Death Note Fan Fiction ❯ A Balm for Social Failure ❯ Flowers to Ashes ( Chapter 28 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

A Balm for Social Failure

(Chapter 28: Flowers to Ashes)
Light x L

L begins to suspect something is missing from his life. He believes the key to be in social interaction - his weak point. At the appearance of the enigma named Light Yagami, he is challenged to rise to the occasion.

Disclaimer: see ch. 1 for full disclaimer

A/N: Early update as I am getting ready for, and will be at all weekend, JACON. (yay!)

Also: I started work on a new Death Note fic called PITCH (and a new Naruto fic as well), which I will be posting soon. Keep an eye out! Oh, and neither of these new stories will interfere with updates on aBfSF. :)

A/N 2: Some of you anonymous reviewers are killing me in that I can't reply back to you (since you don't have accounts)! Especially "?". You know I <3 you, right?? Send me your email addys or something! (or not... maybe that is strange of me to even think of?)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next installment of DramaNote! XD

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Chapter 28:

The public park was a vibrant green, only just beginning to be tinged with the heavy gold of the waning sun. Perfectly manicured grass swept the area and edged the lone sandbox and jungle gym that were currently vacant.

Ryuuk flapped his powerful wings, alighting skillfully in the boughs of a large shade tree. Rem was waiting for him.

The only human voices to be heard were those in the red brick apartment buildings that lay on the south side of the park. From their aptly positioned perch, a mere 10 feet away, Ryuuk could see into several of the windows. He supposed the tree was originally intended to provide a bit of privacy, though now it had quite the opposite effect. Heh. Humans.

"You rang?" the male Shinigami asked jovially.

"Idiot," the female muttered. She shook her head in the attempt to recompose herself. "I want your opinion on the state of things."

"Mine?" he grinned. "To what do I owe this honor, O Spongy One?"

"I am not spongy!" Rem hissed. "Blithering idiot. Where do you come up with these asinine notions?"

Ryuuk cackled in her face, knowing it would set her off more than anything else. And it did, but she contained herself in the pursuit of getting what she wanted. He ruffled his wings contentedly. "So, what do you want?"

Reluctantly, she said, "What do you think of Mikami Teru?"

"The human with the glasses?"

Rem nodded.

Ryuuk scratched his face with the tip of a taloned finger. "Hmmmmn." Rem probably wanted to know if that human was likely to kill her human. How boring. From what he had seen though, the man seemed to harbor some sort of unhealthy obsession with Kira. It was infinitely amusing. The human often spent long periods of time gazing at the photograph he had of Light. Sometimes he even spoke to it. It was a riot.

"Well?" the white Shinigami prompted him impatiently.

Ryuuk ignored Rem's sense of urgency and pondered the matter with leisure. The Teru human was probably very likely to try and get rid of Rem's human. Not a big loss, since the girl was so boring. He much preferred watching the dark plotting of the attorney, and certainly enjoyed the effect the older man was beginning to have on the already strained relationship between Light and the detective. It would really be a shame to miss seeing all of that play out. They were all such great fun!

"Well..." Ryuuk drawled. I happen to like him. But if I tell you that, you're sure to get rid of him. "I think that human is a good Kira. He is smart enough not to get caught. Anyone else and you run the risk of Misa being singled out again." Ryuuk paused. "L really believes she is guilty," he added helpfully.

"He doesn't seem... unreliable to you?"

Ryuuk scoffed at her, shaking the branch with his riotous laughter. "Of course he does. He's a human. They're all unreliable." He chortled, "And you call me an idiot!"

Rem's eyes narrowed and she launched an apple, Ryuuk's standard reward for being somewhat cooperative, at his head. (She seemed to be feeling cantankerous all of a sudden.)

"Much obliged," he said, cackling again as he leapt into the air.

---

"Hey, Light," Ryuuk called as he morphed through the ceiling of the hotel room his human was currently residing in. "Liiiight."

The brunette flicked his eyes towards the Shinigami to acknowledge its presence. His face was set in a slight frown and he did not appear all that happy to see him, nor did he seem predisposed to conversation.

"I was thinking," Ryuuk said, scratching his head.

"Oooh?" Light said softly, not looking up from the book he was reading. "That must have been excruciating for you."

"Where's what's-his-face?"

"You know his name."

Ryuuk made a few laps of the room, contemplating his human's seemingly dour and combative constitution. "Why are you in such a bad mood?" Ryuuk floated upside down and drifted in front of the brunette's face. It was an appealing one, for a human.

Light glared at him. "Must you even ask that?"

Ryuuk cackled and grinned like a jack-o-lantern. He loved getting a rise out of the boy, even if it was unintentional. "I guess not. I was just making conversation before getting to the point."

"Well, there is no need," Light said waspishly, his exasperation growing more potent by the second.

"It is what you humans call courteous, right?" Ryuuk feigned ignorance, reveling in how singularly annoyed the statement was sure to make the brunette. Provocation was such fun!

"It's tiresome, to say the least," Light snapped, "especially when done by something like you."

His human was kind of cute when he bristled with anger, Ryuuk thought. "Sometimes you make me wish I were a human," he said candidly. It was a shame Shinigami were mostly incorporeal...

"What the hell for?!"

"I think I like you."

"That's appalling." Light looked well and truly horrified.

Oh, well. "And impossible," Ryuuk yawned. Actually, he'd heard it had been done before. But... it probably wouldn't work out. "Anyway, because I like you, I decided to give you my opinion on something. It might help you out."

"What makes you think I need or even want your help?"

Ryuuk grinned. "Because I have been watching you for a long time, and it is obvious that you're fucking everything up."

"..." Light looked extremely annoyed. "Fine," he ground out. "I'm listening."

"Have you considered giving up ownership of the Death Note?"

The brunette gave up any pretense of reading, and closed the book. He sighed. "To what purpose? It won't change the fact that I am the original owner."

"No, but it might absolve you in L's eyes if you revert back to the innocent 'you' that knew nothing about being Kira."

Light's amber eyes studied him speculatively. "What would you get out of that?"

"I want to possess L." Ryuuk suspected the detective would be even more fun to irritate. "Besides, with how stubborn he is, he may kill you out of some stupid human sense of pride if you don't do it before the ultimatum he gave you. How boring would that be?" Yeah, if I possess L, Light will still be around as well. Double the fun!

Ryuuk didn't bother to mention the conflict L would suffer with this scenario. It would be delightful. Though Light would probably think otherwise.

"If I gave it up, you could bring it here..." Light said to himself. "If I am not the owner, you could transport it freely." He looked up at the Shinigami. "I thought you wanted to be kept a secret from him, Ryuuk?"

"Only if you were the owner."

Light frowned. "I probably don't want to know the reason for that."

Hee hee, Ryuuk laughed to himself. Quite right, my little human. But rest assured, it is all to keep me entertained. "No, but it may interest you to know the other reason for my suggestion."

"Which is?"

"The human that you know as the second Kira... He seems to be the jealous and possessive type."

"So?" Light said impatiently. "Would you mind getting to the point?"

"He appears to idolize you, and I think he knows L's name."

Light started to look cagey. "Rem knows that if L dies, I'll kill Misa. There is no problem there."

"Can you trust Rem to watch over that human every moment? And what if there were no Misa around for you to kill? I told you, he is a very jealous man. All of a sudden, L is looking very disposable, isn't he?"

Light rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "If L owned the Death Note, it wouldn't keep him protected," he pointed out. "The second Kira would already have his name."

"Oh, I guess you're right."

"I would need to contact him and tell him L is not to be killed, but how would I justify such an odd request? Why would Kira wish to keep his captor alive? If anything, that may encourage him to kill L so that I will be free. Then he would be at liberty to meet me, as he wanted."

Ryuuk laughed. That's not all he wants to do to you, Light. "Aren't you going to ask me what his name is?"

"There is no point. You wouldn't tell me even if you knew."

---

Light rested his hands over his eyes as he lay back on the bed again after the Shinigami left him. It was exhausting to deal with Ryuuk, and try to keep things from the cameras. He was certain he was already slipping up in that regard, but then L was surely doing the same. This much pressure was bound to have an affect on one's mind, regardless of the caliber. He wondered how diligently L had been checking the videos of this room, if he'd been doing it at all.

'And what if there were no Misa around for you to kill?', Ryuuk's words drifted back to him. 'L is looking very disposable, isn't he?'

Light groaned under his breath. If the second Kira killed Misa, that would be beneficial to him. That she knew he was alive was a severe problem. However, Rem would kill me if that were to happen. Unless...

Unless the second Kira was clever enough to arrange her death without the help of the Death Note. In that case, the white Shinigami would have no cause to write Light's name down, or the second Kira's. That would leave a ghost free for L to chase, at least.

But if the second Kira knew L's name, L could be wiped out at any time.

Light ground his teeth. There had to be a way. He just hadn't determined it yet.

Most importantly, he had get the Death Note away from the second Kira. That was the only way to protect L. Second to that was Misa's extermination, which would protect him. And third to that would be a Kira aside from himself for L and others to pursue. That was the inflexible state of his priorities, though they all felt equally crucial.

If only he could contact his disciple... and he needed to do it directly. In person would be preferable; he had no doubt that he could convince the man to give up the notebook 'temporarily' for him, especially if his 'servant' harbored the sort of feelings for him that Ryuuk was implying. But without the man's name, he was at a loss for options.

Was there a way to accomplish it around L?

Misa could report the room number and hotel to the man, providing she hadn't been blindfolded...

...which she probably had been. Damn it. Even if he were to get the man to meet him here, they ran the risk of L being present or intruding. Not to mention that Light would have no way to open the door to admit the man, nor leave the room himself. He was locked in tight, as always. The only avenue of communication was an out-of-reach cell phone that would be leaving with Misa shortly, L's carefully guarded laptop (not an option), and the hotel room's service-only phone.

---

Mikami listened to the ramblings of the blonde girl in front of him, sifting for useful information.

It had only been prudent to meet up at a public place, prearranged. The bistro was dimly lit, as was his preference. He really disliked the harsh glare of overhead lights, especially fluorescents. They had a way of making everything looks so ugly, garish, and immediate. He had his fill of it at work, when not in the sanctity of his office, so he refused to endure it elsewhere when given the option.

"And then, Light..." her voice sped on, heedless of whether or not he was actively listening. She merely assumed that he was. He did make all of the appropriate noises and encouragements for her to continue, after all. He couldn't guess at what tiny scrap of information might prove priceless, so he would hear it all. Furthermore, he thought, sipping the smooth blend of his cafe au lait, I will remain impartial while she speaks of him. It wouldn't do to be anything but; anger had no place in work such as this. He knew that from professional experience. But still...

Yagami Light.

His heart had shuddered with joy when God's voice had graced his ears. He'd had a feeling when he'd answered his phone that time that it was him. Still, he had been nearly blinded by euphoria to hear that gilded voice speak, to place tone and cadence with the lovely face of his lord and master.

Even now, the effect lingered; but slowly creeping in was an anxious sort of impatience. He wanted more. He wanted to experience God in the flesh, to piece together the image of him with all of his five senses.

Misa was describing in detail the meals that she had shared with Light, down to the specifics of what was ordered and when. Trivialities, to be sure, but... perhaps they were more useful than he would have thought originally - perhaps he could track down the room if he could gain access to the hotel's room service records. Misa had been disallowed knowledge of the room number that Yagami Light was being held within, though she could relate the fact that he could not leave and had a watchdog named Ryuuzaki.

What was odd was Misa's mentions of this Ryuuzaki. She seemed to think it was essential that he not be killed - that it would not only fail to liberate Light, but would in fact make things more troublesome for him. All of this, and yet she seemed to harbor a deep dislike of him, though she refrained from further elaboration.

He stirred his drink contemplatively.

He would just as soon eliminate any obstacles... but if it was God's will that Mikami not take the life of the suspiciously named L Lawliet, a.k.a. Ryuuzaki... so be it. He lived to serve.

---

L stared at several screens, in the bosom of headquarter's activity, not really seeing them as he mulled over his troubled thoughts.

The second Kira had unleashed his judgment upon such a massive number of criminals, in such a short amount of time, it almost seemed done in some sort of religious fervor. It coincided with Misa's visitation, but also with the call that had occurred with the use of her phone, in Light's hands. In fact, the timing of it did suggest that Light had given orders to the second Kira. Though it was odd that females, especially those with light coloring, were being targeted almost exclusively. The men, as before, were chosen in accordance to the nature and severity of their crimes.

"Ryuuzaki, here's another one."

Mogi held out a copied coroner's report, which L accepted from the burly man. Another blonde girl, early thirties, although the picture in which she was still alive promised her to be in her mid twenties. She had apparently tried to stab out her own throat before throwing herself off of a bridge. As it happened, a concerned bystander intervened and overpowered her, at which point she died of a sudden heart attack.

The report also stated that she had seemed very happy and well-adjusted, having been out of prison for the last 8 years. She had aided in the embezzlement of funds from a large company, and then poisoned the man who helped her do it. The widow, mother of two, had been devastated to learn of her husband's death as well as the affair.

It was as L expected... physical appearance was driving the death of the women, a new pattern, while the men were more typical of the second Kira's previous movements.

"Mogi-san, contact the authorities and tell them to refrain from announcements of female criminals, especially those with light or blonde colored hair." Though it could not be helped that Kira was targeting older cases, they could at least set up this one roadblock. "If they ask too many questions, forward them directly to me."

Mogi nodded and set off to do as requested, determination stiffening his purposeful stride.

"Matsudaaa," L called out drolly over his shoulder, selecting a chocolate iced donut off of his snack tray. Just looking at the mountain of confectioneries and deserts was enough to make one keel over in hyperglycemic shock, but it just made L hungry. And thirsty. He took an enormous bite and scrolled through some of the more recent data as he chewed.

"Yes, Ryuuzaki?" Matsuda piped up sullenly.

L regarded the man for a moment, debating on his usefulness. He finished chewing and swallowed the bite of chocolate heaven. "Get me a coffee, would you?"

Matsuda sputtered indignantly as L turned back to his screens. He ignored the man's flailings, and eventually he heard the sounds of him stalking off in the pursuit of java. Matsuda's temper was probably not improved because of the fact that the last time he had tried to give L coffee brewed in the hotel coffee pot, L had refused to even take the cup, insisting that the local shop around the corner was the only real coffee to be had. That it had also been raining at the time was not L's fault, he thought. Though he had been amused by the sight of the sopping wet man when he returned. It was a shame the coffee had not stayed warm for the duration. He'd had to abandon the hard-won cup after only a few sips.

Really, he could have managed, but Matsuda just irritated him for some reason. "Make sure it is hot this time, Matsuda," he called after his gofer.

He thought he heard an indignant squawk issue forth from the fluffy-haired man, but didn't trouble himself over it.

((You don't like him because he likes Light.))

L took another bite of donut and told his inner voice to shut the hell up. Light is 'dead' anyway, so it would never happen.

((And he blames you for killing Light, the object of his puppy-love and adoration, and for ruining his chances.))

Oh please, he's not good enough for Light.

((And you are?))

L dropped his half-eaten donut back at the base of the mountain of sweets, and wiped his hands angrily. Good enough to rape, and then claim that he loves me while holding someone else? Sure. I bet that for him that may constitute favor!

That moment had hit him like a stake through the heart. Light's eyes had met his over the head of an emotionally overwrought Misa, the girl he held with such convincing tenderness, yet his gaze said he would just as soon kill the trusting form in his arms. The cold expression had darkened and flared into something else in response to L's disapproving look. And then Light had mouthed those mocking words with curving lips while his eyes caged L with steel claws and dangerous promises. All of the other boy's indiscretions towards him had breathed with life within the weight of that look and had supplemented the slowly formed, ghastly syllables that left his lips.

'I love you.'

L shuddered, his skin growing suddenly cold. Horrifying. Could that be the source of Light's recently irrational behavior and the odd way he had been acting since... the incident? Surely Light was adhering to some unconventional moral code with his silence, his non-communicativeness, and his unwillingness to apologize for his actions? Did he truly feel regret, and think that to say he was sorry was meaningless?

But love?? Was it really possible for someone to brutally rape someone they professed to love? Was that not at odds?

And that look... there had been no regret in that look as he'd said those blasphemous words. It was hunger there within them, not regret, and the desire to do such things again. 'Because I love you', he'd seemed to say, smugly awaiting L's reaction. Challenging him with that horribly twisted notion.

Maybe he was lying. He was using my own feelings to mock me.

But he'd caught the tail end of an appreciative look when Light had glimpsed bruise-marked skin. And it wasn't Kira he saw in those amber eyes. It was the honest, unscripted proclivity that Yagami Light seemed to have for hurting and dominating him, present in the parting of his sensuous lips and the glazed and yearning look in his eyes.

It terrified him.

And yet amidst his outrage, he'd felt it: a tiny flicker of response, proof that some part of him was as sick as the other boy appeared to be.

God help me.

He was afraid to go back to that room. Afraid to deal with his pain and confusion and to share the same air as the brunette, the source of it all. His feelings for the boy turned inward like sharp daggers, making breathing a chore. If only Light had never been tainted with the Death Note... would he have been capable of caring like a normal person?

L huddled in his chair. Even the social tension and awkwardness that was typical of headquarters paled to the atmosphere that suffused any space that Light inhabited, and was preferable. He was afraid to go back - unsure if Light would be dealing him that silence or the more cutting blades of his smiling mockery. His stomach somersaulted jerkily at the other concern - that Light would overcome his reticence and force another encounter like the last one.

L reached into his pocket, and touched the hard edge of the taser. If need be, he thought. I will not be caught like that again.

How nostalgic, that the last time he had used it, he had hovered over Light's prone body with the intent to comfort and preserve him. He had touched that beautiful face and felt dead inside at the thought of losing the other boy. What an eternity ago that seemed now.

What had happened to the boy that bridled at the thought of his mistrust? Why had he been replaced with a boy that thought nothing of shattering such, even against desperate pleading?

I thought that with Kira fading back into the fabric of your soul, you would become stable, less dangerous...

Perhaps... I was wrong.

---

Light lay on the suite's couch, finding it unpleasant to spend much time in the bedroom he'd shared with Ryuuzaki. Too many images flitted through and accosted his mind. Echoes of harsh words, echoes of pleasure. It was too raw and all-consuming. It was easier to remain in the common area.

Over the coming days, Light thought more and more on Ryuuk's suggestion.

If he gave up the Death Note, Kira's existence within himself would be erased, and along with it, this sick, perverse craving.... this destructive desire that was pushing Ryuuzaki further and further from his reach.

But before that, before he lost all knowledge of the notebooks and the Shinigami, he had to ensure that L was reasonably safe, and--

The click of the suite's lock being slid aside startled Light from his musings. It was days since he had heard that noise... not the noise itself, but with that heavy presence on the other side. L was finally coming to him, Light sensed with nervous excitement. He had no idea what to expect, but the detective's absence had been eating away at him.

The door swung open, and Light knew immediately that something was wrong. He stood as L strode into the room, and stared into L's wide, black eyes.

"Light..." the dark-haired detective said urgently, holding his gaze without the difficulty of the last time they'd looked upon each other, "Amane Misa is... dead."

Light blinked at him, his mind becoming still.

"Did you hear me?" L took several paces forward. His eyes were touched with a ghosting of desperation. He was staring at Light as if he could pry him open and step inside. He was hunting for a reaction. For humanity. "Amane is dead."

Light turned from him and sank back onto the couch blankly.

He hadn't expected this so soon.

'I'll be in touch.'

How did the second Kira expect to do that if he had prematurely erased the only link he had with the original Kira?

What could this mean?

Or was it possible L was lying to him in order to glean something from him?

He raised his eyes to find L standing before him, regarding him with that solemn gaze. There was a sense of equality between them that had been in constant flux for some time, but had just now seemed to crystallize and hold its form. So many things felt stripped away, all of the things convoluting their relationship...their struggles for the upper hand... their fights... the intimacy that was building up a wall between them as surely as concrete blocks... and Kira... All of those layers had been peeled back to reveal the core of what they were and what pulled them together.

"Is that true?" Light asked his other half, knowing that it was so.

Right now, there were no lies between them. L felt so distinctly himself in that moment, so strong, so intelligent, almost a force of nature - containing such fierce emotions behind his calm reserve. It was... humbling.

"It is."

Light looked down. "Will you share the circumstances?" he asked quietly.

"Would you like to offer any theories?"

He sighed. L was challenging him on his curiosity. He was right in that the girl's death did not mean much to him personally, although the news had surprised him. "She did not die of a heart attack." He didn't dare incriminate the second Kira directly. If Rem was looking into this, as he knew she would be, he couldn't trust that he would be aware of her presence if and when she came to investigate. The Shinigami would stay hidden, and retribution would be swift.

"Correct. And why, do you suppose?"

"It was not the second Kira."

L's face loomed in front of him. "How can you be so certain? We already know that Kira can control the mode of death."

Light felt his palms begin to sweat as he bore up under that penetrating stare. It had been so long since the other boy had been this close to him.

"Light," the detective implored him, his gaze steely. Light jumped slightly as a hand touched his face. It brushed the curve of his cheekbone in a facsimile of tenderness that set Light's heart to fluttering like a caged bird. "Tell me what you know."

I can't lie to him, Light thought helplessly. He didn't want to shatter the tentative truce between them with such a thing. "Ryuuzaki-" His voice hitched slightly as L's bite-roughened thumb caressed his face. The subtle touches were playing havoc with his mind, calling forth bittersweet emotions that were no less than agonizing. "The second Kira would have had no reason to do it."

...Damn it, he thought suddenly as he realized what L could infer from even that ambiguous statement.

"No?" L asked softly, drifting closer. Light's hands clenched at his sides as he felt the other boy's breath upon his lips and his mind began to cloud over with the desperate need to kiss him. "Are you telling me that Misa bequeathed Kira's power upon the second Kira? That he owes her for that?"

Light concentrated very hard on disallowing his head to move even the barest fraction of an inch.

It was okay if L figured that out... Misa was dead and could not be brought to trial for her crimes. "Yes," he replied with difficulty. "Also, the Shinigami saw Misa as the true owner of that notebook, and would have killed the second Kira for attempting her murder. Misa's name written on the pages would be proof enough."

"You seem to have thought a lot about this." L's lips brushed his, and he nearly shuddered from the sharp stab of pleasure that radiated through his abdomen.

"It's... common sense," he breathed out. Dammit! Not like this. I can tell he's only toying with me. It's an interrogation, that's all it is.

L leaned back a little, calmly dissecting him. "This is the first time I've seen you so honest. Why the change of heart?"

Light clenched his teeth. So you're considering what I said before, are you? Trying to determine if my admission was a lie? Unfortunately, I'll not oblige you.

"Do you miss touching me, Light-kun?" L said with soft derision. By touching, he meant hurting. Always these references to that incident. "Is absence all it takes to make you grow cooperative?"

The taunt hit too close to home.

Light's entire body tensed with his surge of anger. It was white-hot and chaotic. How dare you mock me! "I--" He was unprepared for the sudden press of lips against his, or the tongue slipping past his parted lips to stroke him so intimately. His anger crumpled and staggered, maimed by the sudden onslaught of other emotions pushing to the fore. Confusion, desire, distrust.

He tried not to kiss back - tried not to feed into whatever L was up to, but the soft heat of L's mouth was maddening.

Light's skin was flushing, and his mind was tripping dangerously close to forbidden territory. Thoughts of possession, of running his hands over that pale body and whispering scandalous things into his captive ear, of being within the exquisite embrace of his fever-hot flesh...

It was fast overwhelming him.

Somehow, through flagging will and desperate necessity, he broke that kiss. "Ryuuzaki, please. I can't..." I can't control myself.

"Do you think that you are in any position to make requests?" L said against his lips.

I'll hurt you again.

The thought provoked both joy and dismay. Light closed his eyes, breathing hard against the heavy draw of that mouth. "No, I do not." He wanted L more than anything, he wanted L to override his act of consideration, to let this continue wherever it led. But at the expense of irreparable harm? A repeat of last time?

"Tell me one thing, and I'll leave you be."

Light nodded. L's voice was soft, but unyielding. He could feel those eye upon his face, branding him with their intensity.

"What about Amane's death bothers you?"

The timing. That I have no assured way to keep you alive. "She was my-"

"Be honest now, Light," L chided sharply, "I am gauging your worth to me."

Light glared up at L, hating the superior tone that had crept into his voice. "Fine, L," he said snidely. "The second Kira has your name." He gave the detective a moment for that to sink in. "While Misa was alive, you were relatively safe."

"How--"

"You should have sent someone else to meet Misa that day." Light felt much more at ease when he was able to talk down to the other boy. He was better able to push away the cloying emotions that had been drowning him mercilessly. "The second Kira was watching you, you fool."

L's widened eyes shifted to anger. "How was I supposed to know she had someone else?"

"You're you, you should have suspected it!"

"Well, maybe I wasn't thinking clearly," L retorted impotently. He stood, distancing himself from Light.

"That's no excuse for practically committing suicide!" Light jumped to his feet and spun L around. "You knew the second Kira could kill by face alone, so what were you thinking?"

L wrenched his arm from Light's grasp. "I don't answer to you!" he bit out, and slammed his way out of the room, leaving a trail of crackling anger fizzling in the air.

Light slammed his fist into the nearby wall in frustration.

---

TBC

A/N: W-whut? Misa Misa is dead dead?! (author cackles evilly)

You all knew it was coming. Some of you may feel a bit sad, but most of you wanted it desperately. (hands flowers to the depressed and high-fives the rest.) The circumstances of her being snuffed out will become clearer later on.

---

I started the new fics so I could keep writing as I let the progression of this story steep in my mind. I haven't decided the ending with finality, and thus....roadblock. A roadblock differs from writer's block in that the ability to write and be creative is not hindered, merely a direction has yet to be decided upon.

The DN fic is going to be AU only in that there are no deathnotes. It will also be angst-ish and, of course, eventually yaoi. IT'S ALL I CAN WRITE! XD The Naruto fic will be more lighthearted and comedic in comparison, much like my previous fic for that series.