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Kunikida Doppo stood tall behind the white railing of a particular pier in Yokohama. The setting sun was warm against his skin, and the wind played with his hair and tie with a soft hum. The ocean moved as calm as it was capable of, and the sky displayed a sequence of pinks, blues, and purples. Around him, buildings had crumbled down, abandoned cars saturated the streets, and confused civilians wandered around, waiting for someone to tell them what to do.
The number of the injured had only escalated, and Doppo couldn’t do anything to help them. Fukuzawa had ordered to leave the rest to Sakaguchi and the government. In all honesty, the government should improve the way they deal with their affairs. Rather than proceeding with their investigations, it was a priority to ensure the welfare of the people.
“Enjoying the view, Kunikida-kun?”
He was. For now.
He didn’t withdraw his gaze from the skyline. There was no need to; he knew who it was. Dazai, without a doubt, was the only member of the Agency that would survive even a nuclear bomb without a single injury.
He wondered how much longer he could watch the sunset. He confirmed the time in his phone before placing it inside his pocket. Darkness would besiege Yokohama at 18:05.
There were ten minutes left.
Ten minutes to rest before his schedule resumed with his return to the Agency at 18:30. He had to confirm everyone had gone through the plan with no hindrances and wish his colleagues a good night before the hustling days to come.
“It’s a miracle there’s anything left to enjoy.”
Dazai leaned on the railing next to him, his back facing the sunset.
“If you only look at this side it’s quite pleasant,” he said looking straight at Doppo. He couldn’t determine which side he meant, there was a plausible chance he could be referring to the destroyed city as a pleasant view.
“We’ll have a lot of work to do, Dazai,” he pointed out to change the subject. “You better not slack off.”
“I never slack off,” Dazai turned around and leaned on the railing, supporting himself with his forearms. He hadn’t looked at the sky yet and instead played with fingers. “But since it’s Kunikida-kun who’s so amiably asking me, I have no choice but to retaliate in goodwill.”
He wondered if he meant that. Dazai was never this compliant, he was most likely tired. They were all tired, saving the city from a threat like that was bound to take a toll on everyone in the Agency and the Port Mafia. Even Dazai.
After all, he had taken yet another leading role in the mission, and he had been amazing. He had come a long way since his entrance exam. Doppo felt a strange warmth spread throughout his chest, and a smile spread across his face. What he felt was pride; he was proud of his partner and what they had accomplished at the Agency.
Doppo looked at his partner, who had his eyes locked on the skyline. The warmth in his chest deepened. Yes, it ought to be pride.
With that pride in mind, his arm moved towards Dazai’s head, and he found himself fondling his dark hair, running his fingers through the soft locks.
Dazai stared at me with astonished eyes. “Kunikida-kun are you petting me?”
He was, wasn’t he? “I’m not,” he removed his hand and hid it in his pocket. The heat in his chest disappeared as a new heat spread across his cheeks and ears. “Not anymore.”
Doppo had never seen a smile so bright in Dazai’s face. “Kunikida-kun!! I want to play with your hair too.”
The bandaged man straightened and moved his hands straight towards Doppo’s nape. He took his arms and turned him around, so he directed his attack to the opposite side.
“Stay away, Dazai.”
“But you were so shamelessly taking advantage of your cute, innocent junior.”
The way he wrapped his arms around himself and the tone he used pissed him off. Like he was a pure, innocent person and someone had taken advantage of him.
“I was not, Dazai, don’t phrase things to your personal convenience.”
To calm himself, Doppo closed his eyes.
“I tell nothing but the truth.” He heard Dazai inching closer, and a bandaged hand taking his own, guiding it up. He intended to take his hand back and give Dazai a strong hit on the head but, before he got around to do it, he felt the fluffy locks of Dazai’s hair. He opened his eyes. “The evidence is right here.”
In Dazai’s face, he expected to find a snarky smile, but he faced a gentle smile and closed eyes. His heart skipped a beat.
“Stop it, Dazai!” He snapped, retrieving his hand and keeping it close to his chest.
God, he was infuriating. He removed the hair tie that kept his hair in a ponytail and crossed his arms over his chest. “Don’t make me regret it.”
He looked away and took his glasses off.
On the corner of his eye, he could see Dazai stepping closer.
Slim fingers passed through his hair, from his bangs to his nape. Dazai moved behind him and let his fingers run through his long hair with a pleasant delicacy. He brushed it and undid the knots that had been there almost the entire day.
“Kunikida-kun, I’m so happy I might die.”
It was almost a whisper; like he didn’t want Doppo to hear but needed to say it out loud. After that he took the hair tie in Doppo’s hand and tied his hair in a ponytail, leaving it as if nothing had happened.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Dazai, you won’t die,” he reprimanded as he put his glasses on. “It's my ideal to not let anyone die in front of me, even if it’s an annoying suicide maniac like you.”
A chuckle escaped Dazai’s lips. “If that’s how it is,” he once again took Doppo’s hand in his own and planted a tender kiss on it. “Then how about a double suicide? You and I, Kunikida-kun.”
“Suicide with you is not written anywhere in my notebook," Doppo moved his hand away from Daza’s lips but didn’t let go. “So I’m afraid you’ll have to find a beautiful woman to fulfill your wish.”
“But it has to be Kunikida-kun,” he felt the hold on his hand tighten and Dazai’s fingers interlocking with his own. “There is no other way I’ll leave this world if it’s not with you by my side.”
He couldn’t find it in himself to stop his words. “Instead of thinking only of dying, why don’t you consider living with me by your side?”
This time, both hands enclasped Doppo’s hand and carried it towards Daza’s chest. “Is that a proposal, Kunikida-kun?!”A furious red dusted Daza’s cheeks. “If so, I accept!”
His face heated up, he needed something to ground himself. “It was a mindless suggestion,” he took his notebook and displayed it in front of Dazai in a way it hid his face. “You don’t meet 57 of the requirements in my list for an ideal partner, you’ve read it you should be conscious of this.”
“You mean I meet only one?” Dazai moved the notebook aside and looked at him with a hint of annoyance. “It’s so hard to remember them all so please tell me, is it being devilishly good-looking?”
He held his notebook open on the second page of the list that contained the characteristics of his ideal partner. “Number 37: soft hair.”
Dazai’s face showed discontent. “Why is that a requirement?”
“I’m not going to be judged by a walking waste of bandages.”
“That’s too mean, Kunikida-kun, let me tell you these bandages are to ensure soft skin, a recent study showed that the minimum exposure to the Sun along with the right pressure the bandages provide do wonders to the skin cells.”
He didn’t know that, he’d give it a try as well sometime. “Is that so? Remind me to write it down later.”
“Write it down now, or you’ll forget, this is crucial information.”
The sun was already gone, and Kunikida Doppo couldn’t look away from a different light: the one in his partner’s eyes. He felt a calmness he hadn’t felt in a long time. He extended his notebook towards Dazai. “Why don’t you write it down for me?”
“You’re letting me touch your notebook?” Dazai circled around the notebook, looking at it as if he expected it to disappear. When he noticed Doppo didn’t plan on going back on his word, he hastily took it. “Kunikida-kun, you’re in such a good mood today!”
“I’m too tired right now.”
Doppo took a pen from his vest-pocket and threw it at Dazai, who caught it with one hand, with his attention never leaving the blank page he had in front of him.
Doppo turned to watch Yokohama. The artificial light of the nightlife had consumed the city. The lamp post over them lit on, covering them in a cold, white light. The citizens wouldn't let a little apocalypse stop them from living their occupied lives.
He heard the sound of his notebook closing.
“Here, I also took the liberty to add a little something to correct eight pages.”
He glared at Dazai, who hid his hands in his pockets the moment Doppo looked his way. “There’s nothing wrong in my ideal, Dazai, don’t waste my pages.”
He opened the notebook to make sure Dazai hadn’t done anything unnecessary and stopped at the last used page. It had Dazai’s messy handwriting.
He flipped back and found the remains of the pages that had once described his ideal partner. He saw the page Dazai had written on one more time.
Ideal partner:
- Dazai Osamu.
That bastard.
“What’s wrong, Kunikida-kun? Do you dislike me that much? Are you red of anger?”
Doppo closed his notebook and pocketed it. Dazai would be the death of him. With his soft hair and rare genuine smiles, with his sudden dramatic outbursts and flirtatious nature. He would forever curse the day he accepted he had fallen in love with Dazai Osamu. The day he ripped his ideals apart.
"Nothing is wrong; let’s go back to the Agency." He began to walk, avoiding eye-contact. "We better start writing today’s report.”
“Yes,” Dazai followed and locked his arm around Doppo’s. “Let’s go home.”