One Soul, Two Bodies (Soukoku Oneshots)

#16: White Day

March 14th. Exactly one month after Valentine's Day.

White Day.

A day to reciprocate gifts one received a month prior.

Osamu Dazai had decided to jazz up Chuuya's hat with faux flowers on Valentine's Day, as a gift.

He was not expecting Chuuya to like it.
He expected even less for Chuuya to keep the flowers on his hat after Valentine's Day.

It was a kind gesture to reciprocate the gifts one received, Chuuya knew that. He wasn't a fan of either holiday, and he did not want to send Dazai any direct signals.

Yes, he loved him. Yes, he told him he loved him.

That did not mean he wanted to be proud and outgoing about it.

But a tradition is a tradition.

Dazai typically awoke after Chuuya. So he was not surprised to see the opposite side of the bed empty when he first opened his eyes to the daylight.

He got ready to head off to work like usual (although he didn't plan on doing much), and wanted to kiss Chuuya goodbye before he took off.

But Chuuya was nowhere to be seen.

He couldn't have left already. Dazai didn't sleep in THAT late, right?

He checked the clock on the wall. No, it was the same time as always when he was heading out the door.

So where was Chuuya?

Speak of the devil, Dazai heard a voice behind him call his name.

Dazai turned around and saw Chuuya. He had his arms behind his back.

"Where were you?" Dazai asked.

"Hiding," Chuuya confessed. He tilted his head down so the brim of his hat cloaked his eyes. "Look, I don't want you getting all sappy over this. It's only tradition, but..."

Chuuya took his arms out from behind his back. In between his fingers was a lapel pin made of fake roses, that seemed to match the ones on his hat.

Dazai did not expect Chuuya to honor White Day.

"Did you...make this?" Dazai asked, still slightly stunned.

Chuuya feigned a cough. "Wh--you think you matter enough to me where I'd spend time making a super intricate pin for you? Get your head out of the gutter."

"I do," Dazai answered, a smile on his face. He attached the pin to the lapel on his trenchcoat. "It's very nice. Thank you."

He pulled Chuuya in for a hug. Chuuya could not help but hug back.

"Happy White Day," Chuuya scoffed. He was silent for a bit until he finished with, "...aibou."

"Thanks," Dazai replied. He still wore the smile on his face. He tilted Chuuya's hat back and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead.
He headed to the door. "I love it," he said, and then the front door closed behind him.

Chuuya fell backwards on the couch and sat there, his face flushed. He took his hat off his head and stared at the flowers on it.

"You'd better realize how much I love you, you son of a bitch," he said as he lightly felt the petals. "You make me feel all these stupid things. I don't know what you're doing to me."
He put his hat back on his head. He did not know what Dazai was doing to him to make him feel the way he felt.

But he certainly did not mind.