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Elevators.
Humankind’s solution to defeating gravity within the confines of a small area, making it possible for people and goods to be transported without dying from exhaustion after thirty flights of stairs.
One of the banes of Chuuya’s existence, because most criminals that he chases aren’t polite enough to wait for elevators to bring up the dozens of backup policemen. It means that in order to attain justice, Chuuya usually ends up running up the stairs anyway and catching the criminal—and then he’d end up with a bunch of kouhai who would look at him with starry eyes as though never skipping leg day is something worth a lifetime adoration.
Now, don’t get him wrong, he’s grateful to have his kouhai and colleagues respect him and the effort he brings to his job. But whenever he receives too-enthusiastic praise from his peers, it always leads to a rollercoaster of problems.
It would start out with a card being delivered to his office. More accurately, it will be on top of his desk, with one of his hats acting as a paperweight. Not only as a sign that yes, a criminal really just went ahead and trespassed on a detective’s workplace without getting caught—it’s also a blatant provocation that yes, some fishy bastard just had his slimy hands all over his precious hat.
After he’d finish sending the card for tests—to detect poisons, drool, germs that spread insanity—he’d go ahead and try not to tear it apart in rage because it would either have an unnecessarily cryptic clue about the phantom thief’s next heist, or it’d have a not-adorable-at-all drawing of a tiny dog wearing a hat. Oftentimes both.
It would lead to yet another media circus, with thousands of supporters (what the fuck, really) for the Phantom Thief coming in droves. It’d be a whole shitshow, with the organization full of flashy thieves making law enforcement look like a group of headless chickens squawking all over the place.
And then Chuuya would end up so close to finally catching that bastard once and for all, and then he’d be shoved against the wall of the nearest stairwell, and then that mackerel will complain about how he’s surrounded by ‘stupid adoring sheep’ every day, and then he’d lean down, use the handcuffs on him, and then—
AND THEN NOTHING.
Absolutely nothing happens, which also means that he doesn’t manage to catch him, which also means that the bastard is free to swim away and annoy him yet another day.
It’s almost enough to make Chuuya allergic to stairwells, because he ends up always remembering those moments when the flashy costume is rendered irrelevant. No matter how much flaunty frills there are, he’d see past the disguise and see the person who used to be his partner four years ago.
And so, avoiding stairwells after the most recent heist? Is something that he’s wholeheartedly blaming shitty Dazai for.
And so, because Yokohama is a growing city that has a lot of skyscrapers, not using the stairs means having to use elevators.
And so, it leads Chuuya to this moment, trapped inside an elevator with a strangely-familiar white-haired brat, who looks like he’s seriously considering simply fainting so that they wouldn’t have to deal with each other.
As with every strange thing that happens in his life, Chuuya would really, really, really like to strangle Dazai for causing him a lot of headaches.
And on his day-off too!
“N-Nice weather we’re having today,” the brat says, flattening his back against one corner of the elevator. Emergency lights have switched on, a muted glow compared to the usual sharp fluorescent ones.
He rolls his eyes. “We’re literally trapped inside an elevator with no way of seeing what’s happening outside.”
Still acting as though he’s an additional layer of the elevator’s wall, the brat sweats and says, “I’m sure that the weather will still be nice after we come out.” Panicky and nervous, “Because we’re going to get out. Because we’re both going to get out in one piece. And then we’ll see the nice weather.”
“Quit it with the weather drivel already!” Also, why is this kid treating him like he’s this gangster that’s just going to unscrupulously beat people up?! He’s not a bully who only knows how to react with punching and kicking, damn it!
“Um, what should we talk about then?”
“Not talking is also fine,” he mutters. He keeps on pushing the elevator’s emergency button, but it’s not responding. As it with a lot of things in his life, it only serves to make him push the button harder.
“Umm, I can hear creaking sounds from the button…”
He kicks the door. “It’s not my fault that they didn’t build it properly!”
“Ummmmm, detective, I don’t think a power outage can be solved by kicking the elevator…”
He pauses and squints at the brat. He really does look quite familiar. “You know me, brat?”
“No, no, I’m just a normal, law-abiding citizen who wants to watch a movie!” The other’s hands are acting like active windshield wipers that simply wish to wipe any suspicion away. “It’s just that—! I’ve seen you around, that’s all!”
People claiming that they’ve seen his face are too numerous, even if he’s the sort to not actually want to publicize his involvement in cases. After all, it’s a detriment to his job if the people he wants to apprehend can spot him from three streets away. And so, through many things and arrangements, it’s actually Akutagawa and Tachihara who usually are considered the ‘face’ of the police force whenever there are any public interviews or events.
So, if this kid claims that he’s seen him around… “I don’t think I’ve arrested you before.”
“No! I definitely haven’t been arrested before!”
Then, the only other option is… “Urgh. So, you’re one of the Phantom Thief’s supporters.”
After all, aside from the criminals he deals with, the only other persistent group who’d be on-site any of his cases are the lot who flock to heists like they’re out to support their idol’s concert. Instead of treating it as one should: an annoyingly flashy crime happening real-time.
“I… I…” Obviously warring with himself, the kid fiddles with the hem of his clothes for a few moments before he tries a, “I think they’re doing something good.”
He shifts so he can face the other better. Both of his hands now in his pockets. Because it’s his day-off, he made plans to relax, shop around a bit, try some new restaurants, watch a movie. He hasn’t gotten around to actually buying anything yet. He hasn’t bought a movie ticket yet, because he’s not sure he wants his phone to record him going online to buy a ticket for his favorite franchise, ‘Boy and Dog’.
As such, his pockets only contain his wallet and his phone. And probably his lifetime supply of patience.
He doesn’t blow up, which is pretty great of him, if he says so himself. Instead, he simply raises an eyebrow and asks, “Oh? Leaving behind annoying challenges to the police force and stealing gems can be considered good?”
“B-But… the gems that they steal are treasures that were acquired through ill-gotten means, right?” The brat’s nervousness remains, but an impassioned expression takes over him. “Plus, the people that they steal from are bad guys!”
Chuuya stares at him, assessing. The kid wilts slightly, but he doesn’t cower too much at least. After a few minutes, “Doing a crime to bad guys is still a crime. Remember that well, number one fanboy.”
“My name’s Atsushi!”
“And you shouldn’t be giving out your name to random strangers,” he can’t help but frown as he lectures the younger man.
Hands balling up into fists like he’s about to start a cheerleading routine. “It’s okay! Since you’re a detective, right?”
…A detective.
It had been his lifelong dream, to become one of the cool officers that protected the city by solving crimes and beating up the bad guys. In this world where there are certain people who happen to awaken supernatural abilities, it’s even more badass to defeat opponents that are considered to be ‘cursed’ with such powers.
Even before graduating from university, he’s already started working on several odd cases. Something that’s possible because by his side, there was an insufferable genius who could solve mysteries as easy as breathing.
And after graduation, they’ve opened up a small detective agency together. It had been rather exhausting, especially since he had to deal with an irritating bastard for a partner. But it had been fun. It had been something that he thought he’d be doing for the rest of his life.
A ‘life’ that lasted three years, until one day, Dazai had left behind only one blank card, not even polite enough to leave a proper goodbye.
He remains a detective still, but that small agency of two people has already been closed for four years. Now, he works directly for the city’s main police force.
And part of his duty is to protect the city from annoying shitheads who think that doing a crime flashily, while flirting with random passersby, while flaunting his ‘tactics’ towards the police—is actually supposed to be anywhere near ‘good’.
He clicks his tongue. “If you know how to trust authority, then why even be a fanboy for those irritating phantom thieves?”
“The bad guys that they steal from are too good at evading law enforcement,” Atsushi says with a pout, rubbing at his ears.
Lightly, “If that Phantom Thief is so smart, then why not use those smarts to solve problems within the confines of the law?”
It’s one of the things that have confused him for a long time.
Dazai has never been the sort to do things under the banner of righteousness. There’s no way that he’s actually doing all of this because he wishes to make the world a happier, better, safer place and what-not.
Even while they were partners, the other only wanted to accept cases that he considered ‘mentally stimulating’. Dazai also always sneered at cases that involved a lot of dangerous gangs and the underworld, even though it wasn’t like he was the one who had to actually beat people up. No shred of sense of justice whatsoever.
After all that, now he wants to be part of this… playacting at being a modern-day Robinhood?
Very fishy. As expected of a shitty mackerel. Ah, he really wants to kick him the next time he sees that stupid face.
“B-B-But…” A nervous tic? He rubs his ears again.
Oh wait, he’s still stuck in this elevator. He fumes again at the reminder, and starts kicking the door once more.
“No, please stop kicking the door, what if we end up falling down?!” As though cued by Atsushi’s panicky words, the overhead lights flicker.
“We’ll be okay,” he says with a lot of borrowed confidence. “This building is quite new, so it shouldn’t crumble that quickly…” To be on the safe side, he stops kicking the door.
“Umm… Since you’re a famous detective, this shouldn’t be because someone is targeting you, right…?”
He squints again. “You think I’m famous?”
It’s Atsushi’s turn to squint at him, incredulous. “…Do you actually think you aren’t?”
He waves a hand to dismiss the notion. It’d be difficult to explain it, so he only gives out a vague, “I prefer to work away from the limelight.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works…”
He huffs. “Anyway! Why do you even know so many things about the Phantom Thieves’ philosophy?! Do they actually give out paraphernalia explaining their motives or something?!”
“…Yes.”
Here, the two of them spend the next few minutes huddled together at Atsushi’s corner of the elevator, perusing the flyers that the Phantom Thieves distribute to their fan club.
“That asshole actually has a fan club?” Chuuya mutters to himself, full of disbelief. “Even though he’s so annoying?”
The flyers are very ‘helpful’, listing out the favorite food and drink of each of their members. They even include a ‘donation hotline’ for their endeavors. He stares at the line item in front of ‘Phantom Thief Blue’ and his ‘favorites’. There really is no other way to react to this than sighing, “What utter bullshit.”
Atsushi hedges away from him, much like a cat who somehow manages to find space to squeeze into even though he’s already flushed flat against the wall. “But see, isn’t this proof that the Phantom Thieves are doing something that’s supported by the public?” Big eyes blink at him. “Everyone’s feelings can’t be considered as wrong, can it?”
A heavy eyeroll. “Doesn’t that just mean that there are a lot of idiots misled by that asshole’s silver tongue?”
“Um, and by that, you mean…?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m talking about that ugly, shitty mackerel, damn it!”
“Umm, I really don’t know who you mean, I don’t think they have a fish in their group…”
His vision turns red from rage. “The shitty-ass leader! The bastard who kept on insulting my hats! And then, he has the nerve to show up wearing a hat that’s fancier than mine?! How dare he!”
His breathing turns uneven from all of the anger that he feels, remembering the asshole’s litany of complaints about his hobby of collecting hats. Along with the countless times that his hats have been not-so-accidentally misplaced to the trashbin. Urgh, just thinking about it makes him so mad!
Contrary to his fuming, Atsushi blinks and then something like realization dawns on his face, along with a soft, “Oh, so that’s why he’s so protective over that hat…”
“HAAA?”
“No, no, I mean…” Atsushi lets out a squeak. “Seems like you have quite the history with that certain phantom thief, huh…”
“History? Urgh, don’t even bring it up, I have an entire fucking list of that fool’s transgressions against me and humanity at large!”
“So dramatic…”
He rubs the back of his neck, incensed to the point that he’s sweating from the heat boiling inside him. “Oh, if only you knew just how much shit that dumbass has done over the years…”
“Over the years? Sounds like you’ve known each other for quite some time, huh.”
Chuuya gives him a warning glare, in case he adds something to the effect of ‘you sound like you could get along well’ or some other nonsense. Thankfully, the other has enough sense of self-preservation to hold his tongue.
Dazai left four years ago, though he has resurfaced after two years, all decked out in a fancy, frilly outfit that is impossible to ignore. Same goes for his heists, announced ahead of time as though to ensure that nobody has any excuse to miss it. Invitations delivered directly to Chuuya’s desk, as though to remind him that he hasn’t changed his phone number, neither has he changed the PINs, passwords and locks in any of his things.
But one thing that’s certainly true no matter how anyone looks at it: “Yeah, I’ve listed down each and every instance of headaches I’ve suffered because of that bastard.” Proper accounting is necessary, since he plans on collecting, with ten-fold interest, after all.
“…You have an actual list?”
“Of course? I even leave it on my desk so that asshole can see it each time he messes with my things.”
Bewilderment has been there since the beginning, but it deepens upon hearing those words. “Um… So you’re just assuming that he’d come visit your office…?”
“Not an assumption,” he corrects testily. “I know so.”
“No, no, I mean… So you know that he’s going to visit you, so you prepare something for him…?”
“I would prefer preparing handcuffs and some chains, but that didn’t go over well last time.” He twitches at the memory. He’d been hoping to catch the bastard in the act of sneaking into his office (or into his apartment, whichever case works for him, as long as he catches that fish), but the other had easily managed to slip away from the cuffs. And then perform a counterattack on him. Certainly not a pleasant memory.
“I am very confused by your… relationship,” Atsushi confesses with a shake of his head.
He shakes his head too. “It’s a very stinky one.”
To make matters worse, it’s not something that he can pull away from.
One of the two main reasons why he dislikes being in the limelight is that he sometimes loses control of the Ability that he’s managed to awaken. Gravity manipulation… along with a little bit of something else. He hasn’t reported it to the Special Abilities Division, because he doesn’t want the stigma of being ‘cursed’ hanging over him. Dazai is the only person who knows about it—and he’s also the only one who’s managed to help him get it under control.
It’s been happening a lot less, but for a longer duration as the years go by.
…It’s just one of the ways that he really is so different from that shitty mackerel. Dazai may be someone with a disgusting personality and an incomprehensible fascination with suicides, but at the very core, he’s a ‘normal’ human, with no such ‘curse’ hanging over his head.
“Still, you’re the only one who’s managed to decipher his clues, right? That means you really do understand him well.”
He makes a face at the other’s persuading tone. It’s a dubious honor that he holds, being the only one who can make sense of the heist notices sent by that bandaged waste of space. And it’s not even about determining the right type of obscure cipher or code the other has used.
It’s more about how he’s able to sense just how shitty the other is, and going from there. He’d predict the mackerel’s actions by thinking about how the other would act, with the principle of giving him the maximum amount of suffering and annoyance.
If something like that could already be considered as ‘understanding’, then they wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place, chasing each other in a citywide circle, across the lines of lawlessness.
Also—
“If by deciphering the heist notice can be considered as ‘understanding’, then our Akutagawa surely understands that Phantom Thief Green.”
Atsushi chokes on air, turning pink. “R-Really? You think? Was he the one who deciphered the notice last week?”
“Yeah. He promised to kick Green’s ass to jail as soon as he catches him.”
“………Sounds very harsh.”
“That’s already sweet, coming from him.” After all, at least his suggested course of action doesn’t involve stabbing someone. Jail is considerably fluffy compared to that.
Even if the Phantom Thieves publicly claim that they’re actually doing this because they’re searching for a certain gem, promising to stop as soon as they get their hands on it—it’s still a crime and a disruption to public order. Even if they only target the ultra-rich who’ve gotten their jewels and treasures through reprehensible methods.
Atsushi scratches his ear. “I think your definition of sweet is very strange.”
“Tsk. Your definition of ‘good’ is more than strange, kid.” Someone who’d justify flashy thefts as ‘good’ definitely is strange, after all.
“There are things that cannot be resolved within the confines of law.” Surprisingly solemn, conviction unquestionable. Atsushi’s eyes are bright under the dimmed lights.
Chuuya considers him. Offhand, “Things such as being cursed to have an Ability?”
A succinct “yes” sinks into the bottom of his stomach during the ensuing five-minute silence. The elevator remains still, suspended by cables in a space unseen by anyone else. Like this, it’s almost a home for secrets to come to life.
The silence stretches, but it isn’t uncomfortable. Not to Chuuya, at least, because his mind is racing as he tries to grasp the threads that are being dangled in front of him.
From the very beginning, he’s had an inkling as to this brat’s real identity. The Phantom Thieves operate as a group, but they sometimes rotate the starring role in their heists. The detectives handling said cases rotate too—Akutagawa’s the one who handles the heists where the lead is the one codenamed ‘Green’. Even so, it’s not like they do not share intel with each other.
As such, even though he’s not the one personally overseeing the files on ‘Green’, he still has some idea about how he operates, and how he looks.
From the very beginning, he already knows that Dazai is to blame for this inconvenience inflicted on him during his day-off. There are many coincidences in this world, but there’s no such thing as pure chance when it comes to things between them.
And Dazai is many things, but chief amongst them is his propensity to never do anything without a reason. Even if sometimes, that reason is simply because he’s a melodramatic asshole.
…It’s why he hasn’t called for backup, even though he has his phone in his pockets. He wants to see this through, see just what message he’s supposed to receive from this encounter.
Plus, if Dazai has pitted this youngster against him in this confined space, then he must have some confidence that the other would survive his temper.
So—
“What kind of Ability do you have?”
Atsushi looks stunned at this question. Chuuya can’t fault him—there’s nobody who’d publicize their status as an Ability User in this world. And yet, something about his demeanor must have convinced the younger man that he’s someone trustworthy.
“I’ve been cursed to turn into a wild tiger every time there’s a full moon.”
“…That’s quite nice.” He imagines the other transforming into a tiger, but only manages to imagine an oversized, harmless kitten. “Quite cute too.”
For a moment, Atsushi looks like he’s seen a ghost. He pales and then waves his hands like he’s warding off evil. “No, no, no, no, please don’t call me cute, I’m really not—!”
He rolls his eyes and enunciates each of his following words slowly. “Anyone and anything would be so much cuter than that shitty Dazai.”
“EHHHH—”
“I have a movie I want to watch, so I need to get going.” For the first time since he’s been stuck in this unmoving elevator, Chuuya takes his phone out so he can check the time. For the benefit of the tiny communicator that is surely stuck inside Atsushi’s ear, he adds, “I got the message already, you cowardly bastard. Stop harassing your kouhai to do your dirty work.”
Atsushi looks at him in awe. Hmm, this kid isn’t so bad even if he has the poor taste of working with a shitty fish. “You’ve known all along?!”
“Your claim that you know me because you’ve seen me around.” It’s one of the first things the brat has said to him. “I’ve suspected before, but that just solidified my hunch.”
“Eh? How come?! I thought it was a pretty good excuse…”
The second main reason for why he dislikes being in the limelight—
“Pfft, there’s no way a random citizen would recognize my face on sight.” He rubs the back of his neck. “There’s a certain asshole who claims to be doing public community service by scrubbing all of the media clean of my photos and descriptions, after all.”
Ever since before, Dazai has always been quite possessive of him. Claiming that he belongs to him as his sheepdog, as his personal maid, as his chin-rest, as so many other things. The childish possessiveness extends to ensuring that nobody else knows about him, that nobody else can own a photo of him.
It’s an impossible demand in this world where there are cameras everywhere, and so Dazai is destined to fume in futility. It doesn’t mean that he stops trying though.
And Chuuya just… doesn’t want to deal with the other’s tantrums, that’s all. Leaving the publicity to Akutagawa and Tachihara is simply the least irritating route, that’s all.
“Uwaaa, Dazai-san is so…” Very wisely, Atsushi simply trails off and doesn’t say anything damning.
“Truly an annoying fish.” He clicks his tongue. “And I’d add ten more kicks if said fish keeps me here longer, damn it.”
He could almost hear the other’s “fufufu" in the small space, before power returns to the elevator, the lights flickering to their brightest setting. A gentle whirr of this manmade mechanism fighting against gravity.
Atsushi keeps quiet, but just as he steps out of the elevator once they reach the floor for the cinema, he speaks up, “Chuuya-san, I’m sure Dazai-san has a reason for—what I mean is, the gem that he’s searching for is—”
He snorts and waves off the other’s words. “The next time we meet, I won’t be so lenient.” And then, before the kid can flatten himself against the corner once again, he adds, “You’ve worked hard in dealing with that bastard as a senpai. Don’t let that mackerel trick you into doing this something like this again.” The doors slide shut, right in time for his, “Bye.”
Because his day-off is on a weekday, there aren’t a lot of people queueing up for movie tickets. He would usually avoid getting this type of empty calories, but he still goes to buy popcorn, snacks and drinks enough to feed four people. He could see the cashier looking at him with dismay, but that elevator encounter has made him hungry, damn it.
Because he’s been held up with the elevator, the lights have already been dimmed inside the cinema. It’s easy to see that there aren’t any other watchers for ‘Boy and Dog’. What a sacrilege.
“It’s because it’s not a weekend, so all the other kids aren’t around,” so says his seatmate, sliding to the spot beside him without so much as a proper hello. Snatches his drink and takes a sip on it, uncaring that there’s only one straw. “The only kid in the vicinity is you, little fairy.”
…Well, there’s one other person, but he definitely isn’t here to watch the cinematic masterpiece.
Chuuya sighs. “The shitty mackerel who tricked his kouhai into doing his dirty work is even more childish than an actual kid.” He slaps the bastard’s hand away from his food, but it’s a lost cause. “Also, quit calling me a tiny fairy already, damn it!”
“Oh, getting stuck with a chibi inside an elevator is dirty work indeed.”
He side-eyes the dumbass beside him. All dressed up in chic casual clothing, no sign of his usual depressing outfits that look like they’ve been picked from the bottom of someone’s barrel. He’s still wearing bandages though, which is more than enough to cancel any aesthetic improvement provided by his striped shirt and his fake glasses.
“Maybe you should call Atsushi here, he’s so much better to deal with than you.”
As expected, that makes Dazai’s face contort into several expressions, before settling into a pouting one. “How rude. You’re telling me that you prefer Atsushi-kun over me?”
“Yes,” he says as seriously as he can. The grave veneer cracks when he watches the movie’s trailers paint lights over the other’s incredulous expression. He can’t help but add, “He really is a good kid. So much better than a certain bastard I can name.”
Sounding very aggrieved in order to hide the twinge of insecurity, “Ano ne, Chuuya, you’re here because you understood things, right? So why are you being so mean to me?”
Chuuya crunches the popcorn between his teeth, making the other wait for his response. Serves him right, really. “I came here because it’s my day off and I wanted to watch a movie.”
“Stingy people are bound to be short forever!”
“I’m letting you mooch off my food without breaking your wrist and you have the nerve to complain?” Truly so annoying.
Softly, “Talking with Atsushi made you understand, right?”
During their earlier ‘talk’, it’s not like he’s been suddenly struck with a thunderbolt of a eureka moment. Rather, it’s been a realization born out of connections being forged between the myriad of things that exist between them. Details that were previously dismissed, events that were summarily ignored.
He sighs again, about to rub the back of his neck to relieve the strange tension that coils inside him. But Dazai catches his hand, stopping him halfway, suspending the two of them in a moment that spells a fork in their relationship.
“You… you didn’t even explain it yourself,” is what he ends up saying, a complaint and an observation rolled into one. “Are you really such a coward, shitty Dazai?”
Inside the dimly-lit cinema that only has the two of them, Dazai’s eyes glitter like glass. In the most honest he’s ever seen the other be, he takes a deep breath and says, “Yes. The weak fears so many things. The weak can even fear happiness itself.”
“And yet, you’re holding my hand so tightly,” is what he would have wanted to say, but he swallows it down. He replaces it with, “The Phantom Thieves are looking for a certain gem. Is it that rumored ‘Pandora’ that can supposedly cure a person’s ‘curse’?”
“…There are so many humans in this world.” A non-sequitor, but the lack of denial is an answer in itself. “Unique in so many ways. Everyone’s lives as plentiful as grains of sand that could fill up an entire universe.”
The hand holding his trembles, like it’s losing strength. Chuuya has no other choice but to hold him back, stronger.
Dazai’s eyes are startlingly clear behind his glasses. “But to me, amongst all of these grains of sand, you’re the only gem that matters.”
Somehow, even though he’s managed to make it out of that elevator, it feels as if he’s plunged into a sudden free-fall. “Dazai, you…” Even his words fall away from his mouth, leaving behind a vacuum.
Once, Dazai had told him that he sometimes, he felt as if there had been a gaping emptiness inside of him, one that he couldn’t fathom how to fill, and so he chased death instead. Of course, this line had been said after he finished giving him CPR, their first meeting in a riverbank awash with a stream of pinks from fallen cherry blossoms.
At fifteen, their first day in high school punctuated by him inadvertently saving the life of one giant fish.
Since that day, Dazai had never mentioned that emptiness ever again.
As someone who has somehow managed to realize a way to fill the hole in himself, Dazai now fills in the empty space left by his speechlessness. He fills his mouth with a kiss overflowing with emotions, like sand slipping past one’s palms, existence undeniable even though it’s hard to grasp just a single one. He fills his senses with his presence—the crispness of his shirt collar, the taste of the stolen drink, the scent of his aftershave, the sound of his moan, the sight of his wide-open eyes that are unwilling to fall shut, as if wanting to imprint this moment fully into his memory.
Back then, they had parted without even a word of discussion.
Now, it’s a second chance for them.
“You’re so dramatic as always,” is what he ends up gasping out, the moment Dazai gives him some room to breathe. Not that it’s particularly useful, since the other’s hands clutch at him so desperately that his breath is squeezed out of him anyway. It’s a good thing that he’s expected this and is already returning the favor, holding him back just as tightly.
A lazy dumbass who would only be hardworking if it means pranking him or causing him trouble. Or, if it means that he’s hunting down anyone who’s managed to snag a photo of him. Or, in this case, if it means finding a way to undo the ‘curse’ on him.
An idiot who just can’t be honest.
Truly, there’s only one like him.
—the click of handcuffs.
“I caught you,” Dazai tells him, his effusive happiness a dizzying sight to behold. “You now belong to me, great chibi detective.”
And then, he starts dragging him out of the cinema, even though his beloved movie is still playing.
“You bastard, let me go, damn it—!!!”
A free-fall for two.
-
end