Whew! This chapter took me forever to do. But I'm baack~

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Sasuke kneels in front of the sobbing idol they had tied to the kitchen chair and grimaces. Muffled whimpers and cries escape through the socks Light had shoved back into her mouth the moment he could.

Said human stood behind Sasuke, brows furrowed in deep thought.

"If we do kill her," he starts in all seriousness, "should it be by hand or the book?"

The idol lets out a moan and drops her head.

Sasuke turns around to stare at Light, expression exceptionally blank. "Why are you talking about ways to kill the victim in front of the victim?"

Light looks unnecessarily attacked. "Well where else will we talk about it? She'll hear us either way in this damned apartment. Sound travels, you know."

"These are sound-proof walls, you primate."

"They are not," Light says, eyes wide. "I could hear you brush your teeth this morning. Your teeth."

"Hn. I've never heard Hidan brush his teeth before."

"Maybe that explains his bad breath."

Simultaneously, Sasuke and Light 'ahh' in understanding before jerking in surprise when Misa begins withering in her bonds. Spitting the socks out and squealing in rage.

"What did you put in my mouth you BDSM, serial killer, mother-fucking perverts!"

Light gawps indignantly. Not expecting to hear something so depraved to come out an idol. "Did-did she just call us perverts?"

"I did! And I'm surprised that's the first thing you ask about after I called you serial-killers!" She growls in the general direction of Light's voice, "and what did you put in my mouth?! They smelt like my dad's old socks. Yuck!"

Sasuke and Light share a mutual look.

"Oh nothing, really," Sasuke drawls, standing up languidly and seating himself on the edge of the kitchen table.

"Don't lie to me you perverts!"

"We're not perverts," Light sighs. Picking up the socks and stuffing them back in her mouth only to have them pop back out like whack-a-mole. He growls and tries again. The same thing happens. "Could you stop that?"

"Try again. Maybe this time I'll manage to bite you."

"Maybe he'd like it," Sasuke quips in the background, "after all he's a pervert."

Misa reclines her head back in disgust while Light shoots Sasuke a dark look.

"You so much as touch me and my team of lawyers will – mmph!" Light shoves Hidan's socks in deep.

"Do we have any duct tape?" He asks, hand pressed to keep them in.

"Hn. Nope," Sasuke materializes his scythe and presses the tip of the hooked blade against Misa's jugular. The idol freezes like stone. "You. Shut up. Or get knocked out, we clear?"

She makes an affirmative sound and is still tense even after Sasuke releases the blade.

"I have no problem in you killing her," Sasuke says, ignoring how Misa visibly swallows a whimper. "And if you want my opinion," he adds innocently, "do it by hand."

"I do it by hand there's a chance I'll leave trace evidence that would lead back to me."

"Aah, really?"

Light snorts at the innocent act and opens a hand. "The notebook, if you will."

"Tch," Sasuke makes a motion of picking something from the air, and within a blink Light's holding the Death Note. "I'll be out getting coffee. When I get back make sure she's…" he waves at the idol dismissively, "well, not here and preferably dead."

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When he disappears in a swirl of dust and leaves, Light's still for a moment. Fingers rubbing over worn leather he's dreamt about for what feels like eternity.

Silently, he takes a step and stops in front of the idol. A single hand raises itself and ghosts in front of the blindfolded girl, tracing down her nose, lips... Knowing something wasn't right, Misa leans back. Breathing erratic. She was terrified, he knew that, and somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind – tucked away and crying out - he was sympathetic. Really he was but…

I've always wondered…

His hand moves further down.

I've always wondered what it would feel choking someone to death.

He grips her throat, thumbs digging in and squeezing.

A terrible gasp leaves her lips and the chair rocks.

He counts down from seventy, watching and feeling her struggle before the lack of oxygen hits and she looses consciousness. Cautiously, he releases her and checks for a pulse. It's there and slow, but she's still alive.

Alive…Light grimaces, not feeling satisfied but knowing it was for the best. He couldn't personally dispose of the body and he knows Sasuke wouldn't do it. Yes, it was best for her to do it on her own. But.

Still.

He would have liked…

Light looks down at his trembling hand, and clenches.

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Carefully balanced on the edge of his seat, L carelessly swirls his coffee with a spoon. Finger and fore thumb moving in a tireless circle as coal eyes smoulder the entryway for a familiar head of scruffy black hair. Watari had supplied him with less than substantial information on his current anomaly, but enough to predict the time and place his target would be in periods of the week.

[Not that L would admit it out loud – Watari unable to supply an adequate background check on someone unsettled him.

And also really, really interested him – in a way akin to Light only without the mass murder. He hopes. Because despite popular opinion, L doesn't like examining corpses every day.]

The door opens, a bell chimes, and L stops stirring.

"Oh! Sasuke-kun~" The cashier perks up and L isn't surprised. The trend in the young man's account points to the majority of his earnings being spent here. At this exact time. This boy was proving to be more predictable than he had previously thought. L raises his coffee to his lips, hiding a smirk.

Taking a sip, L immediately reaches for the sugar.

This boy's tastebuds are evil.

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