Opposites Do Attract (a Dazai x Kunikida fanfic)

Chapter 13: Dazai Asks for Advice Again

In some very shocking news, Dazai didn't bother showing up to work the next day. He understandably didn't know if he could handle another long day of Yosano's taunts, that and he didn't know how he could face Kunikida after the disaster that was yesterday. So naturally, he did the smart thing and skipped work.

Kunikida found that out as soon as he came into work. He, of course, was worried since he was still recovering from what had happened last time he had to go searching for Dazai. That lazy maniac had better not be trying to die again... he thought. Since he wasn't super busy yet, he decided he'd go looking for Dazai again. No, scratch that. No matter how busy Kunikida might be, he'd still go looking for his partner. That being said, Kunikida set off to hunt for Dazai.

Kunikida started off by checking all the usual places. He figured that Dazai would either be floating down the river trying to drown again or asking a girl at a bar to commit double suicide with him. Suffice to say, Kunikida knew his partner very well at this point.

When Dazai turned out to be in neither of those places, Kunikida headed to Dazai's house. Maybe Kunikida was being paranoid and Dazai was just skipping work again. Though in my defense, of course I'd be worried about Dazai, Kunikida thought.

When Kunikida reached Dazai's house, he knocked on the door. "Dazai? You in there?"

No answer.

"Dazai?" Kunikida asked.

Silence.

"Dazai...?" Kunikida repeated.

More silence.

Now Kunikida was beginning to worry. "Dazai?!"

Still no reply.

Kunikida was really scared now. "DAZAI!"

But nothing came of that.

Kunikida began to knock on the door some more. "DAZAI, OPEN THE DOOR!"

Finally, the door began to open and there stood a tired-looking Dazai. "Jeez, Kunikida. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Kunikida sighed in relief. "You're ok. And it's 8:30, though I guess I should've expected you to still be asleep until at least noon."

"Yeah...I'm fine?" Dazai replied, confused.

"I was so worried about you!" Kunikida exclaimed, beginning to activate his mom mode since he knew Dazai was safe now. He pulled Dazai into a hug.

"It's not unusual for me to skip work," Dazai reasoned, feeling his heartbeat quicken.

"Yeah, but usually you're trying to die when you skip work," Kunikida pointed out, pulling away and facing him again.

"Fair point. But I promised you I'd stop trying to die, remember?" Dazai asked.

Kunikida nodded. "I remember. But can you blame me for worrying about you?"

"Not at all. In fact...it's really nice to know that someone cares enough about me to do that," Dazai admitted.

That last statement saddened Kunikida. "Sorry not a lot of people do that, but Dazai, listen...you can always count on me."

Dazai smiled. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Kunikida replied, smiling back.

"So...what brings you here?" Dazai asked.

"I was just making sure you weren't dead, but I may or may not have also been planning to give you a lecture about skipping work," Kunikida explained.

"Welp, here I am. Alive and well," Dazai announced. "And noooooo, not another lecture. Please spare me."

"And you have no idea how relieved I am to see that. In fact, I'm so glad to see you alive that I'll forgo the lecture for once," Kunikida responded.