At the Heart of Justice

Chapter 8: Recollection

Watari was surprised when he heard the front door open. He checked his phone to make sure he hadn't missed a call from L.

He hadn't.

He stuck his head out of the kitchen doorway. L had kicked off his shoes and was already on his way to the desk while Naomi fussed to herself over his shoes lying haphazardly where someone could trip and fall.

"Honestly..." she muttered as she removed her athletic shoes and briskly climbed the steps to her floor. She and L had agreed to discuss the case once she'd had a shower.

Watari emptied the measuring cup of water he was holding into the coffee maker and switched it on. He retrieved a plate of assorted sweets from the refrigerator and moved into the living room to where L was seated in his crouched position at the desk.

"Did you walk home?" he asked.

"Yes," L replied, already surveying the sweets Watari had placed before him.

Watari chuckled. "That was her idea, wasn't it?"

L selected an eclair with chocolate frosting. He held it delicately, as he always did, and took a big bite. He answered with his mouth full.

"Yes, and now I'm starving." A second bite was all it took to finish off the eclair and he reached for another one immediately.

Watari looked toward the stairs, to where Naomi had disappeared, and then back at L. The detective was noisily licking chocolate off his fingers. It would seem as though nothing had changed.

But something was different.

Watari had known L since he was just a little thing. A peculiar child with large, sunken eyes and a tiny mouth that rarely smiled, L had always been most content parked in front of a computer for hours on end. A tray of sweets and the challenge of a difficult puzzle were the only two things in the world that had ever truly made his dark grey eyes light up.

And so he remained into adulthood.

Naturally then, Watari had been surprised to see L slipping on his sneakers that afternoon- especially since they had already gone out that morning. Outings were rare enough for L. But two in one day?

"Watari, would you drive me to the gym down the street?"

"Of course, Ryuzaki, but what for? Is there a new case?"

"No." L had one hand on the wall for balance. He brought his foot up and used his other hand to pull the shoe over his sockless heel. He spoke so casually, as if this was not totally out of the ordinary for him. "Naomi Misora is practicing Capoeira and I'd like to see how it's done in person."

Watari raised his white eyebrows.

L stood upright again and shoved his hands innocently into his pockets. He stared at Watari and wondered why the old man was hesitating.

"So... Can we go?"

Watari stepped forward then to collect the car keys. "Of course."

Nothing was atypical about the short drive to the gym. L sat knees-up in the back seat and busied himself with a bag of gummy bears. Watari was quiet, as he usually was.

The car pulled up in front of the gym and L hopped out, using his foot to shut the door behind him. Hands pocketed, he bent down by the driver's side door and Watari pressed the button to lower the window.

"I'll call you," L said simply.

"Alright."

Like a father dropping his boy off at school, Watari watched as the closest thing he had to a son shuffled up the sidewalk and into the large, brick building. He sat for a moment before putting the car in drive and turning it around to return home.