Sayuri ducked her head as she entered the small scraggly shack in Suribachi City.

"You actually came back..."

Ryuunosuke sat on the floor with a book in his lap. Gin was sleeping, curled up in the large thin sheet that was obviously doing nothing to keep her warm.

"Of course. I stick to my word," Sayuri said as she set down a basket that she had brought and then took the blanket that was over her arm and set it over Gin's frail body. "So, I heard about you yesterday from a friend of mine. He told me that you have been known as the silent mad dog. People are pretty scared of you, huh?"

Ryu looked at her with that same lifeless look that seemed to be stuck in his eyes. "And yet you still came back?"

"Oh, you don't scare me. I've seen much worse. I understand doing what you need to, to survive. I want to do what I can to help you both. I know you won't let me do much, but bringing you food is the least I can do. Will you at least accept that?"

"Why?"

"Because you both deserve better. You have the same look in your eyes as a friend of mine. I fell in love with his eyes, but the darkness they hold... I wish I could take it away," Sayuri admitted as she looked down. "I don't want you to keep that same look. The world is a shitty ass place, and I won't try to pretend otherwise, but I've seen some good in it too."

Ryuunosuke went silent as he looked at his sister. After a while of silence, Sayuri put a hand on his shoulder.

"Keep her close. Family is the only thing that kept me going until I was about your age," Sayuri said, giving him a smile.

"What keeps you going now?"

"I met a boy who made me fall in love."

The next eighty eight days were known to thr underbelly of Yokohama as the Dragon's Head Conflict. It was the bloodiest eighty eight days in Yokohama's history and it was all over that fortune that was left behind.

But even with the conflict coming to an end, the aftermath was still a lot of work.

Odasaku and Dazai walked into the apartment that the Oda siblings shared, both exhausted after a long day of work.

"Hey, Zoe," Odasaku spoke after seeing the brunette sitting on the couch.

"You're back!" She spoke cheerily. "Oh, Dazai, you too?"

Dazai nodded slowly as he slumped forward. "I got told that I was smelly. I need to shower before Sayu gets upset with me for smelling bad."

Zoe snickered as she held a hand to her mouth. "You both are such a riot. Did you guys eat dinner? I can whip something up if you need."

"We had some stuff at the bar," Odasaku spoke as he smiled at Zoe. "But thank you. I really appreciate you cooking for us all the time."

"I enjoy it. It's the least I can do as a thank you for letting me stay with you," Zoe said, her gaze softening as she looked at Sakunosuke.

Dazai looked between the two and grinned before waving his hand, walking towards the bathroom.

He saw Sayuri sitting on her bed with some headphones on as she jammed out while reading. He stopped in her doorway and she looked up after feeling a change in the shadows.

She pushed her headphones down to hang around her neck. "Hey."

"I'm gonna take a shower. Wanna join?" Dazai asked with a cheeky grin.

Sayuri grimaced as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Really?"

Dazai pouted as he slumped. He trudged towards the bathroom before shutting the door behind him.

He pulled a towel out of the cupboard and set it on the lid of the toilet before slipping off his suit jacket. He unbuttoned his dress shirt and just threw it on the ground with his jacket.

The door opened and he turned around to see Sayuri closing the door.

"I need to shower anyway, so I guess it's not a problem," Sayuri said as she walked closer to him. "Do you need help?"

Dazai watched as she helped him unwrap the bandages around his chest, rolling them up as she went. He removed the ones on his arms as the two stood in a comfortable silence.

Sayuri moved to take off the bandages on his neck and he watched her carefully. His eyes traced the curve of her lips, wondering why she had let him of all people be the one to feel them.

He knew that she liked him. He wasn't clueless. He just wasn't sure why. In his mind, there was no one less deserving of her than he was.

He lifted his hand to her face, his thumb caressing her lower lip gently. This made her lift her eyes to meet his.

When she saw him studying her lips, it made her gaze soften.

"What's going on in there?" She asked, her voice just above a whisper.

"Your lips are really soft," he mumbled.

Sayuri let out a breathy laugh. "Get your butt in the shower."

He nearly pouted, but Sayuri kissed his lips briefly which made him smile like a child. "I'll be waiting for you!"

Sayuri shook her head as he stepped into the shower. She couldn't stop her smile from growing as she began to strip, tossing her clothes to the side.

"I'm getting lonely in here, angel," Dazai whined after a minute.

"Hold your horses, ya weirdo," Sayu shot back before getting into the shower a moment later.

As soon as she shut the curtain, Dazai's arms wrapped around her waist from behind. He held her close as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"This is much better. We should definitely shower together more often," Dazai remarked happily as the water spilled over them.

"If it'll get you to shower, then maybe I'll allow it."

Dazai snickered, kissing her cheek. "Any chance to see your beautiful body."

He ran his hand lower, but she quickly slapped his hand away.

"Hey, we're supposed to be getting clean, not dirty, you pervert." Sayuri grimaced, making Dazai laugh a bit louder.

He pressed his lips to her neck before grabbing her shampoo. He lathered some shampoo between his hands before massaging it into her beautiful auburn hair.

Sayuri sighed softly as she allowed herself to relax while leaning her weight against Dazai.

"You know, I think Odasaku has a thing for Zoe," Dazai spoke up after a moment.

"Oh, one hundred percent," Sayuri agreed. "He's always worrying about her and spending any free time he has with her. I don't know if he knows that he likes her or if he just hasn't admitted out loud yet. Though, I kinda get the feeling that he knows how he feels, but doesn't want her to know."

"I guess it would make sense. He might think it's too soon for her," Dazai added, massaging another round of shampoo into Sayuri's hair before rinsing it out.

Sayuri hummed softly, thinking about Zoe's reactions to losing Piano Man. "She has been pretty torn up. Though, I can't say I blame her. She was with Piano for almost two years. She really loved him. Though, she definitely is doing a lot better."

"Would you be upset if I died?" Dazai asked, resting his chin on her shoulder again.

"Of course I would be! Osamu, you're my best friend. If I lost you..." Sayuri paused, not wanting to think about it anymore. "Look, I would do anything to protect you. Your life is more important to me than my own. I can't lose you. I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

Dazai smiled, his hands resting on her hips. "Well, luckily for you, I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm holding you to that," Sayuri replied as she turned around to face him. She put her hands on the sides of his head as she made him look at her. "You have a promise to keep."

"And so do you," Dazai reminded, his lips pulling into a smile.

She rested her head on his chest and sighed softly. "You know, I'm trying to have a sweet moment with you, but it's kinda difficult when I can feel that you're hard."

"Hey! You expect me to see such a beautiful woman completely exposed in front of me and not have lewd thoughts? I was being respectful," he defended with a cheeky smile.

Sayuri just laughed lightly as she pulled her head back to look at him. "Am I that arousing to you?"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Dazai questioned as his eyes traveled down her body.

"I mean I know I'm sexy, but damn," Sayuri teased, putting a finger under his chin. "I can have you practically drooling just by whispering in your ear."

Dazai nearly whined, simultaneously loving and despising her teasing. "It's not my fault you're so beautiful!"

Sayuri hummed, leaning close to him again. She kissed his jaw gently with a small smirk on her lips. "We have been pretty busy lately, and with Chuuya getting a promotion for his efforts, maybe you can get your reward from me. How's that sound?"

Dazai melted as he felt her lips travel down his neck, his grip on her hips tightening a bit. "That sounds wonderful."

He whimpered slightly when he felt her suck on his neck, already knowing all the spots that made him weak.

"Angel, please," he begged quietly as he moved his hips a bit.

"You still need to get clean, Osa," Sayuri spoke as she moved back a bit. "I'll help wash your hair."

Dazai whined as he lost her touch. She grabbed the shampoo and lathered it in her hands before massaging it into his hair.

"Sayu, don't tease me like this," Dazai whinged, giving her a pleading look. "Please."

"Do you think the other members of the mafia would respect you as much if they heard your whining?"

"I think they'd understand," he grumbled as he let her keep washing his hair. "Seeing as how those perverts want you just as bad as I do."

"You say that as if you aren't a pervert. Trying to shower with me so that you can see me naked," Sayuri teased with a light laugh.

"I'm allowed to look at you like this!" He defended quickly.

"And why's that? You're not my boyfriend, so what makes you the only one allowed to see me like this? I could have sex with anyone I want," Sayu replied as she gave him a playful look.

That made Dazai pause, an almost scared look flooding his face.

"I just happen to want you instead," Sayuri continued, rinsing his hair carefully. "You are my beautiful monster. No one else makes me as happy as you. This makes you happy, so I allow it."

"So you don't actually want to sleep with me? You just do it to make me happy?" Dazai spoke in a whisper.

Sayuri laughed as her eyes closed lightly. "Of course I want to have sex with you, Osa. I wouldn't give myself to you if I didn't. But I love making you feel good. It wouldn't be the same if it were anyone else."

"Then why do you tease me so much?" He whined. "It's mean!"

Sayu grinned as she leaned up to kiss the skin in front of his ear. "Because you look so sexy when you're begging me to touch you."

Dazai felt a shiver go down his spine as her hands trailed down his back gingerly. He couldn't understand how she brought him to his knees so easily whenever she even just gave a gentle touch. He craved her touch, her hold. He was addicted to the warmth she gave him.

"Please, belladonna," he started desperately. "I need you. I want to feel you so badly. Please."

Sayuri loved hearing him beg. It was so arousing. "If you can stay quiet, maybe I'll give you what you want."

"I'll be silent! I promise!"

Sayuri slid her hands down his sides as she lowered herself to her knees.

"Good boy."