Chapter forty- The proposition.
L's lips were tightly pressed together throughout the pair's entire exchange. He knew A needed the closeness, but was it really Misa who had to give it to him?
L walked up behind her and whispered into her ear, "I want to talk with you for a moment outside."
He walked away before she even got the chance to refuse. So much for courtesy...
A slowly felt Misa release her grasp on him. She planted a quick kiss on his forehead before excusing herself after the jealous genius.
"Yes?" Misa growled irritably as she reached outside. The cold air only amplified her irritability that much more.
L frowned at the model as she seethed. Such beauty... wasted on such a sour face. "Uh, it's nothing. Nevermind."
She wasn't convinced, but she knew if she pushed it, L would make her live to regret it. Instead, she feigned a yawn and nuzzled into his shoulder. The unexpected contact made the rugged haired detective scowl at the sleepy girl.
"Let's go to bed, okay?" She yawned out again.
"Misa, this is an uncomfortable position you've put me in," he warned her. "Please move, or I might be too tempted to refuse, should you ask me to again. And I can assure you, it'll be a mistake."
Tired she may have been, but rolling her eyes at his innocence just came naturally. "Not like that, you perv! It's the same arrangement as the one we had last night, when we didn't have sex."
He could've blushed at the reminder. But that would have been too out of character for him. "Yes. I suppose we could bunk up again, if not for one more night."
Misa resisted the urge to take his hand. It just came so naturally to her as breathing or letting her heart continue to beat did. It also seemed like the thing to do.
She let the moment go and pass.
L's room was warm. Especially by Misa's standards. She quickly shedded her over top and slipped her skirt off, letting it fall to the floor. L didn't avert his eyes, nor did he scold himself for not feeling guilty.
It was a trivial matter and he never bothered with those.
She climbed into the bed and he followed closely behind after losing his shirt. His boxers were as red as a normal guy's face would have been. But L was not normal.
Sleep sought to overtake the blonde and her eyes felt heavy. Her heart pounded and L felt really close behind her. She could've sworn Ryuuzaki's presence had entered the room as L turned off the lights.
Misa had never been afraid of night before, but something strange flowed eerily through this one, and for once, the dimness had her in fear. She was only calmed when L's arm reached around her midsection.
It was as if she quivered in the corner as a scared little girl would and L was the kind little boy who found her, and righted her world.
"Good night, Misa," he groaned out.
Her exhaustion cascaded around her. "Night... Ryuuzaki."
The detective didn't even bother correcting her.
It wasn't the loud footsteps on the pavement, or the laughter, or even the gleeful screaming that woke the odd couple up.
No. It was when the baseball miraculously went through the window and missed L's head by a rough inch. The alarm clock had been battered even before chiming the wakeup call.
And L was not amused to see ball scored perfectly betwixt the silver rim of the clock's face.
Mello and Matt burst into the room, fledged with ten other children. L gingerly pulled the ball away and held it up for them to see. "I believe you want this back. Misa, should I give it to them or keep it for myself?"
She shot a devious look towards the boys. "Definitely the second one," she agreed.
L gave a simple nod. "So, I figured. You heard her, boys. Not this time."
"Oh, come on!" Mello complained. "It's the first strike. Ya know: three strikes, you're out. We should have two more chanes. That's fair, isn't it, guys? L? Misa?"
L glanced his lover's way. She seem to be thinking the same thing as he was. He cleared his throat carefully and spoke clearly. "Well, if your mother dearest agrees. If not, I apologize, boys, but that's the way it goes. Misa?"
Their "mother" pondered her decision over and smiled at her husband. "I think we should give them a chance, Darling. What do you think?"
"That sounds reasonable. Very well, boys, you have another chance. Don't do anything for me or your mother to change our minds, okay?"
"I think we can manage that," Matt said.
"Good. You guys should get to breakfast or you'll be missing it," L replied.
Mello smirked at his father figure. That was the one and only hint Mello was about to deliver a lecture. "Oh, and are you two lovebirds planning on staying in bed all day? I don't suppose you're joining us? No. You see it's moments like this that I wish to exploit your dirty little secret to the public. I don't think you'd appreciate that too much, though."
A sudden voice spoke suddenly from behind the blonde boy. Near twirled his white hair distastefully around his finger. His dark eyes glared at the scene that lay before him.
"Mello, why do you care what they do or don't do?"
Mello whipped around and glared at the intruding boy. "Shut up, Near! It's not like you're not interested in this. Heck, I bet you came here to investigate!"
Near's face remained perfectly stoic. He never let anything Mello said surprise him. But even this was a bit surprising.
"Why do you assume so? If I were spying, I'd at least have the mind to say so."
Matt facepalmed as the corner of Mello's mouth twitched. Misa found the whole thing very amusing. L not so much.
"That's not spying!" Matt groaned. "If you were spying, the people you're looking after aren't suppose to know, let alone have it announced to them."
Near's unmoved expression notified him that the younger boy didn't care. "Perhaps in the perspective of the average person. That being said, I don't need to tell you that I'm not that person. And yes, I would announce it. Only a coward would hide behind a flimsy excuse such is that."
Mello's face turned bright red at the unintentional call out. "Are you implying I'm inferior to you because I know what spying is?! Near, get this into your mind: you're not better than me."
"You are basing your reaction off of a feud that I consider at an end. And to say I'm implying anything, when I'm not, is cheap. You assume I feel you're inferior than I, when I've not even set grounds for this assumption. Please, Mello, for future reference, don't jump to conclusions."
The white haired boy's lecture did not fall on deaf ears. The blonde haired boy just could not find the words to explain himself. And Near didn't wait either. He just stared at L and his Second Kira for a moment longer before walking away.
The boys left a few minutes later. To say L was relieved was an understatement. Misa was a whole other something.
She faked wiping a tear away. "My boys are all grown up. Mommy's gonna miss them when they're gone."
He patted her shoulder tenderly. "There there. We could always make more."
Instead of getting mad per norm, she found herself laughing it off. "Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you?"
"Yes."
L's finger rose slowly to his lips. Misa suddenly felt very insecure under his intense gaze. The pervert might as well have been undressing her with his eyes.
He said nothing for a moment, the silence causing a rift between them to spread. He gradually spoke.
"That little display between you and A has me convinced you're the second Kira 100%."
She snorted indignantly as he pondered on her reaction. "That being said, I want you working that much more closely with me at the taskforce."
Heh, did I say 9 or 50 chapters? Of course I meant the next one...
Cliffhangers are my specialty. Why're you so surprised? ;D