The sister or the child of Soukoku

Chapter 2

Chuuya slowly stirred awake, blinking against the soft morning light that filtered through his curtains. As he propped himself up, the familiar, comforting surroundings of his room came into focus-bookshelves lined with books about suicide and poems, the nightstand that always had a cup of warm coffee on it, and the candle that was lit, just for decoration.

"Gooooooooooood morning!" Dazai walked through the door.

"Ugh, good morning..." Chuuya replied.

"Oh aren't you the center of unhappiness today! Maybe I can help!" Dazai planted a kiss on his neck, then his arms and then every part of his body.

Chuuya tried to shake off the drowsiness, but Dazai's playful kisses were proving to be more effective than any amount of caffeine. He shifted slightly, attempting to escape Dazai, but his efforts only made Dazai grin wider.

"Stop it," Chuuya mumbled. He felt the warmth in his cheeks and knew he was losing the battle against a smile.

"Why would I stop when you look so cute all grumpy?" Dazai replied, as he pressed another kiss just below Chuuya's jaw.

Chuuya huffed, his irritation melting away under the gentle teasing. "You're unbearable, you know that?"

"Unbarebly charming, you mean," Dazai corrected, drawing back just enough to meet Chuuya's gaze.

Their eyes locked for a moment.

Then Dazai went back to kissing Chuuya.

Chuuya rolled his eyes but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. "You really are unbelievable."

"Unbelievably charming, you mean!" Dazai said, then stopped, his voice dropping to a softer tone. "And you know you love it when I do this to you..."

Chuuya leaned back. "Maybe I tolerate it."

Dazai chuckled softly, the lightheartedness lingering in the air. "Tolerating me is just a fancy way of saying you love me," he teased, leaning in closer, his lips brushing against Chuuya's ear.

Chuuya couldn't help but let out a soft sigh, half-annoyed, half-amused. "You're infuriating," he replied.

"Infuriatingly charming," Dazai corrected him.

Chuuya shifted again, finally sitting up fully, throwing the covers aside. "Alright, alright. I get it. You've won. What's the plan for today, love?"

Dazai faked a dramatic gasp, placing a hand over his heart. "Plan? I thought we'd spend the day in bed!"

"Not a chance," Chuuya replied, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He stood up, stretching, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. "Oh, wait I totally forgot about Kyomi-chan."

"CHUU-NII!"

The sudden, panicked cry pulled them both from their moment. Chuuya's heart raced as he glanced towards the bathroom door. "Speak of the devil."

"Agh, yeah Kyomi-chan?" he called out, urgency creeping into his voice, Dazai was lingering close and covering Chuuya with kisses and his playful behaviour giving way to concern.

"HELP!"

The plea echoed, rolling through the small apartment. In an instant, Dazai pulled away, his playful grin replaced by a look of shock and fear. Chuuya's heart thudded in his chest as they exchanged glances. Without another word, they both ran towards the bathroom.

The man bolted from the scene, his footsteps echoing in the narrow alley as he vanished into the darkness, leaving behind the six year old girl, who lay half-submerged in the water. She sputtered and coughed violently, expelling the cold liquid from her lungs.

"CHUUYA!" Dazai shouted.

"I'm on it!" Chuuya exclaimed, thrusting himself through the window with determination, his eyes focused on the fleeing figure.

Dazai knelt beside Kyomi, his voice dropping to a gentle whisper, "Kyomi-chan, are you okay?" His tone was soft, laced with worry and urgency.

Kyomi blinked rapidly, her vision clearing as Dazai's familiar face came into focus. "D-Dazai-san..." she stammered, her voice weak but steadying as she fought to catch her breath.

"He's gone." Chuuya walked back.

They watched the tears spill down Kyomi's cheeks, her small body trembling from the shock.

Dazai reached out, gently brushing a few strands of hair from her face. "Hey, it's okay. You're safe now. Chuuya's right here," he reassured her, his voice steady and soothing.

"Kyomi-chan, can you tell us what happened?" Chuuya asked, crouching down beside her.

"I... I don't know.... Some guy came up behind me and..."

Dazai felt a surge of anger as he glanced at the window. "It's alright, sweetheart. You're with us now."

Chuuya moved in closer, wrapping an arm around Kyomi's shoulders. "Can you stand? We're going to help you, I promise." He gave her a reassuring smile, one that he hoped would calm her racing heart.

As Kyomi took a shaky breath and nodded, they both carefully helped her to her feet. She swayed slightly, but Dazai and Chuuya held her steady. "We're right here, Kyomi-chan, okay? We'll always be here, with you."