Chapter Text
Dazai’s birthday was coming up. It’s a few days before the looming day, and Chuuya can’t lie to himself and say he isn’t dreading it.
The nineteenth of June is a day that was a lot better before he met the stupid Mackerel, right after the beginning of summer and still in the comfortable space between way too cold and way too hot for Chuuya’s liking.
It was usually a day that he had off with the sheep, not a lot of people really wanted to do anything. He would play board and card games with them, even though he’s not the biggest fan of those things it was always worth it to see them all happy.
But after everything that happened, it’s a day that Chuuya prefers to be busy on. He’ll take up extra missions and paperwork to get it out of his head.
Does that ever work? Absolutely not. But he does it regardless, its better to get more work done then not.
However, now he has a completely different worry then just thinking about his past too much… last year on his birthday, Dazai had attempted. Its not rare by any means, Dazai does it a lot, but that time he would’ve actually died had Chuuya not randomly decided to check up on him.
Of course Chuuya knew that he was being serious about wanting to kill himself sometimes. Chuuya’s always known that even if he wasn’t really going to do it, he needed help regardless.
But when that happened it made him realize that Dazai wanted to die much more than Chuuya had thought. It made him anxious, paranoid, not able to leave Dazai alone for a month after it had happened.
Chuuya doesn’t know why, He doesn’t even like the guy! But.. seeing Dazai like that, nearly passed out on the middle of his kitchen floor–with cuts so deep they needed stitches on his wrists and pupils blown so big it looked like he’d been a drug addict–it scared him.
He’d never admit it to Dazai, but it scared him to his core. He grabbed Dazai and took him to a hospital so quick he doesn't even remember the drive, he was most definitely going way over the speed limit..
So, because of that, Chuuya isn’t going to leave him alone today, tomorrow, or the day after just to be extra sure, he doesn’t know how on earth he’ll explain to Mori that he can’t take the usual overload of paperwork tomorrow, but he can deal with it then.
Right now however, is not the time to be thinking about it.
He’s on his bike, driving Dazai back to their apartment after a mission. He knows that Dazai hates the thing but honestly he drives it just to see Dazai complain, its pretty funny seeing the feared demon prodigy complain about him speeding.
Dazai is holding onto Chuuya’s waist like his life depends on it, and it's hurting Chuuya’s ribs. He doesn't point it out but he’s definitely going to punch Dazai for it when they get home.
“Slow down you stupid slug!” Dazai yells, but its not like anyone but Chuuya hears while their going 30 over the speed limit.
“Your the one that told me to get home quick! Now stop complaining” Chuuya says, smiling a little when Dazai whines.
Chuuya’s pretty sure he’s driving safe enough.
Eventually, Dazai stops complaining. Focusing on the road and the cars and the buildings that are passing by instead of how quickly their doing so.
And eventually, they make it to the parking lot of the posh apartment building that Dazai’s always despised.
Chuuya really doesn’t know why Dazai prefers that.. Rat infested, moldy shipping container over Chuuya’s apartment, but since Dazai is being forced by Mori to live with him for a bit Chuuya’s sure he’ll get used to it sometime soon.
Dazai lets out a sigh of relief once Chuuya parks his bike in the assigned spot, and relaxes a bit when Chuuya puts the kickstand down so they can get off.
It’s dark outside which Chuuya loves, but due to that it’s absolutely freezing when Dazai’s warm body gets off from directly behind him.
Chuuya hates the cold, so he swiftly gets up as well.
He takes a moment to stretch his legs and arms, trying to get his blood to flow a little bit so he can be a bit warmer while walking inside.
“Go inside, Dazai. Its cold out..”
Chuuya mumbles, starting to walk. Expecting Dazai to follow him, which he does. Quickly going to walk next to Chuuya. Chuuya can feel that Dazai is about to do something, and just then he grins a bit before stealing Chuuya’s hat
“Dazai!” Chuuya tries to grab it back, leading to Dazai running to get inside the apartment building.
“Catch me if you can!” Dazai says, clearly just wanting to get on Chuuya’s nerves. And it works.
“Dazai get your ass back here!” Chuuya yells, running after him.
Dazai is chased into the building, up all 5 flights of stairs to the very top, and into the penthouse. Both of them ignoring all the people giving them concerned looks and the one staff who tries to inforce the No running rule.
Running up all the stairs is exhausting, but neither of them are really known for giving up. Especially not when it lets the other win. Their pretty competitive, as everyone in this building knows by now. Even the staff know..
Hence why the one person who tried to stop them was just told to give up while they were still behind, and why they only got looks from the other residence.
They also only got annoyed stares because their both somehow Mafia executives, and the entire building is Mafia owned.. But only getting stares isn’t something either of them complain about. Its preferred even, Dazai hates talking to people and Chuuya honestly couldn’t care less about it.
Once they reached the top of the building, where only Chuuya and Dazai’s apartment was, Chuuya tackled Dazai to the ground and grabbed his hat back. Dazai had managed to unlock the door before this happened, so falling on it threw it open.
Dazai started to giggle, not even paying attention to how his head hurts from falling straight onto the ground.
“Couldn’t catch me till we got up here, your such a slug” Dazai giggles, grabbing the hat back and holding it just out of Chuuya's reach to fuck with him.
Chuuya sighed “your so annoying! Give me the hat back already!” Chuuya says, but he’s joking a bit. Theres not even a hint of real annoyance in his voice, and his face is anything but.
Dazai is still laughing a bit, trying to hold it back. Throwing it far into the apartment.
Chuuya can’t deny how Dazai’s face, looking so happy and stupid, makes his heart race. He doesn’t know why, he hate’s that seeing Dazai’s annoying–but gorgeous–face and how it makes his face get warm and his stomach do flips.
He doesn’t even think that the way Dazai’s brown eyes have 3 different shades is pretty, he hates the color that Dazai has for his braces, he hates his perfectly clear skin that’s tanned after only 20 days of summer..
He despises how it makes him pretty.
It gets on his nerves, and hes clueless as to why.
Dazai is now staring at him, and he holds back a laugh before speaking. “C’mon Chuuya, go fetch your hat like a good dog!”
“Go fuck yourself.”
Chuuya huffs, waiting a moment before starting to think about it. Hes staring at Dazai’s face so intently he doesn’t even realize how close they are. The realization makes Chuuya’s face get all red as he swiftly moves away, taking a step into the house.
“Ohh, how mean! Dog’s shouldn’t bark you know” Dazai teases, staying on the ground for now.
Chuuya scoffs, “whatever.” and takes his shoes off after only a moment, remembering his usual routine.
It gets under his skin how Dazai can make him forget things so easily.
He takes his shoes off and places them neatly at the door, before his coat goes on the tall and wooden coathanger he has right next to it.
He takes off his socks as well, throwing them into a hamper before walking further into the place to grab his hat.
Dazai slowly gets up while Chuuya grabs the hat that he so carelessly threw around, and being tired he doesnt fuck with Chuuya’s shoes or coat. He takes his own off, relatively together despite not being as neat as Chuuya is.
Theres a silence while Chuuya is walking back to put it on the coathanger, and it makes Dazai a bit visibly uncomfortable. Not really clear, but Chuuya knows Dazai well enough to know when he is and when hes not.
He only lets out a disappointed sigh when Dazai slams the door to fix the silence, and when he walks over to Chuuya’s couch and lays on the most expensive pillow.
Chuuya just walks over to the couch as well.
Now that he isn’t focusing on Driving, or the mission, or chasing Dazai however - the dread is starting to come back.
The feeling that he needs to keep a close eye on Dazai is right there, and the worry that’s been haunting him since last year june nineteenth is going to come back full force tomorrow. He can just tell.
Staring at Dazai's face, he looks content. But Chuuya doesn’t know how long that’ll last, Dazai is unpredictable. One moment he’ll be happy and content and within minutes he’s sobbing in Chuuya’s arms or staring at a pill bottle with too much intensity for Chuuya’s liking.
Chuuya doesn’t even know why he cares that much, but seeing Dazai in that awful state last year is making him a bit queasy..
Chuuya tries to think about something else, like how Dazai is suddenly staring right back at him.
“You could at least try to hide it if you find me that attractive you know” Dazai says, giggling a bit again. He’s messing with Chuuya, but… Chuuya does think that Dazai is rather attractive.
…
No he doesn’t, he doesn’t find Dazai attractive. How could he EVER like that stupid fish?? Hes being delusional again, clearly he’s hallucinating how pretty he looks right now.
“I do NOT find you attractive, you slimy fish” Chuuya says, his voice a bit too defensive. More than he meant to sound.
It doesn't make Dazai pause, or even have a second thought about it though. Which makes Chuuya relax a lot more, since Dazai doesn’t think he’s being weird or anything.
Dazai looks away, turning on the TV. it’s the same housewife reality TV show Chuuya was watching this morning, which Dazai decides to laugh at.
Chuuya and Dazai argued over the TV and what to watch for about thirty minutes before settling on some weird nature documentary about manta rays or something stupid. Chuuya isn’t paying too much attention to it.
…
Honestly, Dazai seems enamored by the screen. Apparently he’s a fan of manta rays. Seeing Dazai’s eye’s shine makes Chuuya get a soft, warm feeling in his stomach that he completely ignores.
While the guy on screen is nonstop talking about manta rays and their feeding preferences and process for the young, Chuuya realizes that they hadn’t eaten anything all day.
And that he was starving, and that Dazai probably hasn’t eaten in days and needs some food.
“Hey, shitty Dazai” Chuuya calls out, poking Dazai’s shoulder.
“Whattt? Can’t you see im watching something!” Dazai says, teasingly whining.
“Oh whatever. Im ordering us dinner, does Chinese food sound good?” Chuuya asks, pulling out his phone to open some food delivery app.
“Yeah, sure I guess. Now shut up, its getting interesting..” Dazai says, rolling his eyes and looking back at the screen.
Chuuya just gives him a look before ordering some of the chinese food Dazai likes.
The rest of the night was spent arguing on what to watch and eating Chinese food (Chuuya warmed it up multiple times) until Dazai eventually fell asleep at 5am and Chuuya followed suit.