Work Text:
In a way, the silence in the penthouse was unnerving.
It was deadly still. The cold tiles lay bare of bustling footsteps, and the walls that could narrate thousands of stories on its own, just stared at the lack of human presence in the house. The windows were unusually shut, the lights were strangely dimmed, and the kitchen has been in the dark for the whole week.
It wasn't like Chuuya was not used to this sudden silence in his house. Even if this apartment housed two people for three years, some part of that changed about two years ago. That was a few months after Chuuya barely eighteen, and his partner left their organisation.
That was when Dazai Osamu was declared traitor to the Port Mafia.
Chuuya didn't really care about that too much. After all, he had first hand information as to how the Demon Prodigy's betrayal came to be. Why he decided to do so. It might have been a quick and somewhat impulsive decision on that bastard's part, but it wasn't one without basis.
Ever since that night in his car two years ago, Chuuya has slowly learnt to getting used to the feel of not being joined at the hip to that shitty bastard Dazai. It was strange, at the very least. For three whole years, they did everything together, as Yokohama's Deadliest Duo. The very drastic change from that situation, and going to being a lone mafioso overnight was definitely not easy for Chuuya.
Not that he would admit that to anyone so easily, of course.
But still, ever so occasionally, the gravity manipulator couldn't help but feel so utterly lonely. Sure, he might be well liked in his workplace and by his many subordinates. He was also favoured by the Boss and the other executives. But that didn't make any of them friends.
Chuuya didn't have friends anymore, see. The first group, who happened to be his previous organisation, somehow managed to betray him. It was that bastard Dazai who most probably orchestrated the whole thing; but it wouldn't have been possible if Chuuya's so called friends hadn't been willing to betray him in the first place.
His second and last ever group of friends, the Flags, were killed by his brother or whatever. This was when he was sixteen, and quite surprisingly, that Dazai wasn't involved in any of those murders. But if having friends was always going to turn out so terribly for Chuuya; wasn't he just better off without them?
But despite making such a resolve, he'd ended up fucking up big time. Never mind friends, but the very smart and powerful Nakahara Chuuya had somehow ended up getting family instead?! It wasn't even just metaphorical or anything. No, it was quite literal. After all, Chuuya did go ahead and marry the first bastard that annoyed him to the end of his wits.
Curse his shitty tastes in men, damn it! Who the fuck gets married to a fishy bastard at the age of eighteen?! Either idiots, or whipped fuckers who were somehow obsessed with their partners. Chuuya was none of them, damn it!
But well, the fact remained that he was married. And that too, to a very suspicious person.
For example, that shitty Dazai hasn't been home at all in the past four days! Where the hell has he been?! It's not even like he was considerate enough to maybe text and let Chuuya know that he wouldn't be home for a while. At least that way Chuuya wouldn't be worrying his head off, and downing bottles of Petrus in one go.
Chuuya swore that if he ever ended up being an actual alcoholic, it'd undoubtedly be Dazai's fault. He'd make sure to let everyone know that he was actually a smart and civil person, and the only reason for his raging alcoholism happened to be solely because of his shitty, useless husband.
Ugh.
Presently, Chuuya was settled on the couch, wine glass in his hand. The living room was unnecessarily empty of fishy beanpoles who talked too much. The room was also eerily clean, and didn't that speak volumes? It was beginning to feel as if that bastard Dazai had never been here in the first place.
Chuuya didn't even want to step foot in their bedroom. In fact, he shuddered at the idea. He could only imagine how lonely it must feel in that bedroom right now. That room, where neither of its occupants have stepped foot inside in a week. And that bed which is probably colder than the North Pole right now.
It was amongst such lonely trains of thought that Chuuya finally registered a key turning in the lock of the main door, meek footsteps making their way into the living room. As expected, it was Dazai.
Looking worse than usual, the now detective dropped his keys into the tray on the kitchen table, before stripping himself of his tan windbreaker. The coat was dropped on the couch opposite to the one Chuuya was seated on, before Dazai went ahead and took a seat next to his partner.
In the softest, most exhausted voices, he whispered, "I'm home."
Chuuya noted, carefully putting the wine glass aside, "I see. Welcome back."
His eyes trained on his rival's arm, Dazai asked softly, "Can I... Can you...?"
It was at moments like this that Chuuya was hit with his overwhelming love for this man in front of him. This bastard, who has had hundreds of people executed before. This absolute asshole, who always made the most ridiculous, elaborate plans that somehow caused him so much trouble. A former mafia executive who was guilty of so many things, and yet he hesitated to ask for mere affection.
The mafioso wrapped his arm around the other, pulling him closer, "Yes, you idiot. I can."
Breathy whispers as the brunet leaned against his partner comfortably, "Don't be mean, hatrack. You'll never grow this way."
Chuuya snorted out loud, "I see you after days, and you still don't have any new insults. Where have you been anyway?"
Dazai responded right away, "There was this big case at the Agency."
Ah. Right. Dazai worked on the brighter side now. He worked with do-gooders, righteous people who put their lives on the line for protection of the civilians, for greater good and what not. Dazai was working towards being one of those people. Chuuya believed in him beyond his mortal abilities, but as for himself; Chuuya was positive that someone like him, who wasn't even human, would never be a 'good human'.
What did it mean to be a good person anyway? Wasn't that abstract and subjective?
Pushing aside such heavy thoughts, he asked, "Oh? Do you want to talk about it?"
Dazai turned to face him immediately, "Will you listen?"
A roll of eyes, tinted with utmost fondness, "I asked, didn't I? Of course I'll listen, dickhead."
Naturally, the detective complained some more about how little chibis ought not to be so mean, or they'll never grow. The same usual jokes, which his partner brushed off immediately, asking him to continue with the damned story already.
That, he obliged to, "You've heard about a few civilians going missing, haven't you? There were eleven victims reported in the news."
Chuuya perked up, "I did hear about that. I also heard that about four of them died? It was in the news, ne? How four of those victims were found in a cage in the old hospital, and they were found dead of gas poisoning?"
His partner stilled immediately, "That... Yeah. That did happen."
Chuuya frowned in concern, as he poked the other, "What's wrong? What happened? Is that the case your Agency dealing with?"
Dazai offered a wry smile, "I was there. When those four victims died. It was my fault they died, Chuuya."
The other's eyes widened, "What? Wait, wait. What are you talking about?"
Fidgeting with his fingers, Dazai exhaled deeply as he explained, "I was at the hospital with my work mentor. We rescued this one woman who was about to drown in a huge tank. Her name is Sasaki Nobuko. When we found the cage with the victims... I tried to open the cage, and she told me I shouldn't do that.
It was too late, Slug. I'd already touched the cage, and that activated the gas expulsion. The three of us managed to escape, but... Those victims died in there."
Old, set-in anxiety clutching at his heart violently, Chuuya rubbed his thumb against his partner's neck comfortingly, "Dazai, that wasn't your fault. You can't think like that, hon."
Another wry smile, "I know. But still, I couldn't save them. Is there any value to me changing sides if I'm still going to kill people?"
"You didn't kill them, shitty Dazai. There was no way you could've known. In fact, how did that woman know about the poison gas? There was no way you could've known about it."
"Maybe if I'd been more careful, then-"
Chuuya leaned over, placing both of his hands on the other's face before declaring firmly, "Not your fault. You tried to help them. That's enough proof that you're well on your way to being one of those who live in the light."
For a few seconds, Dazai said nothing. Then, in a voice that betrayed hurt, "Am I leaving Chuuya behind?"
The mafioso rolled his eyes, before gently smacking him on the head, "As if you ever could, shithead. We're fine, aren't we?"
He continued, when his partner failed to say anything, "Forget that for now. Anyway, where have you been, oi? Couldn't you come visit at night, at least!"
Dazai finally cracked a smile, "Why, did Chuuya miss me?"
The mafioso huffed, "Isn't it fucking obvious! You-!"
Dazai grinned some more, "Aw, how touching! Uwah!"
As expected, Chuuya kicked his legs, "God, I fucking hate you so much."
"That, Chibi-kun, is a lie. And that is no way to treat your wonderful husband who loves you very much!"
Chuuya rolled his eyes again, "Gross. Don't call me that. And I love you too."
For a few seconds, Dazai said nothing, instead choosing to look away and hide his very obvious blush. Then, finally fixing his face of unnecessary red tints, he spoke seriously, "As for why I couldn't visit. I had to stay in the dorms. And- Oh. Uh..."
Now, Chuuya has had five years to get used to this bastard's bullshit. He knew his rival like the back of his hand, and he could tell that something fishy was going on with his statements. Something was most definitely up, and Chuuya was going to get the answers he wanted at any cost.
He raised his eyebrows questioningly, "What? Spit it out."
Dazai averted his gaze before mumbling, "Sasaki-san couldn't stay by herself, so she stayed at my place. It was just so she could be comforted after all her trauma of being abducted! Nothing else."
Chuuya froze, "Comforted?"
His partner looked away once again, "She wanted, no- needed, to be comforted. And she stayed at my place, so I took care of her, you could say."
Heart now successfully dropped to his feet, Chuuya spoke in a hollow voice, "You slept with her?"
At this, Dazai whipped his head around so he could face his partner, "What? Chuuya, of course not!"
Trying his best to hide his hysterics, Chuuya pointed out, "But you said you comforted her? And she stayed at your place overnight?!"
The act of knowing the other too well clearly went both ways, because Dazai could tell that his partner was spiralling. He leaned forward to wrap his arms around Chuuya, "Slug. Breathe for me. She did stay at my place overnight, but nothing happened. I promise."
Chuuya glared at him, "I trust you, alright? But what the fuck do you mean by 'comforting her'? Isn't that just comfort sex!"
Dazai couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You're so silly. I quite literally just talked to her, and lent her an ear as she talked about her abduction and all that. I most certainly did not have comfort sex with her."
Chuuya huffed, "Still suspicious."
Dazai grinned, eyes twinkling, "I thought you said you trusted me?"
Chuuya huffed again, practically pouting at this point, "And I do trust you. That doesn't mean I have to like the fact that you spent a night with some random woman."
"Aw, is Chuuya jealous?! I knew you loved me so much, hatrack!"
Quite unexpectedly, Chuuya actually admitted it out loud, "Yeah. So what if I'm jealous! Isn't that justified?! You're such a bastard."
It was safe to say that Dazai's jaw dropped immediately, "Oh. You? You're actually jealous?"
A glare this time, "Do you have a fucking problem with that?"
The way Dazai broke into a big, sparkly smile certainly stated otherwise. He raised his hands to pinch the other's cheeks, "No, but you're so cute!"
As expected, his husband pushed him away immediately, "Get off me, damn it. You're so annoying."
For a while, Dazai just laughed. Then, he turned serious to declare something very important, "That aside. I love Chuuya, as I have for the last five years. I wouldn't throw that away for some random woman I met on the street, ne?"
Chuuya rolled his eyes, but he couldn't keep the grin off his face, "I know. I love you. Besides, I'll castrate you if you cheat on me anyway, and you know that."
Dazai yelped, "Yes sir!"
Chuuya laughed some more, gently patting his partner's head, "It's really great to have you back, Mackerel."
Sappy as usual, Dazai offered him a smile, "It's good to be back, Slug."
Cleary deciding that he's had too much of this heartfelt conversation bullshit for a while, Chuuya beckoned towards the kitchen, "Ramen?"
As he followed his rival to their dining table, Dazai merely nodded in affirmation, "With crab, please."