Chapter Ten
Matching Love
Light leaned against a wall, his hood up and head down. He was listening, waiting, for the officers walking down the street to pass.
Lately there had been a rise in the number of police out at night. It was good and bad. More police meant less crime, less work for Light to distract himself with. But no amount of police could stop all crime. And while trained, they did not know where to look the way Light did.
Luckily they meant he'd have to worry less about muggings and the likes, and could focus more on case work. Solving the cases the police put aside or ones they were stumped on.
He held a phone in his hands, playing solitaire to seem less conspicuous. Just another young adult embracing the technology this generation was dependent on. Nothing more then a glance has given his way by the officers. Good.
Light flipped the phone closed and slipped it into his pocket, making sure it was on silent.
Silently he stalked away from the main street down a back alley. Music and voices came from a bar be passed. A few people hung outside. Quickly profiling them he deemed none of them a threat. One did seem like the tough guy type, but by his stance Light could assess that he was not as tough as his clothes claimed he was. They appeared to be waiting for a cab, judging by how the girl kept glancing down the street, looking bored.
Turning onto the next street, Light saw a stray cat run across the street. Its shadow was elongated by the street lamp. It stopped just before turning a corner to give him a look and a dismissing meow.
Cats were the animal Light respected the most. They were smart and clever. Useful when it came to pest control. They took care of themselves for the most part, have calm and collected demeanors, unlike dogs.
There was someone else on this street, but they kept their distance. Light studied them for a bit, feeling they were doing the same. The other person then quickly turned away and left. Odd, but not uncommon. This time of night was not the time of night people tried to make friends.
It was getting late, or early. The sun would in a few hours, so the streets would soon be dead until dawn, as dead as they ever get in Tokyo. Metropolises never sleep, but typically the vermin of the population tends to retire by now. Another night on the streets concluded.
Not much work had been done tonight. Not unexpected. Hit or miss was the way they went. If Light was more then one person he could accomplish so much more.
Finished, Light turned around and walked to his final destination for the night. It was a bit far to walk, but the subways and buses weren't running. Cabs were out of the question, and Light owned no bicycle. Walking was no issue. He walked everywhere. It kept him strong.
Walking this time, though, was a little annoying. He had gone further away then he intended, which meant he'd be late.
It took awhile, but he finally arrived to the hotel. He entered, giving a slight nod to the employee behind the desk. She looked up from their book and gave him a quick glance, then returned to her book.
Light headed straight to the elevator. Some floors up he got off and walked to one of the doors. He softly knocked on it, in respect for the other guests on the floor. The door opened almost immediately, revealing a blank-face Ryuzaki.
"You're late."
"I'm sorry." Light apologized. He slipped in and Ryuzaki shut the door behind him. Two wine glasses waited for them on the coffee table with an open wine bottle and a variety of cheeses. It all looked nice, but a little over done. Light could tell Ryuzaki rarely entertained.
They both sat on the couch and launched into a debate over nothing in particular. This was the third time they had gotten together since the first night. They haven't left the hotel like they did the first night. Mainly because they met at odd times in the night when no where but bars were open, but a lot because they couldn't be bothered. Both were more relaxed in private, and the conversation flowed more easily.
The wine flowed freely, and the bed was never far away. Each night started the same, long conversations over drinks and food, followed usually by some kissing then retiring to the bedroom for the night.
It was all very casual. Things started when Ryuzaki gave Light a call, reminding him he had at some point that night given Ryuzaki his number. He believed it was because Ryuzaki promised to give him a certain book that he couldn't find at the time.
Light, a little surprised, happily agreed to the invite. That time they had scheduled it late, for Ryuzaki had some previous engagements that would keep him busy awhile, but Light didn't mind, since it allowed him to do what he usually did each night.
Neither man reveal to the other what they were up to, Ryuzaki for sure knowing Light was not always working at the book store. They had an unspoken agreement not to dig to deep into the other's affairs, but that did not stop Ryuzaki from continuing his mission to figure out why Light was in that bridge.
Light would sometimes comply and answer a question here or there, sometimes truthfully, sometimes not. Ryuzaki would watch him with his cool, calculating eyes, not revealing if he believed the answers or not. It was a careful dance.
This was not an emotional tryst, just an escape from the tedium of what his life had become. Not that chasing bad guys was boring, but nothing was truly fulfilling.
Ryuzaki had beaten him in waking up each morning since the first time. Light wasn't sure if he even slept at all. Light on the other hand had been sleeping amazingly well. He still had a somewhat fitful sleep, his past plaguing his mind when his guard was down, but it was not bad enough to wake his and deprive him of the much needed rest. Anyways he felt fully refreshed each morning.
The feeling was familiar, comfortable. Reminiscent of his time spent with Yasuo…
At some point in the night the conversation turned to tennis.
"Do you play tennis?" Ryuzaki asked him.
"I suppose I do." Light answered coyly, leaning back into the cushioned chair he sat on.
"How well would you say you play?" Ryuzaki questioned, sitting up straight, biting his thumb.
"Not bad. Played a bit in middle school and some of high school…" Light shrugged, knowing he was being modest. He knew that Ryuzaki would see right through his words.
Ryuzaki abruptly pulled out his phone and dialed. They both sat still as it rang, Light watching Ryuzaki curiously. Someone soon picked up on the other end.
"Excuse me, This is the guest staying in the Sakura private suite. Can I have immediate access to the tennis court, some balls, and two racquets? As soon as possible." Ryuzaki demanded in his robotic tone.
"Really?" Light said, incredulously.
Ryuzaki ignored him, listening intently to his phone.
Light propped his head up with his elbow, waiting.
"Yes. Thank you," He confirmed. He flipped the phone closed and placed it back in his pocket and stood up. He gave Light a once over. "Are you fine playing in that, or do you want to borrow a change of clothes?"
"Seriously?" Light asked.
"Am I ever anything but one-hundred percent serious?" Ryuzaki retorted.
"But it's so late." He argued.
"So?"
"Does this hotel even have a court?"
"No. We are going to the Prime Minister's personal court. Highly exclusive. Only for the best and the brightest."
"See! You aren't serious all the time." The ravenette glowered at him.
Fake scowling back, Light let out a huff. Why the hell not?
"I guess I could use…" Light started, looking down at what he wore, tight jeans, hoodie, dress shirt and work shoes, "other pants and shoes." His undershirt should do fine.
Ryuzaki nodded and disappeared into the bedroom. A minute later he reappeared holding one of his infamous pairs of baggy jeans, and nothing else.
"More jeans?" Light remarked.
"I remember they were baggy enough on you that they shouldn't be a hindrance. Better then your own pair." Did this man really own no other kinds of clothes?
"No shoes?" He feared he already knew the answer.
"I do fine without." Ryuzaki replied, lifting his bare foot and wriggling his toes.
Light gave up. "Can I at least get a belt?"
"That request is doable." Ryuzaki returned to the bedroom and came back with a belt. The younger man got up and grabbed the jeans and belt from the older and brushed past him to go to the bathroom to change.
"No show?" Ryuzaki questioned.
"Go fuck yourself." Light elegantly responded, shutting the door.
He unbuttoned and slipped off the dress shirt, keeping on the white wife beater underneath, then kicked off his shoes and changed from his own to the baggier jeans. They were as uncomfortable as before, but the belt at least made things better. After a small debate in his head he decided to go sockless, since he might slip, but the thought of walking barefoot through a hotel and while playing was unpleasant.
When he came out Ryuzaki was already holding two tennis racquets in bags. Looks like the staff had already come and gone. Light couldn't help but notice how quick they were about it and how few words Ryuzaki had to say to make this all happen.
It was obvious Ryuzaki had a lot of money. The man didn't even seem to give spending it a second thought, and judging by the way the hotel employees and the restaurant did not hesitate in kissing his ass, they knew too.
Grabbing a racket from Ryuzaki he led the movement out of the suite to the court, falling back after going through the door to let Ryuzaki lead. After all he had no idea where the tennis court was.
He trudged after the man the rest of the way there, still a bit in disbelief that they were actually going to play. It was about three or four in the morning! Light new Ryuzaki's stubbornness, so he didn't bother trying to fight it anymore.
When they finally arrived to the tennis court they took out their racquets and did some stretches as they walked to opposite sides of the court. It was deserted except for them. Light couldn't help but think it was eerie but then laughed at himself, since he had been in plenty a scarier places alone.
Ryuzaki served first, hitting an easy one for Light to return. He hit an easy one back, and this went on for awhile, as they warmed up and tested each other's abilities. Then out of no where Light struck like lightning, making Ryuzaki miss.
Narrowing his eyes in Light's direction, Ryuzaki wordlessly went to get the ball. They started up a volley again, but Ryuzaki launched an attack of him own. Light was ready for him and almost effortlessly returned it. The battle officially began, as now with each swing they hit hard and fast, each trying to trip up the other.
As the points accumulated, they stayed neck in neck. As soon as one scored the other quickly closed the deal. It took all of Light's concentration. It has been so long since he has played with a partner, and longer since he played with someone who was a challenge.
A fatal mistake occurred and Light swung and missed, making Ryuzaki victorious.
Light blamed it on his shoeless feet and demanded a rematch. Ryuzaki couldn't refuse as Light picked up and served the ball his way immediately. The older man was not going to just let the younger win by forfeit.
They played two more games, Light winning each time. He suspected the second win was fake, but by this point he was exhausted and accepted the false victory in exchange for rest.
As soon as they got back to the room Light laid down on the couch and despite his half-hearted desire to shower off the sweat he fell asleep almost instantly.
The sleep was peaceful, utter exhaustion warding off all bad dreams. Sadly the wake up was not as pleasant.
He barely heard someone call out his name before toppling off the couch onto the ground. He opened his eyes to see the bored-looking Ryuzaki standing above him.
"You need to go." He stated, dropping a bundle of Light's clothes on top of him before walking away.
"Bastard," Light murmured sleepily before grabbing his jacket and pulling it on. Everything else he place into his bag before putting on his shoes and leaving with nothing more then an unanswered good-bye.
Ryuzaki seemed to be a man who got very involved in what ever work he did, and when he did it seemed his level of social grace went even lower then before, if possible. This is how the mornings had ended so far, but usually Light had the luck to wake up and eat a Wallingford breakfast before Ryuzaki's work began.
Outside the hotel Light hurried his pace to get home. Even though this was not technically a walk of shame (like the other morning had been more or less) he felt gross for not showering.
At home, a quick shower later, he was listening to the morning news as he reviewed his case notes. The police had taken his tip, and the illegal weapons drop had been successfully stopped, but Light knew he was just scraping at the surface of the illegal weapon ring. At least a few players were now arrested and out of the game and the drops impeded by the police watching the docks.
But there was a problem. The police were being drawn away from the docks at the moment as they were forced to patrol elsewhere as a futile attempt to prevent another gruesome murder.
The Kitchen Killer was now infamous. A serial killer who went around stabbing the shit out of people with a common kitchen knife. The person now had five killings attributed to him, despite all the police's effort to scare him off the streets.
Rumors were that the great detective L himself was on the case. Light had at first wondered why, but he understood when he saw that each victim was from a completely different background. And the most recent victim had been discovered by a reporter before the police, so now pictures flooded the internet and everyone knew how truly insane the killings were.
They said each body was found the same way with the same injuries, so seeing the absolutely torn up carcass of Yoko Harimushio brought to light just how serious this case was.
When Light first saw the pictures it gave him a horrible flashback. He was a kid again, drenched in the blood of his father as his mother stared at him as she drove the knife into his chest again and again…
Very few details were let out about this case and Light didn't dare go searching for more. L was on the case and would probably notice someone hacking into the case. Light was sure he could get away with it, but it was a risk not worth it.
He'd keep an eye out for the killer, but so far he'd seen nothing.
Takada's voice caught his attention when she mentioned the Kitchen Killer. He had struck again, bringing his total to six. A jogger had found it an hour ago, getting the shock of a lifetime. The body was found not too far from where Light had been last night. He mentally cursed at himself for not being more vigilant.
L better solve this shit soon…
Light switched off the tv and returned to his case notes, not wanting to hear anymore on the subject.
You. Yes you. The one reading this author's note. Yes, I do mean you. Thanks for reading. It really means a lot to me. When ever I update I check constantly to see if I get views, follows, and reviews. Nothing makes me feel better. It makes me want to lean over to the stranger sitting next to me and say, "You know, I wrote a story and people, real people, on the internet like it."
Really, reviews make my day.
I'm trying to avoid writers block, like I had with the last chapter. Sorry about the long wait for that.
…
Why did the beaver not get involved in the rival beaver's business scandal?
Because he was minding his own dam business.