Finding Paradise (Soukoku)

Chapter 2

The ginger could only stand there and watch as his partner got kicked to the ground. His grip on his hat became tighter and he looked down at his own two feet.

If he hadn't...

No, he had to be strong. He looked up only to regret his decision and quickly avoid Mori's stare. The raven haired smirked and let go of the brunette's arm as the figure struggled to keep his face from coming into contact with the floor.

"Chuuya-kun, you should look at the miserable state of your partner."

The ginger nodded slowly as he felt beads of perspiration trickle down his forehead. He avoided the other's gaze as Mori's smirk became bigger. He reached out to grab Chuuya by the hair only to be stopped by a firm an slightly shaky voice from behind him.

"Don't you dare touch him. He was just following my orders."

The raven haired let his hand dropped to his side as his smirk vanished in a second and was replaced with a disappointed frown. Chuuya mentally sighed in relief when he saw Mori walk away from him, the nervous tension building up in him slowly died down. However, the initial nervousness was replaced with concern when he heard a grunt from the brunette. He dared not look at the scene unfolding as he tried thinking of something positive but to no avail.

Dazai was still trying to protect him despite the state he was in, all bloodied and bruised.

"To think that my demon prodigy made a mistake." Mori's voice was cold and it echoed in the big office, making a shiver go down Chuuya's spine.

Opening one of the drawers, Mori pulled out a small cylinder shaped container and shook it a few times. "I think that god-like brain of yours isn't working today. Need to fix that, don't we?"

The ginger, upon hearing that, whipped his head up and his eyes widened when he saw Mori force the younger's mouth open by a firm grip on his jaw and pour all the murky substance into the brunette's system.

Chuuya acted on impulse as he dropped his hat and rushed forward to the other, catching him in time before he hit the floor. He quickly checked on the younger who was violently coughing, his eyes contracting.

"What...what did you pour?" The ginger stuttered, looking at the man towering above both of them.

A menacing smile flashed on Mori's face as he bluntly replied, "Cocaine water."

Chuuya swallowed all the curse words he was about to spit out to the man and looked worriedly at the still coughing Dazai.

"Don't worry, that small amount won't kill him, just an extreme burning sensation for his brain to function. I wont waste a powerful asset like him."

That made Chuuya grit his teeth, he was just using them to his advantage and the only think keeping them alive was their usefulness as a team. He was probably disposable but Dazai wasn't. That was the only thing keeping him alive, Dazai. Without the brunette, he would've been long disposed off by the port mafia boss.

Dazai hastily grabbed onto the red head's coat sleeve and pulled himself up. Tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to fall, he struggled to pull himself up to stand. The ginger had to support him fully as Mori watched, amused as both of them left his office.

-

Wrapping new bandages around the brunette's dangerously skinny arms, the ginger held back tears as he tucked in the extra bit of bandages. The brunette's coughing had stopped but his throat was still currently raw and sore.

The brunette noticing that, raised a brow and gently caressed the ginger's cheek. "Chuuya?" His voice slightly hoarse.

"I'm sorry. It was my fault the mission failed and he took it out on you."