Chapter Text
“I love you in the way that not a single word comes to me, without sounding like hope. I love your hands, not quite sure, and your curious, candid eyes. What I miss more than anything is your laughter. Like memory, it cuts through anything. Through my heart and time.” -Lang Leav
Atsushi thinks this might be the worst part of his job. Not the constant threat to his life when the city is in danger (again) nor the endless stacks of paperwork thanks to Dazai’s continuous refusal to do his own share of the job leaving it to Atsushi to quickly finish it lest Kunikida actually murder Dazai for it. No, neither of those were the worst part of his job.
It was this. The waiting.
In the past, there was little time to wait before things went south. Little waiting before Atsushi had to intervene and fight someone or run somewhere or protect someone. It was chaos. It was a mess. It was something he was used to. But the waiting for things to go down was unbearable. It grated him. Made him nervous in a way that he was never before.
“You’re fidgeting too much.” Kyouka mutters.
Atsushi whispers an apology.
She was silent. Blended in against the shadows so easily as if she belonged. She had once. She was an assassin. She had been a creature of night, blending into the shadows and slitting the throats of her targets so easily.
Not anymore . Atsushi thought vehemently, feeling a surge of protectiveness over this girl. His friend. His family. She would never go back there. Kyouka would only use the cover of darkness to save lives now. Never to take them.
Atsushi turns back, silently waiting. He rubs his hands together, trying to warm them, shuddering at the cold breeze. It was almost winter. The nights were getting colder and being by the sea did not help. It was colder out here at the port. He ached to return home. Warm up under the Kotatsu that they recently bought after the generous donation from the government.
(“The least they could do after they tried to imprison us, maim us, and kill us.” Yosano muttered.
Kunikida said nothing. He merely had typed out a new budget as he started to calculate how to allocate the additional funds they had.)
“Maybe we can pick up hot chocolate on our way back.” Atsushi smiles at Kyouka.
She gives him a look. “As we carry the prisoner on our way? Yes, it will be very entertaining for the cafe manager to see an unconscious person over your shoulder while I get us hot chocolate.”
Atsushi winces at that and grins sheepishly. Yes, perhaps he ought to spare the manager. He had enough with the Decay of Angels and Hunting Dogs coming after the Agency and somehow being dragged into an interrogation over that.
“After.” He offers her then.
She nods, her eyes lighting up a bit at the thought of the sweet drink.
Atsushi smiled and then shivered once more. He wished he had a jacket but it would be pointless. Once he shifted parts of his body the jacket would rip, and he did not want to replace that. His years at the orphanage taught him to be frugal. There was a time when he only had a threadbare coat that was discarded by one of the other children to keep him warm. Not that it ever did. So he did not consider bringing something to warm him up. He gently brushed off Kyouka’s concerns, reassuring her that he will be fine.
Now, he sort of wishes he had brought a jacket. Perhaps he could put it down wh-
Something in the shadows moved.
Atsushi straightened up. Behind him, he felt Kyouka grasp her blade and ready to call Demon Snow if needed.
They waited. His heart pounded. He was nervous. Terrified even. How amusing. He had faced worse. The Port Mafia. The Guild. The Hunting Dogs. But it was this simple case that frightened him.
Maybe it was the expectations. Maybe it was how Kunikida had simply handed him the folder and told him to take care of it. Maybe it was how Dazai had nodded and looked at him, so proud, that had Atsushi so terrified. He was no longer a young member. It’s been over a year now since he joined the Agency. They trusted him to do his job all on his own with Kyouka. He could not disappoint them. Could not disappoint Dazai who had patted him on his shoulder and wished him luck as he followed Kunikida to a different assignment.
He could do this. It was a simple case. Someone was stealing rare and precious items from different wealthy families in Yokohama. Always a different family. They entered and left easily and it was almost impossible to track them down. Initially a case for the cops but handed to the Agency when suspected the thief might be an ability user. They had no leads until last week when they managed to locate one of the buyers and through Sigma they found that this place was a designated spot for their meetup.
Now all Atsushi and Kyouka had to do was confront them and capture them. Drop them off at the police to be interrogated before leaving.
“Something is wrong.” Kyouka mutters.
Atsushi frowns, squinting into the dark but unable to see clearly. There were barely any lights in this place, which helped them hide but also served the criminal to hide.
Atsushi heard a thump and a groan and someone cursing.
Two voices.
There was only one criminal. The other person-
He jumped and ran, Kyouka following behind him. An innocent caught in a crossfire.
He ran towards the sound, transforming as he did so. He sees someone move behind the cluster of boxes, dashing towards one of the warehouses. He glances towards the direction they came from and sees a lump on the ground. He hisses out a curse.
“Kyouka!” He barks.
Kyouka swerves and goes after the fallen while Atsushi chases after their target. They’re not too far off. They were fast, easily moving past the mounds of discarded things in the dark as they ran towards the warehouse. But Atsushi was faster. His legs transformed and he gained speed, chasing after the stranger. He reached out as he neared, grabbing the hem of their hoodie. The culprit simply folded their body, allowing the jacket to fall off, causing Atsushi to falter.
He looks up as he stumbles. They look back at him just as he reaches the door. His vision does not allow him to see in colors. All he sees as he glances up to look at the thief was their eyes. Their right eye.
Black. It was purely black. No white. No color. Just darkness.
Before he could stand, they smirked at him. Opened the door to the warehouse and ran in.
When Atsushi ran after them, tugging the door open, emptiness greeted him.
The warehouse was empty.
They were gone.
He trudged back to Kyouka, devastated and annoyed at his loss. He was supposed to handle this case. After everything this was meant to be a simple case. A simple thief that he was supposed to catch easily and then take them back.
Here he was.
How can he fight against the Mafia and the Government and lose to some thief?
He sighs, thinking of how he would have to explain this to Kunikida. He’d be disappointed. Dazai would be disappointed.
He pursed his lips and looked up to where Kyouka stood, gaping down at the person lying on the ground.
“Kyouka?” He called out.
Kyouka did not look up at him. She stared down at the ground. Atsushi hurried forward, worried. Where they dead? Whoever was the victim that is. Did the thief turn into a killer? Did this case of thievery turn into a homicide? Shit. He would need Ranpo for this. He was not equipped to deal with a murder case.
“Kyouka what-” Atsushi looks down and stops.
He understands why when he looks at who was lying on the ground.
Port Mafia Executive. Gravity Manipulator. Nakahara Chuuya.
Lying on the concrete floor, bleeding and unconscious.
Both Atsushi and Kyouka gaped down at him and then looked at each other.
What the hell was going on here?
Atsushi ends up carrying Nakahara. First, Kyouka could not possibly carry him. Second, they had no choice but to carry him because he was unconscious and he was bleeding from his nose and mouth and Atsushi was terrified that the Port Mafia executive would die and they’d be blamed for it and then there would be another war and then-
“You’re thinking too much. Yosano sensei will take care of him.” Kyouka says as they make their way to the agency.
Atsushi nods. Of course. Yosano sensei can save him. As long as he was breathing, which he was because Atsushi made sure of it. Every few seconds he’d strain his ears to hear the heartbeat of the other man.
“Besides, Chuuya-san won’t die so easily.” Kyouka says as she flagged down a taxi. “He’s not so weak.”
Atsushi looks at the man in his arms. He looked so… young. It was hard to imagine him as the terrifying figure he knew him to be. Hard to imagine that he was that strong.
“I suppose you are right.” He says softly, gently stepping into the taxi after Kyouka as she instructed the driver to hurry.
Despite everything, Atsushi had yet to meet Nakahara Chuuya in person. He heard about him from everyone. First from Kenji who regalled him with tales of the man from the Mafia who could walk on the ceiling and control gravity. Then from Ranpo who laughed at how easily he could trap him in Poe’s book. Tanizaki who told him how Nakahara had saved them that day. Sigma, who shuddered as he told him how Nakahara had defeated every member of the Mersault prison guard. The way they spoke of Chuuya was always about his ability. His power. Through them he knew Nakahara Chuuya as an individual to be wary of. To be terrified of.
Through Kyouka he knew him as something more. Kind. Because he was kind to her. Smiled at her. Brought her sweets from his missions abroad.
(“His brother trained me.” She told Atsushi. “Verlaine-san is very knowledgeable.”
“His brother’s name is Verlaine?”
“He’s french.”
“That doesn’t explain anything? It brings up more questions?”)
But perhaps he learned the most about Nakahara through Dazai. Dazai who moaned about him after coming back from France. Complaining about a chibi who kept on scolding him and whatnot. Interjecting with comments whenever someone recounted their version of what happened with Nakahara.
“You mustn’t let them frighten you, Atsushi. Chuuya is harmless.” Dazai yawned.
“Only you would call the most powerful ability user in this country harmless.” Yosano muttered, smacking Dazai’s head as she walked past him.
Strongest Ability user. Dangerous. Mafia.
Kind. Caring. Gentle.
He was a walking contradiction who confused Atsushi so much.
Oh well, this was just paying back what was due. Nakahara helped the agency in time of need. Helped Dazai over and over again. He could help him this time. Just to repay the many debts they likely owe this man.
“Atsushi we sent you to capture a thief not the Port Mafia Executive.” Yosano says, glancing up at him. “Though I must say I am quite impressed you evolved enough to take him down.”
Atsushi sighed. “I didn’t take him down.”
“Well then I’m very impressed by Kyouka-chan.”
Kyouka shook her head. “It wasn’t me.”
“What happened?” She stood up from her desk, finally putting down her pen and walking over to the bed where Atsushi laid down Nakahara. Something akin to concern on her face as she took in the unconscious Port Mafia member in Atsushi’s arm.
Atsushi shook his head. “We don’t know. We were waiting for the thief at the spot. Then we heard a noise. Kyouka went after what we assumed was someone who mistakenly crossed paths with the thief while I went after them.” He clenched his jaw as he remembered his failure. “They escaped and we found Nakahara-san on the ground. Bleeding.”
Yosano said nothing. She merely frowned as she looked over Nakahara. He finally stopped bleeding, thankfully. Atsushi didn’t want to explain to Akutagawa how he found his Boss bleeding out on the ground. Their fragile relationship was still developing. They were still struggling between friendship and being enemies. Still hesitated when they crossed paths because they did not know whether they should greet each other or try to kill each other. He liked this new development. Liked that more often he felt like he wanted to smile at Akutagawa and say hello instead of wanting to jump at him.
He doesn’t want this growing friendship to break apart.
“I’ll check on him.” Yosano sighed. “Don’t want his death to be in our hands. I happen to like peace.”
Kyouka nods and Atsushi chuckles. At some point, Yosano’s dry jokes had become endearing to him. Perhaps around the same time when he thought they were all going to die, never to return to the Agency again. Nowadays most things that Agency members do are endearing to him.
“Dazai and Kunikida will be back soon. Tell them to contact the Mafia to pick him up.” She gestures at them to leave.
“I wonder what happened.” Kyouka mumbles. “Nakahara-san wouldn’t be defeated so easily.”
“Is he really that good?”
“Yes.” Kyouka said. No hesitation. Her faith in Nakahara Chuuya’s capability was absolute. So much like Dazai. Dazai who had once told them all during the conflict with the Guild and Port Mafia on how to evade Chuuya. How they should never engage with him directly.
How can we defeat him? The President had asked.
You can’t . Dazai replied then, his smile softening around the corner. Chuuya can’t be defeated .
Atsushi wonders now if that’s just how Nakahara Chuuya is. A pillar of strength for all the Port Mafia members. Even the ones who left it behind.
“Do you think I should call Akutagawa?” Atsushi asks. “I do have his number.”
“It’s best to leave the communications with the Port Mafia to Dazai-san. Especially when we have their Executive lying unconscious.” Kyouka tells him.
Atsushi winces. Yes, that is true. There was no guarantee that the Port Mafia wouldn’t burst through the doors, knives out, guns blazing just because they thought the Agency harmed Nakahara. He’s pretty sure the Mafia can’t beat them, but he’d rather not incur Kunikida’s wrath due to the mess that the fight will cause. He’s sure Kunikida would make him buy gifts for their neighbors and make him apologize to them for all the mess.
Really, he’d rather avoid all of that.
(Also why can’t they move their office? Surely by now they had enough to afford a better place that did not have a bunch of civilians surrounding them. But then moving would mean the coffee shop downstairs would no longer be there and no more discounted but amazing breakfast, lunch and dinner. Perhaps he understands why they still stay here.)
“Might as well get some work done then.” Atsushi sighs.
Kyouka silently walks over to her own desk, taking out her pile of files before typing away on her computer. Atsushi follows. Better to get this all done right now than in the morning. Perhaps Kunikida will be feeling slightly generous after he reports to him the events of tonight and decide that yes Atsushi could do with sleeping in for a bit more.
The office is quiet. The only sounds being Atsushi and Kyouka’s keyboards. The clock ticks by as the night deepens. Atsushi glances at it and sighs. Yosano had come out a while ago to inform them that Nakahara was fine. He was only slightly injured.
Didn’t even need my ability . Yosano said mournfully.
He needs rest. That’s what she said. He was likely overworked. Extremely exhausted. That’s all.
Then she waved at them before walking out the door.
“Chuuya-san was the most hardworking Executive.” Kyouka said after Yosano left. “He traveled the most doing business everywhere. He was also the one leading his subordinates. Executives don’t do that.”
“You like him.” Atsushi states.
Kyouka paused. She didn’t look at Atsushi. She looked at the door to the infirmity before resuming her work.
“He was the one who found me. That night.” She did not need to specify which night. There was only one that night. “Took me in and helped me. Gave me sweets too. He used to bring sweets for me from his trips abroad. He was the one who took me to Ane-san.”
Is that kindness? Taking a child to the Port Mafia? To the woman who then helped trap Kyouka in that place? Giving her to people who made her a weapon? Was that kindness? He doesn’t think so. But he stays silent. Perhaps this brought some comfort to Kyouka. To look at Nakahara as a kind man who saved her rather than as another person who took advantage of her powers.
It was nearing ten when Dazai and Kunikida finally returned. By then Atsushi was done with his own pile of stuff and moved on to Dazai’s.
“Atsushi, how many times have I told you to stop doing Dazai’s work!” Kunikida shouted.
Atsushi gives him a small smile while Dazai starts to whine. He watches the two of them fight for a while. Kunikida’s immaculate appearance was now slightly disheveled as he tried to grab Dazai to try to choke him. It was his first time seeing Dazai so… proper. Dazai usually wore his old coat over anything he put on that day with his messy hair. But today, he donned on a proper gray suit, tie and all. His hair was combed back. He had even forgone his bandages. Opting to wear a shirt with a high enough collar to cover his neck and his arms too. Atsushi had never seen him look like this.
“Kunikida-san, Dazai-san, I have a report regarding tonight’s mission.” He informs them just to break up the fight.
They both stop. Dazai looks over and Kunikida blinks in surprise. He resists the urge to flinch. They must have thought he succeeded. Must have had faith in him.
What a disappointment I must be .
He tells them what happened and they listen quietly. Kunikida frowns at times but Dazai’s face is blank. It gives nothing away. When Atsushi concludes, Kunikida sighs and starts to take out his phone. Likely to call in whoever was their go-to contact with the Port Mafia when Dazai’s hand shoots out and stops.
“Where is he?” His voice was neutral. Cold.
“Uhh… who?” Atsushi was confused.
“The one who looks like Chuuya.”
Atsushi blinks at that and looks at Kyouka who looked just as surprised at that statement.
“What?” Atsushi asks.
“That’s not Chuuya.” Dazai states, his eyes looking over the door to the infirmary. Still closed.
“Oi Dazai.” Kunikida frowns. “Both Atsushi and Kyouka-”
“Chuuya is out of the country right now. His flight back to Yokohama is in two days.” Dazai states flatly.
How do you know that? Atsushi wants to demand. How can he know Nakahara’s schedule? How can he know when he will return?
“So that’s not Chuuya. That is someone else you have brought here.”
All of a sudden Atsushi realizes the gravity of the situation. A stranger who might be an accomplice to the thief was here. Maybe this was all a pretense? Atsushi clenches his hands tightly.
Just then, the door creaks open. They all turn. Kunikida reached for his gun. Kyouka unsheathes her dagger. Atsushi crouches low, ready to transform. Dazai simply stands behind them, his gaze cold and frigid.
The door opens and Nakahara’s look alike walks out. Yawning and rubbing his forehead. He looks at them and nods.
“Hey, what happened?”
That…. Surprises Atsushi. He sounds so… casual. Friendly. As if they know each other.
He continues on, not even noticing how they all froze at the sight of him. “Was I badly injured? Akiko didn’t use her ability did she? Doesn’t feel like she did. Did Atsushi carry me back? Sorry kid.” And he smiles. Smiles . At Atsushi. Kind. Gentle. Slightly apologetic as if he felt guilty for making Atsushi have to pick up after him. Which would have been fine if he had known Nakahara. He did not know him.
It seems their silence finally starts to unnerve Nakahara because he starts to look confused now. He looks at all of them individually before his eyes land on Dazai.
Then.
“Osamu? What’s going on?”
They all move forward at that.
“This is ridiculous!”
Dazai says nothing. He simply keeps a hand on this stranger’s back. Because this man was a stranger. A stranger wearing Chuuya’s face thinking he could fool them. Could fool Dazai. He couldn’t. Dazai knew Chuuya better than anyone. Even now years later when resentment and anger built a stronger wall between them, Dazai knew Chuuya. He knew how Chuuya’s eyes shined when he was reading a particular poetry he liked. Knew how his cheeks flushed when he was angry. Knew that he needed an obscene amount of sugar in his coffee. Knew that he enjoyed cuisine from all around the world, especially French cuisine, but at the end of the day his favourite food was from that small ramyeon store in Suribachi where he goes every year for his birthday and leaves obscene amounts of money for a bowl of ramen that was barely decent.
He also knew that Chuuya would never call him Osamu. Never so gently.
So it wasn’t Chuuya.
The stranger stays still despite his protest. Never makes a move to attack them which was further proof that it wasn’t Chuuya. If anyone tried to hold him down Chuuya would fight back. He would push them off and then he’d make sure to break every single bone of everyone in this room including Dazai’s for even touching him like this.
“Who are you?” Kunikida demands.
Dazai mourns the lack of a proper interrogation room in the office. They had to tie him down to a chair Kyouka had grabbed while the other three restrained him. Mostly Kunikida and Atsushi while Dazai made sure whatever ability this man possessed did not act out.
“Have you lost your mind?” Not-Chuuya demands, looking annoyed at the whole thing. “I am Chuuya!”
“Chuuya is supposed to be in Italy now.” Dazai calmly informs. “If you were trying to impersonate him I’d suggest the next time you be more informed of his whereabouts.”
Atsushi glances at him but says nothing. He doesn't ask why Dazai was aware of where the enemy was. Dazai could not explain it to him even if he had. How could he explain this obsession with knowing everything about Chuuya? Where he was. What he was doing. What he ate. He needed to know everything. He couldn’t accept that Chuuya could change and Dazai wouldn’t recognise the changes. How could he explain to Atsushi or anyone in this room that?
“Italy?” Not-Chuuya spluttered, looking back at him. His eyes so bright, so blue. Like Chuuya. His eyes were so much like Chuuya’s. Bright blue like the ocean. He liked to go to the ocean after he left the Mafia. On days when the sun was shining and the sky was a beautiful blue. He’d go to the beach and stare at the blue waves. He wouldn’t think of swimming in and never surfacing. He would think of Chuuya. Chuuya and his beautiful blue eyes.
This was a good impersonator. Whoever changed their appearance clearly was good. They must have studied Chuuya for a while. Taken their time to study every single of his features to replicate them so flawlessly over someone else’s face.
Dazai tightens his hold over this man’s neck and he winces.
“Why would I be in Italy?” He demands.
“Why should we know why the Port Mafia sent you abroad?” Kunikida scowls.
He went in to secure a deal with an arms dealer there. Allowing them to use the Port Mafia base to ship their goods to bypass their rival’s bases. He knew he wasn’t supposed to know this many details. But he did. He would always know.
“Port Mafia?” He laughs. “Is this a joke? Is that it? Why would the Port Mafia send me anywhere? It’s not like I work there anymore?”
And that stops them all. They all freeze, looking at each other before looking back down at Not-Chuuya who was glaring at them all. He was angry but he was also… hurt. Dazai recognised that look. Anger tinged with pain. He was hurt by this entire thing.
“You haven’t left the Port Mafia.” Dazai states. “Our intel would have told us. You’ve only been gone from Yokohama for a week-”
“Have you all lost your mind?” He shouts, his eyes flashing. “I’ve been here for the past week! Working! I bought coffee for you all this morning! And Kunikida, you handed me the case file! Told me to wait by the port for the thief!”
Then he looks over at Dazai once more. His eyes blazed with fury. “And what do you mean I haven’t left Port Mafia, fucker? You took me out of there didn’t you? Begged me to leave with you! Left with you five years ago so what do you mean I haven’t left Port Mafia?”