This is a Raito/Mastuda fic. Since reading the ending of the manga, this has taken over my brain. I own nothing.
It had become a tradition over the years.
With unfathomable loyalty, he was the only one that followed it. The others had all stopped, stating that he had been Kira, therefore he deserved no pity. His family regularly visited, before Sachiko had passed away from a broken heart, and before Sayu had moved away unable to cope with everything that had been thrown with it.
But Matsuda still came.
There were flowers everywhere, small prayer slips tucked under them. The mighty Kira would rise again, if his followers believed . . . At least they thought so. And, maybe, he hoped so as well.
The graveyard was all collapsing, except for his. The grass around the others was lush, a brilliant green color with assorted flowers poking out around them. The ground around his was dead, and the dying flowers did their best to hide the disgrace that the mighty Kira had fallen to. His true name had been scratched out, like his followers didn't want anyone to know. Like somehow, that could undo the damage that was done. Maybe erase the name from their minds, make it so that when Kira rose again, he would have no weakness . . .
But Nia would find it, and Kira would die again.
The dark-haired man shook his head, rubbed his temples as he paused to gaze at his reflection in a car window, snapping out of the odd daze he'd fallen into . . . Still three blocks away, and he was already thinking of that boy's gravestone. Thinking of how misfortune had hit them all. Suicide for Misa, a heart attack for Raito and L.. Granted, the former two had probably deserved death with their acts.
Again, he had to shake his head. Focussing his mind on straightening up his red tie, combing back his gelled hair with his fingers. His eyes looked too old, too tired, too- . . .
"Excuse me, sir." The owner of the car glared . . . Matsuda backed off, bending down to pick up a piece of paper from the sidewalk, like he'd dropped it. Placing it in his pocket, he smiled.
"Sorry, I dropped my shopping list." He said, turning on his heel to continue his journey, passing buildings, parked cars, and children playing. Nothing really mattered. The gangs on the bikes roared past once in a while, leaving the scent of pollution in their wake.
"I expected you were the only one who understood!"
What if they'd just made Raito forfeit the terrible note? Watching him die there, watching him thrash, watching the life fade from his eyes . . .
Shooting him.
"You liked Raito-kun, didn't you?"
Yeah. He did.
He rounded the corner, watching as the familiar graveyard came into view. Watching as the last of the Kira religion filed out and headed for their homes, knowing that he'd have the place completely to himself . . .
He passed through the iron gates, gazing about the oddly cheery cemetery with a dulled expression . . . Noticing a figure standing before the massive memorial to their leader . . . Somehow, they'd found out. And it hadn't really surprised him that they had . . .
It was a young man.
A young man with tidy brown hair, his back turned. He wore neither robes of the church, nor the crest . . . Instead, it was a brown school uniform which seemed /somewhat/ familiar to the middle-aged police officer. There was a book tucked under his arm . . . At first glance, it seemed like a normal school book . . .
"Freeze!" The cry escaped him, and he payed no heed to it as he whipped his gun out of its holster, pointing it at the offending youth, his eyes narrowed. Not again, oh, not again! Hadn't the Gods had enough fun when they tortured poor Raito?!
"What's the problem, officer?" The teen's tone matched his appearance. Prim and proper, quick and right to the point. The tone wasn't mocking, and it was a genuine question. His grip on the book tightened slightly, his head tilting downward . . . And suddenly, he let go of the book, folding his arms as he studied the name. "...I used to know him."
That caught him off guard. "Know who?"
"Yagami Raito . . . " He shrugged his slim shoulders, and from behind, Matsuda couldn't see his face or his expression. "...You did too."
"...Maybe I did." He snapped, a little angry. What was this brat getting at?!
"...That book was a misfortune. He never saw it as one, but where did it land him? Where's his perfect world now?" The youth spun around . . .
Matsuda's gun fell to the ground.
That face. Those lips. Those eyes . . . Those eyes, demonic in a way, but still obviously his.
"R-raito-kun . . . "
The brunet frowned, watching the frozen man, "Did you really expect any differently, Matsuda? Their prayers reached me-"
It was all for nothing!
"-And I ignored them."
"What?!" His head snapped up, expression twisting into shock and confusion. "W-why?! You can accomplish your goal now!"
"What's the point?" Raito sighed, striding forwards, retrieving the fallen weapon and handing it to the other.
His hands are so cold.
"...You wanted a perfect world?" He offered, helpless as he watched the teenager retract his hand, his eyes becoming expressionless.
"And you wanted me." The simplicity of his voice was painful. The way he moved was too unnatural.
Neither of them spoke for a moment, Raito's shinigami eyes watching him with an almost frightening intensity.
"This Kira is dead, and this Kira will never return." It was broken by Raito, who turned away. "I live only as a Shinigami now, and that's a fate I'm ready to take. I won't punish a human, but I'll merely take them when it's time.
"The question is, Matsuda." He continued, retrieving his fallen notebook, then turning around to face the other, offering the cursed notebook and a pen. "Will you join me, or will you become like all of them?" He swept his arm around the graveyard, the bodies of those who had nothing more. "You can go out continuing my work . . . Or you can continue being a pitiful man, with no one more around."
The shinigami leaned forwards, pressing his cool, dead lips against Matsuda's cheek, "I won't hold your decision against you."
And Matsuda reached for the book.
----
"Nia."
"I know," the albino boy said quietly, gazing at the files popping up on his computer, "I know..."
A/N: To clear things up, I'll just say this. Matsuda seemed to really like Raito, and feeling guilty for his death, I think Matsuda would take the book.
Also, this story is set after the events of Death Note. Matsuda visits every month, not just on the anniversary of his death. And as for how the Kira-believers found out it was Raito... Well, truthfully, I think that Misa would get the word out before she commited suicide.