"Why me?" Ashley groans, standing at the center of attention. Upon Ryuzaki's request 'for the mission', she wears black pants and converse along with a red halter top that 'compliments her curves'— his words.

"You're a women." Ryuzaki replies. "I don't believe that he would reject someone such as yourself at his own doorstep."

Chief Yagami chokes on his coffee. "Are you implying that my son–"

"I'm too old to be wearing something like this." Ashley cuts him off, partially to save everyone from an uncomfortable conversation.

"Oh come on, Miss Ashley." Matsuda comments. "You're in your early twenties still! You're not old."

"Calling me miss only makes me feel older!" She sighs. "Is it almost time so I can get this over with?"

"The cab's waiting for you."

—yagami household

'He's going to pay for this.'

Ashley sighs at the Yagami's doorstep and tugs at the tight t-shirt Ryuzaki had given her to wear. She decides not to think to hard about where he got it from. With Light's biology notebook that Chief Yagami retrieved from his bedroom in her left hand, she knocks on the door three times.

The door opens and Ashley sees Light for the first time. He leans against the door with a slightly untucked shirt and the first few buttons undone. "Hello." He smiles with an eyebrow slightly raised.

"Hi!" Ashley begins acting. "I know you don't know me, but I'm in your cram school math class. You left your notes in class on Saturday and so I picked them up before anyone else could. It took me a good while to figure out how to get them to you before class, but luckily I have a friend who knows you."

"Oh... Thank you. I've been looking for this. Please, come in."

She smiles at him as she walks in the house, following him to the living room.

"I didn't catch your name." He states, motioning for her to take a seat besides him on the couch.

"Elizabeth. I'm a second year at To-Oh."

"Nice to meet you, Elizabeth." He nods.

Ashley nearly gasps. She glances above his head and notices his, or rather his lack of, lifespan above his head.

'Ryuzaki already figured out who Kira is!'

"So why'd you through all the trouble to return my notebook?"

"Hm?" She snaps out of her daze. "Oh. Well since we have a test on Monday I thought it would be nice for you to have something to study with."

"Monday? I thought it was on Tuesday?"

She laughs timidly. "Maybe it is. Either way, I'll have to make it up another time since I won't be there."

"Alright. Well if you have the time, you should let me treat you to coffee as a thanks."

There were no taps on either Ashley or Light and they'd be away from the prying eyes of the NPA. The timing is perfect for her.

Ashley's cell phone vibrates in he pocket– most likely someone in the hotel room.

"Coffee sounds great. Let me just text my mom really quick."

"Alright." Light smiles. "I'll go get jackets for the both of us since it's chilly outside."

From: Matsuda

ryuzaki said 2 go w/ light and report back 2 us

To: Matsuda

okay.

—coffee shop

"So cozy..." Ashley mutters, wrapping Light's jacket around her tighter.

The coffee shop emits a constant low hum of noises: Dishes clattering, patrons chatting amongst themselves, and smooth jazz music. The two chat for twenty minutes or so about college, pushing Ashley's brain to the max as she tries to come up with and remember her lies. The distant noises seem to isolate Light and Ashley from everything else.

"Have you heard about all the Kira stuff?" Light asks Ashley, changing the subject.

'Sooner than I expected.' She internally remarks. "Oh yeah. How could you not? You hear about it everywhere."

She's almost positive. If Quart was speaking truthfully, the blurred lifespan plus circumstantial evidence that the police has gathered points to the man across from her.

"What do you think about the whole ordeal?"

She laughs lightly in response. "That's a controversial question for someone you just met. I'm not positive, though. He seems to classify as 'lawful evil' in my opinion. Criminals,convicted and not, are getting what they deserve, but is murder the answer?"

"Interesting response."

"Doing a survey to see what people thing about you?" Ashley questions barely phases him. He raises an eyebrow and tilts his head in response. She leans in and whispers. "I was told by a shinigami that a blurred lifespan means one thing."

He suddenly becomes serious as he sets his cup down. "You were the one who sent those tapes to Sakura TV. How did you manage to not get caught by the police?"

"I am the police."

It takes him a moment to realize what Ashley said before tensing up. "What are you going to do...?

"Relax." She laughs. "Why would I have done what I did if I wasn't smart about this?

He lets out a sigh of relief. "I thought I was over already. You really got me there. I just thought you were a pretty face."

"Well you thought wrong."

"Well you're still a pretty face, but also much more. Clever, tricky, deceitful... All that on top of your looks would have you reign above all else in no time."

"Damn. I was trying to pull off the innocent college girl act." She remarks before becoming serious.
"Well, Light Yagami, I'm afraid that I know much about you while you know nothing of me, so I would watch your boundaries."

He attempts to mask his nervousness with a cough before proceeding. "A-Alright. So what's next?"

"You should probably head on home before your mom starts wondering where you're at, but not before we exchange contact information to keep in touch."

"Right." He agrees. The two exchange phone numbers and emails before Light leaves. "What's your name?"

"Still Elizabeth to you. I'm not dumb."

The two part ways with quiet goodbyes. While Light heads on home, Ashley makes her way to the bar next door.

To: Matsuda

Just got out with Light. Nothing of note. Going to stop for a drink or two because I think I deserve it. Let's keep that part a secret though.

—...

"Good morning."

The bright lights sting Ashley as she awakens with a groan. She sits up on the couch and is greeted with the scent of coffee and Ryuzaki sitting alone at his desk. "Good morning..." She mutters. "Where are the others?"

"Most of them went home for today since it's Sunday afternoon. Matsuda informed me that he'd be coming back later, though." He turns around in the computer chair. "He also informed us last night that there was nothing to note. Correct?"

"Yes. In summary, it was just me racking my brain for answers to build up the resume for my false college life."

"Good job, then. I applaud you, but the others weren't to happy about your journey after. Aizawa informed us that you lightly sang 'Jingle Bells' the entire ride back to the hotel."

"Oh... I'm sorry. I'll give him my apologies and my thanks when he comes into work."

"I'm fine as long as you're home safe. Now, you may want to shower because I've been trapped with the scent of alcohol and cigarettes since you've gotten back."

Ashley hides her face slightly from embarrassment before removing to covers to see that she's wearing different clothes from the previous night. "H-Hey! Who changed me?"

"Yourself... somehow."

She looks Ryuzaki straight in the eyes before he gives himself up with a tug of the lip. "You liar!"

"Nothing I haven't seen before."

"And something you haven't seen in many years!" She crosses her arms, annoyed. "How rude..."

"I can assure you that I avoided looking as much as I could. I would never do such a thing to you."

"Sure..." She rolls her eyes before retrieving a pair of clothes from her bag and heading into the bathroom. She strips herself of Ryuzaki's baggy off-white t-shirt and a pair of black sweatpants before stepping into the shower.

The warm water soothes the aches and pains from sleeping on the too-small couch as well as washes away the dirt, sweat, and the smells from the previous night. The toxic smells are soon replaced with lavender-scented body wash as she finishes up her shower. Once dried off, she begins to get dressed only for the process to be halted. She somehow forgot a shirt.

"Great..." She mumbles sarcastically. Quart chuckles at her blunder from behind her. "Oh shush. It's a human mistake, okay? And I thought I told you to wait elsewhere!"

"Oops." His laughter seizes before he retreats backwards through the wall.

Ashley cracks the door and calls out. "Ryuzaki! Can you bring my bag?"

"What?"

"My bag!"

He suddenly appears through the crack of the door. "What did you say?

"C-Can you bring me my bag?" She repeats timidly as she cowers further behind the door.

"I thought that's what you needed." He mutters while handing her the black duffle bag through the door crack.

Ashley throws on black athletic shorts along with a long-sleeved black shirt, opposite to Ryuzaki's white shirt she previously wore.

Ryuzaki's legs hang off the end of the bed as he lays when Ashley walks out. It seems almost foreign to Ashley to see him so relaxed after meeting his new persona.

"I thought your deduction skills would lower thirty percent if you weren't crouching." She comments.

"You and I both know that it's a defense mechanism to keep people away."

She chuckles at his response and sits on the bed besides him. A few drops of water from her damp hair falls onto the unmade bed below the two. They sit in silence for a bit, laying side by side, before Ryuzaki breaks it.

"Have you thought about your response yet?"

"I love you."

"Huh?"

"I love you, Ashley."

She struggles to find the right words. The past few days, she's thrown herself into her work to avoid answering Ryuzaki's statement.

"Lawliet, I–"

"You don't have to respond now. I understand if you have to think about it."

Ashley turns on her side and faces him. "Deep down, I want to love you as much as I did years ago, but it just doesn't work like that. To go so long without any contact from you was just... cruel. I still have feelings of both love and bitterness. Though we never called ourselves 'official', you were more than just my partner. You were my bestfriend and you had just walked of the face of the earth for six years."

"I know I have yet to explain myself, but it remains confidential inf-"

"And I know that!" She exasperates, cutting him off. Ashley's built-up emotions begin to get the better of her as she progresses. "You have yet to say anything besides that fact!"

Ryuzaki stays silent as get up and gently guides Ashley off the bed. He wraps her in an awkward yet sorrowful hug and speaks sullenly, "I never wanted to leave you." He sighs, "And I hate to do this, but I can't let Light have you."

"Can't let...? What do you-"

Quart audibly gasps as he witnesses Ryuzaki barely press his lips against Ashley's own. Ashley sits there, frozen, as she feels his lips for the first time in years. Her mind is simultaneously empty and running wild. It could barely be considered a kiss, but her body warms up as if it were one.

Ryuzaki pulls away, expecting a response, but Ashley is dumb-founded. His lips, once warm and full of life, are now cold.

"Yo! I brought some cake and... Er... Am I interrupting something here?

Matsuda's voice at the bedroom's door breaks the two out their trance, but Ryuzaki replies before Ashley even gets the chance to. "No. We were just chatting about some things. What kind of cake do you have for us?"

Matsuda raises an eyebrow in question of Ryuzaki's excuse, but ultimately dismisses it. "Just plain chocolate cake. I personally don't like all that fancy stuff."

Matsuda thinks to himself, 'If that was talking then I have no clue what I've been doing my whole life'

authors note
matusda is honestly my fave r.i.p me
edited 10.8.17