★彡[ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇꜱ ᴄʜᴜᴜʏᴀ]彡★

Always Careful

Later that day...

By the time Dazai had arrived at Chuuya's apartment, the bright blue sky had become shadowed with dark, ominous clouds. 

Dazai didn't really pay much attention to it. What he did pay attention to, however, was the fact that the guards from last night were gone.

Odd, He thought, I'll have to look into that.

Since he no longer had any reason to go through the window, Dazai took the elevator up to Chuuya's floor and made his way to the door like a normal person instead.

He had with him a small box pastries. Originally, they had only been for him. But when the bakery owner found out that he was meeting with the object of her adoration, she insisted that he take them for free under the sole condition that he would share them with that "glorious commander of gravity".

Of course, Dazai could just as easily have eaten them all during his walk and laughed at the sight of Chuuya's priceless reaction to the empty box. But after observing how Chuuya was handling people being nice to him so far -- well --Dazai kind of wanted to see his reaction to a box with stuff actually in it even more.

Yeah. 

That was the only reason why he was yet to even open the cover.

Totally not because Chuuya seemed so stressed out lately and Dazai didn't like that look on his  face and maybe something as small as an unopened box of sweets might make him feel if not happier than at least surprised enough to not be frustrated about everything in his life for once and okayDazaiwasjustgoingtogoinsidenow.

He rapped on the door twice with the back of his knuckles.

"It's open!" came a voice from the other side.

Dazai entered. He looked around, "Oh Chuuya-kun~, where are you? I brought cookies!"

"That's nice Dazai," Chuuya said, sweeping past him and taking the box. He set it down on the coffee table next to a pot of what smelled like chai before hurrying off.

Orrrr he could just completely ignore it instead. Okay, sure, that works too.

Dazai took it upon himself to flop onto the couch like he owned it. He watched with mild interest as Chuuya  flurried about his own house. 

He was dressed differently than usual, wearing a white button down with a dark red vest, his gloves and choker the only familiar parts of his outfit. Not even his iconic hat was anywhere in sight.

"This might just be the first time I've ever entered your place through the front door," Dazai mussed, "I'm surprised, I honestly thought a dollhouse would be a better fit for the chibi. You know, so everything is to scale. But these teacups are so cute and tiny! Mind if I have?"

"What?" Chuuya was in the kitchenette, examining his reflection in a toaster, "Yeah sure, I made it for you, have as much as you want."

Okay.

Dazai had no idea how to respond to that. 

 Chuuya made tea for a guest? And not just for any guest, for Dazai? Then he openly admitted to it? That was so...civil of him.  That could only mean one thing.

Something was wrong.

Dazai straightened, face serious, "Alright, what happened?"

Chuuya came back into the living room, running an agitated hand through his hair and falling heavily into the couch across from Dazai.