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Chapter Text

A temperature and humidity that rivals a sauna, Yokohama street is filled with the hustle and bustle of life. Clothes cling onto their owners as they fan themselves desperately and gorge on ice-cream.

Despite the sweltering heat, a scrawny child was dressed in a lemon-yellow long sleeved shirt and a denim short overalls. Under this, she wore thigh-high black stockings and a pair of red sneakers. Unkempt silver locks tumbled down to her waist, framing her heart-shaped face and apple-red eyes.

Beads dotted on her forehead and neck, with her hair plastered against them. To make matters worse, her once dry bandages were drenched. Tipping on her toes, her wide-red eyes scan at the flow of the crowd. Helpless, she tried to spot a slender man with a five-o-clock shadow and his black hair bun up.

She shouldn’t have walked off to pet the cat with patches of orange, dark brown and white fur.

She shouldn’t have let go off his hand.

What if he’s here?

Is he going to punish her from wandering off? Like him?

Her vision began to blur and the air began to feel heavy as the heat coiled around her. The bandages that once acted as her safety blanket felt like it was suffocating her.

What if he don’t wa-

Warm hands grasped onto her shoulder. 

Talons hooking into her flesh. 

Flinching, she thrust her hands outwards and shoved as hard as she could.

“ Woah! “ Someone yelped. “ Looks like Shirayukihime-chan packs a punch. “

Peeking beneath her eyelashes, she spots a lanky brunette with shaggy brown hair on the floor with his beige coat spread out behind him. A pair of concerned red-brown eyes gazed into hers. A gentle smile graced his face which softens his sharp features.

“ What is Shirayukihime-chan doing here? “ The man asked softly as he dusted himself off the ground and squatted in front of her. He stayed at a respective distance from her and waited patiently.

Blinking her eyes, she stuttered. “ Shi-Shirayukihime? “

“ Your eyes remind me of apples. “ He gave her a lop-sided smile. “ What’s your name, Shirayukihime-chan? “

“ My da-” She wasn’t sure if she’s allowed to address her guardian under that title. “ My guardian told me not to talk to strangers…"

The man chuckled and he reached into his pockets of his beige coat. Tensing her muscles,  her wide eyes trained after his every movement.

We are in public. He wouldn-

A white card was produced in front of her eyes. It read:

Dazai Osamu.

Armed Detective Agency.

A gruff voice echoed in her memory. “...Eri, there are no heroes at Yokohama. If you are ever in trouble look for the Armed Detective Agency…”

So, he’s like Uncle Toshi’s friend.

Dazai’s POV:

What Dazai didn’t expect on his rare days off work was for Sensei to appear round the corner and bump on his legs.

Squatting down, Dazai gave the calico cat a scratch at its chin. “ Sorry Sensei-san, I do not have any food with me. “

The cat purred at his action before sprinting off in the opposite direction. It paused, swishing his tail from side to side before turning its head, meowing at Dazai.

“ Do you want me to follow you? “ Dazai pointed to himself.

The cat instead bopped its head and trotted off. Quirking an eyebrow at Sensei, Dazai got up and trailed after the cat at a languid distance. After many twists and turns, Dazai came to an intersection with people streaming about their daily duties. He had lost sight of Sensei as he dragged his eyes across the crowd. Just then, his sight zeroed into a head of fluffy off-white hair that fluttered along a passing breeze. Like a dandelion among the sea of black and brown.

But it was not the hair that caught Dazai’s attention. It was the way the tiny girl held herself, her head tilted upwards and shifting bright red eyes as her gaze never settled down on one face. It was the way when she shifted her weight from left to right every few seconds as if pondering whether to stay still or move.

Did Sensei-san bring him here to help a lost child?

Chapter Text

Eri’s POV:

“ I am Eri. “

“ I am Dazai Osamu. Nice to meet you, Eri-chan. “ Dazai introduced as he offered his hand out. 

White. Eri stared at the hand offered to her. She dragged her eye over the man before her. Bandages snaked around Dazai’s forearms and neck. 

Is he the same as her?

“ Are you lost, Eri-chan? “ Dazai hummed, as he put his hand down. Not offended that the child didn’t want to shake his hand. 

She nodded her head as she glanced at the ever moving traffic before her. Her nail bitten fingers digged into her pudgy palm forming tiny crescents.

Where is he? 

Dazai’s POV: 

Dazai groaned internally. Running a hand through his already rat-nest of hair, he wondered why the universe was so against him. He was hoping to have a dip in the raging rapids with a beautiful lady today. Specifically, he pondered why of all the people Sensei picked him to help a lost child. 

Wouldn’t Kenji-kun be a better choice? He’s all sunshines and smiles. 

Afterall, Dazai knew that helping children wasn’t his strongest suit. Looked at what he had done to Ryūnosuke. Mentally debating, if he was to call the Agency, he would surely get an earful from Kunikida. Sure it was fun seeing Kunikida’s face turn tomato-red and steam coming out from his ears but it wouldn’t do good to Kunikida’s blood pressure. 

But Odasaku would want him to help a lost child...Right? 

Besides, for Sensei to come and steer him to the direction of the lost child means it must be something important. Which means…

Dazai leapt up from his crouched position. His knees gave out a pleasant pop from relief. However, his quick action seems to startle the child as she stumbled back a little. 

This child is important...

Now towering over the minuscule form, Dazai eyed the mop of silver hair. She had a tiny horn protruding out from the right side of her forehead which was expertly hidden by her wavy locks. 

...as she is not from Yokohama. 

Eri’s POV:

“ Let’s go look for your guardian! “ 

Nimble fingers brushed against baby soft skin. Eri jerked her hand out. “ No! Do-Don’t touch me!” 

He’s not here. What if I accidentally rewind him? 

“ Why is that, Eri-chan? If it’s cooties, I assure you, you will not pass it to me. “ Dazai jokes.

“ No...It’s not that…” Eri murmured as she tugged at her hair. 

What are cooties? 

“...Is...I...It’s because I can hurt you! “ 

Blinking owlishly, Dazai quickly schooled his features. “ Eri-chan, you can’t hurt me. “ 

“ You are not him!” Eri bursted out. “What if I accidenta-”

A warm hand landed on her head, ruffling her already messy hair. Eri felt something cool like swimming in the lake during summer course through her veins. Eri gasped in shock. She couldn’t feel her Quirk! 

“ Dazai-san, you have an Erasure Quirk? “ 

“ Erasure Quirk? “ Dazai cocked his head to one side and pursed his lips. “ No~ My ability is No Longer Human. Never heard of anything called Erasure. “ 

“ Oh…” 

Crouching down slowly, Dazai ensured that their faces were at eye level before giving Eri a reassuring smile. “ My ability cancelled out any other ability. So don’t worry. Whatever you have won’t hurt me. “ 

Offering his hand out again, Dazai asked, “ Shall we look for your guardian, Eri-chan?”

“ Ok. “ 

Chapter Text

Dazai’s POV:

Dazai peered at the small child walking beside him. She had declined his offered hand, instead her hand found purchase at his pant leg, clutching tightly on it as if it was her lifeline. 

Eri is odd . She doesn’t cry or throw a tantrum for her parents or guardian like what most children at her age does when they are lost. Instead, she hunches her shoulders and obediently shuffles her feet alongside his slow strides. As if she’s trying to make herself smaller when she herself barely comes up to his knees. 

Well, she could be shy?

But, a shy child doesn’t require him to approach her like she was a skittish animal. Neither do they shrink at sudden movements. Even though Dazai has limited child rearing experience under his belt, he’s pretty sure that children prefer to feast their eyes on colourful and interesting things with their limited attention span. 

And definitely not his hands. 

Moreover, when he tried to comfort her and hold her hand, like what he had seen Odasaku do with the orphans , she reacted violently. Also, he had to check beside him several times to make sure she was still there. This unnerves him as he couldn’t sense her presence even with his lifetime experience of spotting and losing tails. 

However, one thing was made crystal clear. Afterall, he was the Demon Prodigy for a reason. Mind sharper than knives in drawers. 

Her avoidance for touch. 

Just like you.  

She had been abused. 

Eri’s POV:

Dazai walked Eri to the last place she was with her guardian. Seated at a crepe stall, Eri stared in awe at the beautiful dessert. In her hands was a delicate golden shell topped with vanilla ice-cream and slices of apple decorating the edges of the shell. 

“ It's going to melt if you don’t hurry~”

Snapping out from her trance, Eri quickly took a few bites of the crepes. Barely five bites in, Eri scrunched up her face as she felt a stabbing pain at her temples. 

“ Not that fast. “ Dazai chuckled as he pushed her a glass of warm water. “ What you are experiencing is a brain freeze, Eri-chan. “

“ Brain freeze? Like Frozen? “

Like when Shoto turns something to ice? 

Dazai had to slap a hand across his mouth to muffle his chortles. “No. Your brain is not going to turn into ice. Brain freeze happens when you eat something cold too fast. “

Then why did someone create it?

“ But it tastes sweet, doesn't it? “ 

Eri bopped her head as she gave the crepe a few nibbles. She closed her eyes as she savoured the cold creamy ice-cream dissolve into her mouth. Her toes wiggled in delight as it tastes like sweetened milk. 

“ And it tastes best in hot weather like today. “ Dazai continued as he reached over the circular table that’s dotted with crumbs of the crepe and pearly white droplets of ice-cream. In his hands was a checkered azure handkerchief. 

Twitching her fingers, Eri realised her hands were streaked with the lazy trickle of white from her slowly melting ice-cream. 

“ Thank you. “ For both the crepe and handkerchief . Eri accepted the handkerchief and began to clean her hands the best she could. 

Peering from her eyelashes, she noted that Dazai had rested his chin on his upright arm, the sleeve of his beige coat rolling down revealing white bandages coiling around his angular arms. His eyes were closed, forming crescent moons as he enjoyed a passing breeze. Creating the illusion of bliss. Chipped nails clicked against the tabletop as his fingers drumming rhythmically along a nameless tune

“ Did it hurt? “ Eri blurted out. 

The spindly fingers came to a still. Dazai’s eyes flickered open as he tilted his head down and stared at her. His brown locks tugged along the wind. For a moment, Eri wondered if the wind had blown her words away. 

“ Did what hurt? “ Dazai repeated softly, eyes scanning over her body. 

Squirming at the sudden attention, Eri felt like a microorganism under a microscope. Playing with the edges of her sleeves, she coiled a loose thread around her fingers as she bit her lips and made up her mind. 

Dazai’s POV:

Inch by inch, the white sleeve crawled up her twig-like arm revealing bandages entwined around them. A perfect mirror image of what was on his body was reflected on this child. 

“ Who did this to you? “

A dark cramped room. The glint of metal and the pungent smell of ammonia. Slanted amethyst eyes and the cold kiss of metal against paper thin skin. Twisted fingers fumbled the roll of bandages over the-

Splat!

The crepe laid on the table. 

Wide glassy red eyes stared back at him. Her little figure quivering like a sapling against a monsoon wind. 

Eri’s scared. 

“ I am sorry, Eri. “

Eri flinched at the sudden change of his tone. His umber eyes were no longer narrowed and hard. Drawing a shaky breath, she tugged her sleeve down. 

“ I am sorry I upset you, Dazai-san.” Eri muttered as she averted her eyes to the fallen crepe. 

“ No. You didn’t upset me, Eri. “ Dazai assured her. 

Glancing up in surprise, she saw his eyes were swimming with warmth and understandment. Eri knew that some people back home were put off by her angry red scars and the sterile white bandages branded around her arms and legs. But this man accepted and understood her. 

It’s different from Deku’s, Lemilion’s and Aizawa-san’s gaze. 

“ Re-Really? “ 

“ Really. “ Dazai nodded his head. He reached across the table and laid open his palm. In the process of doing this, his beige sleeve bunched up showing off his own roll of whites.

“ But can you tell me who did this to you? “

Gingerly placing her slightly sticky hand into his, he squeezed her hand. His hand dwarfed hers and it's littered with callouses like Deku’s and Aizawa-san’s hands. But it’s warm like theirs despite the cool sensation coursing through her veins as her Quirk turns off. 

“ Chisaki Kai. But he’s already in prison. “ Eri added quickly as she doesn’t wish to upset Dazai-san again. 

“ I see. “ Dazai smiled at her. “ You are very brave and strong, Eri. “ 

Eri shrugged her shoulders as she glanced around the crepe stall. “ I have scars underneath them. Do you have them too, Dazai-san? “ 

“ I do. “

" Deku told me scars mean you survive and protect somebody. Are you a hero, Dazai-san? " 

Chapter Text

Dazai’s POV:

Are you a hero? 

Dazai felt the bandage that was coiled around his neck tightened like a noose. He knew the multiple scars that littered across his body were a mix from Mori, his Soukoku days and self-inflicted. He remembers the nights a tiny red chihuahua barked at him for being selfish yet at the same time a warm hand would card through his hair gently with an off-tuned French lullaby. But those privileges were gone like the smothering remains of the hideous pink car. 

"Eri-chan, I am not a hero. " 

I am sorry I couldn’t save you Odasaku. 

" But you help me. "

Sighing, Dazai reached over with his other hand and tugged out the safety pin that was secured beneath the bandages. It unraveled a few inches, revealing a pale forearm. 

Eri’s POV: 

Eri’s eyes widened at the array of scars. From thinly sliced lines to raised bumps and ragged lines like something had bit him. There was not a surface that wasn’t disfigured. 

“ Did it hurt? “ Eri asked worriedly. 

“ Sometimes. “ 

“ Was it...it from a bad person? “ 

“ Not all of them. “ Dazai answered as he studied his mauled arm. 

“ Not all of them? “ Eri echoed back. 

Dazai’s eyes held an empty void as his fingers danced over his uncovered arm, feeling every ridge and bumps. Like a musician playing a well-loved instrument.

“ Some...Some of them were from a bad doctor . “

“ Like me? “ Her eyes trailed after the movements of Dazai’s fingers that lingered on some areas. The neat lines that scattered on the parts of his forearm that had most nerve endings. They were made with such deliberate precision that barely any scar tissues formed. To the untrained eyes, they would be almost impossible to spot. However, Eri recognised them as she had and experienced it before. It was to ensure the victim suffers the crippling pain yet having barely visible scars. 

“ Like you.” Dazai confirmed after a while. 

“ Is the bad doctor in prison? “ Eri asked as she watched the grotesque flesh stretched as Dazai’s arm turned taunted. 

“ No. “ Dazai breathed out. “ Others...others were when I tried to hurt myself. “

Eri’s stomach churned. Deliberate lines. They range in sizes. Some were small and thin while others ran big and deep. From purposely located in areas with major arteries to random areas that have only skin and bones. Others had raised dents from years of cutting on the same site. 

And some of them were still raw. 

Dazai’s POV

Dazai has no idea why he is sharing something so private to a stranger. No less an abused child. 

Maybe it was the bandages that wrapped around her arms. Or the way her red eyes looked at him. 

Maybe it was because he saw himself in her. Someone trying to cope and comprehend what had happened. 

Like the days when his body is too numb and his mind is too loud. Nights when he woke up screaming his throat raw. The cold press of metal was a relief for him. 

“ I…” Dazai cleared his throat. “ I needed to feel something and to cope. “ 

“Do...Do you have someone? “ Eri gave Dazai’s fingers a feeble squeeze. 

I used to. 

“ You shitty mackerel. “ The hostile tone hid the tremble in the sinewy hands as they jostled the limp body into an upright position. Box cutters clattered to the stained bathroom floor. Scratchy bandages tugged on his flayed skin, pain lancing up and then it stopped. A hand retreated to his back, running up and down his protruding spine awkwardly as broken bits of French lull beside his ear. 

Do, do, l’enfant do,

L’enfant dormira bien vite.

Do, do, l’enfant do,

L’enfant dormira bientôt.

Focus blurring in and out on the glowing embers and lazy wisp of smoke. Bandages begin wrapping around. This time, a little more gentle. 

“ I…I am at a better place now. “ Dazai answered lamely. 

Away from Mori. Away from darkness. Away from his partner. 

“ And...I have help? “

The answer seemed to satisfy Eri as she chose not to pursue further. However, the pink livid lines seemed to stand out from his skin, mocking him. Dazai averted his eyes away from them, instead sliding over a thick and jagged line that stretched from the back of his elbow to the front of his forearm. 

The man’s blotchy face was streaked with snot and tears as he was forced to his knees. 

“ Please...Please...I have a family...I begged uuwah “ 

He noticed Eri’s gaze resting on it too. Afterall, it was the biggest among his patchwork arms. 

Blood and saliva pooled at his scarred chin as dirt caked hands forced his jaw open to bite a curb.  A polished shoe dug against the back of the man’s head, slowly applying pressure. 

“ This one, “ He paused. “ Was when I was a bad person. “ 

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Chapter Text

Eri’s POV:

Dazai-san, is a bad person?

Eri stared at the tall goofy man who bought her crepes and let her use his handkerchief. This man who also got himself slapped by a pretty lady just now when he tried to ask for her hand for a Double Suicide? and taunted a Shiba Inu by not giving it pets. 

“ Dazai-san, you are not a bad person. “ 

Dazai gave her a wryly grin. “ If you think with your eyes, you will be easily fooled. “ 

“ Yet, the eyes are the windows to our soul. “ 

“ You are a very insightful child aren’t you, Eri-chan? “ Dazai bantered back. “ Then would you share with me what’s the difference between good and bad?"

“ A good person is…” Eri tilted her head to a side, her silver lock catching the rays of setting sun casting a golden hue around her. “ A good person is someone who saves a person in need, protects them and puts a smile on their face. “

Just like Deku, Lemilion and Aizawa-san. 

“ A bad person…” Eri’s brow furrowed but she continued. “ is someone who hurts a person and destroys things. “ 

Just like Chisaki Kai. 

“ That’s a very black and white view, Eri-chan. “ Dazai pointed out, leaning forward slightly causing the sun to cast a shadow over him. 

“ Why is it black and white, Dazai-san? “

This is what Deku, Lemilion and Aizawa taught her. Heroes. Villains. 

“ Maybe it’s not that clear cut. “ Dazai spoke as he gazed at a distance. “ Maybe it’s the very presence of one thing that requires and allows the existence of the other. Like light or darkness. “ [1]

Glancing back, Dazai could see the confusion written across Eri’s face. Her face was all scrunched up. 

“ It’s something like Heroes and Villains. “

Eri’s eyes perked up at the familiar term. 

“ People can’t become number one heroes if villains didn’t exist first. “ Dazai explained. “ Another example is war. Do you know what war is, Eri? “ 

“ People fight over things and die. “ 

“ That’s somewhat accurate…” Dazai trailed. “ But when you reduce the choices of action to “a war against” whatever-it-is, you divide the world into Me or Us (good) and Them or It (bad). Heroes and Villains. “

Giving Eri a mirthless smile, Dazai continued on. “ By doing so, you reduce the ethical complexity and moral richness of our life to a simple Yes/No, On/Off. In your media, in every fight, the hero doesn’t need a solution. They only think with their fists. Since they are heroes, the violence will be portrayed in a ‘positive’ light as they are on the “right” side. Right makes might. Don’t you think that the heroes all too often behave exactly like the villains do, acting with mindless violence? “ [2] 

Eri blinked in surprise. What Dazai-san said isn’t exactly wrong . She had seen countless footage of Heroes versus Villains fights at Class 1A dorms. Oftentimes, the villains were being plummeted to the ground yet no one intervenes even when the villain was all bloody and unresponsive. The fight gets worse when there’s a crowd nearby cheering on the heroes. Fueling their never ending ego. 

“ But Deku, Lemilion and Aizawa-san saved me. “ Eri whispered. “ They are heroes? “ 

Dazai stared at her with an unreadable expression before sighing. “ Your friends and guardian are good people. “ 

“ This good versus bad is very difficult to explain and understand. “ Dazai paused before removing her hand from his. “ You have to accept it, Eri, that good and bad are not black and white. Not opposite of the same coin. They are intertwined and impossible to separate. Often one and the same. “ [3]

With that, Dazai shot up from his seat like he was scalded by hot water. Spinning on his heels, he started waving like a fanatic. 

“ Hello Eraserhead-san! “ 

Chapter Text

Aizawa’s POV:

Upon seeing the man in a beige trenchcoat looming over his young ward, Aizawa instinctively reached up for the capture scarf but only grasped air. He cursed as he remembered he was at Yokohama and no weapon was allowed. Even if you are a hero . 

But looking at the beanpole figure, it doesn’t look too hard to take him down with hand-to-hand. Aizawa stalked towards the figure and at the same time, the man pivoted around his heels and began waving fanatically at him? 

“ Hello Eraserhead-san! “ 

What?

Dazai’s POV:

The familiar pricking sensation at the back of his neck alerted Dazai that he’s being watched. 

Aizawa Shouta, a pro hero, Eraserhead, and a teacher at UA, is here. Eri gave the game away too early when she mentioned her guardian’s Quirk.

I wonder how much has he changed. 

Biting back a smirk, he decided to end the conversation with Eri quickly before he confused her even more and returned her back to her guardian. Safely of course. 

Eri’s POV:

“ Aizawa-san! “ Eri cried out as she spotted the slender man dressed in an oversized grey sweater and black pants. His usual shoulder length black hair is pulled back up into an updo, disheveled, revealing the scar underneath his right eye. 

“ Eri! “ Seeing his ward with no signs of distress and injury lifted a weight off Aizawa’s shoulders as he marched towards the pair quickly. 

Dazai side-stepped as he watched Aizawa enveloped Eri in a tight hug before giving her stern stare. “ What did I tell you? “ 

“ Not to wander off…” Eri muttered. “ But there was a cat? “ 

Aizawa’s POV:

Aizawa groaned before pulling her into a hug again. Of course. Eri is still a child. Even if she’s behaving slightly different from normal typical children. But of course she will wander off to pet the cat as she had seen him do it back at Mustafu. 

“ Eri. “ Making sure she was facing him. “ I am not angry. I was worried about your safety. If you want to pet a cat or see something you like, you have to inform me. Alright? “ 

“ Okay. “ Eri answered meekly. 

“ I am just glad you are safe. “ Aizawa stood up before turning to face the quiet observer. “ Do you want to introduce him, Eri? “ 

Fisting her hand onto his pant leg, Eri pointed to the man who waved at them. “ This is Dazai-san. He’s from the Armed Detective Agency. He helped me, bought me crepe and let me use his handkerchief. “ 

Aizawa felt himself relaxing a little. At least it wasn’t a mafia member. He felt something swell up in his chest that Eri remembered what he had told her. Unlike his students.

“ I am Aizawa Shouta. “ Aizawa introduced himself, offering a hand. 

“ Dazai Osamu. “ The man, Dazai, offered lazily yet shaking his hand firmly.

“ Thank you for looking after her. “ Aizawa let go of his hand. “ It’s time to go, Eri. Say thank you and goodbye to Dazai. “ 

Nodding her head, Eri released Aizawa’s pant leg from her clutches and approached Dazai. They stared at each other for a while before Eri leaned in to hug Dazai’s legs. A surprised look came across Dazai's face before it turned fond and patted her head awkwardly. 

It was then the fluttering of white caught Aizawa’s eyes. Zeroing in, he realised it was bandages and trailing upwards was multitude of scars. It suddenly became clear why Eri wasn’t afraid of this man. 

Eri’s POV:

Approaching at the bottom of Dazai’s feet, Eri had to tilt her head back to look up at the towering figure. “ Dazai-san, may I hug you? “ 

Dumbfounded, Dazai could only give her a short jerky nod before she leaned in and hugged his legs tightly. Even if it’s a little uncomfortable as his knobbly knees were pressing against her chest. 

“ Dazai-san, you are a hero to me. “ Eri missed the surprised look on Dazai’s face. “ You are strong too. “

She felt a warm hand patted her head and a soft “thank you” was uttered. Relinquishing Dazai’s legs, Eri gave him a small smile. 

“ Goodbye Dazai-san. “ 

“ Goodbye, Eri-chan.” Slender finger tucked a stray lock of silver hair behind her ear. 

“ Remember the world is never black and white. Just multiple shades of grey. It needs a light to cast a shadow. “ 

Nodding her head, even if it doesn’t make sense now, Eri released Dazai’s legs and trotted off to Aizawa. Reaching up, she grasped at Aizawa’s hand before walking off with Dazai observing their ever shrinking back from the distance till he could see no more. 

It was on the train when Eri realised she was still clutching Dazai’s handkerchief in her hand. She decided she will return it to him someday when she understands what he had said. 

On the opposite seat, Aizawa pondered over the fact how Dazai knew his hero name. Afterall, he is an underground hero. 

Dazai’s POV:

When the backs of Eri and Aizawa had become two small dots before disappearing in the distance, Dazai fished out his phone from his trenchcoat and stared at its sleek black surface. His reflection stared back at him. 

His fingers automatically punched out the number before he could catch himself. As the line began to ring, Dazai’s hand began to sweat. 

Maybe this was a bad idea after all. 

As his finger hovered over the red icon, a baritone voice rasped out. 

“ This is Nakahara. “ 

Maybe it's time to heal. 

Chapter Text

“-these are people. Being a Villain shouldn’t deny them from human rights. They should have dignity to- “

“ -And that applies to Hero too. When performing your duty, you too should uphold your morals. In 20XX, it cost healthcare a billion dollars to treat both-

“ -Through violence, you may solve one problem, but you sow the seeds of another. “ [1]

A man with multiple camera lense sticking out from his body thrust a microphone towards a lean figure donning a white coat. The figure has a bob cut, silver locks were brushed back, showing off a sharp horn protruding out from the right side of the forehead and piercing ruby eyes. 

“ Aizawa-san! Aizawa-san! May I know why you are so against the use of violence on Villains? They are evil. “

“ That’s because when violence appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent. [2] Words are more powerful. They can start and end war. They create and destroy families. They break hearts. They heal them. If you have the right words, there’s nothing on earth you can’t do.- “  [3]

A grin stretched across his face as he watched his screen blared in a plethora of colours. At the bottom of a screen, a name scrawled out. 

Aizawa Eri - The Saint

Fitting for her. 

“ What are you all smiling about, mackerel? “ An amused voice chuckled as a warm hand gently carded his brown locks. 

“ Chibi-Ow! “ The brunette pouted as he tilted his head up to glare at a petite ginger-haired man with azure eyes. Despite his feminine looks, he has an athletic build that is often accentuated by his tailored suit. Highlighting his best assets. 

“ You are thinking dirty thoughts again, aren’t you? “

The brunette let out a gasp. He sat up from his previous lounging position which involved  his head in the ginger-haired man’s lap while the man read his French poetry book. “ I didn’t know you are a mind reader, slug! Did your ugly hat finally eat your brain? “ 

“ Dazai. “ The man let out an exasperated sound.

“ Chuuya. “ Dazai parroted back. 

Rolling his eyes, the man, Chuuya set his book down and cradled Dazai’s face into his hands. “ Is there anything I need to know of, waste of bandages? A thumbdrive in a microscope? Exploding car? “ 

“ That car is ugly anyway. “ Dazai whined like a petulant child as he grasped Chuuya’s hands away from his face. 

Dextrous fingers skirted across the surface, following the lines etched on Chuuya’s crinkled palm. Chuuya shivered in Dazai’s carcass, his hands sensitive from the long days in leather gloves. Treating the gnarled hands like porcelain, Dazai rotated Chuuya’s wrist and stroked his fingers across the back of the hand. Feeling every bump and groove. From the mangled veins to crooked fingers and knuckles. 

A burning smell of ozone and a crazed laughter filled the air. Pin-pricked eyes and crimson red marks blotched over the alabaster skin 

“ Osmau? “ Turbulent blue eyes searched the blank maroon eyes.

Corruption explosive use had left permanent marks on it’s user. 

Shaking his head, Dazai tangled their fingers together. Bringing the entwined hands up to his lips, he peppered feather-like kisses over the weathered skin. His exploration ended with a tingle on his lips. 

A scratch-resistant platinum ring sat on Chuuya’s left ring finger. It has a running Celtic Sailor Knot in the centre, creating a winding motif, while a twisted cord border trim the top and bottom of the ring. The sophisticated design is a contrast against Dazai’s simple ring design. A blue line, rivaling his husband’s bottomless pools of blue, running in the middle and around the smooth surface. 

Pink dusted across Chuuya’s porcelain skin as he tucked his face against a bare neck. But he didn’t serve the attachment between them. Chuckling, Dazai rested his chin on top of Chuuya’s head. Silky copper curls tickled against the dull rope burns around his neck.  

His tsundere chibi. 

Twelve years ago, he would have probably earned a punch to his gut or a knee to his groin if he tried to pull this move on Chuuya. 

Eighteen years ago, he would not have believed he would be forgiven and gain a family in the process. Even if they were from various and often messy backgrounds. 

Twenty years ago, he would neither believe that he would find his reason to live and celebrate his thirty-ninth birthday. Surrounded with the people he loved and cared. 

Tilting Chuuya’s face up, Dazai spoke against the ring. “ I will be expecting a visit from Shirayukihime soon. “