L swallowed, trying to wet his dry mouth as he opened his eyes to stare at his computer screen. The sound of paper shuffling and keyboards clicking sounded obscenely loud in his ears as he tightened his fingers on his fork. His brow furrowed and he gazed blindly through the dark strands of his hair. His mind, ever in a furry of thought, was painfully blank as he, once again, recalled his meeting with a one Yagami Raito. Breathing deeply through his nose, he remembered the piercing eyes that stubbornly categorized his face even as the owner swayed dizzily.
He absently scrapped his plate for the last strawberry before staring down in astonishment to see that there was none. He must have eaten it while he was reminiscing. He quickly set the plate down and tucked his knees more tightly to his chest.
He wondered faintly if he was losing his mind.
Two weeks since his encounter. 336 hours since he gave a stranger a concussion. 20,160 minutes since he began the strange experience of drifting thoughts.
He felt something snake through his chest and wrap around his heart. He took a moment to rub at the offending organ before he realized that the pain was only in his mind. His face paled unnoticeably as he realized that what he was feeling was simple.
He was afraid.
.
Quilish watched with calm eyes from his place in the corner as L stared off into space. Concern warred with astonishment in his chest as he watched his companion eat unthinkingly. It was as if his mind had…stopped. Pulling on his gloves, he bowed his head in though as he resisted the urge to pull L aside.
Whatever could have caused such a thing? He wondered faintly.
.
Sighing Raito picked back up his pencil to neatly write an answer for the question before him. Really, it seemed things just couldn't get any easier. Maybe he should look into tripling his major to include art. Or maybe physics.
Rubbing at his eyes he looked up when the bell rang, plastering on a smile for the customers as they walked through the door.
The two older women blushed and giggled while their third companion rolled her eyes. Raito's eyes immediately scanned and categorized their features as he walked out from behind the counter towards them while they sat themselves under the AC vent. Putting a spring in his step that he just honestly didn't feel he pulled out his pad of paper and pen to write down their order.
"Hello ladies, and welcome to Minna-san's Café! Our special today is white chocolate raspberry frappe." He said as he tucked a strand of auburn hair behind his ears. The two dark haired women gave appropriate ohhhs and ahhhs to his greeting while the blond smiled softly at them. They both looked to the blond woman and she waved them to order.
Raito didn't particularly listen attentively as they ordered. A Special, a plain latte, and a large cup of the strongest black. He didn't find it surprising that the solemn faced blond ordered hers stark.
Making their orders with ease, he delivered them and then went back to his homework. He glanced up occasionally to check on the three, but seeing as they were his only customers he had plenty of time.
When they left a large tip and walked out, he went about finishing his homework.
Glancing down at his watch he sighed when he noticed that he still had another half an hour of doing nothing. It left him time to think, something he wasn't too inclined to.
Absently his hand wandered to his bag where a small container held a batch of cookies that Sayu had made for the man that had helped him to the hospital. Sighing he closed his eyes and leaned backwards in his chair.
Thoughts of his father, his sister, his schooling, his stranger, anything, and everything made a trip round his head as he sat and waited for his shift to be over. His eyes snapped open as his thoughts caught up to him. Since when had Ryuuga-san been Raito's stranger. Really. Raito laughed at his absurd thoughts.
Ryuuga-san was just an honorable human being who had done the nice thing and escorted him to the hospital after Raito had made a klutz out of himself and fell.
He smiled though as he thought about it and as he noticed his hand creep back to his bag. His gaze sharpened impeccably at the action and he thought seriously for a moment.
Maybe he should look more into finding Ryuuga-san.
After all, who didn't like cookies?
.
Soichiro cleaned his glasses slowly on his shirt as he rolled back from his spot. Matsuda was muttering to himself again, he noted uncaringly. Thinking of Matsuda brought his thoughts to his son and he cursed himself before he made himself go through the memory again. After all, Sachiko would never have hit their son, Sachiko would have accepted his decision and patiently explained it to their children. But, when had he ever been Sachiko.
The old pain of losing his wife still tugged on his heart strings while he thought about his shouting match with Raito.
Why couldn't his unruly son see that Soichiro was doing this case for them? That he was risking his life for them? That he was trying to make the world a better place for his children to live and love in? Why did Raito have to be such a, a-
Soichiro's mind helpfully supplied the word. Teenager. Soichiro felt himself slump. How often did he forget that his son was just a boy?
Too often it would seem.
Gathering up his courage, he vowed that when he got home he would sit his son down and talk this thing out. That he would make Raito see reason. That he would do the best he could; by himself and by his beloved Sachiko.
With that in mind he bent back over his computer and got back to work.
After all, Kira wouldn't catch himself.