The only source of light inside the expansive condo was the deep glow of the multiple computer monitors which sat on a wide oak table. An overly plush armchair was the only other piece of furniture in the vicinity. Carefully perched in the chair was a messy looking young man whose thumb was pressed against his bottom lip. The glow of the screens reflected in his onyx eyes, and emphasized his ghastly pale skin. Large dark circles lined his bottom eyelids, and they looked as if they were painted in watercolor paint. His mind was working at an unprecedented speed as he filed and calculated the information on the screens in front of him. His peace and quiet was abruptly ruined when the sound of jingling keys came from outside of the door that was nearly thirty yards behind him. His eyes immediately shifted to his side, but his face remained forward. The door opened and the light from the hallway spilled into his dark cavern. Silence was replaced by the clonking of heavy boots and the shuffling of plastic bags.
"Hey hey."
A feminine voice called. The heavy door was shut, and a small smile found its way onto the man's lips as he heard the bags be placed on the island in the small kitchen and the sound of shoes got closer to him. A pair of thin arms wrapped themselves around his slender shoulders. Hot breath tickled his neck and ear as the owner of the arms nuzzled their face into his neck.
"I see you've yet to move, Lawliet."
The man's smile widened as he heard his name spoken by the lovely female voice. He turned to face the woman, and onyx eyes met green hazel ones. Lawliet leaned in closer to the girl and pressed his lips to hers, the metal of her lip piercing tickling his mouth. When he pulled away, she was smiling.
"I'm glad you are back Harley." With one last kiss, Harley unwrapped her arms from Lawliet and returned to the bags. Before she began to unpack them, she flipped all four light switches that were on the wall and the entire condo lit up. Lawliet groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't see it, but Harley rolled her eyes.
"Honestly Lawliet, you're gonna ruin your eyes if you keep working in the dark."
She teased as she put three cartons of strawberries into the crisper of the refrigerator. Harley also unloaded a pink box of cake which she put in on the self, a large tub of coffee beans she shoved in the freezer, and multiple bags of assorted mini candy bars. Four boxes of sugar cubes were put in the cupboard, coffee creamer and orange juice ended up in the fridge, and a jumbo box of twin ice cream bars went in the cramped freezer. Harley then removed a white box of donuts and put them on the counter along with a few take out boxes. She sliced the tape off of the donut box with her painted black nail, and extracted a glazed donut. Mimicking Lawliet, she held the sugary item with her thumb and forefinger and brought it over to him. His 'Sugar Sense' as Harley called it must have tingled for he immediately hopped out of the chair and met his female friend in the middle of the room.
Even though she held it out for him to take, Lawliet smirked and leaned forward and bit a chunk out of the donut. Harley chuckled at this, and poked his nose with the tip of her unused hand. It was his turn to chuckle as he swallowed his treat before his long fingers tore off a piece and popped it in Harley's mouth. She tried not to choke as she giggled when Lawliet opened his mouth wide for her to feed him. She happily obliged.
"Now, no more sweets until after dinner." She waved her finger at him as if to scold him, but she was smiling too much to be taken seriously. Lawliet smiled and leaned down to kiss her. He pulled back ever so slightly and breathed against her pouty lips.
"I love it when you are demanding, you know." Reconnecting their lips, his hands slid up over her stomach and chest to unzip her jacket, which then slid off her shoulders. Without breaking the kiss, his hands slid back down her sides and then found their way under the hem of her T-shirt. Harley moaned into the kiss, and placed her small hands on both sides of his lovely face and pushed him away. Lawliet pouted sadly.
"None of that now." Harley bent down to pick up her jacket and then headed towards the kitchen again. She hung her jacket her jacket on the coat rack then grabbed the two white boxes of take out and two pairs of chopsticks. Lawliet was still standing in the middle of the room when she brought the food over to him.
"So have you made a decision yet?" The two of them sat in Lawliet's chair and began to eat. They were both so thin that they fit comfortably.
"Well, based on the information that Watari has sent me, I believe that the growing numbers of heart attack related deaths around the world are all related. However, I'm not quite sure how but it can't just be coincidence." He said between mouthfuls of noodles. Lawliet preferred to eat only sweets but Harley made him eat an actual meal at least one a day.
"You know, I heard that in the 90's there was some organization that made a biological weapon that was supposed to be able to target individuals. They tried it out on a bunch of lakes and ponds but all the fish died. Maybe they finally perfected it?" Lawliet thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"I do not believe so. It's an interesting prospect though." Harley began to eat as well. "The idea of a group being behind this is interesting though. It would explain the wide geographical range of victims." He began to think again before eating more noodles.
"If there is a group, more than likely there is a leader. Or maybe a system of bosses…" She trailed off as she messed with her food.
"That is possible, but a group that requires that much organization may have trouble going unnoticed or at the very least properly functioning together. No, it's more likely that if it is a group, it's a small group with one leader." They finished their food in silence before Harley took both boxes and walked over to the kitchen. She threw the boxes away and put the chopsticks in the sink. The donut box was opened and a sprinkle donut with pink icing was taken out. Harley took a small bite of it before bringing it over Lawliet. She perched herself on the arm of the chair and handed him the donut. He smiled at her before accepting the treat.
"Hey Lawliet?" She said; her eyes on the side of his face. He had already devoured the sweet and was licking his fingers clean when he looked at her. Damn him for being so cute. She smiled slightly and let out a light laugh.
"Stop me if I sound crazy, but what if all the murders are being done by one being? Seeing as most of the known victims are hardened criminals, it's not unlikely that whoever is doing this is a megalomaniac that has manifested itself in the belief that what they are doing is right or even justified."
She tilted her head to the side as she studied his reaction. He sat frozen for a moment, his eyes focused on the wall behind the monitors. When he finally spoke his voice was rough, as if he'd just fought a war in his mind.
"Harley Scarlett Monroe…" Her eyes widened, he almost never used her full name. His lips turned up in a smile and he yanked her down off of the arm of the chair. He held her close to him as he whispered in her ear,
"What would I ever do without you?" His voice had a distinctive purr to it that made her skin shiver. He crashed his lips against hers and his mouth tasted like sugar. Pulling apart, Harley laughed and replied
"You'd be fucked." He slowly got up from his chair and wrapped his arms around her small body. Harley reached up on her tiptoes so she could wrap her arms around his shoulders. Lawliet's arms traveled down her sides and lifted her up so she wouldn't have to stretch as much. Her feet weren't touching the ground anymore and she was still amazing she could actually lift her. She wrapped her legs around his waist as Lawliet began to walk to their bedroom. Once inside, he crawled on the bed without breaking the kiss and gently laid her down so her head was on the pillows. They pulled away and locked eyes, both breathing heavily.
"Fucked, eh?" He asked as he leaned down to kiss her neck. "Hmmm. Sounds like fun." She giggled at both his words and the ministrations he was performing on her collar. He knew her body perfectly, knowing exactly where to bite, lick, and suck to get a reaction out of her. When he felt hands on his stomach, he leaned back so he was vertical and Harley rushed to meet his lips once more. Both sitting up now, Lawliet removed his shirt as Harley removed hers as well. She wasn't wearing a bra, which Lawliet did not complain about. Both of her nipples were pierced which he also didn't complain about. They leaned back down and began kissing with a new passion. He was rolled over so he was on bottom and she was sitting on his hips. She placed her small hands on his shoulders and rolled back some so that she was vertical again. She stroked his chest as she leaned back as far as she could so he had a good view of her. His hands moved to undo the button and zipper of her pants and once that was done, they glided over her flat stomach to just under her breasts before going to her back to push her back down to his lips.
Once reconnected, Harley worked on undoing his pants. While her hands worked on stripping him of his jeans their tongues and mouths viciously fought for dominance. The battle was at a standstill until Harley bit down on his bottom lip hard. He gasped and let her win; she was habitually rough in bed. She pulled back again, this time to yank his jeans off of his long legs. Her hands moved to remove his boxers but he grabbed her under the shoulders and tossed her back on the bed and hovered over her. He smirked before kissing her again. Without breaking the kiss his hands moved down her stomach and pulled the hem of her pants down. It was his turn to lean back now, and he trailed kisses down her left leg as he removed the annoying article of clothing. He tossed them to his side and he noticed her shoes there. He had no clue how she had gotten them off but really couldn't care at the moment. He made quick work of her black briefs and then leaned down to her core. Not wasting any time, his tongue began to lick her core, occasionally darting inside completely.
Her breathing became heavy, but it wasn't until Lawliet took the small stud she had on her labia into his mouth and begin to pull that she began to scream. Hearing that made his already large erection grow more and he lapped up the juices her folds were producing. He continued his actions for another few moments before leaning back up and removing his boxers. Positioning himself at her center, he kissed his way back up to her mouth and furiously kissed her full lips. The act of pushing their pelvises together was mutual, as Harley rolled her hips up to met his. They wasted no time and got straight to moving fast and hard. Her fingernails scrapped against his back, and he gripped the headboard with one hand for balance. Lawliet didn't try to be very gentle; he knew she liked it rough. The tempo increased, breath got shallower and screams became louder. Slowing slightly, Lawliet wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up and rolled back onto his knees. They were both vertical now, with his face nuzzled into her neck as he moved his body. Harley tilted her head back and let out a soft moan. She then leaned backwards so her back was on the bed again, and then rolled over so she was on top of Lawliet. She kissed his lips a few times before rolling back so she was straddling his hips. Her body moved slowly and fluidly over his and his hands glided up and down her back over her spine. He was moaning deeply and the sight of her flushed from heat fueled him. Lawliet pulled her back down to him and kissed her lips, biting the silver ring that was in her bottom lip. He rolled them over again so he was back on top, and his head hung beside hers.
He reached orgasm before she did, but kept going, pounding hard as into his small lover.
When she finally hit orgasm, she pulled him down on top of her and moaned his named. He gradually stopped thrusting and gently pulled out of her warmth to lie beside her. He pulled her onto his chest and she laced their fingers together.
They took a moment to catch their breath. Lawliet whispered 'I love you' to her and she did the same before reaching up and kissing him. When they parted Lawliet smiled. "I hear Japan is beautiful this time of year." He said in between gasps. She looked up at him and smiled before kissing him again. Her hair was messy from rolling around, and her alabaster skin was tinted pink. Lawliet loved seeing her like this, he thought she looked adorable. Their peace was interrupted by a ringing noise coming from the living room area. Watari was calling Lawliet. Grimacing, he got out of bed and yanked his boxers and a pair of black sweat pants on, not bothering to find his shirt. Harley laid in bed for a moment before getting up herself. She searched the room and found the white long sleeve shirt by the foot of the bed. She put the shirt on and rolled the sleeves up to her elbows but the hem of the shirt came a few inches below her bottom. When she had entered the living room, Lawliet was back in the chair in his usual position, and Watari's Old English 'W' was on the center monitor.
"L, I am sorry to disturb you and Miss Monroe. I thought you should know that there will be an Interpol meeting about the Kira killings on November third." That was a little more than a month away. Harley walked to the refrigerator and took the bag of coffee beans out of the freezer. Once she found the food processor she ground up some of the beans then put on a pot of coffee. Even though it was 9:45 at night, they both liked coffee. Even after coitus.
"I have begun my investigation into the Kira killings. Based on the evidence you've sent me and the research Harley has done, I am thinking up a way to lure Kira out. On November third you will go to the Interpol meeting and tell them that I will help on the investigation. As usual, do not mention Harley's name or even the fact that I have an assistant. Given the capabilities of Kira, I believe that he will stop at nothing to remain at large and that he wouldn't hesitate to kill both of us if it secured his safety." Harley was still in the kitchen, but now she was cutting the cake she had bought into slices. It was a vanilla cake with butter cream icing and strawberries around the edges, as well as numerous sugar roses. She then got out two plates and forks, and put a piece on each plate. She brought a plate over to Lawliet, who was still conversing with Watari. Harley waved at the monitor.
"Good evening Miss. Monroe. I hope L has been treating you well." She couldn't help but laugh. Lawliet wouldn't hurt her in a million years. If anything, Watari should be concerned that she was abusing him.
"Of course he is. He knows better." She said as she messed with his thick dark hair. "Will you be accompanying L and I to Japan then?" Tilting her head to one side, she smiled at the screen. "But of course." The coffee machine beep, so Harley turned around and walked to the kitchen.
Had Harley not stopped growing when she was sixteen, she could have gone on to become a model. She was very thin, and had a graceful confidence to her stride. With her short black hair and delicate facial features she resembled a pixie or perhaps an elf. Her nose was angular and small, and she had rather big yet deep set eyes. Flawless alabaster skin contrasted with her dyed hair, and her lips were perfectly full.
Her mouth was wide and slightly turned down at the corners thus giving her a pouty look. Even though she had many piercing holes in her lips, eyebrows, nose, and ears she only wore a moderate amount of body jewelry, though she alternated them on a daily basis. At the moment she had one small silver ring in the right corner of her bottom lip, a ring in her left nostril and a stud in her left eyebrow. There were also six or seven pieces of jewelry in each ear.
Due to the shortness of her makeshift dress, the large tattoo on her right thigh was visible. It was of a full red rose with a deep green stem and thorns, and the whole thing was artfully designed and beautiful. Her other completely visible tattoo was the serpent that was coiled around her left ankle. It was brown in color and was menacing looking. Because the collar of the oversized shirt hung slightly off of her shoulder, a small portion of her largest tattoo was also exposed. The expansive tattoo was off a winged dragon whose tail was slightly coiled and reached the small of her back. The wings resembled bat wings and began on her shoulder blades. The head of the dragon was turned to the left, and its mouth was full of teeth. The body was thin with scales that had been carefully shaped and shaded. One of the two talons like hands was on her shoulder while the other was further down, making it look as if it was clinging to her back. On the left side of her neck, there was also the Japanese kanji sign for 'life' which looked as if it had been painted on.
Harley often stood out in a crowd, if not for her numerous body modifications, then for her usually fowl attitude. If anyone were to look into her personal file at the Chicago Police Department – or several other police departments around the globe – her arrest record for aggravated assault would shock most people. She was so small and doll like that most people didn't take her seriously and treated her like a little kid. That usually prompted her to attack.
The relationship that Harley and Lawliet had worked because he never questioned her judgment, and they trusted each other completely. He never once scolded her for her strange appearance or her fowl language. Harley also made no attempts at changing him. She was fine feeding him junk food and letting him stay inside for days at a time. The relationship worked because they didn't expect anything from the other. They loved each other the way they were.
Harley poured the coffee into two mugs and then got out the sugar and cream. He liked eight cubes in his while she was fine with three. After adding a splash of cream in each mug and stirring the liquids she brought them over to Lawliet, handing him his cup.
"Thank you, Harley." He said with a small smile. She noticed that the monitor was back to the original screen and that Watari was gone. "We are going to be leaving to Japan in two weeks." He sipped his coffee then turned to face her. She was sitting on the left arm of the chair again, her legs crossed at her knees. "If what I believe is true, then 'Kira' as he has been dubbed will be willing to go to any length to get whatever it is he wants. I need to know that you will be very careful not to drawn to much attention to yourself." She nodded and drank some of her own coffee. "Your knowledge of abnormal psychology will come in handy in this case. In the event that I have to meet anyone on the Japanese Police, they cannot know about us. For all they know you are just my assistant." She nodded again. He took another sip of his coffee, and when he brought it away from his lips, he was smiling sweetly.
"My very sexy assistant." She smiled at him and kissed his lips which tasted like pure sugar. Finishing her drink she hopped down from the chair and walked over to the kitchen.
"I guess I'm gonna have to teach you Japanese." She heard him chuckle, then she headed to their bedroom to shower. Before undressing she made a mental note to call Lancelot and get a new set of passports.