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"…I mean, I wasn't too sure if you guys would be interested in something like this, but it seemed like a nice thing to…"
"Matsuda-san."
"…If you think about it, it's a nice idea really. I thought it'd be fun for the investigation team to…"
"Matsuda-san."
"…and even if you don't have much talent in the area of handicrafts it's still a nice way to relieve stress and…"
"Matsuda."
This time the insomniac detective dropped the honorific for emphasis, though whether it was to assert his presence or to make Matsuda shut up was unknown.
"Uh, yes, Ryuuzaki?" Matsuda replied, using the alias L requested to be called among the police force. The person whom he was speaking to dropped a sixteenth sugar cube into his coffee.
L bore his unblinking eyes into the young adult's, causing Matsuda to feel slightly unsettled. "You can not expect the team to comprehend what you're talking about if you don't explain properly. You simply waltzed in here holding a bag of machinery and began shooting your mouth off." The detective took a sip of his coffee and deemed it reasonable before draining the cup. "Now, would you mind telling us what you're planning with that?"
'That,' as it turned out to be, was a canvas bag Matsuda was clutching, and upon spilling it's contents upon the center table, it was discovered to be full of expensive-looking digital cameras.
The investigation team stared in awed silence at the cameras, until a certain Light Yagami voiced everyone's thoughts.
"Those look pricey, Matsuda," the brunette said bluntly. "How'd you obtain them?"
"Oh, I used to work in the business," he replied, grinning as if embarrassed. "Nothing technical, I just did a bit of advertising. They gave me some slightly outdated models, but they're still pretty high-tech."
L had been doubtful that Matsuda worked with cameras up until he'd mentioned 'nothing technical.' Despite the man's willingness to act and strong sense of justice, his rash actions proved he wasn't the juiciest strawberry on the cake.
Mmm, strawberries. L made a mental note to send Watari on a trip to the nearest café.
"So," Aizawa stated, "why do we need cameras again?" Mogi and Ide nodded in agreement.
Matsuda smiled wider than before, clapping his hands together as if he had developed the perfect plan to catch Kira. Of course, the actual reason was far from that.
"Well, everyone seems to be stressed out these days, what with coming to a near dead end on the Kira case."
Light was sure he saw the raven-haired detective twitch slightly at the words 'dead end.' Clearly he was too proud to admit that they'd gotten almost nowhere in a month. Even Light had to admit it was getting more difficult to find clues in anything, despite hours of raking through the same evidence over and over again.
"So," Matsuda continued cheerily. "I thought it might be nice if we participated in something a little less Kira-related. I wasn't sure what you guys would think," he scratched his head, "but I was thinking we could all take a camera for a week or so, and everyone could get some nice pictures of things they found interesting. Then we could develop the film and make a scrapbook! I know it seems childish, but think about it, we could just do it in our spare time, and it could be relaxing and fun, all working together to compile a book…"
His voice trailed off, noticing everyone's blank stares. Matsuda's smile fell.
"Matsuda-san, I know you're trying to help the team relax, but personal feelings hardly relate to the work of a detective." L's words didn't leave the young man feeling any better. L looked over to Light, already starting to pile more sugar cubed into his second cup of coffee. "Light-kun, what is your opinion of the idea?"
L was sure that Light would agree with him, and his team could get back on track to cracking the Kira case once and for all. However, the younger Yagami's answer was the opposite of his expectations. He'd been wrong for once.
"Actually," Light spoke, and Matsuda's face lit up once more. "I think it's a great idea. It'd really be nice to get our minds off the case for a while. Think about it, Ryuuzaki. If we rested our thoughts a little, perhaps it would clear out unwanted thoughts and allow us to think clearer when we return to the case?"
"I agree." Chief Yagami stated, his voice far louder than anyone's in the room. "Light is right, it could be good for the team."
Aizawa, Mogi, Ide and a now beaming Matsuda glanced at the head detective, almost as if they were pleading with their eyes for permission to have a little fun.
He sighed, but there was a strangely bright look in his eyes. "All right, everyone has one week to take pictures of objects of interest. At this time in seven days, we'll all get together and pull a scrapbook together. Matsuda, please pass out the cameras."
Light found it odd how easily L had been to convince. He would usually flat out refuse a request so unappealing to him. And what was with how his eyes had suddenly shone, as if he'd just thought up a new and wonderful idea?
"Here you go, Light-kun." Matsuda handed him his camera. Light offered a curt thanks and stalked away, brushing off the thought of L's secret plan. He figured it would be best to concentrate on wowing the team with brilliantly taken photographs.
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He'd done it.
Light didn't know how, but he'd done it, somehow.
It was inevitable really, his domination of the world. He couldn't remember how he'd paved his way to the top, but here he was, victory within his grasp.
If he could just touch the damn crown.
He was surrounded by nothingness. Empty black coated all sides of his vision; it was only him and the crown, beautifully shining with rubies and lustrous gold etchings that seemed to spell 'Light Yagami' in spiky lettering.
It was floating what couldn't have been more than two inches from his fingers. Hand outstretched, he slowly reached for it. He could almost feel the cool metal as it slipped over his head, forever anointing him king of everything…
FLASH.
And a bold of raw blue heat scarred the blackness, turning it into a whiteness so blinding that Light was forced to open his eyes just to escape it.
He sat, breathing steadily, clutching his chest. Again, he thought, over and over again. How many times was he to have this dream?
He knew it was in L's best interest to ask Light to begin sleeping in the bedroom at headquarters. L rarely used it, after all, and he'd just taken off the handcuffs. However, Light was convinced the room was faulty. Perhaps a draft, or a high level of static. Before heading back to sleep, he said aloud, "I need to ask Ryuuzaki about a room change…"
He didn't expect the detective to have actually heard him.
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"So, did everyone collect some nice pictures?"
Matsuda was being his bright and cheery self that day, exactly a week after he'd handed the cameras out. Now, said cameras were all sitting on the coffee table, looking a great deal less new then they had seven days previous.
The young investigator collected all the cameras in a canvas bag and left to get the film developed, returning promptly an hour after, holding a box of doughnuts.
"It took a while to develop all the film, so I bought a snack for everyone," he announced, handing everyone their doughnut selection. "Ryuuzaki, I brought you one with strawberry filling." He handed the doughnut to the raven-haired detective, who added a polite 'thanks' before beginning to busily munch on the confection.
Matsuda gave each pack of film to it's owner, and everyone looked over the pictures. Of course, Light's had been brilliantly taken, leaving everyone wondering if their was anything the boy couldn't do.
"Err, Ryuuzaki…" Matsuda started, feeling around in the shopping bag but coming up empty handed. "There doesn't seem to be anymore film left."
"Quite correct, Matsuda-san." L stated, finishing off the doughnut and proceeding to lick the sugar off his fingers. "I somehow seem to have misplaced my camera. I apologize deeply; Watari, please." The old man, lingering in the corner, placed a small packet of money into the astonished Matsuda's hands. "That should more than account for the cost of the camera."
"Ah, okay Ryuuzaki!" he regained his cheery stature. "So, everyone, let's get started with putting the album together!"
"You all have your fun," L said. "I feel it more important to continue work on the case. Please excuse me."
He stood up limply and trudged off towards one of the bedrooms. Light stood up as well.
"I think I'm going to help him," he said, nodding to his father. "I'll be back soon."
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The room was silent, but for the continuous clacking of spidery fingers on a keyboard, so it was quite apparent to L by the sudden sound of a door shutting and opening that somebody had just entered the room.
"Light-kun."
He didn't even bother pretending he didn't know who it was.
"Ryuuzaki." He responded in the same brisk tone that L had used. "Would you mind telling me why you lied to Matsuda back there? I mean, it's not that important because you paid for the camera, but I'd like to know all the same ."
"What gave me away?"
Good. So he wasn't going to try and play dumb. It would have annoyed Light if he had.
"Well," he started. "I know you well enough to know you're not the type to lose things, especially not someone else's property."
"Very good," the detective replied, as though impressed.
"So why are you holding the camera captive?" Light watched the man huddled in a corner of the bedroom with amused eyes, taking a seat next to him on the bed.
L thought a bit before responding. "If I told you I was a poor photographer, and quite embarrassed about my photo taking abilities, would you believe it?"
"Not at all," Light shot back instantly. "You always focus so much on things, I'd be surprised if you weren't tremendously skilled with a camera."
L didn't blink. He simply produced a digital camera out of thin air, holding it up for Light.
The brunette seized the camera with caution, turning it on carefully and setting it to library mode, so as to muse through L's pictures.
He was right, the man was a very skilled photographer. The first picture seemed to have been taken from atop a building, with beautiful lighting shining upon the man pictured in the photo. Wait…he knew that face…
He flipped through more, each displaying a certain brown haired youth, some in action, some just looking distant. And even a few where the boy appeared to be sleeping. Light couldn't believe it.
These were expertly taken photographs of…himself?
Well, at least this explains those crazy dreams. Cameras flashing in the middle of the night can sure mess with your head.
"Ryuuzaki."
"Yes, Light-kun?" he replied, not looking up from his computer screen.
"Why are these all pictures of me?"
L raised his head to look at the boy directly in the eyes. "Did I not follow Matsuda's instructions?"
Light felt strange with Ryuuzaki's face so close to him. "Matsuda said to take pictures of objects of interest."
"Did I fail to meet that standard?" he questioned, looking meekly innocent. He was almost….cute? No, Light didn't just think that. He didn't think like that. It took him a few seconds to understand what the detective was telling him.
"So…I'm an object of interest to you, am I?" he said, smirking a little.
"Not so much an object, but of interest, yes."
Light's eyes trailed to the insomniac's toes. Always wiggling like some bizarre parasites. His eyes met the detective's again.
"So just what about me," he asked, "do you find so interesting?"
L placed his thumb by his mouth, not sucking on it, merely pressing it to his lips, as if deep in thought, before answering, "I suppose it's because Light-kun is the only one I can hold a decent conversation with." He thought a little more before continuing. "Also, I find you somewhat…unpredictable at times. Almost everyone else I can predict."
Light's smirk grew. "And what would the great detective L consider unpredictable?"
The raven's eyes rested unblinkingly at his teammate.
"Going by the definition, something that is unable to predict. Something that I myself would find completely out of the blue and-"
He wasn't able to complete his sentence, for as of that moment, his lips were covered by another pair.
L didn't blink.
After a moment or two, Light broke away, beaming. He stood up and offered the detective his hand.
"Come on, Ryuuzaki," he grinned. "You have to have some fun sometimes. Let's go help them make the scrapbook."
There may have been the tiniest of a grin forming at the corner of L's mouth as he took Light's hand. Normally he would have resisted, but somehow Light's eyes had convinced him to come with him. It was obvious what Light was saying, despite the words remaining unspoken.
"You don't need to take pictures. I'm right here with you."
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