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On Dazai’s 23rd birthday, Dazai received gifts from his colleagues. No one really knew what to get him, so they asked Ranpo. Ranpo told them that Dazai likes alcohol, and will want a lot of it on his birthday especially. So everyone got him different types of alcohol. Ranpo gave him pretzel sticks. Kyōka is too young to buy alcohol, so she bought him a bouquet of flowers.
That night, Dazai got shitfaced drunk, and called Chuuya. He did what Chūya used to do to him.
“What do you want, dumbass?” Chūya growls into the phone.
“Chūyaaaaaaa! You’re not going to wish me a happy birthday?” Dazai whines; Drawing out the last letter of Chūya’s name.
“Why would I do something like that? I’m not even happy you were born”
There was a second of silence before Chūya heard mumbling on the other end. He couldn’t quite make it out, but he could hear the dejected sigh Dazai had made.
“Huh? I can’t hear you,” Chūya is about ready to hang up, when he hears a more serious tone from Dazai.
“Come to my house, Chūya”
“No”
“I have wine”
“Are you drunk?”
“I’m not like you, Slug. I can hold my alcohol, I’ve only had….7..? glasses of whiskey”
“So you won’t remember this conversation tomorrow,” Chūya snickers to himself.
“Yeah, I’m as sober as you when you wake up the next day after drinking”
Chūya groans at the mental image of the morning after being drunk. He sighs, “I’ll come over for a drink, but you should start laying back on the alcohol. Happy birthday, you idiot”
A soft smile appears on Dazai’s face, and he giggles “So you are happy I was born”
I’m a softer tone than before, Chūya corrects him, “No, I’m happy you didn’t complete your wish”
“..hmm…I love you too partner..”
“Tch-…whatever, see you in a bit”
“Okay~”
Chūya arrives to find Dazai laying on the floor with many bottles of alcohol, a bouquet of flowers, and a few bags of snacks. He almost stepped on him as he entered.
“Why’re you on the floor?!” Chūya makes an attempt to pull Dazai up, but his body became deadweight in his arms.
Dazai giggles, “I was waiting for Chūya, I have wine!” He holds out wine bottle.
“Yeah, I can see that,” Chūya nods as a small smile makes its way onto his face. He sighs, “C’mon, let’s get you in your bed”
Dazai pouts, “But Chūya, we’re going to drink together!”
“I’ll drink after you get in bed”
“Nooo”
“You can drink some more after you lay down, but go over to the bed!”
“Yay!”
Dazai stands up, wobbly as he walks over to his futon. Chūya picks up the bottle of wine, and a glass of whiskey, “Here, you big baby.” Dazai jumps for the glass. He gulps all of it down; Leaving Chūya wide eyed, “What are you doing? Don’t drink it like that! You’ll make yourself sick”
Dazai tilts his head to the side, “But Chūya will take care of me, if I get more drunk.” He stares at the wall in a daze for a moment, and his eyes widen. “Oh, did I say that out loud? I didn’t say that..”
“So you wanted me to take care of you?”
“You wouldn’t do so unless it’s an occasion, and it makes me happy,” Dazai replies; Laying his head against the pillow. He gives him a smile, “It makes me feel like you love me”
Chūya freezes. He stays quiet for a second before mumbling, “I forgot you get really truthful when you’re drunk..” He sighs, and sits beside him.
Chūya rests a hand on Dazai’s forehead, and Dazai leans against his hand. Every micro-expression Dazai makes is being studied by Chūya. He wants to savor it. He misses when they were more open.
Eventually Dazai succumbs to sleep, and Chūya takes his hand back. He takes a quick glance around at the mess that was obviously made over the course of month, and decided to at least pick up the trash from the floor. In the end, Dazai’s dorm is much cleaner than it was at the beginning of the day.
Chūya lays next to Dazai; Remembering how it felt to do this every night. A small ache appeared in his chest, and he turns over to face Dazai. His expression is softer now than it used to be when he slept. He always had a softer look after drinking, but it’s almost like it magnified tonight.
Chūya watches as Dazai curls in on himself as he sleeps. He moves a hand to either side of Dazai’s head, and presses a quick kiss to his temple. He flips over, and tries to fall asleep.
The next morning, Dazai woke up to his head resting on Chūya’s chest. As Chūya always did when he slept-he was as spread out as possible, while Dazai smushed himself against him. When he realized that it is Chūya’s chest that he’s sleeping on, he found that he wouldn’t mind sleeping in just for that day.
Maybe this year’s birthday wasn’t so bad, Dazai thought to himself. I ended up with the one person I wanted to celebrate with.