Double Black Oneshots

Care

It was another day ahead in the Armed Detective Agency. All the members are present seated on their designated desk.

Atsushi and Kyouka are doing a good job finishing their paperwork. Kenji is busy talking about his cow, Hanako, to the amused agency doctor. Ranpo was there listening while munching some potato chips,

The Tanizaki siblings are pretty much preoccupied with their own world. Naomi is currently enjoying her time serving his beloved brother his morning cup of coffee.

Meanwhile, the blonde idealist and his good-for-nothing partner are in the middle of their usual arguments.

"Oi, sh*tty Dazai! If you have a lot of time to lie on the couch and listen to your suicidal song, why don't you do something productive and do your report! Because of you, we are behind the submission! I can't reschedule our to-do-list activities again because of your laziness!" Kunikida gave his long lecture and threw his pen straight to his partner.

"Aiyo!" The brunet rubbed the spot where he was been directly hit and  removed his headphone. He blinked twice while looking at his uptight partner. "Why are you being so brutal in the morning?~ You could have just gently tap me on my shoulder~ Kunikida-kun is a meanie!~" The bandage wastes just pouted.

The idealist scoffed and glared daggers at his partner. "A gentle tap on the shoulder would be wasted on you. I'm already on the top of my lungs and you're still doing your own little business!"

"Well my bad, Kunikida-kun~ You see, the volume was rather too high. I couldn't hear any single word you've said~" The brunet offering his (insincere) apology with his puppy doe eyes  just made the blonde rose from his seat fuming. He rushed towards the brunet and started strangling him.

Before the megane detective could even uttered a lengthy word of lectures and profanities to the beanpole the door slowly opened causing everyone to look at the unexpected visitor.

Almost everyone tensed up and hold on to what weapon they can find. They were set for a battle mode. Well, except for the two geniuses. And given the straw hat kid being a solid fan, he was of course also excluded.

Dazai looked at the ginger with unreadable expression on his face while Ranpo was now popping a lollipop in his mouth staring to what the petite mafia executive is holding in his arms.

"Hey there, Mr. Fancy Hat. Is that a baby you are cradling in your arms?" The greatest detective slightly opened his pair of emerald eyes.

The ginger cleared his throat. "Yes." He simply answered. His cerulean eyes completely focus on the little thing he's holding.

Almost everyone stared at the mafioso bewildered. It was evident that his fiery personality was not present. Chuuya appears to be more gentle. His tone is soft and light. Something is definitely wrong about this situation.

"Now~now~You guys should lower down all those silly weapons. We don't want to scare our little visitor here~" The brunet was fortunately released from the deadly grip of his partner a while back when the blonde pulled out his gun aiming it towards the chibi.

With the strange thing going on, the agency members complied and took there seats once again. Their defense mode, still activated.

"You guys can relax, I'll handle the matter here." The brunet winked and smiled at his nervous protege. Atsushi is the one who's most anxious with the current situation.

The beanpole slowly walked towards the ginger.  He ushered Chuuya to take a seat on a couch and sat beside him.  "Say, what's the chibi suddenly barging in our agency unannounced?~"

The gravity manipulator let out a long sigh. He was clearly tired and restlessness was visible in his ocean blue eyes.

"Something happened when we were sealing a deal with some foreign organization. It came out that it was their plan to smuggle some goods in our turf so fightings and killings were involved. "

"So what's the connection with the thing you're holding then? Don't tell me there's a civilian present in the scene. And I thought the place should be off limits, you guys were being careless." The brunet's tone may be taunting but there's a subtle gentleness in it.

The chibi looked at his former partner with uneasiness. "It was not a civilian, it--it was one of my men. He got shot. He--he was beyond saving when I came to him." The mafia executive almost broke his voice. He feels conflicted and looks completely distress.

The brunet took a chance to glance at the greatest detective. Ranpo immediately got the signal and spoke. "I believe everyone should take a break once in a while. We started rather too early today." He eyed at the uptight megane making sure to deliver the hidden words he's trying to point. "How about we go down to Cafe Uzumaki for some breakfast?"

The youngsters nodded with enthusiasm. Each of them silently agreeing that they don't want to remain any longer inside the room. Considering the unusual and strange atmosphere that is currently happening with the infamous double black, they might as well step out and have their meals downstairs.

The agency doctor was the first to raise from her seat and glanced at the duo. "You guys can go. I'll be heading to the infirmary to get my stethoscope and my medical kit. I will run a complete examination on the baby just to make sure if the little one is alright. Is that okay with the Mafia Executive?"

"That would be much of a help. Thank you, Yosano-sensei." Dazai was the one who answered on his former partner's behalf. The chibi was not in the state to respond. His emotion is in turmoil at the moment.

Since everyone was all dead set to go, the idealist couldn't protest and just resigned to go with the majority's decision. In just a minute, the room was emptied leaving the two alone.

"This little one is the man's child, I believed. For you to come here with the child means to say the mother was a bad case." Dazai resumed.

"The man working under me was a single parent. He hired a babysitter to take care of his child. Now, he's dead and we don't know if there's a relative that can take in the child. I already asked Higuchi to look into it."

"Say, have you ever thought of adoption? Someone maybe willing." The brunet presented the most possible solution.

The chibi shook his head. "I can't do that. It was the dying man's wish to see his child be safe from harm. I just can't give the child to who knows who. I gave my word. I will take responsibility if we can't find any nearest relatives who are good enough to raise the child well." It was easy to see that the ginger was against the idea.

"Do you plan to raise the baby on your own?" Chuuya was stunned to hear an offbeat question coming from his former partner. He took sometime to answer.

"I...Yes...I mean...I want to. But the Port is not a safe place to raise a child. We both know that. "

"I'll be with you." Comforting words were the last thing the petite mafioso will ever heard from those lips. And yet he did.

The ginger felt his body relax for the first time in the day. He slowly reached those tousled hazelnut hair and stroke them fondly. A warm smile forming on his lips. "Thank you."