Work Text:
The warm Mediterranean sun cast a golden glow on the similar buildings. The café, which was located in the center of Palermo, was no different. The copper-colored facade was adorned with sprawling ivy and ornate wrought iron details. Inside, the room smelled of strong espresso and fresh flowers.
People around sat at mahogany tables, engrossed in lively conversations, occasionally interrupting the conversation to sip a drink or take a bite of a sweet treat.
Chuuya sat in the very corner, reading his book. His red hair was pinned up in a low ponytail with a gray brooch. The waitress brought him his next cup of flavored espresso with a warm smile. He smiled back and returned to reading.
Suddenly, the door of the café opened ajar, and someone stepped inside, tapping loudly with a low heel.
Chuuya smirked and closed his book without raising his head.
"Chuuya, how rude is it to not greet your fiancé?" he said.
"You're late, Dazai."
The man who entered was dressed in a stylish suit, his dark hair flying carelessly over his forehead, and his eyes sparkling with mischief.
"Well, you know, Chuuya, that being late is my specialty," Dazai said, approaching the table and leaning against it. "What are you reading here?"
Chuuya looked at Dazai and sighed.
Dazai ignored him and sat down next to him, snatching the book out of his hands.
"Well, well, what do we have here? Dracula? Seriously, Chuuya, Bram Stoker? On such a beautiful sunny day?"
Chuuya snorted and clapped Dazai on the arm.
"Piss off. A good book is enjoyable in any weather. Unlike some people."
Dazai smirked and looked at Chuuya with half-closed eyes.
"I hope that's not about me."
"About you."
"Chuuya, are you still angry?" Dazai whimpered.
Chuuya looked at Dazai with a murderous look and simply ignored his question. Not that this living mummy was worthy of his conversation. Especially after he had ruined his evening last night and flirted shamelessly with a girl at the bar.
You see, Chuuya isn't a jealous guy at all. Who would be jealous of Dazai? He's literally the epitome of chaos and headaches. No one but Chuuya would ever date him willingly. But yesterday, he was so hopeful that he could relax on holiday with his future husband, forgetting about the work routine, but it's like that bastard was deliberately trying to ruin it for him.
He'd agreed to go to the bar with Dazai, not the museum like he'd originally planned. That had been a mistake. Chuuya didn't really like the alcohol here; the music was too loud and not at all to his taste, and the people were drunk. If he wanted to go to a bar, he would have done it in Yokohama. They weren't much different, anyways. But Chuya decided to be patient, after all, Dazai liked places like this.
But when Chuuya saw Dazai flirting with some girl at the bar, his patience broke. Not that Chuuya was jealous - well, maybe a little. He was actually going to marry this dregs of society, and this behavior, no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, hurt him.
In that moment, he instantly remembered all the previous grudges and disappointments that Dazai had brought into his life. Suddenly, the memories of their happy moments and future plans seemed incredibly distant and unreal.
Dazai, sensing the serious tension in the air, placed his palm on top of Chuuya's palm.
"Are you seriously that angry? Chuuya, I didn't think it would upset you so much."
Chuuya jerked his hand away and looked at Dazai. Something more than just annoyance flashed in his eyes.
"Dazai, this isn't about yesterday's situation. We both know each other perfectly well. I didn't ask you to become a different person, to change your habits, your character, I knew who I was creating a relationship with. It's just. I think you rushed into marriage. Maybe you need time to realize what you really want."
Dazai stared at Chuuya, his eyes wide with surprise, and he couldn't find the words for a while.
"Chuuya, do you think I don't know what I want? I proposed to you because I know there is no other person in the world that I want to spend my life with. I love you, only you. Please don't say that again. That flirting was a stupid attempt to get your attention. You know I would never cheat on you, right?"
Chuuya remained silent.
"Really? Chuuya, I was literally ready to burn down the whole world for you. Do you think I would ever hurt you on purpose?"
"What am I supposed to think? You've always said how much you like women and flirted with them, almost every single day before we were a thing."
Chuuya's voice trembled.
"God, I didn't know it affected you like that. It was never anything serious." He took Chuuya's hand in his palms, trying to give his words weight and sincerity.
"Chuuya, I'm sorry. Yes, I've talked about women, flirted, but I've never felt anything more than friendship and admiration for them. It was always just talk, entertainment. None of it matters without you."
Chuuya slowly brought Dazai's hand to his lips and kissed it lightly.
"I just want to feel that you belong to me. That our wedding won't be a mistake."
The tension in the air slowly began to dissipate.
Dazai sat up next to Chuuya and took his face in his hands. He smiled, his eyes sparkling with tenderness.
"You are the one who will always own my heart. Even if someday my demons in my head start going crazy, my heart will still be yours. Please don't even think about me not wanting this wedding. I promise what happened yesterday will never happen again."
Chuuya touched Dazai's face, his fingers sliding smoothly over his lover's brow and cheeks.
"You really have changed so much. I love you."
Dazai pulled him into a kiss, ignoring the people around him.
"Let's go to the museum tomorrow," Dazai whispered.
Chuuya chuckled. They would be fine.