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"... Ah?"
It's a weird thing to say, given the situation, or at least it would be to outsiders, but... Chuuya blinks at the screen again, even rubs his eyes to make sure he's not seeing it wrong.
Winner!
... Is he dreaming? Is this a hallucination? He pinches his cheek, but then finally glances over to Dazai. Dazai's expression is... A bit closed off - a sore loser, as Chuuya... Would have guessed, if he'd ever even thought it possible for Dazai to lose, not that he plays fairly to begin with— anyway. It's been just over a year since they met, since they played that dumb game at the arcade that had Dazai promising he'd make Chuuya his dog. Not that Chuuya's followed through with that, because Dazai was cheating and they both know it, but even so, Chuuya had assumed he'd always cheat, knowing that he couldn't win fairly.
So... Was he not cheating this time? Or did he lose even after cheating?!
Either way. Chuuya hadn't really expected to win. Dazai clearly didn't think he would either, which must mean he was cheating, right? Either that or he's just pretending to be surprised because he did think he'd lose, or planned for it for whatever reason? But that doesn't make any sense, because Chuuya had demanded that Dazai be his dog, instead, given that it's been a year since that initial bet was made the other way around.
... Not that Chuuya hasn't also demanded that as his prize if he won several times between now and then, but. Again, Dazai cheats, so Dazai wins. Chuuya rarely even agrees to bet, lately, or refuses to play if Dazai tries to insist. So maybe he lost on purpose this time just to manipulate Chuuya into something worse later?! Of course, whenever they do bet and Dazai wins, Chuuya just points out that he was cheating - or accuses him of it, at least - and refuses to go along with it.
With that thought, Chuuya's expecting Dazai to call him a cheater in return or just refuse to honour the bet, considering Chuuya almost never has (there have been a few things, here and there, he's been willing to go through with when he can't really prove Dazai was cheating and doesn't want to have to deal with him whining and fussing all day about Chuuya bailing out). But Dazai doesn't, just tilts his head at him, expression impassive.
Acting like he's above all of this when he's the one who started it, seriously...!
"So? What's Chuuya's one order for me?"
"Haaaah?! 'One order'—" Chuuya starts to protest, but... Then again, Dazai does seem to be at least willing to do that, and, well, Chuuya knows he's refused to honour the terms of their bets a lot in the past, so... "... Alright, fine. Just one order." But now he has to think about it; of course, his immediate thought is 'your order is to always listen to me from now on, then', the same usual 'I wish for infinite wishes' thing that people always talk about, if they were granted three wishes, but that's... Even though it would totally be fair because Dazai tried to make Chuuya his dog, it still feels too cruel and underhanded.
He knows Dazai wouldn't hesitate to do it to him, probably, but Chuuya will take the moral high ground this time. ... Even if only because he suspects Dazai would just get really fucking bitchy if he tried to do otherwise.
"... How long do I have to think about it?" If he's only getting one order, he wants to make sure it's a good one.
Dazai shrugs. "As long as you want. I won't go back on my word." It's a not-at-all-subtle jab at the fact that Chuuya has, but Dazai cheats a lot, so Chuuya doesn't really care.
"Then, whenever I give you that order, you'll listen to it?"
"Within reason."
Again, Chuuya wants to protest, but... Whatever. It's not worth arguing about. "Fine. Then don't forget that you said that."
"I won't," Dazai says, tone a bit amused - maybe he thinks Chuuya will forget? As if! - as he nods in understanding. Chuuya holds out a hand anyway, forcing Dazai to shake on it, which makes Dazai quip about Chuuya having 'learned a new trick' and getting punched for it, but that's business as usual for them by this point, really.
- - - - -
Chuuya's not really sure if Dazai really thought he'd forget or not, but, well, Chuuya does forget.
... For a few years, anyway; he definitely thought about it a lot at first, but nothing really stood out or felt right, so he'd more or less tucked it aside to be dealt with later. Then Dazai had left the mafia (in the most annoying way possible, too, of course), which had put it even more on the back-burner, but it absolutely isn't something Chuuya would ever completely forget.
The consequence for losing the game, even if Chuuya should have considered rewarding him only because he didn't fight the loss or try to worm his way out of it - yet, anyway - the time they'd spent apart, the way Dazai's looking now...
"Hey... Dazai."
Dazai gives a pained groan, tilting his head towards Chuuya where they're both flopped on the ground. It's been one hell of a fight, against the damn Rats and some other chick, with a lot of interlopers and confusion, but they're both here. Injured, certainly, but here. Dazai looks exhausted and wounded, but he won't die, Chuuya knows. Chuuya kind of feels like dying, only just now having woken up from the aftermath of Corruption, absolutely in pain, but he'll live, too.
His request isn't anything to do with staying alive... Well, maybe that's not quite true.
Chuuya drags himself over to Dazai's side and flops there again, resting his head on Dazai's shoulder. He can practically feel those wheels turning in Dazai's head, can definitely hear his heartbeat pick up from this close, the way his breathing changes... "Relax, I'm not gonna die."
"I know," Dazai says, dismissive, as if he wasn't just working himself into a panic at the very thought, "Chuuya's too stubborn to die. Why would I be worried about something like that?"
Chuuya's magnanimous enough to not argue with him on it. He's got more important things to say anyway. "Uh-huh. Anyway, remember... when we were sixteen, and I beat you that one time at a game?"
Dazai puffs his cheeks, childish even in this state, "Eh, you remember that?"
"Yup. And you said... I could think about it as long as I wanted... because you wouldn't go back on your word. Even though the bet was to be my dog, not for... just one order, so you were already... going back on your word."
"I don't want to hear that from Chuuya who always just accused me of cheating to get out of paying up."
"Not always," Chuuya protests, because really, he had done some things! But he's getting off track, so he finds a seemingly-uninjured patch of Dazai's clothes and pinches him mildly there. Seems like Dazai's bruised there, though, even if his clothes aren't torn, judging by the way he yelps and keens unhappily at Chuuya. Ignoring the theatrics - Dazai won't die, despite his whining - Chuuya continues, "Anyway, that's not the point. I thought... of the order I want to give you."
"Chuuya's bullying me, ordering me around while I'm all injured! You'd better not be about to ask me to carry you somewhere!"
"As if you could even carry me... when you're not already injured," Chuuya huffs, but pinches him lightly again to tell him without words to stop interrupting. Dazai whines again, but finally tilts his head to face Chuuya properly, showing he's at least listening. "Don't... run away without me again."
Dazai tenses up, clearly not having expected that, but Chuuya just nuzzles further into his collar. "Like I didn't... Know you were thinking of leaving... now that it's all over. You're an idiot... but it's not my job to talk you into staying... with those detectives." It's too much to vocalize right now, but of course Chuuya knows that Dazai had been considering it, leaving under the cover of darkness again one day, mistakenly feeling like now that the worst is over, everyone would be better off without him. He's an idiot, naturally, and Chuuya hopes he will just stay with the ADA, since he's doing so much better for himself there than he ever was at the mafia, but if he truly feels like he can't, then he at least has to take Chuuya with him, this time.
At the very least, Dazai doesn't bother lying about having considered it. He relaxes by degrees, and sighs heavily. "... Ahh, you really know me too well, I think... And yet you always manage to surprise me," Dazai murmurs, lifting a hand to card through Chuuya's bangs gingerly. It doesn't last long, and Chuuya's surprised he even managed it at all considering how exhausted he looks, but it's a pleasant sensation that has Chuuya closing his eyes and tilting his head into it, too tired to pretend he doesn't enjoy it. "But you don't... You can't really want that. You love the mafia. They're your family."
Chuuya shrugs, opening his eyes again and grinning at Dazai more playfully now. "You've already... ripped me from my family once, what's one more time?" The Sheep, he means, of course; Dazai huffs, clearly about to protest that it's not the same, because the Sheep had already turned on Chuuya whereas the mafia certainly hasn't, but Chuuya softens his expression, smiling at Dazai instead. "Really, it's fine. After all this... We need a vacation anyway, and they'll be fine without me. I'd rather keep an eye on you, anyway."
"Don't trust me not to off myself now that everything's all said and done, hm?"
"Right."
"Couldn't you just use your order on that?"
"Nah. That'd be too hard for you, and I'd have no proof you were following it."
"... I don't want to take you from the mafia... Even if they'd be fine without you, you'd miss them, and you're next in line for Boss. You don't want to give all that up, right?"
"I don't, but I... would if I had to. If you don't want to force me to... then stay here. The ADA's your new family anyway. Just because... you're some idiot who thinks others are better off without him, that he can't make others happy, because you're a moron who never learns... doesn't mean that's true. They love you, too. They want you to stay. So just stay, if you don't want to take me with you. Those are your choices."
Dazai is quiet for a moment, then gives a shaky laugh. "Ah, really, I always underestimate you, somehow... Really, how cruel, making your order something so demanding..."
"You tried to make me your dog," Chuuya points out, merciless, because he knows Dazai's not really complaining about that anyway, just trying to deflect from the emotional part of that conversation. It's fine, Chuuya will let him weasel out of it for now. "This is the consequence of that."
"Ehh..."
They're quiet after that, Chuuya closing his eyes again to settle in for a nap; neither one of them is going to be moving under their own power, and he knows their allies will find them eventually. Dazai's hand settles on his back gently, for a moment, like he's going to rub it, then drops again, probably at the feeling of blood. Yeah, as much as Chuuya wouldn't mind having his back rubbed right now, it's probably for the better that they get medical treatment first.
Just as Chuuya's falling asleep, he feels Dazai shift, and the soft press of lips against his scalp. There's definitely blood there, too, but Chuuya smiles anyway, because he knows that means Dazai's agreeing to his terms.
With that, sleep is easy.
- - - - -
Dazai disappears for a few days.
Chuuya isn't worried about it, though; he knows Dazai did silently promise not to leave without Chuuya, and Chuuya just uses the time to finish healing up, training to regain some flexibility and strength in his damaged body. The ADA members seem a bit worried, but Chuuya won't volunteer any information; Dazai needs a bit of time alone right now to think things through. He's not running away, he'll come back, he just needs to convince himself that it's okay to stay, that Chuuya wasn't wrong or lying about the ADA wanting him there.
And sure enough, it's barely even a week before Chuuya goes back to his apartment to find Dazai lazing on his couch.
"So you've made up your mind, huh?"
Dazai pouts at him. "You could at least pretend to be surprised to see me!"
"Too much effort. So?"
"So what?"
"So you've booked our vacation, right? It's not like I didn't notice my business card missing."
"Eh! Chuuya's really no fun at all!"
Chuuya grins, walking over to him; standing behind him on the couch, forcing Dazai to tilt his head back to keep pouting at Chuuya, even as Chuuya leans down and kisses him sweetly on the lips. "I'll be more fun when we can relax properly, away from everyone else."
Dazai shivers at the words. "... Ah, well. Maybe Chuuya's not so bad after all."
Chuuya grins, stepping over to the kitchen. Some scotch, some wine, a celebration; he's sure they're probably leaving bright and early in the morning as some form of revenge for being read so easily, but that's fine.
They'll make it work.
They always have, and always will, after all.