Note: There is some unpleasantness here as L tries to remember things. Don't get upset. There's an OC here but this person will be really sketchy, just for the purpose of moving things along. And hmm...this reads more like a suspense story.. anyways, go on, don't let me stop you.

Chapter 6 - Discovery

The aroma is the first thing he notices. The rich vanilla scent floats temptingly in the atmosphere as the baked goods bask deliciously in the oven, almost close to completion. In contrast, there is another odor that is not at all delectable. Faint, yet sharp, metallic. It turns his stomach.

L walks closer to the source of these opposing smells. A dark and viscous fluid spreads like a spiderweb onto the slight indents on the simple patterns of the pale blue vinyl flooring, drawing a complex design with an invisible hand. He stands rooted, letting the liquid soak into his white socks. The crimson color has violated the pristine white. The oven timer dings. He treads deeper into the kitchen and focuses on the oven. He needs to turn off the temperature and take out the tray, otherwise his mother's efforts will be ruined.

Mother?

L finds that he cannot reach the temperature dial. He isn't tall enough. Puzzled, he begins to look for a stool to help with the task. A figure leaning near the refrigerator startles him. It is a woman. She sags on the floor limply.

Mother?

"Run..." She gasps with painful efforts, face paling as she presses her arm deeper into her stomach. He reads her lips rather than actually hearing her voice.

Even though L can see her face, he cannot distinguish her features. He has 20/20 eyesight. What seems to be the problem?

Some details do not make sense. He does not wear socks. He is definitely tall enough for the oven. He is an orphan. This is obviously a dream. A new one. A very different one from those ambiguously disturbing ones that bother him with their repetitiveness. Somehow, it feels like he is reenacting a crime scene in the first person. He is too much a veteran to let a particular case haunt him in his sleep, let alone witnessing it unfold.

Unless, this is about himself.

L can be dense despite his status of being the top detective. If he had realized the possibility immediately, he would have let it continued, to observe for clues that his waking mind refuses to reveal.

Too late. The kitchen is no longer there. It is dark. He kneels on the spot where the woman was supposed to be and starts searching, touching the surrounding tentatively with the back of his long fingers. His digits meet something soft and warm. Gently, he expands the contact surface and stops abruptly. His fingers have brushed across something that feels suspiciously like..

L opens his eyes in alarm. He is still in the living room. Misa is still here. It is his hand that's also at Misa's person. It rests on her right breast. The thin materials of her clothes allow the distinct shape of a perky centre to lie erect between his fingers. She has her eye lashes lowered and lips slightly parted. Her cheeks are flushed a lovely pink. They both dare not speak for a second.

Then, they both speak as one. "Ryuuzaki.." "Misa.."

Finally coming out of his transitional haze between dream and reality, L snatches his offending hand away and balls it into a fist, flustering over where to rest it. Misa has an edge of a smile tagging up her lips.

"Misa, I apologize, I was unaware.." Now that he is aware, he attempts to subtly shift his body away. Her head is resting too high on his thigh for his comfort.

"Ryuuzaki, 'sokay. I don't mind." Misa turns outwards and starts to sit up. She can't be sleeping away all day! "Oww.."

There is a hard tug on a few strands of her untied hair. Still facing out, Misa instinctively traces her fingers back to loosen the trapped ends at the problematic source.

"Misa, don't.." L warns faintly, knowing full well what it will lead to, but too fascinated to put a stop to it.

Her fingers have already made contact. Through the soft denim, she could feel the rapid development inside. Her fingers dance nimbly on the outer curve as she traces along the hair strands, effectively transferring her touch onto him. Her tiny digits lower further. This is too much to handle. He has to put his hand on hers to still the enticing motions.

"Please, allow me.." Being able to see where the strands have travelled, he solves the problem much more efficiently than Misa could. L takes hold of her tiny searching hand, returns it to her as he gently guides her up. His heart pounds fast, hard. "Misa, that was.."

The blonde girl swirls around to face him and breaks into a small impish grin. She hugs him gaily and plants a wet kiss on his cheek. "Now, we're even!"

Misa has excused herself to the bathroom. Her heart is still racing over her own audacious act. She had truly tried to untangle her hair, but when her hand happened to be there, she couldn't help it. Ryuuzaki always keeps an invisible boundary around him, making it impossible to get close. It was pure luck that she could breach through. Or was that not simply luck but by deliberate design of the man himself? She still tingles at the place he had touched her by accident. A deep breath brings the soft fabric grazing innocently at the sensitized spot, shooting out tiny feathers of pleasure that leave her wanting for more. She looks into the mirror and closes her eyes in dismay against the unladylike reflection there. She has to control herself. What will Ryuuzaki think of her?

Even? All these to get even? On a deeper level though, L acknowledges the seemingly childish act with an alternate view. She has started something in him just as he had started something in her. What is this something? Carnal desire? Psychological intimacy? Or simple curiosity that seeks for fulfillment? Something shallow? Something meaningful? There is no easy answer to this one. Nothing to prove he is right. And nothing to prove him wrong. Out of habit, he tucks in his other leg to have both feet up at the sofa, only to have it effectively compressing his stimulated region, earning him the pleasant friction he achieves when he touches himself. He gasps and attempts to calm down. This is not the time.

Some unbearable minutes later, L escorts Misa out the front door, but not accompanying her on the car ride home. He is apologetic, putting on the reason that he has to return to his work, quite urgently. No one in the world would doubt him, would dare to doubt him, let alone Misa. Yet it is only an excuse. He has already progressed as much as he could, with some evidence and data that are still lacking. Misa is being oddly amiable today. Perhaps he had upset her after all and she wants to put as wide a distance as possible between them.

This is what L wants, too, for a much different reason.

Since Watari is out acting the chauffeur, L takes the liberty to search through the archives, including the ones on Watari's harddrives. They trust each other with their lives. The old gentleman is his mentor, partner and something close to a friend. His own brilliance has far exceeded anyone's expectations and he is now paired with the owner of the orphans' house. L must be protected at all costs.

That includes withholding information from him, it seems. Information that he has the right to know. Information that makes up L the person, before he became L the detective, however short the period was before the transition.

He is prompted for a password. A password! The only indication of surprise is a slight widening of his eyes. He encodes all sensitive files on regular basis and as far as he knows, all things requiring a password were created by him. He does not have the password for this particular folder on Watari's computer.

L grows curious rather than feeling annoyed. It must be something of the direst importance if it has to be kept out of reach from the smartest detective alive. He doesn't attempt to hack. There is always an easier way. Watari is reasonable. He should have the password out of the old man's lips in no time.

x x x x

"Yumi, what should I do?"

"Aww, Misa, you're always falling in love! Is he really the right guy?"

"Positive. Definitely. Absolutely!"

"That's three affirmatives, a good sign. You only had two last time."

"Ughh! You're no help at all."

"Hey, like, you ever listened to me!"

"Sooo..., what should I do?"

"You already did everything. A lady should act like a lady. Let the man be a man. You're not a mother hen."

"But he isn't like the regular guy.."

"Misa...I guess that's the reason you like him, right? He's abnormal..I mean.. unique."

"I was so shameless today, what will he think of me?"

"Just touching, right? You didn't try to take your own clothes off, or his off, yeah? Big deal."

"You don't know him!"

"That's right. I'm trying to understand him, through you, for your sake. Hey, who do you want me to be today, the angel or the devil?"

"Yumi! I'm serious!"

"So am I. Look, I'd just love to meet this person who's got our dear Misa all flustered and confused."

"Uh...he prefers to be alone.."

"..or he prefers Misa's company over everyone else's. I get it. Look at you, you're all smitten. The chemistry is just perfect, but you still need to think with your head. What is it that you see in him? Think. Will you two still be together in a month? A year? Five years?"

"I don't know. I haven't got a crystal ball. All I know is we feel something for each other. Isn't that enough? Isn't that a first step to something deeper?"

"Hmm, heart stopping moments, huh.. Well, up to you. He doesn't sound like a romantic, so you'll definitely need a hyper imaginative mind to keep yourselves entertained. I'm pretty sure you've got more than enough to take on his share."

"Not true. He's thoughtful too, and sensitive."

"But not handsome."

"I like him the way he is."

"Good, we have reached a conclusion."

"Huh? Really? What?"

"Hellooo? You just don't listen."

"What did I miss?"

"Never mind. Seems like you've already made up your mind. What did you call me for? Go away, I need my beauty sleep."

"Aww..Yumi, you're the best. Love ya, goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Misa Misa."

Misa snaps shut her cell phone, ruffling the jumble of dangling mini dolls to jingle against each other. She flips to lie on her belly, chin resting atop a nest made by her fingers. She sighs lightly, wondering. There is no doubt about her feelings for him. What of his for her? Is she trying too hard to be with him? Where do they stand? What lies ahead?

The clock dings. Eleven o'clock. She should be getting some shut eye time by now, yet her brain is too busy worrying over the unknown. It's only been five hours since she was with him. She misses him already.

There is a navy blue scarf folded neatly at her nightstand. Ryuuzaki had put it on her when they parted. The weather is chilly, especially the evening. He didn't know how to tie it properly on her so she showed him. Afterwards, he gave her a kiss. He had diverted his path when kissing her, from the obvious trail leading to her lips, to the final destination to her forehead. The change was almost imperceptible but because she was looking forward to the gesture, she had taken special notice. Yes, Misa Misa was very disappointed.

Misa takes the scarf and wraps it around both hands. She inhales deeply and thinks it smells good enough to eat. A dash of vanilla and a clash of butter. Maybe something chocolatey. The essence, however, is Ryuuzaki himself. It is subtle. No pine, leather or sharp woodsy smells like those in colognes. Maybe it is the soap or shampoo he uses. All she knows is she likes it. Loves it. She inhales again, like someone addicted and couldn't get enough. Reluctant to let go, she holds the blue softness against her, a soothing presence to coax her to dreamland.

x x x x

"I had assumed all resources were available."

"Indeed they are, Ryuuzaki."

"Indeed?" The accusing long finger is pointing at the screen that shows a password prompt. The password that L does not have.

Watari had returned shortly, making use of his time efficiently to lessen the period away from his ward. Though the house is secure in every way, there is no guarantee when he is not around. L must be protected at all costs. He is too valuable as an asset...no, as a person, to his organization, to the world. There are many who want him dead. Too many. The recent development with Amane-san is a gamble that they cannot lose. The girl is gullible and can be manipulated to suit their security measures, if this must continue. The detective is not. His intelligence is both a blessing and a curse.

"The information is irrelevant." Only honesty can work. Deception can lead to distrust, fatal to their operations. "It cannot help you with your cases."

"It appears that I've been relieved of my duties without the courtesy of an advance notice, Detective." There is no particular stress on any words uttered, though the sarcasm is heavy in the air.

That is as close to a display of anger as Watari has ever seen of L. L can judge for himself on the percentages and relevancy. It must sound extremely presumptuous to have information sorted and withheld without him learning the contents beforehand. But L must be protected at all costs..

"Well, maybe it is time. It is the moment I fear. This piece of knowledge cannot impact the future if it is left alone. It is simply history. Are you certain you wish to know?"

"I see no point in answering. Show me."

Each key is entered with painstaking slowness. The password is nothing complicated. L should have known. The mysterious string of characters is his real name. Maybe he didn't want to accept his earlier postulation. He actually dreads the impending revelation. After the last letter, the old man leaves L the task of pressing the Enter key.

"Whenever you are ready." Watari steps away to leave the detective alone. The door is shut with a soft click.

The cursor blinks in an annoying rhythm, taunting the young man, daring him to input the command. There is a moment of uncertainty. If he had continued on his previous path, he might not think to look for this particular folder. This would never take place. Or, he might have stumbled across it but deemed it too unimportant to give it a second glance. It is now not only his life he has to think about. There is another one. An important someone, growing more so as time passes.

With his finger posed an inch above 'Enter' like an arrow on a high-strung bow, L heaves a sigh and hesitates like he has never before.

.

More Notes: okieee.. now I have to think of something good, otherwise how do I show my face again? It didn't look like this when I started, somehow..yeah, L wants this (excuses, excuses..). I could've posted this on Christmas but it should be a joyful day so I didn't. Did everyone have a wonderful day? Anyways, I'm thinking about 10 to 12 chapters to the story. What do you think?

-M.H., Dec 26, 2009