Work Text:
Being partners with Dazai was, all things considered, exactly what Chuuya thought it would be. From the moment he met Dazai, he could tell that he was an obnoxious brat who was extremely talented at getting on Chuuya’s nerves. And that's exactly what he was.
One thing Chuuya hadn't anticipated, though, was just how clingy Dazai was going to be. It seemed like Dazai couldn't go even an hour without bothering Chuuya in some way. Or just touching him in some way. First it was two squirrelly little hands grabbing at his back, next it was spindly fingers tugging on his hair, or Dazai throwing a leg over Chuuya's while they sat on Chuuya's couch.
It sends Chuuya reeling-- it’s just so disconnected from the image that Dazai tries to portray. In meetings, Dazai put effort into acting aloof and mysterious, which only served to piss Chuuya off. Chuuya knew that Dazai was just a dumbass, but somehow he’d tricked everyone else into thinking he was some scary force of nature. Behind closed doors, though, he was a starfish.
It wasn’t even that Chuuya minded being touched, it was just that it was Dazai. His fingers were like ice and he whined . And he seemingly couldn’t function without being in contact with Chuuya in some way, shape, or form. Chuuya couldn’t even exist in his own home without Dazai descending on him like a plague.
Tonight, he was supposed to be home alone , enjoying a night to himself with his poetry book. Except Dazai had followed him home like a stray cat, and let himself into Chuuya’s apartment when the redhead locked him in the hallway. And then he helped himself to Chuuya’s dinner and Chuuya’s couch, and plied the book out of Chuuya’s hands, insisting Chuuya give him a massage.
“Why are you like this?” Chuuya groans, punching at Dazai’s back.
“Ow! Be gentler! That’s not how massages are supposed to be!”
“What the hell do you know about massages?”
Dazai looks over his shoulder at Chuuya to pout. He’s facing one arm of the couch, legs folded loosely in front of him while Chuuya sits behind him, half-heartedly attempting a brutal massage.
“Don’t give me that look, asshole.”
Dazai hmph s and turns back forward again. He’s silent for a moment before he says, almost like he’s remembering something, “This is how partners are supposed to be.”
Chuuya grunts, mashing his thumb into the tense ball of Dazai’s shoulder. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Partners are supposed to be together all the time, aren’t they?”
Eyebrows knitting, Chuuya pauses. “I guess so. What’s your point?”
“My point is, if we’re partners, we’re supposed to spend time together?”
The way Dazai says it-- like a genuine fucking question-- makes Chuuya bristle. “I don’t want to spend time with you!”
“That’s hurtful, chibi.”
Chuuya squeezes Dazai’s side until he flinches. “Good.”
“Partners are supposed to spend time together. And not abuse each other like you do me.” Dazai whines, wiggling away from Chuuya. For a moment, Chuuya thinks Dazai’s going to leave, to get off the couch maybe, but no such luck-- he just turns around and instead flops back onto the couch so that he’s facing Chuuya, knees brushing the redhead. He leans forward, head tipped quizzically. He’s so close that Chuuya can see each individual eyelash, each little pock-mark on his face.
“So,” Dazai drawls, thoughtful, “Partners are supposed to be close.”
Chuuya scoffs. He feels warm. “Yeah? I’m close enough to you already.”
Grinning widely, Dazai presses his nose into Chuuya’s cheek like a cat rubbing its head on its owner. “And partners are supposed to do romantic stuff like cuddle.”
Wrinkling his nose, Chuuya jerks backwards. “Romantic stuff?”
Audacious as ever, Dazai shrugs. “That’s what I have heard.”
“But that’s-” Chuuya glares at him, ignoring the way his neck feels hot. “That’s not the same. We’re not that kind of partners.”
Dazai squints. “We’re not?”
For a moment, Chuuya almost pulls his fist back to punch Dazai for messing with him. But then he realizes that Dazai-- eye wide, eyebrow raised, cheeks slightly pink-- is being serious . The bastard.
“What--? No !?”
Dazai frowns, mouth contorting a minute before he says, “We are.”
Sputting, Chuuya leans further back until he’s got his back pressed to the arm of the couch, as if getting physical distance from Dazai will get him out of this conversation. “Since when ?”
“Since you agreed to be my partner.” Dazai hums. “Stupid chibi. I told you that I loved you.”
“You- I thought you were fucking around!”
Dazai pulls a face. “I’m always serious.”
“Bastard, that’s a lie and you know it!”
As if he didn’t hear him speak, Dazai carries on, “And besides, you’re already my dog for life, so that’s like the same too.”
“It’s- How ? Explain that logic, genius!” Chuuya feels light-headed. And his ears are warm and surely flushed red. Dazai is his partner, afterall, but only because they have to be! And only his work partner. He never agreed to anything else.
Just the thought makes him squirm, stomach feeling jittery, face warm. That’s how disgusting he finds it, he thinks. Just the thought of Dazai… like that makes him queasy, his heart racing. He clicks his tongue and wrinkles his nose, pressing his lips together.
Dazai feigns a swoon. “Ah, Chuuya thinks I’m a genius…” He says dreamily.
Chuuya crosses his arms over his chest. He feels like he’s scrambling. Dazai’s looking at him intently with his one bare eye, still leant forward in the middle of the couch. Chuuya feels silly, pressed back against the arm of the couch. He coughs and settles back into the cushions normally, trying to mime nonchalance. “You’re such a freak.”
“How unoriginal.”
Chuuya glares at him, and then shakes his head. He kicks a leg out towards the TV and the remotes on the table in front of it. “Let’s play a game.”
“Ah, fine.”
“Don’t make it sound like you’re doing me a favor!”
“I’ll play with Chuuya,” Dazai says, and then grins wide and toothy. It’s an unnerving look on him. He wiggles closer to Chuuya on the couch until their thighs are touching. Chuuya tenses. “ If ,” Dazai says, now leaning his shoulder into Chuuya’s. “We can cuddle.”
Chuuya scoffs. “No way, bastard!”
“Chuuya,” Dazai whines, “Be a good partner!”
“I didn’t agree to this! This- get off, mackerel! ”
Dazai’s crawled halfway into Chuuya’s lap, head on Chuuya’s shoulder, one leg sprawled in his lap. He puts his hand on Chuuya’s other shoulder and laughs, the sound vibrating through Chuuya’s chest. “Your heart’s beating so fast,” Dazai teases, wiggling around against Chuuya like he doesn’t know he’s all sticks and sharp angles. Chuuya hisses as he catches an elbow in the stomach.
“Stop fucking moving,” Chuuya grunts, and then corrects himself-- “Get off! ”
“I live here now,” Dazai says, closing his eyes. “Actually, I might nap here… Chuuya is surprisingly comfortable, for a slug.”
Chuuya seethes but doesn’t push him off. “I’m going to tear you to shreds.”
Dazai shrugs against him. “Okay. After I nap.”
Gritting his teeth, Chuuya glares at the top of Dazai’s head. He’s a little surprised Dazai even fits in his lap, being an obnoxiously tall beanpole. But he fits there comfortably, at least the way he’s curled up like this. Every little exhale breezes over Chuuya’s neck, right above the collar of his t-shirt. He’s surprisingly warm, too, and Chuuya has the urge to wrap his arm around him and pull him to his chest like a teddy bear. He almost does, too, before he remembers exactly who is in his lap right now.
Chuuya leans his head back against the couch with a groan. He can admit to himself that it’s… nice. Touching Dazai. But only because Chuuya doesn’t get to touch anyone else.
Not because it’s Dazai.
“Get off,” He says again, half-heartedly.
“Sorry, I’m asleep,” Dazai mutters. He almost does sound asleep, like all it took was Chuuya’s chest as a pillow for him to conk out.
Chuuya snorts. “Bastard,” He murmurs. It’s probably easier to just let Dazai have his way for now. Sometimes it’s like that-- Dazai is just as stubborn as Chuuya is, after all. Chuuya just has to pick his battles, is what it is. Yeah. Chuuya is just letting this happen because it’s no use arguing with Dazai. He’ll get him back later somehow, for being so annoying.
Nodding to himself, Chuuya closes his own eyes. He might be here a while. Might as well get his own nap out of it-- but only to power himself up to get Dazai back. That’s all.