A Dangerous Love

Chapter 8

Hajime didn't feel like waking up the next morning. He knew he was going to have to face Junko, and that was something that was on the very bottom of the things he wanted to-do list. But he also knew that if he didn't talk to Junko soon, she would find him and kill him. So Hajime got dressed and headed to the hideout.

As he walked downstairs into the hideout he got ambushed by Kazuichi.

"Hey man, where have you been?" Kazuichi asked. "You haven't been here for like a week! You're making me do all the hard work!"

"Sorry I was busy," Hajime mumbled, trying to push past Kaz.

"Hey what's the rush?"

"I have a meeting with Junko."

"Oh? You're meeting with Junko ehhhhh?" Kazuichi nudged Hajime with his elbow. Hajime rolled his eyes. "Kaz, I'm not in the mood."

"Yeah yeah, you gotta get to your secret girlfriend."

"SHES NOT MY- ugh. Just leave me alone." With that he shoved past Kazuichi and made his way to Junko's room, trying not to look at Kaz's confused and hurt expression.

He walked into Junko's room, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Junko looked lost in thought before she saw Hajime. Her face started glowing as she laid eyes on him. "Hajimeeeeeeee!" She squealed. "Oh, it's been forever!"

"Yeah..."

"So what have you been up to with these past few weeks?"

"Searching for my target of course." Junko had a confused look on her face.

"Last time I gave you an assignment like this it took you a little over a week."

"Well this one is tougher, he is a key programmer after all."

"He's no different than anyone else." Hajime started sweating more. Junko narrowed her eyes. "I think you know more than you're letting on." She said.

"W-what? Of course not. I would never lie to you." His voice was getting shaky. He started wringing his hands. Shit, shit, shit, he thought. She's gonna notice...

"Do you at least know what he looks like?" Hajime shook his head. Junko's face changed from happy and calm to menacing, and dangerous. She stood up from her throne and started walking towards him.

"I know you're lying to me. You were always so horrible at that, the one thing you could never learn." Hajime swallowed nervously. She then stood right in front of him. He was taller than her, but she was wearing tall heels, so she was looking down at him, her gaze ice-cold. "I know you know where he is. I don't know why you're hesitating, you're the best of the best."

"W-well... I was thinking... w-why does it have to be Nagito specifically-"

"You have 48 hours." Junko interrupted.

"W-what?"

"You have 48 hours to bring Nagito Komaeda here." Her voice was low and dangerous. Hajime didn't like it. 48 hours? Hajime swallowed again, trying to wet his dry throat. No... there was no way.

"O-or what?" Hajime asked.

"If you don't bring that boy here in 48 hours let's just say, you'll be short one family member." Hajime stopped breathing for a second. Sara. She was going to kill Sara if he didn't bring Nagito to his death. Junko smiled. "Got that?" Hajime slowly nodded, not really functioning. "I'm glad we've come to an understanding. I don't really know why you hesitate, I mean, this is just another target, right?"

"Yeah... just another target," Hajime repeated, his voice hollow. Junko clapped her hands and laughed. "Wonderful! Now, you be off!" She waved him off, and he left the hideout in a daze. He rode the subway home, turning his options around in his head over and over again.

Option A, he capture Nagito in the next 48 hours, which would be a cinch, and his sister stays safe, out of harm's way. Or option B, Hajime refuses to put Nagito in danger and Sara will die, no matter how hard Hajime fights back. Hajime will probably end up dying too and another agent will get to Nagito anyway. Either way, Nagito gets hurt. Either way, Nagito dies.

Hajime groaned in despair, putting his head in his hands. How could he do this to himself? He knew, he KNEW that getting to know Nagito better would result in Hajime not wanting to turn him in. But he had ignored his fear, and let himself love Nagito anyway, and now this was happening.

Hajime arrived home and stumbled into his apartment. Sara wasn't home, thank god. Hajime crashed into his bed, holding back tears. Men didn't cry, they didn't. Hajime could do this, he could. If he didn't, Sara would die. He kept telling himself that over and over again. He told himself that as he shakily raised his phone and started texting Nagito. He told himself that as he asked if Nagito wanted to hang out at his house again today. He told himself that as Nagito responded, "Absolutely!" He told himself that over, and over, and over again, trying to make the pain hurt less and less. But it didn't work. He knew it wouldn't work.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

"So what's up?" Nagito asked as he laid his head on Hajime's shoulder. Nagito had come over two hours after Hajime had texted him. Hajime wanted to make this quick. As quick as possible so he could just forget about Nagito. He decided to think about this one step at a time. The first step was getting Nagito to the mafia. Hajime stopped there. He thought about nothing else.

The boys had been sitting on Hajime's couch together, hand in hand. Nagito was now laying on Hajime. Hajime smiled. He liked snuggling with Nagito. It was probably the last time they would be able to... Hajime shoved the thought out of his mind and started stroking Nagitos hair.

"Did you hear me Hajime?"

"Hmm?"

"I asked what was up. What was the reason you asked me to come here?"

"Oh..." Hajime came up with a quick excuse. "I've just had a stressful day at work, and I really wanted to see you. You always make me feel better." It wasn't really a lie, work was stressing him out right now.

"Ok." Nagito sighed. "Well... I'm glad I could be here for you Hajime."

"Y-yeah..." Pain hit Hajime, but not physically. He knew that when the time came for Hajime to watch Nagito be in pain, it would be unbearable... Hajime tried throwing that thought out of his head again. He laid with Nagito silently for a bit longer. Until he finally had to ask him something.

"Hey, Nagito?"

"Hmm?"

"Y-you... you know I love you... right?"

"Of course I do silly."

"And... d-do you love me?"

"More than anything."

"Even if I've... done bad things?"

"Even if you've done bad things."

"You would love me, through hell and back?"

"Through hell and back." Tears sprung to Hajime's eyes, but he quickly wiped them away before Nagito could notice. He knew Nagito wasn't lying. Nagito trusted Hajime. Hajime didn't deserve Nagito's trust, not one bit.

"I-I have to, go to the bathroom..." Hajime murmured. Nagito nodded and got off of Hajime. Hajime kissed Nagitos cheek and muttered, "I love you... so much." Before heading off to the bathroom.

Hajime quickly found a rag and grabbed the sleeping medicine that he had from previous missions. He stared at the bottle for a little bit before unscrewing it and pouring it onto the rag with shaky hands. His heart starting beating quickly, sweat trailing down his neck. He took a few sips of water to try to calm himself down but it didn't help. He stuffed the soaking rag in his pocket and quietly walked out of the bathroom.

His heart rate continued to accelerate in fear as he slowly came up behind Nagito. Luckily, Nagito was busy staring at his phone, so he didn't notice Hajime. Hajime's body started buzzing as if he turned into one of those old 80's TVs that was just all static. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth as he was just inches away from Nagito.

He fumbled with the rag a couple of times before finally getting a good grip on it, and without another thought, he quickly pressed the cloth against Nagito's mouth and nose. Nagito gave a surprised noise and instinctively started fighting back, but Hajime held firm, pressing the cloth against the white-haired boy harder. Nagito started thrashing violently, trying to throw Hajime's hands off, but Hajime had the high ground. Nagito could struggle all he wanted but he wasn't going anywhere.

After a lot of struggling and muffled screaming Nagito finally stopped fighting. He went limp in Hajime's arms, he was completely unconscious. Hajime was numb as he slowly took the cloth away from Nagito's face. Nagito slumped forward, breathing softly, slowly. Hajime slowly looked at the rag, his entire body shaking like a leaf. He had just done that. He had drugged Nagito. He had drugged his boyfriend. Hajime dropped the cloth and let out a scream of agony. Why? Why did he have to do this?

But it wasn't over yet. He took a shaky breath to regain his composure. He got to step two on his list. Take Nagito to the mafia, and cover up his disappearance. That was simple enough. Hajime had already foraged a note saying that Nagito was going to America that Hajime was going to put in Nagito's house when the police started looking for him. Then Hajime walked over to the unconscious boy, lifted him up, and slowly put him in the trunk of Hajime's car. Hajime wanted to be done with this already. But he knew he wasn't. He wasn't even halfway done.