Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dazai blinked. 

The cat blinked back and let out a low, menacing hiss. 

Dazai, moving with far more speed than one would expect, snatched the cat up by the scruff, turning it away so that it couldn’t dig it’s many sharp claws into his flesh. 

A  low, warbling noise came from the cat and Dazai couldn’t help the upturn of his lips at the pitiful attempt to growl from the ball of fluff. 

“Now, now,” he said, his voice it’s normal teasing lilt as he reached for Chuuya’s discarded jacket and, before the cat could protest, wrapped it around the furry fiend, cocooning it in fabric so that only the head remained free. This, of course, still left many, many sharp teeth uncovered but Dazai was content that he could now transport the cat with little issue. “No need for that.”

“Mrrrrrooowww!” 

If he didn’t think he’d get a finger ripped off, he would already be petting the fluffy auburn head. As it was, he just smiled condescendingly down at his captive before beginning the walk back to his flat. 

He received an occasional strange look for the way he was holding the cat, swaddled in fabric like a baby but he didn’t pay much attention. He received many “awws!” as well and he couldn’t help but smirk when he heard them comment on how “adorable” the fluff ball in his arms was. Said fluffball’s ears were flattened against his head and Dazai couldn’t not find it adorable. 

“Don’t worry Chibi,” he smirked. “I’ll look after you.” 

“Hisssss!” 

“Don’t be like that,” he admonished. “I’m doing you a favour Chibi! If you could use Corruption, you would have already and look at how easy it was for me to catch you.” 

The cat stopped moving about so much at that though he didn’t quit hhis squirming entirely. He looked up at Dazai with baleful blue eyes and Dazai couldn’t resist petting the auburn head, managing to avoid the little needles aimed his way.

“Face it Chibi, I’m your best option until this wears off.” 

“Mrrrrow.” 

Dazai decided to ignore that decidedly unimpressed meow and continued walking. Thankfully they werne’t too far away from his apartment and he was able to enter without drawing any more undue attention. 

As he stepped inside, he glanced around the relatively small space. It wasn’t exactly a massive flat but it would be more than big enough for the small amount of space that the Chibi would take up. Speaking of…

He looked down to the feline in his arms who, upon closure of the door, had stilled. Clearly, he expected Dazai to put him down now that they were indoors. 

And, to be fair, Dazai would do that...in a bit. 

——————————

Chuuya glared up at the smug, condescending, annoying waste-of-bandages as he was carried like a fucking baby into the bastard’s flat. He willed Dazai to put him down. The door was shut but there was always the chance there was an open window somewhere he could slip out. 

Sadly, Dazai didn’t seem to want to do that as he kept a tight hold of Chuuya as he strolled through his apartment. 

‘What a shithole,’ Chuuya thought uncharitably as he took in his surroundings from a far different vantage point than he was used to. Oh he’d certainly seen worse but, compared to his own spacious flat with it’s many comfortable (yet stylish) furnishings, warm colours and extensive wine collection, Dazai’s apartment was practically a hovel. 

“I’ll need to get some things for Chibi,” Dazai comments and Chuuya’s eyes immediately darted back to meet mischievous amber. What was the bastard planning? He didn’t like that tone one bit. And if he had to get ‘things’ for him (and what the fuck? What ‘things’ did he need to get?) then he’d have to put him down some time right? Dazai must’ve correctly interpreted his glare because he, thankfully, continued without any further prompting. 

“I can’t leave Chibi alone,” And why the fuck not? “I’d be a rather irresponsible pet owner if I just let my new kitten roam about while I’m not here.”

Chuuya was going to claw his fucking eyes out when he got free. He swore it. 

They were still moving through the flat and Chuuya realised with a jolt that they were in Dazai’s bedroom. Why? The answer, unfortunately, was crystal clear in a matter of moments as Dazai flipped over his clothes basket, emptying the contents on the floor and, depositing Chuuya on the ground, practically slammed the basket on top of him. After a moment of consideration, a heavy box was placed on top too, just to be safe.

Chuuya, no longer being held, wiggled his way free of his coat and let out the loudest, most angry yowl he was capable of. 

Damn that bastard. What the actual fuck? 

“There!” Dazai said, tone overly bright as he crouched to watch Chuuya through the cage-like structure. “Now Chibi’s in a safe place so I can go get him supplies!” Dazai pet the top of the basket almost like he was patting Chuuya’s head before standing and tossing a wave in his general direction before leaving the room. The front door was heard not long after and Chuuya realised that, yes, Dazai had left him alone in his apartment. 

Alone in Dazai’s apartment...as a cat...trapped under a laundry basket…

...fuck his life. 

Even though Dazai wasn’t there to hear it, Chuuya let out another yowl of frustration, trying desperately to get his paws under the rim of the stupid basket. No luck though. He did get it to move a little but, even then, it just slid accross the floor. There wasn’t anything he could use to leverage it up and he didn’t have thumbs. Plus the box on top meant that any movement was heavily restricted with the weight pressing the rim of said basket flush against the floor and making it even more difficult to move.

Fuck. 

Attempting to get out anyway (because what else was he supposed to do?) Chuuya finally gave up after perhaps ten minutes, possibly fifteen. He couldn’t tell. All he knew was that he was being beaten by a fucking laundry basket and he was never going to be able to live this down. Dazai was going to be insufferable. How the hell did he even know to do this? 

Growling to himself, Chuuya lay on top of his coat. It felt...very odd to have four feet. The aforementioned lack of opposable thumbs was a pain but...lifting a paw to his face, he flexed it and,...there they were. His claws were extended and, although it felt strange, he couldn’t help the grin that passed accross his feline face. 

If Dazai was going to be a little shit about this, fine. Chuuya was going to make the bastard suffer. 

With that pleasant thought running through his head, Chuuya made himself more comfortable in the impromptu bed he’d made of his jacket and let himself drift off. Now that the adrenaline from the fight was over and he’d calmed down from the...unexpectedness of finding himself turned into a cat, he realised just how tired he was. 

Stupid ability user. Who the fuck had an ability that turned people into fucking animals? How? Why? Why the fuck did he have to get hit with the damn ability? Fucking damn it. 

Despite his once-again roiling thoughts, the warmth of his jacket (and something he couldn’t quite place just yet) and the surprisingly comfortable quiet of Dazai’s flat had Chuuya relaxing further and, before he knew it, he’d fallen asleep. 

——————————

Dazai entered his flat and didn’t hear anything. This would normally be a good thing but, considering his current houseguest, it could mean trouble. Had Chibi managed to get out from under the basket? Perhaps he should've stayed to check. Dropping the bags of supplies by the front door, Dazai made his way to his bedroom. What he saw had him pausing, taking out his phone and snapping multiple pictures. 

Chuuya was curled up on his jacket, asleep in the makeshift cage Dazai had left him in. It looked like he might’ve managed to move the basket a little but had been entirely unsuccessful in getting out from under it. He’d definitely need to use this little trick again if the Chibi started misbehaving. You were meant to train your pets right? Well this should work well enough as a deterrent to bad behaviour. 

Snapping a final picture, Dazai put his phone away. When he looked back to the basket, he noticed a pair of narrowed blue eyes watching him. 

“Chibi’s awake!” He chirped, voice bright as he crouched to observe the auburn-furred cat. He stuck a few fingers through the ‘bars’ of Chuuya’s prison and was rewarded by the cat trying to bite him. He retracted his fingers quickly, frowning disapprovingly at Chuuya. “I won’t let you out if you keep that up,’ he said, voice stern as he wagged a finger reproachfully. Chuuya hissed, turning his back on Dazai and curling up on his coat again. Apparently he had decided that ignoring Dazai was the best thing to do in this situation. 

“Chibi’s just as grumpy as a cat as he is as a human,” commented Dazai. No response was forthcoming except a minute tail twitch. And what a fluffy tail it was. Dazai bet that, when Chuuya’s fur bristled, it’d fluff up spectacularly. He couldn’t wait to get a picture of it. 

“Come on Chibi,” he coaxed. “Don’t you want out from under there?” Still no response. 

“How about a deal?” 

Chuuya’s head turned, blue eyes still narrowed but clearly curious and Dazai fought not to grin. 

“I’ll let you out,” he began. “If you do one thing.” 

There was a pause before a “mrrrow” left Chuuya’s throat. Dazai was no expert in cat speak but he was pretty sure that sounded like a question. 

“Where’s the fun if I tell you what it is beforehand?” 

“Mrrrrrowwr” That one was definitely an irritated sound. 

“Come on Chibi,” Dazai encouraged. “Just one thing. I’ll even let you have a free swipe with those claws of yours afterwards.” 

That, unsurprisingly, had Chuuya perking up considerably. He stood, turning to face Dazai properly and looked at him carefully. Clearly he didn’t trust the human one bit which, honestly, was a pretty fair judgement. 

“Does Chibi agree?” Dazai asked, wanting confirmation that Chuuya had accepted the deal before he let the other go. “Just nod your head.” Chuuya let out a huffing sound before bobbing his head up and down briefly. “Great!” 

Dazai lifted the box, followed by the basket. As soon as Chuuya was free, he moved. Darting towards Dazai, claws extended, he wrapped himself around Dazai’s nearest appendage and scratched. Dazai let out a yelp as he felt those tiny needles attempt to puncture his skin. Chuuya had, even through the layers of cloth and bandage, managed to pierce his skin. He was also almost vibrating he was growling so much as he wrapped himself more tightly around Dazai’s limb and dug his claws in further. 

“Not what I meant, Chibi,” Dazai hissed. Chuuya just clawed harder, growl never ceasing. Dazai, deciding that he’d fulfilled that part of the bargain, used his free hand to grab Chuuya by the scruff. Chuuya resisted but Dazai was far bigger (and for once, stronger) than him so was able to pry him lose and dump him on the floor. 

“That’s your free shot,” Dazai said. Chuuya was clearly ready to tackle him again, tail raised and body low to the ground, ready to move at a moment’s notice. 

“Do that again and I’ll put you back under the basket. We had a deal, remember?” 

Chuuya paused before, reluctantly, uncrouching. His tail was still raised but, Dazai noticed he had sheathed his claws. Those bright blue eyes were still narrowed on him, not wavering one bit as Dazai stood, adjusting his bandages and frowned. He’d need to change them soon thanks to the Chibi. 

“Come on then,” Dazai instructed, leaving the bedroom and hearing the near-silent pad of paws behind him. If he’d had carpets instead of wooden floors, he was sure that Chuuya would’ve been silent. He was sure that the only reason he was making that much noise was because he was still getting used to his new feline body. Chibi was naturally sneaky so he was pretty sure soon he wouldn’t be able to tell where the cat was unless he could see him… 

...except he’d planned for that. It wouldn’t do to have no idea where his Chibi was now would it? 

Reaching into one of the bags by the front door, Dazai pulled out the item he’d purchased. It was one of his first acquisitions and he was looking forward to the reaction it was bound to get. 

“Chibi agreed to do one thing,” Dazai reminded. There was a “marrow” from behind him and he smirked to himself. Chuuya came up beside him and, before the cat could react, Dazai had moved. He wrapped the thing around Chuuya’s neck and, even as he started twisting away, managed to buckle it closed. A tinkling, bright sound filled the air and Chuuya froze, eyes wide as he stared at Dazai in mute horror. 

“Chibi just doesn’t look right without his choker,” Dazai explained, grin wide and eyes slightly manic as he took in the black band of fabric around Chuuya’s neck. ‘And Chibi’s so small and hard to see, I don’t want to risk him getting lost or stepped on so I thought it’d be best if I could hear where he was!” 

——————————

A collar. 

A fucking collar. 

A fucking collar with a goddamn bell!

Chuuya yowled and charged, mind almost blank with rage as he tried calling on Corruption, desperate to throw himself at Dazai and knock the fucker through a wall. It, of course, resulted in him being caught in the human’s arms. Dazai had clearly been expecting this response. 

“Now now, it’s not that bad,” Dazai soothed, taking the opportunity to adjust the placement of the collar slightly so that the bell rested just under Chuuya’s chin. The absolute fucking bastard. 

“Chibi agreed,” Dazai sing-songed and Chuuya froze, eyes growing wide as he processed Dazai’s words. “I let you out so now Chibi has to wear the collar as long as he’s a cat.” 

Chuuya yowled. He was trying desperately to swear, to throw out all the insults he could to the smug, self-righteous bastard but all that came out was a warbling, feline cry. 

Fucking damn it! 

“It’ll be fine Chibi,” Dazai cooed, tone condescending as he petted Chuuya’s head. His touch was far gentler than Chuuya would’ve expected but he couldn’t concentrate on that right now. His brain was fixated on the feeling of the choker- no, the collar around his throat. He was hyper aware of the tiny chimes it made with every small movement as Dazai stood, Chuuya still in his arms, and made his way towards the kitchen. 

Dazai had put a fucking collar on him. 

Oh sure, the bastard had joked about it while they were still partners, commenting that Chuuya’s choker looked a lot like a collar and he’d punched the bastard more than once over it. Now though… 

“Mrrrow.” 

“You’ll be fine,” Dazai soothed, tone still condescending. Damn the man. “According to what we know, this should last anywhere between two weeks to a month. You’ll be back to your slightly-less-small self in no time.” 

A month? He could be like this for a month? 

Dazai, not seeming to notice the sudden panic going through Chuuya’s mind, deposited the cat on one of the two chairs he had at his small dining table. Chuuya, for his part, didn’t move as he was set down, mind too busy thinking over the implications. 

A month? He would be MIA from the mafia for a month? Mori was not going to be happy with him and Akutagawa was probably going to pitch a shit fit when he realised Chuuya was gone. 

Fuck. 

“Oh, and don’t worry about Mori and Akutagawa-kun,” Dazai’s voice chimed and Chuuya’s gaze darted to the man. How the fuck had he known what he was thinking? He was a cat! How the fuck could the bastard read cat facial expressions? 

It was then that he noticed the bags Dazai was carrying and his eyes narrowed. When had he brought them into the kitchen?  If the bastard had gotten him a collar, what else had he got? 

Dazai, of course, noticed where Chuuya was looking and grinned. Was it Chuuya’s imagination or was that look almost feral? 

“Does Chibi want to know what I got him?” Dazai asked. Deciding not to play along with Dazai’s stupid mind games, Chuuya nodded his head, wincing as he heard the little jingle of the bell. 

Dazai clapped his hands together in glee before whirling around to rummage in the bags which he sat on the counter. What the hell had he even bought? Whatever it was, Chuuya was sure he wasn’t going to like it. 

“First,” Dazai began. “Chibi will need his own bowls!” He pulled out two simple, small bowls. They appeared to have little rubber disks on the bottom so they wouldn’t slip from wherever Dazai decided to place them. It was then that it hit Chuuya that, yes, he didn’t have hands so couldn’t use a knife or fork or chopsticks to eat. He’d have to stick his head in the fucking bowl if he wanted food or water. If he’d been human, he was sure his face would’ve been flushed with embarrassment. 

Dazai placed the bowls on the table near Chuuya, perhaps intending for the cat to investigate them, before turning back to the bags. 

“Next,” he continued. “We don’t want Chibi to get bored now, do we?” Dazai then proceeded to pull out...a bunch of feathers? Chuuya watched them, tilting his head in confusion as he noted that said feathers were attached to strings.  Why would Dazai buy feathers? Apparently noting his confused look, Dazai just smiled more widely before slipping the feathers into a seemingly empty drawer. 

“”Now, Chibi will need his own bed,” Dazai continued and Chuuya internally winced, wondering what Dazai had decided to buy him. Part of him was convinced that the man would’ve found the pinkest, fluffiest, stupidest looking bed he could just because there wasn't anything Chuuya could do about it. Still, even if he had, that didn’t mean Chuuya was going to use the fucking thing. 

He was, therefore, surprised when Dazai pulled out a few blankets. They were auburn in colour, nearly matching his fur, and looked extremely soft. Chuuya couldn’t stop himself from staring. Had Dazai...not taken the chance to try and humiliate him? What the hell? He’d been expecting some sort of pink and frilly monstrocity if Dazai got him a bed at all. What he was seeing there looked...perfectly reasonable and comfortable. 

Dazai, noting how intensely Chuuya was looking at the blankets, brought one (he thought there might be three of them) over to the chair and gestured for Chuuya to move. Deciding to go with it for now, Chuuya moved to the side so Dazai could spread the blanket over the chair. As Chuuya stepped onto the fluffy surface, he felt his paw sink into it slightly. It was just as fluffy as it looked and a very new, very feline part of his brain was very content with the feeling. If Dazai hadn’t been watching him so intently, Chuuya was sure his instincts would have insisted he curl up in the middle of the fluffy fabric to go to sleep. As it was, he resisted and instead sat primly on the chair, blue eyes unwavering as they looked at Dazai. This had all been rather reasonable so far. He was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

Dazai, for his part, gave a little contented-sounding hum before turning to the next bag. Instead of taking whatever it was out, he instead reached up to one of the higher cabinets, opened it and placed the whole bag inside. Chuuya’s eyes narrowed at this. It could be that whatever it was was for Dazai and not him but Chuuya wasn’t buying that. There was just something in the way Dazai moved that told Chuuya that, whatever it was, Dazai was going to enjoy it a hell of a lot more than Chuuya would. 

The third bag was next and Chuuya’s gaze narrowed as he tried to identify what it was. From what he could see there was a large bag of...something...within the semi-opaque plastic. As Dazai removed whatever it was, Chuuya’s eyes tracked the object and, when he realised exactly what he was looking at, he growled. 

No. Fucking. Way. 

Cat food. Dazai had bought him a large bag of dried cat food . 

Fuck. This. 

Chuuya leapt from the chair, claws extending of their own volition as he flew towards Dazai. Dazai whirled to catch Chuuya as the auburn misfile barrelled through the air towards him. Chuuya landed against Dazai’s chest and, using his claws for purchase, dug them into Dazai’s shirt. He felt the claws sink through cloth and bandage to the flesh beneath (and wasn’t that an odd sensation) and hissed in triumph as a pained yelp was drawn from Dazai in response. Arms came up to clutch at him, bag of fucking cat food abandoned as Dazai tried to dislodge the enraged feline. 

Chuuya was having absolutely none of it though. He dug his claws in more deeply with three paws and with the final paw (his front right) he ripped it free of it’s flesh and cloth restraints and aimed for Dazai’s face. It was a stretch but he just managed to get the bastard’s neck, letting out a triumphant yowl as claws broke through bandage and skin and drew blood in the form of three fine scratches that immediately began leaking red. 

Dazai let out another pained noise and Chuuya was just disappointed he hadn’t managed to make his claws go deeper. 

Deciding to take the opportunity while he could, Chuuya released his hold on Dazai, retracting his claws and tumbled towards the ground. Letting instincts guide him, he twisted to land on the ground, body already in motion as he fought not to skid on the wooden surface. Running with four legs was different than two but if he didn’t think about it, just let his body do what it wanted to do, he knew he’d be fine. 

And so Chuuya ran from the kitchen, determined to put as much distance between himself and Dazai Osamu as it was possible to in this cramped, shitty flat.

Chapter Text

In the end, it took just over two hours to locate where exactly Chuuya had squirrelled himself away. It turned out he’d left his closet door slightly ajar and, as a result, the small auburn feline had slinked his way inside, climbed into a well-hidden box full of clothing Dazzai was pretty sure was a hold-over from his time in the Port Mafia, and went to sleep. 

It had only been the tiny tinkling bell as he’d lifted said box that had alerted him to the fact that Chibi was, in fact, inside said box. He’d almost been wworried that his new pet had somehow managed to find a way to escape. When he put everything back in the closet, he was going to make sure that it was all neat and tidy with no little spaces for a tiny body to squeeze or potentially get trapped or crushed. 

In the meantime, he’d placed the box in the corner of the room and placed the laundry basket on top of it again. So far Chuuya hadn’t even deemed it worth emerging from the box, seemingly content to occasionally poke his head up to observe Dazai before returning to his solitude. 

This suited Dazai just fine for the moment. He was still debating what he was going to do next. The basket was working well enough for now but he knew that he couldn’t keep the Chibi under there indefinitely. Well...he could but he was pretty sure that was animal cruelty and, though he wasn’t exactly a model human, he wasn’t too keen on doing that to a cat, even if said cat happened to be his overly violent ex-partner. 

Satisfied with his reorganisation, Dazai closed the closet door firmly before turning to the laundry basket with his hands on his hips. 

What to do, what to do…

As he was contemplating his options, Dazai’s stomach decided that it was time to make it’s opinion known. Glancing down, he gave a small shrug and exited the room. He could plan while he ate. He was sure he had some crab in one of his cupboards. 

He was, of course, correct and enjoyed his meal quite thoroughly 

Having finished his food, his thoughts turned back to Chuuya and he realised, belatedly, that he hadn’t fed him yet. The thought brought a smirk to his lips. This would be fun. 

——————————

“Come on Chibi, You’re hungry, are’t you?” 

Chuuya responded by curling more tightly into the ball he’d been in for last few hours. Other than that, he gave no sign that he was listening to Dazai’s taunts. 

If he’d been a human, Chuuya was sure his stomach would’ve been grumbling quite a bit by now but, as it was, he just felt the yawning pit of hunger. 

“Chuuuu-yaaaaa,” Dazai’s voice grated on Chuuya’s nerves and he fought the urge to lift his head and hiss at the loud, obnoxious voice. 

He was not going to eat it. 

As long as they had water, humans could survive for quite a while without food. Chuuya was pretty sure cats were similar. 

Dazai let out a small huffing sound. 

“And you say I’m the difficult one.” 

Chuuya, like before, did not respond. 

Dazai let out a world weary sigh, as if it was him that was the victim in this situation. 

“Chibi’s being so stubborn .” 

Chuuya, quite honestly, couldn't give less of a crap over what Dazai thought of him. He was still in the box he’d found in Dazai’s closet, having decided that, fuck it, this was rather more comfortable than he’d expected and it would make a decent enough place to sleep for however long he was a cat. There were, of course, the nice blankets Dazai had gotten him to act as beds but Chuuya wasn’t feeling charitable enough to use anything Dazai had bought him right now. 

There was, of course, also the fact that Daza had used the laundry basket as a cage again earlier to keep Chuuya in the box while he’d gone and, presumably, gotten his own food. 

Chuuya’s stomach gave a little twinge at the thought of Dazai eating proper, human food (even if it was likely absolute shit). 

When the bastard had come back into the room, Chuuya had noticed that he’d been carrying something. He had set the thing down, lifted the basket and made a grand, sweeping gesture. 

“Tada!” He’d said, smile too wide and eyes suspiciously bright. “I’ve brought Chibi breakfast in bed!” 

Putting aside the fact that it was likely closer to evening than morning and so it was dinner rather than breakfast but whatever, Chuuya had lifted his head to examine the bowl placed on the floor near his box-bed. 

His stomach had dropped at the sight. It was what he’d expected but that didn’t mean he’d still been holding out some hope that it’d been a sick joke on Dazai’s part. 

There, sitting innocently in the tiny bowl, was cat food. 

Chuuya had immediately dived back into the box and curled back up as tightly as possible, burying his face in the fabric that surrounded him. For whatever reason, the smell was rather pleasant to his feline senses. 

This, of course, lead to the current situation. It had been quite a while since the food was placed beside him and Chuuya had refused to acknowledge it in any way. Not being able to see a clock, Chuuya could only guess at how long exactly it had been but he was willing to bet it was getting pretty damn late. 

Dazai hadn’t been here the entire time of course. When it became clear that Chuuya was ignoring him and the food, Dazai had  wondered off to do...something. Chuuya didn’t care to know what. All that had mattered was that Dazai wasn’t there and that was enough for Chuuya. 

He’d hear the bastard come by occasionally and let out a disappointed huff or sigh before wandering off again but Chuuya hadn’t acknowledged it, too intent on not moving or acknowledging the situation in any way. 

This had, of course, lead to their current situation with Dazai attempting to cajole Chuuya into eating the cat food Dazai had oh so thoughtfully provided. 

“Come ooon, Chibi!” Dazai whined. “It’s getting late.” 

That wasn’t Chuuya’s problem. 

“Fine,” Dazai’s voice huffed. There was a small chink sound and Chuuya guessed that Dazai had picked up the bowl from the floor. “But you’re not getting anything until tomorrow.” 

That was fine with Chuuya. Maybe the bastard would take the hint and actually feed him properly next time. 

Satisfied that he’d outlasted Dazai yet feeling hollow thanks to the ache in his stomach, Chuuya let himself drift off. 

—————

Dazai frowned down at the still untouched bowl of food. It was the evening of the following day and Chuuya still hadn’t eaten. He looked to where the auburn furred feline was currently lounging, sprawled over Dazai’s couch like he had not a care in the world. 

It was a habit Dazai was amused to note had transferred from Human Chuuya to Cat Chuuya. Chuuya, perhaps because of his small size, seemed to like to take up as much room as physically possible. He supposed they all had their own ways of compensating for their shortcomings . 

Dazai turned his attention back to the bowl of food and sighed dramatically. Chibi really was being over dramatic about this entire affair. Dazai didn’t understand what the big deal was. Chuuya had grown up on the streets after all. There was no way he’d always been able to get decent food to eat. He’d surely eaten worse than over-priced cat food before.  

He had, of course, pointed this out to the grumpy feline and had received three new shallow claw marks for his trouble. 

He’d also suggested that the pieces of food were maybe too large for Chuuya’s tiny mouth since he was such a small cat, barely more than a kitten really, and had had to avoid several attempts by said tiny mouth to pierce his flesh with all those tiny, needle-like teeth. 

For all the time Dazai had joked about Chuuya being a dog, it appeared he was definitely more suited to being a cat. Dogs were supposed to have a rather pleasant nature and that just wasn’t possible for his Chibi. 

There was also the bonus that cats were far superior to dogs and, if Chuuya had to be turned into any animal, Dazai was grateful it was one he could tolerate. 

Though, he had to admit, the idea of Chuuya being turned into a tiny dog, perhaps a poodle or pomeranian, was amusing enough that he’d had to stifle a snort of laughter when he’d thought of it earlier. This had earned a rather suspicious (and completely unfounded!) glare from his houseguest before the Chibi went back to ignoring him. 

If Chuuya had been a dog, Dazai would have felt completely justified in buying a leash to attach to that handy little collar. Then again...he was pretty sure he’d seen some cat owners take their cats out on leads before. 

...he’d consider that further another time. 

Dazai glanced back towards Chuuya and noted that his long, fluffy tail was now dangling over the edge of the couch, swaying gently back and forth as Chuuya relaxed into the surprisingly comfortable cushions. Without thinking, he pulled out his phone and snapped another picture. 

He was slowly gathering a rather decent collection of cat photos. He was sure that, if he showed them to some of the ADA members, he’d have a hoard all but running to his flat to coo over his new pet. 

Hmm...now there was a thought. How amusing would it be to take Chuuya to the ADA and parade him about as his new pet? It was more than tempting and Dazai made a mental note to do so when he knew that Ranpo wouldn’t be there. It wouldn’t do to spoil his fun too soon. How  would he get to embarrass the Chibi later if everyone treated him like a big, bad mafioso from the start…

….albeit one that was currently a tiny ball of fluff and rage. Come to think of it, wasn’t that just Chuuya anyway, even when he wasn’t a cat? 

His thoughts certainly were wondering today. 

Turning his mind back to the matter at hand (feeding his stubborn feline), Dazai pondered if there was anything he could bribe Chibi with that would make him eat. There was, of course, the option of removing the collar but Dazai wasn’t willing to go that far. It was a miracle that he’d managed to get the thing on the wary feline in the first place so getting it back on would be an utter pain. It definitely wasn’t worth it. 

As more time passed and Chuuya continued to ignore the food bowl’s existence, Dazai gave it up for the day. 

Surely Chibi’s hunger would win out over his stubbornness. 

——————

It was day four and Chuuya had still refused to eat. His stomach was constantly protesting but he didn’t care. He was not going to touch whatever the fuck was in that damn fucking bowl and there wasn’t anything Dazai could do to make him. 

Thankfully it seemed that the stupid bastard had realised that because, that morning, there was no sign of the familiar bowl filled with equally familiar (and always untouched) food. 

Chuuya, always alert for some new form of bullshit from Dazai, was caught between wanting to see what the bastard would try next and finding a convenient place to hide himself until the bastard got bored and distracted himself with something else. 

“Chibi!” Dazai’s voice called, too bright and too loud for whatever time of the morning it was. Chuuya only burrowed deeper into his little clothes nest and ignored him. If Dazai wanted him, he could come get him himself. Chuuya wasn’t going to come whenever the bastard called like an obedient dog or some shit. 

For someone that liked cats, you’d think Dazai would know that cats never came when they were called. 

“Chibi!” Louder this time but Chuuya continued to ignore the irritating voice. So focused was he on this task, that he didn’t notice when Dazai came into the room and unceremoniously scooped him out of his little nest. 

Chuuya let out a pathetic (to his own ears) sounding growl and made a half hearted attempt to bite Dazai but couldn’t be bothered to put too much fight into it. He was tired, hungry and just wanted to be left alone. Was that really too much to ask? 

How the hell was he going to make it the two to four weeks this stupid ability was meant to last? The thought made him want to run, want to claw and scratch and bite and all the things his human and feline instincts were screaming at him to do. 

This situation just wasn’t fair . 

So caught up was Chuuya in his own thoughts (again) that he barely registered when Dazai set him on one of the chairs in the kitchen. He did notice, dimly, that he was on the chair with the fluffy blanket. For whatever reason, Dazai had decided that that was the most appropriate place to leave that particular blanket and Chuuya wasn’t inclined to put up much of a fuss about it. Why would he when he barely left his bed anyway except to keen an eye on the bastard from the surprisingly comfortable cushions on the couch? 

“Okay Chibi,” Dazai said, sitting down accross the table from him so they could stare at each other. It must’ve looked ridiculous with Chuuya’s head barely able to be seen above the edge of the table. “This little hunger strike of yours has gone on long enough.’ 

Chuuya didn’t allow himself to respond, tail curled, unmoving, in front of his front paws as he sat, waiting for Dazai to get to the point. 

“I can’t have my pet starving himself to death,’ Dazai continued, tone light and exasperated even as he gave Chuuya a disappointed look, as if it was his fault that Dazai had thought it appropriate to feed a human (albeit temporarily transformed one) cat food. 

Dazai, for his part, was irritated that Chuuya being turned into a cat seemed to have improved his self control. Oh sure, he was still bit and scratched but, if he’d been human, Dazai was sure that the mere mention of the word ‘pet’ would have set Chuuya off into a blinding rage. Now though, now it just resulted in him receiving no reaction or a stare from eyes that seemed deliberately blank. He couldn’t let that continue. What was the fun in poking at Chuuya if he didn’t get a reaction. What was the point if he couldn’t see those pretty blue eyes spark with something that promised so much fun if he could only rile him up just that little bit further. 

“So,” he continued, determined to get some sort of reaction. “I’ve decided that, since Chibi’s put so much effort into this, that I’ll let him win this round.” 

Chuuya’s eyes narrowed on Dazai’s face, not trusting that statement as far as he could throw the bastard in this form. 

Dazai, pleased at the minuscule reaction, continued. “So, I’ve decided to be generous,” 

‘As if you’ve ever been generous a day in your life,’ Chuuya thought spitefully. 

“I’ve done some research,” Dazai continued. “Aaaaaand…” 

‘Just get on with it you over dramatic fuck!’ 

“I’ve decided that I’m going to let Chibi eat with me!” 

Chuuya blinked, not comprehending what Dazai had just said. What did he mean? He had an inkling, an idea of what it could mean but he wasn’t willing to trust to Dazai actually giving in and being a decent human for once in his goddamn life. 

“Sooo…” Dazai continued. “We’re going to share breakfast this morning!” 

So saying, Dazai reached over to the counter and picked up Chuuya’s currently empty bowl. Setting it on the table, Dazai reached over again (damn his long limbs that let him reach shit without moving) and picked up a decently sized tin. 

Considering this was Dazai, Chuuya was unsurprised to note that he was holding a tin of crab. 

As Dazai opened it, the smell hit Chuuya and he felt his stomach give a painful twinge. He held himself still though, not daring to move lest Dazai change his mind. It was always a possibility. It was, of course, also a possibility that he didn’t mean to give Chuuya any of it in the first place and merely meant to taunt him with the possibility of eating something that wasn’t cat food. 

Granted he doubted whatever was in the can was any better really but damn it it was food meant for humans and Chuuya was fuckig human, never mind that he had four paws, whiskers and a tail. 

Dazai reached accross the table and tipped some of the crab into Chuuya’s bowl. Chuuya’s tail twitched, his nose sniffing the air of it’s own accord and he felt himself tense, ready to spring in case Dazai pulled the bowl away. 

Satisfied with the amount he’d poured in, Dazai took the can back and tipped the rest into his own bowl. He then proceeded to completely ignore Chuuya, focusing on his own meal. 

Chuuya didn’t dare move for several seconds, eyes darting from the bowl to Dazai’s seemingly distracted form and back again. His senses were screaming at him that this was some sort of trick, that he shouldn’t accept this but he was so hungry . 

Tentatively, moving slowly so as not to draw Dazai’s attention, Chuuya stretched and set his paws on the table to pull himself up. He stared down at the contents of the bowl and felt his stomach give another painful jolt. 

Feeling a wash of embarrassment hit as he lowered his head, Chuuya forced himself not to think about his likely audience as he took his first bite. 

All thoughts of Dazai fled his mind as soon as the first morsel passed his lips. His stomach roared and suddenly all he could think about was satisfying it. Giving no thought to how messy he might get or how it must look, Chuuya devoured the first food he’d had in days. 

Dazai for his part, continued to eat his own meal, seemingly oblivious to the hungry feline but, in truth, watching him with rapt attention. He didn’t think he’d ever seen the Chibi eat so fast or so uncaring of how it’d look to others. The hat rack had managed to cultivate an aura of refinement since he joined the mafia but Dazai was positive that it was all due to Koyou’s influence. There was no way a street kid, leader of a gang or not, could have the manners or tastes that Chuuya had. 

He couldn’t deny that a large part of him was just glad that Chuuya was eating. He had, perhaps, been slightly (but not overly) concerned that Chuuya wouldn’t eat it (and really, that just proved that Chuuya’s tastes still left a lot to be desired). He’d need to get a few more cans and, while he was at it, maybe some cans of various types of fish. He mentally frowned to himself, making a note to look up what other human foods were alright for cats to eat. 

This would all be so much easier if Chuuya ate the stupid cat food but, he guessed, what else was he expecting from such a prissy, pampered peacock like Chuuya? 

Chuuya, while Dazai was musing, had managed to finish the portion of crab and was now practically licking the bowl clean. His whole head was inside the small silver bowl but he dind’t care. His stomach had appreciated the meal but it wasn’t enough. Days without food were definitely not going to let him settle for half a can of food. 

He looked up, blue eyes focusing on Dazai who, while clearly pretending not to pay attention to him, hadn’t eaten very much of his own portion. Chuuya’s tail began to flick slightly and his eyes focused on the bowl before Dazai. Could he risk jumping and knocking it from his grasp? No, too risky. It might fall on the floor then and Dazai, the bastard that he was, might just leave it there and tell Chuuya that, since he wanted it so much, he’d have to deal with it himself. 

No way was he going to let that happen. 

What else could he do though? 

He pondered, stomach giving an unpleasant twinge as he continued to stare at the bowl. He pulled himself into a comfortable sitting position, tail still flicking restlessly as he weighed his options. 

How did cats get what they wanted? He’d never actually been around them, preferring the company of dogs, so he wasn’t entirely sure. There was also the fact that, though he was in a feline body, he was still human so there were obviously certain things he wasn't willing to do. Still…

He vaguely remembered Gin cooing about some stray she’d come across a while ago which she’d fed. It had apparently been a half wild thing that had taken a swing at her and she’d immediately taken a liking to the half-feral beast. Somehow he doubted scratching Dazai further was conducive to getting more food. What else and she said? 

She’d mentioned that it had started giving her ‘the eyes’ when she’d first brought out the food she’d given it. He could guess what that meant. Dogs or cats, both were apparently good at looking pathetic when they were hungry and tricking hapless individuals into giving them food. 

Did he dare try that on Dazai though? There was every chance it would get him mocked but, really, what more was there to lose? His dignity? He’d already been trapped under a fucking laundry basket and his bed was currently a nest of old clothes in a cardboard box. Barring decent food, what else was there to lose? 

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Chuuya stood and padded across the width of the table towards Dazai. He didn’t have far to go and, satisfied that he’d caught the bastard’s attention, sat down in front of him. 

Dazai had given up all pretence of not studying Chuuya intently and was now gazing at him with a raised eyebrow. 

Steeling himself, Chuuya looked up at Dazai, widened his eyes slightly and, grimacing internally, let out the smallest, most pathetic sounding mew he thought he was capable of. The sound made him want to cringe and it took everything in him not to do so. Fuck, what was he thinking? There was absolutely no way this was going to work. 

Dazai stared down at the auburn feline, flighting back...something...as he stared at those pretty blue eyes. It wasn’t just the eyes. Chuuya’s ears were lowered and he looked suitably pathetic. His gaze was moving between Dazai and the bowl of food. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he wanted. 

Dazai was torn between amusement at Chuuya’s actions (how could he not be?) and cooing over what a cute sight his Chibi made. It was such a shame he didn’t have his phone on him right now. This would be such an adorable picture. 

Chuuya continued his act, getting more frustrated the longer it seemed Dazai wouldn’t respond. He tilted his head slightly, making himself let out another small mew. 

‘Please work, ’ he thought. ‘Please, for fucks sake, please work.’  

It seemed, for once, things were going to go his way because Dazai let out a small sigh. 

“Is Chibi really that hungry?” 

“Mrrrow.” 

“Fine,” Dazai sighed and Chuuya’s tail flicked. He fought the urge to react more strongly. 

“Buuuuuuut…” 

‘Here we go …’ Chuuya thought bitterly, tail immediately stopping it’s twitching. What else had he expected? 

“Buuut,” Dazai continued, gazing down at Chuuya with a smile on his face that Chuuya had learned a long, long time ago not to trust. “Chuuya has to let me pet him afterwards.” 

...what? 

Chuuya let out a confused sounding noise and Dazai, thankfully, elaborated. 

“Well, you’re so soft but, every time I try and be nice and pet you, you run away.” Was the man seriously pouting at him right now?  “If I give Chibi the food, he has to let me pet him.” 

‘How long? ” Chuuya wanted to ask, fighting the urge to bristle. He’d gotten this far by playing to a certain look. It wouldn’t do to break the act now...even if they both knew it was an act. 

Still, he was hungry and, really, how bad could it be? If it got irritating he could always just claw Dazai afterwards anyway. 

Cheered by the thought, Chuuya let out a small, affirming ‘mrrrow’ sound and looked towards his bowl expectantly. 

Dazai only smiled wider, tipping the contents of his bowl into Chuuya’s and watched him practically attack the bowl, letting out unconscious, happy cat noises as he ate. 

It had taken a few more days than he’d originally expected but, it seemed, things were finally off to a promising start.