"I believe it, because I can relate," L replied, nudging a shackle with his foot. "It was interesting, to have a companion. Even desirable. I wanted to be handcuffed to you for selfish reasons along with those I cited for the sake of the case, even. I liked not being alone." L's eyes lit up when Mello and Near were mentioned.
"They really were remarkable... I hand-picked them. They made me proud... in a way, I considered them like my children, they were so influenced by my very existence."