By the time (Y/n) had finished speaking with Hinami, it was nearly eight. The roads and sidewalks were lit up with streetlights, a smaller amount of foot traffic at that time.
Despite the scarce amount of people around her, she still managed to hold in her tears as she walked back to the Agency. She kept her hands in her pockets, gripping the letter tightly as she threatened to crumple it up right then and there. It was a final testament to the terribleness that had occurred.
That went a lot worse than I planned, she thought as she passed by an alleyway – a couple visibly making out not too far into it. I knew she would be upset, but not upset enough to actually push me or yell like that. I've never seen her that angry before... I feel bad for anyone else that has to deal with that.
Her thoughts kept moving from one thing to another and before she knew it, she was already back at the apartments the Agency provided for them. She stood still in front of her door, hesitantly pulling out her keys. She slowly put them in, unlocking the door as she finally let herself inside.
It was still barren as it hadn't been that long since she got her place back. She let out a sigh as she closed and locked the door behind her, pressing her back against it as she slid down to the ground. She kicked off her flats, placing them on a mat near the door.
"Kunikida did say that they kept my apartment empty just in case I returned," she said to herself. "He wasn't kidding..."
All that was there were basic essentials, including a small cot the others lent her until she got her own items back. Her duffle bag wasn't far from it, laying unzipped against the wall as some of her things were spilling out of it and onto the surrounding area. It was a mess.
(Y/n) pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she pulled them closer. She rested her chin on them, closing her eyes as she finally allowed herself to relax.
Maybe this was for the better. Having Hinami out of her life meant one less thing to worry about with tougher and more life-threatening missions. Not to mention the constant threat of her ever-growing special ability and her complicated relationship with Chuuya.
Maybe having her leave in such a hasty manner was a good thing.
(Y/n) hadn't even realized she was crying until she felt her knee suddenly grow wet. She reached to her cheek, gently wiping a small portion of the warm liquid onto her fingertips. She stared down at it, blinking a couple times as the sensation finally hit her.
She let out a somewhat loud sob, cupping her hand over her mouth as more tears flowed down her cheeks. They were warm, almost comforting as she finally let out the cries she had been wanting to for so long.
It was supposed to feel good – a weight off her chest – to reveal what she had done to try and protect Hinami. But rather than lift that crushing feeling, it only added to the pain she had already felt.
After a couple minutes of filling the room with her tears, she lifted her head and leaned it against the door. She thought, I need to get up and pull myself together. There are more important matters that are about to occur that I need to focus on.
CLICK.
Her door suddenly opened, causing her to fall back onto the ground behind her. Her head hit the ground somewhat hard, snapping her towards whoever the heck managed to open her door.
But the fear she felt for a second dissipated as her blurred vision cleared to reveal Dazai standing above her, staring down at her with a smirk.
"My, my, (Y/n). I didn't expect for you to be at my feet so quickly!" he exclaimed, still holding the door with one hand while the other rested in his pocket.
"How'd you get a key to my place?" She tried to remember if she gave him one, but she was drawing a blank.
"Kunikida and the President keep spare keys to everyone's place just in case." His smirk turned to a toothy grin. "Kunikida's place was easier to get into."
So he burglarized Kunikida's apartment for a key to mine? I think that fits onto the creepy and criminal spectrum very nicely.
"Okay, here's a better question: Why?"
"Because I wasn't sure if you were back yet and if you weren't, then I figured there's nothing better to come home to than me." He shrugged innocently, pulling his hand away from her door as he revealed the spare key he had stolen. "I guess you were the surprise this time."
She sat up, rubbing the back of her head. He kneeled down to her level, stuffing the keys into his pocket as he did so.
"Apparently so," she said. "But this is nice, too."
His smile disappeared as he noticed her face, gently placing his hand on her cheek as the streams fell into his half-bandaged palm. "I take that it didn't go well."
"It went horribly. Hinami was so upset." She pressed her hand on the back of his, leaning into it. "I have to be there tomorrow between ten and noon to pick up my stuff. She doesn't even want to see me anymore." She looked down at the ground. "I can't blame her... I'd be pretty upset, too."
Dazai leaned over, pressing a kiss on her cheek. He pressed his forehead against hers and said in a near-whisper, "You did what you had to. It was for her own protection and everyone else's."
"Doesn't mean that it was the best thing to do," (Y/n) replied, her eyes falling from his back to the ground. "Would you have done the same thing if you were in my position?"
"Me? No." His reply earned him a narrow-eyed stare. "But I'm not you and you're not me. We have different ideas and skills. There are some things you're better at than I am."
A soft smile came across her lips. "Maybe you should come inside. There's one thing I'd like to share that I might be better at than you."
His lips turned to a cheeky smile as they stood up. "I certainly like the sound of that."
She stepped further into the room, sitting on the edge of the cot as he closed and locked the door behind him. He practically flew out of his shoes before sliding over next to her.
"What is it you'd like to share with me, (Y/n)?" Despite keeping his cool demeanor, it was clear to her that he was excited for what he assumed was about to happen.
"What are we, Dazai?" she asked, almost causing him to keel over in the process.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, we do all the things a normal couple would. That includes kissing, hugging, conversations like these, and moments just between the two of us," she explained. "But that doesn't mean we officially are. I understand if you don't want to put a label on us, but I'd like to at least know that."
He opened his mouth to answer, only for her to throw in, "Before you answer, just know that there isn't anyone else in my life to get in the way of us. You are the only person that I would ever consider."
For once, Dazai seemed stumped. He normally had an answer to everything, especially since he was so smart and capable of so much. But this was something she had truly seen him ponder. It almost made her question what she had asked.
"I... I shouldn't have asked," she stated, looking away from him as she felt her face heat up. "What we have is nice and I don't want to ruin—"
"I love you, (Y/n)." He cut her off.
She froze, eventually whipping her head back towards him. "W-what did you say?"
"I love you, (Y/n)," he repeated, taking her hand into his. "I have loved you since the moment I met you.
"I loved you when you were a detective working on the case with the Azure Messenger, leaping into my arms at that abandoned hospital at the first sign of a ghost. I loved you when you were jealous of Miss Sasaki when she spoke about staying at my place.
"I loved you when you were kidnapped by Fujinuma. I searched for you and did whatever I had to so I could find you and bring you back safe and sound. I loved you when we first kissed after we ran away from the Port Mafia. It was one of the best things that could've ever happened to me.
"I loved you when we were exchanging letters in those two years we were apart. They were always the highlight of me week. I loved you when I saw you again in the bookstore. It was a bad situation, but I knew that you were the right person to have return to the Agency to help.
"I love you now. I will always, always love you, (Y/n). There is nothing in this entire world that can change that."
(Y/n) was speechless. She had never heard Dazai become so passionate over something before, let alone over another person.
She always knew that she was someone special in Dazai's life, and she knew damn well he was special to her. But she was never able to articulate it – especially not as well as he was able to in that moment.
"You are the one person, the one thing in life that is keeping me alive," he continued. "I never asked you to commit a double suicide with me was because I wasn't because never able to find one worthy of our journey into the afterlife," she held her breath, "it was because you give me a reason to live. You still give me a reason to live."
"Oh, Daz—Osamu..." Her chest tightened and her stomach filled with butterflies. "I love you, too. You are so odd and so incredible at the same time..."
"I want us to be together." He took her hand and placed it against his chest, feeling as his heart began to race. "I want you to be with me and only me. I vow to be with you and only you."
She couldn't help but smile. "You have an unordinary way of asking me to be your girlfriend."
"It might be because I'm so odd."
She leaned in, grabbing his collar with her free hand, and pulled him in for a kiss. It was passionate – in a way that they hadn't kissed before. She eventually leaned backwards, falling onto the end of the cot as he remained above her, continuing to kiss her.
He eventually pulled his coat off, throwing it aside as the key in his pocket brought it to the ground with a clank. He eventually did the same to her as she sat up, pulling off her jacket and throwing it aside, allowing her to fall back onto the cot.
But as it fell to the ground, the envelope that had been crumpled within it fell out and slid onto the ground. Dazai noticed it and stopped, pulling away as he reached over and grabbed it.
"What's this?" he asked, sitting up as he held it.
"The letter?" (Y/n) questioned, leaning on her elbows as she partially sat up. "Hinami gave it to me before I told her about what happened. She assumed it was another letter from you that was delayed."
"It's not from me."
"I know, but she doesn't and I want to keep it that way. Besides," she fully sat up, "she doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. So now it doesn't matter if she knows or not."
"Okay, then if it's not from me, who is it from?" he questioned, beginning to open it.
"Hey!" She snatched it from him. "It's my letter." She pointed to her name, which was messily handwritten on the envelope. "It has my name on it."
"Okay then." He leaned back. "Open it. I bet it's from a secret admirer that's jealous of our steamy relationship, writing to beg you to leave me and go to them."
"Ha ha. Very funny." She rolled her eyes, tearing the envelope open and pulling out the letter inside.
It was a single page, the edges torn and crinkled (one of the corners even appeared to have been burnt). She flipped it over, finding the messy writing only on one side.
"What does it say?" he asked as she read the large, single sentence.
She held it towards him. All that said on it was:
Our game of hide and seek has concluded – I found you.
- Z. F.
(Y/n) couldn't help but hide the horror on her face. Dazai immediately noticed and took the paper from her, reading it himself.
"Z. F.? You don't think—"
"It has to be... Zack Fujinuma is back and he's after me again." She stared at the ground, unable to breath. "No... no..."
"(Y/n), that's not possible." He grabbed her arm, turning her attention to him.
"How? That's his handwriting and he signed it!"
"(Y/n)," Dazai's face grew grim, "Zack Fujinuma died two years ago."
(a/n):
hey, y'all. so i wanted to wait until next week to publish the next chapter, but i got excited and decided to share it today instead. i'll obviously post another next friday, but i decided i want to post more in between since i am on summer break right now.
anyways, it got a bit spicy at the end, didn't it? i started blushing while writing it since i'm not used to it. DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING MORE THAN THAT, GOT IT?
alrighty, thank you for reading and see you next time! <3