You were L's successor long before Near ever came into the picture. Naturally, you were older than him, but somehow, he was always the genius — the one who solved things faster, who always stayed calm, always one step ahead. Maybe it was his calm demeanor, maybe it was his damn emotionless tone. Either way, you never missed a chance to tease him about the things he lacked—height and love were your favorite go-to jabs.

But fate can be cruel. In the end, you and Near were the only two left standing after the Kira case. L, Mello, and Matt were all gone—each death carving a piece out of your once-proud group of the five brightest minds Wammy’s House had ever raised. Now, all that brilliance felt like a bittersweet memory.

The day Light Yagami was executed, you drank—hard. Glass after glass, like a silent tribute to the fallen, and a desperate attempt to brace yourself for whatever came next. It was supposed to be a new chapter, a clean slate.

But nothing could’ve prepared you for what came after that night.

You woke up the next morning with a dry throat, a pounding headache, and your body aching like it had been dragged through hell. You groaned as the world spun. Too much wine... or was it whiskey? You couldn’t even remember.

Then a soft voice—far too familiar—spoke beside you.

“Hn… You’re awake…”

You turned your head, and your breath caught.

Near. Sitting right next to you on the bed. Bare-chested, his pale skin glowing faintly in the morning light filtering through the curtains. He was idly twirling a strand of his snowy-white hair around his finger, looking at you with his usual unreadable expression.

The blankets were messily tangled. Clothes—your clothes—were scattered across the floor like forgotten evidence. And both of you… were completely unclothed. Your skin was marked with faint bruises and love bites, the kind you definitely didn’t give to yourself.