Written By Fate ||L Lawliet x Reader||

Chapter 26

It had been a week since Y/N last showed up to work, and L noticed her absence immediately. At first, he reasoned that she might be working on something independently, but as the days passed and her phone remained unanswered, his unease grew.

He tried calling again, staring at the screen as it rang endlessly before going to voicemail. His mind spiraled, darting between two possibilities: either Kira had somehow gotten to her, or she was hiding something. Both options left him feeling equally unsettled.

By the nineth day, L could no longer sit idly by. He closed his laptop, abandoned his usual snacks, and decided to visit Y/N in person.

The journey to her house was quiet, his thoughts loud. He felt a twinge of guilt for avoiding her after their last interaction. At the time, it seemed necessary to maintain his objectivity, but now, the idea of her being alone and possibly in danger gnawed at him.

When he arrived at her door, he knocked softly at first, then a little louder when there was no response. For a moment, he wondered if she wasn't home, but then the sound of footsteps approached, and the door opened.

Y/N stood there. She was dressed in the smallest shorts, and the smallest tank top, her hair slightly messy as if she'd just rolled out of bed. And yet she still looked amazing. 

"L?" she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

L quickly snapped out of his gaze on her, but Y/N had already noticed him and smirked to herself.

"I was concerned," he replied simply, his dark eyes scanning her face for any sign of distress.

She stepped aside to let him in. "Well, you're here now. Come in."

He entered, noting the cozy but slightly cluttered state of her living room. It looked lived-in but not neglected. She motioned for him to sit on the couch as she went to the kitchen to prepare tea.

L sat down, his fingers interlaced as he waited. When Y/N returned with two steaming cups, she handed him one and sat across from him.

"So," she said, breaking the silence. "Why the unannounced visit?"

"You've been absent for over a week," he said, his voice calm but probing. "And you haven't answered any calls. That's not like you."

Y/N sighed, taking a sip of her tea. "My therapist suggested I take some time off work. Mental health and all that."

L tilted his head, studying her. She wasn't lying, but he sensed there was more to the story. "And you agreed? That doesn't seem like you, either."

"Well," she said with a small shrug, "I didn't have much of a choice. I've been feeling... off lately."

"Off how?"

She hesitated, her eyes darting to her cup. "Just... off. Like I'm being watched. Like something is there, even when it's not."

L's gaze sharpened. "Do you believe someone is following you?"

Y/N shook her head quickly. "No, it's not that. It's more... I don't know. Forget it. It's nothing."

L leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Y/N, you know I don't believe in dismissing 'nothing.' If there's something troubling you, I need to know."

She met his eyes, her expression guarded. "I'm not hiding anything important, Ryuzaki. I'm just dealing with personal stuff. That's all."

He studied her carefully, his mind working to piece together her words and what she wasn't saying. "You're not lying," he said finally, "but you're not being entirely truthful either."