Author's Note: Thanks to all the reviews and followers so far, you make my day! We're eventually back to Light in this one. He hasn't been the main focus for awhile, but he has been mentioned every chapter. That I just noticed!
Enough rambling. Disclaimer time.
Disclaimer: I think Death Note is a pretty cool series. That's why I write fan fiction about it.
Matt pulls Mello's hand off his shoulder, "You can't be serious, Mello. What makes you think I solved the case in the first place?"
The blonde crosses his arms. Matt notices his eyes gleaming in the way they do when he's about to make a brilliant deduction or hash out a revenge scheme against one of their professors. "Well you see, Matt," Mello smirks, "I make it a hobby to keep track of L's cases, as I'm sure Near does as well, and I've come up with a criminal profile for the Door-toDoor Killer in Japan."
"And you think Pedo-gami has something to do with it?" the boy asks.
"Yes. Wait until I'm finished," Mello makes his way back to his desk and swipes the chocolate bar from next to his reading lamp. "The killer, as his name implies, is going door-to-door as a salesman. From some business cards, the police have found that he's selling a wide variety of things, from shoes to candles and sewing kits, but there is one item that he sells above the rest," Mello pauses to unwrap the candy. He takes a careful peek to make sure Matt is still paying attention, "And it's light bulbs. I've done the math, and it seems that at least forty-five percent of the time the Door-to-Door Killer sells light bulbs, " Mello punctuates his speech with a loud crack from his chocolate bar.
Silence.
Matt stares at his friend. Mello stares back.
"Oh," the gamer finally says.
"Oh?" the blonde's nose scrunches while his eyes squeeze into a glare, "What do you mean, 'Oh?' "
Matt pulls one of his legs onto the chair, "Well, it's just...cool. Like, 'Oh, now I see what you mean,' or 'Oh, so Mello isn't going off of ungrounded theories. I thought he was just looking for an excuse to get out of Wammy's for awhile," he says with his cheek pressed to his knee, fiddling with his sock.
Mello makes a noise that sounds like the love child of a snarl and a grunt. "Of course I have resources to back everything up. I don't just fly off the wall and jump to the first conclusion I come to. Seriously Matt, I'd like to think I'm fairly level-headed."
Matt snorts.
"What?" the older boy challenges, "I can be calm! Matt! Matt, stop. LAUGHING," he grabs a textbook with his free hand and hurls it at his roommate's head.
The book lands with a bang on the wall near the red head's computer. Matt, in his effort to avoid the collision, pulled his arms and legs up which caused him to topple from the swivel chair. "Augh, ow-ow-ow-ow!" he yelps as his knee jams into one of his goggles.
He sits upward, purple bruising already showing on the skin around the lens.
"Pffft-" Mello laughs, "Did you just give yourself a black eye?"
Matt watches his friend laugh at him while he sits on the floor. He glares before standing up, "You threw a huge book at me! What did you expect me to do, take it?"
The blonde wipes tears from his eyes, "I dunno, but I didn't think you'd hurt yourself instead!" he continues laughing through another bite of his chocolate bar.
Matt closes in on the older boy. Grabbing his shoulders, he looks deep into his eyes, "Mello..."
Shocked at Matt's sudden shift in attitude, Mello stumbles backward slightly, "W-what?"
"I hate you."
Matt swiftly pulls his head back and slams it into Mello's. Both boys scream as Matt's goggles dig into his friend's eye sockets. They both pull away, alternating between rubbing their eyes and foreheads.
Sniffing, Matt pulls his goggles off to relieve the tension there, "Ha! You have two black eyes now!" He laughs.
Mello groans, "Well so do you. All I did is throw a book, prick. You didn't have to make me look like a raccoon."
"You deserved it."
"Eh, whatever." Mello sighs and brings the candy bar back to his mouth.
The boys jolt at the loud knock at their door, "What're you two doing in here?" Roger says as he sticks his head into the room. "Oh goodness, I wish I had a camera," the man laughs.
"Quiet Roger," they turn their heads away.
Light feels his phone vibrate again. Ryuzaki has been texting him constantly in the past day or two. Oddly enough, he never has anything in particular to talk about. Nothing ever stands out in their conversations, nor is there anything out of ordinary about them. The only thing of note is he's texting him from a new cell phone, but seeing as he's the "world's greatest detective" he must change his phones out from time to time.
The young man pulls his phone out.
New Message: Ryuzaki
I was thinking we could meet up this weekend. You can bring Misa Misa Amane if you'd like.
Strange.
Light has never taken Ryuzaki as the lonely type, seeing as he never likes going outside, so this is a change of pace for him. Perhaps he wants something in particular?
RE:
That sounds good. Would Sunday be alright with you? I'll have to see if Misa is available.
And she will be. She'll probably want to go on a date then anyway, so throwing Ryuzaki into the mix should provide a nice distraction from all their hopeless love for each other.
Light sighs and puts his phone away.
"Who're you talking to Light? Is it Misa again?" Ryuk asks.
It seems that daily computer therapy is working out very nicely for the shinigami, "No, it was Ryuzaki again. You could tell me his name, you know," he glances to the monster. "Then I could start my actual plan. Trust me, it'll be far more entertaining than this."
Ryuk twists his head, and Light cringes at the audible 'pop' sound that comes from his lower neck. "Nah, I wanna see you get it. That'll BE MORE INTERESTING. Sorry."
The young man rubs one of his ears, "It's alright. I know you're trying."
His cell phone vibrates.
New Message: Ryuzaki
Sunday sounds appropriate. I will meet you at Pop-Top Cafe at ten.
Although it would be helpful if Ryuk gave him Ryuzaki's name, Light does feel as if he might be close enough for the detective to tell him himself. If worse comes to worse, he might have to fabricate a situation where they have to rely on each other. Perhaps they can get caught in the rain far away from shelter...or get chased by a bear.
Geez, where would he get a bear around here? It hasn't been raining very much lately.
Oh wait, bears are dangerous.
Damn.
RE:
Okay, I'll see you then. I'll warn you though, Misa will probably try to take you clothes shopping again.
The duo finally reach Light's house. The long walk was tiring after a long week, so the sight is welcoming. "I'm home!" Light calls as he takes off his shoes.
"Light! Why does it take you so long to get home?" Sayu yells from the living room. The TV is on, and the melody of a Misa Misa hit single drifts into the hallway.
Light's phone vibrates.
New Message: Ryuzaki
Misa Misa Amane may buy me an outfit if I may choose one for her in return. What does Light-kun think?
Sayu makes her way out of the living room and bumps into Light while he types his reply. "Oof, sorry, I didn't see-" she looks at her brother's arm hanging at his side, "Did you buy apples again? Didn't you do that yesterday too?" She asks.
Her brother looks at the grocery bag in his hand. He had forgotten to feed them to Ryuk before coming inside, "Ah, well, have to keep the doctor away somehow right?" he tries to laugh.
"Yeah, but you eat the cores too," she shoots back while settling back into the couch.
"Only goblins look in the trash, Sayu," Light yells as he walks upstairs.
"Hey!"
Light closes his door.
Click.
"Don't eat the cores if we're at home, Ryuk," he says quietly, his eyes glued to the phone.
"Aw..." Ryuk flops on the bed.
RE:
For one, and don't take this too personally, but you're kind of two steps BELOW unfashionable. Your shoes look like you stole them from a beggar. Two, Misa will think you're going to choose something skeezy for her to wear, and three, if you DO choose something skeezy, I'll have to gouge my eyes out. My virtue is special to me. It's safe where it is.
The phone vibrates while Light is undressing, but he waits until he is dressed and has all of his books put away before answering.
New Message: Ryuzaki
Ah, Light-kun is like a Sleeping Beauty who does not wish for a prince to rouse him from his slumber. And no offense taken.
Light smirks.
RE:
Precisely.
No rambling here! Review if you'd like!