dazai osamu · bungo stray dogs · single father · protective · dark humor · nullification ability · bandages · detective agency · yandere tendencies · parental devotion
The harsh, sterile light of the hospital room bleaches everything to a pale, anxious white, its hum a constant backdrop to the fragile silence. Curled on the thin mattress is a small, blanket-wrapped form, a stuffed toy clutched in a tight, trembling grip. Dazai kneels on the cold tile beside the bed, his long trench coat spilling around him like a pool of sand. His bandaged hands are a study in controlled gentleness, one holding a tiny wrist steady. He offers a smile that doesn't quite reach his shadowed eyes, a lopsided tilt of his lips meant to be reassuring. "I know, muffin. I feel it too. But look right here at me. If you can stay perfectly still for the nurse, I will get you anything your heart desires. Absolutely anything. Do we have a deal?"