Warning: Both disclaimer and story include spoilers up to and including volume 7! After that, not even I know what happens, but if you haven't read volume 7, and don't want to know major spoilers – do NOT read. If you don't mind spoilers or have already read, then please go ahead
Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of its Characters. If I did, L would never have died and There would've been a lot more yaoi laugh
Summary: In the year 2010, Kira's will has almost become the law. Raito has no more competition as the chief inspector of the NPA. Even if the role of 'L' was relinquished a year earlier, at the same time as Near and Mello got wiped from history, he has no problem, since he holds the entire police force of Japan, as well as well as the role of the worlds 'saviour', Kira. There are slight complications with the now upcoming discussions about disbanding the police, but he doesn't see it as a long-term problem.
Everything seems to be going fine, up until Friday the thirteenth of August, when something pretty unpredictable happens. One of the newly dead criminals, who got killed by Kira's judgement, suddenly reawakens on the hospital, three hours after her death. Shocked at this information, Raito decides to get information from the woman. But she has no memories of her life whatsoever, only her name, age and a cryptic phrase; "Once is once – but everyone gains a second chance."
Deciding to go home to think the entire situation over, he finds another shocking surprise waiting. For if a woman who has been dead can reawaken… then why couldn't also someone else?
Warnings: Yaoi (malexmale), Violence, Language
Well, with that in mind, why don't we get started? And my dears, please don't forget to review It would make a poor authoresses' day if you could take the time to write a decent review! Tell me what you think
Chapter 9
"Twenty-seven, huh?" Raito glared over his shoulder at the shinigami, as Ryuk had mentioned that very phrase already four times before today. "Who would've thought it?"
"Apparently I wouldn't have thought it, at least." Raito grumbled, eyes narrowing further. He still hadn't gotten over his misstep. It had felt embarrassing to know that he had let his assumption get the better of him. And even more to have let his nemesis know of the fact that he had been that mistaken. It left him, to say the least, quite annoyed. Somehow, the entire incident had made him feel stupid. It was a very unfamiliar feeling, and just as irritating.
"But still, he looks a lot younger than he is… I can't blame you for being mistaken…" Ryuk continued, but something in his voice – and the additional chuckle – made him think that the shinigami actually found it greatly amusing to mention that Yagami Raito had been wrong.
"If you mention anything about his age or me being wrong one more time, Ryuk, I'll make sure you won't have apples for a week." He threatened, glaring as he stepped out of the house, locking the door. It was a fairly nice day, a few clouds, but a comfortable temperature and no rain. And yet, he was in a bad mood. All because of the stupid shinigami.
Just grand…
"!" Ryuk blinked, eyes widening. "Heeeeeey, that's no way to go treat others because you were wrong for a change, Raito. After all, you where the one wrong about his-"
"Not another word!" He hissed, walking down the pathway and out on the street. Maybe he should walk today. After all, he was one hour early. Also because of the stupid shinigami. He really felt like blaming everything on Ryuk now, and he felt justified in doing so.
And, believe it or not, the shinigami did shut his mouth. It was unbelievable, even if relieving. Well, at least now he was even surer that the apples meant more than anything else for Ryuk. And that was a good thing to keep in mind. A very good thing to keep in mind indeed… At least if he intended to live long enough. And he fully intended on that.
Okay, so after that embarrassing incident with the age thing, the conversations had, in less of better words, died. He had taken another cup of coffee while watching the detective carefreely devouring the piece of chocolate cake he had picked out. When Jyiva didn't return in the fifteen minutes that had followed, he had excused himself and left. Ryuzaki had kindly offered to pay for a taxi, but he had waved it off. He ended up taking the subway.
His weekend had followed with Ryuk learning of the entire conversation – and of course the shinigami hadn't been able to stop laughing at it – and constantly bugging him about his shameful mistake.
That was basically all. But he was about ninety-eight percent sure that today wasn't going to be a good day. First of all, he knew Matsuda would be bothering him. Again. Secondly, Hanaya, or some other stupid woman at the office, would most likely hit on him. Again. Only because it was Monday. Matsuda would be asking if he had gotten anything done during the weekend, and if the answer was no, then why he hadn't done anything. And the women were all hoping he had somehow gotten insane from lack of company at home.
Either that - or they thought that all men were suffering from a horrible disease which caused them to forget that they weren't looking for company if they hadn't gotten laid in a certain amount of time. That might be true for many human beings of the male gender – but certainly not Yagami Raito. To him, it was complete foolishness.
In all – it was something he utterly ridiculed. But it annoyed him nevertheless. He had no interest in a female companionship – or any companionship at all for that matter – at the moment. So it wouldn't matter how they all dressed up or acted. With their lack of discipline and utter foolishness they only caused him to grow a certain loathing against them.
The same sort of loathing he had had for Misa's entire personality. Too easily manipulated and too driven by personal desires. No one who acted like that would ever be able to change anything in this world. They all ended up the same – poor pitiful creatures with broken hopes and trashed dreams. And those pitiful creatures were of no use for him. The only reason for Misa's usability was her pitiful love for him and her shinigami eyes. Nothing more.
"Game and set! Six to two!" He glanced up at a sudden shout, finding that the source of it had been the tennis court across the street. He stopped up for a second. Tennis certainly brought back some memories… He snorted softly, shrugging as he turned to walk on.
After all, the last time he had played had been against-
"Hey, Ryuzaki-kun, wanna go for another set?" He blinked, halting his movement. He looked over his shoulder, but he wasn't able to see the tennis court through the bushes. It was just a coincidence, he figured. A trick of his mind, and a bad timing that he had been thinking of the detective just as that name was uttered-
"Since this was my sixth straight set won, Yamamoto-san, your odds of winning just dropped to a mere four percent." Raito narrowed his eyes. No doubt about it…
"Oi, Raito, what are you-?" He heard Ryuk question, but didn't mention it as he had already turned and was about to cross the street. He could hear the one called Yamamoto laugh.
"That's true. You're an incredible player. Ever thought of entering a competition?"
"I'm very sorry to say that my life isn't exactly suited for that sort of activity, but I take great pleasure in these small occasions when I get time to-" Jet black eyes looked up just as Raito closed the gate to the court, the detective cutting his sentence short. The detective's eyes blinked once, and an immediate hint of recognition flickered in them. "-…Raito-kun."
"Never thought I'd see you in this part of town, Ryuzaki." He said, calmly, looking at the other two players. The one who had abruptly stopped laughing when he entered had to be Yamamoto. He guessed the man was in his mid-thirties. However, the thorn his self-confidence in knowing people's ages had gotten, he couldn't bet on it.
"I was just asked to play here by Yamamoto-san, since Ikanashi-san has a long way to go to the court closer to the hotel." Ryuzaki answered, looking patiently at him. "That is all."
So, the second man had to be Ikanashi. He looked slightly younger than Yamamoto, but still… thirty, thirty-two at best. And by the looks of them, he could almost be sure they didn't work with anything all too important. So he dismissed them quite coldly, looking back at the detective. "I see." He took a few steps closer, and saw Ryuzaki's eyes flicker slightly as Ryuk followed. So apparently the other hadn't really grown accustomed to seeing the dark creature follow him.
"So what are you doing here at this early hour, Raito-kun?" The raven-haired male followed with. "If I remember correctly, you usually don't leave for the office until in an hour."
"I just figured I could come in early and get some serious work done before Matsuda arrives." And before the detective could overlook his work. He had figured the detective knew his schedule, and probably would start watching him at that time. And the slightly narrowed look the other gave him showed that Ryuzaki understood why, as well.
However, when he spoke, the detective didn't let it show. "Well, that sounds wise. Matsuda has always been talking too much for one to concentrate." The two other males where watching silently, a slight look of confusion on their faces. Just as Raito was to speak up again, the one named Yamamoto broke in.
"I recognize you from somewhere…" Raito glanced at him calmly.
"I'm assured you do." He answered, with a certain chill to his tone. The man didn't seem to take notice of it, even if Ryuzaki gave him a somewhat scathing look. Stupid people.
"Raito-kun works at the NPA." Ryuzaki said, looking back at Yamamoto. "You might have recognized him from the latest news debates about the police and the possibility of the police force being cut down."
"Oh, yeah, I see now." Ikanashi chimed in, suddenly looking like he had found the solution to all the world's problems. "Yagami Raito, right?"
"…Right." He said, trying to conceal his disgust to the simplicity of the other man. And he couldn't understand the reason to which Ryuzaki would associate with people like these. They were far below his level. So why? It made him angry, or rather, annoyed. Why would the detective waste his time with simple people like these when he would only waste his own intellect on them?
"So how do you know him, Ryuzaki-kun?" L glanced at Yamamoto, blinking once. Raito scowled a little. Of course the detective couldn't say that he knew him from working on a case…
"We've worked together one time." Ryuzaki said, simply. "And we attended To-Ou University together."
"…Ah, so that's how it is…" the two men nodded, as if this was the most logical thing in the world. Raito was struck with how dumb they were. They didn't even ask about how or when they worked together – they just accepted it? Just how stupid where they?
This just made him question even more why Ryuzaki would bother with them. "Also, we played tennis together once." He blinked, glancing at the detective with a frown. What did that have to do with anything…?
Unless….
"So he plays tennis too?" Ikanashi asked. "Hey, Yagami-kun, would you like to play a set or two?"
Of course… He gave the detective a small glare, only replied with a small smile. "I'm not so sure that'll work, I do not have any clothes, for a first-"
"-Which reminds me…" Ryuzaki cut in, walking over to the side of the court, picking up a small bag. "I brought the clothes I borrowed, Raito-kun. I was planning on giving them to you after you finished work, but now you're here…"
He narrowed his eyes further at the barely-concealed smile on the other's face. He knew that he now really didn't have a reason to not play, since Ryuzaki was doing fine in baggy jeans and sweatshirt. The detective had it all thought out, hadn't he? The reason for playing here didn't have much to do with Ikanashi, he guessed. "Still, I have to head for the office…"
"Not in another fifty-two minutes and forty seconds, Raito-kun."
That was when he realized he had walked straight into a trap. "…You have this perfectly planned out, haven't you?" He asked, but he knew the other was going to deny it.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Raito-kun. After all, I can't decide people's actions." He heard Ryuk laugh behind him, and he narrowed his eyes, before closing them and absently pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Okay… fine. One set. No more." He could see the detective show the smile, no longer concealing it.
"Thank you, Raito-kun." He said, handing him the bag. "If you want, you can change in the locker room, it should still be open."
He snorted and took the bad, giving the raven-haired male a scathing look.
He was going to get the detective back for this, for sure.
DeathNote
"Game count, Six to five!" Raito wiped his forehead and glared at Ikanashi, who was yet again shouting out the count abnormally loudly. As if they couldn't count for themselves.
"Are you tired, Raito-kun?" Ryuzaki asked, receiving the ball from Yamamoto.
"I haven't played in quite some while, I must be a bit rusty." He answered, grumbling.
"Yes, your reactions are a little slower than they used to be." Ryuzaki admitted. "New Game."
"…" Raito glanced at the scoring board for a second. If Ryuzaki won this game, he'd win with seven to five. However, if he won, they'd go six all – and have to play a tiebreak game. And he wasn't sure he'd have time for that. Even so… to just give up and lose against Ryuzaki, of all people… He looked back at the detective. It wouldn't be a good thing. He would try his best for this.
Definitely.
DeathNote
"Deuce." Four to four. Raito knew. He had been lucky, since Ryuzaki had an advantage just the game point before. If he could just win two points now, they'd go to a tie…
He was a little slow, he realized as the other served. He took a quick step to the right, but felt that it wouldn't be enough, even if he hit. Sure enough, he hit the ball, but with the amount of lost force he had had, the ball grazed the net, over to the other's court. And he knew what was next, as Ryuzaki took a step forward. As the detective hit, the ball rocketed back to his court, and he desperately tried to hit it to no avail.
"Dead net." He said, while shaking his head. He heard Ryuzaki say something to Ikanashi, but couldn't hear what.
He sighed, but looked up again as Yamamoto returned the ball to Ryuzaki. "Advantage." Again. This was getting ridiculous. And the time was passing, all too fast. But he couldn't afford to lose.
He was better prepared this time, and sent the ball back with a lot more accuracy, allowing a lesser chance for the other to smash again. For he knew of the other's tennis abilities, and also that the other was in better condition for it, however that now was possible. Perhaps because Ryuzaki was used to playing in his usual clothes while Raito had more problems playing in jeans? Could be, but he wouldn't say it.
He returned another time, moving to the left and waiting for the other's move. As predicted, Ryuzaki had been forced to hit it towards Raito's left. He allowed himself to go a step closer to the net, creating some intimidation as the other knew that if he got a clear shot he'd smash. He couldn't this time, and sent it back to Ryuzaki, who backed one step. He smirked. Perfect.
However… He blinked, as Ryuzaki suddenly looked up at him, challenging, and…
Jumped.
He could only blink as the detective apparently risked it on this shot, as a jump was never good if you got a return on it. However, he now understood why Ryuzaki had taken a step back. He would have a better line for a shot to…
The right. It clicked just as the other's racket made contact with the ball. No – way! He took a quick step back and to the right. The other had turned it against him. He saw two things. The ball approaching, and the detective crouching slightly for the land.
His step back hadn't been wise.
The ball hit closer to the net on his side than he had predicted, and due to the angle of the shot, it went higher in the air than it would usually. He grit his teeth and jumped, feeling the ball graze his racket –
- Before it hit the steel net of the court just behind his shoulder. He landed again, parrying with a slight crouch of his legs, sighing heavily as he looked over his shoulder. What a pain.
"Game and set! Seven games to five!" Ikanashi announced, and he really felt like asking for the man's first name. He had just won a sure place in a certain black notebook.
"Great game." Yamamoto exclaimed, having picked the ball up. "Great game indeed."
"Hmph." Raito snorted, returning the man's racket to him before looking towards Ryuzaki, who was speaking with Ikanashi. He walked over to them, and the detective silenced, looking at him. "Good game." He extended his hand in a sign of good sportsmanship, even if his smile was slightly strained.
"Indeed it was." Ryuzaki nodded, taking his hand shortly. "It seems as if you still have five minutes before you should be leaving for the office."
"We made it in time." Was the other trying to see if he had lost on purpose? He shrugged. "I'll go change…" He left the three of them and went on to the locker room. He grimaced slightly as he realized he didn't have a towel. He'd have to use the showers at the NPA later on… Stupid tennis game… He shook his head and changed, frowning again.
As he left the locker room again, both bag and briefcase in hand, he glanced over at the three again. Ikanashi was chatting without much stop, and Yamamoto chimed in with comments now and then. He couldn't hear them, but they sounded awfully cheerful. Ryuzaki was watching them, on occasion nodding to affirm something.
But that wasn't what bothered him with the scene.
It was the fact that the detective smiled. He smiled at the other two conversing. They weren't even speaking completely coherent. They were just simple folks without much wit or knowledge for that matter.
A little like Matsuda.
So why!? Without himself even noticing, he had stalked over to the three, and Ryuzaki looked at him, seeming a little surprised. "Shouldn't you be heading for the office, Raito-kun?"
"…" He had to think, quickly. He had to ask the detective what was so interesting with these two, without them being present. "…Would you accompany me?"
"Pardon?"
"It would be nice to have someone to talk to on the way, if you don't mind?" He gave a small smile, trying to not seem strained or in any way stressed. Ikanashi and Yamamoto watched silently, the latter blinking once.
"If you so wish, then I'll be glad to." Ryuzaki gave a small nod. "Ikanashi-san, Yamamoto-san, I'll play with you again some other time."
"Sure thing." Ikanashi nodded, grinning. "It's always nice playing with you, Ryuzaki-kun."
Raito turned away, grimacing. Such… pitiful creatures. This world was full of them. No reason to get rid of them, but they annoyed him. Was this world only consistent of idiots and criminals? It almost seemed that way. Oh, he was really easily annoyed these days.
And the reason for that strange annoyance had just finished packing his things, and was now present at his side on the way out. "So, Raito-kun, are you trying to show up a friendly appearance or was there actually a real reason for you to ask me to accompany you?"
Okay, so he had been transparent. Fine. "I was merely bothered by the way you interacted with them."
"How so?" A hint of amusement was present in the other's voice, but it was so slight that Raito almost missed it.
"They are in no way near your level of intelligence, and yet you seem to enjoy a conversation with them, why?"
"…" Jet black eyes looked at him from under equally dark bangs. "You must understand, Raito-kun, that during my entire original lifetime, I was surrounded by brilliant minds such as ours, and the only topic I ever casually discussed always had some connection to a case or an unsolved mystery or puzzle."
"I figured that much." He said, frowning. "But isn't your intellect wasted on such simple minds as theirs?"
"Actually, it's funny you'd say that." Raito arched a brow, urging the other to continue as they walked down the otherwise empty street. "Seeing as most people in this world don't have our brilliant intellect, it should seem that we question their interests. However, to them, we are equally puzzling. Why people with our level of intelligence would never comprehend the simple amusement of a video game, for example."
"I used to play video games." He stated. "So I don't see your point."
"Did you really play video games, Raito-kun?" Ryuzaki smiled softly. "I tried it once, but quit when I realized I couldn't play it the way it should be played. I constantly solved the game, knew every twist and turn it would take, after less than half an hour. I understood everything you were supposed to do at a simple glance, and in the end just analyzed the way it could have been improved when concerning graphics, music or programming. I couldn't at all realize as to why people found them amusing – as they were so simple."
"Well, they aren't hard, at least…"
"Not to us, no. And that's the point, Raito-kun." Ryuzaki stopped for a red light, and Raito gave him a sceptical look. "To them, they are hard, puzzling, and amazing in the aspects of graphic and programming. Because they don't try and go deeper. They don't have the natural urge to break everything down into small pieces and realize the entirety. They just play it. Taking each challenge one at a time, puzzling over them, and trying to defeat them with their own power."
"Their pitiful if they have to use their entire brainpower to decipher those puzzles."
"No, they aren't. We are the same." Raito blinked, and the light switched to green. "We also seek challenges. However, since we are, in fact, smarter than other people, we need something more challenging than a simple video game. Like finding the cure for cancer, or find out if there is life on other planned with advanced technology. But underneath intelligence, we're the same. We wish to defeat the challenges we give ourselves. We wish to conquer the problems and stand victorious."
"…I never thought about that…" Raito hummed, accepting the theory to a degree. But he still didn't understand. "But what has that to do with you interacting with those two?"
"Because it was by interacting with Ikanashi-san and Yamamoto-san that I realized these facts, Raito-kun. And I promise you, even if I so had studied human nature with all those brilliant minds, I wouldn't have gotten to know that. We are too smart to realize that without comparing ourselves to other human beings, putting aside all thoughts of social standards and intellect." Ryuzaki gave him a smirk. "It's quite the same way that the police back in the 20th century tried to find the criminals. They used the help of specialists, and ordinary officers together, and tried to see it from the criminal's point of view. From the investigation they could find out the correct profile for the criminal."
"They added the thought pattern of the criminal after breaking him down to any other human, is that so?" It puzzled him, how the other surprised him with these sorts of things.
"Indeed. From that point, they could realize what natural human urges were used, and also then break out the special features of the criminal. Quite brilliant, I'd say." Ryuzaki stopped, as the NPA building was just around the corner. "Matsuda would be arriving in a few minutes, and I presume you wouldn't want him to see me, correct?"
"Correct." He nodded. Ryuzaki hummed in understanding.
"Very well, I'll hear from you another time then, Raito-kun…" Ryuzaki turned and returned the way they'd come. Then he stopped, abruptly, looking at him over his shoulder. Raito frowned, wondering why… Until he looked down and understood.
His hand had firmly gripped the other's wrist, preventing him from taking another step. He blinked, looking back up. "Uhm…"
"Was there something more you wanted?" Ryuzaki asked, patiently, even though he looked a bit unnerved.
"Uhm… no…" He shook his head, and let go. Ryuzaki tilted his head slightly, but then shrugged, and continued to walk away. Raito stood silent, watching his back. Then he looked down on his hand, frowning.
If all humans, underneath intelligence and social standards, where the same… Then what natural urge had made him grab the other's wrist?
Why had he been trying to prevent the other from walking away?
Oh, Raito cutie, you can wonder about that for a while snicker Anyway! Hope you liked! It's developing, slowly but surely… Keep feeding me reviews – they keep me going 3
/Keyhala
