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Another devastating night for those who opposed Port Mafia.
Hirotsu was assigned to lead the team that secures the area, making sure their enemies wouldn’t get any back-ups, which was unlikely because there had been no organization sending back-ups when they knew they were against Double Black. Sending more men to the battlefield wouldn’t change the inevitable result anyway.
There was a famous saying in the underground: if you’re against Double Black, the only thing you could do is praying that your death would be quick.
Tonight’s mission wasn’t easy by any means, but it seemed that Double Black had succeeded in gaining victory once again. The lack of ground shaking and wind howling meant that Chuuya didn’t use Corruption.
His team and the main team would meet at the extraction point and they could return to report to their boss. That sounded great, everyone needed a rest after a night long battle. But sometimes, things weren’t as easy as that.
Hirotsu got a bad feeling when one of the mafia grunt ran towards him, panic palpable on his face. He stopped on his track to manage his breathing.
“Hirotsu, Sir. There is an emergency. Dazai-san and Nakahara-san…”
“What happens to those two? Do they need immediate medical treatment?”
“Ah no— but they—" He couldn’t find a word to explain properly. Worried that Dazai and Chuuya could be in danger, Hirotsu commanded the men under him to follow. He had to see with his own two eyes what happened to those two.
When he arrived, the scene was nothing he expected; there was no danger, no enemy left, nothing to be called emergency.
Dazai and Chuuya were standing in the middle of the wrecked field, seemingly bickering which each other.
Hirotsu turned to the mafia grunt, one of his eyebrows arched. “That’s the emergency?”
It was nothing new. Even the new recruits in Port Mafia knew that the infamous Double Black bicker on daily basis. Sometimes even punches and kicks involved. Most of the time everyone just let them be. Because it’s not like those two try to kill each other.
“It’s different. They’re arguing and it’s quite serious this time.”
“Is it?” Hirotsu took steps closer to the young men, still keeping a safe distance but close enough to be able to hear their conversation—or in this case, was indeed an argument.
“Fuck you!” – was the first thing Hirotsu heard from Chuuya and oh- this didn’t look good. “You think this is a game? Will you ever take things seriously for once in your life? What the fuck were you thinking? Carrying the bomb like that? It could explode anytime!”
Now that sounded…dangerous.
“But it didn’t! Do you think I didn’t calculate it in my plan?”
“You think you’re a God? You think your plan could be flawless all the time? One miscalculation and you could’ve died, you little piece of shit.”
The mafia grunts started to whisper to each other. Hirotsu vaguely heard one of them said “They fight because Nakahara-san is worried about Dazai-san?”
Hirotsu quickly shushed them. Because, if Chuuya ever heard anyone assuming he’s worried about Dazai’s safety, he’d undoubtedly raise hell and it was the last thing they want right now. Especially when the gravity manipulator was already mad mad.
Dazai groaned, looking at Chuuya as if he was being unreasonable. “Of course I knew that wouldn’t happen.”
“You…” Chuuya grabbed Dazai by the collar, gritting his teeth. “If you pull a stunt like that again I swear I’m going to fucking kill you myself!”
“Nop. I only want to die with a beautiful woman in double suicide, being killed by you would be the worst way to go.”
“Goddammit, I can’t stand your annoying ass!”
Dazai smiled. Hirotsu knew this smile. It was a smile Dazai usually wore when he planned something mischievous and knew the plan would work. A victorious smile. Everyone stood there in silence, wondering what kind of scene they would witness.
One of Dazai’s hand grabbed Chuuya’s that was still gripping his collar to lock him in place, while another hand was digging something in his pocket.
Time felt like stopping. Hirotsu wonder if this was the time to step in because what if Dazai take a gun from his pocket and attack his partner this time?
But from the way Chuuya just stood there unmoving could probably mean that he knew Dazai wouldn’t attack him.
Still, everyone was holding their breath waiting for the thing Dazai dug from his pocket.
And then they saw…
A box?
A black velvet square box.
Shocked gasps could be heard from the mafia grunts when Dazai opened the box to show a pair of silver rings inside it.
“You can’t stand my annoying ass heh?” Dazai gripped Chuuya’s wrist with his free hand, not allowing the latter to escape anywhere. He then forcefully put one of the rings on Chuuya’s finger. “Then I’ll annoy you for the rest of my life.”
Chuuya blinked down at the silver ring that glinted under the moonlight, wrapped around his finger.
Hirotsu, and maybe all the witness there might be predicting Chuuya would throw the ring away and fire some kicks or punches at Dazai for the crazy thing he had done.
But he wasn’t a part of Double Black if his move was predictable, was he?
“You think I’m scared?!” Chuuya shouted, taking the other ring from the velvet box and put it on Dazai’s finger as well. “I’ll beat the shit out of you for the rest of my life!”
Double Black was married now, and it was the craziest news spreading in Port Mafia’s headquarters. The boss only chuckled in amusement the first time he heard it. Hirotsu himself thought it was a mere joke, or a bad decision born in heated argument, not a thing that should be taken seriously. Double Black might be stepping into adulthood, but around each other they still acted much younger than their actual age. It’s not a surprise that no one actually took that marriage seriously, even after they had a legal marriage certificate—the boss helped them to obtain it simply for his own amusement.
However, Hirotsu started to realize small changes between those young men.
It started with the lack of bite in their insults.
Then he heard that Dazai was moving to Chuuya’s apartment. More often than not, Hirotsu saw them going home together. When they were asked about that, they said it was easier to discuss about missions if they live under the same roof. For work’s sake, they said. But Hirotsu didn’t fully buy it.
As days passed by, Dazai and Chuuya no longer tried to hide the fact that they care for each other.
When one of them was injured or sick, the other would take the full responsibility to nurse them back to health. Not allowing anyone to come close. Protective.
They were also growing fond of each other.
When they thought no one was watching, they would exchange some gentle touches like a pat on the back, or shy touches like a slight brush along the arm or hand. But when people were watching, they were back insulting each other.
One day during a meeting between Executive Dazai Osamu, Black Lizards, and some underlings, Dazai received a phone call. Hirotsu didn’t miss the glint on Dazai’s brown eye upon reading the name of the caller.
“Oh slug, you’re back already?”
Hearing that, some people in the room heaved a relieved sigh—but making sure Dazai didn’t notice it.
Chuuya had been sent for a mission overseas, and Dazai’s mood had been sour ever since.
“Alright. I’m done in fifteen minutes. I want crab for dinner.”
After that call, Dazai’s mood brightened. Something like this had happened more than once, which made it hard to believe it was a mere coincidence.
The little things that changed between Dazai and Chuuya after the night they put a ring on each other’s finger might prove that what they had was real.
That, until Dazai left.
Hirotsu thought everything that bloomed between Dazai dan Chuuya meant nothing when Dazai defected from the mafia. Chuuya was bombarded with questions about Dazai’s reason to betray the mafia. It was hard to watch Chuuya unable to answer every single one of them. He felt sorry for the boy.
If Hirotsu assumed that the marriage meant nothing for Dazai, he couldn’t say the same for Chuuya. He had to keep a close eye on him because he drank more frequently than he used to. He also noticed Chuuya secretly tried to gather information regarding Dazai’s betrayal, but he knew Chuuya didn’t want anyone to notice, so he didn’t say or do anything about it.
But time flew, people moved on.
As years passed by, Chuuya was doing a great job at climbing the ladder in Port Mafia. He became one of the most important and strongest pillars of the organization. He was busy with his jobs that he no longer tried to dig information about Dazai’s betrayal.
To his—and everyone’s surprise, five years later, Double Black still work well together.
Hirotsu heard everything; about their unexpected reunion in Port Mafia’s dungeon, about Chuuya using Corruption again for the first time in four years, about the occasional missions they accomplished together after the truce of two organization was established. But none of those news could compare the opportunity to witness it with his own two eyes.
How Dazai and Chuuya move like they’re dancing in battlefield. Still in perfect sync with each other even after years of radio silence. How, despite everything that happened in the past, they still put their life in each other’s hands.
That’s Double Black’s bond, unaltered by time.
Tonight Port Mafia and Armed Detective Agency succeeded in accomplishing another joint mission. The war between them and Decay of the Angels and also Hunting Dogs had ended, but didn’t mean Yokohama is safe. There are plenty of dangerous organizations out there waiting for the right time to attack. Today one of them tried their luck. But they needed more than luck to defeat ADA and Port Mafia when they’re joining forces.
“My gloves are all dirty, fuck.”
Hirotsu averted his gaze to the direction of Chuuya who is standing above the debris, complaining about blood on his precious gloves. His cuss stole some of the detectives’ attention, but the rest are still quite focus on cleaning the aftermath of the battle.
With a heavy sigh, Chuuya takes off his gloves one by one.
Only for Hirotsu to see a ring around his finger. A familiar one.
When he heard a gasp from one of the detectives, he knew his old eyes didn’t fool him.
“That’s a cool ring!” Kenji points at the silver ring. Innocent child probably thinks it’s just an accessory.
“Is that a wedding band?” This time the doctor asks.
Chuuya blinks before following everyone’s gaze to his ring finger. “Oh, this.”
It was dead silent as everyone is waiting for Chuuya’s answer. He’s probably considering whether or not he should reveal his secret here, out of the blue.
“Yeah, it’s a wedding band.”
Now the gasp was not only from member of ADA but from Port Mafia as well. Some of the grunts stare at Hirotsu, as if asking if he knew about this since he didn’t look as surprised as the rest of them. But he ignored them.
“My, my~” Dazai’s cheery voice breaks the silence. He stepped into the scene followed by Atsushi and Akutagawa behind him. They are back from patrolling to make sure the area is clear from any threat. “What happens here? You guys look like you’re seeing ghost.”
No one seems to be able to answer that, still busy trying to figure out who’s the mysterious person married to Nakahara Chuuya. The Nakahara Chuuya. A strong, rich, loyal man. If some of them think that person is lucky, they’re not wrong.
The brunet then approaches Chuuya to give a pat on his head. “Anyway good job for today, slug.”
“Keep your hands off me!” Chuuya clicks his tongue in annoyance while slapping Dazai’s hand away.
“Hee~ That’s not what you said last night~”
Now everyone is staring at them with wide eyes.
Dazai seems to be expecting that reaction. It could be seen from his playful grin, which earns a glare from Chuuya.
“Wait…does that mean…” Atsushi’s question hangs in the air.
Grinning wider, Dazai pulls a necklace hidden under his shirt—a silver chain with a wedding band as its pendant. The same one as Chuuya’s.
While everyone else is gaping in shock and disbelief, Hirotsu’s face broke into a smile. A relieved one. He can’t explain why it’s so relieving to know that they were keeping their promise from five years ago. To know that nothing really changed between those two despite every ordeal they had to face.
“But it’s not like what you guys think.” Dazai waves his hand, amused. “We’re just annoying each other for the rest of our lives. I can’t give that honor to anyone else, can I?”
Chuuya snorts, failing to hide a smile. “I’m just putting up with this bastard’s bullshit for the rest of my life.”
“Willingly?”
Now that’s an important question from Kunikida Doppo. Adjusting his glasses, he’s staring at Chuuya with a look that says ‘are you out of your mind?’. Well, no one can blame him. Double Black is not only famous of their power, but also their hatred towards each other.
“Yeah. Crazy, I know.” Chuuya answers nonchalantly, doesn’t sound like he’s surrendering to the inevitable fate of being tied to an annoying mackerel for the rest of his life. He sounds fond, without any hint of doubt or hesitation in his voice. It surprises Kunikida so much he almost dropped his notebook to the ground.
When everyone else is busy whispering to each other gossiping about the newly revealed relationship, Hirotsu watches Dazai wiping some dirt off Chuuya’s auburn hair while whispering something. He couldn’t hear it from this distance, but he could read Dazai’s lips, asking something close to “are you hurt?”
“No. But their filthy blood is all over me,” is what Hirotsu read from Chuuya’s lips.
Dazai chuckled at that before whispering something that Hirotsu couldn’t catch, but from the sudden blush that appear on Chuuya’s face and a sudden move to elbow Dazai’s stomach, Hirotsu assumed Dazai said something suggestive.
After some cusses from Chuuya, and amused laugh from Dazai, they stood there in comfortable silence, smiling at each other, leaning into each other’s spaces.
That, Hirotsu realized, is love.
Five years ago Hirotsu couldn’t believe love could bloom in the dark. But the infamous duo proved him wrong. Not even time, distance, and different occupations could stop them.
“Dazai-san, Chuuya-san.” Hirotsu opens his mouth to speak, catching everyone’s attention. “I suggest for you two to hold a proper wedding party this time.”
It’s different from back then. Five years ago they only had each other, but now they had people they consider family. Hirotsu assumes both of them might want to share that happiness with their closed ones.
“Party!! Yes, that’s a brilliant idea! I request a lot of cakes and sweets.” Ranpo said enthusiastically.
“And a lot of wines.” Yosano adds.
Dazai and Chuuya are now looking at each other’s eyes. No words slips through their lips, but everyone knows they’re communicating. The result of whatever they discussed through their eyes are a huge grin on Dazai’s face and a heavy, yet fond sigh from Chuuya.
“Alright. We’ll hold a wedding party.”
Everyone cheers.
Some of them approach the couple, showing their support and saying they would help with the preparation. There’s a barely noticeable red hue on Chuuya’s cheeks, and a happy grin on Dazai’s face. Kyouka suggested a garden wedding, followed by an enthusiastic nod from Kenji. Atsushi looks like he’s on the verge of tears when he expresses how happy he is upon hearing about Dazai’s marriage, receiving a head pat from his mentor. Akutagawa congratulates his senior and ex-mentor, saying he’s happy for them.
Hirotsu never expected to see this day coming.
But he could say he’s glad it turned out this way.
He’s also happy to know that the marriage he witnessed five years ago was not a joke. It was real.
They took their vows at eighteen.
Now they’re twenty-three, still so much married, and probably happier than anyone else.