Parental Struggles ~Daddy!Dazai Osamu X Mommy!Reader~

👶🏻 Eighteen: Quarantine 👶🏻

Shuuji was seated on the carpeted living room floor as he tried to complete his 500-piece Rilakkuma puzzle. The little boy turned his left then right as he searched for the mess of scattered puzzle pieces for two that would match. When he couldn't find any, the little boy let out a disappointed sigh.

It didn't take long for Shuuji's eyes to land on the big colorful ball sitting in the corner of the room after he had given up on his puzzle. Looking at the ball, the little boy's lips tugged down into a frown. The little boy hadn't been outside in so long and he didn't understand why his parents wouldn't let him.

Turning around to look at his mother who was reading a book on the couch nearby, the little boy tilted his head slightly. Shuuji then got onto his little feet and walked over to his mother.

"Mommy," the little boy called out to (Y/ N), tearing his mother's attention away from the book in her hands. "Can I go out play ball?"

(Y/ N) looked at her son for a few seconds, letting his question sink in. She gave a sad smile and gently shook her head. "I'm sorry, Shuuji, but you can't go out."

"B-but why..." the little boy asked, his bottom lip beginning to quiver and (Y/ N) felt her heart ache at the sight of her baby being sad.

Just when she was about to reply, Dazai suddenly popped into the living room out of nowhere and answered Shuuji's question before his wife could.

"NO, SHUUJI, NO!" he cried out, walking towards his son and bent down to match his line of vision. "If you go out, you will DIE!"

"Osamu-" (Y/ N) began but her husband cut her off.

"Speaking of which, why are you two not wearing face masks?! Do you know how dangerous it is to be unprotected at a time like this?!" Dazai continued, digging a gloved hand into his coat pocket and pulling out a bundle of white surgical face masks. "And when was the last time you two sanitized your hands?!"

Shuuji's sadness was momentarily forgotten as he stared dumbfounded at his face-mask-donning father. (Y/ N) simply shook her head and facepalmed at her husband's overdramatic behavior.

"Guys, I am being serious! Why are you two not-" the brown-haired male started but his wife interrupted him this time.

"OSAMU!" (Y/ N) exclaimed, catching her husband's attention and halting him mid-sentence. "Wearing face masks and gloves in our own house, really? You're overreacting, Osamu, and even if we can't allow our son to go out, you shouldn't have been so rude to him."

"But... (Y/ N)," he whined. "It's unsafe."

His wife sighed, looking at Dazai with furrowed brows. "Osamu, you weren't like this when the quarantine first started, what made you go overboard in the last few days?"

"I just..." the brown-haired male released a sigh and knelt down onto his knees on the carpeted floor next to (Y/ N) who was still on the couch. "I'm just really worried about you two, alright? Like recently, this pandemic has been getting worse and I... I can't bear to lose either of you."

(Y/ N)'s tensed expression softened at her husband's words and reached a hand towards him, gently stroking his cheek. "Osamu..."

"The two of you are my world, and I honestly can't even imagine how I could even go on without the you." he murmured, leaning into his wife's warm touch. He sighed again. "I'm sorry if I've gone a bit too far."

"It's okay, Osamu." (Y/ N) reassured, smiling softly at him. "And you and Shuuji matter the world to me too."

Cracking a smile in return, Dazai leaned forward and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. "I love you, (Y/ N)."

"I love you too, Osamu." his wife whispered.

Taking in a deep breath, Dazai moved towards his son and gently ruffled his head of wavy brown hair that was almost identical to his own. "I'm sorry, Shuuji, daddy didn't mean to yell at you just now. He just- he just wants to protect you because he loves you and mommy so, so much."

Suddenly, Shuuji reached his small hands to grab ahold of his father's big hand that was ruffling his hair. Dazai froze for several heartbeats, fear of his own son hating him creeping into his mind, but it immediately vanished when he saw the smile on Shuuji's face as the little boy carefully pulled his father's hand away from his head.

"I-It okay, daddy." he beamed. "Shuuji also love daddy lots!"

Dazai nearly broke into tears at his son's response and drew the little boy into a tight embrace. Shuuji's big chocolate eyes widened in surprise by the abrupt hug but he soon wrapped his little arms around his father's neck in reciprocation.

(Y/ N) couldn't help but smile as she watched the adorable scene before her. Grabbing the polaroid camera that was placed on the coffee table as décor, she swiftly snapped a picture of her two favorite boys in the world, immortalizing the beautiful moment forever.

At least they would make some good memories out of this quarantine.