(Ａ) ｌｉｖｅ (ᵃᵘᵗºᵖˡᵃʸ)

       ❛But what I know, is that you are a good liar. But a joke can’t cover up everything.❜ He grabbed his book again. ❛Sure, secret operations are essential in war; upon them the army relies to make its every move,❜ he quoted from his book, looking over the edge of the pages back at A, ❛but on too many heavy secrets, one may choke. If you’d ever like to talk, I’m here.❜ B bit his tongue and swallowed the name that was on his tongue; Aren. Never had he wanted to tell anyone his secret so badly; but he had never in the past, and would likely never do so in the future.

                      “ Then call me Asshole. ”

But just as quick the smile appeared it was just as quick to disappear, he really should have known already, that lying to Ｂ was just as useless as lying to one’s self, but you can’t blame him for trying can you? 

                         I know you...

Ｂ’s  words reverberated inside his head, making the successor wonder curiously, what did he know exactly? he would have tried to find out, coax the other into telling him, but it felt as though it should be kept hidden,even from himself. ( But he hopes dearly that he was right, that he does know him. ) There are just things that meant to be buried, just like their identities, their names.

                    “ I know you are. Thank you, Ｂ . ”

He paused, closing his eyes for a moment. A soft and distinctly tired sigh leaving his breath as he sunk into the floor.  

“Well,” L begins glancing over his shoulder briefly to observe the broken lamp. “that’s one theory I can say with confidence is proven…”

Pause. His eyes dart over to the picture frame on the desk beside Allen. 

“Perhaps you’d like another go?” L’s lips twitch slightly, gesturing to the item. “Maybe if you do manage to hit me, I’ll make you my successor.” 

L has no intention of ever making A his successor. He honestly has little interest in the matter. The taunting words leave his mouth before he can stop them and oh dear god Watari is going to be so furious if he ever gets wind of L spurring A on like this. Especially when he promised, reluctantly, to bring the boy back to Wammy’s House with no trouble. 

Suddenly the amusement fades, replaced by sharp intensity. 

                  “The only thing I regret is coming here and failing to hit you                     with that lamp! ”

His voice c r a c k e d, breath heaving, dragged and hard.  CRAP, his chest hurts. Allen falls into silence, dropping to the floor as he attempted to control his self induce panic.

It was because of this that Allen was a failure, why he couldn’t be the next L. He was a bundle of anxiety, a dense matter of incoherence, a person that breaks into a panic attack when pressed too further. He just couldn’t handle it all, not even L’s existence. Even a man who didn’t do anything to him became disgusting and terrible. 

                 “ I just wanted to ...”