It's Okay, Really

Chapter 2

Trying to hide his awkwardness, Chuuya walked over to the counter with the empty glass Tachihara had left behind. He put it on the counter and said, ''Hey, it's pretty late now, you mind if I give you a ride home?''

Wait a sec, give him a ride home? I must sound weird...

Dazai froze, staring at him for a while. ''I go home at this hour every day tho.'' At this moment, Chuuya realized his own stupidity. ''Oh, right. Well then I'll leave... now...?'' Dazai was still looking at him, confused. ''You don't need my permission to... leave...?'' He was so confused right now, holding the unwashed glass in his hand.

Chuuya started to panic. ''Oh yeah, you're right. Bye then, night.'' Staring at him pacing out of the bar, Dazai responded, ''Goodnight.''

Chuuya had been here for a couple of times, but this was the first time he stayed at the bar until such late hours, which was why it was his first time actually having a conversation with Dazai besides ordering drinks.

Alone in the bar, Dazai cleaned the place up, changed his clothes, and was going to turn off the lights. Then someone said, ''Actually, I'm worried that Hiraki, the man who harrassed you in there, would come back for you. He's a mafioso too so... maybe I should accompany you back home, just in case?'' It was Chuuya again, he came back to the bar.

Dazai's hand stopped right before turning off the lights, he looked at Chuuya for a while, then hesitated before nodding. ''... Thank you.'' With that, Chuuya led him to his bike.

''Here, take my helmet,'' he said, then he realized hesitation when Dazai took the helmet. ''First time riding a bike?'' The brunet nodded. With a smile, Chuuya got on his bike and said, ''Juz hold on to me, and you won't fall.''

Dazai sat behind him, then put his hands on Chuuya's shoulders. ''It's better not to juz hold on my shoulders like this, you can--'' As he spoke, Dazai shifted his hands to wrap around Chuuya's waist. ''Like this?''

Yes!!

''Yeah, yeah like this.''

Dazai lived near the bar, at a mixed-use where there was a cafe downstairs. The building had three stories, both the second and third floor were residential.

''Thank you,'' said the brunet as he got off the bike. Chuuya's helmet was a bit tight for him, so when he was taking it off, his lips pursed a little and his eyes were closed. Looking at him, Chuuya just got more fond of him than he had already been. ''You stay safe, alright? Night.''

Dazai nodded and said, ''Goodnight.'' Then he turned around to head in. Putting his helmet on, Chuuya looked up at the building. It looked clean with white walls. The balcony of the third floor had some pots and plants on it, whereas the second floor's had nothing, or at least Chuuya couldn't see anything from his angle.

''Oh wait.'' He suddenly heard the brunet's voice again, he looked back down to see that Dazai was still out here. ''I don't know your name yet,'' Dazai said.

Chuuya smiled, ''Nakahara Chuuya, juz call me Chuuya.'' Dazai smiled back at him, saying, ''You're a kind man, Chuuya.'' Upon hearing his words, Chuuya blushed a little. As a member of the mafia, he had never gotten compliments like this before.

After Dazai had gone in, Chuuya's phone rang. ''Yo,'' he picked it up. ''Yo bro how'd it go? Did you guys have sex?'' Chuuya froze a bit. ''Have what?'' It was Tachihara. ''Oh so you didn't,'' he said it so casually that Chuuya felt like planting a punch on his face. ''No we didn't, dumbass. He's not a slut, and I didn't like him juz for sexual purposes.''

Tachihara hummed for a while, then a split second of silence occured. ''Wait are you telling me that you're really into him?'' Chuuya blushed. ''N--no... yea--yeah, yeah damn it yeah.''

There was silence, then Tachihara burst out laughing. ''Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want,'' Chuuya said while rolling his eyes, he waited for Tachihara to calm down.

''I'm sorry bro but ya'know I juz didn't think a cool and strong mafia executive like you would really fall for someone, let alone going all stuttering, and I bet you're blushing right now.'' It was obvious that he was still holding in his laughter.

''What? A mafia member can't fall for someone?'' Chuuya leaned against his bike. ''But seriously tho, how? Did you fall for him juz by looking at him every time you drink at The Curve?'' It sounded like he was joking around and messing with Chuuya. But deep down, he felt glad that his friend had finally fallen for someone. Because after years of being buddies, Tachihara knew that only love could bring Chuuya's soft side out, which was why he was excited right now. He wanted to see how his friend would look like when being soft.

''I dunno, man. Right now, I juz wanna be friends with him.'' Tachihara raised one of his eyebrows and said, ''Friends?'' Chuuya nodded. ''Yeah, you can't juz jump right into relationships like that, relationships aren't only about your looks, in case you haven't noticed.''

There was a pause.

''Wowww!'' Chuuya got confused. ''Wow what?'' Tachihara chuckled, but this time, he sounded sincere. ''I see you're really serious about this huh. Welp, call me if you need anything, good luck getting your man. See ya tomorrow!'' Then he hung up.

Chuuya looked at the phone in his hand, then up at the building even though he didn't know which floor Dazai was staying at.

It felt strange, he barely knew Dazai, but aside from his looks, something else about him attracted Chuuya. He made Chuuya feel protective, but also want to complain to him about anything that upset him during the day and lean against his shoulder. He barely knew Dazai, but he just felt like this.

I'm not sure how I'm feeling right now, but I wanna know you better, Dazai.