[ Buddy Daddies | Oneshots ]

[ nightmare ]

set after episode 4

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Kazuki crept down the hallway and peered around the corner, making sure the path was clear. It hadn't been the ideal plan, bringing Miri along on a job, but that's just how things worked out. The daycare had been closed and all.

"Make sure you stay close to me, alright?" He whispered to the little brunette.

Miri did not answer. This was strange, since she was almost always quick to respond cheerfully.

"Miri?" He turned to face her, taking his attention away from the hall. Miri was just standing there, head turned to the ground, concerningly quiet. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I don't..." She stumbled a little, "I don't feel so good, Papa."

The girl staggered slightly and almost fell over, before Kazuki quickly knelt down and caught her. He wrapped his arms around the girl, protective instinct and worry overcoming him. Shit. Is she sick? He thought. He paused, a strange realization coming to him. His hand that he had placed on her back felt... wet.

He looked over Miri's shoulder and lifted up his hand to inspect. The whole world seemed to stop.

Blood. His hand was drenched in thick, deep red blood. He wasn't particularly foreign to the idea, but this was one of the few times that he had been truly horrified by the prospect of it.

"It hurts," Miri whispered shakily.

Kazuki couldn't answer, not at first. His eyes were wide and his mouth was dry, his mind raced frantically. "I– I know, I know, just hold in there, okay?"

He turned her around and winced at the sight of her shirt covered in her own blood. He lifted her shirt up in order to see the wound and was met with the clear image of a stab wound. How the fuck had that happened? He thought, mind running faster than his hands were able to move.

He took off his own jacket and bundled it up, then pressed down against the injury, making an attempt to slow the bleeding.

"Fuck." He trembled, "You're gonna be fine, you got that, Miri?" Just fine–"

"I'm tired." Miri's voice was small, barely audible. Her eyes flickered shut.

"Stay awake! You have to stay awake for me, alright? Please, Miri," Kazuki fretted, tears popping up in his eyes, "just stay awake."

Miri didn't open her eyes.

"Shit!" He exclaimed, pressing down harder on the stab wound. The blood just wouldn't stop.

The four-year-old's breathing was unsteady and shallow. Kazuki's heart dropped as her breathing slowed more and more. There wasn't anything more he could do.

"Miri," he breathed out, "Miri, please."

Miri was as good as gone.

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Kazuki was dreaming. He didn't realize that, of course, but he was. He tossed and turned and was very clearly not sleeping peacefully. He wriggled in his blankets and flung his arm right into Rei's face, who had been sleeping on the opposite side of the bed.

Rei awoke with a start and a grumble, a hand reaching up to his nose. It would probably start bleeding soon, due to the force he had been smacked with. He checked his alarm clock, disappointed to see that it was 2 AM.

He glanced over at the blonde, only to do a double take once he realized that Kazuki was crying in his sleep. He sighed, feeling obligated to wake him up from whatever nightmare riddled his dreams. Again. This wasn't the first time this had happened.

"Kazuki," He grabbed ahold of the man's shoulder, shaking him slightly, "Kazuki, wake up."

Kazuki let out a snore, followed by... a whimper?

"Kazuki!" Rei pinched him on the arm, not having the patience to wake him gently.

"Huh, wha–?" Kazuki sat up, startled. He rubbed his arm.

"You were having a nightmare," Rei told him, deadpan.

"Mhm," He hummed, not really listening, a disturbed expression settling on his face.

Rei wasn't going to ask about what he was dreaming about, he knew Kazuki wouldn't tell.

"I'm gonna," Kazuki paused, swallowing, "I'm gonna go check on Miri." He smiled, but there was something off about it.

He hopped out of bed and left the room. Deep down– deep down, Rei was secretly worried about him. He'd been having nightmares nonstop for a while now, and there wasn't any sign of them stopping. He sighed, hearing the door to Miri's bedroom creak open, and tried to fall back asleep.

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Kazuki carefully opened the door, hoping that the creak wouldn't wake her. As he peered through the doorway, he watched for the steady rise and fall of Miri's breathing.

He tip-toed inside of the room and knelt down beside her bed. Her hair was strewn all across one of her pillows, the other she held on tightly to. Her blanket was halfway on the floor, so Kazuki took the liberty of repositioning it back over the young girl and tucking her in.

"Love you, Miri," He whispered, and gently kissed the brunette on the forehead, "good night."

Kazuki smiled and stood back up and started to head back to his bedroom, nerves calmed.

"Papa?" Miri sat up, her voice heavy with sleep. She was rubbing her eye and could barely keep her head up.

He turned around, "Hmm? What do you need, little monkey?"

"Can you–" she yawned, "can you tell me a bedtime story?"

Kazuki sighed, "Sure."

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alright, done with that. rewrote it because the first draft was very poor. it's still just mediocre but that's fine. hope you liked it <3

851 words

written 1/30/2023