lives in daydreams

You rub at your eyes with the heels of your palms, the bright light of your laptop screen becoming too much for them to handle. You feel like you’ve been staring at it the entire day, though, you’ve only been working on reports for an hour or so.

Today was just not a good report writing day and you’re tempted to take a page from Dazai’s book and disappear for a few hours. Or a few days.

You let out a sigh and lean back in your chair with a stretch, your head hanging over the back of the chair to look out at the sky through the window.

You lean back further to look down at the street, watching as dozens of people walk by, some with children, others with shopping bags, some running in a hurry and others taking a little stroll.

And then you find a familiar face amongst them. It was Hirotsu, walking casually down the pathway, his hands in his pockets.

It wasn’t entirely unusual to see someone from the Port Mafia out and about. It’s bound to happen when you live in the same city. And the office is located by many popular shops and cafes. Even so, you’re a bit surprised to see him there.

It’s been a few weeks since you first met Tachihara and you, foolishly, haven’t been able to get those amber eyes out of your head ever since. There was something about him that had gotten stuck in the back of your mind and it had become a growing agitation for you.

You had no business thinking about a Port Mafia member, you knew that. They were dangerous criminals whose actions only gave you more work. Though you guess you could be grateful for the job security. Even so, you’d be damned if you said you didn’t find the guy attractive. It’s too bad you’re supposed to hate each other.

You push away the thoughts with another exaggerated sigh and stretch your arms across your desk, resting your chin on the pile of papers in front of you. You’ve barely had your eyes closed for 10 seconds before you’re being tapped on the head.

You open your eyes and look up to see Kunikida standing above you, knocking you on the head with his notebook.

“Come on, Y/n,” he scolds, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “I need those reports done by the end of the day. No time for resting.” You groan loudly, spreading yourself further over the desk.

“These aren’t even my reports! Dazai was supposed to finish them.”

“Well, Dazai isn’t here and I still need them completed.”

“Ugh, why are you always dumping his work on me? Give it to Akiko, she’s not doing anything,” you comment with a pointed glare at your sister who only gives you a sly smile in return.

“I give it to you because I know you can be trusted to get it done on time.”

“Damn me and my timeliness,” you mutter and fold your arms under your head. “Just give me five minutes. If I read the words 'preliminary investigation summary' one more time, I think my eyes are going to fall out.”

Kunikida gives a huffy sigh, but doesn’t push any further.

“I was going to have you show Atsushi how to do it, but it seems the little brat has disappeared.”

“Cut him some slack, Kunikida. He’s only been here for a few days, he’ll need time to adjust,” you say, your words a bit muffled by your arms. “I just hope he doesn’t try to take off. I don’t think he’ll last long out there.”

“I say we let him leave if he wants to,” Ranpo comments, popping the marble into his soda bottle.

“You’re just jealous of the attention he’s been receiving,” Akiko says. Ranpo just averts his eyes, taking a swig of his drink.

“Speaking of receiving attention,” Kunikida starts, shifting his gaze over to the blond-haired boy sitting quietly at his desk doing his own work. “Kenji, you caused quite a stir in town the other day.”

“Haha, yeah, sorry about that.”

You close your eyes and lay your head back down as your mind tunes out the conversation now drifting into pointless reprimanding. You appreciate the moment of peace, even if it is filled with your coworkers jabbering.

Unfortunately, your moment of serenity is very short lived as the door to the office is suddenly blown off its hinges, flying into the room before shattering into pieces on the floor.

You lift your head up but don’t bother to stand, even as a group of men in suits, armed to the teeth, clamber into the office with guns pointed. Machine guns. That’s excessive. There’s a moment of tense silence before three people push their way to the front of the group.

The Black Lizard. You feel your chest tighten, but not out of fear, more out of pure annoyance. So that’s why Hirotsu was here. He wasn’t in this part of town to get a nice cup of coffee, he was here for an attempted raid. You were already having a tiresome day, this is unwanted.

Hirotsu gives an insincere apology for the intrusion, but you don’t hear any of the conversation after when you see the familiar face beside him.

Those honey-gold eyes you’ve annoyingly had stuck in your head for weeks. The smirk plastered on Tachihara’s face falters when his gaze meet yours, like he’s surprised to see you. He knows you work for the ADA, why wouldn’t you be here?

You don’t have time to think about it as gunfire rings out. You drop to the floor, dragging most of the items on the desk with you. You grab your stapler and launch it at the head of one of the gunmen, knocking him out.

The rapid gunfire slows as the others quickly handle the situation. Feet shuffle past you as you lay on the floor under the desk and you recognize one of the pairs of shoes. You reach out for them, effectively tripping the person they belong to.

Tachihara tumbles to the floor in front of you, whipping his head around to see what caught him.

“What the hell!” You snap. You know you can’t expect much. You’re not friends, not even good acquaintances. But this was insane. He blinks at you before that smirk creeps back onto his face.

“Don’t get mad at me, I’m just following orders,” he smirks and your face heats. Whether it’s with a blush or out of anger, you’re honestly not sure. Whatever happened to not wanting war?

You open your mouth to say more, but before you can, Kenji is quickly lifting him from the floor and out of your view.

The gunfire by this point has completely stopped and you decide it’s probably safe to stand now. You wrap your hand around the broken off leg of a chair nearby and get to your feet. As soon as you’re vertical, one of the men charges at you in an attempt to take you down.

You sidestep and swing your stick into the back of his head, bringing him to the floor. Just as the man crashes, Atsushi comes bursting through the door, intense fear on his face. But his fear is quickly replaced by dumbfoundedness as he takes in the scene before him.

Whoever these mafia members were, they weren’t very difficult to deal with. Even the Black Lizard had been taken care of, their unconscious forms laying on the floor.

Kunikida scolds Atsushi for disappearing while the rest of you take in the mess that you now have to clean up.

“What should we do with them?” Kenji asks. Kunikida gives him a look as though he should already know the obvious answer.

“Just throw them out the window,” he instructs calmly. “Y/n, heal their injuries before Kenji tosses them out.”

You groan and look around the room, the various members scattered around as well as the pile of them resting on top of each other.

“Ugh, I would rather finish the reports,” you mumble. “Can’t we just leave them like that?”

“No,” he says sternly. “A fall from this height in their state could be fatal. Now do it before they wake up!”

“Fine, fine. Jeez,” you mutter under your breath. You drop to your knees beside a few of the men, placing your hands on two at a time. “Pop in here and wreck the place like that. You’re lucky I hate Kunikida’s scolding.”

You get the few men laying around the room ready for Kenji to chuck out the window before making your way to the pile in the middle of the room. You let out a huff and start working your way through them. Heal two, toss one, heal two, toss one.

You come to Gin and Hirotsu, healing the latter very carefully, afraid to be in contact with him should he wake up. You didn’t want to get mangled like the poor office door.

And then you find Tachihara, still out cold.

You place a hand over his chest as it glows with a golden light. Your eyes travel up to his face and you soon find yourself staring. He’s somehow even more attractive when his face isn’t scrunched in a scowl or stretched with a murderous smile. What a shame.

You become acutely aware of how warm his body is beneath your hand, his heart beating steadily against your palm. You pull your hand away and call for Kenji to throw him out the window.

He comes to collect him, effortlessly picking him off the floor and launching him through the window to join the others on the street.

You look around the room, office supplies and papers on the floor, broken fragments of tables, chairs and the door scattered around, bullet holes in the walls. They really went overboard this time.

“Just following orders”. And that obnoxious smirk he’d given you. What an asshole.

You had to get him out of your head.

taglist: @chuuminn

“Ugh, I am so sick of this!” You yell to yourself as you pull your foot out of a thick, muddy puddle, the third one you’ve accidentally stepped in today. Who knew Yokohama alleyways were so full of mud. And who knew wearing your good boots would be a bad idea. You certainly didn’t.

You scrape your shoe on the “clean” pavement, trying to get off as much mud as possible. Of all days for Dazai to disappear again. He was supposed to be dragging through this sketchy part of town, not you.

You sigh and continue your walk down the alley, looking for any left over evidence of suspicious activity. You’ve been here for about an hour already with no luck, and you were beginning to question if the reported gun smuggling was even occurring here.

You pause to pull out your phone and type a text to Kunikida saying you can’t find anything. You’re just about to hit send when a thin, cold object is suddenly pressed to your throat, making your movements freeze.

You laugh lightly, despite the action having made your heart skip a beat. You don’t even have to turn to know who it is.

“Haha, that’s your favorite little scare tactic, isn’t it?” You say, completely unfazed by the threat. “I’m honored you felt the need to use it on me.” The person behind you says nothing, only presses the blade closer to your flesh.

“That’s enough, Gin,” a deep voice echoes from the end of the dark alleyway. You hear footsteps approach as Gin removes her knife from your throat, stepping around you to stand beside the man in front of you.

“The Black Lizard. Must be my lucky day running into the two of you at the same time,” you say, gently rubbing the place on your neck where the cold blade rested on your skin. “I’m sure you’re equally as happy to see me.”

“And I’m sure you’re aware that you’re trespassing on Port Mafia territory,” Hirotsu says with a chillingly calm voice. “Fortunately, I’m in a good mood today. Give me a good reason and I may even allow you to leave with your limbs intact.”

“How kind of you,” you laugh dryly. Of all of the Mafia members to bump into while you’re alone, why did it have to be them? “Trust me, I’m aware this is your turf. I have no interest in picking a fight, okay? In fact, I was just on my way out.”

You take a few steps back, putting a bit of distance between you. Hirotsu watches you carefully as he debates whether or not he should let you leave. As he said, he needs a good reason.

“Buuut, I do think you’d like to know that there is likely some serious gun smuggling going on in this part of town.” Hirotsu hums inquisitively and narrows his eyes at you.

“How do you know?”

“We’ve been looking into it for a few days. I was just the unlucky one sent to see if I could find anything.” There’s movement in the shadows of the alley behind the two mafiosos, and your attentions drifts over to it.

Your gaze is met with a pair of golden-amber eyes, his brows creased as he frowns. He’s leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest and his sharp gaze focused on you.

“I’ve never seen you before,” you muse with a sly smile. “Has the mafia claimed a new soul?”

“I’ve been around,” he replies simply. And it’s quite possible he has. It’s not like you’re well versed on all Port Mafia members.

“Did you happen to get any information?” Hirotsu asks, pulling your attention back to him.

“Nope! Not a thing. They must be familiar with the area. I haven’t been able to find any signs of suspicious activity.”

A thought occurs to you, realizing that maybe you can dump this job onto them. And if it was on “their turf”, it’d make sense that they would get involved. They could handle it a lot faster than you could anyways.

“I’m not too familiar with this part of town myself. You’d probably have much better luck with telling if something is out of the norm.”

Hirotsu remains quiet, thoughtful concentration on his face as he considers the situation. After a moment of his silence, you take it as your chance to leave.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way. Good luck!” You say and begin walking away from the trio.

“Wait,” Hirotsu says and your feet stop as well as your heart. “Tachihara. Go with her and see what you find. Take her through the common Mafia routes and report back to me once you’re done.”

You whip around to look at the older gentleman.

“What!” You and the younger man, Tachihara, exclaim in unison.

“Why me?” Tachihara asks, pushing himself off the wall

“Consider it ‘rookie’s privilege’,” Hirotsu replies, referring to your comment from earlier.

“Oh, very funny, gramps. Send Gin.” In response, Gin gives him a deathly cold glare, but the look doesn’t make him shrink away, he only glares back.

“Gin has important matters to attend to,” Hirotsu says, dismissing the suggestion.

“Umm,” you start, the cool confidence you’d held beginning to slip away. This was not going how you intended it to. “Okay, but why do you want me to go?”

“Wouldn’t you prefer to handle it? I don’t believe our methods will be as reasonable as those of the Detective Agency.”

Point taken. The Port Mafia’s way of handling the smugglers would likely end in death and chaos. You’d rather not be part of the reason such an incident occurred.

“Now go,” he says, looking back at a glowering Tachihara.

Tachihara growls a “fine”, not attempting to press any further. And if he’s not protesting, then neither will you. That plan backfired. What did you just get yourself into?

Hirotsu and Gin start walking away, leaving you and Tachihara behind. Hirotsu stops and turns back to the young man, a deathly cool expression on his face.

“And, Tachihara. Please, keep out of trouble.”

This was… weird, to say the least.

Walking in complete silence through dark and sketchy city alleyways with a Port Mafia member who, by all accounts, has no true obligation to not kill you. If any of the agency members had any idea what you were doing…

If Akiko had any idea what you were doing, well, being killed by a mafioso would be the least of your concerns.

In a sense, you’re lucky it was the Black Lizard. From what you understood, they don’t typically take action without being provoked. And even then, they won’t do so outside of direct orders. It could have been Akutagawa, who likely would’ve killed you on the spot without bothering to ask questions.

You glance at the boy beside you, taking a longer look at him. The more you study him, the more you reluctantly realize that he is very attractive. His sharp jawline, angled eyes, dry yet soft looking lips, umber red hair that you were sure was dyed, and those piercings?

You know you shouldn’t be fawning over him, but you can’t help it. Hate the mafia or not, he was cute, you couldn’t deny that. But underneath it all, there was a sense of familiarity in his features that you couldn’t quite place.

You must have seen him before. Afterall, the Agency and Port Mafia run into each other all the time. You probably saw him in a group of mafiosos while being shot at. That’s definitely what it was.

“There a reason you’re starin’ so hard?” He asks suddenly, his tone dripping with annoyance. He looks over at you out of the corner of his eye.

Busted. Though it’s not like you were being very subtle.

“No, sorry. You just…” Your words drift off before you finish your thought, catching yourself before you admit why you were staring. What were you going to say? He’s nice to look at? He’s attractive for a mafia member? You recognize him from that time he tried to kill you and your friends? None of these are great options, so you keep your mouth shut.

“What’s that around your neck?” He asks and you glance down.

Your dog tag. You grab it and quickly shove it into your shirt, out of his view.

“None of your business,” you snip, a bit harsher than necessary.

“Whatever,” he mutters and looks away from you. Thankfully he doesn’t seem to be the type to press for answers. And that’s fine by you. The less personal this is, the better.

You fall back into silence as you continue your walk. You’ve been through various alleys and have still found nothing. You’re beginning to wonder if Tachihara knew what he was doing, even though he insisted he knew of some good places to check.

You’ve grown impatient and irritable. You just want to go home, maybe find Dazai, and give him a piece of your mind on his shirking responsibilities. You don’t care how much it’ll make you sound like Kunikida, you’re tired of taking on his work.

All you have to do is say goodbye to this mafia guy and be on your way. He probably won’t even argue, he’s likely just as fed up with this as you are.

You’re opening your mouth to do just that when he grabs your wrist and pulls you into a side alley, and you force yourself to hold in a scream as your body flinches at his touch.

Before you can process it, he’s pressing you against the wall, his arms trapping you against the cold brick. But he’s not looking at you, instead he’s glancing over his shoulder, sharp eyes watching the main alleyway.

“What the hell are you-”

“Shh!” he clamps a hand over your mouth and you feel your blood boil. No way he just shushed you and physically shut your mouth. The only thing that keeps you from thrashing against him is the sound of feet shuffling towards you.

You peek over his shoulder to see a group of men, who are definitely not a part of the mafia, coming down the alley.

“Boss said he wants the package delivered to customer 13 by midnight,” a gruff voice speaks. “As soon as we get back, make sure it’s packed and ready to go, ‘kay?”

There are a few muffled replies of confirmation.

“And for the last time, James, stop taking the easy routes. You bump into even one cop, one, and we’re done. Don’t make me say it again.”

Another man, who must be James, gives a huffy “yeah, yeah” in reply.

The men’s conversation continues as they walk past you and out of the alley. Package, customer 13, easy routes, avoiding cops? They must be who you’re looking for, and Tachihara seems to think the same.

He remains close even after the men have long gone, his hand still unnecessarily pressed over your mouth. You take in a breath through your nose, the bitter smell of musk and cedarwood assaulting your senses. You tug your head away enough for his hand to fall off, but he doesn’t move from you, his eyes still glued on the spot where the men just stood.

“Get off me!” you growl, placing your hands firm against his chest and shoving him back. You begin brushing yourself off and straightening your clothes.

“Jeez. You could have just told me people were coming. I would’ve kept quiet. Caging me against the wall was overdramatic.” Tachihara gives you an unamused huff.

“Listen here, detective, I’m not-”

“My name is Y/n,”

“Fine, Y/n. I’m not lettin’ you get hurt while we’re out here.”

“Oh, how chivalrous of you,” you snark, which earns you a sharp glare.

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” he says and stalks toward you, stopping just short of you. You don’t step back despite him being so close. Rather, you straighten your shoulders and look him dead in the eyes. You were not going to let him intimidate you.

“I’m only doing it to save my own ass. The old man would kill me if something happened.” You remember what the older Black Lizard member said.

“Keep out of trouble.”

Well, he certainly didn’t mean “don’t beat up any trespassers” with that order. Violence is par for the course with the Port Mafia, generally expected at that. Hirotsu must have meant don’t get in trouble with you. Tachihara’s next words confirm your thoughts.

”The last thing we need is a war with the Detective Agency and I’m not going to be the cause of it.”

You let out a huff and turn on your heels, breaking the long stretch of eye contact. You begin making your way down the alley again, planning to follow those men in hopes of getting a bit more information.

“I’m fully capable of handling myself,” you say casually. “Thanks for the effort though.” You hear him sigh heavily as he starts to follow you.

“I’m only trying to help.”

“I thought you were just ‘covering your ass’.”

“I am.”

“I don’t feel those two things coincide.”

“Really now?”

“Yes, really.”

Tachihara grunts annoyedly, but you remain with the last word.

The two of you continue your walk in silence, the air between you holding an obnoxious tension.

Despite how aggravated you are with your current situation, you have to admit that he isn’t nearly as bad as you would expect a mafia member to be. Especially for someone who is a part of the Black Lizard.

At least he hasn’t tried to kill you yet. He’s done just the opposite at that, even though his methods pissed you off. You wonder how you’re going to explain this temporary alliance to the others.

You eventually start hearing voices echoing through the alley. You slow your steps and move closer to the wall as you continue forward, cautiously coming to the end of the pathway.

Tachihara steps around you and pokes his head around the corner, finding a group of men shuffling their way into an old warehouse building. You look around and notice an old, rusty fire escape that leads all the way up to the roof of the alleyway building.

You tug on Tachihara’s jacket, bringing his attention to you. You point to the fire escape and then to the rooftop, silently sharing your plan. He nods and follows you when you make your way to the metal stairway.

You take a breath and carefully place a foot on the first step, hoping it doesn’t cry out with a loud creak. Thankfully, it doesn’t, and you continue your ascension, Tachihara close behind.

You get to the roof and walk to the edge where the warehouse sits beside it. As you thought, the roof of the massive storage building isn’t too far below you. You jump down onto it, impressively making very little noise in doing so. Tachihara hops down after you, also managing to keep his landing unassuming.

You both crawl to the skylight window to take a glance into the warehouse. You peer inside, seeing about 20 men doing various tasks. Some shutting and taping boxes, some loading boxes onto trucks, others standing around and talking. Tachihara, however, is looking at you.

You glance at him out of the corner of your eye before bringing your attention back to the smugglers.

“‘Is there a reason you’re staring so hard?’,” you ask, quoting his words from earlier.

“Just didn’t expect someone from the ADA to be good at this,” he says and moves his gaze to the men below you.

“We’re not police. And obviously we have to investigate things somehow.”

He gives a noncommittal hum as he focuses on the buzzing activity. Your attention is caught by a couple men carrying a large, wooden box off of one of the trucks. They pry it open with a crowbar and, not to your surprise, start to lift guns of all sizes from the box.

“Ranpo was right. Shocker,” you say, and pull out your phone to snap some pictures. “This should be enough to get the cops on their asses.”

You slink away from the skylight and make your way to the edge of the building, trying to figure out the best way down.

“Maybe hold off on reporting this to your superiors,” you say over your shoulder. “I’d rather not be held partially responsible if any ‘accidents’ occur.” Tachihara gives you a look.

“Do you really think I’ll listen to you?”

“No, but it was worth asking,” you reply halfheartedly.

Looking around the rooftop, you spot a ladder on the back side of the warehouse. How convenient for you. You head over to it and glance over the edge to make sure the coast is clear. Once you’re sure none of the men will see you, you start to climb down the rungs.

You hop off the last few before looking up to see Tachihara climbing down as well. Once he makes it to the ground, you decide it’s finally time to say your goodbyes. Thank heavens.

“Well, I got what I need and you don’t need to babysit me anymore. See ya,” you say with a wave and walk away from him.

“What makes you think you’ll be seeing me again?” Tachihara comments with a bit of a snark. You call over your shoulder to answer him, not stopping your pace.

“Unfortunately for us, the Port Mafia and ADA run into each other all the time. I’m sure I’ll see you in a month or so. Later!”

Tachihara watches as you walk away, never once turning to look back at him. Thinking back on your interaction, he comes to the same conclusion you did.

You were annoying. A bit bratty even. But, all things considered, you weren’t the worst.

And he couldn’t believe he was admitting that.

Taglist: @chuuminn

“War is no place for a child”. 

You hear those words muttered every so often as you walk by the soldiers in the barracks. 

A battlefield full of violence and evil, blood and injuries. It was no sight for someone so young, someone who barely understood the concept of life and death. But, despite that bit of common sense, the greed of others is what landed you and your older sister here.

You and Akiko had abilities that most would consider beautiful gifts. That to heal the injuries of others without much effort. But your sister would often call it a curse, though you didn’t understand why. 

You didn’t know what was going on, the conflict that was happening just several hundred yards away from your bed. The only thing you were ever told was that there were people who were hurt, and you had to help them. Afterall, how do you explain the complex nature of war to a mere 7 year old? 

Either way, for your young mind, that was all the explanation needed. It made you feel wanted, important, even if it was for evil reasons you couldn’t begin to wrap your head around.

You never saw the worst of it. Akiko requested that you remain in the barracks, where soldiers were capable of coming to you. She didn’t want you to have to see the things she did while in the infirmary. If she could keep you away from it, she would.

Your ability wasn’t as strong as your sister’s. You could heal only “minor” wounds. Severe cuts, fractured bones, such as that. Akiko, however, had the ability to “bring people from the verge of death”. You didn’t quite understand how impressive that was, you just knew that the adults found it very important. Especially Mori.

He was the reason you were here. You thought he was a kind man at first. He made you feel special, the way he had shown interest in you and your sister’s abilities. But then he took you out here where it was dark and cold, lonely and sad.

You’ve noticed that this darkness has begun to rub off on your sister. She used to be so happy and giggly. But now you’re lucky to get a small smile from her. 

Every time a soldier comes to see you, you hope it’s the last one. That you’ll never have to see another injured person again. That you and your sister will be able to go home. But as the months pass and nothing changes, the bright hope you had slowly begins to diminish into a sliver.

These days, you hardly ever see Akiko, her own responsibilities keeping her in the infirmary while you’re left on the other side of the army camp. The only thing that keeps you going is the friendship you’ve started to form with one of the soldiers. 

Shunzen. 

You smiled the first time you heard his name. Shunzen. Spring cicada. You loved cicadas. Their funny, beady eyes, their intricate wings, the beautiful buzzing noise they would make. They reminded you of home, safe and warm. Shunzen made you feel that way too. You thought the name was very fitting.

He always took the time to ask you how you were. The other soldiers didn’t ask that. They just came to see you, get their wounds healed, and up and leave the moment they were able. But Shunzen always stayed, if only for a few minutes. You liked that.

Sometimes, he would let you know that your sister was doing okay, having seen her only a day, sometimes mere hours before you. He did his best to keep the two of you informed on the other, knowing that you didn’t see each other very much anymore. 

Sometimes, during his longer stays, he would tell you about his life back home. About his job and friends and school. It made you feel comforted, hearing about the world outside of these cold metal walls.

“My little brother back home is about your age,” Shunzen says softly. You perk up at this. Little brother? He hasn’t mentioned him before.

“You have a brother?” You ask excitedly. A little brother, just like you’re a little sister! Shunzen laughs and nods.

“I do. He’ll be turning 7 in just a few weeks. He’s got big golden eyes and dark hair. And he’s stubborn. Just. Like. You,” he says, punctuating his last few words with some gentle pokes at your belly, making you laugh. 

“Haha he sounds funny,” you say.

“He is funny,” he says. There’s a look of sadness in his eyes, but it’s only there for a  moment before they light up once more. “When this is all over, I’ll take you home. You can meet him.” 

“Really?!” Shunzen nods, confirming that he meant his words.

“You two would get along great,” he says with a soft smile.

“But, Akiko has to come too, okay?” You add frantically, not wanting to forget your sister.

“Of course. I promise.”

Before you can say another word, your friend is being called for, dragged once more out onto the battlefield. Usually you felt sad when he had to leave, but right now, you feel happy, and a little more hopeful than you did before.

The weeks continue to go by, all blurring together into a meaningless stretch of misery. You’ve noticed that you’ve seen Akiko and Shunzen much less recently. In fact, you haven’t seen many soldiers at all. You once believed that would be a source of relief, but for some reason, it filled you with more dread.

You were happy when you heard that Shunzen was able to go home for a short time. He didn’t miss his little brother’s birthday as he feared he would. But it made you sad that you weren’t able to go with him. But he would reassure you, saying that once the war was over, that you and your sister would both be welcome to visit him. It gave you something to look forward to, to strive for.

You saw Shunzen much less, but he would often stay with you for longer periods of time now, talking about his visit with his family or reading a few poems from his book.

You sat beside him, resting against his arm as he read. He moves away for a moment to remove his jacket in favor of the white t-shirt underneath.

“What’s that around your neck?” You ask, noticing the large, flat piece of metal dangling from a chain and resting against his chest. He picks it up, lifting it over his head and gathering the necklace into his palm. 

“It’s my dog tag,” he says, holding out his hand to show you. You look closer to see his name engraved into it in fine characters. 

“A dog tag… why does it say your name?” You ask innocently. Shunzen pauses. 

“…It’s just a fancy necklace they give the soldiers,” he says, not looking you in the eyes. He flips over the piece, showing you the other side. 

There are several marks scratched into it, but they look different from the other side. They’re shallow and jagged, not as smooth and refined as the other side. You study the lines but you can’t make sense of it.

“Is it a secret code or something?” You ask.

“No,” Shunzen laughs. “See each of the individual lines?” He points to the thin, jagged marks cut into the metal. You nod. “Each of these lines represents a time you and your sister helped me. Every time either of you healed me, I made a scratch.”

Your eyes widen as they trail down the piece of metal. There were dozens of lines. Had you and Akiko really healed him that many times?

“It’s because of you two that I was able to see my little brother again,” he says softly. Your heart twists and you smile brightly. It was because of you that he was able to go home, to see the family that he talked about so much. You look back down at the metal in his hand.

“I want a dog tag,” you mutter quietly, more to yourself than to him. Shunzen looks at you, those words leaving the mouth of a child sending an unpleasant chill down his spine.

He turns from you, reaching for his jacket. He picks it up and wraps his hands around the buttons, the metal clasps melting into his hands, obeying his mental commands. 

You watch in interest as he holds the practically liquified metal in his hand, wrapping his fingers around it. His eyes close in concentration and you keep quiet as you watch.

After a short moment, he opens his hand to reveal a dog tag, chain and all, similar to his but much smaller. You beam from ear to ear. He hands it to you, but you’re almost afraid to touch it. Shunzen laughs lightly and takes it between his fingers before carefully placing it over your head, the tag dangling just over your chest.

You look down at it and notice another detail: your initials are printed over the front. You look up at Shunzen who is watching you happily. You throw your arms around him, tackling him in a sweet hug. 

“Thank you,” you whisper.

It’s been almost 3 weeks since you saw Shunzen last. It’s the longest stretch you’ve gone since he’d left to visit his family. And before that, you’re not sure you remember him being gone for so long. 

The number of soldiers you see daily has dwindled. You’ve seen Akiko three times in the past few weeks, and each time she was far too tired to hold any conversation with you, passing out before she even got to say hello.

Everything feels tense. It’s like the air itself was becoming harder to breathe. You had noticed that even Mori, who was usually uncaring and nonchalant, was much more uptight as of late. You wish you understood why. You wish someone would tell you. Just how bad was this war that was keeping you all here? How much longer would you all be expected to suffer?

You lean against your sister’s arm who is sitting beside you on your bed. It’s one of the rare times she’s been given a break. And an even rarer occurrence is that she didn’t fall asleep the moment she sat down. 

You run your fingers over the smooth, golden metal of the hair clip Shunzen made for her. A beautiful, large winged butterfly, reminiscent of those that appeared when she used her ability.

“It’s really pretty,” you say. Akiko hums in agreement before taking it from you gently and clipping it back in her hair. It suited her perfectly, the way the shiny gold contrasted against her dark hair.

“Your necklace is pretty too,” Akiko says, looking to the flat, reflective pendant around your neck. Your hand instinctually raises to your chest, your fingers wrapping gently around the cool metal, and you smile.

You rest your head against your sister’s shoulder once more, your eyes heavy. Things feel calm, almost normal for a moment and you practically forget where you are. Until you hear the startling clang of a door down the hall slamming shut, snapping you back to your dreary reality.

A shuddered sigh leaves Akiko’s lips and her tensed muscles soon relax again. She wraps her arms tightly around you and you hug her back, reveling in the warmth of your sister.

“I’m so tired, Akiko,” you whisper. “I want to go home.”

“I know, I do too,” she says, her hands rubbing your arms encouragingly. “We just have to finish things here. And then we’ll go home. And we’ll visit Shunzen and his family, like he said. It’ll be okay, just a little longer.”

And you believe her. Your eyes flit closed and you feel like you may actually get some good rest. But then the door flies open, revealing Mori behind it, and your moment of peace is quickly replaced by anxiety.

“Akiko, You’re needed in the infirmary,” the older man says coldly. You’ve begun to notice a feeling of unease anytime Mori is around you, like his very presence makes your body revolt.

“But, I just returned from there. Can’t I-“

“We don’t have time for relaxation,” Mori snaps, and the edge in his voice makes you curl closer to your sister. 

You can tell he’s tired. The circles beneath his eyes have only darkened in the previous days, and the kind, friendly smile he frequently wore when you first arrived has slowly disappeared. Honestly, every aspect of his friendliness has vanished. It only added to your further growing fear of him. 

“Our soldiers require a care that only you can provide. Now come along.” He leaves the room without another word, his abruptness leaving no room for argument. 

Akiko’s breath comes out in a heavy shudder, and you feel her shake beneath your hands. She moves to stand, tugging her arm gently away from you.

“I’ll see you later, okay?” She says, doing her best to put on an encouraging smile for you. And with that, she’s gone, leaving you once again alone in the cold, musty barracks. 

You fold your legs to your chest as you wrap your arms around them, pressing your face to your knees.

You miss Akiko. You miss Shunzen. You miss home, even if it was just you and your sister. You just want to leave, leave and never come back.

Little did you know how soon your wish would come true.

It’s been days since you saw Akiko last. Almost 2 months since you saw Shunzen. There were very few soldiers that came by now. You were told that, if they returned to the base, they were sent directly to Akiko. Very rarely now did they have injuries minor enough for you to handle.

You were laying on your bed, eyes squeezed shut as your fingers traced over the dog tag around your neck, trying to block out the loud rumbles and shakes that seem to have gotten louder over the last couple days.

You feel like you’re about to miraculously fall asleep when you hear a loud clang followed by an ear piercing scream. A scream you recognize.

It was Akiko.

You shot straight up in the bed, your heart rate rising. What was that? Was it a dream? The long silence that follows almost convinces you it was in your head. But then you hear several pairs of feet running down the hall. They shouldn’t be down here, not unless they were coming to see you. And the footsteps ran right past your closed door.

You jump for the door, heaving it open. You follow the sound of frantic, muffled voices. Your heart crawls into your throat and your stomach knots. Something isn’t right. Was that Akiko screaming?

Your slow walk shifts into a run as the voices grow louder, anger and fear heavy in the air. You come to a hatch in the floor where several soldiers are standing below. You almost fall down the stairs with how quickly you take them, the rusted hand bar biting into your palm.

You reach the bottom where your sister is sitting on her knees with her head in her hands. Your eyes drift to the dark mass laying crumpled in the floor, a rope swinging from the ceiling above it. The men stand around motionless, their speaking coming to a halt as soon as you enter the room, aside from a few, hushed words. 

“She shouldn’t be here. Neither of them should be.”

“This is so fucked up.”

“This is war, kids shouldn’t be here.”

“Akiko?” You call as you walk to your sister. But she doesn’t respond, doesn’t even give you the slightest hint of acknowledgment. You step closer, the knot in your stomach tightening. You try to keep your eyes on your sister, but your curiosity wins over as your gaze drifts back to the form on the floor. Your heart drops into your stomach.

“Shunzen?” You say, recognizing the face of your friend laying on the floor. 

At this, Akiko’s head snaps over to look at you, her eyes wild. She launches herself at you, pulling your face to her chest in an attempt to block your vision. But it was pointless.

Confusion begins to mix with your fear. Why was Shunzen here? Why wasn’t anyone helping him? You rip away from your sister’s arms, shoving her back harshly as you hop around her. If they weren’t going to help him then you would.

“Shunzen!” You drop to your knees beside him, your hands resting on his back to shake him. But he doesn’t answer. You use your ability, your hands glowing as your power seeps into him, though it changes nothing. Your sister sits beside you, a look you don’t recognize on her face.

“Akiko, help him!” You cry. Akiko shakes her head, the movement barely noticeable. “Please!”

Akiko winces at the crack in your voice, and she lays her hands down beside your own. Bright, glowing butterflies fill the air as she tries to revive him. Unknown to you, she’d already tried several times.

Upon realizing that Shunzen was still not moving, you begin to shake him again.

“Shunzen, wake up! Don’t leave us, please,” you cry pitifully. Akiko pries your hands away before wrapping her arms around you in a nearly suffocating grasp.

“You said you would take us home. You promised!” Akiko’s arms wrap impossibly tighter around you. You eventually give up and turn to her, your tears soaking into the front of her dress.

“He promised.”

The few days following were a blur. All you remember are the tears, the twisted pain in your heart, and the blank, emotionless gaze your sister began to develop.

Mori had grown colder toward you and Akiko. He still smiled often, but it was no longer the warm, friendly grin he wore when you first arrived. It was tight, emotionless, and didn’t do anything to cover the annoyance written all over his face.

He was upset. You knew he was. You and your sister’s productivity had dropped, and as punishment, he did his best to keep you separated. It didn’t have the effect he’d hoped and it only worsened your conditions. 

Akiko continued to do her job, but it was like she was on autopilot. She hardly spoke a word now, to Mori and even you.

You, on the other hand, were struggling.

You were still only capable of healing minor injuries, and they used to bring such soldiers to you, in the barracks. But now, Mori requested that you come to the infirmary. Right where Akiko had previously refused to allow you.

But now she wasn’t mentally strong enough to say no.

You went a few times and you slowly began to understand why Akiko was so adamant about you staying away.

The smell of blood hung thickly in the air and the constant groaning of pain would ring in your ears even hours after leaving the infirmary. Seeing soldiers injured beyond what you could repair was sad and sickening. It gave you feelings you didn’t have words for.

Between Shunzen’s death, not seeing Akiko, and being forced to visit the infirmary, it only took a few days before you shut down.

You had been given only a half-day's break, and you spent the entire time wrapped in your blanket on your bed with your hand grasping your dog tag so tightly it cut into your palm.

The pain in your heart quickly grew into anger and hatred. All of it aimed at Mori. He was the reason you were here. Why you and your sister were suffering.

You hear the metal door squeak open and you don’t have to look to know who it is.

“Y/n, sweetheart, we need you in the infirmary.” 

“I’m not going,” you say, still not bothering to lift your head. Mori steps closer to you, his presence suffocating, “I’m never using my ability again.” 

“You’ll have to eventually.” He spoke with such coldness, not a trace of emotion in his voice. You grit your teeth and turn your head to look at him. His expression falters for half a second, taken aback by the look in your eyes as you stare at him 

“No! I won’t. You’d have to kill me!”

You didn’t truly understand the weight of your words, let alone the fact that you wouldn’t be able to use your ability if they followed through with it. But Mori understood the severity of the meaning behind it. 

You meant what you said, even if you didn’t fully understand it yourself. You were not going to be using your ability anymore. 

Mori saw no use in having you there any longer, seeing you as nothing more than a liability. Another person to feed and keep alive. So you were sent back to the mainland. 

They brought you back, kicking and screaming. You didn’t want to leave Akiko. You couldn’t. The thought of her being there all alone made you cry and you couldn’t believe that they would be so evil to separate you. But you had no choice, there was nothing you could do. 

With your family gone, you were left with no one. You were sent to live with a family chosen by Mori, a connection he had through the mafia, in case you ever changed your mind and wanted to go back to work. 

You hated living there, despite the fact that they were generally nice people. They lived a luxurious life, free of worry or care and it made you sick. You were here being taken care of while your sister was still in the middle of a battlefield, alone and miserable. You didn’t feel like you deserved it. Akiko was the one who worked harder than you. She should be here too.

You soon came to realize that speaking of the war was an unspoken rule. Anytime you would mention someone or something relating to what you’d experienced, you were shut down. Even after the war ended, when things went back to “normal”, you were forbidden from speaking about it. 

Mori would come by occasionally, much to your horror. He still saw use in you, in your abilities. But you always refused. You wouldn’t work for him again, ever. 

You would ask about Akiko every time you saw him. Had she come back? Was she okay? Was she alive? He never answered your questions. You knew it was to torture you in hopes of you agreeing to do what he asked.

It was three years after the war ended when a man you didn’t recognize showed up at the door. Your “parents” had been hesitant to let him in, wondering what the repercussions of doing so would be. 

You weren’t going to get involved in the hushed conversation they were having. But then you heard him mention Akiko.

Before you knew it, you were skittering to the door, shoving the other two aside to see the man. His hair was silvery-gray, despite his young appearance and he had a soft yet stern expression on his face. The stoicism cracks when his grayish-blue eyes meet with yours, surprise flashing in them.

“You said something about Akiko,” you state, struggling to keep your composure. “Do you know where she is?” The man looks at you before glancing back at the couple standing aprehensivley behind you. You turn to look at them.

“Let me talk to him,” you request, though your tone sounds more like that of a demand. They give each other a look before shuffling away quietly, leaving the two of you alone.

You step outside next to the man, shutting the door behind you. You didn’t want them trying to listen in. They always did when Mori came to speak with you.

“My name is Yukichi Fukuzawa. I’m an old friend of Ougai Mori.”

You gasp softly and step away from him. Was this some new tactic Mori was trying? What torturous method to get you to come back with him was he trying now? 

Fukuzawa’s face softens and he takes a couple steps back of his own. 

“I understand your wariness, but I assure you, I’ve not come here to drag you away.”

“Then why are you here?” You ask, your voice snappier than intended, though he doesn't seem to mind.

“I had come here in hopes of finding Mori. I have something important to speak to him about. Do you know anything of his whereabouts?”

“I don’t know. They don’t tell me anything,” you say, your gaze dropping to the ground. The man doesn’t respond but studies you for a thoughtful moment. 

“You’re Y/n Yosano, correct?” You look back up at him and give him a curt nod. He lets out a quiet sigh, lifts his fingers to the bridge of his nose and curses under his breath. “The other child he’d dragged into that warzone.”

“You mentioned my sister. Do you know if… If she’s…” You can’t bring yourself to finish the question, but he understands despite that.

“She’s in a psychiatric facility,” he answers carefully. “She’s been there for a few years, but she’s alive.”

You feel sick and relieved all at once. She’s alive. But she’s been locked up, all alone, for years. For years, and Mori never let you see her once. Never even told you if she ever left that battlefield or not.

Your throat tightens and your face grows hot as you begin to cry. She’s alive.

Fukuzawa doesn’t comment on your tears. He doesn’t give you a look of pity. He doesn’t ask you to stop. He just lets you cry as he continues.

“I have reason to believe that Mori wants your sister back in his care. I plan to prevent that from happening.”

You had only been speaking to this man for a few minutes but you found yourself already trusting him.

He was kind. It wasn’t the type of kindness Mori had shown you when he’d found you and your sister, one rooted in greed and ulterior motives. This was genuine kindness, grown out of experience and concern. You had learned to tell the difference.

And if he was going to help your sister, then you wanted to go with him.

“Take me with you,” you find yourself saying as if your mouth had decided before your mind had. Fukuzawa’s eyebrows raise, but his expression remains otherwise blank. “Please?” 

His eyes drift to the window behind you and you turn to follow his gaze. You just barely catch the man and woman inside leaping away from the window, attempting, and failing, to not be caught in their snooping.

“He’s placed you with a nice family here,” Fukuzawa says. “Are you sure you want to leave?” You hold back an annoyed groan.

“They don’t actually care. They don’t like when I talk about it. They want to just pretend that it never happened.” Fukuzawa’s face droops, not needing you to explain what “it” is. “They only took me in because Mori ordered them to. They’d be relieved to see me gone.”

The man hums and closes his eyes. He’s silent for long enough that you worry he’s about to deny your request. Say you should stay in this home with the family that inhabits it, with the family that has stifled you for years, keeping you under their wing as they wait for the day you finally break and return to work with Mori.

But then Fukuzawa speaks.

“If that is what you desire, then fine. I’m sure your sister will be happy to see you.”

You wait impatiently in the halls of the hospital, waiting for Fukuzawa and Ranpo to return.

They had discovered that Mori indeed planned to retrieve Akiko from the facility. To drag her back into the hell she’d barely escaped from. But none of you were going to allow it.

Fukuzawa instructed you to stay here and wait for him or Ranpo to get you. That was over 30 minutes ago. You pace around anxiously in the room you’d decided to stay in, the chair in the corner having become increasingly more uncomfortable the longer you sat in it.

And then you hear it. Footsteps and the rhythmic squeak of a wheelchair. You walk to the door and stop when you hear your sister’s voice.

“Bring me back,” she mutters, her quiet voice carrying through the empty hall. You step out of the room, immediately finding Ranpo pushing a wheelchair with a girl sitting in it. Akiko.

Her hair was long, much longer than she’d ever preferred to keep it. Her skin was pale, evidence of how long it’s been since she’s seen the sun. She looked… sickly. But what she says next quickly drives away any thought you have on her appearance.

“I only make the lives of those around me less valuable.”

You grit your teeth and walk closer to the pair.

“Am I less valuable then?”

Akiko gasps softly at the sound of your voice. She slowly, hesitantly raises her head, her gaze eventually finding yours.

“Y/n…?”

“I’m here to bring you home,” you say, stepping closer until you’re standing in front of her. “Fukuzawa and Ranpo, they’re nice people. They want to help us.”

Akiko’s eyes drop back to her lap and it’s only then that you realize she hadn’t even smiled when she saw you.

“I can’t,” she whispers. “I shouldn’t be allowed to live.”

You feel something in your heart break as those words leave her lips. What had happened to her? All those times she kept you away from her work, what was going on? What had she seen? What had happened when you left?

You drop in front of her and wrap your arms around her, tears quickly forming and streaming down your face.

“Don’t say that!” You cry. Akiko remains limp in your arms, too weak to hug you back. Possibly too mentally, emotionally broken to even try.

“Please, Akiko. Don’t make me leave you again. I need my sister.” You pull away from her to look her in the eyes and her face twitches with the first sliver of emotion she’s shown since she’s seen you. 

Ranpo comes to stand beside you, telling her the same words he and Fukuzawa had told you. That they don’t need you. That they don’t need your special ability. They just wanted you because you care. Because you don’t view life the way Mori does. That this “Armed Detective Agency” was a place where you could just be. Just exist.

Ranpo concludes his words by placing something into Akiko’s lap. Her golden butterfly hair clip from Shunzen. You both gasp in shock and Akiko picks up the piece carefully as you reach for the dog tag you still keep around your neck.

You try to picture the man, but your time and trauma-worn memories are so distorted and you’re sure that the image you conjure is accurate. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

“We don’t want your special ability. It’s your kindness that means something,” Ranpo says gently. 

Akiko sniffles and as you look into your sister’s eyes, vacant yet so full of pain as they flood with tears, you’re reminded of the words you heard muttered so often.

War is no place for a child.

Taglist: @chuuminn

Tropes: Michizo Tachihara x Reader, Big Sis! Akiko Yosano x Lil Sis! Reader, enemies to friends to lovers, back and forth on the enemies to lovers thing, “forbidden love”, slow burn, lies and betrayals, falling in love at the same time but he still falls harder, lots of angst but plenty of fluff

Playlist Links: Spotify Youtube

Tori’s Note: This is something I’ve been working on for a few months now. It’s still a work in progress, I’m still writing most of it, and I still haven’t figured out the 3rd part of the story and have no idea how it’ll end, but I think I’m ready to get this train moving 🧡

Updates: this is going to have slow updates, but i’m going to try to publish new chapters on sundays at 6pm CST.

Prologue

Chapter 1