𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐤𝐨𝐤𝐮 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 <3

to the birthday boy.

#givechuuyaaproperbirthdaypartyasagiri.

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Birthdays were a tricky subject for Chuuya, he wasn't opposed to celebrating his colleague's birthdays, but when it came to his own, he suddenly got prickly. What should he be celebrating, anyway? The day his mother gave birth to him, or the day he was gifted life in some lab he could no longer recall? The thought made him bitter, depressed. Normal people didn't have to question how they came into this world, they didn't have to wonder who created them, or what exactly had even been created in the first place. Did he come out kicking and screaming, tiny body flushed red and tears staining his youthful cheeks, or did he awake on a cold, metallic table in a research facility?

The questions went unanswered, not that Chuuya was even sure he wanted the answers to them in the first place. Sure, they could bring closure, but destroy him depending on their outcome. And so, Chuuya just settled for hating today regardless. April 29th just became a meaningless date on a meaningless paper, and the day would come to pass just like any other.

Prior to joining the Port Mafia, Chuuya wasn't even aware of his birthday. He only used it to fuel the questions and insecurities over what he really was, and the only solace he got, was not having to worry about the Sheep putting themselves in danger in order to steal something to celebrate his birthday. That was enough, he'd convinced himself.

But today was not like any other; Chuuya had recently escaped the confines of that damn book after a whole goddamn year, and Mori was determined to commemorate it by celebrating his dear executive's birthday. Truthfully, it was most likely just a way for Mori to try and make it up to Chuuya, not that it really mattered to him either way. The risks - even if they are being trapped in a novel - were just another part of the job of a mafioso, it came with it naturally.

"Boss, you really don't have to do this," he reasoned, trying to give his best pleading expression without outright begging his superior. "I don't need a birthday party. We should be focusing on-"

"On what, Chuuya-kun? So far, everything has been taken care of. The rat has been exterminated, and you have safely returned. We might not get another chance to celebrate anything with the way this cruel world is," Mori interrupted, shredding whatever flimsy excuse Chuuya would try to argue with. "Besides, the last birthday of yours we got to celebrate was your sixteenth, I believe. For your seventeenth, you were overseas on a mission, and you were rather adamant about not celebrating your eighteenth."

His eighteenth birthday? Oh, right, that had been completely tossed aside after Dazai's betrayal. The memory still brought a bitter taste to his tongue, as if to remind him of how many bottles of wine he'd wasted trying to convince himself that he did not in fact miss that manipulative asshole. Chuuya released a defeated sigh, dipping his head in acknowledgment of Mori's victory.

"Well, that settles it then! I'll have the Black Lizard start the decorations and then we'll get this party on way!" the Mafia boss cheered, clapping his hands in a faux innocent that everyone knew he didn't really have.

Chuuya let out a groan as his boss bounded away, happily ranting about the cute dress he'd picked out for Elise-chan. Really, this was going to be one hell of an exhausting evening.

Ocean colored eyes glanced dreadfully at the digital clock that sat on his nightstand, the red numbers suddenly becoming much more menacing in light of the situation. 7 o'clock sharp, the start of his birthday party, as Mori had kindly decided. Another exasperated sigh reverberated through the otherwise empty penthouse as Chuuya gave himself one last look over in the mirror. He'd gone with something rather simple, which would usually be uncharacteristic of him, but he already felt embarrassed enough about having such an extravagant party for something as insignificant as his birthday.