Chapter Text
It all happened so fast. At one moment he had been talking to that young man, who had caught the interest of the Special Ability Department, and in the next he found himself here, in a dark alley, surrounded by foul smelling garbage cans. He was also in the company of two highly suspicious people, who stumbled over his unconscious body.
The older of the two had dark red hair, which seemed to stick out in all directions. His eyes were of a pure, soft blue and he wore a sand-colored coat and a dark shirt with light vertical stripes.
The other was younger, not older than 15 or maybe 16 years. His black coat seemed to devour him alive. Underneath, he was dressed quite neat, with a white, buttoned shirt and black tie. He had curly brown hair and reddish-brown bright eyes. Looking at him, Kunikida had forgotten how breathing functioned for a second, because this boy resembled his partner Dazai in almost every detail.
It only took him a few seconds to put one and one together. According to Sakaguchi, the young man's ability had something to do with time. To be more precise, it allowed him to bend the rules of time and, eventually, to break them completely. However, he couldn't control it. And that was probably the reason why Kunikida was in this mess now.
"You really are far too kind-hearted, Odasaku," Mini-Dazai said, supporting his uninjured arm in his side. The other rested in a sling. There was also tape on his cheek and Kunikida was wondering if he had another wound on the head, because of the bandages covering his right eye.
Odasaku, hands buried in his coat pockets and wearing a neutral expression, looked at his young comrade. "You think so?"
Dazai nodded, a gentle smile adorning the childlike features. "Not everyone would pick up a stranger who was passed out on the street."
" Would you have left him?"
The brown-haired man did not answer this question. Instead, he crouched down in front of Kunikida, so they were more or less at eye level. His gaze bored itself into Kunikidas, causing a cold shiver to run down his spine. It felt as if this teenager, half a child, was x-raying him with his stare. " Hey, did you swallow your tongue? You've been awfully quiet this whole time!"
Kunikida lifted an eyebrow. "My tongue is fine," he replied, trying not to sound annoyed. This Dazai wasn't the carefree idiot he was working with, but a much younger version that Kunikida couldn't figure out and who was apparently already involved with the Port Mafia, if the black clothing could be interpreted that way.
Dazai beamed at him, but the smile was clearly fake. He patted Kunikida's head with his good hand, tapping two or three times. "Oh, look Odasaku, he can actually talk." Kunikida almost blew up there, but he gulped down the rising anger.
"Dazai," Odasaku addressed the teen. His voice was calm, but there seemed to be a certain strictness in it which Kunikida failed to notice, but Dazai did. Anyway, the boy lowered his arm and took a few steps back. Odasaku looked at him for a moment and then spoke to Kunikida: " It' s not usual to just lie on the street, unconscious. You' re okay?"
Kunikida had to agree with him there. And, frankly, he was lucky that these two had picked him up. Even if they were, well... mafiosi.
"I... I think so. Yes." His head still hurt a little, but he was neither sick nor dizzy, which he took as a good sign. "Tell me... was there a boy with me? About 18 years old, long black hair braided over one shoulder, dark blue eyes?"
Dazai and Odasaku exchanged looks. The elderly man shook his head, at a loss, and muttered a soft, "No." Dazai, on the other hand, hesitated. He seemed to be thinking about something and without being aware of it himself, he put his fingers thoughtfully to his chin, his gaze fixed on the concrete.
"Maybe I saw something, but I'm not sure. There was some sort of shadow. Just for a few seconds. Maybe just a trick of the light," he murmured after a while. Then he sighed and clung to Odasaku like a whining little child. "Come now, Odasaku! We've talked long enough with this strange fellow, let's go to Lupin!"
"Okay... but, can we leave you alone?"
Kunikida blinked astonished. He was a grown man, more than capable of taking care of himself. "Why the question?"
"You looked confused... like something was wrong and worrying you. If we can help..."
"ODASAKU!" Dazai puffed up his cheeks and gave his companion a look as though he had just committed the greatest betrayal in world history against the younger one. "You want to help him? We don't even know him!"
"We hadn't known each other either, before starting to drink together," Oda said with a shrug.
Dazai sighed aloud, theatrically. As if the world was about to end. "Fine! We'll help him, if he needs our help at all! You really are far too, far too kind-hearted Odasaku!" Although he seemed to be so displeased, his voice only gave testimony to this feeling at the beginning. Towards the end, it softened, only perceptible when one knew the boy personally. Or, as in Kunikida's case, his 22-year-old counterpart.
"Well, blondie, can we help you in any way," he turned to Kunikida again, this time in a much less friendly way.
Kunikida gritted his teeth and clenched his hands into fists. Blondie? What was this child thinking? Had no one taught him to show his elders respect? "There's nothing where--" He stopped speaking mid-sentence. "On the other hand... maybe there's one thing you guys could help with."
Odasaku gave him a questioning look. "Yes? What would that be?"
The spectacle wearer could not prevent a slight blush on his face when he said the next few words. He was embarrassed to have to ask such a thing. "I don't really have a place where I can... sleep right now," he murmured ruefully.
Since this was the past, he was not yet living in the agency dormitory. He wasn't even employed there, probably still going to classes. Or had he already finished school at that time and was teaching himself? Not quite sure. Anyway, even if he theoretically had a place to stay somewhere, he couldn't show up there. He couldn't imagine it would be good if he met his past self.
Thinking about things that aren't good...
He should not influence too much what happened in the past, which meant that he could not tell Odasaku and especially Dazai, with his brilliant mind, about the future. Who could say what would happen otherwise. He could turn all their lives upside down, nothing would be as it had been before. He could not risk that.
He had to find the boy as fast as possible and get him to bring them both back to their own time. Until then he could only hope that this child did not do anything stupid.
"Homeless?" Odasaku asked, although it sounded more like a statement. He ran his hand through the striking red hair and then said, "Well, I'm sure you can stay in the same place where I sleep for a few days. There is still a free room there, the owner shouldn't mind either. He's a good man."
Dazai waved his arms wildly through the air, still showing an offended face. "Odasaku... You want to show him where you live now? Now?! What about us? I thought we were going to Lupin!"
For a moment, Kunikida thought that Dazai looked like a teenager in love, afraid someone else might steal his crush. The way he glared at Kunikida had long since ceased to be plain suspicious, but rather showed an open rivalry. When his eyes fell on Odasaku, he became softer, maybe even a little dreamy, despite the obvious irritation.
"It's late. He probably wants to go to bed sometime," Odasaku said, as if that were explanation enough. Dazai pulled a long face before he sighed devotedly and muttered something about how Odasaku was really too nice.
"Then I'll go ahead...don't let me wait too long, okay," the teenager demanded, before turning away from the adults, his coat swaying, and disappearing into the shadows of the night.
Odasaku looked after the boy until his outline was no longer recognizable. Then he said, still in that reassuring tone that seemed to be his trademark, "Sorry. I know Dazai can be a real brat, maybe I should reprimand him from time to time but..."
Kunikida wavered. "It's okay. I' II take no offense!" After all, he was used to worse things coming from Dazai than a few rude words and piercing looks.
Odasaku nodded thankfully. He looked as if he had wanted to say more, but he remained silent with a contemplative and slightly worried expression in his eyes. "Come, I'll show you where you can stay."