The last sunset

Chapter 4: The Art of Annoyance

The soft clink of glasses echoed in the nearly empty bar as Dazai and Chuuya sat at their corner booth. The wine bottle between them was halfway done, and Dazai was twirling his sake cup like a bored child. Chuuya, on the other hand, looked like he was about five minutes away from throwing his glass at Dazai's head.

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Chuuya began, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Your big promise to me is that before you decide to go belly-up, you'll just *grace* me with your presence, huh? Like I'm supposed to babysit your sorry ass?"

Dazai gave a lazy grin, swirling the remnants of his sake. "Babysit? Chuuya, you wound me. I thought of it more like a personal VIP service—keeping me from doing anything 'reckless.'" He made air quotes with his fingers, which only made Chuuya's eyebrow twitch harder.

"VIP service? You mean like those rich assholes who leave me a lousy tip after I bust my back keeping them safe?" Chuuya scoffed. "Great. So now I'm your personal bodyguard too. What's next, I tuck you in at night?"

Dazai's grin widened, and his eyes twinkled mischievously. "I wouldn't say no to that. You'd look adorable in a little apron, bringing me a cup of warm milk before bed."

Chuuya slammed his glass down, red-faced—not from the wine, but from the mental image Dazai had planted in his head. "You—! I swear, Dazai, you've got two seconds before I make you eat that sake cup."

Dazai laughed, a genuine laugh that seemed to light up the dim bar. "Oh, Chuuya, don't be so uptight! Can't you see I'm complimenting you? I'm practically asking for you to protect my fragile, delicate existence."

"Delicate?" Chuuya growled. "You're about as delicate as a wrecking ball! If anything, it's me who needs protection from you and your suicidal tendencies. I can't go five minutes without wondering if you've hurled yourself off a building or into some river!"

Dazai feigned innocence, pressing a hand to his chest. "You worry about me, Chuuya? I'm flattered. I didn't know I occupied so much space in your little head."

"'Little head' my ass," Chuuya shot back, crossing his arms. "I'm the only one *smart* enough to stop you from being a complete idiot."

Dazai leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, his smirk growing. "Oh, Chuuya, if only you could admit how much you care. Beneath all that anger, you're just a softie, aren't you?"

Chuuya's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and he stood up so fast that the table rattled. "I'm not *soft*! I'm—"

Before he could finish his rant, the waitress came over, carrying another bottle of wine. She looked between the two of them, raising an eyebrow. "You two need to calm down, or I'm gonna have to kick you out."

Dazai gave her his most charming smile, completely unfazed by Chuuya's death glare. "Oh, no worries. We're just having a passionate debate."

"About what? Who's gonna punch who first?" she asked, setting down the bottle with a weary sigh.

"Something like that," Chuuya grumbled, sitting back down with a huff. The waitress gave him a pitying look before walking away.

Dazai, on the other hand, looked like he was enjoying himself immensely. He poured more sake, taking a slow sip, before turning his attention back to Chuuya. "You know, for all the talk about how much I annoy you, you've stuck around. Makes me wonder if maybe you *like* having me around."

Chuuya glared at him, still trying to calm down. "What, like I enjoy being dragged into your suicidal melodrama? Please. I've just got a sense of responsibility, something you clearly lack."

Dazai pouted in mock hurt. "You wound me again. And here I thought we were developing a deep, meaningful friendship."

"Friendship?" Chuuya spat the word like it was poison. "More like a never-ending headache. You're lucky I haven't buried you yet."

Dazai took another sip of his sake, his grin never faltering. "Ah, but you haven't. That's the beauty of it, Chuuya. No matter how much I annoy you, you keep coming back."

Chuuya groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Yeah, well, maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment. That or you've worn me down so much I've lost the will to argue."

"See? That's progress," Dazai said, leaning back with a satisfied sigh. "Soon, you'll be making me breakfast in bed and writing me heartfelt letters."

Chuuya looked like he was seriously considering flipping the table. "How about I write you a letter with my fist instead?"

Dazai chuckled. "Now that's the Chuuya I know. Always so charming."

They sat in silence for a moment, Chuuya still fuming but gradually cooling down, while Dazai seemed content, his mind wandering elsewhere. Despite everything—the threats, the insults, the constant back-and-forth—there was a strange comfort in it all. This was their rhythm, the chaotic dance that had somehow kept both of them standing.

After a while, Chuuya glanced at Dazai out of the corner of his eye. "You really gonna stick to that promise?"

Dazai raised an eyebrow. "Which one? The one where you tuck me in?"

Chuuya's eye twitched. "The one where you come to me if you feel like doing something stupid again."

Dazai's expression softened, just a little, and he leaned back, looking up at the ceiling as if deep in thought. "I guess I don't have a choice, do I? You're pretty scary when you're serious."

Chuuya huffed. "Damn right I am."

Dazai smiled, a real smile this time, not his usual teasing one. "Alright. I'll come to you. But don't expect me to make it easy for you."

Chuuya rolled his eyes. "You never make anything easy."

"And yet," Dazai said, raising his sake cup in a mock toast, "you're still here. That's gotta count for something."

Chuuya grumbled under his breath but couldn't deny the truth in Dazai's words. No matter how much he complained, no matter how much Dazai pushed his buttons, he was still here. Maybe he didn't fully understand why, but deep down, he knew he wasn't going anywhere.

They clinked their glasses together in an unspoken truce, the weight of the night lifting just a little. For now, the heavy conversations could wait. They had wine, whiskey , and each other's company—and that was more than enough to keep the darkness at bay.

At least for tonight.