Chapter Text
Dazai's P.O.V
"I can't believe this is how I'm going to meet my fate!" I shouted, my hand flying to my chest and I close my eyes.
"All I asked you to do was make sure the house is semi-clean before I get back home," Chuuya said over the phone, probably rolling his eyes.
"Do you really trust me to clean though? What if I mess something up?" I plopped down on our couch, throwing my legs up as I laid back. "Don't blame me if things go missing."
I listened as Chuuya gave an exasperated sigh. "Just make sure what goes in the trash is in the trash and any dishes are at least rinsed out and in the sink. I should be finished with this mission today so I can be home tomorrow."
I hummed, resting one arm behind my head as I held the phone to my ear with the other. "Too bad that old hat of yours isn't here, I would have put it in its place then."
"On second thought, expect me home in the next few seconds to choke you with chain that hangs from it!" He hissed, through the receiver.
I smirked, enjoying how I can see get on his nerves even over the phone. "Now that's a way to meet my fate! Death by Chuuya will always be a wonderful idea to me!"
"You weren't saying that six months ago when I used Corruption and nearly killed us both."
Six months ago was our fight against Hasegawa and when Chuuya was pushed onto the very brink of death, especially since I was late getting to him. Thanks to Doctor Yosano, Chuuya was able to be revived and healed nicely.
But I could tell that the moment had caused trauma for the both of us. Both of us had to stay out of work for a few days due to injuries and much needed rest for Chuuya.
"I don't think you would actually murder me. You still need me for other means, don't you?" I joked, pushing myself up and swinging so my feet settled on the floor.
"Whatever. Just do what I asked of you before I get home tomorrow." He sounded tired, probably stressed. He was probably homesick, especially since this mission that Mori had him on has spanned nearly two weeks.
I chuckled. "You'd make a wonderful housewife and mother of my children!"
I heard Chuuya growl. "Excuse me? Just because I let you put it in doesn't mean I'd be a mother!"
"No, but you do like a clean house, you refuse to let me cook, I'm pretty sure if we even had children, you'd be the overly hands on parent." I pushed myself off the couch, walking towards the kitchen to go ahead a get what he told me done. "Plus you look exceptionally cute in a dress."
The other side of the line was quiet, if it weren't for any background noise, I would have thought that he hung up.
"Am I wrong, baby?"
When he answered, I could hear the seductive purr in his voice when he spoke. "So, what you're saying is that I need to buy that short, red dress I saw yesterday?"
I froze where I stood in the doorway of the kitchen and dining room, my mouth opening and closing but no words came out. How could I form words when he just used my tease against me?
I heard him hum. "I also saw a few lingerie stores I thought about stopping by before coming home. What do you think I should do?"
Damn it! He was using the seduction card against me. I had bought him some for his birthday and, like the lucky bastard I am, he wore it for my birthday.
Long story short, we learned that sex with lingerie was extremely sexy and was a need to do again experience.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the pool of warmth that was currently filling my lower region. "I think that's a wonderful idea and that you should definitely tell me the colors you get so I can get chokers to go with them."
I heard Chuuya chuckle. "If we don't end this conversation here, you'll never get to work."
I smirked, leaning against the counter. "I perfectly fine with playing hooky to have phone sex instead."
"Maybe you're okay with it but it's 2:47 in the morning here in Italy and I'm exhausted from the meeting I had with the leader of this gang we were making a deal with."
"Aw, is my baby sleepy?" I cooed softly. "Alright, I guess I'll do some picking up then head to work."
"I miss you, Osamu. I'll be home tomorrow." Chuuya let out a soft yawn, making me smile at how much I love the sound of it.
"I'll see you tomorrow. I love you, Chibi."
"Love you." He's already half asleep. "I'm hanging up now."
"Bye, baby." The line went dead. I removed the phone from my ear and looked down at the screen. It had his contact name and a picture of him when he was drunk, a happy grin spread across his face.
Six months we've been back together. It feels so right having Chuuya in my arms every night and his face being the first thing I wake up to in the morning. My sleep schedule had actually gotten better since I moved in with him.
I sighed as I pocketed my phone and turned around to the already clean kitchen. "Don't worry, Chuuya. I know how you like your kitchen and home clean when you get home." I also knew how exhausted he was going to be from the trip back.
I turned on my heels and walked into the living room, whistling as I went. I made sure everything was off before going into the entrance hall and slipping on my shoes and pulling my trenchcoat off the coat rack.
I slipped it over my shoulders, hands going into the pockets to check the contents. Wallet, keys, and ring box, plus a paperclip and rubber band I was playing with yesterday. I was set to go.
I locked the door behind me, whistling as I walked down the sidewalk. I started thinking to myself.
What was it that our case was about again? Oh right!
People were supposedly coming back from the dead.
*****
Busy as always at the Armed Detective Agency. Several of the office workers would bring us files to be looked over and signed but nothing too extreme.
There was also the case that we had received from the Yokohama police last night.
"So, families are reporting that their loved ones who had passed away, are coming back from the dead?" Atsushi asked looking over one of the files for one of the people brought back.
"Yes, there have been several similar reports all over Yokohama," Kunikida explained looking over a different file. "Since you had the day off yesterday, you missed some of the explanation of the reports."
Atsushi frowned as he wrote something down on one of the pages before closing the case file. "What do you think is causing them to come back?"
"Maybe it's an ability?" Kenji added, turning around in his chair.
"Or maybe it's the legend of the Brothers Grimm," Ranpo suggested mysteriously from his desk.
"The Brothers Grimm?" Atsushi looked confused.
"An old German legend about two ability users that controlled life and death," I explained, closing the file I was looking at. I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair. "It's an old legend that Chuuya was fascinated by when we were sixteen, but as it goes, there were two brothers known as the Brothers Grimm. One controlled the power to prophesy and bring forth life while the other had the power to predict and bring about death."
I looked at Atsushi with a smirk. "Legend also states that those brought back were aware they had died but don't remember what afterlife had awaited them, if there even was one, and that they appear with not so much as a speck of dust on them."
"But what about the ones that were cremated? Do they just appear where their ashes are?" Jun'ichiro asked, a look of uneasy in his expression.
I shrugged. "I've only heard that they can resurrect those who were buried but who's to say they can't bring you back from the bone dust?"
"I heard that as long as there is still something left of you then someone can be brought back." Ranpo popped a chip into his mouth. "But there have been different variations of the same tale."
"Tale or not, can we not talk about people coming back from the dead?" Kunikida pushed up his glasses, nervously.
My smirked widened. "Then how do you explain how these people are coming back?"
"Did it not occur to you that maybe these people faked their own deaths?"
Ranpo and I thought about it for a second before answering simultaneously. "It's no fun that way."
Kunikida gritted his teeth together, annoyed with both of us. "Okay, but do you really believe in ghost stories like that? As you said, it's an old urban legend, these Grimm Brothers might be dead for all we know."
"Possibly but it's a shot in the dark since the resurrected can't give us any explanation themselves." I grabbed another one of the files on my desk and opening it.
Atsushi turned his chair towards me. "What do you mean? They don't know how they came back?"
I shook my head. "All they know is someone telling them that they are receiving another chance and to deliver an important message to those of the living."
"A message? What sort of message could a dead person possibly bring back from the grave with them?" Yosano asked sitting on the front of Ranpo's desk.
"Word for word from each of the resurrected people stated. 'An angel will be born and bestowed upon two people of this world and with her a gift to end their doubts.' To me, it sounds like someone is playing prophet."
"Humans aren't made to be brought back after they've been dead for so long." Yosano crossed her arms, a distant look in her eyes. "The human body can be the most complicated, yet the simplest thing."
"Okay, but what do they mean by an angel? Do they mean that some couple is going to have a baby and she's going to do something about their relationship?" Naomi asked, placing another file on Atsushi's desk.
"That's a question I don't have an answer for." I closed the file, placing it on top of the other one. "It's possible that we may have to start looking into any female child births to understand what they could mean."
"That's something that we should hold off on until we figured out how these people are coming back," Ranpo said as he finished off his bag of chips. He tapped Yosano in the back with his foot. "Hey, Akiko, when's the next time you're going shopping?"
She turned to look at him. "Tomorrow. Why, plan on coming along?" She gave him a smirk.
He shook his head, his own smirk in place. "No, I was wondering since we were getting low on snacks." He pointed at Jun'ichiro with a lollipop he had just pulled from his pocket. "But Jun'ichiro would be more than happy to got with you instead."
The red haired boy slumped in his seat. "Why do you guys always volunteer me to go?"
The office staff chuckled, some feeling bad for the boy. Atsushi looked over at me. "By the way, Dazai, how is Chuuya? You had mentioned that the Port Mafia had him on some mission outside of Japan."
I sighed, resting my elbow on my desk before placing my chin onto my hand. "Chuuya's fine, he comes home tomorrow but I can tell he hasn't been been sleeping well."
"Why do you say that?" Kunikida didn't look up from where he was reading his report.
"Well, mafia work in itself is tiresome but being in a different time zone can make it more exhausting since his brain is on Yokohama time." I pushed myself away from my desk before standing up.
I placed my hands into my pants pockets and looked out the window. "Not to mention that he calls me before he goes to bed so I can tell him goodnight. With him being in Italy, that's an eight hour time difference between us."
Everyone was silent behind me, that is until Naomi spoke up. "You miss him, don't you?"
I smiled. They knew how scared I was when I had almost lost him. I became a mess as I held him close, not willing to let him go until Yosano came in telling me he was still alive and could be saved.
"Yeah, I'll always miss my Chibi," I answered before pivoting on my heels. I grabbed my coat off the back of my chair and began putting it on. "I'm going to go on my lunch now. Atsushi, why don't you and Kyoka join me?"
He looked up at me before shutting the folder and laptop in front of him. "Sure." He got up and looked at Kyoka who had come over to stand at the side of his desk.
"Why do I have a feeling that you're taking them so you don't get in trouble for something you're plotting?" Kunikida looked over at me as we headed towards the door.
I smiled back at him. "We're just going down to the Cafe Uzumaki. We're not leaving the building and besides, I feel merciful on your mental health today."
Kunikida rolled his eyes. "Just make sure you're back by time your lunch break is over."
I waved him off as I walked though the office door. "Will do, Mom!" I closed the door before I could see his reaction.
*****
My hand cramped from all the signing I had to do today. Why did Chuuya have to be away the one week I'm actually doing some work? Doing hard work is much more difficult when I don't have a Chibi to help me forget about it when I get home.
I waved goodbye to everyone in the office before leaving. I yawned as I walked out the door on the first floor, stretching as Atsushi and Kyoka close the door behind them.
"Are you heading home?" Kyoka asked asked we walked.
"Kyoka and I wouldn't mind if you joined us for dinner tonight, that is if you don't have any plans," Atsushi added in.
I smiled but shook my head. "It's a very lovely offer but I'm going to have to pass. There's somewhere I'm wanting to go and I wouldn't want to hold you two up, especially since you go to bed pretty earlier, Atsushi."
He frowned. "It's no problem, Dazai, but maybe you and Chuuya can join us for dinner one night or we can come to your house?"
I looked over at the grey haired boy with a smile. "Sure, I'll talk to Chuuya about it when he gets home." I waved at them as we made it to the corner. "This is where we part ways. Have a good night, you two!"
As I began walking away, I heard Atsushi speak to Kyoka. "But wait, isn't his house the other way?"
"He did say that there was somewhere he was wanting to go," Kyoka responded. "Come on, I'm hungry."
"Oh, right!" Their voices only got more distant as I continued forward to my destination.
When I got there, I walked down the alleyway until I reached the door with a lighten up sign above it that read "Bar Lupin."
I entered, walking down the stairs before being greeted by the calm, quiet atmosphere. Soft music played as I took my seat at the bar.
Not a word was spoken before a glass coaster was placed in front of me along with a glass cup of beer with a ice ball in it. Another one was placed in front of the seat to my right, expect it was whiskey and had a hydrangea in it.
The bartender didn't speak a word, just went about clean the glasses as he stood behind the counter. He's been here a lot time, even before Odasaku and I started drinking together.
Usually, when I come in here, he places a glass where Odasaku would sit at as way to honor him as he was a good customer and an even better friend.
I smiled to myself, taking my glass and raising it up, a toast to his memory. A toast to the stray dogs who were still looking for closer.
I didn't stay for too long, didn't want the reminiscing to get to my head and then go home possibly drunk. I finished my glass before bidding a farewell to the barkeeper.
The night air of Yokohama always did have a refreshing feeling to it after a drink at the Bar Lupin. Being September, I could already feel the autumn air.
Memories of my days in the Port Mafia came rushing into my head. Nights I'd come here with Odasaku and Ango, other nights when I'd be sitting in Chuuya's apartment curled up on the couch all a long day, but then there were the nights that were filled with pain.
Those times were hard, cold memories. I was fifteen when the whole thing really started. Joining the Port Mafia so I could witness life and death in battle but could never know what either felt like myself.
I had no one to really help me through any of it so I used my other option that I had been offered. I started doing illegal drugs and sometimes stole others from Mori's infirmary.
I got addicted but the high never lasted for as long as I hoped and was replaced quickly by depression. It was because of many of those moments that I added a new scar to my growing collection. I would have never known that it affected me during work until Chuuya had brought it up.
I remember seeing the worried expression he had and how at that time it made me sick. I had lashed out at him, something I never would have done if I wasn't coming down from a high. His eyes carried hurt in them but said nothing more as he walked away.
It wasn't until later when I had a conscious thought that I realized that Chuuya's heart had been hurt. He tried to offer me help and I declined in the worse way possible.
I hated that expression on his face. Hated how he just walked away without a fight. I wanted to hate him for the weight he had put into me, the guilt.
Thinking back on it now, I remember how I had gone about it the wrong way. Instead of apologizing to Chuuya and talking with him about my problems, like I should have done as his partner, I slept with any woman who was more than willing to have me and distract me from what I truly wanted.
I did this until I couldn't any longer. I did it until the night Chuuya and I had sex for the first time. I had thought the high from the drugs were good but the moans that left his mouth was my view of heaven. The feeling of his insides wrapping around me was the best experience I had ever felt physically.
It became a new drug, one I was willing to give up all others for, and I did. After a few months of messing around, I made Chuuya my boyfriend and shared with him my problems, which ultimately resulted in a lecture about having more trust in him. From the road was bumpy but was overall a good development for my life.
I sighed, scratching the back of my head. "Here I was trying to not remember the past tonight. Oh well."
I turned back down the alleyway and headed home to the house Chuuya and I now shared.