It takes two to create a whole | Soukoku Au |

Passing

Days turned nights into weeks and months. The summer grew warmer and the days seemed to cloud together. Laughter echoing like rain on stormy nights. Slowly, the girls of the family seemed to accept Dazai, getting to know the Dazai the young ginger knew. The females of the house had left only three days early due to a business call Yosano got from the hospital she ran. It was only Dazai and Chuuya in the house, the ginger's father being admitted to the hospital a week before the girls' leave.

Chuuya sat leaning his head against Dazai's shoulder as they watched some horror movie. He jumped when his phone began ringing, picking it up without glancing at the name. The expression on his face wasn't the same expression Dazai had when he got the worst news of his life. No, it was more subtle: a simple shaky exhale, the dilated pupils flaring for a moment before returning. A small nod as he clicked the phone. Setting it down beside him as he stood up. Sliding his shoes on and grabbing his wallet and keys to a motorcycle. They had a few dates on the death machine, as Dazai called it. He had been sick to his stomach while Chuuya screeched with laughter flying through the streets on the thing. "You coming?" it clicked for Dazai, the second Chuuya's eyes had flared that brief second.

Dazai nodded his head, sliding his coat on and running his hand through his hair. He slid on his shoes as the two of them walked out the door. He kissed Chuuya's forehead, following him out to the bike. Sitting behind him, he wrapped his arms around the male's waist, leaning forwards. Chuuya reached behind him, making sure Dazai's helmet was on properly this time. He fixed his own before starting it up. Weaving through the streets, Chuuya parked outside the hospital, stepping in holding his helmet. He gave the clerk everything they needed information-wise. Lead into the room, he took a seat smiling down. "Hey, dad..." Chuuya placed his fingers into his father's hands. The heart monitor seemed so slow... almost completely still.

"Hey kiddo, they're going to take me off it. I told them to, so don't go stopping them alright? It's gotten unbearably cold." Chuuya nodded, holding his father's hand to his face. He'd expected death to be more violent, to sense suffering, but he appeared ready to go on. His expression was unconflicted, his eyes hardly open. When he watched from afar as the life drained from his eyes, he didn't cry. He held onto Dazai, letting the brunette draw circles around his back.

For weeks after they didn't move anything from the house. It wasn't until Kouyou popped in that they began to clean up the place. Packing things of value in boxes and sorting things out. Their inheritances are already safely tucked in their accounts, with the only thing left being the home. "Are you going to stay with him for the remainder of the summer? You know I have an apartment and wouldn't mind you crashing there for a while." Chuuya glanced at his sister shaking his head as he continued packing boxes of his things.

"No... I'm alright staying with Dazai. It'll give me a chance to get to know his family better. You asked about Yosano's inquiry, right?" Kouyou nodded as Chuuya sighed, holding onto one of his hats. "She should get used to him... I mean she'll be your wife one day, right?" Kouyou smiled, bringing the smaller sibling to her in an embrace.

"You bet she will." Kouyou parted from the embrace, leaving Chuuya in the room alone. Dazai eventually came back from getting a snack for Chuuya, glancing at Kouyou with a hesitant smile.

"What was that about?"

"Just asking what I was planning on doing for the summer. You sure he's alright that I'm crashing at your place?" Chuuya looked up from his last box, grabbing the fruit from Dazai's outstretched hand.

"Yep, I asked him this morning, and he said he didn't care." Dazai sat on the bed, gazing around the room with a heavy sigh, and Chuuya joined him, setting his head on the male's shoulder.

"It's going to be weird without him..." Chuuya trailed off staring at the stack of boxes.

~

The flight wasn't too uncomfortable, he flew first class before, so getting used to the feel wasn't too complicated. The drive back was certainly longer than he'd have enjoyed, but it was alright. Dazai kept him entertained for most of the ride, playing games or talking about random things. "Promise you won't let the kids steal all your attention." Chuuya rolled his eyes, glancing up from his phone.

"Are you going to get jealous over children?" Chuuya titled his head with a playful smirk. Dazai sat his phone beside him on the seat, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"I don't get jealous"

"Lies"

"Nope, I don't get jealous."

"Sure you don't have mackerel." Chuuya's eyes returned to his screen, scrolling through various social media posts as boredom set in.

"It should only be another fifteen minutes." Chuuya nodded, embracing the silence that followed.

The ginger would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous to be accompanying Dazai into this house. It was odd, knowing he'd only interacted with this man in the hospital. Once while he fell ill, and the other when he almost lost Dazai. He'd also be lying if he said he didn't have some negative feelings about Mori. "Chibi walk faster!" Snapped from his thoughts to Dazai's whine, and hands lightly pushing at his back, he began shuffling faster to the door. The clack of his suitcase against the pavement echoed through his ears as his heart sped up with every step closer.

Dazai jumped ahead to open the door, placing his hands behind his neck and sighing. "We're here!" The sound of his shout was followed by the pattern of small feet. Chuuya smiled, leaning his suitcase against the wall as he closed the door behind him.

"Chuuya-san!" the white-haired boy smiled while the girl beside him bowed her head lightly in a greeting.

"It's been a while in Atsushi, Kyouka." Chuuya reached to mess with their hair before glancing at Dazai, who, as expected, was pouting.

"Do I not get a greeting, how cruel! Chibi gets all the attention!" Atsushi, being the angel he is, stepped towards Dazai to hug him. Dazai's eyes softened as he ran his hand through the child's hair. "Where's Elise?"

"She's watching a movie with some friends." Both Dazai and Chuuya raised their eyes from the kids to the man strolling down the stairs. "It's good to see you both, dinner is currently being prepared by the chef. Why don't you two drop your things off in Osamu's room?" Mori stepped off the stairs, acknowledging the sudden tension spiraling between the three of them.

"This is an appropriate time for formal introductions right?" Mori's eyes trailed to Dazai as he nodded, as unable to read the boy as he's ever been.

"I suppose, though I already know him, so you don't need to properly introduce." Had this been the Mori who hadn't read that letter... he would have demanded a proper introduction, only ever wanting perfection.

Chuuya grabbed hold of Dazai's hand noting how the tension didn't go away. "Chibi, this is my... this is my father." Mori's eyes widened for a second before resting back in their neutral cold glance. Chuuya had never noticed it before, but it seemed Dazai got his monotone expressions from Mori. Dazai squeezed Chuuya's hand, building confidence as he thought about how he wanted to address things. "Dad, this is Chuuya Nakahara, my boyfriend." Mori nodded, unsure how to respond. The boy hadn't addressed him... kindly in years, nor had he called him father without an insult prior. He was used to being referred to as my bastard father, the ass-hat, the man who tried to raise me but failed, and other insults.

After a few tense moments of silence that aura surrounding the room dissipated, Mori held his hand out to Chuuya. "It's nice to formally meet you, Nakahara-Kun."

Chuuya hesitantly reached out to shake the man's hand. Clasping it lightly before exhaling, prepared to make a response. "Simply Chuuya is okay."

Mori nodded, dropping the handshake, standing there for a few moments. Dazai dropped his grip from Chuuya's hand. Hesitant as he took steps closer to Mori. His arms came up, and though it was only for a second, he acted out what a healthy father-son relationship did when greeting each other. It was something he'd been recommended in his therapy session. A way to help him move on from the past and accept attempting to fix the broken glass that held their relationship. Mori was stunned, unable to respond in time before Dazai was running off with the ginger up the stairs.

"Did I witness that right?"

"Shut it Chibi! I was just trying something okay?"

"So therapy is working after all."

"It might, just a little." Chuuya smiled, and when he reached the top of the stairs, he stood on his toes and pecked Dazai's cheek.

"That's better than a no." Dazai's eyes shot to the ginger, who stood overly confident.

"I guess..." Dazai mumbled as he dragged his suitcase to his room, showing Chuuya where it was located. The two unpacked, setting things in his closet and drawers.