DN: Love Me Not

"Are you going to actually go through with it?"

"No sense in backing out Yagami-kun."

At the end of the school day, with a missing Mimiko, it became time to look into things further. Both of the boys had headed out of school as Raito would lead the way toward the Hitori household.

"Unless of course... you'd like to take another try at it Yagami-kun."

"What is this?"

Looking over at him curiously. Watching as the detective would perform strange little acts of nervousness. Biting at his lip. Playing with his hair. Twiddle his fingers. Almost anything to keep his mind off what he was doing.

"Don't think of it as a date..."

". . ."

"Think of it as work."

"That might be useful."

"Of course it will. You're always serious when it comes to work. And that's just what this is. Now here. This is the work she missed today. I went to the office and got all her work sheets and her books. A perfect excuse for you to go to her house right?"

"Yes. Fool proof planning as usual Yagami-kun."

This was almost heartwarming. As if playing the big brother role in helping a younger sibling on his first life experience.

"Well get going, her house is right there."

"Are you going to be here?"

"Huh?"

"If she disposes of me quickly like you and Matsuda-san... I'd hate to have to have to shamefully take that walk by myself."

"Are you really that scared?"

"...I'm not scared Yagami-kun."

Raito would cross his arms. Looking to L intently as he sort of nodding his head towards the direction of the house. Behind him, invisibly was Ryuku. Laughing at the whole scene of things.

"Hyuk! First you want to kill him and now you're setting the kid up on a date! Hyuk! Hilarious!"

It would take the frightened one just a moment before he actually started off across the street.

"Well then get going already."

". . ."

"Wimp."

"I'm going!"

"Alright... Wuss."

"I said I'm going!"

"Hnn..."

Amongst the mass amounts of dirty laundry and who only knows what else. Mimiko laid in her bed. Rolling around as she curled a feathery filled comforter around herself.

"Mimi-chan!"

"Mmm..."

"Mimi-chan!"

"Ugh... WHAT?!"

Mimiko snapped out, still laying in her bed. While downstairs, the loud harshness of the girls tyrantful sounding voice nearly caused L to jump out of his skin.

"Maybe I should just come back later Hitori-san."

"Oh no, she is just grumpy because she was up all night."

"I see."

"Mimi-chan! You have a visitor!"

There was the sound of a door being slammed open, and a rather hateful response. Though it could only be expected.

"Tell whoever it is to Drop Dead!"

"Mimi-chan! Apologize!"

Now coming down from her wicked nest of girlish hate and all round evil. Blinking as she looked to see an unlikely figure. Of course her mother would go back to doing what ever sort of motherly things she did all the time. Not standing for how harshly she was just spoken to. There will be a good long lecturing after this.

"It's just another member of my stupid fan club... R-ryuga?"

"Fan club?"

"Uh, why are you here?"

"I noticed you weren't in school today. So I took the liberty of getting your work for you."

"Oh... um, thanks?"

"I give him...five minutes. Hyuk."

The shinigami was already placing bets against the detective.

"Ryuku, you underestimate him. I give him... seven."

"Hyuk! You're wicked Raito."

"Of course I am. So tell me something Ryuku, where have you been lately? I thought you abandoned me."

"Us shinigami have lives too you know."

"Oh? So there are parties in the afterlife?"

"Ones like you'll never believe."

Looking back up towards the house from his spot across the street. Raito would take a quick glance down at his watch.

"Hm...it's been ten minutes already..."

"You know what would be fun..."

"What would be fun Ryuku."

"Writing that girl's name in the Death Note. And having her die right in front of him. It'll twists his mind so much, he'll probably get so confused and think he's Kira..."

"Good idea. Wonderful idea. In fact.. I wish I thought of it. But no... he knows I'm right outside. To do something so drastic would be idiotic. Not to mention, he knows that I know that he is there... the odds are against me. No. He wouldn't fall for something like that anyway... Though it would be funny to catch the look on his face."

"Well?"

"I don't have it with me."

"Darn. Then let's go get me an apple. I can feel my leg starting to twist up again."

"Yea let's go."

"I don't see the big deal. It looks fine to me. Creative destruction. Almost all the world's greatest geniuses where very unorganized and messy. Perfectly natural."

"Sorry about earlier..."

"It's understandable. When you're sick, I don't expect you'd want company to bother you while you try to rest."

"Do I look sick?"

"Trick question? Or feminine sarcasm...?"

This would be the point where he would start to instinctively chew at his thumb. Looking around a bit and watching as she wandered over to her bed. Something to take note of. The bed was in both of the other's stories, and should be steered clear of.

"You can sit if you want."

"Thank you."

And obliged. Looking at the girl in question with a strange blank glare. He took note of the attire as well. No school today means no uniform. Which didn't matter, he had no fetish of that sort. It seemed she was going with what Raito had encountered. A white tee shirt and green shorts. Simple enough. Yet finding it odd to wear a garment which seemed to cover almost nothing.

"Do you always sit like that?"

"Excuse me?"

"Sitting. Do you have to do that?"

Tilting his head a bit and looked down. It was reflex and he refused to do so any other way. Wiggling his toes a bit as they wrapped around the edge of the computer chair. He avoided the bed for some reason. Sitting next to her seemed to be part of the others similar downfall.

"Does it bother you that I chose to sit this way Hitori-chan?"

"Mimi is fine. But uh... are you comfortable like that?"

"Quite, Mimi-chan."

"Hm. Have you talked to Raito lately?"

"I did today."

"Did he tell you what happened?"

"Why would he?"

"Well, you're both such good friends... I know guys talk about girls a lot. So I just figured he would tell you."

"Let her tell her part of the story..."

"He came over my house the other day. And started being weird."

"Yagami-kun is a good person I assure you. Anything 'weird' he may have done was not meant to offend."

Mimiko would stare over at him oddly, noticing that he didn't seem to blink for nearly the entire time he was there. Arching a thin brow, there was a momentary starring contest in which ended with Mimiko now pulling her feet up onto the bed. And hugging her legs in a fairly similar fashion as she rested her chin on top of her knees.

"Hm?"

"I told you it was comfortable Mimi-chan."

"Can you pass me my cookies please?"

"Cookies?"

Looking over at the computer desk next to him. And surely enough there was a plate of cookies. The badly home made cookies at that. The known scent of burnt chocolate to which Raito had spoken of. Reaching over as he lightly picked up the plate and took a look at the computer screen. It was black, but the monitor light was still on. Certainly the machine itself was not off, just idle. With an 'accidental' bump of the laser mouse, the screen was back on again.

"Here you go Mimi-chan."

"Thank you. You want one?"

"Could I?"

With a bit more enthusiasm in his voice. Cookies where the best. But also remember how Raito has described the monsterous things.

"Go ahead. I made them."

"Yagami-kun openly admitted to her he didn't care for the cookies. Yet when she offered one to him and he ate it, saying he liked them... she quickly caught on to his motive. Smart girl."

Mimiko held the plate out towards him, watching as he would take a cookie in the most un natural sort of fashion.

"I know my cooking isn't that great, but you don't have to be scared of it."

"I'm not scared of them... I actually like home baked sweets."

"Really?"

"Of course. It takes time to get them just right. A sort of patience that only love for the food, or for the one it's being baked for, can provide."

"Good point..."

Setting the plate on the bed as she picked one and began to nibble at it. There would be an awkward silence rolling in, if it weren't for the un patterned sound of crunching cookies. Mimiko had turned her head for a moment, taking that split second as he would turn his and look to the screen. With a swift click to the user's page he found his assumption was right.

"As I thought."

"Do you play?"

"Hm?"

Turning around to look back to her, he was met surprisingly. Mimiko had inched over to the end of her bed, now positioned on hands and knees as she leaned over him and moved the mouse around a bit. Clicking to the main page of the site.

"It's Happy Farm. Like this virtual world thing, you can chat and play games and stuff."

"Never heard of it."

"It's kinda cheesy. But I'm addicted to it."

"Maybe I'll sign up..."

"Yea ok, that could be cool. I can add you to my list."

Pulling herself away from the computer now. She would pick up the plate and hold it back up to him. again taking another cookie for herself.

"Do you like them? You don't have to keep eating."

"Mimi-chan believes in crunchy cookies. But I like them none the less."

"You're the first."

"Oh? Am I to say that Mimi-chan doesn't even like her own cooking?"

"Nah, not really."

Yet she picked up another one.

"So why keep eating the cookies?"

"Because my mom refuses to buy sweets for the house."

"...That's horrible."

"Well, when I was little I used to eat a lot of candy. And I got kinda crazy so they say."

"Hyperactivity."

"Yea, something like that. But I grew out of it in about three years or so."

"No buying sweets, but you are allowed to bake them?"

She just smiled, laughing a little that he noticed the oddness of that fact. Again though, picking up another cookie as she began to munch on it. The detective too, grabbed another cookie as well. It was better then chewing on a thumb.

"My mom got into the habit of not buying sweets when I was little. The few times she did, she noticed that most of them where gone in just a couple days."

"Are you the only child?"

"Yes. Hence why the blame was placed on me of course."

"Was it not you?"

"I'm guilty, yes. So my mother says if I want sweets, I must work for them. And I get lazy, then forget I'm baking them which is why they usually burn. But I get around that."

"Ah, so you aren't really a bad cook after all Mimi-chan."

"Oh no, I'm horrible. Baking is just easier cause it comes in a box with instructions."

Probably one of Mimiko's longest random visits. Downstairs, her mother would take notice of this. Originally she had expected there to be yelling, taking from her daughter's earlier performance when answering the door.

"Dear?"

"Yes hun."

Mimiko's father had just gotten home at his usual time, just before dinner. It normally varied between five or six at night.

"Did I tell you Mimi-chan had another visitor today?"

"She's a popular girl it seems."

"All young men too."

"Please don't tell me you had something to do with this... Mimiko will move on at her own pace. You can't force it upon her, or she'll grow resentful."

"No no, it wasn't me. I was only mentioning the fact because this one has been here since school let out."

"So?"

"So, the other two didn't last longer then an hour or so..."

"Well then maybe she has a new boyfriend. Just leave the girl alone... Is dinner ready yet?"