Death Note Fan Fiction / Death Note Fan Fiction ❯ Perils of the Drunken Kira ❯ "Would you like a drink, sir?" ( Chapter 1 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Death Note. I don't remember who does, but it's not me. Mikami thinks he can actually sue me for writing such one-shots, but he doesn't know something. I am Kira.... wait. No, I'm not. Never mind...

 

Mikami Teru sat in a booth, in a small tavern on that cold, rainy night in the city. He had a very, very hard day. He had lost two cases consecutively, his latest Kira rally went like a flop, and neither Light nor Takada were returning any of his calls. After coming home from the gym, the one place that didn't plague him with bad news, he had showered and decided to head out for dinner; he didn't even want to try cooking in case the stove decided to set itself on fire. And now, he sat here, in that small little booth, looking out into the dreary, stormy night. He sighed as the waitress took his plate of food away, and glanced at his watch. It wasn't even 9 PM. He wasn't yet ready to go home.

 

"...why is it that there are just some days that I don't even want to get out of bed?" Mikami asked himself, looking back out the window, "When I was a young boy, I used to think 'Wow! Today will be a terrific day!' That was before high school started, and now, I don't even want to wonder what my day will be like." He sighed again. It was pretty clear that he was having a bad day, but when the waitress appeared again, he tried to look at least a little cheerful as she took out a notepad.

 

"Anything to drink, sir?" she asked.

 

"Some Chardonnay would be lovely," he replied, and the waitress instantly vanished to fill his order. He went back to the window and said, "I don't want to say it, but my life just... it... oh, why bother being formal? My life is starting to suck." He heard snickering in the table in front of his, and glared at the customers through the reflection on the glass. One of them was a red-haired man with red goggles covering his eyes, a cigarette dangling from his mouth even though this was a non-smoking establishment. The other was of, well, what Mikami thought was a woman with blonde hair, looking like she had just murdered a cow considering all of the leather she wore. Both customers looked back at him, the 'woman' smirking.

 

"Go back to Hot Topic and cry in a corner," he said, and Mikami nearly spat out his water at hearing the voice, "Chardonnay sounds real nice, by the way. What a way to say 'I'm a rich lawyer, and I'll drink whatever I want because of it,' don't you think?"

 

"You're not trying to drink your problems off, are you, dude?" the second man asked, and gave a thumbs-down, "No way, man. An Xbox 360 can do that without the harmful side effects... save for the lack of sleep, maybe." Mikami growled, and turned away. He really didn't need two obnoxious young men commenting on his bad day, but unfortunately for him, if anyone ever met Mello and Matt, they would pry into the poor person's life until they found something better to do or simply tired of their victim. And, Mikami was their victim that night. Mello, the blonde, turned to Matt.

 

"Why can't you go one night without suggesting your stupid games as a solution to everyone's problem?" he asked, "Newsflash, Matt. Games get boring." Matt's eyes widened, and his goggles flew off his face in complete and utter shock, as though Mello's statement was the end of the world. For a long moment, the two friends merely stared at each other, Matt unable to believe Mello would even think of sullying the name of video games. After all, video games were his way of dealing with when his life became a hellhole. His brows furrowed.

 

"What!? They do not get boring!" Matt insisted, crossing his arms, "I'll have you know I played Baldur's Gate for three weeks straight and never once considered turning my PS2 off! I mean, I had other problems to deal with, and I'm pretty sure my bladder exploded, but games are NOT boring. Chocolate is boring! Does it calm your nerves at night!?" Mikami simply stared at the two, and Mello's eyes narrowed flatly, wondering just how and why Matt would try getting away with a comparison like that. To Mello, chocolate was the equivalent of the Holy Grail.

 

"Take that back or I'll set your Dreamcast on fire," Mello threatened, but Matt simply refused to back down, "Chocolate is the only reason I'm alive right now. It's all I eat, and it's much healthier than you and your stupid games." He half-expected Matt to concede defeat, but Matt's own addiction had been insulted. If anything, Matt's grin widened mockingly, and Mello asked, "What, you want me to starve or something?"

 

"No, but a vegetable wouldn't hurt you, either," Matt retorted in almost a whisper, "Maybe that's why you're so bitchy all the time, because you can't-"

 

"FINISH THAT SENTENCE AND I'M SHOVING YOUR LAPTOP UP YOUR ASS!" Mello screamed furiously, and Matt simply laughed triumphantly. Mikami sighed, shaking his head. He didn't understand why he just listened to those two immature brats argue about their hobbies, but he'd had enough. His own day wasn't getting any better, and finally, his wine arrived. Silently thanking Kira for the timing, Mikami took a sip and closed his eyes. It was sweet, but not enough to overpower his dinner. He sighed, relaxing a little... until he felt two people jump over the low wall separating him from their table and sit in seats next to him. He didn't even bother opening his eyes; he knew it was Matt and Mello.

 

"Can you two just please go away? I've had a bad day and neither of you are helping," Mikami said tiredly. He opened an eye just in time to see Mello take the bottle the waitress left and take a hefty swig of its contents, wiping his mouth on his arm. Eye twitching, he asked, "Why are you just assuming you can drink my wine!? Are you going to pay me back for it!?"

 

"Why don't you stop bitching and start drinking?" Mello suggested, handing the bottle to Matt, who grinned and sipped a bit of it, "You're a rich lawyer, aren't you? I'm sure you can afford some wine for us." Mikami growled, not liking that Mello had absolutely no respect for either his job or his actual salary, and his eye twitched when Matt's cigarette managed to fall into the wine, ruining the rest of the bottle. He surely wished he could get up and throw them both out the window, but he had too much respect for the tavern. Sighing, he merely ordered another bottle.

 

"First of all, I'm a prosecutor," Mikami corrected, "And I'm not rich. In fact, I'm lucky I can even afford my apartment, so after you get a glass, you both leave or I'll arrest you, got it?" Mello merely snorted as another bottle was brought, and took a hefty swig of it again. He sighed, and handed it to Mikami, who grabbed it and pulled it close to him protectively as he said, "That's it, get out!"

 

"But I didn't even get a full sip..." Matt said sadly, frowning as another waitress picked up his goggles and flatly returned them to him, grumbling about littering. Mikami growled again, and absolutely tired of their constant whining, shoved the bottle into Matt's hands. Matt took a large gulp and set it down. Finally, Mikami poured himself a rather large glass, and downed it instantly. The effect was marvelous, relaxing him back to how he felt before he woke up. He poured himself another glass, and this time, Mello glanced at him nervously.

 

"Uh... listen, dude. I don't think you should really be drinking wine that quickly," Mello warned, raising a slightly concerned brow, "Aren't you worried it'll impair you?"

 

"I'll call a cab," Mikami mumbled, "And why do you care, anyway?" Mello blinked. That was a valid point. Why did he care if Mikami got himself drunk? He smirked.

 

"You're right. I don't," he said simply, and turned to Matt, "Come on, my most faithful friend. Let's go to Borders and show them we have no respect for their 4-percent book tax." Mikami hiccupped as a way of saying goodbye, and as Mello stood up to leave, Matt simply stared at the prosecutor nervously, as Mikami's face began to redden from the wine he was beginning to gulp down in unhealthy speeds.

 

"Uh, dude, can we really leave him here? He's drinking the wine like water," Matt stated worriedly, and Mello merely rolled his eyes, "No, I'm serious. He's drunk half the bottle already." As if to prove his point, Mikami looked over at the two, his head swimming as though he'd been seriously drugged up with some form of sleeping aid. When he grabbed the bottle, Matt said, "No, lawyer dude! You've had enough! I'm going to..." Mello grabbed Matt's wrist as he attempted to take the bottle away, and when Matt looked up at the blonde, he saw Mello was shaking his head.

 

"Trust me, Matt. Nothing is worse than what happens when you take a bottle from a drunk," Mello said grimly, and then a small smirk formed on his face, "Besides, it's obvious he's never drunk this much before. Books are boring, anyway. Let's see how badly we can mess with him before he vomits." Matt didn't exactly like that idea, but he found himself agreeing to it, and so he and Mello stayed as they silently watched Mikami order a round of beers for them this time. Neither he nor Mello touched the beer, but Mikami ended up drinking them all, and before he knew it, he was thoroughly drunk and unable to make decisions for himself. And, because he was too drunk to recognize Mello as being the one at fault for his drunkenness, he let the blonde man make his decisions for him. Which was a very bad idea.

 

"I think you should go up on stage and sing," Mello said, grinning evilly as his plan unfolded easily in front of his eyes, "I'm sure you're a good singer, right?"

 

"The lash time I... shung anything, I broked... the windowsh in my room," Mikami slurred, trying his best to remain as sober as he possibly could after a full bottle of wine and three beers, "My mom wash pretty mad ash me." Matt simply frowned, but didn't say anything. For, every time he did, Mello took to threatening either to throw his cigarettes out or destroy his games, and both were equally effective in keeping him quiet. Mello glanced from him, and then back to Mikami, smiling in what seemed to be serenity.

 

"I'm sure it couldn't be that bad... could it?" Mello coaxed, and pointed upwards, "Look, the stage is free. Don't you want to be a star?" Mikami blinked, and his glasses fell off his face, clacking onto the table. Everything looked so blurry, and he couldn't tell if it was from the alcohol or the lack of glasses. Carefully, he took Mello's arm, and the young man helped him to stand, innocently walking him over to the stage and then helping him get up the stairs.

 

"I don't think I should doosh thish," Mikami stated tiredly, looking back at Mello, "Lesh me go!"

 

"Relax. You'll do just fine," Mello assured falsely, and then sighed when he heard Matt running up behind him, "Matt, what the hell is it?"

 

"Near just called. He wants us at SPK. Now," Matt said seriously, giving Mello his phone. Mello looked down at the phone number and snorted. It was definitely Near's number. And, he knew exactly what to do whenever Near called him: ignore whatever the white-haired boy had to say, and ignore it promptly. He pocketed the phone, and glancing back at Mikami, laughed and dragged Matt away, the red-head trying to get out a cigarette to light as he struggled to avoid his friend.

 

"Come on, stop struggling," Mello said flatly, "We'll go to Best Buy and steal a new Wii remote. How's that?" When he heard the click of a lighter and the smell of tobacco, his eyes narrowed as he finished with, "Or I can just drive you to the hospital. Those things are going to give you cancer, you know." Matt inhaled some of the, in Mello's mind, toxic substance and blew it out, cursing as his cigarette fell onto the floor.

 

"You made me drop it! That was my last one!" Matt whined, trying to break free to pick it up, "What about Near, anyway!?" Mello laughed again, truly amused that Matt seemed to think anything Near had to say was even worth a damn. With one final shove out the front door, Mello turned Matt to face him, his grin widening in the dim streetlight. Matt twitched; he hated that look. It usually meant Mello wasn't going to even acknowledge something important... or was planning on something that would inevitably be pinned on Matt. Or at least relate him to it.

 

"Near? Like I give a crap about what that useless brat has to say!" Mello exclaimed, and patted Matt on the back, "Come on. Anything he truly needs to say, he'll text us with. Let's go and have some fun before he decides to ruin it all." Matt sighed and reluctantly agreed, and they ran off. Meanwhile, inside the tavern, Mikami blinked as he waited for a song to start playing. He didn't know what it would be, and he was too drunk to choose, or to notice if Mello had picked one, but finally, it started. It was the song 'Love Shack,' and for reasons Mikami just couldn't remember in his drunken stupor, he was singing it to. Very, very badly.

 

"The loooove shack is a little old place where... hic... we can get toGETher!" Mikami sang into the microphone, "Love sh... hic... baby, love shack! Love... hic... baby... hic..."

 

"Oh god, this guy stinks!" Restor yelled, as Halle came back with a round of beer for the SPK team... save for Near, who wasn't with them, "Seriously, someone get that moron off the stage!"

 

"This is worse than my daughter's rendition of Blue Danube on the xylophone," Aizawa mumbled, shaking his head as Mogi handed him a glass of whiskey, "Why did we come here on our night off?"

 

"Oh, who cares!? I'm not wasting my money listening to some drunken idiot spout nonsense at me," Light said, standing up as Mikami began the next verse, "I say we pelt him until he leaves!"

 

"AGREED!" everyone shouted together, despite the two teams being seated at different tables. They all stood up, save for one man, who felt no need to embarrass Mikami further. Matsuda merely watched Mikami with wide, watery brown eyes, wondering just how and why the prosecutor managed to get up there. When Light threw his glass, hitting Mikami square in the face and causing the man to fall over, Matsuda rushed onto the stage to help Mikami. Quickly, he hoisted Mikami onto his back and picked up the microphone, hoping what he said didn't sound any more ridiculous than Mikami's singing. Though he hadn't seen where Mikami had been sitting, Matsuda could smell alcohol all over the unconscious Law and Order reject.

 

"Er... ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up for Mikami Teru!" Matsuda exclaimed nervously, but the booing he received told him that absolutely no one appreciated Mikami's... special brand of singing expertise. Then, making sure Mikami wouldn't fall off his back, Matsuda hiked off the stage and out the back door, where he passed the bartender on the way out.

 

"It's a good thing you're taking him away," the bartender mumbled, "Damn idiot's been moping around here for the past two hours. Get him out of here!" Matsuda blinked, and then left out the back door. The rain had lessened from a serious downpour to nothing more than a soft drizzle, and as Matsuda stepped out onto the quiet street, he glanced back at Mikami and wondered just what could have caused him to spend the better of his night drinking. He walked in silence, cutting across the street and making his way into the park. There, he found a bench, and sat down, shifting Mikami and propping him up next to himself. The rain began to come down a bit harder, but it wasn't enough to make Matsuda want to leave. Not that he had anywhere he could go, anyway; he didn't know where Mikami lived, and his apartment was too small for two people.

 

"I wish I knew where Mr. Teru lived..." Matsuda sighed, glancing over at Mikami's unconscious form, "And why he decided to get himself so tanked. Did one of his rallies dive-bomb today?" Wondering if he could salvage an address from Mikami's wallet, Matsuda reached into the man's coat and pulled out said object, which he opened to find a small driver's license. Glancing at it, he learned that Mikami lived in another neighborhood a good seven miles away, and sighed. There was no way he could travel that far on foot while carrying the man on his back. He'd have to take the subway. Taking a deep breath, Matsuda stood up and heaved Mikami back onto his shoulders, heading out toward a busy street where the subway thankfully stood. He jogged up the cold, stone steps and into the station, heading right for one of the three desks that sold tickets to oncoming passengers. As he bought his tickets, the woman looked at Mikami with a raised eyebrow.

 

"Is your friend going to be okay?" she asked, staring from Mikami to Matsuda, the latter of which blushed and nodded.

 

"Him? Oh, yeah... he just fell..." Matsuda flinched as Mikami slid right off his shoulders, crashing onto the floor, "Asleep... thanks for the tickets! Come on, Mikami, let's go!" Matsuda said the last part a little too cheerfully, and the woman watched him pick Mikami up and carry him off with a completely flabbergasted look on her face. Matsuda quickly raced up the escalator, not wanting to attract any more attention than was necessary, for he did indeed have a very drunk man in his arms. He rushed to his train and threw the tickets at the conductor as he boarded, and located a vacant car within minutes. Doing his best to gently place Mikami in one of the two seats, Matsuda grabbed a blanket from one of the carts in the hall and threw it over the prosecutor, who snorted, but didn't wake up from his slumber. Matsuda wiped his forehead, which had been perspiring in panic from just how he'd manage to get Mikami home, and then collapsed into the second chair himself.

 

"I wish you were awake so I could ask what happened to you," Matsuda whispered, hoping he didn't wake Mikami up, "I've read about you, Mr. Teru. It's not like you to get drunk. In fact, it says you've never had a sip of beer until tonight. So... what happened?" Matsuda didn't actually expect a reply; Mikami simply snored loudly in response. Matsuda sighed again, and simply sat back in his seat as he watched the scenery outside fly by. Ten minutes later, they came to another stop, and though Matsuda didn't move to leave the train, he heard three people entering the hallway, two of which were causing a huge ruckus by swinging from the leather loops in the hallway for passengers to hold onto. The third simply shook his head, hoping to ignore the other two's antics. Matsuda, deciding that he'd better calm the three down before they definitely woke Mikami up, stuck his head out the door.

 

"Excuse me, but could you please keep it quiet down there?" Matsuda asked calmly, and the two swinging from the hoops let go, one glaring angrily as the other shrugged and walked into the neighboring car. A second later, Matsuda heard music from Final Fantasy III coming out from somewhere, but the glare he received from the first man kept his attention far better.

 

"Excuse me, but could you shut up and let me and my most beloved threesome have our damn fun?" Mello retorted, and stormed into the car behind Matt, "Stupid morons never let me and Matt do anything! 'You're being too loud!' God forbid we make sound or anything!" Matsuda just blinked as he heard the car door slam, even though the last man, a white-haired boy dragging a tiny robot on the ground, was still in the hall. Silently, he shuffled toward the door, and when he turned the knob, he found it was locked. He sighed, and knocked on the door. Mello screamed, "Near, get LOST!" and proceeded to kick the door. Near sighed again, knowing fully that Mello had locked him out on purpose, and probably wouldn't be letting him back in. Quietly, he shuffled passed Matsuda's door.

 

"I suppose I'll just sit out here and wait," he said, as though it didn't bother him that Mello slammed the door in his face, as he looked into Matsuda's car, "...what's wrong with your friend?" Matsuda growled, thoroughly getting sick of being asked that.

 

"He's asleep," he said simply, leaning back as Near began to come into his car, "What are you doing!? You can't just barge into someone else's booth!" Near gave Matsuda a flat stare. In his mind, he felt it was perfectly fine to sit wherever he wanted, seeing as how Matsuda had more than enough room for him.

 

"...Mello has locked me out of my compartment. Therefore, I need to find a new place to sit. This car has adequate room," Near stated logically, as he set his doll down in a chair, "Besides, this is not your train. You do not own it, therefore, I'm technically not trespassing. Trespassing only applies if you either own or partly rent out this specific car, which you do not. Therefore, to accuse me of such is wrong. But, I'm sure even you knew this, right?" Matsuda twitched. He really didn't want to have to sit next to a kid who felt he was an idiot, but fate obviously felt like spoiling the rest of his night. He waved Near to sit down, which the boy did. They merely stared at one another for a long moment until Near asked, "So, why are you traveling with a Kira suspect, Matsuda? You realize this is a complete conflict of interest, right?" Matsuda's eyes narrowed flatly, wondering why Near couldn't just leave him alone. Tiredly, he looked out the window as rain began to fall again.

 

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, Near, but why do you actually care?" Matsuda countered, "It's not ruining the case, is it?" When Near silently shook his head in agreement, Matsuda said, "See? I don't see what the problem is." He continued to stare at Near, trying to ignore the vacant feeling he got from staring into the boy's black eyes.

 

"The problem is that you may be putting yourself into danger by traveling with one of our suspects," Near replied, "He may learn of your identity, and write your name down in his notebook. Does that not worry you?" Matsuda couldn't help but let a laugh escape his lips. Mikami? A threat to him? If only Near knew the truth.

 

"Mikami's not a threat to anyone right now," Matsuda stated confidently, and when Near's emotionless stare seemed to press for further explanation, Matsuda decided there was no harm in giving the boy the truth, "He's drunk off his rocker. He can't even think straight. When I got to him, he was embarrassing himself on stage. Though, I still have no idea how he got up there and why anyone even thought it was a good idea to not stop him in his tracks." Near simply hummed. This reeked of Matt and Mello, especially when Matt had told Near of their whereabouts. But, he decided not to give Matsuda that little revelation. He felt there was no need for it; what would Matsuda do to them, anyway? Technically, they hadn't committed a crime.

 

"So, what will you do with him?" Near asked, and suddenly, Matsuda froze. He had never considered that question. What would he do once he had gotten Mikami home? The answer seemed so obvious, but Matsuda really didn't think he could actually care for Mikami. He barely knew how to take care of himself some nights. Near, however, already seemed to guess at his train of thought, for he ended with, "Think very carefully, Mr. Matsuda. I wouldn't want you to become a victim of your own innocence." Matsuda twitched, and couldn't even control the sudden anger he felt.

 

"Why don't you go and bother... Matt!?" Matsuda blurted, though he didn't actually know who Matt was. He just remembered Mello had mentioned the name before. Near blinked, unable to understand why Matsuda would suggest that. He and Matt weren't exactly friends.

 

"You assume Mello will let me into their car," Near stated logically, and Matsuda was just about ready to snap again, until Mello poked his head into their compartment. Matsuda hadn't even heard Mello's footsteps outside, in the hallway.

 

"Near, get in our car now," Mello growled, "Why are you spouting your awkwardness to this innocent bystander!? You're supposed to be traveling with me and my most intimate cohort." Mello then left, and Near sighed, climbing off of the seat and taking his doll as he left the compartment as well. He turned back just once, and gave Matsuda an eerie, critically look, and for that moment, Matsuda felt as though his entire soul were being examined by Near.

 

"Think very carefully about this, Mr. Matsuda," Near whispered, and then he was gone. Matsuda simply blinked in wide-eyed terror at where the small boy once stood, and for just a second, wondered if maybe he had imagined the entire encounter. The rest of his ride continued in complete silence. Mikami was still snoring, and Matsuda had no reason to speak to his reflection. The only sounds offered were coming from the rain tapping on the window, or from the rumble of the train. The moments stretched on, and only when he felt the train slowing down did Matsuda bother to issue a sigh of relief. This was his stop, and carefully, he picked Mikami up and hoisted him back onto his shoulders, heading out of the compartment. For whatever reason, Mello and Matt were standing in the hall, and though Matt simply nodded at Matsuda, Mello didn't fail to mock him for some unseen reason.

 

"What a romantic way to carry your boyfriend," Mello said, giving Matsuda a smug grin. Matsuda ignored him and stepped off the train as Mello howled with laughter. Matsuda thought about going through Mikami's things when he'd reach the apartment and write Mello's name in the notebook, but he ruled it out when he realized he didn't even know Mello's name. Sighing, he simply watched as the train slowly took off, with Mello popping his head out and throwing more insults Matsuda's way... until the train went under a large tree, one of the branches smashing Mello right in his face. Matsuda stifled a laugh as he walked out of the subway and onto the quiet streets above. It was now nearing ten at night, and no one seemed to be out anymore. That was good; it gave Matsuda just a little time to think on things. He looked at a small map pinned to the wall of the small building. Mikami's apartment was close by, and he thought that was a good thing to know, for it meant less hiking through an unknown neighborhood. Turning around, Matsuda made sure Mikami was securely on his back before crossing the large, silent road toward a string of very well-kept and delicate houses and buildings. Remembering the address on Mikami's license, Matsuda stopped in front of a white building, and looked up. Tinted windows adorned rows of the white marble, and two little gardens marked the front entrance. A nice place, Matsuda thought as he began the perilous trek up the stairs. Mikami lived on the fourth floor, and two minutes later, along with a bunch of deep breathing, Matsuda now stood outside of room D2. He fumbled with the keys in Mikami's pocket, and slid them into the lock. It clicked open, allowing Matsuda passage inside.

 

"Well, Mikami, we're home," he whispered, though he didn't expect Mikami to even respond. He closed the door and gently made his way into Mikami's bedroom, laying the prosecutor on the bed as gently as he could. He pulled up the covers, even though Mikami was still dressed in his usual black suit and tie. Then, he quietly backed out of the door, shutting it to let Mikami rest.

 

About three hours later, Mikami woke up, nearly screaming as he felt the sweat rolling off of his forehead. He couldn't remember what he was dreaming about. All he knew was that the dream had scared him, and that he had embarrassed himself terribly in it. Then, when he realized he had fallen asleep, he looked around. The last thing he remembered was having a beer with Matt and Mello... and now he was in his room. He had no idea how he'd gotten there, and he prayed neither of those two insane teenagers helped him out. He looked out of his window and saw the faint silver outlining of a crescent moon; it had to have been past midnight now. Realizing he wasn't even in his pajamas, Mikami threw the covers off and stepped out of his bed. He smelled something cooking, and now wondered if someone had broken into his apartment. Carefully, he took a gun out of his desk drawer and slowly opened the door into the living room. No one was in there, but he heard humming as he stepped out silently. It was coming from the kitchen.

 

"Never gonna give you up... never gonna let you down," he heard someone sing as he edged toward his small kitchen, "Never gonna run around and desert you! Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye..." Mikami's eye twitched as he realized whoever was in here was singing a song by Rick Astley, and promptly considered shooting the man out of mercy for his soul. Then, he saw the figure he suspected in his kitchen, near the stove. They were frying something with his frying pan! Mikami's grip on the gun tightened, and he froze when the figure happily turned... until he saw the gun in Mikami's hands.

 

"D-DON'T SHOOT!" the man squeaked, dropping the pan, and Mikami immediately lowered his gun. It was Matsuda Tota. Mikami barely knew him, but he knew Matsuda was investigating the Kira Case. But... why would Matsuda be in his apartment?

 

"What the hell are you doing here!?" Mikami asked, still holding his gun, "And why are you singing to Rick Astley!?"

 

"I b-brought you back from the b-bar," Matsuda stuttered, quite aware that Mikami still had a gun ready to aim at him, "You were drunk... and I didn't think you could make it home by yourself. I wanted to stay until you woke up." Mikami's grimace softened at that. He never would've thought anyone would have done something so kind for him. Then, he remembered that Matsuda was on the Kira case. No doubt, this was a set-up. He snorted mockingly at the man before him.

 

"Why? To arrest me?" Mikami accused, "You can't do anything to me. I'll have you deleted in three seconds if you do." Matsuda frowned this time, and somehow, seeing the look of controlled fear, of such disappointment, made Mikami hesitate with his threat. He knew that Matsuda had done nothing wrong, and that perhaps the man was even being earnest. He had any number of opportunities to take Mikami to prison, and had taken none of them.

 

"Would that make you happy, Mikami?" Matsuda asked, and when Mikami's mouth dropped open at the mention of his name, Matsuda explained with, "I looked at your license. I had to find out where you lived." Mikami lowered the gun further.

 

"Why would you help me?" he asked, in almost a whisper, "You know who I am. You know what I am. Why would you help a Kira suspect?" Matsuda's lips thinned, unable to give an answer. He had no real reason as to why he'd helped Mikami out. He just wanted to. When he told this, the prosecutor simply laughed and said, "You put yourself in a lot of danger for no reason... Matsuda." Matsuda blinked profusely, mildly surprised Mikami even knew his name.

 

"How do you know me?" Matsuda asked, and Mikami froze again. He just trapped himself in another corner of danger that night. Light had told him of every person working to take Kira down, but how could Mikami actually say that without revealing his god to a group of men wishing to kill him?

 

"I have my sources," was all he simply said, putting the gun on the table, "Just answer me this. What did you do while I was asleep? I hardly expected you to simply sit on my couch and wait." Matsuda's lips thinned again. He hadn't exactly done that, and he knew Mikami guessed at what he had done. Mikami didn't blame Matsuda for poking around his apartment. Not that he truly had anything to hide from the man. Both of them knew who he was.

 

"Actually... I wanted to learn more about you," Matsuda answered honestly, "I was curious, so I..."

 

"I am Kira and that's all you need to know," Mikami answered, almost coldly as he picked the gun back up and moved to put it back in his room. The words stung at Matsuda. He couldn't believe that was all Mikami thought he could see in the man. He looked down at the floor, trying to keep his tears from actually falling.

 

"I meant who you are," Matsuda finally said, "Not Kira. You. Mikami Teru." Mikami poked his head out of his bedroom, and when Matsuda finally stepped into the living room, they simply stared at each other. Seconds dragged onto minutes, and the minutes seemed to go for eternity until Matsuda spoke again, "I wanted to know who you were and why you'd been chosen to be Kira." Mikami stared critically at him again.

 

"And?" he urged, when silence began to hang about them thickly, "What did you find?"

 

"A good man who doesn't deserve this," Matsuda replied gently, "You don't deserve to be Kira. You don't deserve to have to kill people. You don't... deserve to be thrown in prison. Not for this. You aren't the bad guy everyone in my office says you are." Mikami snorted coldly. Matsuda's words warmed him, but how could that fool understand what was going on? He was truly as naive as Light had told him.

 

"I murder people," Mikami told him, but he couldn't look at Matsuda's eyes at all, "I am no better than Kira. I murder the guilty just as he does."

 

"You're not heartless," Matsuda offered, "You're not like Kira at all. You..."

 

"I AM Kira!" Mikami growled, in a sudden flash of fury that he couldn't even begin to explain, to himself or to Matsuda, "I am Kira, and you are a foolish person to try and help me, Matsuda! What are you even trying to accomplish here!? What, do you honestly think you can change me? Do you really think you..." Mikami forced himself to finally stop. Matsuda's eyes welled up with tears, and gently, Mikami redirected his question, "Do you really think I'm not like Kira?" Matsuda looked at him and nodded silently. Mikami sighed; this really wasn't how he wanted his night to have gone. He walked to the couch and sat down, and found himself inviting Matsuda to join him. The two sat in the small living room in complete silence, with only the crickets outside to break the tension. Finally, Mikami spoke again, "I'm sorry... that I did this to you." Matsuda glanced at him, and then looked at the sliding glass door that led to a small yard. Rain was still falling heavily.

 

"You mean making me wait here?" Matsuda asked, and when Mikami nodded, he laughed and said, "No problem. Trust me, it's probably better than what Light and Misa would've done." Mikami gave him an odd stare as he heard the two names, and Matsuda finished with, "Misa calls me sometimes and chats about her days. Light really doesn't like that, but Misa forgets to hang up the phone when she and Light start fighting." Mikami snorted again. Somehow, that didn't surprise him very much. He leaned back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. Remembering what Matsuda had said about 'learning' of him, Mikami glanced down at the man in question, who was currently trying to decide which of Mikami's magazines he should read.

 

"So, what did you think of me?" he asked, and Matsuda gave him a flustered stare, "You said you were curious about me. What did you actually do?" Matsuda laughed nervously, but knew that his face was getting warm, and was probably showing off how he actually felt. Mikami appeared to have ignored that.

 

"Um... well, I found an old album of you when you were a kid," Matsuda began, "Some photographs of you with your parents... news clippings on your cases... a few reports of your rallies, too."

 

"What did you think?" Mikami asked again, and Matsuda noted the gentleness he seemed to be adopting in his tone.

 

"I think you're dedicated to your causes," Matsuda answered simply, and Mikami actually laughed, "Seriously! Have you read about yourself? You're ruthless in court! I've never seen someone with such an outstanding record! You're never late for work, you win almost all of your cases, and I'm pretty sure hell has to freeze over and go to the espers before you take a sick day or a vacation! That's more devotion than I give, and work is pretty much the reason I live right now." That actually brought a soft smile to Mikami's lips, and Matsuda knew he was blushing at that point. If this was how it would be to be around Kira, Matsuda didn't think it would be so bad. He just hoped Mikami couldn't read his mind and see that thought. The prosecutor took off his glasses.

 

"I'm not an overly interesting man otherwise," he stated calmly, "You've probably noticed the lack of any sign of anyone else important in my life. My dullness is the reason." Matsuda hummed. He did notice that there seemed to be nothing to keep Mikami overly connected to humanity. He simply tried his best to smile despite the depressing thought.

 

"So then tell me about yourself," he suggested, but quickly realized that was a mistake. Mikami's frown returned, as though he hesitated on something, and then, he seemed to look utterly depressed about that something. Matsuda shivered. If he ever thought he'd see someone like Mikami cry, now might have been it, and he quickly stood up, saying, "I'm sorry, Mikami. I should leave." Mikami looked up at him, and then out the windows. It was still raining horribly outside, and the wind was absolutely howling now. The mere thought of Matsuda actually trying to brave such a storm was almost amusing to Mikami, except that he knew Matsuda would try it anyway.

 

"In this storm?" Mikami simply asked, an amused grin now replacing his frown, "Matsuda, you are even more foolish than I'd have thought." Matsuda's blush returned furiously.

 

"Where else can I go!?" he cried defensively, but Mikami merely laughed, walking into his room and closing the door for a minute, "H-hey! Where the hell are you going!?" Mikami came back out a minute later in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, tossing a pair of similar pajamas to Matsuda, a rather flat look on his face.

 

"I hate sleeping in my suit," Mikami reasoned, "Likewise, so do you." If he thought Matsuda understood his intentions, however, he was dead wrong, and he should've known better than to be so vague.

 

"I'm not braving a storm in pajamas," Matsuda said simply, and this time, Mikami fell over laughing, unable to believe that would even come out of the man's head. When he finally recovered, all he could do was shake his head.

 

"If you actually thought I'd let you risk catching a cold in this, you're crazy," Mikami said firmly, though he couldn't hide the threat of laughter in his voice, "You saved me a night of humiliation. I'm saving you from your own stupidity. You're staying the night until the storm dies down." Matsuda's eyes widened. He couldn't believe he just heard right. He was staying with Mikami Teru! A Kira suspect, no less! But, despite that fact, he couldn't help but smile at the prospect.

 

"You'd let me stay here?" Matsuda asked, as Mikami went to get a blanket for him to sleep in, "Thanks!" Mikami simply nodded, more intent on finding the blanket. However, another part of Mikami's offer hit Matsuda, and defensively, he said, "Wait, you actually think I'm stupid!?" Mikami just gave him a smug grin, and in an attempt to be angry, Matsuda huffed, "I'm not!"

 

"Could've fooled me," Mikami said, throwing a blanket at Matsuda's face. Matsuda huffed again, throwing himself angrily on the couch. Mikami just shook his head, though he knew he'd start laughing again if Matsuda didn't stop. The damned man was just too adorable. He walked into the kitchen, grabbing two glasses of milk, and walked back out, handing one to the flustered officer, "Here. This should help calm you down."

 

"I'm not five!" Matsuda cried, throwing his arms up, "Geez, everyone always thinks I'm some idiot who needs to be babied!" A long moment of silence followed that statement.

 

"Maybe you are," Mikami said slyly, and Matsuda groaned miserably as the younger man downed his milk, "Be thankful, though. If you were just some idiot, you wouldn't be here." Matsuda's eyes widened at that statement, and for just that second, he completely forgot who he was actually dealing with. He threw a tiny couch pillow at Mikami, and it bounced off the man's back as he walked into his bedroom.

 

"Oh, go pee in your bed!" Matsuda shouted in an attempt to insult Mikami. All he received was a laugh, though. Then, he heard rustling, and looked toward one of the windows. Mikami must've heard it too, for he came back out, perking a worried brow. Who else would be dumb enough to travel in such a violent storm? He got his answer a moment later, and was none too surprised to see Matt and Mello attempting to open the window up. Mikami's eyes narrowed in annoyance at seeing them, and only when they managed to open it did he even think to respond to them.

 

"Awww, come on! You two can't argue yet!" Matt exclaimed, as Mello snorted and added, "Yeah. You didn't even get onto the better part of the night yet." Matsuda blushed furiously at the notion Mello was implying, and angrily, Mikami stormed over and, picking up his suitcase for work, slammed both boys on their heads, slamming the window shut when they fell over. Then, he opened up the suitcase and took out what Matsuda recognized as the notebook. He shivered as Mikami grabbed a pen and sat down at his desk.

 

"Mikami, what are you doing?" Matsuda asked nervously, though he was pretty sure he had his answer. Mikami just looked up at him with a grin.

 

"...thanking those two idiots for a truly horrendous night," Mikami answered, and after looking online at something on his computer, he wrote down two names in the book. Immediately following that, two screams of agony came from just outside the window Mikami shut.

 

"My... My goggles broke! AND THE SHARDS LODGED INTO MY EYES!" Matt screamed, as Mello shrieked, "DEAR LORD, HOW THE HELL CAN... MY ROSARY... STRANGLE... ME!?" Then, Mikami heard two loud thuds and knew Matt and Mello just died. He wanted to feel bad, but he just didn't. It really was their faults for messing his night up anyway, he reasoned in his mind as he put the notebook away. He glanced at Matsuda, and nearly fell over laughing from the man's frozen expression. It was a mix of awe and horror as Matsuda just watched Mikami kill two people.

 

"You... you... you just wrote their names down!" Matsuda cried, pointing an accusing finger at Mikami, "And I caught you!" Mikami just laughed as he turned off his computer and got up to walk back into his room.

 

"What are you going to do? Arrest me?" Mikami asked through snorts of amusement. Matsuda chuckled softly. Though he knew it had to be against his work, he had no intention of putting Mikami in jail that night. He experienced Matt... and most Mello's... 'special' brand of help that night himself, and didn't blame Mikami one bit for removing them from their lives, even if it did involve their deaths. He watched as Mikami closed the bedroom door, and gently, Matsuda turned off the lights in the living room and the kitchen, settling himself down on the couch.

 

"Goodnight, Mikami," Matsuda said, though he didn't expect a reply. He doubted Mikami could hear him through a closed door, and gently, he laid his head down on one of the pillows on the couch, closing his eyes. He was mildly surprised when Mikami replied, and his eyes popped open at the younger man's voice.

 

"Goodnight, Matsuda..." came the rather gentle reply, and then nothing more was said after that as the two drifted off to separate sleeps. That night, Matsuda spent the first of many nights at Mikami Teru's house. And, as for Mikami, he learned for the first time what it felt like to have someone else care about what happened to you, just because they wanted to care. He liked that feeling, and prayed silently in his sleep that it wouldn't go away. Little did either of them know just what their two random acts of kindness toward each other would bring to the other.

 

------------------------------------------------(End Chapter)

 

And so, Matsuda somehow, through some sheer force of kindness, managed to get Mikami to open up to him. Thusly, my second MatsudaxMikami fic is complete! Originally, this was going to be about Mikami facing the perils of the night while completely drunk, but this just seemed so much better, and for some reason, I really like this pair a lot. I hope you all enjoyed it, so click that Review button and tell me what you think!