"But love is immortal."
"Hmmm…" Her coffee brown hair swayed as she shifted her weight onto her left foot, and then to her right. "No, I still don't feel smarter."
His dull eyes shifted up, thinking that she was the weird one. "That's not possible, my reasoning ability drops by forty percent when I'm sitting normally. It has to be beneficial to sit like me."
With curiosity, her hazel orbs scanned his whole awkward frame. "L, I'm sure you don't become smarter when you're sitting like that. And I'm also sure you can't burn calories by thinking."
When he looked up with that blank stare of his, she added a small smile. "You have no proof Midori."
"And you don't either Mr. Lawliet."
He just blinked, and turned his head over to the computer screen. A light chuckle escaped her lips, knowing L didn't like being pushed into a corner like this. For some reason, it happened all the time whenever he was around her.
When Midori saw he was working on some special case he was assigned to, her face fell and she sighed. Now that he was completely focused on working, he didn't have time to entertain her. L didn't believe in working for eight hours a day, he would only feel accomplished working twenty four.
"Hey L?" He didn't turn his head, which she expected. He wasn't one to know you were supposed to make eye contact with someone when they talk to you. "What's the case about anyway? You always refuse to answer me."
"I believe you've heard of Kira before, am I right?" Suddenly, Light woke up from his nap, tugging on the hand cuffs connected to L. "That's what L is working on."
Midori's jaw dropped and L swerved in his chair simultaneously.
"What?" Her thin eyebrows crinkled together as she shot up from her seat in shock. "You have got to be kidding me!"
The world's greatest detective, or so they say, glared at the one who spilled the beans. Light threw his hands up in the air and retreated to the couch. He just dropped the bomb and expected L to pick up the pieces.
"L…" She took a deep breath in and turned slowly. "Please explain why you did the exact opposite of what I wanted you to do."
Rarely did L ever show emotion, but that changed whenever his girlfriend was around.
"Now wait a second." When she walked closer, he backed away, jumping over the furniture that got in the way. "I can explain."
"Go ahead, let's hear it." She crossed her arms, waiting for him to say his last words.
How was he going to get out of this one?
"I lied to you for the last twenty eight days. Yes, I was busy with work. But no, I didn't refuse the offer to work on the Kira case. It's true, I didn't listen to you when you begged me not to take the job offer. Oh right, and I was the one that went with it and agreed not to take the job. Secretly, I took it and arranged it so nobody would ever tell you. All this time you believed I was working on small cases. But I guess I tricked you."
…That seemed like the right answer, if he didn't want to keep his body parts intact.
"…Didn't I tell you specifically not to take this case?" There it was again, that familiar pang of guilt he felt in his chest.
Like a child being scolded, he just kept silent, only listening to the continuous nagging.
"So you were never working on small cases these past few weeks? You were secretly leading the Kira case behind my back, right?"
"Ooo, ouch." His hand ran through his light brown hair, lips pursed out. "You're in trouble now."
There was a fair amount of tension in the room, the feeling being very different from two minutes ago. When L kept quiet, Light pulled his chain as a gesture of encouragement.
"Well?" If she was completely honest with herself, she would admit that she had a feeling he was working on the Kira case. The world needed L and she couldn't change that. If he rejected the offer, that would mean putting Japan into jeopardy.
She just hated that he would lie to her.
"Sorry."
And two syllables are all it took to make their eyes widen. Never, from the day he had been born had he said 'sorry' before. Or 'thank you'. Or anything not related to solving mysteries.
"…Did he just say sorry?" Light whispered to his self, bewildered.
Only the people around them noticed it, but Midori made L a better person.
She was completely satisfied and forgave him.
"Well, just don't lie next time. Makes me feel-"
He leaned in quickly, pressing his pale lips against hers. "We both know you forgave me already. You only keep talking so I would kiss you to shut you up, no?"
With her finger, she tapped it on her chin, making it seem like she was thinking. "True. If that's the case, I'll talk my mouth off."
As L's lips embraced Midori's, Light's mouth pulled back in disgust. "No need. I'll kiss you without the headache thank you."
"Ugh, makes me sick." Instinctively, L gave a harsh tug on the metal chains. "Oww!"
"I love you." His voice was just above a whisper.
"I love you…"
"I love you…"
"I miss you."
"Ahhh!" She jumped up from her deep slumber, drenched in sweat. Her whole body was shaking, her eyes popping in fear. Hot pools of tears rolled down her face, making the hair stick to her face as she shook her head.
It was the fourth time this week.
This sick strange darkness comes creeping on so haunting every time.
Shadows suddenly climbed up the walls, creating an illusion of death laughing at her. Even now, she could hear the maniacal laughter replaying in her head.
That day, she heard it right before finding the lifeless form of L.
Like indecision to call you.
"L…" Her voice quivered. It was the third time she had woken up, having the same nightmare over and over again.
She wanted to completely forget, simply get rid of all the memories of him and her.
"Midori, you're so cute."
"Stop…" Her hands clutched onto the sides of her head, trying to escape from the haunting voice. She knew it was wrong to want to forget ever being together with L, but she couldn't handle it.
Every waking moment felt like endless torture.
And this is how it ended every night: She would grieve helplessly and collapse, her weak body just giving up.
Will you come home and stop this pain tonight?
She forced her eyelids to shut, wanting nothing more than to run away. Every time she fell deep into sleep, she hoped that the next awakening would never come. Because in her dreams, it felt as if L was right next to her, holding out his hand.
If she woke up, she would realize she could get a taste of heaven for only so long.
"I miss you…" She dug her head into the pillow, drifting away to a four hour dream, hoping not to wake up to cruel reality.