Temporarily | Soukoku Fanfiction

Compensation

Dazai was so dead. Other than he was already half an hour late for work—though he was sure that was nothing new for the Agency members—he had lost sight of the small, mancub that was supposed to be in his care for the day. He and small Atsushi had been tardy because Atsushi wouldn't stop crying after waking up without Chuuya beside him. Chuuya had to go to work this early in the morning because of an emergency and he couldn't even call the ginger, thinking maybe it could calm Atsushi down a bit. He did manage to get him to stop after promising they'd check on Chuuya later at lunch—with Dazai, it wouldn't be so hard to sneak into the Port Mafia quarters.

However, since he got too busy calming Atsushi's crying, they never had the chance to eat breakfast, so along the way, Dazai stopped by a food stand selling taiyaki to buy one for him and the boy. He placed Atsushi down on the kid's feet so he could grab his wallet and pay for the taiyaki. Only thing was, he hadn't noticed the kid suddenly running off and now Dazai was in panic mode, searching the whole market place for that small, white-haired child in a blue smock and black shorts that reach up to his knees with a white tiger plushy in his arms.

Chuuya was surely going to kill him if he found out the brunette had lost the child. Dazai was aware of the ginger's care for the small kid, with the way he treated him as his own child for no apparent reason besides possible pity for the young boy. Though in Dazai's point of view, it looked to be more than just pity.

***

Atsushi's eyes roamed around the market whilst Dazai bought the taiyaki. His purple-yellow orbs, however, gleamed with joy at the sight of a black-coated man with raven and white hair walking pass. He recognized him as Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, one of Chuuya's colleagues in the Port Mafia after seeing the boy many times whenever the ginger brought him to work.

And because his first thought was Akutagawa knew Chuuya therefore wherever Akutagawa was going, Chuuya would be there as well, he decided to tail the raven boy. Without a care about the brunette supposed to be looking after him and the possibility of the said man to experience severe punishment if Atsushi ever goes missing from his sight.

Through the streets and passing by the many people walking in his way, Atsushi tried to catch up to Akutagawa with his tiny, childlike legs hardly compatible in speed with the older male's long ones.

"Akutagawa!" the small child cried when he saw the addressed man cross the road, in hopes he'd be heard and stop. Akutagawa did look back, but he didn't see the small mantiger with the amount of people in the place so he continued crossing.

Not even caring or noticing about the street lights turning green, indicating that it was time for the vehicles to move, Atsushi ran through the streets. Luckily for Atsushi, there wasn't a vehicle in sight yet "Akutagawa!" the mantiger called again.

Akutagawa turned once more at the sound of his name being called and that's when he found the small kid in the street. Right timing, too, because a car was already on its way to crush him and so out of some strange instinct, he activated Rashoumon and the beast managed to scoop the kid in time. A few gasps and screams were heard as the people watched the scene unfold before them.

"And what do you think you're doing out here all alone, jinko?" Akutagawa asked immediately as he placed the small child on his feet.

"I wanna go to Chuuya!" Atsushi declared, cheekily.

"Chuuya-san? So, are you with Dazai-san right now?" Akutagawa's eyes seemed to glow with fondness at the idea that he might get to see his old mentor today and maybe even receive praise if he brought this lone child back to him.

"Mm!" Atsushi nodded.

"Where is he? So I can bring you back to him now." Akutagawa tried to sound as if it was nothing when, inside, he's a tad bit excited.