It's a weird thought to have when it comes to Dazai, of all people. But when Chuuya had run into him, late at night, driving around on his motorcycle because he couldn't sleep, he hadn't actually planned to drive them out of Yokohama. He'd stopped, let Dazai on, and then decided he didn't want to let him off again. It was too late to bother sleeping anyway, and all Chuuya had to look forward to in the morning was meetings, reports he still hadn't written, more work even though he was already ahead on everything he needed to do. But he'd worked extra hard lately, trying to prove... something.
Something he already proved years ago.
So instead of looping the city, like he usually does, he'd turned around, and headed out of Yokohama completely, never actually giving Dazai a chance to object.
And now here they are, a small town a little way outside of Yokohama. Chuuya only stopped because he's been driving for a while, and he could use a break. He has to be more cautious with Dazai behind him. He rolls his shoulders as he gets off, a little disappointed to lose the warm weight of his ex-partner pressed against his back.]
Let's get some coffee.
[No, he has no intention of addressing this kidnapping. Dazai will just have to put up with it. But they're here now, so they might as well get some breakfast.]
[As it happen, Dazai wouldn't have objected, even if he'd been given the chance to. Perhaps he should, being kidnapped and all, but that's hardly the worst thing that's ever been done to him, and - objectively speaking, of course - it's arguably less than he owes Chuuya. In itself, that's probably not a good reason to keep from complaining for the sake of it, but Dazai is curious what this is about. It's not often that this kind of unexpected thing happens, after all.
At any rate, if Chuuya had bad intentions, Dazai wouldn't be breathing anymore, so it's probably fine. Besides, what reason does Dazai have to stay in Yokohama - work? Pffft, he can do that some other day. Or week. Or month...
And so he simply holds on, arms around Chuuya, and keeps an eye on where they're heading - not because he's worried about his fate or anything (does he even have one of those?), but because it might give him some clue as to what this is about. Not so much as a guess so far, though.
He gets off the back of the bike as if this whole trip was his idea, walking over to the nearest place selling coffee, because for once he agrees with Chuuya: coffee is not a bad idea.]
Dissatisfied with the coffee in Yokohama? I'm fairly sure it will taste the same here, though.
[He's not directly asking what this is about - not yet, at least. But he's going to point out that he knows something is going on, anyway.]
[Guessing Chuuya’s plan isn’t easy when none of this was planned at all. It was probably a bad idea - it’s difficult to let go of the stress of feeling like he’s letting down everyone in the Port Mafia by not being there. But he’s ahead on all of his work, so he really has no reason to feel bad.
He allows himself to fall a step behind as Dazai located a coffee place, sending off a few quick text messages, letting his assistant know to cover his duties for the day. He’ll have to let Kouyou know later, too.
He slips his phone back in his pocket, hoping Dazai didn’t notice.]
It’s supposed to taste better in fresh air or something, right?
[And the air is definitely fresher here than in Yokohama, so it works as an excuse. And the sun is up, so maybe they could find a table outside. He’ll order them some breakfast, too, he thinks, because some food will help him figure out what to pretend his actual plan was.
It won’t be convincing either way. He’s wearing his biker outfit, which is a point in favor of this being planned, but yesterday’s makeup is smudged in the corner of his eyes, and his hair is messier than he prefers it. Though he’ll blame that one on the wind.]
[It's strange, spending time with Dazai, knowing that things are different between them now. Or: Not different, but verbalized. Acknowledged. Confessed. Something that should have been impossible.
And now they're going dancing. The receptionist at their hotel had suggested it when they asked if anything was happening nearby, and even though it's something almost too normal for people like them... Or maybe because it's too normal, and the whole point of this was to get away from Yokohama and who they're supposed to be, and what they're not supposed to be. Or maybe because it just sounds like fun, and it doesn't have to be anything deeper than that.
It did mean having to go shopping again. Chuuya needed a dress - partially because it's an excuse to wear heels, which means Dazai won't be that much taller than him for once - and then he needed a matching gold collar, one with a few simple chains as decoration. His usual black leather collar wouldn't match the outfit, and he doesn't like the feeling of his throat being bare, but this one could almost pass as a fancy necklace. He did end up spending a lot of money on all of it. He spent more money to save them another shopping trip (Dazai would get bored if that's all they spent their time doing, and honestly so would he), so he'd decided to hire a personal shopper while the two of them had fun at an arcade.
(How many arcades have they been kicked out of by now?)
And now they're at the venue, Chuuya holding onto Dazai's arm, already allowing him to lead. He's confident in situations like these. Kouyou has taught him well, and he knows he looks good, loves when he can draw the right kind of attention. There's only one detail -- ]
We've both been given dance lessons in the past, but back then I was only taught how to lead.
[And while the basic steps are similar enough, he's going to need a minute to figure out anything more complex. But he's an overachiever, so obviously he can't settle for less.]
[At least the local arcades here have no long-standing trauma from the virtual battles between these two idiots. On the downside: that means there are no old high-scores of theirs on any of the machines (Dazai's definitely manipulated them for most of his), which means that everything is a fresh start to get the first win in.
On the upside: they're not genuinely at each other's throats anymore (... well, Chuuya's kinks aside), and while they're bound to get some weird looks, they're not going to cause any havoc worth mentioning.
Then it's time for dancing, Chuuya looking stunning in his dress, and Dazai making a remarkably good show of being not only human, but the cream of the crop. For being a roughly human-shaped pile of garbage, he looks genuinely good in a suit, especially now that he's bothered putting five minutes into fixing his hair.
What a power couple they make, like this. Dazai finds himself entirely satisfied with their choice of outing. Time to show off his partner~!]
At the risk of asking the impossible: just relax? You know that I know what I'm doing.
[... He is absolutely going to take advantage of Chuuya's lack of control over gravity while they're touching to spin the hell out of Chuuya from time to time. Listen, it fits into the dance! And also: isn't that the best way to prove that Chuuya can trust him to lead?]
[Chuuya glances at Dazai (and he still has to glance up, even these heels can only do so much.]
Knowing what you're doing was always one of your worst traits.
[But it's not a complaint this time, even if it would be absolutely valid as one. He does trust Dazai, and he's honestly looking forward to this. But he'll never stop having impossible expectations for himself.]
Just give me a chance to get used to it before you try anything.
[An unspecified anything. But Chuuya admitting to weakness is also rare, and another sign of trust. He'll do his best to relax and let Dazai lead.]
[Chuuya's a little disappointed that Dazai's not in bed with him when he wakes up - but only a little. He remembers falling asleep curled up against him, and when he opens his eyes he can still see some of Dazai's clothes still in the room, which means he's most likely close by. Dazai doesn't sleep all that much, it's one of the reasons why Chuuya made sure the suite they're in had two separate rooms.
He stretches, tempted to stay in bed a little longer, but as usual ignoring the temptation. Instead he grabs Dazai's shirt off the floor for something to wear, buttoning up only a couple of the buttons, but not bothering to pretend he's using it to actually cover up. He should find Dazai. They'll have to head back to Yokohama today, and Chuuya's gonna have to figure out a way to get everything he bought for them sent back home as well. He's not really looking forward to this vacation-kidnapping to end.
He tells himself it doesn't mean that what they're doing is going to end as well.]
Morning.
[He's still a little relieved when he actually finds Dazai in the other room. And - oh, good, Dazai has already ordered himself some coffee. Chuuya walks over to snatch that away so he can have a sip himself.]
[In the other room, Dazai, dressed only in his bandages and a pair of pants, does... nothing at all, surprisingly. He's just enjoying the view and thinking - maybe thinking too much as per usual, but in a way that feels more calming than agitating.
It's a strange sensation, looking out of the window instead of watching his back on some level - not because of Chuuya's presence, but in general. It really does feel like something has changed in him - in them - and while that's almost certainly a good thing, Dazai is still a little hesitant to count on it too much.
That's really ridiculous, isn't it? He refuses to be the weakest one in this relationship, after years of it clearly being the other way around! No - he's just going to enjoy this without a second (or at least without a third, or billionth) thought!
When Chuuya takes his coffee, Dazai looks on disapprovingly, but doesn't try to stop him. Most of Chuuya's thoughtless actions end up punishing him without Dazai's interference, after all, and so it is with stealing Dazai's coffee.
His very, very sweet coffee.]
Is theft any way to greet your partner in the morning?
[He makes it sound very whiny, but he really doesn't care. He barely sleeps at the best of times; this is probably not even his first coffee. And maybe he partly experimented with more interesting milk-to-sugar ratios just for entertainment, but he can't say he wasn't half expecting Chuuya to wake up at some point.
At least Chuuya got some actual rest, even though it wasn't overly much by normal people's standards. Dazai is under no illusion that their vacation can last much longer.]
[It's definitely not good coffee. It's not that Chuuya doesn't like sweet coffee, necessarily - he usually takes his black, but every so often he'll want a caramel latte or something else over the top. This, though, is definitely a Dazai special.
But since Dazai is being so whiny, he's going to take another drink from it, a longer one this time, making a face at the taste the whole time.]
Is there even any coffee in this or is it just milk and sugar? [Why are you like this, Dazai.] And shouldn't you be willing to share with your partner.
[And a third sip, before giving it back. And then he'll lean down to steal a kiss just to cut off whatever reply Dazai was going to give.
But he should get his own coffee. There's a coffee machine in the room - he can get even better coffee if he orders room service. But maybe later. He doesn't want any strangers interrupting them yet, so for now this is good enough, and it's definitely faster.]
[Chuuya really needs to pull himself together. He's been telling himself that all day, and all last night since before Dazai left, trying his best to push through it, to focus on work instead, but even by now he still hasn't managed. He should be able to - this is just something that happens sometimes, after sex like that, like an adrenaline crash after an intense mission. It's not exactly a big deal, even if it's not usually this bad.
Except he hadn't even been able to hide it this time. Kouyou had called him out for how tired he seemed, for looking pale, and had sent him home thinking he might be catching a cold. He'd listened, even though he doesn't feel like being alone, either, which had probably worried her even more. He sighs.
He's gonna pull himself together now, though. Or by tomorrow, at least. He basically just threw his off his clothes when he got home, changing into a sweatshirt and pants, old and worn and soft because of it, and a little too big. He'd taken a moment to clean off the toys that were still left on the floor, placing them in his closet with the rest of their his collection, making sure the tail and ears wouldn't be ruined, the only thing he has the patience to show any care for. And then he opens a bottle of wine and pours himself a glass. Maybe he can allow himself to get drunk and mope the rest of the day, until he's needed again.
Or at least that's the plan. But in the end he barely gets through one glass of wine before the lethargy gets too strong. He's curled up on the couch, feet tucked under him, feeling a bit cold but not caring as he finds himself dozing on and off.]
[When Dazai had eventually left, something had definitely been annoying - but wasn't Chuuya always annoying? He was probably just tired; they both were. They had a nicely messed-up evening, so Dazai couldn't complain.
When he gets a note delivered, written by a mysterious stranger that definitely isn't clearly Kouyou, considering her unique use of language, Dazai doesn't think too much of it. So Chuuya is sick? Well, maybe that explains why he was more out of it than usual yesterday. That still doesn't make it his duty to chibi-sit. Shouldn't Kouyou do her own work?!
Except that something still doesn't sit right with Dazai, and it's not even only about how rare it is for Chuuya to be sick enough to skip work.
Oh well, it's a good excuse for Dazai to skip work, too. He practically dances out of the office, informing Kunikida that he has to leave to take care of his sick dog. Kunikida's objections that Dazai doesn't have a dog and everybody knows Dazai hates dogs and "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING, DAZAI?!?" are cheerfully ignored.
It's not a surprise to see that Chuuya's been drinking, but even Dazai, who knows himself to be full of extremely poor life choices (and is proud of that! who needs life anyway?!), has to judge a little. He doesn't want to put any real effort into taking care of Chuuya, but he'll get some water, anyway. If there's any instant soup, he'll bother to make that, at least.
If Chuuya hasn't woken up by the time Dazai returns from the kitchen, Dazai will poke him to wake him. Because Chuuya needs to scoot over to make room for him.]
[Chuuya hadn't been sleeping very deeply. He wakes up when he hears someone at the door, and he knows, of course, that it's Dazai. Everyone else (except his housekeepers, if they show up to clean when he's not home) uses the doorbell and waits to be let inside, and it's rare even for that to happen. Chuuya isn't one for visitors.
So he knows who it is, but he doesn't really know how to react to the fact that he's here. He also doesn't know how to handle the intense relief that immediately fills him. He'd wanted to see Dazai. He hadn't wanted him to leave. Those vulnerable feelings from the night before are still right there, leaving him raw. Shit. He'd wanted to deal with that before Dazai had to see him like this.
He doesn't move or say anything as Dazai starts walking around the apartment, getting that glass of water. There's no instant soup, or really any food at all aside from some snacks and the canned crab he keeps for Dazai.]
What are you doing here?
[He at least turns his head to look at Dazai when he finally approaches, and then scoots over at the poking, without even bothering to swat his hand away. He wants to just lean into him.]
It's the middle of the day, isn't it?
[He's actually not sure, even though he didn't think he fell asleep for that long. He starts looking around for his phone, checking his pockets, but it doesn't seem to be on him.]
[Chuuya isn't even sure how he ended up having this kind of conversation with a stranger. He'd just wanted to grab a drink after a too long day, something to help him wind down before going home to sleep. Work had left him tired and a bit grumpy, since he'd been up caught up in unplanned meetings due to other people's mistakes, and he hadn't wanted to stay that late for once. He'd kinda been hoping he'd be able to meet up with Dazai for dinner.
He's still not used to allowing himself to admit how much he wants that.
But that hadn't happened, he's here instead, and then some guy had tried to hit on him, and hadn't taken no for an answer. And things had just... derailed, turned into a conversation that has Chuuya too embarrassed, ordering himself another drink. But Chuuya had accidentally said he had a partner just to get this guy to back off, and apparently, when someone says "what he doesn't know won't hurt him," answering that the bastard always knows makes it sound like you don't actually like your partner. And now Chuuya is stuck trying to explain himself.]
He's just a... he's a bastard! That's got nothing to do with anything! Especially not how I -- I feel.
[He's too drunk already. That's what he gets for missing dinner. He's gesturing with his hands as though that'll help convey his (lack of) thoughts, gratefully accepting his new drink from the bartender and taking a long sip from it.]
Not like I even promised him anything. Doesn't matter. Don't want anyone else, so fuck off. He knows what I want. He's better.
[And that's when the conversation really goes south. Because this complete stranger just outright says "sounds like you really love him," as though love isn't something that feels more illegal to him than murder. Chuuya nearly spits out his drink.]
No! That doesn't work for us! I don't know, maybe. Yeah. I don't know! [How does he escape this conversation?] Shut up. It's not good enough. Definitely not something that half-hearted.
[At least now the stranger is starting to look like he wants out of the conversation, too.]
[It's not like Dazai was chasing after Chuuya or anything, but he too needs a break after a long day, and maybe he drifted in the direction of this particular place because it's somewhere he's been with Chuuya before. While Dazai hadn't been chasing his puppy's tail around, he's not disappointed to find Chuuya, even when Chuuya is talking to some random guy. Dazai doesn't feel threatened, because he knows who he is, and he knows what he and Chuuya have and what they don't have.
... Well, it's still kind of nice to hear Chuuya say it in such embarrassing ways. Apart from anything else, it lets Dazai feel less embarrassed about his own convoluted mess of feelings.
He drops into the conversation about the same time that Chuuya says he's better - point well taken! - but he follows things for a little bit afterwards, just because it seems a shame to ruin them so quickly. When Chuuya's conversation buddy is starting to have enough about the awkwardly elsewhere-focused declarations of love, though, Dazai makes sure to catch the man's eye, waving his hand to get the man to leave.
To be fair, the man didn't need much convincing.
With him slipping away, Dazai takes his seat next to Chuuya, gesturing at the bartender for a drink. No more for Chuuya though. Sorry Chuu, you've officially had enough.]
Love is not good enough? You certainly have some high standards.
[Chuuya spins around in his chair when Dazai speaks up, spilling out some of what's left of his drink. He straightens the glass, manages not to tip it over again, then quickly finishes what's left of it.]
Dazai? What are you doing here?
[He should probably be panicked about that, considering what he just said, but he's too drunk, and keeping a train of thought is too much to expect. And he's happy! He wanted to see him! He barely even notices that the stranger leaves, but then he hadn't been anyone important.
He's going to order himself another drink unless Dazai stops him, though.]
Was gonna call you, but work ran late.
[Though if Dazai hadn't turned up, he definitely would have drunk called him at some point later.]
[Chuuya adjusts his shirt, relieved he was smart enough to use some body adhesive on the torn pieces of it so they don't all slide up to his chest. He can still feel it shifting a little, but mostly he's fidgeting as a distraction from the other parts his costume. And what he's wearing underneath it.
He can't believe he let Dazai talk him into this. He can't believe he was so easy to convince. But spending the day together sounded nice, and it's halloween, so dressing up in a costume sounded fun. But of course it wasn't that simple. And now he's out in public, dressed as a dog (wolf), and while the tail this time isn't directly attached to the plug, of course Dazai made him wear one anyway. And it's very very difficult to focus on anything else.]
So we're going to a haunted house themed escape room?
[Dazai could probably figure out the escape room in no time at all, only slowed down by having to physically move parts of any puzzles, but Chuuya doubts he'll make it that easy. That would be too boring for him, after all.]
And then the local arcade has a bunch of horror themed games set up... Dazai, can't we skip that one?
[Not because he gets scared playing those games, of course. But even if it was just normal arcade games, Chuuya wouldn't survive that long walking around wearing a buttplug. Maybe he should just jump Dazai right now. He does look really good in that costume of his.]
[Another year, another Halloween, but the same dog to wrangle. With recent developments, though, it's sure to be a good time - and with very little effort on Dazai's part, too. All he had to do was get Chuuya to wear that plug, and the rest will follow naturally.
Well, the costume is a nice bonus. His own is less, shall we say, invasive: he's a vampire, which basically just means he put on a fancy if somewhat gothic suit. He's also got some fangs glued on out of necessity, but they're small enough not to inconvenience him. Fortunately the same can't be said for Chuuya's bonus accessories!]
Skip it? I was thinking we should start there!
[Mostly because he's got plans for the "escape room", and he very much doubts that Chuuya will be doing anything afterwards. Not that he'll absolutely insist on going to the arcade first. It just seems like a fun way to raise the stakes. (But not at him and his vampire self! You know they don't mix!!)]
We've always had such a good time at arcades.
[Mostly good for him, since he cheats and wins a lot. Definitely a good time!]
[Chuuya shoots Dazai a small glare, mostly for the skae of it. He did agree to this, he should have expected this, but that doesn't mean he's prepared for the amount of torture Dazai will no doubt put him through. And it's embarrassing, too, doing this in public, even if there's no way for other people to guess what's actually going on.]
We've been banned from most arcades.
[Though he does love playing games with Dazai, even if Dazai does cheat. Chuuya cheats as well, when he can pull it off, even if his methods tend to be more along the lines of shoving Dazai to make him miss a shot.
It won't matter today, though. Chuuya can't win like this.]
You know vampires and werewolves are meant to be enemies. So I don't actually have to be your dog in this costume.
[It took Chuuya a while to find the right kink list. Some of them were surprisingly boring, or covered only things they've tried already. Other lists included just a little too much, and there are some ideas he'd prefer not to put into Dazai's head if he can help it. He knows Dazai is supposed to bring his own list as well, but at least this way it won't be Chuuya's fault if he happened to come across the same things. He prints out the list, and then deletes his internet history, just in case, and then googles how to make sure your internet history can't be restored again. He's not sure even that will be enough, but at least he tried.
He's weirdly nervous about it, too. If his research just now is anything to judge by, the two of them are pretty damn kinky already, but they've never really talked about it before. They both have a general idea of what the other likes, and Dazai is unnerringly good at knowing exactly where Chuuya's limits are, and proves it by pushing him right up to the edge of them. just because he can. But after this, Chuuya won't be able to lie and claim he doesn't want certain things aymore. Well, he still can, technically. And Dazai will believe those lies exactly as much as he always did. And Chuuya will end up agreeing anyway.
Chuuya is tempted to pour himself some wine, but decides to resist for now. He doesn't want to be drunk by the time Dazai gets there.]
You're late.
[It's Dazai. Of course he's late. But being nervous makes Chuuya impatient. He yanks Dazai down so he can kiss him hard, wrapping an arm around his neck to make it harder for him to straighten back up. And then he bites at Dazai's lower lip, just to make himself feel a bit better. It helps.]
[... Well, that's quite a reception. Dazai should really have expected that much - certainly, he'd figured that their discussion of kink would get Chuuya horny, and so there would be sex eventually - but he hadn't expected anything when he'd barely so much as stepped inside. So he does try to straighten back up, which he absolutely does not have the strength for, before just accepting that there's no fighting back against horny chibis.
He's still a bit annoyed by that bite. He knows it's an extremely petty feeling, but it's not like he's trying to be a good person in his heart of hearts. (He only signed up to do good things!) He's also just not in as great a mood as Chuuya, which doesn't help.]
You're horny. [If Chuuya can state the obvious and never-changing, so can Dazai.] Are you really so excited just from looking at a list of things we could do?
[Definitely a rhetorical question. But Dazai can sulk a bit if he wants.
... Also, Dazai doesn't have a kink list with him, even on his phone. He looked at a handful, but they contained few new acts, and fewer that he'd be interested in. It's actually left him feeling kind of... inadequate? Except he doesn't do such feelings, thank you.
It's all Chuuya's fault for being weird and kinky anyway.]
[The day has finally come! ... Well, that makes it sound a lot more important to Dazai than it actually is. Not that it's not important, but it was really inevitable to introduce Chuuya to his coworkers in a less-than-professional way - and he thinks it went well! Admittedly, even things going slightly iffy entertains Dazai, so his standards were always going to be met.
When they leave the Agency after an overly loud goodbye from Dazai to his coworkers (who, contrary to him, are likely to actually do some work today), Dazai puts an arm around Chuuya, leaning in close.]
And? What do you think~?
[Like Chuuya didn't know the Agency already... like he hasn't met some of these people before. But this is a slightly different context, so Dazai considers it a valid (enough) question.
That, or he just enjoys this kind of family-play a little too much. (Is he serious? Or is he making a game of it? Yes.)]
[Chuuya had definitely been a lot more stressed about this than Dazai. Yes, he's met most of the ADA before, but it hasn't exactly been in the friendliest of situations, and he wouldn't expect people to just forgive threats of violence and destruction coming from someone more than capable of following through... Even if Chuuya had never personally wanted to hurt any of them, and had only been doing his job at the time.
But considering that history, it probably went fairly well, Chuuya thinks. He's not really sure. That one surprisingly strong kid - Kenji, he should probably make a point of remembering their names now - already forgave him a while ago, if he was ever actually mad (Chuuya's not sure he's capable of getting mad); and the other kids did seem to warm up a little after they ate some of the snacks Chuuya brought, so food bribes turns out to have been a good idea. The adults, though (aside from Ranpo, who claimed most of the snacks as his own), were understandably not as willing to forgive and forget.
And Chuuya probably shouldn't have pointed out that if he'd really wanted them all dead those times, they'd be dead, even if he hadn't actually meant it as a threat.]
They're... different.
[He wonders if they're watching, if they saw Dazai put his arm around Chuuya. He's almost tempted to look back and check, except the thought of meeting anyone's eyes like this would definitely leave him flustered. It's such a casual thing, and casual is always what gets to Chuuya the most.
He'd been struggling not to slip into business meeting host mode in there, but they'd all been very relaxed and informal with each other, making them all feel more like family than coworkers. It's the kind of environment that Chuuya wants to build for his subordinates, and has always secretly wanted to be a part of himself, but thinking about that always reminds him a little too much of the Flags.]
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[Nah, he's just messing with you.
Probably.]
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It's a weird thought to have when it comes to Dazai, of all people. But when Chuuya had run into him, late at night, driving around on his motorcycle because he couldn't sleep, he hadn't actually planned to drive them out of Yokohama. He'd stopped, let Dazai on, and then decided he didn't want to let him off again. It was too late to bother sleeping anyway, and all Chuuya had to look forward to in the morning was meetings, reports he still hadn't written, more work even though he was already ahead on everything he needed to do. But he'd worked extra hard lately, trying to prove... something.
Something he already proved years ago.
So instead of looping the city, like he usually does, he'd turned around, and headed out of Yokohama completely, never actually giving Dazai a chance to object.
And now here they are, a small town a little way outside of Yokohama. Chuuya only stopped because he's been driving for a while, and he could use a break. He has to be more cautious with Dazai behind him. He rolls his shoulders as he gets off, a little disappointed to lose the warm weight of his ex-partner pressed against his back.]
Let's get some coffee.
[No, he has no intention of addressing this kidnapping. Dazai will just have to put up with it. But they're here now, so they might as well get some breakfast.]
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At any rate, if Chuuya had bad intentions, Dazai wouldn't be breathing anymore, so it's probably fine. Besides, what reason does Dazai have to stay in Yokohama - work? Pffft, he can do that some other day. Or week. Or month...
And so he simply holds on, arms around Chuuya, and keeps an eye on where they're heading - not because he's worried about his fate or anything (does he even have one of those?), but because it might give him some clue as to what this is about. Not so much as a guess so far, though.
He gets off the back of the bike as if this whole trip was his idea, walking over to the nearest place selling coffee, because for once he agrees with Chuuya: coffee is not a bad idea.]
Dissatisfied with the coffee in Yokohama? I'm fairly sure it will taste the same here, though.
[He's not directly asking what this is about - not yet, at least. But he's going to point out that he knows something is going on, anyway.]
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He allows himself to fall a step behind as Dazai located a coffee place, sending off a few quick text messages, letting his assistant know to cover his duties for the day. He’ll have to let Kouyou know later, too.
He slips his phone back in his pocket, hoping Dazai didn’t notice.]
It’s supposed to taste better in fresh air or something, right?
[And the air is definitely fresher here than in Yokohama, so it works as an excuse. And the sun is up, so maybe they could find a table outside. He’ll order them some breakfast, too, he thinks, because some food will help him figure out what to pretend his actual plan was.
It won’t be convincing either way. He’s wearing his biker outfit, which is a point in favor of this being planned, but yesterday’s makeup is smudged in the corner of his eyes, and his hair is messier than he prefers it. Though he’ll blame that one on the wind.]
How hungry are you?
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And now they're going dancing. The receptionist at their hotel had suggested it when they asked if anything was happening nearby, and even though it's something almost too normal for people like them... Or maybe because it's too normal, and the whole point of this was to get away from Yokohama and who they're supposed to be, and what they're not supposed to be. Or maybe because it just sounds like fun, and it doesn't have to be anything deeper than that.
It did mean having to go shopping again. Chuuya needed a dress - partially because it's an excuse to wear heels, which means Dazai won't be that much taller than him for once - and then he needed a matching gold collar, one with a few simple chains as decoration. His usual black leather collar wouldn't match the outfit, and he doesn't like the feeling of his throat being bare, but this one could almost pass as a fancy necklace. He did end up spending a lot of money on all of it. He spent more money to save them another shopping trip (Dazai would get bored if that's all they spent their time doing, and honestly so would he), so he'd decided to hire a personal shopper while the two of them had fun at an arcade.
(How many arcades have they been kicked out of by now?)
And now they're at the venue, Chuuya holding onto Dazai's arm, already allowing him to lead. He's confident in situations like these. Kouyou has taught him well, and he knows he looks good, loves when he can draw the right kind of attention. There's only one detail -- ]
We've both been given dance lessons in the past, but back then I was only taught how to lead.
[And while the basic steps are similar enough, he's going to need a minute to figure out anything more complex. But he's an overachiever, so obviously he can't settle for less.]
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On the upside: they're not genuinely at each other's throats anymore (... well, Chuuya's kinks aside), and while they're bound to get some weird looks, they're not going to cause any havoc worth mentioning.
Then it's time for dancing, Chuuya looking stunning in his dress, and Dazai making a remarkably good show of being not only human, but the cream of the crop. For being a roughly human-shaped pile of garbage, he looks genuinely good in a suit, especially now that he's bothered putting five minutes into fixing his hair.
What a power couple they make, like this. Dazai finds himself entirely satisfied with their choice of outing. Time to show off his partner~!]
At the risk of asking the impossible: just relax? You know that I know what I'm doing.
[... He is absolutely going to take advantage of Chuuya's lack of control over gravity while they're touching to spin the hell out of Chuuya from time to time. Listen, it fits into the dance! And also: isn't that the best way to prove that Chuuya can trust him to lead?]
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Knowing what you're doing was always one of your worst traits.
[But it's not a complaint this time, even if it would be absolutely valid as one. He does trust Dazai, and he's honestly looking forward to this. But he'll never stop having impossible expectations for himself.]
Just give me a chance to get used to it before you try anything.
[An unspecified anything. But Chuuya admitting to weakness is also rare, and another sign of trust. He'll do his best to relax and let Dazai lead.]
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He stretches, tempted to stay in bed a little longer, but as usual ignoring the temptation. Instead he grabs Dazai's shirt off the floor for something to wear, buttoning up only a couple of the buttons, but not bothering to pretend he's using it to actually cover up. He should find Dazai. They'll have to head back to Yokohama today, and Chuuya's gonna have to figure out a way to get everything he bought for them sent back home as well. He's not really looking forward to this vacation-kidnapping to end.
He tells himself it doesn't mean that what they're doing is going to end as well.]
Morning.
[He's still a little relieved when he actually finds Dazai in the other room. And - oh, good, Dazai has already ordered himself some coffee. Chuuya walks over to snatch that away so he can have a sip himself.]
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It's a strange sensation, looking out of the window instead of watching his back on some level - not because of Chuuya's presence, but in general. It really does feel like something has changed in him - in them - and while that's almost certainly a good thing, Dazai is still a little hesitant to count on it too much.
That's really ridiculous, isn't it? He refuses to be the weakest one in this relationship, after years of it clearly being the other way around! No - he's just going to enjoy this without a second (or at least without a third, or billionth) thought!
When Chuuya takes his coffee, Dazai looks on disapprovingly, but doesn't try to stop him. Most of Chuuya's thoughtless actions end up punishing him without Dazai's interference, after all, and so it is with stealing Dazai's coffee.
His very, very sweet coffee.]
Is theft any way to greet your partner in the morning?
[He makes it sound very whiny, but he really doesn't care. He barely sleeps at the best of times; this is probably not even his first coffee. And maybe he partly experimented with more interesting milk-to-sugar ratios just for entertainment, but he can't say he wasn't half expecting Chuuya to wake up at some point.
At least Chuuya got some actual rest, even though it wasn't overly much by normal people's standards. Dazai is under no illusion that their vacation can last much longer.]
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But since Dazai is being so whiny, he's going to take another drink from it, a longer one this time, making a face at the taste the whole time.]
Is there even any coffee in this or is it just milk and sugar? [Why are you like this, Dazai.] And shouldn't you be willing to share with your partner.
[And a third sip, before giving it back. And then he'll lean down to steal a kiss just to cut off whatever reply Dazai was going to give.
But he should get his own coffee. There's a coffee machine in the room - he can get even better coffee if he orders room service. But maybe later. He doesn't want any strangers interrupting them yet, so for now this is good enough, and it's definitely faster.]
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Except he hadn't even been able to hide it this time. Kouyou had called him out for how tired he seemed, for looking pale, and had sent him home thinking he might be catching a cold. He'd listened, even though he doesn't feel like being alone, either, which had probably worried her even more. He sighs.
He's gonna pull himself together now, though. Or by tomorrow, at least. He basically just threw his off his clothes when he got home, changing into a sweatshirt and pants, old and worn and soft because of it, and a little too big. He'd taken a moment to clean off the toys that were still left on the floor, placing them in his closet with the rest of
theirhis collection, making sure the tail and ears wouldn't be ruined, the only thing he has the patience to show any care for. And then he opens a bottle of wine and pours himself a glass. Maybe he can allow himself to get drunk and mope the rest of the day, until he's needed again.Or at least that's the plan. But in the end he barely gets through one glass of wine before the lethargy gets too strong. He's curled up on the couch, feet tucked under him, feeling a bit cold but not caring as he finds himself dozing on and off.]
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When he gets a note delivered, written by a mysterious stranger that definitely isn't clearly Kouyou, considering her unique use of language, Dazai doesn't think too much of it. So Chuuya is sick? Well, maybe that explains why he was more out of it than usual yesterday. That still doesn't make it his duty to chibi-sit. Shouldn't Kouyou do her own work?!
Except that something still doesn't sit right with Dazai, and it's not even only about how rare it is for Chuuya to be sick enough to skip work.
Oh well, it's a good excuse for Dazai to skip work, too. He practically dances out of the office, informing Kunikida that he has to leave to take care of his sick dog. Kunikida's objections that Dazai doesn't have a dog and everybody knows Dazai hates dogs and "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING, DAZAI?!?" are cheerfully ignored.
It's not a surprise to see that Chuuya's been drinking, but even Dazai, who knows himself to be full of extremely poor life choices (and is proud of that! who needs life anyway?!), has to judge a little. He doesn't want to put any real effort into taking care of Chuuya, but he'll get some water, anyway. If there's any instant soup, he'll bother to make that, at least.
If Chuuya hasn't woken up by the time Dazai returns from the kitchen, Dazai will poke him to wake him. Because Chuuya needs to scoot over to make room for him.]
Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty~
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So he knows who it is, but he doesn't really know how to react to the fact that he's here. He also doesn't know how to handle the intense relief that immediately fills him. He'd wanted to see Dazai. He hadn't wanted him to leave. Those vulnerable feelings from the night before are still right there, leaving him raw. Shit. He'd wanted to deal with that before Dazai had to see him like this.
He doesn't move or say anything as Dazai starts walking around the apartment, getting that glass of water. There's no instant soup, or really any food at all aside from some snacks and the canned crab he keeps for Dazai.]
What are you doing here?
[He at least turns his head to look at Dazai when he finally approaches, and then scoots over at the poking, without even bothering to swat his hand away. He wants to just lean into him.]
It's the middle of the day, isn't it?
[He's actually not sure, even though he didn't think he fell asleep for that long. He starts looking around for his phone, checking his pockets, but it doesn't seem to be on him.]
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He's still not used to allowing himself to admit how much he wants that.
But that hadn't happened, he's here instead, and then some guy had tried to hit on him, and hadn't taken no for an answer. And things had just... derailed, turned into a conversation that has Chuuya too embarrassed, ordering himself another drink. But Chuuya had accidentally said he had a partner just to get this guy to back off, and apparently, when someone says "what he doesn't know won't hurt him," answering that the bastard always knows makes it sound like you don't actually like your partner. And now Chuuya is stuck trying to explain himself.]
He's just a... he's a bastard! That's got nothing to do with anything! Especially not how I -- I feel.
[He's too drunk already. That's what he gets for missing dinner. He's gesturing with his hands as though that'll help convey his (lack of) thoughts, gratefully accepting his new drink from the bartender and taking a long sip from it.]
Not like I even promised him anything. Doesn't matter. Don't want anyone else, so fuck off. He knows what I want. He's better.
[And that's when the conversation really goes south. Because this complete stranger just outright says "sounds like you really love him," as though love isn't something that feels more illegal to him than murder. Chuuya nearly spits out his drink.]
No! That doesn't work for us! I don't know, maybe. Yeah. I don't know! [How does he escape this conversation?] Shut up. It's not good enough. Definitely not something that half-hearted.
[At least now the stranger is starting to look like he wants out of the conversation, too.]
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... Well, it's still kind of nice to hear Chuuya say it in such embarrassing ways. Apart from anything else, it lets Dazai feel less embarrassed about his own convoluted mess of feelings.
He drops into the conversation about the same time that Chuuya says he's better - point well taken! - but he follows things for a little bit afterwards, just because it seems a shame to ruin them so quickly. When Chuuya's conversation buddy is starting to have enough about the awkwardly elsewhere-focused declarations of love, though, Dazai makes sure to catch the man's eye, waving his hand to get the man to leave.
To be fair, the man didn't need much convincing.
With him slipping away, Dazai takes his seat next to Chuuya, gesturing at the bartender for a drink. No more for Chuuya though. Sorry Chuu, you've officially had enough.]
Love is not good enough? You certainly have some high standards.
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Dazai? What are you doing here?
[He should probably be panicked about that, considering what he just said, but he's too drunk, and keeping a train of thought is too much to expect. And he's happy! He wanted to see him! He barely even notices that the stranger leaves, but then he hadn't been anyone important.
He's going to order himself another drink unless Dazai stops him, though.]
Was gonna call you, but work ran late.
[Though if Dazai hadn't turned up, he definitely would have drunk called him at some point later.]
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He can't believe he let Dazai talk him into this. He can't believe he was so easy to convince. But spending the day together sounded nice, and it's halloween, so dressing up in a costume sounded fun. But of course it wasn't that simple. And now he's out in public, dressed as a dog (wolf), and while the tail this time isn't directly attached to the plug, of course Dazai made him wear one anyway. And it's very very difficult to focus on anything else.]
So we're going to a haunted house themed escape room?
[Dazai could probably figure out the escape room in no time at all, only slowed down by having to physically move parts of any puzzles, but Chuuya doubts he'll make it that easy. That would be too boring for him, after all.]
And then the local arcade has a bunch of horror themed games set up... Dazai, can't we skip that one?
[Not because he gets scared playing those games, of course. But even if it was just normal arcade games, Chuuya wouldn't survive that long walking around wearing a buttplug. Maybe he should just jump Dazai right now. He does look really good in that costume of his.]
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Well, the costume is a nice bonus. His own is less, shall we say, invasive: he's a vampire, which basically just means he put on a fancy if somewhat gothic suit. He's also got some fangs glued on out of necessity, but they're small enough not to inconvenience him. Fortunately the same can't be said for Chuuya's bonus accessories!]
Skip it? I was thinking we should start there!
[Mostly because he's got plans for the "escape room", and he very much doubts that Chuuya will be doing anything afterwards. Not that he'll absolutely insist on going to the arcade first. It just seems like a fun way to raise the stakes. (But not at him and his vampire self! You know they don't mix!!)]
We've always had such a good time at arcades.
[Mostly good for him, since he cheats and wins a lot. Definitely a good time!]
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We've been banned from most arcades.
[Though he does love playing games with Dazai, even if Dazai does cheat. Chuuya cheats as well, when he can pull it off, even if his methods tend to be more along the lines of shoving Dazai to make him miss a shot.
It won't matter today, though. Chuuya can't win like this.]
You know vampires and werewolves are meant to be enemies. So I don't actually have to be your dog in this costume.
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He's weirdly nervous about it, too. If his research just now is anything to judge by, the two of them are pretty damn kinky already, but they've never really talked about it before. They both have a general idea of what the other likes, and Dazai is unnerringly good at knowing exactly where Chuuya's limits are, and proves it by pushing him right up to the edge of them. just because he can. But after this, Chuuya won't be able to lie and claim he doesn't want certain things aymore. Well, he still can, technically. And Dazai will believe those lies exactly as much as he always did. And Chuuya will end up agreeing anyway.
Chuuya is tempted to pour himself some wine, but decides to resist for now. He doesn't want to be drunk by the time Dazai gets there.]
You're late.
[It's Dazai. Of course he's late. But being nervous makes Chuuya impatient. He yanks Dazai down so he can kiss him hard, wrapping an arm around his neck to make it harder for him to straighten back up. And then he bites at Dazai's lower lip, just to make himself feel a bit better. It helps.]
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He's still a bit annoyed by that bite. He knows it's an extremely petty feeling, but it's not like he's trying to be a good person in his heart of hearts. (He only signed up to do good things!) He's also just not in as great a mood as Chuuya, which doesn't help.]
You're horny. [If Chuuya can state the obvious and never-changing, so can Dazai.] Are you really so excited just from looking at a list of things we could do?
[Definitely a rhetorical question. But Dazai can sulk a bit if he wants.
... Also, Dazai doesn't have a kink list with him, even on his phone. He looked at a handful, but they contained few new acts, and fewer that he'd be interested in. It's actually left him feeling kind of... inadequate? Except he doesn't do such feelings, thank you.
It's all Chuuya's fault for being weird and kinky anyway.]
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When they leave the Agency after an overly loud goodbye from Dazai to his coworkers (who, contrary to him, are likely to actually do some work today), Dazai puts an arm around Chuuya, leaning in close.]
And? What do you think~?
[Like Chuuya didn't know the Agency already... like he hasn't met some of these people before. But this is a slightly different context, so Dazai considers it a valid (enough) question.
That, or he just enjoys this kind of family-play a little too much. (Is he serious? Or is he making a game of it? Yes.)]
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But considering that history, it probably went fairly well, Chuuya thinks. He's not really sure. That one surprisingly strong kid - Kenji, he should probably make a point of remembering their names now - already forgave him a while ago, if he was ever actually mad (Chuuya's not sure he's capable of getting mad); and the other kids did seem to warm up a little after they ate some of the snacks Chuuya brought, so food bribes turns out to have been a good idea. The adults, though (aside from Ranpo, who claimed most of the snacks as his own), were understandably not as willing to forgive and forget.
And Chuuya probably shouldn't have pointed out that if he'd really wanted them all dead those times, they'd be dead, even if he hadn't actually meant it as a threat.]
They're... different.
[He wonders if they're watching, if they saw Dazai put his arm around Chuuya. He's almost tempted to look back and check, except the thought of meeting anyone's eyes like this would definitely leave him flustered. It's such a casual thing, and casual is always what gets to Chuuya the most.
He'd been struggling not to slip into business meeting host mode in there, but they'd all been very relaxed and informal with each other, making them all feel more like family than coworkers. It's the kind of environment that Chuuya wants to build for his subordinates, and has always secretly wanted to be a part of himself, but thinking about that always reminds him a little too much of the Flags.]
I can see why you like them.
[They're very protective of each other.]
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