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Dazai pouted, his arms firmly crossed in front of his chest.
"Come on loser! It's not that cold once you get used to it!" Chuuya called from the water.
Dazai scowled. The sun was beginning to rise, but that didn't stop the chill in his fingers and nose, or negate the fact that Chuuya was definitely visibly shivering.
"What are you on?!" Dazai retorted, shedding his coat anyway, letting it fall to the ground. "This was not what I was expecting when you called me at half three in the morning."
Chuuya grinned, wading deeper into the river, his boxers clinging to his skin from the water, and he shrugged.
"Albatross gave me something. You should try some. I feel great."
Dazai rolled his eyes. Of course. He laughed. Weirdly, it didn't sound as sarcastic as he intended.
"What, you're on weed? Should've guessed." He took his shoes and socks off, leaving them with his coat as he tentatively walked closer to the water. "I'd rather not have any, I don't like it much. Not when I'm out, anyway."
Chuuya tilted his head, but didn't question it, just shrugging.
"In my bag, I got spare bandages, if you were concerned about getting them wet." Chuuya said instead, nodding his head in the direction of the black backpack he had brought.
Dazai blinked. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Not only had Chuuya planned on him accepting the invite, but he had planned for Dazai to be persuaded into the water. The realisation made bile rise in his throat, and his stomach twisted slightly. He must be sick.
He pulled his shirt off to hide his burning face. A fever as well. That wasn't good. He'll have to convince Chuuya to let him borrow cough medicine if he's sick again, and he wasn't sure if he wanted that humiliation of Chuuya worrying about fevers and coughs.
It didn't take long until he was in just his underwear and bandages, so he stood at the edge of the water, glaring at Chuuya, who laughed and pointed.
"Coward! Just jump in! What, can you not swim?" Chuuya taunted, splashing water at Dazai.
Dazai narrowed his eyes.
"So what if I can't swim? Just cause you call me a fish doesn't mean I need to live up to the name."
Chuuya's jaw fell open, then he started laughing.
"Oh my god, you actually can't swim?!"
Dazai rolled his eyes. It was definitely not as funny as Chuuya was making it out to be.
"So what? If I wanted to learn I would." He said.
WIthout warning, Chuuya jumped forward, grabbing Dazai's hand, and his traitorous heart only had a second to falter before he was falling over into the dirty and freezing water.
He squealed screamed before his full body hit the water, and he resurfaced, coughing and spluttering with his hair in his face and bandages over his eye long gone.
"Chuuya!" He whined, shivering. "It's freezing! My fingers are gonna fall off!"
"Stop complaining! You'll get used to it!" Chuuya responded, splashing water at Dazai, and Dazai was too cold to react, just whining half-heartedly as the water splashed his face.
Chuuya was right, and it was mere seconds before Dazai was just pretending to still be cold, planning his revenge.
Chuuya had his hair in a small ponytail, a few strands falling out messily, and he had had an entire rant about not wanting to get the water in his hair because of how close they were to the sea, so the salt in water would ruin it. Dazai had not been listening, he could care less about how the slug takes care of his hair.
The movement of Chuuya's fingers weaving through his hair had just been interesting. It had nothing to do with the hair tie that had been between his oddly clean teeth, or the way his hair had previously been covering his slowly sharpening jawline and the ponytail fully exposed it for the first time, or the fact his mismatched eyes had been fully displayed, or Dazai had noticed a few freckles that he swore weren't there the last time he checked. It had nothing to do with the way that Chuuya's pale neck had moved in the dim light as he had tipped his head back once the ponytail had been completed as he unbuckled the choker. Absolutely nothing.
"You're staring." Chuuya's voice interrupted his internal dialogue. Dazai blinked.
"Just thinking about how ugly you are."
Chuuya rolled his eyes.
"It'd be a shame if your hair got wet, wouldn't it?"
Chuuya's eyes widened.
"Dazai no-!"
Chuuya barely got his response out before Dazai tackled him, pulling him into the deeper water, successfully dunking his head and whooping in triumph, backing away hastily.
"Hahaha! Get wrecked!" He cheered, and Chuuya re-emerged, with a look that spelt death.
"Dazai! My fucking hair!" Chuuya screamed.
Dazai stuck out his tongue. The sky was getting lighter and the sun was emerging from the horizon, lighting up Chuuya's face beautifully. He paused in that thought, reconsidering his word choice and finding all other words were worse. He stored that away in a box to be unpacked never.
Chuuya had been shouting incoherently as Dazai had stared again, but Dazai could see the amusement lighting up Chuuya's eyes.
So, he balled up his right fist and began a winding motion with his left, winding up his middle finger like a jack in box, and then splashing water at Chuuya again.
Chuuya screamed, and retaliated instantly, a wave of water almost knocking Dazai off his feet.
---
Dazai sighed quietly, leaning back against the flat roof of the building. He swallowed thickly, and rubbed his eyes. His hair and boxers were still wet from swimming, but his other clothes were mostly dry, and Chuuya had let him wrap his bandages without prying eyes.
Chuuya's hair was also still wet, coiling around his shoulders. It was a little chilly, but nowhere near as cold as it had been earlier, and Dazai's nose no longer stung.
He yawned, and Chuuya lay back with him. While the sun sat on the horizon, a few stars were still visible in the pinkish blue sky.
Chuuya passed Dazai the joint he had been smoking, breathing the smoke into the air and waving it away. Dazai placed in between his lips, not minding the foggy feeling that washed over him as he breathed deeply.
He passed it back to Chuuya, who sighed.
"I'm actually kinda tired." Chuuya murmured, and Dazai hummed. "I didn't sleep." Chuuya continued.
Dazai could sense the vulnerable moment before it arrived, and shifted to his side at the same time as Chuuya, meeting his gaze for a second.
"I can't dream, Dazai. It's weird. It's freaking me out. Everybody else can. It makes me feel less than human."
Dazai averted his gaze from Chuuya, instead picking at the weird grey material the roof was coated in.
"If you're not human, I would dread to think what I am." Is what Dazai settled on. He met Chuuya's gaze again. His stomach twisted again. "Being able to dream has nothing to do with whether you're human or not. I can dream, and many would argue I am the last thing that could be considered human. Yet I've never heard anyone say anything like that about you."
Chuuya stayed silent.
After a moment, Chuuya sat up. Dazai blinked, looking at him.
"Thanks. And people have no right to say that about you, by the way." Chuuya said quietly.
Dazai sat up as well, looking over the edge of the roof. He didn't know what to say, his brain a little hazy as he struggled for words.
He didn't say anything, so Chuuya continued.
"You're really thin by the way. I did notice."
Dazai nodded. He stayed looking out at the city, but felt Chuuya's eyes on him.
"You should eat more. I never see you eat unless it's with me."
Dazai swung his legs over the edge. It wasn't the tallest building around, but it was still high, the drop dizzying.
"Just don't like it that much." Dazai said casually.
Chuuya scoffed.
"You don't like much."
"I like you."
It was quiet for a moment. Dazai wasn't sure where that sentence came from. Probably the box he swore he'd never open.
He cursed himself internally.
Chuuya's hand settled on top of his own, and Dazai felt the blood rush to his face, and the way his gut twisted in a way that was getting to familiar for comfort.
"Let's get away from the edge." Chuuya said.
Dazai nodded, and let himself be pulled to his feet by Chuuya, and they moved to the wall that the door was built into.
Chuuya didn't let go of Dazai's hand, so Dazai didn't let go of Chuuya's as they sat with their backs to the wall, closer than they had been before.
"I like you a lot too, by the way." Chuuya said, almost quietly enough that Dazai didn't hear.
"I don't know why. You're an ass. I am too a lot of the time. But I just do."
Dazai laughed a little. He shifted his grip on Chuuya's hand, pressing his fingers against the pulse point in Chuuya's wrist. He wasn't subtle about it, making his intentions clear. Chuuya's response was to copy him.
Elevated.
He could mess with Chuuya and lower his own pulse, but he didn't, watching the concentration on Chuuya's face as he counted each beat. He noticed the satisfied smile that flashed across Chuuya's lips as Chuuya came to the same conclusion he had.
He slipped his hand properly into Chuuya's again, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his other arm around them as he looked anywhere but in Chuuya's direction, his hand cold against Chuuya's warm skin.
He could feel the fire on his cheeks.
Chuuya shifted next to him, and Dazai looked back at him, finding that Chuuya had also been looking anywhere but at him. Chuuya's face was also red, his ears almost the same colour as his hair.
Chuuya sighed and sat up straight, looking back at Dazai abruptly, his face going even redder.
"Turn yourself towards me." Chuuya instructed, and Dazai obeyed, angling himself closer to Chuuya.
Chuuya shifted onto his knees, still holding Dazai's hand as he leaned a little closer.
"I am going to kiss you. Just... sit there. Okay?" Chuuya said, his voice firm but still shaking a little. Dazai just nodded.
Chuuya nodded, and took a deep breath. Dazai swallowed, looking at Chuuya's lips as he waited.
A second later and Chuuya had gently placed his hand on the side of Dazai's face, and Dazai moved forwards as Chuuya did.
It was slightly awkward as they pressed their lips together, the kiss barely lasting for a second before Chuuya pulled away again.
Dazai pulled Chuuya to him again, moving his own hand to the back of Chuuya's neck, fingers in his still damp hair, and the second time was easier, faces angled properly, and it lasted a few more seconds.
When they pulled away this time, they each sat back against the wall.
They sat in silence, not uncomfortably, but there was a slight tension that hadn't been there before.
Despite this, Dazai yawned, and Chuuya did so as well seconds later.
Dazai's brain was foggy as he rested his head on his knees again, watching Chuuya, blinking lazily as he absentmindedly tapped his fingers against the back of Chuuya's hand.
"You seem tired." Chuuya said quietly, meeting Dazai's gaze.
Dazai nodded.
"I don't mind it. Which is weird. I usually hate feeling tired."
Chuuya hummed.
"I wonder what's changed."
I feel safe.
"I think it's just cause somebody decided to drag me out of bed at 3am and now it's 2 hours later and I haven't gotten my full eight hours." Dazai responded.
"Bullshit! You never get eight hours unless you sleep for an entire day! You answered your phone instantly, don't pretend you were asleep!" Chuuya snapped back.
Dazai waved the hand that wasn't holding Chuuya's dismissively.
"Yeah yeah, keep yapping and maybe one day I'll hear words in the place of your barks."
"Shut the fuck up dickwad! I'm not your fucking do-"
Chuuya was cut off by Dazai resting his head on his shoulder. Dazai closed his eyes, humming.
"Hatrack is quite comfortable, maybe he should be headrest instead of hatrack?"
Chuuya was quiet for a second.
"Headrest?" He asked quietly. "Sounds like the name of one of those shitty bands you listen too."
Dazai smiled.
"Don't bash it till you try it!" He sung, stretching out across Chuuya's body, practically crawling on top of him.
Chuuya grunted, but didn't stop him.
"Whatever. Make me a list of songs. I'll listen to them, but I'll make a list in return."
Dazai nodded, his eyes still closed. That would be a win-win situation. He likes anything Chuuya likes.
He felt Chuuya's hand in his hair, brushing through the knotted strands.
He winced a few times, but ultimately relaxed, still clinging onto Chuuya's hand as he slowly fell asleep, the slowing of Chuuya's movement indicating the same result.
His breathing evened out and matched with Chuuya's, warmth hitting his face as the sun gradually crawled up the sky.
Hopefully, they wouldn't be disturbed for at least a few hours.