Surprise Night Visit

The Last Goodbye

The morning sunlight filtered weakly through the curtains, casting a muted glow over Chuuya's penthouse. It was a quiet morning, the kind that almost made Chuuya forget that he was supposed to be angry. He had barely gotten any sleep, but that was nothing new. What was new, however, was the feeling of Dazai still being there, sprawled out on his couch in a position that looked even more uncomfortable than Chuuya had imagined the night before.

Chuuya squinted at him from the doorway of his bedroom, still wrapped in his blanket like a cocoon of frustration and barely contained exhaustion. The sight of Dazai, looking utterly unbothered by his sacrificial sleep on the couch, made Chuuya want to throw a pillow at him—or maybe an entire stack of them. The sight was enough to rouse him from whatever half-sleep he had been in, and he sighed, pushing himself out of bed with a grunt.

"Dazai," Chuuya called out, his voice hoarse from lack of rest. He rubbed his eyes as he made his way into the living room. "It's time for you to go."

Dazai, who had been lying on his side with his hands tucked behind his head, blinked lazily up at Chuuya, not at all startled by the command. In fact, he just gave that damn smile—wide, carefree, and somehow, a little too knowing for Chuuya's liking.

"Hm?" Dazai's voice was groggy, thick with sleep. "You want me to leave already? But I was just getting comfortable."

"Comfortable?" Chuuya shot back, his tone sharp. "You look like you've been lying there for hours with no intention of moving. Time to get up. I'm not running a hotel."

Dazai sat up slowly, stretching as if he didn't have a care in the world, his disheveled hair falling messily around his face. His eyes met Chuuya's for a brief moment, dark and lazy, but there was something in them—something soft, too soft—that made Chuuya's chest tighten slightly, even though he couldn't explain why.

"Come on, Chuuya," Dazai murmured, the teasing glint still in his voice. "It's so early. Why don't we just *chill* for a little longer? I've got nowhere else to go." He leaned back against the couch, arms crossed behind his head once more. "I can't help it, I'm a little *attached* to this couch now."Chuuya rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Oh, you're really attached now, huh? Well, too bad. I've got stuff to do today. Mori's probably already got a mission lined up for me, and I don't need you underfoot. Get up. Go be annoying somewhere else."

Dazai didn't move. He didn't even flinch. Instead, he just looked at Chuuya, his expression shifting into something more serious, something a little quieter. He opened his mouth as though to respond, but then he hesitated, looking almost... reluctant? No, it was just that damn look he always had—like he was plotting something, like he was about to say something that would make Chuuya crazy.

Before Chuuya could say anything more, Dazai did something unexpected. He stood up quickly, crossing the distance between them in two long strides, and before Chuuya could even process what was happening, Dazai cupped his face with both hands and pulled him down into a kiss.Chuuya froze.

His mind went completely blank. His first instinct was to shove Dazai off—punch him, yell at him, anything—but his body didn't follow through. Instead, he found himself paralyzed for a few seconds, his hands hovering uselessly at his sides. Dazai's lips were soft against his, warm and familiar in a way that made his stomach twist, and that single, unexpected moment stretched on for what felt like an eternity.

And then, just as suddenly as it had started, Dazai pulled away.

Chuuya blinked rapidly, his heart thudding against his chest as he took a step back, feeling heat rush to his cheeks. "What the fuck." His face flushed a deep red, though he tried to hide it behind his usual scowl. His lips tingled, still caught in the remnants of Dazai's kiss, and his thoughts were a complete mess.

Dazai stood in front of him, his hands still hanging in the air like he wasn't quite sure what to do next. He didn't smile, didn't even look amused. For once, there was no sarcasm in his eyes. Just a soft, almost vulnerable expression that made Chuuya's chest tighten even more.

"I'm sorry," Dazai said, his voice unusually quiet. "I didn't mean to make things awkward. I just... I just wanted you to know something."

Chuuya swallowed hard, trying to get his bearings. His brain was struggling to catch up, the rush of emotions—confusion, anger, something else he couldn't name—spinning around inside his head.

"You—" Chuuya started, his voice hoarse. "You kissed me, Dazai. What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Dazai didn't seem put off by Chuuya's outrage. In fact, he just stared at him for a moment, his gaze steady, like he was waiting for Chuuya to understand something he wasn't ready to hear. "I just needed you to know," Dazai said softly, his voice almost a whisper. "That I didn't come here just to bother you. I... I've been running for a long time, Chuuya. From everyone. From you, too." He looked down, breaking eye contact for a moment. "But I'm tired of running. And even if you hate me or think I'm just messing around, I wanted you to know that you matter to me. More than I can say."

Chuuya's heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, he found himself caught in the quiet sincerity of Dazai's words. It wasn't often that Dazai was this... honest. Vulnerable, even. Chuuya didn't know how to process it. All he knew was that the world seemed to tilt for a moment, throwing him off balance in a way he hated.

But he quickly shoved that feeling away, replacing it with something familiar—anger, frustration, annoyance.

"Great," Chuuya muttered, stepping back, his voice cracking a little. "So you kiss me, and now you think you can just leave with your feelings all over the damn place?" He shook his head, trying to play it off. "Don't think this means anything, Dazai. I'm not gonna let you mess with my head."

Dazai's smile finally returned, but this time, it was softer—gentler, maybe even understanding. "I didn't mean to mess with you, Chuuya," he said quietly. "I just needed to say it before I left. Because... because I can't keep running anymore. And I wanted you to know that, even if it doesn't change anything."

Chuuya felt a lump form in his throat, but he stubbornly refused to let it show. "Fine," he muttered, brushing past Dazai and heading for the door. "I get it. You're not running anymore. But don't think for a second this means we're some kind of... thing. Don't get any ideas."

Dazai chuckled, but there was something bittersweet in it, something that tugged at Chuuya's chest in a way he didn't like. "Of course, Chuuya," he said softly. "I wouldn't dream of it."

As Chuuya reached for the door handle, he hesitated. Without looking back, he said, "You're leaving. Don't come back unless you've got a damn good reason."

Dazai's voice drifted to him from behind, soft but steady, like the calm after a storm. "I'll be back, Chuuya. Just... don't expect me to be gone forever."

Chuuya didn't reply. He just opened the door, stepped outside, and shut it behind him with a quiet click.

The silence that followed was deafening, and for a moment, Chuuya leaned against the door, his hand resting on the cool surface. He wasn't sure what to do with the emotions swirling in his chest, but one thing was for certain.

Things between him and Dazai would never be the same.

And maybe, just maybe, that wasn't such a bad thing.