Written By Fate ||L Lawliet x Reader||

Chapter 21

Y/N had been sitting in L's hotel room next to him for hours, eyes glazed over as they scrolled through file after file, dissecting every minute detail of the Kira case. But her focus was fractured, her mind drifting. Ever since that strange encounter in Light's office—the tall, skeletal figure with the chilling laugh and piercing gaze—she hadn't been able to shake the feeling that something was wrong. It was like her sense of reality had been rattled, and she wasn't even sure it had ever been real. She was exhausted, trying to keep her grip on what felt increasingly slippery.

L glanced over at her, catching the way she seemed to be somewhere else entirely, her gaze fixed blankly on the screen without truly seeing it. He noticed the faint lines of worry etched across her face, the way her shoulders slumped just a little more than usual. She was putting on a brave face, but it was obvious to him that something was bothering her.

"Y/N," he said, his voice steady but probing, "you seem distracted. Is something on your mind?"

She blinked, forcing herself to refocus and look at him. "Oh... No, not really," she replied, but her words lacked conviction.

L tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes watching her with a hint of curiosity and concern. "I've known you long enough to tell when you're not being entirely honest. You haven't seemed yourself."

Y/N hesitated, feeling her walls crumble a little. "I don't know, maybe I'm just... tired. It's all starting to mess with my head, I think," she admitted, forcing a small laugh that didn't quite reach her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to mention the creature she'd seen; it sounded too absurd, even in her own head. She didn't need L thinking she was going mad, too.

L studied her, his expression unreadable as always, but she felt his gaze linger just a second longer than usual. "If you're not feeling well, maybe it would be best for you to rest," he suggested, his voice softening ever so slightly.

Y/N shook her head, brushing off the suggestion. "I'll be fine. We're getting close, aren't we? I don't want to slow down now."

"You're not slowing us down," he replied evenly. "But you won't be useful if you're completely exhausted."

"It's fine," she said again, a little more firmly this time. She knew he was right, but admitting she needed rest felt too much like admitting defeat.

L let out a quiet sigh, leaning back in his chair and regarding her thoughtfully. After a moment, he reached over and gently closed the file on her screen, catching her off guard. "Come with me," he said, standing up.

She frowned, glancing at him suspiciously. "Where are we going?"

"To bed," he replied simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Y/N felt a flush creep up her cheeks. "Excuse me?" she said, half-laughing in disbelief.

L gave her a small, almost imperceptible smile, one that was more gentle than she'd ever seen from him. "Not in that way," he clarified, his tone soft but insistent. "You need rest. I'm making sure you get it."

Before she could protest further, he lightly tugged her arm, guiding her to the bedroom on the other side of the hotel room, She hadn't planned on actually staying the night. But tonight, it seemed that L had decided it was non-negotiable.

"Lie down," he said, a gentle firmness in his voice that surprised her.

She opened her mouth to argue, but his expression left no room for debate. Reluctantly, she eased herself onto the bed, trying to hide how grateful she was to finally let herself sink into it. She hadn't realized just how heavy her limbs felt, how her head seemed to throb faintly with the strain of keeping her eyes open.

"Fine," she muttered, a hint of defiance in her voice. "But I'm not staying here long."

L knelt down next to her, pulling the blanket up over her shoulders and tucking it in carefully. She felt a strange warmth at the gesture, a tenderness she hadn't expected. He looked at her with that same calm, calculating gaze, but there was something softer there, a sliver of genuine concern.

"You need rest," he repeated quietly. "The case will still be here when you wake up."

Y/N let out a sigh, realizing that any further protest would be futile. She met his gaze, her eyes searching his for something she couldn't quite name. "You're really that worried about me, huh?" she said, a teasing smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

L's gaze didn't waver. "I don't get worried," he replied, but there was a faint flicker of something in his eyes that told her otherwise. "But I need you at your best. This case is... complex. And I can't have you questioning your sanity on top of everything else."

Her smile faded a little, and she glanced away. "Yeah... Guess I haven't been feeling like myself," she admitted softly. She could feel the weight of her own doubts, the lingering unease from her encounter with the creature that she still couldn't explain.

L reached out, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder, grounding her. "You'll get through this," he said, his voice quiet but steady. "Rest now, and you'll see things more clearly tomorrow."

She nodded, feeling her eyelids grow heavy despite herself. There was something reassuring about his presence, the calm, unshakeable way he carried himself. She closed her eyes, letting the exhaustion take over, the warmth of the blanket and his gentle touch easing her into a much-needed rest.

Just before she drifted off completely, she felt L's hand leave her shoulder, and she could have sworn she heard him murmur something under his breath. But by then, sleep had claimed her, and whatever he'd said faded into the darkness.