Work Text:
Blood
Bodies
Lab
Arahabaki
Verlaine
Blood.
Chuuya opened his eyes and quickly jumped out of bed. He felt warm, salty tears streaming down his face. He couldn’t stay in his dark room any longer, alone with his thoughts. Chuuya walked out of his room, trying to calm his breath. He knew he was out of it, if Dazai woke up and saw him in this state he would never live it down. Chuuya walked into the kitchen and poured water into his kettle. Plugging in the kettle, he turned it on. Fuck. The sound of the machine boiling the water was too loud. Both of the pair in Double Black were light sleepers, it was a known fact between the two of them. Chuuya quickly turned off the kettle and reached for lukewarm water instead. Wiping his tears away, he dried the cup (and his face).
“Slug?”
Chuuya silently yelped at the sound of his partner's voice. He quickly rubbed the wet tears forming in his eyes before looking at the boy. Dazai was in his pajamas, (a dark blue shirt and grey pants.) His messy bed head is still intact. Even for an insomniac like Dazai, it was pretty late (or early, in this case.)
“Chuuya, it’s like three, almost four in the morning, what’re you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“.....huh?”
“Nothing, I just got up early.”
“Work is in four hours.”
“....”
Dazai looked at Chuuya again, and took in his appearance, his hair was disheveled, and his face was red, tear streaks visible on his freckled cheeks. His brown and blue eyes seemed to be forming tears again, and the boy blinked them away. He was still in his dark red pajamas, and was definitely not getting ready.”
“Are you sick..?”
“What? No. Do I look sick?”
“I mean, for someone who says they’re getting ready, yeah.”
“I didn’t say that, I said I got up early.”
“Got up early for what?”
“Work. What else?”
“Chuuya, It’s almost four, I know you aren’t getting ready for work.”
“I know that.”
Dazai rubbed his eyes, yawning as he walked up to Chuuya.
“I can see the tears, idiot.”
“...”
“..?”
“What tears? I don’t see any”
Dazai laughed quietly and cupped Chuuya’s face. Rubbing the tear streaks away, he knew what had happened.
“Nightmare?”
Chuuya looked to the side in embarrassment but didn’t answer. Dazai was well aware of Chuuya’s nightmares, and the ginger himself knew of that. Arahabaki was always a reason for them, but sometimes the events of what happened last year lingered in his night terrors. Memories of the flags, verlaine, or the new friends he gained and lost in that short amount of time.
“Were you making tea?” Dazai asked, pointing to the kettle.
“I was, but then I remembered your dumbass existed so I turned it off.”
“Well I’m tired. Care to join me in a lovely suicide of sleeping?”
“I’m good.”
“You’re tired, I’m tired, I think we should!”
“Who said I was tired?”
“..Me.”
“God, fuck off.” Chuuya said, lacking his usual bite with half lidded eyes. Dazai grasped Chuuya’s hand and led him into Dazai’s room. A regular room that looks small because of the atrocious size of his bed. Books and plants littered the shelves, but most of them were given to him by Chuuya, after he mentioned he liked succulents one time. Dazai crashed into his bed, but dragged Chuuya with him. With a scream, he fell onto the brunette bed, and would have laughed if he wasn’t on the verge of passing out. With a small giggle, he curled up next to Dazai. The brunette carded his fingers through Chuuya’s hair as he watched the half lidded brown and blue eyes shine in the moonlight pouring out of the window.
“The moon’s pretty,” Chuuya whispered, looking up to Dazai.
“Is it? I don’t look at the moon often”
“You should. It’s nice”
“You know what else is nice?”
“Your mom”
“Noooo I’m tryna be nice here c’mon..”
Chuuya laughed and hugged Dazai tighter.
“I wonder what ane-san will think if we’re late again.”
“She’d probably kill you. Not me though, I’m safe.”
“Fuck, we should switch places.”
“No way! Kyouyo-sans so scary! She hates mee..”
“I hate you too.”
“Says the boy curled up on my arm right now.”
“Only because its cold as hell in here.”
“The heaters been broken for like two months now, you just noticed?”
“Man, fuck off.”
“You should be glad you’re pretty, or else I would have pushed you off by now!”
A pause.”
“Wait. NO. I DIDN’T MEAN THAT.” Dazai yelled, sitting up quickly.
“Aww look, the demon prodigy thinks I’m pretty! I’m flattered.”
“I didn’t mean that, you fuck.”
“You sure? You one hundred percent sure you didn’t just call me pretty? Chuuya sang, getting close enough to Dazai’s face that their noses were touching. The brunettes turned the most lovely shade of red as he threw a blanket on top of his face to hide. \
“Don’t be embarrassed now! C’mon don’t you think I’m soooo pretty!”
“No. I didn’t mean that.”
“You didn’t push me off yet though!” At that, Dazai started kicking his feet, unable to see where he was throwing his feet at. Chuuya tackled Dazai and grabbed his shoulders. Using one hand to reach for his neck.
“What are you doinnhahahhaehegehehe-”
“Nothing! Just touching your neck!”
“Stohohohoohopp ihihihihit”
“Stop what? This? Chuuya tickled his stomach.
“Stoohoohohp STOOHOHOOOAHAHAAOP PLEEHEHEHEHEAHASE”
“I don’t see what the issue is!”
“Plehehehehehasee gehehet ohhohoffoff”
“You’re the great demon prodigy, right? Get me off yourself!”
“I cahahahaan’t.. Get ofoffff GEHEHEHE OHHOOFF”
“Get me off yourself!”
Dazai lunged upwards and tickled Chuuya’s stomach. Chuuya practically collapsed onto Dazai, succumbing to giggles.
“Wahahahahaiit.. Thahahat’s nohhoot faaiaiahahir..”
“What’s nohohotot fahahri? Ihihi thought yohuhoho wanted this? Stohop tickling mehehe it’s my turn!”
“Nohohoho!”
“Stohohohop!”
The two boys laughed until their ribs felt sore, tiredness and laughter taking over their bodies.
“Youhoho fuck.. I hahahate you”
“I did the sahahame thing you dihihid”
“Nohoh you did mohore!”
“Noohoh I didn’t!”
“You did yohoho bitch!”
As the sky turned light, the boys succumbed to slumber, knowing they would be late to work.
***
Bonus!
Chuuya came back to his shared apartment, covered in grime.
“So, what did Kouyo-san say about you being late?”
“...”
“Hmm?”
“She said it’s fine to be a couple minutes late, But if I’m late by six hours again she’ll personally chop my limbs off.”
“I would say that’s quite a tame punishment coming from her.”
“Right? That’s what I said and she whacked me in the head.”
“She can be so nice until she’s mean.”
“Well, she hates you, so I guess she’s just always mean to you.”
“She is! I’m get hurt everytime I’m around her.”
“Then don’t go around her.”
“But you’re always around her!”
“Then don’t get near me!”
“I have six hundred forty two more ways to annoy you until the week ends, Chuuya. I can’t let all my work go to waste!”
“Six.. hundred forty t-”
“Ignore what I said, enjoy dinner!”
Chuuya did not finish his dinner.