Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dazai stared at himself in the mirror, frowning at the image in front of him. "This is not ideal," he muttered. The much younger visage wasn't something he expected to see outside of some of his bloodier dreams about his past. Even his voice was off from his normal pitch. Thinking about his past suddenly gave him the best idea and he grinned as he turned away from the mirror.

This could be fun, he thought. He needed something to do to occupy his time, as he certainly couldn't show up at work like this, exposing an obvious vulnerability, even if they would try and help him. Most likely, they would think his younger self was a prank set up by his current self; something well paid to pretend to be a younger Dazai. There was one person who wouldn't think it was a prank, but they were the only ones who knew Dazai at the age he currently was.

He hummed to himself as he went through his closet, finding a plain pair of black slacks and jacket there. There were a little oversized, but it would do well enough to startle Chuuya. He'd probably be a combination of both scared and pissed off to see his past come back to haunt him. It was the perfect day to ruin Chuuya's.

~

It was well worth the frustration with getting here and having people stare at him, as well as not being able to use him usual means to et to Chuuya's house. Chuuya's dumbfounded expression when he opened the door was something Dazai was going to savor, even as he fought to keep his own expression as much the same as he remembered when he first met Chuuya. Still, it was hard not to laugh as Chuuya sputtered at him.

"What the fuck? " was all Chuuya managed, clinging to the edge of his doorsill as the color drained from his face.

"You don't like your old partner coming to visit you?" Dazai asked breezily, leaning his chin on one hand and giving Chuuya his most obnoxious smile. It would only take a few moments more for Chuuya to break.

"I think I need to stop drinking so much," Chuuya muttered under his breath, still eyeing Dazai in stunned disbelief. He rubbed at his eyes and spoke to the general air, instead of Dazai. "Whatever the hell is out there, I promise that whatever I did wasn't so bad that I got this part of my past to haunt me."

Dazai couldn't keep it back anymore and gave Chuuya a wide, more real grin. "What a mean way to treat me, chibi," he huffed. "Here I am, coming to you in need, You're not being haunted by the past, I'll have you know." He cleared his throat and tried to look nonchalant. "I seem to have run into a little problem."

"I'll say," Chuuya muttered, giving him a closer examination. There were a few differences-- the oversized clothes for one and the lack of the bandages over his face for another. Dazai hadn't wanted to go so far as that. He didn't want to think about what effect that would have on him. Everything else was the same, though.

Dazai crossed his arms against his chest. "Aren't you going to let me in, chibi?" he asked. "Don't you know it's rude to talk in doorways when just anyone can overhear you?" His tone and expression also said and judge you and don't think I won't take advantage of that.

Chuuya read all of that and more, opening the door wider to let Dazai in. He didn't want to think of what lengths Dazai would go to in making his neighbors question him more than they already did. Dazai was nothing if not creative with how he could embarrass someone.

It was annoying that fifteen-year-old Dazai was still taller than he was, even if it wasn't by much. He let himself take one last look at the younger version of Dazai in his house and then turned abruptly and went straight for the liquor. He waited until he took a healthy drink. "Okay, spill," he snapped. "What the hell happened to you?"

Dazai shrugged, eyeing Chuuya's glass and obviously waiting for his own. If Chuuya gave him some sort of crap about being too young to drink, Dazai would only laugh. They had both started drinking young; partly to numb them from the blood that soaked through them from their missions. It hadn't taken long for it to grow into a habit and true enjoyment.

I certainly need a drink more than Chuuya, after all. It's me that's been turned into my younger self. He just gets to deal with me .

He could see Chuuya hesitate before shrugging and pouring a glass and handing it over to Dazai. "Well?" he asked. "Don't keep me hanging here, mackerel. You came to me, I need the story."

Dazai made a face as he swirled the liquid in his glass. "I'd love to tell you, but I just woke up like this. It has to be an Ability, but I don't know who it's from to touch them to make it negate and let me go back to normal."

Chuuya's eyes widened, backing away from Dazai as if it was contagious and he'd soon find himself in oversized close and shorter than before. Dazai had a way of spreading his misfortune to share with others and he wouldn't put it past Dazai to bring a contagious Ability just to screw with Chuuya.

Dazai only snorted at Chuuya's reaction, taking a drink and wrinkling his nose faintly. It didn't taste as good as he thought it should and he mourned his younger tastebuds that hadn't learned to enjoy the more refined taste of good liquor. It was either that or he was closer to fourteen than fifteen, before Mori really dug his claws in him and he hadn't yet had anything more exciting than sake.

Chuuya didn't miss his reaction and grinned despite his still present shock over the whole situation. "Maybe you need to grow up a little to appreciate such grown-up drinks," he mocked. Once part of the shock had passed, it was easy to fall into his usual banter with Dazai.

"I don't want to hear that from a midget like you," Dazai snapped, sullen that he couldn't enjoy the drink like he wanted to-- like he needed to.

"You seem to be the kid right now," Chuuya grinned, not even trying to hide his pleasure at how open this Dazai was. None of the caution of his younger self and all of the sourness a teenager could muster. "It's kind of nice, you're not as much of a pain like this."

Dazai gave him a flat look of disbelief at that. "Have your tacky hats finally eaten your brain?" he asked. "Even I'm not going to lie about what a pain in the ass I was at fifteen." He had been at the start of his breakdown, of giving into the darkness and control over his life that the mafia offered. He had hardly been the most emotionally stable when he first worked with Chuuya.

"At least you can admit it now," Chuuya muttered, shaking his head. "Why did you come here first?" he asked, even if he knew and dreaded the answer Dazai would give him. He knew Dazai just as well as Dazai knew him, after all.

"Because it was funny to see your reaction," Dazai smirked at him and Chuuya had a visceral memory of being fifteen and kicking Dazai through a wall the first time he was given that same look. He pondered doing it again, but he didn't want to damage his house or have Dazai whine inanely about abusing a child.

"Of course it was funny," Chuuya scowled. It was the reason for half the things Dazai did, then and now. Chuuya using Corruption and slowly dying was funny to Dazai. He glanced over at the clock. "Now that you've gotten your laughs in, are you going to go to that weird office of yours and get some work done, even if you have decreased in size?"

Dazai raised an eyebrow. "You think that I can go to work looking like this?" he asked dryly, gesturing to all of himself. He grimaced, "I'd rather not show my face there until I can get this sorted out."

It was at that moment that Chuuya realized that Dazai not only came to his home to tease him and gauge his reaction but because he still trusted him more than his new co-workers. It was so like the Dazai that Chuuya once knew that he was caught off-guard. No matter how much they hated and fought each other back then, they had always trusted each other. This wasn't the first time that Dazai had shown up at his door, but it has been more than four years since the last time it happened.

"You're such a waste," he muttered instead of letting his feelings about Dazai still trusting him, show. "You could at least call them, you know. Explain…" His voice trailed off at Dazai's look.

"Yes, what a great idea," he drew out the scornful words, exaggerating the change in his voice as much as possible. "They'll either not believe me and try and drag me in and still not believe that I'm still Dazai, or they would believe me and they'd have to see me like this ." He didn't want to be seen as vulnerable , as so many believed kids to be. He was supposed to be the mentor to the kids at the agency, not the other way around. "They don't have enough respect for me now, there would be even less if they saw me as a kid."

"You don't earn their respect," Chuuya pointed out. "You're probably a lazy asshole that gives your partner ulcers and your boss more gray hair than already has." He cleared his throat. "You know that it's not a crime to be vulnerable around people that you trust."

Dazai's smile was all too reminiscent of his younger self. "You of all people know that I was hardly vulnerable at this age."

"That's true," Chuuya admitted. Dazai at fifteen was far more unstable and ruthless than the Dazai that now worked for the ADA. "So not-vulnerable Dazai. What makes you think that I won't turn you straight over to Mori so that he can start again with you?"

Dazai stiffened and the faintest tremor ran through him and Chuuya knew that it wasn't feigned; it was an unconscious reaction to the threat of Mori. Chuuya pushed away the uncomfortable memories of Dazai with injuries that weren't self-inflected or gained during missions gone slightly south.

"Well, maybe not," he said quickly, looking Dazai over. "I'd have to deal with your stupid shit again on a daily basis and that isn't worth the prize that Mori would give for handing you over.

"See, this is why I trust chibiko so much," Dazai said, taking another determined sip of his drink. If he was going to stay like this, he was going to get his reverted tastebuds used to it sooner rather than later. "That means I can stay with you tonight, right?"

Chuuya stared at him in horror. "Absolutely not!" he declared. "You can march your sorry self back home and hopefully wake up as your normal, idiotic self."

"Everyone will know where to find me," Dazai said, eyebrows raised at having to explain such a thing.

"You would think you wanted to stay like and didn't want people to help you," Chuuya muttered, giving Dazai a baffled look. Being a teenager had sucked , why would Dazai want to relieve any of it over again?

"It makes for a nice vacation~" Dazai gave Chuuya one of his more false smiles. "I'm sure this won't last long at all and I'll be back as being Chuuya's favorite annoyance soon. But until then, I'd rather not announce my situation to more than I already have."

Chuuya admitted privately that it made sense. Go to ground with someone you trusted, wait until the danger had passed and don't announce your vulnerability to more people than you absolutely had to. Chuuya and Dazai knew each other so well that they no longer had any secrets.

Dazai seemed to take his silence as understanding and assent and stretched out on Chuuya's couch, faking a yawn. "I'll just sleep here and chibi can make me food just like old times."

"Don't make me throw you out on your thick head." Chuuya pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're lucky that I wasn't on a mission or having a meeting with Ane-san when you decided to stroll on over."

"Give me some credit," Dazai rolled his eyes, only increasing Chuuya's urge to punch him through a wall, child version or no. "I know when you have your meetings with Ane-san and Mori doesn't have any big missions that require your squad to handle them."

Of course Dazai kept such close tabs on him, but Chuuya elected to take the high road and not comment on Dazai's creepy stalkerish tendencies. He would lose no matter what he said. Dazai may look like his fifteen-year-old self, but he had all the wits and memories of someone seven years older.

"Well, you're not going to bed this early," Chuuya rolled his eyes. "I know that you're lazy, but sleep isn't going to make this problem go away."

"How do you know?" Dazai returned, watching Chuuya with a bright smile. "Maybe I just need to go to sleep and wait for the kiss of a handsome prince to wake me up." That smile was just wrong on Dazai's current face. "It worked before when I played Snow White."

Chuuya made a disgusted face. "That was me punching the life out of you and I'd be more than willing to do that again if it would make this whole nightmare stop." Dazai just pouted at him and Chuuya growled. "You must have lost some brain cells when you shrank."

"That's my line," Dazai muttered, but he settled back on the couch, hands behind his head and looking for all the world like an ordinary, lazy teenager.

Chuuya huffed out a laugh, but he knew he needed to distract Dazai before another stupid idea flitted about his empty head. "Why don't you make yourself useful for once and look over this paperwork?" It was easy to fall into the fantasy that it was regualr Dazai and they were both stupid teenagers in their first years of the Mafia. He flushed at the way his thoughts drifted so easily, but it was too late to take it back without looking stupid.

"Trusting me with sensitive Mafia information?" Dazai looked scandalized. "What would Ane-san or Mori say about giving that type of edge to the enemy?" He tilted his head, reading Chuuya's thoughts easily and spoke slowly, as if Chuuya would need the extra help understanding. "You do realize that I'm not actually my younger self, but just look like it?"

Chuuya raised an eyebrow. "What are the chances that you don't already know the details of what's in the documents?" he asked instead.

"Very little," Dazai admiited, "but you can still try and surprise me." Dazai's voice was falsely earnest. "Let me see, chibi. You're correct that I'm bored and I do need to keep a little occupied while waiting for this to pass."

"At least it's not set up for a murder," Chuuya wrinkled his nose. The Dazai of the ADA wouldn't go for such cold-blooded tactics anymore. It was something more up his alley, strategy and blackmail and sussing out the enemy defenses before they could be a problem for the Port Mafia's plans.

"As if that matters," he murmured and for a moment, his expression was as dark as when he was actually fifteen and Chuuya surpressed a shudder at at that momentary return to an old personality that Dazai had grown up from. Dazai looked faintly baffled and almost scared, before shaking his head. "Just kidding!" he chirped, but it was more false than usual. Even Dazai hadn't expected that repsonse out of his own mouth.

Chuuya looked down at the paperwork and swallowed. Maybe this wasn't the best idea….

"I'm not suddenly going to revert to the boy I was a fifteen," Dazai said dryly. "And you know that whatever I read with Mafia matters will stay as such. I won't spill secrets unless it puts the people I know in danger." He already knew that Chuuya didn't actually hurt the citiizens of Yokohama. He and the Mafia went after those that were already dark with the muck of the underworld.

"I don't exactly trust that you won't suddenly lose your mind like you have the last seven years, but I won't lose any sleep kicking you into next Tuesday if that happens. I won't deal with the immature shithead you were when we first met a second time."

"Child abuse!" Dazai said with a mock gasp, just as Chuuya had predicted. He held up his hands. "Chibi is so violent to take out his aggressions on someone so much younger than he is. Is it because I'm still taller?"

Chuuya just growle dand practically threw the papers in Dazai's face "Just get the work done and I'll see about feeding your lazy, useless self."

Dazai just smiled and shuffled through the papers. Chuuya felt unsettled as he looekd at Dazai bent over the papers; it was like looking into a piece of the past. Instead of staring at the oddly familiar scene of Dazai comfortable on his couch, he returned to the meal that he had already started efore Dazai had decided to show up.

It was going to be a long day.

~

The next morning started out with Dazai pounding on Chuuya's door, shouting something through the wood. Chuuya was still half-asleep and it took him a moment to parse the words and that fact that he wasn't having an extended nightmare.

"What the hell do you want?" Chuuya finally shouted back, getting up to move the dresser in front of the door with one hand, before undoing the locks. It was only a safety precaution. A simple lock wouldn't keep Dazai out, but his weak noodle arms couldn't move a solid oak dresser.

When he wrenched open the door, he couldn't prevent his mouth from dropping open in shock. Instead of returning to his normal age, Dazai had grown even younger during the night. His clothing hung on him, making him look even more like a kid wearing borrowed clothes.

He can't be any older than twelve .

Dazai glared up at him and it was clear that part of his vexation was that he was, for the first time, shorter than Chuuya. "What the hell did you feed me last night?" he demanded. "I know chibi likes to feel tall, but I think you fed me your shrinking powder."

To Chuuya's delight, his voice hadn't even broken yet. This had gone from annoying to downight hilarious. "I don't have shrinking powder," he bit back a laugh, "it looks like you wanted to be even younger, though. Have you even hit puberty yet?"

The glare that Dazai gave him could have melted glass. "I haven't checked ," he said, voice sharp. "I had to make sure chibi hadn't done anything to me." He squinted at him. The height difference wasn't monumental, but it was enough. "I was certain that even at the age of five I was taller than chibi."

"Why would I need to do anything to make this any funnier?" Chuuya snorted, but he looked at Dazai's sullen expression and grew more serious, running a hand through his hair. "However, Dazai… you can't keep this a secret from your superiors any longer. You're not in the Mafia any longer and for some reason, you do have people that care about you and look up to you. You owe it to them to be honest and ask for their help."

"No," Dazai pouted, turning his face away. "I'm just going to stay here and… and…"

"And shrink until you're nothing at all?" Chuuya raised an eyebrow. "I'm taking you to your work." He gave him a vicious grin. "But it's not purely out of concern for you. I'm making sure I stay so that I can get every last scrap of blackmail video and photos at their reactions that I can manage."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Dazai's voice was sour, but resigned. This wasn't as fun for him anymore, that much was obvious. "Let's get this over with."

Chapter Text

Before going anywhere, Chuuya demanded a change of clothing, stating that he looked ridiculous in the now oversized clothing. Dazai started to refuse. "I don't want to wear your tacky clothing," he protested. "I've already picked up your midget germs, it might get worse."

Chuuya glared at him. "I don't give a shit if you look like a midget that can't dress himself, considering you look like a homeless bum most of the time, but you have to have some sort of standards." He also didn't want to think about what his neighbors would say about a kid coming out of his apartment in oversized, adult clothes, either. He kept a low profile here; he needed something for himself and if people started prying, he'd have to move somewhere else.

Dazai looked like he wanted to protest further, but scowled instead, tugging at his loose bandages. He hated when Chuuya used sense to talk to him and he picked up on what Chuuya hadn't said as well. "I'm not going to wear any of your ugly hats," he said firmly. "I don't need them to eat my brain like they've eaten yours. Bald spots also aren't my thing."

Chuuya's hand went to his hair before he thought and he groaned faintly, annoyed at himself for rising to Dazai's bait. He forced himself to grin instead, even if it felt forced. "Look, put on the clothes and I'll even be nice enough to wrap your bandages for you." He couldn't help the smirk. "Your short little arms may not be able to reach properly." Petty revenge was going to fuel him for now. He was living for the reversal of their situation and insults.

That earned a deeper scowl. "I changed my mind," Dazai edged towards the door. "I"m going home and staying there forever."

"Too late," Chuya said, practically tossing Dazai inside the room and blocking the door again with the dresser so that Dazai couldn't squirm his way out of any available opening. He fished through the dresser and pulled out the old pair of jeans and a shirt-- his relaxing clothes; when he wanted to go into town and blend in. He didn't do it often, but there were some days that it was needed. Chuuya tried to remember when he had ever seen Dazai in anything so casual, but the only time that came to mind was when it was for the random mission when they had to pretend to be normal kids.

Dazai accepted the clothes with ill grace, tsking over the designer label on the jeans. "Even chibi's casual clothes have to be fancy," but the harder edge of mocking was gone from his voice. He raised an eyebrow at Chuuya. "You going to let me dress in private or are you going to be creepy?" he asked.

"You act like I ever wanted anything you had before," Chuuya rolled his eyes, trying to hide the complete lie, but with the smirk on Dazai's face, he wasn't able to cover it up. "You're also twelve now and I am not even going to respond to that insinuation. That's disgusting."

Dazai just shrugged and sighed. "I promise I won't run away," he said patiently. "Just let me get dressed for my humiliation with my co-workers." He pointed towards the attached bathroom. "You can wait in there while I get dressed."

"It's my house, why are you ordering me around?" Chuuya demanded.

"So mean to a guest, Chuuya," Dazai pouted. "You won't let me out of your room, so the least you can do is give me enough space to get dressed in. I bet your bathroom is tiny since you're so small that you don't need a lot of space."

"Then it would be perfect for you," Chuuya shot back, but he wasn't in the mood to argue right now. He already had a headache and this day had only just started. "Fine, just don't take forever and remember, you're the one that will look stupid if you try and jump out the window." He grabbed a set of clothes for himself, figuring it would be easier to just get ready at the same time so that he could haul Dazai out the door and onto the doorstep of his work so he ceased being Chuuya's problem.

"I can't fly like you and I don't want to commit suicide as a kid outside of a hat rack's apartment," Dazai groused, waving Chuuya away. "Let's just get this over with."

Chuuya left Dazai alone long enough to get changed, electing to dress in something casual as well, not having the time to put the effort into anything more complicated and not wanting to cause too much attention. He stared at himself in the mirror, remembering his days in Sheep. His casual outfits now were a mimicry of that, but much better quality. He looked disturbingly close to that time. He cursed the fact that he never really grew.

Dazai was done when he went out, sitting on his bed and looking a little lost, a stack of bandages next to him. Chuuya eyed him. "Did you still want me to wrap your bandages?" he asked, in a more gentle tone of voice than before. It was an act of trust to let anyone do up his bandages and as far as Chuuya knew, he was the only one allowed to do so, other than Dazai himself.

Dazai still looked uncomfortable but gave a reluctant nod. It was odd being the taller one as Chuuya stood in front of Dazai, wrapping fresh bandages around Dazai's arms, chest, and throat. Chuuya and Mori knew of the extent of damage on Dazia's body and probably no one else--Dazai didn't like flaunting the severe scars that came from the years in the Mafia and god knew what else before. It was because of that knowledge that Chuuya stared at the smoother skin where scars had once been. It seemed that it wasn't just a reversal of age in theory, but erasing the years of damage as well, as if they had never happened.

It was equally disturbing to find out how many were left.

Dazai's gaze was fixed on him the entire time, as if daring Chuuya to question why such a young kid had so many deep scars, but he pulled away as soon as Chuuya was finished, a small smirk on his face.

"You decided to embrace your younger years as well?" he asked. "Dressing the part of the age you're the size of?"

Chuuya made a face. "You know I don't dress up in my suits all the time," he said. "That part hasn't changed in the four years we've been separated." Dazai had made fun of him enough about it, electing to always wear his suits and ties and that oversized jacket that Mori had given him.

What proper Mafia brat still dresses like he still lives in the slums?

"I suppose," Dazai was still smiling faintly, but his demeanor was more subdued than before.

Chuuya sighed. "Look at it this way," he said. "You thought it was funny trying to scare the shit out of me; now you get an entire office full of people to really shock."

"Yeah," Dazai seemed to brighten a little and Chuuya could practically see the wheels turning in Dazai's head, scheming in how to best torment his co-workers. "Let's just get this over with," he raised an eyebrow at the dresser still blocking the door.

Chuuya nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "At least it will be easier to get you on the bike, since your beanpole self won't be dragging your feet along the road."

"Figures you wouldn't have a normal-sized bike," Dazai snickered. "I always wondered why you were able to fit on it so easily."

"And you're back to normal," Chuuya muttered under his breath. "I can't wait to get you out of my hair."

He could at least get to the Agency's location without being seen; even if he knew that Mori would catch wind of this sooner rather than later, he wanted to avoid that problem for as long as possible.

Dazai rolled his eyes but couldn't exactly say that the feeling was mutual. He felt safer with Chuuya than with anyone else.

~

When they arrived at the red-brick building, both of them hesitated, not wanting to rush the whole thing, no matter what they had said earlier. Even if the ADA had to know they were here; looking out a window would do that-- neither of them moved.

Still, even that too-smart detective will see something like this coming. The older man was uncannily observant, to the point that Chuuya would have suspected an Ability if he didn't know better. He was the backbone of the Agency and if he was thrown off, no one would be able to keep up, either.

Dazai was the first one to move, plastering on one of his stupid, fake smiles. "Let's go, chibiko," he said. Even being shorter, he couldn't let go of his nicknames for Chuuya. He was the only one that could get away with calling Chuuya that.

Chuuya made a sound of disgust. "I don't want to hear that from you," he eyed Dazai's shorter height deliberately. "Did you forget that I'm taller than you?"

"And I had to turn twelve to do it," Dazai turned up his nose, keeping up the blithe tone. Chuuya was one step behind him as they walked into the cafe that was on the bottom floor of the building. He ignored the stares of the staff members, knowing they were more staring at Chuuya than him. He didn't miss the panic button being pressed, alerting the Agency upstairs that there was possibly a hostile individual in the building.

So it wasn't a surprise to be met by the entire office, minus the secretaries, who were probably hiding in the back. No one needed hostages involved if Chuuya decided to get nasty. Still, they weren't ones to attack first; they had been warned before by Fukuzawa that they didn't ever strike first. Even if that lady doctor of theirs is way too fucking scary with a cleaver in her hand.

Dazai played to his strengths and didn't acknowledge the hostility at all, going straight to his desk and propping his feet up. He ignored the stares sent his way and leaving Chuuya to face the enemy alone.

Ranpo was the first one to step forward, looking Chuuya up and down, a faint smile on his face. "Hello, Mr. Fancy Hat." He tilted his head, eyes narrowing on Chuuya and smirking when he saw something there that Chuuya didn't. "Although you're not wearing your fancy hat today."

"No, I didn't need to when doing something as disgusting as dropping off a bandage-wasting mackerel." He gestured to Dazai, making a face. "I'm sure one of you can fix him."

Ranpo turned and Chuuya was gratified to see his eyes widen briefly as he took in Dazai's changed appearance. Still, his voice was nothing but professional and interested as he leaned closer, crunching on a piece of candy. "Did you start at the age of twelve initially today or was there another change before this?" His gaze flicked briefly backed to Chuuya, before focusing again on Dazai.

"It started yesterday when I woke up at age fifteen. This morning after annoying chibi there, I woke up at the age of twelve."

Kunikida looked completely disbelieving at the whole thing, one hand clenching around his notebook. "Are we supposed to believe that this kid is actually Dazai?" he demanded. "It seems a little far-fetched. This kid looks and acts like him, but Dazai hasn't been affected by Abilities before.." He scowled deeper. "I don't know what Dazai paid you, kid, but it's not worth it for this type of prank."

"He has been affected by Abilities before, but rarely," Chuuya offered, shooting Dazai a look and annoyed that he had to explain all of this. He wasn't going to leave with Dazai because his uptight partner thought this was a prank from Dazai.

Dazai threw Chuuya a look, clearly saying without words that this was the reason why he went to Chuuya first. He hadn't doubted for an instant that the kid that showed up at his door was a younger version of his partner, even if his initial thought was that he was either having a very realistic hallucination or that he was being punished.

Kyouka and Atsushi were staring at the younger Dazai with unconcealed amazement. They clearly had their own doubts and the shock could be because there was someone else who looked and acted uncannily like Dazai out there in the world and Dazai had found him. Atsushi was the first to move closer to Dazai, giving a cautious sniff, Dazai watching with amusement.

"It is Dazai," Atsushi exclaimed, eyes round with shock. Kyouka edged closer at this, intrigued by Dazai being younger than she was.

Dazai made a face and shrugged, rooting through his desk for the candy he had hidden so that Ranpo wouldn't sniff out his stash. Not that he wouldn't find it, but there would be at least one piece left as a courtesy. He made a happy sound as he found the lollipop, popping it into his mouth. "It's like Chuuya said," he pointed out. "Some Abilities will work on me and until I can nullify the person who did it, I'm stuck like this."

Chuuya snickered and nodded, taking the opportunity of everyone being distracted to take a few pictures of the flabbergasted employees and Dazai looking like some kid who had wandered in for a day in his dad's office.

Kunikida glared at him. "Why don't you go and try and fix yourself, then?" he demanded. "You're still employed here and you can't properly do your job when you're half your age."

"Why?" Dazai shrugged, the amusement back on his face. It seemed that riling up Kunikida put him in a better mood, even with the insanity of what was happening. "It's not like my brain has changed at all and we obviously employ kids here." He gestured to Kyouka, who blushed.

Kunikida opened his mouth to respond, probably about how it was Dazai's fault that Kyouka had been recruited so successfully in the first place, but the sound of someone clearing their throat stopped him. All heads turned to see Naomi and Haruno coming up from behind Fukuzawa.

"Dazai, Nakahara-san, please go into my office." It was phrased somewhat as a suggestion, but his tone left no room for argument. Chuuya grumbled about it but still followed Dazai into the room. He was almost grateful for it; he wasn't up to the staring contest, questions and the ADA members bristling over Dazai's tactics to rile everyone up.

When they were alone, Fukuzawa actually grinned over at Dazai, the solemn facade broken. "Dazai-san, you look so much younger today in those clothes. Did something happen to you that you'd like to talk about?" He adopted the serious, thoughtful gaze again as Chuuya watched in amazement. He didn't think the man had a sense of humor. "I know that second chances are good and all, but aren't you taking this a bit too far?"

The calico cat on the desk next to him seemed to agree, looking more amused than any animal had a right to be.

Chuuya didn't bother to suppress his snicker as he faced the leader of not-quite a rival organization, but someone that stood on the balancing edge of what the Port Mafia did. "He always acted like a child, but I agree that he got a little carried away."

Dazai scowled at the both of them teaming up against him.

"I know this is obvious, but you haven't been able to nullify the effects against yourself yet?" Fukuzawa asked carefully.

Dazai made an exaggerated patting motion on all available pieces of skin. His voice was cheerful, but his expression was worried. "This is one of those cases where I have to touch the Ability user directly, I'm afraid."

"Or he dies," Chuuya put in, but that earned him a frown from Fukuzawa.

"We aren't killing anyone unless we have to," he said firmly, as if he hadn't been a feared assassin in his past and probably wouldn't have hesitated before. "Forgive me, Dazai, but--have you contacted Sakaguchi-san about this yet?"

Dazai's expression turned cold. "Why would I call a traitor like him?" he asked softly. He had never gotten over his betrayal of Ango, one of the few people that he saw as a friend in the Port Mafia.

Chuuya wasn't going to have Dazai being sullen and holding a grudge when he was under the effect of an unknown Ability user. "Because he's useful!" Chuuya smacked the back of his head, getting fed up. "I think he's a piece of shit, too, but he does have information that even you don't have access to."

Dazai pouted and looked even more like a child in the t-shirt and jeans, still sucking on the lollipop. "Fine," he muttered. "I suppose I'll have to deal with him since he might be able to fix this. I hate him a little less than I do being twelve again."

Fukuzawa nodded in understanding; he understood Dazai's mind in this matter. He had spoken with Sakaguchi soon after Dazai had gone underground. He looked towards Chuuya. "I trust that you are here because you care enough for Dazai that you aren't going to turn him into Mori."

Chuuya started to nod, but Fukuzawa wasn't finished. "Although I would love to see the look on that man's face if faced with this image right here." He gestured to Dazai, that grin back on his face.

Chuuya was starting to enjoy the sense of humor this man displayed and could see how he and Mori had once worked together. "I do have pictures," he said blithely. He knew of a few people that he would show; Ane-san and Hirotsu-san for certain. "I won't show anyone until the danger is over, though."

"That would be appreciated," he said carefully. "I would hate to see the disaster that could befall the city if our enemies found out about this… temporary inconvenience."

They all fell silent at the implications of that. Even Chuuya knew that Mori would sell out Dazai in a heartbeat and had before, if it would benefit him in some way. It was how Oda died and the reason why Dazai had left them.

Fukuzawa took advantage of the silence and choose to call Ango then, turning his back to them and speaking quietly. Chuuya and Dazai stared at each other, Dazai's frown growing as he looked over Chuuya, but instead of saying anything, just took another lick of his candy. Chuuya was starting to want his own piece of candy and he scolded himself for such an inane thought when things were so serious.

Fukuzawa turned back when he finished the call, pressing his fingertips together. "First off, Sakaguchi sends his condolences that we're dealing with a pre-teen Dazai and hopes we won't throw you out a window." His expression didn't even change one whit and Chuuya hid a smile. "He has good news and bad news and the good news is relative."

Dazai raised an eyebrow and he only paused enough to fish through his pockets and hand Chuuya a second lollipop. Chuuya didn't even ask where he got it, but accepted it and quickly stuffed it in his mouth.

"The good news is that there have already been reports of others being effected like Dazai. They are gathering information, but they don't have a report on their end about a specific Ability user, so they are looking into the other government agencies in different countries." The only problem was that there were a lot of foreign countries and so many people that could work on it at one time.

"We'll be watching the various entry points and … " he rubbed a hand over his face. "If you could also have the ports discreetly watched, that would be a help. Let Mori know of the problem without putting Dazai in the line of fire."

"I don't sell out the people that come to me for help, unless like some people," Chuuya snapped, "Unless they're my enemy and as much of a shit that Dazai is, he isn't actually my enemy." He huffed. "Rival that needs to be tossed off a bridge, but I'm not going to turn him over to Mori or any other enemy factions." He grimaced. "I'll tell Mori about the problem user for free. I don't even want to imagine some of the members being turned into useless brats like Dazai."

"I never sold any of my companions out," Dazai muttered. "I had plenty of opportunities and even two years underground and two years with the ADA didn't get me to spill any secrets." He smirked faintly. "Even though the Special Abilities Department has all sorts of information on you."

"You act like even though your records were erased from the accessible view, they still don't have a full dossier on you. You were in their hands for two years. I'm sure they found out all sorts of secrets about you and this will only make them want to examine you more." They had both temporarily forgotten Fukuzawa's presence as they sniped at each other. "How does it feel to be a lab rat?"

Dazai's face went expressionless. " You act like it was my first time," he said softly and then stopped, eyes going wide and his hand shaking faintly. He actually looked lost and Chuuya was not going to think of Dazai as being vulnerable. He couldn't image Dazai was ever vulnerable and Dazai didn't seem keen on elaborating on that comment.

Apparently, there were still secrets in Dazai's past and Chuuya told himself that he wasn't upset that Dazai never shared this part of himself with him. They had never been that close and while it may have been a point of bonding, he probably hadn't believed him. He wasn't sure why he believed him now.

Maybe it's because it's the lack of masks. He could tell when Dazai was being sincere after so many years of bullshit. It was like the years stolen from him took away his masks as well.

It was all suddenly too much and he sat down hard on the nearest chair, feeling dizzy. He sucked hard on the candy, needing the sugar in lieu of the wine that he really wanted. "Well, don't get caught again," he said lamely, but he wasn't sure how to handle this or any of this. He fumbled for his phone. "I should call Mori and let him know what information we have right now before it gets too late…"

Dazai looked like he was going to make a snarky remark at that, but his expression turned to one of confusion and concern, stepping closer to Chuuya and looking down at him. "Chuuya," he said, completely serious, "have you gotten shorter while we've been in here?"

While Dazai could sound completely serious while pulling the most horrendous pranks, Chuuya had a sinking feeling that Dazai wasn't joking around this time. Fukuzawa was also giving him a concerned look and aside from all the teasing earlier, he didn't seem to be the type to pull a prank along with Dazai. Not at a time like this.

"Nakahara-san," Fukuzawa's voice was just as sincere as Dazai's, even if the words were kinder. "I do believe this has now become more of a personal problem for you."

Chuuya looked down and swore at how his sleeves hung over his fingertips a little and his clothing looser than before. He had fought hard for those few inches he had in the years after he got out of the lab, even if he had seemed to plateau after fifteen. That had been important growth, damn it! There was an obvious difference in the shape of his body and he felt a chill run down his spine-- what if he had already changed before and he hadn't noticed it until it had grown the extreme levels that had affected Dazai?

He didn't even hesitate to launch himself out of the chair and at Dazai, pinning him to the ground and wrapping his hands around his neck. "This is your fault!" he shouted. "You disgusting waste of air. You did this to me somehow and you better fix this shit before I strangle you!"

"You think I wanted to be twelve again?" Dazai demanded, pushing Chuuya off and glaring at him, rubbing at his neck. "It's not my fault you finally realized that you had to be the age your height suggested."

Chuuya made a wordless sound of rage and threw himself at Dazai again, punching him hard enough to send him back into the chair that Chuuya had been occupying. "You're dead," he snapped. "If it wasn't for you--"

Fukuzawa observed the violence for a moment, assessing the two of them before speaking. "The two of you are acting like the children that you've been turned into," he said mildly. "If you had this type of animosity while working together in the Mafia, I'm surprised you had any sort of success."

They both stopped at the accusation, Dazai smoothing out his clothes again and Chuuya scowling, face red.

"Chibi was much more violent," Dazai said loftily. "When we first met, he kicked me through a wall and broke two of my ribs. I tried to dodge after that."

"You deserved it then and you really deserve it now," Chuuya snapped, trying to get his breath back. He was fighting the urge to repeat that first meeting as well, even if it would alert the Mafia to the situation that he found himself in.

"Now is not the time," Fukuzawa took the risk and stood between them, his tone firm and dared them to argue. "It seems that this does spread in some sort of format that we are not sure of yet and I'd rather keep you two quarantined before we go any further." He grimaced. "I don't want to babysit anymore than I already do."

"I'm not one of your people and I don't have to stay here," Chuuya snapped, even if he knew it made more sense to not go outside and get caught out by people or possibly spread whatever the hell disease of an Ability that he was carrying.

"You mean that you want to risk Mori or some other organization seeing you?" Fukuzawa's words were filled with calm logic, reading his mind. "In some ways, I think it would actually end worse you than it would for Dazai."

"Mori wouldn't dare try hurting me," Chuuya bared his teeth at the thought of him trying. He didn't have Rimbaud's ability at hand anymore, able to trap Chuuya in one place and keep his power contained, nor would Dazai hold Chuuya back if it came to defending himself against the Boss.

"The fact that it's something you've thought about means that you don't even trust your own Boss." All heads turned to Ranpo standing in the doorway, who went on, unconcerned. "I'm sure that he has plans to restrain you if needed, just as Dazai would have his own contingency plan."

Dazai simply gave him an innocent smile and didn't comment.

"However, I believe I know how Mr. Fancy Hat was affected by Dazai and changed to his younger self as well to match Dazai." He munched on a sweet bun before turning to Dazai. "Was Nakahara-san the first person you actually touched that day after the change?"

Dazai nodded, thinking through that morning. "I avoid touching people on general principle, but chib had his hands all over me this morning when he was changing my bandages for me."

Fukuzawa raised an eyebrow. "I trust that this has something to do with what you found out, Ranpo?" he asked.

Ranpo nodded, pushing back his hat. "We have found out from other people that it does get spread by touch-- but it's a one-off consequence. If Dazai had touched anyone else, even accidentally, before coming into contact with Nakahara-san, then there wouldn't have been any effect. Likewise, since Nakahara-san was in Dazai's vicinity when he was already affected, we don't have to worry about it spreading beyond the two of them here , although it's hard to say for the rest of the city at this time."

Chuuya glared at Dazai. "I always knew you would spread a disease to me one day," he muttered darkly. "If I kill the carrier of what did this to me, can I turn back to normal?"

Ranpo laughed. "I always knew Mr. Fancy Hat was violent! I saw it in the book that we shared and it's good to see that hasn't changed now. Killing Dazai won't change anything at all. You have to neutralize the original Ability user first."

"I'll show you violent," Chuuya threatened. He still hadn't forgiven Ranpo for trapping him in that shitty book. Beating the hell out of people was great stress relief and he knew that Arahabaki inside of him was quiet for the first time in his memory, but he didn't enjoy being tricked or trapped by someone that didn't even have an Ability, but had to borrow someone else's.

Ranpo just grinned at him, not even bothered by the threat. "Keep that up and I won't tell you the rest of the very important information."

"You keep that from us, Ranpo and I'll forget about praising you for the information you've already found out for us." Fukuzawa looked directly at Ranpo, who pouted.

"Fine," he muttered. "There have also been reports of memory regression and reverting to previous habits. Some retain the memories of the current selves, but some forget anything that happened past the age of when they regressed to."

That was an alarming thought and Chuuya and Dazai's previous animosity was forgotten as they shared a look of horror with each other. Chuuya had been in Sheep when he was twelve, a clueless gang member without a thought of being human and only mainly thinking of himself as Arahabaki.

Dazai--- Dazai was pale and looked faintly sick. Whatever happened to him at age twelve was obviously something he never wanted to revisit.

"I think we need to find that Ability user as soon as possible."

Chapter Text

Chuuya stared at him, annoyed. "That was always the plan," he bit out, "unless you want a disaster of unheard-of proportions that will devastate the city. There's going to be an unknown number of people losing an unknown number of years of their lives." 

"Yes, I know," Dazai said, voice thick with irritation. "Although once the word gets out, we won't have children trying to drive and operate heavy machinery, but we will have people shutting themselves in their homes, as if barricading against a plague." His lip curled briefly. "Mori will have a field day and won't think twice about sacrificing the lower-ranked members of the Mafia to take advantage of people's fear." 

Chuuya wanted to give some sort of protest; defend his Boss or the Mafia or anything. Logic prevailed, however. Mori was nothing if not pragmatic and anything to further the dealings of the Mafia was a tool he was willing to use. If the other rivals factions were too scared to venture into unknown territories due to the possibility of losing their memories and lives as they knew it, then Mori would sweep in and take more control. It would be especially bad if the government bought into it as well and the city was left partially unprotected. 

Dazai had his own train of thought still running and he gave Chuuya an amused smile. "It will be interesting to see if you hate the Port Mafia if you lose your memories," he said lightly. "Did that start at this young of an age or was that a few years down the road when your gang got a little too cocky and decided to cause problems for the Mafia? The old Boss didn't care for Sheep at all. Mori just decided to make an example of them." 

Chuuya had to pause and think about that; it was ten years ago and some memories were more suppressed than others. "I don't think we really thought about making a lot of trouble for the Port Mafia at that point," he said slowly. "I hadn't been a member of Sheep for very long--I was too young to be recruited before." He shrugged. "You saw the general age group, but once they discovered what I could do, they took me in. The Mafia  hadn't tried going after any members yet as they hadn't been causing many problems yet. That wasn't until the first member of Sheep was killed and I started to take revenge. It wasn't until just before I was fourteen." He made a face. "It wasn't like we didn't know them, but we … tried to avoid them." 

"So telling you that you're a high-ranking and valued member of the Port Mafia wouldn't send you into a murderous rage." He actually sounded disappointed. 

"Do you know what would ever happen if I decided to bring down the Mafia down?" he demanded. He shuddered at the thought of it. "You know just as well as I do that it wouldn't end well for anyone, especially the citizens of Yokohama and possibly even beyond the borders of what they currently controlled." He eyed Fukuzawa as he continued, but most of his attention was on Dazai. "I know you've seen the documents, how we've all been set up as a bizarre balancing act to each other." Dazai had thrown part of that balance into disarray, by putting himself on the opposite end of the chess board.

Wrinkling his nose, Dazai waved such concerns away. "It would still be funny to see chibi storming the gates and beating up people left and right," he pouted. "I would take all the pictures in that case." 

"I can start with you," Chuuya said, his voice pleasant and threatening at the same time. "I've already started and I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I continued." 

"No thank you," Dazai said primly. "You know that I've never cared for pain and it was more than true when I was twelve." He looked like he wished he hadn't said that last part, but it was too late to swallow his words as Chuuya stared at him with narrowed eyes. 

"You already know about where I was and what I was doing at that age," Chuuya said slowly, eyeing him. "What happened to you when you were twelve? I know you weren't in the Mafia yet. Were you even in Yokohama at that age?"

Dazai's gaze flicked over to Ranpo for a moment, before returning back to Chuuya. With all the clues that Dazai had already dropped, he was certain Ranpo had put together the most of the pieces of the puzzle. He waited for Ranpo to spill the beans, but the smile that was returned was a sign of ' not yet, go on ' to Dazai. 

Dazai wasn't about to spill his own secrets, though. "I don't think that's necessary," he said, trying for a lofty tone and smiling brightly. "I wasn't as much of a problem as I became later, so we can forget about that." He tried for a bland tone. "For free, I will tell you that I wasn't yet in Yokohama yet, though." 

"It is necessary, you piece of shit," Chuuya snapped. He wasn't going to be the only one with his secrets exposed. "We have to know how to prepare for you as well, even if you think you weren't an issue. I highly doubt you weren't always a pain in the ass." 

The way Dazai frowned said that he obviously disagreed with such logic, but the resigned look in his eyes said that his stubbornness would get him nowhere when there was at least one person in the room that knew the truth and another was just a phone call away. Still, he could delay the inevitable as much as possible. "I could have been like chibi and forgot that part of my life," he muttered under his breath, sullen. 

"Except that you do know," Ranpo said calmly. It was clear that if Dazai wasn't going to spill the beans, Ranpo would at least open the jar and let a few come out to get the cascade started. "You know you were in a laboratory for human experimentation. It was to test the limits of the human body and Abilities." He gave a faint smile, pulling out another piece of candy from his coat. "You and Fancy Hat do have that in common. You were both set up like the Hunting Dogs, but you weren't able to absorb whatever they wanted to set up with you." 

Dazai glared at him for knowing so much and had to wonder how much Ranpo actually knew and for how long he knew as well and never said anything. There was vital information that he never told anyone that should have deterred Ranpo from putting so much together. He was going to have a long talk with Ranpo once this whole mess was over. Chuuya was giving him a thoughtful look, apparently already running through his own theories. He didn't look as surprised as he could have been with the reference to the Hunting Dogs. He had long since thought that the government lab he had been in connection with the Dogs. 

"It was one of the ways they discovered that there are instances where my Ability can be overcome or negated, but as Ranpo said, wasn't suitable for adding an enhanced or extra Ability. The most they managed to do was keep it on permanently."  Dazai was looking at his lap, dragging out the words and obviously trying to block the memories that wanted to well up. He could feel the phantom pains from some of those experiments. "While there were very few, it didn't stop the scientists from trying over and again to see what I could do." He took a deep breath, Chuuya staring at him in horror and understanding now and it annoyed him more as he bit out the next words. 

"When adding the extra Ability didn't work, they wanted me to become stronger; to see how much pain and damage I could sustain as well. They had me build up a tolerance to damage, to poison and pain and other methods of how one could be killed. By the time I had escaped at fourteen, I tried to kill myself, but they did their work too well and it was very hard to kill me by then. I could be hurt and feel pain, but death was harder to achieve." 

You could hear a pin drop in the room after all the information that Dazai had given up and knowing Dazai, there was a lot left out of the flow of words as well. It was a moment before anyone spoke and Chuuya couldn't make his voice work at all. 

"Dazai…" Fukuzawa's voice was very quiet and Dazai gave a bitter laugh, even though out of all people, it shouldn't be directed at the man that gave him a second chance and life and improving himself, working on the side of light, even if the methods could still be called questionable. 

"You all know how often I've tried to kill myself," he pointed out, a little tired now. "Even if you didn't care and you all played it off as an annoyance or a joke, you didn't once wonder how so many bizarre methods didn't work?" 

Chuuya glared at him finding his voice. One hand fisted at his side and his body trembled with holding himself back. " Some of us cared about your suicidal ass," he snapped out. " Some of us didn't want you to die and worked out all sorts of ways to bring you back to safety and back to life." 

Dazai looked ready to protest, but it wasn't just Chuuya that tried to save him. Ango did-- but Dazai didn't count someone that betrayed him in the end. Oda always did; by talking or bringing him to the curry house; where he had the best, spiciest curry and a houseful of kids that could distract him until he laughed. Oda who stayed with him while he drank and talked with him to bleed out the pain that even the Demon Prodigy had felt in the Mafia. 

His chest suddenly hurt-- it wasn't just that his memory of Oda's death would be erased if he lost his memories… it was the memory of Odasaku himself. 

Chuuya just sighed when he saw the acquiescence in Dazai's eyes. "You know, as fucked up as this all is, I actually have to wonder what meeting for the first time all over again will be like," he mused. 

"Maybe less kicking through walls," Dazai offered with a faint grin. He too was curious and almost wanted to see how things would turn out. 

It was an odd thought; when they first met they were like oil and flame, but that just could have been because Dazai had been representing the Port Mafia and Chuuya's mission at that time had been to eradicate them-- especially those that had been asking about Arahabaki. 

Chuuya and Dazai's eyes met and Chuuya snorted. "Although I'm sure you'd probably still be as annoying as you were when I first met you," he added, but his voice trailed off with the eerie smile on Dazai's face. "I can't promise I won't kick you through a wall if you deserve it." 

"Chuuya would be very surprised to see how different I was at twelve," he said. "I did tell you that I was an experiment. I'm sure that you already know it doesn't exactly make you… welcoming of anyone or likely to trust them. I told you what was done to me and unlike your stay, I actually still remember everything." 

"Yeah, because my actual memory of being kept in a tube to be a prison to hold an angry god is something I want to hold onto." Chuuya rolled his eyes at how Dazai was acting. "I swear if you turn this into some sort of sick competition of who was fucked over the worst, I will rip your head from your body before you get a full sentence out." 

Dazai gave a mock gasp, holding a hand to his face and looking more idiotic than usual. "Such a violent threat of death so soon after Chibi was professing his desire to keep me alive!" He said, in as dramatic a tone as he could produce. "Are you losing your memories already? I know there's less to lose, but really, Chuuya…" 

Chuuya could feel his face burning from the repressed rage running through him, hands clenching at his side. He wanted nothing more to punch Dazai in the mouth to shut him up, but he would just be playing into Dazai's hands and he wasn't about to fall for it. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, counting backward instead of answering Dazai. 

Fukuzawa gave another sigh, already tired out with their antics. "Since you are indisposed, Nakahara-san, do you want me to contact Mori for you?" he asked. "It depends on how much you want to tell him, of course, and I will leave that up to you." He ran a hand through his hair. "I don't doubt that he doesn't already know about the problems in the city itself. He always did have an eye everywhere. I wouldn't be surprised if he's already working to dispatch the target." 

Dazai's voice was dry and cynical. "Or planning to make him into a weapon for the Port Mafia to turn against its enemies," Dazai added. "He's very good at finding those that will benefit him and the Mafia." 

"It's not like the ADA doesn't do its own form of recruitment," Chuuya pointed out. Nobody's hands were clean, not in the three-part organization that kept the city together. Some of them may be more scrupulous than others, but every single leader used the advantages they were given and all of them were able to circumvent the law. "The Special Abilities Department has everyone tagged, for fucks sake." 

Dazai's expression said that he allowed as much as that, but the ADA didn't condone outright murder if they could help it. The Mafia had entire squads that were dedicated to taking out people. Dazai had been deeply involved in those types of missions, both in the planning and the execution of it. He treated life as callously as he had been treated and his mentor continued the education of. The stronger you were, the more you were in a position to control how the flow of life went. 

Chuuya rubbed his temples to try and quell the throbbing headache as he considered all of his options. Mori was going to want him to check in sooner rather than later, especially with something of this scale potentially threatening the city. It would be better for me to be with my own people, they'll protect me and watch my back and it's not like I'm useless. Mori wouldn't hurt him, Even at Dazai's worst, he never actually physically hurt him, as far as he knew. Screwing with his head, was something to be expected, however. 

What was tipping the balance and making him actually consider the options was Ranpo's warning about the possibility of losing their memories. Even if he hadn't actively been hunting the Mafia, he had actively avoided them. There had been all sorts of warnings about how dangerous they had been, especially in those last few years before Dazai had found him in the slums. He wouldn't want to be in the hands of the Port Mafia if he didn't know them; his reassurances to Dazai aside, it probably wouldn't end well. 

He took a deep breath, looking at Fukuzawa. "I don't really remember hearing about the ADA ten years ago. It really wasn't a threat and you weren't making enough inroads into areas outside Yokohama for you to hit the Sheep's radar. How old is agency?"

Fukuzawa looked over at Ranpo, smiling faintly. It hadn't existed until a young kid had recruited him to help with taking care of an assassin. "About twelve years ago, we started the Agency, so a few years before Mori took over the Mafia. Ranpo was the first member and a few years after that, Yosano joined us." He shrugged, he wasn't about to spill her story and connection with Mori. "It was a few years after that as we gained members here and there, ending with Kyouka thus far." 

"That's good to know," he said dryly. He didn't need the entire history of the ADA when he asked his question. "It means that if I suddenly lose my memory while in your care, I won't immediately peg you as a threat that I know about, but I warn you, I'll probably be pissed as all hell until explanations are given." He jerked his head towards Dazai. "Keeping this idiot on tap will make sure I don't bring the building down around your ears." 

"As long as someone lets me know as well," he said dryly. "That's a surprisingly well-thought-out idea, chibi. You actually can plan ahead. "I don't blame you for wanting safer ground. The Mafia before Mori took over was even more unstable and bloodthirsty, from what people have told me. Ten years ago, Mori was still an underground doctor that worked with the Mafia, but hadn't murdered the old boss yet to take over." 

Only Chuuya was close enough to see Dazai's faint shudder at the word doctor . It hadn't just been Mori himself that had set Dazai on edge, it was Mori's profession. Dazai had never trusted any doctors or hospitals; stitching up knife and bullet wounds himself, often without the use of any pain-numbing agent besides liberal uses of alcohol. At least Chuuya knew why now. He had never questioned it then because he had been just as distrustful of hospitals as Dazai. 

Chuuya hoped that he wasn't going to regret his next words. "This won't be a permanent or even the best solution, but for now, it might be the best idea to stay here. Dazai is probably going to be here, both for his safety and the fact that he's yours . It'll be good to have a safeguard." His look at Dazai was silently judging him. If he knows what's best for him, he won't budge from this place while this whole disaster is going on. 

As if his words were a signal, the door opened and the rest of the Agency spilled into the room, giving Chuuya a startled look at the unexpected regression and more subtle glances at Dazai as if to make sure that no more drastic changes had occurred. Atsushi was the only one embarrassed enough to blush at being caught eavesdropping. 

Kyouka just gave them her penetrating, impassive stares and the only sign of her unease was the hand reaching up to clutch her phone. Kenji was grinning widely at them. "This really is something that I don't think would ever happen back home," he enthused. "City folk sure can get into some amazing situations." He edged closer. "Ranpo said it wasn't catching any more, though?" 

Fukuzawa shook his head. "No, the boys are perfectly safe around each other and us, they can't pass it on, as they already covered it with each other." Kunikida looked like he wanted to protest having Chuuya staying in their base of operations, but didn't voice his concerns yet. Yosano was the one that was the most unnerving. She had left behind her weaponry, but the intense, bright grin on her face made Chuuya want to back up a step. 

"I'll watch the brats," she volunteered easily as if there had been some argument going behind closed doors. Her grin edged on vicious and the others looked downright grateful that her attention wasn't on them. She didn't need her cleaver and threats of 'healing' to make her presence known. 

Dazai was the only one that wasn't intimidated and he gave her a bright smile. "Just remember that if you hurt me, you can't heal me, Yosano-sensei. The lack of years doesn't mean my Ability works any less. Chuuya is fair game, though." He didn't miss Chuuya's grimace; he knew that the Port Mafia had a full dossier on each member of the ADA and Mori especially had a detailed file on Yosano. 

"Sadly, I won't be carving either one of you up," she said and the disappointment in her tone made everyone cringe a little. I get the happy job of watching over you, analyzing and marking any changes that will happen to you both. Ranpo will be helping me, so don't worry about being left alone with the big, scary doctor." 

"That will be useful," Dazai said dryly. "While it wouldn't be exactly startling to wake up with a strange doctor threatening all sorts of dire experiments on me, I'd rather avoid the trauma for as long as possible." He looked uncomfortable. "I certainly won't react well , so having a third party-- or even fourth," he nodded towards Chuuya, "will lessen the strain considerably." 

Ranpo nodded. "We figured that would be the best course of action, especially if Mr. Fancy Hat is here as well." He tilted his head, watching Dazai squirm, clearly still hesitating about something and unsure of what to say or do. "Dazai?"

Dazai winced and then finally sighed, but his entire body was filled with tension. "Since there is a possibility of losing my memories, there is one more item of importance that I should share…" He cleared his throat, voice going a little high-pitched with nerves. Whatever this was, it was more important and more of a secret than anything else and Dazai didn't want to say anything. 

"Suck it up and spill, Dazai," Chuuya snapped. "We can't ask you after you lose your memories and if you want to make this as smooth as possible, then we need to know." He smirked. "Unless you're actually scared. Maybe you're the one that's losing it, starting with your nerve." 

Dazai glared, but the goading from Chuuya got him to open his mouth, even if the words were more hesitant than before. "There will be a different name that I will expect to be called by; Dazai Osamu isn't likely to get a reaction." 

Yosano's brows rose at that, giving Dazai an assessing look, while Ranpo looked pleased with the sort of satisfaction that came with putting the final piece of the puzzle together. 

"Before I escaped from the laboratory and met Mori, my name was Tsushima Shuji." 

Chuuya's eyes narrowed at admission. "This was never brought up before," he said, frowning. "I've seen your file and I've known you for three years while we were partners. Mori never mentioned it, either." 

"Not even Mori knows about that name or that part of my past," he snorted. "I'd appreciate it if it didn't go past this room." Now that the hard part was out, Dazai adopted his warning tone, the dangerous one that he had used in the Mafia. Chuuya wasn't impressed. 

Kunikida looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but Fukuzawa held up a hand to silence anyone else that wanted to speak. He hadn't missed that no matter the words or tone Dazai used, his hand was still clenched at his side and he wasn't as calm as he wanted to appear. "We will honor your request," he said calmly, his tone forbidding anyone to argue. "However, if you want to go as Dazai while you have forgotten things, we can certainly use that name." 

Yosano nodded in agreement, glad to have as much information as possible. "Noted. If you wake up confused as hell, I'll make sure that I only address you by the name that you want to be referred by."  She focused her gaze on Chuuya. "And you?" she demanded. "What do I have to know about you if you wake up and not realizing where you are?"

Chuuya shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable as everyone's attention switched to focus on him. "I don't carry as much baggage as Dazai does," he said dryly. "I always knew of myself as Nakahara Chuuya; even if I was doubly aware of Arahabaki as well." He chewed on his lower lip. "Don't mention the Mafia and if I ask about Sheep--" His tone warned that he probably would; he had barely been a part of them and had latched onto the small group that tried to teach him how to be a person . He made a face. "Tell me anything that you think would make sense. That you're helping out, that I'm conning you-- hell, you're detectives, I'm sure you can think of something." 

His biggest fear was that Dazai would remember everything while he forgot and the other would use his knowledge to manipulate Chuuya even more than before. 

Dazai caught his look and the tension drained from his body until he just looked tired. "I wouldn't to that to you, Chuuya," he said, reading his thoughts on his face as easily as if Chuuya had spoken his words out loud. "You can trust me to watch your back, just as I trust you to watch mine if you remember and I forget." 

Chuuya wanted to say how it would be revenge if he took advantage of it, revenge for years of pain and torment and teasing, but his mind supplied all the times that Dazai genuinely had his back, where he watched him and provided the plans that kept them both safe. There had been a reason that he trusted Dazai with his life, even after four years away from each other and on opposite sides. 

"Fine," he muttered, grumpy at having to admit it. "Just don't break that trust." 

Dazai's smile was tentative and Chuuya suddenly wanted this to happen, to forget the pain of the past and the years of resentment at each other. To see what Dazai was like without the pressure of the Mafia and what it did to him. Even if it came with its own drawbacks, Chuuya was sure that the Dazai and Chuuya of the past would have had a much different sort of friendship. 

They only had to wait to see how the cards would fall. 

Chapter Text

The sun was what woke Chuuya up and he froze in shock, reaching for a weapon that didn't exist, his Ability activated when he didn't realize where he was for a moment. Memory reasserted itself and the entire bizarre day made him groan and flop backward, releasing his Ability at the same time. Chuuya was relieved that he hadn't forgotten anything when he woke up in the ADA's infirmary. At least the beds were comfortable, more than just the standard beds that were in a normal hospital room. He looked at Dazai sleeping on the bed next to him, curled up in a tight ball and face scrunched up in unease. 

"You're still asleep?" he murmured to himself. It was unusual to have Dazai still sleeping; no matter how lazy he was at times-- and Chuuya could list a laundry list of times that the bastard slacked off--it wasn't often accompanied by actual sleep . Chuuya watched him make another face and his stomach clenched with unease.

Yosano looked over at him, simply raising an eyebrow. He smirked at her and gestured to himself. "I still remember all of what's going on," he made a face. "Including the fact that if this doesn't clear up, I'll have to go through a second puberty and I really don't want to deal with that." Yosano simply snorted and wrote something down, poking Ranpo as well as they both looked over at Dazai. 

He expected Dazai to make a quip about his height-- maybe you'll actually grow this time, chibi! It was disappointing to hear nothing but silence and it was inane that the lack of a cutting remark from Dazai was what convinced him that the other was actually asleep. From Yosano and Ranpo's reactions, this wasn't usual for the Dazai they knew, either.  

He leaned over, wanting to wake Dazai up sooner rather than later; needing to find out if Dazai had lost the roll of the dice where he was affected the utmost. It seems that when he's actually affected bt an Ability, it really takes it out full force… Dazai came to wakefulness quickly, expression wary as it moved around the small room, assessing his surroundings. His face scrunched in confusion before finally landing on Chuuya. There was no recognition in his gaze at all and a chill crawled down Chuuya's spine. 

The only thing that was normal was the flat gaze that Chuuya remembered from the Mafia days, an expression that he wasn't used to seeing from the other any longer. His eyes moved around the room again and this time, Chuuya could practically see him cataloging the escape routes if he determined there were any potential threats to watch out for. 

How long had Dazai been like that ?

Since no one was saying anything at the moment, other than a tense, whispered discussion between Yosano and Ranpo, Chuuya took the moment to look over Dazai and noticed the things that didn't match up, that weren't anything like the Dazai he knew. His hands were tensed on the blanket beneath him; beneath the blankness of his expression was a resigned look of fear in his eyes. 

The bright, chipper tone was as familiar as it was fake. "Wow, I get a new doctor and an assistant and even I didn't know about it ahead of time. You must be very good at keeping secrets." His expression turned wary, instead of the petulant one that Chuuya was expecting from Dazai for being 'outmaneuvered'. "My last test results must have been good to bring in someone entirely unknown." 

Yosano grimaced faintly, trying to hide her surprise at Dazai's words. She looked ready to say something, even question Dazai, even if it was obvious that he didn't know any of them here. Dazai turned his gaze from her without waiting for a direct answer, turning to Chuuya instead. "And this one is either a new test subject or a plant to have me lower my defenses." His smile to Chuuya didn't reach his eyes. "Which one are you, chibi? Unwilling lab rat or something more?"

Chuuya's mouth dropped open and despite Dazai's earlier words and gestures, he was momentarily convinced that Dazai had been faking all of it just to screw with them or see how far they would go to mislead him with their seeming advantage. How was he able to use the same damn nickname as before? For a twelve-year-old, he was the right height, damn it! He caught the hint of mischief in Dazai's gaze and his suspicions deepened, wondering if he should treat this as asshole Dazai or the kid version of him that had always pulled other people's tails for fun. He struggled to think of something that wasn't a cutting insult or accusation. 

Ranpo took the decision out of his hands, leaning forward and a serious expression on his face. At least one person had their wits about them . He and Yosano were both speechless for different reasons, but trust Ranpo to treat it like a new sort of puzzle to solve. 

"You are no longer in the facility where you were kept before." His tone was calm and matter of fact, watching Dazai for a reaction and his mouth quirked up faintly. "You seem like you're rather observant and had to have noticed the differences between a laboratory and a small office." The fact that Ranpo was allowing the compliment of Dazai being observant was him trying to reach out, even if Ranpo's skills were almost inhumanly good. "Nothing to read your Ability or any sort of tests for your intelligence." 

" You act as if this is the first time someone has tried this particular trick on me," Dazai's voice had the same level of patience that Ranpo's did. "Observations on how I react to a different environment and new people is also a test, even if it doesn't seem as if one is actively being held. If I was told about it ahead of time, it would cloud the results of whatever the lead researcher would want to achieve." 

Chuuya winced at that; Dazai's logic was all too sound and one that he had actually used against enemies of the Port Mafia. To lull them into a false sense of security before breaking them apart. 

Dazai's gaze moved back to Yosano. "For example, the lady doctor has the look of someone that has not only inflicted pain before and is willing to do so again. All in the name of science, of course." His disdain couldn't be any clearer as he spat out the last word. 

Yosano didn't look offended and instead laughed. "You do see a lot, don't you?" she asked. "I do have to hurt people, but only so that I can heal all their injuries completely. You , however, will never experience that, as you're immune to my Ability." 

"And the kid?" Dazai asked, switching questions and clearly in doubt of her words, but since she offered up the information without more prodding, he didn't press the issue further. 

Chuuya's eyes narrowed and he resisted the urge to punch Dazai for treating him like he wasn't capable of speaking for himself. "The kid," Chuuya snapped, "is a former lab rat as well." If Dazai was screwing with him, he would make up pay in blood later. "I'm not one of whatever the fuck bizarre tests you think are set up for you. You're not in that shitty place anymore." He snorted and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring directly at Dazai. "You're not a complete dumbass. Can't you tell the difference between demons and those that are trying to help?"

He wondered if it was too early to tell Dazai that ten years had passed since he had been a specimen in a laboratory. If they didn't handle this carefully, though--Dazai would be out the door in search of his Freedom and with their luck, waltz right back into Mori's arms. They would be screwed if that happened. 

"Are you sure you were a lab rat?" Dazai asked, lips turning up briefly. "Or perhaps you were one of a different kind, the one that got poked and prodded and filled with all sorts of interesting powers to see if your body would break apart with each additional load added to it." He tilted his head and watched him with a gaze that was unnerving on the face of a twelve-year-old kid. "Lately, they've enjoyed putting me through what they think are meticulous puzzles and tests to gauge my observation and memory skills, to assess what is the real truth and what is a threat that I have to win against." 

Chuuya gave a mirthless laugh at Dazai's assessment of his time in the lab. Did being chained to a god count as being loaded with powers meant to break someone. Dazai gave him another amused smile in return and continued his search around the office. Yosano looked up when her gaze fell on him, putting her phone to the side where she had been texting someone. 

"Now that you're both awake and at least one of you remembers what the hell is going on, I let the Director know. I suggest that both of you stay put, as we have important matters to discuss." Chuuya had tensed slightly, expecting an argument or an escape attempt of some sort. As amusing as it would be to see Dazai try and slip by a number of trained individuals as he was now, it would also be a pain in the ass. 

However, instead of arguing as Chuuya expected, Dazai gave a shrug and a nod. "I didn't think that either of you were in charge," he said simply. He decided to lay back on the bed and his posture was stiffer than it was before when he was actually sleeping. "I know how this goes; you might as well do your preliminary tests before one of the directors comes in." He stared up at the ceiling. "I assume when you're not chopping people up to heal them, you can run basic vital signs?"

It was bizarre and more than a little unsettling how easily Dazai seemed to easily accept the unusual situation and location, not to mention being surrounded by, to him, perfect strangers. He expected to be poked and prodded; examined as if he were a thing to be observed. Chuuya's memories of his time in the lab were mostly from Arahabaki, his own memories wiped clean from the merging when he was seven. Arahabaki had been nothing about uncontrollable rage at being locked away. 

Yosano smirked faintly. "At least you know that much, even if you're being a troublesome kid just for the sake of it." She seemed to relish saying the word kid and Cnuuya hid a smile at how that even when this was all over, Yosano would probably still have fun with this. She was terrifying in her own way and Chuuya spared a moment to imagine her in the Mafia, wielding both wit and weapons. He shuddered at the thought. She poked Dazai in the side. "Sit up so I can do it properly, nitwit." 

Chuuya had to grin faintly at the chiding tone Yosano used, earning a pout from Dazai as he saw up again, resting against the pillows and holding out his arm in a practiced gesture. He didn't even flinch when the blood pressure cuff tightened around his arm. Chuuya made a face when Yosano gestured for him to take his place when Dazai was finished. 

Ranpo took the chance to talk to Dazai. He didn't have a notebook of his own and he fiddled with a pair of glasses next to him before talking to Dazai, his tone casual. "What's the last thing you remember?" he asked, eyes narrowed as he waited for whatever answer Dazai was going to give. 

Dazai sat up straight, a familiar arrogant look crossing his features at the question. He actually looked offended and if Yosano hadn't whacked Chuuya to get his attention back to her, he would have thrown something at him to get it off. "Are you actually implying that I've forgotten something?" he asked, his tone incredulous. "My memory is perfect and you should know this if you have any of my files." His look of incredulity increased. "Please tell me that if you are my so-called rescuers, you did manage to get a file on what has already been done." 

Finished, Chuuya didn't hide his snort. "Try and be a little less arrogant with people that you're just meeting. You may actually want to try and make friends for once." 

Dazai's glare cut through him and it seemed that at least with him, he was becoming a little more self-assured and less nervous. "I'm not saying it to be arrogant," he snapped out. "I literally can't forget what I've been taught or told. It's not nearly the blessing that people think it is, although the doctors seem fascinated with having someone with an eidetic and photographic memory. I'd rather cut off the brain cells that make it work or hopefully mature out of the eidetic memory." 

Ranpo tapped his shoulder and gave him that easy smile again. "What do you think?" he asked instead. "I asked you a question and you go on about your amazing memory. So Excellent Memory Kid, what's the last thing you remember?"

"I think you're trying to test me," Dazai sounded downright petulant and Chuuya and Yosano shared a grin, possibly having the same thought. This familiar tone of his fit much better on the younger version of him than an adult man. "While I have hopes that part of my memory skills will fade, the doctors keep on doing periodic testing to see how strong the ability remains." 

"If mine hasn't gone yet, yours won't," Ranpo said cheerfully. He knew very well that Dazai's memory hadn't faded and while he had learned to suppress it, it was still as strong as ever. "You're still avoiding the question." 

"And you're fishing for information," Dazai shot back, crossing his arms over his chest and deliberately looking away. 

"Yes, that's the purpose of questions," Ranpo said, not offended at Dazai trying to snub him. He smirked and leaned back in his chair. "I can do this all day long. You can't out-stubborn me. I'm used to someone much more annoying than you." 

"Who, yourself?" Yosano muttered under her breath, earning a pout from Ranpo for ruining his moment. Chuuya leaned back, resting his arms behind his head, deceptively casual. He wouldn't bet on Dazai winning against Ranpo, and probably didn't even realize there was a contest going on. 

"Fine," Dazai muttered, breaking first. "They were talking about what I could do in an athletic sense, but…" he shrugged, indicating his skinny arms and bony frame. "They scrapped the idea when they figured it would be a poor decision on their part to train their lab rat to defend himself. They put a higher priority on pain thresholds instead." His entire body tensed in remembrance he gave a bitter laugh. "The last thing, Mister Assistant?" he asked. "The last thing was listening to their discussion about how sharp the knives had to be and where to aim so that I wouldn't die before they got their full use from me." 

Chuuya was caught speechless again at the matter of fact way he spoke and even Ranpo couldn't hide his look of distaste, visibly hesitating before trying to ask another question. 

"Ranpo, that's enough questioning for now." Chuuya breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of the Director's voice in the doorway. He had to be able to do something about Dazai-- for Dazai. 

Fukuzawa gave Dazai an impassive look, hands in the sleeves of his yukata, earning an amused look back from Dazai. "You know, I'm beginning to believe that this place has nothing to do with the facility that I was kept in. They would never keep someone so traditional looking on staff." He tilted his head and watched him, but the man's expression didn't change. "Unless you're planning on stabbing me with that katana of yours." 

A faint smile crossed Fukuzawa's face. "There won't be any stabbing here," he said lightly, "but I'm glad my presence has helped to convince you that you are safe here." 

"Not safe," Dazai shrugged off that word, "but merely in a different place with a group that has a different set of priorities." 

"I suppose that's all I can ask of you at this moment. "This is a very interesting predicament we have found ourselves in. I overheard the conversation you had with Ranpo, where you spoke of your last memories." His look of distaste as to what he thought of the tests was obvious. "So it really did come to pass…" 

Dazai's frown grew deeper. "Your words imply that I have forgotten a great deal, especially since all of you treat me with a degree of familiarity that rarely even comes from my long-term doctors, even if you avoid using my name just like them." There was a sliver of hope in his gaze that was almost painful. "Does that mean I really did get out of that building and away from all those assholes?"

Fukuzawa stepped forward and got ready to answer when Kyouka ran into the room, face pale. "I tried to stop her, Fukuzawa-taicho, I really did," she babbled, which was entirely unlike her. "But Ane-chan wouldn't take no for an answer and I didn't want anyone killed or the office destroyed or anything like that." 

Chuuya felt the blood drain from his face and Dazai's unruffled reaction convinced him ore than anything before that Dazai truly lost his memories. No one, not even Dazai, could hide their dismay that well at knowing that Kouyou was going to discover their predicament. It looked like all their preparations were about to come tumbling down. 

Kouyou sailed in a moment later, elegant as always and her kimono folded gently around her as she paused in the entrance of the room. Kyoka looked like she wanted to be anywhere but where she was and she started to edge out the door before a look from Kouyou stopped her. 

Chuuya wanted to either crawl under the bed or go out the window; both were a better option than trying not to squirm with the way Koyuou's gaze lingered on him for far too long, before switching to Dazai. Her mouth twitched and she covered her mouth with her hand, hiding her smile. "My, haven't the two of you turned into the most adorable children." 

Dazai's brows raised further and he gave Kouyou a searching look, trying to place her in some way. She kept her gaze on him and she looked faintly disappointed. "Although, children or not, I wouldn't have expected either of you to dress so poorly. Dazai, perhaps-- but you, Chuuya?"  She shook her head. "I expected much better of you." 

Chuuya's face flushed. "I didn't exactly have a choice," he muttered. Even these clothes were slightly big on him and he would have looked entirely ridiculous in his normal attire. 

Dazai was giving her a long look. "You have to have me mixed up with someone else, to make such a judgment call against me and by using the wrong name as well." Chuuya heard Yosano bite of an exclamation. He wasn't feeling too good about the situation himself. Dazai was going to hand over everything without even meaning to. Her words caused him to look down at his clothes and Chuuya gaped a little to see his expression light up. "Although your taste must suck, cause these clothes are cool ."  

More than anything he wished he could record and preserve this moment forever. Dazai could never complain about his clothing again and he had said Kouyou's taste was terrible and called his cool . This was a moment that he wanted to cherish forever. 

For the first time in a long time, Kouyou's composure was shaken and she looked almost hurt at Dazai's words. Dazai was continuing to pluck at the jeans and shirt, a bright smile on his face. Chuuya wondered how she would have reacted if he had forgotten her instead or along with Dazai. With Dazai's attention officially divided, Kouyou was able to re-focus her attention back on Chuuya. 

Like this situation, it could all end quite badly-- she could convince him that she was a relative and take him back to the Port Mafia and while he would be under her care again, he would have lost all the advantages he built up. He may have been under her care and command since he was fifteen, but she was also entirely loyal to the Port Mafia, down to her bones. Chuuya was the same, but he was also very self-aware of the dangers of going in with only half the information. 

They had a tense staring contest for a moment, one that no one quite knew how to break before Kouyou spoke again, her voice light. "I assume that you went to our allies and sometimes enemies instead of home base for a good reason?" she asked. "Are you looking to hide this from the Boss, Chuuya?"

Chuuya grimaced as he played with the fraying edge of the blanket under his hands. When she put it that way, it sounded like he was committing treason and he wondered if she would be wrong if she were to accuse him of it. It wasn't a normal solution to side with the enemy, even if it was to dump your former partner on their figurative doorstep. I was just thinking about being turned back into a weapon; about self-preservation. If they take me back and force Dazai to come with me…

His throat ran dry at the idea of using Corruption at an even younger age than before and then he stopped, staring down at his hands again, not realizing he hadn't answered Kouyou yet. This body hadn't used Corruption yet . There were no scars from the deadlier use of his Ability and the faint ache that had always lingered from a recent use was -- gone . His eyes went wide and he was distracted as Dazai for a moment, but for an entirely different reason. Kouyou had to clear her throat and poke him with her umbrella to get his attention. 

She seemed to read everything in his expression and her expression softened, resting a hand on their heads. Her expression was fond as she looked at both him and Dazai. "You both were always like my little brothers," she murmured. Her words caught Dazai's attention again and he was obviously trying to place this elegant, deadly woman in his memories. 

Dazai faced her directly again, eyes dark and curious. He left her hand where it was, still tense but leaning into the touch briefly as if it was something completely unknown but he unconsciously craved. The members of the ADA were looking at the three of them as if they had accidentally let an exotic animal into the office and it was performing tricks. 

"Everyone here seems to have the utmost confidence in knowing me, even this lady that calls me a little brother." His tone was calm and he finally moved away from Koyuou's hand. "I can't really say that anyone is known to me but there is always something going on behind the scenes and even I can't know every single person that works far beyond the areas I'm allowed in. The only one that seems vaguely familiar is the chibi redhead next to me." He didn't even need to gesture to Chuuya to make his meaning known. 

Chuuya stared at him in disbelief and he tried to figure out how that sort of thing even worked. Why did Dazai remember him of all people? Ugh, if it meant that the mackerel was connected to me in some way, I'm going to be sick. He told himself that he wasn't pleased with the information. No, not at all . 

Ranpo was suddenly there , standing in front of Dazai and breaking the tension with all the force of a bomb. "You remember Chuuya and no one else?" he demanded, eyes wide and bright with interest. "You don't even remember the name you go by now, but you remember him…" He turned to Fukuzawa. "I'm going to do more work on this-- I'll be out of the office. Let me know if anything happens to Mr. Fancy Hat or anything else to Dazai." He waved and didn't even wait for a response before he was out the door. 

Dazai blinked in surprise, but then flicked his gaze to Chuuya briefly, then back at Kouyou. "What name did you call me?" he asked cautiously. "You seem confident that it's my name and no one else seems surprised by it…" 

Kouyou gave him a faint smile. "Dazai," she said slowly, "Dazai Osamu." She crouched faintly and looked into his eyes. "Do you really not remember me, child?" she asked. 

Dazai shook his head and Chuuya saw him mouthing the name, working it over and finally giving her a return smile. "Well, hopefully, I'll remember you soon, Ane-chan," he said carefully, causing her to blink in surprise. 

"I could get used to this," she laughed lowly and turned her gaze back to Chuuya, who squirmed and gave a nervous swallow. As much as he and Dazai had fought over the years, he didn't want to have this more vulnerable version of Dazai destroyed again by the Mafia, as good as Kouyou's intentions could be. It was startling to see him actually act like a human being with real emotions and fears and the ADA was what brought it out in him. The regression to childhood only seemed to emphasize the difference from the boy Chuuya had known in the Mafia. 

"I think it would be best if I stay here, for now, Ane-chan," he said carefully, trying to sound as reasonable as possible. "If I expose myself more, even to members of the Mafia, it will be seen as a vulnerability to exploit." 

"That's a good, tactical reason," she praised him. "I also suppose that if you were to gain the same affliction as Dazai and forget your time with us, it could end up badly." That was an understatement; Chuuya had already pointed out that he could bring the entire building down, floor by floor and with great enjoyment. 

"You know that I trust my subordinates, but it takes one person to see and cause more problems than it's worth." He pointed to Dazai. "You know that the ADA won't allow Dazai out of their sight and without him to dampen my Ability, any triggering of that side would level the city, much less Headquarters." 

She gave him a thoughtful look and then smiled again at Kyouka, who finally had let go of the death grip on her phone, but her gaze was still cautious as she edged closer to Dazai, as if to offer her own protection. "You know, I can make my own visits and Mori won't be able to say anything, as I've already made it clear that I won't go without seeing Kyouka when I have the chance. This just makes it so that I can see my three favorite younger siblings." she teased. 

Dazai's eyes widened briefly at the word Ability and then his frown deepened as he looked around everyone in the room. The only one that didn't earn a completely distrustful look was Chuuya. "I want to know the complete truth," he said firmly. It was clear that he was tired of everyone insinuating and beating around the bush. 

Maybe it was the mostly trusting look that Dazai had given him or the fact that out of everyone, he was the one that Dazai even felt vaguely comfortable with. He glared at the rest of the room and rested a hand on Dazai's shoulder. He wanted to give him all the information that he could, but a stupid part of him wanted Dazai to have a chance a happier life as well. 

Still, Dazai enjoyed information the most out of anything and grew annoyed when he didn't have all the pieces. "I'll tell you everything," he promised, smirking at he looks of alarm on everyone's faces and an extremely amused smile from Kouyou. He didn't know if that was a good or bad sign. It was worth it for the appreciative look Dazai gave him. "They can try and stop me." 

Chapter Text

Kouyou looked mildly concerned at Chuuya's declaration and how close he stood next to Dazai. Even with her earlier words, it was clear she still had some reservations. "Are you sure that's the best idea?" she asked carefully. 

Chuuya's eyes narrowed at her words, but it wasn't as if he was completely surprised at the looks the others shared with Kouyou. It would have been funny if he wasn't so annoyed; the ADA and Kouyou were united in their confusion over Dazai and him. "I am the only one that will give him the unbiased truth," he pointed out. 

He also wanted to have the moment where he could talk to Dazai when he was like this; he was certain the two of them would have gotten along much better if they hadn't always been at each other's throats because of how they originally met. A Dazai before he was in Mori's care and learned how to so freely manipulate people… but it could have been a trait of his before he even came to the Mafia. 

Dazai's look switched from Chuuya to the rest of the group and smirked faintly. It was clear that he was willing to go with Chuuya, even if it was just to rile up the 'adults' in the room and cause them stress. So, it seems like some things started early for him… "We start with what sort of random things you know about me," he said first, expression calculating. "We can even start with something entirely simple, like what is my favorite food." 

Chuuya rolled his eyes at such an inane question, but thinking about it, it made sense. Something as simple as a favorite food wouldn't be written down in medical or observation files. It wouldn't have meant anything to scientists to have such a human desire. "Well, I don't know how often of a chance you got a chance to eat it when you were playing lab rat, but crab is your favorite." He made a face. "And instead of liking decent crab, you seem to have a weird fascination with the canned shit." 

Dazai laughed softly at Chuuya's response. "I've never actually had the canned variety, but it sounds like something I would do just to spite people." He gave Chuuya a considering look. "I could ask you all the questions in the world, and you can say, 'well, that's how I know you. Since I apparently lost my memories, I can't refute it. Still… I trust you enough with something as odd as this." He squeezed Chuuya's hand gently. "If you don't trust the adults around here to tell me the truth, I won't either." He looked around at the others as if expecting them all to leave at his words.

He gave a sudden grin to Kyouka. "You don't count of course-- and you warned us about a potential threat." Kouyou looked more pleased than offended to be put in the threat category and Kyouka blushed at Dazai's words. "However, I don't want anyone else around while Chuuya and I talk." 

"It's my office, you brat," Yosano took a half-hearted swat at him, which he dodged easily. "You can find some other place to have your secret conversations. I actually have work to do in here." 

Fukuzawa put a hand on their shoulders, gently directing them out of the room and turned back to smile at the rest of the group. "Nakahara-san and Dazai can use my office. I don't need it for anything at the moment and in this sort of situation, a little privacy wouldn't hurt." Fukuzawa's tone stated that he was entirely confident of Chuuya's ability to give Dazai as much truth as was needed; there was too much history between them to sugar-coat the bad parts and they knew each other well enough that Chuuya wouldn't leave out the good parts, either. 

Dazai released Chuuya's hand to jump off the bed and then watched in interest as Chuuya's landing was a lot more graceful, landing quietly on his feet. "Interesting," he mused, looking over him. "It looks like you have control over your own personal gravity at the very least. What else can you do?" They left the stunned members of the infirmary behind. 

Chuuya smirked at him as he strolled through the main room of the office, ignoring the stares of the other agency members. "You're just going to have to figure it out."  They had all seen his change to his younger self as well, but none of them except the ones that were in the room knew of Dazai's memory loss. Chuuya wasn't going to inform them; that could be left to their superior. 

"At least the Mafia member didn't kill them," Kunikida muttered as they walked by. "And no one is screaming or asking for help." He looked over at the two of them, Dazai barely acknowledging Kunikida. "I take it that everything is under control?"

Kouyou answered the question herself when she stepped out of the office, smiling at Dazai and Chuuya. "Don't forget I have plans to see both of you again, if this doesn't blow over soon." She gave the others a mischevious smirk before she left and dead silence reigned over the office after she left. 

Chuuya wasn't about to answer anything regarding that , either. He practically dragged Dazai inside Fukuzawa's office so that they could get this started. 

~

The rest of the occupants of the room were left to stare awkwardly at each other when the boys left. "Well, we either made the worst decision of our lives or this could go surprisingly well," Yosano muttered, slumping into her chair and resting a hand over her eyes. 

Kouyou raised an eyebrow at the blunt nature of her words, but she wasn't going to argue. "With those two," she said dryly, "you can never tell." She had the most experience with them before the Mafia had entirely shaped them into the men they were today; Dazai she knew the longest, even if she had grown the closest with Chuuya. "Life will take an unexpected turn, no matter what." 

~

While Chuuya sat in one of the comfortable office chairs, Dazai sat cross-legged on Fukuzawa's desk, which was thankfully bare of any paperwork. It was a blatant show of disrespect that Chuuya wasn't going to show that he appreciated at all. He looked over at Chuuya, a hint of a smile on his face. "So, what is everyone hiding from me, Nakahara Chibi-san?" He was less guarded with Chuuya and the mischief that was hinted at before was more on the surface now with his teasing words. 

"It's Chuuya , not chibi," Chuuya snapped, pointing a finger at Dazai. "Get that correct first off or else I won't call you Shuji or Dazai and instead just call you bandages." Mackerel wasn't appropriate at the moment, Dazai had more life and emotion in his expression in his eyes than Chuuya had ever seen before. There wasn't the level of dead-fish look from his Mafia years. 

Dazai ignored the threat and instead focused on the bandages. "That's actually something I wanted to ask about first," Dazai murmured, picking at the bandages around his throat. "Why am I wearing so many bandages when I'm not even injured at this time? There isn't any fresh bleeding or wounds that would need to be taken care of." 

Chuuya gaped at him, trying to collect his scattered thoughts after being caught off-guard. He never had known Dazai without bandages or wearing something that covered all the spots the bandages normally did. It was like a second skin to him, only shed when needed. It was lucky that he knew the answers that Dazai had given him, years ago and when they were at their closest. 

"You wear them to … protect yourself," Chuuya's words stumbled over themselves, trying to avoid Dazai's bright-eyed look of interest at learning something about himself that few people knew. "You wanted to hide the scars so that no one asked any questions. You wanted to protect yourself from people being nosy." Even as a twelve-year-old, Dazai had far too many scars and Chuuya had to wonder how long Dazai had been locked away in the laboratory. "They were your armor against the world and they protected you." His voice went softer, more uncertain. It's like I'm betraying Dazai's secrets, even if I'm telling them to Dazai and he knows that I know this particular secret. 

Chuuya had a feeling it was Dazai's first chance to control how much of himself that someone saw, instead of having every last aspect of his life in someone else's hands. 

Dazai gave that information consideration and didn't refute it, even the unanswered speculation that lay behind Chuuya's expression. "Well, it makes sense," he allowed, "but right now, they itch ." He scratched at them and started unraveling them, holding out his arm. "Help me?" he asked, unaware of how personal that was as well and Chuuya's throat went tight that again that Dazai was trusting him with this. 

He was still the only one allowed to do so. 

The office wouldn't know how to handle Dazai 'bare' or how to answer if Dazai had asked them to do the same thing. Even if this was a younger, less jaded or hurt Dazai, the offer still gave a certain amount of trust. Chuuya's hands were gentle as he removed the same bandages that he had wrapped yesterday. It was exceedingly rare to show anyone else so much of himself and Chuuya pushed away the jealous feeling that Dazai was going to share that with others, even if he knew it was a sign of growth and it was healthy.

Dazai gave him that same look again as the last of the bandages were removed and his voice was understanding. "You were the only one that saw me like this, weren't you?" he asked. "I must have trusted you a great deal, Chuuya." 

The tip of Chuuya's ears warmed at the words, trying not to get flustered by it as he kept his voice matter of fact. "I was the only one that you willingly allowed to see it, although I can't vouch for that woman, Yosano or … or Mori." Chuuya's voice struggled a bit on the name; he didn't want to bring up Mori yet. "Mori probably know the most besides me about your scars. He was your doctor first and he took care of you every time that you had tried to fatally injure yourself." 

"Is this Mori here and someone I can trust?" Dazai asked casually and Chuuya tried to think about how best to answer. Oh god… There was still that worry in the back of his mind that Dazai was wanting to play the long con and putting on the best acting of his life. He has always been a consummate liar and could fool anyone. Asking a question like that and Chuuya having promised the truth…

What if he's testing me and my loyalty ? He could be screwed with whatever answer he gave and he took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't even sure what the correct answer was. Mori hadn't been exactly a danger to Dazai, but he wasn't someone that Dazai could trust, either. What does that say about my loyalty to the Port Mafia and the Boss ? It was an uncomfortable thought. 

Dazai's hand rested on his cheek, an amused smile on his face. "I had no idea this was such a difficult question to answer." 

Chuuya took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "Mori runs the Port Mafia," he said slowly, watching Dazai's face closely for any hints of what he was thinking. "He does what is best for the city and well…" His mouth quirked up faintly, "the law usually doesn't agree with the methods. It is the Mafia and the strongest and most respected criminal organization in Yokohama and possibly most of Japan." 

Dazai looked pensive as he mulled over the words. "So the leader of the Port Mafia was my personal doctor?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Whatever did I do to earn something like that?" 

"You tried to kill yourself, presumably on Mori's doorstep and instead of letting your suicidal ass rot away, he saved you. Your payment to him was being a witness to him killing the old Boss of the Port Mafia and taking his place." 

"You really are telling me the truth," Dazai's voice was bright with amusement and he grinned widely at Chuuya. Chuuya had to push down the moment of panic that Dazai really had been screwing with him all this time, but Dazai continued before Chuuya could throw something at his head. "No one could be that emotionally blunt if they were lying." 

"I said that I wouldn't lie," Chuuya muttered, prickly at already being doubted, but he already mistrusted Dazai, so he really couldn't get too upset. "You used to work for the Port Mafia," he admitted. "You were high up in the ranks; the youngest Executive and Mori's trusted protégé when you left." He couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice if he tried. It still burned that Dazai couldn't make the Mafia work for him as it had for Chuuya. That no matter what, it was an ever-shrinking cage that wouldn't let Dazai heal past his traumas. 

He only became more of a sadistic bastard. He wasn't quite so emotional about death after so long; he just killed without remorse. No matter what we did together or how we understood parts of each other, I wasn't enough to keep him anchored. 

Dazai's eyebrows raised at the emotional response. "I take it that's how we knew each other?" he asked. "We were partners, weren't we." He said it so matter of factly and there was a hint of… happiness in his voice at the word 'partners'. Like it was special like Dazai hadn't spit on it and thrown it away. There was also a gentle regret that made Chuuya's chest go tight at an unsaid apology from the person that didn't even remember what he was apologizing for . 

He nodded and felt his ears warm, cursing this younger body of his for its lack of hiding the emotional responses. Figures the bastard would say he was sorry when he was twelve and amnesic. 

"Hm… it's no wonder why I trust you, Chuuya," Dazai said consideringly, "but I have to wonder how you can trust me if I betrayed you." Chuuya wanted to protest that it was the Mafia that Dazai betrayed and not Chuuya specifically, but Dazai went on. "Your tone and body language are letting me know you're about three steps away from throwing something at my head," he admitted with a grin. 

Chuuya sighed and looked away. "It's complicated," he said after a moment. "Even if you were a complete ass most of the time, you only betrayed me that one time." His voice trailed off as he went through several emotions at once. Dazai looking so curious and open and not understanding the reasons hurt. "Sometimes I think that you did it to save me, even if you didn't quite think of that reason when you first left." 

Dazai's gaze was searching, trying to catch Chuuya's eyes again. "Does this have anything to do with your Ability and how it can be used?" he asked. "Am I..or was I just a safeguard for your power?" This time Dazai was the one that sounded bitter and Chuuya actually turned to stare at him in surprise. "I wouldn't be too shocked if my purpose in the Mafia, to cancel your power as needed so that others would be protected." 

Chuuya couldn't help but bristle at the idea that he had to have Dazai as a nursemaid, but a little pleased that Dazai automatically assumed he was dangerous enough with his Ability that he was needed to turn it off. "It's part of the reason we were partners," he admitted. "It also helped that we were close in age. Mori was probably thrilled to not only have someone that could cancel Abilities on hand but also to be able to use that big brain of yours that never rested." He shrugged. "He wanted me because gravity is a dangerous weapon to use against someone. You'd rather have them be your ally than your enemy." 

That was why Sheep wanted me; they hadn't even known really about the Arahabaki aspect, they just wanted the strength that my gravity Ability gave them. If it hadn't been for Verlaine, I wouldn't have ever unleashed Corruption and while Dazai and I would have still been partners, I don't know if we would have ever gained the reputation as Double Black….at least, not as fast as we did. 

"That does make sense and it makes it sound better than I originally thought. I am the opposite of a weapon, after all. I think the scientists wanted to use me to decimate the enemy by putting me in the middle and shutting off crucial Abilities when they needed to use them the most." He looked unconcerned. "Not that it's a possibility now, of course-- I can already tell the war is over. It's too peaceful and all those people in that room would have been drafted into service. They didn't let the Ability users roam free." He tilted his head. "I wonder how long it's been since they lost their human nullifier." 

Chuuya bit his lip, this was the hardest part and he knew that it would come to this eventually. It was nice to pretend, but he couldn't hide this particular truth for any longer. He stood up in front of Dazai and the height difference almost made it possible to be able to look Dazai in the eyes, instead of the massive difference they had when they were both adults and Dazai was an impossible giraffe of a person. 

"You told us that you ran away," Chuuya said absently. "Dazai-- this part is the important part and you have to believe me, even if it doesn't seem possible." He waited for Dazai's impatient nod before continuing. "Remember how you said that Abilities can sometimes affect you?" he asked slowly, "and how we told you that there was some important information that you forgot?" 

Dazai frowned a little, he didn't even remember that part, since he told them before he lost his memories, but he made a 'go on' gesture to Chuuya. 

"It's been ten years since the last day you remember." Chuuya watched as Dazai's eyes went incredibly wide as he looked down at himself again and he opened his mouth to protest before Chuuya shushed him and continued on. "We both got hit with an age-regression Ability and turned us into our younger selves. Don't ask me how it happened, we haven't figured that part out yet." He winced with the next part. "Whatever your Ability protected you from seemed to ...encourage this one and you've lost all your memories past the age you are now." He waited uneasily for Dazai's reaction, mentally preparing himself for all sorts of questions that he didn't know if he could or want even want to answer. 

Dazai's look was incredulous and his voice hushed as he choked out the words. "I've been alive for that long?" he asked, sounding more disbelieving of his longevity than before turned into a twelve-year-old. "I thought I would be dead before I hit fifteen. What age was I when I escaped from that laboratory?" 

"When Mori saved you from a suicide attempt, you were fourteen," he said slowly. He thought back to that blank-eyed boy that he met when he was fifteen, in the heart of the slums that had been the only home he had ever known before Dazai had shown up. Only a year since he escaped from hell and the mental scars had only been smoothed over and not very effectively. Dazai's prediction had almost come true; as they always did. If it wasn't for Mori, Dazai would have died before he was fifteen and never made his way into Chuuya's life. 

"I suppose I should thank him," Dazai said dryly, "for the chance to exchange one cage for another." 

He couldn't really deny it; for Dazai it had been a cage. Even if it was wide and filled with distractions; money and power and control over death, he couldn't leave until it cost him the life of the person who saw the human beneath the demon, the genius--the experiment. At the rate Dazai had been going, he would have walked directly in the footsteps of his teacher; killing the leader of the Mafia and taking over. 

Dazai caught the look on Chuuya's face and gave him a smile. "At least you're honest about it," he murmured, staring down at the scars that were no longer covered by the bandages. "I almost don't want to find the Ability user that did this, just so that I can give my childhood a second chance. I don't know what type of adult I turned out to be, but based on what I picked up from everyone, I wasn't the best one. I could even avoid joining the Mafia this time." 

Chuuya was caught speechless by Dazai's next words. "You could come with me, Chuuya." His smile was so bright and innocent that Chuuya knew that Dazai had been taken over by aliens at that moment. "This time, I wouldn't leave you behind." 

Chuuya gaped at him, incredulous at the idea of staying a child and going through the whole mess of growing up all over again. "I like being an adult, damn it," he snapped. "I can buy my own liquor and there are people under my command that trust me to lead them. And I sure as shit don't want to go through puberty again." 

When Dazai chuckled at his reasons, Chuuya pressed on, determined. "As shitty as your childhood was, you do have people that depend on you , even if I think you're shit at it. You… you became a better person with them," he admitted. "Don't throw that away for a second childhood." 

Dazai made a face. "I also don't want to be old ," he muttered. To a twelve-year-old, twenty-two had to seem incredibly ancient. "Not the people with the Mafia, obviously-- but that lady that came in, Kouyou…" He smiled briefly at the fond look she had given him. "She's certainly from the Mafia. She seems too dangerous to be in the office full of the other people. She knew you and me as children, which stands to reason that she's looked after us while we were in the Mafia." 

"I'm still in the Mafia, but yeah-- Kouyou looked after more me than you; you had Mori as your commander while I worked with Kouyou. She trained me and I was under her supervision until I was old enough to gain a squad of my own." Part of it had happened after Dazai had left and Chuuya had been elevated to the Executive position. "Kouyou mentioned once that she wished she had the hold of both of us, but Mori was insistent that he be the one to watch over you and guide you." 

"You can be the adult then and I can be under your command," Dazai said half-seriously, an impish grin on his face. "I can trust you not to screw me over and train me to do the job right without sacrificing my mental health." 

Chuuya felt the bottom drop out of his stomach at the very thought of being responsible for training a pre-teen Dazai. When they had been partnered together, it had been an active fantasy to be in command over the arrogant shithead. Doing it this way felt wrong and besides, it would have felt like cheating to do it when Dazai was like this. 

Still, I'm going to file this all away for when Dazai gets his memories back. I can't wait to see his face when I tell him that he asked to be under my command. 

"Besides," Chuuya said hurriedly. "I don't think I can change back without you doing it at the same time. You kick-started this whole thing with us, after all." He told himself he wasn't tempted if the case turned out to be that he could leave Dazai like this. 

"No?" Dazai asked, leaning back and resting his head on his hands. "I don't think I'd like the Mafia anyway. I've seen enough damage from the war that I don't think contributing to the violence is the best of ideas." 

"Did you know that the Mafia was created as an answer to deal with the crap that came after the war?" Chuuya asked. "As backward as it sounds, it protects the crime from getting too out of hand." 

Dazai snorted at that reasoning, but it was sound-- you needed one controlling force over something so unpredictable. It was like a kingdom in a sense. There would be factions of people that did its own thing, but an ultimate power that set down the rules and punishments. There had to be an opposing side as well-- a neutral party to round it all off, but there would never be a perfect utopia. There would always be one person to tip the scales and go for the opposite of what was safe and good. 

"What did you know of the war?" Chuuya asked. It wasn't like it was ancient history, after all--several members of the Mafia, especially the high-ranking ones, had been involved in it. Mori had certainly been waist-deep in it and forging his own way through the ranks. 

"My parents died in it," Dazai said bluntly, a tired expression in his eyes. This was a pain that was never shown and a part of Dazai that he was certain no one knew. "My mother was a genius strategist and I was young, we would play games to test my skills. They were simple games-- the best route to the bedroom if Father blocked the hallway. What did I expect for dinner that night based on what was in the house or who was coming to visit that night." 

Chuuya kept quiet, watching Dazai and only stepping closer into his space, wanting to reach out but not wanting to interrupt. This wasn't about getting one over on Dazai anymore, this was about learning about him and trying to understand. 

"They had been fun ," he said angrily. "Little distractions, unlike the tests that I had to take and hoops that I jumped through for the scientists that were fascinated by how a child's brain worked." He looked off, twisting his hands together. "My father--he could amplify people's Abilities. They were both needed for the war; such highly talented people were some of the first taken to try and secure a victory for our side. They did early on as well, targeted for their skills." 

"Dazai…" Chuuya was no stranger to death like this; the Dazai he had known had laughed at some deaths and was envious of others. This was… this was so deeply personal that he almost felt ashamed for his earlier thoughts.

Dazai continued as if he hadn't heard Chuuya. "My Ability developed after they died; they never got a chance to see what I could do. The government was thrilled to find me and made me a 'valuable asset' to be protected. I was six when I went into their custody since I didn't have any other family that could claim me." 

Chuuya sighed and climbed onto the desk so that he could sit next to Dazai and lean against him. For this moment, he could pretend they were both ordinary kids, both united in shitty situations where the adults around them treated them like projects and not people. Dazai didn't protest at the closeness and instead leaned closer to him. 

"I don't remember if I had any family," Chuuya offered softly. It was easier telling this Dazai; the one that was in the Mafia knew the bare bones about what had happened, but not how Chuuya felt . "I escaped the lab I was in when I was seven, but it's because I sort of… blew it up." He grinned at Dazai's low whistle and appreciative look. "I was there because I wanted to use me as a weapon. Hell, maybe I actually died in there; I'm a vessel for a god of destruction and when ...someone… tried to free me, things got a little messy." That was the understatement of the year. 

Dazai's face went completely still with shock as he looked at Chuuya, before a wry amusement filled his eyes. "Nakahara Chuuya...I think we were supposed to have met a lot sooner than we actually did. The scientists that worked with me talked about an escaped experiment that they wanted to pair me with; its named was Arahabaki. That's you, isn't it?"

Chuuya shouldn't be surprised that Dazai had caught on so quickly and there was no use lying or covering it up. He nodded and kept pressed up against Dazai's side, taking comfort from the warmth of the other. "Part of me is Chuuya and the other Arahabaki, even if he's locked down inside of me for now. I can unleash the full power of the god, but it comes at the cost of my body breaking down from the sheer force of it. I...I always trusted you to stop my power before it killed me or destroyed the city." 

"Thank you," Dazai's words didn't come as a surprise this time. "That's the first time I remember someone actually trusting me since my parents died. I'm glad I gained the trust of someone, even if I…" he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I wish I knew how badly I messed up so that I could make it up to you." 

Chuuya grinned wide at that. "Oh don't worry," he reassured him. "Once you get your memories back, I'll make sure you remember this conversation so that you can properly grovel in front of me and beg my forgiveness. It doesn't seem right to make you pay for the crimes you don't remember committing." 

Dazai laughed and held out a hand again, Chuuya clasping it like that long-ago day when they had worked together to shatter Rimbaud's Ability. "I'm glad you're here with me, Chuuya," Dazai said honestly. "I knew there was a reason you seemed familiar. I know I can get through this with you by my side." 

Chuuya blinked and gave a sincere smile back, squeezing Dazai's hand back in understanding. It didn't matter that the idiot got him into this mess in the first place. He was glad that Dazai was by his side as well. 

Chapter Text

Chuuya was the first one to move away from his comfortable position against Dazai, ignoring the other's grumble. "We should get back before they think we killed each other," he said reluctantly. Chuuya could count on his hands the number of peaceful moments with Dazai. In the past, one of them had to have been sick or injured for them to be so relaxed with one another. 

"I'd like to think there would be a little more noise," Dazai wrinkled his nose, but a small smile lingered at the corner of his mouth. "I would put up much more of a fuss if you tried to murder me. There would be some shouting at the very least." 

"Good to know that I would be the one trying to kill you, " Chuuya muttered; it was true to their relationship with each other. He waited until Dazai jumped down from the desk to stand next to him. "You can't fight worth shit and I'd kick your ass halfway across the room before you even tried to hurt me." He had done it before; even their first meeting started with Chuuya kicking Dazai through a wall. 

"Promises, promises," Dazai laughed, sounding so much like his old self that Chuuya was briefly taken aback. When they walked out of the room together, both cast cautious looks over the room and the people, wary in their movements. Chuuya did so because they were technically the enemy and he knew what they were capable of; Dazai because he didn't know these people at all, not that he could remember. 

As one of the least threatening looking members of the ADA, Kyouka was the first to step forward, looking between Dazai and Chuuya nervously. "Is it true that Dazai-san doesn't remember anything of us?" she asked. Chuuya nodded, wondering where this was going when Kyouka gave him a sweet smile. "It's good that he has you, Nakahara-san. I know that you'll take good care of him." 

Dazai gave her a charming smile. "I know he will," he said confidently. "You were the cute girl that tried to warn us of potential danger. I don't think I got your name." 

Kyouka blushed at the full force of Dazai's charm, stumbling over her words as she introduced herself. "Izumi Kyouka," she murmured, bowing formally in front of the two of them. Chuuya was more than a little disconcerted to see Kyouka as the older one, instead of the younger sister he had tried to protect and guide while in the Mafia. He was intensely grateful that he was the one that remembered; the idea of not knowing who anyone was around him was disturbing. As fascinating as it was to observe with Dazai, he didn't want to experience that for himself. 

Dazai gave her another smile before turning to face the group that came out of the infirmary. He was disappointed to see that Kouyou wasn't among them, but if Chuuya had been telling him the truth, bringing more attention to the Mafia wasn't the best of ideas. The idea that he trusted Chuuya without any reservations when he was part of the Mafia, didn't bother or surprise him. 

If he had wanted to betray me, he had ample time to do so. 

"We have been discussing where the best place for the two of you to hide," Fukuzawa said without preamble. "Ozaki-san left so that she would not be compromised. She did offer her lodgings, but she agreed that there are too many eyes there and word would get out much faster than we would be prepared for." 

Dazai nodding in understanding. Even in the laboratory, there were people that were more loyal to outside forces than the ones they directly worked for. They would sell them out in an instant if they thought it would be profitable. He imagined that the Mafia was much of the same way and even inside the Mafia, Chuuya had laid strong hints that the head of the Mafia, Mori should not know their predicament. 

Chuuya flicked his gaze over to Dazai for a moment, an amused smile on his face. "I actually know of a place where we can go that will be safe," he said, "and completely off the radar of the Port Mafia. Dazai and I are the only ones that know about this place, I can guarantee it." 

"Huh… my older self must have planned something to keep a place…" he murmured. "It's some sort of safehouse, isn't it?" he guessed. "Where I could have run to in case things got truly dangerous?" 

Chuuya nodded, pleased that Dazai picked it up so quickly, while some of the others looked a little more uncertain. These were the type of people that had to deal with dangerous situations for certain and having a secret base for safety wasn't unusual, but it may have been that Dazai knew the reason so quickly while not remembering that made them uneasy. 

"You are sure that Mori does not know this place exists?" Fukuzawa asked; his worry about the situation a little more evident. He knew Mori better than most people; they had once worked together, after all. If anyone knew how tenacious and sneaky Mori could be when it came to what he considered 'his', it was Fukuzawa. 

"Not a chance," Chuuya could be absolutely certain with this. "Dazai's always been a paranoid shit and this place isn't known to the Mafia and technically isn't even in Yokohama. The only reason why I know it exists was that we both needed a place to recover from a mission and that place was the closest." He had a faint smirk on his face. "Dazai probably thought I was too out of it from Corruption to realize that I remembered where he had taken me." 

Dazai raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment, but Yosano smiled. "Dazai probably knew and watched you to make sure that you wouldn't give up his secret," she pointed out. "When you didn't spill the location to anyone or showed up when you weren't in the company of him, he knew he could trust you with the informaton." She pointed at Dazai, who looked a cross between pleased and offended at being read so well from someone he didn't remember. "You know how his mind works." 

Chuuya grumbled, but had to agree-- and it pleased him a little that he never broke that trust, not even when it would have been advantageous to do so. "Yeah, he never told anyone, not even Mori," he muttered, "and Mori was the one that took care of him for years." 

Yosano nodded as if that explained everything. She knew Mori as well. "Is the place still liveable?" she asked briskly, skipping right over those implications into more practical matters. "If it was a safehouse during his Mafia years, it may not be in the best of shape now." 

"If it was a safe place for me while I was in the Mafia," all heads turned to look at Dazai as he spoke. "Then it stands to reason that it would be a safe place for me when I left. I would have maintained such a place in case I felt the need to hide again." 

Chuuya had places like that as well, even ones that were lower on the list of places to stay, he still worked to keep them in working order in case it was his only choice. He wasn't about to show any of them to Dazai, even now. He still had to maintain some secrets and his own paranoia wouldn't willingly give up a place that was his own. Even if the asshole probably already knows about them, he never came by to prove it. 

"It makes me glad that I am not in the Mafia, to always feel the need to watch my own back and be so distrustful of my peers." Kunikida pushed his glasses up on his nose. He looked vaguely annoyed and already distressed that Dazai didn't see them as completely trustworthy, either. It was proven when he went to Chuuya first with the Ability changing him and now with the mention of a maintained safe house. 

"That's life," Chuuya shrugged. He trusted his subordinates, but there were others in the Mafia that wouldn't hesitate to take down someone of a higher ranking to get their status elevated. "It's not paranoia if they really are out to get you." 

He had kept that unspoken trust that Dazai had placed in him when Dazai had hidden for two years, out of the sight of the Mafia and the government both. He may have spent months in the safe house or a day, or possibly his entire time there, but Chuuya never showed anyone the one place they could have found the 'traitor'. 

Part of it was because I didn't want him in my life any longer and the other part was happy that Dazai managed to get away after trying for so long. 

"We could have you stay there on your own, then-- as long as it won't arouse any suspicion to have you there alone. We would have to maintain some sort of cover; an adult showing up for appearances so that they don't think you've been abandoned and even more trouble shows up for the pains of keeping you safe." Kunkikda looked thoughtful, but he seemed as if he was going to volunteer his services for the task, either. "It's not like we have any trouble leaving you alone, you both have the necessary skills to live alone, especially with Nakahara-san retaining his memories." 

Dazai wrinkled his nose. "I wasn't exactly taught life skills while being a lab rat," he pointed out dryly. "I may have to rely on Chuuya to teach me how to cook so I don't set the house on fire." 

"And if something happens to Nakahara-san and he loses his memories and you're both helpless?" Kunikida shot back. 

"I will write myself a note," Dazai said patiently, "in case I forget more as well. That way, I can use the modern invention of the telephone to let you know that a situation has happened and that we need assistance." 

Yosano laughed and thumped Kunikida on the back. "You make it seem like you want to set up shop and watch the brats," she grinned, watching the man pale. "They'll be fine as long as we make sure they have food and running water." She gave them a critical once over. "Also, clothes in case this runs for an extended period of time. They can't stay in the same clothes for days on end." 

Haruno and Naomi peeked out from their shared office, expressions bright. "Oooh, can we can go shopping for them?" Naomi asked, eyes gleaming as she looked over the two of them. Her expression was almost predatory and Dazai took a step backward. 

"Somehow, I feel like I should be worried," Dazai murmured quietly to Chuuya. 

Chuuya went a little pale at the eagerness of the two office ladies. "It's because that sometimes, your instincts for danger scream at just the right time," he muttered back. 

"Oh, you're both no fun," Haruno pouted. "We would be good…" She snuck a look at Kyouka, who had been their last victim as a giant doll. "We know how to look out for good deals and we could even dress you in traditional clothing like Kyouka to throw them off the scent of seeing you two in your normal stuff." 

Naomi beamed at the very idea, the images tumbling through her head. "I think they'd look adorable, as small as they are," she sighed. 

"I wore it all the time before," Dazai shrugged. "It's not like it's anything special." He plucked at the t-shirt, which was slightly oversized on his thin frame. "It would be nice to get something that fits a little closer, though." 

Naomi gave Dazai a closer look. "You've decided me. I totally have to see your dressed up all properly now. Festivals don't count. Please let us have this?" she asked, clasping her hands together. 

Chuuya was just grateful that with all the talk about clothes, no one mentioned the lack of bandages, although he caught a few looks snuck here and there. Maybe they are capable of tact. Still, he wanted to protest the clothing, they would stick out more, it wasn't exactly common anymore for kids to be dressed in traditional clothing; only more isolated families or very traditional ones, like Kyouka's had been. 

Yosano gave him an evil grin as if she could read the thoughts off his face. "No one will recognize you two out of your normal type of clothes," she pointed out. "Especially if Ozaki-san, Fukuzawa or even Kyouka checked in on you." 

Chuuya hated to agree, even internally that it was a good idea. It would be a good fit for the neighborhood; they wouldn't stick out so much if they showed up in clothing that fit in with what a lot of the residents wore, even if they dressed normally inside Dazai's house. It wasn't in Yokohama directly but on the outskirts of it and in a fairly isolated community. If they went in at night, fewer people would see them and Chuuya was sure that Dazai had established enough of a presence that no one would question anyone living there on a more permanent basis. 

From what he remembered of the place, he wondered how Dazai had been so comfortable there or why he had cultivated the place at all. The other places Dazai had set up for safety were more modern and polished, especially the one that 'officially' had as his apartment. There had been guards and layers of security to get through before one could even get close to the front door. 

This place isn't any less secure in its own way… there are still locks on the doors and codes and all that sensible stuff, but the people in the village provide their own type of security. It's the type of place that when strangers show up, they talk. 

Yosano clapped her hands together. "Well, now that the problem of housing is sorted, let's get you both clothes and food so that you can take care of yourself for a while without leaving. I am not going to ask where your little hideaway is, but I trust Dazai had the common sense to be near enough to a place to buy his own food." 

"It would be better that you find a place other than Yokohama," Atsushi pointed out. "The Mafia surely knows Yosano-sensei and her with two kids that look like Nakahara-san and Dazai, it could raise suspicions. They have to know about the Ability user now, even if no one in the Mafia got hit by it and they don't know that Dazai and Nakahara-san were affected." 

Everyone turned to give Atsushi a look of surprise and he flushed at the sudden attention. "Maybe Dazai-san's lessons are finally rubbing off on me," he mumbled to the floor, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

"Or you're finally acting like a real detective," Kunikida stated and it was clear which of the two options he liked better. 

"Still, that is solid thinking, no matter the source," Fukuzawa said approvingly. "We will do our shopping out of town and then get the two of them as close to their destination as possible, which knowing Dazai, isn't in Yokohama, either." 

"That might make it more difficult for us to keep an eye on them," Kunikida said, frowning a little. 

"It's not far outside of Yokohama," Chuuya allowed that much information given. "Don't be such a worrier, Glasses." 

Dazai had a faint smirk on his face. "You act like we would run at the first chance we got," Dazai said lightly, holding a hand to his heart. "How distrustful of you." 

Kunikida actually turned red and his hands trembled at his sides as he visibly tried to keep his temper in check, staring down at this younger Dazai. He shoved his glasses up his nose with such ferocity that they nearly flew off. "Someone that has a place to run to for safety should always be expected to run." 

Dazai shrugged and looked a little tired. "I haven't run yet that I remember," he pointed out. "You can't treat me like this Dazai you know, we aren't the same person. I'm not even Dazai in my mind. I've only ever been Shuji." His words were blunt in his logic "Besides, I think that Chuuya likes Yokohama too much to ever leave on a permanent basis." 

Kyouka looked surprised. "You don't like it?" she asked softly. 

"I don't know it," Dazai shrugged again, but gave her a smile, not wanting to be so harsh with her. "My family used to live in Aomori." The smile trembled a moment, turning more down at the corners. "Much further north from here, but I wouldn't run home, either." 

Chuuya knew the reasons why but didn't volunteer information when Dazai didn't elaborate himself. The detectives could draw their own conclusions. He sighed and pushed his hair back. "Let's just get this over with," he muttered. "I hope you know a safe way to get out of here undetected so that we don't arouse suspicion." 

Fukuzawa looked like he wanted to pat his head. "I've been at this sort of game longer than you've been alive. Trust me to get this all arranged safely. Even if this is an unusual situation, I can still make it work for everyone involved." 

Chuuya wasn't sure he liked how that sounded, but for the moment he would have to put his fate in someone else's hands. Once he and Dazai were alone, he could relax. 

~

It was the third store they had gone to and Chuuya was fed up with the whole situation. He knew he looked like a sullen kid, but he couldn't help being annoyed. He hadn't needed anyone coming with him while he shopped for a long time, if ever. Even when he had been twelve the first time around, he shopped without assistance. Yosano had insisted that it would look too strange for the 'kids' to be out alone, especially in unfamiliar territory. She was there as both backup and a cover, with Kyouka and Atsushi by her side. It looked like a family shopping trip. 

Chuuya was just grateful that no one did know him here in this smaller shopping arcade, especially with the way he was dressed and Yosano patting his head every so often whenever he would put on a new outfit. It's obvious the shitty Ability user hadn't hit this area yet; too many people around and acting normal and no one is blinking an eye at us, suspecting we might be adults-as-kids.

He stayed close to Dazai once the main aspect was done and they both had bags filled with at least a mont's worth of clothes. He spoke French under his breath, hoping that Dazai would understand the language. He had been the one to teach it to Chuuya; citing that it was always useful to have a foreign language, especially when Chuuya didn't have the typical Japanese looks. 

"J'adorerai me cacher juste pour que nous arrêtions de faire des achats. " (I will love going into hiding just so that we stop shopping.)

Dazai's lips twitched in amusement at Chuuya's words. "I would enjoy being away from everyone, too," he murmured. "There's a lot more going on than I thought there would be." Even if it was a smaller area, not as busy at Tokyo or Yokohama, it was still fairly populated and noisy. Chuuya gave him a closer inspection and then cursed under his breath for not seeing it before. 

How could I forget how overwhelming everything was when I got out of that damn lab? This Dazai has spent the last six years living as a specimen in a facility and before then, he lived in fairly isolated conditions.  

He resisted the urge to shake Dazai for not saying anything sooner but admitting that this much was more than he usually got out of the moron. He never liked to admit a weakness. He sighed and put on his most sullen expression, summoning all the pre-teen energy that he could. He wanted to get out of here and he wanted to get Dazai out of here, so he'd take one for the team. 

"I'm bored ," he whined, earning startled looks from Kyouka and Atsushi, who hadn't expected to hear such a tone from him. "Shopping sucks and I want to go home." 

Yosano looked like she was fighting a smile, but she gave them a careful look over, pausing on Dazai and nodded to herself in understanding. "Don't forget we have to go to the grocery store first," she warned, "but that will be the last trip. Let's go, kids." 

Dazai tried to hide his grateful look, but it was obvious he appreciated the ordeal ending. The fact that he was showing so much wear was telling all on its own. 

The shopping wrapped up with them in a more secluded area of the train station, Yosano producing backpacks where she had stored their food and clothes. "Alright, you two. You're all packed up and ready to go and stay for a while in the house. Hopefully this will all blow over before you need to get more, but you can either just call us or haul your butts to whatever town is nearby to get supplies." 

Chuuya nodded firmly, keeping close to Dazai's side. It was up to him to get them there safely and the growing twilight would make it easier to get there under cover and to their location. He knew that even when they made their way to the house, someone would keep somewhat of an eye of where they were, most likely the tiger kid. It relieved him, rather than worrying him and he knew Dazai would feel the same, as Atsushi seemed to be someone he genuinely cared for and trusted. 

"Let's go." 

~

"I really hope you didn't' change your security since the last time I was here," Chuuya muttered, "or that you know your future brain well enough to be able to open the locks so we won't set off all sorts of alarms when trying to get inside." 

Dazai shrugged, shifting the bag he wore. "I can't say anything about either one," he said, "but I hope there won't be any trouble." The small town was quiet when they walked through it, such a stark contrast to Yokohama that Chuuya had wondered briefly if he had gone deaf. The stores were shuttered and locked and there were very few lights on in the houses they saw. 

It wasn't run down, just… isolated and far enough away from the ports and the Mafia's direct territory that Chuuya could breathe a little easier. 

"Let's hope for the best," Chuuya murmured, setting down his own bag and going through the codes that Dazai had shown him. 

'You need to know these, chibi, in case you wander outside in your sickly state and need to get back in. I may be trying to perfect a suicide technique and unable to let you in if you get stuck outside.' 

He pushed away from the memory of Dazai giving him a condescending smirk and focused on the codes, grateful that they yielded under his input. He wasted no time in shoving Dazai inside and following after, both of them crowded into the small entryway. He locked the door and reset the codes and then sighed, flicking on a light. He was almost afraid he would see a dump that was crawling with roaches or mice, especially after an uncertain time of no one living there. He was relieved to see that it was clean and neat still, just as he remembered. 

He smirked to himself as he kicked off his shoes, placing them neatly in the entryway, before poking Dazai to do the same. Everyone expects Dazai to live like some drunk hobo, but they don't know how meticulous he actually is. He's never had a public space that wasn't a ruse of some kind; either bare of all life or what looked like such a trash heap that no one wanted to venture near to see the truth behind the illusion. 

The hallway stretched out before them, leading to several rooms and a kitchen, with side spots leading off to what he presumed was the bathing area and the toilet. It smelled freshly cleaned and Chuuya had to wonder how recently Dazai had actually been here. 

This is probably the closest place he has to what's really him and while he may have other secret places, this is more of his home than anything else. It twisted something inside that Dazai had trusted him with them, even if he hadn't made it obvious at the time. 

Dazai was looking around with interest as they walked through the short hallway to the kitchen, obviously trying to figure out what type of person he had grown into. While he went into what was set up as a livingroom, Chuuya went into the kitchen and started to put away the groceries. If there were few cans of canned crab in there, it wasn't because he was sentimental or being nice. He just wanted to see how Dazai would react to the favorite food of his older self. 

Dazai's face was almost unreadable. "It reminds me of home," he said softly. "I would say I was surprised that I remembered so much as an adult, but it's only proof that my ability remember hasn't faded at all." He turned around. "It's smaller, of course-- and there are differences, but…" he smiled and touched one of the sliding doors, fingers brushing over the patterns carved into the wood. "There is enough that I know what it's meant to be a homage to." 

Chuuya gave the place a more interested look after he put away the food, noticing as he did so the bottles of fine wine and whiskey that were tucked away on the shelves. He groaned inwardly at one of the labels on the wine, it was a real shame that neither one of them would actually enjoy the alcohol at this point; sometimes drinking made things a lot easier to deal with. He would hate himself forever, though if he opened the bottle of the expensive wine and then had to pour it out because he wouldn't be able to handle the tannins. 

I might actually throw something at Dazai's head if that happened . 

"It's nice," he said, and as he walked into the living room, he was also reminded of Kouyou's place. The main rooms outside of the kitchen were covered in tatami and the parts that were wood was a warm color of brown and Chuuya refused to admit they reminded him of the honey color of Dazai's eyes. If there was ever a sign that Dazai had been here recently, it was the freshness of the tatami mats and the polish of the floor. 

Scrolls hung up on the walls, delicate calligraphy spelling out specific passages from books or famous poems.  Scattered on the bookshelves that lined one of the walls was a collection of photos. It was clear that Dazai only expected either only specific people to find this place or no one else would set foot in here expect him. 

One of them was of him and Dazai soon after they met, Dazai stealing the hat that Rimbaud had left for him and both of them sticking their tongues out at the camera. Dazai was leaning against Chuuya, trying to emphasize the small difference in their height as much as possible. Anyone would have thought they were good friends, instead of two kids that had got thrown together because of unexpected circumstances and the whim of their Boss. 

Dazai stood next to him, picture of the picture and smiling faintly. "It doesn't look like we changed a lot with this picture," he said, looking a future version of himself, still gangly and thin as a rail, with the bandages covering his eye and any visible skin. "Maybe a few changes," he laughed, before his gaze moved over to the more recent set of photos, of a twenty-year-old Dazai and a few members of the Agency. The smile in this photo was more false and barely even there like Dazai had been uncertain where he landed and was thinking of how to leave. 

"I look weird as an adult," Dazai huffed, clearly unimpressed at this glimpse of his 'future.' He put that photo aside and both he and Chuuya stopped at one of Chuuya as he was now, maybe only a year old at the most. Chuuya's mouth dropped open at the candid shot; he was in the process of tossing his coat aside, gesturing in command to someone off-camera. Either Dazai paid for the photo or he was being a stalker. Chuuya wasn't sure which option was worse. 

"You're such a creeper," Chuuya finally decided, cheeks flushed as he tried not to show that he was happy that Dazai had his pictures--even as unorthodox as some of them were-- among those of the people that he cared about. Dazai had never stopped caring, he was just too socially inept to know how to go back and fix all the damage that was done. 

"I have to ask, though," Chuuya felt a chill run down his spine at Dazai's too-innocent tone. "How much did you grow from now until you were an adult? Those clothes we were wearing were yours, weren't they? They fit us pretty well, only a little oversized." 

Chuuya glared at him, shoving him in the chest. "Fuck you," he growled. "I did grow taller than I was as twelve, damn it." 

"Oooh, I think I hit a sensitive point," Dazai grinned, all mischief and teasing once again and right now Chuuya was too annoyed to acknowledge that it was a mask that Dazai was putting on. 

"You can stuff that sensitive point," Chuuya huffed, tugging his clothing straight. "I am not even going to ask how you went straight for one of the things that pisses me off to no end." Several others included being called Dazai's dog, stupid and never-growing, along with Dazai himself. 

"Natural talent?" Dazai suggested, flopping down onto the low couch in the room, closing his eyes. "This is going to get boring fast," he muttered. "I'm used to doing something during the day, even if it's talking to idiotic doctors and running through all sorts of nonsense tests for them." 

"Play a video game or something," Chuuya grumbled, rolling his eyes. "You have a ton of systems there, even the handheld ones." 

"Video games?" Dazai sat up again, staring at Chuuya with interest. "I've never played them before, show me how?" he asked. 

"You want me to teach you how to be lazier than you already are?" he asked, making a face. 

"You're the one that suggested video games in the first place,' Dazai pointed out, "unless you were just trying to get me to shut up and do my own thing so that you could do yours." 

"I take it back," Chuuya scowled, annoyed at his reasons being called out so easily. "If we're going to be here for an extended period of time, I'm going to take this chance and teach you something useful ." He paused as Dazai's look of interest didn't fade, even if he gave the video games a lingering look. "I'm going to teach you how to fight." 

Chuuya braced himself for a scathing comment or outright dismissal; he wasn't expecting Dazai to bounce to his feet and grab his hands. "Yes."

"I… well…" he floundered to find the right words, having to redo an entire conversation of rebuttals in his head. "I wonder if you still have that empty room…" He murmured to himself. He wasn't used to seeing Dazai use the same type of eagerness for learning how to fight that Chuuya did. He was more used that that type of energy being used for Dazai's multiple suicide attempts. It was bizarre to have him direct that to wanting to live.

He led Dazai through the house, knowing the big empty room should be at the end; it was one of the ones he had seen when he had been here the one time. He paused at one door, a little thrown off. There was more room than he thought there was. Peering into it to see what could be in it, he cursed under his breath at what he saw. 

"I am going to have the longest damn talk with you once you remember," Chuuya made it sound like a threat and Dazai blinked at the room and then at Chuuya. 

"... okay, I guess bedrooms are also a sensitive topic?" he asked. "I mean, we can talk about rooms now if that's important, but if this is something I set up, I guess we will have to wait until I remember." When Chuuya didn't press the issue, Dazai shrugged if off. It had to be something specific in the room and he made a mental note to go through it so that he could understand himself and Chuuya better. 

For now, he could focus on Chuuya's offer to teach him how to fight. It was almost funny how eager he was to do so; as if he was going to enjoy this and get more out of it than Dazai was. IT was probably going to be useful to both of them. Chuuya looked like he needed to blow off steam and Dazai could actually learn how to make himself stronger. 

He smiled to himself as they entered the large space, empty of any items that could get broken or destroyed. As Chuuya stood in front of him, his stance was both oddly aggressive and opening as he gave instructions on how to start standing correctly before they did anything. He had a feeling he was seeing a side of Chuuya that even his older self wasn't privileged to see. 

He didn't realize that Chuuya was having the same thoughts about him. 

Chapter Text

Chuuya shouldn't have been surprised that Dazai was a fast learner, even when it came to something had never seemed to care about before. He would never be as strong as Chuuya, but he would at least be able to do more than just dodge when someone came at him. Not that he wasn't fucking slippery when he wanted to be… He didn't know where Dazai would use such skills since he wasn't in the thick of fighting like he had been before, but part of was relieved that Dazai would be able to do more than just get the crap kicked out of him. 

When they stopped to take a break, both of them laying on the soft tatami, it was much earlier than Chuuya had planned. It was unfortunate that he didn't have his usual stamina and Dazai had almost none at all. As Chuuya breathed quietly, he realized that Arahabaki was the quietest that Chuuya remembered him being in a long time. This particular age his body was at had only released the destructive power of the god only once--and that was when they merged together and destroyed the facility they had been trapped in. 

Dazai's face was red with exertion; sweat-soaked hair falling into his eyes. He needs a haircut , Chuuya thought absently. Dazai's hair was a bird's nest on the best of days, but this was just short of ridiculous for him. He couldn't deny it suited him, but Dazai with even slightly longer hair was disconcerting; it made him look vulnerable . 

"Those video games you mentioned sound much more tempting now," Dazai said in a wheeze of breath, his air still recovering from the punch he had failed to block from Chuuya. "It seems like much less work than this." He lifted his head enough to give Chuuya an incredulous look. "You do this every day? " he demanded. Even Chuuya's younger body was in better shape than his. 

Chuuya laughed as he pushed his own sweaty hair away from his face, clearing away any that had dripped into his eyes. "It's fun for me," he grinned at Dazai's look of dismay, "and you were the one that agreed to this. You just haven't had the chance to warm up to it yet; once you do, you'll probably enjoy it as much as I do." It would be another type of puzzle for Dazai, a game to win. 

"But how much time will we have?" Dazai asked, nothing if not practical. "I'll be honest, Chuuya. I'm not looking forward to being an adult. I know you're used to it and all, cause you remember, but I don't." He stuck out his tongue. "It sounds like my life as an adult sucks and is really boring." 

Chuuya couldn't help but let out a snort as he thought back to some of the events that had happened recently and that included being turned back into twelve-year-olds. "Trust me, I don't think your job is as boring as you think it is, especially with some of the weird shit that happens within Yokohama alone." 

"Being an adult means you're old ," Dazai wrinkled his nose, flattening himself into the mat again, spread eagle. "I don't think I actually want to die yet, but I don't want to get old, either." 

Chuuya stared down at him, raising an eyebrow. "It means you have more control," he said slowly, as if it were obvious. Dazai hadn't had many options being in a laboratory. "You can make your own choices for the most part. You're not being controlled by anyone." 

Dazai's look was unsettlingly perceptive for someone that didn't remember him. "You're saying that no one controls you , Mr. Mafia?" he asked dryly. "That doesn't seem like a job where you have a great deal of freedom. Mafia bosses can be scary, right and they decided where you go and who you kill? Isn't that why you're hiding from your Boss instead of going to your organization?" 

Chuuya opened his mouth to protest; that wasn't the point he was trying to make. Every boss had a hold over his workers, that was part of being an adult, after all. He took a deep breath to re-center his thoughts, annoyed at the smug look that Dazai was giving him. "It's not the same," he said quickly. "I'm a valuable member of the Mafia, an asset and not just an object to study." 

"You have an Ability , " Dazai pointed out. "That makes you a valuable object that can be used at whim. I saw enough of it when I was a kid and then in the lab. My parents died for being valued for their skills." 

"They also respect me a person ," Chuuya snapped, but there was always that niggling doubt in the back of his mind. "I have subordinates who value my leadership skills and my fighting strength, not just what my Ability can do." He felt the sourness churn in his stomach. "I've been used before. I know the difference."

And there isn't much of one, not really … That wasn't anything he would admit out loud, but Dazai's look said he read it all, but was wise enough to not comment on it and instead went along another train of thought. 

"It's a lot more fun to be a kid with no responsibilities, especially since neither one of us are locked away in labs any longer."

"Those types of kids get snatched into gangs," Chuuya pointed out ruthlessly, thinking back to his own experiences with first joining Sheep. "The Mafia loves taking in brats that have no family or friends and are on the run." He didn't need to point to Dazai with the implication so clear. "You were taken in by Mori when you were fourteen and then you decided to stay. I joined a gang and then later I joined the Mafia." When Dazai looked ready to protest, Chuuya continued. "Even if you aren't homeless or an orphan, parents make their kids do all sorts of stupid things and follow rules, like going to school and shit." 

"Neither one of us is stupid enough to get caught up in a gang," Dazai pointed out, "and we do have connections, even if you are not able to use yours at the moment. I have friends with that detective agency and I don't believe that they would let any harm come to either of us. If anyone asked about us, we can always lie about family." His smile was easy. "You're thinking about this too hard, Chuuya."  He looked vaguely wistful. "Not that I had the chance to ever go to a normal school…." 

"You would have been teaching any class within a week," Chuuya huffed out a laugh. Dazai did have a point, as always. "Your big brain wouldn't have been able to stand a normal class as a student. You'd be bored out of your mind within an hour." 

"Maybe you're right," Dazai said, sitting up abruptly and almost knocking into Chuuya. "I'm hungry, Chuuya," he whined. "What are you making for dinner?"

"Whatever I make that you can keep down," Chuuya made a face; it would be easy to shove a can of crab and a box of crackers at Dazai and tell him to go to town, but two things stopped him. One, he wasn't sure Dazai would be able to keep anything so unhealthy down and two, his pride wouldn't let him feed Dazai garbage when he had the chance to feed him something decent. "I don't know if you just shrunk to twelve with an inconvenient memory loss, or if this bod is actually the same one you had at twelve. Either way, you probably can't handle a lot, but as an adult, you can probably handle a bit more." 

He suspected it was the former, with Dazai's loss of scars and the evidence of his own body that Arahabanki had never been actually used. 

 Dazai stood up slowly, facing Chuuya directly and testing out his words with care as he spoke. His gaze was focused on Chuuya and prepared to read his reaction with whatever he planned. "I wasn't starved at first," he said slowly, as if he had to reassure Chuuya of this simple fact. "They didn't want to destroy my mind and perhaps they were more aware of too many eyes on them while still in the midst of a war. They would need me as healthy as possible in case I had to go out into the battlefield." 

Chuuya sucked in a breath, but Dazai wasn't finished. They hadn't moved from the room and while Chuuya wanted a bath more than food at the moment, he didn't dare interrupt. 

"After they realized that my brain could probably handle more than a simple skipped meal or two, they worked on periods of starvation to see how that would change their test results. It wouldn't be actual research," he said sarcastically, "if they didn't try to put the subject under different situations to make sure they got the best results in a varied set of situations." He rubbed the back of his neck and a small smirk was on his face. "It became easy to see when they were going to start those periods and I had time to hoard food in various places so that I was able to eat more than they planned. While it wasn't a full meal by any means, it certainly kept me from wasting around entirely." 

"What did you do, hide it in the bathroom?" Chuuya asked, almost curious. He'd never have the chance to hide it under a mattress even if Dazai had been allowed one and any room he had was probably too sterile and empty for him to hide it anywhere there. Unless they had cameras aimed at the spot where Dazai would take a piss, then it was the most logical place. He barely waited for Dazai's pleased nod and then gave him a once-over, taking in the rail-thin frame that hadn't changed over the years. "Yeah, I can see you were practically stuffing yourself sick. It's no wonder they never caught on." 

"I said it wasn't a lot," Dazai huffed, but the smile hadn't left his face. "It was enough to keep them questioning their tests and keep me alive, so we both won in that respect, I suppose." 

Chuuya sighed, Dazai just confirmed what he already thought. It explains a lot of why he was the way he was in the Mafia, though… "So nothing too heavy at first," he said finally, as if there had been nothing in between his question. He poked Dazai in the back to get him out the door. "Bath first and then I'm going to teach you how to cook." 

Dazai turned and stared at him, raising his eyebrows. "I learned how to cook when I was five," he said in actual astonishment. "How useless of an adult did I actually turn out to be?" he asked. "Even six years locked away didn't destroy all my basic skills." 

Chuuya resisted the urge to bang his head against the nearest wall when he thought back to Dazai whining during their days as partners, Dazai trying to burn down the kitchen by pouring water and rice in the cooker -- while missing the integral part of the bowl needed to cook the rice in. He thought back to the kitchen he had briefly glanced at while putting away the food; the modern kitchen appliances and copper pans, all neat and tidy and well-stocked; even Kouyou would have approved. "Apparently not as much as you wanted us to believe," he muttered, stomping out of the room. He would take the bath first and Dazai could just wait in his stinky, sweaty clothes for his older self being such an ass. 

~

Chuuya doesn't have to tie back long curls this time and while he wanted to stay in the bathroom for as long as he could until the bathtub cooled entirely, he wasn't going to be that rude to Dazai. It was still his home, even if forgotten and this Dazai remembered nothing of anything that made Chuuya so angry. 

Besides, if I wait any longer, I'll find that he's done something stupid like trying to wash off in the sink or fell asleep on the futon with those sweaty clothes. 

It had happened more than once-- less sweaty and more blood-stained, remnants of stray bullets or Dazai having to use a particularly nasty interrogation technique. Some were self-inflicted, Dazai stemming the floor of blood in old futons that long ago should have been turned to rags. 

Chuuya pushed the thoughts out of his head as he dried off and wrapped himself up in the sleeping yukata, looking around for Dazai, suddenly worried that he had taken the opportunity to run while Chuuya was indisposed. To make his way out to the town and the city beyond, becoming truly lost in a way that Chuuya didn't know if he could be found again. 

He felt vulnerable himself, slightly damp feet leaving prints on the floor as he peered around the small house and then blinked in surprise to see Dazai back in the empty room he had been teaching him basic drills in, sparring against an invisible partner, his face full of determination, even as more sweat ran down his face. 

Chuuya stared at him for a moment in shock and then cleared his throat. "Get clean before the water gets cold," he ordered. "You're going to exhaust yourself completely by pushing yourself like this and then you'll be entirely useless tomorrow and then whine on top of it." 

"You seem to know me so well," Dazai drawled, but obeyed and eyed the sleeping yukata in the entryway of the bathing room before shrugging. "A hot bath will help and unless you think I'm not capable of that , either, you can go and … and…" he made a face. "Whatever," he muttered. "I'm too tired and sore and hungry to think of something that chibis need to do." 

"How about I start dinner?" Chuuya asked dryly, lips turning upward with amusement. "It's worth it to see you with the inability to form a coherent thought. Maybe I need to make a habit of exhausting you more often."  He let his smirk grow. "Even brains need more exercise than just books."

"Yes, but at least books don't exhaust me nearly as much," Dazai muttered sullenly and then winced. "Bath first, food later." He shut the door in Chuuya's face and Chuuya laughed quietly to himself as he went to the kitchen. 

He's barely decided what to make when Dazai is out again, apparently disregarding the soaking part entirely for the quick shower, but at least he was clean, damp hair curled around his face. Dazai gave a dramatic sniff when he entered the kitchen. "Nothing yet?"

Chuuya scowled at him. "If you hadn't decided to take a shower like you were being graded on the speed, then I might actually have something started for you, but since you're out here now, you might as well put that cooking skill of yours to good use." He said it as if he still didn't believe Dazai wouldn't accidentally set himself on fire while chopping vegetables.

"Fine, fine," Dazai muttered and hauled out the rice cooker, humming approvingly at the multiple settings and if he noticed Chuuya watching him like a hawk while he started such a basic component of a meal, he didn't ask why. "Since you're being so considerate over my stomach and all--" He didn't mention the candy he had earlier that might have done something if anyone had thought about it. "We could have miso soup-- and…" he hesitated, actually feeling shy. "I make tamagoyaki," he said, not meeting Chuuya's eyes. "It was …" It was my mother's favorite comfort food; when she laughed freely and would feed me bits of mochi with one hand while turning over the eggs with the other. The sudden fresh memory of her hurt and Dazai pushed to the back of his mind, in the locked box where he kept all uncomfortable memories that he couldn't actually forget. 

He looked away, ears hot. "It was a favorite, that's all," he muttered, hiding his burning face in the fridge as he went for the eggs first and then stood on the tips of his toes to get the other ingredients out; mirin and soy sauce and sugar. He didn't know if there was another way to make it or sweeten the eggs, but he wouldn't eat them any other way. 

"Don't make them yet," Chuuya finally said, getting out a bowl and putting it on the counter in front of Dazai. He had expected to be the one cooking tonight, but Dazai looked determined to capture something with making such an easy dish. Chuuya wasn't going to stand in his way. "We have to wait for the rice to mostly finish at least." 

"I know," Dazai muttered irritably, but he turned on the rice cooker and stepped away. He felt at a loss of what to do now, while the preparations were in the middle and there was nothing really to do until the last moment. He hadn't really experienced a lot of time with his hands empty or his mind unoccupied after his parents died. He had idle moments when he was young; but even then, he wanted to keep busy and bent the world around him to learn as much as he could about it. 

Chuuya flicks his gaze over and seems to notice his uneasiness, stomping away for a moment before returning in due time with a handheld game. "Here," he snapped, "I know some of your weird-ass favorite mind-bending puzzle games are on here. Play with those while we wait for the rice to get done." 

Dazai blinked down at the system and then smiled, flopping down in the nearest chair and running his fingers over the buttons. "Chuuya's letting me play video games after all?" he asked teasingly. "I thought it would make me lazy." 

"At least you won't be fidgeting," Chuuya huffed, sitting across from him and pulling out his phone, playing with it with nervous fingers. He couldn't call anyone that he knew, except those in the Agency and he wasn't about to check in with them when the strangest thing to happen so far tonight was Dazai admitting he knew how to cook. A little shocking, but something he could keep to himself as well. Some secrets were more fun to spill when no one saw them coming. 

"True," Dazai made a sound of agreement as he looked back down at the game, fiddling with the controls and looking over what the requirements were for the game itself. He probably wouldn't play tonight, but it did keep his hands occupied. They passed the time from the rice cooking to hitting its last ten minutes before Dazai got up abruptly and started the eggs, flicking the switch on the electric kettle for the water for the miso soup and tea. 

It was reminiscent of some of their quieter days when they were partners together; Dazai contributed as much as making the tea and Chuuya never thought about how graceful Dazai had looked then; to him, it had been a skill that he picked up from Kouyou and he hadn't thought further of it. Chuuya was the one usually cooking and it was odd seeing the reversal this time. 

Chuuya watches him as he actually eats, small bites and careful portions, but it's the most he's seen him actually eat and enjoy in a long time. Four years apart didn't count, but all the years in between did. 

They cleaned in silence and it was the combination of the food and the day and everything else that made exhaustion pull at Chuuya and he was already headed to his bedroom, but Dazai stopped him with a hand on his arm. 

"I think it's best that you write a letter to yourself and record something about this situation," Dazai said seriously. "In case you wake up and don't know who I am or where you are, we need to make sure you have that information on hand to combat the unknown." 

Chuuya grimaced at the idea of forgetting as Dazai had. As they had discussed before, it would be bad if he were to forget; he and Dazai would be effectively screwed. He would trust himself if he forgot everything, but considering where he had been at that point… 

"Well, it's a good thing I didn't join the Mafia until I was fifteen," Chuuya laughed lowly, but it was more bitter than anything else. "At least I won't be turning the both of us over to Mori. However, until Rimbaud died, I didn't really think of myself as human, either."  There were so many reasons for that, stacked one on top of another and scattered through the years of interactions with people after he left Cone Street and the lab. 

"That whole mess with Arahabaki, hm?" Dazai asked, turning it over in his mind, eyes trained on Chuuya. "That would be a bit of a mess, wouldn't it?" he asked. "I think more than ever it would be a good idea to make a recording." 

There was no need to convince Chuuya; he really didn't want a repeat of what triggered Arahabaki and Corruption and that was a risk if Chuuya didn't know what was going on when he woke up. He dug out the phone he had been playing with earlier and turned on the camera to record before tossing it to Dazai. "Use this and when I wake up, it'll be one of the first things I see." 

Dazai looked downright pleased with the phone. "Now this is useful technology," he said approvingly. 

"Yeah, useful enough to keep me from crushing you into gravel if I attack because I don't know you," Chuuya pointed out with a smirk. 

"Without being able to use your ability, that may be a little more difficult," Dazai grinned. "Although it would be fascinating to see what you can do when you're not holding back." He held the phone so that it was facing Chuuya, stifling a yawn. "Let's just get this over with so that we can both go to bed. Maybe all your dreams will come true and we'll be back to normal when we wake up." 

"One can hope," Chuuya muttered, brushing his hair back and making a face. He wouldn't admit it, but there was a part of him that wanted them to stay this way for a while longer. He could get to know Dazai better from the ground up, without so many masks and the influence of what happened in the Mafia clouding the truth. I could actually help the idiot without him trying to ruin all my attempts to do so. 

Dazai leaned against him for a moment, grinning widely. "You would miss this version of me and you know it," he declared. 

"Only because you aren't as big of a pain in my ass like this," he said bluntly. 

"See?" Dazai spread his hands and gave him a charming smile. "I told you that I was probably a terrible adult. You just confirmed it." 

That earned a snort of agreement. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered. "Still, you probably more have marginally more use as an adult." 

"Glad you think so highly of me," Dazai murmured, half to himself as he moved away from Chuuya to fiddle with the phone one last time before pressing the record button. "Alright, this is Chuuya convincing Chuuya that he shouldn't kill me in the morning or run away." 

"No promises," Chuuya sighed, before beginning his explanation of what had happened so far, in quick sentences that summed up a great deal. He saw Dazai's brows raise for some of them, including the two of them being partners. He forewent any explanation of Corruption; just that yeah, he was human and Arahabaki was a little shit that shouldn't be used in any circumstance, except the direst. 

While he didn't want it to happen, who did, except Dazai? He needed to be prepared though. It was a truism that Dazai's predictions were never wrong, but that was based on experience and the time used to analyze. There was a difference between an prediction and self-preservation. 

Chuuya stopped talking and Dazai clicked off the recording, handing Chuuya boh paper and pen. "Is your younger self able to read?" he asked, no mocking in his tone. It was simple curiosity, based on what Chuuya had said about his life beforehand. Still, Chuuya had to work not to completely bristle at the question. 

"Yes," he muttered, ears red. "Shirase taught me how." The name brought up an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach and he couldn't remember why the name made him so angry. He panicked for a moment that he was already losing his memory, but nothing else had been lost. It must have just been some stupid squabble in Sheep that doesn't mean a damn thing now.

"Good," Dazai nodded towards the paper. "Write a note that says something to the effect of 'read me' and instructions to watch the video on the phone before you get really worked up if you don't know where you are." He leaned against Chuuya and snapped a quick photo with the phone. They were both younger than they were in the first picture that they took with each other, but the result evoked the same type of feeling. Dazai's face was more open and expression more cheerful and Chuuya resolved to keep this photo. 

"Since you'd be in completely unfamiliar territory, this will all help to get you to keep your balance. I don't know why it wasn't done for me, other than letting the people around me know of what could happen. I should have thought of something like recording myself or writing a letter to better help myself understand." He flashed Chuuya a quick smile. "But then I wouldn't have you here helping me, now would I?"

Chuuya didn't have to think about it for too long; he knew Dazai the best, after all. "You probably didn't want to know," he pointed out, tucking the camera back into the pocket of his robes, "or you wanted to see how you would be treated--or what information you would be given, if everyone around you knew that you didn't know what was going on." He paused at Dazai's speculative look. "That way, when you regained your memories, you would have a different view of everyone." 

"That makes sense," Dazai nodded in agreement. "If they knew I was aware of who they were to me, they might treat me differently. They might not have wanted to help as much as they did." 

"Trust me, they would," Chuuya said softly. He didn't know a lot about the Agency, but he knew they were unquestionably loyal towards their own. "They're your friend, Dazai. They agreed to look after you before you lost your memories and you were twelve. They trusted you and kept you with them even after all you did in the Mafia." The jury was still out on how much they knew of what Dazai actually did , but even people in the Mafia weren't aware of the extent of Dazai's abilities there. "However, if you were still in the Mafia, I don't know how much help either one of us would have received, since we wouldn't have been their people." 

He didn't want to think of Dazai at fifteen and having lost his memories up to that point. He would have already been shattered and Chuuya wasn't sure what he would have been able to do to help him. 

"Yes," Dazai's voice was softer but held a wealth of understanding there. "There is a very good reason we are hiding and it's not because we can't trust my supposed colleagues. It's yours that we have to keep an eye out for." 

I really really don't want to forget anything , he thought fervently. He didn't need any other changes between now and tomorrow, except the one to change him back to normal. If he forgot, then he could be swayed from the Port Mafia and all it represented and the life he had built for himself there; his friends and subordinates and the people that he cared for. "

He wouldn't fall asleep so easily tonight; especially with the glimpse of the room he had seen that Dazai set aside for him. Chuuya hesitated in front of the bedroom door, a tight smile on his face. "Hopefully we won't need to worry about that possibility at all. I'm sure when you found this place, you already thought of what would happen should your defenses be even partially breached." 

Dazai nodded and ran a hand through his mostly dry hair. "Let's hope that I left myself some instructions," he said lightly. With a sincere smile to Chuuya, he started walking towards the other bedroom. "Goodnight, chibi." 

Chuuya closed the door behind him with a slight thud, leaning against it as he observed the room. It was clearly meant for him, Dazai had made this room with him in mind. While the books were child-sized, they were filled with rare books of poetry and history; fighting styles and one "Lost Techniques of the Martial Arts." There was also a brightly colored, hand-made one that was titled "100 Tacky Hats." On top of the shelves were more photos, similar to the ones in the common room. 

There was one of him and Kouyou, when he was fifteen and new to the Port Mafia. He brushed his fingers over the glass, remembering the yukata she had him wear. It had been made of finer materials than he had ever touched in his life. Another was of him and Dazai in formal clothing, with only the hint of Dazai's bandages showing. It was one of the rare times that Dazai didn't have the bandages over his eye; Kouyou had put her foot down and refused to let Dazai wear them for the picture. Even Dazai hadn't dared defy her, not at that age. All the expression had gone out of his face, not even a hint of what had been in the other picture of them together. 

He looks as solemn as a mourner at a funeral….

Chuuya had remembered being irritated at having to stand so close to Dazai and the events that followed and he turned his attention to the rest of the room rather than dwell on that part of the past. A regular-sized closet stood next to a child's closet. The whole room was a mix of Dazai's teasing and him genuinely setting it up with Chuuya's tastes in mind. There were even hat boxes from places that had long waitlists and high price tags. Suits that Chuuya knew would be tailored to him alone, even if he couldn't test the theory out until he was his proper age. 

One of the outfits in the kid's closet made him cringe-- a little sailor outfit, complete with giant blue ribbon and flat hat. It horrified him that he probably could fit into that one and he slammed the closet door harder than necessary. 

Chuuya pulled out the futon easily and as he rolled it out, he was grateful that it was a normal-sized one, plush and comfortable and so very soft. In the comfort of his own home, Dazai apparently spared no expense. His hand brushed against an envelope as he pulled down the cover. He stared at his name written in Dazai's elegant calligraphy and he felt the bottom drop out of his stomach and he was suddenly wide awake as he pulled out the letter on the thin washi paper. 

~

In his room, Dazai was doing the same; getting the much needed glimpses into his 'future' self from the person that he could trust even above Chuuya. 

Himself. 

Chapter Text

Shuji looked down at the letter, curious at something written in his own hand, but nothing he remembered writing. 

'To Tsushima Shuji' 

There is an Ability user that can regress both age and memories. Even if it may not happen, I am writing this on the chance that I will be affected by it. My predictions--our predictions--are never wrong, thus this letter. I know Chibi will be taken in as well if this happens, since I know that he would be the first person I would go to for a scare. It's not the only reason, however. I trust Chuuya with my life and there is no one else I would go to if I was at such a disadvantage. If you end up not remembering him, you can trust your instincts. He's a vicious little hat rack, but I care more for him than anyone.

Shuji made a face at that, it sounded like something grown-up and mushy--nothing that he was interested in. He continued reading through the letter, taking note of Dazai's reassurance that he was part of the ADA and that those people could be trusted. That the Port Mafia, other than a very select few, had to be avoided at all costs. Kouyou was on the list of 'big sister can be trusted to a point' and Chuuya again was listed as 'the annoying chibi that actually cares more than he thinks'. A man named Hirotsu was listed as a last resort, but also under the 'trusted' category. 

You are free from the laboratory; that has been about eight years now from the time I wrote this letter. You don't have to worry about being taken back to it, it's been completely destroyed and all records of what transpired there are… well, not lost, but in the hands of those that won't spread it about. 

Don't give up on trying to figure things out and if you can, try and make new memories and try harder to be what I never could be. 

One thing you should do at some point is to ask Chuuya about 'Corruption', it's rather important and while I could tell you all about it, I'm sure that Chuuya will be able to explain much better how important we are in controlling it. We've been through a lot together, but this is one instance in where Chuuya has to trust me completely and I've never broken it. 

He dismissed that for the moment; the Corruption and the strength of it obviously had to do with the god Arahabaki. It was a name that had been mentioned during his first year or so in the lab; they had wanted to transfer him at some point to see how his nullifying Ability would work on a god. The experiment had escaped and his involvement with it was put to the side until they found Arahabaki again. 

He didn't want to bring up something that Chuuya would probably rather kept silent, but if he believed it was important, then it was probably important to at least ask to be prepared. 

Shuji sighed as he put the letter aside, resting his chin on his knees and wrapping his arms around his legs. He didn't know what to think of all this proof that he had grown up as a lonely young man, even if he had escaped from the facility he had spent half of his life in. He wanted to stay this way, to make a way for himself and use the name the others called him and the name at the bottom of the letter. 

'Dazai Osamu'. It was as far from his real name as one could be, made up out of air and arrogance and could be discarded just as easily as he assumed a new identity. He would think of himself as Dazai from now on. Tsushima Shuji had died when his parents had and when he entered the laboratory. 

He flopped back on the futon that he set out; for the first time in a long time that he could remember, he was going to fall asleep without anyone watching him and evaluating every move that he made. He wasn't sure how to handle it, what to do, or how to react. This home had shades of the home he had grown up in but had also grown with the man he became. 

There was a bookshelf against the wall and Dazai sat up again to take in the fantasy books, poetry, and strategy. There were a number of history books and various fiction books that looks intriguing. His nose wrinkled at 'The Complete Guide to Suicide' and wondered if his future-older self would mind if he threw it away. He pushed that book to the side and focused on the travel books and a few books of Japanese fairy tales. One looked to be self-published, simply titled 'Fairy Tales' and had the name of Dazai Osamu. He had to smile and he wondered if anyone else knew about the small volume of literature that was tucked away here. 

Maybe tomorrow he would wake up the age that everyone--and logic--said he was, the day he spent reliving his pre-teen self just an odd blip on the radar. He hoped not, he wanted to give himself and his future self more time to recover and heal from the damage done for so many years. He looked again at the suicide book and did a quick flip through to make sure there wasn't anything important written there before he got up. He knew the best way to destroy this book and shoving it into the bag for burnable trash wouldn't be enough. He would have to get Chuuya to destroy it. 

No time like the present to help yourself…

He knocked on the door lightly, aware that Chuuya might just have already fallen asleep, but wasn't expecting the wide-eyed look Chuuya gave him when he opened the door. Dazai winced at the expression Chuuya's face but he wasn't about to ask what had caused it. He probably wouldn't like the answer. He instead held up the book, watching as Chuuya's eyes focused on it. "I don't like this and I want to destroy this completely and I thought you'd be the best one to do it." 

Chuuya's look went from apprehensive to shocked, disbelief thick in his voice. "You love that book," he said slowly, acting as if Dazai had asked him to dance on the moon. 

"All the more reason to get rid of it now," Dazai pointed out. He didn't need to mention that his older self had probably already memorized the contents and the book was a sort of ruse of security blanket. He wanted to present the image of 'out of sight, out of mind.' 

"Your regular self is gonna be pissed," Chuuya said absently, but he grabbed the book from Dazai before he could change his mind. "That'll be worth it a little for this whole fiasco." He didn't sound as if he believed his own words, but he wasted no time in crushing the book between his hands until nothing but dust remained. 

Dazai swallowed as he watched Chuuya work. It was one thing to know of Chuuya's control over gravity, it was another to see it. He was suddenly very grateful that he was immune to it; he suspected that he wouldn't have lived for as long as he did if Chuuya could crush him like a bug. 

"Now why couldn't this wait until morning?" Chuuya demanded. "It's late and I want to get some sleep eventually, before having to deal with this all again tomorrow." 

"I didn't want to wait until tomorrow and lose my opportunity to get rid of it if everything turns back to normal," Dazai murmured, running a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. He suddenly felt awkward, being alone with someone he barely knew but had the utmost certainty he could trust. The letter his older self had left for him had seemed to cement that. It was a reversal of being around people that he knew quite well, but wouldn't trust to save him if the building was on fire. 

Chuuya seemed to accept that with a bitter laugh. "Yeah, if you wake up your old self, you'd probably hug the stupid thing," he muttered, shaking his head. "Now it's great to get rid of a few more pieces of your suicidal self, but unless you change back to normal or you happen to have that Ability user drop into your lap, save it for the morning." 

His words were blunt but not actively unkind, as if Chuuya was teetering at the edge himself and Dazai realized with a pang that all the attention had really been focused on him and not on Chuuya dealing with this as well. He resolved to work on that tomorrow and he gave a slight nod. 

"Goodnight, Chuuya," he said softly and waited until the door slid shut again before heading back to his own room. He didn't know how much he would sleep; there were too many plans to make.

~

Chuuya gave a relieved sigh when Dazai left and he now has the chance to read the letter that Dazai wrote for him. He never thought about Dazai writing anything to him in a letter; the bastard had never even done so to explain anything that had happened during his four-year absence from Chuuya's life. He felt apprehensive as he pulled out the letter, written on high-quality washi paper. 

'Chuuya'

I suppose you're wondering about the room or why I never changed the codes for the house. I knew you would need this place one day and if I didn't have the chance to offer it, I didn't want you to be cut off from all avenues of escape and safety. This place is secure and you are the only other person that I've trusted with its location. 

I know I haven't been the best partner or friend for you or anyone, really--but maybe by the time you are reading this, I'll be leaning over your shoulder and making fun of myself for being so serious.

Chuuya thought about this younger Dazai and thought that he probably would, but he wasn't about to share this letter with him. The next words made an icy lump sit in his stomach. 

This place is yours if I'm not here any longer. I always wanted to make it ours , but I am quite aware of my own faults. If things go completely sour for you, this will be your safe haven, with our without me. You'll find a copy of the deed in the safe and it's in your name and just awaits your signature. Hirotsu will take care of the rest if the old man is still around. If not, go to Fukuzawa and he'll take care of it.  Don't be confused by the name that it's under. A lifetime ago I went by Tsushima Shuji, but I predict that by the time you read this, I will have already told you. 

"Bastard," Chuuya muttered, rubbing at his eyes when he felt them water. "You don't always get to be correct, damn it."  If the last paragraph had opened an icy pit in his stomach, the next tore out the bottom completely and made him stare in shock, reading the sentences a few times to make sure he hadn't hallucinated them. 

I think I always loved you, Chuuya and I'm sorry for all the things that happened. I broke everything between us before we ever really got a chance to start. Maybe this Ability I've been hearing about will give us a chance to start over. I think you'd make a cute kid so make sure you take a lot of pictures if that happens! ^_^

Chuuya gave a faint laugh at that; Dazai had already taken pictures of the two of them, so at least he wouldn't be the only one that would have blackmail material held against him. 

Take care of yourself, Chuuya. I know you think that you thrive in the dark, being part of the faction that keeps most of the darkness away from the city that you love, but there is always a chance to experience the light. It was always your choice, now more than ever. 

It was signed Dazai Osamu , but below that were the characters for Tsushima Shuji. Chuuya wanted to punch a wall or cry; pissed that Dazai was dropping this on him now, that the letter implied that Dazai expected to have died before Chuuya read his confession. 

Too much of a coward that he couldn't tell me how he felt in person and only left me with a few scraps of paper and an empty house filled with Dazai's presence. That was the way that Dazai had obviously intended it to be, he may have considered he would have gotten caught up in the Ability, but probably didn't think it would actually happen. 

It had already been his plan to get Dazai on the right track and out of his head, even if he hadn't expected this younger version of Dazai to help by destroying that stupid book of his. 

He pushed everything to the side and rubbed at his eyes. If he could just get to sleep, then tomorrow would come much faster. Everything would be normal soon enough. 

~

Things were not normal in the morning, nor after an entire week had passed with the both of them stuck as pre-teens. 

The phone ringing in the sudden silence of the apartment almost had Chuuya throwing it across the room, earning an amused look from Dazai. "You seem a bit tense, Chuuya," Dazai lay over the edge of the couch, staring at him from his upside-down position. "It's just our daily check-in, after all." 

"Ugh, we shouldn't even have one by now," Chuuya groused. "I want this whole fucking ordeal to be over so that I can go back to work and drink half my collection of wine to make up for the stress I'm going through." 

"Drinking will stunt your growth," Dazai grinned and stuck his tongue out at him, righting himself. "And what stress?" he demanded. "You've been able to beat the crap out of me to your heart's content and I can spoil you by cooking meals that you were certain were poisoned." He tilted his head, assessing Chuuya carefully. "You don't have to work or watch you back and while it's certainly boring doing nothing at all, it's not what I'd call stressful ." 

"I'm twelve, you shit," Chuuya rubbed his temples. "I should be twenty-two and working with my squad and taking care of business and here I am, stuck in an apartment ten years younger than I should be and reduced to sparring with a beanpole that bruises like a tomato." 

"You mean some of that, but not all of that," Dazai said quietly. "I mean, I do bruise easily and I don't give you a challenge at all right now, except being able to read your moves so I don't get entirely crushed. You're really just at odds because your life has been upended." There was something more as well, there had to be, but Chuuya got angry whenever Dazai asked about what had made him barricade himself in his room for half the day that first day. "You're lonely and you miss your friends." HIs voice was matter of fact, as if that wasn't a concern for him , making Chuuya wince a little. This Dazai had no friends--except what they could loosely be called. 

They both realized at the same time that they had gotten distracted bantering and forgot to pick up the call when it ran again, this time Dazais' phone. He blinked down at it for a moment before answering, but his eyes never left Chuuya's face. 

"Ranpo-san!" Dazai beamed and put the phone on speaker; he always enjoyed calls with Ranpo, who would send him cases to solve to keep his mind occupied. Some were already solved, but Dazai didn't have the information and some were ones the Agency was working on at the time and asked for Dazai's input. More than once, he heard Kunikida grumble in the background about how a pre-teen Dazai was easier to handle than his adult self. "Do you have any more new work for me?" 

"Ah, Dazai-san…" There was a brief silence. "I'm actually a little concerned to still hear you as your younger self." Not surprised; if Ranpo was calling, he probably already knew that Dazai hadn't reverted back to his adult age, but concerned meant something was wrong. 

Chuuya's eyes narrowed briefly, sitting beside Dazai so he could hear and be heard easier. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded. 

"Ah, Mr. Fancy Hat is still young, too!" They could practically hear the grin in Ranpo's voice. "When you didn't answer your phone, there were those here that surmised that you had bene changed back to normal and had left." His tone clearly indicated that those that made those type of assumptions  were in sore need of his help. "I thought otherwise, so I decided calling Dazai's phone would yield answers."

"No answers here," Dazai chirped. "Still twelve and Chuuya's still really angry about it. Why the concern?" he asked. "You're not indicating that people have already been turning back to normal, making this a time-based Ability or the user reversing what he did?"

Chuuya felt his blood grow cold and he stared at the phone as if Ranpo could see him through it. His hands twitched in his lap with the need to punch something. 

"You're absolutely correct, Dazai," Ranpo sounded cheerful about it. "We can't say if everyone has been returned back to normal, but there is a good portion of the people we've been watching showing no signs of the age reversal, including any memories they had of the time they spent as their younger selves. They have a complete blank spot for that time."

Dazai and Chuuya shared a look. "Well, we've been documenting the time here," Chuuya said finally. He wasn't going to refer to the past week as being friendly, acting like a kid and just relaxing with Dazai, no matter his earlier grumbles. If he did that, he was afraid he would embrace it and poof, there would go any recollections of being an adult and the need to either kick Dazai down a flight of stairs or help him up as he tripped over his own feet. "Whatever we forget, we'll have the data to go back to." 

"Uh-huh," Ranpo sounded utterly bored and the distinct sound of a chip bag being opened could be heard. "That's not anything I care about. It's more of why you two haven't changed back yet, since you seemed to have been hit early on and Dazai's Ability shouldn't have let him be affected by it at all." 

"It's probably because of my Ability we're stuck like this," Dazai sounded almost cheerful about that, ignoring Chuuya's murderous look. "Some sort of loophole--it's happened before, although I can't say that I really dragged anyone else into it before. This is new territory for me." 

"Oh yeah...about that, Dazai…" Ranpo's voice sounded its laziest, but that got both Dazai and Chuuya's attention immediately. "We found the laboratory that you spent all those years in. If you want a break from spending time in such close quarters, we can show you everything."

Dazai's face went incredibly still and pale and Chuuya growled faintly. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" he demanded. "You know that's fresh for the idiot, he doesn't need to see the place he was kept in a cage---"

"I think it might be rather interesting to see where it was located and the remains of it," Ranpo interrupted. "You should be interested too, Mr. Fancy Hat. While the laboratory is different than the one you spent time in, the location itself… is very well known to you both."

Chapter Text

After Ranpo's bombshell, both Dazai and Chuuya stared at each other, both of them more than a little stunned at the implication of Ranpo's words. 

"What do you mean, it's a place that we both know?" Chuuya was the first to find his voice, eyes narrowed in suspicion as if Ranpo could see his expression through the phone. 

"You'll find out if you leave the house." Chuuya didn't need to see Ranpo to know how smug he was about what he had found out. "Since you very sensibly don't want us to all be at your little hideaway, you'll have to come to us so that we can give you the information in person." His voice sobered slightly. "It's not the sort of thing you would just say over the phone or send in a text." 

"Glad to know that you're not just trying to taunt us into giving up the location," Chuuya snorted. Dazai was still looking pensive, mouth turned down unhappily at the mention of the place he had been held captive. "However, we don't know if it's safe to leave. We haven't tried yet." Neither of them wanted to risk it, but it was also driving him crazy to be shut away for so long, even if he had done it before when he had to hide in a safehouse. At least then, I could enjoy wine while I waited for any dangerous situation to blow over. 

"Well, be as smart as you were before and make sure no one thinks you're strange," Ranpo was no help, tone dismissive as if would be an easy task for them. They were short a few people that made it easy before, but with Dazai and him combining forces, it probably wouldn't be too difficult. 

"Fine," he muttered, tone entirely sour and not trying to hide it. "We'll figure something out and be there as soon as we can. Just don't be surprised if we don't show up until the middle of the night." 

"We'll be here," Ranpo said easily, as if he expected that answer. "While it's nothing that needs to be said immediately, it would be best to have it out sooner rather than later." 

Chuuya let out a sigh as the call ended abruptly, without even a goodbye or any other information. "He has the manners of a goat," he muttered, before tossing the phone to the side and looking at Dazai. "What do you think we should do?"  They needed to have more of a talk before they left, but it wasn't as if the last week was spent entirely idle. Still, the implications of what was unsaid lay heavy between them. 

Dazai was staring down at his hands, winding them tightly together. It was still a shock to see his arms bare of bandages, the scars standing stark against his skin. "I don't want to leave because I don't want to risk being seen. I know we're both smart enough to escape detection, but I spent so much time planning how to get away and you all say that I escaped-- I don't want to get caught in the same trap." 

"You're afraid of the answers," Chuuya could read Dazai and his insecurity. It wasn't about being caught, it was about finding out what he didn't want to really know the answers to. He wanted to taunt him about it, years of resentment sitting in the back of his mind, but being alone with Dazai made him soften his tone. No one else could know how he acted with Dazai when no one could see them or judge him. 

Dazai's smile was pained as he lifted his head to look at Chuuya. "Not so much of the answers themselves," he said slowly. "I've already lived through it, after all. I'm more apprehensive about how the others will react when they read the facts of my past, not just what I've told them." 

"I'm not too thrilled about learning about all the facts, either," Chuuya admitted. "Guess we'll find out together." 

Dazai nodded and stood up, his smile a touch more real as he held out his hand to Chuuya. "Let's get some food while we plan how to get back to the city without either well-meaning adults trying to help us or enemy factions trying to kill us." 

"We should to do what we do best," Chuuya sighed. "We always did work best in the dead of night." 

~

Even if it was just being in the office of the ADA, it was nice being out of the house. It hadn't been too difficult to make it across town and to Yokohama; it was almost easier now that some people had already changed back and the Mafia wasn't directly looking for them. They both knew alternate routes and once they got into Yokohama, Dazai employed one of the routes only the Agency used, based on the information that Ranpo had sent them. 

Too smart detective took pity on us when he realized that Dazai wouldn't know the normal routes and I sure as shit didn't know any of the Agency hidey-holes, other than that one. 

Chuuya didn't actually mind the merry band of do-gooders that Dazai had aligned himself with, but they were all so boring, other than possibly that doctor. She could give everyone a run for their money, even Kajii. He inwardly shuddered. Even that crazy asshole was scared of Yosano. 

The entirety of the Agency members was there and all of them looked serious when they came in, as promised, in the middle of the night. The only exception was Kunikida, who looked ready to explode with rage. I wonder who pulled his tail so tightly to make him look like a bomb ready to go off, Chuuya mused. Now that the city is temporarily at peace and Dazai isn't here to wind him up, I wonder what did it. Whatever they found in the files for the laboratory that Dazai had kept it must have pushed every button he had. 

Chuuya was startled when Kunikida's rage seemed directed at him, but then the anger drained out of the man's face, leaving him simply looking tired. He adjusted his glasses with a nervous gesture, obviously trying to regain some semblance of control. "Dazai-san, Nakahara-san, I trust things are going well?" It was an odd way to start the conversation and the awkward nature of it hung in the air for a moment, even Kunikida flushing a little, but he kept his gaze fixed, determined to stand by his question. 

Dazai seemed to take somewhat pity on him. "Given that we haven't killed each other yet, I would say it's going quite well. My information and Chuuya's constants threats leads me to believe it's a minor miracle we've achieved." 

Chuuya snorted, grateful to be back on familiar ground. "I told you, you haven't given me enough reason to want to kill you yet. I'm sure that if you give me enough time, I can be persuaded, though." 

Yosano snickered, but Kunikida sighed at this not entirely unexpected answer to his question. "While that's useful," he said dryly, "I was referring to your memories or age, either regaining or losing anything." 

Dazai shrugged. "I don't see myself getting any older until my birthday, to be honest," he said lightly. "I don't think I've lost anything else and chibi here won't admit anything has been forgotten by him. He still remembers more about me than I do about myself, so there is that, at least." 

"Ranpo has told you that many of the victims of that Ability user have returned to normal?" Now Kunikida's look was accusatory, as if he was blaming them for being stuck as children still, as if they could control it. 

"Yes," Chuuya snapped, not wanting to bring that up right now. "We don't exactly have to reminded of the fact that they're all better and we're still like this." He gestured to him and Dazai, still aware of himself as he should be to be annoyed at what he was at the moment. "What's this other issue you brought up, that was so important you wanted us to leave our safe house?"

"Ah, yes--the laboratory," Kunkida said it as calmly as if there wasn't obvious rage building up again. "Dazai-san, if you would be so kind as to have some sort of hold on Nakahara-san so that our news does not make him accidentally decimate the building and all of us inside?"

Dazai's look was nothing but speculative, while Chuuya's eyes narrowed. "Is it the type of information where I will want to decimate the building?" he asked, voice deceptively calm. 

"Nothing that we did, but we also don't want any accidents to happen," Yosano put in quickly. "Your Ability is… unpredictable at times and we'd rather not lose the place just because you lost your temper." She shrugged at Chuuya's faint growl. "I told you, we didn't have a hand in this, but we also don't need you to shoot the messenger, as it were." 

Chuuya still wasn't convinced but he allowed Dazai to wrap slim fingers around his wrist. He fought back the blush at the warm, comforting touch. It evoked a lot of memories of putting his trust in Dazai's hands before. It was a combination of old memories, that damn letter Dazai had written to him, and this stupid stupid body's responses to the touch. 

Ranpo didn't miss a thing and smirked at him and when Chuuya gestured with his free hand, the smirk only grew wider. "To put it bluntly, the laboratory that Dazai spent his childhood in wasn't run by the government; instead it was one of the Port Mafia's many underground enterprises." 

Chuuya felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room and for a moment, the world was tinged in red before Dazai's Ability washed over him, leaving his as breathless and cold as if someone tossed cold water over him. "That isn't funny." He almost didn't recognize his own voice. Especially for what this means for Dazai, what this is implying…

He felt sick; it meant that Dazai had never actually escaped from the laboratory or the experiment, that he had been a captive until he was eighteen and left everything and everyone behind. Chuuya had to wonder if some part of Dazai knew and that was why he had always been so empty and searching for a purpose all of his life. Why he was so suicidal, searching for a permanent way to escape his tormentors. 

Dazai's grip on him tightened and Chuuya pushed out of his own head for the moment to look at Dazai and how pale he had become. "If what you're saying is true," Dazai's voice was far calmer than he would have believed him to be in this situation, "then I never escaped captivity at all. The person who rescued me was just another facet of the experiment and the cage expanded." 

Ranpo's nod was solemn and gaze sympathetic as he looked at Dazai. "We didn't see any of Mori's hands in your initial … testing," the words were awkward on his tongue, mindful that this wasn't just a random person he was analyzing and giving information to, but a friend. "However, he was aware of what had transpired with you after he took over the auspices of the Port Mafia and decided to continue where his predecessors left off." That had been a single day after Dazai had been in his care. He grimaced as he exchanged a look with Yosano. "The reports were found determined that you would be better off serving the Mafia as a tool and being grateful for the rescue, rather than going back into the facility where you were kept." 

Yosano looked angry enough to chop Mori into pieces with the power of her mind alone and Chuuya didn't doubt that, if sufficiently motivated, she would be able to do just that. "They gave you a year to adjust being outside a 'cage' before covering your so-called freedom with the illusion of a choice. Finding Nakahara and bringing him into the Mafia was like winning the lottery for them." 

Chuuya moved his hand enough to hold onto Dazai's, uncaring if people were looking at them. He needed something solid to hold onto and he wanted to give back the comfort that Dazai was giving him. His entire world felt tilted on its axis. "They got to test the two of us together, after all," he said through numb lips. "It took longer than they planned, but Dazai mentioned that his group of scientists wanted to see what would happen if he met up with me." He wanted to throw up, he wanted to deny it, but with all the information that had found over the past week, too many pieces were falling into place. 

I don't know what I'm going to do with all of this information… I sure as shit can't go and confront Mori, not like this. The betrayal burned through him in a way that Arahabaki never had. He knew Mori was ruthless, but also thought he had some sort of moral compass, deep down inside. It had made him a better boss than the one he had killed. Some sort of standards or lines that he wouldn't cross. Condoning child experimentation on the level that Dazai had been subjected to was unthinkable. 

He didn't realize he had said that last part out loud until Yosano scoffed faintly at the high hopes he had for Mori. 

"It's not the first time that Mori pulled this sort of stunt," Yosano smirked faintly, hand on her hip as she looked down at Chuuya. "Even before he was deep in the Mafia, he was working with the government to create a group of undying soldiers that could go on forever, fighting. Mori used his own men in unwilling experiments on one girl he conscripted from a confectionary shop when he discovered her Ability."

Dazai's gaze met hers, expression filled with a deep understanding. "Spoken like someone that was in the thick of it all."  She didn't need to say that she was the girl with the Ability and didn't need to talk about the things that Mori had made her do. Most of the people in the room knew her history already. His frown deepened. "The more I hear about Mori, even from my own letters to myself, the more I dislike him." 

"You and me both," Chuuya muttered, still feeling sick inside. He thought about his first instincts about the Mafia and how many of their men he had destroyed because of what they had done to the people around him. He should have stuck with those instincts; perhaps warned Dazai when he first met them and they could have both ran. Far away from Yokohama and experiments and the people that wanted to use them. He couldn't shake the feeling of how carefully orchestrated this had all been. 

If it had been anyone else, I'd distance myself from them in a heartbeat, rather than continue to follow along with their plans. I'm not going to let go of the one person that understands. 

The Agency people that heard his mutter all turned to him in surprise, except Ranpo. Chuuya flushed under their attention and what they had assumed of him. "What?" he demanded. "It's not like I'm a completely immoral asshole, y'know. I can make my own choices when I find out that the head of the Port Mafia is a complete and utter psycho." 

"Good thing that you're the only member of the Mafia that heard you say that," Atsushi muttered under his breath. 

Chuuya grimaced at the all too-accurate words from the tiger. Even Ane-san might balk a little, for all that she hated Mori and was on their side during this entire fiasco. 

Kunikida took charge again, words firm. "We'll figure that part out when it comes to it," he said. "We do not plan on showing you to Mori at any point in the near future, especially with you as...incapacitated as you are. However, Ozaki-san had asked to meet up with you again, as part of her agreement of keeping silent to the Port Mafia about the situation." 

When Chuuya stared at him, wondering if the man had read his mind, he continued. "It would be in a secure location and you would not be the only one there. She would like to see Kyouka-chan, as well as Dazai. It could certainly prove to be helpful by talking to you." His look switched to Dazai and the unspoken implication of telling Kouyou about Mori's… involvement. Chuuya wasn't sure how much of Dazai's past he wanted anyone else to know, however. It seemed too private to share and the fewer people that knew, the better. 

However, with Kouyou's strong, protective instincts, it might actually play out in their favor. 

"With that being said, we will arrange that at another time," Kunikida cleared his throat, looking suddenly uncomfortable. "We… we did retrieve the records that the government found at the laboratory, which has since been shut down. We thought it was only right that Dazai has access to the records of what was done to him." He tried to sound as brisk and professional as possible, but it was obvious how shaken he was. As much as he complained about Dazai, he was something like a friend and certainly a co-worker and the partner he trusted his life to. Chuuya knew how that felt. 

He still couldn't feel as if Dazai's privacy had been invaded, all of his secrets exposed to -- not uncaring eyes, but somehow, that was almost worse. Dazai's face was a study in contradictions and Chuuya hated that lost look that flitted across his face for a moment. 

Fukuzawa, who seemed to have a preternatural sense for these sorts of situations, strode into the room before the tension could wind up to the point of breaking, with a calico cat at his heels.

"Instead of reading such… extensive documents," Fukuzawa looked around the room and then focused on Chuuya and Dazai. "We can talk instead about the week the two of you have been having. We received your regular reports, of course-- but if you have anything else to add, we can use this time to do so." His smile was faint and lifted the forbidding expression slightly. "We did think that it was a potentially dangerous and volatile situation, but based on what you've told us, you two seem to be… thriving. What have you been doing to keep yourselves busy?" What went unsaid was the question about their mental states and how Dazai was holding up with ten years of his memories gone.

Underneath all of that was a silent question to Chuuya, asking if Dazai was still as suicidal as before or if that part of him had been pushed away as well.

Really, that man can have an entire conversation with one look.

Chuuya could answer the last, but the rest was difficult to put into words and a part of him was selfish. He wanted to keep the moments he and Dawzai had built with each other to themselves, so that their moments of sparring and playing video games, cooking and asking questions wouldn't be treated like another experiment to be analyzed and dissected for answers. 

"Before we spill all our secrets," Dazai's tone made it clear that he heard all of what was unsaid as well, "let us know of what is going on with the Ability user. You can't just leave us with 'some people have recovered' and not tell us how it came about or what we can do to achieve the same ends." He gestured to Chuuya with his free hand. "Chuuya doesn't appreciate his second childhood when he remembers his first so clearly and wants to be normal. I've found out that people actually seem to like me better this way, rather than the person I am as an adult. I want this information for Chuuya's sake, but for me, it seems rather advantageous to embrace my second chance." 

There was an uncomfortable silence at Dazai's direct statement, it had been obvious how much easier it had been to deal with Dazai without his usual way of dealing with things. No Dazai winding them up to see how they would tick, Dazai trusting people and actually helping upfront without any major complaints or diversions. When no one said anything for a long moment, Dazai nodded. "As I said. Maybe some of your consideration and care for the person I am now will bleed over into the person you know. Until then, I will be working on making different choices than the ones I was tricked into making before." 

"You're an idiot," Chuuya was the first one to find his voice, yanking his hand away from Dazai and glaring at him. "The only reason why people have treated you different is because you put on so many masks that they didn't know how to react to your games. You wanted to see how people would jump or react and you never let anyone see the real you." He made a face at Dazai's look, running a hand through his hair. "You liked to fuck with people's heads and while I think you could probably use a little more time like this to give everyone a break, don't you dare put the blame on other people, other than Mori and those shitty scientists. You're to blame for it, too. Remember that when we go back to being normal." He huffed and turned his face away, the blush high on his face from the pleased look Dazai was giving him. 

"Dazai is right about the Ability user," Chuuya didn't look at Dazai at the moment, focusing his gaze on the Agency members. "Tell us everything you know." 

"We would have if you hadn't gone and ranted at us," Kunikida sniffed, tapping his notebook. 

Kenji, the kid from the country that liked his ability to keep his hat on so much, looked a little uneasy, staring between their director and the other people in the room. 

"There isn't much to say," Fukuzawa's voice was calm and resigned; it was obvious he wasn't going to get anything out of them for the moment. "No one mentioned seeing anyone familiar from before the regression to childhood and there have been no sightings of him. No one else in the area has been changed, either. However, we have found signs of the Ability being used in another country, but we are unsure if that is the Ability user having moved or the lasting effects of one such affected and passing it along." 

Chuuya made a face at that information. "So he's either here and has a limit on the number of people he can screw over or there's some sort of time limit-- or he's out of the country and the authorities over there aren't doing jack shit to catch him because they may not aware of the problem." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I've spent more than enough time as a pre-teen and I want to go back to normal. Is there any other way to track this asshole down and have him reverse this on us?"

"Not right now, but we are working on it. Contrary to what you believe, Dazai," Fukuzawa switched his gaze to him. "We do not just appreciate you as you are now. We care for you as you have been known to us for the last two years. We just hope, as Nakahara-san suggested, that you can carry over a little more of that trust and openness when you are your proper age again. It's not just the choices that you made before, but what you make of it going forward. I already know and have seen how much you have grown. Don't throw away all those experiences away for the false chance you've been given now." 

Dazai shook his head, smiling faintly as he looked over at Chuuya, but there was a pleased look in his eyes at the unexpected praise. "I'll probably come to terms with myself eventually, but you're right that no experience is ever wasted. The time that Chuuya and I are spending together has been quite educational." He grinned. "For the both of us, I'm sure." 

Chuuya couldn't help but snort in agreement. Whether all of them were experiences that he wanted to keep, all of them were things that were certainly new information and there were certain ones that he would never forget. 

One of Dazai's masks dropped into place as he grew serious once more, holding out a hand. "So, let's see that information about the place that held me for so long." 

Chapter Text

Dazai looked down at the documents in his hands, the most recent dates stacked on the top. For him, it was a date that was six years past what he remembered and based on what the others had said, it was when he left the Mafia. He looked up at the Agency members, gaze steady. "I am going to assume that all of you have read this already," he said, hardly even waiting for Kunikida's affirmation before turning to Chuuya. "At least I know that you don't know what's going on; you were too shocked and pissed to have known." 

Chuuya couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Glad to know that you have so much faith in me," he muttered, but his tone was a mixture been exasperated and pleased. 

"Exactly," Dazai gave him a faint smile, closer to a grin, before returning his attention to the documents. 

"This most recent one, Mori details the effects a person's death had on me; not just an ordinary death in the line of work, but for someone that meant something to me." His look turned confused and a little lost as he traced over the words. "His name was Oda Sanonosuke." It was like the memories were still there, but so deeply buried that only an echo that he should feel something remained. It was like how he trusted Chuuya when he first saw him. Even ten years of memory loss couldn't erase the connection completely. 

His face twisted in disgust and those around him were still too unused to seeing such an open expression from him. His voice shook slightly as he continued. "He orchestrated the death of someone that I had cared for, all for a slip of paper and to see if there was any humanity left in me. Imagine his dismay when he found out that I still retained a soul and used that scrap of humanity to escape the Mafia." His free hand tensed at his side. "He was disappointed that I did not follow in his footsteps and regard the man as an "acceptable loss" as I had so many others that worked underneath me." His expression when he turned to Chuuya was deeply shocked. "What sort of person was I in the Mafia?" he asked, sounding bewildered and lost. "Was I really a complete monster?"

Chuuya sighed, running a hand through his hair before he spoke. "It's complicated," he said slowly. "You were searching for death so much, trying to find meaning in it, that most people didn't hold any interest for you." He was aware of everyone staring at him, but he ignored it. "Sanonosuke was your friend and his death--" he shrugged. "I don't know what actually happened that night you left, but it hit your hard and it was probably more than just him dying that set you off." Ango had been discovered to be a spy and betrayed both Mafia and Mimic and Dazai had been left alone. 

"You're better now," Chuuya had to admit, shaking himself out of those thoughts of how angry and betrayed he had felt back then. "You're a lot better now than you ever were in the Mafia; away from all the death and Mori's influence on you." 

Fukuzawa gave a firm nod at that; he knew the most about Dazai when he first came in and knew Mori the best, even if was from a different aspect than Dazai or even Yosano. 

"Not that his influence doesn't leave its own lasting scars," Yosano said bitterly, fingers brushing over the butterfly clip in her hair. 

Dazai flipped through the pages, his tone detached as he paused on some pages, shaking his head. "While he may not have had me in the same type of cage as the scientists, he was very adept and continuing the psychological and physical torture." He ran his hands over the blank spaces on his arms where Chuuya had scars were. "He also made sure I didn't learn actual fighting, except for learning how to use firearms-- and apparently dodging." His mouth turned up briefly, looking at Chuuya. "Boy, wouldn't he be angry that chibi is undoing all of his hard work?"

He was looking increasingly ill at each flip of the paper, barely reading them and flipping to the front of the set of documents, when Mori had first found Dazai. Chuuya leaned closer to him, to read over his shoulder, Dazai turning the papers so that he could read them easier. 

I have found the subject that has been under the care of Nōryoku no Kenkyū facility. I discovered him when he was dying from a suicide attempt. I didn't know who he was at the time, but as he practically fell straight into my legitimate office, it was more prudent to save him. I discovered who he was and where he was from when I saw the branding at the back of his neck.

Chuuya paled; he had never seen the back of Dazai's bare neck; either there was his hair in the way or the bandages; he never had a reason to look there. Dazai didn't react to the words but continued reading, his expression blank. Chuuya forced himself to continue. 

The subject started off as a government project before the original founders of the facility lost money, prestige and their lives during the war. The Port Mafia quickly acquired the business, as having the files and facility to study unusual abilities could only help us. They were working to duplicate his Ability for the war but now that the fighting has come to an end, there are certainly more ways one can use such a person. The Mafia can certainly use someone that has an Ability that can negate the Abilities of others--we can take on a great deal more enemies this way. It is a good thing that he is already so broken, there will be no problem bending him to my bill. I will have to make sure that I keep him alive through the training; a dead subject will be of no use. 

Dazai abruptly handed the papers over to Chuuya, hands shaking and face pale, but he kept his voice steady. "What a truly unpleasant man," he said briskly, rubbing his hands on his clothing, trying to wipe away the uncomfortable feeling that thrummed through him. "However the circumstances that led to it, it's truly a good thing that I got away from him." 

Chuuya stared down at the papers, uncertain of wise it was to read through the rest of the documents and what he would find there. He looked at Dazai when his hand rested on Chuuya's shoulder, face concerned. "I saw your name in there as well, Chuuya," he said softly. "Be careful what you find." 

He never had access to these papers before and he had a feeling that what was in there about him was going to be different than what he had already read about his own time in the laboratory. 

"Well, I peered over your shoulder and you can still look over mine," Chuuya shrugged. "I'm just surprised that you want me to see so much of you." It was completely unlike Dazai to give up so much information about himself; even if the members of the Agency had already seen everything that had been previously hidden. 

Dazai gave him an ironic look as if he read his thoughts. "I'm at least giving you permission to read about my tragic past," he said dryly and a few of the Agency members had the grace to look ashamed at least-- but only the ones that read it. Chuuya realized that it was only a few that probably knew the contents of the documents-- Kunikida based on his reactions, Fukuzawa out of necessity and Ranpo by some odd magic of detective work that only he was privy to. 

Chuuya would rather take the paperwork and Dazai and go to a private location to read it, so that he could watch Dazai and make sure he would be okay after reading such things. He would have to make due with dragging Dazai to the couch in the room, watching the Agency members warily. 

Dazai only seemed amused at being dragged, but he submitted easily to sitting next to Chuuya, both of them spreading the paperwork between them and Dazai making sure that his skin kept brushed up against Chuuya's, just in case of any unexpected reactions. 

'The boy chooses to go by the name Dazai, eschewing any connections he had to the life before this one; even the records kept on the facility didn't refer to him by his family name. It's a pity, it would be nice to know who exactly he was connected to. It would be connections that we could have used in the future once 'Dazai' is completely under our control.'

There was an audible releasing of tension in Dazai's shoulders, that Mori didn't seem to know that he had started out as Tsushima Shuji. 

'It's best to teach Dazai that holding onto things and caring for them is useless in our line of work. People are to be valued for their skills and to be treasured for what they can provide, but having an emotional attachment is useless at best and fatal at worst. He is already pushing the boundaries, having tasted freedom, he thinks that freedom is what he truly has now. I shall make a lesson of this early on-- he's become quite attached to one ot the strays that linger near the dormitories he lives in. A visible example of how this is foolish should be quite sufficient for an early lesson--strays die so very easily, after all. 

Chuuya winced and glanced a look at Dazai, who was frowning down at the papers, looking more unhappy as they read on, snippets of Dazai's life in callous words and observations. 

It seems that I need to install more fear into Dazai, since death is something he craves, but pain is something he will avoid. He is becoming willful and even the usual punishments are not enough to deter him. 

He professes that nothing scares him, but I know of a mission that will make sure that he comes out with a healthy fear of what he can't fight off. 

There was another entry right below that one, following up on the mission and Chuuya paled slightly. 

It seems that not telling Dazai of the guard dogs inside the building was a success. It taught him to work on his toes, but knowing that dogs aren't all able to be trained to his words gave me another weapon to use against him. He saw what wild dogs can do to a human being and being that he survived the encounter when others did not-- even at the cost of a broken arm and bloody limbs. It is good to fear even the ordinary.

Chuuya shook his head; that explained Dazai fear and hatred of most dogs, even the small ones. 

It seems that at least part of the lesson has stuck when it comes to the vessel of Arahabaki-- and what a find that was! Dazai truly exceded my expectations by bringing that one into the fold and I know the scientists of before are beside themselves with anger that I was the one to take it in. He is unbelievably naive and vulnerable; a true treasure to exploit. The anger that boils inside of him is very easily redirected towards the best interest of the Port Mafia, instead of against it like before. 

Dazai and Nakahara truly seem to despise each other off the field. Dazai does not show any inclination to confide in someone his own age, but he does value him for the strength that I have denied Dazai--the brain and the brawn; two halves of immense strength and strategy. One would be unbalanced without the other and thus, controlling them both gives me the utmost advantage. 

Chuuya made a face; Mori didn't know all and that was all to the better, in his opinion. While Dazai was mainly a shit for as long as he knew him, there were those moments that Dazai showed vulnerability, trust and that he was a human being that needed reassurance. If it wasn't drinking with his subordinates and erstwhile friends, it was crashing at Chuuya's place to bleed all over his floors and collapse on his freshly laundered sheets. Chuuya had a sneaking suspicion that Dazai acted the way he did so that Chuuya wouldn't be taken away as an example to not show that he cared for those closest to him. 

'All those years and tests in the facility have made Dazai quite resilient to life-threatning injuries. He still gets injured, of course-- there are a multitude of scars that attest to that, but he survives what would kill most people. Death continues to elude him, no matter how hard he tries. He is a perfect companion to Nakahara; the only one that can go into the maelstrom that is Arahabaki's true power and come out alive. 

Dazai leaned closer to Chuuya, eyes unreadable and Chuuya grimaced faintly. Corruption could still Dazai apart if he walked into the center of the crushing balls of gravity. Chuya knew this and had seen the scars that came about from Dazai wading into the debris that his Ability caused. Dazai had always gotten perilously close to the epicenter of death and not just because he wanted to die ; he did it to save Chuuya--who never recognized friend from foe in that state. 

Dazai is a perfect example of how a person can grow outside of the people that raised him. However, he retains the urge to protect and care for those he deems worthy. It is a good habit in a Mafia Boss, but I must make sure that he only sees the people he works with in terms of strategy instead of sentimentality. The earlier lessons I gave him do not seem to have taken root completely; closing him off from others and making him untouchable has only made him reach out in unpredictable ways for a scrap of connection. He is the Demon Prodigy-- my right hand and successor. There is no value in having anyone see him as anymore than just that. They must fear and respect him and follow him-- but once he cares for the individual instead of the organization as a whole, all will be lost. 

I will kill two birds with one stone--get the Business Permit and rid Dazai of the illusion of friendship at the same time. Rooting out the mole in our midst is only a bonus. 

Chuuya trembled faintly and Dazai looked at him calmly. "This isn't a shock," he said dryly. "He did everything one needed to do to get me on his side. Isolation and making sure I didn't make any long-lasting connections; even short-term ones were discouraged. Instilling fear into me and making sure others feared me…" He shook his head and leaned back, half-closing his eyes and ignoring the way the office tried not to stare at the two of them. "He is a master of his craft." 

Chuuya wrinkled his nose at Mori being praised for such a thing and flipped through a few more pages, pausing when he saw an entry related to him and not just Dazai this time. Dazai saw where his gaze went and his hand went around Chuuya's free wrist immediately, filling Chuuya with foreboding. 

'The vessel continues to think of himself as human, given that hope by Randou. However, it is convenient for me to keep him thinking so, as it makes him easier to manipulate. If I give him control over his power and make him think all of his choices are his own, then he feels as if he is more free than he was in that child gang of his. It is rather amusing to have a monster think himself human and a human think of himself as nothing but a monster. I am quite pleased with how their partnership is progressing. The intense friction I have encouraged off the battlefield only strengthens them when they fight and complete missions together. It reminds me of the days working together with someone who was my opposite, although with not quite as much violence. 

It is a shame that I cannot have Dazai with the power of the god inside of him, but knowing he is my trump card to subdue Arahabaki at any point is sufficient for now. 

Chuuya felt hold and cold at the same time and for the first time, he wished fiercely that he too had lost his memories of the Mafa as Dazai had. He wouldn't have felt the sharp stab of betrayal that felt like a knife to the chest. It was fortunate that Dazai was holding onto him or else he wasn't sure what would have happened. "He… he actually…" Chuuya clenched his hand around the papers in his hand, but relaxed it a moment later, breathing deeply. The doubt from before sang to the forefront of his mind again, doubt that he thought he had pushed away and overcome with Rimbaud's last words to him. He read the report that he gained access to as an Executive in the Port Mafia and the proof that he had once been human before the seal broke on Arahabaki, but this--this fractured that surety he thought he gained. 

Dazai squeezed his wrist gently and set the papers aside, giving a melodramatic sigh. "We know that he's full of shit," he declared. "Maybe it's time that we told him how we actually felt." Not that Dazai hadn't been blunt in his assessment of Mori after he left the Mafia--threatening to kill him the same way he killed the Boss. It was almost refreshing that a Dazai without the actual memories of what happened to him felt the same way. His smile turned downright devious as he turned to Chuuya. "What do you say, partner?" 

The idea of Double Black teaming up together to take down Mori had probably been a fear of his and thus why he worked so hard to keep them at odds with each other. The idea of making Mori realize the consequences of his actions was tempting, but Chuuya didn't know how he felt about that yet, even with the callous words on the papers beside him. There were other matters to be handled first and he turned his attention back to the Agency members. 

"How were you able to raid Mori's personal journal?" he demanded in disbelief. "I know these aren't the sort of documents a scientist keeps and I can't imagine that you came across it easily." 

"Well," Fukuzawa actually looked pleased with himself. "He does not always guard against unexpected avenues of subterfuge." He looked down at the cat at his feet, who looked positively smug. 

Chuuya couldn't help but stare and Dazai smiled, kneeling down to give the cat a closer look. "I always thought cats were smarter and better than dogs," he murmured. 

Fukuzawa cleared his throat. "It was an advantageous situation and sensei is not exactly an ordinary cat." 

"Any cat is special," Dazai rebutted, reaching out to pet him but Fukuzawa reached out a hand to stop him before he got too close. Dazai stood up and eyed him, seeing exactly what was going on here. "It's like that, hm?" he murmured. 

"Exactly," Fukuzawa nodded, pleased that he didn't need to give any awkward explanations. "I am truly sorry for what was done to you both." 

Chuuya shrugged, still feeling oddly cold and fractured inside, but he wasn't about to let anyone see that. He had to maintain some sort of dignity when they knew his secrets. "I didn't know, but I suspected some of what was done to Dazai, since I was the only one he came to, other than Sanonosuke and Sakaguchi. I joined the Mafia for information and to protect the people of the city; Mori was the only one that could give me the information about my past." 

"Chuuya is that sort of person," Dazai agreed cheerfully, masks on again and that bright, false smile firmly fixed on his face. "At least, that's what I've observed and from what my older self has told me." He paused, looking thoughtfully at Chuuya. "However, now that he has all the information and knows more of what has transpired, what choice is Chuuya going to make?"

Chuuya made a face at that; it wasn't a choice that he could make immediately, even when his vision went red at remembering what was in Mori's documents. "I think," he said carefully, turning over the words in his head, "before we do anything rash, we would need to gain allies within the Mafia itself." Kouyou-ane-san for certain and there was a possibility of Hirotsu as well. 

Kunikida's brows went up at what it seemed like Chuuya was implying and decided to say it outright. "You're acting like you're going to overthrow the Mafia." He sounded disapproving. 

"Don't be idiotic," Chuuya scoffed. "Yokohama needs the Port Mafia as much as it does the ADA. There's a reason the entire city hasn't gone up in flames yet; we control the criminal activity. We don't exactly live in a society where everyone cares for one another yet. It's just a fact of life that people are going to commit crimes." The cat that wasn't a cat gave an approving meow and butted the side of his leg, unnerving Chuuya slightly. 

"However, I'm not above taking down Mori before he drives anymore of his men into insanity like the mackerel here." He didn't need to point to Dazai. "No use having a new boss if he's going to be just as shitty as the crazy old man from before, even if it's in a different way." 

"What about you, Chuuya?" Dazai's voice was quiet "Will you go back to the Mafia once it's all over or will you even remember what happened and what you read about our time under Mori's training?"  He raised an eyebrow. "I doubt your dislike of your boss will carry over if you forget everything that's happened." 

Chuuya couldn't answer that, not yet and not without all the variables in place. "I don't know," he said slowly, opting for honesty. "I was never the sort of person to sit still in the light--I like controlling the underground elements so that they don't get out of hand and I like being able to find a cause that I can fight for myself. What that means for me, I don't know. I do know that I am going to make sure that this sort of thing doesn't continue to happen, especially not to the men that are under my watch." 

Dazai nodded as if the answer didn't surprise him. "You always do seem the type of person to look at it as protecting those around you--even apparently me in the past, when you didn't even like me that much." 

Chuuya sighed and ran a hand over his face. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself and this was all getting out of hand. He didn't want to stage a coup; he sure as shit didn't want to leadership of the Mafia. It was a position that apparently rotted your brain and morals at the same time. He just wanted everything to get back to normal, but he couldn't go back and work for a man that had used his power and trust to destroy the person that looked to him for training and guidance and used Chuuya like the tool he never wanted to be.  

"I just…" he tilted his head and stared up at the cracks in the ceiling. "I don't want to be twelve any longer, I want life to get back to normal."  I want to bang my head against the nearest hard surface for how fast everything in my life has spiraled out of control. 

Fukuzawa lay an understanding hand on his shoulder. "We are not asking you to overthrow the home that you have made for yourself or hurt the people that you care for. We will concentrate on our original goal of returning you and Dazai back to your original ages and with all your memories intact. This information was not meant to hurt you, but to provide you and Dazai with some of the pieces of Dazai back together. It wasn't a call for arms; like with everything we will take it one step at a time." 

Chuuya let out a relieved breath and nodded, That's all they could ask for at this time. 

Chapter Text

Chuuya did his best to put the revelations to the back of his mind, wanting to concentrate on what was going on at the moment, not something in a nebulous future. He still wanted to get back to his normal self and get things back to normal again, but it was disturbingly easy to fall into the habits and mannerisms that a twelve-year-old had and he wasn't stupid enough to deny that he wasn't affected in some way, other than the age difference itself. He was having little slips of memory but never were the forgotten memories about Dazai or any of the information they had uncovered about Mori. His own time in the Mafia was being muffled and disjointed and he wrote down with earnest fervor after the first panicked moment, determined to recall as much as he could. 

There were enough memories of Dazai in the Mafia with him that the gaps were more than obvious. They had to find the Ability user before he forgot everything, even what it was like to be an adult. He wouldn't see a reason to go back to normal once that happened, just like Dazai. 

First though, was the here and now-- which was a meal with Kouyou, who was all too amused at still having the chance to deal with him as a pre-teen; apparently even looking 'soft and vulnerable' in her words. He snorted at the thought of ever being vulnerable. 

He kept his expression as unreadable as possible, with Kyouka and Dazai on either side of him. It was still unsettling to see her older than he was, when he had once watched over her while she was in the Mafia and tried to guide her as much as he could. She had been a scared little girl when brought into Kouyou's care and trained in the Mafia and while he didn't coddle her, she was like a little sister. Now she was giving him worried looks, like she was a protective older sister to him. He returned the look with a faint scowl. Younger or not, he still had an Ability that he could use to crush anyone that tried to hurt him. He didn't need protection . 

Kouyou's expression was as neutral as his own as she carefully poured out a cup of tea for them. They were in a neutral location, her under the auspices of checking out new locations to expand her businesses-- taking over failing or mishandled brothels was something that she handled and when the main profits went to the Mafia, Mori didn't complain. 

"You try and hide it," she said, without preamble, "but you forget that I know how to read you quite well." She raised her brows at him as she took a sip of tea. "What has happened since the last time that we all saw each other?" 

Chuuya exchanged a look with Dazai, Kyouka focusing on the small pastries that came with the tea and fiddling with her phone. It wasn't her place to speak up about what they had learned. Mori had never tried any such things with her , but Kouyou would have flayed him alive if he had tried anything beyond giving her missions. The three of them had already discussed how much they would say so that they could find out how much she already knew. 

Dazai fiddled with his cup, spoon tapping on the edge and earning a disapproving look from both Chuuya and Kouyou. "What do you know of Mori's involvement in experimental government facilities?" he asked slowly. He focused his intense gaze on her while he took a drink. 

"While it's not a part of the organization I deal with," she frowned briefly and put her cup down, hands cupping around the delicate porcelain, "I do know that he had his hand in several such medical enterprises before he officially joined the Mafia. He was a ...respected… doctor during the War and worked with the government to help turn the tide to victory." She frowned briefly. "I suspect that he still dabbles in such things from time to time and I watch my girls closely to make sure they do not vanish off into one of the buildings he maintains for any sort of medical work." 

"He treated Chuuya like an experiment and possibly still does," Dazai said bluntly. "Even if he was, as Chuuya said, more under your command than he was directly under Mori's." Not many people were directly under Mori; there was usually a long line of people that came between them and the head of the mafia. Once Chuuya became an Executive, that list was cut drastically short and he was in much of Mori's gaze as Dazai had always been. His eyes were darkly assessing. "According to his own records, he never saw Chuuya as anything more than a vessel for the god inside of him and me as the perfect tool to control him." 

Kouyou looked tired under Dazai's accusing stare. "I did know some of that," she admitted slowly, "but not to the extent of not seeing Chuuya as a human being." Her look towards Dazai was more apologetic. "He did his best to make sure that you were viewed as a complete monster, both your yourself and others, more than the extent that high-ranked Mafia members usually are." 

"I figured," Dazai said with dry amusement, thinking on what people had said about him and even Chuuya's remarks about the type of asshole he had been when he was his partner. "But since I don't have that destructive cocktail of actual memories brewing in my mind, I can think a lot more clearly than I am sure that even you knew me as being capable of." His smile was pure mischief. "Maybe you won't even mind me and Chuuya being friends this time." 

Kouyou hid her smile with her sleeve, but the amusement was clear in her eyes. Eve Kyouka giggled as Chuuya punched Dazai in the arm. 

Dazai grew serious once more, the smiling slipping from his face. "There's more," he said softly and with a squeeze of Chuuya's hand, they outlined more of what Mori had done within the organization, handing over copies of the notes that they had collected. The manipulations and torture hadn't just been with Dazai; there were records of other, low-ranking Mafia members being used as bait; of being set up to see how they would react to betrayal or torture. If they weren't holding their own as much as Mori thought they should be, they were disposed of, one way or another. 

More than one family was held hostage or used to give a message. Oda Sanonosuke was not the only one who had the 'family' he loved brutally murdered. 

She frowned and took another sip of tea, even going so far as to nibble on a pastry, before giving her answer. "While his actions were...reprehensible," she said slowly, working over each word, her nose wrinkling. "It's more of what you want to do, Chuuya. "You are no longer…" she coughed and her smile was even more apparent, even before they heard the hint of laughter in her next words. "You shouldn't be a child anymore, You may have knelt to Mori as the boss, but you are not controlled in any way and yo have the strength to make your own choices. I can see what I can find in terms of what he is doing now and continue to cover your tracks, but be aware that if prod into such matters outside of my purview, it can put what fictions we concocted in danger." 

Chuuya bit his lip at that; he certainly didn't want his safety compromised and if Mori felt sufficiently motivated, their location could be ferreted out as well, leaving them without a safe place to run to without putting numerous other people in danger as well. "I want to protect my own people, but I don't think that anyone that I work with is in the same type of position that Dazai or …" he hesitated. "Q," he whispered. As much as that crazy child had caused destruction on an unprecedented scale, he had been molded by Mori as well. It put things in an entirely new perspective.  

"I think the only one that could possibly look into it without raising any suspicion is Hirotsu-san." He cleared his throat and looked up at Kouyou. "We … you know … we could arrange a way for you to escape the Mafia, like…" He hadn't escaped it, he told himself firmly. "Like Dazai." 

Kouyou shook her head, reaching forward to stroke the top of Kyouka's head. "No," She said firmly, but there was sadness in her gaze. "I'm much too deep into the Mafia and it's not something I can run away from. I tried once and it didn't work out well." She pulled her hand back and Kyouka gave her a tiny smile. "It gives me the power to control and protect those who have little or no protection." Sex workers and teahouses would always exist; people would always try and take advantage of the girls that worked there. Kouyou could make sure that anyone who tried to infringe on her territory in any form, she would make them pay. 

It wasn't just flower girls and teahouses; she was a frightening fighter of her own and was a very effective assassin when the situation called for it. She had been the one to train Kyouka in those arts. 

Chuuya closed his eyes briefly. I joined the Mafia for answers; even if Dazai's sticky, manipulative fingers were all over how I landed on their radar in the first place. Do I actually need the Mafia anymore to protect those that I care for? The thought of working on the opposite side of those that were not just his subordinates, but his friends , made his stomach twist in uncomfortable knots. Still, the idea of being ordered about by a man that treated his people's lives so callously while pretending otherwise made him feel even sicker. 

And he had to admit, deep down inside, that he didn't want to be the one to leave Dazai behind this time. Still, he didn't say any of this out loud and he couldn't give away any weaknesses that he held inside of him. There was trusting your self-made (or made for you) family and there was outright stupidity. 

"Who knows?" he sighed. "Maybe me and the idiot will go and work on our own, vanishing from everyone's sight until Mori gets gutted by one of his own experiments. Even Dazai can't actually predict the future, even if he is scarily good at figuring out how the chips will fall." 

"I will still do what I can," Kouyou promised, not responding to the implied threat of Mori dying by their hands. She gave him a fond look; one that he remembered from when she was first training him. "I'll probably be the only one to admit that this might have been the best thing to happen to you boys. A second chance is rarely given, especially to our kind and not ever to this extent. Embrace it while you can and learn all you can from the moments this affords you. Both the Agency and those I can trust in the Mafia will take care of things from our side." She stroked over Kyouka's hair again. "Just allow yourselves to be children ."

Kyouka, Dazai, and Chuuya all exchanged a disbelieving look. They had all been through too much to simply be children, although Kyouka had childhood memories to draw from and she was healing and made a valiant effort to be normal. Dazai was seeming to heal from all the years of damage, made easier by not having the actual memories of Mori's hand on him. Chuuya wasn't sure where that left him. 

Dazai squeezed his hand in understanding; whatever they chose, they would do it together. Whether it was flattening Mori and letting Kouyou take over the Mafia or launching their own coup, it wasn't like anyone could stop them. 

For the first time, they had an actual choice in the path they took. 

~

They were back in what Chuuya was starting to think of as 'their' house; having taken an alternate route out of the city, circling around and coming in from a completely different direction than before. They weren't dressed up in the hakama pants and top this time, but ordinary street clothes. 

"I have to wonder if we should get a school uniform or something the next time we go out," Chuuya mused, halfway to himself. "They still expect kids our age to be in school, right?" he asked. "Doesn't it look more suspicious that we aren't wearing it?"

Dazai made a face. "We would have to get the uniform and possibly know something about the school we are supposedly attending. If we did anything that made anyone unhappy or suspicious, then they could call the school and report us. It's not worth the hassle, especially since we're only leaving the house rarely as it is." 

"Yeah…" Chuuya flopped over on the couch, one arm over his eyes. It was ridiculous to try and make such long term plans such as trying to blend in more, instead of planning for how to get their lives back in order and integrating back into the lives they were temporarily displaced from. 

"Did we ever go undercover at a school?" Dazai asked suddenly, sitting next to Chuuya and giving him a curious look. "Try and scout out Ability users or control the grounds around a school so that it was in Mafia control?"

Chuuya blinked and uncovered his eyes to give Dazai an incredulous look. "Have you been reading shoujo manga again?" he demanded. "No, we were too busy doing actual work, it didn't matter that we were brats, we were full and high-ranking members of the Port Mafia. We had much more important missions to handle." His smirk held a wicked edge. "Of course, our enemies absolutely underestimated us because we were kids." 

Dazai looked amused at that, poking Chuuya in the side. "It sounds like we had fun with that sort of thing," he murmured. "I take it that it was… necessary to maintain the smooth running of Yokohama?" Chuuya had been very adamant that what they did was to make sure that the criminal underworld didn't sink the city--their forays into enemy areas was to make sure that they didn't cause the same problems that lead to the war that decimated so much of the country. 

"Yeah," Chuuya sighed and covered his eyes again. "I won't lie and say our hands aren't absolutely covered in blood because that would be a lie. We did a lot of bloody things in the name of expanding territory and protecting our assets. We were…" he hesitated. "We were more of a brute force or a last resort in some cases. When all the warnings were given and ignored, we were the ones sent out to take them out. Not that we didn't have our own subtle moments, Double Black was not known for it." 

"You enjoyed it," Dazai said calmly. "Having power and showing people that you were stronger than they were." He rested a hand on Chuuya's arm, fingers spreading out slightly in a mimicry of how he usually stopped Corruption. 

"You did as well," Chuuya retorted, but there wasn't a lot of bite in his voice. "You enjoyed out-maneuvering the enemy, using your mind against those that would rise against us. You used me as brute force and yeah, I did enjoy it. It was a step up from being used completely to being able to show other people I couldn't be used. You were able to create strategies and I think that was your own way of reclaiming your intelligence in the way you wanted. Mori didn't give you the strategies, you came up with them all yourself." 

Dazai made a thoughtful sound before getting up abruptly. "Give me some time and I'll be able to create a strategy that will make the both of us happy, then." He switched gears quickly, pushing the ideas of what was going to happen next to the back of his head. "Since we got all those groceries before we got back, what do you want for dinner?"

Chuuya sat up and blinked, thrown off by the abrupt change, mind still whirling with memories of what they did together. Dazai's bright smile was at odds with the memory of the dull-eyed, deadly cold partner that he had in the Mafia. "Nothing with crab," he said firmly, still caught up in old habits. 

Dazai pouted at him, pausing in the doorway. "You forbid me from getting anything with crab this time," he reminded him. "We bought a lot of nice stuff and some fancy stuff that you wanted."  They actually had beef and fruit, a lot of vegetables that Chuuya was still amazed that Dazai would eat without bribes. The money for everything came from a generous allowance from Kouyou, who refused to let them eat nothing but junk while they were living together. 

"I'm just going to take every moment that I've been afforded to get your body eating decent food so hopefully that it will bleed over to when things go back to normal," Chuuya stood up to follow Dazai to the kitchen, wanting to see what would be made and to make his own additions. This had become another routine of theirs and one that Chuuya was loath to give up so soon. 

Perhaps, staying like this a little longer, wouldn't be so bad. 

~

It was several weeks later that they were back at the Agency, Fukuzawa having called them there. Chuuya protested the need to leave yet again, but Fukuawa was adamant that they needed to speak in person. 

"How would the two of you like to go on a trip?" There was a faint note of amusement in his voice with the question. They were all in his office and Fukuzawa had threatened a great deal to anyone that eavesdropped this time, giving them privacy during this conversation. "We have found the Ability user, but he will scatter at the sign of any sort of authority. Sending children when most of his victims have returned back to normal will not scare him off." 

"You mean us," Chuuya said dryly, gesturing to him and Dazai. "You don't have to hide it, we know that we are the only ones left that are stuck like this."  Dazai was sitting straight up in the chair next to him, wearing something a little less sloppy than he had adopted before. It wasn't quite like the black suits that he wore in the Mafia, nor the 'homeless bum' look that Chuuya had called his ADA clothes, but a nice balance in between. He looked completely comfortable in his skin. 

"You are correct that as far as we can determine, you are the only ones left in this area that are still so affected. Of course, there may be others that have flown under the radar, but they may be as well-hidden as the two of you and none that we can use to confront the Ability user. Ranpo has his own theories about why you have not turned back to normal, but he is withholding the information until after your trip has completed and you have confronted the person who started all of this." His tone was extra dry. "He would hate to be wrong." 

Dazai's look was filled with disbelief. From what he had learned about Ranpo, the man could analyze at a glance and was never wrong once he opened his mouth to give a deduction. Fukuzawa actually laughed at that. "Exactly. You understand him quite well." 

Chuuya decided to speak up. "So we go to wherever this guy is hiding, Dazai will smack some sense into him, and we'll all look back on this like a bad dream we all happened to share." He was aware that his voice didn't sound as enthusiastic as it had been a month ago, except for the savage satisfaction in making the Ability user pay. 

He had gotten used to being twelve again and it was harder to remember what it was like being an adult, even with Dazai teasing that he didn't have to adjust so much to the height difference. With all the time they spent together, he and Dazai were closer than he ever thought they could be, even if the days they spent together were filled with teasing and bickering and pranks; Dazai was becoming more of himself with each day, but lacking the coldness of before. The days were also filled with Chuuya still teaching Dazai how to fight; Dazai and Chuuya taking turns cooking together and beating each other's high scores on Dazai's video games. 

They worked together on how to make plans on how things could work for them alone, without anyone else involved in the process. Dazai was practical and he had thought of both outcomes; both them as children and as the adults they were supposed to be. They couldn't hide forever and time was running out. 

This trip could change everything. 

Dazai's look to him was almost haughty. "I won't do anything so crass as 'smacking the shit' out of someone," he said, tone lofty. "We've already established that I'm the brains in our partnership and you're the muscle. I promise that once you knock him out, I'll get a hand on him so that chibi can return to normal." 

It could be worrisome that he wasn't including himself in being returned back to normal, even with all the conversations they had with each other and the members of the Agency. However, they both knew that once Dazai canceled the Ability, he would return back to his normal age with Chuuya. He just didn't want to say it out loud and make his acceptance real, but there was no getting around it. "I suppose it's time to take care of this matter once and for all." His sigh was all dramatics and no substance. "I was enjoying my vacation." His tone was just as devoid of enthusiasm as Chuuya's had been. 

Fukuzawa looked between the two of them, a frown forming on his face. "I thought we already decided that it is best to move forward with your proper age, Dazai." He didn't need to say how surprised he was at Chuuya's lack of vehemence about turning back to normal; going back to his life in the Mafia. 

Chuuya returned the look flatly. "Don't assume about me," he snapped. "I already told you about my plans to go back to my life once all this nonsense is over." He wasn't going to admit to Dazai or Fukuzawa that his plans could go along a different path now and that this life wasn't as bad as it once had been. 

"Good," Fukuzawa nodded and crossed his arms over his chest, still looking disapproving. "Please make sure that you convince Dazai of the same thing." He raised an eyebrow, pushing over an envelope. "Your plane leaves tonight." His smile was thin. "I hope the two of you are proficient in your English." 

Chuuya and Dazai both nodded; there were a number of English speaking countries that they had been through and having proficiency in the language was key. Dazai had probably either learned at home when he was a child or while in the facility, testing his intelligence. 

"I take it that we are going alone, with the appropriate forged documents so that we can fly without alerting either the authorities or the Mafia finding us out?" 

Fukuzawa nodded, tapping the envelope. "Your documents are courtesy of the government, who made sure that no flags would be raised with your passage and we have spoken to Ozaki-san, who has made sure to redirect any eyes on that particular flight. We will be dropping you off at the airport and arrange for safe travel with the airline staff but as soon as you're in the air, you'll be on your own." He hesitated. "There is a good chance we can have someone meet you there, but we want your permission first before we engage their help." 

"You want to make sure there as few people as possible involved as possible, as the more people involved, it's harder to keep the secret going." Dazai leaned his chin on one hand and watched Fukuzawa. "Still, two children arriving alone will cause some questions to be asked. "If you are sending us off to some country where stray children will be remarked upon, it probably will be easier to have someone meet us there, even as an illusion and they can abandon us as soon as eyes are off of us." 

"Good," Fukuzawa looked relieved. "Ranpo can contact them immediately so that they'll be prepared for your arrival. Poe is currently in America and he can meet you at the airport. You don't have to worry about him sticking around; he's rather… shy…" 

Chuuya scowled at the mention of the ex-Guild member; he was the one that created the book that Ranpo had trapped him in. "Good," he muttered. "I don't want him around any longer than he has to be, either." 

Dazai's mouth quirked up faintly. "I take it that this," he gestured to the two of them, "isn't the first time an Ability has gotten the better of you?" 

"You have no idea," Chuuya groused. At least he could say that one of the good things about his time as Dazai's partner was that even though Ability users could leave their mark, it would only last as long as Dazai's amusement or when his strategy needed Chuuya's strength more than he needed to laugh. 

"Be grateful that we're trusting you enough to go on your own." Fukuzawa raised his eyebrows. "If it was up to me, I would put both of you in Lucy's space and have her carry you to America. Efficient, but she does not want to go back in that direction, even if America is not the country she is originally from. It's still too close to home and the past she wants to leave behind completely." His unsaid words were clear-- unlike how Dazai and Chuuya were acting. 

"You do have a fascinating group of allies," Dazai observed. "It's a shame that I've forgotten about all of them." Chuuya knew that it wasn't just about the lack of information, but the group that he had integrated himself into and looked up to him. While Dazai didn't have anything to do with Lucy; that had been the tiger-boy, Atsushi, Dazai had his own undeniable influence on so many others. 

He hoped that whatever happened, Dazai wouldn't lose the family that he had chosen for himself and had chosen him in return. He squeezed Dazai's wrist gently. "Let's finally get this over with," he said firmly. 

One way or another. 

Chapter Text

Dazai looked out the window of the airplane, fascinated. "I assume that I've been outside the country before, but I don't remember it." Even though they were high enough above the ground that all there to see was clouds, Chuuya gazed outside as well. 

"Yeah," Chuuya affirmed, thinking back to those other times. "It was mainly as a warning to other organizations that thought to make a name for themselves in our territory. We didn't have to leave the country a lot for that; we mostly dealt with stuff inside Japan." During all of those trips, they had never run across the Guild. He vaguely wondered if Mori ever blamed them for such an oversight, especially with the devastation that came when the group landed on their shores. "We mainly threatened foreign groups when they thought they could undermine the structure that was in Yokohama." 

"So it's not a normal trip for either of us," he said, tone and expression thoughtful, before he grinned. "We should sightsee and have some fun first." 

Chuuya snorted and punched Dazai in the arm, earning a melodramatic whine. "There won't be time for that," he said, glaring at him. "We wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, remember?" 

"I know," Dazai's tone was a little sharp, but he sighed and stared out the window again. "It was really nice to not have to worry about anything, even if I got to do detective work on the side when you were beating up sandbags in the training room. That house--it felt like a real home and…" he shrugged. "I don't know how that will go after we go back to normal. I...I think I became a man with too many masks and had a life that made it that way. I can always re-establish the connections I made with the people at the Agency and you, but I'd rather do it with my head on straight rather than the messed-up nature of it from all those years in the Mafia." He grimaced faintly. "I wasn't a nice person at all."  They had already talked about this, but now that it was coming closer to the final hour as it were, Dazai was going back to that. 

"No, you weren't," Chuuya said bluntly. "No one in the Mafia can really be called a 'nice' person, except to those they work with and trust to watch their backs…" Dazai had woefully few of those and one was a traitor and another died. Chuuya would always watch Dazai's back and trusted him to do so in return, but it was nothing like the group of people that looked up to Chuuya or Kouyou. "You were worse than most." He stared at the clouds as he talked, trying to see shapes in them from above, like he had done so when he was younger and laying on his back, staring upward. 

"If I had met you like this and you stayed like this, there would have been no problem being your partner. You're still a moron sometimes with arms like limp noodles and a bit of an asshole, but you aren't the monster that Mori made you be." He wasn't blaming Dazai in this; he went along and dug himself deeper, but Mori had fostered and encouraged the growth of the Demon Prodigy. 

Dazai looked unusually solemn, voice quiet and dark eyes meeting Chuuya's when he spoke. "After all of this is over, I want to see what happened to the rest of my family. Even if it's been years since my parents died in the war, they had one other child besides me, but my brother was a lot older than me." He tapped his fingers on the armrest between them. "He was in the government and because of that, I didn't see him a lot growing up and then … well, you know what happened." 

Chuuya made a face. "The fact that he didn't come and try and save you or intervene or anything doesn't make me think all that highly of him, but I know how deep the layers of government can go. He probably wasn't even aware." 

Dazai nodded and his smile turned rueful. "Do you think he'd accept me more as the kid I am now or the screwed up, criminally-inclined adult I became?"

"He might have enjoyed the reformed criminal that works to save people," Chuuya pointed out, then flushed at being so nice to Dazai, especially with the wide-eyed, incredulous look that was on his face. "But you should write it down," he said hurriedly, wanting to push past the moment of saying something he had been thinking about for some time now. "You need to remember somehow in case that in exchange for our return to our normal ages, our memories are lost." 

"Does that mean that Chuuya will go back to hating me?" Dazai's voice was soft. "I've gotten enough information from everyone around me and my own letters to myself that you've hated me quite fiercely. I like…" He flushed. "I like all the time we've spent together and all of what we've done together." 

"I can't say for sure," Chuuya had to be honest. "But if I see all the pictures and videos we made, we can hold onto some of the changes that we made with each other." 

Dazai's smile was wry. "I hope that it will be enough because I think that in this time and even before, you're the first real friend that I've ever had."  His tone was completely sincere and caught Chuuya momentarily speechless, but Dazai just patted his hand and turned back to the window and closed his eyes and in moments he was asleep. 

Chuuya decided to do the same and pulled the blanket that the airline provided them over both of them. It was going to be a long flight and the future was uncertain. 

~

Poe was waiting for them when they stumbled off the plane in the wake of several other passengers. His eyes went wide under his mop of hair. 

"I… Ranpo sent the pictures and told me, but…" He coughed and patted the top of his raccoon's head before he dug himself in deeper with whatever he was going to say. "Let… let's go. I have a car to take you to where you need to go, but it's a little bit of a drive…" 

Chuuya shrugged. "I didn't think they'd be straight up in the city itself or else you may have already trapped them in one of your freaky books." He shuddered at the memory of it and gave Poe a deeply suspicious look. "After you drop us off, don't follow us at all, I don't need to repeat that experience either." 

Poe looked affronted at the suggestion. "You didn't appreciate the last one and you just beat up my characters instead of trying to figure out the clues. I don't just let anyone inside." He walked at a fast pace, dodging people in the airport with ease and causing Chuuya and Dazai to struggle a bit to keep up before they exited the airport to a parking garage. "Ranpo wants another trip to see how fast he can solve my puzzles this time." 

"How lucky for him," Chuuya muttered under his breath, climbing into the backseat of the car, Dazai shoving him over to sit next to him. If anything made him feel even more like a kid, it was sitting in the back of a car, instead of driving his own or riding his motorbike. 

"That sounds amazing," Dazai sounded wistful. "I wish I could do something like that. It would be like the best locked-room mystery to try out." 

Poe looked startled that someone besides Ranpo actually would want to experience his Ability, but he knew that Dazai would neutralize it with a touch. "Ranpo and I can work out a locked-room mystery for you," he promised Dazai, looking at him in the rearview mirror. "We'll make it as complicated as possible." 

Chuuya could only shake his head at how weird Dazai was. Here he was, talking about mystery rooms and getting locked away for fun, when all Chuuya wanted to do was get his hands on the Ability user that started this whole mess. They caused not only the problem of being younger but also giving him hope and unrealistic expectations about his relationship with Dazai. 

Most of the drive was silent, Chuuya's gaze going over the city and the sun sparkling off the water. It was a little more than a two-hour drive and Poe was nervous enough driving that he didn't volunteer any conversation of his own, just clung to the steering wheel, the raccoon-- Karl, Chuuya learned, in the passenger seat in the front. 

When they parked in the parking lot of the hotel where they would be staying, he passed over the room keys already secured and some basic information about the area. "You have to be careful if you come back into the city," he said seriously as if he were talking to actual kids. "It's not the safest place around and even the boardwalk is filled with… " His voice trailed off as he looked at Chuuya and Dazai, the latter looking distinctly amused. 

He managed a sharp-edged grin, something that Chuuya hadn't thought the shy-seeming writer was capable of. "Although I pity the gang that runs afoul of you two." 

"Might be good for some stress relief," Chuuya cracked his knuckles, already opening the car door so that he could rest for a little while since sleeping on planes never worked out as good as he wanted it to. "Thanks for the 'tourist' information about fun things to do in the area." 

"I didn't tell you so that you could go and make trouble," Poe protested, but his shoulders slumped. "Not that I can stop you." Chuuya thought instead of dwelling on the slowly-growing melancholy feeling that everything that had happened over the last couple of months was going to end, he could beat people up instead as a kind of stress relief. 

Dazai's look was amused but didn't say anything until Poe had left them alone. "I did do some research before we came here and while you were sleeping on the plane." Chuuya wanted to protest that Dazai had been sleeping as well, but the idiot had probably only been faking to stop any conversation. "However, gangs run by children or ones that don't kick up much of a fuss are harder to track, especially when they're not using an Ability user to create havoc." He patted Chuuya on the head. "Don't go flattening a bunch of weak brats because you're restless." 

Chuuya looked up at the hotel that was already set up for them, rooms and all. "So what if I do?" he asked, scowling at Dazai. "It'll only make them stronger if they fight someone strong." 

Dazai rolled his eyes. "Getting arrested when we are trying to keep a low profile will not make it easy to track down the person we're hunting," he pointed out logically. "You can knock out the Ability user or whatever person that irks you when we get back home and in familiar territory." 

"Spoilsport," Chuuya stuck out his tongue at Dazai, leaving the other shocked for a moment that Chuuya was not only being so playful but doing it in public where other people could see him.

"I…" Dazai shook his head to clear it. "Let's just get inside where we can go over the last of the plans in private and then get food and sleep. Tomorrow's going to be … an eventful day, I'm sure." He didn't want to run off immediately and not only because he wanted to stay the way he was and learn how to be human. Going in without a plan of attack was borderline crazy and could end badly for them. They already knew the general area of where their target was hiding, but anyone that had dodged so many people for so long was going to be wary. They had to be as cautious as possible. 

"Fine," Chuuya grumbled. "We'll laze about one more time before the real work begins." In contrast to his words, he was smiling as they moved through the hotel, ignoring the staff and other guests, wanting to get behind locked doors as soon as possible. 

No one seemed to give them a second glance. 

~

"This part of the whole mess is actually the one normal thing," Chuuya pointed out, flopping over on the bed next to Dazai's. "There are a lot of hotel rooms we shared when we were on missions away from the city; some were nicer than this and some were a lot worse." 

Dazai snickered. "I can just imagine the type of places we were in or the roles we had to play," he was currently building a pillow fort and hiding inside of it and his voice came out slightly muffled. "We probably complained no matter what, though." 

"At first and then we got so drunk that we didn't care that we were rooming together or if the place was absolute trash." It was rare that the ever stayed in a real dive; Chuuya's finicky nature rebelled against a thing and would often use extra money to at least get somewhere higher up the terrible scale. He looked over at Dazai, who was completely covered in pillows and somehow had managed to steal pillows from Chuuya's bed as well, without him noticing. He grinned; it was something Dazai had done before. "Although you weren't quite as much of a pain in the ass when you weren't under Mori's direct influence. You always brought your handheld games and would somehow sneak in a bottle of wine for me." 

"If I thought you would actually have enjoyed the wine, I would have brought you a bottle," Dazai grinned and unearthed himself from his fort, spilling pillows everywhere. In his hands he held a bag. "What do you say instead to the finest tea from Kouyou's private stash and a bag of pastries from the cafe you like so much?"

Chuuya hesitated when Dazai handed him a smaller pastry bag, stamped with the familiar logo of the shop he frequented after particularly trying missions. He had nearly bought out their stock the day he learned Dazai had betrayed them. "How did you know?" he asked suspiciously. He didn't go for the small container of tea just yet. If Dazai had procured it without Kouyou's permission, he didn't trust it to not be poisoned. 

Dazai was busy eyeing the coffee pot in the room, poking at it as if it would tell him if he could boil decent water for the tea. "When we were in Yokohoma last, I saw your gaze keep going to a certain shop…" When Chuuya's frown of disbelief grew at the obvious lie, Dazai laughed. "I asked Kouyou about the type of pastries you had liked the best." 

"She's a traitor," Chuuya muttered, but he was already stuffing his face with the extra spicy ginger cookies, flavored with black pepper and cardamon to give the ginger an extra kick. 

"Figures someone as violent as you would like something that would make your tongue go numb with fire." Dazai wrinkled his nose, setting the hot water to boil and pulling out a few cups as well. Chuuya vowed to apologize to Kouyou when they got home if it came out that all of this was stolen. 

"You're just a wimp," Chuuya taunted, halfway through another cookie. "Are you still eating those tasteless pancakes with the red bean paste in them?" He wrinkled his nose and picked out one of the spicy cinnamon chile brownies, taking a large bite. "They're not even sweet. How can you even call that a desert?" He peered in the bag again and made a triumphant noise. "I'm glad some things haven't changed." 

"And the things about me that have changed?" Dazai asked seriously, carrying over the cups of tea to the side table in between their beds. "Are you wanting the old Dazai back or do you like better the person you've come to know in the past few months?" He reached inside the pastry bag and took out the imagawayaki, taking a bite as he watched Chuuya. 

"It would be nice to see this version of you, the version that you could have been all along, with your adult self," Chuuya sighed, putting the pasty bag aside and accepting the tea instead, inhaling the scent. "You're still yourself, but instead of masks or being a complete cold bastard, you're acting like…" He didn't want to use the word 'human'. "Like the kid you were before everything went to hell for you." 

"You too, Chuuya," Dazai said, fiddling with his desert. "Even if I can't remember all of you, I do sometimes see bits and pieces in dreams." Chuuya stared at him in shock; this was the first time that he heard about this. "I get emotions as well and others will tell me things and then there are the notes I left for myself as well. It's nice to see that you have the chance to be the kid you weren't allowed to be, either." 

Chuuya shrugged and handed Dazai a piece of daifuku while he ate another cookie. "We each got a chance for something we didn't have before. We can't hold onto it forever." 

"But we have at least one last night to hold onto it." Dazai reached out and squeezed Chuuya's hand, understanding the tone in his voice and the expression on his face. "We'll make the most of it." His look turned mischevious as he pointed to the information of who the hotel room was under. "Want to take advantage of my own generosity and order room service?" 

Chuuya blinked when he saw it was under Dazai's old name, but it made sense. The only people that knew it had already known it from the start and now the members of the Agency. He would have to trust in them. 

"It is all my own money," Dazai pointed out, misreading Chuuya's wary look. "I don't like being beholden to anyone that gives me money. They can hold something over you by doing that." 

Chuuya relaxed faintly. "Well, if you're actually paying for something for once, then why not?" he asked. "We can't subside off of pastries and tea for the night." Not unless they wanted to have a giant headache from all the sugar. 

They perused the menu together, Dazai's nose wrinkling at the heavy looking American dishes and earning a pinch on his cheek for pointing out the kids menu to Chuuya. He lingered over the seafood dishes, impressed at the variety. It was a coastal city, so it shouldn't have been a surprise, but the sight of them made him think of home. 

"They certainly have a bewildering array of options," Chuuya said finally. It wasn't like most places didn't have a wide variety of options, but nothing ever beat America for the sheer variety. 

"You are not allowed to get just crab cakes," Chuuya threatened. "There is more on here than that and I refuse to let you pay that much just for some salty crab lumps." He looked over the menu again, Dazai pouting at the ban on just getting his favorite food, but settled on the steak and crab cakes, so he at least had a little more than just crab. Chuuya paused over the pan-seared duck breast and finally decided on that for his meal, thinking briefly on the wine that he would have paired with it, but it wasn't an option at the moment. 

Hopefully by the end of the day tomorrow, he could celebrate with a bottle of wine that would put his bottle of Petrus to shame. 

~

They spent the night stealing bites off of each other's plates, even Chuuya allowed himself some of the crab cakes, surprised that it wasn't as salty or super fishy as he remembered it being, but it could have been from the quality of the ingredients or that this body didn't remember having only low-class versions of it before. 

They discussed what they were going to do tomorrow in between their food, Dazai spreading out the map of the area. "We know that they're in this area here--" he pointed to the boardwalk area around the beach. "Lots of crowds to mix with and lots of families with kids, so it's easy to blend in and since it's full of tourists, no one knows what happened until too late." 

Chuuya made a face. "That would be a disaster," he rubbed a hand over his head, "but they did say nothing was happening and so finding them shouldn't be a problem." He eyed the three-mile strip of beach. "I think." There looked like a lot of places that one could get lost in.

"We'll figure it out," Dazai said confidently, popping a last piece of steak in his mouth. "We'll get up early enough before the crowds really get crazy and track them down. They have to stick out somehow and people who look like they're trying to hide stick out the most of all." 

"Ugh, don't say that," Chuuya cleared away their plates and lay back on the bed, uncaring that Dazai was still right next to him. He could move, Chuuya was going to hog all the pillows that Dazai had commandeered earlier and kick him off the bed. "We're trying to hide, remember?"

"Yes, but we know how to do it well and we have a lot of people helping us," Dazai said cheerfully. "It's different for us."

"It won't be our problem soon enough at least," Chuuya allowed and shoved at Dazai with his foot. "Get our plates into the hallway and then get your ass into your own bed so we can sleep. We know what we have to do and we can't mess this up." 

"Man, such a taskmaster," Dazai made his eyes wide. "I think I'm scared of you, you could beat me up without me even putting up a fight."

"I hope you can put up a fight this time," Chuuya huffed, "or else I'm going to wonder why all that time teaching you to fight actually achieved." He threw a pillow at Dazai, who just dodged it with a laugh, holding the empty plates up high before placing them outside. He grabbed the pillow Chuuya threw at him and stuck out his tongue. "How to dodge, of course," he teased. 

"As always," Chuuya rolled his eyes and pointed to the bed. "Get to bed, Dazai. Tomorrow we face our fate." 

~

The smell of the sea was strong as they made their way to the boardwalk area where they knew the Ability user was hiding. Dazai tilted his face up into it, smiling. "It's nice to see the ocean without all the port traffic in it," he said absently. The beach was filled with families, kids running into the waves and shrieking as parents lay on beach towels and watched with fondness. There were teenagers and old people; the smell of the ocean was overlayed with the scent of hot fries and sugar. 

Chuuya nodded, gaze going towards the sun on the waves. He wondered vaguely if he could net a few more days vacation after this fiasco was done with. A day on the beach, a glass of wine in his hand… it sounded great as long as he wasn't like the adults that literally got ran over by kids chasing each other. "Yeah...it's kind of relaxing." In the winter, it would be terrible, he knew from experience in living in a coastal city. The wind of the water could get bitterly cold and snow was always an option. 

Dazai was looking distracted by the sounds and smells around them from the boardwalk, but was able to focus on their task at hand. "The reports we have of this Ability user is that they don't look overly strong and they're a man in their mid-thirties or so, but descriptions of his actual appearance vary. Kunkiida suspects that he's using his Ability to change his age or appearance so that we're thrown more off track." 

His attention was gone again at the sound of the games and the sheer variety of them and the food and shops. There were workers outside, trying to entice the people passing by to give what they had a chance. It was like a festival but on a much larger scale. It was a kid's dream and a parent's worst nightmare. 

Chuuya yanked at Dazai's arm. "We're almost there," he said firmly. "You're acting like a… a crow looking for the next shiny thing to steal for your nest." He hoped that he had covered his almost misstep of saying 'like a kid' but judging by Dazai's smirk, he hadn't missed the faux pas at all. 

"I always thought I was more of a fox," Dazai said thoughtfully, but he allowed Chuuya to drag him further down the boardwalk area and away from most of the hawkers. 

"Still a trickster," Chuuya muttered under his breath, readying himself to confront the Ability user, but before they got into the seasonal shore houses where their quarry lay, they were stopped by a teenage girl standing in their way. 

"You two need to come with me," she said firmly. "I'm the one you've been looking for all this time." 

Chuuya and Dazai exchanged a look and then back at the girl in front of them. She wasn't what their dossier said at all and Chuuya's eyes narrowed, wondering what sort of trick this was or what game she was selling. "Look, I'm not interested in playing any sort of games," he said sharply. "We have somewhere we need to be." 

She rolled her eyes at that. "Oh, I bet you do," she said. "You look so very important, rushing around in jeans and a t-shirt like you're some sort of kids." They both looked at her when she stressed the last word and once she had their full attention, she smiled widely at them, showing dimples in her cheeks. She looked completely innocent and that made Chuuya's skin crawl.

"And why should we come with you?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest and standing protectively in front of Dazai. Someone looking this deliberately innocent reminded him strongly of Dazai at his most devious. 

"Well, if you ever want to be normal again, I'm the only one that can help you with that," she said and then turned away, walking quickly and leaving Dazai and Chuuya to hurry after her so that they didn't lose her in the crowd. 

She led them to the back of one of the noisier games, but once they were in the small room, the sound was considerably muffled. It was well-lived in, with cushions and low couches, blankets and a small table all crammed into the small space. 

"So," she began, reclining in an overstuffed chair that was covered with a soft, colorful blanket. Her gaze was full of amusement as she took in their wary stances. "You two are an interesting puzzle; I worked hard to reverse all the changes I wrought on Yokohama. But here you are, looking younger than your souls say you ought to be." 

Dazai frowned at her. "How can you tell that there is something different about us? Maybe we just went through a lot of shit." That was true, but she didn't have to know that. She just looked exasperated at the question, as if it should be obvious. 

"It's my Ability," she pointed out and something about her eyes said she was much older than her appearance led them to believe as well. 

At the mention of the word Ability, Chuuya shoved at Dazai, knocking him forward so that he would fall into the girl in a way that she couldn't dodge, hoping to negate the Ability and get everything back to normal. Chuuya felt the wash of power as Dazai's hands brushed against her skin, both of them making undignified squawks as they tried to shove away from each other. He looked down at his hands and swore when they looked the same. Somehow, it didn't work. 

"Why didn't it work?" he demanded, horrified. "Dazai's Ability should nullify any Ability." It hadn't worked when Dazai had gotten affected, but there were loopholes and weird instances. This shouldn't have been one of those cases. He had the Ability user right there. 

Her mouth dropped open and then her smile turned pained, understanding and an apology in her eyes. "Um.. you probably won't like this answer when I give it to you," she said reluctantly. She looked more worried as Chuuya's look grew more murderous. 

"Try me," Chuuya snapped out, but Dazai had finally disentangled himself from the girl and stood again at Chuuya's side, one hand on his wrist, but focusing the same intense stare on the girl as Chuuya had, but less venomous and more resigned. 

"It has to do with me, doesn't it?" he asked. "Since you somehow were able to use your Ability on me in the first place…" 

She nodded quickly, as if wanting to get out the explanation as soon as possible before Chuuya snapped. It didn't matter that he was twelve at the moment, he was still angry enough to do real damage if he didn't get an answer soon. "My Ability to change you back is blocked by him," she pointed to Dazai. "He nullifies it before it can work and since he was the one that was initially changed, I can't change you back without changing him back as well." 

Chuuya paled and turned to look at Dazai, wanting to shake him, but the other just looked sick and horrified. "Chuuya…" he whispered and the self-loathing in his voice was so thick that it shook Chuuya out of his rage. 

"I didn't know," Dazai fidgeted and then took a deep breath. "Does it cancel if the person you initially changed dies?" His voice was strained, even without Chuuya's hand tightening on his wrist. He wasn't as enamored with death as he had been a few months prior. 

"Don't you dare," Chuuya hissed, but Dazai's gaze on the girl didn't change, waiting for his answer. 

"No," the girl said gently. "And before you ask, trying to kill me won't fix it, either. Believe me, others have tried." Her smile was pained.

"So, we're stuck like this?" Chuuya demanded. "We're going to be this age forever?"

"No," she said, her look turning both impish and innocent at the same time, reinforcing the image of Dazai at his worst. "Sometimes it just… wears off, but even then, you've already been aging at a normal rate. You're not frozen at one age like I am." She sighed and tugged at a fraying thread on the blanket beneath her. "You'll just have to grow up all over again." 

Dazai still looked completely sick and guilt-ridden and wouldn't meet Chuuya's eyes. "What is the name of your Ability and what exactly does it do?" he asked. "So we can record it so we know what to look for if it happens again?"

"Broken Clocks," she looked vaguely sad, as if remembering something about the name or how it worked, before continuing. "It means that I am stuck at the age that the Ability fully matured and it's extremely erratic. I can't control it fully and it skips over what is normal. It's why someone with a nullifying ability was able to get affected by me." She shrugged as if it had been something that happened before, but as far as Dazai and Chuuya knew, Dazai was the only one alive with such an Ability. "It also activates without warning but as soon as I realize what's happened, I work as fast as I can to reverse the effects." 

She held up her hands and for the first time, Chuuya saw that she wore gloves similar to what he wore. "I also try and avoid touching anyone, It hadn't happened for so long that I thought the ability had finally gone either dormant or I finally gained a measure of control over it. It's why I wasn't wearing gloves in Yokohama when it flared up again." She swallowed. "I'm sorry that there is nothing that I can do to help you regain your former ages, but I can't hurt you any further, either." If it was meant to be reassuring in any way, it fell flat. 

Chuuya growled and looked like he wanted to test to see if killing her would really change the outcome of their circumstances, but the look of self-loathing on Dazai's face stopped him, as well as the tired look in her eyes. She was stuck like this, moreso than they were. 

"Is there anything at all that you can do?" Dazai asked softly. "Anything at all that can make it easier to deal with this?"

She gave him and then Chuuya a thoughtful look. "It's already something that's happening," she said slowly. "Your memories of being an adult are already being blunted and it may continue to do so, even if you'll never forget everything like your friend." 

Chuuya gave a reluctant nod; he had realized that and while he didn't like it at all, it wasn't something he could actually deny. "So that's it?" he asked. "We'll just go about our new lives and what?" he asked. 

"That's up to you," she said firmly. "You've been given a second chance and what you do with the knowledge you gained before can only help you. Just don't be an ass about what happened, even though it sucks." 

That earned her baleful looks from the both of them and she just grinned. "Take it as it goes, kids." She stood up and patted them both on the head. "I'll have to see how it turns out for you. You're the most interesting pair that I've affected in a long time." 

Chuuya rolled his eyes and tried to find peace with in himself. It wasn't the end of the world and even like this, they still had one last monster to confront. 

"Guess it's time to go home and break the happy news," he murmured. He wasn't looking forward to it. 

Dazai grimaced and nodded. He could predict how this would turn out and it didn't seem as if it would end well. 

Chapter Text

Dazai and Chuuya wasted no time in calling Poe to be picked up. They had to get home as soon as possible. There were so many calls that needed to be made and decisions to be finalized. 

After making the call to Poe, Dazai sat against the railing, his expression blank as he stared at the beach in front of them. His arms were wrapped around himself and he looked completely lost. Chuuya was still working through the various levels of disbelief at what the final results of all their waiting and searching all this time. They weren't going back to their normal life and ages and all they had worked for. They wouldn't be twenty-two again until ten years had passed and they aged as people normally did. 

"If you wanted to go back to your life in the Mafia, now that you have the knowledge and leverage to make it work for you, I wouldn't blame you." Dazai's tone was as blank as his expression. "You would have your team back and I'm sure they would still listen to you with your even more diminished size." There was a hint of his old teasing there and Chuuya was just grateful to hear some life in Dazai that he didn't punch him into next week for the dig at his height. He could still punch him for telling him to go back to the Mafia and to sound so defeated. 

Dazai gave him a dry look in response to the punch. "What?" he demanded. "Those people were the family you made for yourself, even if the head of the household is an immoral asshole. It was always your choice, Chuuya. I can go back to my life and home." 

Chuuya huffed at Dazai's complete idiocy and self-deprecating tone and decided to needle him a little. "You mean my home," he rolled his eyes and poked Dazai hard int he side, unable to keep the smirk from his face. "You weren't aware that you signed the deed of your house over to me?" 

Dazai stared at him for a moment and then laughed with a rueful shake of his head. "I'm not surprised," he murmured. "No matter what, I think I will somehow always think highly of you and trust you. Even when I can't remember all of what we've been there, except for scattered bits in dreams." He shoved his hands in his pockets, his gaze following the shrieking children racing down the boardwalk, hand sticky with ice cream and taffy, hair and clothes filled with sand. "Will you at least let me grab my stuff before you kick me out?" he asked. "After this is all over, I won't actually need to hide anymore and the stuff I left might be useful, even if I don't have the original memories attached to them." He didn't say that there were new memories; of him and CHuuya spending the last few months together, getting to know each other all over again. 

"Who said I was kicking you out, moron?" Chuuya worked to make his voice sound as casual as possible, with all the scorn he could muster. It was a struggle, especially with the startled and almost painfully hopeful look that Dazai was giving him. "We still need to enact the plan to take down Mori so that if I do go back, it won't be as Mori as the head of the organization." 

"Who are you thinking to lead instead, then?" Dazai asked curiously. "I know you don't want to lead right now or you simply can't as you are at this moment." Years down the line, perhaps, but that would depend on the choices that Chuuya made now. "The one facet of the plan that had you taking over was only going to have the highest rate of success if you had returned to your actual age." 

"Probably Ane-san," he admitted. "She's been in the Mafia for a long time and in a position of power that precedes Mori's. She would be the ideal choice." Kouyou was terrifying with her power and a strength that could rip down a person as easy as breathing. It wasn't even just her ability, but the sword she kept hidden in her umbrella and the knives that lined her kimono. She knew the city in and out and had tabs on all the members of the Mafia. He slanted his gaze sideways. "I'm certainly not recommending you for the position." 

Dazai pretended to think it over. "I probably could join again, but not in the same capacity that I had previously. Even if the Agency has done a great deal and everyone, including you, has mentioned how much I've changed, I have to wonder if either place is where I'm meant to be." His smile was bright and pure as he faced Chuuya. "What do you think of the idea of being independent contractors for our mutual organizations?" he asked. "Doing things our way, with no leashes on us to tug us in the direction they want us to go so that we can protect Yokohama?"

Chuuya opened his mouth to call him all sorts of idiotic before he stopped and really thought about the possibilities. To not be restrained by either the do-gooders of the Agency or the cutthroat nature of the Mafia. A balance in between that the two of them could strike by working together. They wouldn't be controlled . Chuuya could have a chance at a life that didn't have the specter of Corruption hanging over his head and he was reminded again that this body, this younger form of himself had never been subjected to it. Even if he did have to resort to it, with Dazai there and not having his movements puppeted by Mori, he didn't even have to fear that. 

He ran a hand over his hair and gave Dazai a considering look, not answering to the offer yet, neither acceptance or refusal. "Let's go home first and we'll put those last resort plans into action." Shoving away from the railing, he flashed a vicious grin at the other. " Now is the time to really finish this." 

~

Poe didn't look as surprised as they expected when he saw them in their pre-teen forms. They had elected to go right away, picking up the clothing they had brought with them from the hotel instead of staying another night. He just shrugged at their expressions. "You don't remember how much I speak to Ranpo," he explained. "Or maybe...maybe you don't know," he stuttered a little and Karl rubbed his face against Poe's to calm him down before he worked himself up. 

"That does explain a lot," Chuuya said after a moment of thought, shoving in next to Dazai and slumping into the seats of the car. Poe and Ranpo seemed to work together well, in terms of wanting to create puzzles that tormented people. Poe even seemed to actually understand Ranpo. 

"I take it that he was the first one who came to the conclusion that this trip would only let us know that Chuuya and I couldn't return to normal?" Dazai asked dryly, earning a scowl from Chuuya when Poe nodded sheepishly.

"And he didn't think to warn us or let us even know about this being a complete waste of time?" Chuuya demanded. Dazai didn't meet his eyes and he scowled harder, gripping Dazai's face. "You knew as well that this might happen, that our entire trip would just be useless." 

"Not entirely useless," Dazai protested, not moving away from Chuuya's strong grip. Poe was eyeing them in the back, hands gripping the wheel nervously to make sure his car wouldn't get destroyed. "We found out the details of the Ability itself, how it works or doesn't work and the name of them. We know their general locations and while it may take time to narrow it down once she moves again, we have more of a lead than we did before." He looked up at Poe. "What was Ranpo's reasoning for not saying anything?"

"He said that he wanted the evidence to confirm his suspicions." The tone was dry and Dazai hid a grin. It was another way of saying that Ranpo didn't want to be proved wrong. Poe was still smiling, though as he navigated through traffic. It was a softer sort of smile than what he usually wore when dealing with Ranpo. He tended more to plot ways to outsmart Ranpo's mind and thrived off of it. "I can't wait to see his face when I was the one that got the evidence first and didn't tell him." It was clear no matter what his words, he thought it was amazing and Ranpo someone to be actively looked up to. 

Dazai and Chuuya exchanged identical looks of incredulity at the open admiration in Poe's tone but decided not to remark on it. "Is that all he's figured out?" Dazai asked, wondering how much Ranpo actually knew and was keeping quiet about. 

"That's about it," Poe shrugged. "He said he would be glad to get the details of the Ability user and their name to see if it confirmed the records that he was comparing them against. He had several ideas and was really frustrated that he hadn't been able to discard any of them." That same grin was back on his face, just as much as he admired Ranpo, he equally enjoyed seeing him frustrated as well. Chuuya made a face at what had to either the world's weirdest friendship or the worst attempt at flirting that he had ever seen. 

"Until we arrive and he knows everything that happened just by looking at us," Dazai muttered under his breath. "He'll smell the sugar from the taffy or the salt on our clothes from the beach and know exactly where we were." It wasn't exactly sarcasm or praise, but something that fell somewhere in between. 

Poe only nodded in agreement and Chuuya sighed as he leaned his head against the window, watching the streets of the unfamiliar city fly by. He couldn't wait to get back home. 

~

The trip back was as uneventful as the trip there; the bonus of having first-class seats meant that while adults would more liable to give them suspicious looks as if they expected them to throw their meals at each other or run down the aisles, they also didn't have to deal with too many people squashed together in a small space, overhearing their conversation. They were in a bubble of space of their own. 

Dazai's mind was scrambling with what to do now that the least wanted and most unexpected scenario had come to pass. He had been most surprised at Chuuya's reaction; it wasn't something that he had expected at all. He wasn't as visibly angry over the situation as Dazai as planned for and he still called the house they shared their 'home' and not even kicking Dzai out when he could have. He wasn't sure what to think and all his plans were mixing about in his head and falling apart. He had gotten what he wanted, but at the cost of Chuuya's wish for everything to go back to normal.

I thought he was going to kill me after that girl revealed that it had been my fault. It wasn't just my fault that he had been changed into a child in the first place, it's also the reason why he couldn't go back to being the age he was supposed to be. With one careless touch, he had destroyed the life that Chuuya had made for himself. Chuuya didn't even have the blessing of forgetting everything as Dazai had and would have to live with the memories of what he had lost until that memory softened. It was harder for him than it ever would be for Dazai. 

As if he read Dazai's mind, Chuuya spoke, his voice quiet. "You know she was right," Chuuya said. His voice breaking the sudden silence startled Dazai out of his thoughts. They had been able to nap a little during the flight and now they were starting their descent back into Tokyo. "I have been forgetting some parts of my life; sensations too, things like that." He sighed. "I'm not going to lie; I wish things had gone back to normal, but…it's not the end of the world." 

Dazai gave him a disbelieving look at his admittance. "How can you even say that?" he demanded, keeping his voice as low as Chuuya's. "I destroyed your life! That can't be okay and you shouldn't be able to forgive me." It was a far cry from the Dazai raised under Mori's care, where he would have laughed at Chuuya's pain, where it would have waved off the results as an unavoidable and amusing consequence. 

Chuuya gave him a flat look as he sighed. It was because of this change, this reaction, that he was more willing to forgive Dazai. "It wasn't you, it was that girl," he pointed out. "You didn't know what would happen when you came over to my place that day." He spared a thought about all of his belongings and wondered how much trouble it would be to move all of it or if it would just be easier to go back to his apartment in Yokohama. After they took out Mori, they wouldn't have to hide in the way they were doing now., at least with not as much urgency. It depended on what they wanted to do. 

"Look," he said, voice still soft under the chatter of the people around them; any words they spoke were muffled by the people shuffling around them to gather their belongings up. "It's one hell of a price to pay, but it's not permanent. We'll get older, even if it will take the span of years we already lived. That part fucking sucks, especially having to deal with puberty all over again." He grimaced faintly but wondered if he would actually grow taller time. When he realized where his thoughts had gone, he silently cursed Dazai for putting the idea into his head from all the teasing from before. He was trying to reassure Dazai, not make him feel worse about what had happened. The last thing he needed was Dazai trying to off himself in the hopes that it would fix the mistake that had happened, reassurances from the Ability user or no. 

"However, it's almost worth it to see you being human and being to act and learn like a real person. I already said I'm glad you got a chance to actually be a kid and get another shot at some of the childhood you were denied. That we were denied," he amended. "Neither one of us will ever get it all back, my memory of before I was seven is still a complete fucking blank and always will be. You'll have always had six years of your life being used as a lab rat. But that was then and this was now and we both have a chance to rewrite some of the shit we went through. You hopefully won't grow up to be a suicidal psychopath. You might actually continue to be helpful or useful." 

He was breathing a little hard by the end of his speech, cheeks slightly flushed with all that he had gotten out. Dazai's open-mouthed look of shock didn't help his embarrassment to dissipate any faster, either.  His expression was open in a way that Chuuya still wasn't used to seeing on him. Anything he had to say was going to have to wait until they disembarked, however, as the flight attendants gently prodded them out the door. The words might even have to wait until after all the explanations were given, starting with dealing with whoever was picking them up from the airport. 

~

Kunikda looked completely stunned when he saw the both of them, moreso than he had the first time. "I had hoped that it would be a joke," he muttered. "That it was one of Dazai's pranks to see how far we would jump when our tails were pulled." He practically threw the duffel bags that they had brought with them into the trunk. "What on earth went wrong?" he demanded. "I would have thought that Nakahara-san would have made sure that you went through with at least." 

Dazai snorted as he crossed his arms over his chest and looking like a pouting child. "Obviously something didn't go as planned and I'd rather wait until we can explain it to everyone at the same time." His tone was terse as he yawned widely, faked or not. "And I want to nap first, even if it is the afternoon, it doesn't feel like that to us. It's been a long couple of days with no real reward." 

"And give you the chance to run away?" Kunkikda made a face and it was almost impressive the types of speeding limits and traffic laws he was breaking just to get through the city. Chuuya was impressed that the uptight man could even hold the thought of doing something so innocently breaking the law as speeding . 

" I want to sleep," Chuya said flatly, not letting Kunikida get the chance to say that he didn't care about his opinions and that he should be under supervision just like Dazai. "You won't get a coherent word out of us if we don't get a damn nap and I'm really not in the mood to play nice. You won't like it if you try and force the answers out of us." 

Kunikida looked at Dazai through the rearview mirror, clearly expecting some show of solidarity, for him to stop Chuuya's power before it could activate and ripple across the car and its occupants. Dazai just leaned farther back in his eat, hands laced behind his head. 

"Even now, you're going to give me grey hair and a trip to an early grave," Kunikida's mutter was loud enough for them to hear, "and you even have Nakahara-san playing along with your schemes. This better be worth the wait, Dazai. You didn't inform us of what was going on when a phone call or email would have sufficed and Poe nor Ranpo has provided any information either, saying that it would be best to wait for you. However, I'm disappointed that this was the choice you decided to make." And oddly, he did sound disappointed, as if he had hoped that he would have the Dazai back that he knew. 

Chuuya suddenly remembered that Dazai was Kunikida's partner in the Agency and no matter how much of an ass Dazai could be, he had a way of making that partnership work. No matter how much he complained about him, the friendship and trust they had built up over the last two years would be hard to lose. Chuuya knew that feeling all too well and he had a moment of sympathy for the man, but it didn't mean that he was going to give in, but he did try to give more of a reason. 

"Look, neither one of us has slept properly in the past few days and our jet lag hasn't had a chance to catch up with itself. Even if you want us to stay in the same building as the Agency so that you know we won't run off, just provide some damn beds for us so we can give better and more concise information when we're not sleep deprived." 

It wasn't as if they would spend any time planning the next moves; Chuuya fully intended to use the opportunity to sleep in a real bed and actually get some sleep. They had already worked out what they were going to do, discarding the messiest ways of handling things to no one dying at all. They were both exhausted and if Kunkida was any sort of observant, he would notice the dark circles under Dazai's eyes. 

Kunikida was quiet and he flicked another gaze back at them, before dropping back into a normal speed as they entered Yokohama. Dazai was still looking listless; it was obvious that more than just sleep, he was still feeling guilty about everything that had transpired. Kunikida's words certainly hadn't helped matters any and having to tell his friends and co-workers that he wouldn't be able to go back to normal would be even more of a strain as he absorbed their guilt on top of not having the connection with them that they had with him. 

It would be an almost sort of 'goodbye' because no matter if he did decide to stay and continue working for the Agency, even in a much different capacity than before, it wouldn't be the same and wouldn't ever be the same. Chuuya had a slightly better outlook; he remembered his co-workers and if he wanted to go back, he had a group that he knew he could trust and that trusted him in return. He certainly didn't want to leave it all behind, there were seven years of memories he had built up in the Mafia. It really all depended on how the next days would go. This would either happen very quickly or not at all and they only had one chance. 

After a prolonged silence, Kunkida was merciful enough to not subject them to the inquiry of the Agency just yet, not even briefly and checked them into a small hotel that he was assured of wasn't run by the Mafia. It wouldn't do to have them lay low for one more night and then be caught literally napping. 

"I'm sure you'll be grateful for the continued peace and quiet," Dazai chirped, room key shoved in one of his pockets. He looked like he had far more energy than someone that was exhausted, but that was just how Dazai worked . "Just think, before you know it, I'll be in the office again, playing video games or napping on the couch." It was a calculated guess as to how he spent his days at the Agency when not actively working out in the field. It had to have been accurate by the way that Kunikida blanched slightly at his words. 

He gathered himself quickly as he pushed his glasses up and stared at Dazai, words stiff. "I hope you'll continue to emulate the behavior that you have recently. You always have a place in the Agency, Dazai. No matter what." With one last uncomfortable cough at having to actually say such words out loud, he left Chuuya and Dazai alone in front of their room, exiting through another door and out the hotel, presumably to speak to the members of the Agency about the slight delay. 

Dazai looked amused as he glanced at the one bed in the room. "Man, he's more stingy than me." He flopped over on one side of the bed. "I hope you don't kick." Chuuya was just grateful that the bed was large enough for the both of them to sprawl out on. "Still, we've stayed in a lot of places and this is probably the lowest on the scale." It wasn't bad, really--fairly decent and clean and looked well-kept. Dazai wished that they could have stayed in their home away from the city, but it would have been more of a problem to go all the way there and then come back the next day. 

"At least it's only one night," Chuuya agreed. He didn't even want to reach for anything to change into for bed, he just wanted to stay in one spot and just sleep . "I don't want to stay anywhere but home for a while after all this is over."  He doubted the amount of sleep they would actually get, but he would take what he would get at this point. 

Dazai was giving him a look and Chuuya could practically see the gears turning in his head, but mercifully, he didn't say anything for once. He just nodded and they both claimed their sides of the bed before Dazai hopped off of his to take a shower. Chuuya considered getting something to eat before bed, but he didn't think his stomach could handle it. What he was planning was twisting his stomach into knots. He wished for the blessing of forgetting that he was loyal to Mori, only the memory that he was something that needed to be taken down a few pegs, if not swept off the playing board entirely. 

He didn't know how Dazai slept, but his own sleep was restless and morning and the call to return to the Agency came much too soon for his liking. 

~

 Kunikida had to have some sort of a sense of humor, Chuuya thought, to not have told the Agency that he and Dazai had not been changed back to normal . That or he was sticking to Ranpo's earlier decree that he and Chuuya be the ones to explain everything. Chuuya was going for the former, judging by the way he was sitting stiffly at his desk, seemingly focused on his laptop, but his eyes were glimmering with some amusement over the situation. There were some effects that Dazai had left on his partner, after all. Watching the shock play over the other Agency members instead of offering advice had to be influenced by his partnership with Dazai. 

Fukuzawa looked resigned and Ranpo smug at the sight of the two of them. "Ranpo stated as much to me that this was a possibility," he said dryly. "Something about how Dazai's ability to nullify was the factor that interfered with the change being reversed in the first place?" 

Dazai nodded and although his posture seemed casual at first glance, Chuuya could read the tension in the line of his shoulders and the expression on his face. "That is what happened," he agreed, far too easily. "As we last saw her, the Ability user was where we directed, hiding out in the back area of a seaside boardwalk on the east coast of America. She was fairly close to where Poe was at the time." His mouth turned up faintly at one corner. "She only gave her name as P.T." 

Ranpo looked delighted at the news. "It really was the one we had decided on," he beamed, but the bright smile didn't last long as his mood switched to solemn an instant later. "She's been around for a long, long time," he continued. "She always appears in entertainment areas by the sea, which explains Yokohama and the place that Dazai and Nakahara-san visited. We don't know why she ends up there, as her Ability has nothing to do with entertainment or games, no matter the current moniker she's adopted." 

Yosano snorted faintly at the idea of someone who went by "P.T." would be all around modified circuses, but she kept her eyes on Dazai as he continued his explanation.

"The Ability itself is called Broken Clocks and it is a truly erratic power that she can't fully control. She tries to mitigate the effects by wearing full length clothes, including gloves, but she neglected to do so while in Yokohama, thinking that she had finally been able to control her Ability." His gaze was filled with sardonic amusement. "It obviously was not under complete control, except for the way she was able to reverse the effects out of most of her victims. It's also why she hasn't shown up in any major reports recently; she tries to keep away from large crowds of people, but she is always constantly drawn to them. Her Ability is not...natural." 

P.T. had given them a number of facts about herself, as a sort of apology for the fact that she couldn't fix them. "She and her brother were genetically engineered by their father, a scientist that was able to… navigate different realities. Things went rather awry and she was stuck like this, absorbing both talents." There hadn't been much she had said about that; other than the father was dead and her brother with him. They had promised in return that wouldn't take her with them, as she was only a danger in specific circumstances. "He is no longer a danger and she promises that she will still work to do what she can to reverse the effects, but she doesn't have much hope." 

"So you really can't turn back to your normal age?" Atsushi looked a little devasted at losing the mentor that had such faith in him and brought him into the Agency; that gave him strength and a family that he loved. 

Dazai's smile fell a little; he had pictures with him and Atsushi and his older self had spoken highly of the then-younger man that had given him a light of hope as well when he was falling into the dark. "Not until we grow into it normally," he said softly. It would take years to get that far and things wouldn't be the same. "Maybe you can be my mentor instead."

Atsushi still looked distressed and Dazai swallowed hard and looked away, one arm wrapping around his side and trying to push away the uncomfortable feelings. "We do have a plan to make all of this," he gestured to himself and Chuuya, "work with as few problems as possible. You already know some of what we want to do, but we're getting ready to put it into motion and thought you should be prepared for any fallout that might occur." 

They didn't need to say out loud that they wanted to replace Mori as the head of the Port Mafia. Whether that meant actually killing him as Dazai had once promised long ago, or removing him from the playing board in a less permanent way, it was something they needed to do. There were all sorts of ways to get rid of them that didn't involve having Chuuya exert gravity on his body that would make end up with him looking like a tomato that someone had stepped on. 

Fukuzawa grimaced faintly at the insinuation. Mori had been a partner of his, long ago and both of them had been students of Natsume-sensei. The balance of the city still had to be maintained and while he was against slaughtering Mori outright, he also understood that in the eyes of many, some atrocities could not be overlooked. He flicked his gaze over to Yosano, who looked as if she would be all too happy to join in Dazai and Chuuya's mission to take him out. 

"What will you do after, Dazai?" Fukuzawa's voice was quiet and steady. "Will you come back here?" We will miss you if you stay away; you're part of our family and have been for a long time."  His gaze was unflinching as he met Dazai's. No matter the crimes that had occurred in the past, Dazai had proven himself as a reliable part of the Agency. 

Dazai's smile turned sadder and faintly filled with longing at what was offered and what he couldn't take quite yet. "I probably will come back at some point, but there are some things that I need to take care of first and not only my past with the Port Mafia." When he was given worried looks by the group of people around them, he waved the concern away, trying for a blithe smile. "I know you all have become a family for me and I… I have to get used to that. I just need more time to put everything, including myself, together. I won't stay away forever." 

Fukuzawa looked pleased with that, but a little sad as well. "I take it that the next part of your plan will involve Ozaki-san and whoever she has picked out as trustworthy allies?" he asked. 

Chuuya snorted at that. "Nothing could stop us if we really wanted to end things the way we are planning. However, so we don't destroy everything and send the underworld into complete chaos, we have already put certain plans into motion." They have been put into motion for some time now, starting with all the conversations that had with Kouyou. "We're just adding the final personal , touch." His smile was all sorts of cruel and it was a sharp reminder that Chuuya still retained the majority of his memories and was not about to turn soft just because of a few months away from the Mafia. It would take a great more distance from those memories to smooth away all the rough edges and some would never be worn away. Chuuya would always be like a spark to oiled tinder. 

"We'll leave you to do your part." Fukuzawa didn't ask Dazai to step back from it, he would be the one needed to be at Chuuya's side to make sure it didn't all spiral out of control. For once, he was going to be the voice of reason in a partnership, not just the hand that could quell the terrifying power that Chuuya wielded. "Just try and keep the damage to a minimum so that Ango does not decide to have the two of you locked up for being a hazard to society." While the two of them were 'under the control' of their respective organizations, there wasn't as much worry. Alone or working together without anyone to restrain their movements--it could be more than frightening. No one would be able to oppose them. They were probably the best choice to take Mori out. 

"Akutagawa said that he would be picking you up," Atsushi looked up from his phone, frowning at the unexpected message. "Dazai-san...does he know about you?" There was a mix of apprehension and growing horror at how Akutagawa would react to being surprised in such a way.

Dazai and Chuuya shared what was a mix between a grin and a grimace. "We actually have a bet on how he's going to react," Chuuya explained after a moment. "As long as Ane-san didn't tell him, he won't know until he picks us up." 

"And you think that's safe?" Kunikida demanded. "What if he turns you in?" The unspoken of 'what if he tries to kill us all for the insult of this'  didn't need to be said out loud. They would try and keep any damage to a minimum and it was unlikely he would get very far in hurting them with the full force of the Agency facing him if it came to that. 

Chuuya's look was darkly amused. "Dazai can nullify his attempts to crush us and if he simply brings us to Mori to be punished, then that's all we need and it will save us a great deal of time and effort." He said it as if was assumed that this was the expected outcome and they had planned accordingly. 

"You two must have been truly terrifying together in the Mafia." Kunikida hadn't realized he had spoken out loud until everyone was staring at him.

"We weren't called Double Black simply because we destroyed with force, even if that was how the moniker started," Chuuya said finally. "And Dazai wasn't called the Demon Prodigy just because he valued life so little. We were both very good at our jobs." 

Kunikida looked slightly disbelieving that Dazai could be good at any job, but Chuuya continued with a sigh at the mistrusting looks. "You already knew most of this so don't act all surprised. We are doing this to remove a threat. Whoever takes the place will be better; we're not dismantling the Mafia as a whole. I still may want to go back home." His gaze dared them to stop him, but no one moved or said a word. The silence was only broken by a strangled sound voice choking out Dazai's name before Akutagawa hit the floor. 

Dazai looked to the fallen man and pouted. "That was an unfair bet," he complained to a smug Chuuya, crouching next to the man and poking at him. "I only know a little of what was said about him. You're the one who actually knows him." He huffed at Chuuya in annoyance, but the other just laughed. 

"You should have known better," he snickered as he crouched on the other side of Akutagawa. "Oi, Ryuu. Wake up." He gave a hard jab in the side to get him to open his eyes. 

Akutagawa blinked open his eyes slowly, gaze first going to Daai grinning to one side and then to Chuuya's more serious expression. It wasn't as if either one of them was unrecognizable as themselves, but the age difference was shocking. "What the hell?" he demanded with a croak. He sat up and covered his mouth to muffle a cough, his gaze shifting between the two of them, unable to pick one to settle on. "What sort of joke ins this?"

"No joke," Dazai said cheerfully, even his gaze was wary. He poked at the black tendrils of Rashumon when they came out to both investigate the strangeness and protect Akutagawa. They melted away under Dazai's touch, who just looked disappointed. "I really didn't get the fun Ability," he complained. 

Chuuya gave him a disgusted look. "Now is not the time," he smacked Dazai and helped Akutagawa sit up the rest of the way, who was still staring at Dazai, expression stunned. 

"We heard what happened to some of the citizens, but…." His gaze went back to Chuuya and he swallowed hard. "You aren't supposed to be affected by it." His tone was accusatory. 

"Rogue Ability," Dazai said cheerfully. "Chibi got caught up in it, but I'm sure that Ane-san gave you some sort of intel about what was going on, even if she didn't provide all the details." At Akutagawa's hesitant nod, he patted him on the back and switched tracks abruptly. 

"So your coat holds your Ability?" he asked, leaning forward and touching the cloth carefully. "It looked really deadly until I touched it. How lethal is it? Can you share with anyone else if they wear the coat?" he asked. "It looks like it can make you really strong in fighting." 

The last part had been Chuuya's idea to tell him, to see if Akutagawa would pass out again or actually take the comment in stride. In the end, it looked to be a combination of both. He was still talking, but it looked like he was struggling to stay coherent. 

"I… it does," he said, obviously thrown off that he was having to explain this to Dazai and that Dazai was giving him whole-hearted, completely genuine compliments. He didn't look as if he didn't know whether to be pleased with the praise or insulted because it came from a version of him that had never been the cold mentor that had turned Akutagawa into the vicious and ruthless fighter of the Port Mafia. 

"Good," Dazai clapped him on the back. "We'll need all that strength for what we're about to do." His expression turned sharp. "Are you sure that you're willing to do this?" Not if he was strong enough, but Dazai and Chuuya were both aware of the level of betrayal they were asking of him. Traitors did not fare well in the Mafia and Akutagawa kept on giving Dazai looks as if he expected this to be a trap. 

"I said I would," Akutagawa snapped, standing up abruptly and his coat fanning out around him in a wave of motion. "Let's get going, we don't have time to waste." His cheeks were still blotchy from the embarrassment he was trying to hide from the Agency members. 

Chuuya just nodded and followed him out the door, Dazai by his side. Dazai had paused long enough to give them a reassuring look. "It will be over by the end of the day." 

~

Dazai whistled softly as he looked at himself in the mirror, Chuuya next to him. "This is what we looked like while in the Mafia?" he asked, poking at the bandages around his arms and scowling at the one covering his eye. "I had to have been a moron."

Chuuya shook his head. "No, just a damaged psychopath," he said cheerily. "Just think of how Mori will react when he sees his past come back to haunt him." It was a gamble that Mori didn't already know every step of what they were doing, down to dressing like they had when they first joined the Mafia. Even if he did know and expect them, it wouldn't change the outcome. 

It was disconcerting to see himself in the clothes he wore when he was fifteen, a child that was living in the slums until Dazai had sailed in and yanked him out of the Sheep and manipulated him into the Mafia.  Seeing Dazai as he had been then was even weirder, but there was so much more life in his expression that Chuuya knew it would be okay. This was Dazai playing a role moreso than usual.

Akutagawa was the one that was going to get them in the back elevator that was once Dazai's entrance to his quarters. He was the only one that knew the code as his protege and Mori had never bothered with it; saying that to change anything about it would be admitting defeat to Dazai coming back to the Mafia. 

Chuuya was still tense for the option of being betrayed--it would be like Akutagawa to do so, but he had always been more loyal to Dazai for reasons that Chuuya couldn't even begin to fathom, considering how Dazai had treated him.

It was only moments later that they were let into Mori's office, Akutagawa shutting the door behind him as they faced the Boss that had influenced them for years. 

He was sitting next to Elise, who was surrounded by frilly dresses and three plates of cakes and he barely looked up when he saw them, expecting one of his subordinates, but instead was faced with the younger versions of Chuuya and Dazai. He put down the dress he had been holding out to Elise slowly, eyes going wide before he sat back. 

Dazai was the first to smile, all edges and malice as he put a face to at least one of the men that had a part in tormenting him over the years. "We're the ghosts of Christmas Past!" He grinned and stepped closer, tugging on one of Elise's curls before she could react, snapping her back into Mori's power. "We're here to punish you for all your sins, but I don't care to give you a second chance." 

Chuuya smacked his side. "Wrong season, idiot," he snapped, but his own smile was cruel as he turned to Mori. "I hear that you've done such terrible things," he said lightly and the floor underneath his steps shuddered. "Maybe we're not the ghosts of Christmas past, but it is really terrible when the skeletons pop out of your closet to seek revenge." 

"Now Chuuya," Mori held up his hands, a smile on his face. "You really are stepping over boundaries. You did swear allegiance to me, after all." He looked to Dazai, who looked bored and was pulling out a phone from his pocket. "I'll even forgive this little threat since you brought Dazai back to us. Especially since he's looking just as he did before. Well done, Chuuya!" 

Chuuya growled while Dazai covered his mouth with his phone to hide his smile. Mori didn't even bring up that Chuuya looked younger. I've grown, damn it. I've grown and changed and he's not even making a mention of it…

"I don't know about swearing anything to you," Chuuya tilted his head, eyes narrowing as he stepped even closer, Dazai one step behind and mirroring his movements. His eyes never left Mori's. "I already got my answers about my past, so your use is done for me. I can protect the city without you." Another step and cracks started forming in the floors. Dazai's phone let out a high-pitched beep of a battle that was lost in a game and Chuuya took a deep breath. They had promised not to bring down the building around their ears, after all. 

"Dazai-san…" Mori tried for another smile, but the cold look that Dazai had so often directed at the enemies of the Port Mafia was now firmly focused on him. "You know that even like this, you'll still have your Executive position back. I still haven't gone back on my promise to find you a painless way to die, either." 

"I decided I wouldn't go back on my promise, either," Dazai said coldly and he was directly in front of Mori now, his uncovered eye focused directly on the man in front of him. "I did promise to kill you and I've been told that my predictions are never wrong." 

Mori opened his mouth to protest and perhaps fight, but he had been so focused oni Dazai, that he hadn't noticed that Chuuya had moved behind him. He only had a moment to lunge forward, scalpel in hand, before he felt pressure on the back of his neck. It only took a few breaths for Chuuya's gravity to compress the bones in Mori's neck, snapping it completely. 

It had only taken Dazai eight years to fulfill his promise. 

Chapter Text

Dazai and Chuuya had been keeping appraised of how the city was faring without Mori as the head of the Port Mafia. However, it seemed that under Kouyou's leadership, it thrived. There were no major upsets in the city and the entire affair was handled neater than anyone at the Agency would have believed, but Dazai and Chuuya had spent a long time planning such an outcome. 

They worked on various jobs as they were offered to them, not joining one or the other groups, but keeping in contact with both of them. Dazai knew that the Agency was confused and more than a little hurt, while Chuuya's subordinates had been somewhat prepared and understood the need to step back for a while. It wasn't as if they had stopped all contact with either of their groups, but they weren't officially joining back with their teams, either. It made it easier to deal with what they had accepted about their circumstances. 

They had their own apartments and places to live in and now that it wasn't so dire that they stay hidden together, they also chose to spend more time alone working out what they would do next. Chuuya always knew where Dazai was and would take advantage of that knowledge to stop him from spending too much time researching and studying about what had changed in the last ten years since his memories stopped, even if he did recall flashes every now and then--and those flashes only made his choice to trust Chuuya even stronger. 

Chuuya started to forget more-- and that only made it easier to deal with the loss of the Port Mafia's security and routine. Dealing with Dazai was its own headache and always had been and the loss of ten years of memories couldn't change every aspect about him. It was nicer to see him without as many bandages on and the one that he had habitually worn around his throat was still the most startling absence to him. 

'I guess I hadn't tried to hang myself until after I escape from the facility,' was what Dazai had said. Chuuya hadn't even needed to tell him what the bandages had been hiding. His bandages had been to cover up a number of scars from self-harm and battles and Chuuya mourned the loss of some of them. It was how the two of them were connected in so many ways; having weathered so many fights together, but his scars from those times were gone, too. 

Three years later and they were back at the home that they had made for themselves; it was one of the real secret places for them and was their space to share, no matter that Chuuya's name was now officially on the deed.

Knowing us, we'll create completely new scars to bond over… Chuuya pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he walked into the kitchen, knowing that Dazai was back from his trip to Aomori. He dropped his bags to the floor and sniffed the air. 

"You know, you'd think after three years you'd trust me not to burn down the kitchen when I cook," Dazai called back, voice teasing. "Stop smelling for smoke, chibi." 

Chuuya snorted and leaned against the counter, watching him.  It was absolutely unfair that Dazai had grown his usual height and Chuuya was still catching up. There was a small measure of happiness that he was certain that he was taller than before. "You did burn down a kitchen before," he pointed out. "I have my reasons for being suspicious." 

Dazai turned his nose up and stirred the dish in front of him. "You know that was because of a faulty stove and a request to make it look like an accident," he said haughtily. "I just thought it wouldn't hurt to try and cook something for us while I started the fire." 

"You almost cooked us , you maniac," Chuuya shook his head. "What is it this time?" he leaned closer, catching a hint of beef and onions. "More food dishes from home?"

Dazai turned and beamed at him. "I think you'll like this one, chibi. It's like sukiyaki, but a little different in the flavor. It's burayaki." 

Chuuya gave it a suspicious loo, but it wasn't like the milky, buttery ramen that Dazai had made him eat the first time they went to Aomori together. Chuuya had thought it was a joke that the locals played on visitors, but Dazai had eaten two bowls and half of Chuuya's. It looked like a simple dish of rice and onions and the rice cooker was already warming the rice. 

When Chuuya opened the fridge, there was a small cake in there, strawberries and cream and a little candle stuck in the center of it. He stared, narrowing his eyes at Dazai. "Neither one of us has a birthday anytime soon, so what's up with the cake?" 

Dazai blinked and then squawked, swatting at Chuuya. "That was supposed to be a surprise after dinner!" He protested, shutting the fridge firmly before Chuuya could look any more into it. "Go on and sit down," he ordered huffily. "Put away the three hats you bought." 

Chuuya opened his mouth to demand how Dazai knew how many he bought-- only one was his usual style and the other two were winter hats, one for each of them. He was all the way to the spot where he dropped his bags before he realized Dazai was just trying to distract him and steer him away from the kitchen. 

"Just for that, you don't get your gift," Chuuya muttered under his breath, but he smiled faintly. It had been years since they had gotten used to each other; Dazai trusting another human fully and actually learning about them and Chuuya learning about Dazai all over again. They were now the ages where they had originally started but in a much better place than before. 

"Chuuya loves me anyway!" Dazai sang from the kitchen as if he had heard the angry mutter. That earned an eye roll as Chuuya moved to his bedroom, taking it all in once again as he put away the items he bought and looked over at the items that had been brought over from his apartment. All the child-sized joke furniture and clothing was gone, donated to someone who could use it without wanting to kick the sender in the head. It was now a bedroom that he would have killed for when he was fifteen and while his hands weren't clean by any means, most of what was in here was acquired without too much bloodshed. 

It was a mix of his old and new life; a locked box in the corner of the room held the letters that Dazai had written to him before he changed and his memories lost. It wasn't like that Dazai probably couldn't pick the locks in an instant if he wanted to, but somehow, Chuuya knew that he wouldn't. There was also the pictures of them when they were eighteen, right before Dazai had left the Mafia. Chuuya kept those hidden so that he would be able to see how much things changed in another three years. 

Chuuya had gone back to Cone Street on his fifteenth birthday and the remains of the laboratory that had once stood in the center of it, thinking about how his life had changed so much since that day. He had half expected Dazai to have followed him, but the other boy had been completely absent and Chuuya had later found out that he had gone to visit Lupin--the bar that he had frequented with Oda and Ango. He hadn't known what prompted that visit and never asked. There were some secrets that were too important to share and what Dazai remembered about that place none of his business. 

The room clearly showed the distinct changes his life had taken; Kouyou's influence was still there, but it was more subtle than before and while Chuuya wouldn't give back the years he had with her, he was glad to be able to direct his space to what he wanted exactly and it was ever-changing as he found something else that caught his interest. His desk was filled with the physics papers that got doing for an online university and Chuuya resolved to examine it as much as he could before the week was out; it was fascinating in a way that he hadn't expected and he was able to examine his Ability in a way that he hadn't before. Dazai had his own insights about it and with Dazai able to pinpoint nullify, they were able to run multiple experiments. It had the unexpected side effect of Dazai being able to control his own Ability in a way that he hadn't been able to before, either. 

Still, he wore gloves almost as often as Chuuya did when they went out. Neither one of them wanted to cause an accident; but when they were on a mission, the gloves literally came off. 

He finished putting away the rest of his purchases before going back to the kitchen, where Dazai was just setting down the bowls of food. They had both started drinking a little now--it wasn't as if they hadn't ever done so at fifteen, but they weren't as endeared to it as they had been there. It was no longer an escape for Dazai and Chuuya--well, it was a lot harder to get the wine that he had so loved when he was out of the loop of his usual connections. I'll have to ask Ane-san… I'm sure she wouldn't mind…

He let his mind drift, half-listening to Dazai's telling him about his latest trip to visit the graves of his family. Even his brother had died; lost in a Mafia scuffle that had gone wrong. Chuuya had wondered briefly if he or Dazai had ever had anything to do with it, but if that was so, Chuuya was never going to say such a thing to him. He snapped back to the present when Dazai put the cake he had seen in the fridge in front of them, having already cleared away their dinner bowls. 

Chuuya blinked at the message written on the cake and then laughed. "Sorry you kicked me into a wall?" he shook his head and then laughed some more. "What the hell?"

Dazai looked a little embarrassed, but he was mostly grinning as he cut up the pieces of the strawberries and cream cake and put them on a plate. "I asked Hirotsu about the first day we met," he said casually. "It's sort of an anniversary, isn't it? And here we are, fifteen all over again and a better hold on our partnership than before." 

Chuuya stared at him and then down at his plate, where the words "Sorry" stared up at him. "It's… been a challenge," he said slowly, "but we're already three more years into our partnership and I don't want to toss you off a bridge myself, so it's definitely better." He wondered and hoped that it would develop more; his feelings for Dazai had never gone away, just softened and twisted around until it felt like he was standing back at the beginning of a new path and with all the possibilities stretched out before them both. 

Dazai grinned and took a bite of his cake. "Good, I hoped you would say that," he said cheerfully. "I have the best plans to start revisiting and correcting some of the stuff we did as kids-- you'll just have to help me remember so that we can do it all over again."

Chuuya smiled as well and listened to Dazai chatter on. This wasn't so bad after all.