Chapter Text
The explosion blew the manor to smithereens, making Dazai's ears ring violently.
If life and death are two halves of the same whole, surely you need to understand one to understand the other?
Gunshots rang mercilessly around him, the never-ending clinking of rifles on his left.
He could almost hear the noise over the voices in his head.
It was times like this when Dazai felt slightly conflicted; a feeling unlike him. He could see-- at least physically -- the hordes of armed men all over the place. Hedges reeking of wealth and care stretched on either side, a small maze in front of a burning manor. His gaze also lazily followed the red flash that was Chuuya, rapidly knocking down the enemy like flies. So efficient-- he made a mental note-- Undoubtedly a great asset to the mafia. Mori knew what he was doing. He vaguely recalled what he was here for, he knew what Mori had implied before sending him on his "joint investigation" with the boy he recruited today. If anything, the fact that he wasn't looking like Swiss cheese by now was proof in of itself. This little ginger was certainly capable, and that was all Dazai was going to think about him. An amused scoff fell of his lips as the last mercenary fell to the ground with unnecessary force, a faint red glow emanating from the body as Chuuya finally finished his lethal aerial figure skate. Dazai forced himself out of his momentary reverie and smirked at Chuuya.
"Damn, chibi, you could've let me die," Dazai commented dryly, looking every bit the sickly teenager he was with the bandages and overcoat combo. "All this effort you've put into saving me-- and we've only just met yesterday!"
Chuuya scoffs dismissively, eyes narrowed and jaw taut. It's obvious he's upset about something, but Dazai chalks it up to his presence. Chuuya probably just isn't a fan of his antics, just like everybody else. He's avoiding looking at Dazai too, his mismatched pupils grazing Dazai's coat as if he knows that it's dangerous to see further. As if he's figured out that detached banter is the way to stay afloat. Dazai doesn't like that. He adds it to the list.
"Shut your trap, jackass. Tell me what we do now, the witness we came here for is probably toast."
Chuuya points to the residence behind him, thrusting his thumb over his shoulder at the smoke casting a hazy filter over everything around them. Dazai ignores his tone and sighs, turning on his heels childishly.
"What do you think? We go back and repor-"
Chuuya's instincts flare up the second he realizes why Dazai stopped talking. He watches carefully as Dazai strolls over to the faint rustling coming from the bushes, acting like he doesn't have a sniper pointed at his forehead. Chuuya would commend his bravery if he wasn't sure it was something else entirely. He forces himself to stay calm even when Dazai presses his forehead against the muzzle, trying to ignore the depths of darkness swirling in the brunette boy's eyes.
"Oh wow-" Dazai drags the words, the tone eerie and making Chuuya's hair stand up. "Were you going to pull the trigger? You were, weren't you?"
The man seems to be hesitant, perhaps thrown off by the contrast between Dazai's words and his appearance. I mean, what 14 year old nuzzles up to a gun like it's a pillow?
"Please, grant me that which I so wish for," Dazai continues, and Chuuya inadvertently takes a step forward. "You can't miss now, ri-"
"Oi, Dazai, what're y-"
Chuuya stops dead in his tracks when he sees the look on Dazai's face. They say if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back.
It was a look meant to hinder Chuuya- to stop him. To perhaps keep him “safe” from the palm of nihilism.
Little did Dazai know, Chuuya was nihilism.
Time itself slowed down as Chuuya swung his leg, kicking off the ground with force. His forefoot collided with the mercenary’s temple with a loud crack- leaving the man unconscious in the bushes. His sniper flew a couple feet behind them, its components scratching the pavement slightly.
Dazai’s disappointed face punctuated his next sentence.
“Buzzkill.”
“Are you fucking kid—“
Chuuya wanted to get angry. Chuuya wanted to let his rage overtake him, let this kid understand the gravity (pun intended) of his fury. But he didn’t. Slowly, and very uncharacteristically, Chuuya sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He calmed himself down.
“That’s it. I’m making our decisions from now on.”
Chuuya declared firmly, eyes still narrowed at Dazai as if trying to assess his next move. He was correct to be wary of him, to recognize a darker tint to the brunette’s eyes.
“No. I veto that decision.”
“I veto-veto that decision. Now shut the fuck up.”
Dazai didn’t even get the chance to object properly again as Chuuya grabbed him by the back of the collar in one swift movement, their bodies glowing ruby as the ginger kicked off from the ground once more.
Dazai felt his body get lighter in real time, from the blades of his shoulders down to the tips of his toes. The wrecked mansion got further away from him every second, they were gaining altitude, Chuuya had a firm grip on him. He was flying, he was flying, holy–
“Holy shit.”
He couldn’t help himself; it was almost subconscious. He barely made sense of the words Chuuya spoke in reply, clinging to his coat as that was the only thing stopping him from plummeting to a grizzly death.
The frail autumn air crackled around them as Dazai’s eyes abandoned their job once more, letting his mind take over as usual. Roads, cars, houses, buildings; all visible beneath his feet. He had no idea where Chuuya was taking him and he wasn’t in the mood to ask. It was so...tranquil. So peaceful, Dazai thought. It hadn’t even been 5 minutes since he tried to turn his forehead into a sniper magazine. And yet, oddly, this felt right.
The way the noises of the living echoed around him, traffic, families, people with normal lives doing normal things. The lightness in his entire body, the way he couldn’t even turn around himself, the way he both felt free and helpless—
He didn’t mean it.
That was his first thought when his fingers found Chuuya’s arm. The second thing he realized was the mixture of adrenaline and thrill overwhelming him as his body grew heavier. No Longer Human’s blue glow was faint, it didn’t catch Dazai’s attention. The ground was growing closer, and Dazai’s heart was in his throat, he was practically the whole thing at this point, with how rapidly the organ was beating.
The only thing that brought him back to reality were screams.
Chuuya’s screams.
Chuuya was falling with him.
Chuuya was going to die.
With him.
Because of him.