Chapter Text
Chuuya slams his empty glass on the counter for the fifth time that night, frowning impatiently as the bartender fills his cup. This was supposed to be his alone time, when he could sit in his favourite bar, unwind, relax…all the shit that was ruined when he saw the pile of bandages walk in.
“Stop drinking so much, Chuuya~ , I won’t take you home if you pass out you know.”
Chuuya almost throws the glass towards Dazai’s stupid face, but decides that the remaining booze is too precious to be wasted. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the man didn’t decide to sit right beside him for the sole reason of spewing pointless bullshit.
“Get lost! Why are you here if you’re not even going to drink?”
“Ah, to make sure Chuuya doesn’t get kidnapped by big, scary men of course!”
Chuuya decides that he has endured quite enough for one night. He grudgingly pays for the alcohol that he didn’t really get to enjoy and proceeds to storm towards the exit. Dazai, much to his annoyance, follows behind him with a grin. “Had enough? Too bad, I was going to buy you a few more rounds.”
“Even Petrus 1889 would taste like shit if it came from you.”
Chuuya steps out of the bar to find Atsushi standing there, obviously been waiting impatiently for Dazai since he’s not allowed in bars yet. Dazai walks up to his subordinate, saying ‘sorry for the wait’ without actually sounding apologetic. Hmph, Chuuya thinks to himself, anyone unfortunate enough to get close to Dazai would surely get dragged into his nonsense. He’s just about to walk away when he hears Dazai rambling on towards the detective agency brat -
“Chuuya just always gets into soooo much trouble after he drinks, I couldn’t possibly let my former partner do anything stupid, I mean if anyone ever found out that…”
Chuuya turns around to glare at Dazai, the alcohol and anger starting to make his head spin.
“Shut up, fucking bastard! I would kill you right now but you’re lucky that I actually like y…. y….”
He hastily stops himself as he realizes what he was about to say. But it’s too late, the shitty bastard is already forming a smirk, one eyebrow cocked up in the most infuriating manner. “Hm? What did you say, Chuuya?”
“N...nothing!” Shit, he really is getting into trouble.
“Did little Chuuya say that he likes me~?” He’s grinning so much now his face looks like it’s about to split into two. Oh, if only it would. How much worse can this night get?
“No fucking way! I said that I like….I like….” His eyes dart around, mind running a million miles a second. Oh come on, he has to find something to say, something! His gaze falls on the pair of lilac-yellow eyes.
“I said I like…. y…your man-tiger over there!”
Oh, this night just got worse all right.
Dazai’s eyes widen a little, while the eyes of ‘his man-tiger over there’ widens a lot. A smirk comes back to Dazai’s lips, evidently not believing Chuuya at all. “You mean Atsushi-kun? That’s his name, by the way.”
“Yeah! That’s right! I mean come on, he’s just like the cutest guy ever, right?” Fuck it, the best thing he can do now is just to go along with it, right. Although his judgement miiiight be clouded by alcohol right now. “And….and especially when you compare him to someone as shitty as you, man, he is just like the best guy on the face of this Earth!” Chuuya really wants to slap his own stupid mouth shut by now. What the hell is he saying when he didn’t even know that brat’s name two minutes ago?
Dazai's eyes darken as he stares silently at Chuuya. Atsushi, completely baffled, wonders if he should just run away and never look back. This whole situation is getting incredibly uncomfortable in wayyyy more ways than one. Chuuya’s heart is beating furiously now, waiting for another one of Dazai’s condescending remarks.
“Hmph.” Dazai finally scoffs. “Well, Atsushi-kun is way too good for you, Chuuya.”
Chuuya feels anger take over his embarrassment. “Says the man who couldn’t get anyone to date him even if he pays them to!” he snaps. There’s silence for a few more seconds as Dazai almost scowls, seemingly thinking of something, before his smirk grows wider. “Oh really? Akutagawa-kun would beg to differ.”
“What?!” Atsushi snaps his head towards Dazai upon hearing that remark, mouth open and eyes wide with shock. The two former partners ignore him, glaring so hard at each other they could’ve borne holes straight into the other’s head.
“Are you trying to say that Akutagawa is dating you?”
“Of course.”
“Looks like he’s way too desperate if he would agree to such a disgusting thing.”
“At least I have a date.”
Chuuya isn’t quite sure if he believes him or not, but at this moment he is way too pissed off to even think straight, not to mention he is starting to feel something. Something that is NOT jealousy, mind you, no fucking way. He turns towards Atsushi, who is currently lost in his own thoughts.
“Atsushi-kun.”
“Y…yeah?” Atsushi looks up, startled. His ears are beginning to turn red.
“Will you go out with me?”
Choke. Splutter. Gasp. The younger boy feels like he must be dreaming. Both Dazai and Chuuya continue to stare at him, and he would rather go through one of Yosano-sensei's dissections right now than be here. This man, who he barely even knows, is asking him out. Dazai-san is dating Akutagawa. And he…..he…..
He feels a slight ache in his heart as the name flashes in his mind again. Akutagawa.
He turns his gaze back towards Chuuya, already regretting everything as he utters the first word.
“Yes, Chuuya-san.”
xXxXxXxXxXxX
The sun is just beginning to stream in through the windows of the three ability users' rooms. Atsushi, Chuuya, and Dazai slowly get up. Their lives may be completely different, but they all have the same thought in their minds as they wake up this morning -
SHIT.
Chuuya had never thought things would escalate the way it did the night before. Oh if only the pile of shitty bandages hadn’t appeared there last night, he wouldn’t have gotten himself into such a ridiculous situation. But he couldn’t go back on his words now, or that bastard would torment him for the rest of his days. Oh why, why, of all the people in the world, why did he have to like….
Dammit. He smacks himself on the head before he could finish the thought. Stop thinking about that!
Atsushi stares into the mirror as he adjusts his tie. Dark circles have formed under his eyes, which isn’t surprising considering he barely slept a wink thinking about what happened last night. He really shouldn’t have agreed. But the shock of hearing that Dazai is dating Akutagwa was just too much for him. Not that he even has the right to be upset, since he has always been too terrified to do anything about his….feelings. He wonders when he started realizing it, realize that he no longer wants to fight the man. Realize that they are more similar than he had ever imagined. Realize that he would’ve liked it if it were him who had asked him out yesterday night.
I guess you really do realize what you want only when it’s too late, he thinks to himself. Or when you have already agreed to go out with someone you know absolutely nothing about.
Meanwhile in his apartment, Dazai is still sitting on his mattress, running a few things in his mind. Well there’s nothing else he can do now, he decides, as he presses the ‘send message’ button.
Akutagawa is about to have a surprise of his own.