- Kind of a sequel to my other story 'Misunderstanding'. There's no Raito in this story, don't ask me where he went. I have no idea.
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Chapter 1 - Santa
"Do you believe in Santa, Ryuuzaki-san?"
"I only believe in facts, Misa-san."
Misa doesn't look upset. In fact, she feels pity towards the dark-haired detective. Though she has never met Santa, she believes he is real. It gives her great hope every year and whenever she has had a wonderful time during Christmas with many presents showering her, she would silently thank Santa for it. If Ryuuzaki-san doesn't believe in Santa, that means he has never received a Christmas present in the past. Aww..
"Children grow up believing in Santa. He is a kind old man from the North Pole giving presents to people who behave in a good way." L glances at her with a faint smile. She is of age now, yet there is still that small child in her.
"Are you suggesting I have been behaving horrendously, Misa-san?"
Ryuuzaki-san has misinterpreted her meaning. She wants to correct his view but thinks better of it. She simply cannot tell him she thought he hasn't had anyone giving him a Christmas present before. That would be just as terrible, at least to her anyway.
"No, Ryuuzaki-san. That was not what Misa meant." The petite blonde shifts with a growing guilty feeling, pondering on a gentler way to express her thoughts. "Maybe Ryuuzaki-san's parents didn't tell him about Santa?"
L becomes still. He looks away, lost in thoughts long buried. Misa could not have known. Her simple thought processing is always linear. She has no idea of the sharp stab mistakenly delivered straight to his heart. He attempts to suppress the dull ache that threatens to resurface after all these years.
Misa proves him wrong. She is not really that shallow. She understands she must have treaded on unwelcome territories. She has caught his lonely expression before he faced another way. His parents.. her parents.. It seems like they have something in common, in a somewhat disconnected way.
A few feathery footsteps later, Misa's small form has enveloped the hunching man in a comforting embrace. She knows the scar will forever be there, just as she is hurting in the remembrance of the loss of her parents, where she survives by putting on a bubbly façade day after day to mask the negative emotion underneath.
"Ryuuzaki-san, Misa is so sorry." Her solemn tone reminds L that she can be serious and mature at appropriate moments. The contours of her body also jolt L in recalculating his misconception of her being a child. He shifts uneasily as this jolt stirs something in him.
It is a friendly hug. If L had only sat in a normal way, there would be a decent distance between them. As of now, his bent legs on the velvety armchair allow easy access to his torso. Given Misa's petite height, his pale cheek rests comfortably at her creamy throat, with her perky breasts pressing too nicely against his neck. Hot blood starts to flood his cheeks. It also starts to flood somewhere else.
"Don't be, Misa-san. You have done nothing wrong." What an understatement. "Thank you for your kind console."
The blonde model pecks a light kiss on L's forehead and continues to hold on to him. The hug feels nice. Raito would never allow her to hug him for more than a second. It is immensely satisfying to feel needed. She hasn't felt the same warmth returned to her since her parents...
"Misa-san? I am unaccustomed to close contact. If you could disengage for a moment.." The embarrassed man begins to move backwards in alarm, his arousal becoming full-fledged.
The girl doesn't let go. What? Raito doesn't want her. Ryuuzaki-san doesn't want her too? Isn't she good enough? For a while, she thought he was appreciating her actions. Is she truly that unattractive? In sheer defiance, she presses deeper into the embrace and emits a surprised gasp.
She knows. Damn..
"Misa-san, I can explain. This is purely a biological reaction when a male is in the company of an attractive female, spontaneously triggered by physical proximity. I can assure you.." He pauses with the effort of containing his growing desire when he is further stimulated by the shaking of the small body pasting against him. Is she giggling so mercilessly over his helpless predicament?
"Whatever are you talking about, Ryuuzaki-san? Misa is very happy you think she is attractive." She knows he is an avid fan of hers. Being a professional model, having enthusiastic attention from the crowd is everything in building her career. But having undivided and unpretentious attention from an individual is difficult indeed.
Other men only view her as a doll, not treating her like a lady at all. Ryuuzaki-san is different, always so gentlemanly. And she was amused at his scientific explanation over something so pure and natural. Unpretentious.
"This is inappropriate." L mutters in a thick voice, holding his body rigid, the pink blush still coloring his cheeks. He would have to push her away to escape from this awkward situation. No doubt he has the strength, though he just never chooses to use it on the female gender.
"This is more appropriate." Misa follows his advice and disengages, only to place her lips over his. She spied him eating a strawberry cake so he should taste like her favorite fruit. Even she is surprised by herself.
L stiffens even more, lips, body, God knows where. Misa starts to trace the tip of her tongue over his closed lips for the remaining sweet taste. His lips tingle pleasantly at the gentle probing and they part at their own accord. Everything is sweet; the taste of cake, the taste of Misa. The world starts to spin a little faster.
He is the first one to break away, breathing hard, meaning to end all this before he truly behaves horrendously. The girl has leaned against him, molding into him. A mused look on her flushed face. She looks absolutely irresistible.
"Please do not tempt me so, Misa-san." The dark-haired man warns with faint desperation. To stop or to have more? There is this vulnerable body, willing to offer anything. This tiny angel is capable of filling his mind with such sinful illusions.
"Ryuuzaki-san once gave his words. Misa remembers."
Indeed, he remembers. He shall be waiting for her when the time comes. He holds his breath, afraid to burst the fantastical bubble.
"Would Ryuuzaki-san like to.." The pretty blonde inches her face to a mere centimeter away from his own, offering him the forbidden fruit.
"If I could.." His scorching breath fans at her swollen lips, still seeking permission for their unfulfilled promise from that day, which seems like a lifetime ago.
She is hungry for contact, wanting to fill that void in her, needing to salvage her bruised heart. She is all alone now, no one to love, no one to love her. There is this patient soul, forever observing, always waiting. He needs her too, does he not?
Misa leans in to seal their lips as a silent agreement to his unfinished question, beginning to view the crime solving machine before her as an actual man. Look at his colorful responses! He is human like the rest of them. She is delighted to have brought out the human in him.
In all actuality, L is not ready. This is an unknown territory to him. As highly developed as he is with his remarkable reasoning and deduction skills, he is rather poorly equipped in other aspects that define him as a man, such as tearing between all the pleasant signals and erotic urges bombarding him beyond his control. Think. Think. Time for logic to click in.
"Misa-san, as much as I would like to proceed further, I'm afraid I need to acquire specific knowledge that I lack in order to generate a mutually satisfying outcome."
"Huh?" Knowledge? Outcome? This is a feeling, a human need. Need it be studied like everything else? The confused blonde becomes still.
Awkwardness. Just wonderful. The man is adept at solving the world's most difficult cases yet at a complete loss at finer points of dealing with another human. What exactly is it that is bothering him?
"You are my first." Shyness from the detective?
"Oh.." Misa is trying to understand. And she does. "Oh!"
"I'm not ready." His physical condition belies his words though.
Those petite cheeks flush a darker pink and she buries herself deeper into the embrace. Her small nod is evident against the crook of his shoulder.
"Though, Misa-san, I'm starting to believe."
"Believe in what, Ryuuzaki-san?"
"There is Santa." Through his white sweatshirt, he feels her facial muscles assembling into a smile. He continues softly, "You are my best Christmas present."
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Note: It was meant as a longer oneshot and should be posted before Christmas. It's not complete yet. But since it got started...I don't want to throw it out. Comments are welcome.
(Dec 27) Some little parts and sentences were rewritten. They don't really make any difference but I think it sounds better overall.