Ladies, gents, and those of those of other galaxies, Dale here with a series of drabbles written to Vienna Teng's "Recessional". They offer glimpses of moments between L and Light in the days prior to L's death.
I don't own the song or the DN characters, though it would be fantabulous. I just own...me. Not even -- Chip owns me.
This is part 1 or 5. I truly hope you enjoy these flickerflashes, hopefully while listening to the amazing song that inspired me.
1. Beautiful
Higuchi was dead and his secret killing method had finally been revealed.
The murder weapon was a killer notebook belonging to a god of death.
The notebook was currently in the custody of the task force, as was the otherworldly specter that claimed to be attached to the notebook. L had spent several hours questioning the shinigami and taking notes on its answers, while Light documented the day's proceedings into their case archives and gathered all the paperwork necessary for records, including photos of the evidence and other effects.
L noticed twice during his questioning, that Rem, the death god, had glanced at Light in a peculiar way, as if she knew him from somewhere. Light had stared back at the shinigami, his face not giving away a single clue as to whether or not the shinigami and he had ever crossed paths.
Light finished taking care of the paperwork and declared he was going to bed. L raised a hand in acknowledgment to the brunette, but didn't turn to look at him. He continue to ask Rem questions, while pouring over the files Light had just arranged, checking to see if everything was in place.
It was just L, Light, Watari, and Rem in the building. Everyone else had gone home to get well-deserved rest after such a grueling manhunt. The older man had long since retired to his quarters, not before mentioning to L that he was free to call him should he need anything.
A few minutes after Light had retired, Rem fell silent and no longer answered questions for L. The shinigami just hovered around the room harmlessly, silently taking in its surroundings – L included. The detective chose to ignore the ghostly entity wandering around the room, in favor of examining every inch of the notebook from cover to cover. He wanted to spend whatever was left of the evening pouring over the mysterious notebook and master all its secrets, but his instincts were pulling his concentration away, focusing it on his brunette partner.
It had been a hectic day, to say the least, and his body was clamoring for the honey-eyed boy's company. L's mind, however, wanted to see the boy because he was not sure of something. The moment Light had touched the Death Note, something had changed in him. L could not say what, nor point it out, but he could feel the change there, just drifting and lurking behind those youthful eyes.
Like always, L cannot produce solid evidence against Light; all he ever comes up with is the ugly, nagging doubt that tear his mind into confetti, trying to figure out the enigma of the man-child named Light.
The changes in Light, no one could see them with the naked eye, but L knew Light better than anyone.
Something had changed, but what?
L wishes Rem a good evening and retires from the investigation room in search of Light.
L checked the bathroom, knowing Light never went to bed without a shower, no matter what the circumstance, but the brunette was not there.
L checked Light's bedroom, the kitchen and the roof, but he is not there.
L's best bet in finding his missing lover is the surveillance station. He was surprised to see Light tucked into bed in L's bedroom – a place where the detective has never properly stayed the night in, especially not since Light had come into the picture at the Task Force Headquarters. Both he and Light had stayed in Light's bedroom since the beginning of the investigation, physically handcuffed, mentally engaged, and emotionally attached.
The detective set his course for his own bedroom, entering it and finding Light in bed, just as he had seen him on the feed. It seemed Light had deliberately come here to wait for him.
L was moved by the sight of a smiling Light softly patting the spot on the bed next to him. The combination of flannel pajamas, satin sheets, soft skin, dim lights, and the brunette's bright smile transformed the four walls into a personal and intimate space – something crucial that the room had always lacked and L alone had not been able to create. For the first time, L felt the room could truthfully be called a bedroom and a place where he could rest.
L's musings were interrupted by the rustling of the sheets against the brunette's pajamas. Light moved toward L and pulled him onto the bed where they met in a warm hug and a soft kiss.
It was a beautiful moment L intended to share for a long time.
They made love that night, and for that night only, L was willing to forget the faint suspicion that Light had changed since the discovery of the Death Note. The doubt and curiosity had gnawed at the back of his mind since the moment he had seen Light's beautiful hand touch the weathered book. Nevertheless, he settled for casting his suspicions aside for the sake of relishing the moment.
As dawn drew near, Light rested in L's embrace and asked L where their relationship would go after the Kira case was closed. L told him he would probably stick around Japan until the brunette graduated from To-Oh and was admitted into the police force. After that, L could easily take him in and they could work together. In the meantime, L could enlist Light's help as a consultant if he so needed the boy, much like the task force had done during the Kira case.
Light told L he liked the sound of that plan and slowly drifted into sleep in the arms of the detective.
While Light dozed peacefully against his chest, L remained awake replaying many a scene in his head – from the moment the Task Force set out to capture Higuchi up until the previous moments where light had fallen asleep after their talk about their post-Kira relationship.
As he looked for answers among his memories, the detective also wondered if he would be around long enough to put those plans he had talked to Light about into action without being killed by Kira.
He did not sleep that night. Dawn and its red-orange veil found the raven-haired detective watching Light breathe slowly in peaceful slumber and hoping that, for once, his intuition was wrong, even though it never was.
A/N: Yes, Dale is back with all sorts of ideas for the holiday season. I'm planning a companion piece to The Great Destroyer. I also have most of the next chapter of RUTH, and I have most of the next three drabbles pertaining to this series. Hope you like this.
Thank you to all who review - they make me and the missus very happy and honored. And those who don't but still read, thank you too.
-Das Dale.