The elevator doors close behind him. Its cool, metallic frame feels burning to his skin. Dazai turns around and pushes the button for the top floor. The cage starts to move, and he can't get this twitch out of his head. It keeps turning, turning, turning at him, nagging him to look out of that side window. Nagging at him to think what he can't, not now. Especially not now.
He plays with the phone in his pocket, locking and unlocking it in rapid succession. It's vexing, this damn elevator. It's gotten slower over the years; the damned organization can't spend even a percentage of its profits on maintenance. He turns his head to the side and looks out of the glass.
He hates it. He really does. The clear blue sky, the luscious green trees, the docile buildings, and all the cars on all the roads. It's like a doll set, and he wants to knock it over like a doll set. So perfect. So manufacturedly perfect.
An eye traces to a famed red bricked building out on a street corner. The ticks in his head become shorter, and he looks away to the buildings around it. Everything in this city. Like the last meal in a feasted banquet. The elevator doors open and he looks away.
Through the foyer and down the hall, the rubber soles of his dress shoes grip tight against the velvety carpet. His steps feel heavier, slower, but he knows that isn't true. Dazai walks past his door and on to the other side. Wide double doors stand before him. He presses the small button next to them. "Dazai Osamu: reporting to the boss."
The two slabs cave open, and he walks into their wake. They slam shut behind him, vibrating the edge of the floor. Whatever, he's used to it by now. He takes one, momentary breath, and treads down the black and red walkway. The guards at the end step aside once he gets to them. The door opens, and he steps inside.
Candles and dimmed fluorescent streams cast around the bloodless office. It's set in a soft black even though it's broad daylight outside. Mori sits at his desk, his hands folded over themselves with poised ease. Elise hangs her legs over the side, coloring a picture with crayons. She looks up at the executive briefly, then returns to her drawing. Mori smiles. "Ah, Dazai, hello. How nice of you to stop by. Just passing for a visit on your usual stroll I assume."
He claps once and the whole room changes. Light comes in from the window now, and the candles and overhead bulbs extinguish themselves. Mori looks past Dazai, over to his guards. "You may go now, if you'd like." They leave the room, and Elise hops down and continues her coloring on the floor.
"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I summoned you here." He laughs. A sly, taunting, arrogant laugh. "Of course you're not!" he exclaims with his palms pressed hard onto his desk. He looks up at the executive with a slithering grin on his face. "You already know."
"She's a nice girl, isn't she? Pretty, though a bit too old for my taste." He flicks his fingers a couple times. "I'll admit, as much as it may personally… disgust me… you guys are awfully cute together. Ah, a pair of star crossed lovers. How adorable, if a bit cliché." He says that last part with sarcasm oozing from his voice.
Mori gazes at his young subordinate with judgement in his eye. He can tell. Dazai is trying so hard not to betray himself. It'd almost be valiant, if it wasn't so pitiful. "Look at you, so nervous. I'm sure that'd be so precious to your little girlfriend," the mafia boss mocks in a childish voice. He gets up out of his seat and looks at Dazai again. He's growing impatient. The older man can see it all over that transparent mask of a face. It's as if he's shouting "Just get on with it already!". The boss chuckles. They both know what they're here for, but too bad, he's going to string him on just a little bit longer.
"I've known that you've been sleeping with the girl for a while now," he pauses so that it can linger, "but the thing is, I didn't care. It was a fruitless, pointless little matter really. But now, a full affair? Now I care. She has become a liability, and by extension, so have you. I would have thought that you of all people would know better than to get caught by such a windless breeze."
He looks out the window briefly, then back to Dazai. "So now you're thinking 'it used to not be a problem, but now it is a problem, and he hates problems, so if he hates problems and this is a problem, then what's he going to do about it?'" He smiles as he looks the younger man directly in the eye. "You want to know if I'm going to kill her."
It stops. It all stops. Dazai breathes. He doesn't want you to know it, but he lets out a large, visible, exhale. Mori laughs at the executive. He sees the way his eyes have tightened, the drawing of his cheeks. "No, I won't kill her." He stops there and waits. Dazai knows not to breathe this time. "You will."
And it's like that. Clockwork. The heart beats in his chest, pounding like a hammer in a ribcage. Mori can feel it too. It's not in his own heart; it's not in his own chest. It's the room. The entire place is beating. Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum.
Mori sits down in his chair again and intertwines his hands together on his desk. "Are there any questions Dazai?"
Dazai looks up at him, staring with straight, dead eyes. "No, Boss."
"Do you understand then what I'm saying here?"
"Yes, Boss."
Mori picks up a pen from his desk and smiles. "Perfect, off you go." He shoos him off and Dazai leaves, letting the man return to his work.
Rei walks out of her room and gets her food from the microwave. It's leftovers again, which is great for her. Less cooking means less cleaning. She sits down on her couch and turns on the TV. Already in her pajamas, it's nice to unwind after a long day. The news rolls on as she eats her stir fry, a peaceful time for a stressful day.
There's a cat that's become a global pop sensation overnight, a giant kidney bean was found in someone's lunch, something about dolphin mating, and of course the robot takeover of the world. It's startling really, how fast things happen sometimes. You don't even notice it until someone in a suit tells you on your television screen.
She rests her feet up on the coffee table and pulls her laptop onto her as the station switches to a commercial break. She really likes this time of night, it's relaxing, gives her time to do things at her leisure. So there's emails, a couple finishing touches on reports, following a trail here or there. It's easy enough stuff, light and something she can do offhand. And that's nice, work can be pretty hectic depending on the day to day.
She scrolls around on the computer screen, checking out new places to eat. The best thing about living in a big city like this is that there're always new restaurants opening. She looks off to the window for a bit. It's been a while since she's seen Dazai. That's probably for the best, all things considering. It'd be wise for them to start spending less time together. Though she does have to wonder if there's something going on with him. Should she have gone to see him tonight? Maybe if she has time she'll do it tomorrow.
Thinking about it now, it's amazing how fast things move. It wasn't even two years ago that she joined the agency. And only one year has passed since she killed someone. So much has happened since then. All the other cases, all the other drama in family and personal life. Rei sets her computer down and stares blankly at the TV screen. Things do happen so fast. Yet I can remember every detail of that night.
Rapid knocks pound against her door. Rei jolts up, nearly falling out of her seat. She looks to the clock in her kitchen; who would come here at this time of night?! Anyone she'd think of would surely call or text her first. The knocks get more and more furious, now banging on her door like some wild gorilla. She runs up to it as fast as she can; the last thing she needs is complaints from her neighbors about whoever the fuck this is.
The agent gets to the door and looks out the peephole. What the – She stops as her hand releases from the handle. Something strong pulls her in by her back, and the door shuts tight not a second later. Before she can even register what's going on, a warm pair of lips smother hers in a blitz. It's crazed, maniac. She can't even wrap her head around it as he kisses her aggressively again and again. His grip on her like he's clinging onto the side of a cliff. Its desperation is suffocating; he won't let her breathe. His lips, his tongue, his body. He knows it's intrusive; he knows it's invasive. Good. It should be.
Dazai pulls away, and they stand face to face. She stares at him, wondering what in the fuck is going on. Showing up at her place in the middle of the night, acting like he's being chased by the Illuminati, kissing her like it's his last will and testament. It's scary. It's really fucking scary. His eyes rattle back and forth like they're searching for what to do. The expression on his face is only making her more nervous. Even before when he'd act uncertain, he'd at least look confident and ponderous while doing it, now he just looks lost. Genuinely, deeply lost.
She's about to ask him about it when he slides a hand against her cheek. He pulls her into him again, though much gentler this time. His mouth moves against hers in a slow and sensual dance. The desperation of it a whole different kind. As if to say this is it, right here, right now, and she better give it all she's got. She reaches up and grabs his face, getting lost in the motions of their sea. The acrobatics play out in her stomach as their tongues dance and twirl. It melts like spring and flows like summer, a true embrace between lovers.
"Wha –" She manages to breathe out once they let go.
"Mori knows," he says to her briefly before looking away. He puts his hands on his hips and walks past her into the living room, forcing his focus on all new the decorations she got.
Rei turns on a dime and watches him ruffling through her stuff. What? Did she hear that right? She must have misunderstood him. "What?"
Dazai stops with his hand on the table and turns around. "I mean, he's always known. It's just that now he thinks he gives a shit." He runs a hand through his hair and walks closer to her. "And he's not happy about it," he clarifies.
"I – I'm sorry," is all she can say. She looks at him, the conflict on his face. It must be so difficult to have that kind of employer. "What's going to happen?" She watches as he shifts around slightly. He wouldn't be here if it wasn't a dire situation. "Is he going to kill me?"
Dazai looks at her, then looks away. All she can see is the curve of his back. "No," he shakes his head. He takes a breath before glancing her way. "He wants me to kill you."
Rei stops her breath, frozen in her own living room. She looks fixedly between him and herself. So that's it then. He's going to do it. He has to do it. If his boss says to kill her, he's going to kill her. She backs away a little, if only subconsciously. If he came here to kill her, she opened the door right for him. They look up at the same second and meet with their eyes. It brings her back to when they first met. She had no idea what they would hold. "What are you going to do?"
He shakes his head back and forth. "We keep things as they are. Business as usual. Anything else would only make him more suspicious." She nods her head, though the short and rushed way he said it doesn't ease her at all. He stops pacing and walks toward her.
"Give me your phone," he says once he's within an arm's reach. She reaches into her pocket and hands it to him. He takes his out too and holds one in each hand. She watches him, wondering what he's doing as he simultaneously presses buttons on both of their screens. After a minute, he gives her hers back and puts his away. "I put my number in."
She looks up at him like he's crazy. "What?! But what about –"
"It doesn't matter now," he tells her. "Mori knows, there's no point." He throws himself on the couch in anger and folds fist over his own hand. She stares at the new number on her phone. It's like some alien virus or a newfound disease. She puts the device away and sits with him on the couch.
It feels like she says this all the time, but she's honestly never seen him like this before. So unabashedly distraught. For the first time in two years, he looks like he's afraid. His head is in his hands, his hair is pushed all the way up. He keeps shaking his head back and forth, over and over. He may not even notice it, but his body is shaking too. From his shoulder to his legs, his entire frame is shaking like a scared little kid. It wouldn't shock her if he started to cry.
Rei stares at him, utterly clueless as to what to do. This whole scene, it makes her feel so small. He looks so hurt, so frustrated, so helpless. She scooches up right next to him and puts an arm around him. She lays her head on his chest and gently rubs his shoulder. That got the shaking to stop, at least. "So, what are you going to do?"
They gaze at each other; his eyes are clouded with indecision. "If there's one rule in the mafia, it's that you never go against the boss. Every order Mori gives me, I have to do it." She looks down at their legs running parallel to each other. It's quite a thought really, but she doesn't know what she expected. They sit up together and he waits a moment before saying what he's going to say. "Maybe we really should run away."
As if on cue, a phone rings from his right jacket pocket. Dazai stares at it, then her, then gets up from his seat. Rei gets up too and walks over with him; they both already knew who it is. "Boss," he answers.
"Oh, Dazai, how lovely it is to hear your voice again," Mori laughs into the phone. He sits with his feet propped lightly on his desk. All the lights in his office are off and he stares out of the window, one hand on his phone, the other tapping his knee. "What a surprise that I hear from you at this time. I should have known you'd go to see her tonight. It seems I may have underestimated your feelings for her." He sits up in his chair and picks up the pen laying on his desk. He doesn't twist it open, instead just glides it against the fine hardwood.
"Fine, if you insist on doing things your way. I'll give you an ultimatum. The tiger is still on the loose, and the bounty on it has just gone up. I know this would be such a bother for you, but I would very much like for it to be mine. So, I'll strike you a deal. Bring me the tiger and I'll call the mission off. Do you understand?"
Dazai closes his eyes and turns his head to the side. "Yes, Boss."
"Perfect," Mori says cheerfully, then hangs up.
Dazai locks his phone and heads on his way to the front door. He gets his coat and throws it over his shoulders. He may not have the slightest clue where the tiger is, but he'll find it. Maybe not tonight, or tomorrow night, or the night after, but he'll find it.
"Where are you going?" a small voice asks from behind him. He turns around and sees a girl. A small girl in her night clothes, standing with her hands out in front of herself in a wide living room.
"I'm going to get that tiger," he says, his face firm like marble.
"You're leaving now?" She tilts her head curiously at him. The wide look in her eyes, the way her hands are clasped at her hip, the withdrawn hunch of her frame. It's almost laughably innocent.
He looks to the door again, the inornate wooden board that's sat just a few feet away from him. It's daunting in a way, that board. The only thing keeping him from the outside. He hangs his coat up and walks into the living room. She leans in and wraps her arms around him. The muffled sounds of vibrant night life mix with the stagnant whispers of the old apartment. Hardened carpet and aged oak hum to them a sweet song. The peace kept in the room, a soothing tranquility.
Rei removes herself from him and walks back over to the coffee table. She closes her laptop, then picks up her bowl and takes it to the kitchen. The faucet runs on while her hands move underneath. The stream of tap water sounds much harsher than it actually is. "Would you like some candy?" She picks up a bowl and holds it out to him. He looks in over the counter and picks a few. She shuts the water off and sits at the table.
He sits down next to her and eats his candy. There's something admirable in it, all of it. She would not have expected him to be so bothered by this. The solemn way he eats, his chin barely moves as he chews. It's an opaqueless door she can't quite open. Even the more rigid features of his face are paper and glass. "Thanks," she says in a quiet voice.
"For what?" Dazai turns his head to her, confused.
Rei shrugs, unsure of what she wants to say. "Not killing me." He laughs at that. What a strange thing to thank someone for. "I know it must be difficult to go against your boss."
"What, you mean the reincarnation of the devil who controls the city's entire criminal underworld? Nah, it wasn't that bad." They both laugh and he pulls his hands down to his sides. "Though I suppose I should thank you too."
Now she turns to him. "For what?"
"A lot of things," he says with a sobriety that's rare, even for him. "The candy mainly though," he clarifies.
Rei laughs a bit at his joke, studying even the subtlest movement of his eyes. She reaches out and brushes the hair out of his face. Even that soft of a touch makes him look up at her. Their eyes meet and she sits back up in her chair. She turns her head to the kitchen and peers over at the time. "We should get to bed."
They get up from their seats and push their chairs in. She goes first and he follows her. They get to her room and there's some murmured shuffling as they step inside. Hollow echoings like movements breathed to life. The door to the bedroom softly closes, the lights extinguish, and it's all but still in the dead of night.
Ships pull into port. It's late afternoon on some sort of day. He can't tell. The rusted metal beneath him shines with all the dullness it can. This new enemy is more interesting than he thought. Usually they'd have been done within a few hours, but now this has carried over to a new day. Even this morning he was surprised when he got the call. His phone rings from his pocket.
"Dazai?" a heavy voice breathes in from the other side.
The executive tilts his chin slightly at the sound of his friend's voice. "That's rare, getting a call from you."
"I was targeted by a sniper in Ango's room," Oda says in a level tone. The executive looks down at the junk around him. He can easily tell that his friend running, and pretty fast too. "I'm going after the sniper now. He's firing from a building across the Secondhand Books Avenue."
"So, you want me to cut his escape route off," Dazai tells him. He stands up on his perch, now looking out.
"I have the Silver Oracle on hand. If you need me to, I'll –"
"Oh, there's no need," the younger man waves it off. He turns around, out to the city now. "Don't push yourself too hard until I get there."