"That man that hath a tongue, I say is no man,
If with his tongue he cannot win a woman."

-Valentine, The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Misa spent nearly 4 hours going over potential outfits and makeup looks she could wear on the date, obsessively comparing accessories and flipping through old magazines she had shot for to look for inspiration. She texted her options to Naomi throughout the day. So much so that eventually Naomi ended up just driving over after work that evening.

"So you're just going out with this man to make L jealous?"

"Yep." Misa chirped, shuffling through her closet. It was a mess of lace, ruffles, and velvet. For once she cursed her own taste in clothing. She barely owned anything that wasn't black. She found a few more options and tossed them onto the growing pile on the bed.

Naomi sighed. "I know he can be difficult, but surely you can work it out another way, without involving your boss."

"My bosses son." Misa clarified. "...and he's hot and rich and wants to take me out. Just be happy for me!"

She held up a black velvet mini dress next to a silky red one.

Naomi again sighed heavily, jerking her head at the black one. "I can't be happy for you, because I know this isn't what you really want."

Misa tossed the red dress aside, quickly stepping into the black one tugging it up to her hips and over her shoulders. She turned expectantly to Naomi to help her zip it up.

"Well it looks like I won't get what I want so I might as well have some fun at his expense. It's just one date."

She sat back down in front of her mirror, quickly rummaging through the messy drawer until she found her favorite shade of lipstick. She spread the blood red balm across her lips, cleaning the edges with a makeup wipe.

Naomi looked dubious. "Just a date?"

Misa turned back to her in mock outrage, "Yes! You saw my underwear, it doesn't even match. Trust me, if he was getting lucky I'd pull out all the stops." She pulled the pins from her hair that had held it out of the way while she got ready and let it cascade over her shoulders in soft golden waves, ruffling it gently with one hand. She turned back to Naomi. "Well?"

"You know you're gorgeous."

"Yeah I do, but would he think so?"

Naomi pursed her lips for a moment but relented. "Yes. I'm sure he'll feel very stupid for making you feel like you needed to go out with another man to get back at him."

Misa turned back to her mirror satisfied. Good, she hoped he did feel stupid. As she was getting ready she wasn't thinking of Light's reaction at all. She was thinking of L's. He would see her leave through her security camera and would surely get regular updates from whoever was following her for the night. Hopefully those updates would include lots of pictures. She wanted to make sure she looked her best because it was all for him.

"Where is he taking you?"

Misa got up to dig through her shoe closet, tossing a pair of red heels over her shoulder.

"No idea. He said it was 'dinner with a view'."

She slipped into the heels and admired herself again in the full length mirror. Yes, that was the look she wanted. Seductive, sweet and hopefully to L's eyes: maybe even looking to get lucky. He didn't need to know she was wearing her comfiest underwear.

"Do you want me to wait up for you?" Naomi suggested. "I don't mind staying behind. Someone should clean this mess..." She eyed the disaster zone that had become Misa's apartment in her mad dash to look perfect.

Misa shook her head. "No, why bother? I'll have an escort watching me the entire time until I get home."

She spritzed the air in front of her with her favorite soft vanilla perfume and walked through it, closing her eyes. L would like this scent she thought smugly I smell good enough to eat.

The doorbell went off.

"That's him! Okay, so I look good?"

Naomi rolled her eyes. "Yes, breathtaking now get out of here, go make him jealous I guess." She still looked unsure. Misa gave her a quick hug before grabbing her clutch and skipping to the entrance, she called over her shoulder in a loud whisper, "Lock the door when you leave!"

She opened the door to see Light looking just as dashing she imaged he'd look. Every time she saw him she was struck with the same reaction she had the first time she met him: he should really be a model. He stepped back to admire her.

"You look amazing!"

She feigned shyness as she looked down. See L? Some people know a good thing when they see it. She knew the camera was in the perfect spot to see her. She turned around, giving him(and L) a 360 view of her dress.

"Thanks!"

She closed the door behind her and allowed him to lead her down the stairs where a long black limousine waited.

"I hope it's not too ostentatious." Light said grinning. "When you agreed to go out I wanted to make sure I treated you the way you're probably used to being treated."

The way I'm used to. Right. Light held the door open for her, allowing her to slide inside. I don't know about that, but I could get used to this.

The restaurant he took her to was inside of an expensive looking hotel she'd heard of but never been in before. Heads turned as they walked in, several members of staff greeting Light by name. His hand gently grazed her shoulders as he lead her to a more secluded corner of the restaurant.

The waiter sat them at a table near the largest windows overlooking the city skyline. Misa couldn't help but notice how empty it was around them.

"Where is everyone?" She asked curiously as she was seated.

"I called ahead to clear out this section for some privacy."

Wow. So he can just do that? I'm definitely not the only girl he's taken here.

Another waiter came by placing menus before the two of them. Before Misa even had the chance to look it over, Light spoke up.

"Should I order for you? I come here often so I know what's best."

"Oh!" She said startled, "Yeah of course."

He sounded so self-assured, she felt like she had no choice. He was probably right, she reasoned, what did she know about Italian food?

"She'll have the carpaccio di capesante and I'll have the carre di agnello."

She watched as Light ordered, the confident way he did everything. He pointed almost carelessly at the menu at which wine he wanted, like he'd done it a dozen times. He probably had. While she definitely enjoyed dressing up and going out, she felt out of her depth. She hadn't gone on a date since high school. Guys back then obviously weren't going to pick her up in limousines and take her to expensive restaurants. She went to the occasional gala and event as a model, but usually with another model or her manager as an escort.

She looked up to see Light watching her, a half smile on his handsome face. She forgot how a man could just stare at her. L barely looked at her, the agents he worked with paid her no mind except for Matsuda who she regarded as more a lost puppy. She smiled back at Light shyly, taking a quick sip of water.

Strangely though, she found herself missing the simple things about dating. Picnics, walks in the park, flowers...she shuddered. No, she was kind of sick of flowers at the moment. In her limited experience with Light he seemed to be used to the finer things. Not that he was a snob, everyone she talked to seemed to like him. Still he was mystery to her, perhaps more so than L.

"Everything alright?"

She looked up from her reverie. "Yeah, sorry just lost in thought. You're really a mystery to me."

"Let's fix that then." He said, his hands spread in a grand gesture over the table, "Ask me anything you want. I'm an open book."

That's refreshing, she thought. She hesitated taking another small sip of water before speaking.

"Okay. Um...What did you go to school for?"

"Ah boring stuff at first. Computer science, technology, that sort of thing. Eventually it just made sense to switch to business since my father wanted me to take over the company."

"Wow you must be pretty smart then." She remarked. "So I guess running Facade isn't what you actually wanted to do?"

He paused. "No, it wasn't necessarily a dream of mine to run the company, but my father needs me. And I learned a lot of valuable skills." He checked the watch on his left hand, fidgeting with it a bit. "They still come in handy even if I'm no longer going into a technology field."

There was a certain playfulness to his statement that confused her. She decided not to push it.

"What about your family, do you have any siblings?"

He grinned. "A little sister. Here, let me show you." He pulled his phone out of his breast pocket. She couldn't help but compare it to L's battered old flip phone. Light's was sleek, shiny and looked fresh out of the box. He showed her a picture of a young girl holding some sort of academic award, grinning ear to ear next to Light.

Misa smiled, "I can tell you're proud of her."

He nodded taking his phone back. "You think I'm smart, wait until you meet her. She'll put me to shame one day."

Wow, he even wants me to meet his family? She sat back slightly as the waiter brought out their food, placing an elegant plate before her. She didn't realize throughout the conversation she had leaned in to listen to him talk. He had a very magnetic personality she had a hard time resisting. See? I can get used to this. But even as she thought it, she still couldn't get L completely out of her head. If only she could have that sort of openness from him.

She dug into her food, taking small bites as they continued talking. She learned that he had studied overseas for a time. He hadn't had a girlfriend in quite a few years, citing issues with being so busy with work. She found that surprising and a little hard to believe. Maybe he thinks that's what I want to hear?

"What're your plans for the future?" She asked, gently patting her mouth, surreptitiously checking her lips in the reflection of her knife to see if her lipstick had smudged during the meal.

"Let's see...I'd like to start making some real changes at the company. Maybe even expand. I'd also like to be married soon."

She nearly choked on her drink. "Really?"

He gave her a reassuring smile. "I won't pop the question tonight, but I am very interested in settling down as soon as possible."

She let out a small giggle of disbelief. "So what, a house, a wife...kids too?"

He nodded serenely. "Exactly."

She smiled trying to put on a brave face of confidence like he had. "Sounds like you're after the perfect life."

He leaned forward, his brown eyes bright and intense. "Oh I am and I can be a very persistent man when I see something I want."

She blushed, looking down at her plate again, grateful when the waiter arrived to refill their wine glasses. She hadn't even thought that far into the future. Marriage? Children? She was only 23, a lot of models she knew retired by 25, and some did just as Light described. She didn't necessarily hate the idea of it, but thought it was still far too early for her to even think about doing that with anyone. Unbidden, of course, came the image of L wearing a formal black suit standing at the end of a long hazy asile. He'd probably look really handsome she thought longingly, well, if he fixed his posture she amended. But she couldn't really imagine him wanting to settle down with anyone. He'd probably live out the rest of his life solving case after case, cooped up in his penthouse or whatever mansion he lived in outside of Japan, keeping his distance from everyone around him. It darkened her mood as she took another bitter sip of wine. Uhg focus on the guy who's actually showing you attention! Not that weirdo for once.

After they finished their meal, they took a short walk outside on the patio in the cool night air. He offered her his jacket and it hung loosely over her shoulders. They talked for hours about work, their hobbies and interests. He told her what an average day for him was like. He knew for the most part what hers were like based on their first meeting. Even though she wasn't working at the moment, she spared him the details of her most recent depressive state. That definitely wasn't attractive.

She found it incredibly comfortable to talk to him. He seemed genuinely interested in her and questioned her about nearly every aspect of her life. How long she had been a model? Did she want to do it forever? Where did she see herself in the future? She had a hard time answering the last one because she could only focus on surviving the present with a stalker after her and she told him so.

Light stopped walking as she said this. He turned to her. "Speaking of that, I wanted to ask you about something...this Ryuzaki guy." He said frowning, "Is he really doing a good enough job?"

She looked down at her her glass, swirling the liquid around distractedly. Of course his name would arise. She stayed silent as Light continued.

"It seems like he goes off and does his own thing and I just wonder if he's-no I shouldn't say it."

She looked up at him quickly. "No, please tell me what's on your mind!"

Light hesitated. "I just wonder if he'll really keep you safe. The handshake event. That other model going missing...These things happened after he took over your case, right?"

She stood quietly for a moment, looking out over the sea of lights. He wasn't saying anything she wasn't already worrying about herself, but she couldn't help but feel defensive over L.

"I think he's doing the best he can. Those things might have happened regardless." She said, her voice measured and careful. "I trust him."

"How do you even know him?" Light asked curiously, an underlying persistence to his voice as he backed her to a corner of the veranda near the railing.

Now she felt worried. Throughout the evening she was becoming more and more open with him, no doubt aided by her frequent sips of wine, even going into detail about her friendship with Naomi. But not even Naomi knew about how she met L. That would lead to knowing about the truth of her parents. Only L knew that.

"It's a long story." She said softly. "He just helped me out a few years ago. He solved...a big case then. I'm sure he'll do it again."

Light stopped, his tone skeptical as he leaned in towards her, his arm gripping the railing beside her blocking her in. "Five years is a long time. People change. You think he's really stayed on top of his game since then?"

Did she mention exactly how long ago it had been? She blinked down at the drink in her hand, deciding it was probably time to quit. She set it down on one of the empty tables near them, spilling it on the crisp linen tablecloth, watching the red liquid spread and seep towards the edge.

"I guess I'll just have to wait and see." She said weakly. "Is it okay if we head back inside it's getting kinda cold."

As she turned Light grabbed her wrist lightly, holding her back. "I just don't want something worse to have to happen to you for you to finally kick him to the curb and get help from someone who can really get you results. From someone who cares about you."

She looked down at where he had slid from encircling her wrist to holding her hand. The action felt both reassuring and restrictive. She felt almost guilty for allowing him to touch her. Which was ridiculous, it wasn't as if L wanted her. He made that clear. Could she really allow herself to seek help from someone else? To cut him out of her life before he inevitably cut her out? Would it save her some heartache later?

She couldn't think too hard about it, her head was already feeling fuzzy from the alcohol. "Thank you." She murmured, allowing him to continue holding her hand. "I'll consider it."

After they left the restaurant Misa felt sluggish, like a lead weight kept her movements from being as direct as she wanted them to be. She hadn't had any alcohol in months. Maybe even since the previous year, she was definitely a lightweight. How many glasses did I have again? Through her inebriated haze she also felt like a shadow had followed her all night, keeping watch over her. She thought of her stalker. It's fine...It's probably just whoever L hired to watch me. Thinking of that, she hadn't noticed anyone tailing them all night. She assumed she'd get peeks of Matsuda or Aizawa in the fringes of the restaurant keeping watch, but she saw no one except Light most of the evening.

The ride back to her apartment was quiet. Light made polite small talk, but overall kept his gaze out the window, seemingly lost in thought. She was grateful for the moment of silence.

She had a great time with him. He was engaging, handsome, sweet. She thought of her mother who would surely approve if she was still alive. She always joked with Misa to find a rich man when she was older so he could take of her parents. Her father was more stern and probably would have not liked Light based solely on the fact that he was a man interested in Misa. He'd probably approve of L more readily. The thought made her smile.

Light walked her up to her front door, his eyes searching hers.

"I want to see you again. Soon. I want to help you with the next steps in your career." He reached out to push a tendril of hair behind her ear. "I think it's time you stop hiding away."

She nodded, feeling lightheaded as she giggled. Something about that particular action of pushing her hair aside was comforting and familiar, even though she knew he'd never done it to her before. "Thank you for everything. The date, your help. I'm so grateful for you, L."

Shit! She heard her mistake the moment the words left her mouth.

Her cocked his head to the side. "What?"

She shook her head smiling sheepishly, "Light! I mean Light. I'm sorry it's the alcohol I think I may have had one too many."

He chuckled. "I can see that."

She looked up to see him leaning in, gently grabbing her by the shoulders, seeming to position her in a way that made her think he expected a kiss. Even in her hazy state of mind she was caught off guard. A kiss? Already? She was rusty on date etiquette, but it felt too fast. Hypocrite she thought, remembering how she threw herself at L. It can't hurt to do a small one, right? She placed the softest one possible on his lips, noticing how cold they were in the chilly evening.

His eyes opened and for a split second she felt chilled by the look in them, unable to discern what she saw there. She blinked and they went back to normal, if anything they looked more concerned. She really couldn't trust her own eyes when she was drinking.

"Are you going to be alright?" He asked.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just tired." She assured him. "I had a wonderful night. Thank you."

He promised to call her in the morning, giving her one of his dazzling smiles. He left down the stairs, his driver hopping out immediately to open the door for him. She watched as he eventually drove off, leaving her alone.

She felt good to finally be alone. As wonderful a night she had, she looked forward to getting comfortable, maybe she'd text Naomi again to tell her about it. Well, maybe she'd wait until she was more sober. She didn't want Naomi to think she spent the date getting plastered on purpose.

As she stood in front of her door, ready to unlock it however, she paused. Even through her muddied haze something felt off. The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and even though it was quiet, something akin to sirens began to go off inside of her, sobering her up slightly. She glanced up the security camera and noticed with alarm that it was shattered, hanging on by a thin wire, only the mount remaining. Heart accelerating, she began to dig into her small clutch frantically. Her lipstick and cell phone clattered on the pavement, but before she could yank her keys out, something hit the side of her head, knocking her to the ground.

She tried to sit up, gasping with pain, head jerking around to look for the intruder. She saw a large, hulking figure dressed in black, his features distorted by the night and the street lights behind him. He hit her again with something long, sending a shower of sparks behind her eyes. She cried out in pain. All she could do was hold her head for a moment, her vision temporarily blurry. She felt something warm running down her face into her eyes, stinging them. The figure jerked her up by her arm and began dragging her down the concrete stairs outside of her apartment. By now she was trying to kick away and scream. I have to give L time. She thought desperately. Even in her panicked state she knew he'd be on his way. He'd know something was wrong. He just needed time.

At the bottom of the stairs a black van waited with its doors wide open. No! She cried out in earnest now as she was thrown down the last few steps, hitting the ground, hard. She felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her side.

Not in there! She thought frantically. She could hear the man stomping down the stairs behind her. She began trying to drag herself away, desperate to get to her feet. Somewhere between her front door and the bottom of the stairs she lost her heels. Her bare feet dug into the ground trying to push herself up to a standing position. He quickly got a hold of her. She tried clawing at his face, hitting him, biting him, moving as erratically as possible. It wasn't enough; he was too strong. He grunted as he held her down in the back of the van, fumbling for tape. She could hear the sound of it tearing in his teeth as he secured her wrists, slapping another piece across her mouth. Even though her head pounded, she tried looking at his face. His eyes. Who is it? He was unfamiliar.

He shoved her roughly backwards into the van, slamming the door shut. Awkwardly, she tried to scramble up, but felt too uncoordinated. The metallic taste of blood in her mouth sickened her. She fell back down, her cry of pain muffled through the tape.

Faintly, she could hear a scuffle and yelling going on outside. She went very still, listening intently. After a moment the door was thrown back open. She wriggled backwards in fear, trying to ready herself for another fight, but it was L. He stood outside panting, his face frantic. Relief flooded through her. She tried sitting up again to inch towards him, but felt weak and dizzy, collapsing forward instead, the adrenaline beginning to leave her body.

He stepped in, swiftly picking her up and carrying her out. I'm safe she thought delirious with relief, he's here. He set her down, carefully undoing her wrists, gently peeling back the tape on her mouth. Her legs wobbled beneath her, he steadied her.

"What happened?"

But she couldn't focus. Through the commotion she could hear sirens in the distance, the sounds of footsteps running. She swayed, struggling to keep her eyes open. He picked her up again carrying her to a side area of the apartment building where a small bench and patch of grass were.

"She may have a concussion, keep her talking." Someone called out...Aizawa? It was hard to tell. Her head pounded. "I have an ambulance on the way."

L set her down, cradling her head so it didn't knock against the ground. His dark eyes searched hers. Cool hands probed her ribs and then her face. When he pulled them back she could see they were shiny with blood.

"Where are you hurt most?" He murmured. "Where did he-"

She reached a trembling hand up to touch his cheek, noticing even through the fog of her pain and confusion how his shaggy hair stuck to his face in sweat, how the nearby streetlight cast a blue glow across his pallid skin, how scared he seemed. She had never seen him look that way before. Her first instinct was to touch him, tell him she was okay. Better than okay because he was there. He needed to know. The words got stuck in her throat as she spoke.

"I knew...you'd come." Was all she could say before the world went black.

AN: So you may notice there's no peek into L's thoughts this update and that's because the next chapter is entirely from his perspective. This also means I'll be taking my time to write it so don't be alarmed if I take another two weeks again. On top of being busy with work and school, I got very sick recently which was annoying...it's been a lot lol. Forgive me! Updating is slow, but it's happening. Your comments are keeping me going so thank you as always.

Hypothetically speaking, if I were to do a smutty/explicit one shot of LxMisa someday, what AU would you like to see? Would you rather it be in canon universe? What fic tropes do you like? Throw them at me, skies the limit.