Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Justice is a Weapon. It can be used to cause harm, but it cannot protect or save others." - Dazai Osamu 

At around 11:45 p.m. It was at around 11:45 p.m. that the boy arrived. fluffy brown hair that almost covered his eyes completely, white simple uniform, and bandages that seemed to cover almost the entirety of half his face. The Uniform seemed normal, but somehow different. It was almost like white was too good for him. Too pure. He was basically consuming the pure good of it and turning it into something far darker and more sinister. more dangerous, more vile. 

Pushing aside those thoughts, Isabella smiled her usual smile and greeted the headmaster before greeting the much smaller boy. But instead of the usual cheerfulness or shyness that she usually got from children all she was met with was silence. Black beady eyes that seemed to stare right at her from beneath all that hair. It was chilling despite how young he was. 

Shifting her gaze elsewhere, she noticed the engraving on his neck, ID number 61994. Ah, so this was the troublemaker then. 

Of course, she had heard the rumors. A troublemaker child that no mother seemed to be able to tame no matter how hard they tried. The master genius that they couldn't get ride off because it'd be bad for business. Number 61994. Shuji, they had called him.

She understood now why the headmaster had called her now.  looking back at the older women, her suspicions were proven correct when the women ever so 'kindly' smiled at her. 

"I'm leaving him to you then." 

Mothers avoided this child, just like they avoided the demons; Isabella was sure she didn't want to find out why. Transferring a total of 6 times, Isabella couldn't wait to find out what made the others crack so easily. However, she also had her own 'children' to worry about. She can't let harm come to them before it's their due time after all. 

Almost like she sensed it, the older women face twitched just a bit before returning to the usual smile all mothers were forced to wear around their children. Excusing herself and Isabella with a 'grownup talk' she dragged the younger women closer to the gate, leaving Shuji to stand by himself in the dark. It almost suited him. 

"Now my dear Isabella, I know this seem like something you don't want to handle but trust me this is a great opportunity for you. 'That man' was just about done with the others and was going to let the boy get adopted how he was now; but after seeing his magnificent display of intelligence, he decided to give the boy a chance to grow. The other mothers don't want him, but you my dear, oh this could be so very good for you if you do decide to take him." 

The women turned to look at the boy, smiled, then looked back at Isabella with an intensity in her eyes. 

"They say that whoever raises this boy to perfection will gain benefits. Imagine Isabella, what those 'benefits' can be." pulling out a piece of paper from her side pocket the older women scribbled something down before handing it to her. 

slowly Isabella looked down at the paper, eyes growing wide with shock before looking back up at her previous mother, then at Shuji, before down again at the paper. 

"...are you sure mother, this...this isn't a trick, right?" She whispered, her eyes welling up just a bit. 

"Nonsense who would joke about that, besides" suddenly the women stands Infront of her rather than besides her and grabs her chin. her cold wrinkly hands making Isabella tremble just slightly. "Out of all my children, you were always my favorite. So, you'll do it, won't you Isabella?" 

Ignoring the burning desire to push the women off, Isabella nodded. It bothered her how much this woman held so much authority over her still. She was a woman now; she shouldn't be acting like this!

There was a time Isabella used to crave her mother's gentle touches and soft praises as she aced very exam given to her. She so desperately worked her ass off to get even a bit of it; but she can no longer love the women who shipped out the reason she lived in the first place. Those days are gone. 

"Of Course, Mother I'll do my best." forcing her best customer service smile she looked away, no longer wishing to look at the women she called mother, and instead found herself staring straight at Shuji. who funnily enough was already staring straight at her. Good god she hated those eyes, if she could pluck them out she would. 

Satisfied, the women hummed, letting her chin go walking back to the truck and pulling out a brown vintage suitcase. There didn't seem to be much inside considering how easily the women carried it. 

"Alright then, let's get you settled so you can meet your new brothers and sister dear."  Handing Isabella the suitcase, she bent down to say goodbye to the boy then gave Isabella a slight nod and left the same way she came.

After only a few minutes of standing in dark, barely lit hallway, did Isabella finally decide it was time to leave. glancing down at the boy beside her, he stared into the darkness; almost like he was expecting something to come out. It made her nervous, did he perhaps know? 

"Come along now, Shuji we need to get you settled in your new home," making herself relax she shifts the suitcase to one hand before walking out the gates, making sure the boy is following her. Which he does surprisingly, though she wishes he didn't and just stayed there. 

It's also surprising quite despite the boy being infamously problematic. She was almost convinced the boy couldn't talk based on how quite he was the entire time. That was until he proved her wrong. 

"Mom" His voice was empty, lacking any emotion but so small that it almost seemed cute despite how numb it made her feel. It made her want to tear out his voice box so no one else had to suffer listening to it. 

Instead of this however, she merely hummed not bothering to make eye contact with those disgustingly haunting black holes. 

"That grandma...you don't like her, do you?" It wasn't a question, more like a statement. Though Isabella still seemed inclined to answer anyway. 

"What makes you say that I love my mother." 

"You're repulsed by your mother. Just like you're repulsed by me. You look at her like I look at..." no more words came out, Shuji seemed to decide to stay quiet, opting to look at one of the windows to the house. 

deciding not to push she instead tried 'correcting' his statement. 

"I'm not repulsed by her. Just as I am not repulsed by you. She's my mother and you're my son, I love you both and would do anything for you two to live happy lives" Stopping in her tracks she crouched down in front of the boy, taking his hands in hers, making him look at her instead of the window. cold. their so cold. 

"My mother and I just had a small disagreement that's all, but I don't hate her." Isabella knew that was bullshit. Shuji knew that was bullshit. But both said nothing in regard to it. 

"I love my mother too," Shuji said, tightening his grip on her hand as he smiled at her. it was fake. a smile that didn't even try reaching his eyes. Yet once again, they said nothing but smile at one another.

"I love you too Shuji." And if someone saw the twitch of her lips when Shuji tightened his grip, no one said anything. And if someone saw how after she stood back up a minute later with a dark look in her eyes and a frown on her face, no one said anything. 

Good god, she was really tempted to throw this kid off the cliff behind the walls. 

Chapter Text

Shuji huffed as he was carried up the stairs, apparently, he had forgotten how weak he was compared to other kids and had overstepped his boundaries a bit. 

Walking up the hill leading here was fine, it was the running that got him wheezing like an old man and made him so tired he couldn't walk anymore. 

"Mom, I'm okay now; I can walk" He whined, hoping to get the women to let him go. 

"Nonsense, what if you fall off the stairs again? We can't have that now, can we? besides I'm your mother, it's okay If I carry you every once in a while." 

Isabella had almost forgotten this was a child when they first met; it was kind of reassuring to have such a weak kid depend on her rather than frighten her with his questioning words and scary eyes staring at her. 

"Plus, we want you to meet the other kids soon; can't do that if you're sick now can you." 

Right the other kids are here too, Shuji had almost forgotten. He was supposed to meet them when the sun came out and it was time for breakfast. He wonders how that'll go. 

He did just see a kid earlier though, Big black hair that spoofed up and to the side covering some of his face wearing the same boring white uniform every damn kid was forced to wear. Boring. 

Though he couldn’t get a closer look due to the distance, he could tell that kid was pretty glumly. So therefore he was very boring. 

speaking of boring,

“Mommm~ why are why going upstairs if I can’t meet them yet; they’re asleep right?” 

“we need to get you unpacked and too bed, it’s late.” 

“But I’m not tired!” Complaining some more, Shuji squirms around wanting to escape her hold on him. 

“be still Shuji or I’m going to drop you,” She warns, positioning him around so that she doesn’t ‘accidentally’ drop him. 

“do you think I can die if you drop me down the stairs hard enough?” 

“what.” She stills, trying to look back at the boy but he says nothing; only shrugs and complains once more like nothing happened.

‘what’s wrong with this kid; Surely he can’t be serious’ 

“Oh by the way, since I’m not tired and you’re not tired let’s chat!” Although the boy was grinning his face screamed ‘listen to me or I’ll hurt you’

”…fine, we can talk after we get you unpacked.” 

reaching the top of the stairs, Isabella finally relents and puts Shuji down making him feel quite victorious at his little win. opening the door to the children’s room, she picks up his once discarded suitcase and motions him to go inside quietly. 

Thankfully Shuji seemed okay with this and did as told. Silently stepping into the room and Isabella gently closes the door behind them. 

looking around at the beds filled with sleeping children, Shuji felt himself almost smile at how awkwardly these kid's sleeping positions. One had snuck into the bed of another while one had slept the wrong way their face facing the end of the bad rather than the head, and another was practically falling off the bed! 

Noticing this Isabella made her way over, carrying the first one to its own bed, turning the first one around and tucking them in, and pulling the last one to sleep properly on their bed. humming softly all the while. 

"Will you tuck me in too when I get settled in?" Shuji smiled tugging at her arm's sleeve with an innocent smile. 

"Of course I will!" not. she left out the will not but that didn't matter, Shuji knew she wouldn't. 

Leaving Isabella to tuck the kids in, Shuji walked around the room, watching the other kids who slept peacefully in their beds. He only stopped when he came across one. 

Black hair that stook out despite the sheets that covered the boy and a soft looking face that breathed out softly only a few times. 

'The boy from earlier' Thought Shuji remembering how the boy had been at the window 'spying' on both him and Isabella. 

Sitting on the bed, he leaned closer, close enough to whisper in his ear. "You're not asleep are you~" 

If he wasn't paying close attention, he would have missed how the boy twitched ever so slightly before turning away to get 'comfortable'. Shuji could only smile darkly as he continued to watch the back of the boy. 

Oh, this will sure be interesting when Dazai gets a chance to 'break' him later on. 

"Let's go Shuji; we have to talk after all" 

"Coming mother~" tilting his head to face her he smiled at her before turning back to the boy and waving his hand despite the boy still facing away from him. 

"Goodnight 8119." 

Following his mother out the room, Shuji couldn't help but giggle when he noticed a flash of black sit up abruptly after the door was halfway closed. 

Turning around after the door fully closed, he held his hands behind his back, staring at the women before him waiting at the stairs. She wore her usual smile, but it seemed more tense the normal. Is she perhaps nervous?  

"Let's go to the dining room; more space there." She kept her eyes on Shuji, watching as he began walking closely before finally going down the stairs. She wants to distract him from something but what. They were going to have this conversation regardless so it couldn't have been that.

The only thing Shuji could think of was that boy. Was he somehow more special than the others? She had let him get close to the others; why was that one so specific? Her son? Possibly. They both had black hair, and their facial structures were similar. 

Huh, so mothers do care for their kids then...that was interesting. Could be useful to but for now he'll keep that to himself.