"You... Eat dreams..?" Joe Tazuna X reader (Baku AU)

Chapter 8 ~ Deal

(TW: Cursing, Hitting self)

Joe POV

   When I wake up again, it's not in my usual asylum looking white walled room at HQ. Instead, I'm... In the dungeons? Shit- They must have caught me trying to restore Y/n's memories. I leap up from where I'm laying and shake the door to the cell. 

"LET ME OUT!" I yell. The Head Baku appears and I step back. 

"Why do you wish to leave so badly? So you can mingle with one of the living?" He snarls. I look at the floor. 

"I will let you go back to them on one condition." He says. 

"Yes?" I perk up. 

"You must eat their hopes and dreams in a month." He states. I nod, and check my watch. 

February 1st

I have twenty-eight days to tell her how I feel. Twenty-eight days for them to know the truth. Twenty-Eight days left for me as a Baku. Twenty-eight days for her to live. Twenty-eight days... 

Until I never see her again. 

Suddenly, purple shimmers appear around me. 

"Seems I've been summoned, catch you later," I say before disappearing. I appear in front of Y/n. They see me, and I see tears in their eyes. 

"Y/n what's wrong-" I start before they leap into my arms. 

"Who were you?! Tell me?! Tell me now! I remember everyone but you! I remember Keiji, and Q-Taro, and Sou, and Kanna, and Reko, and Nao, and Sara, and Kai, and Gin, and Alice, and Mishima-Sensei, I even remember Miley! But I can't remember you!" They yell. I stay silent. 

"It's not my place to tell you..." I say. 

"TELL ME JOE! TELL ME OR I NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN!" they yell. 

"I CAN'T!" I yell back. I instantly regret my words. They look at me with the most hurt face I've ever seen. They bang on my chest, biting their lip. I hug them. 

"If I tell you, I wouldn't let myself see you again. It's that bad," I say. 

"You asshole..." They whisper to me. I look down at them. They're shorter than me. Not by a lot, but they're shorter. 

"I could kiss you, kid," I whisper. I feel tears running down my face. 

"Kid?" they question. 

"Wait... Someone used to call me kid all the time, who was it, I-I can't remember, I can't fill in the blanks... I need to fill in the blanks... Why did we walk to school together... He was so much older than me... His name... His name was... WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER WHAT HIS FUCKING NAME WAS?! WHY CAN'T FUCKIG REMEMBER HIS FACE EITHER?!" They yell. They start hitting their head. 

"Y/N STOP!" I yell, grabbing their hand. They look up at me. 

"Y/n... Think about it calmly, analyze each memory carefully," I whisper, Hugging them again, but tighter this time. They speak after a long moment of silence. 

"His name was... Joe, and he looked like you, It was you wasn't it? Who walked with me to school everyday, who beat up my bullies for me, my only friend," I feel their tears on my shoulder. 

"Yeah, that was me," I say. 

"I'm sorry I couldn't return the favor..." They cry. 

"It's fine, there's nothing you could've done, you were only a kid," I whisper. 

"Joe, will you cuddle with me tonight?" They ask. 

"Of course," I say. Now's not the time to tell them about our limited time together. We separate. i take off my coat and gloves, and I lay on my usual side of the bed, then Y/n lays next to me. I open my arms, and I big spoon them. There was a time when I used to stay at their house and do this back then too. But things are different now. They nuzzle their face in my chest. 

"I love you, Joe," They mutter. 

"I love you too," I whisper back. They look up at me, our faces are inches apart, and our lips meet. It's a gentle kiss. 

"Will you be here in the morning?" They ask.

"No, I can't," I say. 

"That's alright, just stay till i sleep," they whisper. 

"Okay," I reply. 

Before long, they fall asleep. I watch their dream... It's the game. They're watching me die, they and Sara click their buttons so quickly, but to no avail. I hurry up and eat their dream. 

"Delicious," I mutter. 

"Hm?" They ask. 

"Nothing, I just ate your dream again," I smile. 

"Thanks Joe," They smile. 

"No problem kid," I reply before kissing them on the forehead. I tap them there and they fall asleep again. I stand up and grab my coat and gloves. I put them on, and jump out the window. 

"Until next time, Y/n,"