Parental Struggles ~Daddy!Dazai Osamu X Mommy!Reader~

🌹 Thirty-Two: Modern-Day Romeo 🌹

"We're here." the cab driver announced, stopping the car.

You turned to look out the car window at your destination. A giant mansion that could've once been occupied by great Victorian lords and their pompous family now stood looking like it was a refuge for evil spirits with its peeling paint, cracked-moss-covered walls, and the overgrown grass that surrounded it like a cursed land.

"This is the place we're supposed to inspect?" you looked towards the gray-haired boy sitting next to you in the backseat.

"Uh... yea." he replied with a sheepish look. "L-let's just get going, shall we? The car's starting to feel really stuffy!"

The cab driver cleared his throat at his unfiltered comment, making the boy shrink back in fear.

"S-sorry! That w-wasn't what I meant!" he began apologizing.

You released a sigh before opening the door. "Let's go."

Without another word, you stepped out of the car with your companion following behind you. You stood with your hands on your hips as you took a better look at the abandoned mansion.

Your boyfriend, Dazai, had called you late last night for a favor. A new task had apparently come up, and since he was away on a mission at the moment, he decided to ask you to do it instead. The task involved you going to inspect an old abandoned mansion on the outskirts of the city in hopes of finding valuable clues that could lead to the whereabouts of a powerful ability user who formerly resided in the haunted-looking place. However, you were to be accompanied by Dazai's junior colleague, Atsushi, of course.

"I can't tell whether our guy was either really brave or terribly desperate to have decided to live in this place." you stated aloud.

"Well... who knows? Maybe it's a bit of both?" Atsushi commented sheepishly. "I mean, I got pretty desperate when I was kicked out of the orphanage last time."

"Makes sense." you nodded, and turned around to look at him. "But it's still weird that Dazai asked me to do this. He usually hates sharing with me about his missions let alone get me involved in one."

You tilted your head to the side, giving Atsushi a questioning look. "You don't happen to know the reason, do you, Atsushi-kun?"

"W-what! I mean- I have absolutely no idea!" he blurted, obviously panicking. "Dazai-san doesn't always tell me everything ha ha..."

Your eyes narrowed in suspicion, making the boy panic further under your scrutinizing gaze. After a few seconds, you decided to leave the poor kid alone. He already had Dazai as his superior to deal with, the last thing he needed was someone breathing down his neck.

"Alright, let's see what cookie crumbs this all-powerful user has left us." you began moving towards the ominous building.

As the mansion entrance was open- rather its doors have become unhinged and collapsed onto the ground, the two of you just waltzed into the ancient building. Despite its run-down exterior, the interior had somehow retained its elegant appearance... excluding the cobwebs that practically adorned every corner of the place like a decorative piece.

"The inside actually looks quite decent." you commented, standing at the bottom of a grand marble staircase.

Atsushi gave a nod. "Yea, I honestly wouldn't mind living here if I was on the run."

You hummed in agreement before heading up the mysterious staircase. "It still looks like it could house a couple of ghosts though."

"G-ghost?!" Atsushi stuttered, his voice laced with fear. "Wait! (Y/ N)-san! Where are you going?!"