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It was the middle of the night when the doorbell rang once.
And then rang again. And again.
Dazai took a deep breath. How dare someone interrupt his reading at such a late time, he was learning of new, unique ways to commit suicide! He walked over to the door and opened it abruptly, not even looking at the person as he speaks. “Look, I don’t care for religion so nothing you say is going to get me to convert-”
He stopped mid-sentence when he looked down and sees a familiar, short-tempered redhead. But he didn’t look angry. In fact, he looked terrible. His ginger hair was rough and matted, like someone tried to use his head as a broom, and he had a dazed look in his eyes. His clothes were wrinkled and covered in mud from the downpour outside, and he was missing a shoe on his right foot. He looked completely and utterly exhausted, and not at all like the person Dazai used to know.
The redheaded man's eyes widened when he realized who had answered, but they soon adjusted into a glare. "What are you doing here?" He interrogated.
"Last time I checked, I lived here," Dazai teased, but it held no weight. As much as he hated to admit it, he was a bit worried about the state the other was in. "I should be asking what you are doing."
The man sighed, his hostile facade fading as he scowled. “I fucked up on a mission. Then I headed to a bar, got super drunk, and now I’m here, apparently. And it’s not like I can go back, that shithead will kill me.”
The brunet understood. Smirking, he decided to answer. "Well, I’m not sure why you decided to come to my place, Chuuya, but it would be terrible manners of me to leave you outside! So I guess you can come in."
Chuuya huffed and briskly walked inside. Instead of sitting on a chair or the couch like a normal person, he decided to sit on the floor by the living room. He put his head in his arms, and Dazai could notice him shivering.
"I can get you a blanket if you want," the bandaged man offered.
"I don't need one."
"It's around 4 degrees outside right now and I can see you shaking."
Chuuya rolled his eyes but didn't answer. Dazai sighed and walked to the kitchen, getting out a tea kettle and two cups. After a few minutes, he walked out with the tea and sat down a few feet away from the other man.
"Drink this. It'll warm you up."
"I know what tea is, you bastard," Chuuya growled, but yanked a cup from Dazai’s hands anyway. Dazai tried not to seem too mesmerized as the other gulped down the tea and placed it on the floor.
"Tch. Can you stop staring at me? You're creeping me out."
"So~rry, you just look so cute drinking the tea I made," Dazai teased, earning a vicious look from the shorter man.
"I swear to God I will kill you one day."
"If you really wanted to kill me you would've done so already." The redhead didn't have an answer for that, so instead of responding, he brushed his fingers through his tangled hair. After a few unsuccessful attempts to unknot it, he sighed and gave up. Dazai stood and walked to his bathroom, grabbing a brush and going back over to Chuuya.
"Do you need help with that, chibi? Here, let me do it~" he sang, but the other pushed his hand away.
"I don't need your fucking help."
The brown-haired man’s smile morphed into a frown. "Then why did you come over to my apartment? Ay, you’re always so difficult with me!" He tried to sound playful, but it came out as strained. “Just let me do this for you, okayyy? We can’t have you going out like this.”
Chuuya seemed to agree with that. After a few seconds, he quietly gave in. Dazai started to brush Chuuya's hair delicately, being careful to avoid pulling on knots and tangles too hard. After a while, Chuuya was leaning into his touch like a puppy. Once he perfectly untangled the ginger's hair, he put down the brush, and the chibi put his head on the taller man's shoulder.
"With the way your hair looks, I’m surprised you even know what a brush is." Chuuya accused.
"I always brushed Ane-san's hair while I was in the mafia. I got pretty good at it." Chuuya smiled at that. He got up, yawning.
"I'm tired." He did look as if he was going to immediately collapse.
"Come on, you should sleep," Dazai suggested, but his idea was immediately turned down.
"With you? Please. I would rather die."
"I would like to take you up on that offer, but maybe another time. Do you see another bed around here? I'm sorry I can't afford a two-bedroom apartment. I could sleep on the couch if that’s what you’d like.
Chuuya looked away. "No, it's fine. We can sleep in the same bed, that's probably better for me than being alone right now," he whispered, a blush forming on his cheeks.
Dazai smirked at that. "Alright then~ I can give you clothes to wear so that you don't have to sleep in your dirty outfit." He passed over a shirt and sweatpants, and ginger went to the bathroom to change. The clothes were hilarious because they were about 3 times too big for the smaller man. The brunet couldn't help but laugh.
"Shut up or I will cut your throat." The chibi threatened, but with his exhaustion, it wasn't very intimidating. He climbed into the bed, and fell asleep almost immediately. Dazai turned to look at the man beside him, his former partner, the one person he has ever fully trusted.
I love you, Chuuya.