Drawn Away

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing! Nothing! *leaves in fits of sadness and rage*

"Matsuda-san, look! Misa is sure that Light will love that dress!"

Matsuda shifted the tower of heavy and yet elegantly decorated boxes that currently burdened his arms to take a glance at the object his charge was pointing at. Though the perky blonde saw it as another prized possession that she would take claim upon, Matsuda saw it as another heavy weight added to his already, back breaking misery.

"This wasn't on the contract," the well carried man mumbled as he narrowed his brown eyes at the mountain of bought merchandise. Currently the duo was in the process of walking around the west annex of the Bell mall. He had traveled here so many times that he was sure that the mall would now haunt him in his dreams.

"What was that, Matsuda-san?" Misa Amane asked as she twirled around to glance at her companion (though lackey seemed a more appropriate term given the current circumstances), her frilly, black lace skirt shifting gracefully as her black shades apprehended him. The bubbly youth lowered her sun glasses briefly to gaze at Matsuda momentarily.

A single chill ran down Matsuda.

The mere thought of such an innocent, delicate looking girl taking the lives of human beings mercilessly was enough to cause him to shiver like a baby hyena. The aspect of the thought reminded him of a news report he had seen awhile back about a serial killer that had found pleasure in carefully executing pregnant woman with a beautiful dagger made out of pure jade. Even at that time it had been hard for Matsuda to imagine that such an exquisite object could create such horrid, crimson massacres.

His eyesight mingled briefly with that of the famous model. If what detective L believed was true about Misa-Misa, then that meant that the actress was, in this case, a very very beautiful and dangerous dagger to the mastermind that was Kira.

For a brief second, Matsuda could have sworn that a sinister smile had formed upon her full, pink lips; the sun glinting cruelly at the corner of her shades. However, a blink and the curl of the mouth disappeared entirely. Instead he now gazed at a woman with an annoyed look upon her porcelain-like face.

"Misa-Misa must look amazing for Light-kun and Matsuda standing there isn't going to make Misa prettier! C'mon!" Misa all but shouted as she stomped her way to Matsuda's side, her high heels clicking roughly against the cement, and roughly pulled him by his left elbow. It was a miracle the boxes did not fall.

Matsuda sniffed in self pity. With all these boxes in his hand, donning an expensive, currently uncomfortable suit and a bossy model chewing his head off, maybe dying at the hands of Kira in this precise moment wasn't so bad…

"Misa-Misa is here!" Her sing song voice penetrated the previous deathly silent room. The beautiful model, standing at the room's entrance, was currently posed in a diva stance that she remembered had been a huge hit from a previous photo shoot she had done in the past. Her amber eyes, seeming emerald in the dim lighted chamber, narrowed as they caught sight of a familiar silhouette fast asleep on a cushioned sofa. The slow rhythm of his breathing indicated to Misa that Light had indeed fallen asleep. Again.

Her previous, confident stance slumped as her pretty pink lips let out a defeated sigh. Five hours at the mall then another three to gossy up and primp; she really shouldn't have been surprised. Disappointed, on the other hand…

Misa Amane dragged her well accessorized body to the seat that resided next to a slouched Ryuzaki. The chair she sat upon was still somewhat warm. Just like the times before.

"This is the sixth time," Misa murmured miserably as she placed her elbow on the desk and leaned her chin onto it.

"Seventh, actually," a quiet voice answered. Had Misa not been accustomed to hearing his quiet responses every so often, she would have assumed it was the wall talking.

Japan's recent famous icon narrowed her clear eyes as she glared at her current awake companion. She noticed at that instant that the detective had still not even bothered to look at her. His dark penetrating gaze lingered only upon the computer screen that was the single source of light within the otherwise dark room. As always, the tip of his thumb was gently placed between his teeth.

And to think that he considered himself a fan of hers! Usually, he would at the very least spare her nod of acknowledgement in her direction. Adorning her brand new clothing to look fantastic and not to mention the heels that though beautiful were also painfully numbing, and no one to compliment her on it. The mere thought of it was frustrating!

She was really considering not even bothering to go to the mall anymore. To think that she put so much effort into her looks and the men more current in her life didn't even bother to glance in her direction. It was an insult! Other men would give an arm and a leg to have her even sneeze in their way.

Instead, however, of voicing these notions out, Misa merely mumbled a, "I'm starting to think Light is doing this on purpose."

The idol was not entirely sure, but she could have sworn that she saw a tug at the corner of the world's most famous detective's lips.

"Of course not, Misa-san. It is merely a coincidence."

In lieu of scoffing at the remark, Misa's gaze shifted toward the pile of sweets that lay in front of the detective; this current night, wonderfully scented rectangles of chocolate satiated L's never ending craving of sugar. Misa could also detect colorful chocolate covered candies dispersed upon the treats.

L, somehow sensing her gaze (though still he had yet to LOOK in her direction), said, "They are a delicacy that I ordered from a favorite bakery of mine. You may have one, if you like."

One had to truly wonder if the famous detective's main purpose in life was to continuously torment Misa Aname. It was true that she always rejected any offering that suggested sweets. She even managed to blatantly state that she hated sweets altogether. Granted, Misa wasn't prone to daily consume cubes of pure sugar unlike a certain someone that she knew, but the truth of the matter was that Misa wasn't purely against the idea of eating anything containing sugar. Due to her career though, she had hoped that if she constantly denied the matter, that she could psychologically program herself to believe the lie.

Howbeit, try as she might, there were times where her wet dreams consisted of her eating one single bite of delicious cake.

Misa bit her lower lip as she glanced at the chocolate treats and then shifted her gaze to glance back at the figure towering over them. How in the name of God's green earth did Ryuzaki not gain weight? He had said something about burning calories with his brain, as if that were humanely possible. Misa was sure that if that were the case, then every model in the whole world would be expected to learn the quantum of physics or some fancy shmancy thing such as that to be able to stride along the catwalk. Pft,yeah. That would happen.

Disappointment still lingered at the back of Misa's mind, and much to her own dismay she realized that the sadness at not being able to catch Light and make him see her special new clothing was making her crave the little rectangles from hell even more. What was one bite anyway? More like a nibble, actually. Plus, she could always run an extra mile, just in case…

With a sole nod to herself, Misa made up her mind and reached one dainty, well manicured hand to the sweets. Whether this surprised the detective next to her, she could not tell for he had made no other movement indicating that he was.

Trembling fingers grasped a single brownie that was closest to her; the index fingernail making a slight contact with the white, porcelain plate. As she was preparing to lift the sinful treat, Ryuzaki's deep voice ceased her movement.

"I would not recommend you eat that one specifically, Misa-san."

Puzzled, the model could only manage an intelligent "huh?" as a response.

Still, without looking at her (honestly!), the detective somehow managed to grasp the treat from out of her hands and break it in half. A very quiet click was audible as a small, white capsule dropped upon the desk. Small chocolate crumbs scattered around it.

A moment of silence; the low humming of the detective's computer was the only source of sound to be heard.

"A pill?" Misa stated the obvious as she shifted her gaze back to the small white pebble that contrasted greatly with the dark, mahogany desk that resided underneath it.

"That is what it is, yes."

"Um, why?" Amber eyes glanced at the raven haired man, searching for an answer.

L's dark eyes ceased scanning over the screen in front of him. A slight movement of the head and he was now looking at the ceiling, his index finger momentarily tapping gently on his chin. Misa now knew that when Ryuzaki did this, he was contemplating something within his expansive mind; weighing out the outcomes of letting certain information out on the open.

Misa was about to tell him to forget that she asked when Ryuzaki quietly replied, "Watari."

Okay, yeah that made sense. Misa would have rolled her eyes; however though L was once again working on his computer, Misa could see that he was much more tense than usual.

Curiosity getting the best of her, she decided that a softer approach was in order. Coating her voice with what she hoped was honey, the model said, "Why did he put it there, Ryuzaki-san?"

As if her words had been shouted, L's shoulders rose slightly in what Misa assumed had to be a wince. Without yet glancing at her, L finally gave Misa a not so enigmatic answer.

"I suffer from chronic pain, Misa-san."

Hoping her face was impassive, Misa responded, "What do you mean, Ryuzaki?"

"It means, Misa-san that I am always in a state of pain."

Misa felt the weight of that confession sink in. While doing so, she could also feel as if the chair she sat on was being pulled right from underneath her. Her mind had trouble wrapping itself around that notion. The Great and Almighty detective L suffered from chronic pain?!

As before, Misa parroted a simple, "Why?"

He was resuming his work again, his hands typing on various keys and never missing a beat. No doubt he had already classified her questioning as sincere. No threat in informing the second Kira on this matter. Nevertheless, his answer was bland, as if he were reading it from a page of a boring book.

"I wouldn't really know, Misa-san. Over the years doctors haven't really pinpointed the actual cause of it. My assumption is that the root of the problem lies within my psyche. Regardless, I've grown accustomed to the physical distress it brings. My work keeps me distracted enough to ignore it. I'll admit, however, there are times when it becomes…irritant."

It was at that moment since she had first met him that Misa stared at L with something akin to awe.

All this time, throughout his playful jabs, sarcasm and jokes, L the great detective was in pain. As if being the best detective in the world wasn't stressing enough. It all made sense to Misa now. Why comfort seemed to be Ryuzaki's main priority; from his slouching to his baggy clothing. When even your body is putting you through a lot, of course you at least wanted to be in good terms with your environment.

A sudden urge to hug L overwhelmed Misa.

Years, he had said. Not days, not weeks, not months, but years. Years of constant torture that not even the best physicians could relieve him from. Oh poor Ryuzaki-san, how much have you endured alone?

Misa knew she shouldn't be baffled. Ryuzaki was one of the least healthy individuals that she had ever had the chance of meeting. And unlike most of the residents of the world that seemed to think otherwise, Ryuzaki was after all only human. Even if his brain carried a gazillion more brain cells than other people.

At that instant, Misa wanted to help Ryuzaki; the person that despite everything, she now considered a friend. But how? When even well educated doctors were stumped with the special case that was L, what could she possibly do? Maybe force feeding him the pill would do the trick…?

No. That wouldn't do. Throughout the investigation, Misa had learned that if there was one thing that categorized L, it was that he never took the easy way out, always wanting a challenge; even when much was at stake. Stubborn detective!

That was when an idea hit her. He had said that he dealt with the pain with distraction. Hm. Well, maybe Misa-Misa could indeed help in that precise area.

Fighting the urge to smirk, Misa murmured a sensual, "Ryuzaki-kun."

That certainly got his attention. Whether it was the tone that she used or her choice of words, his pale fingers ceased pressing down on the keyboard. He exhaled softly.

"Misa-san?"

"Look at me." And for the first time that night, he finally did. As if it were possible, his dark eyes widened slightly more, drinking in her well adorned appearance. That's more like it.

She gave him a few more minutes to appreciate her attire. He had to make up for the time that he didn't, after all. Then, without any hesitation or further delay, Misa gently took his face in her hands and closed the distance between them. Her lips met his in a matter of seconds.

In reality, it was meant to be an innocent kiss, a sweet consolation from her part. But far be it from L to settle with mere sympathy.

Slipping in his well expertise tongue into the situation, the outcome of the kiss was far from what Misa expected. Gasping at his confidence, Misa parted her lips, allowing the detective full access to her mouth. Not one to fall behind, Misa reciprocated his actions, deepening it further. Despite the low lighting of the room, the bubbly blonde was sure she saw fireworks.

Unfortunately, the time came that they both dreaded. Both needing to breathe, they parted.

Misa's heart was racing as she settled back to her chair. Feeling the intense heat on her cheeks, she was sure she was severely blushing. That had certainly not been the way she imagined it was going to happen.

L wore that small, rare smile that Misa now decided she enjoyed seeing.

"I should…Misa should head to bed."

"Of course, Misa- san"

"Right," Misa managed to get to her feet without swaying, which, indeed a feat was considering her current disorientation due to that kiss.

Without a glance towards the couch, Misa reached the entrance door. Just as she reached for the doorknob, a single, deep voice resonated within her mind.

'I could end up falling for you…'

She knew that once morning came, a wave of self loathing would arise. Though her betrayal to Light was meant to be innocent and a mere help to a friend, she knew that no matter what way she phrased it, it was still betrayal. But not tonight. Tonight she would lavish in the slight taste of chocolate that lingered in her mouth.

"Likewise, Ryuzaki-san" she said as soon as she closed the door.

A/N: Wanted to save it for the end, but just wanted to mention that it has indeed been awhile since I saw Death Note so I'm pretty sure there were mistakes with the story. Sorry about that! . Anyways, reviews are loved! :)