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Gravity was such an interesting concept.
According to the official definition of gravity from NASA, Gravity was the force by which a planet or other body drew objects toward its center. The force of gravity kept all of the planets in orbit around the sun.
In his personal life, Dazai was familiar with someone who could manipulate gravity. Someone who was so apt at controlling the nature's wildest element, yet he was someone who refused to entirely rely on his ability to so. Someone who insisted on gaining expertise in the martial arts, just so he wouldn't be rendered useless in any case where he was robbed control of his ability.
It was funny, because Dazai was the only one who could make that happen. Lay the gravity manipulator out in the open, bared of any control he had over his powers, and by extension, on himself. Despite the obvious disadvantage that person had when facing Dazai, the two of them have always stood side-by-side, back-to-back, taking care of each other because they knew nobody else would.
Nakahara Chuuya was perfect to him in every way imaginable.
As a realist, Dazai would insist vehemently that true perfection did not exist. The concept of perfectionism was subjective, idealist and created by society to cause flawed human beings into depression. Considering all human beings were flawed in their own ways, it was a single hit attack.
'Perfect' did not exist, but the subjective version of the concept existed within every aspect of Chuuya. To Dazai, at least. That little shortie was absolutely beautiful, annoying, fiercely passionate and most importantly, loyal. Even when he was probably better off letting certain people go.
Perhaps Dazai would never stop believing that he was one of those people that Chuuya ought to let go, even when that little hatrack strongly denied such silly perceptions of his. It wasn't something that could be helped, in his opinion.
Dazai was better off alone, freefalling by himself into some sort of never-ending abyss. Like a one way path to Tartarus. He's always thought that. Everyone supposedly had somewhere they belonged, and maybe for Dazai, that place was his own desolate little world.
Even now, while he genuinely fell through the sky, encased within one of Meursault's elevators, that is what he believed.
He'd kept his promise to Sigma; made sure he'd get out of this alive, pushed him out of the elevator when the opportunity presented itself. For the rest of it, Sigma didn't really have a role by himself. After all, till the very end, Dazai had kept his cards close to his chest; just the way he kept his enemies closer than his friends.
Sigma knew nothing of his plans, even though he'd told him that the rest was left to him.
But to be truthful, there were certain things only Dazai could do. Right now, saving the Agency was one of them. His ever-so annoying colleagues were definitely not waiting around to be rescued; they were surely trying their best to get out of their situation as soon as possible. But they were unaware of the entire circumstances. Which is why Dazai was required out there.
He could pull the strings from his prison cell only for so long, after all.
But most likely, that wouldn't be so easy anymore. Getting out, that is. He was trapped in a freefalling elevator after all. Moreover, the height of the fall was definitely in some miles. The elevator shaft was as deep as Meursault itself, logically speaking. By the time the elevator came to a stop, Dazai had no doubt he would be crushed by gravity.
A very ironic end to his life, considering the most important and cherished years of his lifespan were accompanied by someone who literally manipulated gravity. Ah, how cruel! To have him basically die by his partner's hands, wasn't that just so cruel?! The universe truly hated him, it seems.
It was sometime between his lamenting and dramatic woes that the elevator came to a gentle stop at the bottom of the shaft, that had felt like an endless abyss merely minutes ago. Instead of crashing violently to his death, Dazai was made to land gently upon the ground. The already broken door of the elevator burst open, only to reveal a whole lot of absolutely nothing.
The basement was as empty as it could be.
Before Dazai could figure out exactly what was going on, even though he had certain inklings to the truth behind this new situation, he heard the elevator ceiling creak above him. In the next few seconds, the ceiling panel fell open, and someone really small and invisible crashed upon him, forcing them both to the ground.
Dazai yelped unceremoniously, "Ouch! What is this behaviour, Slug! Get off me!"
As expected, the handful of human atop him refused to budge an inch. He merely sighed as he went ahead to rest himself comfortably against Dazai's back, "Oh shut up. I'm too tired for this."
Sitting up to some extent, Dazai wrapped an arm around the other's shoulder, "Tired of being a cute little fairy? Ne Chuuya, you flew down from above! Doesn't that mean you're a fairy?"
The infamous gravity manipulator slouched down, so his head was rested against his rival's shoulder, "Obviously, I wouldn't be able to stop the elevator from below. The only choice was to wait on of the floors above and fly down to touch the elevator and bring it to a stop."
Dazai mourned dramatically, "Ah, why must you rob me of yet another possible death! I could've been crushed by gravity!"
Chuuya wrinkled his nose in distaste, "Please find another way. I'd rather not have my element take out somebody so ugly and annoying."
For a few seconds, the bandaged guy said nothing. Then, he lips curled up into something akin to a fond smile, "I missed you."
Chuuya raised his eyebrows briefly, before relaxing further into his partner's touch, "A real close brush with death makes you sappy, Mackerel?"
Dazai gasped, "Untrue! Why couldn't you just let me die, Chuuya! What is this!"
The other yawned, clearly very tired, "Because unfortunately, I'd miss you if that were to happen."
The detective's hand found its way to a barely gloved one. Clearly, stopping the elevator when it was in full speed had taken a lot of out of the gravity manipulator, and had clearly taken a toll on his hands. On closer inspection, it was obvious that his gloves were practically falling apart.
Intertwining their fingers together, Dazai brought his partner's hand up to his lips so he could kiss the roughened fingers he was so familiar with, "I think it's okay if you get some sleep. There's time."
Chuuya yawned again, practically huddled into the other's side, "That's a lie. We're running on a timed ticking bomb here and you know it."
Dazai noted carefully, "You look tired."
An incredulous scoff, "No shit. Just think back to all that you and that other shitty genius have made me do in the last hour."
Dazai laughed warmly, "Sorry about that. But you know, Chuuya is the only one who can keep up with me."
"Unfortunately. Why must I be cursed this way."
Dazai's voice dropped by a few octaves when he spoke again, "Sorry about that. And um, thank you for... Waiting for me down here."
Chuuya sighed, "Don't mention it. As for saving you, I'm sure you wouldn't put yourself in such ridiculous situations if you didn't believe I'd be in time for you."
To that, Dazai shook his head softly, "That's not it. This time, and all the times before, I was prepared to die if you were to decide it was finally time for you to let go of me."
Chuuya whipped his head upwards to face his partner properly, "Shitty Dazai, what the fuck. I did not take care of your annoying ass for seven years for you to utter such callous words to me!"
Dazai laughed at his choice of words, "No such thing-"
His rival cut him off, "Shut the fuck up. What, you don't trust me with your life, Mackerel?"
Dazai's eyes glinted a familiar tune, "It's because I trust you with my meaningless existence that I can't bring myself to care if you were to decide you didn't want to uphold those ridiculous feelings anymore."
Chuuya forced himself to sit up properly, "What the fuck are you even talking about."
Dazai looked up immediately, "I'm just... Sorry."
The mafioso leaned forward to cup the other's face with both of his hands, "Dazai. We don't have time for this right now. But. But, you're an idiot if you think I'd ever choose to not do this. Can you imagine if I left you to die because of one of your stupid plans? I'd never be able to live with myself. Maybe its selfish but, I would prefer not to go on in that ridiculous hypothetical situation. So, I need you here."
Dazai exhaled shakily, "Say, are you still a vampire? Do you not know what you're saying?"
Chuuya let out an affronted gasp, "You-!! Who's a vampire, oi! God, you are so fucking annoying. I know what I'm talking about, okay? Obviously, it's true and meant. You're so dumb. Ugh. I hate you."
Dazai said nothing, but his heart skipped a beat, and then another, before fluctuating rapidly. Chuuya's eyes narrowed on his partner's wrist, where he could clearly feel his wildly fluctuating pulse.
Chuuya chuckled to himself, before shaking his head in disbelief, "When will you learn to verbally talk about your feelings, shitty Dazai? Stop using your heartbeat to talk to me!"
Dazai whined, "But then what's the point of training my dog to understand my heartbeat!"
Chuuya glared at him, "You did not train me, damn it! I knew Morse code already!"
Switching to a softer voice, he just sighed in pretend exasperation, "Yeah, yeah. I love you too. Fuck, you're so infuriating. I cannot stand you."
Dazai put his head down against his rival's head, "Chuuya lies too much."
The gravity manipulator raised his head to the side just a little, just enough for him to reach up by a few centimeters and press his lips against the other's, "If I'm a liar, what does that make you?"
The corners of Dazai's eyes crinkled as he spoke, "Someone who can see through your lies?"
Chuuya declared passively, "That's gross. Anyway, don't we have to get going? What happened to Sigma? Wasn't he with you?"
Dazai yawned, the exhaustion taking over him, "I threw him out of the elevator. He should live as long as he still can. I promised him."
Chuuya was quiet for a while, before he spoke again, "I'm so proud of you."
Needless to say, Dazai was taken aback instantly, "What?! Where did that come from?!"
Chuuya offered him a small smile, "Look at you, saving people because you want to. Maybe for your benefit as well, like I know you're going to argue. Even so, you're on the side that saves people. And you're doing so yourself. Doesn't that just prove how far you've come from being that annoying brat I knew in the Mafia?"
Dazai's mouth fell open in surprise, "Chuuya..."
The mafioso looked away, before speaking up in a whisper, "He would be proud too. Oda-san. You probably don't know but, I knew him. Or rather, he knew me. Better than I knew myself, I'd feel sometimes."
Dazai's voice dropped to a whisper as well, "I know. I could tell. Do you really think he...?"
Chuuya's voice was firm in its affirmation, "He's proud of you."
For the next few minutes, neither of them said a word. They just sat there, curled up together in an empty elevator that was practically fallen apart. Breaths synchronised, like they'd learnt to years ago, the silence that enveloped them comfortable and serene.
A while later, Chuuya nudged his rival, "Oi, asshole. Wake up. You need to get going."
Dazai opened his eyes, "What will Chuuya be doing?"
The mafia executive stared at his torn gloves, "Out in the real world, shitty Dazai; we're enemies, you know?"
A reminder, "Our organisations are on truce."
Chuuya shook his head, "That's not what I meant and you know it. I need to get back to the Mafia. Last I heard, all of them were turned into vampires."
Dazai coughed softly, "I'll come back for you, after I've dealt with Bram Stoker."
Chuuya shook his head, a grin adorning his face, "No need. I'll take care of my own, and you handle yours. But, after all of this absolute bullshit is over, meet me at home for dinner?"
The detective smiled genuinely for the first time all day, "Will you make me crab ramen?"
The two of them getting back on their feet again, Chuuya complained, "What, saving you wasn't enough? You want me to make you dinner too?!"
Dazai just laughed loudly, "But you will, won't you? You said so yourself, you'll wait for me at the end of it all."
Chuuya grumbled as he walked away surely this time, "Isn't that just fucking obvious, you dickhead!"
Dazai just smiled to himself as he watched his person disappear before him. Strangely, a sight as normally as ominous as that didn't rake in any anxiety. They'll meet again soon enough, after all.
Looking up at the elevator ceiling, Dazai sighed to himself in annoyance.
Now to figure out how to get out of this stupid prison and back into the real world.