A/N: And finally the awesome serious action-ful stuff I wanted to do last chapter before it dissolved into mushy fluff. Yay for action and drama and danger!
Disclaimer: I'd like to own L and Light…but you know I'd only end up putting them in danger only to swoop in and rescue them at the last second…and after I did that enough they'd get pissed and leave me.
Light was in a good mood as he walked L home from school. "It'll be a fun weekend," he said cheerfully. He took L's hand in his and intertwined their fingers. "Just grab a change of clothes and I'll take care of all the rest."
L sighed. "Yes. You will even provide the transportation."
Light nodded. "I'll be back before sundown. Be ready." He didn't even need to say when he wanted to leave before sunset. L knew all too well the dangers that lurked after dark.
When L announced to Watari that he was going on another weekend trip with Light, his grandfather merely told him to have fun and be back in time for school. L hadn't really expected much else from him, but it was odd how tolerant Watari was of Light considering that Noru hated him. L didn't waste much time dwelling on this disparity. He had packing to do. He pulled his school books out of his backpack and instead stuffed it with clothes and bags of snacks. Now all he had to was wait.
At six o'clock, L heard a soft knock on the door signaling Light's arrival. Light smiled warmly at L and pulled him into a quick hug. "I can't wait for a whole weekend with you, my love."
L squirmed out of the brunette's arms. "Let's just get going, okay?" He headed down the hill, not bothering to see if Light was following.
L slipped into the passenger's seat of the car with his backpack balanced on his knees. There was really nowhere else to put it. Light had removed all of Matsuda's clutter and replaced it with camping supplies. Sleeping bags, blankets, firewood, a cooler of food, and several cardboard boxes full of books. L considered himself lucky that he actually had somewhere to sit.
Light started the car and began driving through town at a leisurely speed. Well, leisurely only for Light. For most people, driving fifty miles an hour through residential roads would be considered speeding. But for Light, this was considered rather slow considering how he normally drove as fast as inhumanly possible.
They had been driving for nearly half an hour when the sky began to darken. Light continued to zoom along even after everything became pitch black. Shockingly, he didn't turn on the headlights. It was a long country road only vaguely lit. It seemed like they were driving blind.
"Light?" L asked hesitantly.
"Hmn?" Light briefly glanced over at him.
L nearly jumped as a pair of glowing red eyes fastened on him. He should have been used to strange phenomenon by now, but it seemed that every new discovery still took him off-guard. "Ah, Light, why are your eyes glowing?" he asked nervously.
"Sorry," Light said apologetically. "It's night-vision for vampires. It lets us see everything like it's evening instead of night. Night's when we usually feed so it's helpful for us."
L sighed heavily. "I would really appreciate it if you didn't talk about feeding when I'm trapped in a vehicle with you."
Light pulled over to the side of the road and let out an amused chuckle. "Calm down, L. I wouldn't think of killing the love of my life. My eyes automatically start glowing as soon as it gets dark." He patted L's knee. "If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll turn them off."
L watched as Light shut his eyes for a long minute. When he reopened them, they were no longer red and glowing. "Better?" Light asked.
"Indeed."
"Good, I should remember that-"
Light was cut off by the sound of a large object crashing into the hood of the car. L let out a startled squeak. He could see only a faint outline of something moving around in the darkness.
Light dove for the headlight. He flipped them on and was greeted with the sight of a pack of bristling timber wolves and an unnaturally large red wolf standing on its hind legs. L was startled to see the bandanna loosely wrapped around the wolf's head.
"Werewolf," Light whispered. His expression was taut.
"Mello?" L asked quietly.
Light shook his head. "Mello doesn't usually stray far from town, even less so when his secret base is being broken into. This is another wolf's territory. I don't know this one, but he doesn't look friendly."
With a loud howl, the wolf dropped down and rammed a shoulder against the car, shattering the left headlight. The wolves jumped onto the car's hood and the roof. They growled menacingly and glared in through the windows.
"Not good," Light hissed. "Hold on, L. I'm going to get us out of here."
Light stepped on the gas. He hit the werewolf squarely in the chest. L felt the impact. With a heavy thud, the werewolf toppled over backwards. Light sharply turned the wheel and weaved his way down the road, scattering lesser wolves left and right. He ran over those that tried to jump back up onto the car. L winced at each jarring impact and bloodcurdling screech of pain. Finally, Light had enough. He floored the gas and took off down the road at seventy miles an hour. The werewolf's howl of impotent rage faded off into the distance.
"Close call," L said quietly. He hugged his knees to his chest. The confrontation had been unnerving.
"Too close," Light agreed. He sighed. "Matsuda's gonna kill me for what happened to his car. That furry freak busted up the whole front end."
"Better it than us," L reminded him sagely.
Light sobered. "Yeah. I nearly got you killed back there. I wanted to take you away from Mello and here we go running into another werewolf." He shook his head in disgust. 'I don't know what that guy's problem was. Werewolves don't usually just attack people like that. They go after vampires all the time, but if they started jumping cars, it would be all over the news in no time. They like to keep their identities secret and news of a werewolf attack would have their woods crawling with news vans. It's not exactly what they would want."
"Perhaps he could tell you were a vampire."
"Uh-uh." Light jangled his bracelet. "Misa's the best. There's no way this would fail us."
L looked thoughtful. "Maybe Mello sent him? Mello has to stay in town to protect his hideout and he sent another werewolf to keep an eye on us."
"Possible. Well, whatever the reason, I don't like it." His hands gripped the steering wheel tensely. "I don't want any more surprises this weekend."
L glanced out through the windows and examined the trees to the side of the road in a new light. He had liked forests as a child. Being surrounded by nature had been oddly comforting. But knowing now that they were swarming with werewolves, he decided that he wasn't so keen on trees anymore.
L's gaze drifted up to the sky. It was a dark, cloudy night. The moon was obscured, leaving no light at all. It seemed the perfect night for all sort of bad things to happen. But before his eyes, the clouds slowly drifted away and L gazed in delight at the brightness.
"Look, Light, a full moon," L said softly.
Light began laughing uncontrollably and L looked at him in concern. "Light? Light, what's so funny?"
Light finally broke off and shook his head sadly. "That explains everything," he said with an easy grin. "God, I've been stupid. Well, now we know."
L was mystified. "Would you care to fill me in on what is so amusing?"
"Werewolves draw their power from the moon," Light explained. "They're strongest and at their most animalistic on the night of the full moon. If I had been thinking clearly, I would have realized why that one was acting so funny." He sighed contentedly. "I usually don't go out during the full moon because I know they get a little crazy. I didn't realize how crazy."
L licked his lips nervously. "And everyone else is going to be fighting Mello when he's at his strongest?"
Light let out a furious hiss. "Damn," he muttered. He glanced in the rear view mirror. "I can't believe I'm this stupid," he growled.
"Let's turn around," L suggested. "You can go back and help Misa and Matsuda."
"No," Light said vehemently. "I've gotta get you out of here. This is no night for you to be out and about. I can't even think of leaving you alone. If not Mello, some other beast will come after you. Once we're up in the mountains, I can protect you. The mountains are sacred ground to us. Werewolves don't come near the place."
L sighed. "How far away are these mountains?"
Light grinned. "Not far. It won't take long the way I'm going to be driving. Just hang on, L. You'll be safe soon."
L closed his eyes unhappily and prepared for more of Light's crazy driving. But on the bright side, if he was unconscious, he wouldn't see Light careening crazily up some steep mountain road.