A/N: Yay, I finally finished my work. Exams are coming up though…oh and apparently, FF is having some site glitches again. Bleah.
Disclaimer: This is just a fan fic.
Note: This chapter contains slightly mature themes. Also, "Crunky" is a Japanese candy bar.
Chapter 36: Third Wheel
"Thank you for coming here again tonight, Kiyomi. You look absolutely… radiant."
The honey-coated words rolled smoothly off Light's tongue, almost as if he had rehearsed them. Of course, he did nothing of that sort. Light Yagami had a certain way with words.
Kiyomi Takada shut the door behind her. A faint, pink tinge stained her porcelain features as Light helped her slip out of the luxurious pea coat. "Light," she greeted him warmly. Her voice was soft and calm, but her eyes told a different story. Her dark eyes were brimming with her freshly rekindled desire for him.
Kira, they said, praising him. Light is Kira.
Light smiled at her in response, enveloping her into his arms. Takada's blouse-clad chest flushed against his as he stroked her back. "I was worried about you all day, especially after what happened last night," Light sighed for the benefit of the Task Force's wires. Last night…
Last night couldn't have gone any smoother.
He had finally gotten into contact with Teru Mikami through Takada's cell phone, and the timing couldn't have been more perfect. Things had been starting to slip; the gap between their ideals had begun to show much sooner than Light had expected.
Fortunately, Mikami was as clever as he had given him credit for. His sharp instincts had allowed Light to once more gain the upper hand in the race to eliminate his enemies – before they could get to him. That will never happen, now that I finally have both Takada and Mikami at my beck and call.
At first, Light had been slightly worried about how to win over the proud anchorwoman. But the moment he revealed to her that he was Kira, Takada's cool demeanor cracked and dissolved right into nothing but unadulterated admiration.
Takada melted into his embrace. "Thank you...shall we go sit down?" she inquired evenly.
Light suppressed a smirk as he guided the woman – his new goddess – to one of the leather armchairs at the coffee table. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Coffee would be nice."
He made his way to the machine at the snack bar, and busied himself with preparing a new pot. The others can only hear our conversation at this point. I'll need to make it seem like I'm really having a relationship with Takada, as I told them last night. While he waited for the coffee to finish brewing, Light swept his gaze across the room until it landed on a stack of notepads and fancy-looking pens on the cherry wood dresser.
A few minutes later, Light strolled back to the table, tray in hand. "How was work today?" he asked her, casually loosening his tie as he sat down. It was still slightly crinkled from Misa's hug earlier that day, and Light made a fleeting mental note to never wear new clothes around the other girl again.
"It was fine. Did you watch tonight's report...?"
"Of course. I'd still like to know if Kira ever wants to cooperate with the NPA."
Takada nodded at him, acknowledging the lie. "I have yet to receive instructions from Kira regarding the offer," she responded, daintily adding some sugar to the dark, scalding beverage in front of her.
"We'll give him all the time he needs." Light handed her one of the paper pads and pens, taking a set for himself. She looked at him curiously. "You know, Kiyomi… lately, people have been calling you their goddess. Kira's goddess. Now that Kira thinks I'm your boyfriend, I hope that won't pose a problem."
"I don't think it will." Takada pursed her glossed lips, trying not to snicker.
They sipped their coffees in relaxed silence. Light took this opportunity to scribble down on the paper: As you may already know, the cameras are gone. All that's left are the wires. We'll use these to communicate instead. He pushed the note across the table. "Are we?"
Takada glanced at it briefly. "Are we what?"
"Together," Light said simply.
Takada handed him another piece of paper: I understand. "It depends. Am I the other woman?"
"Not at all," Light asserted. "Misa is nothing to me. You, on the other hand..."
The corners of Takada's mouth curled up in satisfaction. "Yes, Yagami?" the raven-haired beauty replied almost teasingly, her eyes half-lidded.
He leaned forward, placing his palms flat on the glass table. "You are the only one."
The older woman gracefully arched her neck, ready to meet his lips, just as she did last night. Instead, Light lowered his head and placed a kiss in the hollow of her throat. She gasped in surprised pleasure. Light breathed deeply, savoring his victory. Some things never change. He trailed his lips higher, brushing them along Takada's jaw line, noting the way the woman was virtually immobile, motionless. Like easy prey. When his mouth finally reached hers, she parted her lips, and their tongues tangled in a moist, coffee-flavored kiss.
"Oh, Light…" Kiyomi hummed.
"This is just like old times, isn't it?" Light whispered when they broke apart. Takada nodded slowly, and quickly jotted down a message on her notepad.
Is this okay? Your men are listening in on us.
Light winked at her. "I'm not shy," he answered.
"Neither am I." Then, as if to prove it, Takada began to unbutton her shirt.
I had no idea what I was supposed to do.
At this point, I was crouched up against the dusty vent covering, pressing the goggles as close to the grill as I possibly could without jarring it loose. I could barely hear a thing, just indiscernible murmurings from the other room. I knew I had to get a shot of them together somehow, but for that to happen, I needed to sneak out of the vent without being noticed. But how?
My heart was hammering away in my chest, so loudly that I was almost afraid the couple outside in the hotel room would hear its frantic beating. I carefully blew into my mouthpiece, not wanting to risk making too much noise. Luckily, they got the hint.
"There's nothing you can do but wait," Mello's voice crackled through. "Stay there, and just let them come to us. Sooner or later, they'll have to use the bathroom."
"Kohi's a diuretic, you see." That was Matt.
Kohi… coffee? I sniffed the air. Sure enough, I caught the faint scent of roasted beans wafting through the room. Curling my body up against the metal wall, I suppressed a yawn. This was going to be a long and boring wait…
My head jerked up when I heard a sudden moan from outside the bathroom. I didn't even have to strain my ears to distinguish the unmistakable sounds of… I gnawed at my bottom lip, trying to ignore the cold horror that was flooding through me. If that really was Kiyomi Takada and Light Yagami out there, that meant…
Mello and Matt both coughed loudly into their microphones. I was glad that I wasn't the only one feeling uncomfortable about the unexpected turn of events.
But really, what exactly had we been expecting in the first place?
According to Matt, Near was only concerned with finding out who Takada was meeting. And even if that person did turn out to be Light Yagami, there was no evidence – so far – that this was nothing but a romantic tryst.
Or is there? Maybe Near was onto something. Whatever it was, I didn't see it yet. For now, all I cared about was helping out in any way possible. If that included crawling up a dark, musty shaft, blindly crushing spiders in the process, so be it.
An irrelevant realization flashed through me. Light Yagami is cheating on his fiancée.
A particularly high-pitched whine, followed by dull thudding and the sounds of creaking bedsprings, broke through my thoughts like lightning. I clapped a dirtied hand over my mouth to stop myself from gagging.
"Bloody hell. This is awkward, isn't it?"
I squirmed in my cramped spot. I closed my eyes, trying to drown out the sounds of the Japanese couple, but it was to no avail. The audible, wordless lovemaking continued on for what felt like eternity, and then: "Ahhh…"
The voice was breathless and undoubtedly female. It had to be Takada. A few seconds later, there was a low groan. I grimaced.
"They're done."
"Get ready." Mello sounded tense.
I snapped to attention, adjusting the high-definition goggles more securely onto my face.
The bathroom, which had been dimly lit by a single nightlight up until that point, was instantly thrown into sharp relief by the multi-layered crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. I instinctively shrank back deeper into the air vent, seeking refuge in the shadows. At the same time, I removed the goggles from my face and thrust them toward the grill covering.
"We've got them!" Mello crowed. "That's Light Yagami, alright."
My jaw dropped, and I felt my eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. Despite myself, I craned my neck forward to get a better view, making sure not to disturb the goggles balanced between my fingers.
A striking brunette had entered the bathroom, clad only in a loose silk robe. The raven-haired beauty that I recognized as Kiyomi Takada stood stark-naked beside Light Yagami, with her slim, white arm snaked around his waist. She blissfully stretched herself, gracefully and effortlessly, instantly reminding me of a purring, satisfied cat.
I was grateful for the silence in my headset. I didn't even want to imagine the others' reactions to seeing Takada's bared curves – but I could only assume that it was nothing similar to mine in seeing Light Yagami.
The Japanese man's exposed chest gleamed like chiseled gold, his long lashes fluttered slowly underneath his rich auburn bangs, and his lips were curled up in post-sex contentment. Yet…
There was something wrong with the picture. It only took me a few seconds to put my finger on it.
His eyes…their soft, liquid quality hardened as Takada strutted across the bathroom to the Jacuzzi, flicking on the golden taps and jets. Light Yagami watched as the water gushed out in steady streams, filling the tub with frothing water, while I watched as the muscles in his fine, boyish face clenched and unclenched. Light Yagami was a damn good actor.
For a fleeting moment, my chest felt like it was constricted – as if the mere sight of the man suspected to be Kira was enough to give me a heart attack. And not in a good way, either.
Matt wordlessly removed his headset, fiercely blushing beneath his pale freckles.
I quirked an eyebrow at him, and did the same.
"Whoa," he breathed, speaking freely now.
"Matt," I said bluntly. "You're acting like you've never seen a naked woman before."
"Well…that's because I haven't. Not in real life, anyway…"
"Huh?"
"Never mind that," Matt replied hastily. "So, what should we do now? Send the recording to Near?"
I shook my head. "We'll wait for him to contact us. If he wants information, the brat will have to ask us himself."
"Geez Mello. That'll just delay his…I mean our…the investigation."
"Not really. It'll take Near a while to get his new headquarters set up, anyway. I doubt he'll be staying with Halle and Gevanni," I explained.
"Ahh, that's too bad." Matt fumbled through his vest pockets, fishing out his Pac-Man Zippo lighter. He flipped it open, and brought the blue-orange flame to the unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth, sighing happily as he returned his gaze to the webcam feed.
I turned back to the laptop as well, putting my headset back on. Yagami had shed his robes and slipped into the bubbling Jacuzzi next to Takada. They were wearing matching self-glorified smirks, emanating a sense of invincibility. Sorely tempted and utterly bored, I fantasized about going up there in person and crashing their little tryst.
"Enjoy it while it lasts, Yagami," I sneered at the screen. "You're not safe from us anymore."
They stayed in the bath for at least twenty minutes before switching over to the shower box on the other side of the bathroom. As soon as the water was turned on full blast, I straightened in my seat.
"Allie, you can come back now," I ordered. "Hurry."
The camera retreated and swung around in the opposite direction, facing the vent. A metallic squeak emitted from Allie's movement. I cursed, thankful that she was safe under the cover of the shower's noise. "Be careful!"
Matt and I waited with bated breath as the camera was once again plunged into darkness. I could hear Allie's labored breathing in my ear as she advanced down the metal shaft, crawling as quickly and quietly as she could. When I finally heard the ringing thump of the toilet in the other room, I leapt out of my armchair, hurtling toward the bathroom.
I was greeted with the sight of one very dusty, very exhausted brunette. Allie staggered right into my outstretched arms, relief washing over the both of us.
"Mission accomplished," Allie gasped, smiling weakly.
I brushed a clump of cobwebs out of her hair before kissing her damp forehead. "You did great."
Allie blushed. "That was nothing. All I did was crawl up an air vent. Er…no offense, Mello…" she added, turning even redder.
I chuckled. "None taken."
After placing the grill cover back over the gaping vent in the wall, we headed back outside where Matt was grinning at us. He slapped his laptop shut and gave us a thumbs-up.
"That was excellent. Near should be satisfied with that."
"How?" Allie wanted to know. "This only proves that Light's having an affair with Kiyomi, doesn't it?"
"Not quite," I said thoughtfully. "If he's just started meeting with her, it would explain why Takada has suddenly been more outspoken with her reports lately. He probably has something to do with that."
"No wonder… I found that a little strange as well. So, what now?"
"Now, we kick back and relax."
And so we did.
We killed the next few hours watching horror movies – with subtitles and lights on, for Allie's benefit – and raiding the mini-fridge. To my delight, I had found several Crunky bars and a carton of chocolate milk. All of three of us, including Matt, were sprawled across the carpet on our bellies, enjoying the well-earned break. I ignored the sickening feeling that Kira was just a floor above us, unreachable and untouchable.
I could almost hear Near's voice. Assassination isn't our style.
This time, I agreed with him.
Scenes of pale, blood-stained, bug-eyed Japanese children peeking out from closets and attics flickered before my eyes. Soon, they were replaced by lively, running orphans and sunlit, grassy fields. In the middle of a particularly gory scene, I finally succumbed to the persistent bouts of nostalgia. I turned to Matt, who was donning his usual amber-tinted goggles again. Apparently, watching TV for hours on end was bad for his eyes.
"House, hmm?" I muttered, referring to the name that Matt had reserved the room under.
"Yeah," Matt grunted. "I thought you'd appreciate it."
"…what makes you think that?"
"Well, for one thing," he exhaled, snuffing out his cigarette and crushing it into the ashtray at his elbow, "you still haven't gotten rid of that picture Near gave back to you."
I snorted, irked that he had noticed it. "I've been too busy to," I retorted lamely.
Allie propped herself up, cocking her head curiously. "What picture?"
"Uh, a photo of me when I was thirteen…"
"Can I see it?" she pressed eagerly, movie forgotten.
"Fine, fine…" I rolled my eyes and unzipped my vest's inner pocket, carefully sliding out the old photograph and laying it flat on the floor. Allie scooted her body closer to mine, peering down at the thirteen-year-old version of me.
Mello's young, unmarked face peeked up at me from the snapshot. I was immediately struck by how different he looked. His healthy skin had nothing to do with it, nor did it have anything to do with the neat yellow bob that had noticeably grown out into shaggy, wild, brassy mess.
It was his eyes.
Same sea-blue color, same thick, long lashes to die for. They were wide and clear, full of earnestness and fiery ambition…and visibly untouched by blood, guilt and death.
Untouched by his friend's suicide, untouched by his idol's murder, and untouched by the killings and sins he had committed to get this far.
I glanced up, pretending to compare the two faces. "Hmm," I droned. "I can't decide which one is cuter…"
"That's easy, Allie," Matt drawled. "What do you like more, pretty boys or bad boys?"
Mello snatched the photo back, stuffing it unceremoniously into his pocket. "Hey, who are you calling a pretty boy?" he growled, throwing his empty milk carton at his friend's head.
Matt quickly launched a half-eaten Crunky at Mello in retaliation. Soon, they were engaged in a full-blown food fight. Snacks flew across the room like snowballs, and I seized this opportunity to escape to the bathroom to take a long-overdue shower. When I eventually emerged from the bathroom, I was appalled to see the previously spotless suite littered with empty juice bottles, milk cartons and chocolate wrappers, and two teenagers panting in the middle of it all.
The rest of the night, or more accurately, morning, was relatively peaceful. Matt had passed out from his jet-lag, and as we waited for the sun to rise, Mello told me more stories about Wammy's, tactfully avoiding any mention of Beyond Birthday.
This is nice. I listened, and watched Mello grow more animated as he talked. I learned that his absolute favorite subject had been English, and L had given him a guitar upon entering the orphanage, which Roger, the caretaker, had to confiscate whenever Mello misbehaved. I learned that L had gotten Matt a computer after finding out about his addiction to video games, and Near had received a ten-by-ten Rubik's cube.
"I guess it was L's way of welcoming us," Mello informed me. "After all, none of us ever got to meet him."
When Matt's laptop beeped a few hours later, at 7:30 A.M., we knew right away that the Perin Hotel's system lockdown had just been lifted.
Kiyomi Takada had left the building.
We ran to the window, but it was far too late. She and her guards were long gone. However…
"Mello, look!"
There was a taxi waiting at the curb in front of the hotel, and a certain, sharply-suited man was climbing into it. Light Yagami, I thought with dismay, recognizing his reddish-brown hair from the distance.
"Damn," Mello swore. "We could've followed him back to his headquarters."
"What for?" Matt's sleepy voice sounded behind us.
"Good morning," I said automatically. "And yeah, what for?
"To steal the other notebook," Mello stated matter-of-factly.
I stared at him, slack-jawed. "You're not serious, are you?"
"No," Matt snapped. "Hell, no. I'm not going to let you get into that fucking mess again. Let's just take the next few days off, alright? We need some down time, at least until Near contacts us."
Mello surveyed his friend with appraising eyes. "Then what do you have in mind?"
"I dunno, anything. Shopping. Sight-seeing. Anything, Mels."
"Uh," I interrupted. "If we go out, we might be recognized."
"Not if we're well disguised," Matt argued. "Come on, don't tell me that you like being holed up in a hotel room. I mean, it is nice and all, but we need fresh air."
"Ha!" Mello barked, shooting Matt a suspicious, accusatory glare. "Since when do you ever care about getting out?"
Matt placed his gloved hands on his hips, gleefully smirking. "Hello? We're in Japan, every geek and freak's dream come true!"
A/N: Next up….a bit of fluff! But just a tiny bit ;)
Shout-out: To xYourDearlyBeloved, who was first to review the last chapter *gives Swedish Berries*
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