Work Text:
Scowling is a teenager's second nature.
So it comes to no surprise that Chuuya has perfected it.
His eyebrows furrowed just the right amount to make him seem genuinely irritated and at the verge of snapping.
Whenever Chuuya's opponents or unpleasant business partners see that scowl, they know not to mess with him.
They're not suicidal.
They're aware that the former king of sheep is able to control gravity and crush them within a matter of seconds.
The only one who doesn't seem to get the message must be his dear friend and neighbor, Albatross.
Albatross, who has been stealing Chuuya's fries for the past 5 minutes and has been ignoring the other's deadly glare this whole time.
Therefore, Chuuya decides that it's finally time to speak up:
"I thought you didn't want fries."
Chuuya's tone was angry, obviously.
Albatross could've ordered fries himself but he didn't.
He didn't want fries.
So he better stop munching on Chuuya's fries!
Yet Albatross just chuckled rather amused and had the audacity to speak to Chuuya in a berating tone:
"I do want fries.
I just didn't wanna buy 'em 'cause you always buy a large portion anyway."
"Because I know you always steal my fries!"
"So you're complaining about it now for what?"
Albatross isn't seeing a problem.
Chuuya obviously realized the issue and adapted to it.
Therefore, everything should be just fine.
There's more than enough fries for both of them.
Yet Chuuya obviously has a different opinion about it all and he's tired of keeping it to himself.
And in typical teenage fashion, he slaps his fist on the table in a fit of rage before screaming across the table:
"Because I saved your fucking life so you could be nice for once!"
Chuuya definitely managed to get the attention of everyone at this McDonald's.
And everyone is already gossiping about Chuuya's outbreak,
some customers are deciding to leave,
others just sit there frightened,
and the employees seem to consider kicking them out.
Yet Albatross himself doesn't even flinch at Chuuya's display.
He's used to it.
He experiences something like this at least three times a day.
And so he just reaches across the table to steal yet another fry before responding with a smug smile on his lips:
"God wanted me dead, now you get to find out why."
Chuuya honestly doesn't know what he expected.
This is Albatross he's talking to after all.
And so he sighed as he slumped back into his chair in defeat.
The whole atmosphere in the establishment seemed to easen again and they didn't get kicked out… this time.
"I found out about that when you decided to throw a party three nights in a row when I first moved into the complex."
Chuuya decided to give at least some sort of response since he didn't want Albatross to think that he fell on his mouth all of a sudden.
But it's not like Albatross expects Chuuya to stay quiet all of a sudden.
They're both idiots who talk too much.
Albatross more so than Chuuya, admittedly.
And so Albatross' self-assured grin persists as he replies:
"Was hoping you'd show up one day so it could turn into your welcoming party."
"You could've just invited me like a normal person would have."
Chuuya was the embodiment of an angsty teen,
arms crossed over his chest as he avoids Albatross' glance.
Despite that, he keeps eyeing the other since Chuuya is well aware that he can't actually leave Albatross out of sight for more than… 5 seconds, really.
He's worse than a toddler.
"Normal is boring.
Now stop acting offended and eat before I steal your nuggies too."
That, however, finally managed to catch Chuuya's attention and he spins around to face Albatross properly again.
"Fingers off my nuggets or I'll break them!"
...They got kicked out of McDonald's.
And so they've found themselves in Albatross' car,
finishing off the meals they've bought.
"You know what?
You've been even more tense than usual today."
Albatross speaks before taking a sip of the coke he poured in his cup after having ordered water.
He's not sure if Chuuya wants to talk about it.
But he figured that he might as well address it now that they're by themselves.
And as it turns out, Chuuya very much wants to talk about it.
It's as if he has been holding back all day,
trying to act normal when all he wanted to do was to just speak his goddamn mind.
Albatross could hardly finish talking before Chuuya began to belittle him:
"The hell was up with you today?!
You got nothing but a knife and a damn handgun on you and yet you just stormed into that huge base by yourself?!
Are you suicidal like that mackerel bastard now?!"
Albatross just snorted at that.
"What? You worried about me?"
It's honestly pretty rare for Chuuya to admit that.
Usually he always acts like a damn tsundere and even refuses to acknowledge the fact that they're friends.
However, Albatross has probably been more than enough of a dick today and probably owes Chuuya a real explanation.
"I just figured there's nothing to worry about.
I go on missions like those by myself all the time and now I got gravity manipulator, Nakahara Chuuya, by my side.
There was absolutely nothing that could've gone wrong and so there was nothing to worry about."
"There's always something that can go wrong!"
"Stop worrying and just enjoy yourself for once!"
"While I'm on a dangerous mission?!"
Albatross is insane.
Everyone knows that.
He's a happy-go-lucky who somehow hasn't died yet.
In fact, he keeps delivering such good results that he's actually considered a possible candidate as a future executive.
Chuuya doesn't get it at all.
And maybe that's the point.
Everything Albatross does seems impulsive, like there's not a single thought behind his actions.
But… somehow he always ends up doing the right thing.
Still…
"You could at least try to be more careful."
Chuuya interrupts Albatross' stupid chuckling.
And something in Chuuya's tone actually convinced him to be somewhat serious too for once.
"You're not used to having people fight with you, huh?"
"What's that supposed to mean?
The sheep always stood by my side!"
Is Albatross trying to say that they were weak?!
Sheep ain't weak!
Chuuya is gonna show him.
He's gonna show the whole mafia.
Once he's more well respected he'll--
"But you're, like, I dunno, the guy who did everything.
They were with you during battles but they weren't actually part of them, right?
So you're not used to being part of a team."
At least that's what they told Albatross when he was asking their other friends about Chuuya.
Especially Iceman knew a lot about sheep since he continually tried to kill Chuuya while he was part of that gang.
So Albatross likes to think that his sources are rather reputable.
And that definitely appears to be the case if Chuuya's thoughtful expression is anything to go by.
Albatross wonders what he's thinking about because his answer sure as hell doesn't give anything away.
"Well, it's not like you act much like a team player either when you storm off like that."
Once again, Albatross just chuckled.
Of course he did.
Moments of professionalism are scarce with him.
He obviously couldn't stay serious for more than 5 minutes.
Despite that, his response isn't actually completely bullshit…
"I just set the pace!
Besides, I know that my teammates can keep up and that I can rely on them.
You should try that too for once."
Rely on others?
Well…
Uh…
Maybe?
But who is he meant to rely on?
It's not like Chuuya is an actual mafiosi…
So he shouldn't rely on Port Mafia.
Yet relying on sheep just seems like such a bizarre concept after all the time he has only trusted himself.
... Chuuya definitely needs to mull over it.
And Albatross can tell that much.
Therefore, he just sighs and says:
"Let's stop talking about work for once.
You really wanna waste your free time sulking over other possible outcomes of a mission that's over and done with?
Don't tell me you're some boring workaholic!"
That actually managed to snap Chuuya out of his thoughts.
Right…
He's spending his freetime with Albatross.
A mafiosi.
...But his friend.
All his friends are mafiosi now that he thinks of it...
So maybe he could… rely on them as an exception?
Ah! Screw it!
Albatross told him to stop thinking about it.
So he shakes his head as if that'll make his thoughts disappear.
Albatross just quirks a brow underneath his sunglasses, obviously wordlessly mocking Chuuya for this odd behavior.
Lucky for him, it's wordless so Chuuya decides to not snap back.
Instead, he just says:
"Yeah, sure, whatever.
Let's just eat."
Yet as he reaches into the McDonald's bag to grab some of the fries he ordered,
Chuuya can't find them.
Looking into the bag confirmed Chuuya's worst fear.
"Did you asshole eat all of my fries?!"
"Should've been faster."