Chapter Text
August 6th, less than 4 years before.
That day, Chuuya texted Dazai to specifically come over early that day. Dazai knew why. Chuuya was moving apartments. From his little, empty home in the Mafia headquarters building to some big ass apartment suite by the port. Dazai wondered how Chuuya had managed to save up enough to buy it. Sure, the Mafia paid well but Dazai usually blew his money the second he got it on something stupid, and he never took Chuuya for the type to save up so much. Maybe it was because Chuuya had actual goals in life that didn't include double suicide by the age of 20? Who knows?
"Chuuyaaaaa!" Dazai sang as opened the already unlocked apartment door.
A box, labelled "Dazai", was immediately handled to him by a very agitated Chuuya. "No time for this shit, just take your stuff and leave." He huffed and went back into the kitchen hurriedly. Dazai followed curiously.
Kouyou met him around the corner and scared him half to death. "He's very nervous," she explained, "Moving homes is rather nerve-wrecking."
Dazai nodded, though he really had no clue if Kouyou was right or not. He had never moved before so how could he know? He watched Chuuya pace around the room filled with boxes. Dazai didn't even know Chuuya owned this much stuff...
"Would you help him out a bit? I think he's stressing himself out too much over this." Kouyou asked with concern in her voice. Actual concern that wasn't twisted with any manipulation.
So obviously Dazai said yes.
=+=+=+=
And so Dazai went with Chuuya to help him unpack at his new place. Chuuya drove, despite not having a license or anything of that nature.
Dazai was surprised by how close the new house actually was. Apparently it was only a few buildings down the port from where the Mafia headquarters were.
Whilst they were driving to Chuuya's new place, Dazai suddenly remembered something. His daily visits.
"You know, it's sad that you're moving," Dazai said casually, "It hasn't even been a year since I've been visiting you every day."
Chuuya hummed and nodded in response, completely disinterested and only focused on the road.
"Plus, it's further away from my house so now it'll take longer for me to get there every day."
Chuuya tsked in annoyance. "I thought you'd finally stop doing that once I've moved."
"Oh, Chuuya. You can't get rid of me that easily." Dazai teased.
"Sadly." Chuuya sighed in a way that made Dazai wonder if he had meant what he said.
=+=+=+=
"I say we should relax now. You've done a lot, Chuuya." Dazai said, looking around the large room. It was much larger than Chuuya's old apartment, much much larger. The dining-kitchen-living-room area was bigger than Chuuya's entire apartment had been, so that was saying a lot. And it had huge windows, ones that you'd see in a movie in a millionaire's private house. All boxes had been unpacked by then yet it was still... empty. The place was so big it would take possibly years to fill it all up until the echo was gone.
"God, please," Chuuya flopped straight onto the couch, "Get us some wine or something." He ordered with a flick of his hand and a voice muffled by the couch.
Dazai snorted. He took the red wine out of the portable freezer that would now be its home until Chuuya got his planned 'Wine Room' sorted out (Chuuya recently gained an obsession with wine tasting for some reason).
Dazai poured himself and Chuuya a glass.
=+=+=+=
January 1st, 3 years before.
Dazai sat at the Lupin bar, softly stirring his glass of gin to the rhythm of the quiet music played in the background.
There were still some late fireworks going off in the distance, noises like gunshots he'd hear almost every day and every night.
His companions, new friends, Oda Sakunosuke and Ango Sakaguchi, chatted quietly as they drank away the last of their beverages.
Nothing felt real. Never on New Year's. The atmosphere of the entire world always changed completely on the last night of the year, the night of the countdown. He had lived to see sixteen nights like this. He wondered how many more he'd last.
The strange limbo between anxiety and feeling numb was fresh in his mind. Nothing was real. He wished he wasn't.
A soft beep and a whirr in his pocket snapped him out of his daze. He took his phone out and checked the messages. Chuuya's nickname popped up to reveal a text message.
[Text from: Slug] heY I love yo u
Dazai snickered as he read the message. A love confession? From Chuuya? Impossible.
[Text from: Mackerel] r u drunk
Chuuya would obviously never say such things sober.
[Text from: Slug] Yea, but tht doesb't mattrr
Came the reply.
[Text from: Slug] You wannt t o come over??
[Text from: Mackerel] i thought u didn't want me there
Dazai had already been ordered out of Chuuya's house that night.
[Text from: Slug] I'm drunk i chang e my mindf
Dazai chuckled softly, grabbing the attention of Odasaku and Ango.
[Text from: Mackerel] i'll b with u in 5
[Text from: Slug] I'm waiting
Dazai sighed and stood up. "Sorry, guys. I have to leave early."
Odasaku perked up curiously at the teen's words. "That's fine, Dazai. Did something happen?"
"Nah," Dazai shook his head and waved off any concern, "My partner's just off drunk by himself and needs to be babysat."
Odasaku chuckled fondly and nodded. "Go take care of him."
=+=+=+=
Dazai had to break into Chuuya's house when he got there because the door was locked as usual. Obviously this was easy for him to do because he was Dazai and Dazai had been breaking into Chuuya's house to visit him every night for months so by now Chuuya might as well have been leaving the door unlocked.
When he opened the door, it was dark. Way darker than expected, no lights were on and there was almost no noise except for the sounds of the city outside the apartment's windows. Dazai walked down the short corridor and flicked on the lights to reveal a drunk Chuuya siting at his dining table. A red wine bottle stood on the table and an almost empty wineglasses swayed in Chuuya's hand as he watched the wine inside it swish around.
Dazai cleared his throat to gain Chuuya's attention.
Chuuya's eyes lifted from the wineglass and looked at him. "Oh. You're here..."
"You asked."
Chuuya watched the wineglass again. "...I guess?" He lifted his head up off the table and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. "Do me a favour and, uh... go put the, uhm, the, uh, the wine away... please."
"Sure." Dazai walked to the table and picked up the wine bottle. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone like you always do, okay?" He teased as he jogged towards the stairs.
"Haha," Chuuya rolled his eyes and hit the wineglass over, causing it to spill the remainder of the wine. "Shit."
Dazai snickered and ran up the steps and to the wine room. The wine room was cold and not all that fancy (yet). It had four shelves so far, all labelled differently according to what was kept on them. Red wines, white wines, old and expensive wines, new and cheap ones. Dazai, not knowing where the fuck the red wine bottle he held went on the shelves, just placed the red wine next to another bottle and hoped it would suffice.
Dazai walked back downstairs to see Chuuya face down at the table again. "Chuuyaaaaa, I hope you didn't just die on me while I was gone!"
Chuuya lifted up a gloved hand but didn't look up. "Carry me... to sleep..."
Dazai's smile fell. Right, so Chuuya gets to take a nap and Dazai has to drag his lazy ass to bed. Brilliant.
Dazai sighed with exasperation and obliged. "Fine."
Thankfully, Chuuya was light enough for Dazai to carry him up the stairs and to his bedroom. And, since Chuuya was drunk and half-asleep, he wasn't putting up any fight that would've made this situation a lot harder.
Dazai set his partner down on the king-sized bed and watched him for a while before deciding to lean away and go back to his own house. Before he could do that though, Chuuya's hand caught his sleeve.
"Where... you going?"
"Home." Dazai responded.
"Stay," Chuuya suggested, pulling Dazai down closer to him, "It's late. Don't walk home... alone like that."
Dazai pondered this. He was pretty tired... "Wouldn't sober you murder me the second I was found in your room the next morning?" He laughed.
"I mean, uh..." Chuuya rubbed his eyes, "Probably, yeah."
Dazai thought about this while observing Chuuya. Staying over would actually be a better option than walking home in the bitter ass, cold ass weather outside while being tired enough to 'accidentally' step out onto the road and get run over by a car.
"Okay, sure." He agreed.
Dazai slept in Chuuya's bed with him that night.