**COMPLETED** In an Alternate Universe where the Death Note never comes to the human world, agent Naomi Misora is contacted by L- the world's greatest detective- to work with him on his cases. What begins as a professional relationship swimming in...
As November drew to a close and the holiday season settled upon its parts of the world, Naomi began to think of her childhood home in Japan. She had been working for L for almost a year now, and she decided that it was a good time to ask him if she could go home for a visit.
She approached the subject one evening when L seemed to be in a fairly good mood.
"L? Can I ask you a question?"
L didn't turn around from his perch in the computer chair at the desk. He was too busy making a sugar cube pyramid. But he answered with a monotone, "Yes? What is it?"
Naomi cleared her throat and shifted to sit up straighter on the couch. "Well, um- I was wondering if... if maybe I could go see my family for a few days... in Japan."
A sugar cube, pinched between a bony thumb and index finger, paused. It hovered over the pyramid for a moment before it came to rest on the very top.
"...in Japan..." L mumbled. He picked up another sugar cube. "Yes, I think that can be arranged."
Naomi's heart leapt. "Really?? Oh, that would really mean a lot to me!"
His arched back to her, she didn't see the smile the lifted the corners of his mouth. He liked it when her voice got all high and excited like that.
Despite this, he continued with the plainest inflection, "We've got to be in New York by the middle of next week, but I suppose we could go to Japan first."
Naomi furrowed her brow. L had said "we." She had meant to just make the trip by herself.
"Oh, you... you don't have to go all the way to Japan with me," she clarified. "I just meant... Well, I thought I just could go and then meet you in New York."
L popped a sugar cube into his mouth and spoke around it. "No, no, I love Japan. Besides, you know I would rather you not use public air travel."
"Oh, right." Naomi hadn't thought of that.
"I'll talk to Watari," L went on. "We'll arrange to go to Japan in two days. You can have the week off to stay with your family and then we will go on to New York." He tossed another sugar cube into his mouth. "How does that sound?"
Naomi's expression brightened into a grin. "That sounds wonderful! Thank you so much." She stood up and moved with quick, excited steps toward her room to call her parents.
The door to the hotel suite opened and Watari stepped inside. As he removed his hat and coat, he asked L if there was anything he needed him to do.
"Yes," L said without hesitation, holding out his arm. An empty coffee cup dangled delicately from his fingertips.
Watari hung his coat on the rack. "I'll make some more right away."
"Oh, and Watari?"
"Yes?"
"We're going to Japan in two days."
To anyone else in the world, such an abrupt statement of plans would have brought on, at the very least, a look of surprise, and perhaps a feeling of overwhelmed unpreparedness. But the feathers of Quillish Wammy remained unruffled at the announcement.
He merely nodded and responded calmly and obligingly, "Very well."
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