It almost felt like a crime for Matsuda to step foot on To-Oh Campus property. While it had only been four years since the end of the Kira investigation, to think ten years ago the Mastermind behind it all had been attending the very same University that he now stood in front of was all but mind boggling. He maneuvered the crowd of students around him easily, pausing in front of the directory and reading over the names of faculty. Stopping on one.

Prof. Akane Himura - Psychology.

Matsuda's heart went out for the woman. When he had heard she had gone back to teaching, at the same time, he wondered if she had yet to move on from the events of the investigation. He highly doubted she had. While nothing had been official between them, the pain he saw in her blind eyes after Ryuzaki's death was easy enough for him to read. Her heart had been broken.

"Don't dwell on the past, Matsuda," He mildly scolded himself with a shake of his head "It's over and done with." He turned and began back out into the court yard, taking residence on a bench as he watched the students walk by.

Ten years, he thought to himself with a sad sinking feeling in his chest. Ten years since the first Kira murders. Ten years since Ryuzaki. Once again Matsuda shook his head in hopes of warding off the bitter memories of that fateful day. There was not a doubt in his mind that Light Yagami had somehow managed to kill Ryuzaki right under their noses.

"To think he had once been such a good kid.." Touta sipped his coffee and tossed an empty wrapper he had found in his pocket into a nearby garbage bin. He once again found his thoughts trailing back to so any years ago. He could still remember bringing in the young teacher for the first time for questioning. It shocked everyone when they caught sight of her with her walking cane and cloudy aquamarine eyes.

A blind woman could never have been Kira. So she was undoubtedly taken off the suspects list. It was never the last they saw of her however. With Ryuzaki going undercover as a student he had requested that Professor Akane help them with the investigation.

It did not take a genius to see that there had been something between them.

It hurt thinking about when he saw Akane holding him when he died. It hurt even after all these years.

"Wherever you are, I hope you know some people down here really do miss you, Ryuzaki."

He scolded himself for being dragged back into the past. It was never healthy to be hung up on what could have happened. He needed to leave the past in the past and focus on now. Now was his career with the Task Force. Now was when he looked into good colleges for the kids he would have some day. Not today. No, he still went home to an empty apartment and his one cat, Mochi.

But some day.

"Do you have the notes from Psychology?" Matsuda blinked at the new voice, glancing to his left and seeing a small group congregating near the garbage bin. Psychology students.

"Yeah! That new substitute sure doesn't mess around."

"I know!" One girl whined. "He doesn't slow down like Professor Himura! And he's so weird!"

"You say that about every substitute."

"I know but Mr. Ryuzaki really is weird!"

For whatever reason Matsuda found his feet moving towards the group, something making his steps quick as he tightened his hand on his coffee. He called to them when he was just a few steps away.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help overhearing. But did you say you have a teacher named 'Ryuzaki'?"

A blonde student turned to him and nodded when he came up.

"Yes, we do. He's our substitute for Professor Akane."

"He's so weird!" A brunette with raven hair piped in. "He stares at people and walks funny. He even sits weird!"

"How does he sit?" Matsuda asked. He knew, deep in the logical part of himself that there was no way Ryuzaki was alive. Absolutely no way. But the emotional side made his heart pick up in anticipation. Made him think maybe. Just maybe.

"He crouches on the chairs."

Touta swallowed back a lump in his throat, suddenly feeling the need to cry in joy or some other emotion.

"Can you show me which room he's in?" he asked once he felt he was able to speak.

"He should still be packing up. Room 207. If you hurry you might catch him."

Matsuda gave them a quick thanks and goodbye before he was hurrying back into the building. A glance to the directory and then he was practically running down the north wing hall. He was probably stupid for ever thinking that those students could have been talking about Ryuzaki. He had been dead for ten years now. Matsuda visited his grave himself every year.

He skidded to a stop in front of a door marked 207.

He grabbed the handle and threw it open with a shout, "Ryuzaki!"

And there he was.

Matsuda felt his grip on his coffee go slack and the cup fell from his grasp, crashing and spilling the rest of his contents on the ground as he stared at the man carefully filing away papers at a semi-circle wooden desk.

He was crouched in the swivel chair, holding a graded Psychology test between his thumb and forefinger as he would have year ago. The only difference Matsuda could see in his attire was the added lab coat that nearly swallowed him. He always wore his clothes large for comfort. So he figured.

The noise hardly startled him and large black eyes turned to the officer with hardly a flinch. They did widen, ever so slightly and he set the paper down gently.

"Matsuda." He stepped down from the chair, slipping back into the shoes he chose to hardly ever wear unless he were outside. His hunch was still present when he stood, slipping a hand into the pocket of his jeans as he raised the other to point.

"Matsuda, you are cleaning that up."

The Task Force agent looked down the his spilled drink and immediately dropped down as he pulled a napkin from his coat, stuttering out an apology. Just like old time, he thought.

"S-Sorry! Sorry! I'll get this cleaned up right away!" He only had so many napkins from the cafe he had bought his coffee from and they were quickly used up without so much as making a dent in the spill.

"Here." Touta looked up to see the other man holding out a box of tissue, thanking him and taking the box as he began to dab at the stain.

"Still clumsy, I see. Even after all this time." He sighed as he turned and went back to his desk, sorting through the papers and picking up the one he had from earlier.

"I thought for sure you would have changed-"

"Ryuzaki!" Matsuda stood up and threw away the garbage, wiping his hands off and walking further into the room. "I-I don't understand! How are you alive? We all saw you die!"

He blinks and hums as he carefully files away the tests and sessions for next class into the filing cabinet underneath the desk.

"Yes, I suppose you would be curious as to how I'm standing before you right now. It is a very long story." He closes the cabinet and motions to an extra chair that is nearby. "Sit. I will tell you."

Touta wheels the chair close to the desk just as Ryuzaki has crouched back into his own. "I just have to say how happy I am to see you again, Ryuzaki."

"Matsuda, that name is no longer necessary. Ryuzake is merely my teaching name and since you are not a student I would prefer you did not call me by that."

"Oh? Sorry. Would you prefer Ryuga instead?"

"No. L is just fine." Matsuda blinked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"But aren't you worried?"

"About what? Someone finding out my identity? It is my understanding that Kira has been dead for years now and no new murders have caused suspicion. Plus, to the world and to anyone who does their research, L is dead. Has been so for ten years. I highly doubt we will encounter a situation like the Kira investigation again, so I am free to use whatever name I wish."

There was moment before Touta laughed softly and shook his head.

"You're just as I remember."

"Like wise. Now, there was something you wanted to know?"

"Oh right. How are you alive? And why are you substituting Miss Himura's class? Where is she?"

"To answer you in no specific order, Akane is on Maternity leave and she recommended me to the board."

"Maternity leave?" Matsuda looked ready to start scrating his head in confusion. Then he caught the slight curve of L's smile and his brows shot up to his bangs. "L! You mean you-?"

"Why do you look so surprised, Matsuda?"

"Well I mean-you just never struck me as the type of guy who would let himself be tied down is all!" He laughed and finally took notice to the little band around the other man's finger. Even L managed to marry before he did. There was no question who either.

"Funny you say that, because for the longest time I never did either." He gazed off into space for a moment, humming low as he thought about something Touta would never be able to know.

"Back to the matter at hand. My continued living has everything to do with Akane. What would you like to know?"

"Everything!" Matsuda said as he leaned forward.

L blinked and thumbed his bottom lip as he stared at the younger man. "Everything? Alright then. Then I'll start from the beginning."

"Where's the beginning? During the case?"

"No, no. The real beginning is actually when I first met miss Akane."