Hello, all ye interneters (?) who devote their time on websites dedicated to fictionalizing various fandoms. You are my people.

The timeline for this story changes the plot line of Death Note, so I hope we can all deal with the 'historical' inadequacies. Anyway, please enjoy and leave a review!

Disclaimer: if it's not obvious, I don't own Death Note, obviously, or else I would be rich, talented, and unbelievably creative. Joke's on me.

"I do what I can wherever I end up

To keep giving my good love and spreading it around

Because I've had my fair share of take care and goodbyes

I've learned how to cry and I'm better for that..."

As far as strange days went, Akamine Juri had reached an all-time high.

Her morning was startlingly mediocre: waking up her morning-mess of a roommate, Sayuri, a cup of tea from the cafeteria, a walk around the campus- and all before her morning chemistry class. She shivered in the autumnal breeze, but still smiled wrapping her trench coat tighter around her body. Unlike a lot of other people, Juri wasn't a big fan of summer and winter, but of the 'transitional' seasons, where death and life mixed up confusingly.

And no, she wasn't emo- not everyone who painted their nails dark green were mental- but autumn...felt particularly nice. And today, as she sat down on her favorite bench, the whole sky felt like it was falling asleep.

Until she felt someone next to her.

"Uh...hello," Juri called to the stranger.

The guy blinked at her. "Hello."

Looking at him, Akamine would never consider he'd be a student at the university. He seemed to be in his early twenties, but his black hair was swept aside messily like a teenager's and the dark shadows around his eyes were like an adult's. He wore a plain, white, long-sleeved shirt, loose jeans, and- most peculiarly- no shoes. The guy was squatting, almost perched, on the edge of the bench. He didn't seem afraid of awkward silences or prolonged staring.

Unfortunately, she was.

"Izumi Juria," Juri said smoothly. It wasn't that she didn't trust sketchy-looking guys around her college campus, but everyone had been warned to withhold their real names in case of...incidents. And what with the new flurry of Kira panic, a random heart attack or unexplained accident constituted as incidence. "Nice to meet you."

"...Ryuzaki."

And it seemed the sketchy-person precaution was reciprocated, as 'Ryuzaki' didn't even bother giving her a first name. Juri was forming excuses in her mind to leave; this man made her a bit uncomfortable by the way he kept staring. But it wasn't a malicious or threatening stare- it was like this character Ryuzaki simply did not know any better.

It reminded her of Senri: the way he kept his eyes wide open and hair messy and mind curious.

Suddenly, even though this was totally inappropriate timing in inappropriate audience, Juri couldn't help but feel her eyes flood and spill over.

On the rare occasions she found herself break down in front of people, (which was very rare- she wasn't in a K-drama, for God's sake) said people usually tried to either comfort her or at least had the class to pretend not to notice.

But this guy- he just kept staring.

"Sorry..." Akamine brushed her eyes. "It's just...an anniversary."

Ryuzaki peered up at the trees around them like he'd never seen such things as leaves before. "Congratulations."

"No...um..." Juri gave a dry laugh. "My brother died this day a few years ago. You..."

Here he peered at her again, and this time she let herself meet his gaze.

"...You just remind me of Senri. That's all." She dragged her legs up like Ryuzaki did, hugging her knees. It was very comforting, actually.

He placed the tip of his thumb thoughtfully on his lips. "What happened?"

She sighed, turning her head to peer at him sideways. "Heart attack." Ryuzaki stiffened, but Akamine didn't seem to notice. "Weird, huh?" she continued, eyes drifting from his face to her blue yarn boots, to the sky, still turning sweet blues into orange into sunshine. "A healthy, twelve-year-old boy collapsed so gracefully in the middle of a restaurant. We were all so confused..."

"That does sound confusing," Ryuzaki agreed, staring deep into her watery porcelain blue eyes. "Have you ever thought he might've been killed by Kira?"

It was her turn to stare. "Excuse me?"

"Kira, the terror on the news frequently now. Some call him an 'angel of death' delivering justice on criminals, while others think of him as just 'death'. His preferred manner of killing seems to be heart attacks, though it's proven that he can also manage other methods, such as-"

Before he could go into any more detail, Juri gave a half-strangled, half-affronted sound.

"My brother was not a criminal," she said breathlessly. L watched curiously as she restlessly adjusted her scarf. "You," she suddenly pointed a finger at him accusingly. "You have to learn how to filter words. You can't just go around saying everyone's brother was murdered by Kira, because it was a heart attack."

Juri buried her head in her hands.

Senri was young, healthy, happy. And dropped dead like an old man last fall. It was eerie: the mysterious death preceding the sudden explosion of unexplainable killings. The Akamine family suspected Kira had been targeting test subjects.

Poor, poor Senri.

"We've wondered about that," Juri admitted, her voice muffled through a curtain of smooth brown hair. "My family, that is. Always separately, because it sometimes feels like...you're eating everything else up if you don't just let it stay inside and eat you up." Akamine lifted her face to look at him, and her hair made a copper halo around her head. "You know what I mean?"

"Not really," he said.

"So honest," Juri laughed, which turned into a choke, which turned into sobbing.

Strange girl, L thought, watching as each of her breaths shook her slim body. She sure cried a lot in front of him. Not many other females did that in public.

But the strangest part of her was perhaps how she treated him. Not many others handled his intuitive, literal thinking very well. Some people thought he was oblivious to the fact that he came off a tad bit...eccentric (completely preposterous, he was a genius detective, after all), but L just never bothered to or had a desire to change that.

L cared about feelings, sure, but only when it came to his cases- human beings were just so predictable when it came to emoting their actions, after all- but the real-life aspect of qualitative things like love and acceptance were so alien to him that it confused him how this girl, wearing her heart on her sleeve, would be so open to forgive to stay instead of huff off.

Juri, on the other end of the spectrum, was feeling horrible. Senri's anniversary had always been spent with her family (this was her freshman year at this university), and braving it by herself instead of with both her parents and little sister was admittedly harder than Akamine had initially anticipated. And in addition to that, here was this boy that she had just gone and raged at (a chastening was Juri's idea of raging) when he'd done nothing more than just told her what he thought was truth.

And she was feeling rather embarrassed too, because she'd known Ryuzaki for ten minutes, had already cried twice in front of him, and didn't even know his first name. Plus, she originally thought he kind of looked like a serial killer.

Juri wiped her eyes and finally looked up.

"Um...Ryuzaki-san-"

Startled, she glanced around: nothing but an empty bench and elm trees.

Huh? He disappeared...

Juri was just about to wonder whether to be disappointed or relieved, when she took one look at her watch and realized she had six minutes to get to class.

"I almost thought Akamine-san wasn't going to make it," Light leaned in to whisper to Juri.

"Just left a little too late," Juri smiled, smoothing down her mahogany hair in a thick braid down one shoulder. "I feel like Sayuri's sleeping habits may be rubbing off on me."

"Your roommate seems very...relaxed," Light noted.

"That's one word for it."

Light smiled his sharp smile meant to be soft, and Juri smiled back her soft one that was meant to be sincere, but she couldn't help but let her mind wander as the professor lectured about organic chemistry.

After the whole spiel with the-amazing-disappearing-Ryuzaki, Akamine had barely enough time to wash her face before hustling to class, almost late. Luckily, Light had saved her a seat near the middle- close enough that she could pay attention if needed, far enough that she could tune out of the lecture as she pleased.

Soon, instead of think about hydrocarbons, Akamine's mind drifted to Light, who was taking neat notes, like he always did; to Nakamura-sensei, flipping through a fuzzy presentation like he always did; to the rows and rows of people in front of her. Juri thought she spotted a familiar head of shiny black hair, but when she did a double-take, it was just Watanabe Akira snoring in the front row.

Ryuzaki was a strange person, Juri couldn't help but think. A bit rude, a bit prying. It was strange, but the way he behaved was comforting, in a way. Juri wished she had someone so candid through her grief- everyone else just pitied her and gave her bad attempts at comfort.

People said the stupidest things sometimes.

Akamine liked Ryuzaki because he hadn't tried so hard to show her pity and crap. He didn't try to understand because he knew he couldn't, which was hard to be said about the general populous.

And it was weird, but thinking about his shadowed eyes and pale skin, Juri had the urge to give him a hug.

He looked like someone who could use a hug. Or a doctor. Or a nice cuppa.

She was in deep contemplation on what Ryuzaki might be majoring in, and where he was from, and what his mother was like, and other personal questions related to stalkers, when Light was touching her elbow.

"Class is over. It was so slow today."

"Maybe for such a genius like Light Yagami," Juri smiled, quickly shaking off her thoughts. Sure enough, students were exiting already, chattering about lunch plans or complaining about the chilly weather. Nakamura-sensei was struggling to turn off the shoddy old projector, and Light helped gather her books into the bag slung over her chair.

"Do you want to eat in the dining hall for lunch or off campus?"

Bending down to retrieve her scarf, Akamine sensed a pair of eyes on her and looked up. Alarmed, she peered incredulously at Ryuzaki, standing near one of the seats in the back, who peered back. He glanced between her and Light before slouching down the stairs toward the auditorium door.

"No thanks," Light answered, not noticing her space-out. Juri watched as his hand moved automatically to the inside pocket of his jacket. "I've got to study in the library today," Yagami explained smoothly. "I'll eat with you tomorrow, though."

He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

For some reason, Akamine really wished no one was watching.

Outside, Juri glanced around for any hint of ruffled black hair and bare feet. Students were clearing the hall, and something told Akamine that Ryuzaki was not one to eat in such a public place as the cafeteria. So she turned left (because the closest route to the dining hall was to the right, and plus, Juri was a fan of Doctor Who. That was part of the reason she was so likeable).

A familiar face was exiting the building, and Akamine gave herself a silent, yes! before calling, "Ryuzaki-san! Excuse me, Ryuzaki-san!"

He had a strange way of standing, Akamine thought as she jogged to catch up. It wasn't even standing as much as slouching- Ryuzaki easily could've been half a head taller, but instead bent and stared at her flat-on. His slim hands were folded into his pants pockets, and Ryuzaki absentmindedly shuffled one foot around the other.

"Yes?"

Juri blinked. There really wasn't anything in particular she wanted to say, actually.

So she did what she did best. Small talk.

"I didn't know you were in my chemistry class, Ryuzaki-san."

"I am."

Akamine squinted at him. He was being weird. Well...weirder. He wasn't staring at her so openly now. And hadn't he been just a bit more open this morning? Was it because this morning he was concerned about her? No...Ryuzaki didn't seem like the type to sugarcoat when it came to other people's business.

Maybe it was because he saw her and Light...?

Preposterous. Why would he care about that?

"Are you sure? I'm sure I would've remembered you."

This time, L peered at her and blinked, Juri blinked and peered back (not exactly in that order), then quickly shook her head. "No, no...I mean...oh, you know what I mean. I like talking to you, so I feel like I would've remembered you," she explained, not embarrassed in the slightest. Well, maybe the slightest, because when he was a little weird, and she was a little weird, and when he stared at her, it made her feel...weird.

Akamine was usually the honest type when it came to things like emoting, unlike Ryuzaki, who was honest in his thoughts. She was rarely embarrassed saying what she felt, because Juri was well-tuned with herself and knew what she wanted. All the other guys she talked too found her constant empathizing either irritating (when she criticized) or attractive (when she praised).

And unlike all the other guys, Ryuzaki was honest back.

That made her like him even more.

"...You know Light Yagami?" he changed the subject, opening the door and going out before her.

"Yeah...we've been friends for a long time," Juri said, pulling out her gloves as she followed L on an unspoken walk to the school gardens. "My mom's a cop- she works with Light's father. We've had dinner over a few times."

"It looked more like a couple than a friendship," Ryuzaki stated, bending over to examine a daffodil, weighed down by dew. "I don't think friends usually save other friends seats even though other friends ask to sit. And I don't think friends kiss one another. Though I really don't have many friends."

Akamine gave him a funny look, but subconsciously avoided his questioning gaze to blow on a string of swaying willow leaves dangling in the air. "It's nothing...you know...serious. It was actually kind of unexpected. I thought Light and that girl, Misa Amane? I thought they were something for a while. Amane-san seems a little...air-headed, but she's a sweet girl."

"...Because Light-kun likes sweet girls?"

Juri shrugged uncomfortably under his gaze. Now that he mentioned it, Yagami was acting differently. In high school, he was always the one who accepted confessions, not make them. And this semester alone, he'd gone through Takada, Minori, Ito, and herself. Some people put it off as just a university transition, but people like Light didn't really change easily- they just took everything in stride.

Could it have something to do with his involvement in the Kira case? She wasn't supposed to know about that, but Juri'd concluded that he was somehow involved- it wasn't a big secret the director asked his son for advice sometimes.

"Who doesn't like sweet things?" she said instead.

"I like cake," L offered. She glanced up at his dark eyes. That was how he communicated, Juri decided. Some people used their body or words, but Ryuzaki used his eyes. There were so many languages to communicate, and Akamine was lucky to be able to learn them quickly.

"Well put," Juri smiled warmly at him. "I know a nice bakery a bit off campus, if you'd like to join me?"

L shrugged, but didn't look away from her, which meant okay.

Juri turned, mouth pressed down to conceal her laughter.

Strange boy.

Akamine Juri wasn't known around the freshman class as a particularly out-of-the-ordinary girl. She wasn't in a sorority and didn't make fake IDs and get into trouble. That didn't mean she wasn't well-known though, just not for the wrong reasons.

Juri was part of the woman's a cappella group, could be seen taking long walks in the morning, participated in the charity and holiday runs around campus, and sometimes would be seen on the homeless projects for the church.

She was well-known and liked by most; she was Akamine, the girl who gave everyone a hand, the one who made friends and encouraged, who always had a spare smile to share. Not many knew about her brother's death, and that was fine with her, because Juri was content with being that-girl-who-made-everyone-else-happy.

And her reputation for being so nice was sometimes taken advantage of; it was hard for Juri to say no to the guys who asked her out, and that was Houshigawa's explanation for why her roommate and a guy like that guy were walking down the street together.

No offense for Sayuri to think so, but Juri was going out with a guy that looked like a hobo. And it wasn't a shame date, either- Juri had greeted her in passing instead of cover her face, as the man behind her stooped and glanced around. He was shifty-looking (the guy didn't even have shoes), but Akamine seemed happy enough.

Houshigawa frowned watching them disappear into a bakery down the street. Juri had better not do anything stupid...of course, Akamine was generous,not an idiot. So what was such a popular girl doing with that guy who looked stoned? Maybe it was a phase.

Sayuri rolled her eyes and turned back to her novel.

Strange girl.

"Is there a reason you sit like that?" Juri asked.

Ryuzaki blinked, fork halfway into his mouth. "My reasoning skills decrease by 40% if I sit upright," he nodded, taking a bite.

"Where'd that number come from?" Akamine crinkled her nose. She scraped the icing off the cake and mixed it into one colorful mess.

"My brain," he explained sagely. Ryuzaki served himself another slice of the cake. "That accounts for amount of blood flow to my brain, gravity, average heart rate, and diet."

"That makes zero sense," Juri commented, coating her fork in frosting before sticking it in her mouth and drawing it out slowly. "At first, I thought you just pulled that number out of your head, but then you explained it all so detailed I can't help but think you're a genius."

Ryuzaki blinked, fork pausing again. "That did come from my head."

"So you're a genius."

"It depends on if you think I'm smart or intuitive."

Akamine tapped her fork to her lips thoughtfully. "I'd have to guess both."

A pause where L took another bite. "That's correct. I'm a genius."

She gave him an incredulous look. "How are you so smart?"

L moved his fork over the empty plate before meeting her sky blue eyes with his ink dark ones. Juri froze, utensil still hanging out of her mouth.

"Maybe one day I'll tell you," he said thoughtfully.

Once Juri got over his numerous quirks, Ryuzaki was still such a character. She liked to think of reasons behind his oddities. Like maybe he reasoned everything so thoroughly to find the truth. Or maybe he slouched because he was always looking for a silver lining in the dust. Or maybe he held things between two fingers because he thought everything was delicate.

Perhaps those weren't the real reasons, but Akamine still liked him for doing them anyway. She still liked him. He of such childlike wonder, but with an insightfulness and honesty that was refreshing.

But Ryuzaki still refrained from saying such silly, little things. Juri could read people better than most, but with Ryuzaki, she didn't try to read him- just listen to the way he communicated. And his language was through his eyes, which were presently staring lustfully at the small white box of leftovers.

Juri gently placed the ribbon-tied package in his fingers.

L stared at her, then their touching fingers, then back at her kind face, and took the box, which meant thank you.

Akamine covered her smile with her napkin as he held the ribbons, transfixed, as if they were breakable.

Strange boy.

Lyric creds to Sara Bareilles' "Many the Miles"