Work Text:
Next time , Chuuya thinks, I volunteer to do the Christmas Eve dinner somebody better shot me right between the eyes.
That's how he found himself in the small house in the middle of nowhere. Because of their work they weren't exactly supposed to invite one another to each other's homes. Officially, they shouldn't even see each other outside of work but...
It's Christmas for fuck's sake.
The redhead sighs, looking at the watch. Okay, he has enough time to decorate everything and then go back to the city to get the food from his favourite restaurant.
Right in front of the main door he hangs the mistletoe and even adds strings of red ribbon.
"Alexa, play Christmas jazz," he says into the empty living room, tying his hair in a high ponytail. He should cut it soon, but he just... doesn't have time. Work has been frenzy recently.
A little bit before 9 pm everything's done. As a treat, he takes a hot shower and dresses in a dark red shirt. There's the usual black choker on his neck accompanied by a small necklace. Gold flickering beautifully in the warm light from the fire.
You might think that those working such important jobs would actually appear on time...
It's 9:20 when Chuuya opens the doors for the first couple. Not surprisingly it's his sister. The only one, he thought at one point, that was going to have and keep her normal job.
Did she keep it? Yes.
Did she stay away from the work establishment of her little brother? No, not really.
Because right after a smooch on both cheeks, a tall man is entering the house with a bottle of whisky and presents in the big bag.
Chuuya smiles seeing his colleague that after some "unfortunate" events got to be his sister's husband.
Interrogation Officer, Oda Sakunosuke.
"Special Agent," he says, nodding towards him with a soft smile tugging at his lips.
"I'll smash this bottle on your head if you call me that again" Chuuya answers and after a moment, adds: "We're not at work. For a moment let's forget about all of that".
Kouyou glances at her brother upon hearing the last sentence and then enters the living room, looking at the beautifully made table.
"Lad, if you ever decide to quit your job just get into interior designs or something. The whole room looks amazing!".
As they're talking, another doorbell is heard.
This time it's Yosano, their beloved doctor that usually would rather kill you than patch you up after an awful mission. Seeing a mistletoe she chuckles and offers a long, warm kiss to Chuuya's cheek.
"I brought three bottles of wine. I hope to finish all of them today. You're in?".
"Like hell I am," he says with a dazzling smile and takes her coat. Before he can close the doors she tsks.
"I think someone was following me though," she says quietly, seemingly unimpressed. It sets off alarm bells in Chuuya's head, but with a burst of laughter coming right after that, he looks back at Yosano. "Jeez, Nakahara, calm down, will you? I think those are just our kiddos".
A moment later there's a third car parking in front of the house.
"I'm sorry we're late!" shouts Atsushi, still good four meters away. "Ryuu got lost!".
"I did not!".
"Oh yes you did" he rolls his eyes but still waits for his boyfriend, taking his hand. Chuuya smiles seeing two of them. Right, "Rabid dog" actually found someone that wasn't afraid of him (not counting Oda, who was Akutagawa's mentor).
Once they're inside giving Chuuya gifts to put under the Christmas tree, they notice a mistletoe. It's not every day that you see Ryuu blushing while the seemingly innocent guy from IT kisses him on the mouth.
From the living room, Yosano fakes gagging noises.
Chuuya looks around, smiling. Everyone already has their drinks, and so it shouldn't be long until they sit down. They just have to wait a moment longer for the last guest.
He finally takes his glass of wine, joining the rest around the table. Kunikida couldn't make it and Fukuzawa said that it would be unprofessional of him to join all of them like that.
Well, their loss.
Nakahara stops in front of his seat, idly playing with the liquor in his glass. Waiting.
It's Yosano who clears her throat.
"Well, I think we can start?".
There's a frown appearing on Chuuya's face, clearly confused with her question.
"What do you mean? We're still waiting for..." he looks at the seat at the opposite end of the table.
There's an empty chair with plates set and even whisky glass, ready to be filled.
That's when he realizes. For a moment he stops playing with his wine, eyes dropping to his own plate.
Right, they shouldn't be waiting for him anymore.
Work has been frenzy lately. Has been like that because of the disappearance of another special agent.
But today, after more than ten months already, they shouldn't be waiting for him.
It's been more than ten months since special agent, Dazai Osamu, went missing after going undercover in Russia.
The golden wedding ring worn as a necklace seems to weigh more than a ton now, as the realization settles in. Chuuya takes a hearty sip of his wine, as he looks at the main doors.
They shouldn't wait anymore.
Nor should Chuuya.
He knows, that this year, there won't be a bandaged idiot ( his idiot ) kissing him under the mistletoe.