L-bits (L x Reader) • Death Note [COMPLETED]

Chapter 27 | L ponders

The new information about himself and his past he'd learnt had made him start to wonder. He'd always had the thought in the back of his mind, ever since he was kidnapped and rescued by you.

What made someone human?

Most people would say if you were a living, breathing, human shaped being. Born from a parent, made of flesh and blood, had human experiences. But L was human too wasn't he?

Yes he was made of metal, wires, synthetic hair and skin. And yes, he was also a big block of code. But he looked human, he felt human, he was treated like he was human. Just with a few extra abilities, like his ear ports. When he was taken by that creep, it was because he looked human enough to be found attractive. Some persacoms did have a bit of an uncanny valley look to them, human like but clearly man made. But L had been told ever since he was made that he looked so human, if it weren't for those ear ports of his, no one would be able to tell he was a persacom.

And of course, he was a chobit. A persacom designed to be as close to human as possible.

He had a bother, a dad, a life goal, likes and dislikes, genuine feelings. And... he was in love with you. You'd never treated him like he was just a robot, you'd always treated him human. Human with a cool power to do some electronic stuff. But human nonetheless.

He was human, wasn't he?

"What are you thinking about there L?"

Your voice snapped him out of his daze, and he found he'd been staring at the neighbourhood cat dozing on your balcony for a while now lost in thoughts.

"(Y/n)..?" He stated.

"Yeah?"

"Am I human?"

Woah, that wasn't what you were expecting. You were expecting something about cats since he was staring at one. Such an existential question too, something he'd clearly had in the back of his mind for a while now.

"I mean, I think you're a human. Just with some funky ears" you replied, sitting down next to him.

"I'm made of code and wires, not flesh and blood. But I have the same shape and look as a human. I can feel things, I have opinions, I have a family... so would I be considered a human or a robot? What does it mean to BE human? Is it how you look? How you're made? How you behave? There were once other species of human before you evolved into what you are now... so there's more than one way to be human right?" L rambled.

You were silent a moment, what bought on this sudden existential crisis? You always knew an advanced AI was capable of questioning itself, but you didn't expect L to get so deep into it so quickly.

"Is it the fact you can be born and die? Because technically a persacom is 'born' when they're made. And they 'die' when they stop working or are turned off for good... like B. Was he a human? He was capable of the negative sides of being human and that's what caused him to be switched off. So... did we basically kill B for what he did?" L continued.

Wow, ok. That got dark real fast. In all honesty you'd never really thought about it, what it means to be human. Because well, you were one. You'd never had to question it because you lived every day as a human. And now persacoms were a regular part of society, and getting more and more advanced, it was a question you and the rest of the world should really be asking.

"You're... human. But we can't ignore that you're different from a human like me. I guess we're like different types of human. We're made from different things, but we're capable of having the exact same experiences. I suppose we're both humans just kind of like a different species. Like how there were different species of humans before we evolved into the one. We look similar, we act similar, we have similar experiences, but you can do some things I can't. And I can do some you can't. I can taste things and eat, you don't need to in order to live. You can connect to the internet through your brain, I can't" you explained.

L pondered again for a moment. He liked that way of thinking about it. You and him were both humans, just different types.

B was proof that even a persacom is capable of committing a horrible act, just like a human can. The darker parts of being human, a persacom could do as well. But L was proof that the wonderful parts of being human like falling in love and having dreams and goals were something a persacom could experience too.

"I think if you covered up your ears and went into the city to run errands, no one would be able to tell you're a persacom. Not that you should, your ears are cute and they make you... you" you added.

"Hmm... what if I did a little experiment? I'll solve some cases pretending to be your kind of human. And then I'll do some openly as a persacom. Because being anonymous means no one knows what I look or sound like, no one would be able to tell these two cases were both solved by a persacom. Then I'll look at the public feedback and see how people think about persacoms being human" L suggested.

He was so smart it never failed to amaze you. It was an interesting experiment you'd love to know the answers too as well, since you'd admit you were a little worried that once people started figuring out L was more than just your persacom, you'd both be mocked for it. You didn't care he was made differently to you, he was still human to you.

He was an adult persacom that could think for himself, feel for himself, consent for himself. So why should it matter if he was made of wires and code?

"That's a great idea. I'd love to know the answers to that as well, it'd be interesting to see how people view persacom outside of being an electronic assistant" you replied.

L smiled, that same cheery smile he always gave you when he was proud of himself.

"L has a good idea?" He asked.

"A very good idea" you replied.

Despite his amazing intelligence, the fact he still had the habit of referring to himself in 3rd person was so cute. He leaned his head on your shoulder, still watching the cat nap outside.

"L is going to be the first persacom detective, and the first persacom to change the laws surrounding us to protect us better" he assured himself.

"You definitely will, you have the smarts for it. I bet you could be the worlds greatest detective if you really tried" you replied, wrapping an arm around him.

"You really think so?"

"Of course, you're already making great points about solving complex problems"

Gods, how he loved when you praised him. It just made him feel so accomplished, like he'd worked so hard and been recognised by the person he loved most for his effort. He placed a kiss on your cheek as a thank you and smiled.

There was just something about when he kissed you... you felt so special. He'd had the opportunity to pick any of the people he'd met in his life to love, and he picked you. No pre-programmed action telling him to, his own AI letting him choose for himself. He picked you all on his own, no one else.

"You're gonna be the best detective ever L" you replied, returning the kiss with one on his forehead.

If you believed in him, then surely he'd make it to his goal in no time. But there was one more thing on his mind...

"Also, (y/n)" he began.

"Hm?"

"Can we met the cat in? I wanna give it head-pats"

Of course.

You playfully rolled your eyes and opened the sliding glass door to the balcony, the cat perking up at the noise and walking on in like he owned the place. The cat flopped into a patch of sun to bask in its warmth, and L happily crawled over to it to give it a starch behind the ears.

L reminded you of a cat sometimes, especially with those ears of his being vaguely cat shaped.