Chapter Text
A dungeon should never feel like a home. The people who ended up there were destined to die. When they left, it was always in a leaking body bag. After spending enough time rotting in there, the novelty wore off. It merely became another room again. Over the last two years, the concrete walls, the chilly draft from the poor insulation, and the stench of death had become too familiar. Most days, that mundane routine — filled with brutal training sessions — was the part of the day he dreaded most.
Strangled coughs echoed throughout the otherwise silent dungeon. Every breath was agonizing. Blood pooled up in the back of his throat, droplets splattering across the dingy floor.
“On your feet,” a sharp voice commanded. “An enemy won’t wait for you to get back up.”
Akutagawa may have only been sixteen, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew better than to reject an order from his mentor. Using all the strength he could muster, he forced himself off the ground, barely able to stand straight without swaying. A cold brown eye — the other hidden underneath a layer of thick, white gauze — stared back at him, filled with unadulterated disdain. The Port Mafia Executive clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“Sloppy technique. Hit me again.”
Like the good hellhound he was, he obeyed. Without warning, Akutagawa pivoted on his heel and lunged at his superior. Black tendrils emerged from his trench coat, morphing into something that resembled another life form. Rashomon’s jaws snapped hungrily, ready to devour anything in its path. Dazai effortlessly stepped out of the way, dodging the attack. The second his bandaged palm made contact with Rashomon, it disintegrated into thin air. Nothing could counter his nullification ability. Whilst Akutagawa was still in midair, Dazai kneed him in the stomach, sending his subordinate crashing to the ground.
“Pathetic,” he chided. “We’re done for today.”
Akutagawa let out a sigh of relief. Finally, he could have some downtime to recover. Of course, that was wishful thinking. Dazai would never let him have a moment of peace.
“Meet me outside of Lupin in an hour, yeah?” he cooed, far too cheerful for a man who just beat his subordinate black and blue.
He didn’t linger. Before Akutagawa could even process what Dazai said, he was already gone.
The dungeon went dark.
—
An hour wasn’t a lot of time to get ready. Despite being depleted of any energy, Akutagawa needed to look somewhat presentable. He couldn’t show up to the bar covered in blood, or else Dazai would never hear the end of it. The second he unlocked the door, Gin was already waiting for him. She was sitting at the kitchen table, cup of tea in hand.
“Again?” she asked, taking in Akutagawa’s dishevelled appearance.
“Shut up,” he instinctively snapped at her, though his words lacked any bite.
She knew better to pry when her brother was in a mood. Gin didn’t say anything. She just pointed to the bathroom door.
He didn’t protest.
—
Nobody else was allowed to touch him like this. Anybody who tried would be bisected immediately, yet Gin was different. She had seen him at his worst and at his best. This was hardly an incident worth noting — not even in the top ten worst days they’ve had. Being coddled by his little sister wasn’t exactly something he enjoyed, but he supposed it was nice to know that she cared.
Gin cleaned out and disinfected Akutagawa’s wounds with proficiency, working as gently as possible. Whenever he complained or recoiled from her touch, she shushed him and pressed harder on his wounds out of spite.
“Dazai-kun is sweet to me,” she mumbled solemnly. “Then… the way he treats you is…”
“Because it is all a facade. You do not really know him. He plays the part of who he needs to be in that moment.”
Gin didn’t respond; she knew he was right. Her hand grazed Akutagawa’s pale cheek, refusing to break eye contact with him.
“I still think you’re strong, even if he doesn’t.”
“Tsk… stop being a sap. It disgusts me,” he grumbled, softening his tone. “You have my thanks… brat.”
It meant more to him than she realized.
Hopefully, that would be the push he needed to survive whatever shit show Dazai had in store for him.