To See You Again (Chuuya Nakahara x Reader x Dazai Osamu)

Chapter Twelve

Y/n could feel her sharp edges, honed with years of careful work, softening around Chuuya and she didn't like it. The other day, he'd even managed to make her laugh, genuinely laugh, at some stupid joke. Sitting on the bed of the room she'd been given, she considered all the ways she could destroy the camaraderie that grew between them. What was even more alarming to her than the closeness itself, was the way her mind kept coming up with excuses as to why each and every plan would be absolutely and entirely unsuccessful. It wasn't like her to throw away a perfectly good plan for the stupid little reasons that kept rising into her minds eye, but she couldn't seem to help it.

A sharp knock drew her from her thoughts and she looked up to see the now familiar form of the Port Mafia's rabid dog entering her room.

"The boss wants to see you." He said.

"I feel like we've had this conversation before. Why does he want to see me?"

Akutagawa shrugged. He'd become much more laid back around Y/n since she had begun helping Chuuya train him and she could sense that there was something akin to trust for her brewing inside his new mannerisms.

"Well, not like I can say no."

With practiced grace, she stood from the bed. They filed out of her room. Not having bothered to grab her coat, Y/n rolled up the sleeves of her plain while dress shirt as they made their way down the hall.

"You don't have to walk me you know. I know how to get there on my own."

Akutagawa shrugged and Y/n quickened her pace so they were now walking side by side.

"I see a bit of myself in you, you know." she admitted, "Here is my advice: be careful with it all."

By this time, they had made it to Mori's door and Y/n rapped her knuckles twice on the hard wood.

"What do you mean?"

Disappearing through the door, Y/n left him without an answer, standing alone in the hallway.

"What?" He was too confused to even be frustrated and, shaking his head slightly, started to walk back to his office.

Once inside Mori's office, Y/n stiffened. Something was off about the atmosphere, much closer to the way she had felt around him as a kid than recently. With a deep breath, she approached the desk, even going so far as to offer her boss a slight bow.

He smiled, his mouth full of animosity. Y/n didn't like to admit it, but she had learned a lot about being inhuman from the man seated before her. Out of everyone she'd ever met, he was the best at it.

"It seems you're settling in?"

"Yes." was all she said before she caught a dangerous glint in Mori's eyes, "Yes sir."

"Sit." he gestured to the chair across the table from him and Y/n complied.

"Now, I've been thinking, since my dearest rot has returned to haunt me, wouldn't it be rather nice if she looked the part?"

Y/n felt like a thousand little spiders were crawling up her back as the words left his lips. Gathering courage, she cleared her throat.

"I am rot." they both said the word with the same sickening lilt to their voices, "Rot looks however I look."

"You weren't rot before I named you though, were you. Before that you were just... decay."

Something snapped in Y/n and she almost let it show on her face.

"How do you know he called me that?" she asked, a tremor threatening to enter the conversation.

Leaning back in his chair with a self satisfied smirk, Mori rested his hands on his lap.