you can take my Soul, but never my Heart (omegaverse)

Chapter 11: the light in the dark

Within an hour, Kyouyou tells Dazai everything that he needs to know.

By the time Dazai gets back to the office proper, everyone seems to have made a full recovery. Instead of resting, however, they're all buzzing around, collecting folders and binders of paperwork into cardboard boxes while Kenji very carefully puts several of the office plants in another open-top box. They're packing , and before Dazai can ask what's going on, Koko runs into his legs, face blotchy and wet with tears.

He immediately picks her up, tucking her against his hip before he tugs the sleeve of his coat over his palm to gently wipe at her face as she sniffles. "Koko, baby, what is it?"

"I don't wanna!" she cries, grabbing Dazai's vest to bury her face against him, getting the fabric damp.

He frowns, looking up when Haruno offers an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. The president just got off of the phone with Kunikida... He wants us all to evacuate the office for now as a safety measure. I tried to get Koko to pick out some toys to take, but..."

"Ah," he sighs, stroking her back as she continues to muffle her cries. "A good idea, on his part. What about Kyouyou?"

"Bringing her with us would put us at risk for our cover being blown," Kunikida says, dropping a stack of binders into the box Atsushi is holding to make the poor boy stumble under the weight. "Did she tell you anything useful?"

He shrugs easily, stepping aside as Naomi answers her cell phone and slips out into the hall to take the call. "It's enough. There's going to be an explosion at the commercial ports at the harbor in a few hours." Apparently, Chuuya had listened, and whatever he saw on that ship was worth destroying it.

Kunikida freezes. "What?"

"The Guild has a ship docked there. Mori's going to blow it up to destroy their base. After that, he's going to start putting the pressure on us to take out the Guild so he doesn't have to dirty his hands with it. He probably thinks he's doing us a favor."

Kunikida grimaces.

"So running is a good idea," Atsushi pants, heaving the overloaded box to rest on the closest desk. "If we have them both after us..."

Dazai hums his assent, starting to sway where he stands to help soothe Koko to quiet. "Kyouyou can stay here in case Kyouka comes back."

Atsushi goes pale. "What?"

"With all of the information we have stored here?" Kunikida snaps.

Dazai smiles. "She doesn't care about any of our paperwork. Give her some tea and a needlepoint and she'll be plenty entertained. She understands Kyouka will be staying with us. She just wants to make sure she's safe and to give her goodbyes. It would be cruel to rob her of that."

Atsushi looks like this is the worst possible news he's ever heard, but Kunikida grants him a stiff nod. Before either of them can argue it, Naomi comes back in, waving down Tanizaki, who was helping Kenji arrange the plants in their little boxes.

"Who was that?" Yosano asks, having been packing a first aid kit among paperwork.

"Ranpo," she supplies, taking her brother's arm as soon as he's close enough. "His train will be here soon, so the two of us will go pick him up and meet you at the hall."

Dazai blinks. He's a little relieved Ranpo will finally be back, because he has more common sense than pride to admit that his help on this matter would be appreciated. "Hall?"

"It would be wise not to say it aloud when there's a Port Mafia agent in the building," Kunikida mutters, shooting Naomi a look that makes her stick her tongue out at him. Dazai almost laughs at the irony of his words, considering the omega in front of him right now. "Dazai, pack your and Koko's things. I'm going to escort us there, and I can come back for the both of you tonight."