A.N: OMG, These chapters are getting longer and longer! Why, dear God, WHY?! I wanted short sweet little chappies with entertaining qualities to them, not crazy long chapters filled with... this. Lol. Writing this chappie was amusing to me, though. And alas! We are finally confronted with both our villain and a plot! *Le gasp* Impossible! How could this be...?
Eh. I'm ok with that. Lol. Enjoy this decadent display of imaginative choreograpy and written song that you can't actually hear unless you're watching the movie or listening to the soundtrack at the same time! I promise it will be... Spectacular, Spectacular! XD *Totally channeling Zidler*
Also, about my choice in characters, it will become increasingly apparent that I am using OC's (duh) and canon DN characters in various places, making you wonder why all these Japanese people are hanging about in Paris in the early 1900's. There is a reason for this. Trust me, and you shall understand by the end of the story. ^.^
Well, enough talk; let's get on with the show!
Title: When Dreaming Ends
Chapter Four: Dumb with Wonderment
If I had thought the night before had been completely and utterly exhausting, the morning after was certainly going to take to the pill-
After all, a night well spent usually preceded a morning you would most certainly regret.
That's what I told myself later on, anyway.
The dreams I had that night passed me by in a blur and the darkness within my mind was comforting for once instead of oppressing. Really, I was just grateful for the night's worth of rest I was able to have before having to repeat the same routine tomorrow-
Such was the life of an agitated actor on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
But all that was just the calm before the storm, I suppose.
Waking up would bring an entirety of problems that even a person such as myself would come to dread in the waking hours…
For young Raito, waking up, just like every other prospect within his life, was a process.
First would come the feeling of tingly awareness from his limber digits usually lying by the wayside that would make them twitch with life. Milliseconds after the tiny movements would cease, a surge of cold, if comforting, alertness would, without warning, ring itself into a tidal wave of pure sensation that would creep up to his wrists, forearms and all the way to his shoulders, just as his toes would then squish against the material laying under them and the same feeling of euphoric restfulness that had consumed his lengthy arms would overcome his legs and lower torso as well.
His mind, obviously, would already be whirling with the remnants of dreams that he remembered with startling clarity and his lips would slip open just a bit as a tiny sigh would it escape the willowy orifice. Slowly, as if to savor the whole process instead of just getting it done and over with, glowing honey-brown eyes would flutter open just before shifting in his tiny bed and giving his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the delightful rays of light pouring over the open-curtained window just in front of his still-prone form.
Today, however, there seemed to be a slight hitch in his procedure…
Eyes immediately popped open as the usual glow of warm illumination was not felt on his warming body and indents of cold fingers that did not belong to his body were tautly wrapped around his hips, and long limbs wrapped around his own. A furry tuft of shaggy dark hair tickled his chin as he glanced down, the feel of breath and the caress of another's flesh met his neck and almost bare shoulders, having not put on his usual white collar-shirt back on after practice in lieu of his undershirt and suspenders.
'Now how do you get yourself out of this situation, Mr. Yagami…?'
Glancing around the still very dark room, Raito could only admit that he had nothing.
"You should calm down…" Raito stiffened even further as the older man settled against him ran a hand down his side, not noticing the sudden movement until the voice accompanying the svelte figure beside him echoed against his ears. "Despite what Raito thinks, I do not bite-"
The boy felt the blush creep onto his face as his winced, wondering when he was ever going to get a break…
"Unless asked to."
And there and then decided that no, he was most likely never going to be able to just relax, especially not in the presence of one L Lawliet.
Gently moving onto his side, Raito felt the long pair of arms that had been wrapped around his slim waist and arm fall back onto the mattress, dark blue eyes emanating with a warmth that the teenager had not seen up into that point. Taking in a deep breath (and attempting to stifle down the wave of affection he felt at the adorable face being made over at him), the young actor attempted at a smile as he slipped off of the surprisingly pure white sheets and straightened out his now sleep-rumpled clothes.
"It's… it's very dark in here! I can barely see my own fingers with how little light there actually is!" Raito sputtered out, mentally capping himself over the head as the playwright glanced over at the rusty clock mounted next to the desk behind him (something Raito had not noticed in his quick perusal the night before) and nodded. There was just enough light pouring out of the window to be able to notice such things, the marking of dawn barely peeking over the still dark streams of twilight-laden sky enflaming the Parisian city a lovely shade of mauve-red. "Are you… are you feeling better, Mr. Lawliet?"
Shifting himself up from his position on the bed, L blinked as the boy then knelt forward, all self-consciousness disappearing from his oak-brown eyes. A small beam of unfettered light hit the teenage actor's anchored figure at an angle, illuminating his light-brown gaze into a much deeper burgundy color.
"I…" Out of the corner of his peripheral vision, Raito could see the man's fingers clench against the fabric of his tussled sheets, turning a bright red color from the exertion seeming to pour out from underneath their tightened grip. "I am fine. I suppose another apology is necessary for my behaviour last stress of the play and other things beyond either of our control begot the best of me, I would like to think. Sometimes, losing control of your own actions helps, even in the most meager of ways."
"You said beyond either of our control," Raito suddenly blurted out, his mouth once again getting the best of him as L continued to look up at him with those unfathomable eyes. "What's been distressing you sir, if you don't mind my asking?"
"… It's nothing for you to worry your pretty head over, Mr. Yagami." L smirked as the boy then straightened himself up and huffed, not realizing just how effeminate he looked as he sulked. "I do suppose you should probably head back over to your hotel and rest for the little while we have until rehearsals. Six o'clock on the dot as always."
"But it's three o'clock in the morning! If I go back to bed now, I'll probably miss the first half of rehearsal!"
"That, Mr. Yagami, is your problem, then." L felt the smirk lying over his lips widen vindictively as the boy's sulk then turned into something slightly more volatile. "Though no matter what you choose to do between now and when you return, I expect you to be prompt and on time for practice, as usual."
Watching the older man settle back into the body-warmed sheets they had both been inhabiting just moments before, Raito felt the rebuttal he wished to say die on his lips and bit his tongue before he could say something he was sure he would come to regret.
The sleep-heavy brunette sighed as L then brushed him off with a cold glance over his shoulder and turned to leave the dimly-lit room, unaware of the chilling pair of cool blue eyes softening as his figure disappeared behind the cherry-wood door of the writer's room.
Hoping that the older man had not caught wind of his strawberry-red cheeks, Raito pulled at his night-worn clothes with a distasteful sneer of his lips.
'Now I have to go run myself a bath and hope I'm not too late for rehearsals later on…'
Though with the way things were going, Raito didn't have much hope of regaining that feeling of elation that had been teetering within his exhausted-laden form just fifteen minutes earlier.
Still, we played the game to a tee, and all those half-hearted caresses and tightened grips made within the land of the unconscious were quickly forgotten for better or for worse.
Sooner or later, the game was going to dissipate, however, and I would soon be surprised that it would be neither my nor L's own hand that would be the deciding factor on whether or not our emotions would stay hidden away, never to see the light of day.
Though the first day we met, I should have known that it was never my decision that counted.
It was like I spoke of earlier; L would do things his way, whether I agreed with them or not.
My own wishes, no matter if they were truly my own to speak of, were always ignored in his eyes.
A week passed with an awkward tension descending itself over L and I, his normally cold visage peeling over at the most unconvenient of times and making my blood boil with a heat that I did not think was imaginable.
But burn I did…
And a part of me likes to think that he did as well.
That is, until the day came where even my own cries of negativity were put at an end and the dam holding back our emotions was finally burst open with just a simple donning of a dress and the arrival of an aristocrat.
Blushing as he fixed his usual vest over his shirt, Raito ignored the scalding heat within the writer's habitually cold gaze and dropped his satchel on one of the audience seats and waved over at the girls now excitedly crowing with delight upon the stage.
"RAITO!" Misa, the youngest and most excitable of the four girls, nearly fell of the elevated stage and landed within the orchestra's pit before Kiyomi grabbed the back of her dress and pulled her back into place. "Heh heh… thanks Kiyomi!"
"… Whatever, ditz." The young woman smirked as Misa pouted, blonde hair falling over her eyes in a caustic disarray.
"Hey!"
"Hey there, dearest!" Lettie snickered behind her hand as Christie rolled her eyes and gave the boy a sympathetic stare.
Raito immediately felt a cold sweat settle over the back of his neck, light brown eyes widening in fear.
"Uh…"
"So," Lettie pushed past her kinder counterpart and strolled by the two courtesans settled closer to each other than "Today… is the day, Raito-honey!"
"… … LOOK AT THE TIME!" Raito suddenly screeched, spinning around to run out of the theater with at least a part of his manly-pride intact before a pair of large hands held him in place. "Oh, how it flies. I better get going. I didn't eat any breakfast, you know. Trying to get here and there… won't you listen to my stomach… grumble… please…?"
Gulping as their 'Narcoleptic Argentinean', also known as Shuichi Aizawa, grabbed him from behind and hefted him right off the ground, Raito then began would he would later come to describe as his 'bitch-fit' of the year-
"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME DO THIS! THIS IS CONSIDERED TORTURE IN MOST COUNTRIES!"
"Really?" Misa whispered to Kiyomi, who simply shrugged in return.
"For all we know…"
"STOP BEING SUCH A PRICK, RAITO!" Aizawa bellowed, now having trouble trying to keep the normally placid boy within his hold as he managed to kick out of his bear-hug and away from the pandemonium now surrounding him.
"YEAH!"
"Come now, Raito dear," Christie attempted to be the never-ending voice of reason as Lettie began to cheer Aizawa on, the man's large afro the only distinguishable 'object' within the ensuing scuffle between both men, "you knew it was going to come to this eventually! Putting up a fuss is just delaying the inevitable."
"IT DOESN'T MEAN THE 'INEVITABLE' HAS TO BE NOW!"
"If not now, when?! If it was up to you, you wouldn't do it at all." Kiyomi shouted out, trying to be heard as the shouting people surrounding the two actors began to escalate in noise as well as population. "We just want to see how you'll look dressed as your character, for goodness sakes!"
"Yeah, we already now how good you can act dear, but now we need to know how well you can act completely delved into your little role honeybunch!" Lettie just about fell over in laughter, making Christie scowl in impatience.
"Lettie, you are not helping!"
"… … Didn't say I was going to!"
"NOW THAT IS ENOUGH AIZAWA!"
"I'M SORRY, RAITO, BUT YOU'RE GIVING ME NO OTHER CHOICE-"
"YOU CAN CHOOSE TO GET YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM MY LEGS!"
"NOT UNTIL YOU GET INTO THAT DRESSING ROOM!"
"NEVER!"
"Oh dear…" Misa muttered, putting both hands over her face so as to shield herself from the stomping man with the glowering visage coming their way. "All of you, stop, it's-"
"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS GOING ON IN HERE?!"
"Mr. Lawliet." The girl mumbled uselessly as everyone within the room stalled with what they were doing, the two men grappling on the floor glancing up at the furious writer standing over them with frighteningly narrow deep blue eyes.
"Mr. Aizawa, if you would kindly unwrap yourself from Mr. Yagami's form, I would be most appreciative."
"Of course, sir!" Aizawa quickly complied, barely showing an ounce of hesitation as Raito was then fully dropped onto the floor with a hurtful thud.
"May I have a word, Mr. Yagami?" L gave the men and women now shamefully gathered about a scathing glare. "Don't all of you have something else to be preparing for?"
The crowd scattered just as quickly as it had formed, leaving the young man still sprawled out on the floor to once again flush wildly under the hardened gaze of his employer.
"Uh… yes, sir?"
"Do get up, Mr. Yagami. You've already shamed yourself enough as it is."
Keeping in another cruel comment to himself (he still would like to keep his job, thanks very much), Raito pushed himself off of the cement floor and followed his boiling companion, knowing that what a near mob could not do, the writer beside him could accomplish without even havingto raise his voice.
"You're going to make me do it, aren't you?" Raito squeaked, feeling all but comfortable with the man beside him.
L said nothing at all, making sure the boy did not catch the large smile now hanging off his lips or the new spring within his step.
Though the bad feeling creeping within Raito's stomach seemed to say it all…
You see, my dear friend, L was indeed a master conspirator. Not in the most obvious of ways, of course, though with the seedy way he set himself up at times, any person looking for a clue could see it as clear as day.
If not for how preoccupied I was by my own mortification, I would have said something about it.
Fortunately for him, it was all too easy to transform my humiliation into begrudging cooperation.
"I'm not going out like this."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not."
"Mr. Yagami, we finally have managed to procure our Christian and most of our cast is in play, and now that I have you under costume, I must say that you are in no position to tell me that you are not going to present yourself to our crowd because you are a tad self-conscious." Knowing that boy's unerring source of curiosity was now piqued at the chance to finally meet his counterpart lead, L sat down and stared at the door in front of him, itching to finally be able to see his dear Satine in all 'her' glory.
"I am not self-conscious!" Came the muffled snap through the heavy door, the boy's pride obviously hit in just the right place. "It's… it's just… how could I possibly look good like this! I'm a man, for the love of God! This just won't work, Mr. Lawliet! Not in the least!"
"Why don't you step out, and I shall give my honest opinion on your appearance before you are to meet any other of our cast members."
"… … … Really?" Not liking how small the boy's voice then sounded, L unconsciously frowned as he pulled his legs up and picked at his rumpled dungarees. "You promise to give me your honest opinion, no matter what?"
"Of course." Giving himself a pat on the back for the steadiness of his reply, L quite literally turned his frown upside down.
The door then quietly opened, revealing a sliver of space for L to peek into. A long-fingered hand appeared over the rim of the door's edge, slowly but surely pushing it open as L felt his mouth automatically drop at the sight before him.
A long dark see-through robe hung over the boy's slim figure, a tight black corset with a bit of added' bust' and lingerie panties hugging his figure so that his hips stood out a bit more prominently under the lengthy fabric made of lace. Long legs which seemed to last an eternity and more were covered in see-through off-black thigh-high stockings, a pair of sky-high heels encrusted in clear rhinestones completing the look as L blinked once more.
Letting his eyes land back on the actor's face, L was once again surprised, tiny smudges of eye-shadow and eyeliner painted along the boy's face as a splash of crimson-red lipstick enhanced the fullness of the boy's lips. His hair, quite lengthy after a six weeks of further growth, gave the skin around his face a soft glow, the deep honey-brown shade of his growing locks shining like a golden halo.
"Mr. Lawliet…?" Raito peered over at the man through flutters of long eyelashes, the slight rouge on his cheeks shone all the more brightly by the brightening flush of the skin underneath it. "… … L?"
"Raito-" The older man almost fell off of his seat as he stared over at the man-turned-woman in front of him, and attempted to close his mouth before it dropped onto the floor alongside him. "I…"
"Well?" Raito wrung his hands around the light material covering his body. "Is it alright? Do I look presentable as a… lady?"
"Yes… quite presentable indeed." L muttered, making the actor flush a deeper red than usual. "How can you possibly feel even the slightest bit self-conscious when you look…?"
"Look like what?" Raito blinked obliviously before shrugging. "If you say it's alright, then I guess it doesn't matter. As long as I pass, I have no particular qualms about going out and about like, well this."
"Of course." Keeping his mouth shut before he could say anything he would regret, L took the teen's hand into his hand and dragged him out of the dressing room and back into the main grand hall of the brothel. "You shall finally be meeting all of our lead actors, and the people you shall be working with the most, including our dearest Christian."
"So, I won't be rehearsing with you as a stand-in anymore?"
"I wouldn't go that far, as his ailment does make it quite difficult to proceed. But for the most part, yes."
"But what about your play?" Raito suddenly asked, eyes shining as L continued to drag him into the auditorium. "What if he becomes ill and you lose your Christian? What will you do then?"
"We'll cross that bridge if we ever get to it. For now, smile and prepare to amaze all those people in that room just as you did me."
Opening the door leading to the auditorium, even Raito was not prepared for the sudden hush that would greet him as he entered the room, his mocha-brown eyes widening as he took careful steps within the heels he would later unaffectionately refer to as 'death-traps'.
"Oh… My… God…" Lettie finally chocked as the silence within the room became too much bear, his green eyes as wide as sand-dollars. "You look…"
"LIKE A WOMAN!" Misa suddenly blurted out before covering her mouth with her hands, making Kiyomi gasp out loud in tremulous hysterical laughter.
"Uh… thank… you?" The teen self-consciously muttered just as the door behind him slammed open, a huffing young man with dark hair and a creamy-white complexion barging in on swift speedy legs.
"OH DEAR LORD, I'M NOT LATE, AM I MR. LAWLIET?!"
"Ah! Matsuda, how wonderful to see you!" L twirled the actor-turned-actress around as he pointed at the man still gasping for breath before almost dropping onto the ground in exhaustion. "This, my dear Satine… is the one I've chosen to play as our Christian."
The young man, who didn't seem to be all that much older than Raito himself, scratched the back of his head as he laughed uncomfortably before the actor-turned-actress. L pushed him forward and smirked, as per usual.
"His name is Touta Matsuda. Make sure to be nice to him while we're practicing, Mr. Yagami. I know it takes a lot of effort on your part, most days."
"Whatever you say, Mr. Lawliet." Raito rolled his eyes as he tried to forget about his state of undress and held out his hand, smiling unsteadily as Matsuda averted his gaze from his face and shook his hand with fumbling shakes. "It's very nice to finally meet you, Mr. Matsuda. I hope this won't be too troubling for you…"
"Are you kidding?" The man suddenly let out an excitable whoop of joy, making the younger of the two jump up in fright. "Just look at you… if I wasn't informed before hand, I wouldn't even think that you… I mean, even despite that, you're gorgeous."
Raito chuckled, feeling a bit flattered under the stomped vestiges of his pride and dignity.
"Thank you."
'Well, that clears up that dilemma…'
Yet, the semblance of calm was not to be kept that day.
At least not where the door was concerned, anyway.
"L! I have a bone to pick with you!" A disgruntled man with thin-lens glasses and a rather effeminate snarl barged within the auditorium with a large snap of the heavy double doors, dark hair flying as he strolled into the brothel-house as if he owned it. "With all my money you're wasting on this damn play, a few minutes of your time shouldn't be all that difficult to come by!"
"Of course, Mr. Mikami." L managed to droll out, now looking every bit as bored as usual. "What can I do for you today?"
"May we speak in private, please?" The bespectacled man pressed down the wrinkles now hanging off of his clothes and sniffed rather indignantly.
"Of course. Raito-" Mikami glanced over at the young boy dressed in woman's clothing just as L addressed him and stiffened at the sight before him. "I think it would be in our best interests if we held off on rehearsals until I am done speaking with Mr. Mikami here-"
"Raito you say…" Quick to the uptake, Mikami gave the boy a small smile, erasing his rather irritable demeanor in an instant. "What a lovely name, ma'am!"
"U-Uh…"
"She is quite pleased to make our proprietor's acquaintance!" Aizawa quickly nudged in, not noticing the heavy scowl set over L's face or the embarrassed glow now enveloping Raito's cheeks. "Why don't you stay for our first rehearsal as a group, sir?! I'm sure Miss. Yagami would so enjoy it if you were to witness our premiere performance together."
"Tha-that's quite alright! I'm sure Mr. Mikami has quite a lot he has to do, on top of whatever he needs to discuss with Mr. Lawli-"
"Nonsense! I would love to stay! Mr. Lawliet, continue on."
L grit his teeth as Mikami sat down, giving the boy/girl in front of him a speculative glance of appraisal. "We are still missing someone however…"
Oh the mortification I felt at that moment was unrivaled.
I could already tell the man held me in high regard by his devilish stare and quirking lips, but I had to wonder if he would look at me the same way if he knew that this 'she' was actually a he.
But that was not even the worst part, my dear friend.
In that small moment of time, I had not realized that another part of L had been re-awakened by Aizawa's incredibly stupid move and Mikami's all too disturbing countenance.
If my appearance had given him life, Teru Mikami's perusal of me had burned within him the other set of emotions that he had hoped to avoid, which were now burning through his veins in a fiery explosion of bursting blood vessels and agitated twitches…
If only I had noticed early on just how much the anger within him boiled at the sight of his employer ogling me did. I would have done all I could to assuage such an emotion-
But alas, I was still deep within my own avoidance of such a subject, and so was he.
How much time did we waste, L, in those trivial games of denial and pride?
Too much, it now seems…
"Sorry I'm late, Mr. Lawliet!" A man with slicked back hair and a ragged suit laughed as he ran towards the stage, checking out every scantily-dressed woman's figure as he did so.
"It's quite alright Mr. Higuchi. Though it is a bit difficult to begin without our duke…"
"I'm here now, aren't I?"
"Ugh… everyone please take your places!"
Raito attempted to stifle down his blush as the proprietor beside the writer continued to stare at him with steaming eyes behind his thin bifocals, feeling even more uncomfortable around this man than he did around L himself.
The tension he felt with the writer was addicting, making him want to drown in the anticipation of whatever it was that floated around him. Though with the apparently 'prestigious' lawyer, he felt nothing but trepid anxiety filling his lungs, making him want to gag uncomfortably.
Pulling the flowing robe closer to his person, knowing it did little to cover his svelte frame, yet feeling a bit better for it, Raito flushed an even darker burgundy and let his smooth auburn locks cover his face spectacularly.
"We will begin with the scene leading to the pitch and go from there," L calmly stated as Raito rushed to the stage, "Now please pull the curtain so that we may use it later on for the song!"
"Right-o!" Watari jumped out of his self-imposed hiding place and hurried to the stage, startling the actor with the speed of his stride. "I shall begin now if everyone is ready!"
Matsuda and Raito nodded as Aizawa gave a thumbs-up, a lean bald-headed man beside him named simply Mr. Hector also nodded as a bearded elderly man whom no one really spoke to leaned against his shoulder and sleepily blinked.
"Huh?"
"We're ready when you are!" An incredibly short man with a sharp mustache named Martine jumped up as he waved his arms in an excited manner, dark eyes wide with joy.
"Begin whenever you would like, Watari…" L smiled as the older man then coughed, and everyone set themselves up in character, waiting for the words that would then signal their coming alive-
"It's an erotic spectacular scene that captures the thrusting, violent, vibrant, wild bohemian spirit that this whole production embodies, duke!" Watari began robustly, wedging himself up to Higuchi for a close-encounter he would never forget.
"What do you mean by that?" Higuchi asked quietly, twirling his fake mustache with an index finger.
Blinking back his admonishment, Watari didn't miss a beat. "The show will be a magnificent, opulent, tremendous, stupendous, gargantuan bedazzlement! A sensual ravishment-"
"It will be…"
Twirling around Higuchi, Watari smiled as he peeked over his shoulder and the balding man just to his left ran over the piano and began the opening strums of music for their scene.
"Spectacular, Spectacular! No words in the vernacular…"
"Can describe this great event-" Spinning around the duke once more in a dazzling display of veracity, Watari smiled as he leaned forward and nearly threw the man back. "You'll be dumb with wonderment…"
"Returns are fixed at ten percent; you must agree, that's excellent!" Backing away until the crowd of actors swarmed over him, the other voices along the stage began to join in on the act.
"And on top of your fee you'll be involved ar-tis-tic-ally…"
"So exciting; the audience will stomp and cheer! So delighting, it will run for 50 years!" Jiggling forward once again, Higuchi began to look the slightest bit frightened as the mob of actors basically hoped into his face. "So exciting, the audience will stomp and cheer! So delighting, it will run for 50 years!"
"Elephants!" Martine threw his hands forward around his stomach, imitating the rotund animal.
"Arabians!" Cried the eldest of the lot as he sat down on a pillowed assortment of rugs, quickly grabbing an opium pipe that lay just beside him and setting it to his lips in a coy fashion.
"Indians!" Watari bellowed as he swayed sensually.
"And courtesans!" Raito smirked seductively as he gave a rather erotic pose.
"Acrobats-" Mr. Hector sang shrilly as he swung about on a lowered chandelier.
"And juggling bears!" Aizawa juggled some oranges before almost tripping on the fruit, almost yelling out his line.
"Exotic girls! Fire eaters!" Gathering together once again, the six men then began their choreographed section as Higuchi plopped down on a chair and blinked in overwhelmed astonishment. "Muscle Men! Contortionists! Intrigue, danger, and romance! Electric lights, machinery powered with electricity!"
"So exciting; the audience will stomp and cheer! So delighting, it will run for 50 years!" Running around the man still sitting in the chair for a moment, the group of actors then twirled around before giving themselves some space and kneeling on the floor. "So exciting, the audience will stomp and cheer! So delighting, it will run for 50 years!"
"Spectacular, Spectacular! No words in the vernacular can describe this great event-" Backing up on their knees, Raito almost chuckled as all of them almost back-pedaled off of the stage rather comically.
Pointing at the man still sitting down, the music began to swell along with their movements.
"You'll be dumb with wonderment!"
Jumping back up from their knees, the men grabbed various props before dancing against each other in a silly fashion.
"The hills are alive with the sound of music…"
"So exciting; the audience will stomp and cheer! So delighting, it will run for 50 years!" Rushing over to the red-faced actor still sitting within his chair in shock, the mob of men suddenly grabbed the legs of his chair and propped him up. "So exciting, the audience will stomp and cheer! So delighting, it will run for 50 years!"
After putting him down, all six men settled right in front of their 'duke' in an illustrated pose before grinning in accomplishment.
"Yes, but what happens in the end…?" Higuchi asked without hesitation, stars still swirling around his eyes.
Glancing around, the group wasted little to no time before breaking away from their poses and grabbing various items before ripping down the curtain that had just been up moments before and delving inside it.
Matsuda, being the only person who had not dove inside other than Higuchi, cleared his throat before starting up again. Pulling down the large winding cord beside him, the curtain pulled apart to show Raito and Aizawa embracing each other in an over-exaggerated display of affection.
"The courtesan and sitar man are pulled apart by an evil plan..." Watching the two actors play out the scene, Matsuda swung aside and kept his gaze on the 'duke'.
"But in the end she hears his song..." Raito sang out before tearing away from Aizawa and placing a hand delicately over his head.
"And their love is just too strong." Pushing up against the pretend Argentinean in a show of fondness, Raito secretly chanced a glance at Matsuda, who gave him a stare of longing in return.
"It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside..." Higuchi sang out, smirking creepily over at Raito.
Breaking up for just a moment, the men joined arms before beginning their refrain once again and imitating the can-can.
"So exciting, the audience will stomp and cheer! So delighting, it will run for 50 years--!"
"The sitar player's secret song helps them flee the evil one..." Placing themselves back into their positions, Matsuda continued to sing just as Watari appeared over his shoulder with a fake blade. "Though the tyrant rants and rails, it is all to no avail!"
"I am the evil maharajah! You will not escape!"
Raito propped himself up as he grinned over at Watari, admiration set clear within his eyes. "Oh Harold, no one could play him like you could!"
"No one's going to!" Watari stated, not appearing the least bit ashamed about the fact.
"So exciting, we'll make them laugh, we'll make them cry! So delighting--!"
"And in the end should someone die?" Higuchi asked delightfully, the short mustached man giving him a disgusted look beside him as the group of actors still in front of him gave the duke varying sets of peculiar stares of bewilderment.
"So exciting, the audience will stomp and cheer!" Running about in set of their semi-grand finale, all rushed to Higuchi in a blaze of hands and grins, just as a pop of confetti and slam of a door ended their musical number."So delighting it will run for 50 years...!"
Staring at everyone in a rather apathetic manner, Higuchi seemed to surprise everyone with his next words-
"Well, generally, I like it!"
Everyone within the audience cheered and raved as the actors on stage bowed, sweat now pouring down their faces. Raito laughed as Aizawa just about hefted him up over his shoulder and waved at his crowd within the auditorium.
Two sets of eyes followed his thin figure with lustful eyes, yet one seemed to carry a slightly obsessive quality to them that would have scared the boy senseless had he had known any better.
Yet the laughter pouring from his lips and the adrenaline-high from a performance well-done blinded the teenager to such shady activity as he was set down and prepared to continue on practicing with the scene so as to become a bit more well-equipped with the choreography and singing.
"Let's do it again!"
And we did.
We all became well acquainted with each other, and became all the closer with the rehearsal of the 'pitch'. Though we fought through the occasion faint on dear Matsuda's part, we managed to get through the day with little trivial arguments or uncomfortable feelings on any of the other actor's parts in according to my playing a female courtesan.
In fact, I'm sure they didn't care in the least.
I had to admit, however, that I missed practicing with L. At least then I could pretend he was saying those beautiful words to me, and that I was truly the object of his affection.
In the back of my mind, I was growing a bit more despondent upon the fact that unless Matsuda became gravely ill again or became unconscious for an incredibly lengthy period of time, I would quite probably never feel those arms wrap around me ever again.
Oh, what little I truly knew at the time…
"Wow! That certainly was amazing!" Raito grinned over at the writer, finally rid of all the make-up and woman's clothing after another long day of practice. "I didn't think I would have so much fun, but I did. And it's all thanks to you, really."
The place was empty of the normally large crowd that inhabited it during the day, the only ones there now the leading 'lady' and the play's writer/director.
"Thank you for giving me the courage to go out there. Even if you had to pull me out of the room with force, I'm still kind of glad you did." The boy continued, his pristine white shirt standing out against the dark unlit scenery around them. "I owe you a lot, Mr. Lawliet. Not many people would do what you're doing."
"It's alright, Mr. Yagami. I'm only doing my job, after all."
"But it feels li-like more than that!" Grabbing the man's hand without even actually realizing it, Raito held it to his chest. "You are a stubborn old mule, but I don't think any of this would be running about as it is without you being the way you are. I appreciate that! Not many people would go that far for their own dreams…"
Pulling his hand away from the delicate grip, L smiled as the younger boy flushed, the blush becoming an almost permanent attachment to his face.
"Raito," Once again, the startled brunette could only gulp as his name left the older man's mouth, "you have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you."
Before Raito could even try to turn away, L then grabbed his face with both hands and pushed their bodies as closely together as possible, all gaps between them enclosed by the other's presence.
"Um… I…" Stumbling within his sentences, Raito attempted to ease his pounding heart. "That's to say… you're welcome?"
"You're too adorable for your own good, Raito. And quite literally, I think your own naivety has been my downfall."
Raito gasped as the man then crushed him within his embrace, before a set of lips smashed against his own, shocking him into an unexpected silence.
Wide and quite muddled brown eyes stared at the pale writer in shock as his knees shook with dread and delight.
It seemed as if his feelings were reciprocated after all…
A moment of exhaustion?
Suspended disbelief?
Insanity?
Sickly delirium?
I had to wonder what it was that propelled L to make his first real move in my favor.
I was so shocked, I honestly didn't even know how to react!
All I knew was that the man I cared for had managed to corner me and take me in the most delightful of ways, proving to me that my love did not have to be half-hearted.
Though L did not realize just how stubborn I truly was when push came to shove.
But when it came to L…
Neither did I.
Oh the tangled webs we weaved…