Why Do You Lie? || Heizou

6

He couldn't tell which stopped first, his heart or his breath. The courtroom around him blurred into a whirl of colors and sounds.

His vision blurred. His stomach churned.

Y/n was there, standing right in front of him, very much alive.

"Detective, I'm so sorry for my outburst yesterday. I don't-"

He couldn't move. He couldn't speak. His eyes were locked onto her, drinking in the sight of her. She was here. She was real.

She paused, her eyes meeting his. "Are you alright?" she asked softly.

Her voice sounded different. It was gentle, comforting.

"I..." He tried to speak, but his voice failed him.

"Heizou."

Her voice cut through the fog in his mind, grounding him. He flinched at the sound of his name.

"You're here," he breathed, his eyes widening. "I thought you were- I thought you were dead."

"Dead?"

"Yes," he replied, his voice trembling. "They told me you- that you-"

He couldn't bring himself to say the words.

Y/n gave him a small, reassuring smile. "I'm not dead, Heizou. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"You're here."

"I'm here," she echoed, her smile widening, though her eyes held a hint of confusion. "I'm here, Heizou."

In an instant, he closed the distance between them, his arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace.

"Don't you ever do that again."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm not losing you."

"Heizou, I-"

"Please."

Y/n sighed, her arms wrapping around him in return. "Okay," she whispered. "Okay."

They stood like that for a long time, neither of them willing to let go. Heizou didn't know what possessed him to latch onto her like that. He could see the confusion in her eyes, but he didn't care. The events of the previous day had left him raw, his emotions on the surface. Heizou decided he would regain his composure later; for now, he allowed himself this moment of peace.

He took a deep breath, his face buried in her shoulder. The faint scent of vanilla and Rainbow Rose filled his senses.

It was a different perfume.

Slowly, Heizou's grip on her loosened, and he stepped back to meet her eyes. "Do you like Romaritime Flower perfume?"

"Mm, no. I'm allergic. But they're quite lovely to look at, why do you ask?"

Heizou studied her face, but his mind was elsewhere, lost in thought. 

"Heizou, is everything alright?"

He needed to investigate further, to confirm his suspicions. But for now, he kept his thoughts to himself, not wanting to alarm her. "It's nothing," he finally said, forcing a smile. "Just reminded me of a perfume I smelled somewhere else."

Y/n furrowed her brows in confusion, but before she could question him further, a voice from outside the courtroom cut through the silence.

"Heizou, are you decent?"

Heizou raised an eyebrow and turned to greet the pale skinned woman. "Well, that's a loaded question. Are you?"

The woman laughed, her long violet hair flowing down her waist. "You haven't changed," she said, stepping into the courtroom. "I'd have thought the incident yesterday might've scared some sense into you."