A Touch of Sorrow [Dazai x OC x Chuuya]

Duodecim

"DAZAIIIIIIII!!!!"

Sigh.

The one with the name let out a heavy sigh as he watched the ginger burst through the door of his office. He quite liked the wooden door, it gave him a certain space to work and to think. And this hat rack just managed to smash it.

"HOW COULD YOU TAKE REI HOME IN SUCH LATE HOURS?!?!" Chuuya had Dazai collared, ready for a choke-hold.

"Do you expect me to let her walk home in such late hours?" Dazai replied with a too relaxed tone.

After Rei passed out due to the excessive crying in his arms, Dazai took her back to the apartment. Odasaku was already there waiting for them, he went first to tidy up her place a bit, the dust had piled up quite on her bed sheets. He even dusted the picture frame by her night stand and place there a bowl of warm water and a towel.

Dazai gently lay her on the bed and tugged her in. Her face and her eyes were all swollen after crying. It would be a miracle if she could see tomorrow when she woke up. Dazai threw his coat on the chair, reaching for the towel whilst at it. He carefully wiped away the tears stains on her face, dabbed and dabbed slightly on her eyes and forehead. 

Rei's body temperature was colder than he expected, and seemingly the warm towel helped. He watched her face eased after each dab, sometimes she would turn her cheek closer to the towel and lean on the fabric to take in the heat. 

It was the first year she was able to get some sleep peacefully on that day. Nobody wanted a birthday when you only cry and cry yourself to sleep, but to Rei it was the best thing to have on a birthday. A good night sleep, that's all.

Dazai nullified her ability while he hugged her earlier on. She was using her ability to heal the injuries and the energy alternations also caused her lack of sleep. While the ability was nullified, the injuries would wear her out, and tiresome will eventually put her to sleep. And when it did, Dazai took her back to the apartment for a proper rest.

He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the time she was with him then. That hug she voluntarily stayed in, might have been the only time when she showed true affection towards him. Even though she was tired, she slid her arms around his waist and deepened in the embrace. Rei trusted him enough to cry in his arms, to let herself fall trusting that he would catch her. And luckily, he did. 

Dazai closed the door behind him, stealing one last glimpse of the girl before completely disappeared from her space. 

"You didn't do anything to-"

"Of course I didn't do anything, chibi boy."

"!!" 

"Stop!"

Rei came just in the nick of time to stop Chuuya from punching Dazai, which she inferred would end really badly if she hadn't come in time. The coffee cups in her hands were trembling to the point of almost falling out of that grip.

"Chuuya-kun, what are you doing here?" Rei ran up to the two with the cups still shaking in her hands.

"Why were you with this bastard yesterday?" Chuuya removed his gaze from the brunette to stare back at the girl. His cobalt eyes were burning like blue fire.

But Rei didn't feel frightened by the look, instead she found this feeling wrapping around her tighter the longer she stared into those eyes. It was a happy kind of feeling, and she involuntarily let out a word that wouldn't be considered fitting for the situation then.

"Cute..."

Both of them gasped with eyes opened wide in surprise. And slowly, the ginger head lowered his face to hide the roseate blush on his cheeks. Chuuya loosened his grip around Dazai's collar and the brown haired one took the opportunity to snatch those gloved hands off him immediately.