inordertobelieve

[Having been spared from the prolongation of an awkward moment, Light merely heads over to the register, dignity intact. He exchanges platitudes with the cashier, but it's obvious enough when someone feels uncomfortable around him and the small talk dies sooner than decorum typically demands. Teru returns to the cashier just as the second to last item is being scanned.]

Fast indeed.

[After all the items are scanned and put into plastic bags, it's worthy of note that the cashier looks at Teru rather than Light when he informs them of the total amount owed.]

[ Teru is getting used to these kinds of reactions by now, but he can't help his anger every time. He wants to speak up, he wants to correct the cashier on how much of a fool he's being to disregard the very person who will grant him salvation, to be so superficial, so....

But he can't, so all he does is take out his wallet and quietly hand over the amount demanded of him. He would have paid either way, given the nature of the day, but now it leaves a bitter aftertaste. The most goodbye the cashier gets from him is a nod with a cold look.

Teru grabs one of the bags and turns his attention to Light. ]

That went smoothly, we'll have plenty of time at home now.

[Light opens his mouth to say that he'd pay for their groceries, but decides aganst it and walks to the end of the register in silence. The cashier's reaction is entirely to be expected, and even though Light can't quite blame him for it, it's still pathognomonic of a greater societal ill that Light has grown to loathe. He picks up the other plastic bag wordlessly, pride intact.]

For the most part, yes. [He begins walking outside, and the store greeter from before bows them out.] We can't let Sayu in the apartment until after the purple nightmare is over.

[He's half joking, probably.]

[ Teru takes that comment more seriously than any human being should, but that's because he knows how Sayu will not let some things go when it comes to her brother. Imagining an eternity of God being taunted over toilet paper.........

Thankfully this package is smaller than standard size. ]

That might be up to a month..... maybe we need to invite her out for lunch to appease her in the meantime.

[Light raises an eyebrow. He shouldn't be surprised Teru has an actual estimate of how long that might be.]

You make it sound as though Sayu is a deity in the fashion of the ancient Greek ones that we need to bring offerings and tributes to.

[Though he's more clearly joking with that comment.] She's been wanting to go to one of those new live-music cafés in Aoyama. As that's a step up Ryuga Hideki concerts, I suppose that'll do in the interim.

[ ... live music cafés sound like a layer of hell, but he has to agree that they should be a step above converts, if nothing else. ]

That's worth a thought then.

[ Not a thought that he wanted to have, but ah well. ]

If you'd believe public opinion the whimsical nature of teenage girls can be compared to Greek Gods anyway. Though I'd accredit her with more sanity, actually.

I told her that going to those kind of trendy places with your older brother and his boyfriend instead of your friends isn't 'cool' but she told me to stop being self deprecating.

[A pause. In the past, she'd have told him to stop making up dumb excuses, but as he reflects on this, he supposes the reason for the change is obvious enough, and after internally sighing he makes a mental note not to make offhandedly bitter comments around Sayu.]

In any case, that's my kid sister you're coming dangerously close to slandering there, Teru. Even a toddler is less capricious than Zeus.

Most teenagers are capricious to a degree. Saying as much isn't slander. She handles it very well after all.

[ The weeks after the big reveal, he'd never have been able to handle his backpedaling so casually and now there is a special kind of joy in having these conversation despite Light being God, with God. How strange to think that something he used to enjoy for so long already had now turned into privilege nobody else can dream of. ]

[Light raises an eyebrow here.]

Here's your obligatory reminder that we're both teenagers as well.... though you'll be considered an adult soon enough.

[There's a half smile on his lips here:] I suppose this means I ought to enjoy every moment of capriciousness on your part before that comes to a tragic end, huh.

[ Teru stopped feeling like a teenager years ago, but legally Light has the right of it of course. Troubling. ]

Considering that I have tried to minimize any such thing, I am sure you'll hardly notice a difference.

Probably not.

[He looks back at the street.]

You're more steadfast now than I suspect Matsuda has been in his lifetime.

.... maybe that's one silver lining. You didn't have to deal with him while he was an adolescent.

[ He says this with doubt in his voice - the kind of behavior is doubtlessly worse on a supposed adult after all. ]

Either way, he's not worth our breath today.

You have a point, but I doubt he'd have been much worse than Yamamoto.

[Light frowns. Yamamoto isn't someone he's thought about for a long time. That only makes sense, considering how many twists and turns his life has taken since high school graduation, it's strange to think that Yamamoto had arguably been his best friend a year ago. A part of Light wonders briefly what the guy is up to, but an even larger part of him is up to his neck in indifference. It takes two people to maintain a friendship, and the resulting message is clear: they both have better things to do with their time now. And rather harshly, Light thinks to himself it's for the best. Naturally, the same goes for Suzuhara.]

But let's talk about something else like you said.

[Nostalgia is annoying and i hate it.]

[ Then why were you even friends with Yamamoto? is a thought that crosses Teru's mind, but that's a question he'll never ask. In the end, maybe he's happier not knowing. ]

Is Hagiwara-sensei doing the required class this year again? I was hoping he wouldn't so we could exchange information on different professor biases...

[He shakes his head.]

It's Uchino-sensei this year. From what I've heard, he's allegedly a closet Marxist. Considering this is Intoduction to Psychology, I doubt he'll deviate much from the textbook, but if he starts praising the proletariat, you'll be the first to know.

I appreciate the updates.

[ It's the one good thing about the year Light was missing in the end - they may have lost the chance to talk about the same classes with each other, but they now can refer back to the experience of two different years of studying. Teru doesn't doubt they will be speaking of this for hours and hours as the semester goes on.

It certainly turns into an engaging conversation now that lasts until they are in front of their door and Teru turns the key to let them in. It's nice to come home alongside Light instead of finding him already there. The excitement and awkwardness of sharing one living space has worn off by now, but there is a quiet contentedness that comes with it. Their home. A place Teru can feel he truly belongs.

He flicks on the light switch and slips out of his shoes. ]

I've gotten so used to calling out to you in your room when I come in, I almost did it out of reflex this time as well.

[As they enter their apartment and Light shuts the door, he breathes out deeply and visibly relaxes his shoulders. While he's n longer as tense about being in the public eye as he used to be, he's never been able to shake the feeling of being an outcast now. It's ridiculous how much appearances can change things, but despite the best efforts of his mother and Sayu to convince him otherwise, he knows people are looking at him and not in a favorable way. Months later, and he still wonders if it'll stop leaving a sour taste in his mouth or if the only thing that really changes is his ability to keep that from showing.]

Strange how even the smallest things become part of daily routine.

[He sets the grocery bag down to take off his shoes and turn them towards the door.]

Welcome home.

[ That makes Teru smile, if only a little and for little time. ]

You, too. Welcome home.

[ Even though he hates changed of routine, he's looking forward to getting to say this to Light more often again.

While Light is still busy with his shoes, Teru takes hold of both of their grocery bags to carry them to the kitchen, one in each hand. No use wasting time with the unpacking, the sooner they can get everything lined up for cooking, the better. ]

[LIght straightens up and watches Teru walk towards the kitchen for a moment. It's not a new sight by any means considering the fact that they've been living together like this for several months now, but somehow it's curious how smoothly the image of home changed. Shoes now in their proper place, Light leaves his book bag by his bedroom door and then walks into the kitchen after his boyfriend. Brushing Teru's arm, he picks out the toilet paper from the groceries.]

I'll put this away.

[ Teru nods gratefully at that. Nothing better than to get that abomination out of sight after all.

The evening passes in quiet, calm routine. They cook well together by now, no compare to the confusion that had ensued on their first shared attempts in the kitchen. There is almost no communication needed as they hand each other ingredients with practiced movements. When all is cut up and only final touches are needed anymore, Teru sends Light out of the kitchen so he can check the news without needing to rush the evening. He takes his time setting the table neatly.

They chat as they eat, and sometimes minutes pass until Teru remembers to take his next bite because he is enraptured with what Light is saying and with the prospect of having fully regained a regular life with him.

Teru offers to put away the dishes by himself to give Light a head-start on homework, then he sits down next to him with his own assigned reading. It's only when he's on his last few pages, taking his last lines of notes that their promise from earlier in the day comes to the forefront of his mind again. Anticipation suddenly makes it very hard to focus. ]

[The assignment doesn't take Light long to complete; after all he read through his fist year textboks while he was in the hospital alongside Teru. A quick refresher is all Light decides to do and then turns his attention more towards his work with the task force. For now the status quo of not having any new leads to look into has maintained an unsatisfying, but state set of affairs with the others. He might have to plant a red herring somewhere down the line, while their finances slowly dwindle away.

Lost in thought as he examines statistics about crime rates that have been turned over fom various governments to "L," only the occasional staccato of the keyboard breaks the silence. He pauses much later when he catches the time on top right hand corner of his laptop screen.]

It's getting late, isn't it....

[He looks over the top of the screen over at Teru.]

Are you almost finished?

[ Caught off-guard in his thoughts of not-quite reading, Teru twitches at Light speaking up, before nodding in a more refined manner. ]

... yes, it's the final page. Nothing new content-wise, but it's good to memorize how this professor wants it phrased.

How long do you need?

Give me three more minutes.

[ And he's glad to find that when he really puts his mind to it, he can focus on his reading again. ]

Mm.

[Eyes going back down to his computer screen:]

Let me know when you're done.

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