Unravel Me

15: Celebration

It only took a few days for Dazai to get the text he'd been waiting for.

   6:28 pm
   [Dumb Slug]: "GUESS WHO PASSED, FUCKER!!! I told you I would!"

   He couldn't help but smile at his phone, picturing the way Chuuya would say the words, pointing a finger into his face to rub it in. It was deserved. He'd proved Dazai wrong. For as rare an event as it was, it certainly deserved celebration.

   Of course, Dazai knew this would happen.

   6:29 pm
   [Sent]: "Huh, I guess you do have a brain, after all."

   6:29 pm
   [Dumb Slug]: "I hate you -_-"

   6:30 pm
   [Sent]: "Aww thanks! I hate Chuuya, too <3"

   6:31 pm
   [Dumb Slug]: "You're the worst"

   6:32 pm
   [Sent]: "If I were really the worst, would I offer to celebrate with you tonight?"

   6:32 pm
   [Dumb Slug]: "Ugh. I'm getting sick of seeing your face."

   6:33 pm
   [Sent]: "That doesn't sound like you're saying no"

   6:34 pm
   [Dumb Slug]: "I'm not. I'll be over in twenty minutes. You'd better have something to drink besides that shitty whiskey you like"

   6:34 pm
   [Sent]: "You're so high maintenance"

   6:38 pm
   [Dumb Slug]: "It's called having taste, idiot"

   Dazai was thankful that he'd had the foresight to pick up a bottle of wine after the track meet. He didn't know much about wine, so it wasn't anything special, just some kind of red blend. He was pretty sure that was what Chuuya liked, and it was cheap enough that he could play it off like he hadn't bought it just for the occasion. It was a good thing he didn't know Chuuya's favorite wine—that would've given him away for sure.

   Twenty minutes had never felt so long in Dazai's life. He used the time to change and brush his teeth again before standing awkwardly in the living room of his apartment. He was fighting with himself, trying to decide whether to tidy up a bit or not. Would it seem like he was trying too hard? His apartment was just as cluttered the last time Chuuya had come over and it didn't bother him enough to not come back.

   He was still trying to decide what to do when a knock came at his door. "It's open," he called out.

   As expected, Dazai heard the rattling of the door handle, followed by aggressive pounding.

If his neighbors didn't hate him already, then this would certainly do it.

   "No, it's not! Let me in, you shitty bastard!"

   He snickered to himself as he crossed the room to open the door. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed messing with Chuuya.

   "Yeah, real fucking funny," Chuuya said, shoving Dazai in the chest.

   "Hey, don't be such a brat. I could have kept you locked outside."

   He rolled his eyes, dropping onto the couch. "I could definitely picture your annoying ass doing that."

   "Chuuya pictures my ass?"

   Dazai's head whipped back as a throw pillow hit him square in the face.

   "Do you want me to leave?!"

   "Do you want to leave?"

   Chuuya grit his teeth and shot up from the couch, making a beeline for the kitchen. "What do you have to drink?"
  
   "Well, I have whiskey—"