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The ticking of the clock was no one's concern, not until the sudden drop of a tired head brought attention to it. They had listened to its chimes for hours now, the silence between each sound filled with the scratching of pencils against paper and fingertips striking laptop keys.
Aizawa witnessed the time and lowly sighed. He'd done it again. He closed the physical and digital files that crowded his space.
"I think we should wrap up. It's almost midnight, I have to go."
You looked up from your papers at the same time as the rest of your peers, breathing in a lighter air that made you realize just how long everyone had been idle. Your eyes felt cold at the edges, a protest to the new movement after they had gotten adjusted to stillness.
Lagging behind the reaction of the others, L spun around in his chair, his hands hanging off of his knees. He stayed in the same position, almost like a statue, slightly off but expected. His brand, of course. As the leader of the task force, he extended his permission.
"Of course. You're dismissed, Aizawa, along with any others that wish to return home."
Aizawa nodded, packing his things into a suitcase. Tonight was the last night of the week, which only served as an extra incentive to take the dismissal and spend the next few days resting. Usually, one or two members would have different preferences and stay another handful of hours, but this evening, everyone cleared out soon after it was suggested.
You, on the other hand, stretched into placing your papers down. Your arms went out before extending up, making you exhale with the pops of your joints. It wasn't explicitly stated to the task force, but you stayed in the hotel. None of them thought to ask either, with the assumption L couldn't possibly be romantically involved. You were introduced as a helpful outsource after all, one that turned into a more permanent fixture of the group over the course of the case. But as it happened, the two of you were not only law partners, but life partners.
L watched them pile into the elevator, yawning and idly chatting, saying their goodbyes. He only turned to you once the large metal doors came to a full close.
"What about you Mr. Hoshizaki? Are you also due for some rest?" he asked.
You hummed, your arms folding behind your head as you swiveled aimlessly in your chair by your heels.
"I guess I could go to bed. But I'm used to late nights, y'know. Could you use an extra pair of eyes on your tapes?"
He was silent for only a second. His response was prepared in his head, but he was always the last person in a room eager to try new things.
"Well, in that case, I suppose we should turn in."
A sprout of a chuckle left you, growing a smile on your face. L was the best detective in the world—the top three best detectives in the world—but even you knew something was up now.
"We? Since when did you retire the half-brain power napping and opt for full night resting instead?" you teased.
He shrugged, as if it was nothing important. Like it wasn't completely out of left field. In the months you'd gotten to know him romantically, you'd caught him with his eyes closed for more than half an hour just a single time. You had actually rolled your head back in chairs and passed out for hours on long, grueling cases, but not him. Those times, he only noticed you, threw a blanket over you, and kept going back over evidence.
"Let's call it a fairly recent development."
"Is that so?" you laughed, putting your arms down to push yourself out of your chair. "Recently as in five minutes or an hour ago?"
He glanced up at you, not moving anything but his eyes. Sheepishly, he admitted, "I attempted it last night."
You raised a brow. "I didn't see you leave the common area."
He slowly got up himself, donning his signature posture with his hands in his pockets. He was just a step away from you. "I figured I would experiment conveniently. My chair was much closer than those beds on my floors."
You shook your head, putting one foot in front of the other to make it to the elevator. The task force should have had enough time to get down to the ground floor by now.
"So, you're telling me you closed your eyes in that extremely uncomfortable chair, waited a bit, determined your experiment failed, and then kept working?"
He walked to match your pace, but his tone didn't change at all.
"What made you come to that conclusion? My chair is perfectly suitable."
You only glanced at him from the side.
The elevator doors opened as you approached, and you both stepped inside. You didn't know what he was planning, so you stood still, letting him reveal it himself. Not that you would have had a chance either way, since he pressed the button to his floor at the speed of light.
You didn't even comment on it. You silently shook your head in amusement, and he didn't even look at you. There was no explanation as the metal around you hummed up a few dozen meters.
As the doors opened a second time, L stepped out and into one of the most expensive yet untouched floors in the whole building. It even smelled new. Only then did he look back, his expression expectant of you to follow. So, you did.
Given that L wasn't the best at explaining or expressing himself, you decided to speak up first.
Hands in your own pockets as your eyes skirted the room, you said, "It's nice up here. It's a shame you don't come up much."
There was no need to embarrass him, whatever he wanted. You could trust him, you trusted him in many things. And he was also your boyfriend, so he could take you up to his floor if he wanted, especially after dating for months.
"Yes," he answered simply, dragging it out as if he'd never been here before, as if he was still sizing up the place. "Maybe we could visit much more often."
L made his way through the lounge area, the space big enough to store a vehicle or two, if it were possible to get them up the elevator or stairs. You followed him through it, headed to an archway in the back. It opened up to long hallways on either side, blank doors dotted down each wall.
You already suspected what he might want. It didn't take a world-class detective to deduce. You knew what it most likely wasn't as well, considering L's strong dislike of new things. He wanted for you and him to turn in. These were his floors. He was leading you to his bedroom, knowing that he would struggle to sleep even if he tried, while you would drift off as soon as your thoughts quieted.
As expected, the warmly lit hallway gave way to a large, lavish room as he twisted the knob and gestured you inside. You entered the bedroom, and it wasn't the exquisite tapestries or the unique centerpieces that surprised you. Rather, it was the arrangement of gifts on the center table.
Brightly, you smiled. L loved to spoil you. It was his favorite thing to do in your relationship. You never failed to feel special or thought of with him, despite his apparent lack of warmth when it came to others. You turned around, feeling your heart swell as he looked at the presents himself.
"Sweetheart, you didn't have to do that," you told him fondly.
He stayed in his place, rubbing an itch on the top of his foot with his other.
"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't make sure you had everything you needed?"
You reddened as you rolled your eyes.
"You know I have everything I need, want, and more. You just like showering me with presents."
Quietly yet audibly, he said, "Perhaps there's some truth to that."
With no additional delay, you headed over to the gifts to see what they were. You sat on the couch and dug in the first bag, pulling out a new sleep outfit made of an expensive silk. He also bought you a very nicely scented cologne, a very charming watch, a rare potted flower, and a few stunning rings. You enjoyed everything so much that you hopped up and held your arms out to him.
Thankfully, after a few painstaking weeks at the beginning of your relationship, L wasn't as odd with hugs anymore. Just yours, to be specific. He was still slightly stiff when he got closer, but you adored it all the same, wrapping around him lovingly.
"Thank you so much, love. It's all perfect!" you exclaimed, giving him a little peck on the cheek when you pulled back. "How did you know my last plant died?"
L actually chuckled a bit, now smiling with you. "I actually didn't. But I do know you're quite the forgetful man."
You paused for a second, pressing your lips together in shame. You took a deep breath in before meeting his eyes again.
"Well... at least I have another one," you sighed.
L actually slid a hand against your cheek at your slight defeat. It was cold, but it was mostly soft. Though, his care was all you noticed.
"That's right. But don't worry, dear. I would much rather you forget to tend to your flowers than the cases we work on day and night," he reassured you. "You're very good with the cases, you know. Logging all of the details and organizing our data sets, all while looking perfectly handsome sitting beside me."
He did make you feel butterflies, but he mostly made you laugh again. Imagining him thinking such a thing around the task force, picturing their reactions if they ever found out what was partially on his mind. If L ever had the gall to say that very same thing to you while they were around, those working men would act as if the world's greatest detective just committed a scandal.
Grabbing at his other hand, you said, "Thank you, L. I've definitely been trying to distract you. You only noticed just now?"
You watched his thoughts broadcast on his face for only a moment. His brows slightly pulled, the corners of his mouth drew in, his head came forward as if seeing you better would make the meaning of your words clearer. Then it all stopped.
"Your appeal has been apparent since our first meeting..."
And your amusement just came rushing out.
"Just a joke!" you said, squeezing his hand a little. "Actually, I'm going to put those pajamas on. Wait for me?"
He looked a little thrown, but he nodded and withdrew his hands. "Yes, of course."
You offered a comforting rub to his shoulder. "I'll be out in a minute."
You left his side and found the en-suite, taking a hot shower and dressing in your nice night wear. The silk stuck to some of the damper spots of your skin, but as you and L brushed your teeth together, it dried away. L had on what looked like the same clothes, but you knew better. He had about a million of those same shirts and pants.
After finishing your nightly routines, you didn't make it awkward. You did what you knew he wanted and climbed into the bed first. You rested at about the center, so he could decide which side to take. He followed behind you to your right, slipping under the covers with you. You adjusted after that, taking up more of the left side of the bed than both.
He didn't look like he wanted to speak about it very much, so you didn't. You turned out the last light and faced him on your side.
Just to test it, you eased closer to him, resting your head on his shoulder and pressing your body against his side. Then, he put his arm over you.
It felt like it was going great, and you cozied in. You laid snuggled into him for a few minutes, and you were on the very edge of sleep when you noticed it. It took a lot, but you cared more about his comfort than your immediate convenience, so you leaned up.
You looked for his face in the darkness, asking him, "Would you rather I backed off a bit?"
You could barely see it, but he opened his mouth... and closed it. He murmured, "No."
Not entirely convinced, you tilted your head. "It's fine if you do, sweetheart. If you can't sleep that way, you just can't."
He looked around, but his eyes didn't land on anything in particular. He shuffled around under the sheets, as if it were a blanket issue and not a disorder of his.
"I... wouldn't be able to sleep much anyway."
You considered his words for a second, biting at the inside of your cheek as you thought.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to try," you proposed. "If you can, I want to try and help you."
He hummed, finding nothing wrong with your logic, so, he allowed it. "Alright."
Offering a slight smile, you pressed a warm kiss to his lips. A little treat before moving away, so it didn't feel like a punishment. You relished in the gentle pressure he gave you, the slow, light breaths you could feel against your face. Then, you pulled back, and you pulled back some more.
You weren't on him now, but he was definitely in arms reach. His head rolled over to you, and you admired the bits of him you could see. A soft look, a relaxed rise and fall of his chest, and the smallest hint of affection lingering where you kissed him. The sight only soothed you more. So, after L closed his eyes, you closed yours, and... you didn't move another inch.
L realized you'd fallen asleep pretty quickly. At this point, he could have called it quits, declared tonight another fail, and got up to do something. But, something about the way you laid there, the peace you exuded, the simplest idea you could fall asleep around him so easily. It kept him there.
Maybe he didn't sleep much, but he did reach for your hand. And, for once, he supposed lying in bed and not being productive for just a few hours a day wasn't actually so bad.