Oh god I have no excuse for procrastination anymore. Especially since this has been sitting on my computer for months. I'm so sorry.

Just out of curiosity, how many people have looked at this anyways? I've only gotten one review and it'd be nice to know what other people think, even if its negative.

Disclaimer: I will never own Death Note. Ever.

xxx

Over the days of Light's confinement, the only one Eira would speak to was L. And at first, she wouldn't even speak to him. She would perform what was needed and would often stare at Light, Misa, and Soichiro in their cells; however, she wouldn't say a word and her expression was unreadable. On the fourteenth, her expressionless cracked for a split second as the news of Kira operating again was told. Only L caught it as she abruptly stood and left.

Back in the room L had for her, Eira muffled a shriek of frustration against a pillow. Light's sudden change in demeanor a week ago made her feel sick. Something was different about him now, and not just in what he said. His posture was altered and his expressions were less forced. She didn't know what had caused the change, but it angered her. She kicked the wall as hard as she could, then muffled another cry. Her toe was now throbbing red and, inspecting the wall, she hadn't even made a scuff mark. She clutched her toe and slid to the floor, still magnificently upset at the turn of events. At that video clip and the fact that Kira was killing again. It meant Light Yagami might be innocent. After all of that, she was wrong and L was wrong.

She paused for a second at that thought. L was wrong. She never thought it possible. She had been paying close attention to the Kira case and researched L extensively when he became involved. He had solved so many cases and sent an impossibly large number of criminals to jail. She felt hopeless and furious and despondent all at once when she heard the news and thought of the change in Light's actions. There was no way L hadn't come to the same conclusion as she did. She was smart, but he possessed an intellect far beyond hers. How did he feel? To have been absolutely sure, and then to be most likely wrong.

Eira couldn't hold back her emotions at that time, but L did. That was his strength. He could distance himself, no matter what occurred, until he accomplished what needed to be done. Though that was assuming he didn't distance himself completely, which could also be possible.

She stared at the clock. A half-hour had passed. Pretty soon the rest of the Task Force would leave. She vaguely wondered what they thought and decided she didn't care.

She watched the streets outside of her window until she was sure that they'd be gone. She didn't feel up to dealing with Matsuda or Aizawa. Eira silently slipped out the doorway and into the hall. She padded to where she thought L, or rather Ryuzaki, would be. Her hunch was correct, he was still watching the video feed while munching on sweets.

She sat on the floor next to his seat and she couldn't force herself to look at him. If she did, she was sure she'd cry. He had been her hope for the end of this case, and he was wrong. It was disappointing, but she didn't want to burden him with her grief. He probably knew how she felt anyways.

She really didn't know what to say except "Sorry." It felt appropriate. They were all forcing their expectations on him. Failure was difficult for them all.

"Eira, I apologize as well." She glanced up at him, but his eyes were still on the screens. She knew exactly what was unspoken, 'I failed you.'

She sighed gently and leaned against the chair. Her eyes closed. She wasn't aware of how much time had passed, but something was pressing against her head. She opened them slowly and saw she was in exactly the same position, as was L. "Um, Ryuzaki?"

He looked down. "You're awake. Please don't move your head, there's a bowl there."

She blinked twice. "Uhh... Why do I have a bowl on my head?" He reached down and pulled some colorful candy from it.

"I ran out of table space. I apologize." He didn't sound very apologetic, nor did he attempt to move the bowl.

Carefully, she grabbed the bowl from her head and set it next to her. She then stretched, feeling all the aches and stiffness from sleeping in such a position. She glanced up to see the table almost completely clear. "Liar!" She rebuked him almost playfully. As playful as she ever got.

"Yes, actually it was far easier to reach your head than the table. It was the ideal solution since you weren't moving." He was watching her now, not the video feeds.

"What a lame excuse." She let out an exasperated sigh and put bowl on the table. "I'm not a table on which you can put whatever you like." She grabbed some of the candy for herself before turning away; she didn't know how long she had lay there, but she desperately needed a shower.

"Eira..." Ryuzaki's voice was quiet, but she heard it. "Catching Kira is my top priority. I won't let you down."

"Thanks." She didn't turn around for fear her face would reveal everything running through her mind. Somehow, catching Kira wasn't as important anymore.

When she had finished showering, she attempted to dry her hair. It was a difficult and tedious task due to the sheer length of it. She walked back to the bedroom trying to gently towel dry it, hair-dryers made even frizzier, she noticed Ryuzaki crouching on the armchair. She stopped, but didn't say anything and stared at him.

He didn't say anything either and she tired of the silence. "Hello. Something wrong? Who's watching the video feed?"

Ryuzaki pulled a lollipop from his pocket and slowly unwrapped it as he spoke. "I'm taking a break; the rest of the Task Force is watching the tapes for now. They'll call me if something is amiss."

"Ah." Taking a break seemed weird for him. "How long is this break?"

"Depends on when Watari will allow me back on. He was worried about my health and said it would be good for me. I didn't have to, of course, but it makes him feel better."

Eira hid a smile at this. L may distance himself, but he definitely respected and cared for Watari. As she thought this, Ryuzaki took the towel from her. His hands dwarfed hers and she realized that though the height difference was less with his pronounced slouch, but she was still incredibly tiny.

"You shouldn't be trying to dry your hair with a wet towel." He told her as he held in the funny way he held everything. She realized that she had been so lost in thought, she hadn't noticed.

"Oh... Right." She patted the tangled mess on her head and ran her fingers through it. Nope, a futile effort. Only twenty minutes with a comb was going to fix that knot.

Ryuzaki seemed to have noticed and grabbed her comb for her. He handed it to her and watched her struggle to pull it through. "Allow me to assist you."

He plucked the comb from her fingers and gently pulled it through the without half as much of the effort it took her. She was surprised that he was helping her though. She never would have imagined that he would brush her hair for her. "Okay... Um... Am I missing something here? I thought you avoided having anything to do with people."

"Yes, I suppose you're right, though that's a very callous way to phrase it. But I feel like I owe you something. After all, this case is incredibly personal for you."

It always came back to the case. It didn't surprise her. He had little to no social skills and was a full-time detective in the most literal sense of the words. Still, it didn't seem healthy to have a constant focus on only one thing. She belatedly realized that this was exactly why Watari wanted Ryuzaki to have a break. She also realized that she had been silent for awhile now, drifting in her thoughts. There wasn't much to say and he didn't seem bothered by the awkward silence. In the end, she sat there quietly until he finished. He handed her the comb and the eye-contact put her at ease. He would catch Kira for her and the world or die trying.