I've been writing for about 4 years, but I decided to try it in English (not my native language) that's why I'm waiting for your orders, ideas, etc ᅠ 📍
fandoms
dni:
homo/t/queerphobes ; gender hatred ; misogyny ; pedo/zoo/necro etc. philia ; just evil people ; people who support violence (wars)
cr: I couldn't find the original artist, I'd be glad if you could help! In the meantime, here's the link I got it from.
Summary (request):
As a well-known streamer, Kenma knows the consequences of being too close to his audience, so he doesn't particularly like to feature you on his streams. One time, you called him right during the broadcast and you ask for help, which is why he turns off the stream early, completely forgetting to double-check whether he really turned it off?
DISCLAIMER
english is not my native language, I try to improve it when I write fanfiction! ; i don't use AI to write my fanfics, to come up with ideas, etc. I only use AI to check spelling and errors in the use of any set expressions (because english is not my native language) (i will repeat this for a very long time)
READER WARNING
dentist and toothache; description of dental procedures; gn?; quite a fluff story
It turns out I forgot to add tags the first time💀
_________________________________________________
---
The white walls of the dental clinic hallway are oppressive and blinding. Your cheek is numb, throbbing with a sharp, shooting pain that becomes more unbearable by the second. You're at the dentist. Initially, it was supposed to be a simple filling - a pretty mundane, routine procedure that goes off without a hitch 90% of the time. But apparently, fate decided today that you deserved to be among the "lucky" 10% and experience a whole circle of hell in the evil world of dentistry. Just a few moments ago, sitting with your mouth wide open in that terrifying chair, you cried out from a sudden flash of pain, and the doctor immediately yanked the drill away in fright. Your vision instantly went dark, and the doctor began hastily making excuses, explaining that while drilling out the decay, he went too deep and accidentally hit a nerve. Now you're sitting in a stuffy hallway, waiting in line for another room, clutching a piece of cotton soaked in pungent medicine just in case you start to pass out. With tears in your eyes blurring your vision, you stare at the contact "Ken-Kenma ❤️" in your phonebook. You know perfectly well that he's streaming right now. You know how much he dislikes it when you intrude on his streams or make an appearance, but the situation at this exact second has crossed all acceptable limits. You need help.
Kenma was an incredibly private person, and this applied not only to his emotions but also to his personal life, which he fiercely protected from his audience. He didn't forbid you from appearing on his streams out of shame, awkwardness, or a desire to hide something. On the contrary, he considered you the most attractive, important, and beloved person in the entire universe - and that was exactly why he was terrified. He had heard hundreds of stories where internet personalities revealed their significant others to the public, only for it to end in an absolute nightmare: fans, driven by jealousy and toxic possessiveness, would start harassing their partners, which sooner or later led to painful breakups. Kenma was willing to endure anything directed at him, but he could never forgive himself if his popularity became the cause of your tears or discomfort.
Still, despite his pathological secrecy, he let his fans know one thing: his subscribers knew he wasn't single. During long streams, your mysterious hand would occasionally bring him food or water, or you would simply pop into the room to check on him and give him a quick kiss on the cheek, carefully covering the camera with the sleeve of your hoodie. Kenma had heard your requests to play together on stream or join him for a movie night with his audience countless times, but he gently refused every single time. He was so scared of the potential backlash against you that he even kept your name a secret. People were unlikely to doxx you based on your hands, but finding someone's social media by their name nowadays is a piece of cake.
---
The dark room, illuminated only by a dim desk lamp and the familiar purple LEDs on the wall, had become the quintessential aesthetic of the streamer Kenmapie. Quiet, barely audible background music filled the space while Kenma lazily talked into his microphone. Only an hour had passed since the broadcast started; he was idly reacting to YouTube videos and discussing them with chat. The calm, almost sleepy atmosphere abruptly shifted to awkward when an insistent phone ring suddenly echoed through the room.
"Give me a sec, guys, I'm getting a call..." Kenma frowned, looking at the screen. He knew you had his streaming schedule memorized down to the minute, so getting a call from you right now brought him a huge wave of surprise, which instantly morphed into anxiety. He knew that if you decided to call, something extraordinary must have happened - something that couldn't wait until the stream was over. "Hello? Yeah, I'm streaming. What's up?"
You flinched a little, both from the pain and from how Kenma tried to sound cold and detached to avoid drawing unwanted attention from his viewers. Your boyfriend always believed you shouldn't get too close to your audience, so he dialed back his real emotions by about 60% whenever he was live.
"Ken, it's so bad..." Your voice broke and trembled. You were crying, and your words were slurred and messy because half your mouth was completely numb. He tensed up instantly, his shoulders squaring as all the fake coldness in his voice melted into that special warmth he reserved solely for comforting you in your moments of weakness.
"What's wrong? Did the doctor say something?"
"No... but he... he hit a nerve, and it hurts so much right now... It even hurts to just sit here with my mouth relaxed... Can you come pick me up?"
"Right now? Kitten, I'm streaming..."
"I'm waiting in line for the examination room... There are so many people here, so I won't even get in for another hour..."
Kenma closed his eyes for a moment, his brow furrowing. He didn't want to end the stream this early - they usually lasted around five hours - but his heart ached with worry. He wanted nothing more than to drop everything, drive over, and get you.
"Alright, I'll end early and come get you, okay? Text me when you figure out exactly how many people are ahead of you... Okay, talk to you later, bye..."
Kozume waited until you replied with a "bye" before hanging up, carefully placing his phone on the desk right in front of him just in case you needed to text him again.
Chat reacted immediately:
AOSK202: bro did something happen?
jessymit: you got so sad all of a sudden :(
aoaoapop: kenmaaaaa i'm crying when you look so sad 😭😭
Kenma glanced up at the chat and let out a soft chuckle. Of course, the slightest display of human emotion caused a massive reaction from his audience, since they were so used to his usual stoicism.
"Everything's fine, guys... it's gonna be a short stream today, well... you heard it yourselves, I need to go pick someone up." Kenma shifted in his chair, trying to look more relaxed even though his entire body remained tense. "I don't know if I can talk about it yet... Well, definitely not right now, anyway. So, where were we?"
---
An hour later, trying to wrap things up as quickly as possible without going into details, he brought the broadcast to a close.
"Alright guys, that's it for today. Thanks everyone for the donos and for hanging out. Since today's stream was cut almost in half, I think Sunday's will be a bit longer. Anyway, I'll post all the updates on Twitter, so keep an eye out there. Bye everyone!"
Kenma reached for his keyboard with a familiar motion. On any other day, ending the stream was accompanied by his personal, ironclad ritual: wait for the gray "offline" button to light up in the software, mute the mic, and physically unplug the camera. He was meticulous and never made mistakes.
But in the exact fraction of a second when his fingers hovered over the right keys, his phone screen flashed brightly on the desk. A text from you had just come through: "Ken... It's my turn in line, I'm scared."
All of his highly praised streamer composure evaporated in an instant. His heart painfully clenched. His fingers, trembling from a sudden spike of panic for you, missed the keyboard shortcuts by a fraction of an inch. Instead of the hotkey combination to end the broadcast, he reflexively hit the adjacent one - the one that switched the scene to full-screen webcam. Without even glancing at his monitors, Kenma ripped off his headphones, threw them on the desk, and bolted out the door. Right now, he didn't care about software or settings. He only cared that the most precious person in his life needed help now.
Silence reigned in his sanctuary once again, the LEDs glowing softly on the wall... and the little red light glowing on his camera, which was still broadcasting his empty room live.
Chat absolutely lost it:
qwerty67: bro fat-fingered the hotkeys and full-screened his facecam instead of ending stream ☠️
sccrrtkek: LMAOOOO
swetttykittty: wow guys, this is my first time seeing the wall behind his perpetually closed door... looks like we're one step closer to a room tour stream
kerroken | MOD: i am NOT telling him he forgot to end stream. what an idiot lol 🙊
Maybe the most secretive streamer in the world should have double-checked that everything was turned off with at least one eye, but right now his thoughts were consumed entirely by the fact that you had spent almost two hours in that damn dental clinic, half of which you were forced to endure excruciating pain.
---
The front door slammed, signaling that you were back. The sound echoed through the apartment and was picked up perfectly by the microphone in the streaming room.
swetttykittty: oh, sounds like they're back
jojomalife: did y'all seriously just stare at an empty room for a whole hour?
kerroken | MOD: @jojomalife yeah and I STILL haven't told him about it lol today is my last day as a mod ✌️✌️✌️
jojomalife: @kerroken wait but there are other mods besides you, nobody texted him?
kerroken | MOD: @jojomalife lol today is OUR last day as mods ✌️✌️✌️
spookyscaryhomewaork: F in the chat for the mods
Your head was still spinning, and your tongue felt huge and completely uncooperative due to the double dose of anesthesia. While the doctor in the second exam room professionally poked around in your mouth, you were relieved to hear that the situation wasn't critical and everything would be fine, but you still had to endure a few painful injections right into your gums. You were exhausted.
"Wanna lie down on the couch in my room? I'll be right there, we can play some games on the console together to distract you a bit. Does it still hurt?" Kenma's voice came through crystal clear on the stream through the open door. His quiet, monotone drawl that viewers were so used to had taken on such an incredible tenderness and care that it felt almost too intimate to witness. He spoke to you as if you were made of glass.
kerosiiin: ngl i imagined him talking to her the exact same way he talks to his dota teammates
Having changed into soft loungewear that smelled like fabric softener, you hesitantly walked into the room. Kenma was already waiting for you. He gently grabbed you by the waist, guiding you onto the sofa, and let you get comfortable: you threw your leg over him and rested your head squarely on his chest. Right beneath your ear, his heartbeat thumped in a steady, soothing rhythm. Kenma draped a blanket over your shoulders and placed a controller in your hands, booting up some simple, low-key co-op game. His entire world had shrunk down to just you, so the little red light on his camera, still broadcasting away, remained completely unnoticed.
You played for about an hour. The PC tower hummed in the background, creating a comforting white noise around you. Kenma intentionally went easy on you, moving his character slower and constantly covering your back in the game, whispering quiet encouragements. His free hand repeatedly threaded through your hair, affectionately playing with the strands to soothe you. Gradually, the soporific effect of the strong painkillers began to take its toll. Your movements on the thumbsticks grew increasingly sluggish, your responses fading into sleepy mumbles until the controller finally slipped from your weakened grip.
When Kenma noticed that your character had been running into a wall and that you were sound asleep, your nose buried deep in his hoodie, a faint, deeply loving smile touched his lips. He froze for a few minutes, terrified of disturbing your slumber, before carefully setting his controller aside. Scooping you up into his arms and trying to avoid any sudden movements, he carried you to the bedroom. His physical stamina might have deteriorated a bit since his volleyball days, but it was still more than enough to carry you. Laying you down on the bed, he lovingly tucked you in, pressed a feather-light kiss to your temple, and closed the door quietly behind him.
Returning to his streaming room, Kenma sank back into his chair with a soft exhale. He stretched, working out the stiffness in his back, lazily swept his gaze across his desk and... froze.
His cat-like eyes slowly went wide. Chat was moving at a breakneck speed, and the broadcast indicator was glowing a traitorous red. The stream had been live this entire time.
Kenma covered his face with his hand, letting out a deep, defeated sigh. On his second monitor, Discord notifications were already blinking wildly from his moderators, who were sitting in a voice channel and apparently having the time of their lives.
Wearing an expression of righteous fury—though the corners of his lips were betraying him by twitching upwards—Kenma put his headset back on and tabbed into Discord, now consciously continuing the broadcast.
bloomp
Kenmapie has joined the voice channel "admins"
"So let me get this straight, I pay you guys to watch my streams and moderate the chat, and you didn't even bother to drop a single letter to tell me I forgot to turn off my camera?!" His voice sounded artificially menacing. The "furious boss" persona lasted exactly one second before he burst out laughing himself.
"Boss, you gotta understand, it was so funny and ridiculous that we..."
"That your paychecks are gonna be funny and ridiculous from now on!" Kenma slapped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud and quickly disconnected from the voice channel.
Left one-on-one with his audience, he leaned closer to the microphone, resting his chin in his hand.
"So, guys... who are these 5,000 people who just spent two hours watching my domestic life in complete silence? Hm?" He chuckled softly again, shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation, and switched scenes to his desktop, bringing up a short YouTube video.
"Shall we continue the stream, then? Just quieter than usual, since my wife is already sleeping..."
The word "wife" slipped from his lips so easily and naturally, as if he said it every single day. Then again, in his head, he already did.
swetttykittty: WIFE?! i knew staying here the whole time was worth it, we now know 0.009% more about kenma!
Kenma read that comment out loud, and that same warm smile—the one he usually saved exclusively for you—appeared on his face once more.
"I think I should probably private this VOD... haha... I want to be a secretive guy, and that's a whole 0.009%."
---
Needless to say, the VOD stayed on the channel, though it was retitled to: "comforting my wife after the dentist and firing my mods"?
мI feel a little awkward writing my request because I don't speak English at all... and it's also very strange because this is my dream, but I hope you understand me 😭
the reader is a girl of about 20 (younger than Dazai), who hasn't been working at the agency for very long and is trying to combine studies and work, so she only works during the holidays. Dazai is an asshole who can't say what he feels for her because he's afraid of "spoiling" her, so he treats her like... a little sister?? But at the same time, he's much closer to her in reality and in the end he kisses her
it would be nice if there was a touch of drama too!!! 😋😋😋
ohhhh this is very interesting 👻👻
I liked your idea, but I changed it a little because the original idea reminded me of mental incest?? I hate it
DISCLAIMER
english is not my native language, I try to improve it when I write fanfiction! ; i don't use AI to write my fanfics, to come up with ideas, etc. I only use AI to check spelling and errors in the use of any set expressions (because english is not my native language) (i will repeat this for a very long time)
READER WARNING
mention of blood; mention of wounds; situationship?; a little bit of evil Dazai; deviation from the canon is possible; no y/n; I tried to make it gn?? I'm not really sure I succeeded, but I'm trying and learning from my mistakes!
---
The city was languishing in the lingering July heat. The sticky, humid air felt like it could be cut with a knife; it lodged in your lungs, making it difficult to breathe. The sun mercilessly burned your eyes, turning the asphalt into a melting black river. You could only pray for a thunderstorm to break by evening, bringing long-awaited coolness to the scorching streets of Yokohama.
It was the end of July. For ordinary students, vacation had just begun—a time of wild parties, long trips to the seaside, and the chance to finally get some sleep. But you couldn't afford the luxury of lying in bed all day and eating takeout—you had to work.
Your "job" at the Armed Detective Agency had been going on for a couple of years now. And the quotation marks weren't accidental: combining university studies with protecting the city from criminals was grueling work. You had to hand it to Director Fukuzawa for welcoming you, a talented student, into their "agent family." He allowed you to work a flexible schedule: only during holidays and on days when the university was closed.
When you were first given these terms, a feeling of dread settled within you. It seemed the other employees wouldn't take you seriously, or even despise you. But reality turned out to be far kinder than you had feared: everyone accepted your schedule calmly, and you even managed to become genuine friends with some.
The doorbell chimed melodically, announcing your arrival at the office. You stepped through the door, a little flushed from the heat, but with a smile on your face.
"Hello everyone!" You hung your bag on the coat rack by the entrance with a familiar gesture.
"Good morning. Has vacation started?" Kunikida was the first to look up. "I marked your schedule last year; you weren't supposed to leave until a week later."
"Yes, but I was allowed to leave early because of my activities at the university," you said, sitting down at your empty desk, greeting the others along the way. "Besides, the dean's office knows where I work, so they usually don't have any questions."
Kunikida chuckled knowingly and returned to his monitor, simultaneously telling you the latest Agency news.
After a while, the sound of bells pierced the room again. A mop of brown hair appeared in the doorway, and brown eyes instantly caught your bag on the hanger.
"Is someone's vacation starting?" a clear voice echoed through the office like bullets, but all of them were aimed at only one person—you. "Oh, come on! I thought you'd at least text me ahead of time that school was over... I would have prepared for my encounter with my belladonna!"
This time, his voice was quieter, with that degree of seriousness he only allowed himself with you. Dazai approached the desk and hugged you from behind in a possessive manner—this greeting had become his tradition. It was Dazai who first spoke to you at the Agency, who first invited you out for a walk after work. His warm, if slightly eccentric, attitude gave you confidence.
In fact, having become close to Dazai, you found yourself in an emotional trap, completely losing track of who exactly you were to him.
At first, everything was quite innocent. You thought he saw you as a little sister. Knowing Dazai was single, you easily convinced yourself that this brilliant but lonely guy was simply looking for a piece of family. The age difference was so small, it only heightened the feeling of a sibling bond. He would bring you coffee, steal a pen from your desk to get your attention, or ruffle your hair as he passed. You got used to it.
But then something subtly changed.
The calls by your first name gradually disappeared, replaced by a drawling, low-voiced "Belladonna" or "Beauty." His touch changed, too. Those hugs from behind, which had once been quick and playful, began to linger. He would come up to you while you were filling out reports, wrap his arms around your waist, rest his chin on the top of your head, and stay there for several minutes. You could feel the warmth of his body through your shirt, catch the subtle scent of his cologne mixed with the scent of bandages and bitter coffee, and each time, your heart skipped a beat.
The late-night messages started popping up. Sometimes, at two or three in the morning, while you were poring over your notes, your phone screen would light up. Dazai might send you some stupid joke about Kunikida or a philosophical question about the meaning of life, but behind it all, you could always tell one thing: he was awake and thinking about you.
These conflicting signals were driving you crazy. You pushed romantic thoughts away, afraid to ruin everything, until one incident happened.
It was a simple mission—to track down a common con man with no abilities. Dazai volunteered to take you with him. But during the arrest, the criminal panicked, pulled out a knife, and slashed your arm. The wound wasn't deep, just a scratch, but Dazai's reaction turned your world upside down. One second he'd been joking around, the next his face turned to stone. His gaze fixed on the con man became so dark and withering that the criminal dropped the knife, trembling with terror. Dazai stepped toward you, intercepted your wounded arm, and his movements, usually so smooth and lazy, became abrupt and nervous. He treated the cut, his long fingers trembling slightly.
That day, you finally understood: that's not how you look at "little sisters." That's how you look at those you're deathly afraid of losing. After that incident, the dark-haired detective promised never to take you on missions again, so as not to put you in danger. But today, circumstances proved stronger than his promises...
---
"Despite your lateness, Dazai, you're right on time. A play on words, naturally." Kunikida glanced at you and gestured for you to follow him.
You gathered around the whiteboard. Kunikida had pinned several photos to it, and just looking at them made you feel nauseous. The pictures were of young girls—students, similar to you.
"A serial rapist and murderer," Kunikida began dryly, concealing his emotions. "He operates in residential areas. Lures or stalks lonely girls. We know he's an esper, but we don't know the nature of his ability—something to do with capturing. The problem is, he's like a ghost: he leaves no evidence, and he doesn't show up on cameras. The only way to catch him is to catch him red-handed. We need bait. One that perfectly suits his type."
Dazai, who had been leaning casually against the table until now, immediately straightened up. His gaze slid over the photos of the victims, then to you, and a cold, calculating strategist's mind gleamed in his brown eyes. He understood everything faster than the others.
"No," he snapped, his voice clanking like metal. "She won't go alone. I forbid you to use her as bait."
"Dazai, be reasonable," Kunikida frowned. "He won't fall for Yosano. Kyouka's a teenager, not his type. And Naomi won't be able to control herself and will scare him off with panic. She's our only chance."
Dazai stepped forward, shielding you.
"She rarely uses her ability. If that bastard attacks unexpectedly, she won't have time to react. I won't risk her life for..."
"Then we'll add security," Atsushi intervened, seeing the situation escalating. "Kunikida-san and I will secure the perimeter. You'll guard the flank. The three of us can definitely protect her."
A heavy silence fell over the office. You saw Dazai's back tense. As a brilliant detective, he understood Atsushi's plan was perfect. As a man terrified of losing the little light he had in his life, he hated it with every fiber of his being.
"Fine," he finally muttered, not turning to you. "But I'll be on the comms every second. If she makes a single peep, I'll shut down the operation and rip out that maniac's spine."
---
The air in the park was much more pleasant. The tall, old trees created dense shade, softening the July sun's glare somewhat. You walked along the narrow path in your usual summer clothes, trying to appear relaxed. You had an earpiece in your ear, and your phone, broadcasting your geolocation to Dazai, Atsushi, and Kunikida, was in your bag.
"Judging by our recordings, it should be a man in his mid-thirties, with dark hair and most likely carrying something... all the victims had cuts. I don't think he'd just be carrying a knife in his hand, most likely in a bag or some kind of toy," Kunikida's voice sounded even and professional in the earpiece.
You swallowed uncomfortably, feeling your heart begin to beat faster. The shade of the trees, which had previously seemed soothing, now oppressed you. The air here was stale, smelling of rotting leaves and hot dust. The vibration of your phone in your bag made you flinch.
Notification.
*New message from Dazai.*
You didn't even have time to smile at the screen. A huge, sweaty hand clamped roughly over your mouth, forcing your head back, and the other hand dug an iron grip around your waist, lifting you off the ground. The nauseating smell of sour sweat, stale alcohol, and dirty clothes assaulted your nose. A primal, paralyzing terror gripped your body before you could even flinch.
The cold steel of the blade grazed your throat, leaving a searing scratch. A thin trickle of blood ran down your neck.
"Boyfriend texting you?" Wet, vile lips touched your ear, hot breath burning your skin. "Put your phone down, slut, and listen carefully. One wrong move and I'll slit your throat so deep you'll choke on your own blood."
Atsushi was screaming furiously in the earpiece, but his voice was drowned out by the noise of the blood pulsing in your temples. The bastard's hand slid lower, roughly and painfully crushing your thigh, unceremoniously pressing your back against his groin.
"Tell me, do you often follow the news, baby? Why do you walk around alone, knowing that girls your age are being fucked and killed?" The blade pressed into your skin so hard it became difficult to swallow.
"O-often..." A raspy wheeze escaped your throat, a pitiful plea. Your stomach twisted, and nausea rose in your throat.
The phone in your bag vibrated again, bursting with messages. The maniac growled lowly, snatched the bag from your hands, and flung it aside. The phone fell to the pavement with a crunch of shattering glass. The next second, the man threw you hard into the thicket.
You flew several meters, hitting your back hard against a tree trunk. All the air was knocked from your lungs. A terrible pain flared in your knees—the hard ground and sharp, dry branches tore your skin to shreds.
"It's okay! We're close! Don't you dare provoke him!" Kunikida yelled into the earpiece, but his words didn't save you from the shadow looming over you.
The maniac advanced, disgustedly wiping the blade of his knife on his pants.
"Your boy won't make it, pretty girl. I'll tear you apart first," he bared his teeth, and at that moment, his right hand glowed with a sickly green light.
The ground beneath you shook. Thick, misshapen vines pierced the soil like enormous snakes and instantly wrapped themselves around your wounded legs. Thorns the size of nails mercilessly tore through the fabric of your clothes, digging deep into your calves and thighs. You screamed—a piercing, hoarse scream, the pain unbearable. The vines tightened, crushing your skin and pinning you in place. The pervert stepped up close, grabbed you by the hair, forcing your face up, and pressed a knife to your cheek.
A deafening shot shattered your eardrums.
The grip on your hair disappeared. The maniac let out a wild, inhuman shriek. The bullet hadn't just hit him in the leg—it had shattered his kneecap into a bloody mess. He collapsed in the mud, howling and choking on drool, rolling at your feet.
Atsushi and Kunikida burst out from behind the trees like white lightning, knocking the bastard face-first into the ground and twisting his arms so hard his knuckles cracked.
But you weren't looking at them. Dazai was emerging from the shadows of the alley.
There was nothing left in him of the goofy detective you knew. His face was pale as a corpse, and his eyes... His brown irises seemed black, bottomless pits. Such a primal, concentrated darkness swirled within them that just looking at it made you feel colder than a knife blade at your throat. He was a Demon. And he was coming to kill.
Dazai walked up to the screaming maniac and pointed the gun at the back of his head. His finger was already on the trigger. For a second, it seemed like he was about to blow his brains out right before your eyes. But Atsushi said quietly, pleadingly, "Dazai-san... she's watching."
Dazai froze. He swallowed hard. He lowered the gun and was at your side in two steps. As soon as his cold fingers touched the bloody vine, it crumbled into blue dust. The ability was nullified.
You staggered, losing consciousness from the pain, but didn't fall. Dazai scooped you up in his arms. He held you so desperately, as if he were afraid you'd disappear. His long fingers rested on your neck, right over the skin scraped from the tree bark, staining it with your blood. He breathed heavily, nuzzling the top of your head, and a slight tremor ran through his body.
---
The rest of the day passed in a thick fog. As soon as you returned to the Agency, Dazai withdrew into himself. He sat on the couch in the corner of the office, arms crossed over his chest, and remained silent. Such a dark, oppressive aura emanated from him that even Kunikida didn't dare reprimand him for idleness. Dazai wasn't a detective now, but a ghost, still mentally killing that maniac in the park over and over again.
You were immediately taken to the infirmary. Luckily, your wounds weren't fatal, so Yosano didn't have to use her terrifying ability. She limited herself to simple bandages, antiseptic, and soothing tea, carefully treating your bloody knees and the cut on your neck.
When you limped out of the infirmary, Dazai was the first to look at you. His face was pale and drawn, his eyes frighteningly empty. But as soon as he saw you standing on your own two feet, alive and relatively safe, a stunning metamorphosis occurred within him.
You literally saw him take a deep breath, pushing his inner monster into the deepest recesses of his consciousness. The darkness in his eyes cleared, his shoulders relaxed. He jumped up from the couch, instantly plastering his signature wide, carefree smile onto his face, which had taken him a colossal amount of effort just now.
"Oh-oh-oh! My beautiful belladonna has returned from the hands of that merciless doctor!" he exclaimed in a deliberately cheerful voice, flying toward you. "I was so worried I almost tried to hang myself with Kunikida's tie!"
He joked, gesticulating wildly, and chattering about all sorts of nonsense, trying with all his might to erase the nightmare of today from your memory. He convinced Kunikida to let you go early (Kunikida muttered something about how you rarely worked anyway), and, taking you by the elbow, led you out.
The walk home passed in thick, stifling silence. The adrenaline receded, leaving behind a gnawing emptiness and a dull ache in your bandaged knees. The sun slowly set below the horizon, painting the sky orange-pink. Dazai insisted on sharing an ice cream cone, trying to joke about spending his last money on you, but his smile broke before reaching his eyes. He was still somewhere out there, in the park.
"My entrance is on the right..." you said quietly, stopping. Your voice still trembled slightly.
Dazai nodded silently and walked you to the door. When you turned to say goodbye, the smile faded completely from his face. He looked at you hard, scanning your face and remembering how it had looked when he'd approached you.
"Were you that scared?" His voice was muffled, almost hoarse.
"What?"
"That bastard. That he... touched you."
You looked away, feeling the lump and nausea rising in your throat again.
"I... It was disgusting. Not so much scary... more disgusting, that I couldn't even breathe."
Dazai took a step forward. His hands settled on your shoulders—firmly, but so carefully, as if you were made of the finest glass.
"If Atsushi hadn't pulled me back," he muttered, his voice once again icy and bloodcurdling, "I would have blown his brains out. And before that, I would have made him eat his own fingers—the very ones he dared to touch you with. I would have gutted him until he begged for death."
You raised your head, looking at the man in shock. There was no bluff in his eyes. It was pure, undisguised cruelty, terrifying, but... aimed only at protecting you.
"I would have done anything to make sure you were okay, no matter what," his tone suddenly softened, turning into a desperate whisper. His thumbs gently slid over your cheekbones, wiping away a single tear. "And I always will. Do you understand?"
He leaned toward your face. His breath burned your skin. He kissed your cheek, but it wasn't a friendly gesture. His lips lingered on your skin for far too long, hot, demanding. You felt him inhale your scent convulsively, as if trying to burn the stench of that alley from his memory.
"See you tomorrow, beautiful."
He pulled away first, though it took a Herculean effort. He turned and walked quickly down the street, hiding his hands in the pockets of his coat so you wouldn't see them clenched into fists, knuckles white.
His chest ached with a desperate desire to crush his lips against yours, to wipe away every foreign touch, and claim you entirely for himself. But right now, it was impossible. You were too pure, too bright. And he was a broken monster with hands elbow-deep in someone else's blood. More than anything in the world, Dazai feared that one day, his blood would stain you too.