Chapter Text
Chuuya Nakahara is your standard 25-year-old ordinary office employee. He works a normal job, lives alone in his normal apartment, and goes to sleep at a normal time.
So the last thing he expected to happen at 8:30 AM on a bright Monday morning, when he opens his front door to leave for work, nursing a nasty hangover, is to be staring down a large, crimson-eyed, light brown dragon. It releases a large puff of air from its nostrils, nearly knocking Chuuya over, and Chuuya feels his heart drop to his stomach and his knees start shaking. A dragon. A mythical, omniscient, all-powerful creature that can kill him with a blink of his eye. It breathes fire, can fly, and sometimes uses magic.
He's saying his last prayers despite being an atheist when there's a bright red magic seal and the dragon transforms into an overenthusiastic, tall lanky butler with soft brown curly locks, two black horns sticking out, and glowing crimson pupils adorning a slim, smiling face on his doorstep.
"Gooood morning, Chuu!"
A million thoughts race through Chuuya's head. The uniform? The large dragon tail wagging behind him? The horns? Must be a cosplay. He's talking to the redhead? He's smiling at him? Chuuya's about to be eaten. Or this is a dream. But why did he seem vaguely familiar?
"Good morning," he replies automatically.
"Would it be all right to come in?" The dragon butler gives a slight bow, putting his hand on his chest, looking at him expectantly.
Chuuya continues suppressing his fear. "Oh, uh, sure, come right on in."
Without another word he moves to the side to make room for the dragon butler as he crosses the threshold and enters. He follows the dragon butler and sits at the dining table, the butler taking a seat across from him.
"So we met yesterday, and I offered to let you stay here? Uh, Dazai-san? That's what I said?" Chuuya has absolutely no recollection of ever doing so. He was sure he'd remember talking to someone this striking, but either his memory is worse than he thought, or something must have happened.
"Yes!" Dazai perks up, giving him another warm smile.
Strange. I'm not waking up from this dream. And why is this guy so tall? He briefly notices Dazai's tail swishing against the wooden floor and sighs. "Um...where did we meet?"
"The mountains! We met in the mountains!" His smile stretches into an enthusiastic grin.
The redhead strokes his chin, tilting his head as he searches his memory. "The mountains..." he muses. Vague recollections of him staggering in the mountains, bottle in hand, begin resurfacing, and he sees an enormous light brown dragon lying on the ground, a giant sword wedged in its back. He remembers sitting on a picnic blanket across from this...person, laughing and sharing drinks, his bright red eyes tinged with mirth, but the conversation they were having eludes him. "Then...uh...want to come to my place?" He asked the man, but he can't recall what happened afterwards.
Once he's recalled this much of the flashback, he clutches his head and rests his elbows on the table in utter defeat.
"I'll never forget those kind words, chibi! Please allow me to start working here as your personal butler!"
"Who are you calling chibi? And you can't." He replies instantly.
"I mean you're so small! Huh?" The cheerful expression on his face falls slightly, replaced by confusion.
"I don't know if you're a dragon or whatever, but I'm not planning on hiring anyone." He averts his gaze if only to avoid seeing the pain in those crimson orbs.
"I-I wouldn't need any pay!" Dazai proclaims.
"No, that's not the problem..." Chuuya mutters.
Dazai leans over the table, slamming his hands down. "I can be useful! I can turn this entire area into a sea of fire, or curse people to death!"
"No, no, no!" He would not be single-handedly responsible for bringing a curse upon humanity. "Though, why a butler?" He questions skeptically.
"Because you said a butler would be best!" He looks at Chuuya pleadingly.
"I did? Oh, right..." another snippet resurfaces and Chuuya scratches at his auburn locks. "I'm sorry for making a promise I can't keep. I think it's impossible."
"It's impossible?" Dazai looks crestfallen, dropping his chin to his chest. Chuuya looks away, unable to find it in himself to see the hurt swirling in Dazai's eyes.
"Understood. My apologies as well for dropping in so suddenly." Dazai pushes the chair out from behind him as he stands up, walking around the table. He doesn't look at Chuuya once but Chuuya suddenly notices a tear in the corner of his eye and his heart clenches painfully.
Dazai continues walking to the door and Chuuya watches him as if it's happening in slow motion. I can't erase this guilt. It's not a dream? If it's not a dream, then... His hand turns the handle and the door slowly opens.
Chuuya looks at the clock. It's 8:55 and his work starts at 9 AM. "I'm late?!" Gasping, he leaps from the table and bounds down the hallway, grasping Dazai's shoulder.
"Dazai. Can you fly?" He asks, panting.
Dazai looks at him in surprise before true joy overwhelms his crimson eyes. "As you wish, chibi!"
"Stop calling me that!" But Dazai only gives him a shit-eating grin.
And so the crazy, chaotic, fun-filled days of an ordinary office worker and his dragon butler began.
