Enemies

Jealousy

"Hey, do you want to come with me, since it's your weekend?" Dazai said into the phone.

"I have nothing better to do. Where are you right now?" Ren took a sip of coffee, setting it down on the table.

"Minato Mirai."

"Understood." Ren hung up, and Dazai put his phone back in his pocket, looking out at the bay.

He smiled softly to himself, staring out at the ocean. He leaned against the same tree Ren had leaned against, and memories of that began rushing back to him. She still acted closed off, but compared to when he first tried to sit down and talk with Ren, not Aiko, he realised how much she had let her guard down around him, and how much more she smiled. When she relaxed, she was no longer the Midnight Shadow, Suzuki Aiko or one of the Port Mafia Executives. She was just Ren, a normal human, someone with worries, cares and emotions, though her past wouldn't be considered normal. She didn't try to sugarcoat anything, and she attempted to and succeeded at understanding what he wanted and felt without a naive world view, which led him to take an immense interest and attachment to her. Ren saw straight through his mask and didn't try to run, and forced it off of him without hesitation because she was ordered to, but seeing her willingly remove her many masks felt like an achievement. She was far from perfect, but no human could be, and she wasn't as clingy as he'd first expected, though the fact that she could live normally without him but chose to care for him made him smile. His face lit up as he came up with something, and he smirked.

Forgive me. I want to see your reaction

She walked up to him wearing a black crop top and a baggy jacket hanging off one shoulder and tracksuit pants, on a phone call. She put her phone down and her hands in her pockets, and Dazai waved her towards him. Her expression softened slightly, and she waited for him to say something.

"How's work going?" He walked up to her.

"Chuuya always provides plenty of entertainment." She grinned. "It helps take my mind off of the paperwork. Boss likes to give me that kind of stuff."

"Mori hasn't changed, I see. He liked giving me assignments and paperwork, and Chuuya is good for that kind of thing." He laughed. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"

"Not particularly. I'll probably get a coffee or something." She shrugged.

"How much coffee do you drink?" They began walking towards a cafe.

"How many bandages do you buy?" She said back, walking inside, the bell ringing as they opened the door. "I'll have an espresso."

She and Dazai chatted until her coffee was finished, and she took it from the barista, briefly turning around to look outside for a moment.

"Hey, would you like to commit double suicide with me? I've always wanted to commit suicide with a beautiful woman." Dazai leaned on the counter, smiling at the barista.

"I-uh... I'd rather not, though thank you for the compliment..." She laughed sheepishly, her face starting to turn red. "Do you need help...?"

"I'll be fine." He grinned turning around and walking out.

Ren was drinking her coffee silently, her face unreadable as she looked out the window. The sun shone on her face, highlighting her thoughtful expression. She seemed to be ignoring what was happening, and she turned to him quickly before he started walking out and she followed him outside. He looked at her curiously, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"Do you have anywhere you need to go?" She asked, taking another sip. "This coffee isn't half bad."

"I have to buy more bandages." He grinned, and Ren nodded, sighing.