#46 Early

Misa had a certain routine when she was expecting a boyfriend over for dinner (and possibly more if she really liked him).

It went like this:

Long, hot bath, followed by several hours making herself look unforgettable, and then several more hours trying to work out cooking instructions and somehow make something vaguely edible. (Usually at this point she ended up getting fed up and ordering out and making it look like she'd cooked).

So when she heard someone come into her apartment as she was stepping out the bath, her first reaction was the yank on her dressing gown, pull a lamp out of the wall-socket and sneak (as stealthily as humanly possible while wearing a bright pink dressing gown) into her own living room, intending to wallop the intruder around the head.

As it turned out L's perfectly honed reflexes saved him a nasty blow to the head from a lamp. He spun around and grabbed it before she could bring it crashing onto his head.

He blinked twice at her, "…Misa-chan is not dressed."

For a few moments she couldn't actually comprehend why he was there, then her mind caught up with her mouth and she squeaked out, "But it's not time for our date yet! Misa hasn't even started cooking!"

L smiled slightly, bringing his thumb to his mouth and tilting his head adorably. "Exactly, I came over early to help Misa-chan get everything ready." He looked down slightly. "Misa's dressing gown is coming undone."

Misa winced, tugging her gown tighter closed, "Eru! Have you EVER been on a date before?! You're not supposed to come over early!! I need the time to… get things ready!" she flailed one hand at her small kitchen, as if that would explain everything.

L's innocently hurt face almost broke her heart.

"I apologise, I just wanted to spend time with Misa-chan. And in answer to your question, no, I have not been on a 'date' before." He bit through his thumbnail with anxious chewing. "However if Misa wishes I will leave…"

He made to shuffle past her, but she grabbed his arm before he got very far.

"It's ok Eru…" She mumbled, a light peach blush covering her cheeks at her own harshness to him. She should have guessed how little experience he had, and after all, he already ranked far above any other boyfriend she'd had by saying, without embarrassment, that he liked spending time with her.

Misa's routine changed after that.

Long hot bath with Eru-kun, laughing whenever the bubbles tickled him or his hands slipped as he washed her back and he got all flustered and cute.

Getting dressed together, because she loved the way he watched her with wide, fascinated eyes, as though he couldn't believe she was really there, with him.

Then they would stand together in the kitchen and after a few moments of floundering around, they'd both admit that neither of them were ever going to be a chef, and L would call Watari in.

And Misa found that for the first time since her parents horrible murder, she felt safe, happy and protected.