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Ever since Chuuya was a child, he was always alert. Of anyone trying to hurt him while he was sleeping alone in the street, of enemy’s threats when he was in The Sheep and adults who could do anything to either he or any of the children.
Subsequently, he could feel the moment anyone got too close, even if he couldn’t see them. It was like a sixth sense, pounding in the back of his head like an alarm that’d make him fight to get out of the situation.
It didn’t change when he joined the Port Mafia.
Being a kid, even if he didn’t want to admit it, was way more dangerous than a grown up in that kind of environment. Everyone looked down on him, waiting for the moment he’d snap out of control and mess things up, so they’d have an excuse to lose any sort of respect.
That came along with touch, he felt uncomfortable with people approaching him out of nowhere, putting his hands on him as if they had the right just because he was younger than them and he had to be compliant, keeping his mouth shut just to appear as kind.
But Chuuya couldn’t care less about having a good image or doing as he was told; he was loud and did what he thought was right. No one could go over his limits unless he let them. And there were no exceptions.
So, the moment when he noticed someone coming from behind him, just about to jump over him, he turned around and kicked the annoying 15-year-old that whined in pain holding his stomach.
“Chibi is so rude!” Dazai cried, pouting but still walking next to Chuuya, “He never lets me do anything fun!”
“Putting your entire weight over me isn’t the definition I had for funny” Chuuya put his hands on his pockets, ignoring the dramatic gasp coming from Dazai, “you’re just annoying, asshole.”
“Chibi-huahua, that’s what you are! An annoying chihuahua that hates when people talk to him, such a dog.”
Chuuya sighed, trying to best not to punch Dazai on the face.
“How the fuck did you think that was funny, walking waste of bandages?”
Dazai ignored him, humming the song of one of his videogames, Chuuya began to absently do the same, following the rhythm as they got out of the Port Mafia, down to their weekly hang out at the arcade.
Even if they kept bickering and insulting the other most of the time, there were a few moments where they took a break from their hectic schedules as members of the mafia and went to spent time as teenagers. That meant, going to the arcade every Thursday, from 3pm to 6pm.
As soon as they entered, one of the employees recognized them and gave them the coins for the machines, knowing exactly the amount they’d need.
“Mario Kart is free for you guys to use” he told Chuuya while getting the change form the cash register, Dazai ran to the machine as soon as he heard from behind, yelling the other’s name and demanding to Hurry up, Slug! Why are you so slow, is it for your height?
Chuuya sat next to Dazai, both of them selected their characters, Chuuya used Donkey Kong, Dazai went for Waluigi. The countdown started and Chuuya was already grinning in victory by the time the race began.
“You’re death, Mackerel.”
“Oh, you think so?”
Dazai threw a banana, passing Chuuya and making the other’s character trip over, until he was in sixth place. Chuuya cursed under his breath, throwing Peach to the side and skidding on the next curve, managing to go up until he was third, Dazai was at first.
The first lap was over, and Dazai was still at the head. But another round of mystery boxes came in and Chuuya threw a red shell to Pacman on the second place, only Dazai was left.
They kept going side to side, Chuuya trying to make him fall with a Rain Cloud, but Dazai didn’t seem affected by it, pushing Chuuya to the side during another curve.
“You fucker” he muttered under his breath, seeing the last mystery box approaching. Dazai was once again in front of him, and when the Banana Shot got selected, he almost screamed in joy. He locked Dazai, throwing the item at him and making him trip.
Chuuya won.
“That’s cheating!”
“It’s not!”
They kept yelling at each other for at least five minutes, the employees didn’t mind on scolding them, it was something they’d gotten used to. Chuuya smacked the back of Dazai’s head, walking away from the machine to look for something else to play.
He found a dance game, they hadn’t used it in months, maybe it was time to annoy Dazai for having two left feet. The bastard deserved it, specially after accusing him of cheating when he’d clearly not, he was just smarter and a better strategist than him, that’s all.
Chuuya went to pay his part of the game, clutched down when Dazai stood next to him, not moving nor making any noise. He was doing that thing again, where he would stare at Chuuya like a lost kitten, waiting for him to notice.
But Chuuya realized the heavy breathing and height of the person standing beside him wasn’t Dazai’s, neither was the hand that grabbed his shoulder.
Chuuya tensed up, looking at the man who was grinning at him as if he was a piece of meat. His blood ran cold, and his eyes went wide.
Run.
Escape.
Hide.
His first instinct, contrary to his thoughts, was to fight. He turned around making the man’s hand fall from his shoulder, using the impulse to kick him, but he must’ve expected it, because he raised his hand just in time to held Chuuya’s ankle. The younger fell, hitting the back of his head, which made his vision blackout for a few seconds.
By the time he regained consciousness, Dazai was pressing his gun on the man’s temple, an intense glare with no emotions, his eyes had gone completely dark and Chuuya recognized it as the Demon Prodigy on his most angered state.
The man froze, letting Chuuya’s ankle go and lifting both hands while showing them to Dazai, who didn’t say anything, only staring at him and moving his gun to point at the exit. The man scrambled walking backwards, almost running to the door and leaving the arcade in less than a minute.
Dazai blinked a couple times before looking at Chuuya, he was still on the floor, with no reaction and trembling slightly, only keeping his eyes on the direction in which the man had run to, like waiting for him to come back in any moment.
When Dazai went to touch Chuuya, he flinched, standing up and not daring to look at Dazai.
“Leave me alone.”
Stopping himself from running, Chuuya went to the bathroom to lock himself in one of the stalls. His whole body felt like gelatin and tense at the same time, it was the usual response form every time he’d fought to keep creeps and robbers away from his friends, to keep everyone safe and not fail them.
He breathed in and out a couple times, trying to stop the trembling and reminding himself that he was okay, the man was gone and Dazai had probably also left by that time. And it was fine, he didn’t need a stinky mackerel there to help him or anything, he could take care of himself on his own.
Interrupting his thought, he door to the bathroom opened and a familiar humming came from outside. It was the same song as before, from the stupid game of the old DS Dazai carried around to every mission. And Chuuya felt it comforting, humming along and deciding to come out of the stall once the song ended.
“Hey” he greeted.
“Hey” Dazai answered.
Chuuya kept his gaze on the floor, analyzing the spots of the tiles as if they were the most interesting thing to look at. He saw Dazai pulling something out of his pocket from his peripheral vision, only noticing what it was when he put it in front of his face.
“Is that a choker?”
“Don’t use those fancy words, Chibi” Dazai mocked, holding it so Chuuya could take it, “since my dog won’t let me touch him, I bought him a collar so we can be connected!”
“Are you fucking kidding me!?” Chuuya snapped, using one of the ends of the black leather to hit Dazai with it.
“I’m serious!” Dazai laughed, “it’s for you, I said it, you’re my only dog, Chuuya.”
Even when the remark and the words Dazai used should’ve pissed Chuuya off, he found the gesture somehow sweet. It was true he hated touch, and even Dazai’s was too much sometimes, but having something with him as a reminder that he wasn’t alone… well, maybe it wasn’t that bad.
And if the next day he went to work using the choker (because yes, it was a choker, not a real dog collar as the Mackerel had said) Dazai didn’t say anything. Not even after seeing he was still using it seven years later.