[Cerise arches toward Myr's hand, shameless the way L is not in pursuit of physical affection from someone she is fond of.

Shame informs so much. If L doesn't feel it genuinely, he at least knows that he should, talks himself into going through the motions out of a desire to be decent. It's all simple math and logic, trying always to stay a few steps ahead of what could go terribly wrong, if he believed he deserved something with a will too obviously.]

Thanks for taking care of him... truly.

[Well, he does actually believe he deserves something with a will. Perhaps too obviously; Light's the exception, in line with the standard decency dictating the rules as he understands them.

The corners of his eyes strain at Myr's question. Being honest is not always the same as being kind; weighing the two, for the best outcome, is always complicated by his knowledge of manipulation, his desire to keep some things pure from that pernicious influence. Myr deserves the best outcome; he deserves not to be manipulated. A lie is the only way to do that, he thinks, because L's found that his tender honesty is sympathetic. Souls like Myr's reward it; souls like Myr's steep him in guilt for sharing his pain too willingly.

You could have, and be, and experience better.]

Because... we've spoken of it. We know what could be, and mutually vetoed it.

[We don't know, though. We couldn't without trying, could we?

Swallow... no.]

It was a beautiful dream. I'm content to remember it that way, just... don't embarrass me, anymore. OK?