Note: The beginning of this chapter is hinting to the aftermath of a spoiler in the manga that I imagined in my head to happen after! (If you know you know! 😉)
"FUCK OFF MACKEREl!"
Chuuya ABSOLUTELY could not let Dazai see his face! As he desperately tried to wiggle his arm free from the suicidal maniac, whom he was head over heels in love with's grip, while doing everything in his power to hold back his tears.
But Dazai refused to let go.
"Chuuya... please wait-," he pleaded.
"WHY SHOULD I?! AFTER WHAT YOU- What you..."
Chuuya's protest died down in his throat as he finally let his tears stream down his face. Dazai, for a moment, loosened his grip on his arm before gripping tightly again,
"Chuuya... look at me". Chuuya shook his head, wiping his non-stop waterfall-like tears with his free wrist, letting out quiet sobs. Dazai let out a sigh before gently pulling Chuuya towards him till his hands were on his chest.
"Wha-?!"
Dazai bent down swiftly cupping Chuuya's cheek before-??
Chuuya could not believe what was happening! Dazai was- he was- kissing him?? Chuuya hadn't really pondered much on how Dazai's lips must feel. Dry? Maybe. But it was, in fact, the complete opposite of what he had originally thought! Dazai's lips were soft! Almost frighteningly so.
Dazai waited. Not moving at all. Chuuya got the hint! He was waiting for him to-
Slowly but truly, Chuuya kissed back, letting his eyes fall close. Dazai opened his eyes, surprised that Chuuya actually kissed back. Slyly smirking into his mouth, he too kisses back, this time with more passion. Chuuya's brows furrow as he grips the front of Dazai's clothes, squeezing his eyes shut tighter, right when he feels something warm in his mouth. It was Dazai's tongue! He was practically prying open Chuuya's mouth! Chuuya lets out a sharp gasp at the feeling. It felt weird, but also... good...
The two idiots kissed for about a good whole minute until both had to pull away to catch their breaths. Staring into each other's eyes, love (and possibly a bit of lust 🤭) clouding their thoughts. Andddd~, Chuuya was the first to look away! An adorable blush had bloomed across his face, his eyes widening, before quickly turning his head away.
"Aww~ is Chibi shy~?" Dazai cooed.
"Sh-Shut up..."
"Chuuya".
"W-What...?"
"Will you please look at me?"
"..."
"Or at least,... let me look at you?"
Chuuya slowly turned his head back, lifting his head up to look into that damned handsome face he had fallen in love with. Dazai smiled, genuinely smiled at him. From his perspective, he was looking into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen! Sure, Atsushi's eyes were quite unique and pretty, but even THEY, could not compare to Chuuya's beautiful ocean ones. He couldn't help but stare into them, losing himself in them.
"W-Why do you keep staring...?"
"Because Chibi has beautiful eyes~".
Chuuya didn't think he could be flustered any further but his cheeks proved him wrong. Dazai snorted at his hatrack's reaction.
"Don't laugh you shithead!"
"Haha, alright, alright~".
"Damn you..."
"Hmm~?"
A quick peck was enough to make Chuuya's annoyed expression soften but quickly turn into confusion. Should he ask? He might just ruin the moment, but... Chuuya had to know...
"So... what now?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"I mean, we've kissed and- and well-" he inhales, "I just... I'm not sure if us kissing meant anything or-"
"I love you, Chuuya..."
"I mean, even if it didn't, it's not like I want it to-! Wait. What did you say...?"
What did he just say? It was a whisper but Chuuya definitely heard it! Right?
Now it was Dazai's turn to blush, "I-I-I said I- love you..."
He... loved him...?
"Your- Your... kidding... right...?"
Dazai shook his head without breaking eye contact. Chuuya could feel tears beginning to prickle at the corner of his eyes again. Dazai, his ex-partner, the man he thought hated him the most and was only interested in running after women, loved him...? Chuuya didn't even get the chance to ask Dazai to elaborate as he already began to explain, as if he knew what Chuuya was going to ask.
"I've loved you for a long time now, Chuuya. In fact, ever since I first met you. I'll admit, I had a small attraction towards you. But I refused to let myself accept that fact because I... didn't know how to feel about it. Which is why I threw, and still do, insults at you left and right, and only flirted with women, though I don't regret it," he smirked.
"Hmph, of course... So, you aren't really interested in women?"
"Oh no, I am attracted to women AND men! I think I'd be referred to as, uh, what was it again? Bisexual?"
Ah.
"I see..."
"But I think I'm more on the Gay Spectrum... Anyway, that's beside the point! To put it simply, I don't think I can hide my feelings for you any longer... I-"
"Me too".
"Eh?"
"I've- liked you from the beginning too..."
Dazai owlishly blinks at him.
"I've pretty much been doing the exact same thing. Hoping it would make me forget... Remember when I told you that after you vanished from the Port Mafia, I opened a Pétrus '89 bottle in celebration?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, I lied... I actually drank the whole bottle while bawling my eyes out and trying to contact you..."
"Chuuya..."
"I thought I'd long bottled up my feelings for you and thrown them away, but..." he hiccups as he speaks. Dazai once again gently took Chuuya's chin, lifting his face up, while using his other hand to tightly hold his.
"I swear to you, I will NEVER, EVER, leave you again, okay?"
A small sniffle is heard before he looks up, "You promise?"
"Yeah... Chuuya, will you be my boyfriend? All the way until we decide to get married for the rest of our lives?" There was a hint of sarcasm and joke but Chuuya could tell that every word was genuine.
"Heh, my God you're so cheesy".
"Only for you~".
"Yeah, right," Chuuya retorted, rolling his eyes. Suddenly, the wind picked up, blowing the two men's hair in their faces. How annoying.
"Looks like Mother Nature's telling us to take our confessions somewhere else," Dazai joked.
Chuuya nods, "We should probably be going inside now, we might catch a cold if we stay out here any longer".
A sly smirk crosses Dazai's features as he calls Chuuya's name with that signature teasing lilt in his voice, "CHuUuYa~"
Oh, boy...
Chuuya sends him a look of unamusement, raising a suspicious brow, "What...?"
"Would you perhaps...~, let me come home with you~?"
Chuuya is quick to retort! Not necessarily because he outright dislikes the question, instead, more so, the idea of Dazai sleeping over at his house for the first time is... weird? Embarrassing? No, those aren't exactly the right words... Ah, it doesn't matter! All Chuuya knows is that his heart is practically fluttering at the idea, his stomach tingling with butterflies. "Ehh~? Don't you have your own apartment or something? I doubt the Armed Detective Agency left you without a place to stay".
"Aww, but I don't want to go back to my place! It's so small and lonely! I'd be much happier if I was with Chuuya~". He should have known the damned bastard wouldn't be so quick to give up! And damn those pleading eyes of his! What is he? Some lost puppy?! Oh, but of course he would try to act like one since he knows the other ADORES dogs!
"Damn it, you-! Ugh, FiNeE~! But only tonight and that's it!"
Dazai's expression instantly lights up, his tone sounding like that of a child's, "OkAyYyY~!"
As the new couple began to walk back in the direction of the shorter one's home, there was still some doubt left in what said person thought was once his stone-cold heart but chose to ignore it. This was the new them. What they were now, was all that mattered. This was the beginning. The blooming of something beautiful that would last eternally, till death did them part.
But, is it going to LAST?