I'm Your Friend After All

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CHAPTER FIVE
I'M YOUR FRIEND AFTERALL

Chuuya almost felt sorry for him. Dazai hadn't woken up, but for the past hour, the name Odasaku had been a constant whisper on his lips. His ex-partner had broken into a sweat, and Chuuya took out his handkerchief to dab them away.

He couldn't believe he was doing this. But he wasn't about to play with Dazai's wishes either. If Dazai had kept that dark part of his life away from them, then he would do the same.

Then suddenly all of a sudden, Dazai returned to being calm, and Chuuya figured whatever nightmare he was visiting was gone now.

Had Odasaku really meant that much to this guy ?

Chuuya couldn't believe it. Dazai hadn't bothered much about anyone. Why , the man had shot bullets into a dead person for fun, and Chuuya had, had to forcefully stop Dazai in situations like those.

But now there was not a trace of that person. What he could see was, a person who missed his friend, and ardently blamed himself for it. Blamed himself so much he was willing to die without even putting a fight in the presence of someone who cared so much as he did for Odasaku.

Chuuya was pulled out of his thoughts, when he slowly saw Dazai stirring.

His eyelids felt heavy, and Dazai was content to let it be that way, but he decided against it. He opened his eyes, and took his first good look at the world which had been without him for God knows how long. The moment his vision cleared he wished he hadn't, and shut his eyes again.

"Dear lord, why should you bestow such misery upon me ?" he croaked painfully, that even Chuuya who was tempted to punch him in the beginning, could only pitifully resort to scoffing at the great Dazai's condition.

"Pathetic."

He then reached for Dazai's shoulder, and slowly helped the sorry dimwit, who was now coughing, into a safe sitting position. He then reached for the glass on the bed side table and slowly urged Dazai to sip some water.

Dazai was very well, aware he couldn't move a finger. Distasteful as it maybe, he let Chuuya help him, while he wondered where his friends were. As if reading his mind Chuuya answered,

"Your dear friends are finishing all the paper work you left for them. And here I was thinking you made the phenomenal change into a basket case."

Dazai chuckled, before tiredly sighing, and staring at the wall dazedly.

Silence ensued, and the two had no qualms about it, until Dazai broke it

"Thank you."

"You already knew I was going to come." Chuuya muttered, annoyed.

"Not for that."

Chuuya just merely nodded, before scoffing and then saying "You're an idiot, Dazai."

"Maybe."

"Maybe, my foot ! What did you have in mind after you died ? You thought your little Agency peers would have let it slide ? They hounded me even though I was the one that saved your sorry self. You think they would've left that guy alive ?"

"You would've known what to do." Dazai whispered.

"Yeah, thrown a bloody party that's what." then Chuuya's eyes suddenly widened in realisation.

"No Way !"

Dazai smiled.

"You wanted me to cover your death up as suicide ?"