Returns

[inordertobelieve]

[ There is something strange about remaining after his class. For the last months, he's always headed straight home after class and he'd almost feel lazy remaining sitting on a bench know if he didn't know what and who he's waiting for.

He's known Light would finally come back for weeks now, but it's hard to believe him just walking down the path towards him again. The last time that has happened seems so long ago....

They're finally back on the right path completely. Teru has no reason to be nervous about this, but maybe 'nervous' is not the right word for it so much as 'excited'.

Against habit, he does not keep his head bowed as he sits and instead actively looks out for his boyfriend. ]

Comments

[arbiter]

[There's a certain unmistakeable and unavoidable nostalgia in returning to university, and Light, though he's spent the last couple of days steeling himself against any sentimentality relating to this, isn't immune to both a sense that finally everything has returned to the way it should be, while stinging from all the ways it hasn't.

It's all in the past, and I've won. I'm going to reshape this world and make it a truly beautiful place. I never needed anything else.

So much has happened in the last year alone that the familiar university campus, filled with students whose concerns only extend as far as their next assignment deadline seem even less comprehensible than ever. In a way, it's all the same. The intrigued looks, the raised eyebrows as he sits in class, the questioning looks from upperclassmen and Light is determined not to give a single damn.

He begins walking towarrds the bench where he's agreed to meet his boyfriend after class is over, and despite living together now and seeing each other every day, actually seeing him there makes him realize just how much he was looking forward to this part of the day.

Light doesn't wave, but he ducks his head slightly to hide the beginnings of a smile as he approaches.]

Sorry for the wait.

[inordertobelieve]

[ As he spots Light, Teru shoots up from his seat on the bench almost immediately. They hadn't spend all the last months holed up inside home, far from it, but there is something amazing about seeing Light walk towards him in bright sunlight on campus. He's back. As he should be, as he deserves to be.

If anyone who knows Teru were nearby on campus, they'd probably be surprised to see him give a smile now. ]

It hasn't been long.

[ You'd never leave me waiting. ]

How does it feel to be back?

[arbiter]

[Light comes to a stop next to Teru. Seeing his boyfriend smile isn't new, but it makes it harder for him not to smile back. He adjusts his shoulder bag as he speaks.]

Underwhelming, truth be told.

[Glancing at his boyfriend, there's a softer look in his eyes.]

As I thought, class really is boring without you.

[inordertobelieve]

[ Teru feels more elevated than he thought he ever would at university. It's almost dizzying to be together like this again in public, on campus, just living life side by side, boyfriend and boyfriend, follower and God. ]

My presence does not make the professors speak any better either.

[arbiter]

Your absence does drive the quality of discussions down though. There's no value in debating those who haven't mastered the assigned reading in recitation.

[A beat.]

You're not going to insist that I call you "Mikami-senpai" when you're inevitably asked by the faculty to become the teaching assistant for a required law course, are you?

[inordertobelieve]

[ The mere thought of Light calling him senpai is so bizarre to Teru, he raises both eyebrows. The strangeness of the mental image even suppresses his joy over being praised like this. ]

I'd rather not hear that. The mere thought of teaching you seems preposterous enough in itself already.

[arbiter]

I'll try not to give you a hard time if it ever comes to that.

[Not quite laughing and not quite smiling either, Light shifts his gaze to his left at the rest ot campus.

A little less than a year ago, L was sitting on one of those benches outside. And Misa showed up out of nowhere. Good fucking riddance. He frowns at nothing in particular and speaks softly.]

It is strange to be back though. [Not needing to worry. Not needing to plan three steps ahead.] I'm glad it's just the two of us now.

[inordertobelieve]

[ That ought to sound strange coming from Light, who always used to be crowded by people one way or another, but it doesn't really stick out to Teru that way. He nods readily. ]

I didn't realize how much I missed walking campus with you until I saw you just now.

It's been so long that I got used to not having you there, but this is much more natural.

[arbiter]

[A pause.]

It's a little nostalgic, yes.

[If they'd been alone, Light would have brushed Teru's hand, but they aren't and people pass by them with relative indifference.]

I used to think about things like this a lot back when I was still hospitalized. I'm really happy right now.

[inordertobelieve]

[ Against all eyes, that gets Teru to smile again - very softly, but notably so. ]

I thought about it, too, though visiting you and having the whole afternoon together started feeling nice as well.

Though now I hardly need to worry about class being our only time together anyway.

[ Living together felt caging sometimes while Light still lost his memory, but now... There is no better knowledge than going home to God. With God.

A beautiful secret to keep from the world. ]

You'll need to let me know how the lecturers are doing this year though. I'd like to cross-compare between professors.

[arbiter]

Of course. What else do we have to talk about together anyway, huh?

[A raised eyebrow is accompanied by a hint of a smile in return.]

[inordertobelieve]

[ Teru meanwhile keeps a perfectly straight face as he answers. ]

Nothing much except for the abstract and concrete nature of justice.

[ The new world we're making together. ]

[arbiter]

...Put like that we sound insufferably dull.

[Far from it.]

[inordertobelieve]

There's no issue with dullness as long as it has relevance, is there?

Though I couldn't imagine anything less dull than improving the world we live in.

[arbiter]

There isn't.

[A beat and Light meets Teru's eyes briefly. That's why I chose you.]

[inordertobelieve]

[ I missed having you here so much. For Teru, Light's presence fills up the whole university space with purpose somehow. ]

Then the judgement of others can be irrelevant to us.

[arbiter]

That's always been true, hasn't it?

[It's a softer toned question and Light looks down at Teru's hands. A year ago this would have been unthinkable and yet...

Light reaches forward and pauses.]

Can I?

[inordertobelieve]

[ Out of instinct Teru almost would have asked 'is that alright' but he remembers soon enough that he has no reason to question God. If Light wants to hold hands, then... ]

O-of course.

[ It comes out a little unsteady. Teru hasn't felt like anything was lacking with their relationship in the hidden and he still doesn't feel the need to boast about being taken, but there is something thrilling about walking together with Light in public, unashamed. ]

[arbiter]

[A moment of hesitation ticks by in silence before Light connects their hands, palm to palm. That sensation is far from new, but in broad daylight in the middle of a university campus it feels for whatever reason - new. He breathes out, after the vague half-expectation everyone to stare in horror passes.]

Let's stay outside for a little longer. It's nice today.

[inordertobelieve]

[ Teru closes his hand around Light's - it's exciting to be able to do, but feels strangely awkward in practice. Everyone around them could be looking... Teru tells himself he wouldn't mind that, of course. But they aren't looking either way, they're busy with their own books and friends.

Teru decides to look at Light instead of them. ]

Yes, let's. Where do you want to go?

[ It's a celebratory break of plan. Probably. ]

[arbiter]

[Light brushes his thumb over the back of Teru's hand. The act feels more natural than it would have a year ago when he was under constant scrutiny. Now it's a different kind of scrutiny - one that doesn't have a solution as simple as writing a name. But he doesn't have a choice but to bear with it anyway.]

I'll leave that up to you. You theoretically know what's around campus better than I do, after all.

[A pause.]

We don't have to keep holding hands all the way to wherever we're going. I just wanted to try it... for once.

[inordertobelieve]

Mhm. Let's stay like this for a few more steps at least.

[ Or maybe a few more than that even? So far it seems surprisingly easy to do.

For a moment, Teru enters a state of musing where to go. He never exactly lingers long on campus so naming good spots is not easy for him either. ]

Let's just head down to the lake for a bit, then? It should be pretty quiet around this time of day.

[arbiter]

Sounds good to me.

[On both counts, though he doesn't specify that.]

We haven't done anything like this in a while. [Because a lot of unpleasant things happened.]

I'm looking forward to it.

[inordertobelieve]

[ Teru tightens his grip on Light's hand at that. ]

So am I. It's a celebration then.

[ Saying that word, something else seems to occur to him. ]

We should buy something nice for dinner after we've left the park as well. It wouldn't seem complete if we didn't make the whole afternoon special in some way.

[arbiter]

Eh?

[The word is so heavily at odds with what Light had been thinking that he's visibly caught off guard by the suggestion. But he'd be lying if he said he wasn't touched by the thought of it as such.]

That's a bit much for something as simple as going back to school, isn't it....

[Simple. As if it hadn't been a struggle to fight for this kind of normalcy. Light squeezes Teru's hand. Thank you.]