AN: I'm back, with my second story, which is horribly late considering I procrastinate so much. I have also, despite not really following the Naruto fandom religiously, discovered an interest in Sasori x Deidara fiction. Do you think I should set about writing some? I have a few ideas for it, but don't really have much motivation to start it yet. Anyway, I just thought this one was rather interesting concept, I hope you guys enjoy it!
One Night at the Bar
Pairings: Slight MattxMisa, LightxMisa, MattxMello.
The slight blonde sighed into her whisky glass, her fringe obscuring her dark eyes as she lazily span the amber liquid around her glass. She was utterly alone and being such a personable girl, was hating every minute of it. She missed her homeland, Japan, dearly and wished to return, but still had several days of contract left, so was stuck in America for the time being, whether she wanted to be or not. The bar felt foreign and was laced with thick smoke and the smell of sweat and alcohol an overall unpleasing and cloying mixture. All in all, she wasn't quite sure how she had ended up in such a rough place. But then again, this was LA, the city of angels and vice, where each darkened corner had a story to tell.
She missed her Light; he didn't miss her.
Her brown eyed gaze flickered about the patrons of the bar: most were downtrodden old men who were lamenting- or perhaps reliving their glory days; there were a few more sleazy types, determinedly hitting on anything that was remotely female in a desperate attempt to take someone home that night (how she despised the type) and then there were the few who were like her: obviously from out of town and not quite fitting in with the scene here. They were too different, too new and set in entirely different mind frames from the rest of the patrons, because they knew they were just passing through on the way to somewhere else.
One particular man caught Misa's eye; he was dressed extremely strangely in monochrome stripes with elbow length leather gloves which tapered at slim long fingers. In his hand he had a cigarette and was lazily watching the blue smoke curl upwards to the ceiling with his strange green gaze which was shrouded in amber goggles. The man was not pretty Misa decided, but something else entirely. He was not conventional in any sense of the word but his expression had a relaxed, aloof tone to it that she wanted to get to know desperately.
His eyes snapped up to her face, and he grinned. Embarassed, she whipped her head back around and hid her darkening cheeks with a curtain of platinum hair. A moment later, a drink landed in front of her and she gazed up at the bartender, who shrugged and pointed towards that man- who smiled cockily in response and patted the empty seat beside himself, motioning for her to join him. She rose fluidly from her seat, mentally kicking herself for doing so; because the guy had known she would and was complacent in the fact.
"Hey," he grinned as she joined him at the table. His accent was a strange mix: predominantly English with an America twang and something else permeating his lazy voice.
"Hello I'm Misa, " she replied in her own heavily accented English.
"So you're Japanese, huh? Just as I thought" the strange man replied, effortlessly switching to her native tongue for which Misa was eternally grateful.
"Yeah, but how did you know?"
"Oh I'm a man of the world" he shrugged
"Oh..." Misa replied, a little confused at his crypticness
"You're very cute, you know?" he grinned coquettishly, taking a drag on his cigarette as he completely changed tack. He was obviously rather drunk by the way he waivered between words, but then again, so was she.
"Are you trying to pick me up?" she asked suspiciously raising one perfect eyebrow.
"Only if you'll let me"
Misa thought. She loved Light and wouldn't want to cheat on him for the world. But, she was not completely stupid, he didn't touch her or even seem to want to be with her and normally just his prescence was enough for her. But he was not here, and she felt awfully lonely and out of her depth in a foreign country and this man was showing her genuine affection, the like of which she had not had for months. So naturally, she was drawn to him; she would go with him, because she suddenly couldn't bear to spend the night alone. She wasn't playing double standards; she knew very well that Light went wherever he wanted to get his pleasures, regardless of what she thought or did. Maybe this could distract her for a few hours. from her morose thoughts.
She nodded slowly, not meeting his eyes and internally kicking herself for what she was going to do, too late now. He lazily waved a waiter over and payed both their tabs before grabbing her tiny hand and walking out of the door. He was under no assumptions, it seemed, knowing the affair was strictly business and nothing personal, for which she grateful; emotions couldn't come into this. The air was cool and the night was dark, the kind in which the stars refuse to shine, leaving the pair illuminated in that sickly sodium glow of the street lamps. He led her onwards towards his car: a red camaro, classy, obviously well cared for- the gleam on the paintwork told it all.
Like a gentleman, he held the door open for her and she dropped on to the plush leather coated seat. He quickly span the car into reverse and sped off. The streets whizzed past the window and lights became all a blur to Misa- this man drove like a maniac! Silently, as if reading her thoughts, he slowed a fraction, just enough to give her some peace of mind.
"I'm sorry" he grinned apologetically "I forget that not all people drive like I do"
"What must you do, if all people drive like you!" she gasped, shocked
"Oh if I told you, I'd have to kill you" he chuckled, and she relaxed when she saw him wink at her.
"What about you?" he added as an afterthought, trying to keep the silent blonde in conversation with him.
"I'm a model, I'm big back in Japan" she sniffed, pride obviously dented by his reaction.
"That would explain a lot" he said smoothly, smirking in her general direction and she tilted her head away, looking out the window, to avoid further discussion.
After a while, she was jolted from her own personal thoughts by the car screeching down the driveway to a halt. She sighed, not quite believing the situation she was in. She knew that if she was sober she would have never left the bar with this man. She tentatively glanced back at him, to see him staring off into the distance, his expression so far away. Sensing her gaze on him, he span around, his mask slipping back into place as he smiled warmly at her.
"I'm sorry about that" he said politely "Would you like to come inside?"
Misa nodded, letting him guide her to the door with one outstretched arm placed on the small of her back as the other fumbled with key in the lock, before unlatching the door and letting them both inside. The apartment was a mass of wires and monitors- all of which whirred and illuminated the dark and small rooms of the apartment. There was rubbish littering the floor and overflowing ashtrays on the sideboard. Misa blanched at the place, this guy didn't take care of himself, lived alone and was a chain smoker and technophile- no wonder he was going to sleazy bars to pick up women.
"Oh, sorry about the mess" he laughed, rubbing the back of his auburn head and nonchalantly kicking a few wires out of the way.
"It's fine Just let's go to the bedroom" she forced out, squeezing her eyes shut to stop herself falling as the room span at a dizzying pace.
"Fine by me" he replied leading the way into the dark and musty room
Carefully and cautiously, he kissed her, tenderly at first, more confidently when she responded. It was a clumsy naive kiss, as if he didn't really know what he was doing but was going through the motions, the taste of alcohol and nicotine sharp on his tongue. She lightly trailed
She lay down on the bed,and he climbed on top on her, kissing at her neck and nipping her collarbone. She reached up to take off his goggles, and revealed the deep green eyes behind them. She gasped, his eyes were completely dead, marred with lines of such regret she felt the emotion well up in her throat. They shocked her, they mirrored a haunting look that she once knew, that belong to someone long deceased one of deep sorrow, the very look she caught herself make when she glanced in the mirror, vulnerable. She could see now, this guy was much younger than she had first thought, little more than a kid, but had been used and abused and tossed away, much like herself. She couldn't do this now, he was too much like him, like her and it just wasn't fair on the boy. She saw now, she was a better person, she had to be if she ever wanted her relationship with Light to work and thought it was worth fighting for. She had to end this charade.
"Stop!" She cried, pushing him away.
"What's up?" he asked, tilting his head but pulling away nevertheless.
"I can't- I have a boyfriend" she sighed looking regretfully at his quizzical expression "Whom I love dearly"
"Then why did you come back with me?" he asked, a tinge of bitterness laced his voice.
"It's complicated," she replied, shaking her head and feeling as though she needed to offer him an explanation.
He laughed humourlessly, lighting another cigarette "I hear you; you might as well tell me, we have nothing better to do."
Misa looked up at the boy, who nodded sympathetically in response.
"Well, his name is Raito. He's pretty popular, looks kinda like you. I love him and I used to think he loved me but now, I'm not so sure anymore."
"Why?"
"Well he never has time for me anymore. He never touches me anymore. He acts like I'm some comodity and bosses me round. He says he loves me, but his eyes tell a different story. But I love him and would do anything for him. I know it's stupid, I know I'm stupid but I can't get away- I don't want to be far away from him even if it means being with him damn near kills me, I would gladly die for him if he asked, without so much as a second thought and now I-!" by the time she had finished, tears were pouring down her pale cheeks and a strong arm had wrapped itself comfortingly around her small sobbing frame.
"Believe it or not, I've been through something similar"
Misa stilled, listening as the man soothed her "Oh?"
"Yeah. He was my first love..." at this she stared in disbelief, why was a gay guy picking up girls?
"No, it's not like that" he continued, seeing the look on her face "he is the only guy I've ever, hell, the only person I've ever loved. Sad, eh?"
"What happened?" she whispered, watching the redhead's face contort in pain
"He left. He fucking left me. I haven't seen him in years. But it's sad, you know? Some part of me desperately wishes to see him again, I'd do anything- even if it killed me. He's everything to me; I'm nothing to him. I was disposable, but if he came back tomorrow I would happily chase his heels like the lowly dog I am. It's just how it goes." he sighed bitterly, stubbing out the cigarette viciously on the charred bedside table.
"We're quite a pair, aren't we?" Misa laughed, patting him on the back soothingly.
"You could say that," he retorted reverting to his previous cocky demeanour, insecure in his vulnerability.
She sighed, "Well I better call a cab I guess, I'm not quite sure where I'm going but-"
"Stay, It's no skin off my nose, I'll go sleep on the couch. After all, you're in no condition to be out on the streets alone at night." he continued, motioning to get up.
"Are you sure? Well stay with me, it is your bed" she replied, feeling eternally indebted to him.
"Sure" he slurred, tired from the alcohol
"Thanks, Red," she smiled, huddling close to him.
"No problem, Misa" he mumbled as they lay down to fall into a dreamless, drunken slumber.
Hours passed and when Misa woke up in the morning, the mysterious man was gone. Light filtered through the window and she rolled groggily over to find a note on the pillow beside her.
Misa,
I'm sorry to have to leave, but I didn't want to wake you. An old friend called- serious danger and I have to go bail him out. Here's money for a taxi and I fished a map of LA out of the drawer- I hope it helps you. I truly am sorry, but my hand was forced. I hope things with Raito work out, you are truly a special girl and deserve all the love you get. Be happy and live long.
Your friend, Matt.
Misa smiled to herself, glad to have a name on the mysterious redhead, though she could have sworn that her eyes told him his name was Mail. Mail Jeevas. She must have misread the kanji, she supposed but it didn't matter, she'd seen his lifespan and he was destined to live long and peacefully; he deserved it. She quickly packed up her stuff and headed out of the door, her heels clacking on the pavement as she stepped into the warm morning light. Things were looking a little better now morning had broken on the night before.
***
She swear she saw him, a year or so later, just out the corner of her eye. He was smiling, genuinely and talking to a leather clad blond whom she knew, at a glance was the one which he had talked so fondly of. She allowed herself a smile as she knew that he had found his love and things for her had worked out with Raito, they were getting married. Shortly after returning to Japan, all her worries had seemed to melt away, as if she had forgotten something major which she couldn't for the life of her recall, but it didn't matter because he'd proposed to her and she was going to have her fairytale ending after all. She was going to go tell him the great news and congratulate him and turned to do so. But when she glanced back, he was gone - as if he had never been there before. Mogi gave her a conspiratorial glance and she shrugged
"It's nothing, Mogi, lets go home"
She saw him again once after that, though not in person. This time it was on her tv screen as she sat at home watching late night television. Suddenly, the screen flashed with a news bulletin- that slut Takada was dead and Misa was glad, the bitch had deserved it. But her face froze in horror as the screen changed and showed an image of a cherry red car shot up and a man leaning against it, blood blackened in a puddle around him. She recoiled, It was Matt! The next shot was a burning church in which it said that his friend had been burnt alongside Takada. She stopped, listening intently as the new said he and his blond companion had been involved and had been killed ruthlessly- neither made it past 21. Misa found herself in that silent moment both sobbing and laughing because it was so sad to behold, but for the best. They had gone down together like he had told her that chance night they spent together. But he'd found him and they'd gone down together for honour and friendship, just as he'd predicted. It was then she understood he wouldn't have wanted it any other way and thus permitted herself a small smile in tribute to the man that she simultaneously knew nothing and everything about, Yes, love was a very funny thing.
Yeah... so that's all for now. Review?