Oblivion • Akutagawa x Reader

•26

Louisa hadn't been sure what she was expecting from you, but whatever it was, it was not this. The young woman was practically shaking at needing to force you to get up, sitting you at the table placed in the room and pushing the food towards you, pitty in her eyes.

Am I stuck like this? Will they stop me?

"I'm going to leave all the papers here, but um...if you have any questions, there's a phone next to your bed" Louisa informs you softly, interrupting your clouding thoughts and walking out of the room with a few glances back out of worry. She leaves the door open after some hesitation, and you're grateful although you don't say anything back.

As long as it's open I can still get out.

After moments of silence in which you didn't know how to act in your own pain, you stare blankly at the papers, fighting your own curiosity in what it was that you'd be signing in to. Eventually, your curiosity gets the best of you, and your eyes skim the words, a new tiny flame igniting in you as you grab a pen left for you to sign with with. Immediately, you start scratching out parts of the contract you didn't like, and rewriting on the edges what you would agree to, a sort of anger taking you over.

Everyone wants to control me for my decisions.

I won't let that happen again.

Whether we live in the same realities or not, I'm still alive for the simple reason that I felt love once. I want it back.

Eyes scanning the pages once more, you abruptly stand out of the chair and take the contract papers, dropping the pen and ignoring the food, walking out of your room with a new drive. Looking across the hallway for a sign of how to reach Fitzgerald's office, you stride with determination, almost slamming the elevator buttons once you figure out where you needed to go.

You didn't run into anyone on your way up, and for some reason you didn't expect to. Without any other thought, you make your way to his office and push the door open, meeting a surprised Fitzgerald at his desk, signing a few files before he looked you over with contained shock.

"What's wrong, Miss [l/n]?" He asks calmly, setting down his pen with an elegance only someone who practiced how he appeared to others would have.

Feeling like your heart was on fire, you walk up to his desk and throw the papers on his other ones directly in front of him, stepping back once you do, keeping your eyes on him.

Fitzgerald looks down with his brows furrowed at your papers, analyzing every scribble you made and words you wrote. Finally, after long minutes of agonizing impatience, Fitzgerald looks back at you, elbows on his desk and head resting neatly in his intertwined hands.

"I bought you your freedom, you belong to this company now. Whether you sign this contract or not, you have to work for me."

No.

"Have you ever been kept away from everything for 10 months?" You speak up, ignoring how odd the confidence in your voice sounded out loud again.

Entertaining your question, Fitzgerald shakes his head to say no.

"Have you ever loved within reach of being loved, and just as you take hold of it it's all ripped away?"

"I don't let others take away what's mine, a rule of business."

"Well, I've been weak. I've let everything get taken away from me. I'm not afraid to be hurt again, and if I have to endure the burn of a thousand suns to get what I want, I will. I've come to you with my last bits of strength left to tell you that I deserve more than money thrown my way and be expected to behave the way you want me to."

There's a pause that follows your words, and you and Fitzgerald hold each other's gaze sternly, a small smile cracking on his face after a few seconds.

"The Port Mafia was wrong about you. You do have life left inside you, old sport. Who is it?"

"What?"

"Who is the man that keeps you from fading away? You seem like a smart woman, you've been through a lot, I've heard of your history...but I keep hearing of the love you'd do anything for. So tell me, who was ripped away from you?"

"It was my fault. I wanted to take control of myself...so I did something right, but it came with consequences." you whisper, your voice starting to shake as your go through the memory again in your mind.

"He...made me feel life differently. He carried my fears" you continue, unable to bring yourself to say his name out loud.

The last time I heard it was with words from the heart. I don't want to taint that memory. I don't want it to lose significance...

"What if I propose another deal for you, hm? I heard you used to be acquainted with the Armed Detective Agency?"

You freeze but nod, the name of the agency sending a sick feeling to your stomach.

"Get them to sign these files in the next 3 days, and you will have earned your complete freedom. If not, you'll have to join my rebuilding of the guild."

"That's it?"

Fitzgerald then burst into deep laughter, picking up his pen and playing with it with his fingers.

"Old sport, I've been trying to get them to agree to it for months!"

•••

This is the best way to go.

You assure yourself over and over that you made the right decision agreeing to Fitzgerald's conditions every step of the way outside the building, your heart racing the closer you got to the doors that would open up to the outside again, to the air you had felt so little you almost forgot what it was like to feel wind move your hair. While being transferred between buildings, you hadn't gotten a chance to truly appreciate the outdoors again, but now that you were so close -

One step closer to seeing the agency again.

You shudder just as you make it to the exit, your hand slowly pushing against the glass door. Pushing away the resentment you currently felt for the agency, you take your first willful steps outside, and a small smile plays in your lips as you raise your head to take it in.

3 days and this feeling is all mine again.

3 days and I can find you again freely, Akutagawa.

"Miss...?"

You impulsively step back in alarm and tilt your head back forwards, your eyes landing on a tall, pale man with semi-wavy dark hair that covered most of both of his eyes. The young man wears a white collar button up shirt with a white loosely tied ribbon around his neck, a black vest under an open white suite jacket, and a thigh length black cape held together by a chain clasp. His pants are dark and so are his boots, but you were paying attention to none of that, as he has a raccoon laying on his shoulders like it was the most normal thing.

You stare, and you try to think of a way to ask about the peculiarity without sounding rude.

"Miss, sorry to interrupt but-" the man pauses, going from attentively watching the door behind you as if he was in a rush, to staring at you thoughtfully before seemingly piecing something together.

"Do I know you?"

You blink blankly, trying to process what was going on.

"No?"

"Oh...hm...that can't be right" he mutters to himself, taking out his phone and searching through it, texting a few things before looking back down at you.

"Um...what's your name?" You decide to ask, keeping your eyes on the raccoon with caution.

"Most people just call me Poe over here" his response is quiet, but you understand him just fine.

"[f/n]?!"

Another more familiar voice calls your name, and you spin around as Poe perks his head up to that direction to see Ranpo walking towards the two of you, gawking and eyes wide with bewilderment.

"Ranpo?"

"[f/n]...how are you here?! We all thought you were dead!"