"Misa Misa loves Raito so much!"

Raito remains silent but has an obviously pained expression on his face.

"Whatever is the matter, Raito?" The blonde model rushes towards her boyfriend, only to be stopped short by his extended arm with his palm facing out to bar her advance.

Raito wants to tell her life would be perfect without her but he is not ready to confront her shrill protests. He has a bad headache this morning. Besides, he is chained to Ryuuzaki. Okay, life would be perfect without her and Ryuuzaki.

"I need a quiet environment this morning. There is this bad headache that won't go away." Yes, meaning you, Misa

"Oh.." Misa's voice drops to a whisper. She understands about headaches. They are magnified tenfold if the person hears loud noises. She really should keep her voice low. "Misa is so sorry. Is there anything Misa can do for Raito?"

If the headache weren't that intense, the brunet would've rolled his eyes. He already said he needs a quiet environment. Is there anything mystical about this environment she cannot comprehend?

"Nothing that cannot be solved with a pill and a glass of water. It would impede our progress should Raito-kun be disabled by any sort of ailment at this critical period."

Raito glares at Ryuuzaki, which escalates his level of pain. He has to soften his expression.

"A more permanent solution would be to get a full night of sleep, wouldn't you say, Ryuuzaki?"

The detective is a machine that operates 24/7. That is beyond any human feat. Raito would just love to see the day he finally breaks down. But he suspects that it would be he himself that would break down first, starting with this splitting headache.

"Ryuuzaki-san can have Misa's cake if he could unlock the chain." She doesn't need those calories anyway.

"I refuse, though I will still have that cake." The petite girl's seemingly tempting bribe doesn't seem to produce the desired effect. Her whiny voice continues to grate on Raito's nerves. He can do without her concern.

Misa manages to look chagrined and cute at the same time. Her rosy flush contrasts beautifully with her silky blonde strands. Her pouty lips look delicious. She stamps her little foot impatiently before approaching the long chain between in rapid strides.

She starts yanking on the cuff from Ryuuzaki's right wrist! The metal could cut into the skin and she cannot risk harming her Raito. She is not that dumb.

Ryuuzaki is not protesting at all. His perch on the swivel chair is undisturbed as she continues to pull. His delicate skin turns from pale to deep pink within seconds. That must hurt. He deserves it for being stubborn. Serves him right!

Raito is glad for the distraction at Ryuuzaki's expense. He pinches at the bridge of his nose and shuts his eyes. Peace at last.

The cuff stays, with more angry welts forming on the abused wrist. Misa starts to falter. All this time, the detective hasn't uttered a word or pushed her away. Feeling guilty, yet frustrated, she looks towards Raito for help. Unfortunately, or fortunately, he has dozed off.

Misa begins to absorb the precarious position she is in. She has leaned on Ryuuzaki's shin to produce that lever effect to maximize the pulling power. His chair is against the console table so it is a solid hold. With a slight nudge, her spine could be colliding with his stomach. A curving of his arm could bring her into his embrace. But he hasn't done all that.

He is simply waiting patiently for her to realize her futile attempt. His skin has broken and a trickle of blood appears. Still, his face is serene as he watches on. Her vision begins to blur.

"Why, Ryuuzaki-san?" A tear rolls off as her hands finally become still, her warm fingers against a cool wrist. "Why didn't you stop Misa?"

The perching man reaches a long bony digit from his free hand to brush away the liquid on her flushed cheek. He has on a sad smile. A smile that strikes a chord with her maternal instinct. His eyes. They speak volumes of feelings untold, the very opposite of what his face usually shows. How she has longed for Raito to look at her like that!

"Because you are Misa." Comes the soft reply laced with an equal amount of longing.

----

Note: This is an experiement in taking the shortest time possible to write something. Just a random idea that flashed by. Took me around 20 min to think and type it up. It's one sided MisaLight and one sided LMisa, if you really think about it. Thanks for reading. -revised: Dec 11, 07