SEA, SWALLOW ME.

[5] FOUR HOURS.

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12:37 AM, Dazai's apartment, Yokohama.

"What..?"

Dazai looked at Chuuya intensely with solemnness. His words sting through Chuuya's heart.

"You told me that you celebrated with wine when I left, is that true..?"

Chuuya scoffed, "Of course I did." His tone was arrogant.

"I see..." Dazai replied, he squinted his eyes and put his chin between his index finger and thumb. Dazai said this playfully and mockingly, he wondered if Chuuya truly did that.

"Why'd you ask anyways?"

Dazai hummed, "Just curious."

Chuuya's answer wasn't a full lie, but a lie nonetheless. At first, he bought bottles of expensive wine to cry. Drowning in his tears and the sweet taste of alcohol. Spending his nights at bars or in his kitchen slumped over the counter like a complete mess. But soon, the wine turned to celebration. Dazai wouldn't be there. Good.

Chuuya's eyes flickered away from Dazai's penetrating gaze. He didn't want to admit the truth, not even to himself. "It's nothing," Chuuya said, his voice lacking the arrogance from before, "Just wanted to forget you." Dazai looked at Chuuya with confusion, a small smile playing on his lips. He couldn't blame him, after all, he was never good at lying.

"You're having trouble forgetting me?" Dazai leans closer as he sits on the cold tile of the bathroom, "That's funny, Mr. I celebrated when you left."

"Last night, when I brought you home, you wouldn't let me leave and told me to crawl into your futon and cuddle you... why?"

"I was probably wasted, I never think straight when I drink." 'No, I miss you.'

Dazai looks into Chuuya's blue eyes, they reminded him of Neptune.

"What do you even do all day besides work, are you still as lazy as before? Actually... never mind the work part you still probably laze around," Chuuya reminisces to Dazai, Dazai chuckles softly at the remark.

Dazai replies using a snarky tone, "And I bet you still have your horrible anger issues."

"And you're still a bitch." Chuuya snapped back angrily, he's always hated being teased by Dazai, but deep down he still loved it.

Dazai looks at the clock, 12:57... it's already been 20 minutes...? When he hears Chuuya's remark, he replies just a quick "You're still one too." He giggles to himself.

"Shut up!" Chuuya snaps back, pushing Dazai into a bath mat. Dazai chuckles, holding the arms that cradle his shoulders. Chuuya's azure eyes soften, before he crawls off of him. "Did the Tums work?"

"Yep. Thanks, by the way." Dazai replies, Chuuya falls to the mat next to him. They talk for hours, about new interests and what they've done in the times they haven't seen each other. It was weird and surreal... Dazai never thought he'd feel such comfort in Chuuya as he did now. Was Chuuya his friend now? It'd be too weird to ask. Dazai, like the many nights before, drifted off to sleep within the cage of his mind.

Chuuya took out his phone and scrolled Instagram, cuddled into Dazai's chest. He looked past the screen and up at the brunette, his gaze softened once more. Chuuya felt more like a caretaker to him... but perhaps it's what Dazai needed, other than therapy. That was Chuuya's next goal. To find a therapist for this bandaged mess and help him. Help him. His goal was to help him. I guess this was payback for the Dead Apple incident.