Work Text:
The moon hung low over Yokohama, casting a beautiful silver glow onto the empty streets below. Chuuya Nakahara adjusted his hat, pulling it a little further into his face as he walked beside his taller partner.
“Seriously, Dazai. Why are we on a ‘patrol’ in the middle of the night? If something happened, I’m sure Mori would have told us. If this is one of your stupid jokes that’s keeping me from getting my well-deserved sleep, I will skin you.”
Dazai chuckled in return, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his long dark coat. “Oh come on, slug. Don’t you know that everything interesting always happens at night? Besides,” he added, a teasing smirk on his lips. “It’s pure bliss to see how much shorter the moonlight makes you look.”
Snapping his head to the side, Chuuya shot him a glare. “Shut up, Dazai.”
The longer they walked, the less excited Chuuya was getting about being outside, when, in his eyes, there really wasn’t a point to it at all. Huffing every now and then whilst successfully kicking a rock to stay in front of him, he tried to voice his discomfort with the situation.
Dazai was unusually quiet, walking next to him as they turned the next corner and found themselves by the harbor shortly after. The water shimmered under the moonlight, adding a sense of tranquility to the scene that helped Chuuya’s frustrated self calm down a notch. After all, it was a beautiful night and being outside without needing to hunt someone or collect clues to an ongoing mystery of some kind was… nice.
Stopping the march, Chuuya turned once more, walking onto one of the bridges leading out into the water before halting by the railing and leaning against it, staring out at the calm waters.
While it was uncharacteristic for Dazai to stay this quiet, it just as much was for Chuuya to not complain about something Dazai did or said for too long, so he stood beside the redhead, looking at him. “What’s on your mind, Chibi?”
The shorter man’s index finger tapped against the wood of the railing, giving a much more usual insight into his inner turmoil than the silence had been. The hesitation in his answer didn’t stem from insecurity or unsureness but merely from a struggle to find the right words to express his thoughts. As he decided to just go for it, the tension left his shoulders, making them drop into something akin to defeat
“Do you ever get tired of it, Dazai?” He finally said, gaze firmly on the open water. “Being seen as nothing more than a weapon? A tool to do their bidding?”
If Chuuya had turned his head he’d been able to see the surprise painted on Dazai’s face from that rare vulnerability Chuuya showed. As much as the redhead was the more emotional one of the two, he most certainly kept his thoughts and worries under wraps for the most part.
“I think we all feel that way sometimes,” Dazai replied, his voice turning softer as he continued. “But I hope you know that you’re much more than just your abilities. Besides being delightfully short-” that earned him a punch to the gut which he took without much acknowledgement of the pain it most certainly spread in his torso. “You’re also strong. Tenacious. Tedious. And most importantly annoying and stubborn, which makes for a great partner.”
Despite the rude commentary, there was a small smile tugging at Chuuya’s lips hearing that. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
“Take it however you want,” Dazai replied, his eyes softening as he finally averted his gaze from Chuuya and followed suit in looking ahead.
For a breath moment, they stood in silence like that, the only sounds surrounding them being the gentle lapping of the water against the wooden docks and the distant, hum of the city spreading behind them. It was an admittedly rare peaceful contrast to the usual chaos they called their life. Be it self-made or not.
“You know,” Dazai was the one to break the silence, his tone unusually sincere which only fit the very atypical situation they were in. “I respect you, Chuuya. More than you probably realize.”
In an instant, Chuuya’s head turned to look away from the water for the first time since they started talking, glancing at Dazai now. It was his turn to be surprised by the earnestness in the other’s voice. “Dazai… are you feeling alright? You’re not usually this… serious.”
Still looking at the water, Dazai smiled now. A rare, genuine smile that had Chuuya’s heart skip a beat. Nothing about this late-night walk was common. It seemed more like a dream that felt a little too real. “Maybe the moonlight is making me sentimental.”
Said moonlight was still casting everything its silvery glow, enhancing the moment's quiet, serene intimacy. Although Chuuya could understand what the other meant by it, having voiced his own vulnerable thoughts mere moments before, he wasn’t too sure if he felt comfortable with the conversation heading into this direction.
In an attempt to pull them both out of it, he let out a soft snort as he shook his head. “Idiot.”
The next beat of silence settling between them felt a lot more comfortable. The moonlight highlighting the contours of their faces, casting soft, ethereal shadows across them. Chuuya had turned his head to focus on the water again, trying to breathe away the tenderness and regain his regular composure.
Dazai on the other hand had turned to look at Chuuya again, watching those blue eyes reflect the moonlight and becoming almost mesmerizingly beautiful. Instead of the deep blue they usually showed, they had turned almost grey with gorgeous specks of silver wherever the lighter blue was usually situated. Reaching out, Dazai brushed a stray red lock away from Chuuya’s face, revealing even more of his features to take in.
With how tender the gesture felt, Chuuya froze for a moment, his heart immediately starting to race in his chest. Instead of pulling away though, he turned his head to meet Dazai’s gaze, blinking at him.
They stood there for a moment, the air thickening between them as the moment dragged on, unmentioned emotions palpable.
After what felt like an eternity of having to look into eyes that were glowing like liquid amber in the soft moonlight, Dazai dropped his hand and pulled away. An expression had crossed his face Chuuya couldn’t place, but he knew that it made his chest tighten with a mixture of hurt and desperation.
“Dazai- wait…” The words got out before he could stop them; before he had the chance to think about what he wanted to say or do; before he had any opportunity to think.
“It’s okay, Chibi…” Dazai’s tone wasn’t dismissive but clearly aimed at making him drop the subject, which only increased Chuuya’s need to insist, no matter the consequences.
“Fuck you. Look at me right now.” Despite the harsh choice of words, the tone they were spoken in conveyed that same desperation he had felt in his chest mere seconds ago. Chuuya couldn’t even say why he wanted Dazai to look at him again since he normally told the man to stop doing just that.
Although it took a good moment, Dazai did turn back and looked at Chuuya again, finally crossing the shorter man’s longing gaze. Finally having Dazai’s full attention back on him didn’t seem to solve the turmoil in his chest though, so he was in need of processing what else was missing.
Before he had a chance to find the answer himself, Dazai luckily presented him with it, as the man’s gaze and features softened when that sincere, real smile appeared on his lips again. Immediately the feelings of yearning and hurt disappeared from his chest, leaving a sense of belonging and calm in their wake.
“Now what Chibi?” Dazai asked him, the smile widening on his lips as he saw the expression on Chuuya’s face soften along with his words.
Where Chuuya had wanted everything to be less awkwardly emotional and vulnerable, he had forced the situation back into it now, feeling the softness fade away the longer he was stuck trying to find an answer to that question because he didn’t know. Or rather… couldn’t say what he wanted to deep down in his soul.
Luckily, he didn’t need to say what he thought since the bastardly gorgeous man he called his partner, currently drenched in that same moonlight that made his hair glow just as much as it did Chuuya’s, knew exactly what he wanted. He knew what was going on in his partners head without Chuuya needing to say a word.
The hand that had stroked away that curl earlier was back, cupping the side of Chuuya’s face now, feeling cool against Chuuya’s cheeks. The gesture, once more much gentler than he expected it to be, made those cheeks of his heat up even more, making it hard not to pull and turn away.
“You haven’t answered yet, Chuuya…” If only Dazai’s words weren’t this gentle lulling him into this rare feeling of comfort and contentment. “Now what?”
“Does it matter?” Chuuya replied, his gaze unwavering as he just stared into Dazai’s eyes, losing himself in them in the process.
“I suppose it doesn’t…” The admission was so raw and unexpected once more that Chuuya could only repeat what he’d said before.
“Idiot…” After all, that’s what Dazai was. And he always would be. An idiot. His idiot. His idiotic partner who wanted to kill himself a little too much, but Chuuya still couldn’t bear to look away from.
“You know what, slug?” The mischief sparkling in Dazai’s eyes had Chuuya’s narrow, as the silliness he had snuck into their situation kept on increasing.
“What?”
“The moonlight makes you look even more beautiful than usual.”
Once again, Dazai had spoken in such an earnest and sincere way, that it made Chuuya’s heart skip a beat, especially concerning the meaning of the words he spoke. The narrowed eyes widened in surprise and mild shock whilst his smile disappeared to leave his lips parted in a fully silent gasp.
even more beautiful than usual…
Dazai was obviously lying, saying it to get a reaction out of Chuuya - which he’d been successful with - for his own pleasure. In no way was there a chance for that to be remotely true, so Chuuya felt his heart sink in his chest as his soul concluded that a large part of him if not all, wanted it to be the truth.
The second the hurt returned, he averted his gaze to have time to mask it and his expression into something acceptable. Something akin to annoyance. As he started to speak and dismiss the situation in an instant, ready to go back to their lives before the moonlight made both of them look like clowns, Dazai interfered.
Instead of just one hand, a second one came in to fully frame Chuuya’s face, tilting it up even further and therefore almost forcing Chuuya to lock gazes with Dazai again. “I know you can tell when I’m lying to you, so I want you to look at me and tell me if I am, when I tell you how beautiful you are, Chuuya.”
Getting increasingly overwhelmed with the situation but incapable of breaking out of it now that he was looking into Dazai’s eyes again, Chuuya observed the man. There were never any telltale signs of when he was lying. The man was simply too versed in it, having perfected the art over time and yet… yet he was right. Chuuya just knew the man too well to not see right past his lies. Which meant that he knew exactly whether or not it was true.
Knowing on the other hand didn’t mean he believed it to be.
“If this is some elaborate way to mess with me, I will not hesitate to rip your head off and you know it.” Having his face grabbed like that made the words sound a little too smushed for his own liking but they still managed to carry the same bite as always. Especially considering Dazai would be very well aware of the fact that he wouldn’t hesitate a second.
“It really would be elaborate, wouldn’t it? Bringing you out here under a full moon, telling you how the moonlight makes your hair look like it’s alive, burning with the same fierceness and passion that I can see in your eyes.” The mischievous twinkle in the bastard's eyes was back, easing Chuuya’s soul along with his heartbeat.
Chuuya huffed at him, rolling his eyes a little to veil the way his pupils widened at the words like he’d longed to hear them for the longest time. “You sound ridiculous.”
“There is a saying for that though, isn’t there? ‘Love makes you stupid’ and all that…”
“Well, you’ve been ridiculously stupid ever since I’ve known you.” Chuuya snorted, challenging Dazai with his gaze. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like the other took the challenge, merely looking at him with the same, unwavering softness in his eyes.
As the silence spread and Dazai didn’t reply to his words, Chuuya started to think about them and once more felt his eyes widen as he understood. As he realised.
Oh.
Oh.
“You’re lying.”
“You tell me.” Dazai chuckled softly. “You tell me, Chuuya.”
He wasn’t. Dazai was not lying and it had the young man start to heat up, blood rushing into his face as it dawned on him that everything- everything was right there in his grasp and he just needed to reach out and take it.
So Chuuya stared at Dazai, doe-eyed and in more than just a little shock, as he tried to get himself to say it, to ask for it, to make the move the way he always did. Dazai was the lazy one out of the two, always waiting for Chuuya to do things before ever lifting a finger himself as he much rather told him what to do.
Stuck in his paralysis of trying to move a single muscle and finally act on his desires, Dazai’s smile softened even more, a knowing expression growing on his face.
“See? And neither are your eyes.”
With that, Dazai leaned down, closing the distance between them and pressed his lips onto Chuuya’s in a soft, tender kiss, that fulfilled every single desire Chuuya had failed to voice. Nevertheless, it took him a moment of acceptance to finally relax into the hands around his face and into the kiss. His eyes closing at the sensation of safety and finally having reached his safe haven.
It was a kiss that felt like the gentle breeze flowing across the water around them, just as soothing and serene as Chuuya would have wanted it to be. Their lips were barely working against one another, enjoying the feeling of just being with the other. When Dazai finally pulled back, his lips left a warm tingling sensation behind, one that made him long for more.
Gentle thumbs rubbed over his cheeks as Chuuya’s eyes opened up and the first thing he saw was those gorgeous molten amber eyes again, looking down at him with an expression he’d never forget. Happiness. Real and unguarded happiness.
The smile that appeared on his own face was just as joyful and content as that gaze, leaving him to look up at Dazai almost as if in a trance. “Can we do that again?” He asked, his voice so much smaller and void of that usual spice and snark.
A soft hum escaped the taller man as he leaned down once more, brushing his lips of Chuuya’s in nothing but the ghost of a kiss. “I would love to, but unfortunately I think we’re not alone anymore…” he whispered softly.
Feeling those lips move against his own in just a featherlight way made it quite hard to process the words and yet when he did, his body went much more rigid than it had before. His eyes opened as he looked at Dazai with both alert and frustration in his gaze. “Can we ignore them?”
Sighing softly, Dazai shook his head now. “I wouldn’t risk it. But we can finish them off and then continue at home, what do you think?”
Contemplating the decision and feeling more than unhappy about the fact that he would have to escape this little safe space that got created around him, he sighed deeply. “Fucking fine, but if you don’t pick this up right where we left off, then-”
“Yeah yeah~” The shit-eating grin was back on his face as he pulled away. “You’re gonna maim me. I get it slug, don’t worry your pretty little head, you’ll just get lost in there~”
“Oh fuck off.” Chuuya rolled his eyes as he moved to punch Dazai in the chest because he was once more an annoying waste of breath. However, both of them could feel that his fist packed a little less of a punch than usual. Almost as if Chuuya didn’t want to hurt the other.
Not… anymore.
Turning back to the task - or rather the annoying jerks that dared to disturb them - at hand, that brief moment of intimacy they had still lingered on, unspoken between the two of them yet with a permanent impact. Another shared look and they turned to face the port again, already seeing a group of men clad in black emerging from the shadows and walking towards them.
Chuuya could feel his heart beat faster, excited by the upcoming fight and just a little bit heavier after their moment under the moonlit sky. Almost as if his priorities had shifted, his heart and soul blissfully divided between the thrill of the upcoming fight and the promises of what would come after.
“Ready to take them down, partner?” Dazai’s voice rang up from behind him, letting Chuuya take the first bite of their shared meal here. The way he said it though, made a shiver run down his spine. They were partners and maybe… after tonight, they’d finally be able to fill out that role in one more way than they used to.
“Course I am.” He snorted, his body starting to glow as he prepared himself for the first impact. “Let’s finish them off quickly. After all… We got plans.”
Another glance back at his partner, a heartbeat of their eyes meeting, before Chuuya surged forward into the fight, prepared to show these people just how irritated he was when interrupted in one of the very few moments that made him truly happy.