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The truce between the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia brought a variety of advantages for both organizations. The Port Mafia had it a little easier to smuggle goods in and out of Yokohama and Atsushi had fewer problems with almost getting killed by Akutagawa. It was a mutually beneficial relationship, and it brought quite a few perks for Dazai, too.
It would have been pretty hard to rekindle his relationship with the little hatrack without the two organizations working together. But after a few joined missions, in which Dazai tried not to leave Chuuya in some strange woods again, and some desperate attempts of redemption, Dazai could now proudly say that he was dating his ex-partner—who hadn’t forgiven him for leaving the mafia, but at least he didn’t want to kill him for it anymore.
“How did you even come in here? I change the fucking code every week,” Chuuya said as he came into his own apartment, seeing Dazai lying lazily on his expensive leather couch.
“You need to update your security, chibi,” Dazai smiled, not even opening his eyes. It had become a habit that he came to Chuuya’s apartment after work, instead of going to his own. Even though he didn’t appreciate excessive luxuries like his ex-partner did, it was a special kind of happiness when he knew that someone was waiting for him to return. Chuuya, apparently, still wasn’t used to sharing his spacious penthouse.
“I already have the most expensive security system on the market,” Chuuya sighed, “and how do you always get past the security guards?”
“Chuuya, I can’t give away all my secrets,” he drawled.
He got up from the couch to hug his boyfriend—what a weird and unfamiliar word. Dazai had heard from multiple people that it was important to show your significant other that they are appreciated and wanted. So he made it his mission to do better than when they were teenagers. Which wasn’t that hard. They were both chronically angry and unsure back then.
“Welcome home, Chuuya,” Dazai mumbled into the other’s hair. It always smelled like Chuuya’s shampoo or perfume; expensive and a little bit like home.
“Yes, yes, welcome to my own home,” said Chuuya but he sounded pleased. Dazai knew that the other also liked the idea of coming home to someone.
“I brought takeout,” Chuuya continued, “I hope you are in the mood for pizza.”
They both moved to the kitchen, where Chuuya had left the boxes before greeting the other. Dazai opened both boxes and saw that one pizza was topped with mushrooms and crab, his favourite.
“Aw, Chuuya, you are so sweet,” Dazai said teasingly as he grabbed the box to move to the couch. But before he left the kitchen, he noticed that Chuuya looked slightly off. He didn’t look like was in pain or anything, but he did look slightly nervous. Weird.
“Something important that happened today?” Dazai asked as both of them settled on the couch. The pizza boxes were laid onto the small wooden coffee table, Dazai had the notion that it was Italian.
“I can’t tell you anything about mafia business,” Chuuya gave right back, it was always the same argument. The look he had in the kitchen was gone now, but Dazai still wanted to know what the matter was. Was it something he said? But what did he say to make Chuuya look—
Oh.
Dazai smiled as a theory grew in his mind. He had a hypothesis, now he only had to test it with a few trials.
“I know you can’t give me any details,” he said, “but you could tell me how your day was. I want to know if my sweetheart had any problems.”
Dazai kept a close eye on Chuuya’s reaction and was not disappointed. There was a light blush adorning Chuuya’s cheeks, and Dazai finally understood what kind of look the other had on his face. He was embarrassed.
“Not going to tell me anything?” Dazai asked as he moved closer to his ex-partner. He gave Chuuya a light kiss on the cheek before continuing to eat his dinner.
“It was fine,” Chuuya mumbled.
Oh, this was an amazing discovery.
Dazai waited a little to test his theory again. They ate mostly in silence, save the occasional short sentences. As they were bringing their boxes back into the kitchen, Dazai made himself ready to attack again.
He hugged Chuuya from behind before he whispered in his ear, “You look so pretty today, mon petit mafia,” he laid his chin on Chuuya’s head, “even more pretty than usual.”
Dazai watched delightedly as his boyfriend’s face became almost the same colour as his hair. Chuuya started fidgeting in his embrace, but he didn’t let him go. It was way too fascinating to watch the most dangerous executive of the Port Mafia blush because of a compliment he gave him.
“Dazai, let me go,” he whined and finally Dazai stopped preventing him to flee.
Not even two seconds later Chuuya was out of the kitchen and in the master bedroom. Dazai worried briefly that he had truly done something that made the other uncomfortable, but he still followed the mafioso. Chuuya was changing into more comfortable clothes, a loose t-shirt—that might have been Dazai’s—and soft sweatpants. He didn’t react as Dazai entered the room, so he supposed that the other wasn’t mad at him. So he decided to try one last time.
“Chibi always looks so soft and cuddly in his home-clothes.”
There it was again. Chuuya’s face got a red tint, blushing up to his ears and he started fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.
“What is it with you today?” Chuuya snapped. He was trying to sound annoyed, but his image was totally ruined by his blush.
Dazai couldn’t believe his luck. He was slightly disappointed in himself that he hadn’t noticed sooner how positive Chuuya reacted to a few sweet words. Dazai decided at that moment that he would not let his important insider information go to waste. He was going to have his fun with the tiny chibi.
“Nothing, can’t I tell my boyfriend that he looks cute?”
Ah, this was going to be glorious.
…
It was almost a ritual that the Port Mafia and the Armed Detective Agency had a least one joined mission together every month. Most of the time Dazai was supervising how the new Double Black was behaving in the wild, so his primary job was babysitting teenagers. However, occasionally, some missions required the combined firepower of the two organizations. This time it was a human traffic ring, a thorn in the mafia’s side because the new group tried to use the port as they personal headquarter. The Agency was involved because of the many missing person cases that could be traced back to this group.
In the end, it had been quick work. Double Black, together with Atsushi, Akutagawa, Kouyou and Kyouka had been involved and didn’t beat around the bush for very long. The clean-up crew would be there soon.
“Well, good job everyone,” Dazai smiled. He had been the one responsible for the strategy of the mission, so he was glad that everything went down without a hitch. Granted, he hadn’t really thought that something would go wrong with so many talented ability-users on board, but you never know.
“We’re leaving before the police turn up,” Chuuya said and looked briefly to Kouyou and Akutagawa.
The three of them were technically in their own territory, but it was best to avoid confrontation with the law.
“I think Kouyou-san wanted to bring Kyouka-chan back to the agency,” Dazai smiled, “maybe she should just come with us.”
It was an open secret that multiple people from both organizations were meeting outside of work-related instances. Kouyou and Kyouka had been seen multiple times in different cafés and crepe booths. The agency wasn’t overly concerned with those meetings.
“Fine, then I’ll see you later,” Chuuya answered, already turning around to go.
Dazai wasn’t even sure if Chuuya had meant him or Kouyou, but he sure as hell wasn’t about to let this chance go.
“Aw, sweetheart, don’t be sad, I will come over tonight,” he said in his best drawl, “I can bring you crepe if you like, you deserve it after the good work.”
Not five seconds later Chuuya’s face was a glowing shade of red.
“I—Why do you—Why are you like this?”
The poor mafioso looked like he wanted to hide his face behind his hands, and only didn’t because he had an audience and didn’t want to ruin his reputation further. Dazai knew that the pet name was a great weapon. They didn’t really use those to be affectionate. The only ones Dazai regularly used were slug, hatrack, chibi or petit mafia; and those weren’t necessarily romantic. He had a feeling he would use ‘sweetheart’ more often.
“Don’t be angry just because I think my pretty boyfriend deserves a treat.” Oh yes, this was fun.
Chuuya didn’t say anything further and simply launched himself into the sky, flying in the direction of the Port Mafia headquarters.
“Uhm, Dazai-san, what…have you always been talking like that? Atsushi asked hesitantly, looking to the direction where the redhead disappeared to.
“Ah, Atsushi-kun. You see, the tiny hatrack loves compliments, so I am a good partner and try to make him happy,” Dazai answers. Naturally, not one person present believed a single word of what he just said.
“Don’t antagonize him too much,” said Kouyou, “he can be quite vindictive.” Even though she said it as a warning, there was a small smile on her lips. She was right, of course, the chibi could be very unforgiving, especially when it came to Dazai. All the forgiveness he was capable of probably went into the second chance Dazai got after disappearing for over four years. But nobody could really blame him when the mafioso looked like that when he said something sweet.
“I’m not doing anything,” Dazai said innocently. Maybe he would get the benefit of the doubt.
“Just don’t overdo it,” Kouyou sighed, “I have to listen to his complaints when you…make him angry.”
Dazai didn’t want to know what kind of talks the two redheads had in private about him, especially not what the chibi had said after he defected. He would definitely not ask.
“I promise I will be nice to Chuuya and won’t make him mad.”
…
That was a lie, of course.
Chuuya was scheduled to come into the Agency the next day and bring information they would use for a new case. Naturally, the Agency would have to pay the mafia back, but that was a problem for another day. It was almost lunchtime and Dazai was already eagerly waiting for Chuuya to arrive. He had made a plan the day before, what to say to embarrass his ex-partner the most; he was quite confident in his strategy.
“Are you having a good day, Dazai-san?” Atsushi asked from two desks over. The boy had noticed before that his mentor had been far giddier for a few months already, but nobody wanted to tell the weretiger what the matter was.
“Oh yes, Atsushi-kun, I think it will become even better soon,” Dazai answered. Atsushi just left it at that, his mentor was often more confusing with his explanations than helpful.
“Stop slacking off and go back to work, you have reports to hand in from weeks ago,” came Kunikida’s voice through the office.
“But Kunikida-kun, work is going to come in at any moment.”
“What does that—”
There was a knock at the door and not a moment later Nakahara Chuuya stood in the bustling office of the Armed Detective Agency. Dazai still wasn’t used to the sight of his ex-partner at his new job. It gave him the strange idea that the redhead would look far more at home in a small office building than a dark high rise. But he also knew that Chuuya valued his own decisions, so he wouldn’t scheme anything concerning his job at the mafia.
“Mon petit mafia! I was waiting for you,” Dazai exclaimed loudly.
“Sit down, bastard, I want to do this meeting with someone else, you’ll just fuck around.”
Ah, it seemed that he had already annoyed the redhead more than he thought. Chuuya had probably caught on to what Dazai was doing, but the detective was nothing if not persistent.
“That’s rude Chuuya, I was just hoping for your company,” Dazai said. He wanted to start this slowly, no need to get out the big guns in the beginning.
“You have my company enough, you pester me almost every day at my home,” Chuuya gave back. He was already looking warily in his ex-partner’s direction. Not that it would help him.
“That’s so mean,” Dazai whines, “but fine, then give the info to Kunikida-kun.”
Chuuya looked confused at how quick Dazai relented but went to Kunikida’s desk to hand the papers over and explain some formalities. He could barely begin the conversation before Dazai turned to his protégé and started his plan for the day.
“Doesn’t Chuuya look extremely pretty today?” The question was technically for Atsushi, but he said it so loudly that everyone in the office could hear him, Chuuya included.
“Oh—Uhm, I…I think he looks like he usually does,” Atsushi answered hesitantly. He didn’t want to directly contradict his mentor, but he also thought that ‘pretty’ wasn’t the most flattering compliment for a mafioso. And he didn’t want to antagonize a Port Mafia executive.
“Come on, Atsushi, you can agree that he’s handsome,” Dazai smiled, “right Kenji-kun, Chuuya is pretty, isn’t he?” He deliberately chose Kenji to answer this question because the young boy was painfully honest and didn’t shy away from the mafia executive.
“I think Nakahara-san is far more handsome than anyone I knew on my family’s farm,” he said smiling.
As Dazai looked over to Kunikida’s desk, the blond looked worried that there would be a bloodbath in the office that day. The cause would, of course, be the blushing redhead right next to him. Dazai was far too amused by the fact that such simple sentences could create such a reaction. If he had known this in his mafia days, he would have exploited every meeting as a possibility to paint the chibi’s face red.
“Stop fucking around, shitty Dazai,” Chuuya gritted out, “I’m here for the information exchange and not your stupid games.”
Dazai noted that his boyfriend looked far more annoyed than he had two days before. Maybe it hadn’t been the best idea to do this in what was technically enemy territory.
“But Chuuya, I’m just stating facts,” Dazai tried to look innocent, “you like it when I’m honest, don’t you?”
“Not like this,” Chuuya hissed and came close to Dazai, “I don’t know what your goal is or why you are talking shit for the last few days, but I’ve had enough, so cut it out.”
Dazai knew that he should have stopped at that point. When Double Black started dating—again—he had resolved to be kinder to his ex-partner. But, well, it was a little like New Year’s resolutions.
“But chibi looks so cute when he blushes, it’s adorable to watch, how unfair that only I would be able to see it.”
Chuuya became red in the face, but this wasn’t the sweet pink blush when Dazai told him he was pretty, this was anger. So before he could say another word the mafioso had stormed out of the office, slamming the door so hard behind him that Dazai worried for a second that the glass would shatter. There was a short silence in the office, everyone either too shocked or too worried to say anything.
“This meeting was scheduled for twenty minutes, I still do not have sufficient information about our new case,” Kunikida started talking, “Dazai this is all your fault, fix this so I can get those papers.”
“I will see the chibi later, I’m sure he will still have the papers,” Dazai said nonchalantly.
“Aren’t you worried Nakahara-san will not…want to see you?” Atsushi asked. It was, indeed, a logical thought.
“Mh, no, he has known me for a long time, it will be fine later,” Dazai said confidently. He was the only one confident about that in the entire office.
Nonetheless, everyone went back to their previous tasks, and after a while, almost nobody thought about the angry executive.
“Mr Fancy Hat will plan his revenge, you know,” said Ranpo after a while from his desk. He was sucking on a cherry lollipop and didn’t seem particularly interested in the kind of ‘revenge’ Chuuya could be planning.
“I’m only teasing him, it’s fine,” Dazai gave back but kept Ranpo’s warning in mind. If he was saying that, there was most likely some truth behind it.
“Aren’t you always being mean to your not-boyfriend? Maybe one day he will also take revenge.”
“Mhh, but Edgar is not the type to pay other people back,” the detective stopped for a second, “well, except that one time with the book, but he wouldn’t do that now,” Ranpo seemed to think intently about something before he continued, “Karl, on the other hand, will bite me if I eat all of Edgar’s candy.”
Dazai was watching the detective from his desk.
“You think Chuuya will bite me because I made him blush a few times?”
“He won’t bite you,” Ranpo said, “but he knows you just as much as you know him,” Ranpo began to smirk, “and I’m ready for some amusing days at the Agency.”
Dazai just left it at that before going back to his work. Well, pretending to work. He should maybe apologize for his behaviour when he visited Chuuya’s apartment later. He wouldn’t want the tiny mafioso to be angry for long.
…
“Chuuya? I’m home,” Dazai called into the apartment. He toed off his shoes before searching for the mafioso. He finally found him lying on his king-size bed, swaddled in blankets while reading some French poetry. Even though it was an activity that Chuuya often did to relax, there was tension in his body. Even his lips were tightly pressed together, making it clear that Dazai was not off the hook, yet.
“Hey, there,” Dazai tried again. He really didn’t think it had been that bad, he hadn’t even said totally embarrassing things.
“Leave me alone,” Chuuya grumbled, “I don’t want to see your ugly face for at least three days.”
At least he wasn’t actively throwing him out, which meant he still had a chance to not be exiled from the softest bed he had ever known.
“But Chuuya,” Dazai sing-sang, “I just want the world to know that I appreciate my boyfriend.”
“Don’t say that word!” Chuuya yelled, slapping his book on the little nightstand next to him.
“But…but are we not boyfriends?” Dazai asked. Suddenly he was worried that he had misinterpreted the new dynamic of their relationship. But no, that was impossible, he could always read Chuuya like an open book, there was no other word for what they were.
“I—We are—I mean…It just sounds wrong and I don’t want to hear it!” Chuuya stumbled a little over his explanation. But Dazai understood what he meant.
“Is it like ‘sweetheart’? That you think it’s embarrassing?”
Chuuya buried his face in a pillow, muffling a scream.
“It sounds cute and we’re definitely not cute,” he yelled, “you are the demon prodigy and I am a mafia executive; we don’t call each other sweetheart.”
Dazai knew that Chuuya often wanted to portray a certain image of himself. The expensive clothes, the motorcycle, the gloves, the hat; everything had a purpose. He just hadn’t realized how much he was attacking that image with his teasing. It really hadn’t been a good idea to do it in front of the Agency members.
“But…would you want to?” Dazai asked. He basically knew the answer already, but he heard it was a good idea to communicate while in a relationship.
“I—Would I want what?”
Dazai sat next to the redhead on the big bed. The covers were soft, more expensive than Dazai would ever buy for himself, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate the little luxuries. Chuuya’s whole apartment was filled with expensive little trinkets that made the mafioso happy.
“Would you want me to call you sweetheart when we’re alone?” Dazai asked. It was a strange question, usually Chuuya was the one being more open about his feelings and Dazai the one who had to learn every step in being tender. But this, this was easy.
“No,” said Chuuya, obviously lying.
“But I think it suits you,” Dazai began, “I could call you something different if you like that more.” Even though he had fun in teasing the tiny mafioso, he didn’t want this to become a full-blown argument because he got carried away. Chuuya was blushing again, trying to hide behind his hands.
“Why are you so shy chibi,” Dazai tugged his hands away from Chuuya’s face, “I like your blush.”
“It looks stupid,” Chuuya gave back. He was whining but he hadn’t thrown Dazai to the other end of the room, so he didn’t despise it as much as he said.
“You never look stupid,” Dazai said, “well, except when you are wearing your tacky hat but even then Chuuya looks handsome.”
“My hat isn’t tacky!” Chuuya yelled, back on familiar ground. “At least I’m not dressing like a homeless guy,” he grumbled.
“Rude, my clothes are very stylish,” Dazai laughed before he started to kiss Chuuya.
It was an innocent kiss, barely more than a peck, but that’s how Dazai wanted it today. The two of them rush into a lot of things—their relationship included—but sometimes it paid off to take things slow. Dazai started kissing Chuuya’s face, from his lips to his cheeks, from his cheeks to his forehead, from his forehead to his eyelids. The kisses were soft and gentle, his lips barely touching skin.
“Chibi’s face is always very expressive, I like that,” Dazai said as he removed the blankets from Chuuya’s form. Chuuya’s was wearing one of Dazai’s shirts again, way too big for him, perfect for lounging at home.
“Especially when you smile, it makes you look kind,” Dazai stopped for a moment, “kinder than the rest of them.”
Chuuya wanted to say something but didn’t quite know what. It was rare that the two of them were soft with each other.
“Dazai, what are you—”
“I’m just telling you facts,” Dazai said simply, “and I want to see you blush.”
“I knew it,” Chuuya said annoyed, but he let it happen.
“You have really pretty hair, it’s so soft.” Dazai tugged at one of the red strands.
“That’s because I actually use conditioner, instead of having a fucking bird’s nest on my head.”
Dazai ignored the little jab, tugging the other’s shirt a little higher, exposing Chuuya’s stomach. It was a nice stomach, firm and muscular, but it still fit Chuuya’s slender frame.
“Everything about you is pretty,” he said, making little circles on Chuuya’s exposed skin with his fingertips. Chuuya shuddered a little but let him be.
“You have so many strong muscles in your tiny body, it’s amazing.”
“Stop saying I’m small,” Chuuya said and laid one of his arms over his eyes. He leaned back a little further, his back fully touching the mattress. Dazai quickly discarded the redhead’s shirt—well, his own shirt—so he could touch more of his skin. Chuuya’s skin had multiple scars, some from bullets, some from knives. Dazai leaned down to kiss one particular scar on his abdomen; made by the poisoned knife of a friend.
Dazai kissed his way up to Chuuya’s neck, where he began to create little hickeys around the black choker. Chuuya stretched his neck, letting his head fall back onto the pillow to give the detective more room to work. He still hadn’t moved his arm from his eyes but Dazai wanted to change that.
“Chuuya, look at me,” he crooned, but Chuuya just shook his head. “But I want to see your beautiful eyes,” Chuuya’s face was red again, “they remind me of the sea, show them to me, chibi.
“I hate you,” Chuuya whined as he removed his arm from his face to glare at Dazai.
“You don’t,” Dazai said as he nipped at the mafioso’s throat, teasing a gasp from him. “You love it when I tell you what I adore about you.”
Chuuya let out a whimper as Dazai gently bit one of his nipples.
“Let me tell you how pretty you are.”
…
Chuuya, apparently, hadn’t learned that revenge was a dish best served cold, because he began his payback against Dazai the next morning. They had both overslept a little after their activities the previous night, so they had to hurry to not be late. Dazai was technically already late but he was also the one who definitely cared less out of the two.
“Ready to go, chibi?” Dazai asked as he chugged the rest of his coffee. Chuuya had promised to give him a ride to the Agency, so he didn’t need to worry about getting to work.
“Osamu.”
As he turned around towards the mafioso there was suddenly a hand in his hair and a tongue in his mouth. The kiss was slow as the hand in his hair began to scratch his scalp slowly and firmly. It was one of Dazai’s least-known weak spots, so, of course, Chuuya made sure to exploit it. After a few moments, Chuuya let the detective go. Dazai had a dazed look on his face and a faint blush on his cheeks. Words had always been Dazai’s domain, but the physical was Chuuya’s. So now they were far more in the mafioso’s comfort zone.
“Come on, we’re gonna’ be late,” Chuuya said and moved to leave the apartment. Dazai needed a few seconds to react.
“Coming.”
The drive was a quiet one, Dazai constantly waiting for the punchline of the morning and Chuuya enjoying giving the other something to worry about. As they arrived at the Agency building Chuuya left the car with Dazai, accompanying him into the office where most of the Agency members were already working on one case or another. Dazai noticed this and knew something was going to happen. There was really no reason for Chuuya to get into the office building with him.
“I’ll see you later,” Dazai smiled. He was still uneasy but didn’t let it show. Chuuya wouldn’t win this…well, it wasn’t a war, but whatever it was, Chuuya would definitely not win it. He could swear that he heard Ranpo’s ‘I told you so’ from the back of the office. He decided to ignore it.
“Mh, see you later, mackerel.”
Chuuya leaned up to kiss Dazai, tracing fingertips gently over his face before he began to scratch his head and neck again. The Agency members watched amused as Dazai became boneless in less than ten seconds. It was already decided that they would tease Dazai far more for his reactions than the tiny mafioso.
As Chuuya ended the kiss he took the detective’s face in both his hands, looking at him deeply.
“You also look very cute when you blush.”
Dazai couldn’t do anything about the redness of his face.