Chapter Text
The headquarters was always quiet, but it felt especially quiet after missions.
Over the past year Chuuya had been slowly growing used to the general aura of mafia men, including the uptight way they held themselves. Being in a Port Mafia building felt like everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the slightest provocation to start a war in the halls. Missions made it worse.
It was something about the adrenaline of a fight ringing in your ears until it tuned out everything else, only for the fight to end and jolt you into a weird state of everything being too quiet. To think, all of those men had been alive just a moment before, and now they'd never make a sound again. Chuuya loved the thrill of a fight but he'd always hated the aftermath. It made him feel like something was itching under his skin.
The mission had been simple, but it had been a long waiting game that meant staying on the move until the late hours of the night, and all Chuuya wanted was to get home and rest. He just needed to grab his belongings he'd left in his office. Thankfully he and Dazai had tomorrow off, so he could get the rest his body had been aching for.
As he was walking the hall, he happened to pass the Boss's office. Unsurprisingly Mori was still here despite the late hour, light spilling from underneath his door. Chuuya wasn't paying all that much attention, but his mind still caught the sound of voices from behind the wood. Mori's, of course, but also Kouyou's.
He paused.
Eavesdropping was a sin in the mafia. Knowing too much was what got people killed, and even the lowest level grunts knew you should never listen in on the Boss. Hell, Kouyou would probably kill him herself if she noticed him. And yet, Chuuya found himself stopping a few feet away from the office, straining his ears to hear what was being said. He wasn't entirely sure why. It just seemed like it would be important.
“Are you planning on doing anything on the nineteenth, then? He's one of our best members, surely he deserves a bit of special treatment.” Kouyou said.
Mori sighed, then replied, “No, I didn't have anything in mind. Dazai hates parties anyway, he didn't have any requests for his fifteenth birthday so I doubt he'd want anything this year either.”
“He wasn't an official member last year.” Kouyou reminded him, something somewhat disapproving in her voice.
It was quiet for a moment, then Mori chuckled. “I say it sounds like you simply want to plan a party. You know Dazai well enough to know he'd be miserable being the center of attention like that.”
The conversation continued but Chuuya had already tuned out, processing what he'd heard. The nineteenth, which was coming up in just a few days. And Dazai's birthday.
Chuuya had never actually thought to ask about Dazai's birthday. It wasn't something they'd often celebrated in the Sheep, too many kids and not enough money for luxuries like gifts, so it hadn't even crossed his mind. Not that Dazai had ever mentioned it or asked Chuuya about his own either, although knowing him he probably already knew his birthday from reading his files like the creep he was.
It was kind of an odd thought. All humans had a birthday, but the idea of Dazai of all people doing something as normal as celebrating one didn't go together in his mind. It didn't surprise Chuuya that Dazai wouldn't have any interest in his own birthday, the man wanted to be dead so living another year was probably a source of disappointment for him.
Chuuya kept walking towards his office.
He told himself he didn't care. Birthdays were nothing special anyway, and Dazai didn't even care about his, so why should Chuuya? It wasn't like the bastard had done anything for his birthday.
He gathered his things from his office and quickly slipped out into the Yokohama night, sliding into the back seat of the car waiting to take him back to his apartment.
Despite his exhaustion, Dazai's birthday was still on his mind. He didn't even like Dazai, they weren't friends. He had no reason to care..
..And, he was already plotting.
God damn it.
Despite trying to force the thought out of his head, several days later Chuuya found himself still thinking about Dazai's birthday. Unwarranted, the thought of actually managing to surprise someone as difficult to surprise as Dazai had wormed its way into his brain. So he'd finally sucked it up and started planning what he was going to do for Dazai's birthday.
By the eighteenth, he'd mostly figured things out. As he was putting the final touches on his plan, scribbling down his idea in a notebook, he heard the sudden rattling of his doorknob being violently jostled open. Chuuya just groaned, already knowing what that meant.
“Chuuya~” Dazai's obnoxiously whiny voice carried across the apartment, growing louder as he successfully busted open Chuuya's door to break in.
“Get the fuck out of my apartment,” Chuuya yelled back as he tucked away his notebook, even though he already knew Dazai would not in fact get the fuck out. Breaking into his house was one of Dazai's favorite past times, usually accompanied by whining until Chuuya made him something to eat.
Dazai appeared from the doorway, flopping down onto the couch next to Chuuya. He was already pouting, which mean Chuuya was going to be pulling his hair out by the end of the evening.
Dazai sighed, sprawling his excessively long limbs all over the place like he was trying to push Chuuya off of his own couch.
“I'm hungry,” He stated simply. Like he was expecting Chuuya to do something about it.
“Okay?” Chuuya huffed, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. “I don't care, make your own damn food.”
“Chuuya is so mean to me..” Dazai grumbled. His expression shifted, eyes widening in that freaky way they did when he was manipulating a target into thinking he was a regular fifteen year old. He turned his shiny puppy dog eyes onto Chuuya, and Chuuya instantly scowled in return. That kind of thing didn't work on him.
..Mostly.
But, unfortunately for Chuuya he also hadn't eaten dinner. So either he made food, which Dazai would take as him giving in to his demands, or he starved, which he didn't want to do. Damn Dazai and his ability to turn everything into a lose lose situation for him.
He scowled harder, shoving Dazai off of his couch and into the floor. The undignified yelp Dazai made as he hit the ground almost made the complaining he knew would follow worth it.
“Fine, asshole. But I'm not doing this for you, I'm making myself dinner and you can maybe have a bite.” He stood from the couch, moving towards the kitchen.
Dazai sighed, wriggling on the floor like a fish out of water as he untangled himself from his coat. “You have to stop feeding me scraps like I'm some kind of pet, Chuuya is supposed to be my dog, you know?” He frowned, and the only reason Chuuya didn't snap at him for it was because he was no longer whining, which told Chuuya he was at the very least thankful. Which was an awfully low bar, but for Dazai it was impressive.
Chuuya pulled some pasta out of the cabinet, deciding to make a simple butter pasta since it was quick, easy, and something he knew Dazai would eat. He got almost four full minutes of quiet before he felt an arm wrap around his waist, and then Dazai's pointy chin was digging into his shoulder as he peered into the pot. Chuuya almost shrugged him off and told him to sit the fuck down and wait until the food was done, but Dazai was being quiet for once and he didn't want to break it by making him complain again.
Plus, it was kind of nice.
“Why are you making pasta?” Dazai asked, nuzzling against Chuuya's shoulder, though this time it was a genuine question rather than a complaint.
“Because it's simple. And I know you'll eat it. You're the one who burst in with no warning, you can't expect me to cook you a gourmet seafood meal.”
“Boo.” Dazai groaned, arms slipping away from Chuuya as he turned on his heel and walked a few steps back, slumping down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. “I'm your master, you're supposed to cook me whatever I want whenever I ask.”
“Like hell I am.” Chuuya shifted to look at him, glaring daggers at the back of his head. He tapped his spoon on the edge of the pot, clicking off the stove and grabbing plates to serve the noodles.
He sat one plate in front of Dazai and one opposite of him at his own seat at the table, tossing a fork in Dazai's direction. Dazai started digging in before Chuuya had even sat down, much to Chuuya's displeasure.
Chuuya took a bite of his own food, and found it to be okay. Maybe a little overcooked, but better than nothing. Dazai seemed to like it anyway, if the way he was actually eating for once and not just pushing it around the plate said anything.
Chuuya chewed, swallowed, grimaced harder in Dazai's general direction. “You could at least say thank you, asshole.” He muttered, fork clacking loudly against the porcelain as he stabbed at his food.
Dazai blinked his weird, wide eyes at him. Like he hadn't even considered that Chuuya would want gratitude for making him free food. He hummed as he twirled more noodles around his fork, shoving the food into his mouth, and through the noodles he muttered, “Thank you.”
Chuuya wrinkled his nose, lip curling in disgust. “Don't talk with food in your mouth, dumbass. I swear, Ane-san needs to teach you some damn manners..”
“I do have manners,” Dazai said, without food in his mouth this time thankfully, “that's why women find me so charming.”
Chuuya nearly choked on his food at the snort that brought out of him. Dazai made a sound akin to an offended squawk, saying something or other about how mean Chuuya was, but Chuuya was laughing too hard to hear him properly.
A while later after they'd both finished eating, Chuuya put away the extra pasta to eat as tomorrow's leftovers and started washing the dishes.
Dazai was lingering around the edges of his vision, staring him down while he worked but not saying anything. It made something inside of Chuuya uncomfortable, to be watched so intently. Dazai had a bad habit of making him feel like a bug under a microscope.
The shadow in his peripherals shifted, vanished around the corner, then reappeared on his other side. Chuuya finally pulled his gaze away from the water for long enough to actually look at Dazai, and found him pacing with his hands behind his back. It was like he was trying to perform looking like he was thinking.
When Dazai was actually thinking he went too still. Then, when he managed to grab onto a thought, he would start rolling or spinning around. He didn't pace, because pacing was what normal people did when they were thinking and Dazai had never been normal.
Chuuya let out a breath through his nose as he looked back at his half filled sink. He debated whether or not he wanted to bother asking. Dazai very clearly wanted him to ask, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to humor him.
His constant pacing was annoying, though.
After a moment Chuuya finally caved, teeth clicking shut as if trying to physically stop him from speaking before he finally asked, “What the hell are you doing, Dazai?”
Chuuya didn't have to be looking at him to feel the way he perked up, grinning like the cat who got the cream. He regretted his decision to say anything immediately. Dazai hummed playfully, his shadow approaching until he stood directly beside Chuuya, and his forehead knocked against Chuuya's.
“Chuuya, I'm tired!” He whined directly in Chuuya's ear, making him flinch. Chuuya reached one of his wet hands around to smack Dazai, clicking his tongue.
“Go to bed, then.”
Dazai tugged at Chuuya's shirt, making the kind of noise an upset child would. “Nooo.. I want Chuuya to come to bed with me.”
The words were simple. But they were unexpected enough that Chuuya's brain lagged and his hands fumbled, jabbing one of the fork prongs into his finger. It didn't break skin, thankfully, but it still hurt like hell and he swore as he pressed a towel to his wet hands.
“..Why?” Chuuya cautiously asked, waiting for whatever shitty punchline Dazai was setting up.
Instead, Dazai wedged himself halfway between Chuuya and the kitchen counter. “Cause I'm tired,” he repeated, despite it not telling Chuuya anything.
Then quieter, barely there, “I couldn't sleep before I got here.”
And there it was, the sliver of truth underneath all of Dazai's theatrical bullshit. He'd broken in because he couldn't sleep, and for some fucking reason Chuuya was what made him feel comfortable enough to rest. Because everything about Dazai loved to dig itself under Chuuya's skin, even when he seemingly didn't mean it to.
The dishes clattered as Chuuya sat the remaining plates down, drying off his hands properly. He should just finish up. Hell, he should kick Dazai out and go to bed himself.
Instead he was already halfway across the room.
Despite being the one to demand his attention, Dazai looked uncharacteristically surprised. He hadn't moved, staring blankly at the side of Chuuya's head. Chuuya paused in the doorway, starting to think that Dazai actually had meant it as a joke despite seeming sincere. Something ugly and embarrassed reared it's head, and it translated into a glare.
“Well? Are you coming or not?” Chuuya asked, fingers squeezing the doorway until the wood creaked.
Dazai blinked and his eyes narrowed into a rare look of disconnect, like he hadn't expected the reaction and now he'd been thrown off kilter. He searched Chuuya's face intently and, apparently, found what he was looking for in Chuuya's eyes. His posture softened, and slowly but surely, he trudged up behind Chuuya and nodded.
“Yes, yes, I'm coming. You're so impatient, Chuuya.”
The two continued to Chuuya's bedroom, Dazai on his heels.
They both got changed into sleep clothes, Chuuya into his usual pajamas and Dazai into some things he'd left in Chuuya's closet the last time he broke in, and Chuuya crawled into his bed and got comfortable under the covers.
Dazai wormed his way in next to him, settling by Chuuya's side. He yawned, burying his head into the pillows, positioning himself closer to Chuuya's face than he should've. Chuuya scoffed but he allowed it, loosely draping an arm around Dazai's waist. Dazai didn't pull away.
Despite Dazai's usual insomnia, Chuuya listened as his breathing slowed and calmed, and the bandaged boy slipped into what would hopefully be a restful sleep. He'd need it for tomorrow, after all.
For a while Chuuya just watched him. Which was maybe a little bit creepy of him, but Dazai did creepy shit to him all the time so it cancelled out. He looked down at Dazai's mess of hair, faintly visible in moonlight. It was perhaps the only time Dazai had looked peaceful in months.
Chuuya was pretty tired himself. His eyes finally slipped shut, and he found himself drifting off, mind fuzzy with the warmth of a body pressed against his.
Morning light streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting shadows over the bed. Chuuya stirred early, something in him anticipating that he needed to wake up early today and dragging him out of sleep.
The first thing he noticed before he'd even opened his eyes was the solid figure draped over him. In their sleep the two boys had shifted even closer, and Dazai lay partially draped over Chuuya's chest, his head against the crook of his neck. Chuuya blinked sleepily down at the sight of Dazai nuzzled up next to him, and warmth curled in his chest. He pretended that it didn't.
Chuuya carefully maneuvered one of his hands free from the blankets, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes. As weirdly nice of a sight as this was, it was also incredibly inconvenient seeing as he needed to get out of bed without waking Dazai.
After indulging in the moment for a breath longer than necessary, Chuuya started to slowly shimmy his way out from under Dazai. It took nearly five minutes for him to properly free himself without waking Dazai's light sleeper self.
Chuuya quietly tiptoed to the kitchen, and started getting ready to cook. He'd decided to make Dazai some breakfast since it was his birthday and the easiest breakfast to make would be pancakes. So he'd bought some pancake mixturez syrup, and toppings when he'd stopped by the store the other day.
He pulled out everything he needed and began mixing the batter, then poured it into a hot pan and started cooking the pancakes. The pan sizzled as it heated and he dug around in his drawers for a spatula for later.
Chuuya leaned back against the counter, watching the food cook. In the meantime he combed his fingers through his hair, trying to make himself more presentable. He'd have to get cleaned up before they went out later.
He went ahead and poured himself a glass of milk (no, not because of what Dazai said about it helping him get bigger, he just liked the taste), and put the glass on the table along with juice for Dazai.
Just as Chuuya was getting ready to flip the pancakes, he heard the creaking of his bedroom door. Chuuya turned, spatula in hand, and watched as a groggy Dazai came shuffling out.
“Chuuya..” Dazai whined, his voice still rough with sleep. “Why did you get up? It's too early.”
“Because we have things to do today,” Chuuya said, turning back to the stove to flip the pancakes before they could burn.
“Oh?” That seemed to intrigue Dazai, who suddenly seemed moderately more awake as he walked further into the room. “I wasn't aware we'd made plans today.”
Chuuya only gave a vague hum in reply, not ready to mention his surprise yet.
Dazai leaned around him to peer at the stovetop, seeming surprised at the thought of Chuuya willingly cooking breakfast. Especially after he demanded dinner the night before.
“Was Chuuya planning on bringing me breakfast in bed?” He asked, pointing at the pan.
Chuuya rolled his eyes pulling the pan off of the stove. It seemed to be fully cooked now, and he knew Dazai would complain like a complete baby if they were even slightly overdone.
“Like hell I would let you eat in my bed. You'd make a complete mess. Besides, who said I was cooking for you?” He grumbled, immediately contradicting himself by putting two pancakes on each plate.
Dazai, wisely, decided not to comment. He did grin like an idiot though.
Chuuya sat both of their plates at the table, along with some toppings. He hadn't known exactly what Dazai would want on his pancakes, so at the store he'd also bought extra butter, maple syrup, chocolate chips, whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries. He had other recipes for the ingredient that they didn't use, so he figured it was worth it.
Dazai's eyes were sparkling as he sat down across from Chuuya, hands clasped neatly in his lap.
“Pick whatever,“ Chuuya waved his fork at the extras. He decided to go for the classics himself, a pad of butter on each pancake and a generous amount of maple syrup.
Dazai reached out to grab the chocolate chips, sprinkling them over top one of his pancakes. The other got a dollop of whipped cream and a singular strawberry plopped on top.
They both dug into their food. Dazai gave a thumbs up in his approval, not forgetting to thank Chuuya this time.
After he was finished with about half of his first pancake, Dazai finally decided to ask the question that had clearly been on his mind.
“So, Chuuya. Why the breakfast? And what 'plans' do we supposedly have today?”
Chuuya shifted in his seat, putting down his fork. “I figured it would be nice to make you food and take you out. Since it's your birthday and all.”
Chuuya shrugged, intentionally keeping his tone casual. Partly because it would be embarrassing as hell if Dazai thought he was invested in his birthday, and partly because he remembered what Mori had said about Dazai not liking to be celebrated. He didn't want to make him uncomfortable.
The chewing stopped. A complicated look made its way onto Dazai's face as he swallowed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“..How did you know that was today?” It took him a moment to ask. There was something dangerous in his voice, but Chuuya knew him well enough by now to know that he wasn't actually in any danger.
So, he met Dazai's gaze head on and answered honestly. “I heard Boss talking about it the other day. So, I figured I might as well make you some breakfast at least.”
Dazai's knife clinked against his plate, his head tilting in the way it always did when there was a puzzle to be solved.
“But I didn't do anything for your birthday,” he pointed out.
Chuuya hadn't even noticed at the time. It was only very recently that he'd learned when his birthday was, when Mori had informed him of the date in the files they'd recovered. Plus he'd been out celebrating with the Flags, so for once in his life he hadn't had Dazai on his mind.
“So what, you think I'd only do this kind of thing as some kind of payback or something?” Chuuya picked his fork back up, slicing up his pancakes into pieces. “I don't give a damn what you did or didn't do for my birthday, I'm not an asshole so I decided I'd do something for yours.”
Dazai was silent for a long while. Truly an impressive achievement for him. He ate at his food, slowly but surely, and at the very least Chuuya was happy that he had an appetite this morning. It was always hit or miss whether or not you could get Dazai to eat.
When Dazai finally spoke again, it was a soft mumble. Like he was embarrassed to say it out loud.
“Thanks, I guess..”
It wasn't great. But Chuuya was used to doing shit for him with no reward at all, so it was certainly better than nothing. “Whatever. Just finish your food. When you're done, we need to get ready to go out.”
Dazai didn't ask where they were going, seemingly knowing that Chuuya wouldn't tell him anyway.
The two finished their breakfast, Dazai managing to clear his entire plate, and then got ready to go out.
It hadn't taken Chuuya much thought to figure out where they should go. Having spent almost all of his time in the Suribachi slums, he wasn't exactly an expert on the kind of attractions Yokohama had to offer. So there was really only one place he knew he could take Dazai where the other boy would enjoy himself.
It didn't stay a surprise for as long as Chuuya had hoped, because Dazai unfortunately knew Chuuya far too well.
“Chuuya,” Dazai started, walking alongside him on the sidewalk, “Would you happen to be bringing us to the arcade?”
Chuuya knew there was no point in lying. “Yeah. That fine with you?”
“Oh, sure, I don't mind. As long as you're paying for the tokens.”
Chuuya had obviously been planning on paying, but the way Dazai said it in the same tone he called Chuuya his dog made him want to force Dazai to pay for his own tokens simply to spite him. He gave him some grace, only because it was his birthday.
The bell over the door rang as they pushed in and the owner behind the counter, an older man with a son around their age, sighed in a mix of fondness and profound exasperation. He'd gotten incredibly familiar with the sight of them pushing in through his door.
It was a nice little place. They only ever really played the fighting games because the competition was the most fun part, but there were lots of options.
Chuuya paid for tokens for the both of them, enough that they could play for as long as Dazai wanted. Then, like always, they ended up at the fighting game. Both picked the same characters that they always did.
“I don't care that it's your birthday, I'm not going easy on you, Mackerel,” Chuuya grinned, determined to win.
Dazai gave him a smug look in turn, positioning his hands over the buttons. “You already know that you can't beat me, Slug.”
Five rounds later, and the score was four to one. Dazai won, of course. And claimed that Chuuya's one win was because he had jntentionally thrown the game.
“You're such a cheater!” Chuuya yelled over the top of his machine, drawing the eyes of the other patrons. Seriously, Dazai won every time. There was no way he didn't cheat.
Dazai just smiled smugly, laughing at Chuuya's expense. “It's not my fault that you're awful at this game.” He didn't give Chuuya the chance to continue complaining, turning away with a wave of his hand.
“I'm going to the bathroom. Don't get lost while I'm gone ”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Fucking asshole,” Chuuya muttered after him, watching him disappear down the hall. He leaned back against his arcade cabinet, glancing around at the rest of the arcade.
His eyes caught on the flashing lights of a nearby claw machine, stocked with cheap marine life plushies. He saw a dolphin, a shark, a clownfish, a starfish, and worst of all a crab.
It was ugly. Chuuya was already walking over towards it.
The crab plush was a brick red, with lopsided eyes and visible stitching on one of its claws. It was awfully made and definitely not worth his tokens. It also immediately reminded him of Dazai.
These claw machines were always rigged in some way, but here he was popping in his coins.
The first attempt, Chuuya got nothing.
The second attempt, Chuuya accidentally pressed the wrong button and made the claw drop too early.
The third attempt, Chuuya picked up the crab but the claw dropped it halfway to the chute.
The fourth attempt, mercifully, Chuuya actually won the crab. “Must've been fate,” he thought, leaning down to grab the thing from the hatch.
It's weird dark eyes stared at him. He stared back. It really did remind him of Dazai.
“Whatcha up to?” Dazai was suddenly right behind him, close enough that his breath brushed the back of Chuuya's neck. Chuuya definitely didn't flinch (he did), his ears flushing red.
“Back up,” he barked, his arm coming up to press Dazai back a step.
“Was Chuuya trying to win a stuffed animal?” He asked. Chuuya was about ninety percent sure from his body language that he intended for it to be a genuine question, but it sure as hell sounded mocking when coming from his lips.
Then he saw the crab Chuuya was holding, and his eyes went wide.
“Here,” Chuuya grumbled, shoving the plush into Dazai's bandaged arms. “It's just as ugly as you are ”
Dazai looked positively delighted. He squeezed the thing's furry claws, spinning around to hold it up to the neon lights.
“It's a crab! A crabby crab, crabby just like Chuuya is.” He squeezed the stuffed animal, tucking it under his chin. “I think I'll name you Crabapple. Crabapple the crabby crab.” He seemed far too proud of himself for someone coming up with a name for a toy.
Chuuya shoved his hands into his pockets, something in his chest easing. He was half expecting Dazai to throw the thing away, or at the very least tease him for his attempt at a birthday gift. He hadn't expected Dazai to actually like the plushie. But it was kind of cute, watching him cuddle up to the crab.
Then, Dazai plopped the crab on top of Chuuya's head.
“Crabapple says we should go play the shooting game now.” Dazai nodded rubbing his chin like he was actually communicating with the toy. Then he spun on his heel, marching off towards the shooting game in question.
Chuuya plucked Crabapple from off of his head and tucked him under his arm, forced to trail after Dazai.
They played until the arcade closed at ten, spending the day trying out all of the games they usually ignored and chasing each other around. The owner had even given them a coupon for next time when he found out it was Dazai's birthday.
Chuuya had never seen Dazai laugh more than he had today. The look didn't quite fit on him, flushed cheeks and a wide grin like he was a normal teenager for once. Chuuya liked it though, even if he knew it was only a momentary escape from the truth of their lives.
When the owner finally (gently) shooed them out the door while he was closing up shop, Chuuya took in a breath of Yokohama's cool night air. It smelled like the sky was preparing for rain, neon lights already spilling from all of the bars.
Considering Dazai had finished off a full plate of breakfast, Chuuya figured he probably wouldn't be hungry enough for a full dinner. Instead of a reservation he'd decided they'd have a night in, with a few snacks and some good alcohol. So, Chuuya led Dazai to his favorite liquor store.
He had plenty of good wine at home, so he only bothered with a bottle of Dazai's favorite sake. Meanwhile Dazai scoured the shelves for snacks he might want later.
The woman running the shop was a Port Mafia affiliate, so she already knew to sell to them, but for the sake of appeasing the other non mafia customers Chuuya flashed her his fake ID as he handed over the cash. She accepted it silently.
They left the store with three bags of drinks and snacks, that of course Dazai made Chuuya carry. He found that he didn't even mind which was a little worrisome. Maybe Dazai really was training him like some kind of guard dog..
Dazai was quiet as they walked, and Chuuya was thankful for it. As much as he liked the arcade it was loud and bright, and getting to have some peace and quiet before they started drinking was well appreciated.
When Yokohama wasn't in constant danger of being blown up, it was actually a pretty city. Especially at night. Chuuya only really got to see it when he was on a mission, but now that he had the chance to calmly walk down the streets he could appreciate the lights and sounds of the night life. He wondered just how many hidden shops and hangout spots there were that he'd never otherwise know about.
He really should go explore the city on his next day off, it would be fun and improving his navigation would be nice too.
Next to him, Dazai suddenly rustled around in his coat pockets to pull out the plush from earlier. “Look, Crabapple, it's the city. I'd bet you've never been outside of the arcade before, hmm?” He murmured quietly to the thing, pointing it towards the buildings as if it could actually look at them.
Chuuya almost commented on how stupid it looked. He decided not to at the last second, only because Dazai was sheltering the toy with his coat like he was protecting it from the cold and something about that visual was sweet. Which was frankly a disgusting emotion to associate with Dazai, but here Chuuya was.
They managed to make it all the way back to Chuuya's apartments without arguing, which was probably a record for them.
Chuuya pulled his good crystal glasses down from the cabinets and got some ice for Dazai's sake while Dazai organized the food on the living room table and picked out a movie to watch. It took them a few minutes to get set up and comfortably settled on the couch, and then they finally got to pour their first drinks.
Chuuya swirled his wine before he took a sip, letting the sweet taste settle on his tongue. It has been about a week since he'd had a drink, and he relaxed back into the cushions with a pleased sigh.
Dazai knocked back his glass and hissed through the burn, licking the excess liquor from his lips.
“You know, Chuuya, I think we should play a game!” Dazai shook his glass, rattling the ice inside of it obnoxiously, and shot Chuuya a devious look.
Chuuya raised an eyebrow, propping himself up against the arm of the couch. “Yeah? What kind of game?”
“A drinking game. Either you answer the question or you take a drink, first to tap out loses,” Dazai smiled smugly, like he'd already won the game they hadn't even started playing.
Chuuya side eyed him, immediately suspicious. “You tryin' to get secrets out of me or something?”
Dazai gave a vague hum, waving off Chuuya's concerns. “Maybe I am. It's a fair trade, you get secrets out of me too, don't you? Unless Chuuya is worried about getting drunk too quickly to ask me questions..”
“Bastard. I have great tolerance.”
“Sure you do.”
Chuuya glared at Dazai's stupid, smug face. This was some kind of a trap, surely. The leather of his gloves creaked as his grip tightened on the stem of his wine glass, already itching to punch that smug smirk off of Dazai's lips.
“Fine. Ask me something,” He snapped, deciding to take the bait. Dazai looked almost giddy.
“Okay!” Dazai clapped, sitting up straighter in his excitement. “I'll give you something easy to start with because I'm so nice. What's your favorite animal, Chuuya?”
Chuuya considered the question.
“Uh.. I've never really thought about it. I like dogs, I guess. And foxes.” He shrugged.
Dazai nudged Chuuya with his foot, a sly smile curling on his lips. “Well of course Chuuya likes dogs. He is one! You have to support all of your gross doggy brethren.”
It was an answer Chuuya should've expected. “Oh, fuck off. Okay, fine then asshole, what's your favorite animal?”
Immediately, like he'd been hoping Chuuya would ask, Dazai replied, “Spider crabs. I also read this fascinating article about nurse sharks the other day.”
Chuuya wrinkled his nose. “Ew. I know you like crabs, but those things are fuckin' scary looking.”
“I could say the same thing about dogs.”
“My turn.” Chuuya tapped his fingers against the arm of the couch, trying to think of something good to ask. “Why don't you like celebrating your birthday?”
“Pass,” Dazai took a drink.
“Are you just going to pass on all of the good questions?” Chuuya muttered, resigned.
“Perhaps. Why do you hate taking off your gloves so much?” Dazai tilted his head.
Chuuya gave him a sour look, then took a drink. “Point taken.”
It was going to be a long night.
By the time the movie had ended, they were both incredibly drunk. Dazai had shoved his way up against Chuuya's side at some point, his cheek squished against Chuuya's shoulder as they shared a blanket.
Chuuya was starting to notice that he yawned like a sleepy kitten.
“You getting tired?” He whispered, gently nudging Dazai with his elbow.
“M'not..” Dazai mumbled back, lying.
Chuuya carefully pried the empty glass from Dazai's hands, earning him a whine of complaint from the brat pressed against him, and sat it back down on the table alongside his own empty glass.
He didn't remember how many glasses they'd had.
Dazai tilted his head to frown at him. The bandage around his eye had started to come loose, and Chuuya almost reached up to fix it.
“Chuuyaaa~” He complained, fingers tightening in the blanket. They were nearly nose to nose. Dazai's breath smelled like liquor, and for a terrifying moment Chuuya almost wanted to kiss him.
He swallowed thickly, suddenly far too aware of his own breathing. He was too drunk for this.
“Mm..” Dazai giggled, “You're all red, Chuuya. Am I flustering you?” He teased.
“Obviously not. It's from the alcohol.” Chuuya turned his head the other direction, pushing Dazai's face away. Dazai grumbled, but otherwise said nothing else.
It was quiet for a while. Chuuya could feel Dazai's gaze occasionally tracing his face and he worried his bottom lip between his teeth, trying to avoid looking at him.
The gaze left, and Chuuya risked a glance.
Crabapple was under the blanket with them, held in Dazai's crossed arms, and the other boy was brushing a thumb over the top of its shell. He yawned again.
“You know that question you asked me earlier?” Dazai broke the silence.
“Which one? We asked each other lots of questions, that was the whole point of them game.”
“The first one.” Dazai looked up, a singular brown eye blinking up at Chuuya. “About why I don't like celebrating my birthday.”
Chuuya nodded silently, waiting for Dazai to continue.
“I hate the attention. Birthday parties are loud and all of the focus is on you. Do you like the cake? The presents? Do you look grateful enough? It's annoying. I'd rather just stay home.” He shrugged, placing his head back on Chuuya's shoulder. His blinks grew slower, more tired.
“I had a good time today, though,” He whispered. “I suppose I like your attention..”
Chuuya's breath hitched, his eyes widening in surprise. Getting Dazai to say anything vulnerable was usually like pulling teeth, even when drunk he didn't offer up information this easily.
But at the moment Dazai lay against his shoulder with his eyes closed, his breathing starting to slow.
Chuuya gingerly wrapped an arm around his slumped form, a hand resting on Dazai's waist. He let out a sleepy breath and relaxed deeper into the couch, shifting over enough to tuck his head under Chuuya's chin.
It didn't take long for Dazai to slip into a comfortable sleep against Chuuya's chest. Perhaps because of the alcohol. Or, perhaps, because he was sleeping next to Chuuya once again.
It should've made Chuuya uncomfortable to have Dazai lying all over him. Unfortunately for him, Chuuya was actually starting to get used to the feeling. He should really start kicking Dazai out more often.
Chuuya sighed, closing his eyes. He already knew he was going to have an awful hangover tomorrow, but he supposed it was worth it. The wine was good, and Dazai had a good day to boot.
He was happy he'd gone through with celebrating, even though he'd hesitated at first. And he definitely planned on celebrating next year too, whether Dazai planned something for his birthday or not. He'd smiled more today than Chuuya had ever seen before, and Chuuya wanted to see it again.
Chuuya allowed himself a single, barely there press of his lips to Dazai's forehead, breathing him in. He didn't want to try and move Dazai now that he'd fallen asleep, so he resigned himself to being sore tomorrow on top of the hangover.
He shifted the both of them to lie down, getting as comfortable as he could on his creaky couch. He tucked Crabapple back into Dazai's arms when he slipped, keeping the crab pressed between their bodies.
Drinking too much always ended up making him drowsy, and he could feel it creeping up on him now.
Dazai was warm on top of him, and Chuuya could feel the subtle rise and fall of his chest. It was weirdly calming, and he matched it instinctually. The TV was still droning quietly, the white noise keeping it from being too quiet.
Sleep came easy with Dazai around, settling over Chuuya like a warm blanket.
Tomorrow they'd have to go back to work, and knowing Dazai he'd probably pretend this whole thing never happened. But for now the two slept peacefully through the night, curled up in each other's arms.