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Chuuya walked into the Agency office, grumbling. Dazai refused to do his paperwork the night before and Chuuya stayed up all night working on it. His past executive knowledge and all the times he spent working on their reports made it easier for Chuuya to finish the paperwork for the Port Mafia boss. A detective working on Mafia paperwork? Ridiculous and risky, but Chuuya figured Dazai considered this and only made him work on the less confidential ones.
Excited noises greeted him as he walked inside and he almost had a stroke when he spotted the source of his headache in the middle of the room.
“What are you doing here?” he yelled. Dazai looked startled to see Chuuya but quickly recovered and materialized in front of him, wrapping him in a tight hug.
“Chibi! I thought you took the day off today ‘coz you’re too tired to work,” Dazai’s voice sounded a few octaves higher and he threw a pointed glance at Kunikida.
“No thanks to you,” Chuuya bellowed and flung Dazai to the other side of the room. “But after catching up on some sleep, I’ve replenished my energy. My back’s still sore though, but I’m all good.” Atsushi choked on air. Chuuya glanced at him to make sure he's okay and saw a tiny hint of red dusting his cheeks. Chuuya’s brows creased.
The other detectives following the scene were unfazed. This was hardly new to them.
“Here we go again,” Tanizaki deadpanned as he passed by Chuuya.
Dazai recovered and went back to where he stood minutes prior. “Chibi is so violent,” he dusted his coat and adjusted the scarf hanging on his shoulders.
“I thought you have an important meeting with the executives today?”
“Well, I’ve just finished and I thought I could stop by.”
Chuuya’s eyes narrowed. Dazai knew he wouldn’t be here and Chuuya was certain the meeting couldn’t be with the Agency. There were no cases in the Agency where the Mafia was involved. Why would Dazai stop by in the Agency without him?
The next few days he found Dazai loitering around the Agency office more often. Sometimes, talking to Kunikida, most times annoying him that sometimes it got to a point where Kunikida threatened to throw him out. He also spends a lot of time in Yosano-sensei’s office. Dazai spent more time with his colleagues than him for someone who claimed to have been in the area because of him.
This made Chuuya a bit irked. Whenever Dazai visited, the entire room would be in a huge ruckus and no work would be done or it’d be delayed. Kunikida was an exception since he hated Dazai’s presence in the Agency as much as Chuuya did. It seemed that Dazai enjoyed the company of his colleagues more than his company. From all the ruckus and noise, his colleagues felt the same towards the Port Mafia boss.
Hypocrites, Chuuya thought bitterly. They’re pretty nice for someone who just a few months prior were enemies with the person they’re becoming friends with.
He wasn’t jealous. Heavens, no. His workload would increase whenever the others found a way to slack off when Dazai’s around. Dazai’s horrible work ethic is like a disease that spread to the Agency’s staff.
One day, he found Dazai strolling into the office. He was working on some paperwork so he barely noticed him if he didn’t spot the red scarf. Chuuya beamed and stood up to greet him only to be passed by when Dazai headed to the infirmary instead. He didn’t even look in Chuuya’s direction and his desk was literally in front of the entrance so Dazai couldn’t have missed him.
Chuuya’s eye twitched. Did the bastard just ignore him?
“Oi, shithead!” he yelled, marching into Yosano’s office.
Yosano-sensei opened the room with a startled look on her face. Dazai looked like a deer caught in the headlights on Yosano’s desk behind her.
“Chuuya? Is everything alright?”
“Everything’s all good, Yosano-sensei. What’s he doing here again?” he answered through gritted teeth and shot a glare in Dazai’s direction.
“Ah, chibi! Didn’t see you when I came in, you’re so tiny,” Dazai gave him a small smile, but it didn’t lower Chuuya’s blood pressure. It infuriated him more.
“Didn’t see me? Why else would you come here?”
“I’m injured, Chuuya. See?” he held up a hand wrapped in a cast. Chuuya’s gut twisted and his brows furrowed. “I got hit by some assassin close by and I headed out here since it’s closer.”
Relief flooded Chuuya. He felt silly worrying over things like this.
“I-I’ll leave you to it then,” he said, walking back to his desk. The unsettling feeling bubbling in his gut never left him.
Days passed and Dazai hardly came home to their apartment, and when he did, it would be in the late hours of the night.
Wednesday came. It’s been almost two weeks of this and Chuuya had enough. Dazai wasn’t home and in his last text, he said he’d be home early. Yet it’s 2 AM and no sign of the bastard. Ane-san told him Dazai went to the Agency shortly after their errand. Chuuya was already home when Dazai came by the Agency.
It didn’t add up. Dazai knew Chuuya’s schedule by heart. He even memorized it. For him to stop by when Chuuya’s not around sent Chuuya’s blood boiling. It’s been like this for the last two weeks and his patience wore thin. The moment Dazai came home. He’ll strangle the living daylights out of him. So this is how they’ll end up after all they went through.
Chuuya couldn’t believe he would go so far as to die for that bastard.
When Dazai came home, it was already 3:25 AM and Chuuya sat on the living room couch. A glass of cheap wine in hand. His Agency paycheck wasn’t as grand as his previous one from his time of being a Mafia executive so it was all he could afford.
He was halfway through the second bottle when he heard the door click.
“Having the time of your life?”
Dazai looked startled as Chuuya turned on the lamp from the side. Dazai looked disheveled. Dark circles surrounded his eyes and there were heavy bags underneath. Chuuya wondered what was he doing all those times he didn’t sleep.
“It’s late. Why are you still up?” Dazai sounded tired.
“Why are you late?”
“There was something I had to take care of.”
“At the Agency? Let me guess, another injury for Yosano to take care of?”
“No. I- what are you talking about?”
Chuuya put down the glass on the coffee table. The liquid sloshed and spilled into the carpet. He didn’t care, it was Dazai’s apartment after all.
“Don’t play coy with me! You’ve been spending an awful lot of time with her these past few days.”
“What- no, it’s not what you think, Chuuya,” Dazai said. Something snapped and Chuuya threw the glass in Dazai’s direction. Of course, Dazai dodged it and the wine spilled all over the carpet, dying it red over the grand blue.
“Save it!” With that Chuuya stormed out the door, Dazai trailed behind him, trying to grab his wrist.
“Chuuya, where are you going?”
“I’m going to back to the dorms.”
“Chuuya, wait-” The painful slam of the door cut off Dazai and Chuuya opted to jump out of the hallway window instead of taking the elevator. Dazai couldn’t catch up to him easily if he flew out to the dorms. He needed some fresh air anyway.
When Chuuya arrived at the Agency dorms, he heard several noises coming from Atsushi’s room. He tentatively knocked on the door. What could Atsushi be up to this late at night? He thought as he raised his fist for his third knock. To which he heard Atsushi tell someone from the inside, “It must Dazai-san. He may have forgotten something.”
Dazai was here? Chuuya got even more confused when he met Atsushi’s startled expression as the boy opened the door. “Chuuya-san!” he yelled, a little louder than necessary.
“Why is Kunikida here?” Chuuya’s brow rose as he looked into the room and saw the rest of the Agency huddled in a corner.
“Uh, well—”
“We were having a late-night meeting Chuuya!” Tanizaki supplied as he walked towards the door. “You see, it’s an emergency meeting, uh, we were gonna tell you tomorrow, since, uh, since you may be a bit tired, because of,.. uh… because of you know…” he gestured wildly with his hands, his oversized sweater hands flew in different directions.
“You were the only one not living in the dorms anymore, so we weren’t able to contact you immediately,” Kunikida rose from where he was seated and walked to the door. “Why are you here anyway?”
Chuuya’s eye twitched. Kunikida, Atsushi and Tanizaki blocked his view from the inside of the room. They were subtly pushing him back outside.
“Well, I’m here now, so I can join the meeting then.”
“Uh, about that, you see—”
He pushed past the stuttering Atsushi and when Kunikida and Tanizaki moved to block him from entering, he had to use his ability to part them and force his way inside. He found a litter of things as he scanned the room. Naomi had balloons strung together in the corner, Yosano tried to stuff some party poppers behind the small couch. Kenji slid a party banner under the futon.
“What’s all this— Ane-san! What are you doing here?”
Kouyo stood in the corner, holding a pile of gift-wrapped boxes which she dropped once she heard Chuuya. The wall obscured her from view, where she seemed to be glued to it. Hirotsu, Tachira, Gin, and even Akutagawa were also in the bunch tying up the balloons Yosano shoved in their direction.
Everyone looked sheepish and wouldn’t look at him in the eye. Then he remembered tomorrow's date, well, technically, today’s date. Realization set in and he internally groaned.
“Oh, shit. Dazai put you all up to this right?”
“Now, now, Chuuya-san. The Port Mafia boss isn’t part of this. This is for a client,” Kunikida tried to salvage the situation as he attempted to usher Chuuya out the door.
“But half of the Port Mafia is literally here!” To which Kunikida grunted in response.
Chuuya’s heart sank as he thought back to his last conversation with Dazai.
“Oh, sh—” he cut himself off as he bolted out of the dorms and headed to the streets.
Chuuya didn’t have to go far as Dazai was already across the streets when Chuuya ran.
“Chuuya, come back!”
“Oi! What the hell is this all about?”
Dazai stopped and clutched at his knees as he caught his breath. Did he run all the way here?
“Y-you’re not… supposed to be here yet.”
“Idiot! You’re such an idiot,” Chuuya yelled as he lunged forward and grabbed Dazai in a bone-crushing embrace.
“I can’t breathe! Chibi, you're choking me.”
Chuuya let him go and looked at the floor. He felt his face heat up as he remembered the past few weeks and how Dazai always went to the Agency. Everything made sense and Chuuya felt embarrassed for what he said earlier.
“I… I’m sorry,” he couldn’t meet Dazai’s eyes.
Dazai chuckled and wrapped Chuuya in a hug, stroking the back of his head.
“Well, this was supposed to be a surprise but, oh well,” he pulled away and took Chuuya’s hand.
“Let’s go celebrate your birthday then.”
They walked back inside, hand in hand.
“Happy Birthday, Chuuya!” Everyone yelled as he entered his former Agency dorm room. Yosano held a party popper and its contents spilled into the air. A Happy Birthday Banner with his picture on it hung on the wall. Chuuya cringed from the banner.
“What the hell?” he commented. Ranpo strolled towards him and gave him a glass of wine. “This was supposed to be a fancy dinner, but oh well.” He raised his glass in a toast to Chuuya’s. Chuuya obliged and took a sip.
“Whoa! Is this—”
“Yep, 1989 Petrus. I thought you’d love it,” Dazai remarked as he placed a kiss on Chuuya’s forehead. He then handed a package to Chuuya. “Yosano-sensei helped me find this and I got this for you.”
“Ah, so you were in this together,” Chuuya smiled and warmth bloomed in his chest.
“Look inside, there’s something else.”
Chuuya lightly tore off the packaging and peered inside the box. Beneath the bottle of Petrus, was a small envelope. He opened it and his heart leaped in his chest as he examined the photograph inside. He looked to Dazai with a confused expression.
“It’s from him,” Dazai answered the silent question.
“Aniki? Tell him I said ‘thanks’. I’d like to visit him sometime.”
“Will do,” Dazai assured him as he wiped the stray tear that ran down his cheek.
Everyone took turns giving something their gifts. Ane-san’s was a silk dark red haori*, Kunikida’s was a notebook, Atsushi gave him a 50% off chazuki coupon to which he laughed and patted the kid’s head, Akutagawa and Gin gave him an ornate dagger, and the rest he left to open for later as he enjoyed the celebration.
***
Dazai stood silently in one corner, watching as the festivities unfold.
Hirotsu was giving Gin and Tachihara a lecture after they drunkenly made a mess on the side while Kenji kept picking up large objects in the background. Kouyo and Yosano were talking on one corner. Akutagawa and Atsushi are having a brawl from near the buffet table and Kunikida has his hand pinching the bridge of his nose at the ruckus but made no attempts to break them apart.
Chuuya sat in the middle of the room, downing his sixth glass of wine. Red dusted his cheeks and he swayed a bit as he tried to stand up. He really can’t hold his liquor. Dazai sighed as he walked over to Chuuya.
“You’re wasted, slug,” he remarked as Chuuya attempted to take another sip from his glass only for it to splash on his face instead. “Let’s go.”
Chuuya shivered and turned to Dazai.
“Oi, bastard. You should’ve told me if you’re gonna pull something like this,” Chuuya slurred his words as he attempted to balance himself. Dazai caught him before he stumbled onto the floor. “I even thought you cheated on me. I got scared,” he mumbled as he squirmed in Dazai’s hold. “After all that shit with the book, I thought I’d lose you to something else. Someone else.”
Dazai’s heart did a quick summersault.
“You’ll never lose me again,” his expression softened and at that moment, everything blurred into the background and all he can see was Chuuya in front of him. It was just the two of them wrapped up at this moment. He wished he could freeze time and stay like this, forever.
“For you, I’d bleed myself dry,” he cupped Chuuya’s cheek and rubbed circles with his thumb.
Chuuya hummed and smiled at him. A hand was placed atop his. “There’s nothing more I want than for you to live for yourself. I’ll go to the ends of the world for that,” Chuuya’s words may be slurred and laced with alcohol, but they stem from his soul and Dazai found relief in them.
“If it was us against the world, I’d burn down the entire world to keep you by my side.”
Chuuya closed his eyes and only nodded in acknowledgment. His hand on Dazai went limp and hung on his side. Dazai had to bend down to prevent him from falling to the floor. He shifted Chuuya so his head rested on Dazai’s shoulder.
“Let’s go home, Chuuya.”
The following week found Chuuya sat at his desk, organizing the piles of paperwork he had finished the day before. He piled the last one on the stack when the Agency door burst open. In came Dazai, strolling around as if he owned the place.
“I hear Chuuya’s son is celebrating a birthday. I’m here to deliver.”
Oh, this is going to be another headache, thought Chuuya as he got up to punch some sense into the Port Mafia boss.
***
A few weeks ago
Dazai burst through the Armed Detective Agency building and almost everyone in the room jumped in surprise as the door slammed open. Except for a dark-haired detective sitting on the corner nibbling on a lollipop with a stack of sweets on his desk. He only smiled and winked in Dazai's direction. To which Dazai returned with a smirk. Dazai liked the detective since they were both on equal footing with their minds.
When the rest of the people in the room realized it was Dazai at the door, their expressions turned sour.
"What’s that? No warm welcome for an important client? I’m practically a VIP here, you know,” the blond glasses-wearing detective that was Chuuya’s new partner –Kunikida, groaned.
“What business does the boss of the Port Mafia have here? Chuuya’s not around.”
“Oh, I know, I kept him busy all night so he can’t work today,” Dazai snickered, and Kunikida groaned even more at that. A few giggles were heard from the clerks nearby, eavesdropping on the conversation.
“Is it too late to take back the truce? Can’t we go back to trying to kill each other again?” Kunikida lamented. He looked too tired and aged about ten years that Dazai almost felt bad for him. Almost. But he was too easy to rile up and annoy like Chuuya. Dazai did enjoy annoying people for his entertainment.
“No take-backs Kunikida-kun. Plus, I’m sure you don’t want the Port Mafia to stop funding your Agency, and peace in the city would be shattered,” Dazai said, in his sing-song tone that never fails to annoy Chuuya. It worked on Kunikida that he paced to his desk muttering to himself something along the lines of, “Peace? Tsk. You only wanted the truce because Chuuya won’t go back to your organization. Tch.”
It had been four months since the whole incident with the book and the truce. In that time, Dazai got to know the side of light that Chuuya found for himself. Chuuya brought him in and made him welcome. Though the others took a while to get used to him and the Mafia being in the same room, especially Kunikida, the man of ideals. Since then, peace has been constant in Yokohama. That is, except when Dazai and Chuuya fought on rare occasions.
At present, to Dazai, they were expendable but he grew fond of this expendable lot considering the things they did for Chuuya.
“I actually came here as a client and I want to inquire of your services and you will be compensated handsomely,” Dazai addressed the occupants in the room. With the mention of compensation, Atsushi’s ears perked from one corner.
The door to the infirmary opened and out came Yosano-sensei. Upon seeing Dazai on the premises, her expression brightened and he walked over to him.
“Ah! Just the man I was looking for! Here, I got you this in advance.” Yosano handed him a package. Dazai’s spirits lit up and he took the package from her.
“Yosano-sensei! What will I ever do without you?” Dazai exclaimed, a hand to his chest for added effect.
Kunikida snorted from his desk. “Since when have you two gotten along?”
“Well, Kunikida-kun, anyone who puts a bullet straight to Mori’s brains earns my respect,” Yosano beamed while putting a hand around Dazai’s shoulder, pulling him down.
“Of course, Sensei. You saved my little chibi, it’s only right that you have my gratitude,” Dazai answered as he removed himself from Yosano’s hold, giving her a small smile.
“Too bad, my ability won’t work on you. We would’ve had much more fun,” Yosano-sensei exclaimed with a dark glint in her eyes and Dazai’s smile faltered and he took a few steps away from Yosano. The rest of the detectives in the room shuddered.
He shook off the twitching of his eye and addressed the others.
“Now, as I was saying. I’m here to inquire about your services. You see, in a few weeks, it’ll be Chuuya’s birthday and I want to do something for him. I was hoping you could help me.”
A lot of oohs and swooning came from the clerks. But the detectives were unfazed.
“Don’t you do something for him all the time?”
“Yeah, I still remember your one-month anniversary. Man, that did not go well,” Tanizaki winced from his corner beside Naomi. Kunikida shuddered at the memory.
Dazai merely waved a hand. Surely, it wasn’t that bad.
“That, Kunikida-kun, is different. This is special. You see, the last time we spent birthdays together was when we were seventeen and we didn’t even celebrate since we took down this organization and the year after, well you know what went down.” Everyone fell silent. They knew the ordeal the two of them had to go through and the time that they were apart when Dazai thought Chuuya was dead. Suddenly, the room grew cold.
“So, anyone has any ideas for me?” Dazai redirected and the room grew lively with each suggestion.
“You could give him a puppy. He always wanted to get one, right?” Tanizaki chirped from where he sat beside Naomi. Dazai grimaced at his suggestion.
“I wouldn’t want those creatures running around the apartment. I already have Chuuya. I don’t need another dog.”
“Dazai-san, you could get him some chazuke*. Chuuya-san used to cook for me back when he still lived with me in the Agency dorms,” Atsushi suggested from his desk.
Dazai gave him a stiff smile. “That’s nice Atsushi-kun, but you like chazuke. Chuuya doesn’t.”
“What about a kitten, Dazai-kun?” a voice came from the President’s office and Fukuzawa emerged from the door. Everyone bowed to the Agency President.
“I wouldn’t know about that Fukuzawa-san,” Dazai bowed to the Agency President as he stepped into the room and observed the commotion.
“Kittens are nice and I bet Chuuya-kun would like that as much as a puppy. Chuuya-kun often accompanies me to the cat café across the street. I know he’ll love a cat as much as a dog,” Fukuzawa suggested hands under the sleeves of his yukata.
The Agency President had a commanding presence and authority that reminded Dazai of Mori –though it was fitting as the two shared a history of being old friends in the past, yet there was a gentleness in Fukuzawa Mori didn’t have. Dazai felt overwhelmed in his presence. It’s like he’s walking on eggshells around the man. Had he been the one to desert the Mafia, perhaps he would be under the care of this person and Dazai found that a reassuring thought.
He rubbed the back of his nape as he replied, “I don’t think we could take care of a living creature right now. I-it’s too much work.”
Fukuzawa nodded and didn’t press further. The air around the room grew silent, waiting for Fukuzawa’s next words.
“I have an important meeting to attend to, I’ll leave you to your business.”
“Have a great day, Fukuzawa-san,” Dazai bowed as Fukuzawa left for the door. They may be leaders of two organizations joint under a truce, however, Dazai couldn’t help but look up to the man. The two organizations may have had a hostile history from the last few months but the animosity dissolved as the two groups found common ground in wanting to maintain peace in the city. It was also to Dazai’s benefit as he could still be with Chuuya even when they’re from different organizations.
Chuuya was, of course, pardoned of his betrayal from the Mafia and an empty executive spot was reserved in his honor.
“What else do you have for me, detectives?”
“What about a surprise party? Like a celebration. A fancy one with all those fancy stuff and with lots of wine,” Ranpo chimed in while munching on some mochi from his desk, “I bet Chuuya’d like that.”
Dazai hummed. It was indeed a good idea. Since they started dating, Chuuya would take him to dinner, to fancy restaurants and Chuuya liked it, he had a taste for those things, after all.
“That sounds like a good idea, chibi does like all that fancy stuff.”
“Alright! Now, go have your grunts arrange the party and all that. We’re done here,” Kunikida muttered as he ushered Dazai out the door.
“No, no. As I said, I am here to acquire your services. Besides –” he smirked and held the door frame to stop Kunikida from pushing him out the door, “–I already have an idea for what we’ll do.”