L’s POV:

“I can count on you, yes?”

“First…you know how risky this plan is, right?” the voice on the other end replied. “I’m confident in my abilities, Ryuzaki-san, but this is a longshot.”

At this, L gave a slight smirk. It hadn’t been that long ago that he had spoken similar words to Keiko himself. He felt a twinge of amusement as he recalled Keiko’s response to him, “I know, I know…there’s a lot of reasons why you shouldn’t let me do this. It’s a long shot, it’s risky, and I’ve let Light manipulate me before, I’m still a rookie, I can let my emotions get to me…but please…let me do this. For you. This might be the only chance we have at saving your life.”

Truth be told, he had been hesitant to let her go through with her plan from the beginning. It had not been because of any of the reasons she had listed, but rather, it was because he cared about her. He didn’t want her to get hurt again if things went south. He didn’t want anything happening to her, especially if it was because of Light Yagami.

I was being truthful when I said I had nothing left to lose…but she…she has everything she could potentially lose. She’s already suffered a lot just being here and working on the investigation. I don’t want her to suffer anymore…but there was no way for me to refuse her…something in her eyes…that determination, that spark…and I’d be lying if I were to say that I wasn’t moved by her motivation to try and keep me alive. She quite literally gives me emotions I haven’t had for anyone else…and she’s mainly doing all of this for me…this is the only thing I can do for her, to help her with her plan. If possible, I want to make sure that everything goes smoothly.

“Ryuzaki-san?” the voice on the other side of the line repeated.

“Yes,” the detective replied. He knew what to do, and he was confident that they would help him. “I’m well aware of the possible risks. However, this whole investigation was a risk from the start. With any luck, the information you gather will help us finally put an end to it."

“Very well,” the voice replied. “As long as you’re sure.”

I have to admit, Keiko was right, it isn’t like there are a lot of options left. Given the circumstances, this is all we can do. I know for a fact that Light’s already gotten in contact with Misa again…which means there isn’t a lot of time left. The sooner we can go through with Keiko’s plan, the better.

L opened his mouth to speak, “so, once again, I can count on you right?”

“Yes, you can count on me…” the voice confirmed, “you’re lucky that I’m damn good at my job, Ryuzaki-san.”

“Great, thank you. Watari will be in contact.”

With that, the other person hung up.

That settles that…now it’s time for my other contact…

“Well, well, well,” the voice spoke on the other line spoke once they picked up. “I was wondering when you would get a hold of me gain.”

“You’re inviting as always,” L responded, chucking a moment. “I’m calling because I will be needing your assistance once more.”

“Again? I’m intrigued, Ryuzaki-san. What’s going on now?”

“A lot,” the detective's tone was dry. He filled them in on the current ongoings of the investigation, slowly leading into Keiko’s plan. “It’s not perfect, but it’s the best plan we’ve got given the circumstances…there’s over a sixty percent chance that something will go wrong, but if we can pull it off, the case will be solved once and for all.”

“Sounds dangerous,” the voice replied. L could hear their intrigue. “You know I like dangerous…”

L chucked, as suspected, they’ll be willing to help…

“You know I’m in, Ryuzaki-san.”

/meanwhile/

Light’s POV:

“Misa-chan,” Light whispered into the phone as he stepped into the hallway. He spoke in a hushed tone. “What is it? Any updates?”

“You’ll be happy to know I managed to get in contact with Mikami,” Misa announced, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. “He said, as long as you’re truly Kira, then he’s willing to do anything you tell him.”

“Good,” Light replied. A grin spread across his face, “I’m glad to hear that. Listen, I can’t talk for long without arousing suspicion. I will get a hold of you two as soon as I can so the exchange can take place. Just be patient for now and wait for my signal.”

“Sure thing, Light-kun! Is there anything else you want me to do?”

“For the time being, no. Just take it easy, keep on killing criminals, and don’t arouse any suspicion, alright? I’ll talk to you later, Misa-chan.” Before Light could listen to Misa’s protests about ending the call too soon, he hung up.

Good good, everything’s going all according to plan…Rem’s demand put a dent in my plans, but soon it’ll be worth all this trouble. Soon I won’t have to deal with Misa at all, not after I get the new Kira situated…and once that happens, I can finally get rid of L once and for all…

/slight timeskip/

Keiko’s POV:

The first thing Keiko noticed when her boyfriend entered the room was the slight gleam in his eyes. Though his expression appeared to be normal, there was a twinge of arrogance in the way he walked over toward her. She swallowed hard, fighting to ignore the nerves growing in her stomach.

It’s funny…in the past, I’d be swooning right about now. Everything I loved about him was all a lie. A lie to keep me from figuring out his true identity. A lie to keep me from discovering that he’s Kira. Everything I used to love about him somehow turned into everything I now hate about him…isn’t that ironic?

“Keiko-chan,” Light called out to her. Out of the corner of her eye, Keiko could feel L’s watchful eyes looking between her and her boyfriend.

Does he also sense something’s off about Light? Or is it just me imagining things? I’m not sure…ever since I discovered the truth I can’t bring myself to trust him again. I find myself questioning everything he does…I suppose that’s what finding out that your boyfriend is actually Kira does to you.

“You seem to be in a good mood,” Keiko remarked. Like Light, she also had to put on a show. She had to be the loving girlfriend, pretending that everything between them was okay. “What’s the occasion? Discover any new leads for the case?”

“Unfortunately no,” Light responded. He stopped short of where Keiko was sitting, a smirk appearing on his face. “But I was wanting to talk to you in private.”

You want to talk to me in private, eh? That’s certainly high on the list of things I don’t want to do…

“If that’s alright with you, of course,” he added, running a hand through his hair. Keiko figured he didn’t want to appear too eager, but she could still sense his prideful manner.

I see. Way to play it cool, Light Yagami...remind me again, what did I ever see in you?

“Sure, Light-kun,” Keiko stood up, letting her boyfriend lead her out of the room and into the hallway. With every step she took, she could feel the pit in her stomach growing larger and larger. Light stopped once the two were near the end of the hallway, which gave them just enough privacy.

But there’s one thing still bothering me. I know for a fact there’s still cameras hidden around in this hallway that L carefully monitors…Light knows that…that can only mean one thing; Light’s putting on another show!

A chill ran down Keiko’s spine as she realized.

So now he wants to play the doting boyfriend huh? I must have been right in my assumption, there’s something off about Light. Does this mean that he’s found someone to replace Misa as the second Kira? Does this mean he’s gotten in contact with them? Either way, I don’t like this…I know I have Rem on my side, therefore I shouldn’t worry too much, but…he’s far too confident right now! He must want to show L that he’s not worried about being caught or something. It’s off putting…

He took a step toward her, his close proximity was enough to make Keiko’s stomach churn.

“Keiko-chan.”

“Yes?” Keiko looked up at him. Despite her anxiety, she forced herself to smile. After all, it was imperative that she appeared normal in front of him. “What is it, Light-kun?”

“I know that you were hesitant about getting back together with me,” Light started.

Hesitant is quite an understatement. I never wanted to get back together with you. In fact, I swore I wouldn’t…but unfortunately, things have changed. I didn’t take you back because I wanted to be with you, but because it was safer for me and for L if I did. This is the only way I can keep a watchful eye on you.

“And for good reason, too,” Light added. “I know you thought that there was possibly something going on between Misa and I. And with the case…I know things didn’t look good. I just wanted to tell you that I’m happy you decided to give me another chance.”

Of course things didn’t look very good before! All the evidence pointed toward you! Things still don’t look good because I know that you’re Kira!

Keiko wanted to scream. Instead she said nothing. She could hear her heart thudding in her chest, this time out of worry and not out of love. Her romantic feelings for Light had been shattered long before Rem had officially announced his true identity. All the previous hope she had held was gone. The only emotions Light could make her feel now was fear and disgust.

“Are you alright?” Light questioned, noticing her silence. “Is something wrong? You don’t suspect that I’m seeing Misa behind your back, do you?”

Yes. In fact, I know you are…but don’t worry, I know it’s not because you want to date her…it’s only because she’s the second Kira! It’s only because you’ve deemed her useful!

“N-no,” Keiko managed to stutter out after a moment. She swallowed, attempting to put on a nice face for her boyfriend.

Think of something! Fast! You don’t want him thinking you distrust him, do you? You can’t wreck the progress you’ve made with him.

“I…” she trailed off, fishing for words. “It’s been hard lately, Light-kun. The investigation is taking a toll on me, I guess. After all, we’ve been at this for months…we thought we were so close to the end with Higuchi…and here we are, starting from the beginning again. It’s disheartening, to say the least.”

That will satisfy him, right? As long as he doesn’t think I’m mad at him or anything, I should be good…

Light reached forward, lightly grabbing Keiko’s hand. The touch was enough to make Keiko shiver, but not in a good way. Fortunately for her, it appeared that her boyfriend didn’t notice the difference.

“I know things are rough right now but I’m sure we can get through it. No, I know we will get through it,” Light told her. “We were able to track down Higuchi, and I’m sure we’ll be able to track down this new Kira.”

You mean to say that we’ll track down your next puppet…and this time, we’ll track you down as well. I will catch the two of you, together…after all, you think you’re fooling me…but I’m the one fooling you right now…it’s hard, as I’m not one for manipulation, but it’s a little easier if I just imagine myself as an actress playing a role. He’s playing a doting boyfriend, and I have to play a doting boyfriend. At least this time we’re more evenly matched…

This thought was comforting to Keiko. She could feel herself starting to relax a little. A soft chuckle escaped her lips, “you’re right as always, Light-kun. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Light responded, giving her hand a squeeze. He raised an eyebrow, a playful expression crossed his features, “would you like to know a secret?”

Keiko matched his gaze. “Hmm? What is it?”

Light leaned forward, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face. “My secret is…this whole time, I’ve missed you, Keiko-chan.”

At this, Keiko mentally snorted, oh how cheesy. I sure bet you did…

“That’s hardly a secret,” Keiko found herself saying. She gave her boyfriend what she hoped was a flirty smile, not a grimace. “I’ve missed you too.”

I haven’t, but you don’t need to know that…

“Good,” Light remarked. “Do you want me to tell you another secret?”

Not really.

“Yes?”

Before Keiko could properly process what was going on, Light gently pushed her back up against the wall. Keiko gave a small gasp in shock, which caused him to smirk at her. He leaned forward, his face brushing her own.

“You’re cute when you’re caught off guard, you know,” he commented.

“Is that your secret?” Keiko responded. Though she somehow managed to keep her tone light, she was fuming on the inside.

What’s his motive?!

“No,” Light whispered. “But this is.”

With that, Light closed the gap between them and pressed his lips against hers. She wanted nothing more than to shove him away, but against her better judgement, she kissed back. There were warning bells ringing in her mind and she was hyper aware of the fact that she was, quite literally, kissing the enemy. Both her heart and her head was racing.

Calm down, Keiko, you have to calm down…just think, it’s normal for a boyfriend to want to kiss his girlfriend and vice versa…but…he’s not who I want to be kissing…he’s not L. Wait a moment! That’s it! L! Keiko smiled into the kiss as the perfect solution rang through her mind, just imagine that you’re kissing L! He’s the one who you want to kiss! Don’t imagine Light, but L! Come on, Keiko! You can do this...think about how you felt that night when you shared that kiss with him…

Taking Keiko’s reaction as a positive sign, Light deepened the kiss. His hands roamed her body, finding their way to her waist.

It’s not Light, Keiko reminded herself as she matched Light’s enthusiasm. She wrapped an arm around him, pulling him slightly closer, it’s L…

When Light finally pulled away, Keiko was feeling a little dizzy. “L,” she breathed out. Upon realizing what she had said, her eyes widened. She could feel the blood rushing to her face. Keiko was quick to correct herself, feigning a stutter. “L-L-Light-kun.”

I think I corrected myself in time…but that was close! At least it’s not as though Light would suspect I have feelings for L, as far as I know he thinks I only look up to him. But…still, it’s too risky to let my true emotions show like that! I can’t let a slip-up like that happen again, one too many times and he’ll start to suspect something’s up…

“T-that’s some secret,” Keiko commented. She figured she looked as nervous as she was on the inside.

Luckily for me, my nerves are probably working in my favor…

Light chuckled, “I figured you’d say that, Keiko-chan.”

It looked like Light had more to say, but their flirty conversation was cut short by a sudden cough coming from behind them. Started by the sudden noise, Keiko detached herself from her boyfriend, her gaze now fixated on the man standing before her.

It’s L! Keiko could feel her heart pounding in her chest once again, but this time not out of fear or disgust. Her thoughts raced through her mind, it’s one thing to know that he’s watching us from the cameras, but it’s another thing entirely knowing that he’s standing right there watching us! How much did he see? How much did he hear? Did…did he perhaps hear my little mishap?! This situation is already embarrassing enough, and if he heard that bit, I’m not sure I’d be able to recover…

“I’m sorry to interrupt such a tender moment,” the detective said, looking between the two of them, “but I’ve just received word from Watari-san that Kira struck again. There were more victims killed within the last few hours.”

Keiko studied Light’s reaction to this, but he kept a cool demeanor. “All within the last few hours? Hmm…yeah, we’d better look into this. With any luck, maybe we’ll find some sort of clue or patterns concerning this new Kira.”

“Exactly, Light-kun,” L replied, “we should get back to work.”

“Let’s go,” Light grabbed Keiko’s hand, starting to lead her down the hallway. The two were about to walk into the main room when she felt someone tugging on her arm.

“Kagami-san,” L started, “I’d like to have a quick word in private first.”

At this, Keiko gulped, me alone with L right now of all times? Can I really face him not knowing if he overheard me or not?

“Don’t keep her too long, Ryuzaki-san,” Light responded. He gave Keiko’s hand a quick squeeze before exiting the hallway, leaving her alone with the detective.

“Why is it you seem more scared to be alone with me, hm?” the detective questioned, leading Keiko to a private interrogation room. “Should I be worried?”

Ha, very funny. Does that mean he didn’t hear what I said? Or is he just trying to make light of the situation? On second thought, do I even want to know which one it is?

“What is it, Ryuzaki-san?” Keiko questioned, deciding it would be best to ignore his comment.

Let’s just focus on the investigation...even though that’s easier said than done.

“I wanted to give you an update.”

“Update…?” Keiko raised an eyebrow, “eh? Do you mean they agreed to help?!”

L nodded. “Yes. They both agreed…however, it still won’t be easy. We need solid evidence to convict Light Yagami. If Light or Misa notices they’re being tailed that’ll be an impossible task. But I thought about your plan…from what I figure, we should be okay as long as we get a lead about this new Kira from Misa…”

“And then the new Kira will give us the evidence we need to convict Light,” Keiko finished for him. She thought for a moment, “I doubt Light would slip up, but this new Kira…is he’s as loyal as Misa is, then all we need to do is trick him into giving us the information we need…”

“Exactly,” the detective chucked. “I came to that same conclusion.”

“So that means we wait until we get a lead?”

The detective gave a nod, “yes. I assume it’s only a matter of time.”

The two stared at each other for a moment, silence filling the room. Keiko was now blaringly aware of the situation; she was alone with the world’s greatest detective who may or may not have witnessed her making out with her boyfriend while imagining it was him.

Great. Just my luck, eh?

“I, uh,” Keiko started. She fished for the right words, “is that all?”

“I suppose it is, Kagami-san,” he replied. “Unless there’s something you’d like to tell me.”

Something I’d like to tell him? Does he mean….?! No, no, no, no…please don’t tell me he knows I was thinking about him while making out with Light! As much as I’d hypothetically love to be alone with L, I think it’s time to leave.

“Nope!” Keiko’s response was almost immediate. She flashed the detective a quick smile. “Nothing at all! I should go, Light-kun’s waiting for me!”

With that, Keiko gave a nod before exiting the room, attempting to regain her composure before she had to face Light.

L’s POV:

The detective gave a slight chuckle as he watched Keiko scramble out of the room. Her embarrassment was as clear as day, something that rather amused him. She always seemed to find some way to melt the ice in his heart.

My, my, looks like someone’s jumpy…however, this means I was right…there’s no second guessing or mistaking it, that was my name I heard her say.

He raised an eyebrow, so…she imagines me while kissing Light Yagami…? I can’t believe it. It wasn’t easy for me to admit, to realize, that I’m jealous of him for getting to kiss her. In fact, one of the reasons I interrupted them wasn’t because I had to update them on the Kira situation right away…that could have waited until after they returned to the main investigation room…and yet...I couldn’t stop myself from getting up. While he’s technically her boyfriend at the moment, I didn’t want to watch her kissing someone else.

The detective started his walk toward the main investigation room, still deep in thought. The kiss between Light and Keiko was now stuck on repeat in his mind, these feelings are new to me, but at least a part of me can remain happy because, unlike Light, I know Keiko’s true feelings…I’ve known from the start how Keiko feels about me, and it’s obvious from her plan to save me…but hearing her say that…which was quite clearly an accident, a mere slip of the tongue… shows just how deep her feelings toward me are.

Wait a moment, the detective’s eyes widened as a sudden realization dawned on him. He reached up, his finger lightly grazing his lips. He couldn’t stop his thoughts from wandering, perhaps…does that mean…Keiko would like it if I were to do what Light did to her? Would she like it if I pinned her against the wall and kissed her? Does she...does she want me to do this? Is that why it was so easy for her to imagine it? Has she imagined it before?

A shiver ran down his spine as he stepped into the main investigation room, his gaze lingering on Keiko. Her hair became slightly tousled as she shook her head, deep in a conversation with Light and his father. When she noticed his presence, she flashed a quick yet shy smile in his direction, causing L’s chest to tighten.

I have to admit, the thought of holding her close and kissing her...well, it’s almost too much to handle…

He sat down in his chair, still watching her every move, I’ve completely fallen for her…I know I realized it before but…after walking in on them, my feelings are once again confirmed; I really am in love with Keiko Kagami. Deeply in love...since I’ve already admitted it, there’s no going back now…

But, a shiver ran down his spine as the thought sunk in, based on both her words and actions, I can deduce that she’s in love with me, too.