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♔ | 𝐗𝐕𝐈

»»-----　♔　-----««

Ozo returned to find you kneeling in front of the oven, thick mittens held in your hands as you stared at the cupcakes on the other side of the door.

He watched you for a moment, admiring the way the golden glow of the oven's light stretched over your face, illuminating your eyes with a gentle fire and cheeks with a sweet honeydew.

He shook his head slightly. If he continued to stare at you, he'd probably have to go back into the bathroom again. His easy grin slipped back onto his mouth as he approached from behind, placing his arms around your shoulders and resting his cheek on the side of your head. You jumped at the sudden contact, hands catching his forearms for balance.

"How's it lookin' so far?" His voice lowered so as not to hurt your ears, the vibrations of his words running down your neck.

"Uh.. It'll take a while for them to, y'know, start rising properly, but they look good right now," you stumbled over your words. He hummed in reply, a silence falling over the both of you as you watched the oven with mild interest. The sudden thought of how domestic this whole scenario felt ran through your mind.

"Hey, [Y/N]?" Ozo began slowly. The elephant in the room was going to stomp all over him and kill him if he didn't address it soon. You gave a sound of acknowledgment, your body slightly relaxing into his hold.

"I just... I'm sorry about what happened before with the flour. And leaving you on the floor like... like you were. That was stupid of me. So.. sorry."

He cringed at how lame that whole apology was. He wouldn't be surprised if you didn't accept it and ended up hating him forever.

...Wait. He didn't want that. Maybe he should try again.

"Well, what I mean to say is—"

"It's okay, Ozo."

"I know it isn't, and that's why I wanted to— wait, huh?"

He moved his head back to stare at you, eyes full of bewilderment. Your cheeks were ablaze, but you looked him in the eye nonetheless, fully intending on discussing further.

"What happened earlier.. It's okay. I don't mind it. It was just us playing around, and then the rest was.. an accident. You didn't mean it," you smiled at him timidly, and once again, Ozo's eyes were locked to your pinkish skin.

"..And what if it wasn't an accident?"

Your eyes widened, breath stolen from you for a brief second. He was looking at you like that again. Like when he first saw you. Like when he played with your hair yesterday. Like when he sat beside you at the café. And when he first greeted you this morning...

You didn't register your body moving at first as it spun around on the ground to face him properly, but once you did, you made no move to stop yourself. All hesitancy was gone as you kneeled in front of him, hands clasping onto his shoulders as you raised your upper body to meet his.

The brush of your lips against one another felt electric, your heartbeat speeding up considerably, and even more so when you felt his own thud beneath your fingers.

And then, finally, your lips met in a sweet kiss.

It wasn't like any you had felt before. It just felt so good. Ozo's small whimper of surprise melted into a cute moan, his hands finally taking their place on your hips and pulling you onto his lap as you sat on the ground, lips moving sensually against each other.

He was inexperienced, you could tell that much, so you placed a hand on his cheek, tilting his head to one side as you took the reigns, guiding him to copy your actions.

A warm tingle ran up your spine as his thumbs rubbed circles on your hips, pressing harder as you took his lower lip between your teeth, nibbling at it gently before pulling away, the both of you panting heavily.

He looked gorgeous beneath you, with those cherry cheeks and half-lidded eyes, his hair askew and shirt opened to reveal his smooth neck and collar bones. And you looked just as beautiful as you always did, with those swollen parted lips and eyes staring at him, and only him.

"So.." Ozo spoke first, a grin slowly etching onto his face, "Does this mean you've made a decision?"

You scoffed in amusement, fingers reaching to the back of his head to twirl the smaller locks of hair around them.

"I don't know, you tell me." With a teasing smile — that still shook at the edges — you dove back in for another kiss, pressing a lot harder this time.

You tugged his head back as you prodded your tongue against him desperately, sighing a breathy groan as he easily allowed you access. Your tongue swirled around his immediately, suckling at his wet muscle and revelling in his raspy whines that emitted from his throat.

However, with a swift buck of his hips into you, Ozo gained control, figuring out what to do and instead pushing his tongue into your mouth, eagerly exploring your hot cavern. He wrapped his mouth around your tongue, tugging at it harshly before returning it and continuing to ravish your mouth.

You pressed your chest into his, your breasts pushing upwards and threatening to burst out of the top of the dress, whilst your hips squirmed against his.

Ozo gasped at the movement, suddenly pulling away from you, the thin string of saliva breaking as he moved back.

"W-Wait..." He panted, covering his mouth with the back of his palm. He appeared to be bashful, an expression that you secretly found adorable. "If you do that, then I'll have to leave you here again.. And I don't really wanna do that right now.."

Not entirely understanding what he meant, you nodded anyway. You needed a breather too from the sudden make-out, and opted to rest your forehead against his shoulder, tightening your hold around him as you hugged him. He returned the gesture, his fingers running along the upper hem of your dress, grazing along your skin.

"Are we.. together now?" Ozo murmured. Despite all this, he was still unsure. All of this was new to him, especially being in a relationship with the prettiest girl he had ever seen. And kissing you like that? As much as he enjoyed it, he was still hoping that this would turn into something more. Into something he had yet to experience.

You giggled quietly, massaging his scalp gently.

"Yes, we are. Do you want us to be together?"

"Oh god, yes," he breathed, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck and inhaling deeply. You smelt so nice, felt so amazing, you were just so stunning. He didn't want to let you go, his grip increasing around you.

You snuggled back into his arms, relaxing completely as you smiled. Sure, this all had moved a lot quicker than you had ever thought it would, but it just felt right. Your smile widened as you remembered Dayoko.

She was right. Maybe this was meant to be.

»»-----　♔　-----««

Osomatsu - Monster?

𝘞𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘭𝘧!𝘖𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘟 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯!𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

"The more you move the more it's going to hurt, you idiot," you scolded, a hand gripping the shoulder of the eldest Matsuno sextuplet in an effort to keep him still.

"I'm not moving!" Osomatsu hissed, his white-knuckled grip on his hoodie becoming tighter. His body flinched as you pressed the cotton pad to his wounded arm again, a heavy and frustrated sigh falling from his lips.

"Did you really have to get into another fight?" You mumbled, your worried gaze trailing the long gash running from Osomatsu's inner elbow to his wrist, red and sore.

"If then bastards hadn't stepped on my turf, then it wouldn't have happened." Was the rough response you got.

"It's not like they knew that, though."

"Yeah, well, they should know it now."

You sighed this time, leaning away for a moment to reach for some bandages before gently holding his arm, thumb subconsciously running over his pale skin.

As you wrapped the white cloth around the wound, you couldn't help but worry more. Osomatsu was getting into more fist-fights with others over the last week, with you being at his house everyday to patch him up. His brothers had tried and failed to get him to tone it down, and they were now relying on you.

But what could you do? Osomatsu wouldn't listen to you, either. He would start sulking and would completely ignore you, eventually running off to play pachinko, or to get oden from Chibita's.

Didn't he realise everyone was worrying about him? Didn't he see that what he was doing was dangerous and completely unnecessary?

Either way, you had to approach him about this again. This time, you decided to take a different approach.

"...Osomatsu?" You spoke softly, hands holding his bow bandaged arm with care. His brown eyes looked at you curiously, the silence in his house suddenly becoming louder.

"Please, stop hurting yourself."

"[Y/N], I'm not going through this again-"

"Just listen to me this time, alright?" You interrupted, peering up into his eyes. You could practically feel the frustration building up inside him. However, you had to keep going.

"Getting into fist-fights every other day isn't something that you should be doing. Don't you realise that you're just hurting yourself more and getting everyone else worried about you?"

"Why should they be worried about me?" He grumbled. "I never asked them to. Why should they give a shit?"

"Because your family loves you and so do I. You know that, right?" You were becoming desperate, clutching his hands into your own. He stared at you for a moment before looking away, scowling.

"And I told you that you shouldn't. I'm a monster. Why would anyone love a monster?"

He was breaking on the inside, anyone could see that. And you were determined to keep him together.

"You're not a monster, Osomatsu. Being a werewolf doesn't make you a monster-"

"It does!" He raised his voice, glaring at you. "It does make me a monster! You really think I wanna be out there beating the shit out of people everyday? I don't! But this power... It won't let me control my own fucking body. I've hurt people, and I've pummelled them close to death! You think I feel satisfied doing that? You think I want to live the rest of my fucking life like that? Of course I don't, but I don't have a choice, don't you get it?!"

"That's why I'm here to help you! We all are!" You fires back. You reached your arms around his head, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"We love you, so we'll help you. Make us understand what you're going through so that we can make things better. We love you so much.. and I love you too much to let you go."

Silence finally washed over you both as Osomatsu held onto you tightly, clutching the clothes on your back and burying his face into the crook of your neck. You felt a slight dampness on your shoulder, but you only smiled, continuing to thread your fingers through his hair whilst whispering sweet words of comfort into his ear, knowing he was listening as he shook with tears.

He would never become a monster. Not with you by his side.

Osomatsu - A Promise I'll Break

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳!𝘖𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘟 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

"What do you think of death?"

The question was very sudden and out of the blue. You snapped your head over to the man beside you, sat casually in his seat with a steaming coffee mug in hand. His eyes, glowing a vibrant green, stared inquisitively at your tense figure as he sipped at his beverage, the skeletal mask that covered his lower face removing itself eerily.

"I...I'm not sure what you mean.." It was the truth. With a being like him asking a question like that, there could be a few dark undertones that you wished not to uncover.

"Well, y'know.." he gestured lazily with his free hand, black mist swirling around him in an unearthly manner. He didn't belong here. "A lot of people seem like their scared of death, finding it to be a horrifying journey that the naked eye can't witness.." he chuckled at that, allowing a shiver to run up your spine, "But sometimes, people see it as a blessing, in a way. A person's spirit can finally leave this world in peace."

He turned his gaze back to you.

"So, what do you think of it?"

You stared adamantly down at your own clear drink. Your fingers were enlarged under the water's image, pressing tightly against the glass. Small bubbles of air filtered around the liquid, rising to the top before bursting all to quickly.

"I'm not sure, sir.. It is true that it can be.. terrifying, staring death in the eyes," you shuddered again, "But I do have hope that there is something waiting for us.. A happier place, maybe."

The man hummed, leaning his head back to the stair at the ceiling, his brown hair flopping back over his scalp. Suddenly, he sat up straight, pointing at you.

"I told you to stop calling me 'sir!" You jolted, carefully manoeuvring your glass so that your water wouldn't spill. "C'mon, what do I have to do to at least get you to call me by my name? It's not hard! Say it with me: O-so-ma-tsu!"

With him being who he was, you would have thought that he would act more mature —wise, even — but he had no such personality traits. He instead acted like a man child in desperate need for attention, specifically from you. You hated it, because it meant you had to see him more often around your workplace, which only served to unnerve you. And he was either oblivious to this, or chose to purposefully ignore it.

You glanced over to the clock, eyes lighting up at the time. You swiftly stood up after swallowing down your glass of water, grabbing your coat and bag from the coatrack.

"You're leaving?" he frowned, swivelling in his chair to watch you. You barely spared him a look, unable to force yourself to stare back into those gleaming green eyes.

"Yes, my shift is over for today."

"Ah, I see... But don't forget!" he called after you before you could leave the room. "We have 'graveyard' shift tomorrow!" he grinned, watching you tense up at the shoulders.

You were outside the room now, facing the empty hallway, except it wasn't empty. Ghostly figures slipped past you every now and then, there skin and clothing wafting through the air like silk, although it wouldn't feel like the material at all, should you touch it. You knew that first hand.

"Safe travels, [Y/N]." was the last words you heard from him that night as you shut the door behind you, clutching at your bag tightly as you wove your way through the hauntingly empty corridors. All you wanted to do was go home.

»»-----　♔　-----««

The air was colder than you had anticipated, your fingers and face feeling numb to the cool night air. You sighed heavily as you finally made it inside the hospital, quickly making your way over to the staff room, where you knew he would be waiting oh-so eagerly for you.

As you turned down a hallway, you came to a sudden stop, barely preventing yourself from crashing into another nurse turning the same corner. You both jumped back with a noise of surprise, wide eyes regarding one another before relaxing.

"Oh, hey [Y/N]," the nurse chuckled, holding a hand to her chest. "You're on duty now?"

You gave no response, staring at something over her shoulder. She raised a brow as all colour seemed to drain itself from your face. "..[Y/N]..? Is everything okay?" she turned her head over her shoulder, frowning as she found nothing there.

But of course she wouldn't see anything. She wasn't born with this curse. She should be grateful, to not be able to see the decaying face of a remaining spirit, hovering over her with its jaw unhinged and eyes filled with nothing but darkness. You bit back the urge to vomit as it raised a rotting hand, shoving its jaw back into place with a sickening crack.

"Uh... Maybe you should get some water. I'll.. see you tomorrow, [Y/N]." The nurse left you quickly, and you knew she was looking back at you with odd glances. She would probably go and tell everyone else what had happened. You could practically hear the conversation already:

'That new girl is so weird, staring at nothing! It's like she's seeing things! She should get herself checked out, maybe she's not all good up there.'

"[Y/N]?"

You jumped, whipping around to find Osomatsu staring at you blankly. His cape-like jacket flowed behind him as he came closer to you, stopping just in front of you. His eyes flickered over your shoulder before returning to you as he tilted his head.

"You good? You were kinda just standing there."

You stammered for a moment, turning to look behind you and, to no surprise of your own, finding no spirit floating there like it was before. You sighed quietly, feeling a headache already coming on.

"I'm.. fine."

"..Good!" he smiled, walking past you with a beckon of his hand, " 'Cuz we have a lot of paperwork to get through and pass out, so let's not waste any time, yeah?"

Of course he wouldn't actually care for your wellbeing. With a twitch of your eye, you begrudgingly followed behind him, keeping your head low and ignoring the want to cover your ears to block out the ugly groans and wails of those others couldn't see. You wished you could be like them.

As soon as you sat down in that swivelling office chair, you willed your mind to switch onto autopilot, wanting to zone out the rest of the night as much as you could and get lost in your work. It would be easier to deal with the terrible hours you were having to endure. But no matter how hard you tried, this particular night seemed to want you completely aware of everything that was going on around you.

You were constantly jumping in your seat as spirit after spirit wandered in and out of the room, their whispering calls and cries for their loved ones ringing in your ears for minutes on end. The temperature in the room seemed to drop lower than room temperature, making you shiver. Not even the steaming mug of coffee beside you warmed you up.

And then, there was Osomatsu, who was supposed to be helping you, but was instead whining about everything that came to his mind, blabbering on non-stop and even snickering at you whenever you had a scare. It irritated you greatly, but you were also afraid. You couldn't exactly say anything back to him — not if you wanted your life ripped from you in the blink of an eye.

Just when you thought you had just about enough of it all, he spoke to you in a more serious tone.

"Y'know, I've heard some things about you."

You froze in your seat. You knew where this was going. This was the absolute last thing you had wanted.

"Well, I heard stuff about you before you even started working here. Word spreads real fast, don't you think?"

You grip on the computer mouse tightened. You needed him to stop. Talking.

"But you know how rumours are. You can't exactly trust them, seeing as how everyone just ends up twisting them to match their own ideals. So I figured I'd just ask you directly — makes things easier."

There was a moments silence, the sound of a chair squeaking beside you as he leaned forward in his seat becoming deafeningly loud in the quiet space.

"I heard that you working here has made it your fourth transfer this month."

"How did you—?"

"They say," he cut you off, cat green eyes locking onto your own coloured orbs as you turned towards him, "That it's because you say you're seeing things. Someone even said it's because you weren't deemed 'suitable' to work at a couple other hospitals. The things that you say you've seen... aren't exactly kid friendly, are they?"

You bit down on your lip hard. His lower face was obscured by that mask again, with its skeletal jaw and raw bone outlining the glow of his eyes dangerously as he grinned, as if he had struck gold. The scythe he always carried was resting across his lap, glinting under the light, a reminder of just how close death was to you.

"I.." Your voice wavered, hesitant to tell the truth, but you knew deep down that he probably already knew it, for a lot longer than you thought he did.

"It's not.. my fault.." you sighed, lowering your face into your hands and digging the heels of your palms into your eyes in a poor attempt to keep your tears at bay, the stress now catching up to you, "I don't want to see these.. these things all the time, but they won't go away.. they're everywhere.."

"What do you see?"

"...I see things like you." Your heart began to pick up speed as it thrummed in your ears, close to bursting as you finally plucked up the courage to speak.

"Things — no, people, that aren't alive anymore. Spirits, spectres, ghosts, whatever you want to call them. And —... And reapers, like you," You shuddered, "I can see it all. Wherever I go, they're always following me.."

Osomatsu still hadn't given you a response, and your worry spiked. You didn't want to open your eyes to witness another angry reaper, ready to chase you out of another job. The last one had almost caught you. You couldn't go through that again.

"I know who you really are, Matsuno," you still refrained from using his 'real' name, "But I swear, I'm not here to get in your way! I'm just here to do my job as a nurse, I want to help people! I don't.. I don't mean to disturb you. So, please... Please don't try to get rid of me. I really need this job.."

"Why would I try to get rid of you?"

You paused.

"The last reaper I ran into.. didn't like me all too much.." you grimaced at the memory. "He thought I was trying to save the souls he had to reap, and he chased me away from the hospital. I can't go back there, even if I wanted to.."

Osomatsu chuckled softly.

"Sounds like little Ichimatsu, alright.." he mumbled to himself, whilst you were too busy staring at him, bewildered that he had just laughed at you. Was this all a joke to him? You really hoped it wasn't.

He leaned back in his seat again, resting his arms behind his head in a relaxed position. Grinning at you, you watched as his mask and dark clothing slowly dissolved away, revealing the usual male nurse uniform that others had always seen, and you had rarely seen on him.

"I had a feeling you were an odd one," he hummed. "Ever since you stepped foot in this place, these old wisps have been gravitating towards you like a magnet."

"I'm sorry," you blurted. "They always seem to attach to me. I don't mean for it to happen—"

"I know, you don't need to start blubbering over it," he raised a hand. "If anything, you always want to just get away from them, and that's enough for me to know that you're not gonna ruin my own little gig I got here, too. So, how about we strike a small deal?"

He held out a gloved hand, still keeping that cattish smile plastered over his lips. You cocked a brow, suspiciously eyeing his outstretched palm.

"You promise to me that you won't get in the way of my 'work'," he used his free hand to make quote marks over the word, "and I'll promise not to mess with you either. Deal?"

"...It's not just you who messes with me here," you reminded him, just in time to catch another spirit wander into the room. It stared at you blankly for a moment, hollow eyes staring deep into your soul, then shifted over to Osomatsu before leaving again.

"Fine," he rolled his eyes as he groaned. "I'll make sure neither I nor the other spirits in this place mess with you. Is that better?"

Something deep in the back of your mind was screaming that it wasn't better. Trusting a reaper of all things was a bad idea, and making a deal with one was even worse. But, as you stared into his gleaming eyes, what choice did you have?

"..Just peachy.." you slipped your hand into his, the cold of his flesh seeping into your warm palm as he shook it twice firmly, his smile widening and showing off his shrunken fangs.

"Y'know, I have a feeling things are gonna get a little more interesting around here, now." You grimaced, snatching your hand away from him.

"I hope not."

"Ugh, you humans are all so boring.." he whined. You ignored him, turning back to your computer. As much as you hated admitting it to yourself, you couldn't deny that the weight on your shoulders had lightened just a small bit, enough for you to breath without having that constricting feeling in your chest.

»»-----　♔　-----««

Osomatsu should have known something was wrong.

A smooth four months had sailed by since your deal, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying your presence more and more as the days went by.

The one day where you didn't come in for work, though, he shrugged it off. Even when he had overheard that you hadn't called in to give any reasoning behind your absence, he didn't think too much of it. Humans were weak things compared to him, after all; if you needed a break, then he wouldn't dwell on it any longer.

That single day turned into two days. Then those two days turned into three days. Then those three days turned into three weeks.

Osomatsu grew more agitated by the day. His mood was visibly worsening, snapping at anyone when they would tell him they didn't know where you were. He didn't understand why he felt that way. He didn't know why he suddenly felt so angry at the fact that he didn't know where you were. The deep pit in his stomach was telling him that something bad had happened. He should be worried.

But why should he be worried? You were a human. You were weaker than him, had less of a lifespan than him, so what if you could see spirits and random shit like he could? He was a reaper, an all powerful being that could suck the soul out of your body with a single tap of his scythe. Why should he care about what's happened to you?

He shoved those feelings deep into the back of his mind, attempting to erase them as quickly as he could. He didn't need these insignificant feelings getting in the way of his work.

It wasn't enough, though.

No one had expected to see you come into his hospital room, wrapped in numerous bandages and heavy casts on your right arm and leg. Your bruised eyes were shut closed as a small patch of stitching made itself clear on your left brow, your breathing deep as if you were simply sleeping, but he knew it was so much more than that.

Just one look, and all those feelings came bursting to the forefront of Osomatsu's mind as he stared at you in bewilderment.

"She came in last night," someone was telling him, but he wasn't focusing on them. "She was taken from her home about a month ago, and was beaten pretty brutally. We're still trying to figure out why and how this has happened, but until she's feeling well enough, she'll be under your care, Matsuno."

Whoever was speaking to him left the room not soon after, leaving you and Osomatsu alone. He was still staring at your battered form, eyes shifting from a muddy brown to a fluorescent green as he eyed the glow around your body. It was flickering, significantly dimmer than the last time he had seen you —back then, you were glowing.

His black clothing slipped itself over his uniform like a shadow, a hood falling low over his forehead as his mask settled onto his lower jaw, lips pressed into a firm line as he grasped his scythe. Stepping towards you, he hovered his scythe over your heart for a moment before shifting the sharpened tip to your temple, tapping it once as the bright hospital room fell away into darkness.

»»-----　♔　-----««

You stared down at the flowing white dress that had draped itself over you. Rubbing the material between your fingertips, you barely acknowledged how soft it felt before letting it fall to your side with a sigh.

The luminosity of your dress was the only thing to stand out in this darkness that surrounded you. You felt as if you had walked in circles trying to figure out where you were, only to realise that you weren't moving at all. It was a perpetual loop, never ending, never beginning.

You sat yourself on the solid ground beneath you, tucking your legs close to your chest as you rested your chin on your knees, arms wrapping around yourself in a feeble attempt at comfort.

You knew what this all meant. Your end was coming soon, and all you could do was wait for that end to come for you. You began to wonder who would come to take you, and a brief image of a familiar face came to mind before you waved it away.

Having him see you as you were now — feeble and vulnerable — was nothing short of humiliating for you. On top of that, you really didn't want his face to be the last thing you would see before you... left. It would only make things harder.

You didn't know if time existed wherever you were, but you felt as if you had sat there for a lifetime, occupying yourself by tracing over the scattered bruises over your exposed arms from your dress. You couldn't feel the pain, but you knew it was there. How long had you endured all of that for? You lost track of the days a long time ago.

The sound of footfalls echoing around you in the vast blank space made you perk up. Not seeing anything to your left or right, you turned around, hand pressing to the cool floor as your breath caught in your throat.

"Had a feeling I would find you here," Osomatsu jested as he stood casually before you, leaning against the mantle of his scythe with his free hand resting in his pocket.

"Are you here to.. take me away?" Your quiet voice amplified itself in the silence, reaching his ears easily. He seemed to contemplate this question, eyes squinting as he peered at you, taking steps towards you before he knelt down in front of you.

"It is my job to do so, but right now..?" He ran a hand through his hair under his hood, chuckling weakly, "I don't know."

You lowered your head, unable to look him in the eyes, now for many different reasons. You flinched at the feeling of his fingers pressing under your chin, lifting your face up to look at him once more as he scrutinised the markings on your face. It became unsettling to watch his face fall blank, a slate of no emotion whilst he gazed at you.

"..I've heard different rumours this time," quoting himself from all this months ago. How you wished to go back to those times. At least it was easier to live than it was now. "Somebody took you, and somebody hurt you." He traced his index finger up, over the curve of your cheek to the arch of your brow, barely brushing over the cut that had rested there. "Who did this to you?"

"I don't know.. They wanted me for my 'gift'.." you spat the word out with a scowl, "But does it matter?" You looked away from him again. "If you're here to take me away, then hurry up and do it already."

"Why are you so eager to end your life here?" Osomatsu tilted his head.

"Because what else do I have out there?!" You yelled in frustration, tears finally rolling down your heated cheeks. "Even if I live, there's not going to be anything waiting for me! Everything keeps getting worse and worse — I can't take it anymore!"

"And yet you're still here."

"Because you won't reap my soul—!"

"Because you still want to live."

He stood up, reaching for your wrists and pulling you up with him. You stuttered as he pressed your firmly against his chest, his hand forcing you to look into his eyes.

"Do you think I just take whatever soul I want whenever I want to?" He huffed a laugh at you, wiping away a fresh tear with the pad of his thumb. "I take souls who are ready and willing to die. And for you, that's not the case. If you were truly willing to die, I would have taken your soul the minute you were brought into this hospital."

Staring up at him, you found it hard to look away a third time. Even as your vision blurred his features together, you could still point out his eyes. You had never noticed how pretty they were like this, glinting like cut jade, shaped and moulded into perfect orbs.

"I know I made a deal to you," he mumbled, eyes half-lidded as he clutched you closer, "But just this once, let me break it. Let me get you out of here."

"...Will you be there when I wake up?"

He laughed louder this time, the vibration of his voice rumbling through his chest.

"I'll be there for as long as you need. Or until you get sick of me."

You let out a watery giggle. You were sure that you were past that stage.

It was odd. A mere few months ago, you had despised being in the presence of this reaper. Yet now, you were clutching onto him tighter than ever as you nodded along to his proposal, wanting nothing more than to drown yourself in his comfort as you found yourself in a hospital room, blinking up at the ceiling.

✧ Osomatsu - Cool down

"[Y/N]-chaaaan..." Osomatsu whined from beside you, crawling across the couch to rest his chin on your lap.

Glancing down at him, you returned your gaze back to your phone as you hummed, letting him know you were listening. He didn't seem satisfied with that, however, and he placed his entire upper half of his body into your lap, effectively squashing your legs.

"[Y/N]! Stop ignoring meee!" He cried, pouting his cheeks. Sighing, you turned your phone off and put it onto the table in front of you before running a hand through his brown locks.

"I'm not ignoring you, you idiot. What is it?" You grinned slightly as you watched his face morph into a content smile, nuzzling his head into your gentle caresses.

"It's so hot in here, right?" He mumbled after a small pause. A lazy grin stretched onto his lips as he peered up at you through lidded eyes. "D'you think you could get me some ice?"

Face blank, you stared at him, his grin never faltering.

"...You know you could get it yourself?" You pointed out, only to receive a shrug in response.

"I know, but we're at your apartment. I'm the guest, y'know?" He chuckled. You rolled your eyes, pushing him off of you and reluctantly getting off the couch, mumbling:

"How do I even put up with you, again?"

"Cuz you know you love me!" He called after you as you entered the kitchen. You couldn't help but smile secretly at that. For once, he was right.

A few moments later, you returned to your living room with two bowls of ice in hand, making sure to hold the edges of the bowl so that your hands wouldn't freeze.

Osomatsu had made himself comfortable (obviously) by laying his legs onto the couch, allowing his upper body to fall off onto the floor. His cheeks were slightly red from all the blood rushing to his head, but he was still smiling childishly. Upon seeing you enter the room, his eyes lit up and he quickly swung himself back into a normal seated position.

He patted the spot beside him enthusiastically, making you raise a brow.

"Are you really that desperate for some ice?" You teased, setting the bowls down.

"You bet!" He giggled, rubbing a finger under his nose mischievously. Sighing out a laugh, you picked up a cube of ice and popped it into your mouth, feeling relieved as your face began to cool down a little.

"Ah, but [Y/N]?" He called, and you hummed in acknowledgment again.

"..I don't want ice from this bowl."

Confused, you looked over to him, only to be pushed down onto the couch by the shoulders. You felt a weight on your legs, and you realised that Osomatsu had straddled you. A blush crept onto your face, as well as his, and you waited anxiously for him to do something.

"I want my ice from here," he spoke lowly, and lowered his lips into yours.

Almost instantly, he pried your lips apart and slipped his tongue into your mouth, exploring your cool cavern with force. Your hands clutched the back of his red hoodie, fingers trembling slightly at the feeling of him against you.

He placed his thumb onto your chin and moved you away slowly, leaving the both of you panting heavily as you tried to bring oxygen back into your bodies. Both of your faces were flushed by now, although Osomatsu was still grinning boyishly down at you.

"Thanks for the ice, [Y/N]-chan," he purred, the nickname causing you to blush further.

Osomatsu made no move to get off of you, but it's not like you wanted him to. Instead, he swallowed his piece of ice and reached over to grab another one.

He held it up to his lips, rubbing the ice along them gently, and you watched as small drops of liquid began to trickle down his chin. Chuckling again, he called out to you, grabbing your attention.

"C'mon, [Y/N]-chan. Are you really going to let me get away with stealing your ice like that? I thought you would put up more of a fight..."

Pushing the ice past his lips, he leaned closer to you once more. You couldn't help but notice something hard brush against your thigh, and Osomatsu made no move to hide it.

You gasped lightly as he grounded his hips softly against yours, his dark eyes watching your facial expression carefully.

"Here..." he mumbled.

"I'll let you take one from me, yeah?"

He descended onto you once again, his hands wandering your body shamelessly, causing your thighs to shake in anticipation.

The ice in your bowls were beginning to melt as the room grew ever more heated. Looks like you'll have to get more later if you wanted to continue.

✧ Osomatsu - Courage

𝘔𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢!𝘖𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘟 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

"[Y/N], where are ya'? The movie's gonna start, sweetheart!" Osomatsu called from the living room. You startled, clenching your nightwear.

"I-I'm coming, one minute!"

Taking a deep breath, you stared determinedly at your reflection.

"No backing out. He needs this. You can do it." You pointed at yourself, muttering under your breath. With a firm nod, you marched out of the bathroom and into the living room, only for your confidence to fizzle into nervousness upon seeing your boyfriend's figure on your couch.

You stood to his left, out of his line of sight, watching as he rested on the cushioned seats with his arms hanging over the back of the furniture, and his wide and relaxed. His pale, half-lidded eyes watched the tv screen with boredom as another commercial danced over the screen.

He had come to you after a long day, seeking refuge in your home. You wanted to give him more so that he could relax, just like he had accepted you with open arms so many times before. You couldn't back out now.

You took a step forward, and then another, getting closer to Osomatsu as he finally noticed you were in the room.

"Cute as ever, baby," he smirked, eyeing you up and down. Your cheeks flushed, and you gave him a shaky smile.

"Can I... sit with you?" What a ridiculous question. You knew it the minute it left your mouth, mentally smacking yourself. Oso raised a brow, patting the empty spaces on both his sides.

"Go for it. This is your house, [Y/N]," he chuckled, loving the way your face heated up. With a small nod, you came closer to him.

You lifted a leg and rested it on one side of his hip, then the other, keeping your gaze everted to his chest, although you could feel his widened gaze burn into you. Once you had straddled him, you wrapped your arms around the back of his neck, fingers curling into his soft tresses as you placed your head on his shoulder, burying your warm cheeks into the crook of his neck.

Osomatsu's arms reacted almost immediately, wrapping themselves around your waist and holding you flush against him. A deep chuckle rumbled through his chest, and you felt it buzz against you.

"What're you up to, baby doll?" Deep and raspy, right up against your ear and tickling your skin with his lips. A shiver ran down your spine, but you forced it away so you could speak.

"I-I just... wanted to hold you..." you tighten your hold on him to prove your point, not wanting to look at him just yet.

"And the movie?"

"I've seen it already, so..." you trailed off, not having really thought about an excuse. However, it didn't seem like you would need one. Oso leaned into your hold, one of his palms sliding down to rest under your thigh, warm, calloused fingers tracing your softer, chubbier skin.

Half an hour into the movie and you had completely relaxed, the calming feeling of Oso tracing random patterns across your skin becoming as soothing as your fingertips scratching the back of his scalp.

Phase two could now begin.

Oso loved teasing you with affection, getting good amusement out of your reddened face and flustered reactions. You took inspiration once more to give him something in return.

Shifting your head to the other side, your lips just about brushed against the skin of his neck. You felt him tense up for a split second.

Slowly, you dragged your lips up and down the side of his neck, leaving a burning trail in your wake. Osomatsu's fingers dug a little deeper into your skin.

Feeling bolder, you began to leave kitten licks along your path, finally resting at the junction between his neck and shoulder. Caught in the heat of the moment, you grazed your teeth over his skin before taking it into your mouth, suckling and biting for a few moments. A low groan left Oso's throat, leaning his head away to give you better access.

Satisfied, you released him with a small pop, leaning back to take a look at your handiwork. You had never marked him before, and seeing the red spot with jagged teeth marks litter his neck made a sweet hotness pool inside of you.

"[Y/N]..."

You gasped as Oso took a hold of your wrists, flipping you over to rest your back on the couch as he hovered over you. A light blush had made its way to his cheeks, a sight so rare, it filled you with a sense of pride. Which was forgotten about as quickly as it had come.

"I hope you know what you've gotten yourself into, doll," he growled, a wide smirk covering his face as he peered down at you, lust evident in his gaze. You whined as he rolled his hips against you, feeling his hardened length against your core.

"Or maybe I need to remind you."

𝐓𝐀𝐏𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 - 𝟎𝟎𝟏

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A thick stack of files and papers fell heavily onto the table top, the furniture squeaking dangerously under the sudden weight.

The chair behind it scraped as it was pulled away from the table. The seat was then taken, the figure covered in shadows. Crossing one leg over the other, the tip of his brown leather shoe was the only item that could be seen in the dim lighting of the interrogation room.

"I've brought all these papers, but I doubt that you will need to look through them, zansu."

A woman hummed softly in agreement from the opposite end of the room. Her hands gripped tightly at her exposed upper arms; whether it was from nerves or the coldness of the room, the detective couldn't tell.

He placed a tape recorder onto the table, clicking a few of its switches before he cleared his throat. He glanced at his phone as he read out the date, sitting up straighter in his seat.

"This is Detective Iyami, and in front of me now, I have [Y/N] [L/N]. Now, you've already sworn the oath, correct?"

She nodded, a hushed 'yes' falling from her lips as her eyes focused on the few scattered pictures on the table in front of her. They were in black and white, but she remembered all the vivid colours the day those were taken.

"Then let's just jump into it. I need you to recount to me every single detail — from the minute you woke up to the minute you were brought here, to this room. Everything is crucial in this investigation. Especially if you wanna save their lives, okay, zansu?"

[Y/N] nodded again. The memories of what had happened over the past few months were swirling in her mind, images of their faces popping up in quick succession. One in particular seemed to linger before her eyes. Her heart stung for that brief moment.

"Well," taking a deep breath, she settled herself into her seat a little more comfortably, her heeled foot dangling over her knee. "The day this all started, I remember waking up in a dark room..."

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𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝐓𝐀𝐏𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 — 𝟎𝟎𝟏 '𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐍𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆'

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