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"Would you still be my partner if I was a worm?"
"...What?" Chuuya stared down at the boy with an incredulous gaze. All he received in return was a shrug which only made his eyes narrow in confusion.
"Do I have to ask again? I didn't know chibi was hard of hearing" the brunette asked teasingly, a mischievous smile on his face. he opened his eyes, which were closed, and squinted through the hair that was covering his eyes, making eye contact with Chuuya who was now glaring at him.
The two of them were currently sprawled on the floor of Dazai's apartment. Chuuya was sitting with his back against the living room couch, his legs stretched out in front of him. His partner, Dazai, had occupied Chuuya's lap with his head lying there, his hands resting on his stomach, tapping absentmindedly while Chuuya had one hand in the Brunette's hair and the other resting at his side, unoccupied. Beside them was an empty pizza box and empty soda bottles strewn about. Chuuya brushed Dazai's bangs away from his eyes, his left not covered in its usual bandages. This allowed Chuuya to get a clear view of the boy's grey milky eye. Dazai's blind spot was always his left, both literally and figuratively since the boy was blind in his left eye. Chuuya never asked how his partner acquired his blindness, all the other had ever told him was that he wasn't born with it. The ginger's glare settled as he made sure there were no hairs in Dazai's eyes and said boy was looking up at him with an unreadable gaze, "your hair's been getting longer" Chuuya spoke absentmindedly.
His remark earned a pout from the other, "Chuuya~ you didn't answer my question" he complained, one of his hands moving from his stomach to shoo Chuuya's hand from his face. "My hair is the least of your concerns right now" he spoke childishly which earned him a raised eyebrow from Chuuya.
Chuuya's hand went back to massaging Dazai's scalp, his fingernails softly scratching, "My biggest concern is whether I would still be your partner if you were a worm?" he asked with a hint of sarcasm to his tone. Anytime the ginger thought he heard everything there was always something that would come out of Dazai's mouth to prove him wrong.
The boy nodded at Chuuya's statement as if what he asked was the most important question in the world, "this is very important information Chuuya" he said as his pout went away. There was silence, as Chuuya looked away from Dazai and ahead of himself, Dazai could tell he was thinking. The only sound that could be heard was the low volume of the television in front of them which they turned on for background noise. If they attempted to focus enough, the two could probably hear the other breathing softly.
"How could I even be a partner with a worm?" the question came out in a confused tone. Obviously, nothing about Dazai's question was logically or biologically possible but Chuuya didn't exactly have anything better to think about so he might as well indulge the boy resting on his lap. Chuuya's eyebrows furrowed slightly and his question, along with his expression, earned a small laugh from the brunette. "I mean, I can't even communicate with you...and you couldn't fight as a worm...do worms think?...because if they don't then how are you supposed to be the brains of our duo or whatever...also I don't think I'd be able to have pizza and soda nights with a worm..." Chuuya's thoughts just came out one after the other.
Dazai smiled up at him with a glint of something in his eye, fondness perhaps. He knew he could ask his partner the dumbest question known to man and he was sure Chuuya would still try to answer it. The Demon Prodigy secretly liked nights like these, when it was just him and Chuuya. When it was just the two of them allowing themselves to act like teenagers, like 16-year-olds. Nights where he could lay in Chuuya's lap with the other's hands running through his fluffy hair and not worry about the next day.
Chuuya was still ranting when he looked down at the brunette, being met with a wide smile that showed off Dazai's colorful braces. It was a genuine smile that reached his eyes, it was pretty. the ginger stopped abruptly at the sight, which did not go unnoticed by his partner. "Come on Chuuya, don't stop now" he teased with a chuckle which only earned him a harsh tug of his hair. "Hey, don't pull my hair" Dazai complained as he reached up to take Chuuya's hand out of his hair.
'Well then stop being so insufferable and stop asking stupid questions" Chuuya spoke with an eye roll, his word only eliciting a laugh out of Dazai as he inspected the hand he stole from the ginger. Recently, Chuuya had a thing for wearing rings, although his hands were always engulfed by a pair of gloves, so the brunette never understood why. but right now, when the ginger's gloves were nowhere in sight, it gave Dazai the privilege of admiring the expensive rings settled on Chuuya's fingers. He couldn't help but think that Chuuya had good taste, though he'd never admit it out loud.
"You know Chuuya, dogs are supposed to respect their owners" Dazau informed as he let go of Chuuya's hand, allowing the other to put it back on his head. This time it wasn't massaging but rather just resting there.
Chuuya let out a scoff at the others' words and resisted pulling on his hair again, "Shut up tinsel teeth". An exasperated sigh left his lips, the insult earning him an amused snort from his partner. Even after knowing each other for almost 2 years, Dazai never let up on the dog jabs. So much so that you'd think Chuuya would have gotten used to them, but no. he wasn't particularly fond of being called an animal that people typically keep as pets, he wasn't a pet. he knew that was why Dazai kept using it as an insult which only irked him more.
Suddenly Dazai sat up, surprising the ginger, letting out a small sigh and getting off the floor. Chuuya watched as he stretched his arms above his head and glanced at the clock on the kitchen island which separated the living room from the kitchen.
3:14 AM
Dazai turned his attention to the empty bottles and pizza box on the floor beside Chuuya, walking over to them. He stepped over Chuuya's still stretched-out legs and picked up the box, "can you get the bottles chibi?" he asked. He didn't wait for a response and headed to the kitchen to dispose of the box in the trash. As he ripped the box apart so it could fit in the bin properly, he heard footsteps coming his way. Chuuya came in and threw away the bottles as well as the paper plates the two had eaten on. They always ordered the same pizza, half Hawaiian and half meat lovers with a side order of garlic bread. Their drinks of choice for the night were Sprite, Chuuya's choice, and Pineapple Fanta, Dazai's choice. Dazai watched as Chuuya walked back into the living room and began tidying anything that was out of place. Once he finished with the pizza box, he walked out of the kitchen and headed towards the bathroom, humming a small tune on his way.
Once he got inside, he pulled his t-shirt over his head to uncover his bandaged chest and torso, leaving himself in his sweatpants. The bandages covered basically all of his upper body and stopped just above his navel, he looked at himself in the mirror with a blank expression as he took in his appearance. Chuuya had been right in saying that his hair was longer, it was just barely reaching his shoulders and his bangs have been bothering him lately. He liked them long, but they were currently too long for his taste. Putting his shirts off to the side, Dazai walked out of the bathroom to find Chuuya fixing up the couch cushions. The redhead seemed to sense his staring and looked over at him, taking in his appearance curiously. Dazai sighed quietly, "can you give me a haircut?" he asked in a light tone as he tilted his head slightly to the side. Chuuya assessed him silently for a few seconds before he gave the other a nod.
The two walked into the bathroom quietly and Dazai sat on the toilet lid watching as Chuuya opened a cabinet and took out a pair of hair-cutting scissors. He then looked around as if looking for something and spotted a towel, picked it up, and then turned to Dazai, who was still staring at him silently.
"Turn around," he said, and the brunette did so, turning so that he was facing the bathtub and away from the sink, Chuuya put the towel around the boy's shoulders. He then hopped up to sit on the edge of the sink, positioning himself so Dazai's head was centered in front of him and then he got to work. "You don't usually let it get his long" he commented as the sound of scissors snipping soon filled the silence. Dazai only responded with a hum, his hands were settled between his legs, on the edge of the toilet lid. It wasn't the first time that he let Chuuya cut his hair, the redhead was actually pretty good at it. A while back he found out it was because of Chuuya's time in The Sheep, that he would cut his friend's hair often since they could never really afford an actual salon.
The two sat in silence for a while, it wasn't uncomfortable for them, it never was. Dazai could see Chuuya's legs swinging beside him, the glass of the shower in front of him let him see their reflection. A small smile appeared on his face as he observed Chuuya's focused expression, which was completely on his hair, "Chuuya?" he asked and Chuuya acknowledged him with a small hum. "Are you going to your place after this?" Dazai asked as he felt small tugs at his hair and heard more snipping.
Chuuya seemed to contemplate it for a few seconds before responding with a "probably not". Dazai knew that was Chuuya's way of saying that no, he would not be leaving, but that if Dazai told him to go, he would.
"Okay" was all Dazai said in response, and they slipped back into silence apart from the occasional direction for Dazai to move his head.
At some point, Chuuya hopped off of the sink and walked to Dazai's front, getting onto his knees and began working on the brunette's bangs. "How long do you want them?" he asked as he moved the hair to rest over Dazai's face, who just shrugged and to Chuuya it meant that the boy didn't care and just let the ginger do his thing. With a nod, Chuuya got to work again, and the other wrinkled his nose as his hair tickled his face, Chuuya made sure that the boy's hair framed his face nicely and fixed up his bangs before he stood up. He observed his work for a few moments and Dazai watched as his partner nodded in approval, "okay done".
Dazai stood up from his spot and checked his hair out in the mirror, "looks good, thanks slug" he said with a nod, and he watched as Chuuya shook his head in the reflection.
"Yeah whatever," Chuuya said dismissively, and the brunette just smiled in amusement, taking off the towel around his neck and shaking the hair out. Chuuya watched as the hair fell onto the floor and narrowed his eyes, "I'm gonna go get the broom" he spoke and walked out. Dazai shrugged and walked out of the bathroom as well but instead of following Chuuya, he headed towards his bedroom. He spotted his phone on his nightstand where his lamp was resting and went to get it, then he sat down on the edge of his bed. There weren't any interesting notifications which he was content with, so he set it back down and practically fell back into the bed. the brunette's arms were out, much like a starfish and his long legs were hanging off the edge of the bed as he stared up at his creme-colored ceiling for who knows how long.
He was already planning the next day in his head, normally he would wake up and head straight to headquarters but knowing that Chuuya was spending the night he knew it would be different. He would wake up and Chuuya would make breakfast for the two of them, he knew they'd stop at Chuuya's place so that the boy could change into his Port mafia clothing and then they would go to headquarters together. Dazai was pretty sure he enjoyed mornings with Chuuya more than his mornings alone. His thoughts kept running as he continued to blink aimlessly up at the ceiling and soon enough, he heard footsteps enter but he didn't change his gaze or move from his spot.
Chuuya spared Dazai a glance as he walked in, taking in the boy's position for a second before walking over to a small dresser and squatting down to open the bottom drawer. He was met with a collection of his own clothes, and he rummaged through them in silence before pulling out some pajama shorts and a white tank top. After the two began to spend more and more time at each other's places, they both established their own designated drawer in the other's apartment. Chuuya stood up and swiftly changed into the pajamas, replacing his jeans and shirt with something more comfortable. His shorts were black and had a continuous pattern of guitars covering the fabric, a while back he had gained an interest in rock music and had the plan to buy himself an electric guitar at some point. Once he finished getting changed, he turned around and was met with Dazai's blank gaze staring at him, the boy was still in the same position, but his head was turned to the side facing Chuuya.
The two looked at each other quietly for a few seconds before Chuuya broke the silence, "what are you thinking?" he asked as he walked over to the bed and laid down beside the boy. Dazai moved his arm to allow space for Chuuya and rested it on his stomach, Chuuya kept his hands at his sides, making a small starfish, his feet also hanging off the bed.
Once Chuuya got a bit settled Dazai answered, "just about how boring tomorrow will be". The redhead hummed in response, he was facing the ceiling and Dazai was still looking at him, "Chuuya's birthday is coming up" he spoke softly, and he watched how his partner's face revealed a small smile.
"Yup, it is" was all he got in response, but Dazai could tell that the other was excited, suddenly Chuuya's face turned sour, and he turned his head to look back at Dazai. "You better not do your stupid pranks again" he spoke with a grimace and Dazai smiled at him teasingly which caused Chuuya to groan in annoyance. It was going to be the second time he would be celebrating his birthday with the Port Mafia. The first one was his 16th birthday, he had never planned to celebrate but then he let it slip to Dazai who then told everyone just to annoy Chuuya. The presents he received from the prodigy weren't very enjoyable, to say the least.
He got a box that when he opened exploded glitter everywhere onto his apartment floor and his clothes, he was stuck cleaning for weeks after that. He also got an annoying birthday card that wouldn't stop singing Happy Birthday until he got fed up with it and crushed it with his ability. His actual present was inside of a box that had another box inside and then another box that just kept going and the smallest box ended up having a gold necklace that Chuuya was sure was supposed to have a person's name on it. Instead, Dazai had the necklace say 'Slug' which had not amused Chuuya in the slightest.
To Dazai's amusement, Chuuya wore the necklace anyway which he guessed was the ginger's way of spiting him. it didn't work though because it made the brunette even more smug, Chuuya still wears the necklace to this day do Dazai guessed it made an impression. "You know you loved my pranks chibi" he spoke with a mischievous glint in his dark eyes making Chuuya roll his eyes.
"Of course I did, I enjoyed every second of the hassle that was cleaning all of that dumbass glitter" he responded, the sarcasm dripping from his words. Dazai just continued giving him his cheeky smile which only ticked Chuuya off more, "would it kill you to just give me a normal present?" he questioned even though he knew it was futile. There was nothing normal about Osamu Dazai.
Dazai shook his head, "What's the fun in normal presents? Pus I've already decided what I'm getting you" he exclaimed in amusement and Chuuya raised an eyebrow at him, but it was swiftly ignored by Dazai. Instead, the brunette moved his hand to tuck some of Chuuya's hair behind his ear, it was definitely longer than when they first met, although Dazai never asked why the boy decided to let it grow out.
Chuuya stared in silence during the interaction, it wasn't a stranger to him, in fact, he and Dazai always seemed to have moments like this. He never really thought about what they meant or anything and never stopped them. Dazai's hand rested on Chuuya's cheek for a few moments before he brought it back to rest on his own stomach. "You know I told Ane-san about what you did last year, I don't think she'll let you around me with any boxes" Chuuya spoke with a laugh.
After Kouyou took Chuuya under her mentorship, the boy couldn't help but see the woman as an older sister, he could tell she cared and enjoyed his company. He also appreciated and loved her presence, she had a calming aura and was great at giving advice, she was the first adult that he'd ever been able to confide in. So naturally, she was more than a bit upset about Dazai's childish pranks on Chuuya's birthday.
Dazai pouted at the sound of that and crossed his arms over his chest childishly, " how rude of Chuuya to snitch, how could you betray your partner like this?" he asked playfully as he pretended to be offended. The two continued to banter quietly to each other for a bit more time, it was normal for the two of them to lose track of time and get lost in each other. Whether it was arguments or just normal conversations, when the two of them started, it was difficult for them to be separated. At some point, Chuuya peeked at the clock on Dazai's nightstand.
4:52 AM
Dazai watched as the ginger sat up "We should sleep, it's almost 5" he said softly, and the brunette didn't protest, getting up as well. He silently began to unwrap the bandages on one of his arms, he heard Chuuya moving but didn't pay him much mind until he showed up in front of him with a small trash bag. The boy stopped with his bandages for a few seconds and watched as Chuuya took his arm and continued unwrapping the gauze himself. he stared as his pale and scarred skin was revealed. Many were obtained due to missions and mafia work, but nobody could deny the thin slits that were present going horizontally up his arms, obvious signs of self-harm.
Chuuya didn't say anything though, it wasn't his first time seeing the many scars that littered his partner's upper body. When Dazai first trusted him enough to not wear his bandages around him, Chuuya remembers the two of them sitting on his couch. the redhead recalls the silence between them and Dazai's calculating gaze as Chuuya traced his scars gently with his fingers. It was certainly an intimate moment between the two, a sign of trust. One thing Dazai appreciates about Chuuya is that he doesn't pry, and he lets Dazai share things about himself at his leisure when he feels ready. He doesn't push or prod but rather just listens.
After Chuuya finished with Dazai's arms he moved on to the boy's torso and chest, as he worked, he put the used gauze into the trash bag. The brunette's chest wasn't any better than his arms and was covered in scars. After all the bandages were put into the trash bag, Chuuya stood up to go dispose of the bag while Dazai stood up and headed to one of his drawers and took out a pajama button-up. It was dark blue with white polka dots and short-sleeved, he put it on and jumped into bed, pulling the covers over himself. Chuuya came into the room to find Dazai wrapped in blankets, and the only thing he could see was the top of the boy's head, "move over, don't hog the entire bed" he said as he crawled into the bed and shoved him over.
He received a whine in response, but Dazai let himself be moved and Chuuya got under the blanket and reached over to turn the lamp off before turning to face his partner. The room wasn't entirely dark since it was early in the morning, and the sky was a bit lighter, "you know this is still my bed Chuuya~ so I can technically take as much space as I want" Dazai teased playfully as he scooched closer and Chuuya felt their legs intertwine. One of the brunette's arms moved to hand loosely over Chuuya's waist.
"Whatever mackerel" Chuuya responded stubbornly as one of his hands moved up to rest in Dazai's hair, said boy smiled smugly and leaned into the touch. "What do you want for breakfast when we wake up?" Chuuya asked softly and he watched as Dazai seemed to think.
"Hmm~ surprise me" he whispered and Chuuya just nodded, he knew he'd most likely make pancakes since they were the brunette's favorite. Maybe he'd add some fruit to make sure Dazai had some nutrients, although he could just make them both smoothies as well instead of adding the fruit right onto the plate. He could also just make banana pancakes which they both also enjoyed and then just drink some orange juice. "I can hear Chuuya thinking" Dazai laughed as his hand pinched Chuuya's side making the boy jump slightly.
"It's not my fault you're a picky ass eater" Chuuya snarked and he smacked the other's head which earned him a pout. He knew that the only time Dazai would eat a proper meal was when the two of them ate together, the boy also couldn't cook to save his life (not that he'd want to) so Chuuya made sure to cook him food whenever he could.
"Oh come on Chibi, you know I'll eat almost anything you cook for me" the prodigy replied proudly and Chuuya scoffed.
"Almost" the shorter responded bluntly and Dazai just chuckled softly.
Soon enough Chuuya felt his eyes get heavy and sleep taking over him, Dazai watched as he closed his eyes and his breaths evened out. Dazai was always a bit jealous of how easily sleep came to Chuuya, he always had trouble with sleep and when he did, he'd only get a few hours. He found it easier to sleep with Chuuya around, he could joke that the ginger was boring enough that Dazai would rather sleep. But he knew he just felt more secure in the other boy's company.
Chuuya's hand was still in his hair, but his grip was loose, and his face was relaxed, " goodnight, Slug" he whispered with a small smile, and he let his eyes close.
"I would definitely still be your partner if you were a worm..." he spoke before he felt himself drift off to sleep beside his partner.