Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Ah, and we do have one more member.” Kunikida mentioned as he finished doing the rounds of introducing Atsushi to everyone. “He’s part time, so I’ll schedule you to be introduced next time he’s in.”

Atsushi blinked in surprise. “Someone else?” He couldn’t help but ask. It seemed he’d been introduced to so many people today (and all of them ability users?) that he was already overwhelmed. But there were more?

Then he caught the second part. “Wait, part time? You can do that?”

Sure, the salary he’d been shown was more than he thought he deserved (and it’s not like he’d ever been paid for work before), but a part-timer would get even less and he wasn’t sure how someone would be able to survive on that.

“Kenji also considers his job here at the agency part time despite being full time, due to helping on his family’s farm.” Kunikida indicated the blond boy who seemed even younger than Atsushi. “And in this case, the other job is… decidedly more lucrative than our work here.”

Atsushi squinted at him, trying to see if he was joking.

Because then, if true, his question was why this person would be working here, ability or not.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Atsushi jumped slightly as Kunikida spoke, not expecting it. “However, he does want to help people and this job is a good way of doing that. And he is rather fond of us and thinks of us as family.”

“Oh, I see…” Atsushi did not see, but who was he to judge? Everyone had their reasons.

“Plus,” Kunikida muttered as he gestured for Atsushi to follow him on a tour of the rest of the office space, “I cannot deny that he’s an excellent ally to have.”

“Oh, that’s good then.” He wondered what sort of ability this person had. Or maybe they were like Naomi and had some other sort of skill to contribute. Atsushi guessed he would have to wait and find out.

“Ah, but please do note that, unless it’s an emergency or some sort of catastrophe, he and Dazai are not allowed to work together.”

“Okay.” Atsushi automatically agreed before he registered what had been said. “Wait, what? Why?”

“For the sake of all our sanity.” Kunikida explained, which did not actually explain anything and he wouldn’t say anything else when prodded.

Atsushi was now more confused than ever but he decided to just go with it for now.

But was this really a good person if they didn’t get along that well with Dazai?

(As he would soon realize, one did not necessarily get along well with Dazai. It was more a measure of how much one could tolerate his brand of weirdness. So perhaps he’d judged this mysterious other member too harshly.)

“Sorry, I’m late!” Atsushi burst into the room, ready to help with the clean-up and work like Kunikida told him to. After all, the assault from the Black Lizard was his fault and —

“Oh, you must be the newbie.”

He blinked.

The office looked… surprisingly okay. Sure, files and books were in piles all over, clearly needing to be returned to their places, but the broken windows Kunikida had placed tarp over yesterday had been replaced and the cracked walls repaired. Overturned shelves and cabinets had been righted and there were several boxes noting replacement furniture for what had been destroyed.

Overall, the office just needed some cleaning and it would be as good as new.

But the most startling thing was the delinquent standing in the middle of the room.

The delinquent couldn’t be much older than Atsushi given how young he looked. Long, pale orange hair was pulled back into a low bun while barrettes helped keep back his bangs on the left side of his face. His ears held multiple piercings with studs in his lobes and a couple helixes and an orbital through the upper cartilage. He wore a light grey v-neck shirt and a maroon leather jacket as well as tight black jeans and combat boots. Though the strangest elements of his attire were a black choker around his neck and the black gloves upon his hands.

He was also a lot shorter than Atsushi. Which should have made him less intimidating, but it did not.

His expression, eyes which seemed to pierce right through Atsushi’s core in judgment and a nonchalant frown, was somehow what set him on edge.

There was an instinct within him that bristled at the sight, telling him that the man before him was dangerous.

Another attack from the Port Mafia perhaps?

He shifted his stance slightly, because this time, he’d surely defend —

“Ah, Atsushi.” Kunikida popped up next to the delinquent, but to Atsushi’s shock, he didn’t react to him at all. “There you are.”

“Kunikida-san, he —” Atsushi tried to warn him.

“This is the final member I told you about. He’s Ranpo-san’s partner generally.” Kunikida gestured at the delinquent. “This is Nakahara Chuuya.”

“Yo.” The delinquent raised his hand in greeting. “Call me Chuuya.”

Atsushi stared.

This was the other member? The part-timer?

Was his “more lucrative” job some sort of crime ring? How was that allowed? Everything about him screamed danger despite the non-threatening way he behaved.

“Anyway, Four Eyes.” Chuuya turned to Kunikida. “Everything in order? It was a bit of a rush job to fix things, but it shouldn’t be too hard to make the new furniture and put things away.”

“Everything is wonderful.” Kunikida sighed and seemed happy for the first time since Atsushi had met him. “As per usual, your organization skills are impeccable and your contributions help us avoid using up our budget.” He looked like he was about to cry tears of joy.

“No sweat. Just doing what I can.” Chuuya shrugged it off.

“As long as that waste of space isn’t around, you’re truly an exemplary employee.” Kunikida ignored Chuuya’s disgruntled frown at the allusion to Dazai. “Though speaking of him…”

Kunikida’s gaze drifted over the other members who’d shown up and were already beginning to put things back where they belong. “Did Dazai not come in with you?”

Chuuya’s face twisted with confusion. “He’s been staying at the dorms to look after the newbie.” He jerked his thumb towards Atsushi.

As Kunikida frowned at that, Atsushi just found himself confused.

“Why would… Chuuya-san?... know where Dazai-san is?” He muttered to himself.

“Ah.” He startled as Yosano spoke from where she was placing some calligraphy back on the wall. “Dazai and Chuuya normally live together. But Dazai stays in the dorm sometimes.”

“They do? He does?” Atsushi tried to reconcile that with what Kunikida said before. After all, if the two didn’t get along enough that they weren’t allowed to work together, why would Dazai and Chuuya live together? “Why?”

Yosano nodded as she finished adjusting the frame and took a step back. “Sometimes when Chuuya’s on a trip for his other job, when Dazai works late, when they’ve had a bad fight, or if they just need some space from each other.” She shrugged. “But honestly, they generally live together for the sake of the sanity of whoever else is in the dorms.”

So them not working together was for the sake of everyone’s sanity but them living together was also for the sake of everyone’s sanity?

This made absolutely no sense.

Yosano chuckled. “You’ll understand once you see them together.”

That wasn’t at all ominous.

“Kunikida! Chuuya!” Ranpo called, hopping up from his desk. They turned towards him. “I need to head off to my “master detective” job.”

“Oh, there’s been a murder?” Chuuya blinked and walked over to his desk. “And they can’t figure it out for themselves?” He snorted. “Losers.”

Atsushi shot Ranpo a quizzical look.

Ranpo snickered. “The police, you see…” He stepped on top of his desk. “...require the help of the master detective with possession of the world’s greatest ability. They wish to consult old Ranpo-san here, and they’re crying for it.”

“More like they pretty much all suck.” Chuuya muttered as he grabbed a satchel and checked its contents.

Ranpo laughed again as Chuuya helped him down from his desk. “They really are as lacking as ever. They would never catch a single criminal without my support.”

For people who had to frequently work with the police, they certainly had a dim view of them. Atsushi wondered if this was why they were partnered up.

Ranpo apparently picked up his confused disbelief at his sheer impudence. “My Super Deduction ability is the best in this agency… No, the entire country!” He boasted. “No wonder they rely on me so much.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re the greatest.” Chuuya rolled his eyes and lightly smacked him on the head. He then grabbed a set of keys. “No need to make your head any bigger.”

Kunikida took a more diplomatic approach. “We’ll be counting on you, Ranpo-san.” He smiled at him. “You’re truly the ideal detective - no, the ideal ability user.”

As Kenji and the secretaries chimed in with more praise, Atsushi couldn’t quite believe it.

This guy who hadn’t even lifted a finger to assist in the clean-up, even as everyone else coming in picked up books and files to put away properly?

“Actually, Ranpo-san’s ability is something that must be seen to be believed. And it will be a good taste of what we expect from our detectives.” Kunikida mused. “Lad, we’ve got things handled here; go with Ranpo-san and Chuuya-san.”

“Eh?” Atsushi pointed to himself just to make sure. “Me?”

Chuuya reacted more strongly. “Hah?” He asked. “If he comes, we’ll have to take the train. I don’t have the sidecar currently attached to my bike!”

“Oh, no, how terrible.” Ranpo deadpanned. “We won’t be able to go on your bike to the scene of the crime.”

Chuuya gave him a flat look. “You know, at least when Dazai doesn’t want to ride my bike, he’s honest about it.”

Kunikida and Atsushi ignored Ranpo’s gasp at the accusation as Kunikida patted Atsushi’s shoulder in reassurance. “Yes, I’m sure you’ll benefit from the experience.”

“But I’m so new?” Atsushi protested. “I don’t think I’m ready to assist on such an important case!”

That caught Chuuya and Ranpo’s attention. “Assistant?” Chuuya questioned, tilting his head. “We’re not really going to assist, newbie.”

Ranpo huffed. “I’m no second-rate detective. Assistance is hardly necessary.”

“So then…” He glanced between the two. “Why do you need someone to go with you?”

Ranpo smiled and Chuuya let out a long-suffering sigh.

“I need someone to show me how to use the train!”

Atsushi thought he’d been joking.

He had not.

Atsushi’s respect for Chuuya steadily grew as he redirected and herded Ranpo where they needed to go or instructed Atsushi on how to secure the next step of their path. The reason for his satchel became obvious as whenever Ranpo was about to wander off, Chuuya pulled a treat from the bag and lured him back in like a spoiled child.

Needless to say, while his regard for Chuuya was high, his respect for Ranpo had plummeted.

“Don’t judge Lynchpin too harshly, kid.” Chuuya said to Atsushi as they approached the body after Ranpo clearly had rubbed the police detective, Minoura, the wrong way with his boasting. “He really does live up to hype and even if he’s not good at other stuff, that’s why he’s got us.”

“You seem… way too adept at handling him.” Atsushi couldn’t help but mutter.

Chuuya chuckled, but it wasn’t a very happy sound. “Well, I’ve got seven years of experience wrangling idiotic geniuses, you know?”

“Seven years?” Atsushi wondered, because based on what he knew that didn’t sound quite right…

But then the attending officer pulled back the tarp and revealed the victim.

It was the first time Atsushi had ever seen a dead body. He pressed his fingers against his mouth to hold back a gag at the sight of the bloody young woman.

Chuuya bowed his head slightly and even Ranpo removed his hat as a sign of respect.

Atsushi glanced between the police detective and Ranpo as the victim’s condition was laid out. Ranpo almost looked… remorseful when he said Detective Minoura didn’t actually know her at all.

Before Atsushi could ponder that, a shout came from the other investigators, drawing his attention away.

“Sir! We caught something in our net!”

Atsushi startled, even as Ranpo and Chuuya slowly turned. “What’s that?”

“We have a net out on the river…to ensure that no evidence floats away.” The officer explained.

“It’s a body!”

Atsushi hurried over at the shout. After all, if this was a serial case…if someone else was dead, then —

Dazai blinked and then waved at him with a grin from where he hung upside down in the net. “Why, Atsushi-kun! Hard at work as always, eh?”

Atsushi deeply sighed as Dazai began to prattle on about dying a lovers’ suicide with a lovely woman. He didn’t quite get it, but Dazai certainly seemed all right. And at least he didn’t appear to have been trying to kill himself this time…

A shiver raced down his spine as a sense of danger and doom fell upon him.

“A ‘lovers’ suicide,’ huh?” The growl came from right behind him. “With a ‘lovely woman’ no less?”

Atsushi slowly turned to see Chuuya standing there, his face dark as thunder and the very air around him heavy with his displeasure.

“A-ah, Chuuya-san…” He started, but Dazai interrupted him.

“Gah! Chuuya!” His face twisted with disgust. “What are you doing — ah!”

Dazai yelped as Chuuya yanked him free from the net in one smooth motion, instantly transitioning to wrench his arm behind his back.

“Ah, Chuuya! Let me go!” Dazai whined, but despite the rough treatment he didn’t seem actually hurt.

“Swept up by the river, my ass!” Chuuya accused. “This river doesn’t intersect with any routes between the dorms and the office!”

“Well, maybe I just wanted a stroll, because unlike some simpletons, I prefer a leisurely walk over brutally punching everyone and everything.”

“Oh, yeah, then why’d you lie and text me you were on your way to the office this morning! Kunikida doesn’t get paid enough to deal with your shit —”

“I’m teaching Kunikida-kun a valuable lesson —”

Their bickering voices rapidly overlapped each other even as Dazai somehow managed to slip away by reversing Chuuya’s grip as if they were dancing so they then faced each other.

Atsushi couldn’t help but stare. Mere moments ago, Chuuya had seemed almost the height of professionalism, despite his delinquent appearance. Then Dazai appeared and the two began squabbling like little children, Dazai easily dodging every punch and kick directed his way.

“Dazai, Chuuya.” Ranpo called out, and they both instantly turned to him.

Dazai’s gaze fell upon the victim. “What happened here?”

Atsushi shot a glance at Chuuya, who just rolled his eyes, before he began to explain.

And immediately regretted it.

“My god! A young flower, in the prime of her life…cruelly robbed of her very future!” Dazai loudly lamented as he kneeled by the corpse. “What a tragedy! Oh, how it pains me!”

Atsushi gave him a side eye, and part of him wondered what he’d been so worried about, regarding troubling the agency, when Dazai was like this.

“If only we could have given up the ghost together —” Dazai immediately cut off as Chuuya came up behind him and put him in a choke hold.

“Get ahold of yourself and respect the dead, you fish-faced bastard.” He hissed as he pulled him away from the body.

“Chuuya…mercy, Chuuya…I can’t breathe…” Dazai managed to choke out, slapping Chuuya’s arm.

“If you can talk, you can breathe.” Chuuya didn’t show any sign he was going to let up any time soon. “Besides, if you did, you’d finally be granted the death you so desire, right?” A shit-eating smirk crossed his face.

“No, not by Chuuya… Never Chuuya.” Dazai kept trying to wiggle out of Chuuya’s grasp but he refused to let him this time.

“Sorry about him.” Chuuya swung towards Minoura and bowed, pulling Dazai with him even as he continued to struggle. “We’ll try to keep him in check.”

Atsushi understood now. He realized what the others were saying.

He hated this.

He was pretty sure it hadn’t even been five minutes and he was already sick of Dazai and Chuuya’s antics.

He wanted to go home.

“...And this man is…” Minoura looked thoroughly unimpressed.

“A co-worker of ours.” Ranpo answered, a fond grin on his lips even as Dazai finally escaped Chuuya’s arms. “Someone who’d be more of an enigma, even to me, if it weren’t for that man.”

Huh, come to think of it. Atsushi noted as he watched Chuuya step back with a huff and returned to Ranpo’s side. Have I heard Dazai speaking to anyone else without an honorific?

“Well, no worries!” Dazai recovered from Chuuya’s assault, turning to them. “The world’s greatest detective shall wipe away your regrets, young miss! Won’t you, Ranpo-san?”

“They have not yet requested my assistance.” Ranpo sighed. “What a conundrum for a Master Detective.”

Atsushi felt sorry for the officer — Sugimoto — when Ranpo turned his inquisitive sights on him.

“Solve this case for us within sixty seconds!” Ranpo demanded with a grin.

“Wha—?!”

“Sixty seconds on the clock.” Chuuya’s watch beeped as he nonchalantly set a timer and played along with Ranpo.

Atsushi sighed at the way Sugimoto floundered. It was like looking in a mirror.

Though the Mafia being a potential cause like Sugimoto said was worrisome…

A snort broke through his thoughts at the same moment a voice said, “Wrong.”

Atsushi looked over. Chuuya with his wrist pressed against his mouth was the obvious culprit of the unimpressed snort while Dazai had been the one to actually speak up. He watched the two exchange a weighty look, one that seemed to say a million things that Atsushi couldn’t hope to comprehend, before Dazai continued to explain.

The Mafia had a calling card, but this case didn’t have the right tells.

It was almost strange how detailed Dazai’s description of the Mafia’s hit methods were — though Chuuya and Ranpo didn’t seem surprised at all — but Atsushi brushed that off as they came to the realization that the true culprit had been trying to trick them.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Chuuya’s watch rang as the timer finished counting down, startling them all.

“Bzzzt!” Ranpo joined in as Chuuya turned it off. “All right, time’s up!”

He laughed while patting Sugimoto on the head. “That’s most certainly not Master Detective material!”

Atsushi couldn’t help but be as skeptical as Minoura. Ranpo was certainly boasting a lot for having done… nothing that Atsushi could tell.

Ranpo talked a very big game, but he didn’t provide any evidence to back up that talk. In fact, he seemed to eschew such methods as he guaranteed that he could find the who, what, where, when, and how as well as evidence to prove his claims with just a single look.

Atsushi doubted it a bit, despite the way that all members of the Agency, including both Dazai and Chuuya here, held some sort of reverence for the man.

Chuuya didn’t say anything as Minoura looked close to snapping, just standing at Ranpo’s side as his eyes scanned the lingering crowd that’d gathered at the upper walkway, but Dazai apparently felt the need to step in.

“Calm down, Detective.” Dazai mediated with a smile. “Ranpo-san always behaves like this.”

“Yes! My motto, after all, is…” Ranpo stepped around him. “...’As long as I’m good, everything’s good.’”

Really? Atsushi’s face fell at how full of himself he was.

“If you’re wondering about my motto,” Dazai broke in, fluffing up his hair with a twist of his hand, “it’s ‘A pure, bright, dignified suicide.’”

Atsushi had not been wondering that.

If he had a motto, it’d be, “All is good as long as I’m alive,” because he wasn’t sure what else he could count on in life.

He flatly looked over at Chuuya. “So, do you have a motto, too?”

“Hmm?” Chuuya looked over at him, his concentration broken. “Easy. ‘If someone hits you and yours, hit them back ten times as hard.’”

Part of Atsushi couldn’t help but speculate if Chuuya was purposefully leaning into this delinquent/yakuza aura he had going on.

Dazai snorted. “Of course a simple brute like you would have a motto like that. You never change, do you?”

Chuuya glared at him. “Oh, like you have any right to speak, you suicidal maniac?”

Luckily, before they could get back into it, Minoura had finally had enough.

“Very well. Prove it to me!” He snapped at Ranpo. “Show me your ability!”

“Oh?” Ranpo’s interest finally seemed piqued. “Is that a formal request?”

“Yes! A request for you to make an ass of yourself!”

Ranpo grinned, and to Atsushi’s surprise, Dazai and Chuuya had proud smiles that matched.

Ranpo laughed. “A shame you could not be that cooperative from the beginning.”

“Hmph. You sure brim with confidence, considering the utter lack of info to work with.” Minoura scoffed, crossing his arms. “Should I count out sixty seconds for you?”

“I won’t need that long.” Ranpo stepped forward.

Dazai leaned in close. “Keep your eye on him, Atsushi-kun.” He whispered. “His skill is what keeps the Agency going.”

Really? An ability that would let Ranpo know everything about a case? Could such a thing truly exist?

So Atsushi watched and observed.

With a flourish of his hand, Ranpo drew out a pair of glasses and set them upon his nose. He opened his eyes as he did so.

“Super Deduction!”

Barely a few seconds had passed before Ranpo sighed.

“So do you know the perp?” Minoura asked.

“I do!” Ranpo chirped.

Minoura raised an eye at that and gave a disbelieving chuckle. “I must say, I don’t think you’re telling the truth.

“Who is it, then?”

Ranpo’s hand gestured through the air until an accusing finger fell upon the culprit.

“The killer is you.”

He pointed at Officer Sugimoto.

Atsushi blinked.

No… It couldn’t be, could it?

Discord rang out as Minoura and Ranpo argued back and forth over the credibility of his accusation. Sugimoto tried to be reasonable, but Atsushi wasn’t quite sure what to believe.

Until Sugimoto refused to hand over his revolver that Ranpo said would provide the evidence they needed of the kill.

Until Sugimoto drew his gun, but instead of handing it to Minoura to check, he pointed at —

“Ah, so the slug’s taking care of that element.” Dazai muttered behind Atsushi, even as he registered Sugimoto’s target. “In that case…

“Go forth, Atsushi-kun!”

A shove pushed him forward, and despite the yells that had broken out, Atsushi managed to grab Sugimoto and wrench his arm upward. The shot meant for Ranpo instead went into the air where no one could get hurt.

Yet even as he pinned him down, Atsushi sensed another bullet passing over his head.

What?

As Sugimoto protested his innocence and Ranpo confronted him directly, Atsushi’s eyes trailed where the other shooter must be.

And with Ranpo’s spot on deductions in his ear, he saw Chuuya at work.

The crowd at the top of the embankment had split apart at the sound of another shot, even as police gathered and tried to keep them calm. But someone — the shooter — was trying to run full tilt away.

Chuuya was already hopping up the reinforcements on the embankment when he looked over, but without a second of pause, he immediately went after the suspect. Despite his small size, he was fast and in no time at all, he’d grabbed the suspect and flipped him around to his other side with an ease that spoke of years of training.

Once on the ground, Chuuya wrenched his arms around and pinned him with his legs, calling out to the police to arrest him as well.

Two arrests were made, thanks to Ranpo and Chuuya that day.

“Who was the guy that you caught?” Atsushi asked Chuuya on the ride to the station.

“Ah, I’m sure Ranpo will explain all of it once in interrogation.” Chuuya shrugged and gazed out the window.

At Atsushi’s curious look though, Chuuya sighed and elaborated.

“Look at that guy.” Chuuya nodded at the car that Sugimoto was in. “Do you really think he managed to attempt covering this all up by himself? Clearly, someone was helping him.

“However, he’s not that competent. And this is probably his first kill. Not to mention…” Chuuya trailed off, his gaze wandering over to where Ranpo and Dazai were. “Anyway, he’s a loose thread and he was clearly about to crack. A lackey was sent to make sure that he would either keep his mouth shut on his own or be eliminated in another way.”

He thought that over in the wake of the revelations that Dazai had just shared.

Ranpo truly did live up to the hype. Watching him during the interrogation, seeing how everything made sense once he explained it… He could no longer argue that Ranpo didn’t earn the prestige he held within the agency or as a master detective.

He really didn’t know how he could argue against him in the future.

And to think! He didn’t have an ability at all! He was simply that smart!

Atsushi was learning so much about the world every day since he left the orphanage.

Though now he did wonder…

Chuuya had left to interrogate the other suspect and hopefully make him crack. Between Yamagiwa’s evidence and additional testimonies from Sugimoto and potentially the suspect, it would be easy to nail the perpetrator at the root of all this.

But back at the river, Chuuya had shown tremendous speed, strength, and skill, so did that mean…

“Ah, Dazai-san!” Atsushi stepped up next to Dazai. “You said that Ranpo-san is the only member without an ability, so what is Chuuya-san’s? Is it some sort of super speed or strength?”

Dazai blinked at him, seeming to be utterly befuddled, before he brought his hand up to his mouth to hide some chuckles.

“Eh?” Atsushi tilted his head, not sure what this reaction was.

Actually, perhaps Dazai wasn’t the best to ask, considering how contentious his relationship to Chuuya appeared to be.

“Atsushi-kun.” Dazai lowered his hand to reveal a gentle smile. “You haven’t seen Chuuya use his ability.”

“Wha-what?” Atsushi thought over what he’d seen, because how? “But he — How wasn’t that — But he was really fast? And strong?”

“Nope~ No ability there.” Dazai turned on his heel and practically skipped down the hall. “He is really fast and strong, but that’s all just him. He’s very diligent with his training.”

Atsushi had seen the spot where Chuuya had taken the suspect down. There had been an imprint in the ground where the suspect had first touched down. There was no way that was natural.

“Chuuya’s also one of the best martial artists in the Agency.” There was a proud tint to Dazai’s voice, and it almost seemed like he was bragging about Chuuya, though Atsushi had no idea why he would. “Kunikida-kun can occasionally give him a run for his money, especially if he’s already worn down, but really, only the President himself can match him.”

Huh, now that Dazai had gotten started, he didn’t seem inclined to stop. Maybe Atsushi should have asked him about Chuuya from the get-go when Kunikida first mentioned him so he wouldn’t be taken off-guard.

“You can see why he’s usually matched with Ranpo-san, can’t you?” For someone who didn’t seem to get along with Chuuya at all, Dazai’s expression was surprisingly fond. “Ranpo-san is the Agency’s strongest mind and our foundation, while Chuuya is both the strongest physically and in terms of ability.”

That last part caught Atsushi’s attention. Both the strongest physically and in terms of supernatural ability?

And he wasn’t too bad of a detective as well, considering he’d clocked the assassin and managed to take him down easily.

“Chuuya will always protect those he cares for until his last breath.” Dazai turned slightly somber for a moment. “He is the perfect partner and bodyguard for Ranpo-san, who becomes a target the moment he reveals the truth.”

But just as soon as his mood turned down, it was right back up as he swung around to Atsushi with a manic grin. “But he didn’t have to worry about that as much today with you here to protect Ranpo-san while he caught the other perp!”

“Ah, yeah… That’s good, I guess.” Atsushi brightened as he remembered that he actually had been able to help (even with a bit of prodding on Dazai’s part).

Dazai turned away once more. “And Atsushi…”

“Hmmm?” He tilted his head as Dazai’s voice grew serious again.

“When you see Chuuya’s ability, you’ll know.” He huffed. “He’s always been quite the show-off.”

Atsushi furrowed his brow. “That’s…”

“Hey!”

He turned to see Ranpo approaching in a bit of a huff.

“You left me behind!” His eyes narrowed at Atsushi. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”

“Ah, sorry, Ranpo-san.” Atsushi apologized. “Dazai-san was just…”

His voice trailed off as he looked behind him and saw that Dazai had disappeared.

Figured that he’d pin this all on Atsushi. He was becoming wise to Dazai’s ways.

“Hmph.” Ranpo’s gaze flicked up and down over him before he sighed. “Well, you’re still new, so I’ll forgive it this once.”

“Right…”

“Now we just have to wait for Chuuya, and then we can go back.” He brightened up slightly. “Chuuya usually treats anyone with him after a case, so we’ll have to get something good.”

“Really?” Atsushi perked up at that as well.

Kunikida had mentioned that Chuuya was fairly generous, right? And he did seem to be the person responsible for the repairs happening so quickly at the agency…

Though it did make Atsushi wonder again what Chuuya’s other job could be.

In the meantime…

“I’ll go get him then! Wait here!” Atsushi scrambled to go collect Chuuya, sure that he was done with the other suspect by this time.

“Ah, Atsushi-kun! Don’t —” Ranpo’s voice followed him but Atsushi didn’t pay it much mind.

Then, as he rounded a corner, he halted dead in his tracks.

He’d found Chuuya, all right…

But he’d also found Dazai.

And their position was…

They were…

He didn’t understand what he was seeing.

Dazai’s back was against the wall and he leaned against it in a way so he was slumped lower than he usually stood. This probably had something to do with the fact that one of Chuuya’s hands was pressed next to him to cage him in, while the other yanked on his bolo tie to drag his face close to his.

And they were certainly close — their faces were mere centimeters away from each other as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

Atsushi couldn’t tell if they were about to kiss or if Chuuya was moments away from punching Dazai out.

Either way, for some reason, Atsushi felt embarrassed at the sight of them, like he was seeing something he shouldn’t.

There was an intimacy to their position, something in the way their bodies curled towards each other despite the differences in their size. Something in how they so easily intertwined. Something in how neither of them had to say a word but Atsushi could tell they were having an entire conversation.

He backed away in a daze, his mind whirling with all he had seen.

The next thing Atsushi knew, he was once more at Ranpo’s side, who took one look at him and let out a huge sigh.

“I did try to warn you.” He said with a light pat on Atsushi’s shoulder.

That somehow snapped Atsushi out of it.

“Ranpo-san!” He hissed, worry rising like the tide. “What is Chuuya-san doing?! Does he hate Dazai-san that much?!”

Sure, it didn’t seem like hate in that moment. Whatever that was hadn’t been hate. It was just as intense as hate could be, and certainly as heated, but it didn’t have the right spark for hate.

But Chuuya was a teen like him, right? Meaning he was underage. And Dazai was certainly over 20 considering how Kunikida had gotten on him for being incapable of acting like a full-fledged adult.

So Chuuya pinning Dazai like that, in a police station…

Ranpo blankly stared at him, his mouth opening and shutting several times without a single word escaping. Finally, he managed to say, “Atsushi-kun, never let Chuuya know that you thought he was a teenager. Never let Dazai find out either.”

Atsushi wrinkled his nose at that, because what was he —

“Because Dazai and Chuuya are the same age.”

…

What?

Atsushi’s jaw went slack at his words. Because there was no way. Sure, Chuuya was pretty mature for the most part when Dazai wasn’t involved, but with his attitude and size…

“In fact, of the two of them, Chuuya is the older one. By about a month and a half.”

This had to be a joke, right?

Because even if that were true…

“Then what were… Just now they…” His brain simply was not computing.

Ranpo sighed but gave him a somewhat comforting pat on the shoulder. “Kunikida-kun and Dazai are partners. Similarly, Chuuya and I are partners.” He paused before giving Atsushi’s shoulder a squeeze of emphasis. “But Dazai and Chuuya are partners.”

Oh.

Oh.

Then —

“They’re actually married.” Ranpo withdrew his hand and said matter-of-factly.

That stalled Atsushi once more. “But isn’t that…”

“Oh, it’s not legal here, but there’s plenty of places where it is. Sometimes they travel and get remarried when a new place approves it.” Ranpo shrugged. “It’s usually a welcome reprieve and we all have cake when they get back, so it’s a win-win.”

The pieces began to click into place.

Roommates. Dynamic that drove others crazy. No one wanting them to live together in the dorms. Anger over Dazai wanting a “lovers’ suicide” with a woman.

Shoving each other up against a wall!

“B-but here?” Atsushi stammered as a new thought occurred to him. “At a police station? Right now? Were they…”

Ranpo’s face turned solemn. “Atsushi-kun, do you know what the greatest burden of a Master Detective is?”

He didn’t know how this was relevant, but Atsushi still shook his head.

“It’s that once I know something, I cannot unknow it.” He leaned in close so Atsushi looked him right in his eye. “I already know more about their relationship than anyone else should ever know, but I do not know about that.”

Atsushi gulped.

“Do not make me deduce anything more. Especially about that.”

He nodded, because actually, that was perfectly reasonable.

Ranpo leaned back and the atmosphere immediately lightened. “Admittedly, Chuuya’s not all that interested in that sort of thing, but it wouldn’t be the first thing that Dazai would be an exception for. So let’s all just be grateful that they usually keep the sordid details regarding that sort of thing to themselves.”

“What’s being kept to themselves?”

Atsushi jumped at the sudden interjection. He turned to see Chuuya looking him over quizzically with a furrowed brow while Dazai at his side looked distinctly amused.

Neither of them appeared to be overly disheveled, but Atsushi decided to take a leaf from Ranpo’s book and look no further than that.

“Ah, just giving our new detective some advice.” Ranpo waved his hand. “Can we go now?”

Chuuya rolled his eyes. “You genius types. So demanding.” But he was smiling as he said it. “I think Detective Minoura has a final check in to do before we go.”

“Fine…” Ranpo turned on his heel and led the way, though Chuuya steered him the correct way a moment later. “I expect a decent treat for my good work!”

“Only if you eat some actual food that doesn’t consist of just sugar.” Chuuya countered.

As the two fell into bickering over what constitutes a proper meal, Dazai stepped up to Atsushi’s side.

“So, what do you think?” Dazai asked.

Atsushi was still reeling from what he’d learned but he gathered himself together to observe the two together.

It wasn’t like that brief glimpse he’d seen of Dazai and Chuuya together. Those two, for better or worse, had slotted together like puzzle pieces meant to complete each other.

But Ranpo and Chuuya certainly complimented each other well. Their dynamic had an easy eb and flow to it, and it was clear that Chuuya could leave things to others or Ranpo himself if the situation called for it, just as Ranpo relied on Chuuya to take care of the things he didn’t give any mind to.

“They make excellent partners, don’t they?” He concluded. And he ignored the way Dazai’s hand twitched at that, even as his smile stayed bright.

“In their own way.” Dazai agreed readily enough, giving away nothing about his own connection to Chuuya.

Atsushi never would have guessed if not for Ranpo.

Still, even as they left with Minoura’s gratitude in their ears, even as they sat down at a family restaurant — for a meal that Chuuya did actually pay for — even as they finally headed back to the Agency, two questions still lingered in Atsushi’s mind.

Was there any case that Ranpo couldn’t solve?

And if it was so powerful to be considered the strongest — despite him not using it — what could Chuuya’s ability be?

Chapter Text

Atsushi truly wished for Kyouka to be happy.

He didn’t think that was too much to ask for.

And was it really so crazy for him to think she would be happier in the light, with the Armed Detective Agency, than in the darkness of the Port Mafia?

Sure, she’d been a bit too… intense earlier, on her first errand for the Agency. She’d immediately gone to extreme lengths to complete her mission, and he’d wanted to reassure her that failure wouldn’t result in death. He hadn’t been quick enough to follow her though. They had gotten the job done though, even with some… casualties.

All it meant was that there would be an adjustment period where she’d learned how to relax from the dog-eat-dog world of the Mafia!

Already, her eyes had grown so much brighter than the gaze he’d met on that train.

And yet this woman who wielded a katana and a golden demon similar to Kyouka’s had the audacity to say that Kyouka couldn’t change, that she belonged to the dark.

It was a different type of nonsense than what Akutagawa had been spouting but it was nonsense nonetheless.

But this time…

This time, Atsushi was too weak.

Whoever this woman was, she must’ve been even higher ranked than Akutagawa given her power and skill, perhaps even one of those executives he’d heard rumors about. He’d barely been able to put up a fight and she’d taken him out without even lifting a finger.

She was not an opponent that he could beat.

Atsushi could only writhe in his own inadequacy as the woman took Kyouka away and the suited members of the Mafia surrounded him.

He was… Kyouka was…

“Heads down, please!” A familiar, chipper voice rang out.

Lying on the ground, Atsushi didn’t need to go any lower than he already was.

The mafiosos around him, who chose to look up in confusion at the car heading their way, didn’t really get a chance to.

Atsushi blinked, just as confused as they had been as the car crashed into them. But when he followed its trajectory —

Kenji’s arm was still outstretched from where he’d thrown the car. “Wow! That really flew, huh?” He appraised as he stepped closer with a wave, Kunikida running in front of him.

“You all right, Atsushi?” Kunikida asked as he arrived and crouched down to his level.

“Kunikida-san!” Atsushi couldn’t begin to say how glad he was to see him. “...Uh, how…”

“I had Kyouka’s phone set so it sends a signal whenever she receives a call.” He explained before he sighed again.

Without further ado, Kunikida scruffed Atsushi and pulled him up as he stood. “Get up!” He sternly told Atsushi as he let out a yelp. “How long do I have to keep saving your hide?”

“Huh?” Atsushi couldn’t help but let out a noise of confusion. It’s not like he wanted to be saved constantly.

Kunikida huffed. “Being stabbed should be nothing to a weretiger.”

Oh. That was right.

Atsushi steadied himself as Kunikida dropped him onto his feet and shifted into a stance.

He was the weretiger, a valuable member of the Armed Detective Agency. He could fight if he had to, especially for Kyouka’s sake.

“Still, what a troublesome opponent.” Kunikida adjusted his glasses as he stared down at the woman taking Kyouka away. “Ozaki Kouyou, executive of the Port Mafia. Second only to the Boss himself in terms of power, both in relation to ability and authority.”

Atsushi branded that name in his brain as he glared at her. So his deduction earlier had been correct.

“Good thing I already called in the big guns.” Kunikida muttered as Kenji joined them on his other side. “It looks like we’ll need him.”

Atsushi didn’t know who he was referring to, but it didn’t matter as Ozaki ordered her subordinates into position.

“So it’s all out war between our organizations, eh…” Kunikida surmised as the two groups stared each other down. “At a busy time like this too…”

Tension was thick in the air. Probably as thick as the bullets that would soon fill it as the mafiosos trained their weapon right at them.

But it couldn’t be helped. They couldn’t back down. They would beat the mafia here at their own game and then Kyouka —

“Wow!” An unfamiliar voice cut through the air. “Well, if this isn’t perfect timing!”

Everyone looked over to see two foreigners walking up to their confrontation. They were quite the contrasting pair, with one in overalls and the other in a suit and coat.

(Atsushi knew he probably couldn’t talk considering Kenji was also in overalls while his and Kunikida’s outfits were more business casual, but it was the principle of the thing.)

Both the Agency members and the Mafia members were taken aback by their entrance. Neither of them had been expecting them.

But their presence soon became clear as Atsushi heard Overalls (wait, was he biting into a raw potato?!) say, “Time to earn our Guild salaires a little, huh?”

The Guild?!

And as Overalls warned the mafiosos of a “package,” Atsushi heard a noise up above. He looked up and —

“Kunikida-san!” He shouted, drawing Kunikida’s attention away from the Guild members. “There’s something above us!”

He could see a helicopter hovering above them, but even as he watched four figures separated from it. What were they doing? He could only track them as he realized —

Boom!

Four new combatants arrived on the scene from the Guild.

“Shit!” Kunikida cursed, and he pulled out his cell phone and notebook at the same time.

Ozaki seemed to have the same thought. She raised her hand and rallied her remaining troops. “Fire!”

Bullets flew through the air, the noise overwhelming. Atsushi braced himself for an attack, whether from the Guild or from the Port Mafia.

But there was… nothing?

The guns stopped their barrage, and a strange silence fell over the battlefield as dust filled the air.

Atsushi glanced back and forth, trying to figure out what exactly happened. It didn’t feel bad anymore, but what…

A sigh filtered through the silence from above. “I know I don’t have much room to talk.” A voice rang through the air. “But you all are really jumping the gun, aren’t you?”

Atsushi looked up.

For a moment, he swore he saw an angel. There was a flutter similar to wings and with the way the light filtered through the smoke and surrounded the figure, Atsushi would swear that he saw a halo.

As he blinked though, the image resolved itself into something more familiar, but still… This…

Atsushi almost thought that angel still wasn’t too far off.

Because Chuuya looked divine.

His light orange locks were in a braid that fell over his shoulder and he must’ve woven something into it as there were shimmers of reflected light along its weave. On top of his head sat a black porkpie hat with a silver chain dangling from it. The choker around his neck and gloves on his hands were at least familiar, though the gloves seemed to be of a higher quality than his usual ones. His piercings had been reduced to the ones in his lobes, but they sparkled red where the light caught them. He wore black dress pants with fine, expensive shoes and a wine colored shirt that billowed slightly at the sleeves. Held over his shoulder with one hand was a dark gray peacoat which had invoked the image of wings earlier.

But the most eye-catching part of the whole outfit was the corset cinched around Chuuya’s waist, gray with black embroidery all along its ribbing.

Atsushi had a sudden urge to grab Chuuya’s waist.

“Atsushi, I understand how you feel.” Kunikida startled him as he stepped up at his side. “But we are in the middle of a crisis.”

Atsushi felt his face color as he realized how far off track he’d gotten in mere moments just from the sight of Chuuya.

“And also, Dazai is a very jealous man.”

Even more reason for Atsushi to wrench his eyes away from Chuuya and actually take in the actual situation.

Because whatever was going on had to be caused by Chuuya, right?

And as Atsushi observed everything, he found that Dazai was right.

“When you see Chuuya’s ability, you’ll know.”

Though he wasn’t quite sure what Chuuya’s ability was still.

Chuuya hovered in the air (further reason for why Atsushi mistook Chuuya for an angel), though as he watched, Chuuya drifted down and landed lightly on the ground. All of the bullets hovered in midair and when Atsushi squinted he could see a dark, ashy, red-tinted aura coming from it.

The Guild members, who only moments before were standing so proud and smug, now knelt on the ground, the same aura coming off them. They were clearly struggling against some unknown force as they grunted and groaned in frustration.

Ozaki’s eyes were wide as she stared at him. “You…” She visibly shook herself and recovered. “I should’ve known when I heard that boy had joined the Agency that you would be here too. After all, where one of you goes, the other one follows. Isn’t that the case, Chuuya?”

Atsushi jumped slightly at the familiarity with which she spoke to him.

Chuuya’s expression was surprisingly wistful as he gave Ozaki a slight smile. He adjusted his hat on his head. “Long time, no see, Ane-san!”

Atsushi flinched.

Ane-san?

Did… did Chuuya mean that in a familial way? For real? Or was it supposed to be like the way yakuza supposedly used it?

(He would later learn that the answer was yes. He wasn’t told which variation the yes was for.)

Chuuya cast a glance over the bullets still suspended in the air. “Ah, I suppose I should return these.”

With those words, the bullets suddenly shot back where they’d come from, grazing each mafioso in a non-lethal way.

None of them hit Ozaki though, even as her eyes narrowed at him. “Gone soft?” She questioned. “Having them only graze them?”

Chuuya didn’t rise to the clear provocation, casually shrugging his shoulders and Atsushi couldn’t help but admire his guts. “That’s basically a standard greeting by mafia standards, is it not?” He grinned. “Besides, this isn’t a fight. This is a negotiation.”

As they went back and forth, Atsushi tried to figure out what Chuuya’s ability was.

Was it some sort of telekinesis? With the way he’d held the bullets in mid-air, it seemed likely. But…

Atsushi’s gaze drifted over to the Guild members, who were still pinned down by Chuuya’s power.

Chuuya must have noticed his attention shifting as he turned to them as well. “Ah, but first, time to get rid of the interlopers.” He stepped closer to them.

The woman in the ballgown began cursing at him. “You impertinent little —” She let out a sharp gasp as her body suddenly lowered and a crater formed beneath her.

“Impertinent? You forget who’s turf you’re currently standing on.” Chuuya tilted his head slightly as he examined the lot of them. “Y’all are really living up to those American stereotypes of butting in where you don’t belong, huh?”

The woman growled but the one dressed as a priest stopped her. “Mitchell! Hold your tongue!”

“Oh?” Chuuya turned to him. “Someone with some sense among you?”

“You’re…” The man fought to get up but grunted as he too was brought further down. “You disappeared from all records four years ago though. And now you’re part of the Agency?”

“Yep.” Chuuya blandly stated. “So if you know that much, I’d suggest you retreat for today.”

“Wait a minute!” The Guild’s redhead burst out. “Who the hell is he?”

However, shock was beginning to dawn on Overall’s face. “No way…” He began sweating. “The Gravity Manipulator… Nakahara Chuuya!”

Chuuya gave them an almost feral grin. “Exactly!”

Gravity… manipulation?

Suddenly, things made a lot more sense to Atsushi.

Because if you can control one of the primal forces of the universe itself, well…

No wonder Chuuya was considered the strongest.

Especially considering the finesse that he wielded gravity with, stopping all of those bullets in midair and now holding the Guild members in place without hurting them too much.

“And now that we’ve established that…” Chuuya crouched down so he was level with them. “Like I said, retreat for now. This is a domestic affair and we don’t need outsiders sticking their noses in our business.”

The priest narrowed his eyes at him.

“We’ll have plenty of time to play later.” Chuuya waved his free hand away. “Unless… Do you want to be crushed by gravity today before you can even begin?”

That seemed to decide it.

“We’re leaving.” The priest decided.

“What?!” The woman and redhead yelled.

“Excellent choice!” They were thrown off balance as Chuuya released them from his ability. “Now, run along.”

“Why you —” The woman raised a hand as she stumbled to her feet as if to attack, but the priest quickly intervened.

“Not now!” He whispered, pulling her away with the others trailing behind. “We’ll deal with him later.”

“Oh!” Chuuya brought his hand up to his chin as if just remembering something. “Tell your boss to give his wife my regards! I remember having a lovely conversation with her at an Expo in New York last year.” His kind smile held an edge to it

The Guild members bristled at that, but they didn’t say anything more as they slunk off in defeat.

Atsushi was glad they were gone.

But this was by no means over with the Port Mafia still here.

“My, oh my.” Ozaki drawled. “Was that subtlety I saw?”

“Well, I did learn from the best, after all.” Chuuya turned back to face the Mafia.

“Hmph.” Ozaki huffed, staring Chuuya down. “It seems I didn’t teach you well enough, considering where you’re standing now.”

Atsushi froze at that.

Ozaki… used to be Chuuya’s teacher?

Did that… did that mean…?

“Atsushi, what are they saying?” Kunikida leaned over him. “I can’t hear them from this distance.”

Atsushi ignored his request as his mind was still reeling from the implications.

“About that…” Chuuya’s gaze drifted over the guns that were all still aimed at him. “Can’t you put those away? I’m sure we can finish this — how did you used to put it — civilly.”

Ozaki snorted. “Could it be that the Nakahara Chuuya is attempting to avoid a fight?”

Chuuya just laughed. “Ah, you know me! I love a good fight. But these grunts…” He gestured at the amassed underlings. “...ain’t gonna provide one. You probably could, but…”

His smile turned sad. “I’d prefer not to fight you, Ane-san.”

“Then you shouldn’t have left.” She hissed, and Atsushi could now hear the pain in her voice.

“At least I left you, Hirotsu, and the kids notes. That’s more courtesy than Dazai planned on giving.” Chuuya didn’t defend his past decision, but he also didn’t explain further.

Which was frustrating to Atsushi who desperately wanted to know more.

Because if he was piecing this together right…

“Anyway, besides the usual enemies thing the Mafia and Agency have going on, what’s happening here? Four Eyes didn’t explain when he called me away from my business to act as back up.” Chuuya moved on with a wave of his hand. “I know you might still be gunning for the bounty, but even if the intention were to send someone higher up the food chain than Akutagawa, you usually consider this sort of thing beneath you.”

“It’s true enough that matters like this wouldn’t fall under my jurisdiction.” Ozaki admitted. “But Kyouka is my concern.”

“Kyouka… Oh, the girl.” Chuuya tested the name on his tongue, and Atsushi abruptly realized that Chuuya hadn’t gotten the chance to meet her yet with him being away to work at whatever his other job was. “You mean the kid who ran off the moment the Guild touched down?”

Ozaki’s eyes widened and she whirled around to where Kyouka was supposed to be at her side. Atsushi’s attention snapped there as well, appalled that with everything going on he’d forgotten about her, but…

Chuuya’s words were true.

Kyouka was gone.

“Put those away!” Ozaki immediately ordered her subordinates. “Fan out and find her!”

“Atsushi, what’s going on?” Kunikida asked more urgently this time.

“Kyouka-chan ran off…” Atsushi’s eyes darted around, trying to find any sign of her. “If they find her before we do…”

Kunikida wavered as he observed him, clearly at war with himself. He then glanced between Atsushi and Chuuya before he reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Kenji and I will start looking for her. Chuuya should be more than enough on his own, but stay here just in case. Perhaps she’ll come back here for you.”

“Right…” Atsushi desperately wanted to go. He wanted to find Kyouka and be the one to save her, but…

This had to be dealt with first.

Watching Ozaki’s men scramble to heed her commands, Chuuya calmly observed. “She was taught by that bastard in the basement, right? She knew well enough to escape and get rid of your leverage while everyone was distracted. They’re not going to find her.”

“No!” Ozaki had shed the calm demeanor she’d had up until now. “I have to find her! I have to save her —”

“By putting her through the same sort of shit you went through?” For a brief moment, darkness shadowed Chuuya’s face. “I know you wouldn’t go to the degree of what the previous boss did, but with what you’ve already threatened, you’re better than this.”

Ozaki looked almost chastised for a second before she rallied. “Oh, as if you’re any better. I always thought you were a man of your word.”

“I am a man of my word. That’s never changed.” Chuuya retorted though he was still strangely calm.

“And yet here we are.” Ozaki gestured at their position. “You were always thought of as the most loyal and you still left.”

“I am loyal.” Chuuya didn’t flinch at the implied accusation. “And I gave Dazai my loyalty on the battlefield before anyone else there.”

Ozaki pursed her lips, clearly unable to argue against that.

“Not to mention that, quite frankly, four years ago, Dazai needed me more than anyone else there did.”

Atsushi could practically feel his ears prick up at that, even as his worry for Kyouka continued to stew. What exactly happened four years ago? Had something happened to Dazai?

At Chuuya’s words… Ozaki actually looked somewhat remorseful.

“And like I said, I did leave notes for you all. I didn’t just leave you in the lurch like Dazai wanted me to.” Chuuya continued. “But you already know that, so what’s this really about?”

“Our organizations are enemies.” Ozaki stated blandly. “The tiger is an issue that must be eliminated, but more importantly, Kyouka is under my care and that boy has poisoned her mind! He’s given her hope and once it falls apart —”

“But what if she doesn’t fall apart?” Chuuya cut in. “What if she does find a way into the light and lives on?”

Ozaki let out a harsh tch sound. “As I told the boy, Kyouka is like me. A flower that blooms in the darkness. This is the only path for her now.”

“She looks more like a sprout to me.” He countered and placed his free hand on his hip. “And the way she’s reaching for the light seems pretty indicative of where she could truly bloom.”

“The light will burn her!” Ozaki’s mask was cracking. “Just like —”

“Just like you?” Chuuya surmised. “But she isn’t you, Ane-san. You’ve found your place and grown your roots in the dark where you’ve learned to be content. And besides,” he gestured at himself, “you’ve got proof that leaving can be done.”

She narrowed her eyes at that. “Are you saying that you’ve blossomed in the light rather than the dark?”

Chuuya snorted at that, even as Atsushi began to feel hope over the situation.

Because if he was reading this right, then…

Then perhaps there was a way to save Kyouka.

“I’m sorry, Ane-san, but I’m no flower.”

That was a bold statement to make when he looked that pretty in Atsushi’s opinion.

“I’m not like you, a flower in the dark, or Kyouka, a sprout who’s finding her proper ground.” Chuuya slowly began to walk closer to Ozaki, confidence in his every step. “I’m not even like that bastard Dazai who’s a sponge that reflects whatever environment you put him in, even as traces of the past remain.”

He only stopped when he was directly in front of her, tilting his head up slightly so he could look her in the eye.

“I’m a stone. It doesn’t matter where you put me, the light or the dark, I’ll always be me.” Chuuya grinned. “I’ll protect what I want and fight whoever I want, just like I always have.”

For some reason, that stabilized Ozaki’s state as she stared down at him and then relaxed with a quiet huff and a fond, sad smile. “Oh, I never could stay angry with you, lad.”

“I still do it to this day, y’know.” Chuuya continued. “After all, we both know how things would’ve ended if I hadn’t shown up, right?”

Both of their gazes drifted over to where the Guild retreated.

Her face hardened. “Unfortunately, yes.”

“It would’ve been the perfect opportunity to take you hostage in the aftermath.” Chuuya mused lightly. “But like I said, I’m sure we can settle things more civilly.”

“Ah, I suppose you have grown in some ways.” She said with a sly grin that she quickly covered behind her sleeve.

“Oi!” That finally got a rise out of Chuuya as most comments regarding his height did, but Ozaki laughed it off.

It was… strange seeing them like this.

Atsushi returned to that thought of Chuuya using Ane-san in the familial sense, because at this moment…

It truly looked like two siblings bickering.

Chuuya grumbled lowly as he reached into the pocket of his coat. “Here, for when you’re willing to talk over this whole Kyouka situation or anything else. After all, we’ve got some foreign pests that I think we would both prefer to get out of our city.” He handed her a business card.

The look of disgust on their faces at the thought of the Guild was exactly the same.

“And here’s my other card. For anything else.” Chuuya continued, handing her a second card.

She raised an eyebrow at that and read the second card. Her other eyebrow joined the first. “Black Diamond Jewelry?”

“It’s my business.” Chuuya stepped away. “We offer stones and jewelry that are fashionable and reasonably priced for the common customer.”

“No wonder everyone we’ve sent to hardpress this business came back crying.” Ozaki muttered to herself.

“Yeah, we don’t deal in that sketchy jewel shit. We only offer lab grown jewels, which, funnily enough, is the ethical way to get jewels.” Chuuya snickered.

“I’m surprised you’re allowed to have another job.” She commented lightly.

“Well, I wanted to try something different in addition to being a detective.” He shrugged, and after retrieving one more item from his coat, he tossed it back over his shoulder. “My original idea was to work with local shelters and open a cat and dog café to serve people and help with adoptions, but that bandage waster threw a tantrum about me caring more about animals than him, so this was the compromise.”

“I see…” Ozaki looked up and then eyed the envelope extended to her carefully. “And this is?”

“A show of good faith in the hopes of future negotiation.” Chuuya smiled and wiggled the envelope until she took it.

She tucked the business cards away and grabbed the envelope. Giving Chuuya one more suspicious look, she then slowly opened the envelope.

And she let out a quiet gasp as her eyes widened at the contents.

Before Atsushi could wonder what was in it, Chuuya explained, “Copies of my and Dazai’s wedding photos. I knew if I ever saw you again that you’d probably want them.”

“This is…” Ozaki shifted from him to the photos and back.

“I’m sorry that it didn’t work out for you. Though if you had succeeded, we probably never would’ve met.” Chuuya softly said, taking a step back. “But I had to make my own decisions and Kyouka does, too.

“And even if you knew then what you know now, wouldn’t you have still taken that chance all those years ago?”

With his final piece spoken, Chuuya turned away from her, heading towards Atsushi and walking nonchalantly with his free hand now resting in his pocket.

But he stopped when Ozaki spoke up once more.

“How?” She almost sounded on the verge of tears though there was no evidence in her eyes. “How did that degenerate make you leave? What scheme did he use?”

There was a long pause before Chuuya responded.

“He asked.”

Ozaki blinked in confusion, but from where Atsushi was standing…

He had never seen Chuuya look so completely fond and adoring.

“No tricks, no schemes, no plots. No assumptions about what I wanted or needed and making a decision for me so I wouldn’t have to. All he did was ask.” A breeze lifted Chuuya’s hair around his face and brushed an errant lock back.

“I don’t know if it’s the first time he ever asked for something so clearly and without any ulterior motive, but it’s certainly a rarity.” He shot her that fond look over his shoulder. “And well, what kind of partner would I be if I didn’t respond to his unusual sincerity in kind?”

Ozaki didn’t have a rebuttal to that, so Chuuya continued to walk away.

As he came up beside Atsushi, he gestured for him to follow him and Atsushi scrambled to comply.

“Is it… is it okay to just leave her like that?” He asked, glancing back over his shoulder even as she faded from view and they re-entered the city streets with Chuuya walking closest to the road and Atsushi closer to the buildings along the sidewalk.

“Yeah, she can take care of herself if the Guild comes back, though I doubt they will as they’ve lost their dramatic momentum.” Chuuya replied. “Besides, she’ll probably want to wait for her underlings to report back about the girl, but they most likely won’t find anything.”

Unfortunately, that wasn’t what Atsushi was asking about.

Chuuya apparently knew it, too. He sighed. “She’s an executive for a reason, Stripes. Sure, I could take her in a fight, but it’d be a misstep to try to force her to come with us when we don’t have any leverage over her. She’s the most reasonable of the higher-ups in the Mafia — I can guarantee she’s the one ensuring that shit gets done — so she’ll come to us when she’s ready.”

Atsushi scrunched his face up at that. Ozaki didn’t seem very reasonable. She’d been cold and cruel and emotional when it came to taking Kyouka back.

He really didn’t like her.

Chuuya read his thoughts on his face and barked out a laugh. “I know it probably doesn’t seem like it, Stripes, but it’s actually true. This is a bit of an outlier. Ane-san does care for those under her command in her own way but she only truly gets close to very few. This Kyouka gal seems to be among those chosen few along with a heaping helping of projection, so you’re not seeing Ane-san at her best right now.”

“I see…” Atsushi looked away. It certainly did seem like extreme circumstances but that didn’t change anything for him.

“Ane-san is one of the few people willing to call out the Boss on his shit, and he’s smart enough to listen to her even if he doesn’t always take her advice.” Chuuya continued to speak as Atsushi realized they were heading back towards the Agency. “She’s been a vital part of making the Port Mafia what it is today in a more cordial form.”

Atsushi froze and stared at Chuuya. “Cordial?” He incredulously echoed. “This is cordial?”

Perhaps he didn’t know the correct meaning of the word, or maybe Chuuya was using it in a way he’d never heard before.

Because Port Mafia and cordial didn’t belong in the same sentence. Literally every single encounter Atsushi had had with them ended in blood and violence.

Chuuya laughed even harder at his expression this time. “Ah, it really is though, compared to what it was.” He sobered at that and a shadow passed over his face before his expression softened and he reached up to ruffle Atsushi’s hair. “I’m glad you never had to feel the full weight of the previous boss’s reign.”

There was a story there, but Atsushi didn’t know what it was. Though now that he thought about it, he’d heard that even with all the violence and danger that lurked in the shadows of Yokohama, it was still safer now than it had been almost a decade ago.

“The current boss is ten times better than that guy and he actually cares about Yokohama.” Chuuya cringed as they went back to walking. “Though he’s still messed up about his priorities. But him keeping the Mafia in line is the reason why everyone at least tolerates him as the boss.”

There it was again.

It made Atsushi slow and stop in his tracks. A few moments passed before Chuuya noticed, but when he did, he stopped and looked back at him, a quizzical look on his face.

“Chuuya-san… you and Dazai-san…” Atsushi gathered his courage as Chuuya tilted his head. “Did you two… used to be part of the Port Mafia?”

It was a suspicion that had been growing for a while. Perhaps all the way back to that first encounter with Akutagawa.

Atsushi didn’t remember much when the tiger took over, but the image of Dazai standing between him and Akutagawa somehow stayed in his mind, his ability nullifying them both in an instant.

Ever since then, whenever the Mafia was mentioned, there was something in Dazai’s tone… Some sort of contempt sometimes or maybe like he was in on a hilarious joke. Dazai clearly disliked the Mafia, in a way that had to be personal on some level.

Not to mention that both Dazai and Chuuya knew way too much regarding how the Mafia worked. In fact, Dazai knew enough to easily escape from the Port Mafia — with vital information even — when Kyouka had captured him on Akutagawa’s behalf.

And now, with Chuuya and Ozaki… they…

“Yes.”

“Huh?” Atsushi blinked out of his musing to meet Chuuya’s eyes.

“Yes, Dazai and I used to be part of the Port Mafia.” Chuuya confirmed, not flinching from the truth.

“Oh! Then…” He paused, unsure how to phrase his next question.

“Is that a problem?” Chuuya asked, before he could formulate the correct phrase.

“Ah, no, no!” Atsushi quickly reassured, waving his hands in the air. “After all, you’re good now, right? You left and…” His voice trailed at the frown on Chuuya’s face.

“I wasn’t lying to Ane-san, you know.” Chuuya solemnly said. “I haven’t really changed all that much. Back then, I fought for what I thought was right and to protect what I wanted and that hasn’t changed. Good and bad aren’t as simple as you think, kid. The Port Mafia’s the same.”

It wasn’t quite a chastisement, but it was pretty close. Atsushi hadn’t been expecting it.

Weren’t the Port Mafia supposed to be the bad guys?

After all, they’d attacked him and the Agency, they’d forced Kyouka to use her ability to kill people, they smuggled weapons and attacked government, military, and civilians alike.

But… Kyouka came from there.

And so did Chuuya and Dazai.

“Port Mafia’s not even the worst organization out there. At least they’re honest about the crimes and violence they partake in.”

Atsushi supposed that at least was true.

“Then why leave it?” Atsushi asked. “Why choose the light over the dark?”

“Hmmm.” Chuuya looked off into the distance, thinking it over. “They both have their good and bad points. The thing I miss most about those days are the people rather than anything else.”

That had been obvious in the affection he clearly still held for Ozaki.

“But for me… the deciding factor is…” As if realizing his own words, he snapped his head to glare Atsushi down. “You can never tell him I said this. I’ll deny it until I have to kill him for it.”

“Of course!” Atsushi hurriedly agreed. Chuuya searched his face for the truth and must’ve found it as he moved on.

“The light isn’t all that different to me except who I work with and what I’m working towards.” Chuuya admitted. “But it’s leagues better for that devious vagabond.”

Oh. Atsushi blinked, making the connection.

“He would never say that he’s happy.” Chuuya turned and led the way, obviously so he wouldn’t have to look at Atsushi even if the red on his ears was a dead giveaway. “But he’s certainly more content on this side than he was on the other.”

It seemed that Dazai and Chuuya did have their moments of sweetness between them. He knew they certainly had chemistry (in good and bad ways after having to endure them sniping at each other while in the same office), but it was nice to see that they cared about each other’s well-being as well.

Even if they seemed adamant about not letting the other know or showing it too plainly.

Finally, Atsushi could ask the question he really wanted to know.

“So do you really think there’s hope for Kyouka?” Atsushi wanted to believe there was a way. He believed Kyouka could be happy in the light, but Ozaki had rattled him. Still, if Dazai and Chuuya can do it… “Do you think she can find her way to the light and be happy?”

Chuuya grinned.

“Of course, Stripes!” Chuuya ruffled his hair again, and Atsushi found that he didn’t really mind it. “I already texted for Four Eyes and Lil’ Punk to meet us back at the Agency because we’re not gonna find Sprout right now. She needs some time to herself, but she’ll come back to us in her own time.”

“Really?” Atsushi perked up a bit at his confident answer.

“Yeah, once she’s had some time to think, I know she’ll be ready to face both us and her past. Besides,” his grin turned teasing and proud, “you really think that bandaged bastard didn’t take this into account?”

Atsushi smiled.

If Dazai already had a plan to help save Kyouka, then surely everything would work out.

“So even someone like Kyouka who’s murdered 35 people can be saved.” Atsushi muttered mostly to himself.

But Chuuya must have heard him though, because he sent him an incredulous look. “35? She killed 35 people?”

Atsushi stiffened, because what was with that tone? Was he going to retract all of his reassurances? Was he mad that Kyouka —

“All of this fuss over only 35 people?” Chuuya’s tone was completely exasperated and he squinted into the distance as if faced with an incomprehensible math problem. “Ane-san has to be frazzled and projecting hard if she’s acting like a mere 35 people is irredeemable. What on Earth is she thinking?”

That…

Okay, that wasn’t as terrible a reaction as Atsushi had feared, but it wasn’t at all reassuring.

What did Chuuya mean by only 35?

Actually, considering his ability and the fact he’d been in the Mafia…

Atsushi abruptly decided not to contemplate how many people Chuuya might’ve killed if he considered 35 to be comparable to spare change.

“Ah, whatever.” Chuuya sighed and stretched. “It seems things will be getting pretty busy now.”

Up ahead, near the entrance to the Agency’s building, Kenji and Kunikida were already waiting for them.

“Don’t worry though.” Chuuya told him, giving him a confident smile. “It might get tough but we’ll make it through until the end.”

Now that was actually reassuring.

Atsushi knew that it wouldn’t stop all of his worries, but after seeing Chuuya in action, after seeing his ability and full power, it certainly was nice to know that people like him had his back. And he’d have the rest of the Agency with him as well.

And with allies as powerful as Chuuya, how could they possibly lose?

Chapter Text

From what Kouyou had said, Dazai had defected.

In Chuuya’s opinion, it was way too soon to make that call. It’d only been a couple days or so after all, and sure, Dazai wasn’t answering his calls, but the petty bastard preferred to make him wait.

The Boss hadn’t said anything about it to him so far, so it was probably best if Chuuya just ignored it for now. Ignore the patrols that were obviously being sent to track Dazai down. Ignore the office workers whispering about missing data pertaining to Dazai.

Ignore the fact that Chuuya’s subtle inquiries about this whole Mimic did not look promising considering Dazai’s best friend had been on the case and he was apparently dead now.

Until Boss told him to, Chuuya wouldn’t make a move regarding Dazai’s status, whether he was defecting or not.

As Chuuya paused while unlocking his door, he realized that might be harder than he first assumed.

He could sense something fishy swimming in his apartment.

Chuuya took a deep breath and walked into his apartment, putting up his coat and hat on their hooks and making his way towards his kitchen to get a nice, relaxing drink after a busy day at work and his recent return from the West.

And he deliberately ignored the dark shadow that currently dwelled in his living room.

As long as he didn’t look, he could have plausible deniability and the actual truth of not having seen him.

There was movement in the corner of his eye as he took down a wine glass and picked a wine from the cooler on his counter. However, he took some advice from those old spirit tales and didn’t give any indication that he had noticed it. He didn’t look, he didn’t twitch, he didn’t so much as give any additional thought to what was lurking in the darkness of his living room.

…Huh. Maybe that stupid nickname Black Wraith had some merit after all.

It finally made a sound as he was pouring the wine.

“Chuuya…” The voice rustled like dead leaves in the wind.

Chuuya closed his eyes. Maybe if he ignored it, it would just go away.

“Chuuya…” The mournful whine of an injured puppy was followed by faint sounds of someone standing.

Fuck.

Chuuya sighed, placing the wine bottle down before he reopened his eyes and stared at his glass. “You shouldn’t be here.” If his voice was a bit gruff, it was because he’d had a long day. “This would be the first place they looked if they were actually thinking.”

Or it should be the place they’d look.

Hirotsu at least knew that if that slimy fish wasn’t in whichever rundown abode he was currently occupying, then he was most likely mooching off Chuuya’s apartment.

“Chuuya…” More, surprisingly hesitant, movement behind him, though there was no effort to come any closer. “Chuuya, I’m leaving.”

Chuuya wondered if this was what getting shot in the heart felt like. A bolt of pain lanced through his chest, leaving a burning ache in its wake.

His hand curled into a fist on the counter.

“Yeah. No shit.” He growled.

It was for the best.

Dazai leaving was better for everyone, but especially for Dazai.

It wasn’t like Chuuya hadn’t noticed.

Dazai had been drowning for a while now.

It happened now and then, a chronic affliction affecting Dazai’s mood, and it usually was accompanied by an increase in suicide attempts. When Dazai got like this, there was very little anyone could do.

He could still have his good moments. Getting away with those buddies of his, forgetting life in the Mafia for a short while and ignoring the lingering darkness to shoot the breeze about anything and everything else with those two clowns, helped lighten Dazai’s load just a little bit. Chuuya’s presence sometimes helped, a spark lighting up those eyes as they bickered or shouted or ran around or even just existed by each other’s side.

But it never lasted.

Chuuya was the one who picked up the pieces.

Who cut him down or shoved his fingers down his throat or forced air into his lungs or stopped the bleeding or stitched up wounds.

Who forced him to continue existing by feeding him and making him sleep.

But it wasn’t enough.

Chuuya wasn’t enough.

And over the years, it just got worse and worse.

The periods of overwhelming despair became more common and lasted longer.

Dazai had said that he wanted to examine and understand death and the darkness of humanity, and he most certainly had. He’d excelled in perpetuating it through his work in the Mafia.

But it was killing him.

People whispered that Dazai was made for this, but he’d simply conformed to his surroundings. The darkness, while it had sustained him for a while, had become a poison, draining him of hope to continue his quest to find meaning.

Chuuya hated it.

It’d been the root of many arguments between them lately, even if it wouldn’t seem like that to any outside observers eavesdropping on their words.

Part of Chuuya had hoped that maybe him being away for a while, out of the country and allowing Dazai more time with his friends, would help Dazai recover from his latest despondency.

That had certainly blown up in his face.

Chuuya swallowed around a lump in his throat.

“I won’t snitch to Mori if that’s what you’re worried about.” Chuuya softly continued.

It was the very least he could do for his partner.

Chuuya was loyal.

Sure, he’d given his loyalty to the Port Mafia and Mori, but…

Dazai was his partner.

There was a level of loyalty and commitment there, forged in that battle against Rimbaud and tempered in the battle against Verlaine, that, while neither of them acknowledged it, superseded any ties to a specific organization.

“Thanks for letting me know though. Didn’t think you had it in you to actually tell me something.” With that, Chuuya picked up his glass and finally took a large sip of wine.

Quite frankly, it was more courtesy than Chuuya had ever expected from Dazai.

He had expected for Dazai to just disappear with the wind.

He never would have thought that Dazai would reveal himself to him again, unless he finally managed to succeed in his attempts and Chuuya found his corpse in the bay or, for one reason or another, Dazai found a need for his power several years down the line.

“So just get out of here already.”

The silence was unnerving.

Chuuya could feel the weight of Dazai’s gaze on his back but he didn’t make any move to leave.

Chuuya didn’t know why he was lingering, but he didn’t say anything else. He’d already said everything he needed to.

He took another sip of wine as he mentally went over what he’d have to do next. He needed to erase any trace that Dazai had been here and maybe lay a few false trails when Mori inevitably asked him to look for Dazai. Plus, he’d started to make arrangements for Dazai’s friend to be properly buried and he should do some more poking into this whole incident, because he knew Dazai wasn’t going to —

“I was going to leave without coming here. Chuuya wasn’t even on my mind at all.”

Dazai finally spoke.

Chuuya tried to pretend that his words didn’t sting, even if that was what he himself had predicted. After all, didn’t he deserve at least this as Dazai’s partner?

Or… ex-partner as it would soon be.

Still, it was understandable that he’d be the furthest from Dazai’s mind after such a loss. Chuuya understood that better than anyone.

So it seemed that Dazai had surprised them both by coming here.

“But then, I…” Dazai faltered, a true rarity for him. “Odasaku told me it might be more beautiful in the light.”

That was approximately what Chuuya had predicted.

If Dazai chose to defect over burning the entire Mafia to the ground in retribution for Oda’s loss, then it could only be due to a request from Oda.

And Oda would’ve wanted Dazai to go to a better environment, even if it didn’t fully help Dazai.

“I figured as much.” Chuuya gruffly replied, twirling his wine glass in his hand and gazing down at it. He’d already drunk half of this glass, but he was seriously contemplating refilling it. “So why are you still here?”

More silence.

Then he heard soft, hesitant steps coming closer.

“I know I could do it. I’ve already got a plan.” Dazai said, his voice getting smaller the closer he got. “And I just have one more thing I need to do to ensure everything’s in place.”

“Good for you.” And he mostly did mean that.

Chuuya was more distracted by the fact that he didn’t smell any blood. Considering the amount sprayed all over and the strewn bandages he’d found at Mimic’s hideout, it was a sign that Dazai had gotten cleaned up at some point. And the lack of scent also meant that Dazai hadn’t turned his blade on himself since.

Would you look at that? Already, Dazai was changing for the better.

Chuuya’s free hand, which had started to relax, curled up even tighter where it lay on the counter.

He still didn’t turn even as he felt that presence that was as familiar as his hat or gloves at his back.

“I can do this by myself, but…” Chuuya felt a tug on his clothes like that of a child shyly trying to get your attention. “I thought that it would be better if Chuuya was there.”

Chuuya straightened and took a sharp breath.

There was no way…

He couldn’t possibly be implying…

“Chuuya…” Dazai’s arms wrapped around him and his head met Chuuya’s shoulder. “Would you come with me?”

Chuuya froze.

He never imagined those words would ever pass Dazai’s lips.

He never truly thought of leaving the Port Mafia.

It didn’t ever seem to be in the cards. When he first started, he had the fate of the Sheep and the promise of information on his past. Now the Sheep were no longer hostage and Mori had given him the information as his reward for his role in the Dragon Head Conflict (since at the time, there was only one Executive seat open and Dazai would be rewarded with it). But in its place, he had duties and obligations that called to him, expectations placed upon him. He undeniably had carved a place for himself.

Though others had thought differently before.

Murase had wanted to pull him into the light. Chuuya had never taken him all that seriously, even if at the end, he’d tried to invoke Murase’s wishes to get him to live long enough to be saved. He’d died too quickly though, his pleas unheard.

Verlaine… It wasn’t quite the light that Verlaine wished to take him to. He’d simply wanted to escape with him and from other humans. His methods had guaranteed that Chuuya would never choose him though, and Chuuya had no desire to wallow as Verlaine did when he could do something productive with his life and power.

The Flags…

The Flags just wanted to be his friends. Nothing more and nothing less.

To Chuuya, it never really mattered either way.

He fought against those he needed to and protected what he wanted to protect.

If someone hurt his people, he struck right back, delivering ten times the retribution.

That was simply how he was.

Now, Dazai was asking him to come with him.

It was not the optimistic bid for redemption of Murase. It was not the attempt to forcibly drag him away that Verlaine had tried.

Chuuya could sense no attempts at manipulation from Dazai.

It was the exact opposite of how Dazai had brought him into the Mafia originally.

No plots that had been sown without his notice. No grandiose scheme to paint the worst possible scenario. No manipulation of the situation so he would have little to no choice but to choose the path that he wanted.

Dazai was genuinely asking Chuuya to come with him.

Presumably, just because he wanted Chuuya to come with him.

Chuuya never thought he’d see the day where Dazai was this honest with him.

If only it was that simple.

“He won’t let both of us go.” Chuuya couldn’t help but point out.

Mori was a shrewd man. His ability to plan and use everything at his disposal was something Chuuya could truly admire about him.

And there was no way in hell that he’d let Double Black, his most powerful weapon, slip through his fingers.

Not together, at least.

One half would be an acceptable loss. Sure, Mori had a clear preference for who he would rather have, but if he only got to keep one, he would most likely be satisfied. Both Dazai and Chuuya were incredible assets individually and it would ensure that Double Black could not be used against him. Or at least couldn’t be used without his permission.

Mori wouldn’t risk Corruption being turned against him.

Dazai snorted. “And what exactly could he do to stop us?”

Fair point.

No doubt Mori had something up his sleeve, but again, he and Dazai were hard to beat just by themselves.

Together?

Well, while Corruption was a last resort, they didn’t usually need to use it to crush their enemies. They were practically unstoppable.

Still…

As if sensing how he wavered, Dazai somehow tucked himself even closer. “I’d understand if you…” He took in a shuddering breath. “I know it’s different for you. That you have people here.”

He was both right and wrong.

Chuuya did indeed care about the members of the Port Mafia. He looked after them the best he could and tried to do right by them. Just like he always did for his comrades.

However, the people he was actually close to were… few.

He had Kouyou as his mentor and now fellow Executive. He knew that she cared for him and he cared for her, but Kouyou kept a slight barrier of professionalism between them. She’d learned long ago what would happen if she allowed herself to get too close to someone and she refused to be burned again. Even if part of her wanted to, she mostly kept a level head. Chuuya wondered what sort of person it would take for Kouyou to be fully emotionally invested in someone.

He had drinking buddies in Kajii and Hirotsu. Sure, he’d take out subordinates when he could, but the hierarchy didn’t allow them to actually know him, even if they occasionally spilled their sorrows to him. He also had a reputation to maintain. It was different with Kajii and Hirotsu, who, while not executives, were still fairly high ranked in their fields. But he wouldn’t consider them close enough for him to drop personal stuff on them; mostly minor inconsequential things were what he ended up revealing to them. Hirotsu was a bit closer than Kajii, but that was only because the poor old man had been forced to look after him and Dazai for years at this point.

The Akutagawa kids… Chuuya did his best to look after them when he could, but he wasn’t technically in charge of either. He couldn’t interfere with their training or show too much favoritism as it would make them a target. He could only try while maintaining the forced distance required of him. Did he necessarily succeed? Perhaps not.

And that was it.

Chuuya didn’t have any friends.

Not anymore.

They were too much of a risk, they made him too vulnerable.

The Flags had been his true friends. They’d also been the exception to all other relationships he’d maintained in the Mafia. They were the only ones who truly cared, who were willing to ignore orders just to do something nice for him, who reached out and tried to do something right by him just because they wanted to.

They were also the ones who’d paid the price.

Chuuya had tried again after their deaths. He’d gotten close to his subordinates, begun training them, tried to reach out to them like Piano Man and the others had with him…

And it wasn’t enough.

He learned his lesson then.

He hadn’t let himself get close to anyone else since then.

Overall, it meant that the person closest to him in all of the Mafia, the one that he could connect to on a personal level, the human that he could simply be himself with without having to maintain distance was…

Dazai himself.

“So if you don’t want to…” Dazai had never sounded so unsure of himself. “I would… I would understand…”

Dazai was telling the truth.

Chuuya could hear it, he could feel it.

The ball was completely and utterly in Chuuya’s court. It was his decision and his decision alone.

And Dazai would actually accept the outcome either way.

For a moment, Chuuya thought over how things would be like depending on his choice.

If he said yes…

The future would be uncertain. Dazai had a plan, of course, and an idea of where he might be able to fulfill Oda’s final wish, but it probably wouldn’t be easy to obtain. They’d have to lie low, maybe travel, in order to get the Mafia off their backs.

Because Chuuya wasn’t wrong. Mori was raising enough of a stink with Dazai missing. With both of them gone, he’d no doubt be even more relentless to either get one of them back or eliminate the threat they pose.

It wouldn’t just be the Mafia after them either. Dazai wouldn’t have to worry about it if he left by himself, but the government wouldn’t be happy to lose sight of Chuuya again. And without the Mafia’s might protecting him, they would revel in the chance to either scoop him back or, again, eliminate him permanently.

On the other hand, there had yet to be a situation that they could not overcome, especially together.

Chuuya would also get to stay with Dazai, the most reliable and yet infuriating person he’d ever met. The person who he’d felt a connection to since the moment he met, who he had an inexplicable bond that he couldn’t bring himself to define.

Dazai, who despite everything else, decided to come back to him. To ask him to go with him. To at the very least say goodbye.

If he said no…

Dazai would accept it. He’d disappear without a single trace left behind and who knew when Chuuya would see him again.

Because they would meet again. As long as they both lived, they would inevitably be drawn back together.

They’d be on opposite sides though. And their reunion would be at Dazai’s leisure.

In the meantime, life would move on. Chuuya would do what he had to, fighting and leading missions and doing paperwork at the behest of the Mafia. He would see Kouyou every now and then for tea. He’d go out drinking with Hirotsu and Kajii and probably drunk dial Dazai to complain (though he wouldn’t receive a reply). He’d pick up the pieces of Dazai’s defection, his work doubling as Mori would be delusional enough to think Dazai would come back. Not to mention Mori would force him to rein in Akutagawa who was already rampaging over Dazai.

Not much would actually change for Chuuya.

But Dazai would be alone.

Dazai, who had just lost his friend, who already struggled to resist death’s call, would be alone until he could finally make a move into the light.

Chuuya closed his eyes and heaved a deep sigh, slowly placing his wine glass down.

And then he turned around.

When he opened his eyes, it was to Dazai’s wide eyes — both of them visible — staring at him and his mouth slightly agape.

Chuuya smirked.

It was always satisfying to surprise the so-called genius predictor.

“So what’s the plan?” He couldn’t help but ask.

“You…” Light seemed to spark in Dazai’s eyes even as he stammered. “You really…”

“Ah, but first I need to pack some stuff. And I’m not leaving Albatross’s bike behind.” He began to plot out the absolute essentials, the things he could not bear to leave behind. He’d lived with little and he’d lived with a lot, so most things weren’t an issue, but there were sentimental objects, pictures, and papers he wanted to take with him. “Also, I’m leaving notes for Ane-san, the kids… and what the hell, Hirotsu also deserves a note too for all the trouble we’ve given him.”

Dazai opened his mouth, but Chuuya already anticipated what he was going to protest so he silenced him with a finger on his lips.

As Dazai went cross-eyed trying to look at that finger, Chuuya continued. “Just because you’re enough of a bastard not to say goodbye, doesn’t mean I am. They deserve that much.”

And Mori wouldn’t really be able to make a problem out of some final goodbyes to them from a pair of traitors considering who the traitors were in this case. It’s not like he would give any clues to where they were going, and any attempts to retaliate against both him and Dazai were futile as Dazai put it.

Chuuya slipped from Dazai’s arms to begin packing but he paused, looking back at Dazai who still seemed somewhat frozen in shock.

“Hey, if you help me, we can get out of here faster.” Chuuya said with a smile. “We’re leaving, aren’t we?”

Dazai smiled, a full genuine grin that was so rare on his face.

“Yes!”

And Dazai joined Chuuya by his side as they worked quickly to end their current lives and start anew.

Together.

Chuuya opened his eyes, the memory of the night he’d chosen Dazai over the Port Mafia still lingering in his mind. He took off his hat that he’d brought in with him today as he sat up in his seat and sighed.

He glanced around the office at those who weren’t attending the meeting between the boss of the Port Mafia and the president of the Armed Detective Agency.

Atsushi was pacing anxiously, but quite frankly Chuuya couldn’t tell if it was due to his worries over the meeting — valid as he was the one who proposed an alliance — or his worries about Kyouka.

Yosano had retreated to the infirmary. Chuuya had an idea that she had some sort of history with Mori and the thought of an alliance with him was making her restless. He didn’t know what exactly her beef with Mori was — he wasn’t one to pry into things that were clearly not his business unlike a certain bandaged blockhead — but again, he couldn’t fault her for her feelings. He also got the distinct feeling that now that his and Dazai’s previous employment with the Mafia was out in the open, he would be getting some pointed questions the next time he and Yosano went drinking.

Unlike those two, Kenji, bless his heart, felt no such anxieties. He’d actually left the office to tend to his garden on the roof instead. Perhaps if he’d been in, his optimism would’ve lifted the mood, but no one could deny Kenji’s joy when working with plants and animals. Chuuya himself cherished the boy’s heartfelt approach to life.

He’d also long ago decided that if anything ever happened to Kenji that the boy couldn’t recover from, he would kill everyone.

When he’d expressed this thought on Kenji’s first day, no one had protested, obviously in agreement.

Ranpo, of course, wasn’t worried either, but then again, Ranpo already knew the truth of the matter.

Nothing would really come from the boss and the president meeting each other.

Or more accurately, their meeting was more of a feint, or perhaps formality was the word, to save face with both their organizations and any outsiders who might poke their nose where it doesn’t belong.

After all, neither of them could technically make an official alliance, despite Ranpo’s muttering about a “Tripartite Alliance.” At least, not as things currently stood. It wasn’t just a mere matter of the Mafia being criminals and the Agency, while operating in a more gray area, usually aligning with the law.

It was a matter of pride and old grudges between the two organizations.

In other words, the meeting was really about the heads of the organizations coming together to compare their blades.

(Though does size really matter when Mori’s scalpel is just as sharp and deadly as Fukuzawa’s katana? Chuuya couldn’t help but wonder.

He had no clear answer to that.)

Seriously, both of them were so troublesome, being unable to speak clearly and honestly with each other to come to an accord.

(Chuuya was naturally unable to see the hypocrisy of a thought like that coming from him of all people.)

Still, with the bad blood between those two individually and the organizations themselves, it would be hard to make even a ceasefire deal. How could one wipe the slate clean?

Hence why the real negotiations, with the blessings of their boss and president respectively, had occurred between Chuuya and Kouyou instead.

The fact remained that while the Agency had the means to retrieve Q, they did not have the resources to contain them like the Mafia had. For the sake of Yokohama, this would all have to be dealt with. The current plan would be beneficial to both and safeguard their mutual interests.

Not to mention…

Chuuya glanced at Atsushi again.

If things turned out how they should, then a way to the light would be opened for Kyouka permanently.

Chuuya briefly wondered how he should break the news to Kunikida that all of his concerns over the meeting were for naught as everything had already been decided beforehand.

…Nah, Kunikida was still recovering from learning he and Dazai were ex-Mafia. He’d let that stew before hitting him with another blow.

His reaction was going to be so funny.

As if summoned by his thoughts, the door to the office opened. Kunikida and Tanizaki were the first ones to enter, both looking different brands of exhausted. It was probably a good thing Naomi wasn’t here at the moment to see Tanizaki so bedraggled even if he probably didn’t do any actual fighting. She would instantly try to smother him with affection to lift his mood and Chuuya wasn’t in the mood to deal with their PDA at the moment.

(Once again, Chuuya was unable to see the hypocrisy about causing issues due to behavior with your significant other in public.)

Fukuzawa came in next, looking as calm as he normally did, but Chuuya, having sparred with him enough, could see the tells that indicated how irritated he was. Mori had surely riled him up during their conversation, trying to deliberately provoke a reaction. He was good at that.

And lastly came Dazai, who was the one Chuuya was the most worried about.

Chuuya held no ill will towards the Mafia, even after Dazai finally told him the whole story. He didn’t like what Mori had done, but his callousness towards the usefulness of the people at his disposal wasn’t a slap to the face like it had been to Dazai. Chuuya knew about it from the start and never held any illusions that he would be an exception.

Dazai thought he was.

He thought that he and Mori were on the same wavelength.

Chuuya always knew that the two weren’t as similar as everyone seemed to think, but Dazai hadn’t realized it until four years ago.

Now, Dazai harbored a grudge and hatred towards the Mafia and Mori that chilled even Chuuya at times.

It was only to be expected from a betrayal so great.

Therefore, Chuuya was not surprised by the flat, dead look in Dazai’s eyes, even as he sauntered in with the usual amount of levity he showed at the office.

Both he and Fukuzawa headed in his direction.

“How did your negotiations go?” Fukuzawa wearily asked, finally coming down from the high tension of his meeting.

“We’re all cleared to go.” Chuuya reassured him. “Just let us know when to go.”

“Thank you for handling that.” Fukuzawa bowed slightly in thanks, slipping his hands up his sleeve. “I’ll leave your start time up to you.”

“Wait, negotiations?” Kunikida sat up from where he’d just settled in at his desk. “What negotiations?”

“Why, the chibi’s negotiations with the Port Mafia, of course!” Dazai chirped as he chose to sit right on top of Chuuya’s desk and the report he’d been working on. He ignored Chuuya’s irritated look to instead begin playing with his hair.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE WAS NEGOTIATING WITH THE PORT MAFIA?! THAT’S WHAT WE WERE DOING!”

Chuuya pressed his knuckles to his lips so a laugh wouldn’t escape, but Dazai clearly caught it with the way he smirked and his eyes gleamed.

Ah, Dazai really did look better with that glow lighting up his eyes.

“Ah, we weren’t really, truly negotiating. Mori-san can’t afford to look weak and agree to the Agency’s request, even if in this particular case with Q, the Agency has more to bring to the table in an alliance. We were more of a smokescreen to keep up appearances.” Dazai loudly sighed as he twirled a lock of Chuuya’s hair around his finger. “The real negotiations were done on the bosses’ behalf with our beloved short stack here meeting with the indomitable Kouyou-neesan.”

Kunikida appeared to be done with life, ready to turn to dust and drift away on the wind with the way he stared at them slack jawed. Neither Tanizaki nor Atsushi were much better as their gazes flicked between him and Dazai.

“Anyway, like I told the President, we’re good to retrieve Q tonight.” Chuuya picked up where Dazai left off. “Everything’s been arranged.”

“Oh, then…” Atsushi fidgeted slightly. “Then who’s going to go get them?”

Chuuya couldn’t blame him for his nervousness. Both of his encounters with Q’s ability hadn’t ended well for him.

But that too had already been arranged.

“Ah, there’s no need to worry, Atsushi-kun!” Dazai said, his hand moving from Chuuya’s hair to grasp his hand. “After all, this certainly constitutes as a catastrophe, does it not?”

Four years ago, when they made that deal with Taneda to clear their names and have a chance here at the Agency — after thoroughly turning down his offer to work for the government (Dazai due to the rules and rigidity, Chuuya because there was no way in hell he’d work for the government after everything they’d done to him and their role in sketchy business like the Dragon Head Conflict) — they had naturally been met with some resistance.

He’d insisted at first that while he could help one of them, he couldn’t help them both.

They were simply too powerful, especially together, to belong in a single organization.

(Which made both of them wonder if one of them leaving the Mafia had always been among the government’s hopes and dreams — and what they’d be willing to do to ensure they were separated.)

He’d tried to entice them to be in separate parts of what Taneda hoped would be a new balance of power within Yokohama. With one at the Agency and one in the government (or one returning to the Mafia which was technically possible but neither one wanted to do that), he held it up like it was the best option.

Instead, they’d offered a compromise.

They could belong to the same organization — the Armed Detective Agency — as long as they didn’t work together.

There were, of course, some exceptions to that, indicated by certain stipulations.

“Ah, it’s been so long since we’ve worked together, hasn’t it?” Dazai brought Chuuya’s hand up to his lips, brushing them across his knuckles. He cast a sultry gaze in Chuuya’s direction as a smirk clearly tugged at his expression and he lowered their joined hands slightly to his chest.

However, rather than scold him for his behavior, Chuuya matched his energy, smirking right back and leaning in close. “It most certainly has.”

The first stipulation was that the situation had to be an emergency, a catastrophe that threw all of Yokohama (up to perhaps even the entire world) into chaos.

The second stipulation was that at least two out of three of the organizations that kept guard over Yokohama — the Special Division for Unusual Powers, the Armed Detective Agency, and the Port Mafia — had to give permission to grant their deployment.

In this case, both the Agency and the Mafia were in agreement that their power was needed.

And finally, both Dazai and Chuuya had to acknowledge that if things went wrong, no one would be coming to further assist them. They would be considered to be completely separate from any existing organization.

Though that, at least, was the same as it’d always been.

“Partner.”

Chuuya didn’t know which of them said it, but it didn’t really matter. In this, their minds and hearts were one.

After four long years, the duo known as Soukoku, Double Black, Twin Dark would take to the stage once more.

It was time to remind Yokohama that there was a reason why the darkness once feared their names.

Only this time, it would be on the behalf of the light.

Chuuya’s smirk softened into a smile and Dazai’s expression relaxed to match his.

They would fight just like they had always done and always will.

Side by side.

Together.