Archive of Our Own ^beta

"A black coffee and a cappuccino, please."

Kunikida asked as he placed the exact amount of cash on the small tray on the counter. The barista smiled a little and Kunikida left the line before the money could even be regarded, trusting the workers to do her job well. Instead, he began looking around for his idiot partner.

A thud and screech of a chair against the flooring made it very obvious where that man was. Kunikida didn’t know what happened, but was already utterly displeased because: 1. It was probably Dazai's fault. 2. He was actively ruining the Agency's reputation and 3. That man will never apologize and it will be Kunikida who smoothed everything over.

And he wasn't wrong. Dazai was on one knee before a pretty-looking lady towering over him. Unlike him, who seemed absolutely comfortable in his position, sparkles of enjoyment flying off of him, she was red-faced, flustered and angry, shoulders tense and hands scrunched up into fists.

"How… how…!" She stuttered out, wide and shocked eyes staring at Dazai, who did not even blink, just continued to beam with excitement from, probably, another offer of suicide. She stomped her foot in anger and stormed out, forgetting her half-drunk coffee right on the table. The only response from the idiot that caused this scene? A theatrical frown and a wave to the woman.

"Dazai…" Kunikida growled, sighing right after in cold disappointment. He looked back at the woman that just left and then at his partner, who was now sitting at the table she just occupied, stretching out a gangly, bandaged arm to the seat across in an invitation.

"I got us a table." He sounded far too excited. Though, it was a nice little table by the window with plenty of natural light, soft cushioning on the pair of chairs. Though, mind you, the café isn't so packed that anyone would need to use those kinds of methods to 'find a table'. There were plenty!… just not window ones.

"You could have taken any. other. table." Kunikida argued, though slid onto the chair across from Dazai, with a glance checking on the counter to see if their coffee were ready.

"Just say that you were jealous of me flirting with that lady." Dazai teased, leaning in on his elbows and placing his head atop his intertwined fingers. Kunikida huffed loudly at the comment, turning away, but he couldn't escape the faint warmth of blush upon his cheeks.

"I have enough heart attacks on a daily basis, thank you, Dazai." He said it far too loudly and with unneeded emphasis which only dug his grave. Dazai's grubby hands crawled their way up to Kunikida’s, taking one. The brown eyes across the table gave their best puppy look, a sad, begging one. As if Dazai could be truly remorseful for something he enjoyed so much…

"Oh, have I hurt Kunikida-kun that badly?" The patronizing tone quickly morphed into a teasing and sly one as Dazai brought Kunikida hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

The instant that happened, Kunikida pulled his hand away. Dazai's lips were on fire and he felt he was just burned. He stared at his partner wide-eyed, the cogs in his head misfiring and his brain taking far too long to process what just happened. Dazai giggled in response, before glancing away and standing.

As he went off to grab their coffee, Kunikida could only feel the extreme heat of soft lips on the back of his hand. He rubbed it, trying to clean it or bury the feeling deeper under his skin.

They didn't speak of it at all. Kunikida kind of hoped Dazai would forget about it all together.

Like any day mostly spent at the office, Kunikida's hours were filled with documents: checking them, filing them, forcing people to sign them. It wouldn't seem like a lot of work, at first, but when you have a lot of detectives, half of which are children and the other half not really wanting to do anything, it piled up.

He was hidden now behind a wall of paper, the fountain pen scratching against another report. With a swift twist of his wrist, it was signed and a big chunk of his own paperwork was done. Kunikida could only look up with dread and exhaustion at the next stack containing documents that had to be fixed or just Dazai's workload.

He grabbed the page before him and moved it away to the 'done' stack as a sharp, prickly pain struck his finger. He glanced at the palm of his hand to see a white papercut crossing his pointer finger just below a bend. It took everything in Kunikida not to be annoyed at this little inconvenience. This couldn't impact his work, no way hell.

He managed to contain himself and only let out a frustrated sigh. Standing, he strolled to the infirmary to get a bandaid to cover the damned cut so it wouldn't catch on things and bother him for the rest of the day. That would distract him from work, an unacceptable deed (and yet he still let so many things distract him). He looked back tentatively at the paper tower of his demise and sighed again.

Kunikida knocked on the door and, getting no response, poked his head in. Clean desk, drawn divider curtains, empty chair. Yosano was gone without a trace. And that was what he meant by 'no one wanting to do documentation'...

Fortunately for Kunikida, he knew well where everything was placed, he was the one helping organize and clean this place on a monthly basis, after all. He moved to a drawer in the desk, ready to open it, before something moved in his periphery.

"Kunikida-kun?" And Kunikida would assure you he stayed absolutely calm and didn't yelp like a hurt dog, absolutely not, never in his life.

"Dazai?!?" He screamed back now, looking at the head of messy and partially matted brown hair that poked out from behind the curtains. "What are you doing here?!"

"Napping." Dazai drawled, a sleepy, yet still sly smile made its way onto his face just before he yawned like a kitten. He was being far too adorable for such a menace. And yet Kunikida could relax back down a little, knowing that the scare wasn't a ghost or a mafia member.

"Why aren't you working?" Kunikida questioned, trying to put on a brave face, opening the drawer and getting the small adhesive bandage out of a pack.

"I'm following the lead of my seniors, Kunikida-kun!" Dazai chirped, leaving the confines of the curtain to step up next to his partner and block the light. He cocked his head to the side as Kunikida side-eyed him.

"Aw, did little Kunikida-kun get a little papercut?" Dazai's voice was babying him very obviously, even smudging up the 't's into weeping parodies of a 'w'. Kunikida could only roll his eyes at such a display.

"I am done with you, Dazai, go back to sleep." Kunikida growled trying to tear the little paper off the bandaid and not get it stuck to the desk at the same time. Normally, he was much more efficient with them. The universe seemed to have other plans smd made his struggle with not sticking the thing itself or the desk's surface.

"Is Kunikida-kun saying that I should nap on the job?" Dazai gasped, feigning shock, before a far too cheerful smile appeared on his face, like Kunikida was freeing him from torture, "the gods must have had mercy on poor little me!"

"If you say little one more time—–" Kunikida growled, but was cut off by a touch against his hand… again.

Dazai took his hand, looking at it carefully and tracing the papercut with cold fingers, making a shiver run down Kunikida's spine. His touch left invisible lines on Kunikida's skin, seering them deep and forcing him to remember the lips on the back of his hand…

It remained firmly as a pleasant memory.

"Yosano-sensei isn't here, so why not do her work for her?" Dazai didn't sound as cunning or sly under the soft, even serene tone; he had nothing of the normal giggle. He retained eye contact as he pressed his lips childishly to the cut, then grabbed the bandaid and with practiced precision placed it in the right spot.

Kunikida just stood there, frozen. His eyes were locked onto Dazai, his world shrunk to the tiny bit of warmth his partner gave. No teasing tone? No laugh at the end? No giggle with that 'got you' smile? No? Who was the man before him and where was the Real Dazai.

"I've finished my work," Dazai yawned and stepped away to the curtains, "I'll go back to sleep." He wandered back toward his resting spot in the cot.

"Hey!" Kunikida's body returned to full function. He grabbed at Dazai's scruff, pulling him back and towards the door into the office. Dazai decided to whine and complain and have a tantrum like a child as he let himself be dragged away.

"You're going to finish your paperwork, you waste of bandages!" Kunikida yelled back.

Until lunch, Dazai whined and pleaded to be let go… of course, he ran away at the first sight of freedom, but his touch and gentle voice and equally gentle eyes stayed with Kunikida and coated his soul with slowly dripping honey.

Dazai didn’t come to work.

That was not a surprise, really. And with this specific day being suddenly packed with new cases and work, Kunikida didn’t have the time to worry. He’d gotten a second to breathe only in the late evening, around dinner time. The only thing he could hope for was that he wouldn’t have to go fishing for Dazai this time, he didn't have enough budgeted away for another dry clean this month.

A couple of long beeps come from the phone as Kunikida took long strides along the pavement, the sound and pauses of silence becoming more and more annoying by the second before—

“Hey…” Dazai’s voice was incredibly quiet and raspy for a man normally so full of jokes and teases. The tone startled Kunikida and forced him to stop right where he was, uneased by all the signs. Did Dazai try to drown himself again? No, then the phone wouldn’t have worked…

“Where are you?” Kunikida had no patience to argue. If that man was going to get sick it would be a problem for everyone and the agency. For him especially because he’ll probably be put on duty to take care of the idiot.

Plus, he needed his partner by his side.

“Oh, Is Kunikida-kun worried?” The laugh sounded uncanny and forced, like something was stuck in Dazai’s throat not letting him sound as natural. “Don’t. I’m perfectly fine.”

“I asked where are you.” Kunikida repeated with a little more emphasis and vigor. Already plotting pit several plans for several possible answers.

“Ah, if you want to know so bad,” Dazai sounded like he was doing Kunikida a favor, “home.”

Good. Now Kunikida could check on him. He would probably need to buy water and something to eat because the only edible things in Dazai’s apartment were alcohol and canned crab. He would probably have to clean the apartment because alcohol left bottles and crab left cans.

“I’ll be there…” Kunikida glanced at the time, “in around 27 minutes.” With that, he ended the call, ignoring the voice from the other side. The next 17 minutes were filled with take out foods from the local grocery shop, water, juices and probably something a little more healthy to eat in the morning. The ten after were dedicated to getting to Dazai’s apartment with a bag of food and drink.

Kunikida knocked several times over the course of the next minute just standing there and waiting for Dazai to open the damn door. The man was inside, he was sure he heard some shuffling, he was just stubborn and not answering.

“I am breaking in if you don’t open the door, Dazai!” The neighbors surely heard that, but Kunikida didn’t have a care in the world. He just needed to confirm his partner wasn't bleeding out on the floor or trying his best to break his neck with the oven door.

Finally, a click from the lock.

Dazai's figure showed up in the doorway, slightly swaying. His eyes stared at Kunikida, yet never caught him, going through his form. He didn't even seem lucid, more likely sleepwalking. The way his shadowed figure looked too thin, like a ghost haunting the apartment… it felt a bit unsettling.

"Dazai, let me in." Kunikida did not expect the softness in his voice, but still appreciated it a little. He didn't know if Dazai could read his intentions through, so this was the happy middle ground. Kunikida being an open book and Dazai not having to try.

"Kunikida-kun is too demanding." The laugh didn't sound any better than on the phone, dry and forced. And yet Dazai did step away and let Kunikida come through.

Plastic bags thundered onto the kitchen floor and Kunikida started to unpack all of them. Colorful fizzy drinks, water, juices, packs of take out, rice, fish, vegetables, even a couple pastries. And, if a certain someone would distribute his take out and food well, the only thing he would need to do for breakfasts, lunches and dinners for the week was cut up some ingredients. Because Kunikida knew better than to shove Dazai into the kitchen. And he knew better than to force Dazai to work.

Today, Kunikida would be gracious. Or, more likely, as sympathetic as he could be. Looking at Dazai just standing in the doorway of the kitchen, he looked a bit drunk and sleepy. His eyes were duller and emptier, begging for something that couldn't be reached. Kunikida decided to be helpful and maybe then some spark will return to his partner's eyes.

It wasn't the healthiest of dinners, but Kunikida knew it was a dinner Dazai would eat. They both sat at the low table, little clicks of their chopstick disrupting the silence. Half of the time, Dazai seemed distant, his eyes not really landing on anything in the room. The other half of the time he was intensely scrutinizing Kunikida’s face. Maybe he was trying to read his intentions or his emotions. Maybe it was something else completely, like trying to psych himself up. At the end of the meal, when both of their bowls were mostly empty and chopsticks were laid down, Dazai did not stop staring.

“Is there… something on my face?” Kunikida finally broke and that brought some awareness to Dazai’s eyes as he straightened and caught his gaze. A spark, an all too familiar demonic little spark, crossed his partner’s face.

“Yeah, come a bit closer.” Dazai chirped. There was finally a little smile on his face. But, Kunikida, the trusting and naive soul he was, like asked, leaned in. “No, no, closer.” Now he was stretched halfway across the table, over food and dirty dishes. By now he was sure Dazai could just brush away whatever it was on his face or, first of all, he should have told him where it was!

Before he could outwardly complain, a bandaged hand brushed against his jaw and passed by, and now Dazai was closer, much closer, then…

A small, slightly damp press of lips against his cheek. The next second, Kunikida's partner was far away, his coy smile in full view, grabbing plates with a clink and trying to walk away.

The kiss stayed as if it was branded into Kunikida's skin, a blooming flower full of warmth and sweet nectar spreading all around his face and head. A little spark of thoughts, butterflies of wishes and memories were warmed out of the icicles of strict ideals. For the first time since the start of this kind of 'flirting', Kunikida had the gut or the wistful thought to follow Dazai with his gaze.

"You know," Kunikida whispered, his voice echoing louder than he intended, "if you continue this, someone will think you're flirting with me." There was just a moment where he glanced at the floor, but that was enough for his partner to change completely.

Dazai blinked owlishly back at him, slowly, like a realization just dawned on him and then… a laugh. A hearty laugh escaped that man, he wasn't even looking at Kunikida anymore, just forward, towards the kitchen. There was irony in that laugh, chuckling at something stupid… and yet a coarse bitterness laid below the last syllables.

The feeling on the kiss in his cheek did not leave Kunikida that evening or the next… it stayed, vibrant and warm in his mind, reminding him of its existence every night just before he fell asleep and each time he glanced across the table while eating dinner…

Sometimes, he got the chance to glance across and see Dazai.

This wasn't good.

They were running through a crumbling building, doing their best to escape both pieces of falling concrete and the barrage of bullets from behind.

All in all, the mission went well. The small criminal group, more like just a pack of thugs, were no match for them. Kunikida had the drive with all the incriminating evidence right in his pocket. But they couldn't predict that a mafia legion would be incredibly mad that they've "taken their kill".

Now this was a race to the finish line. Kunikida dodged and darted around, making himself a harder target. Dazai seemed to have the best time of his life, indicated by his laughter and the teasing the mafia goons got. He even decided to run like a clown and even stop at times! Absolute idiot!

But, quickly, they found themselves with a problem. There was a partially crumbled wall in front of them, blocking their way, and people closing in on them. They had nowhere to go except back.

Rumbling disrupted Kunikida's racing mind and he looked up. Up at the giant, black crack forming in the ceiling, cracking closer and closer to Dazai. And with another crack there was no time to waste.

"Dazai!" Kunikida yelled and darted for his partner. In a flash, he tackled him to the ground, rolling on the jagged concrete, gaining a couple of bruises. A resonating crash burst their eardrums as the piece of rubble fell right behind them. The kicked up concrete dust helped them hide… for now.

"Dazai?" Kunikida coughed, just slightly panicked. His arms were still tightly wound around his partner’s torso, holding onto him for dear life. Dazai was laying right on top of him, his face snug in the crook of his neck and hands holding onto Kunikida's shoulders.

"Oh-ho-ho, Kunikida-kun~," Dazai sang, pushing himself up a little, just so he could continue muttering into Kunikida's ear more comfortably, "I didn't think you were such a pervert, grabbing me and tackling me down… Ah, will you rid me of my innocence~?"

"Wha-what are you even saying, Dazai!? This isn't the time!" Kunikida hissed, his face heating up, but his hands didn't leave their place. He could feel Dazai smile against his skin, not the sly, fake one, but something nicer, warmer, more trusting.

Then he pressed a small kiss to the space where Kunikida's ear met his temple. He didn't know why or what dark magic Dazai was using, but if he was, it was incredibly effective. Kunikida relaxed, even in this situation. His focus was wider and less frantic, his mind whirled quieter and more efficiently. It became a little easier to take in a full breath and the dust didn't seem to bother him that much. Everything seemed a little… better. His partner made everything a little better.

Dazai rose up, grabbing onto Kunikida's shoulders tighter. The smile on that face was unexpectedly warm, almost sympathetic and kind. Eyes that normally portrayed pure hard mahogany now had sweet honey in them. Trust me, they said. And Kunikida was trusting and naive.

With no further confirmation needed, Dazai tilted his weight to the side, rolling away from their safe spot right before another piece on concrete crashed right where they were.

Even though bullets connected with the floor and walls, Kunikida's ears didn't ring. They didn't ring as they left the site, undefeated. They didn't ring with echo of their footsteps in alleyways and empty streets either.

They did when Kunikida touched Dazai, when their eyes met randomly, when he said his goodbyes. And they rang all throughout the night as the phantom pressure of Dazai's body on his stayed, the memory of honey eyes remaining.

Kunikida came home tired and three hours after he was scheduled. He couldn't, in his right mind, call today a good work day. It was long, arduous and… well…

There was a mission. In that mission, an innocent person got maimed and died before Yosano could arrive. They bled out right beside him. Kunikida could still see the fear in their eyes in the darkness behind his eyelids… guess he wasn't sleeping today, huh.

There was only enough energy in him to flip through Ideal as he tried and failed to toe off his shoes without swaying dangerously. When he eventually did get them off, he began analyzing the time he had left in the day for the myriad of things still on his list. No time for preparing meals for tomorrow, a shower could be shortened to 6 minutes 45 seconds, I have to sacrifice reading if I wish to do my skincare…

Everything was a mess and he couldn't get the picture of blood, gore and fear out of his eyes.

Kunikida opted to lay down for just a second, to get some tension out of his muscles, bring back some mental and physical energy. Still in his work clothes, he plopped down onto the rug in the living room, a sitting cushion under his head for the bare minimum of comfort.

At least the ceiling was a light eggshell color. At least he couldn't see blood in it, or faces of people he failed.

He knew he was still in shock, it went that way every time. Numb, tired and his emotions locked away behind a wall right up until he was deep under the covers. Then he would begin to shake and tremble with sobs and the guilt of seeing fearful, blaming eyes in the corners of his vision eating at him. That reminded him of why he usually did not sleep after such missions.

A rustle at the door. Kunikida could barely turn his head to the side to see the hallway leading to it. The door creaked open, a familiar figure stepping into the light of his apartment.

"Oh, I didn't think the high and mighty Kunikida would lay on his rug with his work clothes on." Dazai's voice was barely a whisper. He took a step in, staring with wide eyes at Kunikida. He was quiet, but the silence of the world around them amplified his voice. It made even the smallest breaths sound like earthquakes.

"I'm not into teasing right now, Dazai." Kunikida moved his head to look up at the ceiling again. Maybe it was the best time for Dazai to tease him. He wouldn't really feel anything, just his heart getting heavier and heavier. Nothing he couldn't handle… probably.

Dazai was cruel sometimes. But not this time. The door clicked shut and the lock was closed. Dazai left his shoes by the entrance and walked quietly to Kunikida.

"Those cushions are for sitting, not lying down, Kunikida-kun, " Dazai sounded childishly displeased. To finish his act he even towered over Kunikida, his hands on his hips and tutted. "That won't do."

As Dazai plopped onto the floor and yanked the pillow from under his head, Kunikida only ever wanted him to leave. If—When he was going to break down, he would prefer it to be a one-man affair, no witnesses to his weakness.

Then, Kunikida's head was picked up slightly at layed on something soft and warm. It took him several seconds to realize it was Dazai's lap. He looked up, as surprised as his state allowed, at his partner, honey eyes looking back at him. Warm, shading him away from the harshness of the ceiling lights.

Silence followed. Long, but calm silence. Kunikida swore that Dazai slow-blinked like a cat would do. The atmosphere almost became relaxed, the horrible memories of today forgotten for a second, just before they had to be shoved back inside to where they couldn't show their face on the surface.

Dazai then broke their stare and very deliberately looked away, somewhere to the wall. His hand came down and petted Kunikida's hair, sometimes with his palm, sometimes with his knuckles. It was gentle. And soft. Sometimes laced with acceptance and understanding. Kunikida knew at that moment that Dazai wouldn't leave even if he forced him to, even if he got angry with him amd dragged him out, which he didn't have the energy for.

It felt safe to have someone watching out for him. The given warmth was equal to the one a blanket exhibited, but it was much more cherished. Maybe the safety of Dazai made something in Kunikida break.

And as he tried to shove his shaking hands under his glasses to wipe away tears, Dazai dropped in just in time, picking off his glasses and placing them to the side. He let Kunikida cover his eyes, hide away from the light and him.

Kunikida knew that Dazai wasn't looking. Not in a disgusted way, but in a way he could still feel the presence of someone warm and kind and not the pity that comes with it. He could feel it in the gentle way his partner smoothed out his trembling shoulders and petted his hair away from his forehead. The warmth melted the edges of the horrors in the darkness.

"I'll be here." Dazai whispered after shifting to get closer. Kunikida could feel his breath on his damp cheeks. "I will be here."

He moved the blond hair away for good and pressed a kiss into Kunikida forehead. Something small, almost familial, something that will linger for a long time, or, maybe, forever. Kunikida wanted Dazai to stay that night, but he didn't voice it. His partner knew it anyway.

And whenever he looked back into those eyes, he remembered honey and kisses. He remembered how at his worst, he still had his partner. Something, the same thing that made up the connection and trust between them, told him that Dazai would be calling evening after evening, whining for dinner not just because he wanted to be annoying.

He couldn't see the coldness in those eyes anymore, even when Dazai attempted to be intimidating. For him, he was forever his partner.

The sky turned a graceful peachy color, an invitingly warm glaze of light covering everything. Dazai and Kunikida stood right next to each other almost shoulder to shoulder, on the walkway a story above the ground, watching the sunset reflected in the windows of skyscrapers. The sunlight was still warm, if waning. They bathed in it, like kittens in sunspots, drinking in the spring.

Dazai's gaze was mostly centered on three kids, Atsushi, Kenji and Kyoka, who were sitting on the last couple of steps of the staircase, laughing and eating ice cream. And Kunikida was looking at Dazai.

He noticed the faintest of smiles on his partner’s face and honey eyes looking down at the peaceful, happy moment. It was just a tiny spark of genuine happiness in his partner, but it was there, absolutely invaluable gift to the world. That moment of a slight breeze in the cool spring day alit with a radiant sunset might have been the best moment of Kunikida's life.

He liked seeing the spark of happiness in Dazai's eyes. He liked when his partner looked at the children and he could read the calm in him, the gentle serenity. The recently returned swallow singing, the air smelling of salt and new grass and cherry blossoms. Kunikida's chest felt warm and full, emotions trying to leak out from the inside like sap or honey. Sweet and viscous and filling and… he didn't have words for this.

Kunikida's body wanted to do something, because if he didn't, that fuzzy warmth, that insulation fluff, would burst out by itself. He tried his best to keep it in, but couldn't. A smile broke his calm expression.

If he could bottle this evening: the laughter, the ice cream, the serene smile of his partner and his own emotions, he would. He would put it up somewhere he would always see and, on nights when he was tired and empty, he would look at it and remind himself that this was his Ideal. Dazai standing beside him with a smile and children laughing without fear and anxieties tying them down.

Kunikida couldn't look away from Dazai. There was a magnetism to him. When his gaze veered off, it would quickly return to his partner just standing there, not doing anything. Maybe even feeling this moment the same way as he did. It was this stupid, lovely thing he'd like to find a word to that would encompass the comfort and warmth that it entailed. This feeling was dragging him back, reminding him why, why he did all of this, ever. Why he and others suffered and fought and got wounded. So Kunikida could feel this. So many more people could feel this. So Dazai could feel this.

Then, Dazai turned to him. His eyes were melting pots full copper and honey watching him carefully with the same gentleness that the sunset gave. Something that let Kunikida breathe with his full chest. The cool air calmed his senses, relaxed the burned muscles and broke down the walls that kept his emotions locked away.

"Dazai…" Kunikida whispered out and Dazai seemed to brighten up, his eyes darting around from his eyes to the rest of his face. Whatever excited and childish thing lived within Kunikida tickled his insides. He tilted his head to the side, a smile breaking out wider.

Kunikida leaned a little closer, bathing in affection the world gave him. Dazai seemed so close, one breeze would make their bodies meet, forcing an exchange of warmth. Kunikida didn't mind. Maybe, he would start it this time.

He pressed the smallest, lightest kiss into the corner of Dazai's lips. He would look away to the glints of the disappearing sun in the skyscrapers, breathing in the fresh air made even better by the release of part of his emotion, giving away part of the heat that softly invaded his being.

Gentle birdsong and wind was the background melody to their comfortable silence. Dazai didn't speak for a while, the only voice being the children laughing at the bottom of the stairs.

Kunikida expected the action to be ignored, shoved down like any other action like this.

"If…" a whisper in the wind of Dazai's voice reached Kunikida's ears, "you're going to kiss me…"

Kunikida turned to his partner, his eyes slightly wider.

Dazai looked at him, the mahogany color of his eyes warm and inviting, the slight hue the sunset gave turned everything slightly pink. The dying sunlight gave him rim lighting, making that hair that was gently swaying in the breeze, those demanding and charmingly fascinating eyes a shine.

Dazai was the polar star in the dark sky, the moon being gone, the other stars dimmed by light pollution. The only one shining. The only one leading their way. The only one Kunikida was willing to follow without a doubt. He was so close right now, and yet so distant, a breathtaking aurora borealis, a holy gift from nature itself.

A sly smile graced his pink lips, his cheeks turning enchanting peach.

"...do it properly." Dazai whispered.

Kunikida's fate was sealed.

Enchanted, charmed, he pulled closer, placed a hand on his jaw. Two hands caressed his shoulders.

In a way, he wished he'd never known those lips, the taste of their kiss… because he would be missing their sweet nectar every minute of his life. Yet as they continued this experience with a devotion and passion unforeseen… Kunikida knew this wouldn't be the last one they shared. Not today, not tomorrow, not for a long, long time.

"Hey, Kunikida…" Dazai murmured, the touch of his lips feather-light, "I love you…"