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Chuuya was just getting home from an exhausting mission, having been dragged across the country chasing down a group that had stolen from the Port Mafia. He was glad to be home, since it was expected to take at least a couple more days and he’d just gotten lucky in catching them sooner. All he was looking forward to that evening was getting home, and perhaps some cuddling with his partner.
As he approached the front door, he pulled his key out, and inserted it into the lock, hearing the click, as it opened up. Turning the knob, he pushed the door open, instantly spotting a mess of brown curls splayed out on the back of the couch where he was sitting. Quickly, Dazai turned around, completely caught off guard by Chuuya’s early return.
From behind the couch, all Chuuya could see was the hood of one of Dazai’s favourite baggy sweaters and the surprised expression on his face. The fluffy curls framed his face as he stared in shock at the sight of his boyfriend, who was not supposed to be home for several days.
Suddenly, their cat, Cocoa, jumped up onto the back of the couch, and then ran right at Chuuya. Hugging his ankles, and purring, very happy to see her ginger human. He knelt down to pat her, and pulled off his shoes while he was down there.
“It seems someone is very happy to see me,” he spoke in a slightly high-pitched tone to Cocoa.
“She missed you as much as I did, although I thought you were supposed to be gone for at least a few more days.” Dazai had gotten over his shock and was tucking his legs up and under the blanket on his lap.
Chuuya chuckled slightly as Cocoa rubbed her face against his hand, “Well, things finished a bit earlier than expected, and that means I get a few days off. Since I was supposed to be working on that mission for the rest of the week and there were no other pressing matters.”
Humming in acknowledgement, he turned around to lessen the strain on his neck from having it twisted to look at Chuuya. “Maybe I’ll take a few days off too, and we can spend some time together.”
“That sounds good to me,” he was more than happy to spend time with his boyfriend after a long trip.
“How about you hop in the shower, and get nice and clean, then we can start spending time together?” Dazai suggested, hoping he would.
Chuuya snorted, “I’m not smelly, plus, I managed to keep pretty clean on this mission, so I just have to change my clothes.”
That got him a pout in return. “Such a misbehaving chibi! Not even trying to get clean after work.”
“I’m gonna go change my clothes, you overgrown Mackerel. Cocoa, you go sit with him until I’m back.” He stood, picking up the cat, and using his ability to send her over to his clingy boyfriend.
Dazai watched him disappear into the bedroom, and internally panicked, knowing that Chuuya was going to see him. Since Chuuya was supposed to be out of town for a week, he’d happily dressed up, and waltzed around the apartment. Spinning around in the long navy blue skirt that he’d picked up on clearance weeks prior. It’d looked so comfortable, and it wasn’t restricted like pants, so he wanted to give it a try.
He’d first put it on when Chuuya was at work, and it had been an experience. Dazai had twirled around, swaying from side to side to see how the fabric moved with him. That had been the first of a few skirts he’d bought. After finding out how much he loved it, he went out looking for a few more, and even found a dress he liked.
It started to become a habit to wear skirts, and his beloved dress, around the apartment when Chuuya was out. Cocoa liked hiding under the flowy fabric whenever he was walking around, which led to some tripping over the cat. Despite all of his enjoyment of the flowy clothes, Dazai had been putting off, and even avoiding, telling his boyfriend.
That was why he was trying to get Chuuya to take a shower, so he could run into the bedroom and change. Slip some pajama pants on, and hide his skirt away with the rest of them. It would have worked, had the redhead not had habits of keeping clean, even during work trips. There was nothing that would stop him from keeping up with his hygiene.
So, with foiled plans, Dazai was trying to think of a way to avoid the inevitable. Cuddling was bound to happen after Chuuya returned from the bedroom, which meant he’d likely end up under the blanket too. Then he’d find out about the skirt, and Dazai feared how awkward things would get. He was well aware that skirts were considered girly by most people, but he just didn’t see clothes as gendered, and hated that it had to be a problem.
The sound of the bedroom door opening dragged him out of his thoughts, and he realized it was too late. His emotions were something akin to embarrassed, and he really didn’t want to deal with confrontation on a lovely evening. Yet, Chuuya was getting closer, and then the couch cushions dipped under the weight of a second person.
He looked over, and saw Chuuya holding Cocoa, who looked a second away from biting him in her weird playful way. Dazai knew his mind was racing too fast, and that he was probably just overthinking things, since he’d been with Chuuya for a while, and there had never been issues over what clothes were worn. Although, traditionally feminine clothes have never been a part of either of their attire.
“I can practically hear the gears in your brain turning, what’s up with you?” Chuuya finally asked, having noticed something was a bit off.
“It’s nothing, silly slug,” he used a cheerful voice, and leaned over to rest his head on the other’s shoulder.
That didn’t ease his concerns, “C’mon, I know when something is bothering you, please tell me.”
Dazai was nervous to say it out loud, “It’s embarrassing…”
“Oh,” that wasn’t what Chuuya was expecting, “you’re too embarrassed to tell me? What could possibly be so embarrassing that the great Dazai Osamu, doesn’t even want to say it out loud?”
“You’ll laugh, or something… I don’t want to be laughed at,” he whined, pouting.
That made him stop teasing for a moment, “I won’t laugh at you if you don’t want me to. I’m not mean like that, Osamu.”
The use of his first name flustered Dazai briefly, and he covered his face with his hands. Chuuya pulled him closer, and went to move the blanket to cover both of them. He knew that his skirt was seen, and he bit his lip in worry, as he snuggled into Chuuya’s chest.
There was a pause after he finally saw the skirt. It wasn’t what Chuuya was expecting. But he could tell that Dazai had been embarrassed to wear it around him. Some pieces were clicking in his head, about why his boyfriend had wanted him to go have a shower, and why he’d been so in his head.
“So, what’s with the skirt?” he asked, not sure how he was supposed to react to what his partner was wearing.
It took a moment for Dazai to answer, having expected worse of a reaction, “... It’s comfy.”
Chuuya started to play with his hair, “Alright, can I know what caused the decision to try on a skirt?”
“The material was soft, and it was cheap,” he mumbled, starting to relax upon realizing he was going to get ridiculed.
“Well, you look nice in it,” he tells him.
That catches Dazai off guard, and he lifts his head to look at Chuuya, “You think so?”
He smiles at him, “Of course, you look good in just about anything.”
Soft laughter falls from his lips, “I’m glad you think so.” He’s smiling now, all his nervousness melted away.
“Do you have any other skirts?” Chuuya decides to ask, wanting to know how much clothing had been hidden under his nose out of embarrassment.
“Yeah, a couple. I’ve just been storing them in a box under the bed.” Dazai was still a bit embarrassed about how he’d gone out of his way to hide something from Chuuya.
Humming in thought, a brilliant idea came to the redhead, “If you want, we could go out and buy you more. Since we have the rest of the week off and all.”
The suggestion made Dazai light up, “Really? How about tomorrow?”
“Sure,” Chuuya had to resist laughing at how excited the brunette was at the idea of shopping.
“You could even help me pick some out! I can show you the ones I already have, and go over what I like about them. That way, if you see any like that, you could point it out to me,” he was fully prepared to ramble on in excitement.
It seemed cuddling was going to be put on hold for a while. Despite looking forward to it, Chuuya didn’t mind indulging Dazai. The younger was really enthusiastic, and even a bit of tiredness wouldn’t keep him from encouraging that joy.
Dazai practically jumped off the couch, grabbing Chuuya’s hand and dragging him up. The shorter was almost dragged to the bedroom, where he sat on the bed. Rummaging around under the bed, Dazai pulled out an old shoebox, and opened it to reveal the skirts folded up inside. Along with the dress that he’d forgotten to mention to his boyfriend.
He dropped it on the bed, pulling out each skirt to explain why he liked it. They were varying lengths, but always at least down to the knees. It was a variety of colours, beige, grey, and even some light pink. The fabric was the only thing that remained consistent, all of them being made from cotton.
“Okay, so, this one,” he started, gesturing to the skirt he was currently wearing, “is flowy, and really long, goes down to just above my ankles. I like the fabric, as you can probably tell, since all of them are the same fabric.”
Chuuya hummed in acknowledgement, letting Dazai continue. “Cotton feels best for skirts, other fabrics have weird textures or are too tight. No restrictive clothing for me. The stretchiness is nice, and it’s not too hot, so I won’t overheat in these skirts.”
“You never overheat Mackerel, you’re always cold,” he joked, knowing his boyfriend was like an ice cube.
“Well, the Slug is a mini heater,” he retaliated, sticking his tongue out.
Reaching out his arm, Chuuya poked his tongue, “You’re cute, no need to get fussy over being an ice cube.”
Dazai pouted at him, blushing a bit, “Never mind… let me just keep telling you about the skirts.”
“Of course, go right ahead,” the teasing tone was clear, but ignored.
“I prefer lighter colours, but I got this blue one because it was really pretty looking,” he was a bit embarrassed to admit he chose a skirt out of prettiness.
That made Chuuya laugh a bit, before letting his voice fall to a gentler, yet flirtatious tone, “Well, it suits you, and just makes you look even more beautiful than you usually do.”
At that moment, Dazai was certain his brain was going to combust from how flustered he feels. He made a few strangled sounds in an attempt to handle the compliment. All the while, Chuuya was trying to hold back laughter at how easy it was to make his boyfriend blush.
“Chuuuuuu! Stop it,” he whined,” I can’t focus on telling you stuff when you’re making me feel like this.”
“Feel like what?” Chuuya continued teasing.
His ears were practically red from embarrassment at that point, but Dazai just pouted and mumbled, “I don’t know, you just make me feel warm and fuzzy. It’s nice, but I can’t focus when you do that. You’re embarrassing.”
That got him to coo at the sheer bashfulness of the brunette, “I can’t help it when you’re being so cute, and getting flustered easily.”
Dazai looked like his brain was short-circuiting, cheeks and ears flushed red, and blinking at Chuuya like he was the most confusing being ever. Gently he was pulled to sit on the bed with his boyfriend, the clothes being moved to the side. Arms slide around him, and a light kiss was pressed to his forehead.
“How about we put these skirts away, and get ready for bed? That way we can go out shopping at a decent time tomorrow,” Chuuya suggested.
“M’kay,” he mumbled, just wanting to snuggle up as he was.
Chuuya reached out and grabbed the box, getting up to go to the closet, where he pulled a drawer out of the dresser, that took up the bottom of the closet. It was the drawer that they put their pants in, which he set it on the floor after pulling it out.
Most of it was still organized, thanks to Chuuya putting a divider between their clothes, and Dazai only having a handful of pants. Seeing that the brunette didn’t want to do much, he grabbed the skirts and folded them, sliding them into the space beside the pants. After all the skirts were put away, he slid the drawer back into its place.
Going back for a hanger for the dress that was still sitting in the shoebox. It was slid in between all the shirts, sweaters and coats, standing out with its light, almost pastel colour. Yet, as the closet door slid close, it was just another article of clothing.
Coming back to bed, Chuuya picked up Dazai, hearing the squeak of panic at being scooped up, and the quick attempt to play it off by putting on a calm expression. He found it adorable how, Dazai tried to pretend things didn’t startle him. Walking him to the bathroom, he set Dazai on the lip of the tub, before going to grab both of their toothbrushes. Putting toothpaste on Dazai’s, and a little bit of water, before handing it over. Then he repeated the process with his own.
They were quiet as they brushed their teeth. Spitting out the soapy mixture of toothpaste, and then rinsing their mouths. After that was done, Dazai came over to Chuuya and hugged him tiredly, wanting to go to bed already. However, the redhead wanted to brush any knots out of his hair that may have come to be throughout the day.
Grabbing his brush, he found a couple strands of brown hair on it, and knew his boyfriend had been using it while he was out. Exhaling with a hum of amusement, he started brushing out his hair, pulling through the knots gently. Then, Chuuya turned around to the clingy man hugging him, and started to brush his hair. Already knowing the mess of knots he’d find, which the brush immediately caught on.
Despite having soft hair, it got tangled up easily, and Dazai usually didn’t bother to brush it out. He only ever brushed his hair after showers, knowing it’d look messy if he didn’t. Chuuya would sometimes brush his hair if he wanted to play with it, but that didn’t happen too often.
The feeling of having his hair brushed relaxed him, and he wanted to close his eyes, with his boyfriend’s hands in his hair and a sense of security enveloping him. Once the knots were brushed away, Chuuya put the brush back, and dragged Dazai out of the bathroom to cuddle. They barely made it to the bed, before the bandaged man flopped onto Chuuya.
Both of them hit the bed, “Really? You couldn’t take just two more steps?” Chuuya asked incredulously.
“I wanna sleep, and Chibi was moving too slowly,” he muttered, snuggling as close as he could.
“Fine, fine, just let me move us onto the bed properly.” He pulled Dazai all the way onto the bed, getting his head on the pillows.
Flopping beside him, Chuuya pulled the blankets over onto both of them, despite knowing he’d wake up to Dazai wrapped in all of them. Moving closer, he wrapped himself around the brunette, cuddling him close. He’d missed sleeping in the same bed as him, after sleeping in hotels for a few days.
So, now able to rest in his own bed, he ended up falling asleep far faster than one would expect. Exhaustion from several days crashing down on him.
—
In the morning, Chuuya woke to the sight of Dazai, feeling the lanky arms wrapped around his torso. Unsurprisingly, the blankets were almost entirely pulled off of Chuuya, as the brunette rolled over in his sleep, and ended up partially in a blanket roll. Chuckling, the executive wiggled out of the hold, and got up to make some breakfast.
He knew it wouldn’t be long before Dazai was following him out of the bedroom, complaining about the lack of warmth. So, he made sure to go for something easy to make, so that they could sit down and eat shortly. Deciding on French toast, which didn’t take long to make.
After he flipped it the first time, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind, and then felt arms wrap around his waist. A face buried into his shoulder, with some sleepy grumbles. Dazai was still partially wrapped in blankets, having dragged them along from their bed.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Chuuya affectionately uttered, turning back to kiss the brunette on his cheek.
“Why’re you up so early? It’s not warm when you get up,” Dazai whined, as he clung to the ginger.
Smiling, he looked over his shoulder at him, “We need breakfast, and we should get out earlier to go shopping to avoid the crowds later.”
He received a groan in response, “The crowds aren’t that bad, let’s just go back to bed.”
“Even Cocoa is still on our bed, c’mon,” Dazai kept trying to get him to go back.
“She’s sleeping all the time, cats sleep more than people do. So, since I’m just finishing up breakfast, let’s eat,” Chuuya took a step over to grab two plates from the cabinet.
Pouting, Dazai let go and went to sit on the sofa. If he had to stay awake, he was going to eat on a comfy seat. Chuuya walked over and set the plates on the coffee table. Sitting down, he leaned against Dazai’s shoulder, and gave his boyfriend a soft smile.
Reaching out to get their plates from the table, both of them ate in silence, only broken by the sound of chewing, and Cocoa leaving their bed. Coming out to join them on the couch. Dazai ended up petting her while eating, happy to entertain the cat.
Then, once they finished eating, Chuuya took the plates to clean them off, while Dazai went to get dressed for their excursion. He brought Cocoa with him, as a helper in choosing what to wear for the day. Placing the charcoal coloured cat on the bed as he went over to the drawer his skirts were placed in the night before.
“What should I wear today?” Dazai mumbled to himself, looking between his skirts in thought.
After a few moments, he pulled out a long, beige skirt. Slipping off his current skirt, he stepped into the beige one. It went down to just above his ankles, and he slid on some dark grey socks to cover the last bit of visible bandages on his legs. Then he returned to the closet, trying to decide on a shirt for the day.
Looking between the shirts, he pulled out a light grey turtleneck sweater. It was warmer than most of his shirts, and covered up all his bandages, which was nice when he didn’t feel like drawing attention to himself. Just as he was pulling the turtleneck on, Chuuya walked into the bedroom.
“You look comfy,” he commented, glad to see Dazai dressed in a relaxed outfit.
“And you look like you should be cold,” Dazai quipped back.
Chuckling a bit, Chuuya walked over beside him to choose his own outfit for the day, “Do you have any suggestions?”
Surprisingly, Dazai grabbed the pair of black jeans that Chuuya didn’t wear often, and handed it to him. “You should wear these, since you look nice in them.”
“Aw, thanks,” Chuuya teased, knowing that the compliment had been sincere.
“Shut up and find a shirt to wear,” he mumbled, walking over to the bed to flop down face first.
That just made Chuuya laugh more, seeing Cocoa climb on top of Dazai. The cat kneaded his back, and then walked in a circle, before laying down. Seeing that a nap would take place if he didn’t get dressed soon, he picked out a comfortable red button up, and a black leather jacket. Slipping into the clothes, and sending his to the laundry basket using his ability.
“You ready to go?” Chuuya asked, containing a laugh as Dazai turned his head to look at him.
“Cocoa has claimed me as her bed, I am not allowed to move now,” he calmly informed him, turning his head back to have his face pressed into the mattress.
Knowing he wouldn’t be getting anywhere, he scooped the cat off his boyfriend’s back, and placed her on the nearby pillows. “You’re free, so, let’s go.”
Grumbling, Dazai pushed himself up, “That was such a comfy position, I just want to melt into the bed now.”
“Time to get up, you silly Mackerel,” Chuuya scooped Dazai into his arms, hearing a small squeak of surprise.
“Put me down, bad dog, bad!” he kicked his legs, trying to be fussy enough that Chuuya would put him back in their bed.
However, he was unlucky, as Chuuya knew he’d do something like that. Being carried to the front door, and then placed on the mat that was for wiping their shoes off. He whined, and crossed his arms, but didn’t do anything to try going back to bed.
Which left Chuuya to pick out their shoes for the day. Getting his own black ankle boots out, and then Dazai’s dark brown ones. He managed to not glare at the heel of the boots, knowing that Dazai had heels on his just to be even taller purely out of gremlin energy.
“Put your shoes on, so we can go,” Chuuya ordered him, as he slipped his own shoes on.
“Fine, but I want crab for dinner since you’re making me go out so early in the day,” he demanded in return, picking up the shoes to put them on.
Sighing, he knew he had to give in, or else they wouldn’t be out of the house for at least another hour, “Alright, but I’m choosing the way I cook it.”
A smile stretched across Dazai’s face, and it was obvious he was holding back from yelling in excitement. It was a once every week or two that he got it, so Chuuya wouldn’t get completely sick of crab. The older wasn’t the biggest fan of crab, but could handle it every few weeks. All the joy that Dazai got from having a home cooked crab based meal was worth it.
Stepping out the front door, Chuuya locked it, making sure he had his keys and wallet on him before closing the door. As they left, Dazai’s hand found its way into his, and he wasn’t going to complain. Going downstairs to the parking garage, to get the car for their trip, so they wouldn’t have to lug however many bags of clothing they buy home.
Upon reaching the parking garage, Chuuya pressed the button on his car key to unlock the doors. Dazai ran around to the passenger side, and pulled open the door, hopping into the seat. When he wasn’t complaining about having to be awake so early, he was sort of excited. Buying new skirts, dresses, and a few tops to go with them had been something he’d been wanting to do for a while.
“Chibi! Let’s go,” he whined, ready to leave.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Chuuya yelled, pulling open his door.
Taking a look at Dazai, he huffed a sigh, with a smile on his face, “No need to get fussy.”
He kept pouting, “I’m not fussy, you’re just being slow.”
“Of course, how foolish of me to think that you could ever be fussy,” he sarcastically teased.
“How rude of you, treating your lovely boyfriend like a child,” Dazai dramatically exclaimed.
Chuuya slid into his seat, slamming the door behind him, “You can’t deny that you act like a child sometimes.”
He knew Chuuya was right, but didn’t want to admit it out loud. So, he stayed silent, while his boyfriend laughed at his refusal to agree. The silence almost confirmed that Dazai was just against admitting he was wrong. He was rather stubborn, after all.
As he started the car, he handed his phone to Dazai, to pick the music for the drive. Seeing him light up at being given control over the tunes, something Chuuya rarely allowed. Most of the time it was because he’d found a new song he really liked, and would play it on repeat until Chuuya was contemplating running them off the road to make it stop.
This time, Dazai put on some music he knew they’d both enjoy, and didn’t try to purposefully annoy Chuuya. Instead, sitting quietly, and staring out the window at the places and people they were passing by. Wondering where they were going to shop for new clothes.
The drive was longer than Dazai had expected, spending nearly half an hour driving, only to pull up to a small mall in a nearby town. Shopping in the city was a bad idea in Chuuya’s opinion. There were a lot of people, both of them knew there who might see them. While that was normally okay, for this specific day, he didn’t want to run into anyone.
It was quite obvious to him that Dazai didn’t like having to explain why he liked wearing skirts, so he made sure that the risk of needing to explain was much lower. Sure, they may get some weird looks, but Chuuya knew it was the better option.
The mall they were at was mostly filled with clothing stores, and would make finding what they were there for a bit easier. Putting the car into park, Chuuya watched Dazai hop out. His skirt lifted slightly, getting caught on the seat, but he pulled it off, letting it lay loosely around his legs.
Chuuya only stared for a moment, before looking away, pulling his keys out, and sliding them into his jacket pocket. Exiting the car, he locked the doors, and then closed his door, going around to the other side to join Dazai. The brunette happily grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers.
“So, you have any recommendations on which shop we go to first?” Dazai asked.
“They’re all pretty good in terms of quality of clothes, so we can go into whatever one you please,” Chuuya responded as they entered the mall.
Looking around the mall, Dazai decided to enter a store whose sign was in bright pink. The dresses all looked pretty, and he wanted to check it out. Chuuya followed him, glancing around the shop, there were a lot of bright colours, which he doubted would be his boyfriend’s style.
Meandering around the store, Dazai would reach out and touch a dress, skirt or top he thought looked pretty. Picking some up, and crinkling his face in disgust at the texture of others. The pickiness he was exhibiting meant Chuuya was starting to pick up on what he liked and didn’t.
The small collection in Dazai’s arms eventually got to the point where he was asking Chuuya to carry some too. After some time, he ended up going over to the dressing rooms where it all could be tried on. Stepping into a small room with half of the clothes, Dazai picked through them for what he wanted to try on first.
Turning the lock mechanism to closed, he slipped off his skirt, and slid on a pastel yellow skirt in its place. Spinning around a little bit, a feeling of joy fell upon him, which had happened when he got his first skirt too. Excited, he stepped out of the changing room to show off the skirt to Chuuya.
“Look, don’t I look amazing?” his face showed just how much fun he was having, and Chuuya smiled at him.
“You do,” he quietly told him, knowing that the way he said that would fry Dazai’s brain for a bit.
He was right, the cool tone, with soft admittance had flustered Dazai. Stepping back into the change room to try on another skirt, fingers fumbling slightly as he thought about how Chuuya spoke to him. The executive’s words had always had some power over him, whether it be positive or negative.
Stepping out of the current skirt, and into another, he wondered if he’d keep getting complements from his boyfriend. Kind words always caused him to be extremely flustered, or caught off guard, but he loved it. Being told something positive made a part of him elated.
For the next few minutes, he would step in and out of the dressing room, spinning and showing off whatever dress, or skirt and shirt he had put on. Chuuya would make a comment about each one, telling Dazai if it suited him or not. Most got a positive response, as the brunette mostly knew what he liked when he picked them out. A few got put directly into the ‘no’ pile without him even stepping out to show Chuuya.
The texture on the inside was unpleasant against the few spots of uncovered skin, and he knew he’d never wear them. Some disappointed him, since he liked the look, but the feel ruined it. He wished to find a better version at another store, and was planning to keep an eye out for clothes like the ones he couldn’t get.
Just as he was putting on the last dress, he glanced at himself in the mirror. Despite its colour, he found that he really liked it. Perhaps it was the way it fell over his legs that made him like it so much. He knew he’d never wear it by itself, as the dark colour was too much for him, after he’d finally turned to lighter colours for his wardrobe.
Still, he liked it enough to want to buy it, even if it needed other stuff to go with it. Exiting the dressing room, he didn’t go far enough that the open door wouldn’t hide him. He didn’t want other people to see his legs, even if they were covered in bandages. The short black dress went down to his knees, and he wished he had thought of covering his shoulders in bandages too.
Chuuya’s eyes widened at the sight of Dazai in an outfit that didn’t cover him like the other dresses, skirts and shirts he’d tried on. The dresses being long, with sleeves that covered his shoulders, and the skirts going down to the ankles or a little above. The colour was also surprising, he hadn’t picked out any other black clothes so far.
“The colour isn’t exactly my style, but I sort of like it, just would need some other things to go with it,” Dazai tried to explain, feeling a bit awkward.
“You look nice in it, but I do see what you mean. You are usually a lot more covered up. I’m sure we can find something nice to go with that somewhere around here,” Chuuya assured him.
Nodding, Dazai reentered the dressing room, and slide the dress off, and his skirt back on, before pulling his turtleneck over his head. Seeing that his outfit was as it should be, he opened the door and carried the pile of skirts, shirts and dresses he was getting out. The no pile was picked up by Chuuya, when he saw that Dazai was back in his own clothes. He put it in the bin, where it said to put clothes that weren’t being bought.
Then, together, they made their way to the cashier and put down the pile of clothes. The woman gave them a look, but rang through each article of clothing, and put them into bags. Once all the clothes were in the bags, Chuuya paid.
Scooping up the bags, Dazai practically power walked out of the store. Behind him, Chuuya ran to catch up, realizing his partner was trying to get out of there fast. He couldn’t blame him, since the woman had been giving them a dirty look, likely for the fact that some of Dazai’s features made it a bit obvious he was a man, who was wearing what was usually viewed as women's clothing.
When Chuuya caught up, he took a few bags from his partner. Being the beanpole he is, there wasn’t a lot of muscle on him. Just enough to fight back if he needed to, since being a detective wasn’t always a peaceful job.
“How about we go into another store? I’m sure we can find some leggings, and perhaps a sweater, or top to cover your shoulders for that dress you got,” Chuuya suggested, trying to get both of their minds off the rude woman.
“Yeah, that’d be nice. Maybe we’ll find something really nice that I just have to get,” Dazai smiled weakly at him.
Nodding along, Chuuya gently took Dazai’s hand in his own, and led his boyfriend into the next store. It had a good mix of clothes, with both light and dark colours lining the walls, and shelves. The sight of clothes brought Dazai forward, going deeper into the store to find what he was looking for. He’d gotten a good selection of dresses and skirts, but he wanted tops to go with them.
In usual Dazai fashion, he found something ridiculous that he just needed to have. It was a simple-knitted sweater, light blue in colour, but in had crab designs all over. As soon as he saw it, he started looking for his size. The fabric felt nice against his fingers, and it was perfect in his mind.
“Seems we found something perfect for you, Mackerel. It’s as crab-ish as can be,” Chuuya joked, knowing he’d be seeing his partner in the crab sweater a lot after they buy it.
“It has crabs on it! Of course it’s perfect,” Dazai exclaimed, excitement overriding his instinct to not be too loud.
It was obvious he was dead set on getting it, hugging the fabric to his chest. Knowing that was one item down, Chuuya turned to look around for more things, spotting an orange cardigan which he thought would look good with the black dress from earlier. He picked it up, and walked back to his boyfriend.
“I think you’d look good in this,” the redhead commented, holding the cardigan up to him.
Dazai hummed in thought, “Probably, I’ll have to try it on first.”
Chuuya smirked, “Of course, you have to fit in it and like it before we buy it. No sense buying something you don’t like, and will never wear.”
“Yeah, gotta find the best of the best clothes,” he joked in return.
They continued to look around the store, and picked up quite a few different cardigans, and some tops. Adding some more button-ups, turtlenecks, and long sleeve shirts to the mix. Many were picked because Dazai thought they’d look good with something he’d already got.
However, during that time he kept eyeing a certain summer dress he saw. It had spaghetti shoulder straps, was light and airy looking. A white dress with tropical forest floral patterns, it looked to go to knee height on him. Dazai didn’t pick it up, since he doubted he’d ever wear it. The thin straps not doing much for coverage, even if he wore something over it, he’d still have too much exposed skin.
So he left it, and finished grabbing what he wanted to try on, unaware that Chuuya had noticed him eyeing the dress. Dazai knew he had to try all the tops on, and decided he’d just stay in the dressing room, as they weren’t as exciting as the skirts and dresses from earlier. Which gave Chuuya the chance to slip off and pick up the dress he’d been eyeing earlier. Buying it quickly, and sliding it into the bottom of one of the bags of clothes they already bought.
When he came back, and sat down, Dazai was still in the dressing room. It meant he hadn’t got caught, and the surprise dress would still be a surprise. Inside, he could hear the rustling of fabric, and could only imagine how beautiful Dazai looked at that moment.
Eventually, the shirts had been tried on, with most being something he wanted to get. However, before Chuuya could get Dazai to bring them to the counter, so he could pay, a mischievous grin broke out on the brunette’s face. All the things that could possibly happen, and go wrong, went through Chuuya’s mind.
“Chibi, I had an idea. You’ve not tried on anything today, and sure, you could say we’re just out to get stuff for me. However, I would really like to see you try on, say… a dress?” Dazai suggested, seeing the relief of minimal mischief on his lover’s face.
“Fine, we’re buying those first, though. Then, you can get me to try on whatever it is you have decided you must see me in,” Chuuya didn’t want to fight it, since it was harmless enough.
Handing over all the shirts to Chuuya, Dazai ran off to another part of the store to grab the dress he wanted to see his partner in. Chuuya chuckled to himself as he handed the clothes to the cashier, knowing that he was going to be put in something that his partner likes. He knew it would probably be something a bit more of the dramatically fancy side, or at least more than what Dazai was getting. The clothing for Dazai was meant to be comfortable, since he’d be wearing it.
Just as he finished paying, he heard the fast approaching footsteps, and turned to see Dazai holding a dark blue dress. Smiling, he picked up the new bags, and made his way over to the dressing rooms. Setting them all down by the dressing room, he grabbed the dress Dazai was holding out and went in.
Dazai was beyond excited as he stared at the door of the dressing room. Seeing Chuuya in a dress was something he’d been curious about earlier while picking out dresses and skirts for himself. His boyfriend was always wearing button-ups and either jeans or dress pants, alongside some sort of jacket or overcoat. It was his style, in a way, keeping to the same thing every day.
To see Chuuya in comfy clothes was one thing, but a dress was something else entirely. This particular one ended at his ankles, and was a material reminiscent of jeans. It was navy blue, with sleeves, and buttons up the front, a belt of the same colour as the dress stitched into the fabric at the waist.
When Chuuya stepped out of the dressing room in it, cheeks tinted with blush, Dazai was amazed. He doubted most people could pull off the look, but the colour looked good on Chuuya, and complimented his eyes. With a pleased smile, he turned his boyfriend towards the nearest mirror.
“You look amazing! I should have started to make you try stuff on with me earlier,” Dazai remarked, beaming.
“No thanks, I think this is enough. Sure, I look good in it, I look good in everything. You know I look good in everything, so, I don’t need to be showing off, when we’re here for you to get new clothes, and look cute,” Chuuya proclaimed, a small smile pulling his lips upwards.
That made Dazai sputter, “Cute?! You think I’m cute?”
Turning to return to the dressing room, he simply replied, “Of course, sometimes you’re annoying and cute, and other times, cute and smart.”
Chuuya closed the door before Dazai could respond. It was rare to get the brunette to give out compliments, so to get one had flustered him, and he was trying to brush it off. Pulling the dress off, he put his own clothes back on. He’d only unbuttoned the first few buttons of his shirt, so there weren’t many to button back up.
Stepping out of the dressing room, pleased to be back in his own clothes, Chuuya noticed that Dazai was waiting for him. Smirking at his partner, he walked over, and wrapped his arms around him. It wasn’t unusual for him to turn the clingy, and romantic behaviour back on Dazai, but he loved the reaction he got every time.
Dazai’s face lit up with blush at the public display of affection that his partner didn’t show often. He mostly stuck to handholding, over hugs, kisses, and other extravagant affection actions. The brunette was the one who openly showed affectation, not Chuuya.
“I think it’s nearly lunch time Mackerel, we should go get something to eat,” Chuuya whispered to him, close enough that he didn’t need to speak louder to be heard.
“Mhm, got it, where are we going?” Dazai quickly asked, still flustered.
Humming in thought, the redhead released his partner from his hold before answering, “The food court should be on the floor above this. We’ll go there, get lunch, and then you can decide if there are any other shops you want to go to before we go home.”
Nodding in agreement, Dazai stood beside Chuuya who was picking up all the bags. They wouldn’t hold hands on their way to the food court, so Chuuya could use his ability. Even he didn’t like carrying loads of heavy bags around, the weight always was hard on the joints of his fingers, where it all ended up.
Exiting the store, Dazai was practically skipping along beside Chuuya. There was an amused smile on the executive’s lips, glad to see his partner happy, and carefree. He wished he could hold his hand while using his ability, but knew that it was impossible.
Making their way to the escalator that would take them upstairs, Dazai began humming. It was obvious he was having a good time, usually he just enjoyed spending Chuuya’s money on random things. However, he also loved to spend time with his boyfriend, and he was glad that he could have more clothes he liked. His overall mood was far better than it was any other day.
When they got to the escalator, Chuuya stepped on first, and then after a few steps had risen, Dazai got on behind him. He wanted to avoid touching him, and making all the bags fall. They get to the next floor quickly enough, and Dazai almost trips, stepping off the escalator. He hears a soft chuckle, and knows his boyfriend is laughing at his clumsiness.
“Shush,” he grumbles, only receiving another, louder laugh in return.
Walking side by side, they arrive at the food court, and find it’s not very busy. It was a bit after lunch time, so any crowds that may have formed were gone. Leaving most places with little to no lines.
“Since you get to choose dinner, I’m choosing lunch, and I say we go for some sushi,” Chuuya declared, leaving no room for argument.
“Fine, I guess I can settle for sushi,” Dazai grumbled, having wanted to get something sweet.
Going to the nearest vendor, Chuuya ordered for them, getting Dazai to carry the food to where they’d be sitting. He set it on a nearby table, and then sat in the chair closest to himself. Watching as Chuuya set down the bags by their feet, underneath the table.
“Can we get something sweet after this?” Dazai asked, looking hopeful.
“Sure, but I don’t want you eating too many sweets. I want you to be able to have supper at a reasonable time. We’re not eating late just because you ate too many sweets,” Chuuya told him, knowing they’d probably be bringing home plenty of sweets for later.
Nodding, he agreed with Chuuya, since he was still looking forward to having crab for supper later. Even with a slight love for sweets, he would never let that overpower his love for crab.
Picking up a piece of sushi with his chopsticks, he popped it in his own mouth. Then, Dazai turned his attention to Chuuya, who seemed to be enjoying his own food. Grabbing another piece of sushi, he held it out to his boyfriend, who gave him an amused look, before taking the whole thing into his mouth.
He would have been smirking, if not for the fact that he was chewing. But, he returned the favour, taking a piece of his own sushi, and holding it out to Dazai. Being the fool he was, he looked like he was contemplating taking the food, before grabbing it quickly.
Chuuya snorted at the sight, “Dumbass, eat like a normal person. Fucking fool.”
“Such a rude chibi,” Dazai pouted dramatically.
“Do you want sweets or not?” Was all that had to be said to make him cooperate.
“Of course I want sweets,” he frowned, putting a piece of sushi in his mouth, “but I’d also like my boyfriend to be sweeter.”
A chopstick poked him in the throat threateningly, “I’d be sweeter if you didn’t try to get on my nerves.”
Dazai sighed, “How else am I supposed to have fun without bugging you a little?”
“Bug your coworkers, they’re less likely to make you sleep on the floor,” Chuuya flatly replied.
With another sigh, Dazai gave up on conversation, knowing the sleep on the floor comment was a warning. He’d rather cuddle his slug, over sleep on the floor, where he could get stepped on easily if Chuuya didn’t pay attention. It was likely Chuuya would intentionally step on him, just because he can.
Shoving the last few bits of sushi into his mouth, Dazai stood up, “Sweets time!”
A fondly exasperated sigh escaped Chuuya as he ate his last bite of food, “Alright, but you’re carrying some of these.”
Picking up a few bags, Dazai waited for Chuuya to grab the rest. Then, despite how difficult it was while carrying bags, he held his hand and dragged him over to a nearby vendor that was selling sweets. Dazai ordered quite a few different things, which he planned to snack on over the week.
He was given his snacks in a bag, which he put inside one of the bags of clothes he was already carrying. Then, since he knew Chuuya had already handled paying, he started strolling away. Knowing that he was being followed closely, Dazai smiled happily.
“C’mon, let’s go home and enjoy some sweets before you make us a yummy crab dinner,” Dazai happily exclaimed.
“Sure, whatever you say, Mackerel,” Chuuya sighed, glad that his partner was enjoying himself.
Making their way downstairs, and to the exit, Chuuya was glad to be going home. As much as he enjoyed seeing Dazai act foolish and excited, he also liked the idea of spending his time off at home. Heading outside, they walked over to the car, where Chuuya had to use his ability to get the keys out of his pocket.
Unlocking the car, he threw the bags in the backseat, watching as Dazai followed suit, only being gentle with the bag that held the sweets. Then they both went to sit in the front seats, after closing the doors to the backseat. Chuuya made sure that Dazai put on his buckle, knowing the other sometimes like the danger of going without it. Pleased that they were both secured, he started up the car, and began their drive home.
Dazai stayed quiet on the way home, staring out the window as they made their way back to Yokohama. The shopping trip had been fun, but he was looking forward to putting on one of his new outfits, and lounging on the couch, eating sweets. Maybe Cocoa would even join him, he enjoyed petting the small cat.
Before he knew it, they were pulling into the parking for the apartment building. Yawning, he stretched, unbuckled himself from his seat, and got out of the car. Chuuya found the setting in of tiredness cute, as it wasn’t often Dazai was actually sleepy, as insomnia seemed to be something he was cursed with most nights.
Not bothering to make Dazai grab anything, Chuuya used his ability to pick all the bags up, and walked over to the elevator that would take them up to their floor. Dazai just followed along, standing a bit away in the elevator, which luckily had no one else on it the whole ride up. Then, as they reached the door to their apartment, Chuuya tossed the keys over to his partner, who barely caught them.
When the door was unlocked and swung open, an excited cat ran over to greet them. Cocoa meowed, and pawed at their shoes, while they took them off. Making sure to close the door before their fluff ball realized she could run out.
Chuuya took the bags to the bedroom, but removed the bag of snacks and set it on the counter first. The bags were all set beside the closet, since he knew Dazai would likely want to go through what he got himself. All the clothes could be put away later, after they’ve had a chance to sit down and relax for a bit.
Going back out to the living room, Chuuya couldn’t suppress a laugh at the sight of Dazai laying on the floor, Cocoa sitting on top of him and staring into his eyes. He took out his phone and got a picture, before he got a tired look sent his way.
“She’s trapped me. I sat down to give her pats, and then she stood on me and pawed at my face. So, I laid down, and now she won’t let me get up,” Dazai explained, as if it wasn’t a ridiculous reason to stay laying on the floor.
“Oh, do you want me to pick her up, so you can get up?” Chuuya jokingly asked.
Without any hesitation, he replied with a quick, “No. You can’t move a comfy cat.”
That made Chuuya snort, and start laughing even harder. He knew his boyfriend was silly at times, but this had to be one of his best moments. Dazai loved it when Cocoa cuddled with him, but it only happened when the cat wanted it, so he didn’t get his cuddles all the time. This created a Dazai that would stop whatever he was doing to cuddle the cat, even if he was uncomfortable where he was sitting, or in this case, laying.
Calming his breathing, Chuuya finally managed to ask, “So, what sort of crab dish do you want for supper?”
“Crab cakes, with more crab on the side,” he blurted out, wanting to make sure that he got what he wanted.
“You can have crab cakes, but I don’t think we have enough crab to have extra on the side,” he informed him, fully knowing they had enough for that, he just didn’t want to make two kinds of crab.
Dazai whined, “I thought we had lots. Do we have to go out and get more?”
Chuuya was tempted to tell him he eats too much crab, but he held off, “I’ll pick some up after work next week.”
“Alright…” it was clear from his voice that he was upset about not getting more crab.
The crab wasn’t even getting made until later, but Dazai already seemed to want as much as possible. Of course, he wasn’t going to stay on the floor for much longer, as Cocoa jumped off him and walked away. He was finally able to get up, and he walked over and hugged Chuuya.
“Let’s go get into some comfy clothes, cause you seem pretty tired,” Chuuya murmured, tucking a strand of hair behind Dazai’s ear.
He didn’t complain, following along willingly as he was led to their bedroom. Both of them sat on the floor by the closet, and Chuuya started pulling clothes out of the bags, feeling a head rest on his shoulder. Waiting for Dazai to say what he wanted to wear.
When he pulled out the crab sweater from earlier, Dazai pointed at it, and it was set behind them, so he could wear it. Then Chuuya returned to picking out clothes from the bags, placing skirts and dresses to the side. All the tops were already automatically going to the side, as a top had already been selected.
Eventually, Chuuya pulled out the dress he’d bought without telling Dazai. He heard the small gasp of surprise, not having expected Chuuya to notice he wanted it. Slowly reaching out, he touched it, and smiled because it felt nice and silky to the touch.
“Thank you,” Dazai whispered, thankful to have a partner who knew what he wanted, even when he wouldn’t indulge himself.
“It’s no problem, I knew you wanted it, but wouldn’t ask for it, so I got it for you,” Chuuya admitted quietly, just how well he knows his partner.
They returned to the quiet after that, looking through the rest of the clothes, before Dazai selected a flowy dark green skirt. Chuuya got up once the selection had been made, and went to get the scissors to remove the tags from the clothing. Coming back into the room, he softly smiled at the sight of Dazai looking sleepy.
Picking up the sweater, and skirt, he removed their tags, before placing them on the bed, “You can get changed now, I’ll get the tags off the rest of these, and put them away.”
He heard a quiet hum of acknowledgement, followed by Dazai standing up and going over to the bed. Throwing his clothes from the day on the floor, so he could pull the new clothes on. As soon as he was done changing, he flopped on the bed, snuggling into the blankets.
Meanwhile, Chuuya was cutting off tags, and then using his ability to fold and put away the new clothes. The dresses had to go on hangers, and made up a section of the closet to themselves. Before, only Chuuya hung his clothes up, but it appeared Dazai’s clothes were finally going to join his own on the hangers.
Once all the clothing was put away, and Chuuya he changed into his own home clothes, he sat down on the bed beside Dazai. The brunette reached out a hand towards him, but made no other move to give away what he wanted. Chuuya laid down beside him, and pulled him into his arms.
“Osamu, we can’t go to bed yet, but you can have a nap. I’ll get you up when it’s time for supper,” Chuuya told him, playing with his hair.
He got a quiet sound of acknowledgement, before he noticed that Dazai was practically asleep already. Chuckling at the sight, he stayed there until he was sure his insomniac of a boyfriend was sound asleep. Then, carefully, he pried himself free, and went to the kitchen.
Putting the sweets from earlier into the fridge, and then pulling out everything he’d need to make crab cakes. Cocoa hugged his ankles, like she was asking for some crab too. Dazai had been the one who really wanted her, and she was technically his cat, so her liking crab too didn’t surprise him. A cat and its owner are rather similar, after all.
It took him a while to make all the crab cakes up, but once he was done, he decided he might as well make some extra crab. There was still nearly an hour until when they would usually have an early supper, and Dazai had only been napping for about an hour. Waking him so soon felt a bit rude, so he decided to do some more cooking, just to surprise him.
It took a little over half an hour for Chuuya to cook some crab legs, since that was what he had bought alongside the canned crab Dazai loves. Then, he prepared the plates, adding some veggies so that it’s not just crab. Chuuya only gave himself a few crab cakes, and crab legs, since he didn’t like them as much.
Dazai’s plate was mostly just crab, with a small bunch of veggies in the corner. Putting both plates on the table, he picked up Cocoa, so she wouldn’t jump up to eat their food, and went to the bedroom. Throwing the cat, so she landed on top of Dazai. The brunette jumped, startled awake from the sudden cat landing on him.
“Time to wake up and have supper,” Chuuya announced, walking over to the bed to pull Dazai up.
“Crab time?” Dazai mumbled, asking for his favourite food.
Huffing a laugh, Chuuya responded, “Yes, crab time. Now get up, we don’t want it to get cold.”
Pulling himself out of bed, Dazai waddled after him, clearly still a bit asleep. Sitting at the table, Chuuya saw how his lover’s eyes widened at the sight of all the crab on his plate. It was basically a dream come true for him.
“I thought we didn’t have any extra crab,” Dazai’s confusion was clear.
Knowing he shouldn’t have lied earlier, Chuuya felt a bit guilty, “I found some more at the back of the fridge.”
That answer seemed to please Dazai, who dug into his crab cakes first. They’d been lightly warmed back up with the oven after the crab legs were done, just so they wouldn’t be cold. Luckily, to the crab eating beast that was Dazai, he didn’t seem to notice or care that they’d been reheated after they cooled down.
Chuuya ate slower than his partner, but enjoyed the food nonetheless, since he knew how to make things hold a decent amount of flavour. Even if it wasn’t a food he enjoyed a lot, he liked making it, solely for the joy it brought Dazai. It sometimes still surprised him, how he’d do things that were just for Dazai, but find joy in the action. He knew that he probably couldn’t figure it out at that moment, so he set it aside for later.
Dazai had nearly finished his crab cakes, and was soon going to be going onto the crab legs, just reaching over to crack the first one open. Only to notice Chuuya staring at him.
“You have to eat your vegetables too, Mackerel,” Chuuya lightly scolded him.
“But they aren’t as tasty, and I just wanted crab tonight,” Dazai whined, not wanting the healthiest things on his plate.
His response was a fond sigh, “Eat those, and I’ll incorporate crab into another dish this week.”
There was a gasp heard from Dazai, followed by the sight of him eat all the vegetables quickly, before going back to his crab legs. Chuuya chuckled a bit at how Dazai was like a picky child, only willing to eat healthy in exchange for a food he wants.
They finished their meal in peace, with Dazai going for his sweets almost immediately after he was done supper. Chuuya just accepted it and finished his own food, before rinsing off the plates to clean properly later. Before going to see where Dazai disappeared off to with a bag of sweets.
He found him snacking on some taiyaki, and looking at the dresses that had been bought earlier. Especially the one Chuuya had bought without telling him. It seemed he couldn’t stop staring at it.
“What’re you up to?” he inquired.
“I kind of want to try on some right now, but I’m not sure,” Dazai quietly admitted.
Chuuya hugged him, “You should, and I can sit on the bed and tell you how pretty you look.”
That made him flustered, but he nodded, “Okay, I will.”
Letting him go, Chuuya went over to the bed and sat down, watching as Dazai pulled out one of the many dresses he’d gotten. It was dark purple, flowy, long, and covered his shoulders, much like a t-shirt. Removing his comfy clothes he’d slept in, he put on the dress, and did a little twirl.
“That one looks wonderful on you, who knew purple was your colour?” Chuuya asked a rhetorical question, simply because he wished they had more purple things to put Dazai in.
“Purple does look nice, and this dress is really comfy. Maybe I’ll wear it on our next dinner date?” Dazai suggested, and Chuuya liked the idea, fully prepared to plan a date soon.
However, he moved on quickly, and before Chuuya could tell him they could go out some time during his short time off, Dazai was pulling out another dress. It was the one Chuuya got him. He seemed a bit nervous about putting it on, despite the fact that Chuuya had seen him in various states of undress.
Pulling off the purple dress, he put on the white and floral one. The material was as comfortable as he expected, and even though it barely brushed his knees, it was still very flowy. Dazai could feel his shoulders get cold from being uncovered, and he reached back into the closet for one of the cardigans they’d gotten. Using a light grey one to cover his shoulders and arms.
“C’mere ‘samu,” Chuuya called for him, and he came over.
Sitting on the bed with him, he let warm arms bring him closer, to hold him, “You look very nice, and I hope some day you’ll feel comfortable enough to wear clothes like this without feeling the need to cover up.”
“It’s scary, being so exposed,” Dazai whimpered, leaning as close as possible.
Shushing him, Chuuya tried to comfort him, “I know, but it’s okay to be scared. Wearing clothes that show parts of you that you like to hide isn’t easy, but I’m certain you can do it. Even if it’s just at home.”
The reassurance made him feel better, but he decided he was done trying things on for the time being. Carefully pulling away from Chuuya, he picked up his skirt and sweater, and removed the dress and cardigan. Putting the comfortable clothes back on, to feel more secure.
“It’s been a long day, so, how about we cuddle on the couch and watch cheesy movies until we’re tired?” Chuuya suggested, picking up one of Dazai’s favourite blankets from their bed to bring with.
“I’d like that,” Dazai mumbled, following Chuuya to the living room.
Both of them sat on the couch, using the remote on the coffee table to select a movie. Chuuya laid back on the couch, while Dazai leaned against him, resting his head against the redhead’s chest. The blanket was laid over both of them, as a chick flick was put on the TV.
It was bound to be ridiculous, and make both of them laugh, which was just what Dazai needed when he was feeling insecure. So, they cuddled up, and began a night of binging movies until long after the sun had set.