Work Text:
Winter evenings were hard on everyone.
The weather was cold and wet outside the office and the wind snappy and harsh on any exposed skin. Even going down to the cafe below the offices seemed like an impossible trek. Although a hot drink would definitely perk everyone up, no one was willing to venture out of the warmed up office space.
There was of course the small kitchenette on their floor, yet the thought of getting up off their chairs and stepping out of the room brought a cold shiver down the staff’s spine.
With the days getting shorter each week, everyone’s mood dropped just as quickly inthe evenings. While everyone may have been warm smiles and pleasant greetings in the frigid mornings, the longerthe day wore on the slower everyone got.
Kunikida looked around the desolate office.
Yasano was nowhere to be seen. On days like these she would retreat into her clinic to sort her cabinets and tidy files. There wasn't a spec of dust to be found in the clinic on a normal day, but the smell of disinfectant became ever so slightly stronger on the cold, dark days.
Ranpo had long since made his way to the very bottom of his snack draw and had left to go harass the President. Even Atsushi, sweet and hard-working Atsushi had been beaten down by the cold front and had spent more time staring out of the dark window into the street below than typing up case reports.
Kunikida himself felt that he was slowing down the more the evening wore on. But it was okay, he was well aware of his own capabilities and had left some wiggle room in his schedule that day, knowing it would be a slow one. He had plenty to work through still but he was confident he could get it all done before the end of the day. That was the whole point of scheduling out the day, it kept him on track and accountable.
He cast a glance to the sitting area just over his desk. The only person that seemed unaffected by the pathetic fallacy today was Dazai. Trust him to always be his cheery self.
He was standing up, one leg propped on the coffee table, arms out and flailing dramatically as he performed a one-man rendition of Macbeth to Kyouka. She sat calmly with her hands flat on her lap on the couch in front of him. But her eyes were drooping slowly to aclose and she jumped each time Dazai cackled too loudly.
“Oi, that's enough now.” Kunikida barked.
Kyouka didn't even look up. She merely continued to doze away, back straight but shoulders down, he chin hitting her chest.
Dazai did indeed stop though. He looked over to Kunikida face fallen and mouth wide open, affronted that he would dare put a stop to such a classical piece of literature from being performed. He took a breath, ready to complain, eyebrows all drawn up and hands on his hips. Kunikida knew a tantrum was coming and he had to put a stop to it before it began.
“You're being too loud, just sit down.”
Dazai closed his mouth and pouted.
He petulantly sat down on the couch, the opposite end of Kyouka and took a stack of papers into his lap. He laid his back against the backrest and lifted the papers into the air. Half of them flopped over and Kunikida had to look away before he decided to say something insulting about his partner's positioning choices.
Better to have a quite andsullen Dazai than a loud and insulted one trying to prove a point.
He probably wasn't even doing any work with them, perhaps he was writing his own dramatic manuscript. Ready for the next step in his career after the detective agency. Kunikida focused back on his work.
He had piles to get through before the day finished. Piles upon piles. This time of the year was always busy.
From simple cases that could be solved within the day to long winded and dramatic affairs that took a team effort. The days were short but the workload kept increasing.
The office plunged into a calm silence again.
The radiator sputtered every few minutes, reminding Kunikida to jot down a date for the plumber to come to check it out, lest it got out of hand before theworst of the weather set in.
He knew he would be staying a bit longer tonight. He had planned out his day as much as he could and had splitup the more demanding piles of work across the other workers. But outside of the work that needed to be done, Kunikida also had other plans for the night. Something that would need to wait until everyone else went home.
And if Dazai kept singing songs of betrayal and war under his breath the whole evening then it seemed as if they would be staying to the end together.
The clock's hand inched closer and closer to home time as everyone grew wearier. Kyouka had moved back to her desk and was reading through papers silently and Atsushi had given up entirely on his typing. Tanizaki had gone home a little while ago, opting to make sure Naomi and Haruno got home safely in the dark. His own partner was snoozing on the couch, papers on his face and torso, scattered without care.
Kenji stretched and let out a low groan.
“It’s home time I think.”
Kunikida was brought out of his musings at the sound of multiple chairs pushing back. The others nodded in agreement and began preparing for the winter chill. Atsushi wrapped a big woolly scarf around his neck and kyouka pulled it tight, making him stumble. Kenji balled up into a big oval-shaped human, only his face peeking through between all the garments.
Kunikida took off his glasses and rested his head on his hands.
“Goodnight everyone, good work today. Get home safe.”
“You're not going home yet? That's very unlike you.” Yasano emerged from her office, also clad in a warm long coat and a pretty knitted hat on her head, thebright bobble flopping to one side.
“There's this new case that has been hard to crack. I want to give it another go before I go.”
Yasano hummed and tightened her gloves.
“Do you want any help Kunikida, I can stay and see what I can do” Atsushi the ever-helpful junior offered him.
Kunikida gleaned at Dazai’s snoozing body and made a face. “No it’s ok, thank you. Go home. I'll get Dazai to help me.”
“Ah, alright then. Goodnight.”
One by one the members filtered out. Turning off their computers and desk lamps as they went, leaving a cold space at their desks.
Kunikida deigned it was the perfect and most optimal time to take a short break then. He stood and stretched long. Fingers crawling up to the ceiling attempting yet failing as always to catch the stars in his grasp. He brought his arms down and fixed his waistcoat. He picked his glasses up gently and let them sit back on his face.
He looked back over to Dazai. His face was scrunched up lightly. Mouth thin and tight at the edges. Hands balled upon his chest. He may not know much about the enigma that was partner of two years, but recognising patterns came easily to Kunikida. And once Dazai became tense in his sleep, it meant he would be waking up soon.
Kunikida left the papers strewn on the floor around Dazai and made his way out of the room. He turned off the small desk lamps that were scattered around the room and left only his own and the main ceiling light on. It was truly inefficient to use so many lights. The agency wasn't short on money but that didn't mean they needed to squander it all on the electricity bill.
He entered the small kitchen area that wasjust outside the main office hall. He flicked on the over head light and closed the door behind him. Someone had left the window in the room open and he walked briskly to close it. The cold began tonip at his nose and hands.
He moved over to the counter and two small cups from the cabinet overhead. He lightly dusted them with the towel, lest there was any dirt stuck to them. He set them on two matching saucers and placed two dainty silver teaspoons by the side. He reached back up to the cabinet, closing it gently and opening the one next to it. This one was stocked full of many teas, coffees and other drinks. He rifled through to the back where he knew that was some unopened English tea bags.
It was quiet late and caffeine-fuelled tea didn't follow Kunikdas’s exact ideals, but he needed that boost of energy to make it through the night's plans, Dazai on the other hand… Kunikida didn't even know if caffeine had any effect on him so it hardly mattered.
He opened the individualy sealed foil packets and took out the pyramid-shaped bags. He placed them gently into the teacups and hung the paper strings over the side. The kettle started its high pitched whistling and it clicked off. Kunikida lifted the kettle and poured the cups to the lip. He put the kettle back into place and closed all the cabinets. He glanced over into the fruit bowl. There was one lemon left. He took it and gave it a good wash under the tap. He sliced into it and plated two wedges, Dazai seemed like the type to drink his tea with lemon, bitter and strong. Kunikida took a little dash of milk instead into the black tea.
He lastly checked that the kitchen was left spotless as always and picked up the two cups in each hand and left.
He came back into the main office room and to his surprise, the main light was turned off and instead all the individual small desk and standing lamps were on. It gave the room a warm glow and as much as it alleviated any stress of Kunikida’s face it was also terribly inefficient.
He flicked on the main light again and watched Dazai stir from his curled up form on the couch. “Hmmmmm no, turn that off.”
“I will once you start paying for the electricity bill.”
“Kunikida…” Dazai whined. “Of course, it's you ruining my carefully set atmosphere. You're so unromantic.”
Kunikida set his mouth in a fine line. If he wanted to get Dazai to talk to him he needed to be gentle.
Not too kind and caring, for then Dazai would scamper off, unused to the warmth and praise. But hecouldnt be his usual brash self tonight. Not when there was something troubling Dazai. Justa gentle enough nudge to show him that he was always there. No matter the issue.
He set down the teacups gently on the hardwood table in front of the sofa. He shoved Dazai’s legs up and off the seat and sat down, legs spread. “Here scoot over.” Dazai brought his legs closer to his chest and scrunched his face up at being jostled.
“What are you doing Kunikida.” Dazai eyed the other cup on the table and after giving it some thought and one last glance at Kunikida, he reached with his long arms and gently took the cup and saucer.
“It's English tea, you know since you're in you're little Shakespeare phase.” Kunikida sniffed and took a sip of his own tea.
Dazai’s face broke into a wide smile.
“Kunikida, you're so cute, you really do adore me don't you?” Dazai took a sip gingerly letting it soothe his insides. He took a lemon wedge and squeezed the juice into his tea before dropping thewhole wedge in.
It was silent for a moment longer.
The large grandfather clock ticked in the background rhythmically and a singular car passed down the street below them. They drank their tea in silence. Kunikida took one last long sip and set his cup down with a clink back into place on the saucer.
Suddenly Dazai moved. His tea sloshed slightly, still nearly full as he stood. He walked strongly over to the door the turned off the big light. His shoulders dropped and he slunk back to the couch. Letting the cup fall back to the table, he laid down. He draped his arms over his eyes and sighed.
Kunikida knew something was wrong and yet he couldn't think of what it was. Dazai had been quiet all day and even now, between the two of them, he was so small and still, not vibrating with barely restrained energy like usual.
Kunikida shuffled closer until his thigh touched Dazai’s foot gently. He knew his partner wasn't a big fan of physical touch but he hoped this was small enough to go unnoticed by him. Instead what he did surprised even him. Dazai snuggled his feet under his thigh and didn't move. Instead, he continued to wallow silently.
Kunikida was rootwed to the spot. He didn't even want to breathe too suddenly, worried he might scare Dazai away. Kunikida’s chest was encompassed by warmth, the same feeling of love that filled you up when a small animal fell asleep on you. He couldn't bear to disturb the small comfort created.
“Would you like to talk about it?”
“About what?”
“Your feelings perhaps?”
“Not at all.”
Kunikida hummed.
“Why are you here so late?”
Kunikida glanced back to Dazai who was already looking at him. Eyes big and round. Warm chocolate staring him down.
“I thought a friend of mine might like the company.”
A slight smile graced Dazai’s mouth.
“You too are really like it's annoying.”
Kunikida blinked.
“Always here with the company and the offer of a drink.”
Dazai reached back for his cup. It was still warm and he cupped it lightly, careful not to spill its contents.
“I hate the hum of the lights above, it's loud and distracting and hurts after a while.”
Kunikida nodded. “I see. And the desk lamps? They're ok?”
Dazai nodded.
“You like the warm ambience?”
“It reminds me of someone.”
“The person I'm similar to?”
“Yeah,” Dazai sighed.
“Was he a friend of yours?”
“He was. He was a really good friend. A writer .”
“Well, I’m glad you had someone keeping an eye out for you before you joined us.”
“He would have liked you. Definitely would have told me to listen to you more.” Dazai drained his teacup and set it down.
And with the final clink of ceramic the silence was broken. It began to rain hard outside and the grandfather clocked chimed for the next hour. Dazai stood and stretched, arms reaching high and back bending sharply. He rounded the low table and sat down on his desk. He picked up the second wedge of lemon and bit into it.
Kunikida sliced two for a reason afterall.
Kinikida smiled. He stood too and looked at his partner. A mystery that kept getting deeper the more he learned. Yet, he was happy to know that regardless of everything. Dazai seemed to appreciate having him around. And for now, that was enough.