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“Should we decorate some more?” Higuchi asks, looking a bit puzzled. The tall, empty-looking mafia building, despite its use, is currently being overflown by Christmas decorations.
How cute! Not even mafiosos can escape from the Christmas spirit.
“I think it’s enough.” Kouyou nods. She walks towards her office. “Grab yourself a warm drink and rest.” The redheaded woman fixes her traditional attire, as she enters her office.
Her elegance leaves Higuchi puzzled. How can a person as troubled as executive Ozaki act so well-mannered? She leaves the hallways, heading somewhere else.
Nakahara Chuuya, as he finished decorating his place, watches everyone from a distance. They seem to get along quite well. He notices the sparkly eyes and the increased childish hope of the rest. Hell, he notices himself act differently during the holiday season.
The same Ane-san who was once stuck in her own darkness, finds some light during this season. Despite it being rather small, the light is still there, so she cherishes it. Kouyou shows gratitude towards holidays, they allow her to escape, even for a little moment, the tunnel of darkness she’s stuck in.
Chuuya allows himself to smile, for a few seconds, then he walks with his head up and relaxed shoulders to his office, to finish his work.
A mischievous blonde girl enters his place.
“I see you’ve been working quite hard. Rintarou, that disgusting man forced me to tell you to take a break.”
“What? Why didn’t he tell me that directly?”
“He likes forcing me to do stuff he wants and he’s busy.”
“Oh, okay then.”
Chuuya pats Elise’s head and figures himself lost in his own memories.
He decides to show gratitude over them. Those memories are completely /his/ and still intact.
He still remembers how “babied”(if that’s the right word) felt when he first met the Flags, due to his age and height and all of Dazai’s little antics.
“Dazai. Ugh, why do I /still/ remember you? You’re the worst.”
He remembers the times he had to protect his little lambs, the Sheep. All of them were small kids, who had nobody but themselves.
Chuuya still protects them, to this day. If he wouldn’t join the mafia, his old friends would have collapsed right before his eyes.
The short, yet not /small/ man takes his hat off and places it on his chest, smiling.
“Telling someone you love them when you barely even know them… Pff! Love at first sight belongs in rom-coms.”
Chuuya laughs to himself. Sometimes, that mackerel can be slightly hilarious. He’s still extremely dislikeable.
You could hear some soft, delicate footsteps getting closer to the executive’s door. Kouyou makes her entrance with grace and kindly greets him.
“Oh, greetings, Chuuya. You look more cheerful than usual.”
“Cheerful? How?” There is a noticeable red tint to his cheeks, as his body gets a bit tense.
“I won’t blame you, the holiday season brings a small tray of light into my heart as well.” She chuckles, with swan-like movements.
Chuuya relaxes. Ane-san isn’t in the mood to tease him, not yet.
“Should me, you and a few others go outside, in the park?” Chuuya suggests fixing his hat.
“Sure, why not? Maybe I’ll see Kyouka and gift her an expensive dress I recently found.” Kouyou nods.
They decided to take Akutagawa and Higuchi(she’s the one who invited herself, but still, can’t girls have fun?) with them.
As soon as they exit the door, Higuchi is seen next to Gin.
“Would you come with us?” She asks the masked one, in a cheery mood.
Akutagawa looks away.
“Ehh… Alright.” Gin nods, flustered.
Higuchi grabs her hand as they walk towards the exit.
—
Holidays. Ah, sweet, mundane holidays. It’s strange how motivation erupts from the people, as they decorate their home and workplace.
Human beings would decorate their internal organs too, if they could.
Yeah, holidays are nice, sure, but what’s so special about them? People just choose some days of the week to preach about peace, happiness, quality time and whatnot.
Boring, how boring.
“Uuughhhh can’t we leave the decorating for another day?” Dazai complains.
“No, you filthy waste of bandages. Do you want to celebrate Christmas without decor?” Kunikida grabs Dazai by the collar, pissed.
“Actually, ye-”
“I do not care for your answer. Now get up and do something!”
The waste of bandages yawns and grabs some decorations, staring at Atsushi.
“No. I won’t decorate for you.” The weretiger crosses his arms.
“How heartless!” Dazai complains.
Kyouka watches everything with a concerned expression. It seems like Kunikida’s admiration for perfection is still intact.
Fukuzawa knocks on the Agency’s door. Ranpo opens the door, hugging him tight.
“It seems like you’re quite glad to see me.”
“Uh huuuh!! You brought sweets! Yay!”
Fukuzawa gives the strongest detective a big bag of sweets and hands some biscuits to the rest.
“Ranpo, don’t forget to share.”
He pouts, giving candy to the rest of the members.
Yosano gives her candy back. “You need it more. Sweets help you use your brain.”
Ranpo laughs.
“To me, the ideal thing that should be done during the holiday season after we finish decorating is going out, in the park.” Kunikida adds, as he reads a passage from his notebook.
A lot of times, holidays provide an /ideal/. On Christmas, people want to do good deeds, while they fantasize of their best selves on New Years.
Way too few people listen to their ideals. Way too few people let them come to life. For the average person, an ideal is nothing more than just a fictive idea, unable to become real.
Kenji nods. “Going for a walk is one of my favourite activities, besides farming.”
The Agency members exit the building.
“I have a bad feeling about this…” Dazai sighs.
As they all walk, they discuss plenty of topics, ranging from toy cars to their own past. These conversations are endless, which only make sense to people who have the same troubles as them.
“I hope Santa brings me my favourite lego set.” Ranpo says. “What do you all wish for?”
“Are you supposed to get gifts during Christmas?” Atsushi asks.
Tanizaki pats his head. “Poor little one.” He teases him, looking at him with pity in his expression. “I want some CDs, they’re fun to collect.”
Naomi looks around. She notices how pretty the scenery is, it feels like a painting. The most predominant colour is white. The same white is seen in everyone’s eyes. It gets brighter as the time goes by.
If you want to lighten the mood in a tense situation, just mention the word “gifts” and you’ll succeed.
She smiles at the trees, covered in snow.
Winter, despite the cold weather, brings warmth. People wear warm clothes, drink hot chocolate and tea, and cuddle themselves up somewhere. It’s so cozy you can’t help but to smile.
“I’d like some new shoes.” She adds.
The streets are crowded, so Ranpo clings to Fukuzawa’s arm.
“Ughh!! So many people!”
Yosano hands Ranpo a squeaky duck, to squeeze. He holds it close to himself, squishing it to relax.
Dazai looks around, frowning in a over dramatic manner.
“Ugh! I feel so much negative energy!”
Kunikida raises an eyebrow. “Why?”
“I don’t know why, I just do. Eh, I’ll go somewhere alone to escape it.”
“Sure, but don’t get lost.” The blonde, idealistic man says, nonchalantly.
—
As Kouyou walks around the busy streets of the center of Yokohama, she spoils everyone with gingerbread.
“Huh? For me?” Akutagawa stares at her with a concerned look. He doesn’t seem used to gifts. “Why? What did I do?”
“Nothing. You don’t need to earn these gingerbread cookies, I bought them without a complex reason in mind.” She smiles.
“Eh?” He takes a small bite. “They’re good.”
It’s snowing again. Slowly, but surely, another layer of snow will cover the entirety of Yokohama. The snowflakes fall down in a delicate manner. They’re so small, so soft, yet so cold…
Higuchi notices a snowflake on Gin’s nose. They seem to stand still, waiting for the touch of another one.
“Hey, Gin, let’s move forward. I’ve seen a really cute reindeer plushie!” She smiles.
“Oh? Okay…”
Chuuya walks behind everyone, trying his best to enjoy himself. He tries not to complain, to not ruin any joy, including his own.
The man with a foul, loud mouth is pretty quiet right now. Unusually quiet.
“Hey, Chuuya. Didn’t know you were this much of a romantic. You’ve been staring at these trees for a couple of minutes.” Kouyou taps his shoulder, lightly.
Chuuya Nakahara has always been fond of nature. He enjoyed making flower crowns with Ane-san when he was younger, admiring pretty landscapes and writing about them.
“Me? A romantic? I enjoy nature, that’s it.” Chuuya looks away, rather amused and flustered.
Akutagawa coughs.
After Higuchi and Gin get back with matching reindeer plushies, they drag Akutagawa to buy hot chocolate.
Out of nowhere, Chuuya frowns.
“Tch. I’m noticing bad vibes.”
“Any reason why?” Kouyou laughs.
“No idea. I’ll go somewhere else to calm down. Take care, Ane-san”
Chuuya leaves.
He walks around, to meditate. The short man regulates his breath, as he tries to ease the tension within his body. Chuuya massages his temples, to calm his aching head.
As he reminisces embarrassing memories of his own, Chuuya finds himself laughing fondly. The times where he would constantly state he’s still growing… Chuuya cherishes the memories he currently has.
A memory is the only permanent thing a living being has.
After a little while of meditating, he eventually calms down. Chuuya seems to be in a good mood, until he notices a lanky man walking around singing about a lovers’ suicide.
“Hey, hat rack, missed me?” Dazai winks.
“Not at all, asshole.” Chuuya frowns, as he crosses his arms.
“Hehe! You’re still so tiny. Forgot to bring a microscope to take a closer look at you.”
Chuuya grabs Dazai’s collar, closing the distance between them. “Look at me closely, you fuckin’ mackerel.” The shorter man looks into the others’ eyes, with a piercing glare and a smirk.
“My, my! Clearly enjoying my personal space?” Dazai giggles, covering his mouth like the pretty princess he is.
“Tch. I fucking hate you.”
“The feeling is mutual!”
They hate one another, yet their faces are so close, they might feel the breath of one another.
“Brush your teeth, Dazai.” Chuuya, as he notices how close he and the ugly fish are, moves away.
“I do that every morning and night. Also, I’m chewing gum. Were you trying to deny how much you enjoy my personal space?” Dazai pats Chuuya’s head.
“Hypocrite.” He grabs the other man’s hand, twisting it.
“OW OW OW!”
“You can handle it. You ain’t /that/ weak.”
“YOU’RE A FUCKING TANK OWWW MY HAND HURTS!!!!”
Chuuya untwists the hand, without letting go of it. “So, should we have a warm drink? Eh?”
Dazai looks away, flustered to the maximum. That tiny man who just twisted his arm is currently holding his hand and taking him out? He’s left breathless.
“You okay? Hello? Dazai? Mackerel? Are you even here?” Chuuya takes advantage of his nervousness, grabbing his arm.
“Uh, a… uhmmm…. I’d like… uhhh– Yes…”
The two walk towards a hot chocolate stand. Dazai, for revenge, places his head on top of Chuuya’s.
“Tiny slug.” He laughs, as Chuuya puffs his cheeks.
“Hmph. I’ll grow so tall, you’ll be an ant compared to me.” The shorter man says, letting Dazai’s head rest on his.
“Keep dreaming, petit mafia!”
They arrived at the destination.
“Enemy of all women.”
“Hasn’t grown since age sixteen.”
“Asshole.”
“Hat rack.”
“A grown-ass man with no driving license.”
“Chihuahua in a human suit.”
“Vagabond.”
“Snail.”
“Mackerel.”
A seller interrupts their argument: “Would you two like to stop that petty argument and order?”
The two frown at one another, as they ask for hot chocolate.
“I’ll pay.” Chuuya offers.
“Oh, so are you two together?”
“Like I’d date that pipsqueak in black, ew.” Dazai sticks his tongue out, with a disgusted, yet flushed look.
“Pff- as if anyone would date you, societal outcast.”
Chuuya pays for both of them and they leave, enjoying themselves with a hot drink.
“Tsk, why would ANYONE assume we’re dating?” Dazai keeps his head low. “Also, I’m tired, my legs hurt.”
Chuuya smirks, lightly hitting his arm. “Already?” He guides Dazai to a bench.
As they both sit down, they stare at one another, with a longing expression, until Chuuya breaks the silence:
“I knew you'd be here when I felt that negative energy.” He smiles, finishing his own drink.
“Were you expecting me to be in this place, waiting for you? How cute!” Dazai places his arm on Chuuya’s shoulder.
“No. Ew. Also, your mouth is all dirty.” The snail grabs the fish’s chin, rubbing his finger against the mackerel’s lips.
“Huh-” Dazai freezes.
Chuuya smirks, as he brings his face closer, not letting go of Dazai’s. “This view rivals the one of yourself in that dungeon.”
“Is that attitude of yours compensating for your missing height?” The lanky man laughs, as his face gets hotter.
“Don’t bring up height when it’s not needed, asshole.” The shorter man frowns, refusing to cut eye contact with the fish.
Dazai, unknowingly finds himself wrapping his arms around Chuuya’s shoulders. He gently pats his back, appearing relaxed. “I’m giving you a reality check. You won’t grow anytime soon.” The controversial man with a trench coat speaks in a smooth, soothing tone.
The hat rack has an idea. “That would make him shut the fuck up.” He thinks, as he hugs Dazai back. Chuuya grabs Dazai’s collar, looks him dead in the eye, tilts his head and then presses his lips against the taller man’s.
“Eh-” Mackerel kisses Slug back. He grabs the miniature one’s waist, as the other gently strokes his hair.
It was a pretty short kiss, they both pull away and stare at one another for a couple minutes, not saying anything. It already got pretty dark outside.
“Did you go out alone?” Chuuya breaks the silence.
“No, I went with the Agency. You?”
“I went with Ane-san, both Akutagawas and Higuchi. I hope we didn’t get them too worried”
“Nah, it will be fine.” Dazai gives him a little kiss on the cheeks.
“So, uh, that seller was right, I guess…”
“Nuh-uh! We’re enemies.”
“MACKEREL I KISSED YOU!!”
“It’s something enemies do.”
“You’re fucking pathetic.”
“Hehe! Turns out you’re in love with a pathetic man!” Dazai winks
“I kissed you to make you shut up. Should I do it again?” Chuuya winks, as he kisses him once more.
A figure of a detective man arrives at the scene, looking amused. “So, I found Dazai, I guess.” He eats some jellies. “Damn I should have brought pocky!” Ranpo frowns.
The two break the kiss, embarrassed. “WHAT-”
The smartest detective laughs to himself. “Hey- this is the same man who got himself stuck in a book. All I had to do was to bring up the other’s name.”
Chuuya throws a snowball at Ranpo, as his face gets even redder.
“Okay bye, bye! I was looking for you, Kunikida sent me.”
“Kunikida?”
“He said he was worried that you might die?”
“If he dies I’m the one who kills him.”
Dazai hugs Chuuya behind his back.
Ranpo waves his hand at them, as he leaves.
Chuuya takes advantage of his height, as he hugs the fish, covering himself up with the trench coat, laying his head on Dazai’s chest.
The same man who could control his heartbeat is at a loss for words. His heart beats at an almost alarming speed, ready to no longer be part of his body.
The shorter one closes his eyes, as he notices the mackerel calm down.
“Hey, slug…”
“What?”
“I… um…”
“You?”
“I think I love you.”
“Simply /think/?” Chuuya pulls away, as he crosses his arms, refusing to look at Dazai
Mackerel turns Slug’s head back, facing him. He decides to initiate the kiss this time, as an apology. The hat rack’s heart melts, hugging him once again, a sweet gesture of forgiveness.
“Shall we go to the rest of the group?” Dazai offers Chuuya a hand.
“Sure.”
They walk away, holding hands.
“Hey, Mackerel.”
“Eehhh??” He smiles.
“I love you too.”
“Really?”
Chuuya nods.