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He’s always rather looked forward to his Ability manifesting. His fathers have told him that they come from a bloodline of gods of nature, and so his Ability will be something related to nature.
Paul’s Ability is that of the moons and the tides, which means that whenever he’s out at nighttime, he’ll always have illumination, as the clouds wouldn’t dare block moonlight from reaching the roads when he’s around. It also means that none of the sandcastles that Chuuya builds on the beach will be trampled by the sudden rush of the tides.
Arthur’s Ability is a lot trickier, being able to create a sturdy box out of any material. It’s been quite helpful to Chuuya’s studies, because he doesn’t have to rely on his self-control to stay away from his video game consoles whenever he’s supposed to be focusing on homework.
…it’s something that a certain someone has taken great glee in dismantling. Dazai, despite being two months younger, has already manifested his troublesome Ability of being able to cancel others’. Annoying just like its owner, really.
And Dazai is annoying, certainly.
He’s annoying when he’s around, inviting random people into bizarre double suicides, flirting with the entire student body but then ditching them the moment they agree to a date. Yawns all throughout their shared classes; the rare times that he remains awake, he spends his time doodling on whichever paper he gets his hands on. Unfortunately, being his seatmate means that the doodles end up on his worksheets, more often than not. Never brings his own umbrella nor his own bento, which means that Chuuya’s locker always has two umbrellas in preparation for one being unceremoniously pilfered—and that Chuuya always lugs with him two bento tiers, because he’s a growing boy who needs his nutrients and ending up with nothing because Dazai has stolen his lunch is not how he wants to spend his dazzling high school years.
…Anyway, that’s the shortlist of Dazai’s deficiencies.
Wonder of wonders, even when not around, Dazai still manages to be a source of annoyance.
The idiot mackerel takes a short leave from school just-after his birthday and just-before summer vacation formally starts. Ostensibly, it’s due to something with his dad’s work—Dazai is a lazy fucker in so many aspects, but he is rather smart when he deigns to pay attention. Chuuya personally thinks that it’s just another way for Dazai to shirk off responsibility.
Dazai’s absence is so annoying, because Chuuya spends the two weeks before school is out for summer bringing two umbrellas and two bento boxes. He doesn’t mind the added weight to his schoolbag, but it’s the principle of the thing. He’s used to staying alert in class because he’s busy guarding his worksheets from doodles; now he’s the one who’s doodling random things that could be read as Dazai’s name in looping letters.
…So annoying.
Summer is rather annoying too, because there’s no Dazai who whines at him about going to the beach and what-not. It’s so annoying, that summer is officially cancelled, everyday a huge rout of thunderstorms instead of sunny skies. There’s a strange phenomenon unexplained by scientists, as all the crops in Yokohama wither and die during the height of summer.
At first, they think that the dismal weather and the subsequent flash floods are drowning the plants. But then, the death of the trees are apparently magical…?
Chuuya sighs as he pokes the line of flower pots on the living room window. The plants are all dead and there’s only the smell of stale soil and heavy rainwater.
From the doorway, Arthur clears his throat and says, cautiously, “I heard that Dazai-kun is going to be back tomorrow.”
A crack of lightning.
“H-He is?!” Chuuya most definitely did not squeak this out. He also most definitely did not get a whiplash from the way he suddenly whips around so he can stare at his father. “T-That bastard, he should have just stayed away! It’s not like I m-m-missed him or anything!”
Arthur raises an eyebrow at him. Chuuya feels himself flush, because he sees the living room floor suddenly being carpeted in red flowers, overflowing from the pots that were basically coffins a few seconds ago. Vibrant red blooms of roses, carnations and tulips suddenly fill every corner of the room. Outside, the sun is suddenly shining, and the entire city is in full bloom.
“Oh no,” Chuuya mumbles in abject horror. “Oh fuck no.”
“Congratulations on awakening such a powerful Ability, Chuuya-kun,” Arthur says kindly, even though his eyes are laughing at him. “Perhaps it’s best if you have a calm talk with Dazai-kun soon, hmm?”
Chuuya nods obediently, because this is his father. He then proceeds to lock himself inside his room, for the foreseeable future, because ‘calm’ and ‘Dazai’ in the same sentence can only occur if there’s a promise of death involved.
Ideally, he’d want to strangle Dazai for being such an annoyance that he’s literally affected his Ability. Then again, as evidenced by the goddamn flower flood from just one mention of that asshole’s name, it seems that he’s never going to be able to kill Dazai.
Clearly, the only solution is for him to lock himself up and not talk to anyone at all for the next fifty years.
It works for a few blessed hours, his hunger sated by the fact that there’s now a number of blooming fruit trees underneath his bedroom window, ready for him to simply beckon his hand at so he can receive a special fruit delivery. Perhaps it isn’t so bad to live like this forever then, just in the safety of his room so he doesn’t have to face anyone who can accuse him of having Feelings for a shitty mackerel.
The peach tree that’s nudging its fruits against his hands suddenly erupt into peach blossoms, and Chuuya shoots it a dirty look.
See, this is why it’s a good idea to just hole up in here.
Because if flowers are going to bloom like summer festival fireworks each time he even thinks of Dazai—on cue, blankets of purple pansies creep up his bed—then, then—! Everyone will know then, damn it—!!!
“—I know all about it~” comes the singsong from below his window, and there’s no doubting the source of it.
“Get the hell away from me!” Chuuya screams and throws everything he can get his hands on towards the window. Unfortunately, his room has already been overrun by flowers, so it now just seems like he’s throwing confetti in celebration for Dazai’s successful trek to the second floor by way of the traitorous plants.
It can’t even be called a trek, because Dazai is practically being buoyed by the tree trunks forming some sort of flower-entwined elevator, blooming vines creeping up the walls to pull Dazai and his flower entourage up. It is actually quite interesting to see—if only he isn’t so mortified—because Dazai’s Ability to cancel his Ability is apparently no match to the quicker way that the flowers regenerate.
And because Dazai has always been able to read his mind, especially when circumstances are really bad for him, Dazai is all too happy to say, “Oh, this is how much you like me, huh?”
Because he’s now betrayed by even his newly-awakened Ability, Chuuya can only rely on himself. He yells, insists, “It’s powered by my hate! My hate!”, all while banging his fists against Dazai’s chest, half in hopes to knock him out, and half in hopes that he’ll fall off the window and break his neck and therefore, will stop looking at him like he’s—urgh, he can’t even think it!
Dazai finally climbs over the windowsill, raises an eyebrow as he raises a palm that has a bunch of red roses, courtesy of his traitorous Ability. “Right. This is a very convincing display of your hate, hmm?”
“It’s subterfuge,” Chuuya persists even as Dazai advances on him slowly, basically walking him back to his bed. “Lulling you to a false sense of security!”
“You’ve been that bored without me, aren’t you? You’ve even learned new words.” Brown eyes are crinkled with laughter, as Dazai traps his fists against his chest. “You’ve even awakened your Ability while pining for me.”
“I knew ‘subterfuge’ since 6th grade, oi! My language grades are so much better than yours!”
A pointed look, until Chuuya bristles to add, “And I wasn’t pining! You’re thinking too highly of yourself!”
“I can afford it, because I’m tall enough.”
“I’m gonna kill you!” It’s quite difficult at the moment, because he’s all but engulfed in Dazai’s embrace, but he’s not going to quit so easily! “I swear, one day, I’m gonna—!”
Dazai suddenly bends down and kisses him, before quickly retreating and telling him, matter-of-factly, “I like you too, obviously.”
A beat. Three beats of lightning sparking in the air.
And then there’s yelling from downstairs, “Dazai-kun! You were supposed to help him calm down, not make him flood the entire city!”
Chuuya hides his face against Dazai’s chest, half his body buried in the deluge of flowers. He groans, “I hate you so much, damn it. I mean it.”
“Whatever you say,” Dazai says, clearly disbelieving. After all, there’s a field of flowers surrounding the two of them that says otherwise.