A/N: This story is set in an alternate timeline. The Kira case was ended in 2001, and the date is now 2011.
L's finally here! And so is Near. Hopefully L's not too Ooc, but it's a lost cause for Near. He actually has emotions.
Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.
Chapter 2- Reunion
Near's POV
I was stacking dice in the shape of the Leaning Tower of pizza when my phone rang. I lazily turned my head, staring at it emotionlessly. It kept ringing, annoying me. Why hasn't anyone picked it up yet? I thought, wondering if I would have to answer it.
"Hello?" I had capitulated and answered it myself.
"Hello Near."
My eyes narrowed. "Who is this?"
"I already know this line isn't tapped, but what I don't know is this- is anyone else listening to this phone call?"
I glanced around, "No one."
"Good. I am L."
"Impossible." I shot the caller down. I would have whoever called this tracked down and brought to me. No one should pretend to be L, and no one should know this phone number unless they were connected to me in some way. "How do you know my name, fake-L?"
"You don't believe me. Well, the probability of you not believing me was 93%, but I still tried anyway. How might I get Near to believe me was the next question I asked myself, and as I was unable to draw a conclusion that gave me a 100% satisfactory answer, I bring the question to you. How might I get you to believe me?"
I thought over this fake-L's comments. He definitely knew L in some way; maybe fake-L had worked with him at some point or the other. "That is a question without an answer."
"There is never a question without an answer. We had asked ourselves how Kira killed without ever going into contact with the criminal, something that seemed impossible at the time. There was an answer to that question, the Death Note. So I will ask you again. How might I get you to believe me?"
I was quiet for a moment. "What is my real name?"
I could hear the smile in his voice as he responded. "Nate River."
"Where can I meet you?"
"Assuming you're in America, let's meet at the Starbucks on Broadway Street in New York. I will wait there for four hours, depending on how far you are from this location. I will be located in the booth farthest left and back. I hope to see you there."
I heard the dial tone, and so I put the phone down. "We're going to New York, New York. I need a fast jet, and I need it within ten minutes. We're not bringing anything, so we don't need to pack. Let's go."
Three hours later I was walking into Starbucks, my assistants waiting outside. I looked around, and what I saw made me freeze. And hardly anything made me freeze. I walked over rigidly, twisting my hair, a habit I had avoided since the end of the Kira case. I stood beside the edge of the table, my voice squeaking out, "L- Ryuuzaki?"
He turned towards me, his black eyes wide and rimmed with black like he hadn't had much sleep. He was hunched over, sitting in his favorite position. I felt choked when I saw him, a wave of emotions passing through me that I hadn't felt in years. "Ryuuzaki." I said, my voice cracking with the weight of my feelings. "Ryuuzaki." I said once again, "Ryuuzaki."
"I'm not going to go away. Don't worry Near." He smiled at me, and I felt like a little kid once again.
"Ryuuzaki." I felt tears well up, and I was glad that my assistants had left. I never showed my emotions in front of anyone. Not even when I had received the news of L's death had I let my mask slip. So why was it, when L was alive once again, that I couldn't keep my mask on? Why was I so weak? I was an adult now, and I was crying like a child when I had never done so before. "Ryuuzaki."
He hugged me. I had never been hugged before, and he hugged me. "It's okay Near." With those words, I finally broke down. "It's okay, it's okay." He whispered, rocking me. Even though I had grown in those years after L's death, I hadn't grown much. I still looked like a child, even though I was 24. And now, I finally felt like the child I had been when L died.
"Don't ever leave me again." I whispered to him, and the arms around me tightened. It was enough of a response for me.
Once L had assured me that no one would be able to tell I had cried, I walked out of the coffee shop. L followed me, eating a cake he had purchased. I knew my assistants were staring at L, but I didn't care. They would know who he was soon enough. "Change of plans." I said, getting their attention with but a few words, "We're going to England. Book tickets for all of us on the next flight."