[It takes him a moment to figure out what Mello means by "doe"; when it clicks, his eyes widen, and his wan face grows just a shade paler. While it would be subtle, for most, it passes for wearing his heart on his sleeve, for L.]

Mello.

[His voice is low, serious.]

There's no war, nor any reason for one, outside of what you create. I don't believe that anyone who truly wanted to protect me would pursue that course of action... but you have to believe that there are things he can teach me, uniquely, and that I need them.

[A pause.]

I have regrets; my Bond with you isn't one of them.

[But the stars, that night. They were so sharp and clear. They sang promises and peace that only L could hear as his feet lifted from the ground, and he can't remember how it all went, exactly. It's infuriatingly vague, hardly proportionate to the amount of time he spends thinking about it. But Myr could not only access it, but calm and quiet it, and withdraw with L's feet grounded and stable like any other human's.

Can Mello understand, for even a moment, how being grounded might be a good thing for a mortal?]