Messes you have created
Pairing: Shinichiro Sano x GN!Reader
Genre: Angst
Word count: 1.8K
Warnings: Canon divergent, ooc, profanity, derealisation, death, a child getting hurt, gore
Synopsis: You are the personification of everything he has ever done wrong.
Shinichiro met you on a day that smelled of burning thyme and juniper.
He never knew the future could be so bright yet bleak at the same time.
Looking around the train station, he knows what he must do, he knows how to save Mikey, he knows it all and he’ll do it, no matter what happens.
No matter the cost.
His eyes pass over you the first few times he looks in your direction, as you stand leaning on the wall, perfectly blending into the point yet standing out, one second seeming like part of the decor and the other like the only person in the entire station.
Shinichiro’s eyes seeing, but not perceiving, unknowingly searching for you but not realising it yet.
It is nearing 4 o’clock.
Shinichiro knows who he has to push.
He knows who he has to sacrifice in order to save Mikey, he knows the name and the face of the man he’ll bring like lamb to slaughter, all to save his brother, because it’ll be worth it.
It has to be.
He is waiting on the clock to strike 4, and in doing so, he slowly backs away from the tracks, into a wall of the station.
You stand next to him, looking at him in curiosity.
The businessman with the red polka dot tie has walked past him twice already.
The hand on the train station clock keeps ticking, but it seems to have gotten stuck between the seconds, moving only to be in the exact same place again.
The businessman walks past him again.
He blinks.
He must be going insane.
The clock is stuck on 3 hours and 56 minutes.
The hand of the clock keeps ticking between the 28th and 29th second.
The businessman walks past him again.
The person standing beside him is the only thing moving normally, as they reach inside the pocket of their jeans and take out a cigarette.
“You’re not from around here, are you?” You suddenly ask, curious eyes piercing through him, and he almost jumps from his skin.
“I’ve lived in this city my whole life.” Shinichiro smiles, his eyes still searching for the man he has to push as he checks the clock.
28. 29. 28. 29.
“That is not what I meant and you know it.” You state, eyes still boring through him, and if you asked Shinichiro today, he wouldn’t know what you looked like.
He has observed you well and stared you deep in the eyes and couldn’t even remember what your hair colour was.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” He finally asks, turning to look at your face.
He can’t even remember your face.
All he remembers is that pitiful, apologetic smile.
“Well, I am many things, but mostly those that keep you up at night. I am every word you said and wished you could have taken back and every lie you ever told you got caught saying.”
“Listen, I don’t know who you are, but your riddles aren’t helping.” Shinichiro felt irritation rise in his throat, his glare sharpening as his gaze switched from you to the time.
The clock still ticked.
It was 4 hours, 57 minutes and 28 seconds.
“But you do know who I am.”
“I don’t! Now let me be, I have more important shit to do.”
Taking a drag of your cigarette, you kept smiling.
“Ah, I’m well aware, Shinichiro. Saving your brother, Manjiro, correct? I can’t imagine there is any other reason you’re looking at that broken clock so anxiously.”
A shudder passed Shinichiro’s entire body, as he turned to look at you again, in horror.
You didn’t look threatening, but something deep inside, something animalistic and prehistoric, told him you’re the most dangerous thing he’s ever met.
“How-“
“I’m here to have a chat, Shinichiro, and then I’ll let you go on your merry way. Just a chat.”
Shinichiro knew he had no option but to oblige.
You let out the smoke from your lungs, and for a moment, all Shinichiro saw was gray.
The businessman passed him again.
“Okay. A chat. I can do that.”
“Actually, more of a warning, really.” You slumped down the wall, sitting on the pavement.
Looking at him expectantly, Shinichiro did the same.
“Okay,” He looked back at you, and without a thought, snatched the cigarette from between your lips, “I’m listening.”
You had another cigarette between your fingers faster than he could process it.
He was sure he has gone mad.
“Fate is a cruel creature, you know? She’s not a patient one, I’m afraid. If you want to take someone from her grasps, you have to offer a replacement.”
He sat in silence.
“Your brother Manjiro was mutilated, am I right?” You quirked an eyebrow, your gaze uncomfortable and burning a hole in his skin he couldn’t shake off.
“Not mutilated. He fell.”
“But he’s no longer human, no? He’s just a husk, waiting for death. Is that not true mutilation, Shinichiro?”
Shinichiro swallowed the ball forming inside his throat.
“It is.”
“And you want to save him.”
“Yes.”
“You know you have the balance the scales, correct? It’s an eye for an eye world out there, my dearest. A soul for a soul. A god for a god. A child, for a child.”
Shinichiro stomped out his cigarette.
“What are you talking about?”
“You know another child will be mutilated in place of Mikey, right?” You take a deep breath of smoke, and just for a second, Shinichiro could swear he saw the smoke leaving through your chest cavity rather than your mouth.
He has to be going insane.
“If you want, I can tell you who this child is. You know him. He grew up beside you. He’s a sweet boy, would grow up to be a fine man. He sees you as a role model. And you’re willing to mutilate him in exchange for your brother.”
Shinichiro shut his eyes tight, feeling the tears start to swell up inside.
Your tone wasn’t accusatory, and that was probably what hurt the most.
It wasn’t accusatory, it wasn’t malicious.
It was curious.
“I’m sorry.” Was all he managed to whisper out before sobs started to wreck his body.
“Uh-oh. This is sadness, correct? I can never tell with you humans. Your emotions are so complex, they can confuse me even after a millennium.”
Shinichiro looked at you, baffled, flinching away when your hand extended towards his face, softly wiping away the tears.
He couldn’t tell if the skin of your palm on his face felt freezing or scalding.
“What are you?” He gritted out finally, staring as you observed the wetness his tears left behind on his face in fascination, as if it’s something you never saw before.
You looked up at him, curiosity never leaving your gaze.
“I told you already.”
“You didn’t.”
“I’m everything that will happen, and everything that has not happened. I am the personification of events you’ll create, in order to save your brother.”
“Stop speaking in riddles.”
You shrugged, seemingly apologetically, but it felt faux, like an obvious lie making sense, and it dawned on Shin that maybe you truly didn’t understand the ache inside his chest, and why he had to do this.
“Haruchiyo will be the child you’ll mutilate.” Your tone was still soft, still gentle, free of judgement or disappointment and Shinichiro felt his throat close up.
“He-“ Shinichiro started, but you seemed to have read his mind, promptly cutting him off.
“He will not be mutilated in the way Manjiro is, no. He will still be able to walk and talk and be human. But he will be,” You licked your lips, seemingly in thought for a second, before you found the word you were looking for, “Scarred. Changed. He will never be the man he could have been.”
Shinichiro felt like he might cry again.
He wished this conversation would end and that the damned clock would move from 4:57:28 and that the moronic businessman would stop passing in front of him.
“Does Haruchiyo deserve that?” You ask, genuine curiosity in your voice, “Does he deserve to be mutilated more than your brother does?”
Everything you said sounded like a simple question.
There was no cruelty in your tone, no judgement, no way to indicate that you were trying to harm Shinichiro.
And maybe that’s what broke him.
“No, of course not!” His voice was a cacophony of sobs and whispers, “No child deserves to be hurt.”
Your curious gaze made him feel like an animal in an exhibit at the zoo, made him feel vulnerable and naked and mocked.
“Then why are you sacrificing him? He will be just one of many, you know?”
“Because!” Shinichiro wailed, now unable to control his voice, “Because Manjiro’s my brother! And I want my little brother back! I need him back! He deserves to live a good life!”
You said nothing, instead only lighting up another cigarette.
Shinichiro’s silent cries were replaced by full-bodied sobs.
The clock ticked to the 29th second before returning to the 28th.
“Oh, I get it now.” You suddenly exclaimed, seemingly excited, standing up to dust yourself off, “It’s love, isn’t it? That’s why you’re doing this? You love your brother.”
“Yes?! Isn’t that clear?!”
You merely bowed in apology.
“I’m sorry, Shinichiro. It’s just, I was never good at recognising human emotions. And love is the most baffling of all. It only consumes, asking for more and more and more and isn’t to love and be loved to humiliate and be humiliated, Shinichiro?”
You didn’t give him a chance to respond before you turned on your heel and left.
The clock ticked to 30 seconds.
Shinichiro pushed his human sacrifice onto the tracks.
“My, my,” You whispered, brushing the tangled and bloody hair out of Shinichiro’s face as he lay, dead and cold, “What a mess you have created, Sano Shinichiro.”
Here was your last spot.
The day Sano Shinichiro died, and you go back to someone else.
An amused voice spoke next to you, seemingly towering above you.
“A mess? You think this is a mess? Try this Takemichi guy I got. He’s about to change everything, even I’m not sure I’ll be able to clean it up.”
Your eyes drifted up to meet two hands, the kanji for Sin and Punishment greeting you before lazy amber eyes do.
“Ah, Shinigami. I didn’t expect you here so soon.”
“Well, this will be a busy job. You better get started cleaning up after that fella. I’m in charge now.”
Nodding, you merely smiled as the Shinigami brushed his leg against your back, already on his way out and leaving.
Sano Shinichiro has created a world in which the dead don’t die, in which the innocent get cut open and in which the Shinigami posing as Hanma Shuji wept after a human.
Truly, what a mess you have made, Sano Shinichiro.
🔖Taglist:
@1818cigarettes @nana-phobia @dilf-city @wakasa-wifey @rinsie @kisekihany @missarabellla @soushswag @bajifairyy @cryszus @r-xochitl @levistiddies @sanzucide @graythecoffeebean @yukihime-mikeys-girl @mukounisuru-gashadokuro @sunahyejin @crybabylisa @yamaguccitadashi @minoozi @trashmemebitch @frogtits1 @sup-zfam @whydohumansss @xashiui @bontens-whore @nqctre @anotherdeadendpath @lumi-does-some-stuff @hana-patata @hxked @erza-uzumaki @sh4nn @sisnot @nahoyas-nymph (in bold are those who tumblr won’t let me tag. my apologies!)
a/n: butterfly dividers ha?? 😃 get it?? because of butterly effect- i’ll take myself out🤧
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