'Remind me again, why do I have to do this? '

'Because we made a deal, ' Dazai is all too happy to answer as he lounges on his couch and flips through a book. When Dazai ordered him up here an hour ago, Chuuya assumed he would give him last-minute instruction, not lie around and be annoying while Chuuya fusses with wrinkles on his shirt. 'You got Karma, and I got myself a free hour or two. '

Ugh, that 's how long it will last? He 'd much rather put a bullet through his head and take a nap instead. It 's not even because of nerves or fear, although he feels his guts clench anxiously now and then as well. It 's the fact that he hates sitting around, discussing things he doesn 't care about with people he 'd much rather see on the ground, preferably with his foot on their face.

'You said you 'd still technically be there, ' Chuuya reminds him. 'Don 't you dare take that back now. '

Behind him, Dazai lets out a melodramatic sigh. 'Yes, yes, I 'll be in your ear, listening to everything the entire time. Don 't you worry about that, Chuuya darling. '

Fixing his tie, Chuuya scowls. 'Then how 's that free time? ' Nothing this man says ever makes sense ' that 's the only predictable thing about him. If you think you know something, then you 're wrong. Very, very wrong.

'Well, I 'll get to sit back and relax, ' Dazai says with a melodic hum. 'Kick up my feet. Play with Jiji. I can even make myself a hot cup of cocoa. That 's as free as my time gets. '

Chuuya turns around to shoot him a narrow-eyed glare. 'If I have to listen to you

slurping

for two hours, I 'll sabotage that meeting on purpose. That is a promise. '

'Ah, don 't tempt me, ' Dazai drawls, the glint in his one eye dripping so much shameless lechery that Chuuya feels like he has to look away.

'Seriously? ' he mutters. 'If you hate your job that much, why even do it? Not like you care much about all the dirty money you make. '

'I already promised you. The day you figure that out, I 'll tell you everything else you want to know. '

Puzzled, Chuuya frowns, not remembering any such thing. Except that he does. It was that day in the office, Chuuya shadowing him for the first time, and Dazai going on and on about weaknesses. After Dazai proclaimed the sheep were his weakness, he made Chuuya guess his instead. They got interrupted before they could finish that conversation, though.

'So your weakness has something to do with you being the boss, ' Chuuya concludes and takes a glimpse over his shoulder to gauge his reaction.

Dazai traces one long, slender finger over the pages of his book. 'Maybe. Maybe not. '

Mysterious bastard.

'You hate the government and want to take over the country one day. '

'Heh. ' Dazai 's chuckle is softer than a summer 's breeze. 'Politicians are hypocritical, irritating charlatans; you 're not wrong about that. Why would I aim to become one then? That would be even more work than I 've already got on my hands. '

'Fine, ' Chuuya relents, not upset about that wild guess being wrong. 'You 're in it for the easily accessible drugs. You 're just a high-functioning addict, aren 't ya? '

'Yes, Chuuya caught me. All of this ' ' Dazai waves his hand around and then slips it inside the pocket of his slacks to fish out a small ziplock bag that he apparently always carries around with him. ' ' for this. Game over for me. '

Ignoring his glaring sarcasm, Chuuya huffs out a breath. 'See? Addict. You can 't even walk over to your couch without that shit. '

'I 'm self-medicating. There 's a difference. '

'And what 's the name of the disease you 're self-medicating, huh? '

'Oh, Chuuya. I don 't think we have enough time to list off all of them now, ' Dazai banters back.

Chuuya just sighs, already dragging his eyes away, but it 's too late. Dazai has already noticed the spare second that they lingered on the powder too long. His smirk turns downright predatory. The only thing he 's missing is a pair of fangs and blood trickling down his chin.

'Would

you

like to self-medicate? ' Dazai offers innocently like the bastard hadn 't already sniffed that out seconds ago.

Just because Chuuya wants to feel that promising clarity in his head and because he wants that never-ending, animalistic greed for destruction, death, and lust to mellow out again, doesn 't mean that he actually

should

. Doing cocaine for the first time before an important meeting is probably not a good idea. And yet here Dazai is, looking like a gleeful child as he offers Chuuya a taste of his drugs.

'You 're a shitty boss, you know, ' Chuuya says in favor of stalling.

'There is a reason why most successful businessmen are cokeheads, ' Dazai retorts with a shrug. 'It brightens your mind, makes you euphoric and sociable, and if it 's a good product, then there are usually no side effects. Trust me, Chuuya darling, this is good product. If you feel like you want it, there is a reason. Denying you of that would make me a shitty boss, but

I

am excellent. '

The main reason why Chuuya ends up fucking it all to hell and giving in to his urges is only to make the man stop talking. Really. Of course, Dazai doesn 't even need verbal confirmation to know that Chuuya has taken the bait. The slight slumping of his shoulders is more than enough for him to close the book he was reading, position it in front of him and scatter some of the cocaine on top of it. Chuuya sits down on the edge of the bed and watches him fish out a card and a banknote before crushing the heap into even more delicate powder and dragging some of it into a line. It 's thin but relatively long. Not any different from what Chuuya has seen go around. When Dazai 's done, he offers him the rolled-up banknote with a smoldering smile.

'Thanks, ' Chuuya mutters as he accepts it. He considers his choice here for a moment before giving himself a mental shrug and leaning down instead. His eyes flutter half-closed as he inhales the powder through one nostril, only blinking open when the line disappears, and his gaze lifts to meet Dazai 's, one eye, pupils so dark and big that they nearly eclipse the shades of brown around them, calmly watching him. Sniffing loudly, Chuuya sits up again and shakes his head.

'Good? ' Dazai asks.

'It 's been, like, one second. '

'You. Are you good?. '

'Oh. I 'm fine. ' Chuuya hands Dazai the banknote, but Dazai wordlessly presses it back to him, making him roll his eyes and feel like a bit of a crackwhore. Dazai 's crackwhore, to be specific. Ugh. 'I don 't need that. '

'Don 't be stupid. People always need money. ' When Chuuya only stares back with a flat look, Dazai adds, 'Besides, you 're going to a gambling den. You can 't show up without any money. '

Right. Despite Dazai 's nonchalant attitude about it, he did thoroughly prep Chuuya for the meeting. All the information that has been pumped into his brain over the last week swirls around in circles, too much, too big, too important, and yet in time with the rush of cocaine, it settles like dust and takes root.

The Dragon 's Den,

that 's the name of one of the finest casinos in Yokohama, possibly in the entire Kanagawa prefecture even, and also the rendezvous place for tonight 's endeavors. That it has ties to the mafia is far from a secret ' the sheep were well aware of that and stayed away most of the time. It 's precisely who its loyalties belong to that has always been the more important question, which probably says a lot about the state of the city and how deep its corruption runs nowadays. Although the port mafia is by far the biggest force, especially after Dazai 's ascension, smaller, primarily family-run mafia and Yakuza clans still run about the place, often spreading out from Tokyo and other neighboring cities.

Of course, now Chuuya not only knows to whom the casino 's strings are attached to but also names, sums, and all the illicit contracts that created them. Things that could ruin the place, but also things that Chuuya has to treat as carefully as he would treat unstable explosives. Because if any sensible piece of information whatsoever comes out, Chuuya 's signature will be attached to it in glaring, red signs, and neither he, nor the sheep will ever see the color of the sky again.

The first name that Dazai gave him is '

***

'Oe Katsuo, ' the voice from the earpiece murmurs softly as a tall, bald man in a tailored-suit strides into the room. Chuuya clears his throat, his signal for Dazai to shut up. He knows his names. That 's by far the easiest part of this charade, and he doesn 't need Dazai 's help for that. Oe Katsuo is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of the global asset management firm that owns the casino chain. A wheel as big as they come. His weakness: his sister, an ability user that has gone off the radar ever since an accident led to three deaths of her classmates. A sister that Oe Katsuo still sees on the second Tuesday of every month. Despite the forty years, he wears and the bald head, he looks surprisingly young in reality, a puerile gleam in his grey eyes that unnerves Chuuya even as he gives him a polite bow of his head in greeting.

The second one to introduce herself is Nezuko Muroi, fifty years old, president, COO, and generally acting as a partner and consultant to Oe. Her eyes hold none of the same softness, raking over Chuuya with a scrutinizing intensity before deciding to even acknowledge him with a nod. According to Dazai, she is a financial sadist, using money to assert power and play games. Though not exactly uncommon, she can, and she will ruin you to pieces if she feels like it.

Last but not least is the oldest of them, yet also the one who seems the most harmless of all: Ouki Tomura, holds shares to the casino and is a dirty cop. That 's it. His smirk is kind of slimy. Teeth yellow. Chuuya has a feeling he 'd smell cheap liquor, beer, and cigarettes if he came too close.

And then there is Chuuya, dressed in mafia colors, expensive materials, and one specifically tailored mask that Dazai created just for him and just for tonight. A young, brash executive who rose through the ranks with skills and speed after joining the mafia. They don 't know that Chuuya is Dazai 's

husband

because they don 't even know Dazai 's name, let alone his relationship status. Outside of the tower, his entire persona is shrouded in mist and rumors, the only thing that 's anyone actually knows is that the boss is powerful and that he is a beast. That 's it.

Maybe that 's why there are no snide remarks or sneers about his age when this meeting begins, not like anything Chuuya had to hear from Ace or other Mafiosi. He can see it in their eyes, of course; the surprise to have someone so seemingly immature sitting across from them, the immediate assumptions that follow, and the mild flash of scorn here and there, but all of that remains behind closed doors. Just private thoughts. Nothing to actually upset the man that the boss of the port mafia personally sent as his replacement.

'Apologies, but the boss couldn 't make it, ' Chuuya drawls, leaning back in his seat. 'He had urgent matters to attend do. '

'We hope the sir is well? ' Oe Katsuo inquires softly.

Chuuya offers him a half-shrug. 'The boss is fine. Very busy these days. '

'That 's hardly surprising what with all those controversies going around lately. There is only so much time before the situation on the streets come to a head, ' Nezuko remarks, meaning the increasing voices uttering themselves against ability-users and in favor of extreme laws regulating them. Somehow, in the end, it always is about that. 'Where exactly is your organization positioned in all of that, Nakahara-kun? '

Chuuya hears Dazai hum in his ear but does not offer anything. They 've been through this. After all, it 's one of the main reasons why he is even sitting here right now. 'The port mafia is positioned where it 's always been. We protect those who are loyal to us. The rest doesn 't matter. '

Her brows raise. 'You don 't think a bit of political distance right now would be wiser? '

'You want us to distance ourselves from the very people who have been protecting your business for the last twelve months? '

'You can find protection everywhere with the right price. Surely, you must understand how worrisome this kind of alliance can be in times like these, especially when there are more than enough other organizations willing to offer the same service, and for a better deal, none of whom employ people that could be persecuted at any given moment. '

'Now, we don 't want to be too hasty, ' Oe Katsuo cuts in before his partner can drive the discussion off a cliff. 'The current political climate raises all kinds of questions for this partnership, but I 'm sure your boss has solutions to protect both of our businesses in the meantime. Right? '

Ouki Tomura chooses that moment to slap his glass of water on the table and insert himself into the conversation. 'No amount of schemes will be able to stop what 's coming and what 's coming is this: folks are tired of getting the run-around from those ability-freaks, and the government is finally starting to listen to 'em. Y 'all either cut your losses or go down with them. But I 'm not planning to let you take my money while you 're at it. '

Oe Katsuo rubs his forehead. Nezuko Muroi agrees with a firm nod.

'Well, if you want to withdraw from the partnership, why not just say so? ' Chuuya prompts brazenly, barely suppressing to roll his eyes so hard they do a backflip. 'I already told you, we 're busy. Stop wasting our damn time by talking around the subject. '

On the other end, he hears Dazai chuckle.

'Look, young man, ' Nezuko Muroi starts, 'you might have not learned this yet, but we 're entitled to demand a safety net. You come at high prices. That 's the least we can expect in return. '

It 's not like the port mafia has loaned them a bunch of money to start the casino chains, protection, and services to begin with ' no, the only thing they see is the fear of what they might not get.

'The safety net you want is right in front of you already. You might have forgotten it, but the port mafia knows how to operate in the shadows. That 's what they do

.

And that 's what you came for to us in the first place. ' Chuuya only notices the slip of his tongue when it 's too late. He said

they.

Not

we.

He waits for a reprimanding comment from Dazai, but it never comes. Later, probably.

'That 's because we been letting the ability users run loose for too long, ' Ouki Tomura huffs, 'but that 's about to come to an end. Weren 't ya listening, boy? '

Ah, and finally, all the actual opinions are starting to come to the surface.

'We have ties to every single branch of the government. Half of the people making the laws are loyal to us. This casino 's business is illegal. So you seriously think a few loud voices and a party will stop us? '

'Good, ' Dazai 's quiet but soft voice suddenly praises. Chuuya feels his stomach flutter for some reason.

'There is a major difference between people and illegal goods, Nakahara-kun. Goods are objects.

They

don 't do anything. People, however, are unpredictable creatures, and forgive me for not putting my blind trust into a bunch of hooligans. '

Chuuya cocks his head. 'And yet you clearly treat them the same. '

'Oh, honey, I don 't treat them like anything. What matters me to is making sure our business is in safe hands, and at the moment, you 're not making it feel that way. '

Weakness,

it thrills through Chuuya 's head like an alarm signal.

Use their weakness against them.

'What do you think will happen when people with abilities start being treated like criminals? ' Chuuya asks into the round even though he shifts his body in the direction of Oe Kotsuo. Just a bit. 'That people will just turn themselves in? Give up their life? No way. They 'll either run or fight back. Who do you think will they turn to then, hah? ' Finally, the faces looking back at their start frowning for a very different reason. 'The port mafia protects their followers. This will only drive more people to us, and that ' ' He shrugs. ' ' is the opposite of a problem for business. '

Nezuko Muroi folds her arms over her chest, still not entirely convinced but apparently out of arguments. A financial sadist, Dazai told him. Although the port mafia has been good to her, she wants more. She wants control. She wants people to bleed for her ' not bleed for people. And working with the mafia is probably driving her all kinds of insane.

She should fucking join the mafia then, Chuuya thinks dryly.

Ouki Tomura has only been in it for the money anyway, and now that he more or less knows that he 's not going to lose any of it, he is going with the flow.

But Oe Katsuo '

'I can basically imagine how Oe-Kun must be looking at you right now, ' Dazai murmurs. 'I bet like you 're his knight in shining armor. '

A snort slips out of Chuuya before he muffles it with a cough.

'Nakahara-kun is right, ' the man in question says. 'If anything, this is a profitable situation that we should use. '

'While he has a point, there are still several adjustments and propositions we need to discuss, ' Nezuko Muroi butts in. 'Let 's take a break before we do that. '

Chuuya 's chest sags with a soundless breath of relief. It 's not over yet; lawyers and bookmakers are about to be added into this round, but as far as Chuuya 's part in this goes, he has done his job. He reassured them. He convinced them to stay. No affiliates were lost. The two men that came with him will take care of the rest, and Chuuya will just have to sit there, pretend like he 's listening, and only step in if they demand anything too outrageous. Easy.

There 's a buffet with snacks, pastries, coffee, tea, and drinks set up on a table against the wall, and Chuuya gets up to make use of it, not feeling like cooking later. Funnily enough, Oe Katsuo chooses to do the same. His gaze flickers to Chuuya a few times. Feeling whimsical, Chuuya lets his plate float in the air as he loads it with food. Such a small party trick, yet Oe Katsuo 's eyes grow huge.

'I deeply apologize for anything that my partners said that might have offended you, ' he says and gives Chuuya a bow.

Chuuya doesn 't snort, but he breathes out a slight puff before smirking nonchalantly. 'It 's fine. All is good in the end, right? '

'Yes, I suppose it is, ' Oe Katsuo murmurs, his plate still frozen in his hands. He pauses. 'How open exactly are you to new members? '

Schooling his expression, Chuuya focuses on the food instead of laughing like a maniac. It 's so easy

.

Dangling something in front of people and then watching them reach for it like it was their own idea is so easy. And the worst thing is that it feels insanely, crushingly good. It feels like another line of cocaine. A dirty thrill that pumps through his blood and makes his stomach curl.

'I was biding my time on the street just a while ago, and trust me, I wasn 't a fan of the port mafia, ' Chuuya admits. 'Now I 'm here. I 'd say we 're pretty open as long as we can trust someone. ' Of course, the entire truth looks a bit different, but that 's not what Oe Katsuo wants or needs to hear right now. He needs reassurance that his sister will be protected and sheltered if the worst comes to worst. Chuuya gives him that.

'Why? ' he asks then. 'Thinking of switching careers? '

Oe Katsuo chuckles softly under his breath. 'I 'm afraid not, Nakahara-kun. I 'm simply thinking about what you said. There 's much that can be achieved with so many influential people that feel indebted to you. ' His gaze meets Chuuya 's. 'You could overthrow an entire empire. Or build one. '

Smirking, Chuuya turns to lean against the table and dig his chopsticks into the salad on his plate. 'I 'd say my boss already did that. '

'Right, ' Oe Katsuo replies after a lingering moment. 'Your boss ' he certainly did. '

'But you 've not done so bad for yourself, huh? '

'I guess you could say that. '

Chuuya hums. 'Humble. I like that in a man. '

There 's an amused breath in his earpiece ' or, maybe there isn 't, and Chuuya is imagining things since he isn 't really sure what kind of direction he 's taking right now either. His job here is done. There is no need to convince Oe Katsuo any further, let alone flirt with him, but somehow the knowledge that he can and that he could and that if he did, this successful, clever, wealthy (and old) man would most likely follow his lead and let him spin in circles is intoxicating. It makes him want to do it just because.

Before he can, the door opens, and the port mafia 's lawyer and bookmaker come in, stopping Chuuya before he can hurl himself off a cliff in his desire to feel good. To feel

powerful.

Maybe he 's just as bad as Nezuko Muroi.

'Back to the gritty stuff then, ' Oe Katsuo says, and his voice droops with mild disappointment. Chuuya smiles when he heads back to the table.

The next hour is far less exciting. Chuuya listens to lawyers and accountants go back and forth between numbers and percentages and whatnot, only humming occasionally to give his consent or adding a 'that 's right ' or a 'that will work ' here and there.

Now he is no expert at these things, finance, sales, profit, but he isn 't an idiot either. The changes and offers their affiliates make seem a tad ' audacious, especially when doing business with the port mafia. However, it 's disguised with so much casualness that it almost goes under.

Chuuya nearly opens his mouth several times before reminding himself that he shouldn 't stick his head into financial matters when he can 't even

read

most of the things written in those contracts. Not yet anyway. Besides, Dazai assured him that it 's not his problem to deal with ' how could it be? Not to mention that he 's listening to this entire thing and hasn 't raised a single objection whatsoever. At one point, Chuuya fears Dazai fell asleep, but the noise of a shuffling sound or a sneeze ' that should

not

make him bite his cheek with all his might to stop himself from breaking out in a stupid grin ' convince him otherwise. Dazai is listening to everything, and he doesn 't seem to have any problem with it.

In any case, Chuuya should be glad. The port mafia losing a battle, even if it 's about a few million yen, is a good thing, a win for Chuuya and the sheep and the invisible war that they have been fighting ' with mixed results so far.

Once everything is done, signatures given, contracts sealed, friendly goodbyes exchanged, and the two black-clad mafiosi that escorted Chuuya to

the Dragon 's den

come to pick him up again, Oe Katsuo gives him another bow and says, 'it was a pleasure doing business with you, Nakahara-kun. I hope we will see each other again soon. '

'Likewise, ' Chuuya 's smile is less sharp now that most of the adrenaline is starting to wear off. 'I 'm sure we will. '

There 's something odd about how Oe Katsuo 's mouth twitches at that, but he gives him another nod and walks away before Chuuya can even try to understand it.

Dazai only speaks again when Chuuya finally collapses in the backseat of the car. (How exactly he knows that he 's alone now, Chuuya can only dream of finding out.) 'Now that was quite a show you put on there. '

The engine of the car comes alive with a deep purr. Making an indecipherable grunt in the back of his throat, Chuuya rests his head against the headrest and lets his eyes flutter closed. 'It 's what you wanted. '

Dazai hums. 'It was. Find me once you feel sociable again. There 's a bottle of wine with your name waiting for you. '

'It 's barely noon. '

'Well, you don 't have to

drink

it. '

'Uh-uh, ' Chuuya says. 'You just want to turn me into an addict as well. '

'It 's a reward, Chuuya darling. Most people would say thank you. ' And then Dazai promptly cuts himself off, not even giving Chuuya the chance to snap that he 's not a damn dog doing tricks.

In any case, Chuuya was only holding up his end of the deal he made in exchange for forgetting Karma out of Ace 's grasp. So what exactly is the reward for?

***

In the end, Chuuya does drink no matter what time it is right now. Not being sober when he 's around Dazai is so much easier, he has concluded over the last week. He can focus on the warm rush of delicious wine sloshing down his throat instead of all the questions he 'd like to utter, or the way Dazai always looks so focused, yet so content while he is watching him take a few sips with his cheek in his palm, or the flames of that thing guttering over and over and '

'Can I ask you something? '

'Always, ' Dazai replies.

Chuuya places his glass back on the desk and glances at the pile of documents he delivered when he came here. 'Is the port mafia always so foolishly generous with their affiliates, or did we just get an awful end of the deal? '

'Oh, that. ' Grabbing the documents, Dazai spares them one single glance before shoving them aside. 'Yes, they pretty much ripped us off. '

'Hah? But our men ' the accountant ' you! Why didn 't

you

say anything? ' The longer he thinks about it, though, the more he realizes that there is no way in hell Dazai would anything happen just like that; it 's why Chuuya was so bothered by it in the first place. 'You wanted them to do that, ' he concludes out loud. 'Why would you want that? They 're not that important, are they? '

'Everyone contributes in some way or another, so they are important, yes, but they have also been terribly nervous and planning to cut ties with us on some fronts for a while now. It was only a matter of choosing the right time to let them do it. '

Chuuya 's finger taps against his glass. 'Go on? '

Dazai smiles coyly before speaking. 'Tomorrow at this time, Oe Katsuo and a few other members of his company will get arrested for snowballing their investors. Financial fraud. Their stocks, including the casino, will hit an all-time low, and they will lose more money than they made in the last six months. ' The curve around his mouth gets sharper. 'And the loss we will suffer from it will be minimal, at worst. '

'Financial fraud, ' Chuuya repeats slowly. 'Isn 't working with the mafia already fraud? '

'It 's illegal but not fraud, not really. Oe Katsuo has had debts for a while now ' part of the reason why they turned to us, yes, but not even we could help him out of the hole he dug himself. '

Suddenly Chuuya 's comment about his empire seems insensitive. He scratches his forehead. 'So all of it was part of the plan? And my role was to, what, get scammed by them? ' So much for an excellent job

.

His only good job was being stupid, apparently.

'Your job was to reassure them to stay, but also to make them underestimate you enough to be cheap, and you executed it perfectly. '

'That 's not really helping. '

'Because of you, our relationship isn 't damaged, which means that they will come back, begging us for another loan and most likely a lawyer to get them out of prison. Because of you, Chuuya, they will accept any terms we make, and the money that we normally make through them will be doubled. '

Chuuya shoots him a glare over the rim of his glass. 'I could have done all of that if you had told me too, you know. '

'But you believed what you were saying and doing, and that made them believe you too without getting suspicious. ' Dazai leans back in his chair with a shrug. 'Selective honesty is the best option in this world. Tell too many lies, and you 'll get caught up in them one day. Reveal too many truths, and you 'll find yourself stabbed in the back by tomorrow. But a sincerity here and there? They 'll never see anything coming. ' When Chuuya only clicks his tongue in annoyance, Dazai adds, 'don 't give me that look. You did the same thing with Oe Katsuo. '

Chuuya 's lips press into a thin line.

'Yes, Chuuya, ' Dazai all but purrs as he leans forward with his elbows, 'I could smell the flirting from all the way here. You used selective honesty to make yourself and the port mafia seem more human. I used you to make the whole deal feel more authentic. We do what we have to do, right? '

'Right, ' Chuuya mutters only to get him to shut up.

Except, of course, he doesn 't.

'But in the end, Oe Katsuo used you just the same. You both used each other. '

'He used me? ' Chuuya echoes. 'I ' I 'm young and objectively handsome, so yes, I used that to soften him up a little. What could

he

possibly have to offer me? '

'All kinds of things depending on what you like, ' Dazai answers seriously. 'Maybe you 're into older people. Or bald people. Or people who have a soft touch for ability users. Or ' '

'Okay, I get it, ' Chuuya mutters, rolling his eyes.

'Do you? '

'Yeah, I get that everything from start to finish is planned and engineered by you. It 's your play, and everyone else is just a performer. Right? ' Despite the evident bitterness in his tone, there 's a note of awe buried in his voice, too. Dazai 's ability to see things early in advance and arrange them in such a way that everything happens just like

he

wants them to is terrifying. Dehumanizing when you end up playing a puppet ' and you always do. But it 's also fascinating

.

'The entire world is a giant scheming court, and we 're all trapped inside it, Chuuya. Not playing doesn 't make you different or better or good. It just makes you defenseless against the people who do, and rest assured, most people do. Deception and masquerade are what distinguish us from animals. It 's what makes us human. ' Dazai 's eye drags over Chuuya, and his lips curve into a heated smile then. 'But you already know that. And you

liked

doing it, didn 't you? '

'I don 't ' ' Cutting himself off, he considers his options here. Denying it, especially with Dazai, is always his first instinct, but maybe, just maybe, he should take his own advice and confess a truth for once. What did Dazai call it? Selective honesty

.

'Back there, when I used Oe Katsuo 's sister to ' ' He frowns. '... woo him into staying, I guess, I liked it, yeah. It felt good. ' Really, really good.

The smirk Dazai shoots him is sharper than a blade before he leans back and half-shrugs. 'Self-aware. I like that in a man. '

That small moment of honesty evaporates into mist, and Chuuya flips him off. 'I hope you choke. '

'And so eloquent ~ '

'You done? '

Dazai lets his goofy ass grin linger for another moment before schooling it into something more neutral, taking a sip of the wine instead.

Chuuya drums his fingers against the desk. 'I get what you did and why you did it, but is that all I 'm going to be from now on, the dense low-life people can rip off? ' Because as practical as it, there 's little thing called pride

,

and Chuuya isn 't entirely unaffected by it. If he is going to play in this ' scheming court, as Dazai said, he doesn 't want to do it like this

.

'Today, they thought they could play games with you. Tomorrow you will be the person to grant them a loan that will save them from complete ruin when they come crawling back to us on their knees. They will remember you for years to come. ' Dazai 's head tips back, one eye falling closed. 'Your role will be so much larger than this. '

***

' ' and he basically knew what was going to happen already weeks ago. Hell, maybe even

months

. He knows everything. Every little detail is planned out. All of it. '

Filling his bottle with water from the suspender, Shirase hums, not even pretending to listen. Yuan at least raises her brows. 'What exactly are you saying? '

Chuuya rubs his temple. 'I 'm saying that going up against someone like Dazai in a game of wits is probably not the smartest choice. I 'm pretty sure he already knows that we never actually intended to simply accept the deal and stay here for the rest of our lives. He probably knows that we 're having this exact conversation right now. '

'So ' ' Yuan frowns. 'Then what? '

A few feet away, a ringing clash comes from the two people who have been sparring. Chuuya drags his gaze away from them and back to his two friends that he 's been updating on the latest events for the last five minutes. He makes sure to lower his voice when he speaks. 'So we should probably focus on finding out why we are still alive despite all of that. Come up with something better in the meantime. '

Shirase snorts under his breath, and Chuuya 's eyes snap to him. He 's been acting weird ever since Chuuya dragged half of the sheep to the gym. 'What? '

'Nothing. '

Yuan clears her throat. 'No offense, but how are we supposed to do that? You 're the only one who talks to that man. '

'I 'm working on it, ' Chuuya says because she isn 't wrong. The only one who probably has the answer to that question is Dazai himself ' and to get the answer, Chuuya only needs to figure out

his

weakness first. Dazai promised he 'd get the answers then. Easy, right? Totally easy. His chest sags with a heavy sigh.

'What 's stopping us from just running away? ' Shirase asks in a quiet but clearly annoyed murmur.

'Have you listened to a word I said? '

'The boss would figure out what we 're planning before we could even try to pull it off, ' Yuan summarizes.

Shirase huffs out a dry breath. 'The guy is super smart blah blah, so what? Do you really think he would care if a bunch of people he has no use for anyway disappear? '

'You really want to spend the rest of your life being on the run? ' Chuuya asks.

'They don 't care about us! They 'd probably be even happy to see us go except maybe ' ' Shirase comes to a spluttering stop and curses softly. 'I really doubt anyone would try to stop us from leaving. '

Chuuya 's eyes narrow. 'What were you going to say? '

'Nothing, ' Shirase mutters.

'Spit it out, Shirase. '

'

You

spit it out! I said nothing, so I mean nothing. '

After another moment of trying and failing to stare him down, Chuuya rolls his eyes and lets it go. 'Fine. Whatever. The people here might not give a fuck about you personally, but they will start giving a fuck when you take highly sensitive information with you, so no, I don 't think running away is as easy as you make it sound. '

'So we do nothing instead. Great. Love that. '

'I 'll take doing nothing for now over looking over my shoulder for the next ten years thinking that they finally caught up, ' Yuan whisper-hisses. 'Do you have any idea what these people are capable of if you piss them off? '

'Obviously, ' he whisper-snaps backs. 'That 's why I want to fucking leave! '

Yuan 's eyes twitch in frustration. 'What do you think are we trying to do here? '

'You tell me because it looks like a whole shit ton of nothing! '

'Then

you

suggest something! '

'I

just

did! '

'Well, that was a shit suggestion! '

'I haven 't heard you suggest anything better either! '

'I 'm trying. I 'm blending in, I 'm being useful, I 'm getting worked to the bone by that Kouyou woman. I 'm trying, and so is Chuuya, and all

you

do is complain! '

'Guys, calm down, ' Chuuya cuts in before they start a fucking brawl right here and now ' something that has happened before. Yuan and Shirase can go at it for hours over the smallest, most insignificant things, but at the end of the day, they 'd still kill for each other. This is one of those situations where he needs them to kill for each other, not fight like children. 'Shirase 's not entirely wrong: right now we can do nothing, and I know it 's frustrating because I said we would fight back, but Yuan is right, too. One wrong move, and we could lose everything. It 's just better to be careful and take our time than rush in like fucking idiots. '

'I 'm off, ' Yuan declares, irritation written into every line of her face. 'I actually want to work out and not waste my time listening to your useless whining. '

Chuuya watches her strut away before glancing back at Shirase, who shoves his hands in the pocket of his sweatpants and aimlessly kicks the floor under his feet. 'Someone had a bad day. '

'You think? '

'Whatever. I 'm not the one you should be worried about anyway. Luca 's on the warpath now more than ever. He 's pissed. '

'What 's his fucking problem when he 's the one going around spreading bullshit and breaking into apartments to throw parties, ' Chuuya mutters as he picks up his bottle and starts a sluggish pace through the gym before anyone decides to listen in on their conversation. There aren 't that many people here but you can never be too careful. 'Speaking of which, thank you for cleaning up before you left. ' He bumps Shirase 's shoulders. 'That was cool of you guys. '

'Yeah, uh, ' scratching the back of his neck, Shirase has that odd look on his face again, 'it was ' the least we could do, I guess. But Luca ' he just really hates this, you know. The port mafia thing. '

'That 's not the only thing he hates. '

'You should talk to him before he does something stupid. '

Chuuya snorts. 'Yeah, not happening. '

'I 'm serious, dude. He 's got it into his head to single-handedly get us out of here at, like, any costs. And when I say any, I mean

any. '

'What exactly is that idiot planning to do? '

'Why are you asking me?! '

'Obviously you know something, or you wouldn 't even be talking about this, ' Chuuya says, 'so? '

'I don 't know. I swear! ' Shirase insists and holds up his hands. 'I find something else to do whenever he goes off on one of his rants. I can 't listen to that crap. I mean I don 't like it here either, but he has lost his mind. '

Coming from Shirase, who is actually a pretty decent listener, that must mean something.

'I guess I can try to ' ' Chuuya slowly trails off when his gaze slides past Shirase to the sparring area and the two people who have just arrived there. One of them is Gin. The other one '

Shirase turns his head to see what has got him so occupied. 'Is that ' ? '

'Dazai, ' Chuuya finishes and somehow manages to tear his eyes away, 'yeah. '

'Shit, dude. You were right about him knowing everything. '

Chuuya lets out a nervous laugh. He doesn 't understand why he suddenly feels so flustered all of a sudden. He sees Dazai too often to feel intimidated by his presence anymore. It 's just weird seeing him when he 's with his own friends. Strange to stand on the opposite ends of the gym. (And odd to see Dazai

work out.

Not in his usual business attire. But in a simple white shirt. And grey sweatpants. And ')

'He 's just sparring with Gin, ' Chuuya explains, scratching his head. 'I think. '

Shirase narrows his eyes.

Chuuya blinks. 'What? '

'

Nothing

. Did you actually want us to work out, or was it just a cover to talk? '

'Work out. I wanted us to spar, but on second thought, we should try out a few of the training exercises first. '

He steers Shirase in the other direction and as far away as possible. For no reason at all.

For the next thirty minutes, Chuuya throws himself into every exercise and machine, refusing to get himself distracted by anything and '

Well, if his eyes sometimes lift and accidentally fall on Dazai and Gin sparring, Dazai 's fluid strikes and blocks with a knife too fucking perfect and graceful and effortless even from the distance, then it 's not Chuuya 's fault. Knowing your enemy 's fighting style is very important. And he always catches himself before his staring becomes too obvious.

His luck runs out when he 's practicing throwing knives, trying out different techniques and grasps. Chuuya

feels

him before he even hears his voice, a violently distinct presence right behind him like the sensation of lips hovering over skin.

'I heard that your aim gets better when you imagine the person you hate most on the other end. '

The fingers that are wrapped around the hilt of his knife pause.

'Whose face do you see, Chuuya? '

A savage breath rushes out of him when he throws it. The knife lands dead center. Dazai hums.

'It will be yours if you sneak up on me like that again, ' Chuuya says and turns around, only to find himself way too close to the man. He swallows but doesn 't step back either, lest Dazai senses blood. 'What do you want? '

Dazai 's smile is slow but dangerous. 'Can I not just watch Chuuya throw knives? He is very good at it. Must be someone he really, really wants to see dead. '

Chuuya casts a tentative glance a few feet away where Shirase has been making himself accustomed to spears, then he grabs another knife. 'Why not volunteer as the target then? Better view, you know. '

'You 're funny. I like that in a man. '

'And you 're standing in my way. '

'Actually, I 'm next to you. You have more than enough space to do as you please. '

'Your

presence

is in my way, ' Chuuya mutters. 'Stop distracting me. '

'Oh, Chuuya thinks I 'm distracting? '

Chuuya 's hand curls around the knife. He is

this

close to taking it and stabbing Dazai with it.

'Fine, fine, ' Dazai finally relents, taking an entire step back. 'I did come here with a purpose other than harassing you, actually. '

After another, more or less, good shot, Chuuya shoots Dazai an unimpressed stare. 'Did you now? '

Dazai nods enthusiastically. 'Yes! I was wondering if Chuuya would grant me the honor of sparring with him. '

Now that has Chuuya actually freezing. Even if he makes sure to shake it off as quickly as possible. 'Sparring? ' he repeats dumbly. 'With you? '

'Yes, with me, and with you. '

'Why? '

'Pardon me? '

'You were just sparring with Gin, I mean. '

'Ah, so you did see me. How rude of you not to even say hello to your husband. '

Knowing that Shirase probably hears half of the shit Dazai says makes Chuuya wants to dig a hole and bury himself there. He settles on letting out a frustrated breath instead. 'You were occupied. Shut up. '

'I will shut up when I get an answer. '

Either Chuuya says yes and half of the sheep will probably see him, see

them

, or Chuuya says no and comes off like a coward who is too scared to go against the boss. Whatever he chooses, he 'll probably end up regretting it later. However, the thing is ' he actually wants one of these options, stupidly so, feels his stomach flip-flop with near violent excitement at the mere thought.

To let out his frustration, he throws another knife. And again. It doesn 't make him feel any better.

Dazai looks as patient as ever when Chuuya finally turns to him and crosses his arms, feeling like he 's already making a mistake before he even says the words.

'Fine. '

'Wonderful, ' Dazai all but purrs. 'Follow me. '

As Chuuya presses his lips together and follows him, he has the distinct feeling of walking to his execution, not because he thinks Dazai will kill him, but because the sheep that are here to witness this entire thing will. They 've known that he 's working the boss for a while now, but they 've never actually seen him do it. And Chuuya came here with

them,

as

theirs,

not with Dazai. So accepting his invitation feels a little like betraying his friends.

If Dazai notices his mood, he makes no comment about it.

'I heard you trained with Gin the other day. '

Keeping his gaze trained on the sparring area only, Chuuya huffs. 'Yeah, they kicked my ass. '

'They like to do that. Don 't ever let their quiet exterior fool you. There 's a bloodthirsty sadist hiding behind it. '

'Is that why you chose them as your secretary? '

Dazai hums as they reach the sparring area. 'Among other things. '

'Okay, ' Chuuya says and raises his brows when looking at him. 'How do you want to do this? '

'I was thinking hand-to-hand combat, ' Dazai answers, bringing one arm across his chest and pushing his elbow to stretch his shoulder. 'Slap me, choke me, bite me, pull whatever dirty trick you have up your sleeves. All is fair in ' war. '

Chuuya cracks his knuckles. 'What, even abilities? '

'If you need it, sure. '

Now that 's just bait. There 's no way in hell that Dazai is going to reveal his ability, assuming he has one, in front of an audience after keeping it concealed for so long. But Chuuya doubts that there will be need for it anyway.

'Guess we 'll see, ' he drawls.

'I guess we ' '

Just like Gin didn 't bother waiting to attack with him, Chuuya doesn 't waste a single second either, immediately going on the offense with a punch. As if he 's known this was about to happen ten minutes ago, Dazai neatly moves his head out of the way, stepping back as he does. And again. And again. So light on his feet, he looks like he 's dancing. Chuuya memorizes his rhythm and switches

his

instead, his fist aiming for the space that Dazai should slither into now. Instead, Dazai blocks him this time with his fingers around Chuuya 's wrist and lands the first blow.

He feels the air squeeze out of his lungs. It

hurts

. It does. But pain is only a reaction. Pain signals that what you 're doing is wrong. Pain sharpens your sense, makes you think twice about your next strike, and teaches you a lesson. Pain makes you better

.

Chuuya 's savage grin never wavers as he reaches out with his fist, drop-kicks Dazai in the stomach, and watches him fly back from the force of it. 'You call that a punch? ' he asks, shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. 'Feels more like a massage, if you ask me. '

Bracing himself on his elbows, Dazai only smirks, though. 'If Chuuya wants a massage, he just has to ask for it. I 've been told my hands are very talented. '

'Get up, ' Chuuya says, ignoring the bullshit that comes out of his mouth. 'And actually do something useful with them. '

'Massages are beneficial, especially for ' ' Dazai dances back again but follows it up with a kick at Chuuya 's knees, missing them by a breath. ' ' for tense people like you. '

Chuuya laughs loudly, shifts position to cross his feet. Spinning on his left one, the right one comes up and connects with Dazai 's jaw with a

crack

that reverberates through both of them. Dazai reels back, gasping for air. Completely exposed. Whether it 's real or just another stupid play, Chuuya has no time to think about it. He flings himself forward and aims for every open spot of attack he sees. A side kick with to his cheek. A front kick to his chin. As soon as he recovers, his other leg extends and targets Dazai 's peroneal nerve in his thigh, making him fall on the mat, and Chuuya 's left hand grabs him by the throat as he swings out the knife he pocketed earlier and goes in for the death-kill.

It never connects, of course. The sharp blade of the knife glints as it hovers a millimeter above Dazai 's bandaged neck.

So close.

But Chuuya never draws blood even if Dazai makes it hard not to. He 's pinned to the ground, his pale skin bruised, lips chapped and bloody, a breath away from losing his life in front of subordinates and enemies alike, and yet he looks pleased as he gazes up at Chuuya kneeling above him, his one visible eye oozing heat. A breathing nightmare in the shape of the most infuriatingly handsome face he 's ever had to deal with.

'Go ahead, Chuuya. ' It 's a soft drag of murmured words. 'Kiss me if you want. '

Chuuya 's eyes fly open, his hand loosening around Dazai 's neck because that 's not '

The bastard kicks out his thigh and reverses their positions within the blink of an eye. The knife gets slapped out of Chuuya 's hand. Both his arms get pinned to the mat next to his head. Dazai looms above him, his shin bracketing Chuuya 's legs to keep him from kicking out. A predatory smirk dances on his lips.

But instead of the sardonic remark that Chuuya prepares himself for, Dazai tips his gaze upwards and clicks his tongue. 'Easy, boys. Just a sparring match between friends. ' Chuuya blinks; he didn 't even notice that some of the mafiosi had drawn weapons and aimed them at him. Probably because of the knife. Dazai 's eye travels back down to meet Chuuya 's. 'Isn 't that right? '

'Sure, ' Chuuya hisses through clenched teeth, 'if that makes you feel better. '

Dazai is so close Chuuya can feel his quiet chuckle fan against his cheek, even more, so his distinct smell that Chuuya didn 't even realize he had memorized until the scent of sandalwood and cedar and his cologne mixed with sweat rolls over him in a familiar, heady wave. The way Dazai drags his gaze over Chuuya with so much weight and intent, undressing him with one eye alone, only makes Chuuya spiral harder, his heart slamming a wild beat inside his ribcage until he feels dizzy with it.

'Don 't worry. I can teach you how to stop falling for emotional taunts, and then ' then you will be invincible. '

His mouth is dry when he swallows the knot in his throat and forces himself to relax, to stop struggling against Dazai 's hold ' because apparently there are muscles under the bandages ' and go pliant and soft instead. 'Really? ' He feels Dazai 's thumb stroke over the skin on his wrist, eliciting a breathless shiver. 'You 'll teach me? '

Dazai 's eye narrows ever so slightly, but he doesn 't tighten the grip again. 'If you want to. '

'Yeah. ' Chuuya 's chest is heavily rising and falling with each breath. 'I want to. ' And as soon as the last word leaves his lips, he moves.

In Dazai 's defense, he is prepared for

something

' it 's just that he anticipates Chuuya to go for his face, his chest maybe, not to kick him in the nuts. Watching Dazai crumple to the ground, Chuuya feels the phantom ache himself, almost enough to make him feel bad about it, but not quite. Instead, he rolls away, jumps to his feet, and grabs Dazai 's hair. Yanking it back, he leans down with a sickly sweet smile. 'Maybe you should take a few lessons yourself. '

Chuuya in no way goes easy on him, his grip on his hair has to sting, but somehow Dazai still manages to wheeze out a breathless laugh. 'Maybe ' maybe we both need them. '

Shaking his head, Chuuya lets go and lets him drop back on the mat. As he does, he realizes several things:

One: back when Dazai was pinning him down to the ground, he could have used for

the tainted sorrow

to push him away at any given point.

Two: He

liked

being pinned. Or, maybe he liked

Dazai

pinning him. Whatever it was, he liked it. He really did.

Three: his friends witnessed everything. All of it.