The lighting was amber from the lit pumpkins and dim from the darkness of the night. The room smelt of candy corn and pumpkin spice, and had a gothic eariness that only would be complete with voodoo dolls, taxidermies, creepy porcelain dolls, oddities and witchcraft materials that so-well decorated the flat.

A Halloween Party just wouldn't have this level of creepiness if it wasn't planned by Misa Amane herself, at her flat.

All was going well, from an outsider's point of view. Many of her friends came, there was music, a horror movie, cats, and a goth as a host! Why would Misa be so sad?

Misa approached Sayu, who was dressed as Sailor Jupiter and chatting with Mello, dressed as Howl and munching on chocolate pretzels near the snack table. "Hey, Sayu, where's Light?"

"Oh, he had to study. He said he's sorry he couldn't come, but hey, I'm having fun here!" she smiled, lifting her cup in cheer.

"Oh, I see. Is he ever coming?..." her voice weakened as she felt a set of needles stab her heart.

"He said he couldn't make it tonight. I'm sorry, Misa. Hey, at least your Morticia costume is really cool!"

"Oh, thanks. Light told me he was going to be Gomez, but I guess not."

"After being convinced by Watari, Near is coming, too." Mello chimed in.

"Oh, Near and Ryuzaki?"

"Yup. Ryuzaki wanted to go. There's a lot of stuff he likes here, like candy..." Mello gave a sly smile. "Hey, if Light keeps on pulling this, I know someone who really likes you."

"Oh? Who?"

"I promised to keep it a secret, but, I mean, he isn't here so… I'll just say that he's my brother."

Misa squinted. "...The 8 year old? Uh, no thanks."

"Not Near. He's about your age… Fluffy black hair, loves candy…"

"Ryuzaki?!" Misa blushed, shocked at the fact. She always thought herself an annoyance to him, someone he'd downright hate.

"Yeah. He says he's really sorry he tortured you for months. He'd do anything to make it up."

"Mello…" Sayu nudged his arm in a teasing manner.

"Anything…" He was just messing with Misa at this point. He started making kissy noises to irritate the party host.

"Mello, stop, she has a boyfriend, it's my brother.."

"Shut up Sayu, I'm trying to be a wingman for my brother."

"Stop this."

"Never."

Misa hears a knock at the door and lights up. "What if this is my Light?!"

"I told you he isn't coming."

Misa hopped over to the door and swung it open, immediately hugging the man at the door. "Oh, I am so happy to see you! I was expecting you, where were you?!" She kissed him several times, leaving red marks all over his flustered face. When Misa pulled back, she gasped at the realization that she did just kiss L and tell him how happy she was to see him.

The adorable, towheaded child started laughing under his ghost costume, which was just a fluffy blanket with holes for eyes. With that, Mello and Sayu starting laughing as well. Then Matt and Matsuda approached from the loft to see what was going on. Matsuda became confused and surprised, Matt just started laughing.

"I am only 15 minutes late, Misa." L retorted in his usual monotone, soft seemed seemingly unaffected, other than the veil of pink that dressed his alabaster skin.

"I- I… I am so sorry I got carried away, Ryuu…"

"Don't apologize. There's no reason to." His lips grew into that adorable grin he and his brothers effortlessly sported.

"W-well, welcome to my home. Snacks are to the left, candy to the right."

L's hands were still lightly holding Misa from when she greeted him. She withdrew their touch and walked further into the home. L and Near followed. Near walked towards Mello, L followed Misa, interested in the candy selection.

"You have excellent taste." L whispered, heavily interested in the wide variety of kit-kats on the table.

"Uh, thanks." Misa noticed that, for the first time ever, L wasn't wearing his usual outfit. He was in a violet and black pinstripe suit.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"Gomez Addams."

"How weird. Light was supposed to be that, too."

"I knew, but he said he wasn't going and just thought I'd use Watari's old clothes as a costume…"

"It's a really nice suit, Ryuzaki…" Her compliment was genuine, but she had a sadness to her voice still. He offered her a grape lollipop to attempt to cheer her up.

"No, thanks I'm saving my calories for cake."

"Cake?" Ryuzaki smiled again.

"I made it. It's pumpkin with black whipped cream."

"Show me, please?"

"It's in the fridge. All of the guests are now here, so I guess we could bring it out." She sighed. "Help yourselves, I will be right back."

She wasn't herself. She was alone, in her room, hiding her crying face and thick, dark, running mascara behind her bedroom door, as she held her cat close for comfort.

"Oh, Hecate, at least you wouldn't bail on my party."

Hecate just meowed in rebuttal, nuzzling her fuzzy black head into her chest. Misa gave her a small smile that grew larger as the cat purred and kneaded on her.

"Wow, the scientists that said cats help with depression were right. That's why I have two of you." She weakly let out a sad giggle as the kitty licked her cheek.

Green eyes glowed at her as her orange cat, pumpkin, sat across from her on her night stand. She patted the bed and his orange feet trapsed to his mother. He loafed on the bed, enjoying the company of his family.

Misa heard the door creak open. She didn't turn her head, she just kept looking at her cats.

"Misa?..." A soft, smooth voice was heard approaching closer. She felt his weight indent into the bed as he crouched next to her, offering a slice of cake. "This cake's amazing. Oh my god. It's so good. Pumpkin cake." He smacked as he spoke with his mouth full, obnoxiously licking the cream off of his wrist as he moaned in pleasure. As irritating as it may seem, it was soothing to Misa.

It was soothing to have someone come in and check on her to see if she's okay. It was soothing to have someone who, if Mello was right, actually liked her as a person. It was soothing to have someone who wouldn't push her away or abandon her. She burst out into tears again and hugged L tightly. "Oh, Ryuzaki."

"Yes, Misa?"

"You're so sweet…"

"How could you forgive the fact that I tortured you for 50 days. I starved you. I almost killed you via water deprivation…"

Misa just shushed him with a gentle finger to his lips. "At least you didn't bail on me."

He nodded in agreement. "You're the first to invite me anywhere in years." He purred softly, grinning at the orange kitty who jumped in his lap.

"Years?"

"Ever, actually. You're very sweet, Misa." He set Pumpkin to the side and looked back at her. When L said this, he meant it. He always loved sweet things. He looked at her cherry red lips, glossy and plump. What would it taste like to steal a kiss from her? He brushed his hand into her black wig, massaging the round of her face with his thumb. He leaned in closer to the object of his affection, tilting her chin upwards gently with his thumb and index finger.

Their lips became one for a few sweet seconds. He wasn't at all experienced, but he was so gentle. So, so gentle with his kisses. It was almost as if he didn't want to hurt her ever again. As if his kiss was an apology. When he retracted his face from her's, he looked at her with an almost unreadable, but extremely complex expression.

"I'm not sweet Ryuzaki…" she sighed, placing her hands on his chest as she rested her head on him. "I… I can be pretty terrible, too."

"Trust me, I know. That's why I suspected you of being the Second Kira."

Misa glared up at him with a look in her eyes that told him "How dare you?" without saying a word. "Excuse me, but I'm still a suspect?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Amane, but you are. I'm 70% sure you're the second Kira."

"It's that high?!"

"Yes. You do worship him, right?"

"No. Not anymore! He keeps on bailing on me like this."

"Are you confirming that Light Yagami is Kira?"

Her face went red from his sudden interrogation. "Ugh! Maybe this is why no one invites you anywhere! First, you come into my house. Second, you put the moves on me while your 8 year old brother's roaming around my apartment and could barge in on us. Third, you're just going to use me like Light did? Kiss me just to get an answer?"

"No, no. I only came in here to compliment your baking talents and check on you. You seemed sad. You just so happened to tell that me you aren't sweet and you confirmed that Light was Kira. Thank you for the information, Misa. You're a lot better key than I thought you'd be…" He gave her a close-lipped smile, paired with those wide, dark eyes. He began stroking her wig. "You know, I like you a lot better with your natural hair. It's so soft and silky, and it smells like strawberries and vanilla."

"Your point? It's a Halloween party…"

"Well, if you aren't the second Kira, then I have another suspect. Kiyomi Takada. She's close to Light. Actually, she was the girl he was dating before you even came into his life…"

Misa shrieked in anger. "What?! It's been almost a year and he didn't even tell me?! That bastard!"

"Hey, hey. Easy now. He never was that kind to you to begin with, remember? Is this why you were crying in here and not joining with the rest of the guests?"

"W-well, it's overwhelming. Socializing, dealing with Light, being a suspect, being a model… I'm just so tired and- and Light has to string me along like this! It just isn't fair."

"Do you know how overwhelming it is to be in love with a prime suspect? More specifically, a girl who you found evidence to be a murderer?"

"Oh come on, how "in love" can you be with me if you tortured-"

Her rebuttal was quickly cancelled with a passionate, sloppy kiss that smeared her lipstick almost as much as her eyeliner. He held her head in one hand, and her back in the other.

Misa's eyes were wide open from his words and actions - she hummed a high pitch noise, being thrown off guard. After a moment of kissing, her eyes fluttered shut and her throat let out a moan when he leaned forward, placing himself over her into a straddle. He let go of her lips after 3 minutes of making out so he could catch his breath. He let his back raise back up as he huffed, looking down at the petite model with smudged makeup. He grinned and got back down to lick, kiss and nip at her some more.

Hecate's loud meow was heard, telling them someone might be at the door.

"Ryuzaki, stop!"

"Why?"

"Meooow!"

"Uh, Ahh! J-just stop!"

"Are my bites too hard, Miss Amane?"

"No! Someone else came to visit!"

Hecate ran toward near, pawing at his blanket's corner.

Near was at the foot of the bed, with his ghost blanket in one hand and the other twirling his platinum hair. "Oh, there you are. I was wondering where you've been."

This was one of the few times anyone has caught L flustered and somewhat anxious. "I found Amane crying in her room so I thought I'd comfort her."

"And interrogate me! Ugh."

"Oh, and, she confirmed that Light's Kira with her own two lips. Productive…"

Near squinted at the two. Her wig was askew from L's semi-aggressive affections, his lips were now red and messy from her makeup, he had black eyeliner on his face from rubbing it up against hers, they both were panting, hot and bothered… it was just a mess. He shrugged and got on the bed space between the two. He pulled out some legos and a robot toy. "Can I play here? Mello keeps on kicking my lego structures just to be an ass and Sayu keeps on scolding him about it. It's annoying."

"Well, we can all go back to the living room and you can play there… I'll join you later, I need to touch up my makeup…"

Near shrugged as he koala-clinged onto his brother, who got up to trot down the hall with a ghost-white child clinging on his leg.

Pumpkin must have favourites. He followed Ryuzaki and Near swiftly as they walked to the loft.

Hecate stayed with Misa, watching her apply eyeliner. Her all black outfits always felt so… familiar… to Hecate. Perhaps this was because she's a black cat.

After about 10 minutes, Miss Amane was fixed up and in the living room, handing L a baby wipe to clean off his face. She giggled. "You look like one of my favourite goth icons, Ryuzaki…"

"Why so?"

"Messy hair, red lipstick, dark circles, it's Friday and you confessed you love to me… Oh, Ryuzaki…" She smiled wide and hugged onto his broad, boney, hunched shoulders. "You're perfect…"

Ryuzaki blushed, taking the wipe and turning his head to her's. "What if I'm not like your favored icon without the makeup?"

"You're still my Ryuzaki." She smiled, kissing him softly on the cheek. Now L knew what it felt like to be Light, in a way. Only, he's actually enjoying the attention.

"You're still my suspect, but, I could say… you're the most lovely suspect I've ever had…"