I sat in front of my computer monitor, my eyes drooping with the heaviness of no sleep. It had never gotten to me before, so why was it happening now?

Maybe this is a sign that Kira has found me…. No, isn't it too soon? Only a member of the task force could find me… Besides, Near doesn't know about the Death Note or Shinigami. He is my successor… If he knew about it, would he kill me so he could be the next L? And Light-kun... My friend. My first friend. He cannot be Kira. It would break my heart...

I shook my head, ridding my mind of any thoughts on the subject and popped another strawberry into my mouth. The sweet juice of it exploded on to my tongue as I ate the last one in the bowl. "That's a shame…" I muttered to myself, swallowing the once glorious fruit and taking a sip of my sweet tea. "Needs more sugar," I mumbled, dropping in a handful of sugar cubes in the mug and stirring it with my spoon until it was throroughly mixed.

"Light-kun is here, sir," Watari's voice echoed in my right ear. He took away the now empty bowl that used to hold strawberries, now marked with red juice; the remnants of the fruit once overcrowding the small area.

"Yes, yes. Bring him in right away, Watari." I placed my cup down on the coaster in front of me and turned my head at the sound of footsteps.

"Ryuzaki, why the urgent call? It's two in the morning. Don't you ever sleep?" he asked, an irritated manner in his voice.

"No. Sleep is the least of my worries. I will work 24 hours a day, every day, until I solve this Kira case….Even if it kills me."

"Hmph. Let's get this over with then. You know, I have stuff to do. I have a life…" he glared at me. His words stung, another needle pricking my heart after every pause. "Unlike you. How can you live, sitting in front of that computer screen all day, eating all those sweets. I'm your first friend, and you're like – what? – 24?" he closed his eyes in frustration.

"Light-kun, there is no need for your unnecessary insults. Even if you consider me a threat, or an enemy, we must work together to solve this case. Millions of lives are at risk here. Once Kira is defeated the-" There it was. The alarm in his eyes… That little red tint in his irises that he always acquired when discussing Kira's defeat. There was a long silence.

"Are you alright? You seem to have been thrown off by what I've said. Is there something wrong?" I leaned in closer to him, studying him in excruciating detail, noting the slightest twitch of his left hand and red tint in his eyes.

"Ryuzaki, why do you keep going on like we will catch Kira? This isn't as easy as most of your past cases. You're putting yourself at risk of dying. What if we don't catch Kira? What if he gets to you before you get to him?" he blinked and stared into my eyes coldly, showing what I believe was fake concern.

"Ah, so you are worried about my well-being. I assure you, unless Kira is within the task force, I will not die. Only the few people who meet within this headquarters know my face. My name rather… That shall remain a secret. So I suppose even if Kira was among us, he couldn't kill me because of his lack of knowledge about me. If he does not know my full name, I presume he will not be able to end my life." I slowly took a forkful of my cake, gently holding the handle of the fork between my pointer finger and thumb. Others see this as odd, but it is the most logical way to eat.

"WILL YOU STOP THAT! GOD DAMMIT! YOU THINK EVERYTHING'S GOING TO WORK OUT! IT'S NOT! YOU KNOW KIRA WILL KILL YOU AND YOU'RE DENYING IT!" His nostrils flared with rage; he gritted his teeth.

I held up my finger. "Please do not shout at me. At these early hours, the last thing we need is for you to start a riot."

He was fuming. "You, Ryuzaki, are one SAD case. AGH!" he paced quickly to the exit, knocking over a table on his way there.

"Light-kun," I called, not turning away from my computer.

"What?" he hollered.

"My birthday is tomorrow. I am turning 25," I sipped my tea calmly.

"Great for you, Ryuzaki. Maybe I'll get you some cake," he shook his head angrily and stomped out.

"Yes… That would be nice. Thank you," I couldn't help but smile. I heard the door shut as he left. I let out a sigh, which was more of a whimper. "My friend cannot be Kira…" I was thinking more than that.

My friend.

But we are more than friends.

That is what I hope for.

Breathing as one.

Being as one.

That is what I long for.

No,

That's what I need.