I'm Sorry, So Sorry, I'm Sorry We Do This

[dead_black_eyes]

Characters: L, Mello, and Near
Location: Near and Mello's apartment, Death City Heights, Building 2
Rating: PG-13 for... possible swearing? Will update as necessary.
Time: December 30
Description: The day after Mello found L looking for warm clothes in a dumpster, he has been adopted as a stray and welcomed into the household of his two successors

Comments

[want_the_world]

"Have you been up all night?"

Mello, emerging from his room into the kitchen, as bleary as he got (not much; he'd long since trained himself to snap to full alertness), with a black t-shirt over the (of course) also-black pajama pants he'd acquired for modesty's sake.

He started making coffee, as he assumed they'd both benefit from it.

"How many days does that make?"

[dead_black_eyes]

When Mello emerged from his room, L glanced up, perhaps a bit too alertly. Several chocolate bar wrappers rested at his side, solving that mystery handily.

"Three days. I'll sleep tomorrow," he reassured Mello, gripping the counter for support and pulling himself to his bare feet. "While you were sleeping, I took the liberty of sterilizing the bathroom, so... before you brush your teeth you should probably check your toothbrush for Lysol residue. It's dangerous to swallow that stuff, you know."

[want_the_world]

While not a particularly enthusiastic housekeeper, neither was Mello a slob (and Near certainly wasn't), but he chalked this up to L's standards being higher, and let it go.

"Duly noted," he said, trying to keep the dryness that might betray his irritation out of his tone.

"Are you going to Stein's class? His bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired, but he does know his stuff."

[dead_black_eyes]

L's compulsive behavior had nothing to do with the habits of Mello and Near or even high standards, and everything to do with compulsion. Though he interpreted the change in environment as a positive development, it was subconsciously disturbing to him, and that manifested in the rearrangement and careful cleaning of objects he wasn't yet used to seeing every day. Victims would later grow to include Near's toys and books and kitchen ingredients. On energetic days, furniture, as well.

Whether the questionably helpful coping mechanism was directly L's fault or not, though, it wouldn't be long before things got bad. Especially if Mello was already irritated. L seemed to briefly pick up on the slightly strained note in Mello's tone, but it was gone quickly, and it could have been the sticky dryness of a morning mouth altering his voice