had B come in contact with the Notebook, somehow? No, he couldn't have. How could he have made the deal for the eyes, otherwise?]

...how...?

[b-ittersweets.livejournal.com]

Shinigami...? [B knows what that means; he speaks japanese. But it doesn't make any sense to him. The only thing that would connect to a death god, he guessed, was the ability to see lifespans. Did L know about that? He held off asking, instead addressing L's "how?"]

I was born with them. I don't know why I have them.