Please, release me ✩ Dazai X Reader

Chapter 14

It isn't clear how long you had been trapped within this empty shipping container; you lay there unmoving, eyes shut yet unable to sleep. Amidst your lifeless state, you had failed to notice the faint smell of blood slowly creeping into the container where you lay. Until the scent of blood finally hit you, the fear swelling up once more just as it did when you were thrown into the container. There was a part of you that wanted desperately to run; however, you couldn't even muster the strength to tighten your hand into a fist. Despite all the painstakingly slow progress, to finally become your own person again, rather than someone's puppet, was all for nought. Unfortunately, having those experiences physically etched into your body and soul caused it to be complicated to be rid of so soon.

All you could do was relive the memories with Dazai and remain ever silent, yet in the thick of your internal suffering and anguish, you failed to notice the now open doors and the figure that stood there for a few minutes studying your sorry state. Time continued to pass before they sighed and finally approached you slowly as if they were trying not to frighten a timid animal, and it wasn't until they carefully covered your eyes for a moment that you finally realised there was someone else in the container with you. Before you knew it, they had picked you up bridal style yet refused to say anything. Even with the faint smell of blood slowly growing, there was an unusually comforting feeling from the warmth of the stranger carrying you. It was strangely conflicting; here was this stranger holding onto you so carefully; however, it wasn't enough to distract you from the now strong scent of blood. Even if it was a small part, you were glad you couldn't witness whatever the possible carnage was around you.

After your body finally collapsed and you got the sleep it so desperately needed, you awoke in the Agency's patient room, in the bed closest to the door leading to the main room of the Agency, and you noticed Atsushi nervously dwindling his fingers as he sat in a chair not too far from you. If only for a moment, you question if he's the one who brought you here, but after some dots fail to connect, you throw the idea away since you couldn't imagine him causing a scene that resulted in such a strong smell of blood. You try to ask who brought you here, but your mouth refuses to move; fortunately, you can sit up, and your sudden movement catches his attention. Relief hits him like a wave, and he jumps up in surprise, "Y/N-san!" he exclaims as he jumps at you to hug you, his relief to see you awake overtaking his rationality. Despite how much pain your body was in previously, his sudden embrace didn't hurt you in the slightest, which meant Dr Yosano had used her ability on you while you were unconscious. Atsushi realises what he is doing and scrambles to his seat while he tries to compose himself again, but the warmth in his cheeks refuses to disappear. "Everyone was worried when you didn't return two days ago, but Yosano-san said you suddenly appeared here, and you refused to wake up even after she used her ability on you..." he explains in a rush, clearly still feeling embarrassed at his rashness just a moment ago. His reactions almost made you wish you could pat him on the head, not that you could, as moving freely still seemed impossible right now. After all, you might feel safer now that you are within the Agency's building; however, the events that just transpired have far longer effects on your body. It was almost as if you were nothing but a spirit watching someone else control your body, and getting up was the only thing you could do. "A-are you okay, Y/N-san...?" he timidly asks, concern still across his face.

Before your failed attempt to respond, the door leading to the main room of the Agency opens, and Kunikida appears. "Oi brat, we still have work to do; your break ended exactly 4 minutes and 19 seconds ago," he complains as he clings to a laptop while hurriedly typing away until he finally notices you. "Good you're awake again, you had us all worried there for a moment that you wouldn't wake up," he expresses, holding the laptop with one hand and pushing up his glasses with the other. "S-sorry Kunikida-san!" Atsushi exclaims in a panic before leaving the room to his desk to go back to work. "I don't know where you disappeared to or how you ended up here, but I'm glad you're okay," he comments before leaving the room to finish his work.

The fact that he carried his laptop to do work on the go while he ordered Atsushi and then the cute reaction from Atsushi's scramble to his desk was funny to the point you wanted to laugh a little. But you couldn't, no matter how much you wanted to laugh. Now you were finally alone with your thoughts once more, not that you wanted to be, after all, they weren't pretty or sweet thoughts, not after what just happened to you.

However, as if answering your hopes for some company, you hear the curtains between the patient's beds move to the side which causes you to dart your eyes in that direction, only to have your hopes crushed. It was Dazai, standing there, smirking at you. However, despite his usual happy-go-lucky demeanour, you could faintly catch the scent of blood from him and notice the fact he was only in his shirt and pants with freshly done bandages. "Curious aren't you?" he teases, acting towards you just like he did during the first few times you saw him. However, when you're unable to respond he pouts like a child, having not received the reaction he wished for. He flops back onto the bed he was just on and lies sideways on the bed with his legs and arms hanging off the bed sighing deeply to exaggerate his boredom. You watch as he rolls onto his stomach and lays there unmoving for a short while until he rolls onto his back, before jumping up with arms in the air. "I know!" he remarked, as he put his hands on his hips and leaned his face closer to yours with an unreadable expression. It was that sudden closeness and the expression you couldn't read that made you far more nervous than when he abruptly made himself known to you. It was not knowing what he would do next that made you fearful of what he would do, and while the door leading to the main room of the Agency was unlocked; unfortunately, in your current state he could change that, even with the other Agency members on the other side of the door, that fear was all to present. "Welcome to the Agency," he mentions, his face still only several inches away from yours, to the point that if he moved any closer, you would be able to feel the heat from his body. Smiling and satisfied with himself, he finally moves away and sits on the other bed. You had questions but in the face of the demon prodigy from your past, you sat there as still as a doll only able to move your eyes to keep your gaze on him. However, it seems that want in your eyes was all too easy for him to read, "Akutagawa was the test I set, everyone else had no idea and had other plans for the test," he explains, answering almost all of your questions instantly. It was usually like this since he reappeared in your life; he would read you like a book and answer any questions you physically couldn't ask due to your inability to talk to him unless asked to, aside from that single outburst which caused you to punch Dazai. Only one question remained, who was it that brought you back to the Agency, you knew Dazai had no issue with causing bloodshed and he no doubt would be able to find you, no matter where you went, but the way that mysterious person carried you, it wasn't the kind of compassion or warmth that Dazai had, especially not towards you, despite some dots connecting you blatantly refused to acknowledge that Dazai was capable of showing any true kindness. He only smiled at you with a carefree demeanour, which only irked you because you knew how well he could read you which meant he refused to answer that question. "You shouldn't receive any backlash from your ability now that you've joined the Agency," he comments, his usual unreadable expression returning once more. What he was referring to was the physical cuts and scars that would occasionally be left on your body depending on the individual and the complexity of the order you would give out, it was the reason you had once become almost as bandaged as Dazai back when he had trapped you to make use of your ability. "After the entrance exam, the boss's ability takes effect, it can adjust the power of the Agency member's abilities so that they can be controlled, just like Atsushi and Kyoka's," he explains as he leans back while using his hands to support him to prevent himself from falling. At some point, Atsushi let it slip that he had control of his ability after joining the Agency before quickly changing the topic, so now you knew what he meant, and why he was quick to change the subject. After a long pause, Dazai finally jumps to his feet and stretches his arms out before heading towards the door. As soon as he places his hand on the handle, he turns his head towards you, "And Tanaka is alive," he states plainly, before leaving the room, and you're truly alone this time.

What was that? Tanaka, alive...?

It seems all he had to do was say that one thing, and you were now left with more questions than when he suddenly appeared behind the curtains.

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Yet another chapter unable to make a decision, unfortunately. However, that may all change next chapter but who knows I suppose~

With chapter 14 now done and the ending yet to be seen you can expect many more chapters as I don't plan to end it any time soon, with a slower romance in mind. Yes, it's still a romance between you and Dazai, yes I'm referring to those who hate Dazai right now in the comments.