Unknown L (Book 1)

~~ Story Time ~~

L scowled and pulled back from him, "How can you go again?! Do you know how worried Emilia was? How confused I was?! You left without a word and then reached out because you were half dead. What exactly are you trying to do?"

Bryce pulled his hand away, and L could see guilt in his eyes, "I didn't realise it would bother you so much. I had to go away, things were changing... I thought you'd understand after what I wrote in my letter."

The scowl on L's face deepened, "What letter? You didn't leave a letter or anything for that matter, you just left."

She had a strange, hazy recollection of a letter on a floor somewhere, but she didn't know if it was real or not. She saw confusion in Bryce's expression now.

"I left you a letter on the table by the door of your cottage, it explained why I had to go and... oh, no wonder you seem so angry at me."

He actually chuckled then, and L reached forward to punch him in the arm.

"It's not funny! I actually started to trust you and thought, "hey, maybe he's not like the other people who came into my life and then just left me." But you proved that thought wrong pretty quickly. My life's a mess right now, and I need people I can count on. Tell me right now, why couldn't you stay?"

Bryce was rubbing his arm, and for once, he was scrambling for a response. L narrowed her eyes at him, and then they both jumped when something moved at the end of the corridor outside.

Bryce recovered quicker than L. He stood up from the bed and crouched towards her. His voice quieter than she thought possible, the piercing look he gave was unusually tense.

"I really have to go now. I won't be far away this time and I'll try to visit your house whenever I get the chance. Just know that I left before because of my own problems. I wanted something that I couldn't ever have, and I had to figure some things out. I know you'll be safe with the Worcesters and those who were present in our little rescue group. You can trust them, I promise. Oh, and as for Walter... I know you're not his biggest fan, but you can trust him just as much as Gart, Lort, and the others. I'm sure he's proved that by now."

L sighed loudly, none of it was helping the mountain of information bursting in her head. Bryce moved around to the other side of her bed. He was closer to the window but still staring at her.

"I promised you that I'd explain everything and I will, the whole story, every single detail but it will have to be another time. Once I find the other Elf working with Kreleth, things will settle down for me or as much as they ever do, anyway. Until then, be careful and don't go into a room alone with anyone besides those I said..."

L frowned and was about to argue when Bryce leaned down unexpectedly and kissed her cheek. Within a split second, he was through the window and out of sight. L stared after him until the sound of footsteps came towards the room. She dived under her covers and pretended to be asleep. She hoped that whoever it was didn't have Supernatural hearing because her heart rate would probably cause alarm. She could feel that her cheek was unusually hot where Bryce had kissed it.

She didn't understand why he'd done it. She had never been kissed by anyone like that before; she'd have broken their arm if anyone had tried. She'd seen relationships, especially for people her age and how ridiculous they usually were. Even some of the adult relationships made her cringe.

The Worcesters were the only exception, but she never envisioned something like that for herself. She didn't have the time or trust for it. But as she listened to the footsteps pass by, she finally admitted something to herself. She liked Bryce, more than just a friend or someone who had saved her life. She really liked him.