Work Text:
Physical touch was an issue for L. Since his awakening, his interactions with Humans and Pokémon alike have not always been civil. Some days, if someone was to approach he’s more likely to flinch - expecting violence than consider the alternative. The fact that there are people who wish him no harm confounds him.
He has a feeling the man before himself also struggled with it. For he locked himself in an unreachable cage, placed himself upon a pedestal far above the rest, so he would never be burdened with such a trivial thing.
Maybe if Lysandre had reached out and accepted a kind hand, he wouldn’t—L shakes the thought away. It's pointless.
Nothing would have stopped that man amidst his spiral.
L considers swearing off such interactions completely too, never allowing another person to get close again. Yet, when he witnesses soft scenes between people... That opinion wanes somewhat.
A Mother and child hugging close, seeking comfort in one another; an elderly trainer and their Pokémon leaning against each other for support; a happy couple holding hands without a care in the world. The way Team MZ welcomed everyone with open arms. It gives him hope, but... It causes a bitterness to curl up in his chest all the same.
It's jealousy, he realises.
He doesn’t quite long for that softness - that gentle affection Humans often share. However, watching Zygarde’s Chosen’s journey gives L pause, considering how well Paxton was accepted by the City and his impact upon it. His blinding smiles, the small touches on the shoulders of his teammates, the generous hugs, the forms of comradery he shared with anyone... No matter their origins.
It makes L think,
That one day someone could reach out, and perhaps... On that day, he won't flinch but accept it instead.