Choose me (soukoku)

Chapter 3.

Chuuya and Akutagawa walked to the bar, casual conversation flying here n there.

"So, how's stuff between you and the weretiger?" Chuuya asked, genuinely curious. What he expected was Akutagawa to get annoyed and crib about how Dazai had made them partner up.

What he didn't expected was Akutagawa to go all silent. "It's...... kind of complicated." he finally said, eyes on the ground.

Chuuya was immediately transported to a time back when Ane-san had asked him how he was coping when Dazai left.

"It's complicated." A 18 year old Chuuya tries explaining to the Port Mafia executive who won't go away until he's said that he'd fine.

"Don't lie." Ane-san said, somehow being threatening while being pink. Chuuya sighed, trying his best to keep his voice steady and not expose that he was in fact, very very drunk.

"I'm fine, Ane-san. Truly. I'm happy he left." Chuuya tried for a smile. Not a very convincing one by the look Ane-san gave him. "Fine." she grumbled and muttered something about castrating Dazai.

He smiled, kind of, at the similarities between himself and Akutagawa. "Hey, we're here." Akutagawa mentioned, as they reached in front of the building. The bar looked shiny and relatively new. Chuuya whistled.

"This is a good choice." He said as he walked in behind his coworker. Akutagawa spoke something that Chuuya couldn't make out. "Come again?" Chuuya asked while Akutagawa just shook his head.

After they went inside, the lights were all turned off. Chuuya had to stifle a mad grin that was going across his face. Maybe he liked parties. And maybe he has missed celebrating his birthday. And maybe it made him happy that someone had organized an entire party for him.

"Are you sure we're at the right place?" Chuuya asked Akutagawa, trying to play as if he didn't know there was a party for him. "I think so, yeah." Akutagawa's voice was now far away. Chuuya hadn't noticed the demon user walk away.

But given the fact that he was wearing all black, it was to be expected.

1

2

3

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!" A chorus of voices sang around him as the lights switched on and people became visible.

The room was absolutely amazing. Balloons and colorful decoration hung around every nook and cranny. To someone else, it might seem a bit childish, but Chuuya didn't experience a childhood, so the wonder of colors was not lost on him. He looked around the room, a little dazzled by the bright colors and of course the amount of wine that was around him.

He was positive he looked nothing like a 23 year old mafia executive, who'd killed more people that he could count. But at that moment, he didn't care.

This was his birthday, and finally he noticed the banner hanging. It read:

Happy birthday to my dog

Chuuya looked at it, and was sure who had made it. He scanned the room, looking for the familiar mop of brown hair that he loathed. (kind of).

But as he was finding that person, his eyes came across other people too.

Gin, Tachihara, Higuchi, Kaji, Hirotsu, Elise, Kouyou, Poe, karl (Chuuya breifly wondered why there was a racoon at his birthday but anyway.) He looked at them in disbelief. All of them, they had left their missions to come to his birthday party. His party. They ditched work. The realization made him feel light headed in a good away.

He also spotted some Agency members. Atsushi, Kunikida, Yosano, Kenji, Kyouka, ranpo, Akutagawa (why he was standing with them, Chuuya didn't question.) Lucy, and finally, Dazai.

He shook his head, a little in shock and a little in amazement, but none in disapproval.

"I seriously can't believe you all." He said, trying his best to go for a upset tone, but his mouth spilled out the words as outrageously happy. There were a few laughs heard, and then the music started.

The next moments were a blur. He talked with people who came to wish him a happy birthday, scolded and thanked Ane-san for leaving behind her work to come to this party, talked with Elise and how she'd managed to sneak away from Mori, and drank a shit ton of wine.

When he was talking to someone who's name he cant remember, he came to the realization that he hadn't made any contact with the Agency. Regardless of how many times he'd tried to kill them, or they'd tried to kill him, they were here. And for that Chuuya was thankful.

He ended the conversation with the person, and walked towards where the ADA members were chatting.

Kunikida saw him first, and stood up a lot straighter. Like he was prepared to fight him if provoked. Chuuya laughed and help up his hand in mock surrender.

He neared to them and more members noticed his presence.

He hated the way his mouth got an urge to smile when he saw Dazai in his stupid coat.

He did smile at them though. "Hi." He said to them.

"Hey birthday boy." Yosano chuckled as she downed her wine in her hand.

Atsushi waved at him, while Akutagawa continued to be in the background.

Ranpo said, "Hey book buddy. Happy 23th year on this planet." while he took away the racoon from his owner, who looked as if he couldn't be more closer to shitting his pants and slapping Ranpo.

Kunikida said a polite happy birthday, and Dazai of course had to be the most dramatic. "Chibi! Happy birthday! Maybe you'll grow this year yknow." He said with that annoying voice of his.

Chuuya rolled his eyes. "Please Mackerel. I maybe a bit smaller than you but I can beat you at a lot of stuff." He said, a playful smirk on his lips. Maybe the alcohol was a little bit too much.

Dazai raised his eyebrows. "Really? like what?" He asked.

Chuuya's smirk widened. "I remember a particularly rainy night once. You and me. Who was it that required attention?" He asked, the feeling of oversharing never crossing his mind.

His feeling to say more only increased when Dazai, the demon prodigy, actually blushed. Yes, Dazai fucking Osamu blushed.

"ooo" Yosano said, emptying another glass.

"He was the one who arranged this, you know" Atsushi said.

Chuuya acknowledged this fact with a grin. "Really? I think he deserves some rewards for this. Am I right, Dazai-kun?" he said, adding the kun at an impulse that his drunk mind couldn't explain. Dazai's blush only reddened, but he regained his composure.

"Of course, Chibi. After an entire day of planning out this. I think I do deserve an award."

Chuuya laughed, his last moments of peace that he did not know, were going faster than ever.

Time doesn't slow down, neither does it pass when we want it to. It's a bitch and won't listen to any god. And worse of all, it fucking hurts.

Author's note:

Its gonna be angst i swear this is probably the only happy chapter left? or maybe one more, but im gonna make it sad so if u like that stay here and it u dont then it was nice to have u read whatver crap im writing but im on painkillers so bear wiht me if there are mistakes allthought ill prolly proof read before publishing but icase i forgt