Oh snap! I posted! Please enjoy a rather long chapter.
Thanks to: Emo Naom, chaos-winged-valkyrie, jcogginsa, yaaaaaaayme, Peanuckle, Akalon, Anime-StarWars-fan-zach, deathnoteno1fan-codegeasslover, Twilight's Blade, icarus923, Unkown, SakuraCa, Worker72, SlvrSoleAlchmst1, firedraygon, Poison's Ivy, Kirikomi, Specterman262, FluffyRighter96, IvanAlive, Tetsukon, person52, Namiko Shigemoto, supernovalikewhoa, DarthNacho, Cheza the Flower Maiden, karasu337, and Anime Angel Alchemist for reviewing. Those are always appreciated and I try to answer questions and engage in the story on other levels. Reviewing if FUN, dear readers.
Oh, and if you're a shounen ai/yaoi fan, I'm sure you will read this how you want to. If not, don't worry, there's some Light/Kallen for you. Though, I think they'd be cuter if Light wasn't such a bastard on the inside. -_-
Answers to last chapters riddles: the murdered person becomes clear if you read this chapter and Nanim Aihuhnny= Nani Mai Honey. You'll have to read to see who dies via Death Note... but I WILL say that Light considers killing people a little too often for my comfort. _
One last thing in this long author's note: I don't normally do this, but I'm going to self-plug for one of my other stories. If you like Death Note, and especially Matt, read Letters. I promise it's interesting and it's going somewhere. Tell your friends.
The Chess Match
8
----L/L----
"You're an odd one," she said bluntly.
L knew it was true and so didn't take offense. Instead, the man's lips turned up slightly and he looked back at the woman in white from the corners of his dark eyes. "Normal doesn't grant greatness."
The green-haired woman laughed and there was something quite uninhibited with the sound. She fixed a golden gaze on L that was surprisingly free of the usual judgment of his strange appearance. "How true; yet people are too often unable to admit that."
L felt his smile broaden a fraction. He recognized the woman as the one the other men referred to simply as "Zero's Whore" and dismissed just as easily. L, on the other hand, knew that regardless of her position within the Black Knights, she was still close to Zero himself. In fact, if she were his lover, she was probably one of the very few—or even the only one—who knew the masked crusader's identity. A genius of L's intellect could easily see that anyone that close to Zero would have a certain amount of sway in the organization. While it was his first opportunity to speak with her, L had already decided he would treat her with respect and deference that he gave to his other superiors. Getting into her good graces meant he was one step closer to the man underneath the mask.
"Because they don't want to admit they are normal themselves," L continued simply. "It's not a case of the odd ones out, but of the normal ones staying happily caged."
The woman smiled. "My, aren't you clever with words."
L returned her smiled with a quirky expression. "My name is Rue Ryuuzaki."
"R Two, then? How fateful," she replied drolly. "I'm called C.C.."
It was so blatantly a false name that L wondered whether she had a criminal record. Kira had yet to stoop to killing prostitutes, which further supported the idea that she wasn't a whore at all. Her status was likely a ruse created by Zero to keep his subordinates from asking her too many questions or trying to get close to her themselves. She obviously wasn't Japanese, so her superiority over the freedom fighters would be a sore spot if it became an issue.
But her use of a pseudonym pointed to another clue. If she knew Zero were Kira, then she would have no fear of using her true name in public. Kira wouldn't kill her if she were such a great asset to his plans as Zero.
Of course, Britannia did not need to know this detail and L's ever-growing suspicion that Zero and Kira were not, in fact, one and the same like he had led the Empire to believe.
"It's a pleasure, Miss C.C.."
She tilted her head to one side, letting her green waves shift and settle along her strange outfit that resembled a prisoner-of-war's straight jacket. Her smile never faded and her voice chimed out, an oddly child-like sound yet with a sense of finality that belied her youthful looks. "Until next time."
Indeed, L would look forward to the next time they met. He smiled and watched as she meandered idly towards the high-security rooms.
He was left with the pleasing idea that they were both extremely odd.
----L/L----
"The Black Knights sure know how to pick them," C.C drawled as she entered the small council room.
Tamaki, as per usual, took her comment as a personal insult. "Hey, we were hand-picked by Zero here!"
Lelouch sighed through his mask. His voice echoed when he spoke, although his slight exasperation was still noticeable to the others in the room. "She wasn't talking about you. C.C., if you could refrain from ambiguous comments in the future?"
"Understood, sir," she answered carelessly and flopped onto the padded bench-seat outside the circle.
"Back to business," Lelouch said, turning to face the rest of his small team. "The Choufu Base is heavily guarded, but if we strike when the soldiers are at dinner, there should be fewer Knightmares ready to fight us."
"So we just gotta figure out when they stuff their faces and then blow our way in? Sounds easy enough to me," Tamaki began, scoffing at enemies that weren't present. Lelouch suppressed a groan of irritation—he really needed to find something else the loud-mouthed Japanese man could do. "It'll be a piece of cake! We've even got the Holy Blades with us for this one! Hey, Zero, is it really true that they're going to join up with us afterwards?"
"Tamaki," Lelouch began, his voice echoing through the mask, "That is not the topic we are discussing."
There was a short silence after Zero's words, before Ohgi looked over at him seriously. "What are the details of the plan, Zero?"
This was why Lelouch like Ohgi. The man was straightforward and followed orders well without complaining.
"The mission will commence at eighteen hundred hours with a three explosions on the western wall, large enough to make an entrance for the Holy Blades. I've already sent them a detailed battle plan, as the majority of you will be working behind the scenes on this one. There's no reason for us to deploy more Knightmares than necessary." Lelouch turned to Kallen, nodding to her. "As my honor guard however, Kallen, you will accompany me. We'll head straight for Toudou's cell, before meeting up with the rest of the Holy Blades and Toudou's Knightmare Frame."
Kallen nodded smartly, her face almost lighting up at the prospect of taking the Guren out again. Lelouch turned to Ohgi next, looking into the man's honest eyes. "Ohgi, please choose a reliable driver for the truck."
"Okay," Ohgi replied, his eyes unfocusing as he obviously began sifting through mental lists of candidates.
Lelouch found himself smiling under the mask. As far as missions went, this one was more or less in the bag. The only foreseeable problem would be if Toudou were killed before anyone could reach him, but even then it was likely the Four Holy Blades would stick with the Black Knights. There wasn't anywhere else for them to go.
"Diethard, you'll be in charge of communications between the headquarters and my unit. Don't contact me unless it's an emergency."
"Of course, Zero," the blond man replied, leaning forward as if bowing, even though they were all sitting on the green bench seats of the headquarters.
"Hey, Zero, what about me?" Tamaki asked, grinning as if the masked man had accidentally forgotten his role, however unlikely that actually was.
"You still have a lot of recruits to train," Lelouch answered, standing up. "And I have somewhere else I need to be. I'll see you all in two days time. Meeting adjourned."
The men filed out, and Lelouch loosened his tie as he glanced over at C.C.. The witch looked back at him, but then past him, her gaze pointed. Lelouch looked over his shoulder and his hand fell from his tie. Kallen had remained behind. Something was off, Lelouch realized with a hint of panic, as she looked down at her feet and bit her lip. She... she hadn't guessed his identity, had she?
"Um, Zero?"
"Yes, Kallen." His tone was neutral.
"If... if I was thinking about getting someone to join the Black Knights," she began, and then finally looked up at his mask, her eyes not ever able to really pick out his, "how would I do that?"
Lelouch felt his shoulders relax. "Tamaki is in charge of recruits, but... I trust you can use your judgment in the matter." He didn't add that Kallen would probably do a better job with the recruits than the hotheaded man, but that she was more valuable to waste on that task.
"Ah-, but I don't know how to... well, ask the person without giving too much away." Her eyebrows knitted together over bright blue eyes.
Lelouch laid a gloved hand on her shoulder. "Kallen. I trust you."
The look he received in return first held surprise, but then melted into a respect and adoration reserved solely for heroes. Her eyes shone with new determination and confidence in herself.
"Th-thank you, Zero. I won't let you down."
----L/L----
"So?" Rivalz drawled out, punching Lelouch in the shoulder. Lelouch grimaced. "Who is she? Do you loooooove her?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Lelouch said, facing forward. Somehow, he knew it had been Light. Who else had seen the green-haired witch in his room? Who else would tell Rivalz? The worst part was that Lelouch was far from feeling like talking about girls at the moment. Not only was his relationship with Shirley completely erased, but he never would have time to mess around like other high school students.
"Lelouch," Rivalz whined, drawing out the second syllable of his friend's name. "You can trust me with this kind of thing." The blue-haired boy's face was serious, and he stopped walking, pulling Lelouch to look him in the eye. "We've been friends since junior high, but..."
Rivalz looked away, his open face downcast and he bit his lip. Lelouch blinked, recognizing the classic emotion. Something was bothering Rivalz.
Lelouch relaxed a bit, and offered a smile. "What's the matter," he sighed, not really making it a question.
Rivalz looked up again, a little sheepishly. "Well, you've just been... a bit distant lately. I mean, you quit those chess games and we don't seem to hang out as much. You're always skipping class or Student Council meetings."
"Some of us can afford to skip class and still get top marks," Lelouch teased back, hoping to lighten the mood.
It didn't work; Rivalz looked more upset, his eyes reflecting hurt that Lelouch would just brush him off so easily. "That's not the point, Lelouch."
There was a short awkward silence as neither looked at each other, before Lelouch broke it.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. How could he have thought that his friends wouldn't notice his actions? Being Zero was taking up a lot of his time and balancing his double life was exhausting. Still, it wasn't as if he could really open up to anyone about his alter-identity. It wasn't as though he thought any less of Rivalz—or anyone else on the Student Council—but he hadn't thought about what they would think of his frequent absences or lackluster appearances.
Lelouch was brought out of his thoughts as he was suddenly bent and twisted into a headlock.
"Now you're even gloomier that I was, Lelouch!" Rivalz seemed to have recovered his usual bouncy mood as Lelouch flailed helplessly to get himself released. Rivalz held the position for a few moments, laughing, before letting his friend go.
Lelouch straightened up and pulled his jacket into order. He wasn't really sure how or why, but Rivalz seemed back to normal.
"Look, you've obviously got a lot of stuff on your mind, Lelouch," Rivalz said seriously. "You don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to, but I'm always here to listen if you change your mind. That's what friends are for, right?"
Even though nothing had changed, Lelouch somehow felt a burden lift from his shoulders. He nodded, feeling a bit ashamed that he wasn't trusting Rivalz and his candid honesty and understanding. "Yeah, it's what friends are for."
"Sooooooo, you can tell me about this girl, right?"
Lelouch rolled his eyes. Some people were incurable. "Like I said, there isn't a girl."
"But I –saw- a picture of her, Lelouch. And my source was pretty good. You've got to tell me where you found her. She's really hot. Does she have a sister? A cousin?" Rivalz continued.
"Don't you like the President anyway?" Lelouch answered with a question.
"Shhhh! You can't just go saying that in an open hallway like this! Jeez, Lelouch," he said, admonishing Lelouch with a finger before folding his arms behind his head.
"Can't say what?" a girl's voice asked, turning the corner ahead of them.
"K-Kallen!" Rivalz gasped in relief. Lelouch laughed, realizing that Rivalz had been worried that Milly had been the voice and the one to overhear them.
Kallen looked between the two of them with a slight suspicion. Lelouch was a little startled to realize just how well she could conceal her expression when she wanted to. If the same thing had happened in the Black Knight's headquarters, she would have knocked the answer out of anyone. Zero excluded, of course.
"Never mind that," Rivalz said quickly, hurrying over to Kallen's side. He threw an arm over her shoulder and nearly pressed his cheek against hers, looking sideways into her eyes. Her shying-away reaction was a little delayed and so Rivalz leaned into her, making her escape impossible. He continued, his tone suggestive. "I heard you went on a date the other day, Miss Stadtfeld."
Lelouch watched in fascination as Kallen turned a bright scarlet.
Rivalz guffawed with joy. "So, it is true! Tell me, tell me, was Light a gentleman?"
Light?
Kallen nodded, so shyly that the part of Lelouch's brain that was still working could tell she was trying hard to act the pleasant and shy character she had created.
Light?
The events of the previous day suddenly came back to him with more force than he had wished. Kallen Kouzuki—as opposed to Stadtfeld—coming to talk to Zero. Asking about how new members were recruited. Wondering what kind of tests one would to give before giving out information. Or a uniform.
Light?!
Rivalz was talking. "And what did the two of you do?"
"We had ice cream," Kallen responded demurely, the shade of her face returning to normal.
"Ooooh," Rivalz replied, nodding. "And more dates will fol—"
"You're dating Light Yagami?" Lelouch interrupted, his voice sounding odd to his own ears. But if he sounded strange, the other two didn't seem to notice.
"Yeah," Kallen said, a hint of defiance in her tone.
Rivalz suddenly looked between the two quickly, raising an eyebrow at Lelouch that asked clearly whether Lelouch were jealous or not. Just a few weeks ago, Lelouch had been showing some interest in Kallen, not in a romantic way, of course, but Rivalz's had no way of knowing that. But...
LIGHT?!
Lelouch replied with a wooden nod to Kallen, ignoring Rivalz's curious glance. He hoped for a nonchalant, careless mask to give him a voice. "Well, I'll see you all later. I just remembered it's gym class next."
Rivalz laughed and waved him off. "You're such a delinquent, Lelouch!" he called, before turning to interrogate Kallen some more.
Lelouch fled.
He didn't stop until he had reached the empty courtyard of the Student Council building. His room wasn't a place he could be alone in anymore, not since the witch had moved in with her incessant pizza. The garden was still blooming and his feet led him to a stone bench, warmed by the sunlight.
His mind was buzzing. Why was everything in his world suddenly revolving around Light? The damned Honorary Britannian was haunting him; he hadn't spoken to Light for several days and with little importance, but traces and whiffs of the other student were everywhere. Lelouch suddenly had the impression that he must be going crazy, that this was what a hallucinatory paranoid must feel like. Except mentions of Light were everywhere. Somehow, Light had penetrated into Lelouch's secret life, found his masked exterior.
For who else could Kallen have been referring to other than Light Yagami? Recruitment into the Black Knights? Lelouch felt like retching, his stomach tightening like a vise. He didn't want Light there, not so close to him, not a part of his private life. Wherever Light went, the invisible monster followed. Kira could not be allowed to tag along into a meeting of the Black Knights. The man had already met Nunnally... wasn't that enough?
Lelouch took a deep breath, calming his wild thoughts. This was ridiculous; there was no way Light knew Lelouch was Zero... or even that Kallen was in the Black Knights. He wasn't sneakily manipulating everyone just to annoy Lelouch. That was true paranoia.
Light was... just a guy. Intelligent, of course. Athletic. Japanese. Handsome, even. It was... natural for Kallen to want to pull him into the Black Knights, especially if he were someone she was attracted to.
He felt a stab of jealousy. He had enjoyed Kallen's support and loyalty as Zero. She'd never doubted him, and he'd heard everyone tease her about having a crush on their masked leader. And while he knew he didn't return her feelings... it was still a bit of a blow to his pride that she would forsake him for Light. It wasn't so much that he wanted her for himself as much as he didn't want Light to have her.
He swallowed, realizing it would take some time to sort out his emotions. Although he constantly reminded himself he was carnage incarnate and that feelings were something to be tossed aside as he strove forward, he couldn't ignore them forever. He had born human like everyone else.
He sighed. Ignoring his own and the feelings of those around him had led to Shirley's current state. Something clawed at the raw wound in his chest, and he flopped over on the bench, his hair falling into his eyes. He could admit it to himself now. She had loved him. And he... he had probably loved her back, somehow, and just hadn't noticed. Why else would cutting himself off from her hurt so much? It kept her safer, despite the cost.
Love... it was a hefty word, and one Lelouch wasn't sure he could lift.
Rivalz had asked whether he loved C.C.. His first reaction was to toss it aside. Of course he didn't love her. She was a strange witch, coming and going as she pleased, and most of the things she did, he was sure she did simply to irritate him. She used his credit card mercilessly and if word of her reached the Superintendent, Lelouch wasn't sure what would happen.
And yet... surprisingly, the witch was the only one he completely confided in. She knew everything about him, both sides of his ego, and had a way of slipping off his mask.
Almost against his will he found himself agreeing with Rivalz's description. C.C. was hot. There were times when Lelouch would find his eyes drawn to the way her thigh slipped out from under one of his shirts, or how she flopped over with her ridiculous stuffed Pizza Hut mascot between her legs and breasts.
Despite this, Lelouch knew their relationship wasn't sexual. She had changed in front of him numerous times and he usually didn't feel anything in the way he thought most men would if they watched her. Usually, he thought with a tinge of annoyance, it just meant he'd have to pick up her clothes for her. It was either that or trip over them.
His sexual dissatisfaction with her was probably because he knew her true nature. He called her a witch, but even then, he wasn't entirely sure what C.C. was. Her humanity was mainly what he called into question, given her ability to give out Geass and the far-seeing look in her glass-gold eyes. She wasn't normal and therefore Lelouch could easily justify not wanting to sleep with her. That, and she probably had slept with lots of other men... she was likely carrying some kind of STD.
For a moment, he felt better. All his emotions had been sorted out and he could go back to work without them sneaking up on him and hindering his logical mind.
And then he wondered why he felt the need to justify himself at all.
----L/L----
The murder of the man on school grounds greatly bothered Light. It was almost as if the culprit were deliberately mocking Kira—except no one knew Kira was really one of Ashford's students. Still, he felt that the deed could not go unpunished.
It was time to put some of his practical detective skills to use. Which was why he was waiting for Suzaku to exit the classroom. The other Honorary Britannian was his main suspect, primarily because he had entered the classroom late which meant he could easily have been at the scene of the crime, and his greatly agitated state when the body had been found.
While his father wasn't the Chief of Police any longer, Yagami Souichiro was still a member of the police force. And when his curious son had asked about the identity of the man who had been murdered at his school, the man had used his connections to come up with the name. It wasn't exactly classified, and since it had happened at Light's school, the younger Yagami was at least peripherally involved.
Within the week, Light had the description. A Chinese male, estimated age between 25 and 30, who had been identified only as "Mao." He was thought to be an orphan and illegal immigrant, as no passport or birth certificate could be produced in Area 11 or the Chinese Federation.
Nothing pointed to him being an evil man, but there was nothing to label him as a good one either. Just a definite lack of information. No one had yet determined a motive for Mao to have been on school grounds at all, let alone guess who may have killed him. Souichiro had seen the look on Light's face and cautioned his only son to stay out of the case. Light had smiled and promised, like a good son would.
But some promises had to be broken for the betterment of the world. His father might not understand, but Light was unable to turn away from misdeeds. The world would never become a kinder place until criminals understood there were consequences for their actions.
And whether he had asked for the task or not, Light was the only one who could judge them now.
He looked up as the green-eyed son of the former Prime Minister exited the classroom. Light pretended he hadn't been waiting for Suzaku in particular, but gave him a friendly smile.
Suzaku immediately returned the look, his face completely transformed into a boyish grin. "Hi there, Light. Do you want to go get a snack with me?"
Suzaku was ever the personable character, as Light had predicted and the genius nodded. "Sure, I was thinking of getting something for myself anyway."
The pair headed off down the brightly lit hallway and down the stairs to the snack machine. A few other students milled about the courtyard, having nothing else to do during the short break between classes. Light and Suzaku were given a few odd looks, but for the most part, the two of them were getting to be normal staples of the school. Suzaku was well-liked by the prestigious Student Council and Light had been culturing the favor of the student body more directly. It didn't hurt that he was extremely intelligent and good-looking as well. Dating Kallen had been a good move, and he had noticed other girls eyeing him with the same looks that had followed him ever since he had entered junior high.
They stopped in front of the machine and Suzaku gestured for Light to go first. He inserted a few coins in exchange for a bag of chips, then moved aside as Suzaku got himself some candy. It made Suzaku seem almost more childish, but Light reflected back on the moment he had seen Suzaku's tortured face when Mao's body had been found. His nature could be deceiving.
"It's weird to think that someone died here last week, isn't it?" Light asked, pretending to suppress chills of some sort that should accompany any talk of death.
He watched carefully as Suzaku swallowed. He hadn't opened his candy yet. "Y-yeah."
Suzaku's green eyes were looking inward, and Light pushed forward. But gently, he reminded himself. It was obvious Suzaku knew something he wasn't telling and Light couldn't afford to alarm him. He needed to tease the information out lightly. "I heard it wasn't anyone related to the school, but... if that's the case, then why would they even have been here?"
Suzaku didn't look up, his attention still focused somewhere else that Light couldn't reach. "I... wonder that too."
Light let out an empathetic sigh. "And here I thought this school was supposed to be safer than the ghettoes or something."
That seemed to startle Suzaku out of his reverie and his glance shot up to meet Light's. "It is safer here, but...."
"But what?" Light pressed, keeping his body posture open and resisting the urge to lean in. He had to let Suzaku tell him on his own.
"But there are still bad things that happen. There are still changes that need to be made to make this life, this world a better place, it's just..." he trailed off, obviously searching for the right words. "...some people think they can't affect or be affected by the rest of world for whatever reason. And that's not true... everyone can make a difference, and recognizing that changes need to be made is part of that."
Suzaku's tone rang with an idealism that Light hadn't witnessed from the other Japanese boy before. If Light didn't know any better, the words from Suzaku's mouth sounded like he was anti-Britannian. Light wasn't sure what to make of how Suzaku had been involved in the murder of Mao, but in looking at the fierce honesty in Suzaku's eyes, he made a decision.
Suzaku deserved to live in Kira's new world.
And that was enough for Light. He nodded at Suzaku's words, but didn't offer any comments in return on the subject. Glancing down at his watch proved to be the perfect pretext for changing the conversation. "We'd better head back if we don't want to miss History."
"Ah! Right," Suzaku replied, hastily opening his candy and popping a few treats into his mouth as he scrambled after Light. "I can't really afford to miss classes when I'm actually at school."
Light decided not to comment on the double crudeness of eating while not only walking—a Japanese faux pas—but also eating and speaking—a Britannian one. There was something in Suzaku's genuine attitude that made the slights easily forgivable.
Light entered the classroom, his eyes falling on his purple-eyed prey of late. And he wondered how on earth Suzaku and Lelouch managed to get along when their differences were so great.
As he took his seat, he allowed himself a longing gaze at Kallen's empty seat for the benefit of the girls surreptitiously watching him and wondered what his girlfriend was up to. Light also hoped that she'd show up the next day. He had never been stood up in his life and there was a certain pride in keeping his record clean.
----L/L----
"Kallen, I'm so glad you're feeling well enough to be here. I was a little worried about you since you weren't here yesterday."
The girl smiled up at him from under her bangs. Her voice was small and smooth. "The doctors wanted to run a few tests, but I'm feeling well today."
Light had to admit he'd been looking forward to the date. Kallen intrigued him in a way not many people did; he knew she was full of secrets. And Light had never been able to back down from a challenge, especially in the form of another human being. It was also one of the first times a woman had tried to lie to him.
"Oh really?" Light asked, arching an eyebrow at her. "You know, if you're not feeling okay, I can always carry you."
As the words left his mouth, Light plucked the redhead off the ground and into his arms, princess-style. Physical contact with Light always tied girls closer to him. Kallen gasped out a few incoherent words and then flushed a dark pink. Light smirked at her.
She punched him in the shoulder in response.
"I can walk by myself, you know," she declared obstinately, and Light knew he had managed to free her feisty side.
"Then I'll just let go—" he said airily, pretending to drop her on her butt.
"Light!"
"What?" he asked innocently.
"You know what," Kallen replied, her eyes narrowing and lips forming a pout. Then she punched him in the shoulder again.
"Kallen, if you keep punching me, I really will drop you," Light said dryly. He had a suspicion that the girl hit a lot harder than she realized. Not even the fun of uncovering the layers of deception she surrounded herself with was worth physical abuse.
"Sorry," Kallen mumbled, and held still. "Um, I'm not... too heavy, am I?"
Light sighed. "Of course not."
"You can put me down whenever you want."
"Are you trying to insult my strength? I'm a young, healthy, and, if I do say so myself, handsome Japanese man. Carrying you is not difficult."
Kallen tried to hide a slight smile, but it didn't escape Light's almond eyes. Wooing her was almost too easy. It wouldn't be long before she was telling him her life story. But speaking of stories... there had been something she'd wanted to discuss with him on this date and Light's curiosity was starting to get the better of him.
"Light?" Kallen's voice brought him back to the present situation.
"Yes?"
"Where are we going?"
"Out to eat."
"I know that," she retorted, "but where?"
"It's a surprise," he answered. In truth, Light hadn't decided yet where to eat, preferring to play the situation by ear. Of course, there were a few places he had in mind, and judging by the way Kallen had been acting, he decided on a teriyaki place only a few blocks from their location.
They only got a few strange looks as Light carried Kallen all the way to the restaurant. With an inner wry smile, Light supposed no one had thought he was kidnapping the beautiful Britannian girl because of their matching school uniforms. What a strange world.
"Here?" Kallen asked, as Light gently set her down outside the glass doors of the teriyaki joint.
Light nodded and opened the door for her. "After you, Kallen-chan."
He was rewarded with a slight blush as she strode past him. They ordered together, as Light offered to pay, and Kallen led him to a booth in the corner.
The moment they were both settled, Kallen leaned forward, her expression serious and Light had the distinct impression she had been waiting the whole afternoon for the chance to speak with him privately. Whatever the topic, it was obviously something Kallen felt strongly about. Her eyes looked fierce and full of determination.
"Light, you're really smart, and well, there's no way you, as a Japanese person, could enjoy the world we're living in," she began, her voice a hushed, but stirring whisper.
Light's face became a carefully constructed mask. What conclusion would Kallen come up with? Had he underestimated her intelligence? If she guessed his involvement with Kira... what would he do? He'd tried to kill L once, but he'd never actually used the Death Note on anyone who wasn't a criminal. Lind L. Taylor had turned out to be a man supposed to be executed at that moment anyway.
If Kallen guessed the truth, however, wasn't it more likely that she'd support him wholeheartedly? It would be such a waste to kill someone like Kallen. Her bright eyes watched him for some kind of reaction, and so Light nodded once.
"Go on," he said.
"So... so I was thinking... I do some stuff that helps Japan, you know." She swallowed, and continued a bit uneasily. "I was thinking that, well, maybe you'd be interested. Maybe you'd want to help too."
Light felt his earlier suspicions flitter away. Kallen didn't suspect him of anything—she was the guilty one, apparently. He let himself frown, pretending he was a little confused by what she was asking. "What do you mean, Kallen? What do you do to help?"
Kallen looked away, no longer able to meet Light's eyes. "Well, I can't exactly tell you that."
Light sighed. It was obvious enough what Kallen did in her spare time. So the sickness was really just an act; he'd always thought it strange that she wouldn't want her boyfriend to visit her there occasionally. He gave her his most concerned boyfriend look, pushing his eyebrows together into a worried expression. "Kallen? This... this isn't something where you could get hurt, is it? I mean, there's already your health I worry about...."
Kallen winced. "Uh, well, the thing is that I'm not actually sick or anything, Light."
Light decided to let the silence hang in the air a bit longer. If she felt guilt for lying to him, she would feel the need to make it up to him. He finally sighed.
"Kallen... I'll need some time to think about this. And what are you really getting me into?" Light asked.
"Well, it's... uh...."
"I don't know if terrorism is right, Kallen-chan," Light said bluntly. There was no sense beating around the bush anymore, and Light needed one last check to see if she was really planning on turning him in. Light wouldn't let himself be caught admitting he agreed with terrorist acts in the Area unless he was sure the other party was of the same opinion. It took only a split second for him to see that Kallen was one of those people. She was looking at him with wide, shocked eyes.
"It's not like that!" she hissed across the table.
Light noticed that their food was on its way over and he tilted his head in the direction of the incoming waiter. Perfect. Now she was at least somewhat secure in her belief that he wouldn't tattle on her. They both were quiet as the steaming teriyaki meat and rice was placed before them. Light thanked the waiter, and Kallen nodded. A little thrill went up Light's spine as he saw how easily the two of them could lie and fool the world. The only other person who had been able to change like that had been Lelouch. Light felt a twinge of regret that he wasn't toying with the other boy instead, but then focused back on the girl beyond his meal.
The waiter left and Kallen resumed her former mood, her face somewhere between a pout and a frown as she picked up a piece of beef between her chopsticks. "As I was saying, it's not like that." She popped the morsel between her lips, and chewed. "I thought you of all people would have understood, Light-kun."
Light smiled at her use of honorifics; they were still on the same side. He leaned in, and let his smug, arrogant interior show for a moment. Just to show he was one step ahead of her. "Oh, but I do, Kallen-chan. It's just that in this world, openly admitting something like that is something I don't do."
Her eyes sparkled with admiration and her face opened like a flower towards the sun. She blinked once, twice, and then, "So... so you...you really...." A smile spread across her face, half awe and half simple pleasure.
Light nodded.
They finished their meal, their talk never straying to forbidden topics, but Kallen's happiness had not retreated. Light didn't even see the shadow of the sickly girl Kallen pretended to be at school, and instead found himself dating a robust and somewhat daring young woman.
He didn't mind. They talked and joked on the walk back to Ashford, and before parting ways, Kallen stared at her feet and wrung her hands. Light kissed her in response, reading the obvious signs and leaving her breathless.
He was fairly sure Kallen wouldn't have minded going further, but Light knew it was neither the time nor the place. He bid her goodnight and returned to his own room.
He breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at Ryuk for the first time all day. He picked up an apple from the paper bag on his desk and tossed it into the air. Light stretched, rolling his neck, and then sat at the desk. The chair squeaked as he leaned back slightly.
"Is that what you humans call love? Do you love that girl, Light?" the god asked.
Light laughed. "Did I convince even you?"
Ryuk joined in, his guttural laughter jerking his ropey body around in the air. "You're gonna be in trouble if she ever finds out."
"Which is why she won't ever find out, Ryuk," Light responded casually.
He leaned forward and turned on his computer, double clicking on the web browser as soon as it had booted up. His homepage was a news website, naturally, and he scrolled over the important events of the day before moving over to the side column. As per habit, Light clicked on the "Royal Features" icon and waited for the page to load. The final crunch of an apple echoed around the room.
Usually there was nothing that interested him, but he couldn't help searching for the new clue in his research somewhere. A single quote from one of the nobles might be enough to lead him towards a true name. Just yesterday he had discovered that most of Andreas Darlton's sons were adopted, meaning that with just a little research, he could probably wipe out the majority of Cornelia's Glaston Knights.
His chestnut eyes skimmed the information.
And then he stopped, staring at a single, small article. To the general public, it wasn't much as far as news went; it was the simple anniversary of a tragic event that occurred years ago. With a family so large and brutal, deaths were commonplace and Light had never had any interest in the royals who were already dead. It was the living ones that continued lashing out with the whip of brutality that he hunted with his pen and paper. Strange how a single article, not more than five sentences long, would be his greatest find yet.
Today marks the eighth anniversary of the late Empress Marianne's death. As the Emperor's fifth wife, she was also the only Empress to be born without a title—one that she remedied by becoming a Knight of Rounds and earning the nickname 'Marianne the Flash.' She was assassinated in the Imperial Villa, leaving behind her two children, Princess Nunnally, who also sustained injuries in the attack, and Prince Lelouch. Both children retired to Japan (now Area 11) to serve as peace envoys for our country, but were tragically killed by the Japanese Army when they declared war.
He laughed, his vocal cords unable to withstand the rush of emotion as his face twisted into an uncontrollable grin.
I win, Lelouch.
----L/L----
And again! Oh snap!
Anyway, thanks for reading. I skipped the beta this time (sorry, Bolinoak, it's not that I think any less of you, it's just that I wanted to get this posted tonight because I won't have time later this week), so if you find any errors, please blame them on yours truly, but be sure to let me know. :) In any case, the plot thickens!
Please leave a review if you like this story. Or, I guess, if you don't like it, but I doubt you'd have gotten this far if you didn't.