The Marionette • Chuuya X Reader

28: Fever

Is this what death feels like?

If so, I should have accepted it sooner.

•••

"Are you ok?!"

You hear the port waves echo in your ears in the background, the honk of the car horn feeling so far away until your sense of peace sent into turmoil as your eyes fight to stay open, body on the floor and clinging on to the pavement as you are sent into a cold sweat. Atsushi stands in front of you, his ability activated just in time and stopping the car from hitting you by pushing you to the ground. Still, looking around, small shards of glass from the car all  around you, the stranger that had been driving staring in horror at the scene unfolding, you look fine. So why can't you get up? Trying to lift yourself with your forearms, the world only spins and forces you back down, body helpless as your eyes search for Atsushi's in confusion.

My legs hurt so much...

There's pins and needles everywhere...

"I can't-"

"[f/n]! Motherfu-"

Who is that?

They sound mad.

"Wait! I'm not here to fight, she just walked in front of the car and I-"

"Get the hell out of here."

Moving your head to the side, vision blurry, you try to focus on the dark figure just past Atsushi moving closer, bright hair clear as you start to put together the colours.

Chuuya...?

"But...she's burning up, I think that's why she fainted! We have a doctor at the agency with a healing ability. We can-"

"Didn't you just say it's just a fever?"

"...but she has wounds everywhere, look at where her bandages have ripped. It looks bad. Not from the car but..."

Not the agency.

Not Dazai-

You try to say something, to get up once more to prove you're fine, but your will isn't enough to carry out the lie. Physically, you feel like you're laying on death's door with your head pounding and heat running through your body unpleasantly. Before you hear Chuuya's answer, your world goes black, a heavy sigh escaping you as you let your eyes close for just a few moments.

•••

Usually when you dream, they are nightmares or memories you've long suppressed. However, never have you had a dream such as this.

You stand in your room, back to the door, the names on your wall shifting every few seconds at different times to one you can't read from where you are, everything else standing the exact same. The light in your room is dimmed and with one blink, the room changes. Though it's still your room, on your bed sits a replica of you, legs crossed, a journal on your lap and a pen in your hand, writing names as your free hand is held up, your ability activated and the usual glow surrounding you. Looking closely, there are thin strings attached to your hands and feet, only visible in certain angles and being pulled at with such a gentle delicacy one would almost completely miss that you aren't moving on your own.

Curious, you take a step closer to yourself, squinting your eyes to get a better view of the scene in front of you until a splash is heard under your feet. Looking down, your shoes are covered in a thick, dark liquid that hadn't been there before and when you look back up, puppet you is now staring right at you, pen still moving like it isn't your choice to stop. Concentrating on your own face staring back at you, you notice the dark eye bags under your eyes marked with an obsessive craze, your face thin like you'd been starved recently and pain etched in your otherwise blank expression. Despite all that, a smile still plays at your lips. You don't understand why...if you're clearly in agony.