Chapter Text
“So, to be frank, I need you two to attend high school.”
‘What.’ Chuuya Nakahara stared at the boss of the Port Mafia in shock. Then he looked at his partner beside him, who had an annoyingly blank stare. Then back to the boss.
They had been called up to Mori’s office for a special mission, but this was not what Chuuya expected.
The boss sat at his table, a rare sight, his elbows up and his hands tapping together menacingly.
Or, well, in an attempt to be menacing, it wasn’t really working with the surplus of colorful, floral-themed dresses scattered around the room, most likely leftovers from when he was playing with Elise.
Chuuya suppressed a shudder. He was reminded of that time he accidentally walked in on Mori playing dress-up with Elise…with Mori being the one dressed up.
It was a bit unnerving to think of someone as solemn as the boss with their face full of badly applied makeup and their hair twisted into tiny pigtails, all matching with the dress he had on.
“And not just any highschool…” The ginger snapped out of it and refocused on Mori. “The prestigious hero school, UA!”
Chuuya was so fucking lost. “But Boss, that’s…outside of Yokohama.”
Osamu Dazai, who was casually leaning against the wall, snorted.
“Yeah, no shit.”
Chuuya glared at the bandaged teen. Mori, already used to Dazai’s behaviour, continued,
“Yes, I understand it might be confusing, but you see there’s a certain pest hovering around Yokohama, and this is the only way to get rid of it.”
“What?”
“You both need to work undercover as aspiring heroes and infiltrate Class 1A.”
“What?”
“Oh, and get rid of the League.”
“Who?”
“Ugh, Chibi, keep up.” Dazai groaned. “Or is all that slimy slug-ness of yours blocking your ears?” Chuuya decided to ignore him.
“But Boss, why?”
“Well, as I said, there’s a pest around Yokohama.” His cold violet eyes bored into Chuuya’s soul, and his gaze told the ginger he was supposed to figure it out himself. But Chuuya didn’t understand shit about what he was yapping about.
He really didn’t want to do this. Attending school was one of his worst nightmares. Like many in the mafia, he never got an education, and he wasn’t particularly interested in one. Ane-san had only recently started teaching him how to read.
He was getting the hang of it, but that’s not the point!
Plus, he had to do it with that stinky fish of a partner. It would be torture, he could tell. He wanted to throw a fit, demand why him, and strangle the bandaged bastard while he was at it.
But for now, he looked at the bastard in question to see if he’d understood anything.
“Awh, is my precious dog looking to me for help?” Dazai caught his eye and smiled, his braces glinting in the dim light. Chuuya wanted to punch that smug expression right off his face.
“As if!” He snapped, lying through his teeth.
“Well, I’ll help you anyway, like a good owner!” He had his usual overly cheery attitude, and Chuuya barely resisted the urge to mangle him.
“The League of Villains, some cheap knockoffs that aren’t worth remembering, have a boss that’s quite the nosy man. He tried to get into Yokohama's underground and failed, but we gotta get rid of him before he does anything else annoying.”
“But why do we have to go to school? Why not infiltrate the League?” This time, Mori answered for him.
“I was hoping to see how long Chuuya would take to figure it out, but now that the cat’s outta the bag…You see, the League has been targeting Class 1A specifically. We don’t know why, though. And not to mention, some heroes have been snooping around the borders of our city lately.”
“Nosey pests.” Dazai chirped.
“Yes. So you two are going to pose as heroes in training and find out some more about them!”
“But the school year has already started; how will they accept us?” Chuuya argued.
“That rat of a principal, Nezu, agreed to let you in, on a few conditions.”
‘Rat?’
“Let me guess,” Dazai spoke up from beside him, stepping off the wall and standing up straight. “We have to be their secret bodyguards? Protect them from the League?”
“Yes, not only that, but you also can’t endanger any of them willingly.”
Chuuya could tell that the last part was directed towards Dazai, who sighed in mock disappointment.
“That’s not all, is it?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. Mori chuckled darkly.
“Ah, you’re right. You also have to figure out who the UA traitor is.”
“There’s a traitor in their midst?” questioned Chuuya.
“Yes, chibi. They’re most likely in cahoots with the League of Idiots, but UA hasn’t gotten enough evidence that there is one, so it’s our job as outsiders to figure it out.”
Mori nodded at Dazai’s explanation and continued.
“As far as I know, when you join, they’ll be at the training camp that you guys will be attending. I’ve heard Dorms are available for students, although none are using them yet; they allowed you two to get settled in early. And I made sure they put in some…special requirements.”
‘Damnit, sharing a space with this guy?’ Chuuya glanced at Dazai, who was giving Mori his classic empty smile, stuck in some staring contest with him. ‘Well, he always breaks into my house, so I guess I’m kinda used to it…’
“No need to stay in character, Chuuya; act as you are, and Dazai…just don’t mess it up. Nezu will cover up any problems that arise. Now, any questions?”
‘Nezu? Is that the principal?’ Chuuya thought it over for a second, then asked,
“Boss, does the principal know we’re from the Port Mafia?”
“...Yes and no. He’s aware you’re part of it, but I didn’t mention your rank, so he thinks you both are low-level members. Don’t worry, he won’t do anything with that information.”
“With Chibi’s height, he may as well be one!” Dazai pushed down on Chuuya’s beloved hat, crumpling it.
“Lay off my size, damnit!” Chuuya slapped his hand away and inspected his hat for any folds. When he deemed it safe, he spoke again. “And what about other teachers?”
“They most likely don’t.” Mori didn’t even bat an eyelash at their banter. Chuuya decided there was no better time to spring the billion-dollar question,
“Why us?”
Mori looked taken aback at his bluntness and chuckled. “Well, because you guys are Soukoku. The perfect partners in crime.”
‘That’s the worst reason I’ve ever heard.’ Mori wrapped up their meeting.
“Now, don’t mention your status in the PM, and only contact me through your work phones for strict emergencies. Now get going.”
Chuuya bowed and started making a beeline for the exit, glad to be out of there. He wanted to say his goodbyes to his house, his comfort, and, for good measure, his sanity. Who knows how he’d survive so long undercover with Dazai of all people?
“Wait,” the bastard suddenly said, making everyone pause.
Mori stopped his tapping.
His tone was serious, a rare moment, and Chuuya could feel the temperature drop a few hundred degrees.
‘Is something wrong?’ wondered Chuuya. ‘Why does he sound like that?’
“What is it, Dazai?” Chuuya didn’t miss the slight edge to Mori’s voice.
“Are you going to use those?” Chuuya turned his head around to see him pointing at the… dresses on the floor?
‘What kind of plan does he have?’ The ginger narrowed his eyes. ‘What’s going through your head, Dazai?’
“Why?” The boss’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
Dazai took a deep breath, and everyone else in the room straightened up, anticipating.
“Cuz it’s the only size that Chuuya would fit in! He’d look so cute, don't ya think?” Dazai’s demeanor took a whole 180, his tone so sugary it made the shorter gag.
The brunette dodged Chuuya’s attacks all the way back.
__________
The famed duo was on their way to Mustufasu in a car Mori had arranged, and Dazai had already pulled up research on the outside world.
“So, what’s it like?” Chuuya leaned in for a better look. Dazai tilted the laptop screen towards him.
“Flashy.” He was right; bright colors, advanced technology, and heroes everywhere.
“Looks weird as hell.” Chuuya caught sight of a few articles and skimmed through them, feeling a pang of pride for putting his new literacy skills to use. “What’s up with the hero and villain propaganda shit?”
“Well, slug, the outside world seems to be quite black and white.” Chuuya could see the calculating look in Dazai’s dark brown eye; he was already planning some shit. He leaned back in his seat and put a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe we should show those stuck-up hero kids what a grey world looks like…”
Chuuya groaned, “You always want to start something, don’t you?”
Dazai turned his head towards him and snickered.
“Well, can you blame me? Look at what they’re saying. If you do something wrong, you’re automatically a ‘villain’. And these heroes are just glorified police.”
Chuuya frowned, taking a moment to think about it. Dazai was right(as always). Their society sets these strict roles for people, regardless of the purpose behind their actions. If you commit a crime, you’re a bad person according to the damn law. They didn’t even bother to consider their circumstances!
“I guess you have a point. Their system is messed up.” Chuuya mulled it over for a bit. “Must be because the abilities are more common.”
“Not abilities, you foolish dog.”
“Don’t call me that.” The shorter snapped automatically. Then the words registered. “Wait, what?”
Dazai rolled his eyes like it was common knowledge.
‘Smug bastard,’ Chuuya bit back from voicing that thought aloud, well aware it would start another round of bickering.
“They call it quirks.”
Chuuya blinked, studying Dazai’s face to see if he was serious.
He was. The ginger spluttered.
“Who’s naming this shit? First League of Villains, then Quirks? Geez,” he shook his head, “…and what’s the difference between an ability and a quirk?”
Dazai’s smirk slowly grew upon his face, and Chuuya caught the crazy glint in his gaze.
“Quirks are way weaker. Most quirks have some type of drawback, and they’re less powerful. Abilities are superior in every way.”
“So what you're saying is that we have to hold back.”
Dazai snapped his fingers. “Exactly. And not to mention, the world outside also seems to have this delusion that Yokohama is a ‘quirkless city’, for whatever reason.”
Chuuya scoffed.
“Well, technically they aren’t wrong. We don’t have quirks; we have abilities. Even if it’s only a small population…”
Dazai, the idiotic bastard, beamed at that and his hand flew towards Chuuya’s hat again. This time, Chuuya caught it before he could mess it up again.
“Aww, the Slug is learning for once!”
“I’m gonna kill you.”
“Please, by all means.” Dazai winked at him, and Chuuya got goosebumps.
“Anyway, why were they snooping around Yokohama? Don’t they know about the agreement?”
Ah, yes, the agreement. Ever since the first quirks appeared, Yokohama had closed itself off from the rest of the world, and there were forms signed to confirm that no hero or villain was allowed to enter unless they wanted to face the wrath of Yokohama. If they ever stepped onto its soil, anyone from the 4 main organizations, aka the Port Mafia, Armed Detective Agency, The Guild, or the Hunting Dogs, was allowed to do anything they wanted with them, regardless of their status as citizen, villain, or hero.
“Must’ve gotten curious.” Dazai shrugged. “But Chibi, don’t you want to know about our future class?”
“Huh? Ok, I guess. Why?”
Dazai then chuckled and pulled up a page online full of information about their soon-to-be classmates and teachers- hell, even everyone who was at UA. Chuuya’s eyes widened in shock.
“Damn Mackerel, you really did your homework.”
_________
Dazai was being held hostage.
Being stuck in the backseat of a stuffy car with the Chibi was bad enough, but worse was that when the ginger fell asleep, his head leaned on Dazai’s shoulder, and he stayed there. He was even drooling!
‘He got comfortable, huh…’ the bandaged teen wondered.
‘I’m sure he's mad about this mission…but he's gotten better at not showing it lately,’ Dazai scoffed. ‘I can tell, though. Idiot thinks he’s slick…stupid Chibi for being my partner. Stupid Mori for making him my partner.’
He decided to spend more time on his laptop to pass the time.
‘Our soon-to-be classmates have quite the unique set of quirks! Wow…all of them look so bright-eyed. I can't wait to meet them…’
He smirked to himself, then felt Chuuya shift beside him and immediately stilled, closing his laptop.
‘If he wakes up, all hell on earth will be unleashed.’ The sides of Dazai’s mouth curled up.
‘Hell on earth…Arahakabi. How beautiful that would be…’
His eyes fell upon his partner’s face, mapping every inch of it. It wasn’t often that he could be this close to him with a light actually to see him.
‘Usually we’d both be asleep…wait, what’s that?’
He squinted and leaned in a bit, feeling slightly fascinated by the chance to observe his partner freely without getting choked or dragged.
He focused on Chuuya’s nose, or rather, the faded dots that were lined up near it.
‘Are those…freckles?’
They were barely noticeable, but orange freckles littered his cheeks nonetheless.
‘How long has he had these?’ He eyed the strange sight. ‘Well, it kinda makes sense, given his hair color, but still…’
‘They’re…kinda pretty…’ he thought automatically.
‘Wait, what?’ Dazai stiffened, eliciting a small groan from his sleeping dog. ‘No, they’re really ugly. What kind of dog has freckles? An ugly one, that’s for sure.’
Yet his gaze stayed glued to them, and he leaned in a bit closer…and closer…until he was perhaps an inch from the other’s face; he could feel his partner’s warm breath, count every eyelash on his features, and admire the beauty in front of him.
Dazai isn’t a very emotional person, but he felt a warmth bubbling up inside of him, and a sudden desire tightened inside him as he fixated on Chuuya’s lips, a soft pink, and the only thing Dazai was thinking about was how they would taste if he–
“We’re here.”
The driver called out from the front of the car, and Dazai thanked Mori that there was a barrier between the front and back seats.
He then proceeded to roughly shove Chuuya away from him, trying to ignore the burning sensation on his face as he pointedly looked outside the window, pretending to admire the scenery.
Chuuya jolted awake, letting out a “Huh!?” and immediately straightened up, his fighter instincts kicking in.
When he finally registered his surroundings, his posture automatically relaxed. Then he realized what he was doing before waking up.
Dazai could see it on his face and decided there was no better time than now to tease him, and possibly keep his own mind off certain matters. “Aw, my doggy fell asleep on me!”
Chuuya's face flushed a bit red, but it twisted in anger as he snapped at him regardless. “Shut it! I’m not your damn dog, Mackerel!”
“You were drooling too.” Dazai opened the car door and got out. He heard an ungraceful squawking noise from inside, and Chuuya jumped out in a hurry.
“What!?”
Before the shorter could say anything more, he saw the building in front of them.
Dazai and Chuuya had never been to school before, but damn, UA was huge. Chuuya marvelled at the size, his jaw dropping.
“Are schools supposed to be this big?” He wondered aloud to no one in particular.
“It just looks huge in comparison to your Chibi-ness!” Dazai giggled and walked ahead before Chuuya could smack him.
Chuuya ran and did it anyway. They started bickering again, as usual.
As they approached the entrance, a man and a strange creature waited. The man wore a comfortable all-black outfit with some kind of cloth around his neck, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. The strange creature wore an elegant suit.
“Who the hell is that, Mackerel?” Chuuya whispered to his partner.
“Shouta Aizawa, AKA Eraserhead. He’s a pro hero who’s the homeroom teacher of Class 1A.” Chuuya was addressing the weird-ass possum-looking thing, but that also worked.
“Those eyebags are huge.”
“I know, right. Is that what his class did to him?” Chuuya snorted and narrowed his eyes to see the man more clearly. Now that he had a good look…
“He kinda reminds me of you…”
“What?”
“Mackerel, you guys have matching bandages too! His is around the neck, though…”
Before Dazai could reply, the man approached them.
“Hello, I’m Shouta Aizawa. I’m a teacher here.”
‘Those dead eyes…dead fish eyes–’
“Dazai, he looks more like you up close.” Chuuya blurted out.
‘Oh my Arahabaki, please tell me I didn’t say that out loud.’
Dazai looked torn between being offended that Chuuya would ever say that, or amused that he messed up the first interaction with his teacher.
Aizawa looked unimpressed and crossed his arms. Chuuya flushed in embarrassment and mumbled an apology. The hybrid rat possum thing decided it was a great time for an icebreaker, apparently, because it said,
“Am I a mouse, rat, or a bear? It's your principal Nezu!”
‘Holy shit, the rat talks!’ Chuuya luckily bit back from saying that aloud and instead bowed gracefully in greeting while Dazai waved a hand.
“Hi! I’m Osamu Dazai, and this is my precious doggy!” Dazai said happily, gesturing towards the teen beside him. Chuuya stomped on his foot, and once he was satisfied with the pained look on his face, he turned back to the teacher.
“Ignore him. I’m Chuuya Nakahara, but please call me Chuuya.” Nezu seemed unfazed and laughed it off, while Aizawa raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
“Ok, then. Dazai, Chuuya, follow us to the Principal’s office. We’ll get you sorted, and you guys can see your uniforms.”
__________
‘Mori wasn’t kidding when he said the principal was a rat…’ was all Dazai could think when he saw the creature in front of him. Chuuya, meanwhile, was looking at the uniforms in horror.
“So…we have to wear these?” he asked, looking repulsed at the mere prospect.
“Indeed!” chirped Nezu, missing the undertone altogether. His beady little eyes scanned them both from head to toe. “Now, have you been filled in on what your job is?”
Dazai stepped forward, bowing dramatically with one hand behind his back. He looked up, now at Nezu’s eye level. “Yes, our Boss told us we’re here to work as bodyguards. Don’t worry, Class 1A is in safe hands.”
“I’m glad.” His gaze faltered when it reached Dazai’s bandages. “May I ask about those ban-”
“No, you may not.”
The atmosphere in the room dropped like a lead weight.
There was a pregnant pause before Nezu spoke again.
“I see. And your quirks…? Your file mentioned the names No Longer Human and Upon The Tainted Sorrow, but I'm afraid there isn't much to take from them.”
Dazai gave him a cheerful grin. “Telling you guys is no fun! You’ll find out later, I’m sure.”
Aizawa furrowed his brow again, and Nezu just accepted it while Chuuya grabbed the uniforms, ready to be dismissed.
As soon as the three of them were out of the room, Dazai went,
“So, Slug, how exactly do we look alike?”
Chuuya smacked the back of his head.
________
The dorms were quite big, too. Looks like everything was. The world outside Yokohama was really different. It had more advanced technology, more unique types of abili- quirks, and all kinds of things everywhere.
Chuuya preferred Yokohama, though.
Aizawa took them to their rooms, which unfortunately were right next to each other.
“Look, Chibi, now we can visit each other all day!” Dazai exclaimed.
“Don’t call me that, asshole! And who’d want to see your face 24/7, anyway?”
“A good dog should always be with their owner~.”
“Why you-”
“Ahem,” Aizawa interrupted their bickering, “A teacher will bring you guys to the training camp tomorrow, separate from Class 1A. You’ll probably see them there, though.”
Dazai could tell he didn’t look too enthusiastic about the idea. Perhaps his class was the energetic type? What a hassle.
“Settle into the dorms and get a good night’s sleep. Make sure to pack for the trip.”
Aizawa moved to get back, but faltered for a second, then turned to face Dazai.
“Look, I don’t know about your situation…but if you ever need anything, you can ask me. I’m your teacher now. That goes for both of you.”
‘Uh oh…’ Chuuya winced internally. He glanced at Dazai. ‘Shit.’
If there was one thing he knew about his partner, it was that he did not like strangers poking around his business, especially about those bandages.
He watched a grin slowly spread across the other’s face, showing the metal in his teeth. It was as sharp as a dagger, like it could cut the teacher inside out.
“If I need anything…I’ll see about that,” was all the brunette said. Chuuya just nodded along, hoping the man would take the goddamn hint and leave.
Thankfully, he did seem satisfied with the answer and left.
Dazai’s tone, however, was a warning sign. Chuuya could tell from that empty gaze, with a heavy look in his eyes, the hidden undertone to his words. He didn't miss the way the other’s hand went to their bandages on their arm, picking at them.
All he could do was sigh and think,
‘I just hope our new classmates won’t be as nosy.’
________
Shouta Aizawa thought the new students were…eccentric.
When Nezu told him he’d hired 2 people to keep his class safe from the shadows, he didn’t expect them to be so…young, and they both seemed kind of strange.
When the car pulled up, he waited for them to get out, but it took them a good few minutes, and when they did, they seemed to be arguing with each other.
‘Perhaps they don’t have a good relationship?’ he reasoned.
When Shouta got a closer look at them, he saw that one of them was covered in bandages while the other seemed quite uncomfortable with the whole situation, perhaps even hostile.
But the latter was more straightforward than he expected, judging by what he first said to Shouta.
Still, something felt off. They both seemed normal enough, but Shouta’s instincts as a Pro Hero told him otherwise.
‘They’re just kids, Shouta. Maybe they’re just nervous to be here,’ he tried to rationalize it, but their weird behaviour didn’t go unnoticed. While he heard their frequent arguing, given how he got a front-row seat for it the whole way to the dorms, they also seemed somehow…strangely protective of each other.
Occasionally, the taller one, Dazai, had looked at the ginger with a deep, heavy, and borderline dark look in his eyes that admittedly gave Shouta the chills, but it was gone as soon as he saw it. And the other, Chuuya, while not as odd, hovered around his right side a lot, the same side his eye was bandaged,
Why was his eye covered anyway? What kind of past did these kids have? And why were they dressed like that?
The shorter one was wearing a suit and vest, along with a hat and gloves, which was fashionable but a tad strange. Did Shouta see a choker on his neck? Kids and their fashion choices these days…
The taller one was more toned down, with a dress shirt and a black, ominous overcoat.
How did they get such clothes?
Such thoughts filled Aizawa’s mind, but he swatted them away.
‘It’ll be fine. I gave them my help, and Class 1A is quite welcoming, so they can make them feel right at home.’
__________
“Dazai,” Chuuya called out, “Is your room alright?”
“Yeah,” he replied, “The view is really nice too. But unfortunately the balcony is too short to jump off of…”
“Suicidal maniac. But the view is the same here.”
‘So there are no bugs set up…’ Chuuya confirmed. They had spoken through code, excluding the suicidal part, that was just part of Dazai’s package deal. ‘We can talk freely then.’
“Anyway, did you pack properly for the mission? Get all the essentials?”
“Uhh…like what?” the other asked innocently, batting his eyelashes and fiddling with his bandages.
“Ugh, of course you didn’t. Here.” Chuuya grabbed his wrist and dragged him into his dorm. “I got sunscreen, bug repellent, bandages, and–”
“Aw, such a good dog, packing for their owner!”
“Shut it! Pack properly for tomorrow, ok?”
“Oh, but Chew~ya!” Dazai giggled. “I brought your most cherished item!” Chuuya turned around, face painted with confusion.
“What? Have you finally gone senile?” Dazai ran back into his room, and not even a second later, Chuuya heard a soft thud as the bastard threw something at his back.
“Dude, what the fu– oh my god.” He looked at the object in shock, mouth hanging open.
“Keep that jaw shut; you don’t want to swallow some flies.” Dazai sounded quite pleased with himself and threw himself into Chuuya’s rolling desk chair, keen on watching the ginger’s reaction.
The ginger in question was still absorbing his astonishment. “You didn’t.”
Dazai grinned like a Cheshire cat. “I sure did.” Chuuya squeezed the sheep plushie, which was as big as both his hands, and softly petted the white wool on the back. He gazed at the stuffed toy in pure awe and something akin to childlike wonder.
“I haven’t seen this for so long…” he whispered aloud, to himself or to Dazai, the bandaged teen didn’t know, but he still replied.
“I know! I’m the best partner ever, aren’t I, Slug?” Chuuya didn’t respond. “Come on~.” Dazai whined, “Say it already!” He spun around in the chair, making himself comfortable.
Eventually, Chuuya just muttered something about him acting like a kid and went back to fixing up his dorm, carefully placing the sheep on his bed.
As Dazai paused to stop his dizziness, his gaze flicked over the ginger’s face for the second time that day, and he realized something for the second time, too.
‘Wait…he’s wearing contacts.’
Chuuya was covering his heterochromia with a brown contact lens over his blue eye. Dazai frowned, leaning forward in the chair with a small creak. Why would Chibi do that?
He assumed it was to avoid drawing attention, but even so, he missed those eyes. The pure beauty of the almond brown and the sky blue made Chuuya…well, Chuuya.
“Why the fuck are you staring at me like a creep?” Chuuya’s voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he saw the ginger glaring at him, holding a bottle of wine.
“...No particular reason.” He shrugged it off and averted his gaze. “Can’t I just admire my dog?”
“I’m not your dog, damnit!” Chuuya snapped, shoving the bottle deep inside his closet, presumably to hide it.
“And did you seriously pack drinks? What a hopeless alcoholic…”
“You know we both enjoy drinking this. And I don’t think I can handle being around a bunch of snot-nosed brats without a drink every once in a while.”
“But Chibiko, you’re so short you could easily pass as a brat.”
“I’m still growing!” Chuuya chucked a pillow at Dazai, which hit him square in the face. “Ugh, let’s just have dinner.”
“I’m not hungry,” Dazai complained childishly, kicking back in the chair and making it creak even more. He hugged the pillow and shoved his face deep inside it, muffling his voice. “I wanna sleep.”
“You barely sleep anyway.” Dazai couldn’t argue with that. “When was the last time you ate, again?”
‘Shit.’
“Uhh…define ‘ate’–”
“Damnit, Dazai, I told you that you gotta start eating properly! I'm not having you pass out here of all places.”
The bandaged teen decided that sometimes he was part of a losing battle.
“...Will you make crab?”
“Depends.”
Dazai huffed in annoyance and threw the pillow back at his partner, who just caught it and placed it on his bed. He pouted but followed Chuuya to the kitchen.
It was true that he didn’t have an appetite, but Chuuya’s cooking was different. Any other food felt hard to digest, but Chibi’s meals were always delicious.
He didn’t know why, but he accepted it as a fact a long time ago. Chuuya eventually served him half a portion of crab, purposefully less than his since he knew Dazai wouldn’t eat much.
Dazai was secretly thankful for that.
“So,” Chuuya spoke in between bites, “What’s our game plan?”
Dazai took a long sip of water, cherishing the impatient look on the other’s face, then answered,
“I dunno.”
A beat of silence passed over the room. Chuuya held his spoon and fork tightly, glaring at the other.
“Well, you did your research on them, right? So you must have something in mind.”
“Slug, I don’t know everything.” Chuuya glowered, and if Dazai didn’t know any better, he’d have said the ginger was intent on bending those utensils back into a mush of metal.
“Don’t lie to me; I know you’ve already planned something.”
Dazai just hummed and savoured his bite, taking as long as he could on purpose. Chuuya gripped his utensils so hard his knuckles went white.
“I mean, we haven’t even met them yet, Chibi. Don’t be so impatient~,” he sang. Chuuya didn’t budge, staring him down. Dazai sighed and raised his arms in surrender. “Ok, fine, I really don’t know yet. Let’s meet them first, and then I’ll tell you whatever I think of.”
Chuuya raised a brow. “Promise?” He said it so seriously that even Dazai was taken aback.
‘What is he, a kid?’
“...Are you serious–”
“Promise?”
Chuuya clearly wasn’t going to let this go, and Dazai decided to lie and be done with it, but for whatever reason, when the bandaged teen looked at him, and that flicker of unbridled hope in his eyes, he found himself whispering with the most honesty he’d mustered up in a while,
“I promise.”
__________
Then came the issue of the rooms.
If Dazai were being honest, he’d kind of gotten used to being in the same room as the Slug. When on missions, they always slept together to keep an eye (get it, eye?) out for each other, and whenever he was in bed alone, he found himself missing the familiar warmth of his tiny partner.
‘Looks like we’ll be leaving our lives in the hands of the dorms tonight…’ Dazai tried not to feel disappointed as he climbed into bed and turned off the light. ‘Not like I’ll sleep much without him anyway, but it’s worth a shot.’
Then the door flew open.
Chuuya waltzed in like it was normal, shut the door, and climbed into bed next to him.
Dazai tried not to show his surprise.
“Oh~? What’s this, Chibiko? Missing me already?”
“Shut it,” Chuuya grumbled, already pulling a blanket over himself. Dazai snatched it back childishly. They both started tugging at it back and forth, strangely similar to a child’s game of tug-of-war.
“Seems like you always gravitate towards me when sleeping. Am I that irresistible?” Chuuya took half the blanket, gave Dazai the other half, and left them in close proximity.
“Don't be so full of yourself. I don’t see you objecting.”
Dazai stayed silent, and they both fell into the familiar rhythm of the night, the silent trust between them lingering in the air.
Dazai felt his eyes grow heavy as he listened to his partner’s faint heartbeat slowly lulling him to sleep.
“Night, Slug,” he mumbled, huddling closer to the warmth.
“Night, Mackerel,” he whispered back, melting right into his arms.
And if Chuuya softly pressed his lips to Dazai’s forehead while the latter was asleep as a small gesture of thanks, that was no one’s business but his own.
_________
Meanwhile, somewhere deep in Mustufasu, a pale man covered with multiple severed human hands scratched his neck impatiently. The bright monitor light illuminated his face as he stared into the screen, waiting.
|“So, Tomura,”| a deep voice spoke from the device, and the man perked up instantly, giving it his full attention.
|“Have you ever heard of Yokohama?”|