Chapter Text
Chuuya wasn’t sure when he and Dazai became… well, he and Dazai, but he didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit.
For one, it was a pain in the ass to sneak Dazai in and out of his apartment every time he spontaneously decided he was going to spend the night. There were, of course, times he didn’t have to; Dazai liked to come and go as he pleased but, in the rare case that someone knocked on his door early in the morning, the last thing Chuuya wanted them to see was his partner snoring on the couch. Or worse, in his bed.
Oh, and the mess. Bandages everywhere. Coat abandoned on a chair or counter and never on the hanger. Chuuya was paid well, but not enough. Hell, he deserved a bonus for putting up with Dazai for so long.
The second reason he hated whatever it was that was going on with him and Dazai was because it gave Albatross something to bother him about. The bastard got Chuuya drunk one night and used his ranting about Dazai and his late-night visits as evidence that they were dating. Like, holding hands and kissing dating. Nothing Chuuya said could convince him and the other Flags that he hated Dazai and wouldn’t willingly put his lips anywhere near him.
Disgusting. He put up with Dazai’s antics, sure, but it wasn't like he had a choice. They were partners whether he liked it or not.
“You’ll never guess what I saw this morning!” Chuuya looked up and sighed – it was going to be a long day. Albatross, with his stupid sunglasses and a big grin, had stopped Chuuya’s elevator with only seconds to spare.
“Do I care?”
“Oh, I think you do!” He laughed, although it sounded more like an evil cackle to Chuuya. “I saw the boss’s little demon prodigy leaving your apartment early this morning. Why wasn’t I invited to your sleepover?”
He even had the nerve to pretend to pout.
“It wasn’t a sleepover, dumbass.”
Chuuya had been friends with Albatross long enough to know that there was no point in giving him a real answer. That bird-brain was going to think whatever stupid shit he wanted to, real or not.
What was Chuuya supposed to say? He couldn’t tell Albatross that Dazai would go days without sleeping or eating unless someone made him, and Chuuya was sure Dazai wouldn’t like him going around telling everyone about how he hated doctors. How he would much rather show up on Chuuya’s doorstep, covered in blood and barely breathing. They were lucky Albatross was the only one asking questions.
“Mhhhmm,” Albatross hummed as the elevator rose.
“And where have you been all night?”
Goddamn it.
“It’s 1:30,” Chuuya replied, deadpan. “What are you even doing here?”
First Dazai, now Albatross? How many times was his apartment going to be broken into? It didn’t matter how many times he changed the locks – Dazai thought each one was a new and exciting challenge. Maybe it would stop Albatross, but Chuuya had his doubts. He had clearly given up on manners.
Albatross lounged on Chuuya’s new armchair, legs slung over the side. His helmet and jacket were both on the table, even though Chuuya had told him several times to leave them by the door.
“Let me guess…” Albatross leaned back, grinning like he had uncovered some big secret. “Dazai.”
“Boss’s orders.”
What had started as a couple-hour reconnaissance mission had quickly turned into stealing alcohol and wandering up and down Yokohama's empty streets until their legs were sore and their heads buzzed. That, and some… other things that Chuuya wasn’t quite ready to think about. It didn’t mean anything.
He sighed, something he seemed to be doing a lot lately. “Shouldn’t you be throwing some obnoxiously loud party right now?”
“Oh, Chuuya.” Albatross tsked, striding across the room to clap him on the shoulder. “You’re a terrible liar!”
“You might want to hide that, we have a meeting in the morning.” He added, poking a quarter-sized spot on Chuuya’s neck.
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
“Get out!” Chuuya shoved Albatross’s helmet into his hands and pushed him out the door, his cheeks and ears burning.
“I’m tryin’ to help! You can use a whisk to-”
He slammed the door shut.
“Bastard.”
He needed to buy a whisk.
Kick, dodge, repeat. It was a rhythm Chuuya knew well. He didn’t have to keep his hands in his pockets, not anymore, but he was so used to it by now that he knew it didn’t make him any less skilled. He had no qualms against exploiting an enemy’s weakness to take them out.
Problem was, Dazai didn’t seem to have a weakness. He wasn't as good at hand-to-hand combat as Chuuya, but it was still rare that he was able to land a “killing” blow on Dazai – or Dazai on him. The way they moved was more like a dance, one that had been painstakingly rehearsed and polished over the years they had known each other.
The Dazai Chuuya knew now was not the same empty-eyed boy he had met in the city. There was something about him that was… brighter. His personality hadn’t changed – he was still an annoying, suicide-obsessed ass, but there was something about him that seemed more human. More alive.
“COME ON CHUUYA, YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!”
Chuuya’s concentration broke, giving Dazai the seconds he needed to lunge in and pin him to the ground.
Months ago, Dazai would have been more than happy to let Chuuya hit his head hard enough that he was still seeing stars hours later. This time, however, he caught Chuuya’s head at the last second, his hand tangled in Chuuya’s ponytail.
“Does he have to be here?” Dazai grumbled, glaring at Albatross. He was so busy brooding that it took him a moment to realize that he was still straddling Chuuya’s waist. He stood quickly, his expression unreadable.
“Damn right I do!” Albatross exclaimed, a single eyebrow raising above his dark glasses. “I have to make sure you kids don’t get up to any, y’know, hanky panky.”
“‘Hanky panky’? Seriously?” Chuuya was going to kill him later. He should have killed Albatross even earlier, when he insisted on sitting in on their training session and screaming like a proud parent at their child’s sports competition. He and Dazai shared a look, one that clearly said I’m so done with this shit, and silently agreed to end early.
“Sooooooo…” Albatross nudged Chuuya. “When are you going to ask him out?” His voice was barely above a whisper, but Chuuya had no doubt that Dazai was still listening.
“Never, dumbass,” he hissed under his breath. Dazai was walking away, thank God.
“EY! DAZAI!”
“Don’t you FUCKING dare–” Chuuya grabbed at his arm, determined to shut him up one way or another, but Albatross managed to evade him.
“WHY DON’T YOU MAKE IT OFFICIAL ALREADY?”
Dazai stopped. Chuuya waited to hear his obnoxious laugh, or maybe an insult, but–
“Chuuya and I? We’re dating.”