Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Snow fluttered in the air. It shined in frigid skies like miniature diamonds. It made the evening cold that much more biting, punishing banquet goes foolish enough not to heed the snow’s warning.

Despite all this, Dazai was warm.

His cheeks burned far too hot. His heart worked overtime to pump blood throughout his body to the point where he feared it might burst, His hands shook at his side, not from the cold but from the desire to take.

Inside the banquet stood Chuuya Nakahra. His figure practically glowed, even through the frosted window. Beside him was Jouyou, looking beautifully elegant in her dress. She looked at Chuuya with a warm indulgence. 

Dazai’s chest burned with jealousy. He wished more than anything that he could be in there. That he could stand by Chuuya’s side and bask in the other’s warmth.

“Dazai!” A voice snapped his attention back to reality. He turned to Atsushi, a plastic smile hiding his true face. “Look what I found for Kyouka!”

Atsushi held out a stuffed rabbit. His eyes shined like he’d been the one to receive it.

“I’m sure she’ll enjoy it.”

“What about you? Did you find what you were looking for?”

Dazai’s smile softened to something a bit more genuine. He wrapped the stolen scarf he wore tighter around his neck. It felt like a warm embrace as he cast one final glance to the banquet.

“I don’t think I’ll find anything tonight,” Dazai put his hands in his pockets. He started walking, leaving Atsushi to keep up. “But I’m sure I’ll figure something out eventually.”

“Oh, that’s a shame…”

Dazai simply hummed and kept walking. The mission tonight was hunting down the best gifts for their loved ones, it was becoming especially important as the holidays grew ever closer. But how could Dazai possibly hope to reciprocate something as beautiful as the sight CHuuya had given him? Such a thing was surely impossible.

Ah, perhaps his gift this year would be his charming presence.

Chapter Text

“Blue looks good on you.” Kunikida turned and was met with Dazai’s smiling face. He held two glasses of wine in his hands, yet both of them were full. That meant the rosy hue to his cheeks came from the cold. “It really is your color.”

Does he know?

“Let me have a peaceful evening for once, Dazai,” His dismissal was curt, but Dazai remained. He offered Kunikida a glass.

“Loosen up, will you?” The smile Dazai wore reminded him of an angler fish. It lured others in, allowing them to be consumed before they even realized they were in danger. “It’s a party.”

“A poorly timed one.”

“But you still showed up~”

“Only because I had to,” Kunikida sighed as he leaned against the balcony. He would have drawn suspicion to himself if he hadn’t attended. Though, maybe the suit was too much. It was a little on the nose if he was being honest. Not that the others noticed.

Kunikida cared about his coworkers. He even liked them as people, but that didn’t make them any better at detective work. In his months of being with the Agency, no one short of Ranpo had even gotten close to considering his true identity.

No one until Dazai.

“Come on, are you telling me you didn’t want to go to the company Christmas party?” To others, he might have seemed well mannered. Kunikida knew better. He knew that the grin on the other’s face spelled nothing but trouble for him. Just like always he supposed. “You know you want to have fun~”

“I don’t find these sorts of things fun.”

“Such a loner. But maybe if you gave them a chance,” Dazai shook the glass which Kunikida had still yet to take. “It’s not good for your health to be so serious all the time.”

Kunikida reluctantly accepted the glass. He inspected the wine before deeming it safe enough to drink. Dazai watched on in amusement.

“You’re pretty paranoid, huh?” He took a sip of his own glass. “But I guess that makes sense considering your previous occupation.”

Kunikida raised an eyebrow. Dazai’s smile turned strangely warm as he tapped his head.

“A king needs to protect his crown.”

Kunikida’s eyes widened. The silence that followed Dazai’s statement was tense.

It wasn’t long before it was broken by the sound of class softly clinking. A jacket was gently placed over his shoulders. “You’ll freeze to death out here.” Dazai reached out to brush gathering snowflakes from his hair. He hadn’t even realized it started snowing. “Come inside with me.”

“How did you-”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Dazai grabbed his hand. “Now come on, before I get bored~”

Kunikida followed Dazai inside, utterly dumbfounded. He didn’t even have the sense to form a coherent sentence as the detective happily dragged the former Azure King inside for a dance.

Chapter Text

The air was cold and biting. Snow fell, blanketing everything in a bleak coat of white.

Dazai watched it, following a single snowflake at a time until it fell out of sight. His coat hung loosely from his shoulders. He didn’t have the energy nor motivation to fix it despite how cold it was. His shallow breath was the only thing he could use to prove to himself that he was alive.

“Дорогой,” A cold hand gently grabbed his coat, fixing if for him. “You’ll catch your death of cold like this.”

“I don’t care.”

“Maybe not,” A pair of arms wrapped around his neck. A warm body hugged him like a cloak. “But I do.”

Dazai slowly turned back. He looked at Fyodor’s smile (or, more accurate, his smirk) and leaned in. It felt… nice.

“I’m cold,” Fyodor mumbled the words into his skin. He felt his breath tickle his neck. “Come warm yourself with me.”

“I’m not interested.”

“Then simply accompany me to my quarters,” Fyodor held him tighter. “I’d like someone to keep me company while I read.”

“Ask Goncharov.”

“He’s not good company, дорогой, you know that.”

“Why-”

“I want to spend time with you.” Dazai remained silent for a moment. He closed his eyes and pulled Fyodor closer.

“You don’t mean that.”

“Is it really so hard to believe?” He sounded amused as he lifted his head. “If I didn’t mean it, I would not have extended the invitation.”

“Of course you would have, you’re a liar.”

“If that’s how you see it… But you won’t know what I truly want unless you accompany me.”

Dazai hesitated for a moment. He stood frozen until Fyodor began to walk away. He followed him, wanting to believe that there were no hidden motives. That this was simply a request from his lover rather than a powerplay from his questionably aligned partner.

Dazai trailed behind Fyodor. A sense of dread dulled his steps but a sense of warmth allowed him to move at all.

Maybe, just this once, he would believe.