Red; Blood and Love | Dazai X Reader

Assassin

Dazai held the child in his arms, their head leaned on his shoulder, the two of them dozing off while the TV flickered with the frozen image of the classic "are you still watching?" message.

Woken up by a harsh jab to the side, Dazai shot awake, grabbing his stomach before he realized his collar was being harshly grabbed. An older version of Y/n staring back at him with dead eyes. Gone the light of their childhood, gone their joy. "Who the fuck are you." There was nothing behind those eyes, dead as an assassin's eyes normally were. So that's where they were now. Not yet met, but this was the child just before he'd roped them into the mafia when he was 14. Before their eyes gained a little light, and they laughed again. This could be a pain, back then he'd fought hand on hand with their skills. He'd hardly overcome them, they held an intelligence nearly as high as his own, able to gather their opponents' minds within a handful of snarky comments.

"Ah good morning to you, Belladonna." he'd act for a bit, remember the child he was dealing with now wasn't accustomed to kindness.

Backing off, they jumped away easily skilled, their body swaying like a feather in the air, landing light like water dropping onto the floor. "Where am I? How did you manage this?" Their eyes were darting around the room, assessing every exit and every possible weapon. Slowly they relaxed, narrowing their eyes before tilting their head.

"Figure it out that quickly?" Dazai smirked, his eyes reflecting confidence as the child sat back on the couch.

"How long will it last?"

"Not very long, some of your younger selves lasted a day, others were here for a week or longer. There doesn't seem to be a set time limit." Dazai stood up, stretching his arms before poking his side. "You bruised my pretty skin!" Dazai whined crossing his arms, watching the assassin with careful eyes.

"Well, you were touching me, creep." Dazai placed a hand over his heart pouting as if their words had hurt him.

"You're so cruel Y/n-san!" Dazai flashed them a smile before walking towards the kitchen, flinging his hand back to catch a knife. "Hey! We don't throw knives at people we've just met."

"You're annoying and weird, what are you some variety of mummy?" Dazai snickered, dangling the knife in his hand before tossing it onto the counter.

"Nope! I'm a detective and you're an assassin." The child seemed to freeze, getting back into a defensive stance. "Ah, don't worry, I'm not a detective with the police. I'm part of an agency full of capable users, like yourself. Though I'm a little special, being able to cancel out other abilities."

"How did you... ah right, this isn't the year I'm in. what's the date today anyway?"

"You're a good eight years into the future, maybe a bit more? It's hard to tell how old you are right now. Considering you don't know me, it could be anywhere over eight years." The child simply narrowed their eyes before they widened quickly, grabbing a knife.

"You're him, aren't you! The boy just about my age who nearly got me killed!" Dazai's eyes narrowed. Had he guessed wrong? Was it already approaching that year?

"I don't know, am I?"

"Please like I could forget the face of the only person I lost in a fight with. Dazai, the demon protege." Dazai sighed, turning away, his hold on the refrigerator door increasing.

"I'm not that man this year, nor are you this assassin. I can't let you wander around the city alone though. After all, there are hundreds of enemies waiting to scratch this more vulnerable version of yourself.'' The teenage assassin rolled their eyes, striding up to Dazai, reaching over him to open the door, swinging it open with a little unneeded force. Their hands reach for the eggs. A frown over their lips as they studied them. "My my, you're truly untrusting!"

"Shut up, in this world trust that gets handed out at random comes back to bite you in the back." They shot Dazai a glare as they walked to the stove searching the cabinets for a pan.

"Aww, but if I'd wanted to harm you, couldn't I have done so while you were smaller?" Dazai taunted a smile over his lips. This was just like the early years of their relationship. He didn't have to worry about anything, letting words fall naturally.

"Shut up! God, you're infuriating." The snappy remarks didn't bother him, used to how their younger self was before they had mellowed out.

"Ouch! Y/n-san is so cruel to me! I even saved them!" They turned around with shock in their eyes, before remembering this was the future Dazai. "Hm? Surprised I'm not misgendering you, are we? I would never dream of being that cruel. I have some level of respect." Dazai smiled, brushing their shock off like a speck of dust.

"So we really must be close in the future... knowing the rumors I'd have thought I'd be dead by now." They shrugged, scrambling the eggs before placing them onto two plates.

"I would never let something like that happen to you..." Dazai tilted his head, bawling his hands into fists as he slid onto a stool at the island. Finding the plate of food in front of him, he stared at it. He wasn't craving food... he really wasn't hungry this morning.

"Eat you suicidal bastard, or I'll shove it down your throat." The assassin's glare hit him hard. It had been a while since they'd been this hostile.

"I'll eat later." Dazai smiled, leaning his chin on the counter with his cheeks puffed out. "You have to attend work with me! I'm sure you'll find you like it there!" Dazai smiled, observing the smaller person roll their eyes. Forking the eggs into their mouth with a grumble.

"Sure, I doubt you'd let me say no anyways." Dazai shook his head, sitting straight and leaning back on the stool.

"Hm? Well, I wouldn't mind if we didn't go. I'm not in a "let's go to work" mood today anyway." Dazai almost tipped the chair back completely as he spoke without a care in the world.

"Uh-huh, I can see that working wonderfully in your favor." The snarky attitude lifted Dazai's lips into a smile. Sliding off the chair and grabbing the empty plate, dumping it into the sink. He stared at it for a moment before rinsing it off. He carefully set it in the dishwasher. He hated how they influenced him at times. Wanting to show he wasn't a useless bum.

"Well then let's head out!" Dazai whistled, seizing his coat and sliding it over his shoulders.

"You look weird in color instead of black." The teenager narrowed their eyes, wearing a scheme of dark colors themself, they contrasted against Dazai.

"Don't give me any ideas! I'll dress you up in light colors if you don't stop insulting my wonderful coat! This is my favorite coat, you know!" Y/n rolled their eyes, distancing themself from the older and much taller male.

"If you touch me, I'll stab you!"

"To be killed by you would be a blissful ending!"

"Eh? What the hell you suicidal maniac! I'll just stab you in non-lethal ways so you're in pain!"

"Ah, that would be distasteful! I hate pain, Y/n-san!" Dazai let the assassin kick his stomach, leaving him to hiss in pain.

He waddled to the agency, sometimes he forgets they could land hits as Chuuya could. He kept a close eye on the kid as they entered the agency ahead of him. Glancing around with their assassin-trained eye. "You don't have to do that..."

They only shot Dazai a glare before they noticed Kyouka... Ah right, they shared something in common. Except Y/n had been the one to kill their parents while Kyouka's parents died tragically by an ability. "Who is she?"

"Kyouka? She's one of Atsushi's friends. He saved her from the darkness. From being a child assassin. She's your age, this young version of you that is." Dazai spoke with hesitance, but the moment a glimmer showed in their eyes, he seemed hopeful.

"Really? She gets free of this? The darkness, I mean... she broke free of those chains?" Dazai nodded, his eyes did not miss the smile over their face the way hope shined in their eyes. "Can I talk to her?" Dazai set his hand on their head before patting their back with a silent nod.

"Go ahead, bask in the light..." Dazai whispered the words too soft to hear.