Work Text:
“Hey, Chuuya.” Dazai said casually, flicking through a pile of papers on his desk. Chuuya hummed in response from his place on the leather sofa in Dazai’s office, flipping a butterfly knife around his fingers. “We should get married.”
“We – huh –“ The knife slipped and almost cut Chuuya’s fingers had he not stopped it last minute, the metal object glowing red with the power of For The Tainted Sorrow. “Married?”
“…Yes?” Dazai lifted his gaze from the papers to meet Chuuya’s incredulous expression, complete with wide eyed and a slack jaw. “You know… where two people vow to spend the rest of their lives together and exchange rings and sign a contract.”
“I know what marriage is.” Chuuya hissed, his cheeks flushed.
“I don’t see what the problem is here.”
“We’re only eighteen.”
“So?”
“So… we’re still young. What if you – we change our minds about it…” Chuuya’s voice trailed off.
“About what?” Dazai cocked his head to the side, looking very confused. “I wouldn’t want to marry anyone but Chuuya.”
“Oh –“ Chuuya was caught off guard by how honest and earnest the response sounded.
“There’s no one else I’d rather annoy for the rest of our lives!” Dazai grinned.
“Okay, you fucking ruined it you bastard.” Chuuya scowled, tossing the knife Dazai, who dodged it smoothly just like the redhead knew he would. “What brought this on all of a sudden? Why’d you want to get married now?”
Dazai shrugged.
“I don’t really see a point in waiting. People wait because they don’t know what’s going to happen to them or what circumstances might change a relationship, or they wait because they have things they want to do before committing to a marriage. Or they’re not sure about their partner. Or their families insist they wait till they’re older to get married.
“I don’t wait to wait precisely because I don’t know what’s going to happen. Chuuya, I work for the Port Mafia, who the fuck knows what’s going to happen. I don’t think any circumstances will change our relationship. I don’t have anything I want to do before I commit to a marriage, I’m sure about my partner and I have no family to worry themselves sick over my marriage. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain from this.”
“You keep using ‘I’ but isn’t marriage a ‘we’ thing? We work for the Port Mafia. We don’t have anything to do before committing to a marriage. We are sure about each other and we have no family to worry about our marriage.” Chuuya raised his eyebrows, revelling in the flush marring Dazai’s cheeks, disappearing under the bandages wrapped around his eye, high on his cheeks. He didn’t doubt the ears hidden beneath that brunet mop were red as well.
“You benefit from this marriage more than me, you know?” Dazai quickly changed the subject, turning his gaze away from Chuuya and back to the paperwork on his desk, leaving the gravity manipulator to smirk faintly in satisfaction.
“How, pray tell?”
“Well, when we get married… what’s mine becomes yours when I die… so…” Dazai trailed off.
“Shut the fuck up you suicidal maniac. No one’s dying, least of all you. You’re stuck with me for the rest of your life. Suffer.” Chuuya scoffed.
“Oh the pain, the misery.” Dazai threw his head back against his leather desk chair, draping a hand across his forehead dramatically and groaning. “Whatever will I do, stuck with a chibi for the rest of my life?”
“Was this an out of the blue thing? Shouldn’t you buy a ring before you propose?” Chuuya realised.
“Oh I bought a ring ages ago.” Dazai said nonchalantly, spinning around in his chair.
“What.”
“What?”
“What do you mean you bought one ages ago? When? Why? What?” Chuuya’s eyes widened and he sat up straight, leaning forward.
“I mean I bought one ages ago. Lose some brain cells? Can’t you understand Japanese, slug?” Dazai teased.
“I hate you. Where is this ring, if it’s even real. How do I know you’re not lying and you won’t go buy a ring later and pretend it’s that one just to say you fooled me, huh?” Chuuya grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
“It’s here.” Dazai stuck a hand in the pocket of his coat and extracted a small black box that he flipped open and placed on the table, turning it so Chuuya could see its contents. The redhead stood and approached the desk, leaning down to examine it.
Sure enough, there was a ring in the box and it was beautiful. It was a pretty thin band in a dark metal, closer to black but there was a tendril of red threading through it that reminded Chuuya of For The Tainted Sorrow and there was an overlapping tendril of faint blue that must represent No Longer Human. It was more sentimental than he had expected.
“It’s thin so you can wear it under the gloves.” Dazai explained in an uncharacteristically soft voice. “And the red and blue is…”
“Our abilities.” Chuuya breathed, running his fingers over it. He handed the box back to Dazai and pulled the glove off his left hand, presenting it to the brunet. “Well? Don’t half ass it, mackerel.”
“Me? Half-ass? Never. I have the best ass, chibi, you can vouch for that.” Dazai wiggled his eyebrows and Chuuya huffed, waving his hand impatiently. “Okay, damn.” The executive sighed and extracted the ring from the box gently and took Chuuya’s hand in one of his own, slipping the ring onto his ring finger before bringing the hand to his cold lips and pressing a light kiss to Chuuya’s knuckles before letting go.
Chuuya hopped onto the desk, moving the paperwork to the side, and leaned back on his hands. “Anyone you want to be around for the wedding?”
“Hmm…” Dazai hummed. “Odasaku, maybe Ango…”
“Kouyou Ane-san too.” Chuuya added.
“Not Verlaine? Your brother?”
“Maybe.” Chuuya wrinkled his nose. “Dunno.”
“We should buy rings too. Wedding rings. You’re paying.”
“Why am I paying?” Chuuya scowled and Dazai gave him a matter-of-fact look.
“Well, I got you such a nice ring and a bottle of your favourite wine but if you don’t want it –“
“No, it’s fine, you’re great, I love you so much, I can’t wait to marry you, don’t take my wine.” Chuuya blurted out, kicking Dazai’s thigh gently with his foot.
“Get your dirty shoes away.” Dazai swatted his foot and Chuuya nudged him once more, slightly more aggressively this time. “I’ll take the wine away.”
“Okay! I’m sorry!” Chuuya withdrew immediately, wide-eyed.
“You’re such a little bitch when I threaten you with the wine.” Dazai snorted.
“I’ll fucking show you who’s a little bitch, asshole.”
“Chibi, we’re in the office.” Dazai gasped dramatically. “Don’t you know workplace relationships are forbidden?”
Chuuya burst into laughter, bent over where he was sat on Dazai’s desk with an arm around his middle and the other bracing himself on the desk, laughing until he was crying. Dazai’s own lips twitched up and he let out a few chuckles. “You’re fucking stupid, ‘workplace relationships are forbidden’ yeah okay.”
“Are you accusing me of lying?”
“You’re so stupid.” Chuuya shook his head, smiling fondly.