there's been a robbery; you've stolen my heart

"Hey, Dazai-san. We should really get to working on that mission," Atsushi said quietly as he allowed Dazai to practically drag him across the dance floor. The steps he followed were graceful and smooth as Dazai seemed to float like a specter over the dance floor, a stark contrast to his clunky mimicry. When Dazai merely hummed, an amused glint in his eyes as he surveyed the ground, Atsushi hissed in a lower voice, "Osamu."

"Somebody's getting impatient, hm?" Dazai asked, lowering his head so the conversation remained unheard by those around them. Atsushi could feel his warm breath on his ear before his head tilted and leaned against his own, as if they were on a cuddly date and not a grand heist.

"No," Atsushi responded, closing his eyes, savoring the intimacy for as long as he could have it. "I'm just starting to think this is another one of your jokes to get me on a date, not a job."

"Hey!" An indignant voice shouted in his ear, slightly metallic through the microphone. Still, he could tell the voice came from a mouth half-full, most likely of sweets. "I'm right here, and I planned this mission, so of course it's a real job!. Do you really think I care about your stupid romance?"

With a small puff of air, Atsushi rolled his eyes and focused on his dancing once more. He watched the two pairs of black shoes beneath him, shiney from a fresh polish, making sure his didn't step on the toes of Dazai's. If he looked extra closely, he could see a few scuff marks from making that mistake. Slowly he trailed his eyes up, taking in the new outfit Dazai had on. They had decided to get rid of their fancy hats and borderline gaudy outfits for a more defined taste, simple black suits identical to the ones the other guests wore. He had to admit, he looked forward to undercover missions where they had to blend in like this. Dazai looked dashing in a suit, and the compliments he was too shy to give normally found their way back to him and drew out a warmth in his cheeks. Being out in the open for a job made him cautious, but hesitance was hard to hold on to when Dazai was sweeping him across the floor, holding him close with a firm hand on his back.

As the song pulled to a stop, Atsushi felt Dazai slowly withdraw from Atsushi. Shivering at the sudden chill, Atsushi tilted his head up to look at Dazai. He bent down again with a sly smirk Atsushi barely caught a glimpse of, murmuring in his ear, "I'm going in. Be ready for me when I return, okay?"

"Wait, you don't need me?" Atsushi asked, face aghast. "If you're going in on your own, what was the point of bringing me along?"

"Back up!" Dazai responded cheerily, straightening his back. Looking down at Atsushi's pout, he sighed before adding, "I've been relying on your skills too heavily now

They might recognize us. But I just couldn't resist the opportunity to dance with my tiger for so long~"

Atsushi didn't reply, instead focusing all of his energy on resisting the urge to cross his arms like a child. Dazai, noticing this, reached out and gently grabbed Atsushi's chin, forcing their eyes to meet. The glove on his hand felt strange on Atsushi's face, and he never knew how much he could yearn for something as simple as skin on skin contact.

"Atsushi-kun," Dazai started, a serious glint in his eyes. "I'll be coming right back for you. Trust me, by the end of this mission, you're going to be thrilled with what's in store for us."

"I know. Be careful."

Dazai grinned, and Atsushi swore if a suicide joke came out of his mouth he was going to pounce. Instead he said, "Of course."

Watching Dazai's retreating from, Atsushi sighed and made his way to the outskirts of the room. As happy as he was a few moments ago with his hand in Dazai's and the two of them swaying in tandem, he wished Dazai's attention could stay on him and not the room around them. There were too many times Dazai blurred the line between work and pleasure, using galas as dates and stolen kisses as a way to hide from the guards pursuing them. Sometimes Atsushi wondered if the romance they had was naught more than a ploy, and Dazai was using his heart as a tool. He already knew his heart and soul belonged to Dazai, but was Dazai as willing to surrender to him? The question bothered him more than he cared to admit.