Note: I'm back, baby! Whoo!
...And I don't own Death Note.
"Perfect Dream"
ReaderxL one-shot
(Name)…
You moaned and tossed your head, which seemed to be hurting for some reason that you did not remember. You briefly wondered what happened. Did you take a bad fall or something…?
Please, (Name), if you can hear me, I am ordering you to open your eyes and wake up…
You scowled in your sleep. The familiar voice, which you both loved and hated, kept whispering in your head, as if he was right near your ear.
NOW!
"All right, all right," you groaned out. "I'm awake."
But when you opened your eyes, L wasn't there.
In fact, when you opened your eyes you found that you were lying on a queen sized bed covered with thick blankets and sheets, and high above your head was a canopy with soft looking curtains that covered your view of your room. You sat up slowly, wondering what the hell was going on. This wasn't your bed, you were certain of that.
When you finally drew back the curtains, you gasped softly. Somehow your cheap closet of a bedroom, which your detective employer had provided for you, had turned into a fucking suite! The floor was completely covered with Persian carpeting, which definitely did not look cheap, you mused. The walls had fancy, flowery patterned wall paper, the kind you would usually see in those fancy suites, mostly the "royalty" suites.
Though you had seen your shares of suites during your travels with L, you still felt a little surprised that you were in one. You didn't remember L mentioning any new case that required travel.
What happened yesterday?
You closed your eyes and tried to remember.
You suddenly realized that you couldn't.
But that's okay; you didn't want to try to remember anymore. It seemed the more you tried, the more the back of your head hurt.
You jumped a bit when you heard a hand knock on your door.
"Miss (Name), are you awake yet?" Watari's voice called from the other side of the door. "You have to wake up now. Master L and the rest of us are waiting for you."
You blinked slightly. There was something odd about that statement…
You shook your head, smiling slightly. It was probably not important. L was waiting after all. He would get angry if you made him wait any longer.
"Yes, Watari, I'm awake," you answered.
"Ah, good." Watari opened the door, revealing that he had a silver tray in his arms.
You looked at him worriedly. "Do you need help?"
He laughed softly as he set the tray on the table in front of your bed. "No, (Name), I'm fine."
You got up from the bed and sat in one of the chairs around the table. When you looked at the food on the tray, you gasped, smiling brightly. It had your favorite breakfast meal sitting there, and that was enough to make your stomach growl and your mouth water. You looked up gratefully at Watari, who smiled back at you.
"Thank you Watari," you said. "You didn't have to do this though. I could have made it myself."
The old man's eyes twinkled with something akin to mischief and…something else.
"Of course I did, Miss (Name), and I was happy too. Besides, L wouldn't have been pleased if I disobeyed his orders."
You blinked curiously, but something told you that he wouldn't tell you what he meant. As you started eating, you started wondering something else.
…"and the rest of us"?
"Watari, what did you mean before, when you told me to wake up? Who else could be waiting for me?"
His soft smile was unreadable. "Why, practically everyone you care about, of course. Your family, your friends, Matt, Mello, even Near," your eyebrows really rose at that one, "and, most of all, L."
Your head tilted to the side. You still looked confused. "They're all…waiting for me?"
"Yes, downstairs as a matter of fact," he replied.
You sat back in your chair, thinking back to all those familiar faces that you left behind when you became L's assistant. Your job required you to practically give up your identity. You had been erased from the system for the alias freedom, and your own protection. Nobody else knew that you existed.
Except your parents, and the rest of your immediate family, along with your closest and most trustworthy of friends. They didn't know who you worked for, but they knew that they had to keep you a secret to the entire world though, so no one would ask around. This was also in their benefit, since they had no connection to you, so they could never get hurt.
But you hadn't seen them in so long.
You weren't allowed to see them. Too much risk, L had said.
You may have had some issues with them, or perhaps not, but you still missed your family. They were more than just providers and a part of your previous home. They were your blood, and that is probably the best uniting amongst people in the world.
And then there were your friends, especially your best friend. How long had it been since you two saw, or spoke to each other last? Five years, at least…?
But how did they get here…? How did they—?
L.
You smiled softly, blushing lightly. You suddenly felt warm all over. Thank you, L.
It may have been your imagination, but you heard a soft reply in your head.
You're welcome, (Name).
Then your eyes narrowed, sparking with unyielding determination. You knew the choice you wanted to make.
"When can I see them?" you asked.
Watari smiled, looking down at you proudly. "As soon as you get dressed. I will send someone up to get you."
With that said the old inventor walked out of the room.
--
You wrapped a towel around your torso as you walked back to your bedroom. Lying on your bed was a long, fancy, black dress. With a smile blooming on your face, you inspected the dress, holding it up against you. It looked like it would be the perfect fit.
There was a knock on the door.
"Hey, girl, are you in there? We're waiting for you over here."
Mello's solemn voice was soon joined with another, which you automatically recognized as Matt's voice.
"Please, come back to us," the redheaded boy pleaded.
"Yeah, I'm getting impatient over here."
You blinked, getting that odd feeling again, like when Watari had spoken. It was as if there was a pressure on your chest, making it hurt to breathe. Matt never used that tone (such a sad, sad voice…) with you before. He was always like a little brother to you, so he was always happy to see you. The two of you got along so well because you both shared a solid trait: loyalty to the ones you loved.
"Guys," you called awkwardly. "I'll be down in a sec, okay? I just have to get dressed."
Once you spoke, it seemed like Matt and Mello went back to normal.
"Oh, okay." You could practically see Mello's smile, the one he wore when he was free of worries on beating Near and becoming number one.
"Do you need any help, (Name)?" Matt was an expert at smiles, especially when Mello was making him happy.
"Um, no thank you." You were a little confused at the mood change. "I'll be all right."
With that said, the two boys left you to get dressed. As you put on the dress, you realized that yes; it was a perfect fit. It seemed like L had picked it while thinking of you. It adapted to the curves of your body like a second skin, and its straps made an "x" on your back, revealing most of your back to anyone who would look behind. You braided your hair and made it into a bun that looked similar to those cinnamon buns L liked.
When you were done, your cell phone rang. You picked it up and smiled when you heard L's voice from it.
"Are you ready to go?" he asked.
You nodded, and then answered, "Yup."
"How do you like the dress?"
"It's beautiful," you complimented. "Thank you, L."
He chuckled slightly. "Don't thank me just yet. Walk out of your room and go to the elevator, it should be straight ahead of you. Once you are inside, go down to the lobby and walk to the ballroom. Near should be right there, waiting to guide you inside."
You quirked an eyebrow. The ballroom…?
"L…what's this all about?"
"You'll see, (Name)."
With that cryptic message, L hung up on you.
You stared at your phone, wondering if it was your birthday or something. That would explain some of the weirdness that's been hanging above your friends like a cloud. But it didn't make any sense. L never celebrated your birthday. Hell, he didn't even celebrate his own birthday (which you were amused about since it is Halloween).
In fact, the last thing you'd expect L to do for you is invite your parents. That was too generous for him, unless he was gaining something from it.
But what could he gain from that?
Your mind couldn't come up with an answer.
After a few moments of thought and questions, you realized that you wouldn't get any answers standing there. It was time you went downstairs.
Like L said, Near was waiting for you in front of the entrance to the ballroom. He was standing in front of a booth, dressed in a white tuxedo, which looked a little big on him, yet it suited him anyway, and playing with his robots on the booth. When he heard your heels clack against the floor, he looked up and regarded you with blank grey eyes.
"Ah, so you've finally arrived," he said monotonously.
"Hello to you too Near," you greeted dryly. "So, are you going to show me in, or not?"
Near held up the blue and red Optimus Prime that he was playing with. "He will lead you in, actually. I'm too…busy at the moment."
You quirked an eyebrow. "You think the Autobots could do without their leader?"
He blinked. "I think they'll manage."
Though you were amused, you rolled your eyes. Typical Near…
Before he gave you the toy robot, he seemed to whisper in its ear. You had to lean in to catch what he said.
"Protect and guide her to the place she needs to be."
It may have been your mind playing tricks on you, but you swore you saw the robot incline its head in a slight nod.
Then the little boy placed the robot in your palm, where it laid there unmoving.
When the doors opened, you were immediately greeted by your mother, who embraced you tearfully.
"Oh, sweetheart, I've missed you so much," her voice cracked slightly. "I was afraid I wouldn't see you again."
You stiffened in your shock, but then recovered soon enough to hug her back. A lump formed in your throat, coaxing you to cry a little, yet you still held back. "I've missed you too, Mommy," you said softly.
Another person approached you, and you found yourself beaming when you saw who it was.
"Hey you, it's about time you got here," your best friend smiled. "The party's just getting started."
In your happiness, you cried out your friend's name and hugged them. You really felt like crying. "I've missed you all so much. You two can't possibly know how much."
They both smiled at you sadly.
"We know," your friend said.
"We know all too well, (Name)," your mother added.
You looked a little surprised. There was something in their eyes that gave you that feeling again. That feeling that told you that something…wasn't right.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
You whipped your head around to see L, your employer, hunched over and smiling down at you. Your face heated up. You realized that he was in a suit…again. (Refer back to "Suit")
Oh my god…
"L, you're in a suit…?"
When you realized your error, your hands went to your mouth as you shifted your eyes desperately to your mother and friend. They were not supposed to know L's identity.
"I—I mean," you tried to recover by using an alias of his, but then stopped when you heard your mom laugh.
"Sweetie, it's all right. We know who he is," she assured you with a comfortable squeeze. "And your father and I have never been more proud of you."
Your smile was watery as you looked at your mom. "Thank you mom."
You jumped a little when you felt a cool hand on your arm, and you were surprised to see L smiling amiably at your mother.
"Mind if I steal her for a while, Miss (Last Name)?"
Your mother looked at him slyly. "As long as you keep your hands on proper places, then it's fine with me, Ryuzaki."
You blushed slightly. "Mom!"
They both ignored your comment as L pulled you away. You looked at your friend worriedly. The two of you had so much to catch up on. But your friend was soon entertained by Mello and Matt, who were both wearing tuxedoes. Your best friend noticed your worried glance and mouthed, "Go on. Have fun. I'll be here waiting."
At that you relaxed and allowed L to lead you to the balcony of the ballroom, where the night sky was full of little stars. You must have been somewhere in the country, because you never saw stars like those in the city.
You leaned on the railing. "Wow."
L smirked. "I take you to a breathtaking sight, and all you can say is 'wow'?"
You smirked back. "How about 'wowza'?"
He rolled his eyes amusedly at your corny suggestion. You laughed at that. L didn't laugh with you, but he did smile. That was enough to warm your heart. After you had your laugh you looked up at the stars silently. The two of you held onto that silence for a few moments. It wasn't awkward. In fact, it was comfortable. The two of you both seemed to share a mutual appreciation for each other's presence.
"Thank you," you said finally, gesturing to inside the ballroom. "For this, all of this."
"You're welcome, (Name)."
L smiled softly at you, his eyes twinkling with an emotion that made you shiver with fear and excitement. You recognized that emotion, for it was the same one twinkling in your eyes when you looked at him.
It was the perfect cinematic scene worthy of a chick flick. You almost expected Taylor Swift's song Love Story to come on.
Luckily, the song that played from the ballroom next was anything but typical. It had a jazzy riff to it that hinted its age ranging in the fifties. Once Nat King Cole's voice started singing, you immediately recognized the song.
"L-O-V-E?" you asked.
L shrugged. "I thought I'd go for something classical and more interesting. What do you think?"
You smiled. "I love it."
He nodded, obviously expecting that answer from you. Then he held out his hand.
"(Name), would you like to dance?"
Though your heart skipped a beat, you raised a skeptic eyebrow. "You can dance?"
He looked as if the answer was obvious. "Of course."
You looked down at his hand, and then back at the one that was holding the Optimus Prime.
You set Near's robot down on the floor and turned to L with a smile.
"I suppose we'll have to test your skills, then."
And so, the two of you did. Surprisingly, L was a good slow dancer, which threw you for a loop. He had on hand on your waist and the other was cupping your palm, all while holding you close to his body. He led you back and forth at the slow jazz, spun you round and round when the tempo of the song picked, and then held you close again as the last lines rang out.
Love, was made for me and you…
"Wow, you really know what you're doing," you said, awed.
L chuckled. "Of course. I'm appalled that you'd even doubt me."
Once the song was officially over, you both stared at one another, still close together. Suddenly, L leaned his head towards you, and you leaned your head up and waited for you to kiss him (for real this time). With each inch closer, you got hotter and hotter.
It was all magic.
It was perfect.
You felt your hand twitch.
It was too perfect.
You suddenly came to a conclusion that explained everything—all the royal treatment, your mother and best friend being there, Near liking you (or at least actually showing it), Matt and Mello being there, L's sudden affection—it all made sense now.
You weren't happy with this conclusion. In fact, it made you sad. You wanted to break down and cry.
Because it's not real.
You put a finger on L's lips, which made him blink. He didn't expect that.
"Stop, please," you ordered softly. That lump in your throat was back.
L did what you said, but looked worried. "Is there something wrong, (Name)?"
You looked up at him. He seemed so honest. Surely he wouldn't try to hide things from you.
"L, please tell me that this is real."
The detective tensed, and then turned his head away to avoid your stare.
Your lip trembled. "Please tell me the truth. Please?"
He glanced at you, pinning your gaze briefly, and then he sighed.
"No, (Name), I'm afraid this is not real."
You already knew that answer, but you needed to hear it yourself. It made you want to cry, yet also scream with rage. How could you have not seen it before?
"What happened?" you asked, hoarsely.
L tensed again, his eyes cold and angry. "The Alley Way Butcher."
You blinked, and then remembered. That was right; there had been a serial killer that resided in the area you grew up in. The man targeted young women ranging from the teens to the twenties. You had L take the case because it had been too close to your loved ones for comfort. You had even volunteered to serve as the bait to catch the killer.
It had worked, the man had been caught, you were certain of that.
But something…happened…
You couldn't remember.
"He shot you," L numbly answered your silent question.
You choked. You had been shot?!
"Am I dead?" you whispered.
"No." He put his hand on the back of your head, stroking the area that had been hurting all day. "The bullet just scraped this area, but it was enough to get you into comatose."
Your brow crinkled. "That means that…"
"You are currently lying on a hospital bed." L finished. "Your mother and your best friend are there, along with L—the real one's successors."
At your questioning gaze, he added. "L called Near, Mello and Matt over because they asked to come. He called your family and friend because they were the ones you needed the most, and they deserved the right to know your…condition."
You hesitated. "How long have I…?"
"A month, as of right now."
You let out a shaky breath, feeling faint. A month? Everyone you loved has been waiting for you to wake up for a month?!
That explained all those weird things everyone's been saying. They were basically relaying everything their real selves were saying in the real world. At least, that's the conclusion you drew up.
"So," you swallowed. "Am I in my mind or something?"
L, or better yet, alter L, since he isn't the real one, looked around. "I would assume so. This world is based on everything you truly desire, including how you would want the real L to treat you, as well as…feel for you."
You gulped, blushing slightly. You lowered your head and stared at the ground, feeling more embarrassed than you'd ever felt your entire life. It had been nothing but a fantasy, a perfect dream made real by your accident. L hadn't really loved you; it was just something you created. Meaning, the alter L in front of you now was only loving you and treating you this way because you wanted him to. You probably created him for that purpose.
In that way, you were using him.
"I'm sorry," you whispered.
Alter L cupped your chin and lifted your face to meet his. The two of you were closer now.
"Don't be," he assured. "I was created by you for the sole purpose of fulfilling your fantasies. I was made to love you."
Yes, you thought forlornly. But that doesn't make you real…
And you wished so much that he was the real L, not some illusion created by your love.
Alter L must have seen your inner conflict somehow, because he smiled gently down at you.
"How about this, (Name), I'll make you an offer." He gestured to everything around the two of you. "You can make a choice. You can either stay here, be surrounded by those you love, with me loving you unconditionally. I'll make sure you won't remember the real world, so you won't feel the burden to go back.
"Or, you can go back to the real L, the one who doesn't show if he loves you or not. It's your choice."
You sighed as you thought about it. The alter L really was perfect. He treated you kindly, and he showed that he obviously loved you as much as you loved the real L. He allowed you to see your family without the burdens that plagued you in the real world. You could see yourself being blissfully happy here for eternity.
But what about the real L? He treated you like a maid, he manipulated you and he was probably messing with your heart on a daily basis. L didn't show if he knew you loved him, yet you knew he did know. That's what made it hurt so much. Sure, there were times he showed he cared about your wellbeing, but that wasn't really because of anything other than a fondness of some sort.
You loved him, but L will most likely never love you back.
Your brow crinkled and your eyes narrowed.
Then again, you didn't love him because he was everything you wanted to be. You didn't love him because was kind or romantic, or anything of the sort.
You loved him because he was L.
And no matter what fantasy you had, you wouldn't want to change him for the world.
Not only that, but you think of your friends, your family, Matt, Mello, Watari, even Near…
They are all waiting for you to wake up.
And if Mello was telling the truth, they were getting impatient.
You closed your eyes as you made your decision. When you opened them, alter L was smiling down at you sadly. Most likely, since he was a creation from your mind, he knew what you were thinking.
"Please put me back," you said. "I need to go back to them. They are all waiting for me."
I can't keep them waiting any longer.
L nodded, understanding immediately. He handed you Near's robot and held you close by your shoulders.
"All you have to do is focus on them," he whispered into your ear. "And wake up."
You closed your eyes and did as he said. In the darkness behind your eyelids colors swirled and voices were heard. As the voices became clearer, you grasped Optimus tightly.
"You have to wake up now. Master L and the rest of us are waiting for you."
Watari…
"Hey, girl, are you in there? We're waiting for you over here."
"Please, come back to us."
"Yeah, I'm getting impatient over here."
Mello…Mat…
"Protect and guide her to the place she needs to be."
Near…
"Baby, wake up, please…!"
Mommy…?
"Come on (Name), I know you're in there. Please open your eyes…"
(Name of best friend)…
And then there was that voice, the one who's been trying to wake you up from the very beginning.
You were certain of that now.
"(Name)…
"Please, (Name), if you can hear me, I am ordering you to open your eyes and wake up…"
You smiled. Even if he didn't show it often, he did care about you. And you accepted that, even if he might never love you.
"NOW!"
L…
When you opened your eyes, everything was blurry. Suddenly you felt a huge weight on you that hinted that someone was embracing you.
"Oh, thank God, thank God," your mother cried.
You felt your friend's hand on your shoulder. "It's about time, (Name)."
You blinked a little, getting your eyesight focused. When you saw your best friend you smiled.
"Hey," you greeted simply. That alone said it all.
Then there were more voices, coming from the outside.
"Mello, Mello, did you hear?"
"Wha?" you heard Mello reply to Matt's eagerness.
"She's awake!"
As soon as it was said, the fourteen year old boys ran into the room and went to your side, Matt beaming and Mello smiling slightly. Your mom and your friend stood back and smiled at you.
"It's great to see you, (Name)," Matt said.
You smiled back. "You too, Mattie."
"We were making bets on when you'd wake up," Mello teased. "Near owes me twenty bucks."
"That was not the agreement."
You saw Near by the hospital door, his white hair twirling around a finger. As he walked over to your other side, you fished out his robot. It had been in the bed with you. You handed it back to him, smiling gratefully.
"He did his mission well."
Near's eyes widened, but then went back to normal again. Then he walked away, trying not to show how worried he had been.
As he walked out the door, someone else walked in.
You recognized him immediately.
"Hey," you greeted L, smiling. You still felt a little sad at having left the other L, but the real one was the one that made you smile.
L blinked, and then smiled.
"Welcome back, (Name)."
You sat back in bed, still smiling.
It had been the perfect dream, but now it was over. That wasn't as bad as it sounded though. Reality was harsh, sure, but reality had the L you fell in love with. You could never replace him, no matter how good the replica is. And you certainly couldn't replace your family and friends. No one, no matter how perfect, ever could.
"It's good to be back."