Chapter 20

Well folks we made it to chapter 20! What an impressive milestone. I want to thank all of you for keeping up with it and supporting me in this insane choice to follow an anime with a fanfiction. (At least it's not Bleach or Naruto…or Dragon ball….) So I noticed how everyone was really ready to hear the conversation so without further ado here it is.

"Sit…I think we need to talk."

. . .

My heart pounds in fear as I walk over and sit in the chair opposite Ryuzaki. He's still standing and honestly; the fact that he's completely stoic is what's freaking me out the most.

What did I do?

He takes a deep breath and steps into his chair; sitting in the same position as usual…I wait without saying a word.

"Suzuki…is there something you'd like to share with me? I understand that you may not have felt comfortable talking in front of Chief Yagami, but we're alone now…you may speak freely." The fear rushes from my body and I sigh; relieved.

"Oh my god…I thought you were angry with me for some reason." I feel my chest as my heart continues to pound within it.

"Angry? You haven't done anything wrong. I'd just like to know why you jumped out of your seat earlier this evening; you looked like you'd seen a ghost."

Yeah…or something like that.

"Honestly…I don't think you'll even believe me…" I sigh as there's a knock at the door. Saved by the bell…

"Come in, Watari." I turn around as the door opens and in steps Watari carrying a tray.

"Miss Matsui, I brought you a sandwich like the one I made at the mansion with a soda, and for you Ryuzaki I brought a piece of Cheesecake and some tea." My mouth begins to water at the sight of the Cheesecake.

On man…I really want some of that.

Ryuzaki seems to be watching my every move and as Watari sets the cake down in front of him our eyes meet and I immediately blush and look away.

"Do you want some Suzuki?" Ryuzaki asks as Watari places my place in front of me and then places a Dew beside it.

"Um…" I stutter and stare at my now unappealing sandwich.

Yes I want some Cheesecake! I fucking love Cheesecake.

Watari stands between us and stands butler style with the tray under his arm. "Do you like Cheesecake Miss Matsui?" I keep looking down but give a curt nod. "Then I will bring you a piece." Watari walks away quickly and I try to tell him that he doesn't have to but he's already gone before I can.

Shit…I'm gonna look like a major fatass if I eat both a sandwich and a piece cake…

"Suzuki, you don't have to be afraid to ask for anything." Ryuzaki says this matter-of-factly and I look up to see him with the fork in his thumb and index and he's trying to get a piece of cake off his plate. My embarrassment melts away.

How can I be embarrassed of myself when I have him sitting across from me in the same room?

I smile at Ryuzaki and reach down to open my Dew. "Actually…Cheesecake is my favorite. I also like Angel Food Cake, it's weird I know…but I guess eating the same old vanilla cake gets boring."

"Hmm…" Ryuzaki seems to agree and the door opens behind me as Watari returns.

"Here you are Miss; unfortunately Ryuzaki got the last piece of regular cake. I hope Turtle Cheesecake will suffice." Watari sets it down in front of me. Oh good lord...

My eyes nearly pop out of my head as I stare at the deliciousness in front of me.

"This will more than suffice Watari. I like Cheesecake but I love Turtle style, it's my absolute favorite."

"Oh. Well I'll be sure to remember that then." Watari smiles brightly and seta a fork down near the plate. I can barely contain myself.

"Watari, also add Angel Food to the list." Ryuzaki's mouth is full and his voice is muffled.

"Would you like any fixings for it?" Ryuzaki looks to me and I'm half surprised that Watari even understood him.

"Well Suzuki…how do you eat your angel food?" Watari turns from Ryuzaki to me with surprise.

"Well, normally…I eat it by itself. I like the way it melts in my mouth…which is weird because I don't like cotton candy…" I reach down and pick up a triangle of my sandwich and begin to take big bites so that I can get to my cake faster.

"Very well then, Ryuzaki would you still like me to pick up Strawberries and Whipped cream for yourself?"

"I think Strawberries will be enough, we can skip the whip cream this time." Ryuzaki has what looks like two bites of his cake left.

Damn he eats fast…

"Will there be anything else?" I shake my head no before taking a sip of Dew. The damn bread is stuck to the roof of my mouth…

"No Watari, thank you." Ryuzaki hands his empty plate to Watari and then sips his tea.

"Then I bid you goodnight." He bows and turns to me. "Don't worry about your plate Miss Matsui, I will return for it later. Also perhaps one of these days you can come with me to the grocery store and pick out some of your own treats." He smiles at me and I lift my can as an acknowledgement as I'm still trying to get the bread off the roof of my mouth with my tongue.

Yeah, you should know by now old man that I won't let you clean up after me, but a trip to the store; now that sounds fun.

"Goodnight Watari." I manage to get the bread down and smile at him.

"Goodnight to you both." He bows again and leaves, shutting the door behind him. We're alone once more.

The room quiets as I finish my sandwich and head toward my delicious cake. I get my fork and am about to stick it in the cake as Ryuzaki clears his throat.

"So…what is it that you don't think I'll believe?"

Fuck…

Disappointment washes over me. I thought he forgot about that… I set my fork down on the plate and sigh, trying to figure out how to explain.

"Yeah…about that…I'm not really sure how to say this so I'm just gonna come out and say it I guess…but before I do I want you to know that I'd never lie to you or keep anything from you…" I lean forward in my chair and spread my feet to balance; I rest my arms on them and prepare myself to explain.

"Well I'd hope so; now go ahead, out with it." I take a breath and close my eyes before releasing it to center myself.

"I saw…I saw a Shinigami!" I blurt it out and immediately expect to be chastised but all there are are crickets. Seconds go by as Ryuzuki's eyes go wide but then return to the uninterested look he always wears. Seriously? Nothing? I wait a few more seconds until the silence feels like it's gonna choke me. "Well…"

Ryuzaki takes a sip of his tea slowly as if arranging his thoughts. "Okay. Now I would like to know the details…like when, where, what did it look like, did it do or say anything, and the most important question of all…how…" He finishes and I just stare at him blankly.

"You…believe me?"

"You said so yourself that you'd never lie or keep anything from me. Kira also gave us the hint that Shinigami love apples…at first I thought he may have been referring to his killing power but to think that it may actually be a real Shinigami…also; you were so scared that you jumped out of your chair and fell off the back of it onto the floor. Something had to have scared you pretty bad to result in that kind of reaction. I don't think that even the best actor or actress could pull off faking something like that so realistically. As I see it; there's no viable reason for you to make this up, and even if I am skeptical I do in fact believe you believe you saw one, but please, I need more detail." I stare into the black pits he calls his eyes.

Even I thought I was crazy…how…better yet… why would he believe me…well I know why because he just told me but still…why. I shake my head a bit and recenter myself.

"Um…okay, I saw Him first when Light came home the first time."

"Excuse me but…Him?" Ryuzaki cuts me off.

"I'll get to that just listen…" That's weird…he never interrupts anyone, well me, like that. I wonder if he's nervous. "As for where…it was in Lights room most of the time. It was hard to tell what it looked like but when it phased through the air conditioner I got a good look at its face…I'll draw it later it I see it again, but I can't tell you colors 'cause the cameras are black and white. All I can say is that I thought it was a vampire at first 'cause it was all pointy and goth looking. It also…didn't seem to have a nose." Ryuzaki seems to eye me funny and for the first time I notice that he really doesn't have any eyebrows, 'cause if he did this would be the part where he'd be raising them at me. "Anyway this is the shitty part…well actually before I get o that I feel like it's a he because it talked to Light. The voice that came through was masculine and raspy. Any who, it told Light where all the cameras in his room were…and it was concerned and said that it didn't know how it was going to eat apples in there. That's when I first thought that he was actually a Shinigami, but then he was all tired when Light came up from dinner and referred to himself as one, saying that Shinigami must get tired when they work hard…as for how I was able to see it and you guys weren't…I'm not sure…I know I'm attuned to stuff and normally some weird shit happens to me, but this is nothing like what's happened before…" I stop and stare at my empty hands. I wish that I could summon Star Seeker…or Oathkeeper, hell even Ultima; which I fought so hard to create…but there are no heartless here, no Nobodies, no Spirits or Dreameaters of any kind…so there is no real reason that they'd come when I call…I clench my hand and remember what It's like to hold my weapon.

"That's a lot to process…" Ryuzaki shifts in his chair and I look up at him. "I'm not really even sure where to begin…So you say that you're attuned to this sort of thing and can see the Shinigami, but don't know how or why…the creature called itself a Shinigami and remarked about wanting to eat apples so you concluded that it was indeed a Shinigami…did it ever leave Light's room? Perhaps around the time of the two murders?"

"No…that's what I was thinking too…but aside from when Light left the house completely, it never even left his room…"

"Interesting…" Ryuzaki places his thumb near his mouth.

"Ryuzaki…I think in order for me to find out more about it, I need to see it in person…I know that it's dangerous but it didn't leave to kill those men so we have no reason to suspect that it kills at all…well aside from the fact that it's a Shinigami. I just feel like it wouldn't kill me if I just kinda…hang around Light for a bit. An I'll just listen to it talk…it really does seem to like to talk…The only issue is that I don't know how I'm going to get near him without being suspicious." I place my head in my hand and lean on my knee. "If only there was a way where we could be near him in a crowded area where we could go unnoticed…"

Well now that you mention it Chief Yagami did say that his sons' entrance exams were only a few days away…we could take the exams as well and keep an eye on him. I'm sure none of us will have trouble passing and getting into the University…" My heart drops. Are you serious? I've already been through this crap...and early with no help and a shitty public school education with holes in it from my travels…wait…this will be easy! I got this! University with Ryuzaki will be a blast.

"That sounds like a really good plan. Well except for the part where you'd need another alias…unless you go by Ryuzaki Watari…but that just doesn't sound right."

"Yes that doesn't sound right at all…" Ryuzaki puts his thumb near his mouth again and I lean back and fold my arms. Seconds go by as he seems to think of a suitable alias. "I'll go by…Hideki Ryuga. You probably don't know this but it's the name of a famous actor here and if Light really is Kira I think that he would avoid trying to kill someone with the same name as a famous person…or he'd try even harder to learn my real name."

Yeah, and even I don't know that…

"Yeah I guess so…" I unfold my arms and pull one leg up on the chair and rest my head on my knee.

"Then it's settled then, we'll go undercover and take the entrance exams to follow Light and once we pass we will be able to freely walk about the campus. There will be no reason for suspicion because the setting, in reality, is our alibi." Ryuzaki seems to be excited but I'm exhausted. I yawn and rub my eyes, trying to stay awake and focused. "You seem tired…maybe you should get some rest…everyone is asleep and the cameras are set to record so I doubt you'll miss anything. I'll be down in the surveillance room anyway if you need anything." Ryuzaki stand up and places his hands in his pockets, but he's not looking at me he's looking at my forgotten Turtle Cheesecake. "Are you going to eat that?" I smile and put my foot down, getting ready to stand up as well.

"No. You can have it." He picks it up eagerly and I can almost envision a video game pop-up with the words 'Your relationship with Ryuzaki has improved' appearing overhead. He begins to walk away with his new cake but he stops at the door. Meanwhile I stand and walk over to the edge of my bed.

"Sleep well…" He opens the door and doesn't wait for me to respond, but I'm not ready for him to leave yet.

"Ryuzaki wait!" He stops dead in his tracks. "Thank you…for believing me, I mean…I thought I was crazy…" For a second I see him smile but he's standing with his profile to me so I can't actually tell.

"No, it is I who should be thanking you for that vital clue…who knows what would have happened if you weren't here." My heart flutters and I just want to run over and kiss him. Wait a minute?! Did I just think that?! No I'm just sleep deprived and not thinking clearly, yeah that's it!

"Then in that case, you're welcome." I ignore the heat on my face and watch as he leaves. He shuts the door behind him and I'm left alone in my room.

I glance over at the mess on the table. I should have made him clean that up…damn…you win this time Watari…I sigh and begin to unbutton my shirt. It slides off my arms and I catch it before it hits the floor. I'm wearing my tank and I toss the shirt onto the chair I was sitting in earlier. I'm exhausted and about ready to pass out so I undo my belt and buckle and sit on the bed so I can peal my jeans off. Once done I crawl across the queen sized bed and slide under the standard, white, itchy, hotel sheets. I roll over and turn off the lights before snuggling down and shutting my eyes.

University with Ryuzaki…this is gonna be great.

Well there it is folks Chapter 20 and the end of Episode 8. I always wondered why Ryuzaki went to the entrance exam so I made up a reason. Sorry you had to wait longer than normal, I was procrastinating pretty bad and I got into playing my PS4 (Yes I know how dare I.) Anyway now it's time for my shout outs. Thank you to Trebor LLarrow for the favorite and follow. *Looks at the name again then glares in realization but then quickly returns to a smile* I also want to thank Wolfy, Shadow, and Ashley for their comment/review it made me smile and made me get my butt in gear. Lol see what happens when you yell at me? I write more. So I guess I better watch episode 9 and see what I can do next…*looks at ps4 then clock* or maybe I'll go to bed. Well ttyl everyone I'm excited to see your reactions. Peace out.