Cloak and Dagger

Chapter 4

I wish it didn't take so long to arrange the sleeping medicine. It's really nothing more than compounding it that takes time, but in the meanwhile I have to get by. I stare at the ceiling for a few moments more, then kick the blankets off. Slip a bra on under the oversized shirt, pull on a pair of jeans. I don't bother to do much more than run a hand through my hair.

"You still look tired." L remarks as I return to the main room.

"Fitful half-hours of sleep." I mutter. "I'm starting to look like you."

"Charming."

I plunk down next to L, scanning across the set of pictures laid out in front of him.

"There has to be something I'm missing..."

"Or Kira's still not so confident with himself that he's leaving a stupid clue."

L licks the jam from his thumb, then lowers his fingers back to the jar.

"Jeez. So this is why we never have jam." I snort. "Watari-san needs to work on your etiquette."

L pauses, finger buried in the sticky-sweet condiment. I frown a little at his sudden halt.

Click. We had no jam in the apartment until this moment.

L lifts his fingers and licks the jam off.

Click. I've never seen L eat something as sticky as jam with his fingers.

A small, crooked smile appears on the boy's lips.

Click. I know who eats jam with his fingers.

"I have to admit, you picked that up faster than I expected."

My arm darts forward. I smash the jar into Beyond's face, then vault onto the coffee table. I feel the table lurch up beneath me - his feet forcing it up. I launch off of the table, rolling messily across the floor while I scramble to my feet.

Door, my first thought is of escape. I throw myself against the thick wooden obstacle and mercilessly throttle the doorknob. No time to go back for the keycard, I have to force it.

Thud, thud.

I throw myself to the side, spinning a little as I go. Beyond crashes against the door, with a knife in his hand.

The door doesn't give under his weight. Fuck, there goes plan B. Beyond's dark eyes flicker towards my frozen self.

They're... green.

"Ow."

That jolts me back into motion. I run for the bedroom, going for the window and my new phone.

Where's L?

In my panic, I forgot the whole reason I didn't detect Beyond the second I saw him. Tears well up in my eyes because I sure as hell didn't hear a scream or a struggle, and L wouldn't just abandon me. I'm important to the Kira case, after all.

I shriek as Beyond grabs me by the arm and throws me onto the bed. I try to get up and throw a punch as I do, but he catches it. He pins me to the bed and holds his knife against my throat. Beyond grins down at me, eyes glazed with a psychotic glee that can't be faked. They are green - piercing, almost the exact shade of the stem of a rose. He leans down, mouth opening wide. I cringe as his tongue slides up my cheek.

"I never could stand sweet things," he whispers in my ear. This breath is unbearably hot on my face, enough to make me squirm away from him. Beyond grins, pressing his body tighter against me. His hand grasps the bottom of my chin and forces it up, exposing the entirety of my throat. The knife grazes along one of the tendons.