Chapter Text
It was a regular enough day for nearly everyone at the ADA. Dazai was on the couch not doing his work, as usual.
What wasn’t usual, Kunikida wasn’t nagging and trying to get him to do his work, instead taking time to check in with him every once in a while. Kunikida was doing his own work but seeming distracted the whole time, reacting far more noticeably to even the slightest of sounds. They both seemed on edge and everyone noticed it.
Suddenly, there was a ringing, the sound cutting through the tense silence that was continually growing in the office. At the sound Kunikidas head immediately snapped up just in time to see Dazai sit up quickly and answer a call. Worry overtaking his face, guessing what the call was about, he immediately stood and grabbed his jacket while motioning for Dazai to get up. No words were needed as Dazai was already making his way to the door as Kunikida puts his jacket on and speaks, “excuse us, there is a pressing matter we must attend to.” The agency falls into a silence as the door shuts behind them.
The pair rush out of the ADA building and to Kunikida’s car where Dazai barely has time to buckle his seat belt before the car is racing off, making sure to stay within the speed limit of course. Desperate to get to where they both know they need to be, with no words needing to be exchanged, the silence in the car suffocating.
Before they know it, they arrive, leaving the car and hurrying into the building. As they walk down the hall, they can hear a commotion, their steps quickening in time with the increasing sounds of commotion until they are sprinting.
Reaching a door and slamming it open to reveal Chuuya fighting against anyone trying to touch him. When the door slams open his head snaps over and a scowl carves itself onto his face and he spits out, “what are you doing here?” Then his eyes trail to Kunikida behind him, “oh, and of course you brought him with you”
Dazai frowns, “of course we came when we got a call from the hospital that something was wrong with you, what else would we do?”
“How would I know considering you’ve been gone for four fucking years, then popped back into my life, haven’t bothered speaking to me, haven’t bothered to come check on me. So, how the fuck would I know that you would come here and bring him with you!” Chuuya spits out, venom lacing his voice.
Dazai has a look of hurt cross his face before anger takes over and he barks, “because I care for my old partner!”
“Funny fucking way of showing it, asshole!”
“You know what? I didn’t have to come here, hope you get better soon” Dazai scoffs and storms out of the room.
In the silence that follows, Kunikida finally speaks up, voice soft and full of understanding, “you know, he barely slept last night, kept checking his phone to make sure he didn’t miss a call from the hospital.”
“Huh!? Why the fuck should I care, he left me without a care! And why the fuck should I listen to you anyways, you’re just a guy with a stick up his ass, who only cares because it involves your partner’s past which he tries to fucking bury with all his might!”
“I care because even though you are from the enemy, I don’t like to see anyone hurt, and the haunted look Dazai has had, has concerned me”
Chuuya looked away as the medical staff finally stepped away and left the room, the silence heavy. Kunikida simply watched as Chuuya stared out the window, jaw clenching and releasing repeatedly, breathing deeply as if to try and calm down. When it was obvious he wouldn’t speak, the other continued, “That night he couldn’t sleep, I asked why and he said it was a gut feeling that something was off, I dozed off waiting for him to lay in bed with me, next thing I knew I woke up to Dazai shaking me violently and telling me to get up and get my keys. He was frantic, made me break speed limits in hopes to get to you in time. I watched as he grabbed you, nullifying your ability, as he craddled your limp body, I had to scream to get through to him that we needed to get you to the hospital, he wouldn’t let me help carry you, he stayed holding your battered body in the back seat the whole ride, begging you to not go. I don’t mean to be rude or pressing into your life or past, but he still cares, and I think you do too. I have no right, but I wish to ask a favour, please don’t push him away”
Chuuya watched Kunikida as he spoke, could see the hurt and helplessness in his eyes, but as the last part was spoken Chuuya couldn’t help but feel affronted as he scoffs again and spits back, “damn right you have no right to ask for a favour or poke into my life. Especially not for that waste of bandages, I don’t know if you know but he didn’t just leave me, he left me and blew up my car with no other words, he fucking blindsided me! We were close, together, partners! And he didn’t have the nerve to even let me know that he was leaving or where he was going! I thought he was dead!”
Kunikida just looked at him with understanding and responded, “you’re hurt, that was wrong of him, I don’t know the full story but I think you should talk it out with him,” Kunikida looked at him for a moment before continuing, “but when you’re ready, how about in the mean time I do something about that mess of your hair?”
Chuuya looked confused before feeling his hair and a look of horror overcame his face as Kunikida silently came over grabbing out his notebook and creating a brush and hair tie, helping Chuuya sit up and forward a bit as Kunikida sat on the edge of the bed behind the other and started carefully brushing his hair, swapping embarrassing stories of Dazai.
Dazai eventually came back and stood in the doorway as he watched his new partner braid his old partners hair as they talk animatedly to each other. Watching this made him believe everything will be okay for now.
He enters with his regular dramatics and watches as both men look over with a look of exasperated annoyance, fondness deep, deep underneath both looks.