Bungo Stray Dogs Oneshots

Betrayal and Nostalgia (Dazai x Chuuya)

Ship: Dazai x Chuuya

Genre: Angst

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The night was cold, shadows stretching between the narrow streets of Yokohama, illuminated only by the occasional flicker of streetlamps. Chuuya's breath fogged in the air as he walked, shoes clicking against the pavement with every frustrated step. His hands were clenched into fists, shoved deep into the pockets of his long black coat. He hated this feeling - this growing emptiness that stirred whenever Dazai's name was mentioned.

And yet, here he was, storming to meet the very man he despised.

Dazai stood waiting, leaning lazily against a lamppost with his trench coat flapping lightly in the breeze. His eyes, half-lidded with that infuriating indifference, flicked toward Chuuya as he approached.

"You're late, Chuuya," Dazai drawled, a teasing smile curling his lips. "Did the wind blow your hat away?"

Chuuya's jaw tightened, his teeth grinding as he shot Dazai a glare. "Cut the crap, Dazai. Why the hell did you call me here?" his voice was sharp, his irritation barely masked.

Dazai pushed himself off the lamppost, his hands sliding into the pockets of his coat. "I was just feeling wistful, I guess. Thought we could reminisce about the good old days."

"Wistful?" Chuuya spat, his fists trembling at his sides. "You're a sick bastard. There's nothing good about those days. You left without a word, betrayed the Mafia, betrayed me-"

"Betrayed you?' Dazai interrupted, his voice soft but laced with an edge of something darker. "I was never loyal to the Mafia, Chuuya. You know that better than anyone. I never betrayed you."

Chuuya's heart pounded, his anger surging to the surface. "Don't act like you didn't! We were partners, Dazai! We had each other's backs - until you decided to disappear like a coward!"

The silence that followed was suffocating. Dazai's smile faded, his expression unreadable as he stepped closer to Chuuya. His eyes, those cold, calculating eyes, locked onto Chuuya's.

"Is that what you think?" Dazai's voice was barely above a whisper, the words slipping out like a ghost in the dark. "That I left because I was a coward?"

Chuuya's breath hitched in his throat, the weight of Dazai's gaze pressing down on him. For the first time in a long while, Chuuya saw something in Dazai's eyes - something he didn't understand.

"Then why?" Chuuya's voice cracked, his frustration giving way to something more vulnerable. "Why did you leave?"

Dazai remained silent for a moment, his lips pressed into a thin line. Then, with a sigh, he looked away, his gaze drifting toward the night sky.

"I left because I made a promise to Odasaku that I would fight for people, I was drowning in the darkness," Dazai said quietly. "And I didn't want to drag you down with me any further."

Chuuya froze, his breath catching in his throat. He opened his mouth to response, but no words come out. The anger he had carried for so long felt misplaced, like an armor that no longer fit. He clenched his fists tighter, the weight of Dazai's words sinking into him.

"You could have told me," Chuuya whispered, his voice shaky. "I would've understood."

Dazai let out a bitter chuckle. "You wouldn't have. And even if you did, I couldn't risk it. I've always been destined for this emptiness." He turned his eyes back to Chuuya, and the hollow look in them made Chuuya's chest ache.

"So that's it, huh?" Chuuya muttered. his voice trembling despite himself. "You're just going to keep running? Keep hiding in that damn darkness?"

Dazai tilted his head, a sad smile tugging at his lips. "It's not something I can run from, Chuuya. It's who I am."

Chuuya's fists unclenched, his anger slowly dissipating, replaced by a deep sadness. The man in front of him, the one he had once called his partner, was unreachable. No matter how many fights they had, how many missions they shared - there was a chasm between them that couldn't be crossed, and since they were both working for different organisations, it made it harder to maintain their old relationships.

"You're a real piece of work, Dazai," Chuuya muttered, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

Dazai chuckled, though it lacked his usual mirth. "I've heard that before."

Chuuya turned his gaze to the ground, swallowing the lump in his throat. He had thought he hated Dazai - despised him for leaving, for the lies, for everything. But now, standing in front of him, all Chuuya felt was an overwhelming sense of loss.

In some twisted way, Dazai had been right. They were both bound to the darkness - but Dazai had chosen to embrace it, while Chuuya had spent years fighting against it.

"I won't forgive you for what you did," Chuuya said quietly, his voice laced with a finality that made Dazai pause. "But I'm done hating you."

Dazai's eyes softened, just for a moment. "That's more than I deserve."

With a bitter laugh, Chuuya turned away, the weight of the conversation settling over him like a heavy cloak. He didn't look back as he walked away, his heart heavy with a sorrow he hadn't realised he was still carrying.

And Dazai left standing in the shadows, watched him go - his own emptiness echoing in the silence of the night before leaving.

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THE END