Next To Me - soukoku

Next To Me

(I've risen from the dead to finally post this on wattpad when it was uploaded to AO3 over a month ago whoops. 

Trigger warnings include: mentioned/implied self harm (not graphic, just the aftermath), descriptions of explosions, graphic depections of violence, strong language (thank you Chuuya), and typical Dazai being a little shit to everyone.)

They were sixteen when Chuuya began to notice the subtle changes. The insults thrown towards his bandaged partner suddenly became more fond than harsh, and his punches and kicks had less force behind them than before. Chuuya found himself less annoyed than he used to be whenever Dazai broke into his apartment to rummage through his fridge or take over his couch, and he had the audacity to actually start looking forward to Dazai's bizarre visits.

"I'm just being a responsible owner and making sure my dog doesn't get too lonely without me!" Dazai would say cheerfully, and then go on to raid the cabinets for the canned crab Chuuya just so happened to restock every time Dazai left.

"Go to hell, you damn mackerel," Chuuya would growl in response, but let Dazai take whatever he wanted anyway.

The first time Chuuya used Corruption was when the shift became more pronounced. Chuuya and Dazai had laid in the aftermath of Arahabaki's rage, the redhead fast asleep with his head in his partner's lap. By the time he opened his eyes it was dawn, and Dazai hadn't moved an inch. Chuuya had been too out of it to decipher Dazai's expression as he was carried away to be treated, but there was a new glint to Dazai's eyes. A dangerous one.

Chuuya had to stay in a mafia-approved hospital for two weeks the first time. During his stay he was forbidden from moving, giving him plenty of time to reflect on the recent events because what the fuck?

Chuuya stared down at his bare hands, remembering that he would have to get new gloves since his old ones were shredded to unrecognizable pieces by Corruption. A blush fought its way onto Chuuya's cheeks at the memory of how Dazai treated him after nullifying his ability, but he didn't get to venture very far into his thoughts before pain bloomed in his lungs. He hunched over more so from surprise than discomfort, and he grit his teeth as he waited for the moment to pass.

When the feeling finally ebbed away Chuuya took in a shaky breath, staring down at his lap. What the fuck was that? he wondered to himself, but someone knocking on his door startled him out of his mind. Chuuya filed it down as a side effect from Corruption and wiped his face clean of distress, putting on a fake polite smile instead.

"Nakahara-san, I'm coming in," a nurse said, and Chuuya quickly sat up straight in a hurry. The nurse entered and tilted her head at him, setting her clipboard down. "Nakahara-san, are you alright? You look pale."

"Yeah," Chuuya breathed out, curling his hands into fists to keep them from shaking. "Yeah, I'm alright. And just Chuuya is fine."

When Chuuya was finally discharged he left the hospital in confusion, since the pain he experienced did not go away and only seemed to be getting worse. He wanted to call Kouyou and ask her about it, but he figured it would just cause problems so he didn't. Chuuya even considered calling Mori once to ask him about it, but a violent shiver at the idea reminded Chuuya that that maybe wasn't the best idea.

Soon after being released the pain morphed into a cough, and quite a persistent one at that. It irked Chuuya that no matter how much cough medicine he took, it did not seem intent on leaving.

Despite being physically healed Mori still made him take a week off for sick leave, which left Chuuya with nothing to do except sit on his couch covered in blankets and watch second rate American comedies while he ate ice cream. Said comedies conveniently did not come with subtitles, so Chuuya was left to figure out what was going on by visual alone with his limited English vocabulary.