Title: I Make My Plans at Night
Author: Keitorin (Chou ni Natte)
Pairing: Light x L
Rating: PG+
Summary: AU. Light goes clubbing on Halloween.
Prompts: sing, dance, birthday (Keitorin's Generators: tanomono dot net/generators)
Note: AU. Song used is called "Shine a Light" by Wolf Parade.
Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, nor do I make any money off of this fic.
He was dancing for the both of them.
It was October 31st, and Light was on the dance floor dancing. L sat at a table off to the side, with his knees up to his chest and nibbling on a dessert that he'd brought with him from the deli they'd stopped by on the way. He was facing Light, watching him as he undulated to the beat of the music, not needing a partner to get lost in the rhythm of the music as the singer's voice wrapped around his body in an almost physical hold.
That wasn't to say he rejected anyone's advances. Occasionally, he would allow someone into his space for a brief amount of time, man or woman, and that was the only time he took his eyes off of L. When the partner migrated away at Light's subtle urging, his eyes would return to the strange man, as if saying, "see what you're missing?".
Despite those brief looks, Light was content to dance alone with the other man watching – it was enough that L had allowed himself to be dragged along at all.
Light would give the man something he'd be able to participate in later – for now he would have to be content watching Light show off his body. He knew he looked good.
As the next part began, Light closed his eyes, letting all his thoughts drift off and allowing instinct to take over.
I keep my head on tight
I make my plans at night
And I don't sleep I don't sleep I don't sleep 'til it's light
Pulse flowing, someone buried alive
And if that head opens we built a life of work
Where we're chain chain chain chain, chained to the life
But that's fine, our blood is alive
You know our hearts beat time out very slowly
You know our hearts beat time
They're waiting for something that'll never arrive
As the song ended, Light let his body slow down and come to a stop. The next song started almost immediately, but Light was thirsty, so he made his way over to the bar.
After his drink was handed over (with a wink and a jaunty "Happy Halloween!"), he made his way back over to their table. L had finished off the one piece of dessert and had moved on to a glazed doughnut.
"We'll do something you like next time, I promise." Light said as he settled in his seat across from L.
"This is fine." L replied after swallowing down his mouthful.
"You're not bored, watching me flop around out there?" Light teased, gesturing to the dance floor that was still packed with people. Many of them wore black, orange or both, and it almost looked like a ritual dance if the music hadn't been so loud and far from most people's idea of sacred.
"No." L slipped the last piece of doughnut pass his lips, chewed, swallowed, and then set about licking the glaze off of his fingers. It was a bad habit that Light could appreciate. "You're…very interesting to watch. Very graceful."
"Thank you, L. That's a lot coming from you." Light smirked, secretly very pleased. It wasn't often that L voiced what he was thinking, much less compliments like that. Light had learned over the years that L was a lot more sentimental than anyone thought; he just never voiced it unless he deemed it unavoidable. Light thought he did it because he wanted to this time.
"How about we leave a little early?" Light suggested, polishing off his cocktail.
"You don't want to dance anymore?"
"I do, but I'd rather go home with you." Light rested his chin on his hand, which was propped up on the table by his elbow, and stared into his partner's dark eyes. He liked how his and L's looks contrasted each other, he wouldn't have it any other way – but it often amused him how they each could take on the other's colors on the inside in certain moments.
"Okay." Was all L said, but Light, having known the man for years and having gotten used to his hidden messages, could tell that he was perfectly happy (as happy as he could be) to leave with Light to return to their cozy flat.
It wasn't until hours later, when L had fallen asleep and Light lay propped up beside him that he uttered the words that he hadn't said aloud all day because L didn't celebrate it.
"Happy birthday."