Something Wicked This Way Comes (Death Note, 17/30)
Something Wicked This Way Comes
~ An Alternate Death Note Fanfiction ~
by: aishuu
Notes: For 30_kisses To start at the beginning, go Here
kHz (kilohertz)
L could tell Raito was edgy from the way he kept glancing over. On reflection, he shouldn't have pressed the issue like that, but there was just something about Raito that elicited L's own worst behavior.
He hadn't thought things through before giving in to his own impulses. Satisfying as it had been to claim that victory, L knew he'd lost ground in their overall war. He could still feel the phantom pressure of Raito's mouth on his own, and he'd suddenly gained an electric awareness of Raito. Even though the other man was standing a good five feet away, L's skin was tingling, and he couldn't keep from stealing looks of his own.
This feeling had to be what attraction was. It was an interesting experience, he decided. Mentally he'd always understood that people could kill over sex and passion, but now he understood it a bit better. Even though he didn't like violence, throttling Raito would be very satisfying.
Though his vivid imagination was supplying other, more pleasurable and definitely more pornographic, ideas of what he'd like to do to Raito.
He had to forcibly restrain himself from touching his lips a couple of times when Raito wasn't looking. Kissing, to his surprise, had been surprisingly pleasurable. It sounded messy and gross, but the actual experience had much to say for it. Maybe after he solved the Kira case he would think about exploring it some more.
With someone else. While the thought of homosexuality didn't disturb him, the idea of sleeping with Raito did. There was still that possibility that he was Kira. Even if he wasn't, it would be like sleeping with a potentially venomous snake.
They took the train to where Misa Misa's latest shoot was. L had checked the tracker he'd placed in the watch, and was surprised that it agreed with what her official schedule said. It was a public shoot in one of the city schools, and people were welcome to attend. He didn't call her in advance, not wanting to concede any advantage he might get over her. Whatever she was, it wasn't "just" a ditzy model.
With two days left, he wondered if Misa Misa was feeling the stress. She might be more forthcoming the closer the deadline came. His hunch - which was really a very-well subconscious instinct that invariably proved to be correct - told him that whatever a Death Note was, it had bearing on the case. He still hadn't heard back from Weddie, and was starting to believe something nasty had happened.
And that something nasty probably involved the up and coming idol. Misa Misa was starting to irritate him. He didn't like variables he couldn't predict.
They were lucky, and caught her right at the end of the shoot. She was dressed in another scandalously revealing ensemble, a black and white piece of cloth that L wouldn't deign to dignify by calling a dress. Swatches of fabric seemed to run haphazardly over her form, nearly exposing the whole of one breast. It was hardly appropriate clothing for her educational surroundings, but L knew modeling agencies often looked for contrast to create a shock effect. It worked, especially with Misa Misa standing on top of two desks without shoes on.
Around her feet a group of girls in school uniforms was chattering excitedly. They had make-up on, indicating they'd likely been included in pictures, but otherwise in code-perfect dress. None of them wore anything non-regulation, indicating they'd been background to contrast Misa Misa's exceptional style.
Raito stood a half step behind him, a seemingly deferential posture that raised L's hackles. Raito did nothing without reason, and L worried about having his back to Raito. He didn't think Raito would do anything to him, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure.
L watched as she listened to the flattery thrown at her. The girls were chattering about how pretty, how nice, how talented Misa Misa was. The model replied in a cutesy voice, graciously demurring, but L noticed how her eyes shifted around, checking her surroundings constantly. They had less than a minute to wait until she sighted them. To his disappointment, she didn't offer any visible reaction except for a nod of her head.
No point in dragging this out, then. “Misa Misa?” he said, raising his voice slightly and waving.
"Ah, there's my friend Ryuuka-kun!" she announced, looking down at the girls with an exaggerated grin. "I haven't seen him in weeks! Can you excuse me?"
A chorus of obedient voices accepted her excuse, and she murmured a thank you in response. Misa Misa then hopped down from the desk, landing gracefully on her feet. She retrieved a pair of black combat boots and slid her feet into them, before she hurried over to them, her glistening red lips spread in a welcoming smile. L noticed that she had very white teeth.
"Ryuuka-kun, it's so nice of you to visit! How are your studies going at Toudai?" she asked, blinking wide eyes.
L forced a smile to his face. She was letting him know that she'd researched into his cover. "Just fine, Misa-chan," he told her. He waved a hand toward Raito. "This is my best friend, Asahi Light."
Misa Misa gave Raito the elevator eye, her blatant appraisal starting at his face, traveling down his slender body, before returning to stare into his eyes. Raito's handsome face did its trick, L thought cynical, as Misa Misa shifted her posture into a more alluring position, offering a better view of her chest. "It's nice to meet you, Yagami-kun!" she said. "Have you known Ryuuzaki-kun for long?"
"Long enough," Light replied, and his smooth tenor voice had the slightest edge of huskiness. "Though he never told me he kept such charming company."
Misa Misa gave another brilliant smile. "You're very sweet!" she said.
L briefly considered saying something to point out how thick they were both laying it on, but luckily kept a rein on his tongue. "Do you have time to grab an early dinner with us?" he asked.
"I always have time for you! And your cute friends!" She brushed a kiss against Raito's cheek, before linking arms with him. L found himself gritting his teeth in irritation, though he didn't know which of them was the source - Misa Misa for acting like a twit with a crush, or Raito for playing along.
L felt the schoolgirls staring at their peculiar trio as they left. Raito, dressed preppily in his suit, Misa Misa still wearing her work clothes, with L himself slouching along right behind them. They had to look weird, L admitted to himself.
Misa Misa took nominal control, squealing about a "great place" she wanted to try to eat. Raito agreed in a casual manner, and L had no choice but to follow. He didn't like losing control of the situation. The idea of Misa Misa and Raito "ganging up" against him made a slow-burn of anger ignite in the pit of his stomach.
As soon as they arrived at the restaurant, L gave a mental wince. It was one of the pricey new chic places that served a slice of lettuce stacked with peas, and charged like the food was made of gold. He sorrowfully bid any hope of having a decent meal goodbye.
The place was the type to require reservations even in the middle of the afternoon, but Misa Misa's fame opened doors shut to ordinary mortals. It took the maitre d' all of thirty seconds to recognize her, and then the three of them were ushered to the best table in the house. A complimentary bottle of wine was offered and refused politely. They ordered immediately, all electing to choose sandwiches from the light dinner menu.
They settled themselves in, L choosing the chair that allowed him to keep an eye on both entrances, and his back to the wall. Raito sat across from Misa Misa, and had a better view of her face. The idol's smile finally faded as she dug in her purse to produce the watch L had given her. She set it on the table in front of them, a tangible reminder of the seriousness of the situation.
"Have you any luck?" she asked.
"Maybe," L said. He took a sip of water, and looked over at Raito.
"Do you know what a Death Note is?" Raito asked, point-blank.
L wanted to throttle him. He'd thought Raito understood the concept of subtle.
The damage was done, though, and he focused his attention on the model's face. For an instant - almost too quickly passed for L to make sense of - he saw recognition, but that was quickly covered up by a finger pressing thoughtfully against pursed lips. She was a good actress, he thought, as she manufactured a look of thoughtfulness. "What is it?" she asked.
"We were hoping you might be able to tell us," L put in smoothly, picking up on Raito's lead. They would be discussing the need to keep cards hidden later, he swore. As soon as they got back to the relative privacy of their apartment.
"I've never heard of it," Misa Misa said, lying through her teeth.
L mentally washed his hands of trying to save her life at that moment. If she wasn't going to cooperate, then it wasn't his fault if she got murdered. "We think it might be connected to the case. It's come up in relation to one of Kira's victims," L told her.
"Oh," Misa Misa said, her eyes tracking to her right briefly before settling back on Raito speculatively.
Something was going on with her, L thought. If they gave her another day, she might confess what she knew. Having a death sentence hanging over her heard might really sink in when she entered the final day. People had a strong will to survive.
Raito was talking to her now, murmuring reassuring nothings that seemed to relax the model. Raito was good at dealing with women. Not only was he good-looking, but he had the ability to feign concern and interest.
Their waiter delivered their sandwiches, and L looked down at his with interest. The elegantly arranged ham with provolone was the size of his palm, not like the thick rye masterpieces he preferred at his favorite deli in New York. This delicacy sandwich had cost four times as much, and felt gypped.
He ate neatly, nibbling at the edges of the crustless wonder, and letting Raito handle the model. Neither of them touched their food, their attention focused entirely on the other. Misa Misa was looking at Raito like he hung the moon, and a sudden idea started to swirl in the back of L's mind. He took two bites to finish his miniaturized meal, then coughed politely to get their attention.
"I need to visit the restroom. Raito, if you could update Misa Misa-chan while I'm gone, we can get right down to business when I return," L said.
Raito nodded graciously, his face smoothly concealing whatever thoughts were going on in his brilliant mind. L was taking a gamble, but he figured Raito might be able to sympathetically charm what Misa Misa knew. He hoped the sign of trust might help make amends for what happened earlier.
"We'll be fine," Raito assured him.
L rose to his feet and loped off to the discreet restroom, marked in elegant gold lettering on a black door. He really didn't have to go, but he walked into a stall anyway, taking a seat and pulling out his cellphone. He tried Weddie's number, and got her voice mail. He left her a message to call him as soon as possible. It was probably a futile idea, since there was an eighty-seven percent chance she was already dead.
And the murderer was probably Misa Misa, his mind recognized reluctantly. He wished he could feel guilty about sending Weddie to her death. But Weddie was an operative who knew the risks involved. It was true that L hadn't anticipated the model being willing to kill to keep her secrets, but he should have. She seemed willing to die for them.
He glanced at the clock on his cellphone, noting that five minutes had passed. He should be heading back, although it was doubtful he'd been missed. L rose and went to the sink to wash his hands.
Just as he turned the water on, an ear-shattering scream rolled through the restaurant.
~ An Alternate Death Note Fanfiction ~
by: aishuu
Notes: For 30_kisses To start at the beginning, go Here
kHz (kilohertz)
L could tell Raito was edgy from the way he kept glancing over. On reflection, he shouldn't have pressed the issue like that, but there was just something about Raito that elicited L's own worst behavior.
He hadn't thought things through before giving in to his own impulses. Satisfying as it had been to claim that victory, L knew he'd lost ground in their overall war. He could still feel the phantom pressure of Raito's mouth on his own, and he'd suddenly gained an electric awareness of Raito. Even though the other man was standing a good five feet away, L's skin was tingling, and he couldn't keep from stealing looks of his own.
This feeling had to be what attraction was. It was an interesting experience, he decided. Mentally he'd always understood that people could kill over sex and passion, but now he understood it a bit better. Even though he didn't like violence, throttling Raito would be very satisfying.
Though his vivid imagination was supplying other, more pleasurable and definitely more pornographic, ideas of what he'd like to do to Raito.
He had to forcibly restrain himself from touching his lips a couple of times when Raito wasn't looking. Kissing, to his surprise, had been surprisingly pleasurable. It sounded messy and gross, but the actual experience had much to say for it. Maybe after he solved the Kira case he would think about exploring it some more.
With someone else. While the thought of homosexuality didn't disturb him, the idea of sleeping with Raito did. There was still that possibility that he was Kira. Even if he wasn't, it would be like sleeping with a potentially venomous snake.
They took the train to where Misa Misa's latest shoot was. L had checked the tracker he'd placed in the watch, and was surprised that it agreed with what her official schedule said. It was a public shoot in one of the city schools, and people were welcome to attend. He didn't call her in advance, not wanting to concede any advantage he might get over her. Whatever she was, it wasn't "just" a ditzy model.
With two days left, he wondered if Misa Misa was feeling the stress. She might be more forthcoming the closer the deadline came. His hunch - which was really a very-well subconscious instinct that invariably proved to be correct - told him that whatever a Death Note was, it had bearing on the case. He still hadn't heard back from Weddie, and was starting to believe something nasty had happened.
And that something nasty probably involved the up and coming idol. Misa Misa was starting to irritate him. He didn't like variables he couldn't predict.
They were lucky, and caught her right at the end of the shoot. She was dressed in another scandalously revealing ensemble, a black and white piece of cloth that L wouldn't deign to dignify by calling a dress. Swatches of fabric seemed to run haphazardly over her form, nearly exposing the whole of one breast. It was hardly appropriate clothing for her educational surroundings, but L knew modeling agencies often looked for contrast to create a shock effect. It worked, especially with Misa Misa standing on top of two desks without shoes on.
Around her feet a group of girls in school uniforms was chattering excitedly. They had make-up on, indicating they'd likely been included in pictures, but otherwise in code-perfect dress. None of them wore anything non-regulation, indicating they'd been background to contrast Misa Misa's exceptional style.
Raito stood a half step behind him, a seemingly deferential posture that raised L's hackles. Raito did nothing without reason, and L worried about having his back to Raito. He didn't think Raito would do anything to him, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure.
L watched as she listened to the flattery thrown at her. The girls were chattering about how pretty, how nice, how talented Misa Misa was. The model replied in a cutesy voice, graciously demurring, but L noticed how her eyes shifted around, checking her surroundings constantly. They had less than a minute to wait until she sighted them. To his disappointment, she didn't offer any visible reaction except for a nod of her head.
No point in dragging this out, then. “Misa Misa?” he said, raising his voice slightly and waving.
"Ah, there's my friend Ryuuka-kun!" she announced, looking down at the girls with an exaggerated grin. "I haven't seen him in weeks! Can you excuse me?"
A chorus of obedient voices accepted her excuse, and she murmured a thank you in response. Misa Misa then hopped down from the desk, landing gracefully on her feet. She retrieved a pair of black combat boots and slid her feet into them, before she hurried over to them, her glistening red lips spread in a welcoming smile. L noticed that she had very white teeth.
"Ryuuka-kun, it's so nice of you to visit! How are your studies going at Toudai?" she asked, blinking wide eyes.
L forced a smile to his face. She was letting him know that she'd researched into his cover. "Just fine, Misa-chan," he told her. He waved a hand toward Raito. "This is my best friend, Asahi Light."
Misa Misa gave Raito the elevator eye, her blatant appraisal starting at his face, traveling down his slender body, before returning to stare into his eyes. Raito's handsome face did its trick, L thought cynical, as Misa Misa shifted her posture into a more alluring position, offering a better view of her chest. "It's nice to meet you, Yagami-kun!" she said. "Have you known Ryuuzaki-kun for long?"
"Long enough," Light replied, and his smooth tenor voice had the slightest edge of huskiness. "Though he never told me he kept such charming company."
Misa Misa gave another brilliant smile. "You're very sweet!" she said.
L briefly considered saying something to point out how thick they were both laying it on, but luckily kept a rein on his tongue. "Do you have time to grab an early dinner with us?" he asked.
"I always have time for you! And your cute friends!" She brushed a kiss against Raito's cheek, before linking arms with him. L found himself gritting his teeth in irritation, though he didn't know which of them was the source - Misa Misa for acting like a twit with a crush, or Raito for playing along.
L felt the schoolgirls staring at their peculiar trio as they left. Raito, dressed preppily in his suit, Misa Misa still wearing her work clothes, with L himself slouching along right behind them. They had to look weird, L admitted to himself.
Misa Misa took nominal control, squealing about a "great place" she wanted to try to eat. Raito agreed in a casual manner, and L had no choice but to follow. He didn't like losing control of the situation. The idea of Misa Misa and Raito "ganging up" against him made a slow-burn of anger ignite in the pit of his stomach.
As soon as they arrived at the restaurant, L gave a mental wince. It was one of the pricey new chic places that served a slice of lettuce stacked with peas, and charged like the food was made of gold. He sorrowfully bid any hope of having a decent meal goodbye.
The place was the type to require reservations even in the middle of the afternoon, but Misa Misa's fame opened doors shut to ordinary mortals. It took the maitre d' all of thirty seconds to recognize her, and then the three of them were ushered to the best table in the house. A complimentary bottle of wine was offered and refused politely. They ordered immediately, all electing to choose sandwiches from the light dinner menu.
They settled themselves in, L choosing the chair that allowed him to keep an eye on both entrances, and his back to the wall. Raito sat across from Misa Misa, and had a better view of her face. The idol's smile finally faded as she dug in her purse to produce the watch L had given her. She set it on the table in front of them, a tangible reminder of the seriousness of the situation.
"Have you any luck?" she asked.
"Maybe," L said. He took a sip of water, and looked over at Raito.
"Do you know what a Death Note is?" Raito asked, point-blank.
L wanted to throttle him. He'd thought Raito understood the concept of subtle.
The damage was done, though, and he focused his attention on the model's face. For an instant - almost too quickly passed for L to make sense of - he saw recognition, but that was quickly covered up by a finger pressing thoughtfully against pursed lips. She was a good actress, he thought, as she manufactured a look of thoughtfulness. "What is it?" she asked.
"We were hoping you might be able to tell us," L put in smoothly, picking up on Raito's lead. They would be discussing the need to keep cards hidden later, he swore. As soon as they got back to the relative privacy of their apartment.
"I've never heard of it," Misa Misa said, lying through her teeth.
L mentally washed his hands of trying to save her life at that moment. If she wasn't going to cooperate, then it wasn't his fault if she got murdered. "We think it might be connected to the case. It's come up in relation to one of Kira's victims," L told her.
"Oh," Misa Misa said, her eyes tracking to her right briefly before settling back on Raito speculatively.
Something was going on with her, L thought. If they gave her another day, she might confess what she knew. Having a death sentence hanging over her heard might really sink in when she entered the final day. People had a strong will to survive.
Raito was talking to her now, murmuring reassuring nothings that seemed to relax the model. Raito was good at dealing with women. Not only was he good-looking, but he had the ability to feign concern and interest.
Their waiter delivered their sandwiches, and L looked down at his with interest. The elegantly arranged ham with provolone was the size of his palm, not like the thick rye masterpieces he preferred at his favorite deli in New York. This delicacy sandwich had cost four times as much, and felt gypped.
He ate neatly, nibbling at the edges of the crustless wonder, and letting Raito handle the model. Neither of them touched their food, their attention focused entirely on the other. Misa Misa was looking at Raito like he hung the moon, and a sudden idea started to swirl in the back of L's mind. He took two bites to finish his miniaturized meal, then coughed politely to get their attention.
"I need to visit the restroom. Raito, if you could update Misa Misa-chan while I'm gone, we can get right down to business when I return," L said.
Raito nodded graciously, his face smoothly concealing whatever thoughts were going on in his brilliant mind. L was taking a gamble, but he figured Raito might be able to sympathetically charm what Misa Misa knew. He hoped the sign of trust might help make amends for what happened earlier.
"We'll be fine," Raito assured him.
L rose to his feet and loped off to the discreet restroom, marked in elegant gold lettering on a black door. He really didn't have to go, but he walked into a stall anyway, taking a seat and pulling out his cellphone. He tried Weddie's number, and got her voice mail. He left her a message to call him as soon as possible. It was probably a futile idea, since there was an eighty-seven percent chance she was already dead.
And the murderer was probably Misa Misa, his mind recognized reluctantly. He wished he could feel guilty about sending Weddie to her death. But Weddie was an operative who knew the risks involved. It was true that L hadn't anticipated the model being willing to kill to keep her secrets, but he should have. She seemed willing to die for them.
He glanced at the clock on his cellphone, noting that five minutes had passed. He should be heading back, although it was doubtful he'd been missed. L rose and went to the sink to wash his hands.
Just as he turned the water on, an ear-shattering scream rolled through the restaurant.