Chapter Text
Nighttime sprung upon Yokohama, the sunset had just finished settling as the streets slowly began to quiet down. Chuuya was returning from the forest after berating and nearly killing a gifted who had been causing trouble in the Port Mafia. Chuuya sent his men to go pick the gifted up from meeting his inevitable demise.
Chuuya was walking in the streets, people staring away from him as he passed. It was a lonely life, the redhead has chosen this way of living ever since he joined the Port Mafia when he was fifteen. Sometimes, he regrets it, he regrets not staying with the sheep and keeping his end of the deal; their promise… He can still here them saying "how could you let us down?"
He hates it, one by one, every single one of the traits that make up Chuuya Nakahara eat at him constantly. But that's all in the past, and all Chuuya can do is protect those that come into his life now, the friends he’s made in the Port Mafia.
Chuuya went inside a winery and swiftly made his way to the red wine aisle. He was picking up his favorite wine so he could (hopefully) kick back and relax and stop reminiscing about his past, the memories… those he abandoned.
Thinking about all of this made the man want to cry; he had two sides of him, one was constantly telling him to go back and rebrand the sheep, and the other forbade him from doing so. Chuuya wasn't one for expressing his emotions, though. He felt that he needed to keep this tough guy façade on display until he was in the comfort of his home, so that's exactly what he did.
He grabbed a wine off of the shelf and went to pay, the cashier wrapped the wine in a brown paper bag and tied a black bow around it, ensuring that it stayed shut. The man then put it in another paper bag so that it’d be easier for Chuuya to carry it. The redhead thanked the cashier and left the store.
As Chuuya was returning to his humble abode, he walked by an alley and heard a faint cry. He stood there for a few minutes and heard the cry again. The cries reminded him of his times in the sheep, hearing children cry for their parents in the slums despite knowing that they’d never return. He wanted to keep walking so he could relax and ponder about his past, but alas, something about those cries lulled him over. He wanted to stop before it was too late, perhaps this time, his life would finally be at stake.
“Hello…?” Chuuya asked not expecting a response, “I heard someone in here.”
The redhead walked slowly and quietly, he noticed a big garbage container and walked towards it. As he did, the crying got clearer, more audible, and more consistent.
He stood in shock, there was a child there. They looked to be between one and two years of age. They were in shambles and shivering in fear. They were curled up in a fetal position and facing towards the cold brick wall and laying on the cold cement floor.
Chuuya set the bag with his wine in it on the floor beside the garbage container and tiptoed closer to it.
“Hi… Are you okay?” The redhead spoke softly. He sat on his knees, inching closer to the shaking child. If he learned one thing during his time in the sheep it was patience, always be patient and reassuring with a scared child or else they'll perceive you as a threat and shutdown completely.
The child let out a big gulp of tears and his voice was cracking; it sounded dry and worn out. Hearing this made Chuuya's heart shatter, it reminded him of his times in the sheep when a child was hurt or close to dying… when a child new to the sheep witnessed their first death or lost their parents. It was absolutely heartbreaking, the sobs sounding all too familiar.
The shivering child slowly uncurled themselves and rubbed their eyes, they let out a broken and croaky yawn. The child turned to face him and Chuuya immediately knew who it was.
It was Dazai.
“Holy shit,” the redhead spoke aloud, sounding quite shocked.
Upon saying that, Dazai started wailing again. His brown curls covering his face and his long beige coat wrapped around his body. Dazai’s face was flushed in a light pink blush, his nose a bright red, and his big brown eyes held all the world's pain in them. Trails of tears both old and new were visible from a mile away.
“Hey, hey, hey, I’m sorry. It's just—Someone is going to hear you if you don't calm down” Chuuya scurried. He didn’t know what to do as he’s never been put in this situation with a literal child. Much less Dazai whom he hadn't seen in years.
His verbal attempts and soothing methods did not work. If anything, the brunette's wails grew louder and more tears pooled down his face. He could swear that he was crying blood.
The redhead's paternal instinct kicked in and he pulled the wailing Dazai close to him, his head tucked between his neck and shoulders.
“Shh, it’s okay. You will be okay” Chuuya cooed, one of his hands supporting Dazai’s bottom and the other rubbing circles on his lower back.
After what seemed like an eternity, Dazai’s wails reduced to sniffles and hiccups, his hand was in his mouth and his head was resting easily on Chuuya’s shoulder.
Chuuya fiddled with Dazai’s fluffy brown curls and gently bounced him in his arms until he heard quiet snores and felt his steady breathing. The baby had fallen asleep, his face stained with tears and his thumb bobbing up and down in his mouth.
Chuuya exhaled in relief, “Thank God…”
The redhead slowly got up with Dazai in one arm and his bag in the other. He continued his walk home.
Chuuya arrived at his apartment and set his wine bag on the countertop. He occasionally hushed Dazai when he felt him twitch in his arms. He sat down on his teal blue couch with the sleeping baby. He then pulled a fuzzy white blanket over the both of them and got out his phone to start scrolling mindlessly on social media.
Chuuya stopped to think to himself, ‘I should probably order some better clothes for him… and maybe a bottle? Some pacifiers so he doesn’t suck on his hand. Am I being extra? No, he’s a baby.’
His thoughts were scattered, going a thousand miles per kilowatt-hour. Back in their Mafia days, Chuuya thought he was in too deep, thinking that he'd never stop taking care of Dazai whilst he was age regressed. But, that changed the moment Dazai left the Mafia and ignored Chuuya's entire existence. Chuuya was a brand new person now, though, he always made the same old mistakes.
Dazai hiccuped in his sleep, causing Chuuya to look down. He saw his thumb slowly falling out of his mouth whilst he was cradled against Chuuya's chest.
'Maybe, this will be worth the fight,' Chuuya chuckled to himself quietly.
He put some essentials in the online shopping cart, this of course included some pacifiers, a few bottles, formula, some pajama onesies, and the delicious baby puffs. He also added some toys like a kitty keyboard and a stuffed calico cat with a rattle in it.
He had a few hours to kill before the things made their way to his apartment, but for now, he had to keep Dazai content without the items if he woke up.
It nearly took an hour before Dazai’s eyes began to flutter open. His long brown curls framed across his face and covered his eyes. The brunette rubbed his eyes and looked up at Chuuya with his big brown eyes glistening in fear.
“Hi Mackerel, how did you sleep?” Chuuya cooed, moving Dazai’s curls out of his face. He wasn't sure if he should use the nickname since it had been a while and their relationship wasn't the same as it was before; it was stained.
Dazai’s lip started to pout and his eyes began to water, he was scared; terrified. He started crying so loud that Chuuya could feel his heart breaking into a million tiny fragments. The baby latched onto Chuuya’s shirt and pulled himself up into his chest. His chest heaving at a concerning fast pace.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay, sweetheart. I’m here” he rubbed the brunettes back slowly, attempting to soothe him.
Dazai’s thumb made his way into his mouth and that seemed to soothe; sucking on things seemed to soothe him a bit, note taken. He quieted down to gentle sniffles and occasional hiccups, snot came out of his button nose. The poor baby looked so sad and so scared.
Once Chuuya could see that Dazai was calm enough, he grabbed the remote that was on the living room table in front of him and scrolled through shows that were baby appropriate. Dazai turned around and watched him do so and started squirming in excitement when he saw one show in particular.
“You wanna watch that one, baby?” Chuuya asked while starting to lightly bounce his leg.
Dazai nodded his head in excitement and began trying to grab the controller so he could press play.
The movie of his choice was Luca, a very colorful movie based in Italy. It had plenty of sea life and adventure, along with some sad moments. Chuuya clicked play and watched as Dazai relaxed himself on his lap with his eyes glistening in excitement.
“Dazai~” Chuuya said in a soft tone, “Do you mind staying here while I go do the dishes?”
Dazai hesitated at first before giving a response, after thinking for a few moments he nodded.
Chuuya moved his baby to the middle couch cushion and draped the blanket over him. He then made his way to the kitchen as Dazai contently watched the movie.
Fifteen minutes later, the bell rang and Chuuya got the notification that the order had arrived. Upon the doorbell ringing, Dazai started crying, the loud noise had spooked him and made him jump in fear, causing him to hit his head on the hard part of the couch.
Chuuya hurried up and dragged the groceries inside and grabbed the stuffed cat he had ordered.
“I’m so sorry, baby” He said as he pulled Dazai up from the couch and into his arms. “I know. I’m so sorry, it was scary, wasn’t it?” The redhead rubbed circles in the middle of Dazai’s back and fiddled with Dazai’s hair.
Dazai buried his head in between Chuuya's neck and shoulders and he grabbed onto Chuuya's shirt like if it was a lifeline. His face was turning a light red due to the excessive amount of crying he's done and his voice sounded incredibly hoarse.
Chuuya took the plushy that was in his hands and showed it to Dazai, "I have a friend for you~”
He sat on the head of the couch and sat Dazai on his lap and danced the stuffed cat in the air. “He even makes a little noise” The redhead chuckled and shook the cat, revealing the rattle noise it made.
Dazai’s behavior changed immediately, he was enthralled by the kitty and the noise. He went from tears coming down like cascade mountain to mere sniffles and shaky breaths. He started reaching out for the kitty with the grabby hands motion.
“You like it?” Chuuya chuckled again and put the cat in Dazai’s hands. Dazai started shaking it gently and revealed a big smile. He hugged it close, showing no intention of ever letting it go.
Chuuya rested Dazai on his hip and walked towards the groceries and pulled them up onto the countertop. He set everything on the counter and Dazai watched in awe. His eyes were big but his facial expression revealed that he was slightly confused.
“All of this is for you” the redhead softly caressed Dazai’s cheek. The brunette shoved his face into Chuuya’s chest and groaned. Chuuya wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing, but he wasn’t crying so he’d take that as a win.
Dazai’s tummy grumbled and he started raining tears again.
“Awe, honey…” Chuuya bounced Dazai up and down and gently bounced him in his arms again. "I'm sorry. I didn't have food for you to eat, you'll be able to eat now, though."
Chuuya started unboxing a bottle with Dazai still in his arms and took it to the sink. He washed the bottle (despite it being brand new) he didn’t wanna risk Dazai getting sick while he was stuck like this.
While the bottle was soaking in warm soapy water, Chuuya poured water into a pot and set it to boil. Dazai watched him closely from the corner of his eye while hugging his stuffed cat, occasionally shaking the rattle.
Chuuya went back to the bottle washing and rinsed it clean. He dried the exterior of it and set it next to the pot that contained the boiling water. Dazai was shocked that Chuuya was doing all of this with one hand, he had no shame, though, since he wanted to be held.
He watched as Chuuya gently and steadily poured some hot water into the bottle, he then turned around with the bottle in his hand and looked through one of the bags until he found the formula. He grabbed all three containers and set them next to each other.
“Do you wanna choose?” Chuuya asked.
Dazai stared at them all briefly before throwing himself back into Chuuya’s chest. He wanted Chuuya to choose, Chuuya always knows what's best in his mind. Even now, when they were divided by Mafia and Agency, Chuuya always made the best decisions for the Mafia and for himself. Whereas Dazai is a selfish asshole who only looks after himself and rarely does anything on the battlefield; he's always working behind the scenes... Like a pathetic cat who's scared to catch a mouse.
“You want me to choose…?” Dazai nodded and grabbed a fistful of Chuuya’s shirt.
Chuuya chose the vanilla formula since it seemed to be the easier and safest option. He knew Dazai had a sensitive stomach and that babies' stomachs are especially sensitive.
He scooped some formula into the bottle and gave it a nice shake. As he was shaking it, he grabbed a crab themed pacifier from one of the bags and walked towards the couch. Once he was sat, he prompted Dazai in his arms instead of his chest. Dazai did not like that so he tried to squirm his way back onto Chuuya’s chest.
“No, baby, it’s easier like this” The redhead stated as he gently put Chuuya back to the position he was in previously.
Dazai liked hearing Chuuya’s steady heartbeat. It was soothing to hear and nice to count. And since he was not able to do that, he started pouting his lip and tears welled up in his eyes.
“Hey, hey, hey, shhh, it’s okay” He cooed as he gently put the nipple of the bottle in Dazai’s mouth.
The brunette did not understand what to do so he wasn’t sucking on the bottle like he was supposed to, which caused the formula to drop down his chin.
Chuuya chuckled, “You’re supposed to drink it, silly.” The redhead raised the bottle up more, hoping that it would help Dazai drink it, it did. The brunette began sucking on the bottle and drinking what was inside.
In doing so, Chuuya felt something flutter against his arm. He looked over and he saw… cat ears? Dazai had cat ears. (How did he not notice this before?)
The ears were fluttering as Dazai was humming while he drank his bottle. Chuuya felt tempted to try and pet them. So he stroked the top of Dazai’s head and slowly made his way back towards his ears. When he reached them. Dazai made a weird noise…. It was him purring. Dazai was purring.
“Awe, you like that, baby?”
Dazai death glared at Chuuya, but Chuuya couldn’t take him seriously as he was a literal baby with cat ears. The redhead giggled in his thoughts.
“Sorry, won’t do it again” he said in an unserious tone, knowing damn well he was going to try and pet him again while he was asleep.
Dazai's blinking got slower and slower; his eyes stayed shut for longer and longer. His purring was continuous and absolutely adorable but Chuuya would never admit to thinking that.
Dazai finished a little over half of the bottle before he was completely asleep. Chuuya pulled the nipple of the bottle out of Dazai's mouth and used his shirt to clean up the excess milk around his face.
"Shh, stay sleeping, shh" The redhead replaced the bottle with the crab pacifier he grabbed off of the counter earlier. Dazai suckled on it contently in his slumber until he was in a deep sleep.
Chuuya turned down the volume of the movie and waited ten minutes before pausing it so Dazai wouldn't miss the whole thing and he slowly got up off the couch and placed Dazai on the middle cushion so he could go get a sleeper onesie from off of the counter.
Chuuya quickly scurried his way over there and grabbed a black cat onesie. He's always thought of Dazai as a black cat; mischievous and whimsical.
Chuuya sat on the floor beside the couch where Dazai is laying. This whole time he hadn't noticed that Dazai stinks and is in need of a bath when he wakes up. He already has to mentally prepare himself for that battle.
Chuuya quickly changes Dazai into the sleeper onesie and he looks so adorable, Chuuya wants to take a million photos to tease Mackerel later, but he'll do that after his bath.
The crab pacifier is bobbing up and down in his mouth and his purring is getting quieter with each breath.
Unexpectedly, Chuuya's phone starts ringing. He answers it quickly before it disturbs his sleeping angel.
"Chuuya," a man with a deep voice asks. "Do you have Dazai?"
Chuuya felt his heart stop and sink to the bottom of his chest.
It was Kunikida.
Kunikida had called him.