A/N: Here is the one-shot I promised you all. It doesn't have the best plot – it barely has a plot at all, actually – nor the best writing, but I did write it fairly quickly after finishing chapter five of MSDS. I apologize for the delay with that story, and hope you enjoy this one. ^_^ Because it is B x Misa, it is, for the most part, AU. Expect "kawaii fluffiness", as a friend of mine that read this so eloquently put it. ^.^
Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note.
"AH! N-no, please, stop! That really hurts, p-please don't– AHHHH!"
"Now, dear, we can't have you attracting such attention to yourself, now can we? You'll ruin my fun!"
A sickening sound followed, and the blood-covered woman that lied on the ground, writhing in pain, could no longer cry out in protest and terror. The man gripping the knife that had mutilated the girl so badly stabbed the knife through the poor woman, going so far that he thought that it had gone through her. Although this would normally excite him, neither her screams of pain, nor pleas for help, and not even the tears that streamed from her eyes could interest him in the least. In fact, he cared so little about this particular victim that he almost seemed...bored?
Yes, that was it. Beyond Birthday, who was normally filled with delight when he heard his victims scream in pain and watched their blood spill out onto the floor, was bored. To him, it seemed that killing the same kind of victims over and over again was losing interest – all of his victims had reached the end of their life, and he decided to do them a justice by killing them before their original cause of death could get them first. Nothing interesting ever happened after that, until he decided to kill someone else.
So he decided to set a new kind of target.
Someone that was well-known, someone that would cause a lot of controversy if they were found dead, especially if they were found dead while covered in blood and wounds. Controversy would be quite interesting, he thought. So he settled for Misa Amane.
Misa Amane, the young pop idol, was already making headlines although she hadn't been a model for very long. She could act, sing and was very attractive. He'd seen her on magazines and in newspaper articles, as well as on the large screens of the televisions in Tokyo. Beyond had even managed to swipe a magazine with her on the cover after he'd decided to kill her, and he kept it in his pockets at all times, to remind himself of his objective. What a pretty little thing she is, he thought as removed the magazine from his pocket and admired her image. It's such a shame that she'll be dead soon. Perhaps her insides are just as lovely as her outside is. With this thought in mind, Beyond stepped away from the now-deceased woman lying in a pool of her own blood. His trademark symbol, a jagged and very bloody "B", had been carved into her stomach, as a means of taunting the police. He grinned as he fled from the scene, knowing that a witness could appear at any time. Soon, B thought, I will leave my mark upon Misa Amane.
In a very convenient turn of events, the next newspaper Beyond could get his hands on had written an article about Misa appearing in a public park the day that he obtained it. The park wasn't too far away from the rundown, abandoned warehouse that Beyond had been calling home for several months. Misa was going to be singing, and answering some questions for her fans. He could have easily waited for the idol to finish her little show before following her home, but as if it couldn't get any easier for him, the newspaper had also included the address of her apartment, urging her fans to send her lots of fan mail and things, because "Misa-Misa likes them!" The performance was to be held between noon and 4 PM, so Beyond saw his chance. At a quarter to four, Beyond, not even bothering to make sure that no one was around – he knew that they'd all gone to see Misa – self-confidently strolled into the building and walked over to the empty front desk. A sign stated simply, "Gone to see Misa-Misa; be back at four." How very convenient, he thought. Going behind the counter, he searched the desk for anything that would give away the location of Misa's room. Sure enough, he found a list with the name of the occupant of each room, and discovered that Miss Amane was in room 204. Taking the master key from the desk, he continued on his way to her room, not caring that he was about to kill off one of the world's most adored idols. This was for his enjoyment, and that was all that mattered.
When he arrived at her room, he used the master key to unlock the door, and walked in, quietly. Now, he thought. I have a few more hours before Miss Amane arrives. What should I do until then...?
He decided to raid her fridge first – it's not like she'd be needing the half-empty jar of strawberry jam, nor would she be needing the still-closed jar. After he'd eaten all of the first jar and most of the contents of the second, there was a turn of the door handle. Almost grinning in excitement, he quickly put the jam back in the fridge, shut the refrigerator door, and sprinted into her bedroom, where he hid in the closet.
For a moment, there was silence. A thick, almost uncomfortable silence, that could only be described as the calm before the storm.
And then she walked into the room, the pigtails that he'd always seen her with no longer bouncing on top of her head. She's even more beautiful in person, especially without those pigtails. Beyond thought. Shame that I have to kill her. Misa seemed completely unaware of his presence as she turned her back to the closet and changed out of her uncomfortably tight clothing. She was just out of Beyond's line of sight while she changed, as if she was avoiding the closet. She came back into B's view moments later, wearing a pair of pants and shirt that didn't really reveal anything. This came as a surprise to Beyond, as all he'd ever seen her wear were clothes that barely covered her body. He assumed that her night attire would be the same, if not worse. Misa was brushing her long, golden hair, when she paused, as if she'd realized something, or had seen something, but she soon resumed her brushing.
"I know you're there." she said simply, still brushing her hair.
Beyond was taken aback. Does she mean ME? he wondered.
She turned to face the closet, a small frown making its way onto her face. "I said, I know you're there. Come out already."
How did she know? B wondered. I'm completely hidden, so how...?
Deciding to comply with the blonde's demands, he slid the closet door open and stepped out. "You are far more intelligent than you seem, Miss Amane."
She frowned at him. "Thank you." she muttered in an irritated tone.
"How did you know that I was in here, Miss Amane?" B inquired. He had to know how this seemingly ignorant and clueless girl had noticed him, apparently, right off the bat.
"I'm an idol. I know when I'm being watched." she replied, setting the hairbrush down. "Though, the red letters over your head were more of a dead giveaway."
Red letters? Does she mean–?
"Nice eyes." Misa continued, looking over at him with a bit of a smirk on her face. "I don't suppose that you ever considered that there might be someone else with the same ones." For a brief moment, he saw her ice blue eyes flashed crimson, and he could only stare speechlessly. She had the same eyes as him? But...how?
"So," she mumbled, turning away from him, "have you come to kill me?"
"You truly are amazing." he muttered sinisterly, allowing an evil cackle to leave his lips. "Yes, Miss Amane, I am here to kill you."
"Then do it."
"...What?"
"You heard me. Do it." She turned to look at him again, still frowning. "I hate being adored and fawned over by every person I meet, because they're only fawning over Misa-Misa, not Misa Amane. I didn't think I'd hate it as much as I actually do. I'd be happier if everyone just forgot my name, because the minute I mess up, no one's going to be on my side." She sat down on her bed, and sighed. "I don't want to live for the limelight. I just...I want to be happy. And I'll never be happy living like this."
Beyond stared at her in shock. Was Misa Amane, the famous idol, really saying that she wanted to die, and that her life was miserable? It couldn't be. She had it all, and yet she claimed that she was suffering so much that she desired death...
"...no." he mumbled.
"What?"
"I won't kill you."
Misa's eyes widened a bit in surprise. "What made you change your mind?"
"I see no reason to kill a person who is already dead inside." he said, giving her a small, sad smile. "People like us were born to suffer, to make others feel better about themselves, and that is how we are to die."
He turned to leave, having seen no reason to stay, but Misa latched onto his arm and prevented him from leaving. "Wait!" she exclaimed.
Beyond tensed a bit when he felt Misa's small hands grab his arms, but he soon relaxed. "What is it, Miss Amane?"
"You...I know you." She grabbed Beyond's face with her fingers – soft, lithe fingers – and turned his face to examine him closer. "I've seen you around those murder scenes where the police can't figure out the killer, but it's always the same guy. He leaves a mark on his victims' skin, doesn't he? And...you're him, aren't you?"
A look of both fear and awe quickly flashed on Beyond's face. She is far more astute than I thought...
"I always thought it'd be cool to die at the hands of someone like you," she told him, grinning, "but the fact that I managed to live despite being your next victim is even cooler."
"Don't push your luck, Amane." Beyond responded, his voice lowering to a growl. "I can change my mind quite easily."
"Sorry, sorry." Misa said dismissively. "Anyway, you shouldn't go out there. There could be police down there, and they might be able to find out who you are."
"What?" he said, turning to face Misa. "But how would they k–"
FLASH!
Beyond was suddenly blinded by a bright flash of light that threatened to take away his eyesight. When he blinked and his eyes went back into focus, he saw Misa holding a camera. His eyes widened further.
"Did you just take a picture of me?" he questioned.
"Yep." Misa replied nonchalantly. She pouted a bit at the camera. "You know, you'd look so much cuter if you'd smile."
"Why did you take a picture of me?" Beyond demanded, ignoring Misa's second statement.
"Because." she replied, grinning a bit. "Now, I have your picture. I could totally show this to the police and tell them that you not only tried to kill me, but admitted that you were killing all those people. And you'd get arrested."
B didn't respond – he could tell that she had something else to add.
"However," she continued, "I suppose I could help you out, instead."
"And why would you do that?" Beyond asked through clenched teeth.
"The place where you're staying probably isn't nice, is it?" Misa asked, ignoring his statement. "I don't mean anything hurtful when I say this, but it's probably cold and old and unsanitary, am I right?"
"Well, yes, you're right, but I don't understand. That statement was out of the blue, Miss Ama–"
"Shh," Misa said, pressing a finger to B's lips and effectively silencing him. "Since you've got nowhere better to stay and because I'm totally bored, you can stay with me."
"Why would you offer me such a thing?" he asked, grabbing Misa's arm and moving it off of his mouth. "I am a killer, Miss Amane. It would be extremely easy for me to kill you in your sleep, if you allowed me to stay here."
"And I already told you that I don't care." she replied carelessly. "Any other complaints?"
"The main reason is still because I am a killer. I would most likely return here covered in blood." he continued. "And there is a lobbyist in the front – how would I get past him?"
"As long as you wash anything you stain, I don't mind the blood." Misa told him, giving a small smile. "And there's a secret passage of sorts that leads into this building, and then a staircase that leads to this floor. I use it a lot when I'm stressed, but no one else knows about it. If you choose to stay, I'll show it to you."
"Well...what about you, Amane?" Beyond said in protest. "You have your own life, don't you? A significant other, and friends? Wouldn't I come in conflict with those things?"
Misa chuckled. "A significant other, huh?" she muttered. "No, I'm afraid that I don't have one of those. There isn't an honest man in show business – not one that I've met – and honesty is one of the most important features I look for in a man. As for friends, I guess you could say that I have some, but they're more fair-weather friends than anything, so I don't see them much. I have one close friend, but he doesn't come over here. He doesn't like the crowds." Misa gave B a grin. "In other words, you've no reason to turn down my offer, unless you just don't want to stay for comfort reasons. If that's it, you can go."
Beyond stood, staring at Misa. Why...why would she do this for him? "...you never told me, Amane." he muttered, his grip on her arm slackening. "Why are you doing this?"
Misa giggled lightly – a lovely sound – and captured one of B's hands in hers. "It's because I like you." she explained. "I don't know what it is, but something about you makes me want to comfort you. And the first way to comfort someone is by being their friend, right?"
"...I guess." B muttered.
"Then you'll stay?" Misa asked, visibly brightening.
"...Whatever." he responded, looking away from Misa.
"Great! You sleep on the couch!" she exclaimed, using her grip on B's hand to drag him into the living room. She made her way over to the couch and, after removing the cushions, pulled out an unfolding bed. "It's actually pretty comfortable. Sometimes I sleep on it instead of my other bed. But, for now, I'll relinquish it to you!"
Beyond frowned. "...thank you." Then, when Misa's smile widened, he quickly added, "But don't think that I'm staying with you because I like you. I don't."
However, her smile only widened further, and she gave him a quick pat on the back before turning to walk into her room. As she closed the door, Beyond thought he heard her say, "You'll get over that."
In this manner, Beyond began to stay in Misa's large apartment. The next day, when Misa realized that she'd let him move in without asking his name, she demanded that he tell her. "My name is Beyond Birthday," he'd said. "You may call me Beyond." Misa told him that she liked his name, but although she liked it, she never really called him by it. Normally, she'd call him "B" – which he hated – or "Ichigo", referencing to his love of strawberry jam. When she first began to call him "Ichigo", he hated it, but as time went on, he grew used to it.
One day, he'd gone out back to his old home to retrieve the things he'd left there – some knives and a scalpel, as well as some other tools for murder – and he used the secret passageway that Misa had showed him to reenter the apartment complex. When he arrived at Misa's room, he purposefully pulled out the oldest knife – it had several blood stains on it from his first murders – in an attempt to scare her. When she saw it, however, she merely shrugged and said, "Just don't let anyone see it."
Beyond didn't understand it. She knew he was trying to scare her, so why didn't she get angry? Better yet, why didn't she try to kick him out? He would've left if she told him to. After all, there was no way that she really wanted him there, right? And, even if she did...well, why him? What good would him living there do her?
Oh, I see. There must've been some kind of ulterior motive behind Misa's seemingly kind action. But what was it? Maybe she had been really terrified of him before, and so to get him back, she was going to make him feel like he had a friend for the first time, and then she'd have him arrested. She did, after all, still have his picture.
But Misa didn't seem like that kind of girl. Even if her bright, cheerful demeanor had fooled him into thinking that she was nothing but a clueless ditz, he felt as though her desire to care for and to take care of others wasn't false. She was truly happy and kind, a good person.
Someone that scum like him didn't deserve to be associated with.
A man such as himself, one that enjoyed bringing others pain and misery, didn't deserve to have a friend, or even an acquaintance. People like that were meant to suffer, and to make others suffer. He knew this, but he also knew that he'd never change, even if he wanted to. So, he attempted to distance himself from Misa, as much as he could. He didn't want her to work her charm on him, because if she did, he'd have no choice but to want her as a friend. He couldn't allow Misa to bewitch him. Unfortunately for Beyond, when the days that he'd been staying with her turned into months, his resolve began to weaken incredibly.
Misa noticed this lessening in protest, and so she decided to say something about it. She was not one to give up easily. "You know, you don't talk to me that much." she'd said one day while they were eating dinner, sitting across from each other at the table. It was completely out of the blue, she knew, but she had to address the situation. "Is it because you don't like me?"
"No, that isn't it, Misa–I-I mean, Miss Amane." he responded nervously. He'd grown so used to being with Misa that he constantly had to remind himself to keep his distance, physically and emotionally. Calling her anything other than "Miss Amane" would be too informal.
"Then why don't you ever talk to me?" Misa inquired. "I mean, you won't even call me by my first name. I thought that friends were supposed to do that."
Beyond frowned, setting down the fork he'd been holding and staring down at it. "That's just it, I'm afraid. I have no desire to befriend you, Miss Amane." he said coldly. He half-expected Misa to be tearing up, or angry, but when he raised his eyes to look at her, she was giving him a look that said plainly, "You're lying."
And then, she said it verbally. "You're not a good liar when it's about stuff like this, are you? I can see it in your eyes, Beyond – you want to be friends with me really bad."
"That isn't true," Beyond protested, sounding angry. "I am only staying here because you offered to allow me to do so, and because my old home was unsuitable to live in."
"And you're still lying." Misa said, rolling her eyes. "Beyond, dear, you can't lie to me. I see right through you. Now, what's the real reason you refuse to let yourself get close to me?" When her words were met with silence, she stood and walked over to him, the pigtails on her head bouncing with each step. She pulled him out of his chair, forcing him to stand. "Come now, you can tell me." When he refused to let his eyes meet hers, she grabbed his chin and turned his head so that he was facing her. "Are you afraid of me or something?"
"...No, that's not it, either." he mumbled, avoiding her gaze. "It's just..."
"Just what?"
"...Miss Amane, you're a good person. Did you know that?"
Misa blinked in surprise, and her face turned a light shade of pink. "No, no one's ever told me that. Thank you. But what does this have to do with you?"
"You're a wonderful person, Miss Amane," Beyond continued, still not meeting her eyes, "and I am a killer. I get pleasure out of torturing others and making them miserable. Why should I have the honor of being a friend to you, when I myself am scum, and have nothing to offer you?"
"Oh, is that what this is about?" Misa inquired, sighing. "You clearly don't know me, Beyond."
"What do you mean?" he asked, finally meeting her gaze. When he did, she smiled and threw her arms around him, causing his face to go aflame.
"Listen. You being a killer doesn't bother me." she told him, pulling him closer into the hug. "I know that sounds horrible of me, but I honestly don't care about that. I want to get to know you, Beyond, and I can't do that if you won't let me. Besides, even if you really are scum as you said, even the worst, most horrible human on the planet deserves to have friends. After all, how can they get better if they don't have friends to help them?" She smiled up at B, and he almost gasped in surprise – it was such a sweet smile, and it made him feel comforted right on the spot, if only for a second. The blush on his face darkened, and Misa paused.
"Hey, your face is all red." she said, bringing up a thin arm to poke his reddened cheek unceasingly.
"Don't poke it!" B protested, flustered. Misa giggled, and continued the onslaught.
"Only if you say you'll be my friend!"
B pouted cutely – at least, Misa thought it was cute – and, as he wrapped his arms around her to return the hug, muttered, "Fine."
"Yay!" Misa exclaimed excitedly, tackling him to the ground with her arms still around him. He hissed in pain when his back hit the ground, but couldn't resist smiling at her cuteness.
"So, from now on, we're best friends!" she announced, smiling down at him.
"Yes." he agreed. "Best friends."
A/N: And that is the conclusion of the first portion of this story. As you can see, it's not a one-shot, but the plan I had sort of fell apart. What I originally intended was to make an extremely long one-shot (a bit like what Shizuka no Taisho does), but a friend of mine – Insomniac Panda-Chan – suggested that I instead make it a two-shot. I loved the idea, so here it is. I apologize for the horribly obvious title – I could not, for the life of me, think of a better one. Anyhow, the next and final portion of "Until I Met You", along with the next chapter of MSDS, will come out soon. (I may not have them done at the same time, but I will try my best.) Thanks for reading. ^_^
