Chapter Text
Chuuya's tail was moving.
He didn't know it was moving.
That was the problem.
Dazai knew.
That was the bigger problem.
The two of them stood in the middle of the unfamiliar forest, staring at each other.
Dazai had rabbit ears.
Long, dark, and unmistakably real.
Chuuya had fox ears.
Orange, pointed, and currently pressed flat against his head.
Behind him, his tail was swishing violently.
Neither spoke.
Dazai pointed.
Chuuya pointed back.
“Your ears.”
“Your ears.”
Dazai slowly reached upward.
His fingers brushed one of his rabbit ears.
The ear twitched.
Dazai froze.
Chuuya froze.
Dazai touched it again.
It twitched harder.
Chuuya stared.
Dazai stared.
“Did you just—”
“Don't.”
“But your ear—”
“Don't.”
“It moved.”
“Chuuya.”
“It MOVED.”
Dazai's eyes narrowed.
Chuuya immediately shut up.
Then Dazai looked at Chuuya's ears.
Chuuya's expression changed.
“No.”
“I haven't said anything.”
“Your face.”
“My face?”
“You're thinking.”
“Faces don't think.”
“Yours does.”
Dazai smiled.
Chuuya immediately stepped back.
“No.”
“Chuuya.”
“No.”
“Let me see.”
“YOU CAN SEE THEM FROM THERE.”
“Closer.”
“No.”
“I just want to investigate.”
The word made Chuuya's entire body go rigid.
“No.”
Dazai paused.
“Why?”
“Because the last time you investigated something, we ended up in a fantasy world.”
“That wasn't entirely my fault.”
“Dragon.”
“Not my fault.”
“Ancient ruins.”
“Not my fault.”
“Multiple universes.”
Dazai opened his mouth.
Chuuya raised an eyebrow.
Dazai closed it again.
“…Fine.”
“Good.”
Chuuya turned around.
Dazai's eyes immediately dropped to the fox tail behind him.
The tail had stopped moving.
For approximately two seconds.
Then it swished once.
Dazai smiled.
Chuuya noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You're smiling.”
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
“Interesting.”
Chuuya narrowed his eyes.
“What?”
Dazai pointed.
Chuuya looked down.
Then behind himself.
The tail swished again.
Chuuya froze.
Dazai's smile widened.
“Chuuya.”
“Don't.”
“Your tail.”
“I KNOW.”
“It moves.”
“I KNOW!”
“It moved when you got angry.”
“DAZAI.”
The tail puffed up.
Silence.
Dazai stared.
Chuuya stared back.
Slowly, Dazai pointed again.
Chuuya looked behind himself.
His tail was enormous.
Fluffed.
Angry.
Dazai started laughing.
“Don't.”
Dazai laughed harder.
“Dazai.”
He bent over.
Chuuya's ears flattened.
“DAZAI.”
“I'M SORRY.”
“You're not.”
“No.”
Chuuya lunged.
Dazai immediately ran.
“GET BACK HERE!”
“YOU'RE GOING TO HIT ME!”
“Yes!”
“That's not reassuring!”
“IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE!”
Dazai dodged around a tree.
Chuuya followed.
The fox ears on top of his head had flattened completely.
His tail was still puffed up.
Dazai looked back.
Then made the terrible decision to laugh again.
Chuuya nearly killed him.
---
They eventually stopped near a stream.
Mostly because Dazai had tripped.
Chuuya stood over him.
Dazai stared up at the sky.
“You pushed me.”
“I did not.”
“You were chasing me.”
“Yes.”
“With violent intentions.”
“Correct.”
Dazai looked at him.
Chuuya looked back.
Dazai smiled.
Chuuya immediately pointed.
“Don't.”
“I haven't said anything.”
“You're going to.”
“I might.”
“Dazai.”
Dazai sat up.
Chuuya took one step back.
Dazai took one step forward.
“Why are you backing away?”
“I don't trust you.”
“Reasonable.”
“That's it?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“That you're going to stop investigating me.”
Dazai tilted his head.
“Are you interesting?”
Chuuya stared.
“What kind of question is that?”
“A very important one.”
“No.”
Dazai smiled.
“Then I suppose I have to find out.”
Chuuya's ears flattened.
“Dazai.”
Dazai stopped.
For once, his expression shifted.
“Wait.”
Chuuya narrowed his eyes.
“What?”
“Do your ears do that automatically?”
Chuuya reached up.
His fingers brushed one.
The ear immediately twitched.
Dazai stared.
Chuuya stared.
Neither spoke.
Then Chuuya slowly lowered his hand.
“No.”
Dazai raised an eyebrow.
“No?”
“I hate this universe.”
Dazai nodded.
“Understandable.”
Chuuya turned away.
His ears flattened again.
Dazai's expression became curious.
He moved closer.
Chuuya immediately turned around.
“Don't.”
“What?”
“You're looking at them.”
“Yes.”
“Stop.”
“No.”
“Dazai.”
Dazai raised his hands.
“I won't touch.”
Chuuya stared at him.
“That is somehow worse.”
“Why?”
“Because now I know you were thinking about it.”
Dazai thought about this.
“…Fair.”
Chuuya groaned.
“Why did we have to become animals?”
“We're not animals.”
“We have tails.”
“Humans can have tails.”
Chuuya stared.
“No, they can't.”
“In this universe they can.”
“That is not helping.”
Dazai looked toward the stream.
Then he caught his reflection.
His rabbit ears stood straight upward.
He stared.
One of them slowly tilted sideways.
Chuuya immediately noticed.
Dazai immediately covered it.
Chuuya's eyes widened.
“Oh?”
“No.”
“Your ear moved.”
“Don't start.”
Chuuya smiled.
Dazai stared at him.
“Chuuya.”
“It moved.”
“It did not.”
“I saw it.”
“You're imagining things.”
“Your ear literally went sideways.”
Dazai's ears pressed back.
Chuuya stopped.
Dazai stopped.
They both looked at the ears.
Dazai's face slowly became blank.
Chuuya's grin vanished.
“…Was that because you were embarrassed?”
“No.”
“Dazai.”
“No.”
“They're reacting.”
“They are not.”
One ear twitched.
Silence.
Chuuya covered his mouth.
Dazai glared.
Chuuya tried not to laugh.
Then failed.
Dazai stood.
“You're dead.”
Chuuya backed away.
“Wait.”
“No.”
“Dazai.”
“You laughed.”
“Yes.”
“You pointed.”
“Yes.”
“You're going to pay.”
Chuuya's tail immediately puffed up.
Dazai stopped.
Chuuya stopped.
The two of them stared.
Dazai slowly smiled.
Chuuya's eyes narrowed.
“Don't.”
“Your tail knows.”
“Don't.”
“It knows you're scared.”
“I'M NOT SCARED.”
The tail puffed further.
Dazai burst out laughing.
“DAZAI!”
---
By the time they reached the edge of the forest, they had discovered several things.
Chuuya's ears flattened when he was annoyed.
Which was often.
His tail puffed up when he was angry.
Which was also often.
And when he was embarrassed—
Dazai had decided not to mention what happened.
Mostly because Chuuya had threatened him.
Repeatedly.
Dazai's ears, on the other hand, were far less cooperative.
They reacted whenever he was surprised.
They twitched whenever something caught his attention.
And they pressed back whenever Chuuya caught him doing something stupid.
Chuuya had discovered this quickly.
Far too quickly.
“Your ears are down.”
“They're not.”
“They are.”
“No.”
“They are literally touching your hair.”
Dazai immediately covered them.
Chuuya grinned.
“You're embarrassed.”
“No.”
“Dazai.”
“No.”
“You are.”
Dazai turned around.
“Shut up.”
Chuuya stopped.
His eyes widened.
Then he began laughing again.
Dazai's ears pressed back harder.
“Stop looking.”
“Oh, this is fantastic.”
“You're a horrible person.”
“You love annoying me.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Chuuya stepped closer.
Dazai stepped backward.
Chuuya stopped.
Dazai froze.
The two of them stared at each other.
Chuuya's grin became suspicious.
Dazai immediately recognized it.
“No.”
“I haven't done anything.”
“You're going to.”
“Maybe.”
“Chuuya.”
“What?”
Dazai's ears tilted backward.
Chuuya stared at them.
Then slowly raised his hand.
Dazai froze.
“Chuuya.”
“What?”
“Don't.”
“You said you wouldn't touch mine.”
“I didn't.”
“You were going to.”
“That is not evidence.”
Chuuya's fingers stopped just short of Dazai's ear.
Dazai's entire body went still.
Chuuya's expression changed.
“…You really don't want me to?”
Dazai blinked.
The teasing disappeared for a second.
Then he glanced away.
“I don't know.”
Chuuya lowered his hand.
Dazai looked back.
The rabbit ears remained pressed against his hair.
Chuuya studied him.
Then shrugged.
“Fine.”
Dazai blinked.
“That easy?”
“Yeah.”
“You're not going to make fun of me?”
Chuuya looked offended.
“Don't make it weird.”
Dazai stared.
Then smiled.
“There he is.”
“Shut up.”
---
A few minutes later, they found the road.
And with the road came the first sign that they weren't alone.
Smoke rose in the distance.
Dazai narrowed his eyes.
Chuuya stopped beside him.
“Town?”
“Probably.”
They started walking.
Chuuya's tail brushed against Dazai's leg.
Dazai froze.
Chuuya froze.
Both looked down.
The tail had moved on its own.
Chuuya immediately stepped away.
“Sorry.”
Dazai blinked.
Chuuya blinked.
Then Chuuya's ears went red.
Dazai stared.
Chuuya immediately covered them.
“Don't.”
Dazai smiled.
“I didn't say anything.”
“You're thinking.”
“My face can't think.”
“Yours can.”
Dazai laughed.
Chuuya glared.
The two of them continued down the road.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
Then Dazai looked sideways.
“Chuuya.”
“What?”
“Your tail is moving again.”
Chuuya stopped.
The tail stopped.
Dazai looked ahead.
Then his rabbit ears tilted slightly.
Chuuya noticed.
Dazai noticed Chuuya noticing.
Both immediately looked away.
The air between them had shifted.
Chuuya felt it first—a prickle along his spine that had nothing to do with the forest chill.
Dazai felt it second, his rabbit ears swiveling forward, catching something unspoken in the silence between them.
The road stretched ahead.
The smoke rose in the distance.
Neither moved.
Chuuya's tail was doing that thing again.
Swishing.
Low.
Slow.
He couldn't stop it.
He didn't know why it was doing it.
His ears had tilted backward, pressing flat in a way that had nothing to do with anger and everything to do with something else.
Dazai noticed.
Dazai always noticed.
"Chuuya."
"What."
"Your tail."
"I know."
"It's moving differently."
Chuuya's entire body went rigid.
His ears flushed red at the tips.
"It's not."
"It is."
Dazai took a step closer.
His voice had dropped.
Lost its teasing edge.
"It's lower. Slower."
"Shut up."
"Are you—"
"I said shut up."
Dazai stopped.
He studied Chuuya's face.
The way his jaw was clenched.
The way his eyes refused to meet Dazai's.
The way his fingers had curled into his palms like he was holding himself back from something.
Dazai's rabbit ears twitched.
He didn't understand what was happening.
But his body did.
His ears had flattened.
His heartbeat had quickened.
And when Chuuya finally looked at him—properly looked at him—Dazai felt something catch in his throat.
"You're doing it too," Chuuya said quietly.
"Doing what."
"Your ears."
Dazai reached up.
His fingers brushed them.
They were pressed flat against his hair.
He pulled his hand away like he'd been burned.
"I don't—" Dazai started.
"Me neither."
Silence.
Chuuya's tail swished again
. Slower than before.
Dazai watched it move.
Then his gaze traveled upward, tracing the line of Chuuya's spine, the way his shoulders had tensed, the way his breathing had gone shallow.
"Chuuya."
"What."
"Can I—"
Dazai stopped.
Swallowed.
His ears twitched. "Can I touch your tail?"
Chuuya's eyes went wide.
His ears shot upright.
"What?"
"Your tail. Can I touch it?"
"That's—why would you—"
"I don't know."
Dazai's voice was quiet.
Uncharacteristically honest.
"I just... want to."
Chuuya stared at him.
Dazai stared back.
The forest was silent except for the stream and the distant birds and the sound of their own breathing.
"...Fine."
Dazai blinked.
"What?"
"I said fine."
Chuuya turned around.
Presented his back.
His tail hung low, orange fur soft in the dappled light.
"But if you make fun of me—"
"I won't."
"—I will kill you."
"I know."
Dazai stepped forward.
His hand hovered over the tail.
He didn't know why he was shaking.
He didn't know why his ears were pressed so flat against his skull.
He didn't know why his heart was pounding.
He touched the fur.
Chuuya inhaled sharply.
The tail twitched.
But he didn't pull away.
Dazai's fingers ran through the fur slowly.
Once.
Twice.
It was softer than he'd expected.
Warmer.
Alive.
The tail moved against his palm, and Chuuya made a sound—small, barely audible, but unmistakable.
Dazai froze. "Was that—"
"No."
"That sounded like—"
"It was nothing."
Dazai's ears perked up.
The teasing edge returned to his voice.
"Chuuya."
"Don't."
"Was that a good sound?"
"I will end you."
Dazai ran his hand down the tail again.
Deliberately.
Slower.
Chuuya's entire body shuddered.
His ears had flattened completely.
His hands had curled into fists.
"Dazai."
"Yes?"
"Stop."
"Why?"
"Because—"
Chuuya's voice cracked.
He turned around.
His face was red.
His eyes were bright.
His tail was puffed up and swishing wildly.
"Because I don't know what's happening and I hate it."
Dazai's expression softened.
His ears tilted.
"I don't know either," he admitted.
They stood there.
Two idiots with animal ears and animal tails and no idea what to do with the heat building between them.
Then Chuuya reached out.
His fingers brushed Dazai's ear.
Dazai's entire body seized.
A sound escaped his throat—something between a gasp and a whimper.
His knees nearly buckled.
Chuuya's eyes went wide.
"That sensitive?"
"No."
"Your ears just—"
"No."
"You nearly fell."
"I did not."
"You literally—"
"CHUUYA."
Chuuya grinned.
But it faded quickly.
Because Dazai was looking at him differently now.
Darker.
Hungrier.
His ears had pressed back, but his eyes had dropped to Chuuya's mouth.
"...Dazai?"
"I told you not to touch them."
"You said you didn't know why."
"I know now."
Chuuya swallowed. "Why?"
Dazai stepped forward.
Chuuya stepped back.
His shoulders hit a tree.
"Because," Dazai said, voice low, "they're connected to something."
"Connected to what?"
Dazai didn't answer.
He reached up.
His fingers brushed Chuuya's ear.
Chuuya moaned.
It was loud.
Embarrassing.
Unmistakable.
His entire body went weak, his tail puffed to three times its size, and his hands flew up to grab Dazai's wrist.
"Don't—"
"Connected to that," Dazai said.
His voice was rough.
"You can't just—"
"I didn't know it would—"
"Well it did."
Dazai's ears twitched.
Chuuya's ears twitched.
They stared at each other.
Then Dazai leaned in.
"Wait—"
"Tell me to stop."
"I—"
"Tell me to stop, Chuuya."
Chuuya's breath hitched.
His tail was going wild.
His ears were on fire.
His entire body was screaming at him to push Dazai away and pull him closer at the same time.
He didn't say stop.
Dazai kissed him.
It was clumsy.
Neither of them knew what they were doing.
Dazai's nose bumped Chuuya's cheek.
Chuuya's teeth clicked against Dazai's lip.
But then Dazai tilted his head, and Chuuya's mouth opened, and oh.
Dazai made a sound.
Chuuya made a sound.
Chuuya’s tail wrapped around Dazai’s legs.
Dazai's hands found Chuuya's waist.
Chuuya's hands found Dazai's hair.
They kissed until they couldn't breathe, and then they kissed more.
"Bed," Dazai gasped against Chuuya's mouth.
"We're in a forest."
"Ground."
"Dazai."
"I don't want to wait."
Chuuya's ears flattened.
His tail wrapped around Dazai's leg again, flicking gently.
"Me neither."
The forest floor was not comfortable.
They didn't care.
Dazai laid Chuuya down on the moss and leaves, and for a moment he just looked.
Chuuya's orange ears were pressed flat.
His tail had fanned out beneath him.
His face was red and his breathing was uneven and he was beautiful.
"You're staring," Chuuya said.
"Shut up."
"You're blushing."
"I am not."
"Your ears are literally—"
Dazai kissed him again.
Chuuya laughed against his mouth, but it turned into a gasp when Dazai's hand found his tail.
"There," Chuuya breathed. "Right there."
Dazai's fingers traced the base of the tail.
Chuuya arched off the ground.
His hands clawed at Dazai's shirt.
"More."
"Impatient."
"Dazai."
Dazai smiled.
Then he lowered his mouth to Chuuya's ear.
Chuuya screamed.
It was muffled—barely—by his own hand.
But it was loud enough that Dazai froze.
"Too much?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Dazai, if you stop I will kill you."
Dazai's ears perked.
Then he grinned.
"That's my Chuuya."
He licked the base of Chuuya's ear.
Chuuya's vision went white.
By the time they had shed their clothes, Dazai was shaking.
Not from cold.
From want.
"I don't—" Dazai started. His voice broke. "I don't know how."
Chuuya's eyes widened.
Then softened. "Me neither."
They looked at each other.
Two virgins with animal features, naked on the forest floor, hearts pounding.
"We'll figure it out," Chuuya said quietly.
Dazai's ears tilted.
"Together?"
"Together."
Dazai leaned down.
Kissed him.
Soft.
Slow.
Confused.
His hand traveled down Chuuya's chest, over his stomach, lower.
Chuuya gasped into his mouth.
"Is this okay?"
"Yes. Yes."
Dazai's hand wrapped around both of them.
Chuuya moaned.
Dazai's ears pressed flat.
"Too much?"
"Not enough."
Dazai's hand wrapped around Chuuya's thigh.
Chuuya's tail wrapped around Dazai's wrist.
They moved together, clumsy and desperate, learning each other's bodies with every touch.
When Dazai pushed inside him—slow, trembling, careful—Chuuya cried out.
His ears shot upright. His tail puffed to the max.
"Dazai."
"I know. I know. Fuck, you're—"
"Move. Move."
Dazai moved.
The forest filled with sounds.
Chuuya's gasps.
Dazai's groans.
The rustle of leaves beneath them.
The distant rush of the stream.
Dazai's ears were flat.
Chuuya's tail was wrapped around them both.
Every movement sent sparks through their sensitive ears and tails, making it impossible to think, impossible to breathe.
"I'm—" Chuuya started.
"Me too."
"Don't stop."
"Never."
Chuuya came first.
His back arched.
His ears flew back.
He screamed against Dazai's skin.
Dazai followed moments later, burying his face in Chuuya's neck, muffling his moan against sweat-slick skin.
They lay there afterward.
Breathing.
Shaking.
Their bodies intertwined on the forest floor.
Dazai's ears were still pressed flat.
Chuuya noticed.
He reached up.
Touched one gently.
Dazai flinched.
Then relaxed.
Then sighed.
"That's..." Dazai's voice was hoarse. "Different."
"Better?"
"...Yeah."
Chuuya smiled.
"Good."
They stayed there.
On the forest floor.
Naked.
Tangled.
Their ears and tails finally still.
Dazai's ear twitched.
"Your ear just moved."
"If you make fun of me—"
"I would never."
"You just did."
"That was before."
Chuuya laughed.
It was soft.
Tired.
Real.
"...We should probably figure out where we are."
"Later."
"Later?"
Dazai pulled him closer.
Chuuya's tail wrapped around his waist.
"Much later."
Chuuya didn't argue.
“We’re never talking about this again,” Chuuya muttered into Dazai’s hair.
“Oh, why not, chibi? What if I wanna remember your pretty-“
He was slapped.
“Never again.”
He mutters, glaring.
Dazai just snickered, and pulled Chuuya close.
“Alright, alright. At least let me have some cuddle time though, Shortie.”
“Whatever…”
Chuuya’s tail draped over them like a blanket, and he grabbed for their clothes.
“You get until I wake up.”
Chuuya mumbles, closing his eyes as he rests his head on the others chest.
“Good enough for me. Good night, Chibi. Sleep well.”
Dazai strokes Chuuya’s hair gently as the ginger fades to sleep.
Dazai followed shortly after.