Chapter Text
Taking in your ex-partner, and a younger version at that, maybe it wasn’t a good idea. This wasn’t the worst thing Chuuya had experienced, but having a mini Dazai quizzing him every second, while he drove back to his apartment. After a good couple years of living in that run down apartment, back when he was around fifteen, maybe sixteen. He was truly grateful to have gotten a better apartment, he had more than two bedrooms, and more than enough room for a rowdy teen, like Dazai Osamu in this state.
“So, Chuuya, What am I like in the future?”
The mackerel in question, had just started his questions back up. Gripping the steering wheel, the ginger glanced to the side of him, seeing the one eyed demon himself. Would he explain that he left the port mafia? Should he tell him? Wouldn’t that fuck up the timeline of the universe or something? Chuuya didn’t really care. Now now. Not when he was on the edge of his throwing the teen out of the car.
“You’re a dick, but, you’re also a bubbly guy. You have a good life I guess, you even picked up some kids along the way. That Weretiger kid, and even helped Kyouka.”
Chuuya explained, his left hand going to pull something out from the center console, rummaging through the whole, before pulling out some type of card. Handing it to the young Dazai, with the bandaged teen taking it lightly. Looking to the side, a single brown eye scanning the other, until he heard him speak again.
“That card will get you into my building, I know you’ll sneak off, I wouldn’t be a good partner if I didn’t know that. It’ll make sure you wouldn’t get taken into custody.”
Sweeping the hair out of his eye, Dazai nodded. Thinking about the old apartment that Chuuya used to live in, so the Slug had updated his living status, and even moved up the ranks? Good for him. Maybe he wasn’t just a brute.
The drive was quick, easy, and very much quiet after that last question was asked. Dazai was deep in thought, a usual sight for the young teen. Chuuya just wanted to get the guy out of his sight right now, and have a relaxing night. Parking in the front area, and hopping out of the vehicle, followed by the teenager. Keeping his head low, and his strides long, keeping up with Chuuya.
“Don’t fuck up my apartment, got it, Mackerel.”
A small sound came from the teen, to say that yes, he understood. He just seemed tired. What was he doing before? Shaking his head, Chuuya didn’t really care right now, he didn’t need to care. This was just a simple problem that he could solve easily. Having your ex-partner trail behind him, was weird, really. Being taller than him was new as well, even if it was by a few inches.
The elevator ride up to his place was just as awkward, even more so. Daza didn’t say a single word, even when they got to the floor they needed. Following along, like a lost soul of sorts, he seemed lost. A rare sight really. Watching him drift along the way, his coat followed behind.
“Oi, brat, are you hungry?”
Using the word brat was the best way to explain how Dazai was acting, that seemed to snap him out of it. They were at his front door already, and he finally was back to the normal Dazai. Good. The snappy retort that followed was normal, something that Chuuya knew, that made him his Dazai. Even if it wasn’t actually his Dazai.
“Yeah, I am Slug. Have you gotten any better at cooking? Or are you still making ramen noodles?”
“Shut it! You can barely cook!”
Normal, like one of them was in the wrong time, and the other had to take care of them. At least they could still have this, this way of communicating, jokes, jabs, and insults. Grabbing the keys from his pocket, and opening the door in one motion. Chuuya went in, then the young Dazai followed. Taking glances around the whole of the apartment, it was big. Huge.
Moving towards the kitchen area, Chuuya nodded towards the large spread out living room. Fancy, and dripped of blood money. It was clean, definitely a step up from Chuuya’s old ratty apartment. Taking off his shoes in a swift sweep of the back of his ankle, and placing them near the doorway. He may not like manners, but he knew when to have them. Though Chuuya didn’t even take off his shoes, he seemed like a man on a mission. Probably to shake the Trench coat wearing teen off of his trail for now. Would Chuuya try and kill him? He looked a lot stronger now, but Dazai couldn’t help but wonder.
Death was a very easy thing for Osamu to think about, it had been his life for years, and even at such a young age, his thoughts were riddled with the concept, the want, the need to die. To be around death, to hold death in his hands. Sitting onto the couch, looking around. The room was designed beyond belief, art covered the walls, and mono color scheme. Nothing too bright, and nothing too dark. A perfect mixture between the two, and it made a sense of peace.
The smell of Carb filled the room, his brown eyes widened, and Chuuya making his favorite food? What a day it had been, he thought it would end in his death, but he seemed to have skipped that part, and gone straight to heaven. What a lovely smell! It made his mouth water, looking over at the ginger, who was focused on not burning down the apartment. Muttering something to himself, something that he couldn’t hear. What was Chibi even saying? Maybe he was singing something, or maybe cursing his name. He didn’t mind it one bit.
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Dazai ate like a king that night, maybe he wouldn’t be such a twig now. Having the older chuuya feed him. He didn’t mind it. Chuuya sat in one of the chairs, sipping on his wine, while Dazai ate to his heart's content. If the ginger was annoyed, he didn’t say it. He had been on his laptop for the most of the time, typing something up. Not giving a single glance to the teen.
The shaggy haired teen seemed to smile like a cheshire cat, having gotten food, and a place to stay for the night. Though, maybe getting to annoy Chuuya was a big plus as well. Once almost all the food had been eaten, and sleep had started to take over the teens mind. He may be a mafioso, but he was still just a kid. He got tired easily, and yet here he was yawning every couple of seconds, nodding off sometimes, before acting like he hadn’t just slipped into the darkness of sleep.
Even Chuuya had noticed it. Taking a slow sip of his wine, and closing the laptop easily, placing it onto the coffee table. He trusted Dazai enough to know that none of that information on that laptop would help him, and just confuse him. The sleep brat of a partner seemed to notice him moving, eyeing him. The ginger soon spoke.
“Ok, let’s get you to bed, brat. I don’t care if you’re stubborn, you are falling asleep on my couch.”
That got him to nod again, standing up. Chuuya started to lead him back, down a hallway near the door, following where they were going, there was a door at the end of the hallway, and his partner started to explain where everything was.
“Bathroom is on the left, the closet is on the right, and down the hall is my room. You’ll be using my room to sleep ok? You can use my clothes to sleep in, but if you fuck up any of my suits I will personally make sure you pay for it.”
Following the walls to the end of the hallway, examining the bedroom. It was like the rest of the apartment, plain to a point. Splashes of color here and there, and nothing out of place. Dazai went towards the large king size bed, before turning back around to the slightly taller Chuuya. He needed to know something, even though he was almost sure that he had it.
“Do you have bandag-”
“Yes I have bandages, in the bathroom, top cabinet.”
The ginger cut him off, sighing softly. Chuuya waved him good night, by closing the door behind. He didn’t even grab anything. Though he could assume that he wasn’t really going to sleep tonight. Dazai shrugged the trench coat off of his shoulders, hearing the door close. Crashing into the bed, sighing into one of the many pillows on the large bed. Everything was strange, he hated it. At least Chuuya was still Chuuya, and hadn’t changed much. It grounded him, and he didn’t mind it for now.
Sleep was quick to come to him, slipping into dreamless daze. He needed this, he had been running on nothing, but now that he had eaten something, and was just tired all around. He deserved to have some down time.
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Chuuya had been awake for a good few hours after Dazai had gone to sleep, reading something on his phone, while sipping away on some red wine. Though he didn’t just stay up for his own sake, the president, the Armed Detective Agency’s founder, had said keep and eye on Dazai, and make sure not to have him slip out of his grasp. Taking to staying up, so the teen Dazai didn’t make an escape.
Maybe it wasn’t just for that reason.
First thing Chuuya hears, in a small whimper. He didn’t pay it any mind as of right now, growing focused on his phone, until a couple more followed. Dazai had never whimpered in the time he had known him, not even in pain. Something was up. Pushing off of the chair, and towards the hallway. The whimpers and whines continued, and they all sounded broken. What the hell was happening.
Quietly walking to the door, the cries of fear didn’t go down, more so, they kept up, growing in number. Not trying to scare the teen within the room, Chuuya opened it, slowly, looking towards the bed. There his partner laid, sleeping. Though the feared whimpers never stopped. Dazai was having a nightmare? In all of his time knowing him, he had never seen him scared. At least, when it wasn’t a mask.
Moving to the bed, making his steps light, and easy going. Holding onto a pillow for dear life, Dazai slept. He couldn’t seem to wake up, and he didn’t even know the ginger was there. What had happened to make Dazai so scared? Moving to sit on the bed, Chuuya only knew one way of comforting someone. Maybe it would help him, maybe it would make him hate him, he didn’t care. Placing his hand on the shoulder of the teen, it seemed to help, the whimpers had died down, though he moved slightly.
“Chuuya…?”
His voice was raw, glancing up at the ginger. Chuuya didn’t speak. He didn’t say a word, as he just rubbed his shoulder. Dazai didn’t move. Letting him rub his shoulder, this was normal, right? Chuuya didn’t seem to mind, but the brunette’s mind was running wild. Why was he doing that, why, didn’t Chuuya hate him?
Worrying his lip softly, as he curled around the pillow in his hands. Relaxing, letting him rub his shoulder, keeping him grounded. Glancing up at Chuuya again, the bandages that were on his eyes were falling, sliding down his face. Both brown eyes watching him, on the edge, but relaxed at the same time. Soon burying his face into the pillow, hoping to pass out again.
He was like a scared little kid. That’s what Chuuya first noticed, hiding himself, even from him. Whatever Dazai had dreamed up, it hurt him badly. Even through those many masks, even if he acted like he was fine, he was just a kid right now. A kid who had seen and done so much. Even for a fifteen year old.
That’s when he realized that yes, this may be Dazai, yes he may act like his own Dazai, but he was still a kid. It seemed this was before Corruption as well, so that meant this Dazai wasn’t as hardened by death, as his own Dazai. Sighing softly. He hated to treat him like a child, but that was what he was, a child, who had been taken by the Mafia. If Chuuya could get pay back for him, he would.
But he couldn’t, those wounds had been long healed, and dashed away for his own Dazai. Maybe this would work for now, until he was ready to talk.
“Get some sleep, Dazai. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you won't get hurt.”
It seemed to hit a nerve, though if it had, Dazai didn’t say it. He kept his head into the pillow, while Chuuya stayed by his side. Keeping him grounded. He would keep his promise. Even if it was for his Mackerel of a partner. Keeping guard, even if nothing would come for them.
Dazai right now, was just a kid. He wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Ever, Again.