Archive of Our Own

 A dimlit cafe, with few to none tables.

 Chuuya brought his head to the table he was occupying, his irritation showing on his curved mouth. And– his hands, which were gripping his clothes as if they were the one to blame for his situation.

"Chuuya,” Yuan placed a head on his shoulder, “No use crying over spilled milk. He left out of his own volition, don't torture yourself for someone who couldn't even say goodbye."

"You know we didn't like him in the first place." At Shirase's added comment Chuuya had to also avert his gaze

 True, they hadn't. After Sheep band had parted ways– which was only ever established to support Chuuya in his singer dreams, but had to part ways when some of the group had graduated, (They had their own dreams after all.) Chuuya had came across Dazai, a prodigy in holding his talent in handling any instrument, by complete luck.

 None had liked him in the now ex-Sheep, with varying reasons, whether it was Dazai's attitude, his subtle but effective way of angering people, the way every action from him reeked hints of a rich kid, not a single person had thought Dazai was a good fit for Chuuya. Though they didn't hold him back when Chuuya was more or less bribed to join Port Band anyway.

   ‘It's been such a long time since then...’ He grumbled internally, feeling betrayed and annoyed.

“Well, we're here, aren't we?” Yuan smiled, making Chuuya smile in return.

 Yeah, they had never left his side. Even while apart.

_ - _ - _ -

"Quit it already!" Chuuya grumbled as Albatross messed up his hair, so intent on poking his fun, though it wouldn't be anymore fun if he kicked his ass.

 Pianoman smiled a long with Lippman, their fond smiles giving Albatross more courage to mess with him. Chuuya of course couldn't stand that. "Quit it!"

"Hey, today is peace day, relax a little, Chuuya, yeah?”

 He felt his eye twitch, "There is no such thing. Stop making up days to give yourself an excuse to be annoying!”

“Wow! Rather sure ain't ya?” The bastard was laughing. Of course.

“Albatross, go easy on our Chuuya. He's just flustered.”

“Huh?! Sod off!” Chuuya snapped at Doc, only to be pulled to a group hug.

 He froze as Lippman spoke. “You're our friend, of course we care about you. We don't have any other motives Chuuya.”

“The others also cherish you. Not just Dazai.”

 Oh, damn it. He was getting soft. There couldn't be any other reason why he had calmed down otherwise. Well, at least even Iceman was getting soft too. He would've been embarrassed otherwise.

_ - _ - _ -

“Did you know that walkingstick insects are better at camouflaging then lizards?"

“Stop it already,” Chuuya rolled his eyes, annoyed. “What are you? A search engine?"

"In another life, maybe." Adam said proudly:

"Come now, you delight from my fun facts."

"Not really."

“You do."

"No."

"Yes. Anyway–"

 Chuuya groaned, reaching for a glass of water from the coffee table. Sighing as Adam ignored him.

"What I'm saying is, you're blending in the band much better then Dazai has. You're a walkingstick insect, see, while he is a lizard.”

“Ugh, whatever…” Chuuya huffed, though a smile snuck up to his face anyway, regardless of how much he pretended to be annoyed with Adam himself.

_ - _ - _ -

 Chuuya didn't think he could ever get used to how Rimbaud shivered at every weather imaginable.

 It was warm today, so he was of course gaping as his eyes witnessed the black haired man put on a scarf as thick as his wrist, folded twice before wrapped, and thick undershirt, and a jacket to go out.

“Are you—”

“Chuuya.” Verlaine appeared from the door to the kitchen, holding two different blankets, “which one should we take?”

“What does it matter?”

“Of course it matters. It's a picnic.” He frowned, insistently bringing the blankets to his face. “Which one looks better?”

“Uh– the yellow."

 He could only grimace in confusion as Verlaine put thought into every item that went into the picnic bag. As though he wasn't simply putting bakery goods packed in plastic anyway.

 At least the picnic was coming to be enjoyable, slightly. Kind of. Okay, maybe he was having fun.

 Though, of course, he couldn't keep his mouth shut about Dazai. What could he say? They should've expected it.

   'Damn bastard. Heartless to the core.'

 Or maybe they did expect it. Was that why they were suddenly having a picnic?

 Verlaine put a hand on his back, though not exactly patting it, "he might've been going through something."

"He never even hinted at it!" He couldn't resist ranting of course. It was Dazai, the most annoying bastard Chuuya had the non-grace of ever meeting. "He could've said that he was leaving or something!”

"Calm down. I'm not defending him. You just never know if one person is going through something."

 Chuuya gritted his teeth, but Rimbaud beat him to it:

"That is true. Me and Paul seperated once before, though it was long ago. He didn't say anything to me while doing so. I was saddened quite a bit, and thought of why we would leave us, leave me alone. I didn't even think that maybe he didn't want to leave me but rather had to. It took two years to mend the wound I opened in my heart, thinking that he went away out of selfishness.”

 …Dazai, not doing something over selfishness? Yeah right. But he couldn't say anything to refute them, for some reason.

_ - _ - _ -

 The tea was a cold brew today. White tea, brewed needle style and then cooled, poured over mugs rather than teacups with two or three ice cubes floating up the soft green-ish tea.

 It made a beautiful clash with the purple and orange mug it was poured in.

"Lad, there is no use to hanging onto frilly rope. I say focus on the band with current members. That kid Dazai taught is good, isn't he?”

“Maybe,” Chuuya frowned, staring at the mug like it had committed a crime against him.

“Hey, he left. None of us know why. Clearly he just doesn't want to burden anyone. Come on, he is troubled, clearly. Give the unwanted member a rest.”

 Chuuya sighed, taking off his gloves. He ran a hand through his hair.

 She did have a point. As Kouyou always did.

"Yeah, you're right, ane—san.”

_ - _ - _ -_ - _ - _ -