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It was the kind of day where his head was a little loud and the world a little soft. Sometimes, he could see the walls of glass more clearly than the reality that lay beyond them. Dazai was used to this. It was a defect in his constitution that he had been born with— had learned to assume the shape of a human by now. It just took a little more effort is all.
"Dazai-san, are you alright...?" Atsushi piped up from beside him.
Dazai turned to his mentee. He didn't know why Atsushi was suddenly asking him that. Those big, guileless eyes staring expectantly at him made his insides itch.
"Hmm? Of course I am! Why do you ask?" His voice pitched just the right amount of cheerful. He wasn't lying; it took more effort, but he was alright.
"Please don't tell me you're thinking of taking a swim in the river again," Atsushi pleaded, fiddling with his suspender loops.
Ah— so maybe his eyes had lingered on those waters for a touch too long. Their little dazzling cresents had caught his attention. It meant nothing. He didn't do that anymore.
"But it's such a hot day, Atsushi-kun~~" he lamented theatrically, making wild gestures to shield against the sun.
Atsushi's pout was an adorable thing. "We don't have time for that, Dazai-san... Someone has to make sure the cops don't end up strangling Ranpo-san!"
Ranpo had called the agency earlier and complained loudly that the police were obstructing justice again. It was a common enough occurrence that made Dazai marvel at the extent of police inefficiency. Then again, it was precisely those cracks in bureaucracy that allowed him to slip through and play the part of a good guy, so who was he to complain?
"Fine, fine....." Dazai flapped his hand limply. "I'll take a dip— later!" he proclaimed with a self-righteous flourish. Just a harmless joke, he reminded himself.
"I'd rather you didn't," Atsushi grumbled. Dazai could almost see the shape of cat ears drooping dejectedly on his head. Stop burdening others with your nonsense, you bandage-wasting device! Kunikida's voice floated by from somewhere far away.
Dazai chuckled and gave a half-hearted shrug. Adjusted the bandages around his wrists. He might have wound them a tad too tight this morning. It really was an exceedingly hot day.
Sounds of anguish signalled that they were nearing their destination. They moved in that direction, turning down a narrow alley. The wails ricocheted off its walls like a haunting siren.
So excessive, Dazai thought, helpless to stop it. Like the heat coiling around his skin; it seemed like this whole, entire day was going to require a lot more effort.
They arrived at the scene while Ranpo was in the midst of challenging the troop to solve the case in under a minute. Expectedly, the lead officer was looking rather crossed and fresh out of patience.
"Yo~ Ranpo-san," Dazai greeted. He sidled up next to the officer. Whispered, "Why don't you hear him out, Officer-san? It's just easier that way."
The officer glared at him. "There's nothing to hear, there's no foul play suspected. That boy shouldn't even have followed us here— I should charge him for obstructing the police!"
"You are the ones obstructing justice," Ranpo retorted petulantly.
Dazai clapped a sympathetic hand onto the officer's shoulder. "I know, I know. But you want to wrap up here, don't you?"
The officer tched loudly and crossed his arms, muttering something about disrespect. "Get on with it and get out."
Dazai shot Ranpo a wink and gave him a thumbs up. Ranpo's face lit up in an instant. Then it grew sharper, radiating such powerful intensity it was impossible for anyone watching to look away. Even the godawful crying had stopped.
"I'll show you— the power of my ability: Ultra Deduction...!"
He saw it in the seconds that followed after Ranpo had whipped out his glasses. He'd skipped over the corpse and chanced a glance at the corpse's wife. Out of curiosity, really, at the sudden silence. The look he'd found there was one that he'd seen many times before. On the floor, in a dirty dungeon, its walls a similar smatter of browns. A prod to get his answer. A desperate cling to life.
"It was you, wasn't it," Dazai didn't even hear himself say.
The woman turned to look at him. It was fear, not grief, that shook her hands and eyes and lips. A look he was so familiar with— the repulsive face of a cornered animal.
A gun was suddenly pointed at him. The woman was holding the gun. Dazai knew that she would shoot. Animals, when cornered, became extremely irrational. He could sidestep it now, if he moved.
The bang was loud but he didn't feel it. He realised later that Atsushi had half-transformed and swiped the gun away. Atsushi kept her pinned, while the police hurried over to cuff her.
The stale air was once again filled with a terrible screaming.
"I'll follow them to the station. You guys head back to the agency first," Ranpo instructed.
Dazai nodded. Regardless, their job here was done.
When Atsushi fell into step a short moment later, Dazai reached out and gently ruffled his hair. "Well done, Atsushi-kun. How did you react so fast?" he asked, genuinely impressed.
"I was ready the whole time," Atsushi admitted shyly, thumbing the tail-end of his fringe. "I didn't know what made Ranpo-san so certain, but he must have seen something."
Dazai gave a light chuckle. Patted Atsushi on the head. His mentee was growing up so well.
There was no need for him to know that within that charged breadth, Dazai didn't move. He actually didn't move.
They trudged up the steps in amicable silence. Right as they'd reached the agency's door, Dazai's phone chimed. It was a message from Ranpo.
[You owe me cake]
Dazai giggled. "Go on in first, Atsushi-kun, Ranpo-san wants me to get him cake."
Atsushi returned a semi-apologetic shrug.
Dazai turned around and headed back out onto the street. It was a fair price for having stolen Ranpo's limelight earlier.
The sun pulling across its zenith had brought the sear down to an almost bearable balminess. A mere three hours to go for it to pull below the horizon. Amidst the vacuous late afternoon lull, Dazai's mind wandered.
Why didn't he move?
Perhaps he'd known that the bullet wouldn't have hit him anyway. Perhaps, his subconscious had judged that the woman's hands were trembling too violently to make a shot at his vitals. Perhaps—
His thoughts were disrupted by a flash of garish pink in his peripheral vision. That shade of pink on a bike could only belong to one person.
"I'm not backsliding," he blurted out the moment his partner came to a screeching halt before him.
Chuuya raised a confused eyebrow. Asked, "What?"
"Nothing," Dazai muttered quickly, sealing his lips together.
"Fine, whatever." Chuuya rolled his eyes, but Dazai spotted the hint of a smile dancing on his lips. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Chuuya tapped the backseat impatiently.
"Huh?" Dazai replied, not comprehending the situation at all.
"Why? Do you still have work to do today?" Chuuya frowned.
"No...?" Dazai guessed. He'd just wanted that downturned crease to go away.
"Then I'm kidnapping you, idiot."
Chuuya seemed to be in a good mood, which was all Dazai could really hope for. He hummed cheerily throughout their elevator ride and along the corridors, tapping a soft rhythm onto the back of Dazai's palm.
As soon as they entered the door to Chuuya's apartment, Dazai felt an immense weight dissolve from his shoulders. It churned and coiled and descended slowly towards the floor.
He hadn't even realised that the day had taken such a toll on him. But his efforts had paid off, and now it was finally over. The only thing left was to burrow under the covers and hopefully wake up feeling something different. Or something.
He dragged his leaden feet towards the bedroom. Stopped short when he heard the running water. Chuuya couldn't possibly be drawing him a bath.
"Dazai," Chuuya's voice called.
And just like that, the creeping dread was back.
"Chibiiii," he whined. I'm so tired I'm just going straight to bed, he almost said, but stopped himself. Dazai would be a fool to ruin his chibi's mood.
Silently, he made his reluctant way into the bathroom. Watched as Chuuya scattered a palmful of salt and dried flowers into the water. Watched them bleed, like beautiful swirling ink, until the entire tub was dyed a midnight purple.
He couldn't look away. He barely registered Chuuya helping him out of his clothes. His muscles were wound so tight that when the bandages came off, he didn't feel it at all.
He didn't remember stepping into the tub, but all the same, he found himself neck deep in water. He let his eyes slip shut and his breath leave his lips.
The drowning should have started already, usually. Somehow it hadn't. Dazai couldn't understand what was causing this anomaly. As his curiosity breached the murky waters of his mind, he began to sense a solid presence at his back and around his sides.
He opened his eyes. Tilted his head back. Soft, swirling blues were gazing right back. Chuuya was sat behind him, propping his head just enough above the surface. Arms wrapped tightly around his own.
His breaths were slowly syncing with the steady rise and fall of Chuuya's chest.
"Feeling better?" Chuuya asked, after a long, comfortable quiet.
"Mm." He could admit that. It was a surprisingly liberating admission. "How did you know?"
Chuuya didn't reply immediately. Dazai honestly didn't mind. For the very first time, he found he liked being in water without sinking into its unreachable depths.
"Smartypants actually called me," Chuuya finally confessed. "Told me to pick you up at the bakery. Didn't say which, that jackass."
Dazai laughed goodnaturedly. "Of course he knew." His voice almost too soft to hear.
"And of course he knew about us."
"I didn't say anything," Dazai defended, turning around in a slight panic.
Chuuya tightened his grip to stop Dazai from sloshing more water out of the tub. "Of course you didn't," he assured, resting his cheek onto Dazai's head. "Though it wouldn't have mattered even if you did."
Dazai lay back down against Chuuya's chest. He truly felt so calm and sedate here. "I think I like baths, now."
Chuuya let out a triumphant laugh. Stroked his arm gently. "Yeah? Then you just lie here while I wash you, okay?"
The sensation of Chuuya's chest rumbling from behind tickled his neck in a pleasant way. He nuzzled his head against it, pulling Chuuya's arms tighter around himself.
"'Kay."