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Truly, taking care of a moody, upset, and beyond battered (from all aspects) teenager who's seen too much is not an easy task for Chuuya, nor did he sign up for it when he joined the Port Mafia years ago, especially when he is just 19 and also struggling to heal from and adapt to suddenly being left behind without warning. It’s just not really suitable given his circumstances, but the ginger has decided, with one look at Akutagawa’s face the day after Dazai left, that someone has to look out for the boy. His sister, Gin, is a lot less affected by Dazai’s betrayal and is getting by as a Black Lizard Commander, so Chuuya decides to turn his attention towards her brother, who is now placed under his care as his mentee. And when Chuuya has decided on something, he will carry on through with it.
If only Akutagawa made it easy for him.
The boy is even more stubborn and brash after Dazai left, lashing out left and right when he is angered even slightly, and it truly gives a headache to Chuuya, especially when Mori calls him to ‘talk’ about Akutagawa, since he is now considered Akutagawa’s mentor and his Executive position means the boy and his squad are under his lead. He refuses to be taken care of, only reluctantly submitting when Chuuya scolds him and reminds him of their positions, and even with the addition of Higuchi who is pretty much obsessed with making sure he is in good shape - as good as he can be with his already poor health - it doesn’t help Chuuya much, as Akutagawa merely reprimands and shuts Higuchi down. On top of that, Akutagawa doesn’t seem to want to care for himself, impatiently chasing down enemies and crushing them, sometimes even going against orders - a bad habit, Chuuya can see why Dazai got exasperated with him, but he still doesn’t agree wholly with what Dazai did to Akutagawa, and that’s strange because back when Akutagawa was still under Dazai, Chuuya barely stuck his nose in - and pushing himself beyond limit.
Chuuya knows he is the last person who has the right to scold Akutagawa about being a ‘workaholic’ - he must admit, it's good that Akutagawa puts his all into his missions and willingly joins other squads when they are in a pinch - but god, does he get annoyed when Akutagawa refuses to rest even when his primary jobs are done and his fucking body is overexerted. Akutagawa seems to do all this to ‘gain recognition from Dazai’, and truly Chuuya does not see the goddamn point of wanting recognition from a traitor - though, deep down in his heart, there is understanding and Chuuya guesses he can sympathise or empathise a little with Akutagawa. After all, he was Dazai’s ‘dog’ when they used to be Double Black, as much as he hated saying it that way. There is something about Dazai which made people want him to praise them, like a good word from him will validate their existence. It wasn’t that bad for Chuuya, but the Executive can see why Akutagawa seeks it so, knowing how Dazai treated the boy in the past, and especially because Dazai was the one who brought Akutagawa into Port Mafia in the first place. It is only natural for Akutagawa to seek such validation.
But still, Dazai Osamu betrayed the Port Mafia. Akutagawa ought to realize no matter how much he grows stronger, Dazai isn’t even there to see it, much less praise him. He should give himself a fucking break.
Which is also why Chuuya is walking through the Port Mafia hideout to the Black Lizard’s frequent lounging area, trying to figure out where Akutagawa has gone to this time. The boy was supposed to have been back hours ago, and Chuuya had patiently been waiting for him in his office where he was supposed to report to him - and Chuuya makes sure he actually nourishes himself and gets some rest.
(Sometimes, Akutagawa’s tendency to forget to eat and care for himself gives Chuuya flashbacks to a man who is no longer around, yet the redhead still feels like he could hear his voice and see his tall, thin frame move around his office and apartment, which now feel too lonely sometimes.)
Chuuya opens the door to the Black Lizard’s lounge area, a room which sort of acts like their living room, as well as their office, and their cafeteria, at the same time Tachihara pulls it open from the inside. The door almost smacks the other in the face and he yelps as he jumps out of the way, and Chuuya mutters a ‘sorry’ as he makes his way in. Hirotsu sits at one of the couches with Gin and Higuchi, and the three of them immediately stand in his presence.
“Sir,” Hirotsu bows his head, while the others in the room follow his lead, showing their respect to him.
“Relax,” Chuuya waves a hand, and they straighten. “Especially you, Hirotsu-san, you’re a veteran, been here longer than I have. Don’t be so tense.”
“Of course not, you are an Executive, Chuuya-dono,” Hirotsu says, in his usual polite and calm tone. He notices Chuuya looking around the room, searching, and asks, “is there something we can do for you, sir? A job, perhaps?”
“Where’s Akutagawa?” Chuuya asks, and his eyes land on Gin, “I mean, Ryuunosuke. He was supposed to be back hours ago.”
“Akutagawa-senpai hasn’t come back yet,” Higuchi helpfully answers, “he called us when his job was over to tell us he’s off to help the other Squads. Apparently, Squad 5 and 6 had run into some trouble.”
As usual, Chuuya grumbles to himself.
“And you didn’t stop him?” Chuuya snaps, annoyed, and Higuchi flinches.
“I-I’m sorry, I-” Higuchi stammers, and Chuuya sighs.
“It’s fine. Sorry about that, Higuchi,” Chuuya apologizes and Higuchi squeaks out a ‘no, it’s fine!’, and Chuuya continues, “do you have any idea where Squad 5 and 6 are? The fucking kid’s supposed to be training with me or taking a break, so I need to find him before Boss hounds me about another mission getting sidetracked because of him.”
“I-I believe they should be by the Port. Squad 5 was investigating the loss of some Port Mafia goods. Squad 6 is in Chinatown, I think, a new gang settled itself there and tried to reign over our territory,” Higuchi answers again, and Chuuya nods as he takes in the information.
“Thanks for the info, Higuchi. I’ll be off then,” Chuuya turns as he walks out of the room.
“Sir,” Hirotsu calls, and Chuuya pauses, looking over his shoulder. Hirotsu bows his head a little, “do you need our assistance?”
“‘Course not,” Chuuya smiles, “I’m just picking up a kid who’s breaking his damn curfew. But I appreciate the sentiment, Hirotsu-san.”
As he leaves, Chuuya shouts out, “oh, and drop the honorifics already, old man!”
---
Chuuya flies - floats? - in Yokohama’s skies searching for his subordinate, and ends up finding Akutagawa at the Port, surrounded by at least ten enemies, as bodies littered the ground and blood splattered everywhere. It seems that Akutagawa has been at it for awhile, heaving to catch his breath due to his breathing problems. Chuuya believes Akutagawa could actually take on these last ten enemies - from what he could see, this should be the last wave - but the Executive notices the blood dripping from the corner of the boy’s mouth and the way he bends his body a little lower. Maybe he took a heavy hit, and he must already be overexerted, so Chuuya decides to intervene.
After ending a short phone call telling the Black Lizard Squad to move out to Chinatown to help Squad 6 - because if Akutagawa is here, then that means Squad 6 is probably struggling by themselves in Chinatown - Chuuya lands a few metres away from the circle of enemies surrounding his subordinate, creating cracks under his feet. The sound he makes turns the enemies’ attention towards him, and some of them surge forward to attack him as he makes his way to Akutagawa. Chuuya lets Tainted Sorrow flow into the earth underneath him and do its job, slamming the first enemy to the ground. The other enemies yelp and exclaim profanities, and Chuuya doesn’t mind it, because even if they recited prayers, it would not save them. They fire their rounds at him, attention fully off Akutagawa and now directed to the Executive, and Chuuya merely grins as the bullets make their way to him.
Someone hasn’t done their homework, it seems.
Tainted Sorrow wraps around him and stops the bullets mid-air, and he merely kicks them all back to the enemies after raising his eyebrow at Akutagawa so that he ducks, or uses his shield, or devours space to avoid the bullets, or do whatever defensive trick Dazai taught him in the past. The bullets pierce through the enemies, and soon they all fall to the ground, as always, at his feet. Silence ensues, and Chuuya breaks it with a sigh as he finally stops in his tracks in front of his subordinate, the boy finally letting go of his composure a bit more, coughing out more blood.
“You’re way past curfew, kid,” Chuuya states as he peers up to the boy, taking in his features. Akutagawa is covered in dust and has some scratches on him, and blood drips down his chin from the corner of his mouth. He holds his side, obviously he must have fractured or broken a rib, but allows no obvious change to his calm expression.
“Chuuya-san,” Akutagawa replies, but keeps his eyes away from Chuuya’s blue ones.
“Where are you hurt?” Chuuya asks. Akutagawa flinches at the question.
“No-”
“Don’t lie to me.”
Akutagawa turns his eyes to face Chuuya, and the Executive thinks he sees uncertainty in them. Chuuya sighs again. Dazai really left an impact on this boy.
“I’m not Dazai,” Chuuya softly says, “it’s normal to get hurt on missions. Where did you get hit?”
Akutagawa turns his gaze to the floor.
“Blunt force on my abdomen. Got thrown back and hit a building,” Akutagawa says.
“Let’s get you back so that the doctors can run tests on you,” Chuuya says, and turns around, “get on my back.”
“C-Chuuya-san?!”
Chuuya could tell Akutagawa was flustered at the offer. The Executive squeezes his eyes in annoyance, and glares at the younger over his shoulder.
“No way I’m fucking walking, and you’re already overexerted. Get on my back, we’re fucking flying home,” Chuuya barks, and he sees Akutagawa’s eyes widen at the mention of ‘home’.
Maybe claiming the Port Mafia is home is too much of a bold claim, given how much pain they have gone through and seen in there, but to Chuuya, it is the closest thing to a family he could get, and he doesn’t throw that word around easily.
(Not anymore, at least, for three years now, after being betrayed by the Sheep. Ironic that he was then betrayed again by the same man who brought him into Port Mafia and made him feel like he belonged and like he was really human and really Nakahara Chuuya, not just Arahabaki’s vessel. But then again, Chuuya realizes he may have expected too much from someone called the Demon Prodigy. For all his intelligence, that particular man has never been good at emotions, and Chuuya doesn’t blame him anymore now that he has calmed down; it was probably the first time Dazai experienced true grief, and Dazai always runs away when he feels emotions surge in him.)
(Like when he avoided Chuuya for two weeks after they confessed to each other and kissed, but Chuuya shoves that memory far away into a dusty corner of his mind.)
“Are you gonna get on?” Chuuya raises an eyebrow at him. Sirens sound far in the distance, but no doubt the police are speeding on over to where they are, “We don’t have much time, you see, and it’ll be quite burdensome if they get their hands on a Port Mafia Executive and his mentee.”
Not that he and Akutagawa wouldn’t crush them in a split second and escape.
Akutagawa blinks once, then nods, reluctantly climbing onto Chuuya’s back. Chuuya stands and slowly floats them up as he grips tight onto Akutagawa’s legs.
“Hold on tight, alright? Oh, and don’t you dare get blood onto my clothes.”
It was an empty threat, Chuuya wouldn’t have done anything to Akutagawa if he did stain his clothes with his blood, he would merely wash his clothes when he gets back to his - now too empty without the presence of a certain man wrapped up in bandages - apartment, and maybe even Akutagawa’s.
---
“So,” Chuuya starts, glaring at Akutagawa laying on the bed, “you understand what this means, right?”
Akutagawa frowns, “I don’t believe I should miss work.”
Any other time, Chuuya would have been impressed and praised his dedication - although it is obvious it isn’t work he is dedicated to - but right now, Chuuya almost rocks his fucking jaw, but he doesn’t. Instead, he sucks in a deep breath. A child needs pacifying, it seems.
“Alright,” Chuuya inhales and exhales, “listen. You are in no shape to be running around fighting or doing any type of mission, the doc said so, and you’d better heed his words and stay at home before I send you flying to the next town over.”
“But-”
Chuuya already knew Akutagawa is stubborn, but boy, it never fails to get on his nerves.
(Just like how that ghost of his past was also stubborn about caring for himself, claiming and whining it’d only prolong his suffering on this cursed Earth, and Chuuya has to smack him and force him to eat the goddamn medicine Mori prescribed and the porridges Chuuya and Kouyou painstakingly made for him when he was sick or when he forgets to eat. And when he passes out from the medicines’ side effects and whatever sickness he currently faced, Chuuya would head out and lean against the hallway’s wall, soothing the guilty ache in his chest, because Dazai still finds life uninteresting and exhausting despite the new bond they formed, and Chuuya cannot do much about that part except for try his best to be there for the other, which he fears might not be enough to prevent whatever fate laid out for them.)
“I didn’t give you a choice now, did I, Akutagawa?” Chuuya says and Akutagawa shuts up. “Consider it a mission from me then; you’re staying home and taking a break until you’re healthier and more fit to actually even fucking move. Your body needs a break.”
Akutagawa averts his eyes from Chuuya, and hesitantly nods. Chuuya lets out a loud, exasperated sigh and plops down onto the chair by the bed, leaning back against it.
“Good. I'll give Gin some time off too to take care of you at home, and I’m sure Higuchi and Hirotsu-san will do fine without her for a bit. I’ll shoulder some of the jobs so that your beloved subordinates don’t run into sticky situations for the time being,” Chuuya says.
Akutagawa tenses visibly at the mention of Gin and the Black Lizard Squad.
Maybe he does care about them, Chuuya thinks to himself as he notes the reaction.
“It’s fine, Chuuya-san, you don’t need to involve Gin in this. I’ll be fine alone at home, I-” Akutagawa starts to protest again and Chuuya sighs, shaking his head as he leans forward.
“Sorry to say this, but I just don’t trust that you will stay put at home obediently without someone watching over you,” Chuuya cuts him off, and he sees the way Akutagawa deflates, the boy knows his doubts aren’t unreasonable, “therefore, I’m entrusting the person closest to you in this organization to care for you, kid. Besides, Gin can help watch your back too, yeah?”
He wants to tell Akutagawa that he no longer needs to act tough and shoulder things alone, and that it won’t hurt anybody if he relied a bit more on others, but Chuuya thinks he hasn’t torn down enough walls yet to say that much, and perhaps all Akutagawa needs to ease up and understand this is time.
Akutagawa doesn’t answer for a long time, seemingly thinking about something and getting lost in it.
Chuuya taps his shoulder softly to get his attention again, “Executive orders, kiddo.”
Akutagawa lifts his eyes to look at Chuuya, and the ginger notices the way they seem to have softened a little and exhaustion swims in them.
“... Understood.”
---
Two weeks later, Chuuya finds himself at the Akutagawas’ doorstep, with two plastic bags hanging off his gloved hand and in casual clothing. One of the plastic bags contains a rather big box of Akutagawa’s favorite tea brand - which he found out about from Higuchi - and some healthy snacks as well as drinks, milk included, and the other bag carries some figs and fresh fruits. He knocks on the door, and after a few minutes, Gin shyly opens the door. The girl was in her casual fit, hair let down into long black strands falling off her shoulders, and in a simple tee and a pair of slim-legged cropped trousers. Anyone looking at her now wouldn’t even guess she is part of the notorious Port Mafia, let alone be one of the Black Lizard’s commanders and a ruthless, silent killer.
“C-Chuuya-san? What brings you here?” Gin asks softly, and Chuuya merely smiles fondly at her, resisting the urge to ruffle her hair.
“Here to take a look at your brother, Gin,” Chuuya informs and Gin nods, letting him in, “has he been resting like I told him to?”
“Yes, I have been, Chuuya-san,” Ryuunosuke answers from the hallway, seemingly having just come out to see who came to their house. The boy leans against the wall, holding his injured side.
“Akutagawa!” Chuuya glares, then corrects himself as he realizes there are two Akutagawa with him at the moment, “I mean, Ryuunosuke. You better sit your ass down before I hit you, brat.”
Calling Akutagawa ‘Ryuunosuke’ is so… odd on his tongue, yet he prefers to avoid confusion.
Ryuunosuke grunts and nods, making his way to the couch and sitting down. Gin politely takes the plastic bags away from Chuuya and invites Chuuya to take a seat on the loveseat across the three-seater his mentee sat on, which Chuuya accepts.
“Would you like some tea, Chuuya-san?” Gin asks, and Chuuya shrugs.
“Sure. Give me whatever you got, just don’t poison me,” Chuuya lightly pokes fun at the girl, and she lets out a nervous chuckle, before she heads for the kitchen.
“Of course not, Chuuya-san,” Gin says, and excuses herself.
Chuuya leans back against his couch, and observes Ryuunosuke. The boy seems cleaner, and it seems that his scratches have healed. When he walks or moves, he does it a little slower than usual, but he no longer winces in pain so obviously like when he first sustained his injuries two weeks ago, though he tries not to breathe in too deeply or do anything that might worsen his injuries.
“How are you?” Chuuya asks, and those three words sound so basic, but it is a good opener. Ryuunosuke eyes him, and then sighs softly when he sees that Chuuya is waiting patiently.
“Better,” Ryuunosuke says, and he seems to want to end it there, but Chuuya merely keeps staring, and he continues, “I’m healing fine. I went for my weekly check-ups, and the doctor says I might be able to go back to working minor, light jobs in another week or so."
Right as Ryuunosuke elaborates on his condition, Gin steps into the living room to put down a tray with a teapot and teacups onto the coffee table. She gently puts down the cups in front of Chuuya and her brother, then pours tea into them. Chuuya waits until she is finished before he speaks. Kouyou taught him that.
“Gin, is your brother lying?” Chuuya asks and Gin looks up with wide eyes, then shakes her head.
“Nii-san is telling the truth, I went to the check-ups with him,” Gin answers.
“The doctor didn’t recognize you?” Chuuya randomly asks and Gin laughs a little.
“I went in my work outfit. He was surprised, but says he could see the resemblance. But, back to the topic, Nii-san isn’t lying. I visited the others too when I followed him, so you may ask them to confirm that we did go to the check-ups,” Gin replies, and Chuuya knows she means Tachihara, Hirotsu and Higuchi by ‘the others’.
“I see,” Chuuya leans back again, and silence envelops them for a little. The ginger picks up his teacup and sips on the tea, and Ryuunosuke shifts and follows his lead, sipping on his own tea.
“Good to know you are actually resting well like I told you to do, Ryuunosuke,” Chuuya says, “perhaps I should go back home then, since you’re actually obeying my orders.”
Silence envelops them again as Chuuya sips on his tea again. He makes small talk with the siblings, and by the time he leaves, an hour has already passed and he reminds them to take care of themselves before he walks away.
When Chuuya rides his motorbike home, he thinks Ryuunosuke looked like he wanted to say something when he was about to leave.
Well, he isn’t going to prod if Ryuunosuke decides not to say it, the Executive decides as he goes on the long way home and feels the ocean breeze as he rides.
(A part of him misses the bony hands which would rest on his shoulders as he and Dazai ride back to the hideout after a mission, the same ocean breeze blowing against their faces.)
But, Chuuya shakes the thought off. That man probably doesn’t even miss Chuuya or even the Port Mafia anyway.
---
Two or three months later, everything returns back to normal, as the Akutagawa siblings come back to their posts and work resumes as usual. Akutagawa manages to not get into fatal situations, and he listens to Chuuya fairly better as time passes, and when he gets hurt, Chuuya doesn’t hesitate to make sure he takes a break and helps him out when situations get too much for him to handle alone. Now, a year later, two years after Dazai left the Port Mafia, Chuuya finds himself staring off the distance out of the windows of his office. He’d have to leave for an overseas job in a week, something about making sure Mori’s connections abroad are still in line and negotiating deals. He isn’t the one who will be doing it though, thankfully, another Executive is the one who will be responsible for that, and he’d be there as their bodyguard or something.
That’s good, because Chuuya speaks better with his fists than his mouth. He doesn’t like dealing with unnecessary riddles which, unfortunately, many people in this field love to use.
His phone beeps and Higuchi’s name is displayed on the screen. Chuuya furrows his eyebrows and picks up the call.
“Chuuya-san! ” Higuchi’s frantic voice enters his ears. “Please help us! Akutagawa-senpai and I are cornered by the enemy! Fake intel told us they were just a normal smuggling group, but - ”
“Location, Higuchi,” Chuuya grits his teeth and grabs his coat as he storms out of his office. “Now.”
---
Chuuya doesn't waste any time when he arrives at the location, charging headfirst into the enemies with a large force, making a crater under his feet and blowing away some of them by the sheer force of his landing. Turns out this group had some Ability Users in it, and Akutagawa and Higuchi were caught off guard as they confronted them and got hurt. The Black Lizard Squad are already dispatched, heading over to their location, and Chuuya just needs to buy time, and kick some ass.
"Nakahara Chuuya, gravity manipulator. It's so nice to finally meet you," one of the enemies says, a tall man with dark hair falling in waves onto his shoulders.
"Can't say I feel the same way, bastard," Chuuya shoots, as red wrap around him and he feels Tainted Sorrow flow in his veins.
The man chuckles.
"Feisty. As expected of an Executive."
Chuuya raises an eyebrow at the man's comment.
"It's a shame we meet this way, Nakahara-san," the man smiles, all teeth, and Chuuya wants to punch him in the face.
"Chuuya-san! Be careful! That man can steal abilities!" Higuchi shouts, and something similar to Rashoumon zips past Chuuya, straight for where Higuchi is, but Akutagawa coughs and the true Rashoumon devours space between the assault and the two of them, shielding Higuchi.
"Steal abilities, huh? Sounds fancy, but it doesn't matter," Chuuya grins with interest as he sees the man's coat morph similarly like Rashoumon, "I'll still fucking crush you, trash."
---
'Fakes can never hope to compare to the original, ' is what Chuuya thinks as he looks down onto the corpse on the ground.
The man could steal abilities, but what hinders him is that he cannot copy the abilities to a proper 100%, and could only steal and use one at a time, so if he doesn't pick the right Ability for the battle, he would end up with more problems than what he entered the battle with. Plus, some Abilities aren't easy to really adapt to; like Chuuya's Tainted Sorrow. Having lived his life aware of his Ability from the beginning, Chuuya knows firsthand just how strong the wielder's resolve needs to be before they can even hope to be in sync with this Ability and bend gravity to their will. After all, this is a force present literally everywhere they are trying to manipulate.
Besides, some cheap copycat cannot rival the sleeping god inside him.
So of course, the man meets his demise and Chuuya has another man to add to his kill count.
The man's group did have other Ability Users as well, though their Abilities proved to be weaker and they are less well-versed in utilizing them, so Akutagawa managed to defend himself and Higuchi despite the wounds he sustained, until the Black Lizard Squad arrived and helped push back against the enemies. Now the enemy group members lay dead in their own pools of blood, exterminated completely - though Chuuya has a tugging feeling there might be someone they missed, but after the fifth perimeter check, they find no one left alive - and the Port Mafia members walk away with only injuries.
While most of them aren't wounded gravely, Akutagawa yet again was bleeding a lot and had the worst wounds out of them all. Perhaps Chuuya should train him a bit more on being careful on the battlefield when he comes back from Europe. They rush him to the Mafia's doctors, who manage to get him back to being stable, which calms Higuchi - and Gin, despite the calm face she puts on.
A few days later finds Chuuya yet again on the Akutagawas' doorstep, carrying with him a few plastic bags, all containing items sorted to their own types. Gin lets him in like before, automatically taking the bags from him, and Chuuya could see the way the siblings' are far more relaxed having the Executive in their house compared to the first time Chuuya paid a visit. Maybe it's because Akutagawa got hurt way too many times and needed to rest a lot, and Chuuya can't help but make sure to visit him whenever that happens, so it has sort of become a routine.
(He tells himself it's because he just won't believe Akutagawa is resting as what he is told to do unless he sees it with his own eyes, but a traitorous part of him whispers it's because he has gotten attached to the siblings and to him, they are no longer just subordinates. Chuuya thinks there might be some truth to that, but that doesn't mean he can't keep denying it.)
"Ryuunosuke, how have you been?" Chuuya asks, and Ryuunosuke sighs deeply.
"It's nothing I cannot handle," the boy answers, "though I can't wait for it to heal properly."
Ryuunosuke has warmed up to him enough to speak less formally to him and throw in some jokes here and there, as well as express his opinions and feelings.
Though, of course, they are all done with a straight face. Chuuya wonders how long it would be until he finally sees a smile on Ryuunosuke's always frowning face. He doesn't mind waiting, he knows Ryuunosuke needs time and Chuuya is good at waiting. He had waited years for Dazai and it hurt way more than this, so why can't he do it again? After all, Ryuunosuke deserves someone he can rely on to be a constant in his and Gin's lives.
(As constant as anything can be in their dangerous world.)
Chuuya smiles, "I'm glad, Ryuunosuke."
Silence embraces them, and Chuuya lets it wrap around him like an old friend. Conversations with Ryuunosuke always have comfortable pauses, and Chuuya finds himself not minding it at all. Chuuya downs the rest of his tea, and sets his cup on the saucer.
"I'll be off then. I'll be overseas for a month or so, so you better make sure to take care of yourself and your subordinates, alright? Don't make more trouble than necessary or I'll fly over from Europe myself just to beat your ass," Chuuya says, his tone harsh because sometimes he just cannot stop that part of him who shows affection in unconventional ways.
He expects Ryuunosuke to reply with a grunt, but instead he hears soft chuckles from the two siblings and the Executive snaps his head up in surprise. Ryuunosuke has the smallest of smiles on his face, no one would have even noticed it at first glance, while Gin has a serene smile on hers.
"What're ya laughin' at?!" Chuuya feels a blush creep up his neck, and it only serves to make them chuckle more.
"S-Sorry, Chuuya-san," Gin takes a deep breath, "we're just… really happy."
Happy…? They deserve way more than this.
"Thank you, Chuuya-san. We are truly grateful," Gin bows her head to Chuuya, which serves to fluster the Executive even more.
"S-Stop! You don't need to bow like that… Really…" Chuuya covers his reddening face and takes a few deep breaths to compose himself. "It's nothing, really. You're all my own now, and it's just my responsibility, okay? It's nothing much."
“Everything you did for us… It really means a lot for us, Chuuya-san,” Gin insists, “we will be sure to pay you back for your kindness.”
“Like I said!” Chuuya raises his voice, slamming a hand down onto the table, trying to hide the way his voice shakes. He isn’t used to such honest expressions of gratitude, and he doesn’t think he ever will. He glares at the siblings, “there’s no need to thank me so much. You don’t owe me a thing, alright? I’m looking out for you because I want to.”
Chuuya doesn’t allow them to retort, standing up, “well, I’ll get going now! You two better do what I said, alright? Kouyou-ane-san is in charge when I’m not around, so don’t piss her off, got it?”
Gin and Ryuunosuke nod and stand up, accompanying the ginger to the door. Chuuya is aware it’s just common courtesy, but God, it does not help the embarrassment bubbling up in him. Perhaps it’s sad he cannot deal with sincere gratitude, especially when he doesn’t expect it and when it’s from people he really cares about, like the Akutagawa siblings. Chuuya doesn’t want to show them his face anymore - given how he could feel how hot his cheeks are - but he turns around anyway to give a final lecture before he goes. This is the last time they’ll meet before he leaves for the overseas mission after all.
“One last time - you better take care of yourself and do not fucking piss off any of the other Executives or Mori-san. I won’t be there to protect you, so you both better keep your behaviours and the Squad in line, got it?” Chuuya says, and anyone looking in from the outside would think he is threatening them with how harsh his tone is, but they are Chuuya’s subordinates - maybe even more, at this point. The ginger continues, “Ane-san will look after you, but it doesn’t mean she won’t punish you just because you’re my subordinates. I don’t want to come back to my subordinates slashed open by the Golden Demon.” I will be sad if that happens, Chuuya almost says but stops the words before they roll off his tongue.
The siblings nod, listening to him intently, and Chuuya is actually surprised they managed to come this far, so far that even Ryuunosuke listens to him now. Ryuunosuke still hasn’t let go of his obsession with desiring Dazai’s recognition, but at least he’s a little less brash now. Chuuya will take what he can get.
“Gin, you and Tachihara better listen to Hirotsu-san and Higuchi well,” Chuuya points a finger to Gin, who nods in understanding, and then points it next to Ryuunosuke, “and you, Ryuunosuke - “
“Ryuu,” Ryuunosuke cuts him off.
Chuuya blinks. “Huh?”
Ryuunosuke coughs into his hand, and Chuuya swears the boy’s pale cheeks are dusted pink.
“... Ryuu. During situations like this, Chuuya-san, you can call me ‘Ryuu’,” Ryuunosuke replies, voice even and calm, but the way he avoids Chuuya’s eyes stubbornly tells the Executive the boy is trying his best to keep his composure.
Chuuya almost cries at how fucking domestic the situation was.
“Are you fucking serious?!” Chuuya exclaims, and of course, it probably isn’t the best way to express the excitement he feels in him which can barely be contained.
(He tells himself it is just shock, surprise, whatever, and definitely not because he is so fucking proud and excited that he managed to reach a new level of closeness with Akutagawa.)
Ryuunosuke nods, and Chuuya almost pulls him into an embrace.
“Of course, it depends if you want to - “
“Shut up, Ryuu. It’s so much easier this way,” Chuuya snaps. And so, so much better this way.
Ryuunosuke seems to be stunned at Chuuya using the nickname immediately, but then his shoulders relax and his eyes soften a little, like he trusts Chuuya. Chuuya kind of almost tears up. To avoid bursting into tears, because Gin is also giving him the same gaze, Chuuya waves a hand and turns away from them, pulling his hat down to cover his eyes.
“Alright, I’m seriously going now, brats,” Chuuya says, and Gin and Ryuunosuke bow their heads to him and he couldn’t resist giving each of them a pat on their heads, even though he has to stretch his arm a little. “Take care.”
“Of course,” Ryuunosuke replies.
“Stay safe, Chuuya-san,” Gin calls, and Chuuya half-turns to them as he walks away, giving a salute.
His life seems brighter now.
(The hole that man left in his heart is too big and too deep to be filled whole again, but Chuuya finds his steps to be a bit lighter when he thinks of the Akutagawa siblings, Hirotsu-san, Higuchi, Tachihara and Kouyou. Perhaps… he could finally move on, and maybe he won’t ever be able to truly let go of the past he shared with Dazai Osamu, but at least now he has something to keep him going, something to look forward to, something which makes the future seem less bleak and him feel less cold.)