AN: AHHH I missed engaging in this fandom so much! Boy am I glad that I finally have the mental bandwidth freed up to continue with this.

Also, in the course of my research (into DN), I restumbled into the rabbit hole of DN memes. Here's one of the ones I keep snickering at any time it resurfaces in my mind:

L: I think I'm gonna lay down… …

L: THE LAW! You all thought I was going to bed! Justice never sleeps, haha suckers!

Of course he'll never say that out loud, but damn does he embody that kind of attitude towards Light!

AN2: Rui's being a little mean to Light in her head, but that's 'cos she's in a bad mood. For all you Light fans, I do apologise, but things should change later on. I think. This story writes itself, sometimes.

AN3: I'm actually really nervous about this chapter. It does contain a little bit of L's point of view, but I'm not sure that I wrote him IC. I've rewritten this thrice -_-. Maybe I'll even come back to rewrite this again. We'll see.

EDIT: Replaced 'handler' with 'caretaker'. Watari hasn't retired, he's just doing other things for L.

Chapter 14: Friends

May 26, 2004; 16 00

"Raito, good timing," Ryuzaki said, turning to see Light as soon as Rui opened the door. "We just got another message from the Second Kira."

"Another one?" Light grumbled, putting his messenger bag down. "The frequency of these messages is getting annoying." Oh? You and me both, Rui thought sardonically. Also, your face is annoying. The lack of sleep was doing nothing for her mood.

Her mind was clearer now in the light of day. What happened before was a fluke, probably brought on by feelings of loneliness on her part, which were intensified by lowered emotional inhibitions due to her physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. Damn, she must be more tired than she'd thought, because she didn't quite understand that last sentence. In any case, Ryuzaki had probably been going to call her out on it last night. There was no way, no chance at all of anything happening between Ryuzaki and Rui, and she had created a Pro-List of Compelling Reasons supporting the View that it was a Mere Fluke.

Reason number zero: he was an anime/manga character and she could not be sexually attracted to fictional characters, even if she fangirled over them. Reason number one: she would be going back to her world, and that was her main goal. She wasn't interested in anything else. Reason number two: he was asexual and aromantic. She didn't care what he said that night with the waffles. He was asexual and aromantic, and therefore the possibility of it being more than a fluke, was nil. Reason number three: she wasn't in the right headspace for anything besides survival, and therefore her actions were brought on only by a desire for comfort. Reason number four: he was younger than her. She didn't like younger men like that. Reason number five: he was unattractive. Reason number six: he was her boss, and you don't sh*t where you eat. She had an allergy to workplace romances after that one time. Reason number seven: canon never showed how he'd be in a romantic/sexual relationship. He could be a deviant or… or something. That would be something she'd have to take into account… No, wait, she needed to try again. Reason number seven: canon never showed how he'd be in a romantic/sexual relationship. He could have unsavory ways. Anything less than avoidance of that possibility would be foolish and non-conducive to her survival in this crazy world. She knew that full well. Therefore, what happened last night was a fluke and she'd just have to take care of herself better. Thank you for coming to my TED-talk. And she was sure that she wasn't even using the meme correctly. Whatever.

"I won't use Kira's name to speak in public anymore. Thanks to the police for suggestions… However, I want to help Kira and get his approval. I'll start by punishing the criminals that Kira has not yet taken care of… Lastly, I am willing to share this power with everyone that wants to help us. I hope the world will change for the better," the video plays.

Shit, Rui thought. "After seeing this…," Ryuzaki stated, "I feel that the Second Kira must've contacted Kira already…"

Misa must have contacted Light late the night before. Mogi had only begun his surveillance duties this morning. Light's face was being kind of scary.

"What makes you say that?" he asked Ryuzaki.

"… you don't think so?" Ryuzaki asked, reaching out for strawberry crème donuts. "I thought Raito-kun would feel the same way." Ryuzaki was being exceptionally tetchy and sarcastic today, and Rui was adamantly trying not to look at him. Lack of sleep was probably affecting him more than he let on. He didn't even try to needle Light further before he launched into his explanation, probably not wanting any more of Light's feigned confusion.

"First, he's no longer saying anything about meeting Kira. Secondly, he said that he wants to get Kira's approval by punishing criminals that Kira didn't. Does that mean that he didn't think so before? It doesn't make sense unless the two Kiras have met. In which case, Kira told him to start carrying out the punishments."

Chewing his donut calmly with his back to Light, he finished, "Kira also must've told him to keep the fact that they've met a secret."

"I see…" Light replied, as Ryuzaki kept one eye on him. "Then Kira's decision is rather reckless this time."

"Yes," Ryuzaki said. "Even though he didn't cover all the tracks… Maybe they're playing with us by hinting that they've met. Since a meeting between them is quite a terrifying thing." Ryuzaki was now laying down the groundwork for his insult.

"But if that's so, the chance of Raito-kun being Kira would decrease again," he finally said. "If Raito-kun was Kira, he wouldn't tell the second Kira to send such a message. Instead, he would tell him to force L… me to appear on TV," Ryuzaki explained. "The message would've been: 'Even though I would have stopped if the real Kira told me to, I don't think that the other Kira message was real anymore. If L dies, Kira should be happy. I have no reason to stop." There it was. The backhanded compliment and insult.

Rui bit her lip to stop from crowing at the pensive expression on Light's face. Yeah, the effects of sleep deprivation struck again. In any case, Light knew he'd done goofed. Perhaps he'd been too keen to get Misa out of his shiny auburn hair. Unfortunately, he wasn't ready to admit it. "Ryuzaki…"

"Hm?"

"If I were Kira, I wouldn't do that," Light stated.

"Why not?"

"If Ryuzaki is L, then I know L's personality all too well. No matter what happens, L will never show himself on TV. He will never sacrifice himself. He will definitely find some way around it," Light declared adamantly.

Translation: I so accounted for that, which is why I didn't play it that way. Also, I know you're trying to test me, so I saw through you and you're the one who's done goofed. Neener!

It wasn't that Rui was on Light's side, but if he kept letting his childish pride get the better of him instead of trying to play the stupid, he really shouldn't blame Ryuzaki at all for fixating on him as the first Kira. Hmm, how would she have responded in Light's position? She'd probably smile and say something along the lines of 'hahaha, not Kira here but that's high praise from you, Ryuzaki. That's great news, right Dad?' Or maybe addressing Dad would've been laying it on too thick? Or maybe she would've put in a jab: 'hahaha, not Kira here but that's high praise from you, Ryuzaki. I'm sure Ryuzaki too would've done the same.' Or was that too bold? But maybe her personality was too different from Light's, and Ryuzaki would've been even more suspicious if Light had said what she would say. After all, he was the genius, not her. But… Wouldn't someone who wasn't Kira keep denying it out of indignation? She wasn't sure.

"You're right," Ryuzaki admitted sheepishly after a tense pause, widening his eyes in a way that made him look too childish, silly and harmless to be capable of anything more than social awkwardness.

"Light!" Yagami Sr. was now in Papa Bear mode. "Even if it's just hypothetical, don't say things like 'if I were Kira'." See? even Yagami Sr. thought Light was accepting his position as suspect too easily. "Even though I know that you're not, it still hurts me to hear it."

GoSh, YoU'rE eMbArRaSsInG mE, DaD… Rui imagined Light thinking. I was trying to prove my intellectual dominance over Ryuzaki by throwing his words back at him and this Papa Bear intervention is cramping my style. Of course, his actual reaction wasn't half as interesting.

"Ah… Sorry, Dad," Light replied mildly. "I just wanted to tell Ryuzaki what I thought. The faster we solve this case, the faster I can prove my innocence. And by saying stuff like 'If I were Kira', it shows that I am not Kira. You worry too much, Dad."

"Aye, Raito-kun shouldn't be Kira…," Ryuzaki affirmed, turning away and beginning to prepare another overly-sugared cup of coffee for himself. "But if he were, I would be in turmoil…" He stared at the swirling mass of black coffee and white sugar cubes in his cup, pausing for effect.

"Because Raito-kun is the first friend I've ever had," he finished, sipping on his sugar-laden coffee. Rui would've almost believed him, but for the fact that his eyes were rolled up just so and his back was to Light. Ryuzaki really wasn't in a good mood today.

Aaaand the emotional manipulation starts. L had already surmised that Light had a very deeply-wired ingrained response to seek approval from those around him, and to maintain the approval of those who already thought favorably of him. Ryuzaki was now presenting himself as one of the latter parties, forcing Light to act as a friend back to him. He was probably hoping Light would let down his guard more if he subconsciously considered Ryuzaki a friend. Perhaps it would make it harder for Light to kill him, too? Or maybe she was understanding the game wrong. She wasn't sure. She hadn't been very sure of many things since she'd come here.

Come to think of it, had Ryuzaki ever done the same to her?

'Rui is… easy to get along with. I would be surprised if anyone had a bad opinion involving Rui.'

Crap! She should be ashamed of her own gullibility! Rui hadn't sensed any ill intent from what he'd said, but for him to know enough about her to say that… and from the way he'd managed to powerfully affect her just from that, she knew he'd already sussed her out. That was dangerous because sometimes, Rui wasn't even sure she really knew herself. Still. The irony was not lost on her – for years she'd wanted someone to understand her, and now when someone did, it was in fact an undesirable situation. Honestly, what was the point in her figuring stuff like this out if it happened too late for her to make use of it?

As if he'd sensed her thoughts, his gaze surreptitiously flicked to her before he continued talking, causing her to tense a little. If she'd not known to watch, she'd never have detected it. Ryuk and Light were still reeling at his 'confession'. Light, in particular, had to know this was complete nonsense.

"Yeah… I also feel that Ryuzaki is an irreplaceable friend," Light replied, bouncing back with a warm smile. There it was, the need to reciprocate social graces. "It's been boring since you don't come to class anymore. I hope I can play tennis with you again."

"Ah, certainly," Ryuzaki smiled and turned away from Light. "After Kira and the Second Kira… No, after this whole Kira incident is taken care of, let's play again," he replied pleasantly. "I hope that day arrives soon." There it was again. Dude had zero chill today.

"Right now, no matter where I go, I get chills down my spine whenever I see someone looking at me," he mused. He didn't move, but his words caused Rui to look away from him abruptly. She wasn't certain that that sentence was in fact a lie. "Maybe it's better if I don't hide…" Maybe she HAD been looking too much at him.

The rest of the task force were staring at his back in varying expressions of pity and sympathy. Yagami Sr. didn't seem convinced, though. Smart man. Had Rui said she liked Yagami Sr.? Because she did.

"I guess I'll be going home now," Light finally announced, breaking the silence.

"Take care," Ryuzaki replied, rather pleasantly by his standards.

May 27, 2004; 05 00

L considered Rui as she bustled about, getting him ready for the day. Though no less efficient, her touches were softer, gentler than Watari's, and he wasn't yet used to them. L hadn't much experience interacting with women. Were all women this gentle? L could feel the air shift around behind him when Rui moved closer, the soft scent of peaches and cinnamon wafting in his nose. He shivered a little as she began to gently brush his hair. He had allowed himself to get too distracted with his planning to catch that reflex, and he chewed more viciously at his thumb.

Rui noticed his shiver, of course. "Oh, is it too cold? I suppose it must be, since it's still early," she murmured, turning up the temperature of the AC, before prattling on about the food she had prepared for him for the day. "We have chocolate donuts and matcha donuts. I suppose you'd be wanting half of each type, and your customary coffee for breakfast?"

No. L was fond of coffee, but he thought it might be too much caffeine for his confrontation with Light later. As it was, there was a jittery squirming in the base of his stomach. It was one of the signs of a good chase. 98% of the cases he had solved and deemed most satisfying had involved a good chase.

Rui noticed many things. Before he had fully decided whether to go to the trouble of bringing this up, she quickly added, "Or not. Perhaps Darjeeling tea would go better with chocolate?"

"That will be acceptable," L replied with his customary listlessness. "Thank you, Rui." She merely hummed before she left to retrieve his breakfast.

He had not been comfortable with the decision to have Rui replace Watari as his caretaker, but his handler had claimed that he was getting on in age and needed assistance. Who better to bring into the fold than someone with no better options who already knew L's background? As the days had passed, he had grudgingly admitted to himself that Watari might have been right. Rui was an earnest, devoted worker, and she had not failed him yet.

Still, L had reason to believe Rui's behavior often differed from the norm. Once, in consternation, he had watched her through the cameras, jumping up and down on her bed, wearing three layers of bathrobes and singing into a hairdryer about butterflies and searching for samurai.

The night before, he had caught her sniffing his freshly washed shirt, for reasons known only to her. Perhaps he should have asked. That reminded him, he could not sense any of the animosity he had expected, given what had happened the night before. He had gauged that he had a 99% grasp on her personality, but there had been something he had needed to confirm. Her position of caretaker meant that he would have to be able to trust her at least 99% of the time. Admittedly, on account of the risks of this particular case, he had revised that percentage upwards.

So, that night he'd taken the opportunity to employ one of his favorite interrogation techniques and backed her up against the washing machine, throwing in his best predatory stare. He'd waited, ignoring the oddly-charged atmosphere and the jitters in his belly. It was part of a good chase, after all.

Rui had not disappointed. At first, she had meekly looked at the ground. When she'd finally met his eyes, there was anger, defiance and fear as she pushed him away roughly and moved forward, reclaiming her space, even as she'd trembled and watched him watch her. As he'd slowly approached her again, she had stood her ground instead of backing away, a defiant tilt to her chin even as her lip trembled and he was right in front of her. For a long moment, he'd searched her face. There was no submission in her clear gaze.

He had had to press a thumb to the corner of his lip where a smile had threatened to bloom. He had been right. But then, she had caught him off guard by accusing him of being abnormally fascinated with her. More specifically, she had run a hand up and down his arm and purred the question at him. And when he had tried to regain control of the situation by insinuating that she was trying to flirt with him (he had no idea whether this was true, but he had expected to fluster her), she'd instead tilted her head just so, a compelling, not-so-innocent light in her wide-eyed gaze (which she had no doubt picked up from him), and asked if he had wanted her to be. That was when he had frozen up, finding it too difficult to look away. Waiting just long enough for it to sink in, she had then retreated, laughing and telling him she was only playing. A quick retreat was in order after that.

L decided to put that incident out of his mind, resolving not to be surprised by Rui again, and knowing that he would have to revise his estimate of her.

L knew full well that Rui was often irritated at him. Interestingly, her disregard appeared to be mixed with genuine concern for him, which he was far less used to. Having someone worry about him was…odd, to say the least. He was not sure he liked it, especially with the possibility of it having arisen as a product of Stockholm Syndrome. L had done many things that would, by the rules of the justice system, put him on the same side as the criminals he had made it his business to arrest, but this particular outcome of his actions rather perturbed him this time. He resolved to think more on this later, for there were far more pressing concerns he had to consider.

L believed confronting Light to be a necessity. Surveillance and bugs had already proven to fail, leaving direct interaction with Light the most promising avenue for arrest. He was 99% certain that Yagami Light was Kira, and 94% certain that Amane Misa was the Second Kira, but he needed to confirm that link to bring the percentage up to where he could take action without doubt staying his hand. Mogi had reported that Light was dating at least four women, including model Amane Misa and schoolmate Takada Kiyomi. This was a marked change from his previous dating behaviors, which again supported the idea that Light was trying to camouflage the Second Kira among them. Evidence of Amane's involvement in the tapes had been found, but the possibility that Light had more than one helper could not be discounted. L would have to rely on his ability to detect their changes in behavior.

If Rui's memory served them well, the Second Kira's Shinigami – the existence of which he was still only 97% convinced of – had agreed to kill him at Light's behest anyway. It had been L's ability to instill doubt in Light's decision to have the Shinigami kill him which had delayed his death then. L did not like to use the same trick twice, but he would bet that this was still the best course of action to move things along. He could certainly hide himself away, but that came with its own can of worms and would not necessarily guarantee results, nor his safety. Besides, perhaps it was better to keep most events the same, to retain Rui's foreknowledge as a working advantage. There were some things that could have been done more efficiently as Rui had told it, he would admit, but the way he saw it, he had chosen the best course of action he could have, up until the thirteen-day-rule had tripped him up. That, and the Second Kira's Shinigami.

Having arrived at his decision, L would not question himself.