Light fanned two slips of paper in front of your face, his lips stretched into a wide grin.

You ignored his friendliness and fixed him with a bored look. "What's that?"

"Tickets to the cinema," he said, wafting them in your face again. "D'you want to go with me?"

Your mouth dropped open incredulously. "Light! You have a girlfriend! You can't go round taking other girls out on dates."

Light looked at you quizzically, though his lips held the trace of a smirk. "Who said this is a date?

He really caught you out there. "W-well, what is it then?"

"Two friends having some fun at the cinema?"

"Right. Of course," you said, gritting your teeth in embarrassment. Had he done that to trip you up?

"So, are you up for it?"

You glanced at him quickly. "Why not. You've already paid I guess," you said, shrugging. "Uhm, sorry for being an ass earlier."

Light waved his hand, dismissively. "I'm used to it."

"You were an ass too!" you huffed, crossing your arms. He was the one keeping all the secrets.

"Okay, I'll admit to that. I shouldn't have lied to you," he said apologetically.

"You didn't lie, you just... didn't tell me. And fair enough, you know, we're all entitled to our secrets. It was just a bit of a surprise finding out like that," you admitted, checking your watch and realising you were about to be late to a lecture. Light did the same and started walking.

"So... are you jealous?"

You gave him a sideways glance. "Seriously Light? Why should I give a shit if you've got a girlfriend or not."

Light look at you stupidly. "Because you were hoping-"

"Don't even finish that," you said quickly, tutting. "Now every girl is so taken by that handsome face of yours."

"Oh! So you think I'm handsome?"

"Tch, I've never said you weren't?"

Light grinned at you, his eyes flashing.

"Oh wipe that smug look off of your face. It makes you look ugly."

//

"Are you sure you have time to take [Y/N] on a date?" Ryuk questioned that evening as Light was sat at his desk, stretching his arms out above his head. "Shouldn't you be preparing to be the God of your new world?"

Light shrugged, swivelling in his chair and pulling the Death Note out from his secret drawer. "I need to make it up to [Y/N]. I need her on my side so that she won't betray me for L," he muttered, scribbling furiously. "And anyway, I deserve a break too. Why not enjoy the benefits of my more peaceful world with someone my work is protecting?"

"By going to the cinema with her?" Ryuk reiterated. "How about taking your girlfriend?"

"I'm a bit busy here, Ryuk."

"Sorry, sorry," the Shinigami huffed, walking over and plonking himself down on the bed. He was getting bored. Light was juggling so many different things at once it was getting difficult to keep track; college and [Y/N], L and the task force, Kira and the Death Note. He had been taken aback by how humans were so capable of being so smart and flexible. Unless he was just lucky to have found Light instead of some stupid kid.

He was surprised to see Light getting so sidetracked by you too. Ryuk thought Light was solely devoted to fulfilling the role of Kira, but he seemed to be trying hard to keep you in his plans too. You didn't seem particularly useful in the grand scheme of things, unless Light genuinely just liked you. Ryuk had to admit he liked you too, much more than that Misa. She was starting to grate on his nerves, but he had to admit she was exceedingly useful.

"Earth to Ryuk?"

"Hmm? What is it Light?" He asked lazily.

The boy was stood in front of him, the notebook cradled against his chest, a pen rolling between his fingers. "What did you say would happen if I relinquish my ownership of the Death Note?"

Ryuk's bloody eyes sparked, an ember. "You'd lose all memory of owning it," he rasped, scratching the back of his neck. "Those memories would only be recovered once you become the owner again."

"So I wouldn't have any recollection of any of this," Light re-emphasised, tapping the pen against his chin. "That might be useful."

"What're you thinking?"

"Not sure yet. Some way to prove I'm not Kira."

//

"It was a pretty good movie, actually."

"Oh yeah, especially the part where they all die at the end," you added sarcastically as you and Light inched after the crowd spilling into the cinema's lobby.

"Especially that part," he agreed. "Wait here a sec, I'm just going to the toilet."

You nodded and stood aside, watching Light disappear through the throng of people. Ryuk rolled a sigh. "Why did you tag along anyway?" You asked him, muttering under your breath so that nobody else could hear you.

"Eh, I was bored. I've never been to see a movie before. It was... interesting," he growled, cackling quietly. You pursed your lip, glancing around again. This was the first time you'd been with Ryuk without Light hanging around, maybe this was your opportunity-

"Say, Ryuk," you started, your stomach jittering with apprehension, "what exactly are you?"

"Hmm?" He blinked his eyes slowly, digesting the question, then gave you a smile that dripped down his face like blood. "I'm a Shinigami."

Your breath caught. That sounded familiar, like you'd read it somewhere, but the memory had been tarnished by fatigue. "A Shinigami?" You prompted.

"A God of Death," he reiterated, and you felt all of the oxygen suddenly rush out of your lungs, leaving you breathless, choking on your words.

"A God of- holy shit... wait, are you Kira?!"

Ryuk threw his head back and uttered a laugh, a raw and grating sound that made you shudder. "Kira? Oh, no. Kira's a human."

You blinked, your head pounding as you tried to piece together all the jigsaw pieces of information you'd gathered. "How can you be so sure... wait, Ryuk, if you're a God of Death, can you-"

"I'm back! Are you ready to go?"

Ryuk gave you a chilling smile before plodding after Light. You lingered behind, still struggling to wrap your head around the picture you were slowly building in your head.

If Ryuk was a God of Death, did that mean he had the powers to kill? And what if it was possible to pass these powers on? It was still a complete mystery how Kira actually managed to kill without being present. And Shinigami's were seemingly invisible until you touched a certain object.

The more thought you put into it, the more likely it seemed Ryuk, or at least a Shinigami, was an active participant in Kira's plans.

And if Light was somehow connected to Ryuk, would that mean...

"[L/N]-San, are you coming?" Light called impatiently over his shoulder.

Shuddering a breath, you forced your feet to move after him, not really aware of your surroundings for your mind was still in a whir,

No matter how much you didn't want to believe it, it was starting to seem more and more likely from the information you'd uncovered that Light was somehow connected to Kira.

All roses have their thorns. And you might just have pricked yourself on one of Light's.