A/N: Written for Valentines Day, because L and Light deserve it. I do not own Death Note or Turandot or the Ponte dei Sospiri which, translated, is the Bridge of Sighs - a bridge where the ol' legend says if a couple kisses underneath it at sunset, they'll be together forever. I'm a sap like that. But then again so are L and Light. So XP Oh and Nessun Dorma, when roughly translated means "None shall sleep tonight" so uh...*grins*
Nessun Dorma
The boat – or rather, gondola as Light had insisted on calling it – glided beneath them like a dark swan, against the murky green of the water below. The place they were at, or relatively so in L's mind which was fairly far away at the moment, seemed to move like one giant mass of seaweed, all hustle and bustle without actually accomplishing anything against the current and the tide. It was a chaotic scene upon stone and concrete and mirrored yet again on the smooth canals.
It was a city. A fine, old, city. Of moss on limestone and crumblings into the water and perhaps architecture so fine that one could almost see the masters performing their work.
Yes, Venice was indeed quite spectacular…if one looked hard enough.
L was sulking. He didn't see much when he sulked.
It smelt dank, a mysterious emulsion of salt and rotting kelp that was in no way at all inviting, however when the rather sour odour was ignored and the mass of obvious tourists during the daytime drowned out (or in the canal as the dark haired detective felt so compelled to do) then the hot city was a very beautiful place.
Although the setting sun with its crimson rays and lemon yellow sky burned down upon them, the old buildings kept them safe and cast long, cool shadows, dust motes glittering in and out of them like the masked dancers at the Market Square.
L let his eyes stare back at him from the bottle-green surface of the rippling water as the man in the tight black pants and striped shirt – he looked like an Italian combination of Matt and Mello – sung in a deep, rich voice as he sailed them along the waterways, nodding to his fellow workers as they sailed by.
"Do you think Saint Valentine would approve of two grown men in a gondola about to sail under that bridge over there?" Light's lazy, amused voice asked, shattering the attention of eyes on water and causing thick lashes to fall in blink.
Deep eyes found the Japanese boy reclined back, staring at the sky with a tingle of a smile on his lips. A flicker of wry humour crossed L's features as he answered,
"One grown man. Light-kun is…regrettably under aged."
A hint of amused annoyance laced the boy's voice.
"You're possibly just as immature if not more so than I am."
"Who decided to take this cruise on Valentines Day of all days?" L countered, pretending to be thoughtful.
Light sniffed.
"When one works for three days straight with no sleep, the concept of time, not to mention dates, tends to be forgotten."
They cruised under one bridge, L in his usual knee-to-chest position as he looked down at Light who lay on his back with his hands behind his head, staring back.
The Gondolier didn't seem to notice as he belted out Nessun Dorma.
Finally,
"Would you like a chocolate, L?"
"Thank you, Light-kun."
With quick, shuffling movements, Light handed the wickedly grinning detective a piece of Lindt and they both turned away to stare at their respective rows of buildings. The amber eyed boy had a very suspicious flush on his cheeks. But, it could have been the heat.
Between them, their hands sat idly, separated by less than five inches. But they could still feel that itch from radiating closeness and a few digits twitched at the resistance of touch.
"I didn't know it was Valentines Day," Light remarked finally, a trace of indignation in his otherwise soft voice.
But the dark haired man only smiled to himself.
"I know. Neither did I until I saw the obvious signs in the city."
Nodding awkwardly, Light watched the many other black gondolas and boats sail by on the Grand Canal, the sound of people fading into the coming evening like a deep release of breath.
Colours of brown, orange, red and even green created the backdrop of this sparkling city, stone, sand and pebble forming its withstanding foundations. And they just moved lithely across the water, neither fixed not solid but forever moving and always changing. It was funny how such an element, through time and space, seemed to always stay the same.
The Ponte dei Sospiri loomed up ahead of them and the Gondolier's voice seemed to rise to a climax of strength and emotion over the waves as they crept towards the shadow under the bridge.
"I think…" began L, as he stared at the old structure with a finger to his lips, "Saint Valentine…or Geoffrey Chaucer to be exact, was born for this, exactly."
Light frowned and L knew he was refraining from mentioning that he knew Chaucer had invented Valentines Day. He was doing remarkably well until a look of confusion overtook his features.
"For sailing under bri-?"
The darkness closed in on them.
When they emerged, L's lips were only just separating from the boy's ones beneath, fingers dancing on soft skin and all was silent and sweet despite the award-winning ending of Turandot's most famous aria.
Light's eyes glittered as the sun gave was to stars.
"Nessun dorma?"
L was playfulness, serious, and something else wonderful altogether as he answered against a pair of soft lips,
"Nessun dorma."
A/N: I know Valentines Day is WAAAAY over but I seem to have posted this up on LJ and not here. Actually...a lot of my work can be found there more so than here XD So check it out if you're interested. Fics are public but non-fic journal entries are under f-lock. OH, and reviews are very much welcome :)
Peace out!
Rex