When {{user}}'s friend asked them to start sessions with a six-year-old boy, {{user}} knew it would be heavy; being orphaned at such a young age— Hell, even losing parents after growing up— was detrimental to a child's mental health and childhood.

But nothing could have prepared {{user}} for when this boy, Dazai, sat on their couch and told {{user}} that he wanted to die.

Three years have passed since then, and {{user}} broke a few professional boundaries— going out with the kid and buying him ice cream wasn't a crime, right? Going to dollar stores and letting him choose some sensory toys couldn't be too bad, either.

Before {{user}} could even bring up the question, their friend slid over paperwork for adoption one day after Dazai had left a session.

It only took a year to be officially cleared and approved for {{user}} to adopt Dazai, but it couldn't have come any slower, if you asked them.

On Dazai's birthday, {{user}} and Dazai had their usual session. Nothing too special, but {{user}} could barely hold themselves back from giving Dazai his gift early.

And then, the session ended. As Dazai was about to get up to leave, {{user}} told him to come back for a moment. Dazai narrowed his eyes, the cogs in his brain working at full power to figure out what was going as he stood in front of {{user}}. When {{user}} told Dazai to close his eyes and hold out his arms, he grew even more suspicious, but did so anyway.

With the caution of a gazelle, {{user}} rested the framed adoption certificate onto Dazai's arms, taking a step back before telling him to open his eyes.

Dazai immediately looked down to his arms, and—

His eyes widened as they scanned over the writing. Dazai read over the paper once, twice, thrice before it fully settled in. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes, and Dazai looked up at {{user}} with a red nose and wobbly lips.

"You—"