AN: I've gotta say, the biggest problem I have with this story is how weird to make L. Should he sit in that bizarre way? Should he be addicted to sweets? Should he even wear the uniform everybody else does? Weeell...it's tricky. Let's just see how it plays out.

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"…start with matrices today. Take out your textbooks, please." Yagami-sensei was telling his class. The bell signifying the start of first period had rung, and his pupils were already slouching in their chairs, pulling out their books with looks of resignation.

The door slid open loudly, and the inevitable muttering began when the students saw that the infamous Raito had finally showed up to one of his designated classes. He paid them no attention, instead searching the room for a certain black-haired boy.

There he was, seated casually at a desk near the back of the room. As Raito strode easily to take his much neglected seat, his gaze did not move from his face.

Sitting at his own desk on the other side of the classroom, his books piled up in front of him untouched, Matt watched it play out silently. Glancing quickly at his teacher, he noted a faint smile touching Yagami-sensei's lips as he made a quick adjustment to the attendance roll.

Raito took his seat and dropped his satchel on his desk indifferently. He didn't even acknowledge his father, who continued the lesson with his usual air of formality. Instead he just stared at the rumpled-looking youth, who did not answer his gaze.

"Oh, Raito." Matt relished the look of surprise on his usually calm classmate, and saw his eyes flick quickly to the front of the room. "You have not yet been introduced to our new student, as I understand it. This is Ryuzaki Hideki," Yagami-sensei continued, oblivious to his son's discomfort. He indicated with one hand at the object of Raito's unwavering attention.

Raito probably hadn't met most of the people in his classes, considering his reputation when it came to attendance, Matt thought wryly. He watched with amusement as Yagami-sensei turned back to the blackboard, and Ryuzaki immediately found himself being stared at again.

The class stretched on and Matt found sufficient distraction from his boredom at the topic they were covering in Raito and Ryuzaki. The former continued staring and the latter, apparently ignorant of the attention, appeared to be fully engrossed in the work that Yagami-sensei was giving them. It was a reasonable incentive to keep himself awake.

"Now, to find the answer we need to convert the number into a percentage. Ryuzaki, do you know the answer?" Yagami-sensei had quickly realized that his new student was the only one paying enough attention to understand what he was referring to and with enough intelligence to get the right answers.

"The answer is," he responded without hesitation, not even glancing at his workbook. "Thirteen per cent."

Thirteen per cent chance that you are Kira.

Raito flinched, and finally looked away from Ryuzaki, instead staring at nothing with his eyes wide, as the words repeated themselves over and over in his head.

Thirteen per cent chance…

…you are Kira…

…One hundred per cent…

What was this? What was happening? So many words, mingling together in his head until all he could hear was a loud, unbroken sound…and suddenly, it stopped. Deeply confused and feeling strangely vulnerable, Raito looked back at Ryuzaki without thought.

Only to find the boy staring at him, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.

Mello had found a window partially blocked by a row of lockers through which he could see easily the entire span of Raito's classroom. He peered through it and scowled when he saw how his friend was so clearly entranced by that strange new kid.

It was an expression that Near was seeing more and more often these days. He took a step closer and tugged at his arm gently. "We should leave now," he told him.

The blonde shrugged him off roughly and leaned closer to the window in response. "Just keep quiet and look out for any teachers, like I told you," he hissed.

Near looked at him without expression for a few moments, a painful feeling building up in his heart. He turned finally, but refused to move away from standing so close to his lover. Not for the first time he wished that Mello hadn't attached himself to Raito. What made the youth so fascinating was also that which made him dangerous.

"Ah!" Mello breathed, and Near waited for him to explain. "It's that Matt kid. He's standing up for some reason, about to leave the room…"

"We should leave now, Mello," the silver-haired boy was feeling more and more like this was a bad idea.

He appeared to consider it for a moment, but then disregarded the option. "Screw that. He's a recluse, he probably won't even give a damn." Mello nodded to himself and looked back at Raito again. "…he enjoys stuff like this, the sadist…" he spoke under his breath, with such certainty that Near was surprised. As far as he could tell the two hadn't even talked to each other before.

The classroom door slid open and Matt walked directly to where they were standing. He leaned against the row of lockers comfortably and addressed them. "Worried about your Daniel, are you, Mello? Thrown into the lion's den of our Math class? How adorable." he smiled at him widely, a challenging glint in his eyes.

"Shut the hell up," Mello said in a low, threatening tone.

"Don't worry. We've all got claws, but we don't tend to use them," the redhead looked at Mello as he spoke, gauging his reactions with what appeared to Near an odd obsession. "Besides, that guy's someone you don't want to mess with…he's the most screwed up out of all of us…"

Mello didn't answer, but Near saw that he was gripping the edge of window sill much too tightly. "So don't think you can make him your lamb, Mello dear," Matt went on, grinning.

"Don't fuck with me!" the blonde shouted at him, his expression furious.

Don't fuck with me. I'm not the type who can take it.

Near was stunned for a moment to hear a voice inside his head. The others noticed nothing of his surprise, wrapped up in their own little war. "What's gotten you so riled up, hey?" Matt asked, gloating over his apparent victory. "Unless there's something…"

"Matt…" Mello said dangerously.

"Unless you're…"

"Matt…" Mello growled.

"Jealous." With that the blonde lunged at him aggressively, his hands clenched into fists.

Standing behind them, Near was silent.

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It was dark, and the man could not see clearly where he was going, the room only lit by the screens of various computers. He was hardly surprised when he found himself on the ground, his papers scattered around him.

"Please more careful in future," the owner of the voice did not move from where he sat, gazing intently at one of the screens. The clumsy man was helped up by the man who had been standing formally to the side.

"Thankyou," he smiled at him gratefully.

"Not at all, sir," the older man gave him a deep nod and returned to his usual position, where he remained silently.

Picking up the documents lying on the floor he pushed the papers hurriedly into the crook of his arm. Several fell as he walked to where his companion waited for them, but he did not bother to even attempt to pick them up.

"Uh, here," he put them on the desk beside the black-haired man with a sheepish smile. Again, the detective was sitting oddly, he noticed. His legs were curved, knees almost reaching his chin, and his thumb had unconsciously returned to rest at his mouth.

"Really, doesn't it hurt to sit that way?" he asked, not for the first time.

Dark rimmed eyes turned momentarily away from the screen to look at him. "No."

"Oh, is that true?" the clumsy man rubbed the back of his neck, a little surprised by his answer.

The detective turned back to the pixilated image, his face, as ever, emotionless. "I need something for people to remember me by."

Matsuda stirred, and opened his eyes slowly. His head was throbbing painfully, and his vision was shifting so much he closed his eyes again. "Ow…" he complained, sitting up slowly.

He touched his head lightly and winced. He could already feel a large bump forming above his ear. That would need some attention…but he was in no position to get up by himself. Matsuda sighed.

"Uh, are you okay?" He peered out from partially opened eyes and saw that Megumi, the girl he had recruited as a library assistant, was looking at him with a concerned expression.

Matsuda forced a smile, and paid dearly for it as her face began to blur. "I'll be fine, don't worry about me," he told her.

Satisfied with this answer, the girl straightened and looked around him with a deep frown on her face. "To think if you'd been half a meter closer the shelf would have fallen on you, instead of just drowning you in books." She directed her disapproving gaze at him. "Neat, well-organized books."

The pain was easing slightly, and Matsuda was able to appreciate Megumi's reprimands. Working at a high school library had been a dream for him, but his innate clumsiness meant that he was constantly having accidents. He needed sensible people like her around him to make sure that the library wasn't suffering for it.

"Honestly, Matsuda-sensei, why did you even decide to become a librarian?" Megumi sighed and knelt beside him to help him up gently.

The corners of his mouth curved upwards and he closed his eyes. "… something for people to remember me by…" he whispered.

"Huh?"

"I'll be right now, Megumi. I'll leave you to attend to the fallen shelf, and head to the nurse's office now." Matsuda smiled at her, feeling much better now that the initial pain had almost worn off and glad to be on his feet. She nodded seriously and got to work.

Walking carefully down the hallway, he wore an uncharacteristically pensive expression on his face.

That dream again…

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AN: I'm not really keen on using swearwords in my writing because I want to keep it open to a wider audience, but sometimes other words don't cut it for Mello. Sorry if it's problematic for anyone.

Matsuda! I can always imagine him in a library. To be more specific, I can always imagine him hurting himself in a library. He's that kind of guy *smile*. He's also the same age as in the official Death Note. Megumi is a made-up character, she's in her senior year, but I've got no clue if she'll end up appearing in any future chapters.

I used the last name of the alias that L uses when he attends Light's school in the original - that is, 'Ryuuga Hideki'. He's definitely shifty in this chapter, if I say so myself...

...and boy, do I hate matrices...