'What the hell am I doing?' Light wondered to herself as she stood in front a door. Next to the door stood a sign that read "Task Force Headquarters Serial Murder" and behind the door, a meeting was about to take place at any moment.
A meeting revolving Kira.
A meeting which Light had no business putting her nose in despite the small part of her that felt entitled to know more about the Kira who took over her original counterpart's role.
But...
Her brown eyes glanced down to the plastic bag she was holding. She had been tasked by her mother to deliver her father his lunch so the latter wouldn't forget to eat and starve himself. Those were literally the words her mother used.
Of course Light knew she could just turn back. Her mother wouldn't find out that she didn't deliver the bento. But then Sachiko Yagami's worried eyes flashed into her head.
Light straightened up and held her chin up. After exhaling a resigned sigh, she entered the room with a stoic face.
She paused for a moment, feeling slightly awkward despite having interacted with most of the officers in the room. In fact she was on a friendly term with almost all of them, but the atmosphere was tense. Don't get her wrong, she was used enough to tense situations that her body didn't go frigid. She just wasn't used to not having a rank.
"Light-san?"
Light glanced at Matsuda who believe it or not, seemed more out of place than she did. Then again the twenty-five year old didn't have as much experience as an officer, yet he was already part of a hard case like the Kira one, so in reality Light actually admired him a bit for his dedication. So, her face softened a little catching the man by surprise judging by how his eyes widened.
"Good afternoon Matsuda." She greeted and then nodded at everyone else. "Where's the Chief?" Light wasn't stupid, she knew that in this room her father wasn't her father first. He was the Chief. Then her father.
"He should be here soon." Hideki Ide spoke up. "Here to wiggle your way into this case like all the other ones?" He asked, a slightly exasperated look on his face as he remembered about other cases that the teen has helped them with.
Light politely smiled, but before she could answer Aizawa spoke up. "This isn't the same as all the other cases you've helped with Light, so you should mind your own business this time and leave it to us." He had a stern look, but his eyes spoke of concern. Light knew that Aizawa disapproved of her working on cases from time to time due to the latter thinking that Light's still young and shouldn't neglect to enjoy her life just to work on cases.
"Oh come on Aizawa, that same excuse hasn't stopped her before. It probably won't now." Someone else spoke up.
"I wouldn't even be surprised if she already has a lead, right Light?" Mogi, who rarely ever speaks, spoke up.
"I'm flattered that you think so highly of me Mogi-san." Light said before anyone could speak up. "But I'm afraid my help won't be needed considering L is working on the Kira case as well."
As usual no one could tell what she was thinking when she pronounced the detective's name. In fact some officers even shared awkward glances while others fidgeted. Generally, they were all fond of their Chief's daughter. But when it came to L, the girl always has this weird aura around her. As if she knew something about the detective that they didn't.
"He's actually here right now...sort of." Matsuda spoke up earning annoyed looks from the majority of the people in the room. They didn't mind Light knowing certain things, but when it came to L? They'd rather not involve the girl.
"I know." Light said, barely taking them by surprise as her gaze shifted to the laptop screen. They were only half-surprised that Light knew, in fact some would even guess that Light knew from the start.
"Nice trick with the broadcast by the way." Light added, her tone not betraying anything as she gave the screen a curt nod. "Good luck on finding Kira." Her words almost made her snort as she placed the plastic bag on a table.
Luck? Would L really need luck?
L didn't respond.
Light shrugged as she made her way to the door, she didn't expect him to answer anyways.
"Light Yagami." A pause. "You never did answer Mogi's inquiry."
Light's hand froze on the doorknob. She wasn't the least surprised that L knew her name. What surprised her was that...
L had actually spoken to her.
Her.
She gulped and felt herself sweating a little.
"I..." She could feel every eye in the room on her. Yet, it was the eyes of the person who wasn't even in the room that made her nervous. That made her feel like she was guilty of something. "Uh," She almost cursed herself. Stuttering and acting nervous wasn't her thing.
She was Light Yagami.
Calm. Composed. Bored.
Light Yagami.
L kept his gaze on the seventeen year old girl.
Honestly speaking, L didn't really pay the girl much attention when she entered the room. It was when Hideki mentioned the girl taking part in some cases that piqued L's interest. L had immediately searched up more information and had find out that yes, Light Yagami did indeed help with various cases and had been doing so since she was fourteen. In fact, the girl had practically solved more than half of those cases herself.
When Matsuda had mentioned his presence, L hadn't been annoyed. He had been curious to see the girl's reaction.
"I know."
She didn't reveal any emotion.
"Nice trick with the broadcast by the way. Good luck on finding Kira."
L didn't do emotions. But he knew that there was something in the way Light had said that, something he was slightly curious about. When she started to leave, L couldn't let her go that easily. Not after she had piqued his interest. Besides, the meeting hasn't even start and he was getting bored of the hushed mutterings.
"Light Yagami." L spoke up. Should he say thank you to her last statement? No, pleasantries has never been his thing. "You never did answer Mogi's inquiry."
He watched as Light's hand froze. Whether the girl knew it or not, her eyes had widened slightly. "I...uh,"
'She's nervous.' L absently noted.
Then her head snapped towards the screen. Despite them not being in the same room, L could almost feel her eyes looking directly into his own. Calm. Composed. Bored. "Mid-twenties to late twenties. The culprit is probably a young adult." She evenly spoke. "You probably knew that already, didn't you L?"
L shivered.
In L's perspective everything has a reason. Happens for a reason. Most of the time, his job revolved around reasons and reasoning. Yet L didn't find any reasoning for how he reacted to the way Light had said his name. It was filled with something L couldn't describe. Negative and positive.
The sound of a door closing made L snap out of his daze.
Yes, he did already know that the culprit was probably a young adult. But how did Light know that?
Light exhaled.
It was stupid.
She didn't even know why she was even sneaking around just to find out something so stupid. Even though the information would only make her hate herself more than she does already.
She pulled out a file on a missing person. Her stomach churned as her eyes took in the woman's features. Shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes. It was all her fault.
If she had found the Death Note instead of whoever has it right now, she could have saved the woman.
(Would she really?)
Carefully placing the file back she walked towards the bathroom, ready to puke.
Matsuda felt like an idiot.
Of course everyone already knew that the crime rates has been dropping. Kira was killing off criminals after all. He didn't have to bring up what everyone already knew. He sighed to himself. "I can't believe I embarrassed myself in front of L..." He muttered dejectedly, his head hung down.
Maybe he could redeem himself?
But how?
Suddenly he bumped into someone, almost making the two cups of coffee that he was holding spill.
"I-I'm sorry..." The familiar voice of Light Yagami apologized, sounding quite shaken.
Matsuda looked up, eyes widening at how pale Light's face was. "Light-san? Are you okay?" He worriedly asked.
Light plastered on her signature smile, the one that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm fine. Thank you for asking."
Oddly enough, the situation reminded Matsuda of the first time he saw her break down. He extended his left hand. He was going to give the Chief a cup of coffee, but Light looked like she needed it more. "It's not your fault." He had a feeling that Light was blaming herself for not solving a case fast enough.
Light silently took the coffee from him, her hand not brushing his at all. Then again Light isn't one for physical contact, something which Matsuda had noticed fairly quick since the day he met her.
He watched as Light sipped on the coffee, her stance relaxing. "You seem bothered by something." She noted.
Matsuda resisted the urge to tell her that she was obviously bothered by something too. Instead he sighed. "I said something stupid during the meeting."
"What?"
"I don't really want to say."
"Please?" I need a distraction anyway. Was what Light didn't say.
"I pointed out that the crime rates around the world, especially in Japan, has dropped a lot since Kira started killing." Matsuda mumbled.
"And you said this in front of everyone?"
'She probably thinks I'm stupid now too.' Matsuda thought, but nodded anyway.
"That's pretty brave of you."
Matsuda looked at Light in surprise. "Huh?"
Light gave him a genuine smile, the one he preferred. "Most people are afraid to admit the truth, let alone say it out loud. So it was pretty brave of you to say that." Then she chuckled. "Besides, it's not like you encouraged the killings."
"...you're always cheering me up." Matsuda muttered with a smile, remembering the day he first met Light.
"Did you say something?" Light asked causing Matsuda to shake his head no. "Oh, now that I think about it, it's been a year since you became an officer."
Matsuda blinked, surprised that Light would remember that. "You remembered Light-san?"
"Is it surprising?"
"Slightly."
"Well, my father speaks highly of you so of course I'd remember. Congratulations for staying around a whole year." She said holding the cup of coffee up.
Matsuda smiled as he bumped his cup with hers. "Thank you Light-san."
"Just Light."
Matsuda blinked in surprise. Did Light really consider him close enough to her that she gave him permission to say her name without any suffix? Matsuda couldn't help but feel honored. "Light." He repeated, the girl's name easily rolling off of his tongue.
"Yep, just like that." Light winked at him. "I'll see you around."
Matsuda watched on in a daze as Light walked away and his eyes couldn't help but be drawn to Light's..uh, hips as they swayed from side to side. Matsuda shook his head, feeling disgusted by himself. Light was his Chief's daughter after all.
(That didn't change the fact that he's been practically crushing on the girl for a whole year now.)
He waited for a moment, just to make sure the color left his cheek before he walked away to locate the Chief.
Chapter End.
Author's Note: It's been awhile since I've updated, huh? Anyway in this chapter you've all got the chance to peek into L and Matsuda's heads. Yes, Matsuda is totally crushing on Light. Heck, I'll probably write an omake on how they met later if you all want me to.
I guess I should answer the whole "pairing" question.
Yes, there will probably be a pairing. Every good story needs a romance in my opinion. I'm just not sure who Light will end up with and I'll probably write her with a few people before deciding on the definite pairing. For now I'll just write her interactions with other characters. I mean I still don't know what to do about Misa.
Questions:
1. Favorite Shinigami? and why?
2. Favorite Task Force member and why?