Tool's New Love

I grudgingly walked into the large dance hall. My poofy red dress didn't quite fit in with the elegant flowing gowns these women wore. I kept my eyes low as I walked over to the drink table and sat in one of the large chairs. Normally I'd be in the center of the room dancing without a care, but; how do you dance at a ball without a partner?

Yes I, Misa Amane, was stood-up.

Not that I blame him, I mean a god can hardly be bothered to go to some dance with a ... a tool. Yes, that's all I am to him. He may try to soften that simple fact by humoring me once in a while but, that's another reason I love him. He was kind naturally. Not to mention he's sexy as hell, a genius, and Kira.

I sighed and dropped my head into my palms. Why? Why didn't he come? He said he would, I thought. If he got caught up in something, wouldn't he call? I gave another sigh and sat up.

At that moment I laid my eyes on the host.

"...Ryuzaki...?" I whispered, unable to grasp what my eyes were seeing.

He'd changed...a LOT. Gone were the ragged, baggy clothes he donned whenever I saw him: replaced with a pressed and fitted black tux. His terrible slouch was now almost military straight, but relaxed too. Ryuzaki had some body when in the right clothes. I shook my head.

This can't be that candy loving perv! I closed my eyes and counted.

1 ... 2.... 2and a half.... 2 and three quarters..... 3....

I opened my eyes to find the same drop-dead-gorgeous Ryu-san looking at me with his deep...red eyes???

What the fuck? Okay it's not Ryuzaki. It's not Ryuzaki. It's not-...

"Where'd 'e go!" I searched for him until, finally, I spotted him walking –no, gliding towards me.

I stood up to get away, this defiantly wasn't Ryuzaki. The guy hadn't done anything to me (he was still smiling for Christ's sake) and I was terrified to have him anywhere near me. I started for the door but Rem stopped me.

"Don't move. It's not the Ryuzaki clone what's endangering you." I gave her a questioning look but turned back to Ryu-clone.

He stepped up to me, smiling gently. "And what is a lovely young woman such as yourself doing alone?"

His voice! Oh god his voice! I felt my throat tighten in longing. Such a beautiful sound, deeper and richer than Kira's but…oh. I relearned how to breath, then realized my fear was gone. I straightened up and said, "I'm not all alone."

His eyes flickered to Rem for a fraction of a second then returned to me. He couldn't see her, could he?!

"I suppose you're right; few people are ever all alone. Even some are never alone. But," He looked into my eyes, those liquid roses drowning me, "there are some who are always alone."

I shivered trying to regain a little control, "Like Kira and L." He showed an odd attraction to this subject so I continued, "Both fighting for everyone...in there own way. But because of that; they are doomed to be alone."

The man chuckled at this. Oh that voice again, like a piano keyed just right. "Yes, the pursuit of each other and the fight for the world can take up much of a human's time. Even drive them to insomnia just to gain a few more curtail hours. But why, if indeed they do suffer at all, must it be alone?"

My eyes fell away from his, to rest dead and cold on the floor. "Why indeed." I said in a monotone I'd only ever heard from Ryuzaki.

The host's warm, silky hand lifted my chin to look into his eyes again, feeling as though we were connecting in the most intimate way. Almost as if he understood what I meant to the very depths of my words. I blushed deeply and tried to look down again.

He smiled kindly and dropped his soft hand to mine. "Care to dance?"

I looked at him and shook my head slowly, "I can't dance...anything fit for a ballroom." I added at his questioning look.

"Will you tell me your name then?"

"W-what?"

He laughed, an odd laugh but just as musical as his flowing words. "Ka ha, ha. Don't fret my dear! I'm not Kira-san. I'll even tell you my name if will make you feel better."

This made me realize I hadn't looked at his name yet. I was too drawn to his amazing eyes to see the crimson name floating just above his raven hair. "Misa Amane," I answered.

His smile widened, "Such a lovely name. Misa...Amane..." he seemed to see something interesting above my head then rose met aqua again. "It's not Japanese though, is it?"

I started to answer that but remembered he hadn't told me his name yet. "You're right, it's not. So what's you're name? Or do angels have no name?"

"Ka ha, ha! Not letting me get out of it are you?"

"Nope."

"My name is Beyond Birthday...and I'm far from what most people would call an angel." He ended with a dead laugh. Then his eyes leered, but they were no longer on me. I felt someone shift behind me and I spun around.

"Raito-kun!" I nearly screamed and hugged his neck. For once he returned the favor. I could tell it was to warn Beyond to stay away, but I didn't really care. I sighed dreamily and sunk back into 'dumb-ass' mode. Kira was usually more comfortable when I didn't seem to have a mind. "You're late! Why weren't you here like you said?" I pouted cutely.

I noticed Beyond wince at my attitude but he seemed to understand it.

"Sorry, they kept me later than I thought." Kira's voice was almost as coarse at his fathers after listening to Beyond's musical words. Then his amber eyes turned to Beyond and I felt trouble. "Who's your friend, Misa?"

"Oh this is-"

"Ryuzaki." Beyond cut in, I blinked. "Rue Ryuzaki. And you must be Raito Yagami?" He said smoothly holding out his hand.

"Yes," Kira shook his hand. At this point even Matsuda-san would have felt the deadly undertones the two men were radiating. Thankfully the ball-thing was almost over, or they might have fought.

-L.A.B-

As Kira and I walked toward his parked car in silence I thought about the guy I'd just met. He was like Ryuzaki injected with essence of angel. He might actually BE and angel. I wondered.

Just then Kira stopped; we were yards from the car. I looked at his face; then I heard it: a soft chuckling, eerie and cold. The terror that had consumed me at the ball filled me up once again.

"...R-Rem...?" I whispered.

It's the man from before.

"...B-"

No. The one you didn't see.

Kira turned to the now giggling person. I turned with him to see the name- but what I saw bothered me almost as much as it must have bothered Kira-kun.

Raven black hair, mussed in an odd part. Dark eyes with defined insomnia bags hanging under them, prominent slouch and baggy plain clothes completed the "look".

The person giggled again, stepping carefully toward us. I wanted to run, far -far- away and hide in a bright corner with a loaded gun in my hands. But the look on the person's face said "Try it. I dare you."

I gripped Kira's arm tighter, but didn't take my eyes off the creepy person.

"What do you want?" Kira said in a low demanding voice. Of course Kira wouldn't fear a mere human.

The whole street was deserted but for the distant hum of the Ball that was still winding down. No one to help, no one to know. Kira I hope you can kill faster than 40 seconds.

I looked above the person's head and saw just a phonic 'A' above his head. The life span wasn't very long either, only about five more years. But, wait if this guy tries anything, wouldn't Kira-kun kill him? I looked at Kira again; he was still waiting for an answer.

The guy's lips stretched into a terrible grin, one that showed the saw-like teeth within his creepy mouth. His eye shined like a cat ready to pounce. He shifted forward, then, all at once, he fell to the ground limp as a rag doll. I stared at the lump of flesh for a minute, still gripping Kira's arm tightly. "D-did you…?"

"No …Did you?"

"No…"

A thin figure in a torn black tuxedo staggered into view. Blood dribbled from a gash across his chest and stained the bleach-white shirt a dull pinkish red. He looked very different from the party but I still knew how it was. "Rue-san," I shouted and ran over to him. "Oh my God. Are you okay?"

He smirked and straightened up, "Of course I'm okay. 'A' just didn't want to go home, that's all." His musical voice stunned me for a minute and he walked (no longer staggering) to "A". "I told you not too go too far. Idiot." Beyond muttered pulling 'A' onto his shoulder. When he finaly looked at Kira, hate and tension filled the air once again.

"You should keep that thing on a tighter leash."

"And lose a chance of seeing Amane-san again? I don't think so."

Kira scuffed unimpressed, "he could have killed her."

Beyond gave one of his odd laughs, "Ka ha, ha! Yagami-san, I highly doubt you believe that anymore than I do."