Work Text:
Ranpo could admit, even after twelve years as a detective, it never got easier seeing people close to him (even if he doesn't admit it out loud) suffering. Especially when he doesn't notice the warning signs.
Dazai had crashed again, he hadn't came to work for five days, staying in his stuffy and dirty room the whole time. Now that they had found him and confirmed that he wasn't in an immediate danger, Ranpo felt atleast a bit better.
But the sight he had lied his eyes upon turning the corner just an hour or so ago wasn't pretty in the slightest. There had sat Dazai, curled up on the floor, staring into sweet nothingness. There wasn't an ounce of emotion on his face, in his posture, as if he was just a mere shell. It made Ranpo's gut twist uncomfortably, seeing Dazai in such a state. It truly never got easier. Probably never would.
Atsushi had returned to the office to inform the others that Dazai was found and safe. He should be at the office by now, Ranpo noted, glancing at the clock as he picked up the shattered bottle from the side of a table. It was shattered in pieces and was most definetly a hazard to be left alone. As Akiko was helping Dazai clean up and checking him over for any wounds, Ranpo decided to responsible for once, and clean for Dazai, having decided that the other was not in the right state to do it himself.
The whole apartment reeked of sake and alcohol in general. Or maybe it was just his oversensitive senses. In any way, it was clear Dazai had drank a lot at a point or another during the four and a half days of radio silence.
Ranpo went over to the window behind the futon and opened it to let fresh air and some natural light in. He heard the shower being turned on. Dazai would be alright, Ranpo knew Akiko would make sure of it. Maybe he wouldn't be right now, tomorrow, or even in a month or a few, but he would be alright, and Ranpo was going to try his damnest to make sure of it.
After a while of Ranpo cleaning the apartment little by little, Akiko joined him, working quietly alongside him.
"How is he?" Ranpo cutted the silence after a while.
"Gonna be fine in a day or two. Nothing severe, just hungover and very dissociated," came the answer. Ranpo was glad it wasn't worse. He had witnessed a couple other of Dazai's episodes and usually they ended with bigger threat, to himself or to others.
"How can I help?" Ranpo asked again after a moment. Even though he may come off as arrogant and self-absorbed, he worries for others and cares. Especially when the person doesn't worry or care enough for themselves.
"I don't know yet. But don't pressure him," Akiko closed the trash bag that had been filled with glass and bottles, leaving outside the apartment door to be picked up later. "And don't bring too much attention on him for now."
"Roger that"
>->->->->-|-<-<-<-<-<
"Well?"
"You're back!"
"Did you find him?"
"Where's Ranpo and Yosano?"
"He wasn't in the river again, was he?"
"Let him breathe," the President's calm but authorative voice made the anxious detectives stop berating Atsushi with questions as soon as he stepped into the office.
Atsushi bowed. The President simply hummed in the way Atsushi had come to associate with him being slightly amused. "You don't have to bow so deep, Atsushi-kun. But I do have to admit, I am too quite curious where Ranpo-kun and Akiko-kun are. I assume you found Dazai-kun?"
"Ah. Yes, we did. He was in his dorm, apparently had been the whole or at the lest, most of the five days," Atsushi started. Just a couple months back he might've stammered because of all the attention on him. Well, it still did, a bit, but he was getting better! "And, well, I didn't see him, but Ranpo-san said to come tell you that we found him and that he'd be okay, him and Yosano-sensei stayed back to check him over."
"Thank you, Atsushi-kun. I trust that Akiko-kun and Ranpo-kun are taking care of him and will fill us in later, but now lets get back to work," The president nodded in confirmation that he had understood, before going back to his office.
The agents of the Armed Detective Agency grumbled a bit before tuning back to work.
>->->->->-|-<-<-<-<-<
After a couple hours of cleaning, Ranpo and Akiko had finally cleaned Dazai's apartment. Dazai himself had found himself sitting on the corner of his futon, watching the cleaning process with unfocused eyes. It was a bit unnerving, if Ranpo was honest, but Dazai always was, so nothing new there.
As they went to take the trash bags to the bins, Akiko reminded Dazai to stay where he was. Apparently he had tried to flee when Yosano first started checking him over earlier.
Luckily, when they got back, Dazai was still there. Unluckily, he still wasn't responding properly. He must be really out of it.
Akiko tried, now that they didn't have much anything left to do, to coach Dazai through a couple grounding exercises. Ranpo recognised the first one as the one Fukuzawa had teached him and he had teached Akiko.
Eventually, after multiple tens of minutes and eight exercises, Dazai finally looked up, eyes focusing on Ranpo. He had been sitting opposite to him, next to the doorway but not obscuring it.
"Why?"
"Why what?" Akiko asked, her voice calm and level, the kind of voice she used only when at home, and sometimes sparsely on patients.
"Why did you clean my dorm?" Dazai's voice sounded so empty and unnatural Ranpo resisted the feeling of uneasiness from washing over him. It was nothing like the usual Dazai.
"Because it was a health hazard," Ranpo answered, his voice just as blunt as usual, but a bit quieter, as to not overwhelm or trigger Dazai. He didn't know if he'd trigger from yelling or if he'd get overwhelmed, but Ranpo decided that it's better safe than sorry.
"You shouldn't have. You shouldn't have cared."
Jeez, it's self-deprecation season, baby.
"Dazai, we care because the agency is family, and it's too late to back out anymore," Akiko extended a hand towards the younger detective, slowly lowering it on his shoulder. Dazai didn't react. Odd. He usually didn't let people touch him, with a very few exceptions, and Ranpo knew Akiko wasn't one of said exceptions.
Dazai didn't answer.