L was not handling the anesthesia well. You sat beside him in the recovery room, watching with a mix of amusement and concern as he blinked slowly, a dazed look in his wide eyes. His usually sharp, calculating demeanor had been completely replaced with confusion and childlike wonder.

“Why is everything… blurry?” L mumbled, his words slightly slurred as he poked at the gauze in his mouth. You gently stopped his hand, pulling it away from his face.

“That’s the anesthesia, L. You just had your wisdom teeth removed, remember?”

He blinked at you, his eyes narrowing like he was trying to solve some grand mystery. “Wisdom teeth? Hmm… That sounds… suspicious. Did someone steal my teeth?”

You suppressed a laugh. “No, no one stole your teeth. The dentist took them out. You were there, remember?”

L seemed to ponder this for a moment, his brow furrowing. “If my teeth are gone, how will I eat cake? This is a serious problem.”

You smiled, patting his shoulder. “You can still eat cake, just… maybe not right away. You need to rest first.”

“Rest?” he repeated, looking thoroughly unimpressed with the idea. “Rest is inefficient. There are cases to solve. And cake to eat.” He attempted to get up from the chair, but his legs wobbled, and he immediately sat back down, blinking as if the world had betrayed him.

“L, you need to sit still. You’re still recovering,” you insisted, trying to keep him from doing anything reckless.

He squinted at you, then gave a slow, exaggerated nod. “Very well… I trust you.” He paused and then reached out, his hand landing on your arm clumsily. “You’re… quite nice. Did you know that? You’re my favorite person.”

You felt your cheeks warm at his unexpected, loopy compliment. “Thanks, L.”

L leaned back in his chair, sighing dramatically. “I suppose… if you’re here, I can rest. But only for a little bit. And only if you promise me cake.”

“Fine, I’ll get you cake later,” you said, knowing he’d probably forget this entire conversation once the anaesthesia wore off.