Dictator

23. You Taste Like Cigarettes and Hurricanes

Tomie jumped out of one of the windows before the impact while holding Dazai in her arms. Now they were free falling, above the clouds, while the giant, red dragon roared above them. And the moon shone even brighter. The area was rumbling. As Tomie and Dazai were gracefully floating, Tomie grabbed onto Dazai's arms and pushed herself towards him. She gently grabbed his face, tilted it and pressed her lips against his. Despite the circumstances, she couldn't help but feel how soft and addictive his lips felt against hers. Using her tongue, Tomie pushed the antidote that she kept in her mouth into Dazai's, making him swallow it. The antidote's effect against the poison surged in his veins. Upon dissolving into his blood, Dazai's eyes slowly opened, releasing a groan at the feeling of Tomie's tongue on his. His lashes fluttered open, revealing his glistening, rich brown colored orbs. He was met with Tomie's gentle face gazing down at him with a soft smile, cradling his face carefully like he was made of porcelain. Dazai found himself subconsciously smiling.

"You prepared beforehand to save me... knowing I'll be poisoned? How beautiful..." He drawled.

Tomie giggled, still holding onto him. "Of course... You and I made a promise, remember?"

Dazai's eyes slightly widened at this, then smiled gracefully. "I gotta say... That's a rather pleasant way to wake up Snow White."

"I'll do it again if my princess treats me right..." Tomie carried Dazai in the air and leaped onto some of the debris and safely landed inside the lower floors of the tower with Dazai still in her arms. She helped him get back on his feet, although he was wobbling around a little bit. Tomie immediately grabbed his hands into hers, gazing into his eyes with worry. "Are you alright? Can you move?"

Dazai rubbed the nape of his neck with a feeble grin on his face. "Don't worry... I foresaw this happening, so I wore extra layers of bandages underneath. The knife didn't go in to deep, just enough to let the poison seep in."

Tomie hummed in acknowledgement. There was another rumble outside that shook the entire tower. "Your Ability... It's separated from you, isn't it?"

Dazai's gaze shifted to the window, watching the utter chaos fold before his eyes. "Yeah. It's the fueling fire to the monstrosity outside."

Tomie stepped back and summoned her beast, muttering its name. The beast's figure was back to 'normal'— animalistic. It released a low growl as Tomie gazed into its deep, dark eyes. "Apocalypse. I need you to separate from me for now and go help Chuuya out. If I know one thing about my idiot, it's that he's most likely out there fighting that dragon all by himself. He puts way too much trust in me and Dazai... Please bring him back to me alive."

Apocalypse whined like a lost puppy at her words, seemingly hesitant to do what she's asking for, causing Tomie to grab its head and touch her forehead against his. "Please. He needs us." The monster was frozen in time for a moment, then it stepped back, releasing a long howl before turning the opposite direction and running off.

The two remained silent for a few moments, listening to the rumbling and feeling the vibrations without uttering a single word to each other, or even making eye contact. Dazai eventually broke the silence. "I can't help but notice something..." He began, "You treat your Ability not like a part of your own body but as a separate being. It's like your mind is telling you to do two different things at once."

Tomie's eyes widened slightly at his words, before turning to face him. Her shoulders slouched down, she looked beyond exhausted, he almost felt bad. "Because... I want to ensure your safety just as much as I want to help him."