Suspect and the Detective [L Lawliet x Reader]

A Scowl

'Are you okay?'

He lightly tapped her shoulder, breaking her out of her daze of confusion and genuine concern. She blinked her eyes and looked up at him briefly, squeezing the blanket in her arms a little tighter. She swallowed a wad in her throat to fight against the sudden blood rush of embarrassment that threatened to coat her cheeks and nose. While scrunching her lips together, she nodded with her hair falling in her face, rushing past him with the blanket hugged tightly inside her arms.

He watched as she started walking away. She was almost too fast for him to even respond to her. With her chest feeling tight, she refused to turn around and look at him again; therefore keeping her back to him while she walked. Even though she was just trying to get away from him, she was lucky enough to find the large intricate staircase that would promise to lead her back to her comfy bed. Back to her locked door that she would be able to hide behind. Hiding behind doors was something she had learned to enjoy. When she did make it to the main foyer, looking up at the rather intimidating sets of stairs, she did hesitate for a brief second. Her eyes peeked through her hair back to where she left Ryuzaki. He had already left in the opposite direction she had, so she had zero chance of seeing him again for the rest of the evening.

A tiny sigh escaped her lips. Hm. She eventually gave up on the idea that he'd suddenly appear around the corner and started trudging up the stairs. The intense awkward feeling still hanging low in her gut and weighing down each step she took. The one time her socks decided to not let her slip, she managed to make it down the hall and into her room, locking herself inside.

Once she was inside the safe zone that was her room, she continued to hug the soft blanket in her small arms as her back slid down the door until she was sitting on the floor. Her knees helped keep the blanket from falling as they lifted to her chest. Her mind immediately started spiraling with all these different thoughts, sounds, and colors.

What was that? That was...a unique experience. To say the least. I just tripped and he...and he caught me. He...caught me?

Her eyelids squinted underneath her furrowed brows. Confusion swept over her body and mind like an oceans wave. Something about this whole moment struck her as off. It couldn't have been natural for those events to transpire in such a way. Not with how she's been treated in the past. Especially by men. Her experiences made little things like this feel large and extreme. It made it feel like the tiniest ounce of respect in any way feel like some kind of test. Thats how she interpreted it, anyways.

It...It was just common courtesy! Yeah! Nothing strange about it at all. Why would I even assume such things? And why is there that strange feeling in my stomach again-?

Sure enough, the faint fluttering of butterflies started their nauseating rein inside her stomach. Almost as if they declared war against her moral compass. She tossed the blanket to the side and clutched onto her torso like she was going to throw up in a failed attempt to put the butterflies to rest. The nausea was quick to dissipate but the butterflies still ruthlessly held her by the throat to make her question everything.

All he did was catch me so I wouldn't get hurt again. He was only being nice. He was only being considerate. I'm pretty sure anyone would've done-

Then the truth hit her chest like a boulder. Wait. No. That's can't be right. No one would've caught me. I'm not even exaggerating. Every single time I was ever tripped or pushed, no one caught me. Except...apparently, Ryuzaki. The only other person who would've is Light, but I don't really count him since he's my brother. Of course he wouldn't hesitate to help his sibling. He's always been kind like that. But...why is this Ryuzaki purposefully...intentionally...on his OWN accord...being nice to me? Me? Of all people?