Chapter Text
“I know you had to find an alternative solution but was this the best compromise that you could come up with?”
“If you have anything better I am more than open to suggestions,” while Light’s comment was made to sound snarky, he was unable to hide the smile that spread across his face as he leaned his back against the door, his eyes focused on you. He had wanted to speak with you, but in his current predicament, he was never more than a few feet away from the detective. You could hear the metal chain scratch the bottom of the door as Light moved to cross his arms.
“No, no, this is fine,” you raised your hands up in defense, a chuckle escaped you both as you stood there for a moment, you attempted to see if you could hear Ryuga through the door. With how obsessed he had been about Light’s movements, you wouldn’t be shocked if his head was pressed against the door to hear the conversation. Honestly, you had been more surprised that he had allowed Light to be in a room mostly by himself at all.
“We haven’t really been able to talk since all of this started,” he admitted shamefully, his gaze flickered away for a moment, “I thought it would be good to at least attempt a moment al-”
He had paused when he heard the sound of a cell phone from beyond the door, he remained silent for a moment longer until he heard the distinct monotone sigh of Ryuga (“Yes? … what is it? … I see, yes I have time.”).
Light held back a laugh as he mouthed to you, ‘lucky me’., he shook his head slightly before he continued, “anyway, I just wanted to check in.”
“That’s fair it has been … a lot,” you nodded slightly, “are you - are you okay? After everything?”
A heavy sigh left him as he stared off for a moment, something behind his eyes as he seemed to gather his thoughts, “I can’t pretend that it wasn’t a -” he paused again, “I am more glad that I am out and we can start working on the case.”
You nodded slightly, you didn’t want to push it too much, if he didn’t wish to say everything, it was not your position to force it out of him. You could only hope that when he was ready, he would share, or at the very least, that he had some kind of outlet of his own to let it out. Although, a shadow of doubt flashed through your mind, if Ryuga would be around him at all times, there would be very little time or privacy to have such a moment, “It’ll be good to catch him and get you out of (you gestured to the silver chain) these.”
He chuckled slightly his non-cuffed hand reached out to hold yours, “Despite the situation we’re in, I am glad to see you, although, I can’t lie and say I don’t have mixed feelings about you being here, I’m not exactly sure if I agree with L - Ryuga’s decision to have you join,” he quickly corrected himself.
“I can’t lie and say that I don’t agree with you,” you admitted. You had opened your mouth as though to say more, but no words came to you. You didn’t know what to say to it all, an act that as of late was not new to you.
“I also wanted to apologise.”
“For what?”
“I haven’t told my father about us, if i can defend myself, I haven’t exactly had the right moment.”
You weren’t sure what was the nicest way to say that his father not being aware was the very least of your worries, all things considered, “Oh - no you don’t need to apologise.”
“But I would like to tell him, soon, maybe when things calm down a bit?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
He was silent for a moment, as though checking if he could still hear Ryuga on the phone (“...I do not understand why it is not optimal today…”), “I’m glad to know that we’re still together,” he chuckled slightly, “I was half expecting that you would have to shut me down. Especially after I said all that in front of Ryuga.”
You shook your head, “I understand, there hasn’t exactly been (you stopped yourself), a good time for it.”
“Thank you for -”
What was surely intended to be a heartfelt thanks or words of comfort, had been cut off from Ryuga banging his first on the door from the other side, the metal chains clanking against the wood, “Light, whatever is it, it needs to wait. Everyone is required for a meeting.”
A deep frustrated sigh escaped you as you turned your head to face him, a joke on the tip of your tongue; only to be interrupted by the chaste kiss on your cheek, followed by a sly smirk from Light as he gestured to the door.
***
There were few things that annoyed Merrie more than being called at the crack of dawn for a job. At first she had ignored the shrilled ring of her mobile that rested on her nightstand, and had just rolled over in bed. It had only been by the third call that she had finally picked up, she had resisted the urge of insisting that someone better be dead for her to get a call at that hour. She had only been more pleased that she hadn’t made the comment when she heard the utterance of her codename ‘Wedy’ along with the voice of L on the other line - no doubt he would have made some type of comment and not let her let it go, especially as he had contacted her to work in an adjacent matter to Kira, she could hear his voice in her head (“would you suppose a few thousand is enough? Or shall I call you back when we hit five figures?”). Of course, not to her surprise, he had insisted that she would be needed as soon as possible, which would mean she would have to cut her trip in the US short. Something that she dreaded telling her sister.
The pay will be good. The pay will be good. The pay will be - a mantra that she would repeat in her head when she had to break the news to her sister. She hated it. Her sister always had this look in her eye, that she was disappointed in her. She had always thought that the feeling of shame regarding her sister would fade as she got older. Yet, at twenty-nine, she found herself wanting to shrink away into nothing when she told her elder sister, Allison, that she would have to leave for a work commitment.
“I thought you said you were on leave?” she had said in a flat tone, her jaw tightened slightly as she poured out a cup of coffee, one for herself, and one for Merrie. If a stranger were to glance their eyes over towards the scene, they would assume that Allison were on the verge of snapping, but Merrie knew her sister, and she knew that these were the tell tale signs that she was trying to hold back her upset, and if she knew that the moment she were alone, that she would run the water in her bathroom as she collected herself.
“In a sense, my work is complicated, we don't have ‘leave’ in the traditional sense,” she tried to wave off casually. Of course she would not be honest with her. That was what came with her line of work, you cannot just go and tell anyone that you were a professional cat burglar. Lest she either:
- Wished to get caught.
- Wished to put her sister in danger.
Even before her work with L. She never risked the chance of Allison finding out, and this case especially would be no different. Especially after she had read the brief notes sent to her about the case. There was no way she could allow that to leak into her private life.
“You said you would be able to stay the month, we had plans, can’t you just-” Allison stopped herself when she saw the shake of Merrie’s head. A heavy sigh escaped her before she slid the coffee cup over, “do you at least know how long you’ll be?”
“If I’m lucky, just a few weeks,” she said, “but it’s always hard to say until we get into it, or who else will be on.”
“So does this mean you won't be back in time for your birthday?”
Ah shit.
“Ah, maybe not?” she winced.
“Right.”
“Allie -”
“Please don’t I get it, I just -” she sighed in frustration, her hands cupped around her coffee, her head held now, her strawberry blonde hair fell from her bun, her face hidden behind it, “it’s fine.”
There was something she hated more than work calls early in the morning. Disappointing Allison. She would definitely need to pick up many gifts while she was away in Japan. While she wouldn’t be easily won over, it would at least help a tiny bit. The only saving grace she had was that she did not need to leave straight away. The sisters had two more days together before, not perfect, but it was something. She had been somewhat relieved that by the time she had left at the airport, the hug goodbye from her sister had not been the dismissive soft one that was the biggest indicator that she was still upset. Instead, Allison had held her tightly, almost taking Merrie’s breath away. The best kind.
When she had landed in Japan, she had done as told and waited in the pick up bay. At this point she was accustomed to this routine, black car, pick up, briefing, official meeting where they would go over what exactly she would be needed for. She had been pleased that her initial payment had been sent almost the exact moment her foot stepped on Japanese soil. As should be expected from the world's greatest detective. She held a cigarette between her lips as she searched her bag for the lighter she had purchased once landed, she had almost growled in frustration as she heard the rattling of items in her bag. How was it she could lose it so early? She had just bought it.
“Well, if it isn’t our own Cher,” she heard a voice call out. She had paused rummaging through her bag. There was no way, “aww c’mon, ignoring me is rude don’t you think?”
She glanced over her shoulder, and the growl she had initially held back, escaped her. Aiber. With that smug smirk on his face. No wonder L had been elusive on details, “Piss off,” she rolled her eyes, lighter finally in hand.
“You know, most people would take it as a compliment,” he smiled as he made his way next to her. She did not resist the urge to roll her eyes. The moment the film ‘Clueless’ had come out, Aiber (she was unsure of his real name, and assumed that much like her, it was an alias), had been the first to make comparisons between her attire at the character Cher’s in the film; while at first she did not pay mind to these comments, she had only become more frustrated when he would imply that she too must be a ‘ditzy, immature, emotionally unstable blonde’ not those exact words, but after a couple years, it was clear he was not trying to be charming about her attire.
“Ooft, smoking already?” he chuckled, “don’t tell me you’re nervous?”
“No, I’m hoping perhaps it’ll cut my time short, less time with you,” she said in a flat tone as she stared out in front of her.
A laugh that was much too loud for her taste escaped him as he shook his head, “Ah, I do miss these talks of ours.”
“Truly? I find myself rejoicing the moment they are over.”
How could she forget the one thing she hated most above all: How much she hated working with Aiber.
His quips had all but ceased by the time they had arrived, a more business appropriate attitude taking over the moment he had entered the doors. A part of her wished she could say the same for herself, but she saw no reason to, she was not exactly hired because of her charming personality - unless for lying. She had very quickly made herself at home, and had only been too pleased to know that she would not spend the majority of her time in some random hotel, but rather, while working she would be able to stay in the main building.
She had also been pleased that it looked as though the task force had already had a lead, ‘Matsui’ as she assumed was his alias, had found a lead for a company called Yotsuba. Before Wedy - as she had to get back into the habit of reminding herself to refer to herself as even in private - had not even had the chance to ask what Yotsuba was before another had chimed in.
“Wait I know Yotsuba, Sato works there - uh, sorry go on-” by how quickly she had covered her tracks after she spoke and awkwardness after the fact, there was no denial in Wedy’s mind that this had to at minimum be a freshman in university. Nineteen maybe? And judging by the equally young man and woman (she had done a double take upon realising the blonde was a major celebrity, that would be something she would have to drink about later) that sat beside her, it seemed L had kept to old habits in hiring the young; and against her better judgement, she found herself wanting to step in.
“Sato? Is this someone we should keep an eye on?” she asked. She remembered when she had been the rookie, the only woman in a team, and while at her current age, she had no issue in speaking her mind whenever it pleased her, she remembered when she couldn’t and would backtrack what she had to say. The least she could do is at least uplift another voice while she was there, like what she had once wished for, “do we need to remove her?”
“Uh-” the girl hesitated. It occurred to Wedy now, that she had not gotten her name.
As though he had read her mind, L (Ryuga? Was she meant to obey that rule?) had spoken, “Hifumi, what is Sato’s position within Yotsuba?”
“I don’t know the exact title, but she works as a financial assistant or something for one of the directors,” the young woman, Hifumi , spoke up, she seemed slightly more confident in her voice.
L had paused for a brief moment as he thought, “No we cannot do anything, to adjust something as drastic as moving someone quite high up in the business away, could lead to suspicion,” he mused, although it seemed mostly to himself, “We’ll see if there is anything we can do to avoid harm to those that are not involved, but it is imperative that we do not give away any sort of indicator that they are under suspicion. Hifumi, this means under no circumstance should you even imply to this woman that she should leave.”
Hifumi seemed conflicted with the order, but had simply nodded as she listened on.
To Wedy’s enjoyment. The mission was simple. In short: bug the joint; cars, building, the lot. Perhaps it would be possible to think that she would be home in time for her birthday and be able to spend it with Allison. She had struggled to truly pay attention to the remainder of the meeting after she had been informed of what her duties would be. She had glanced up from her phone once when she noticed the task force seemed to relax as they acted more like themselves, Hifumi scolding Matsui for almost hurting himself when he had faked his death - Wedy had later regretted not paying attention to this particular story as it seemed to be the most interesting point of conversation. Matsui had flushed a deep shade of red from embarrassment at the mere mention of this act (“Oh please don’t look at me like that, I had no idea what I was doing I just wanted it to be over!”).
The final iteration of the plan had something about the idol (Misa, that’s her name! She was sure her niece was a fan), would infiltrate Yotsuba under the promise that she wished to partner with them for an ad campaign, she seemed sure that she could use her acting skills to look unassuming and perhaps gather information on the group.