The light illuminated the room, it felt colder than it was when I fell asleep, I reached my hand out trying to feel the warmth of another body but was met with the heavy void of no one's presence. I sat up quickly, making my head hurt and spin, ignoring the clear discomfort I rolled out of bed stumbling with the empty bottles decorating the floor and hitting my knee on the mattress. Mumbling curses I dragged myself out of the room.
"Osamu?" I said, my voice was raspy from the grogginess of waking up.
"Yes, love?" He answered by poking his head out of the kitchen, I let out a sigh of relief.
"You scared me, tonto" my voice sounded softer, my throat no longer choked by the tension and fear he might have done something stupid to himself.
"Sorry, but you wouldn't wake up, I tried literally everything, thought about pushing you out of bed but didn't want my ass kicked in the morning" he said as I made my way into the kitchen, he was making something by the stove but decided I was going to let him burn the apartment down, my eyelids feel heavy and were begging me to close them off.
"You slept like 14 hours, that's a lot. I think it's a fact that the more you bring her out the more it wears you down" He said, still giving his back to me and concentrating on whatever he was cooking.
"Maybe I should bring her out more, that way my body will get used to her and not shut down like this" I mumbled and he hummed in response. He turned around and placed a plate with a quesadilla on it and I smiled.
"Oh but we don't have-" I said but was cut off by Dazai putting a small jar in front of me.
"I stole some from your apartment" He said while taking a seat in front of me, he looks sleepy too.
"Who knew you were such a good-bad person" my words mocking his nice, yet criminal gesture, and put some of the home-made salsa that was in the jar on the quesadilla. He put some of it on his. Dazai can't handle spicy food but I noticed the more he hung out with me the more he appreciated the sweet pain of spicy food and salsas.
We ate in peace talking about meaningless things and got ready to go to work. I kept biting my lip, anxious about how the rest of the Agency members would react to yesterday's events, and how the information about it was handled. Dazai and I were walking towards the office hand in hand, I looked down at the bruises on my wrists, no longer pink or red, now a deep purple and yellow decorating the skin.
"It will be fine, they will act like nothing happened, if I am correct, which most of the time I am" Dazai told me reassuringly, as if I was worried about me, but I was worried about him, he was acting like nothing had happened and that could only mean he was pushing it away and it will bounce back, and I'll have to pick up the pieces of whatever breaks.
We entered the office walking on our tiptoes since we were late for work, as if we could sneak inside the room, but everyone faked not noticing us enter the building and take our respective seats in our own desks. Dazai's eyes and mine connected for a second in curiosity and confusion. Why has no one asked anything about what happened yesterday or why Kunikida didn't yell at us for being late.
"Can we just state the obvious?" Naomi was the one that surprisingly broke the forced silence.
Dazai and I were still staring at each other, our eyes wide as we expected the difficult questions to bomb us down.
"You got so many piercings, what is that all about?" Naomi said walking closer to Dazai and inspecting his face carefully, a youthful smile on her face.
"You look like a cow! That is very nice, I like it!" Kenji appeared behind Naomi, also looking at the new jewelry that adorned the handsome detective's face.
I turned to face Kunikida, who had a weird expression on his face, as if he was holding back a lot of words he wanted to say, he stared at me back and then his eyes traveled to my wrists, I hid them in response. The blond tall man stood up and walked towards the small kitchen. I didn't know if it was an indication for me to follow him but I did anyway. He was making some tea for himself.
"It won't appear in your record, don't worry about it. Have you given more thought about what I told you a while ago? Your sentence is going to end soon... just tell me and I'll print and sign the letter" He said while sipping his tea and walking out of the kitchen again, I followed him like a new puppy. Right before he sat back down on his desk I gave him a hug, and I felt him tense up, this man is not used to physical contact and I get why Dazai loved to annoy him.
"Everyone into the meeting room, we have a case to take care of" The President announced as he made his way to the conference room. I let go of Kunikida and walked hand in hand with Dazai, making silly dance moves while we got to the room.
"So, we were given a new job, a european businessman named Frederik Robinson is coming to town to conduct some business for his company, he is suspected of smuggling weapons and drugs, it seems that he is doing two things at the time, one is a legitimate transaction and the other the ilegal one. We need to find the buyer and the product before the deal is sealed. He is difficult to get to, he is heavily protected and doesn't go out of his hotel much, so let's think about ways to get the information quickly" The president ended his speech as he passed a folder with more facts about the mission and the person of interest.
As I read it said that he is accompanied by his daughter, a 20 year old problem child it seems, she has been jailed for petty crimes like theft, public intoxication, drug possession, and more of the same kind, she always walks free because her dad pays the bail. Honestly, poor woman, she has been living this life since her teenage years, must be tiring.
"How about we infiltrate hotel staff, that way we can get access to his room and to the person himself" Atsushi said, kind of shy but still giving his idea without being cornered, he has grown to be more confident with himself.
"Couldn't work, they will search the background of the people who work at the hotel, also to get hired right now would be suspicious" Dazai said, his head thrown back with his arms behind his head, eyes closed, clearly not interested in the meeting.
"How about we make a fake gang and try to buy the weapons, that way we get both the product and we catch them red handed" Tanizaki said, with a less confident voice than Atsushi.
"I mean with your ability we could try that, but we are not going to get the possible buyer, they will go into hiding making it very difficult for them to get caught" Dazai shot down another idea.
"How mean do we want to get?" I asked in a low tone, everyone turned to look at me. I wasn't usually the one with ideas, I am more of a soldier than a tactician.
"I mean, you broke a lady's arms, so it can't get meaner than that" Dazai whispered in a low tone but loud enough for everyone to hear, making the room fall silent.
"I am insane but I am your baby" I sang to him sweetly but hit him in the arm slightly, and he laughed. I giggled, everyone's faces were confused and shocked about our little jokes about physical violence.
"Can't believe we have the freaking Joker and Harley Quinn as co-workers" Yosano said and the rest of the members just nodded in disbelief.
"We can get mean... but I guess not that cruel" The President said trying to get the meeting back on track.
"Well... if we want information, there is a weak link. The man of interest has a daughter, she seems a little unstable, not so reliable, but it seems she is pretty close to her dad, so she must know things or at least have access to the information. So... we can use her to get what we want, I know it is mean, I warned you" I said, lifting my arms as if surrendering, because it was indeed kind of bad, but I guess it's better than illegal weapons and drugs in the city.
"But how are we going to get her to agree to tell us things?" Atsushi asked.
"Oh honey... don't we have the male manipulator by excellence in this room?" I said, pointing my finger to Dazai.
"This flirtatious, handsome, evil, and scheming man should be able to woo her into telling him everything we need to know, without the use of violence!" I said like I was selling a pyramid scheme.
"Only if you want tho..." I whispered to Dazai, forgetting it was him who had to do the work. He looked at me with a worried expression, everyone had the same look that Dazai did. I was confused.
"Why is everyone looking at me like that? Is that bad of an idea?" I asked.
"I mean are you comfortable with it? Dazai flirting with another girl?" Yosano asked me, her eyebrow raised high and her hands above her mouth as if thinking.
"Would it work? Could you do it?" I turned to face Dazai, ignoring Yosano's question. He looked at me like he didn't want to answer.
"yes...I can definitely do that... but wouldn't you be uncomfortable?" Dazai asked the question now that everyone was probably thinking.
"I mean, I don't love it, but if it's our best shot at it going smoothly, I think we should get it. All I am saying is that you can seduce her to get information, not telling you to fuck her, you do that and I'll cut your dick off, easy peasy" I said looking at my nials, they were getting a little too long but the lenght and the fact that were filed like claws helped when I needed to use my ability.
"Honestly, I am a little scared of you, and that kind of adds to the appeal" Dazai said, in a weird tone.
"You guys are disgusting" Atsushi said with a hand on his mouth as if he was going to throw up.
"I guess we have a plan..." The president said while everyone in the room was chatting about other things that were not the mission.
•••
She was put on the supporting team of the mission. For well known reasons she was the one doing reports, searching for locations, being on standby for emergencies, and just nothing directly with the fact that Dazai has gone on three dates with the little miss problem daughter named, Cassandra.
"I don't know how you do it, if Jun'ichiro was going out with someone else, even though it's fake, I would go crazy" Naomi said while sitting on his brother's desk.
"I gotta admit, it is a little weird..." Atsushi said, backing Naomi up, but ignoring the unsettling fact about the casual mention of incest.
"I am not a jealous person. I think that, to love, to care, to give affection, is a choice and should be a choice. The act of love shouldn't be coerced or demanded, it is a present that you wrap carefully because you want it to be appreciated. It sounds a little cheesy, but the affection you give by choice will always be pure and it will get through. That's why I don't feel the need to defend a romantic or even platonic relationship, if it cannot be held by two hands, then maybe we should let it fall and break." The young woman said while looking through the window, ignoring the pile of paperwork surrounding her desk.
"That sounds poetic" Kyoka said in a low tone, her youthful eyes shining with the idea of love that she cannot comprehend just yet.
"I have been hanging with Chuuya way too much I guess" She laughed a little while turning to face the young member of the Agency.
"I choose to believe Dazai, and if my trust cannot be sustained, then, let it crash and burn, but cheating is something I definitely don't think I can forgive" She ended her statement and continued to work on the reports about the mission.
The door suddenly opened, revealing the class clown himself wearing a big grin taking big steps into the room, he walked directly to the girl with two strands of white hair, who looked at him with one of her eyebrows raised, he took one of her arms and pulled her to himself, spinning her around while hugging her.
"I miss you so much, it's horrible having to talk to someone I don't find interesting, awful really, maybe I should just give up and let the city collapse in violence!" The tall man said while putting the girl down until her feet touched the ground.
"You better be nice to her, we are using her so she at least should get the time of her life" The young woman said to her lover pointing a wiggly finger with unfocusing eyes because of the twirls.
"You are a weird girlfriend" The lanky detective said in a mocking tone, they both laughed.
"I have something to ask you though, my very weird but lovely lover" He added, his tone a little more tense and serious.
That's how she got herself on lookout duty. Sitting by herself with a book inside a coffee shop that was in front of the restaurant where Dazai and Cassandra were having lunch. Apparently, there was another case that needed the Agency's help, so Kunikida, who was the one supposed to be in that coffee shop, had to assist the other emergency, and now, she was stuck seeing her boyfriend be a boyfriend to someone else.
'It's not that bad... I thought I would want to kill her' She thought to herself as she saw the girl laugh and hide her face with her hands, at Dazai's flirtatious remarks probably, or maybe a stupid joke. She was losing herself in her thoughts and not focusing on her surroundings.
"That's a nice book" A voice snapped her out of the labyrinth of her mind. A man was in front of her, young but older than her, foreign, handsome and masculine features on his face, dirty blond hair and freckles, eyes emerald green.
"Oh.. I- um..." She found herself unable to respond, taken aback by not only the beauty of the man before her, but the fact that she recognized him as Emanuel Lange, Cassandra's bodyguard and driver.
"Sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I am so sorry, I'll leave now!" The man said, raising his hands as if touching an invisible wall between him and the woman in front of him.
"Oh god no!, don't worry about it, I was just in deep thought! Please don't apologize!" She said, standing up and also lifting her hands in the same way as the man in front of her, her cheeks grew red and neither of them made a move for a second, making the scene look awkward.
'I have to do something' She thought, as she saw the best possible outcome of this weird encounter.
"Do you want to take a seat? I am here for a vacation and it's refreshing to see someone speak my language..." She said laughing awkwardly, hoping he would take the bait.
'Emanuel Lange, he is very young to be a bodyguard, he got the job just a month ago, he is new and looks kind of naive, if I play my cards right, I could get some intel' She thought to herself while presenting a shy smile to the person that was thinking her proposal.
"Sure... why not, it is nice to talk to someone without thinking exactly what I am going to say! I am Emanuel" He said while sitting down and extending his hand for me to take.
"I know right! My name is Alicia" She said, putting on a spanish accent and taking his hand to shake it.
"So... Carrie, awesome book, the movies not so much" Emanuel said, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Yeah... it's one of King's best works, the only movie that's superior to the book is The Shining" She answered as she raised her arm and flickering her wrist as if stating something obvious.
"You gotta be kidding me... what about It, the movies are a classic!" He said, putting his elbows into the table and moving his body closer to the table and to her.
"I mean they are good, and there are some questionables scenes in the book that thankfully were left out but, still, The Shining is better, and I will die on this hill" She said, putting her hands down and closing her eyes, looking like she was done with a negotiation.
"Fine, I'll fold just for today" He said, a goofy smile on his face.
"So... what brings you here today, Emanuel?" She asked in a sweet voice, faking innocence.
"Uh, I guess that, um..." He struggled to find the right words as he looked around the room for a way to answer.
"Oh sorry... I didn't mean to pry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, we just met after all..." She said looking down at the floor, embarrassment on her face as she held her cup of coffee closer.
"It's been a while since I had a nice conversation with someone... I guess I forgot how to socialize" She added with a nervous laugh. He looked at her with almost pity.
"Why is that? If you don't mind asking..." He asked, not a trace of malice in his voice, he was actually curious to know the answer.
"Um... coming here was kind of like an escape for me, metaphorical and literally. A while ago I was with someone who was kind of abusive, and so I became isolated... I thought that by running away, going to a place where no one knew me, I could start again... but its proven more difficult than anticipated" She said, adding some casual truths to her lies to be believable, if her hunch was right, he was going to take compassion on her, bodyguards are supposed to protect...
"I am sorry you had to live through that, it makes sense why you were so surprised by me talking to you out of nowhere, I am really really sorry..." He said with eyes full of understanding and care.
'I am feeling kind of bad now'
"It's okay, I am traveling alone too... so I am always kind of on edge" She answered laughing.
"Oh, I am traveling here for work... I am a... driver for the daughter of my boss, she is... something, but she is a good person deep down, just a little bit troubled" He started spilling some beans and she held her smirk from decorating her lips.
"Sucks to be here working, there are some nice places around!" She said ignoring the information he was giving her so she would be suspicious.
"The work aint that bad, but right now the girl is dating a local that I just cannot stand, he feels fake..." He said with a low and more serious tone, and the girl felt her back tense.
"What do you mean? Is he rude to her or something?" She asked while taking a sip of her coffee trying to see if Dazai had made a mistake, which was unlikely.
"Not really... you are going to think I am crazy, but his eyes feel empty and his words shallow, it's not only with her... he talks to everyone like that, maybe I am being too harsh on him or I don't know, just can't help but worry about Cass..." His voice was soft, as if he was talking to himself.
"Oh shit, am I oversharing? Sorry if it's not that interesting..." He added, his eyes looking at the floor.
"I think it is sweet of you to worry, that girl is lucky to have you as her driver" She answered in an honest and reassuring voice, she reached her hand and placed it on top of his, squeezing it softly.
There was a moment of silence, and she looked through the coffee shop window to the restaurant, Dazai was looking at her, with a dead stare while Cassandra was talking to him about something. The browned haired man and Lilith locked eyes for a second and then she broke the staring contest. She hasn't lifted her hand off Emanuel's.
"Oh sorry, I- I got distracted again..." She said taking her hand off quickly, and placing both of her hands on her lap.
"It's fine really! This has been really nice, I also have been kind of isolated lately, work related isolation though, my boss has been really busy... it was nice drinking a cup of coffee with a pretty woman!" He said while laughing nervously and running a hand through his hair.
"It really is nice... thank you for startling me and pulling me out of my head!" She said with a smile on her face. Even though most of the talk was with the intention to get information and advantage, she cannot deny it was enjoyable.
"This is going to sound weird but... can I get your number? Maybe we could do this again?" He asked and she almost raised her eyebrow at the sudden confidence of the man. She opened her mouth as if to say something but couldn't respond immediately, after a few seconds she reached for her purse. Giving her the number of the untraceable phone Chuuya gave her.
"text you later then! I have to go, Cass is done with her date, I'll try no to be so harsh on him... I'll let you know if I succeeded! Bye!" He said as he reached and kissed her cheek as goodbye, leaving her with a surprised face, it's been a while since other men that are not Dazai, Chuuya, or Kenji kissed her cheek.
She watched him go, and after five minutes she saw him pick up Cassandra that was waiting with Dazai on the sidewalk. After the girl got inside the car, Dazai turned to the coffee shop window, looking straight at his girlfriend, a serious and empty expression on his face. His eyes half closed and heavy. She knew his expression very well, the emotion he was giving off was not something she usually received from him.
It was anger.