「Anime x Reader One Shots」

Distant Memories (L Lawliet x Dead!Reader)

"Dying is easy, it's living that's hard."

He never forgot you.

It was the memory of you that continued to make him grow as a detective. It was the memory of you that served as a constant reminder to L what this job could do to someone; what result it left on both the mind and body. It also reminded him of the fact that some sacrifices could be used for the greater good.

If it wasn't for your death during a murder case, L doubted he would've ever been able to catch the culprit before he killed again. It was a loss he mourned for every day, but one that kept him at peace nonetheless. It wasn't until after the case was solved that he realized your death was a purposeful act on your part.

You were well aware of the fact that the culprit would have the opportunity to kill one more time before his impending downfall. Knowing this, you made sure his final victim wouldn't be the innocent girl he had his eyes set on for months, no. You willingly gave your life in order to capture him.

L had worked with many partners over the years; some alive and some dead. Out of all of them, though, you would forever be the most memorable - the one who left the biggest impact on him. It was that distant memory of you that made him realize what needed to be done to solve the Kira case.

He knew all along that Light Yagami was the true killer, but had no way to prove his heavy suspicions. Light knew L far too well for the latter's liking. It was evident that the longer L struggled to catch him in the act, the more lives would be taken in the process. It was an endless game of tug-o-war where each side was equally matched. At this point, the only way for the game to end was for one of them to give in.

L was willing to forfeit not just the game between him and Light, but forfeit his life as well.

Before meeting you, the mere thought of that was preposterous to him, yet everything was different now. He couldn't help but think back to the case with you and how unthinkably easy it was for him to catch the killer after you sacrificed your life for the case. You were nothing short of a real-life hero.

L might be forfeiting the game, but Light wouldn't be named the victor. There would be someone else who would take L's place and use his death to lead them to victory.

As L took his final breath, he smiled. In the end, he had won, and it was all thanks to his memories of you.