A spring without you | soukoku

Winter

By :- likeshining on A03

Dazai  pulled his coat around him a little tighter. Kunikida had sent him out on a mission into the frigid cold along with Atsushi despite his unending protests, and eventually he had no choice but to follow orders.

Atsushi sneezed next to him and brought a finger to his nose while smiling sheepishly.

"It's cold today isn't it, Dazai-san. I completely forgot to bring a scarf today too."

Dazai put on an exasperated face and brought up both arms as he shrugged.

"Cold it is indeed Atsushi-kun. But it's not as cold as Kunikida's heart." He shivered as the wind blew past them. "Sending us out on such a day," Dazai continued to whine. "How cruel of him."

Atsushi could only sigh as his mentor continued to complain.

"Honestly Atsushi-kun. This day couldn't get any worse-"

Dazai's voice abruptly cut off as the brunet collided against someone while walking. A petite figure wearing a hat came into the two detectives' line of sight.

Dazai smirked. "Well if it isn't the Port Mafia's smallest executive. You're so short I couldn't see you even with your tacky hat Chuuya."

The brunet expected a flurry of insults to be thrown back at him as he had insulted both Chuuya's height and hat, only to receive nothing in response.

Chuuya stopped for a brief moment and turned his head in Dazai's direction.

Toffee eyes slightly widened as they took in Chuuya's physical appearance. The executive's normally shimmering red hair had lost its sheen and hung limply around his face. Chuuya's blue eyes that normally held the same amount of strength as a fierce ocean storm stared back at him, all trace of his vibrant personality absent.

After exchanging brief eye contact, Chuuya walked away without a word as Dazai let out a small sigh. Atsushi watched the scene unfolding before him in confusion. He looked up at his mentor's face and saw a hint of concern.

"Dazai-san?"

Atsushi's voice pulled Dazai out of his unvoiced thoughts.

"Hm?"

"Is something wrong?"

The brunet put on a cheerful smile and shook his head.

"Not in the least Atsushi-kun."

Stretching, Dazai walked a few steps ahead of the other. "Let's hurry and finish the mission before I completely freeze to death in this weather. I may like suicide, but this kind of pain isn't how I want to go~"

Atsushi tilted his head to the side before chasing after the taller detective. Even after all this time he couldn't fully understand what the mysterious brunet was thinking. He shook his head. After all, it was best to not question Dazai anyway.

***

The mission was a relatively simple one, and the two completed it with ease. Though, throughout the mission, Dazai appeared to be lost in his own thoughts and only responded when Atsushi repeatedly called out his name. Atsushi was expecting Dazai to promptly return to the office given how much he had complained about the cold the whole time they had been outdoors.

Much to his surprise, Dazai told him to head back to the office without him.

"I just remembered there's something I need to check up on Atsushi-kun," Dazai explained when the younger one gave him a perplexed look.