Parted Entanglement { ⑤ }

Chapter 10

Was that... a dream ?

Chuuya slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in their bedroom. ''Chuuuuyaaaa~ oh you're awake hehe ,'' Chuuya looked at the person standing beside the bed, Dazai's eyes looked the same as before, when he hadn't lost his memories. ''Dazai ?'' Chuuya stared at him. ''Hm ?'' That tone, that expression, it was the Dazai he missed. ''Is it really you ?! Do you remember everything ?!'' Chuuya sat up in excitement. ''Yeah, I do ,'' ''YES ! YESS !!'' Chuuya jumped up and hugged him like a koala holding onto a tree, then he looked up at him. ''But how ? Why all of a sudden ?''

''When you used Corruption, I had a feeling. I didn't know why I kept on watching out for any dangers around me, and why didn't I just leave with the kids to somewhere safe. But then while staring at you in the Corruption state, memories flashed through my mind, memories of when we went on missions in the Port Mafia, when you used Corruption to take down enemies, to protect me ,'' Chuuya blushed. ''And I remembered, that if I was in any form of danger, I wouldn't be able to stop Corruption in time, and Chuuya would die ,'' Dazai smiled at his little ginger head. ''You know I won't let that happen ,'' Chuuya smiled too, he buried his flushed cheeks in his brunet's chest.

Then Haku opened the door and came in with his sister behind him. ''Papa, drink some orange juice ,'' He held a glass of juice in his hand. ''Koala !'' Haruka exclaimed at the sight of Chuuya hugging on Dazai like that. Chuuya jumped back down and took the juice. ''Thanks ,'' ''We'll go do the laundry, bye bye ,'' Haku closed the door while waving his hand. ''Wow this is sweet !'' Chuuya drank facing the closed door as Dazai sat down on the bed.

''You know, I think this brand is really sweet, we should get another brand, but the taste is awesome, oh wait or should we just buy and add water ? Cuz it's delicious it's juz that it's too sweet. But will it be too troubleso--'' ''Chuuya ,'' Chuuya turned around. The glass of orange juice in his hand almost fell onto the floor, not because Dazai had taken off his shirt, but because he had removed the bandages. All the scars on his torso, his arms, his neck, all could be seen. There was barely any skin color, most of his body was covered in red, purple, yellow, full of different types of large and deep scars.

Dazai didn't look at Chuuya, but he felt his reaction. He looked down, fiddling his fingers, rubbing his thumb against the palm of another hand. Chuuya put down the glass and approached him, but Dazai flinched and backed away for a little, so Chuuya stopped. ''They... they did this to me... the people who called themselves my... my parents...'' Chuuya didn't say a thing, he just stared at those scars. ''I was four when they started--'' Chuuya suddenly hugged him. ''It's okay ,''

It was obvious Dazai was struggling. His voice was hesitant and shaky. His eyes weren't focused, he shifted his gaze from place to place. Just as what Chuuya thought, Dazai didn't keep his scars a secret because he didn't trust him enough, it was because he himself would rather not recall how he got them, he himself wouldn't want to look at them. Even after all these years, he had never showed them to Chuuya.

Hugging his brunet in his arms, Chuuya could feel how deep the scars were, just like five years ago. They were deep, the edges of them hardened as dead skin. Chuuya couldn't possibly imagine how Dazai got all that, it must've been really unpleasant, really painful, and to think that he got them from his own parents since he was four, it made Chuuya's heart ache even more. ''It's okay, you don't have to tell me ,'' He stroked his brunet's head gently. Dazai slowly hugged him back, Chuuya could feel him tremble.

... Dazai, if you ever get a second chance, will you still choose to remember ?

Dazai's hug around his waist tightened. Soft and suppressed sobbing could be heard. ''It's okay... it's okay...'' Chuuya rested his chin on his head and closed his eyes as he continued stroking gently.

~THE END~

Q: If you've read Parted Entanglement volume 1 to 5, which one do you like the most ?