Blaise knew something was... well, off the moment he stepped in the door. Draco had been the one to get him, looking a little worried when he said that Dazai wanted to see him. Speaking of the boy (pretty much a man now), he’s barely changed at all in the seven years Blaise has known him. Still has a crooked smile that seems a little too fake, and the lazy posture, and the singing voice that irritates Blaise to the bone.
“You wanted to see me?”
Dazai looked gloomy compared to usual, and the gang’s office seemed quite considerably barer. He gestured to Blaise's usual seat, so the boy took it after a bit of hesitance. There was an envelope sitting on the wooden table between them, and its contents had already been opened. Dazai’s hand barely touched the surface of the paper, almost as if he was deciding whether or not to pick it up, before swiping his hand away.
“Yes. This is quite a serious matter, so... Please keep this between us.”
“Of course.”
Blaise knew something bad was rapidly approaching- he could feel it in the air. Did Dazai get in trouble again? Is... Is He Who Must Not Be Named back? Blaise, although panicking internally, tried keeping a straight face. Does Draco know about this? Who knows? Although he looked... somewhat troubled, he mustn’t know the full picture. Of course not. No way. Dazai hadn’t even wanted Draco to be part of the gang in the first place, right? He supposes that Draco would’ve been part of it, anyway, knowing what happened only half a year after his recruitment.
“...So, I’m going home.”
Something inside of Blaise snapped. Of course, this wasn’t the first year Dazai returned to Japan early in the year, but this is... Their very last year. They won’t be able to see each other as often, with their long distance, too. Best friends, from start to end, Blaise thinks. Dazai would totally just say boss subordinate, anyway.
“Why? Did you get expelled?”
“No, no, of course not,” Blaise had a sigh in relief, “Mori just wants me to come back. You’ve served your purpose, now time to move on, blah blah blah.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that Mori still sent letters to you. Not after Professor Snape banned it for some reason.”
“He’s been talking to me through Lucius. Only very rarely, of course, Draco will receive two letters.”
“Is that why he was the one to get me?”
Dazai nodded, drumming his fingers on the table as if waiting for something to happen. Blaise followed his gaze, feeling the dread inside him, and the anticipation, multiplying even more. He held his breath, waiting for anything to happen. The door opened partially
“You’re late.”
“You never told me to come at a certain time, shitty Mackerel.”
It opened the whole way, revealing a mop of orange hair and whatever was beneath it. Chuuya Nakahara, carrying a very heavy suitcase inside. Did Dazai get him to grab his things or something? How did he even do that? He hasn’t had a one-on-one conversation with Chuuya before, but by a few incidents (Draco and Chuuya on the latter’s first day, Triwizard tournament etc.) Blaise knows the boy is stubborn, quite brash and quite aggressive.
He dragged the suitcase over to the rest (four different suitcases, Blaise realized, all lined up against the couch) before sitting down across from Blaise. He looked between the ginger and Dazai, assessing them for a while in silence.
“...You know each other?”
“Pfft- as if I wouldn’t know the person I bonded my soul with.”
Chuuya rolled his eyes at Dazai’s remark but kept quiet. Blaise was struck with a sudden realization. Dazai had discovered that He Who Must Not Be Named had split his soul and placed the pieces into different objects some time a while ago after reading through the restricted section of the library (something he did so often that Blaise couldn’t tell a date or even a year) and told Blaise and Draco. No one had even thought twice about Dazai falling a little ill not even two days later, pale and shaky. The same happened to Chuuya, at the same time.
“How does that even work? I thought that you could simply place a piece of your soul-”
“We swapped half each, and they were so compatible that they bonded together. If they weren’t compatible, I’m sure we both would’ve died.”
Blaise blinked at the two of them. Chuuya coughed into his fist awkwardly, and Dazai smiled. He isn’t sure what exactly their relationship is yet, further than the whole 'soul bonding' thing, but he’s sure he doesn’t want to know the answer. Not yet, anyway.
“What does Chuuya being here have to do with you... Leaving?”
“Because, we both are. Did you not see me dragging my things inside?”
Chuuya pointed with his thumb to where the suitcases sat behind him. Blaise was stunned into silence. Dazai giggled and Chuuya scowled at him. There’s something about the two of them that makes something in him... feel weird. Not that the bickering between the two of them in Potions makes it any better, but...
Chuuya sat on Dazai’s left- his blind spot. Dazai seemed to have unmistakable amounts of trust for Chuuya. He trusts that Chuuya won’t let anyone attack him from his blind spot. He trusts that Chuuya won’t attack him, either. He trusts that the secret held between the two of them would not go out to anyone else.
But Dazai- the Dazai he thought he knew- doesn't trust beyond an arm’s length. He never told anyone the full picture, always leaving a few details out for them to work out on their own. Even with these seven, almost eight years he’s known Dazai, the boy is still a mystery to him. Yet, he feels Chuuya can read Dazai like an open book, because the trust is reciprocated.
He doesn’t feel jealous.
Not at all.
(Just how did he do it?)
“You’re both leaving? Does Chuuya-”
“Yes, Chuuya knows Mori.”
Blaise sent a look to Chuuya, hoping to convey the question he asked in his head- Do you? - But Chuuya just nodded. Something in his stomach sank a little lower. Another poor, unfortunate soul that has the misfortune of knowing Dazai’s guardian and boss.
Wait a second.
"Is Chuuya?-"
He nodded again. It was even more unbelievable than when he found out Dazai was the same. Chuuya Nakahara, the strange transfer student that showed up one day and managed to capture the hearts of everyone- including some of those from the gang- the only person Draco is truly scared of (aside from Dazai, but maybe he just creeps Draco out?) and one of the most giving people he's ever met- In the Mafia?
No.
It’s some cruel joke.
Chuuya and Dazai hate each other. They bicker in class all the time, and Chuuya spreads rumors about Dazai and-
Blaise’s mind paused.
He was pulled into the depths of his memories.
Fourth year. Eight days since Chuuya had joined the school. Halloween night. Blaise and Dazai had been sitting on their own, like usual, but Dazai seemed off. This was the first dinner feast aside from Chuuya’s first day that he had attended- it seemed Snape allowed the detention (now only with Chuuya, because Draco worked off his) to come earlier to see what names the Goblet chose.
Dazai seemed to be expecting something, and Blaise knew that no one else would expect it. When it came to the time for the Goblet of Fire to choose three names, everyone was eerily silent. Even Dazai looked up to the teacher’s desk, waiting. Perhaps, Blaise had thought at the time, Dazai’s only interested in it because of the Triwizard tournament’s death count.
When Viktor Krum was called out to stand for Drumstrang, no one was in the least bit surprised. Everyone applauded- even Draco, down the table. The two of them seemed to get along well enough. He walked by them, behind Dazai, but he didn’t even bother to move his eyes off the staff table. Krum was ushered into a side room. Next was Fleur. All the Beauxbatons students seemed rather upset, or surprised, he couldn’t tell, as Fleur moved into the room.
Cedric was called as well, which wasn’t too surprising considering that everyone was rooting for him, but Dazai’s eyes were still locked onto the goblet. They narrowed, and his nervousness skyrocketed. Blaise knew that Dazai had done something and was waiting for the results of that thing to happen. A fourth paper slipped out of the Goblet, landing in Dumbledore’s hand. Blaise’s mouth was wide open within seconds, as were most other present in the hall.
“...Chuuya Nakahara.”
The goblet extinguished itself and Dazai smiled triumphantly. The Hogwarts tables erupted in cheers once more. The boy looked half-asleep (Snape must have kept him in last night) and it took him several moments to notice that he had to stand up. He looked wide awake as he moved to the room. Blaise had turned around to look at Chuuya but noticed Dazai also looking at him as he walked. Dazai gave a slight nod. Chuuya gave a slight nod back.
They had been working together the entire time and no one knew.
“Oh.”
He pieced the puzzle together in his head, one by one.
Dazai’s mission was never actually revealed to him.
Chuuya, making everyone hate him, and Dazai, pretending like he didn’t care.
The two of them working together.
“...Why would you want everyone to hate you?”
Dazai elbowed Chuuya in the chest.
“See, I told you he was smart! It was my mission, of course.”
Chuuya nodded, again. Blaise never took him as the type to not speak much, but he isn’t entirely sure he knows much English.
“But why-”
“To create a rift in the Magical community.”
His head snapped towards Chuuya, his mouth wide open.
“Enough about that! Blaise, as my second in command-”
“I’m not letting you leave.”
“-I’m leaving the gang in your hands- Huh?”
He didn’t know what he was doing, saying things like that.
“It’s a shame you can’t stop us from returning home. We’ll be gone by this weekend. I suppose Dazai is trusting you to keep the gang together, so please look after them well.”
Blaise hadn’t initially believed that he had no power to stop them. He couldn’t tell anyone about their departure, mainly because they were always with someone he couldn’t trust. Draco and Pansy were always together. Hermione was always in the library, where they could get eavesdropped on at any time, while Ginny and Luna were making new friends. He couldn’t find Ron at all. It was a weekend when they were allowed out to the nearby village, and he went off to meet the rest of the gang at their usual place- The three broomsticks. Dazai said that he wanted to reminisce around the castle before he left and told him not to worry and that even if he did get lost, he’d be fine.
By the time they’d returned to the castle that afternoon (and headed straight to the gang’s office) Chuuya and Dazai had already disappeared. The castle was busy searching for the ginger, but Dazai’s disappearance was only known to them and a few members of staff. Lavender was crying as they passed her.
Dazai and Chuuya stood at the train station. There were two minutes until Hogwarts express would arrive to take them to London. A few other passengers were waiting at their stop, but none recognized the duo as Hogwarts students. Not with Chuuya’s cocktail dress, Dazai’s (slightly fancier than his work uniform) suit and their fake identifications.
They have to go through all this to avoid having to talk to the staff as to the reason why they’re leaving. How stupid. Chuuya adjusted the bottom of his dress again. Two minutes... Chuuya, despite only having come here to help Dazai on his mission, had grown semi-attached to this place. He doesn’t know what Dazai feels right now, but perhaps it's a similar feeling of guilt.
The train came to view, slowing down to reach their station. It was only a matter of time before the mission was truly completed. He took a deep breath as the ticket man came out to see their identification. Dazai, with his elbow intertwined with Chuuya’s own, lead him on to the train. Their luggage was getting heaved on by a few other train attendants. They followed the duo to the carriage they chose before leaving them alone.
The doors closed behind them. Both took a seat beside the window, across from each other, with their luggage beside them. Chuuya swallowed.
“...So, this is it.”
“Yep. The end of the end.”
“...Can I have your wand, Chuuya?”
“Why? It probably looks exactly like yours.”
“Of course it does, they are sister wands. Just hand it over.”
He did, of course, and Dazai inspected it under the table before passing it back.
“Keep it safe, will you?”
“...Sure.”
Even now, four (almost five) years later, Chuuya thought that switching it out was a smart plan. Mori had fallen for it and still hasn’t found out those wands he burned were fake. It's been a while since Dazai last visited him. It's not like he cares, but he needs to get some undisturbed sleep every once in a while, else he’ll go insane.
Suribachi looked exactly as he remembered. He could probably still remember exactly where everything was. He looked a little weird, sitting in his work clothes and peering down at a certain corner. The one where Soukoku first met. From the busy pavement behind him, there was a slight gap which revealed where he was.
He heard footsteps echoing closer. He recognized them but isn’t sure exactly who they belonged to. He didn’t look away from Suribachi, even when he saw shades of black in the corner of his vision. He looked down into the middle of the pit, down at the hole sitting there, before sighing. He had half of the day off work, but still. Spending his time worrying about his old friends is not productive in the slightest, especially before an important mission.
“I should’ve known that your disappearances weren’t a coincidence.”
He blinked up at the man sitting beside him.
“...What are you doing here, Professor Snape?”
“I could ask you the same question, but I suppose you’ve been here for a while.”
“...Yes, I have. Did I ever tell you that I never grew up in France?”
“You... Didn’t?”
Chuuya nodded, before gesturing to the streets below them. Snape gave him a curious look, before gazing back down. He was probably trying to piece together everything, including why he decided to return and how they met in the first place.
“...Was this place always a slum?”
“...Only for about as long as I’ve lived here. Have you not heard of the Suribachi incident, then?”
The man shook his head.
“Don’t know how long ago it happened, because my memory’s all whack from it, but-”
“Chibi!”
Chuuya groaned. Snape shot a look behind their shoulders to see a very cheerful Dazai striding towards them. It appears Dazai decided to come early for once in his life. He was very noticeable among the crowd, and seemed to be searching a while for him, even though Chuuya had called him to make sure the time and place was right. Despite his wide smile, a drop of sweat fell down his face when he glanced over at Snape. The man narrowed his eyes in Dazai’s direction. Chuuya got up, brushing the dust off his clothes. He had to find some sort of excuse to get out of here on time.
“Hello, Severus.”
The man in question looked like he wanted to say something- correct Dazai like he’s always done- but bit his tongue in the end.
“Mr. Dazai,” his eyes scanned Dazai’s body up and down a few times, “I’m glad you’re doing well.”
“Thanks. You look as grumpy as ever, though. Still can’t get the defense against the dark arts job?”
Chuuya elbowed Dazai in the ribs. He coughed out a splatter of blood (sorry not sorry) because of the force he used but looked fine overall. Snape looked concerned after seeing that, which was a bad thing. The last time Chuuya saw a concerned Snape was when he banned Mori from sending letters to Dazai. Chuuya had to put up with receiving those letters occasionally, and even the fronts of those letters were creepy as hell.
“No. I can’t.”
“I know already. I got an offer from Dumbledore not too many months ago.”
“He knew where you-”
“He knows where everyone is at every exact moment, sir. He’s probably still spying on me for that cookie recipe.”
Dazai laughed. Snape looked a little deep in thought, which Chuuya supposed was also a bad thing. Snape looked down into Suribachi again.
“What, exactly, is the Suribachi incident?”
From behind him, Chuuya and Dazai exchanged looks of dread. They had to find an excuse, now.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to go now-”
“-Because we don’t want to be late for our reservation! It’s our four-year anniversary, you know!”
Dazai had practically glued himself to Chuuya’s side, intertwining elbows and making it even more awkward. Chuuya’s face turned bright red because Dazai was indeed right. Four years ago today, they had gotten married as a joke.
“Oi, would you stop cutting me off?”
Snape looked between the two of them before sighing, crossing his arms.
“I see.”
“You really don’t,” Chuuya replied as he ducked out of the way of Dazai’s kiss, “please don’t say you do.”
He really wished that all those years ago he could have been smart enough to not fall into Dazai’s trap, because then he wouldn’t be in this situation. The distant mutters of ‘Chibi’s such a brute’ and ‘the slug doesn’t want to kiss me’ would forever be stuck in his mind as they walked away from Suribachi, to where Chuuya’s car was parked. Once out of view, Dazai lowered his voice to a whisper.
“Ron called me today. I have no clue where he managed to get my number, but I don’t think it’s so much of a coincidence as you do that Snape is here.”
“Is that why you were early?”
“Thought I needed to tell you. It was just him, from what I could tell, but I hung up quickly. Fuck, Mori’s going to kill you if he finds out.”
“Especially considering you managed to trick him about those wands. What did he say?”
“Hold on, let me think.”
He had stored that memory to the back of his mind so he wouldn’t have to remember it, but it’s an inconvenience now that he must find it.
“ Dazai, are you there!?”
Atsushi had jumped from beside him, dropping the stack of paperwork he held. Dazai narrowed his eyes. The phone, which was on speaker, started making noise indicating that something was shuffling. He took it off speaker and held it to his ear.
“...Ron?”
“Oh, Dazai! You’re there!”
“You don’t need to yell.”
“Yeah, sorry, man. How have you been?”
“...Alright, I suppose. What-”
“I’m doing great, actually!”
That wasn’t his question. Atsushi was hastily picking up sheets of paper, and Dazai made no effort to help him. How did Ron get his number, anyway? He went full non-contact with everyone from the magic community ages ago. Why is Ron even speaking as if they hadn’t seen each other in four, five years?
“Right.”
He needed to change his number as soon as possible. Mori’s letter, and its contents had long burned itself inside his mind. ‘You’ve gotten far too attached to those ‘Subordinates’ of yours.’ and ‘I hope to see you back home this holiday, and you won’t be returning. The same goes for Chuuya. Now that you’ve graduated and caused conflict in the community, I want you to have nothing to do with them anymore.’
“I’m really glad this whole thing worked out. Oh, and I heard all about the whole reason thing from Blaise, as did the rest of the gang.”
“Right.”
That’s all he could have the strength to say. He was there, and suddenly he felt the dread he always felt when Father punished him, or when Mori put him with the dogs. He impulsively hung up on the phone, and watched as it rang out with an empty look.
“Dazai-”
“Take them straight to the President, Atsushi, I’m sure they don’t need to be looked over anymore. Tell Kunikida that I’m off to that mission early.”
“Alright then.”
He had been half asleep when Chuuya called him earlier, and his mind was a mess, so he wasn’t sure where exactly the meet up place was. Luckily, he had two hours until he was required to be there. Maybe, while trying to find him, he’d calm down a bit.
“Huh.”
That didn’t help at all. He isn’t sure he can look Chuuya in the eyes to figure out just what exactly that meant, so he decided to look out the window as Chuuya drove. He waited for his full response- the one that came after Chuuya uses his brain (which isn’t very often). He didn’t realize at the time that he never changed his number.
“That doesn’t seem like a coincidence at all. Do you think that maybe Dumbledore is somehow involved? Does he know about you-”
“No. Only Pomfrey. I had threatened her into silence, and disobeyed Mori’s orders to outright kill her. But if anyone would’ve known about me dragging you up to the infirmary in fourth year after... You know what, it would be him. She probably also told him about the time we were practicing magic, and that other time we were... You know.”
“I reckon that was a stupid excuse.”
“Really? She seemed to believe we didn’t bind our souls together.”
Chuuya laughed, and Dazai found himself back with his confidence.
“Perhaps... We should go visit the rest of the gang again.”
“What? What about Mori’s orders?”
Chuuya rolled his eyes.
“...Worst case scenario, I get ‘killed’.”
“Yeah, and I’ll be half dead.”
“Don’t you want that?”
“No, I want to be full dead. Being half dead sounds like a hassle. Anyway, are you sure?”
“...We can discuss it after this mission.”
“Alright then, fine. Chibi’s going to be the brute he is and finish this up quickly.”
Dazai stared at Chuuya’s fingers as they drummed on the steering wheel. It would probably be a good idea to stay over at his, tonight. He must also be tired. Chuuya seemed to have read his mind despite looking out the window.
“...You know you can just move in with me, right?”
Dazai sighed, swatting the side of Chuuya’s head.
“You don’t understand. Silly Chibi is too dumb.”
It'll only bring more unnecessary attachments.
Chuuya parked the car. Dazai hadn’t even realized that they were there, until Chuuya got out. Once this was all over- all of it, he means, perhaps then it might be alright to tell Chuuya everything. He ought to finally share the trust.
What if he mocks you for it? What if he takes advantage of your weakness?
Dazai smiled and joined Chuuya on the battlefield, ignoring the voice in his head. Chuuya was his partner. He wouldn’t do that; else he would have already, with what Dazai has told him.
“Time to beat some ass.”
Night fell as Dazai drove home (to Chuuya’s apartment, not his own home). Chuuya was fast asleep beside him, having used up all his energy with corruption. The intel the Port Mafia had received was false, and the agent was promptly tortured and killed, but Chuuya managed to kill the additional forces. Dazai himself stayed relatively unharmed aside from a few scrapes, thanks to the ginger.
He drove slowly, taking in the faces of passersby, seeing glimpses of people he used to know before that too dissolved into the crowd. His phone rang. When he stopped by a pedestrian crossing, he put it on speaker and listened to what the other end had to say. He knew that picking up calls from random numbers was a bad idea, but he did it anyway.
“...Hello?”
It was Ron again.
“Ah, Hey. What’s up?”
Talking to Chuuya about his thoughts earlier helped more than what he’d like to admit, so he wanted to make sure he didn’t make the same mistake again. His hands were firmly planted on the steering wheel. He pretended like Mori was dead, as he does on a usual basis, so none of his words would get to him.
“Ah, there you are. You hung up earlier, and I kind of panicked, but Hermione’s with me now.”
“...Is that so? Sorry for the trouble. I was a bit busy.”
“Oh? Are you still busy? If you are, then I can call back in a bit-”
“No need. I’m on my way home. What did you need?”
He heard a distant argument.
‘Give it here. You’re obviously going to string it out for as long as you can.’
‘No! I’m the one already on the phone!’
Chuuya stirred a little beside him, and he hoped neither of the others heard that. Eventually, Hermione won the argument and had taken the phone.
“Ron and I wanted to get the whole gang together for a little reunion, and see how everyone’s doing, you know?”
“Ah... Is that so? I think it’s a good idea.”
“Well, yeah. Umm... Are you available to come to London next week?”
“I could probably get some time off, but It’d have to start on the weekend. You don’t mind if I come early, do you?”
“No, not at all.”
“Sounds good then. I'll be at the London station by midday in two days’ time.”
“Oh! Bring a date!”
“Sure.”
“See you then!”
Hermione had hung up, and Chuuya looked at him. He was now wide awake and had been silently listening into the conversation. There was a smile on his face, and Dazai didn’t know why.
“So, you said you wanted to go on a date?”
His face burned bright red.
“You know that was an excuse... Plus, you need to sleep.”
Chuuya rolled his eyes playfully.
“I already called out of work for a while. Kouyou said I needed a rest anyway.”
“No wonder. Chibi’s such a workaholic.”
“Am not.”
“Are too!”
Which is how Soukoku ended up spending the next day at home as Chuuya got back his energy (and somehow managed to convince Dazai to move in) and the day after that on a plane. Chuuya fell asleep and his head landed on Dazai’s shoulder. Out of pure and utter respect (totally nothing more) Dazai stayed completely still until he woke up. Midday was fast approaching. Their plane, already having been late, boarded out slowly, like everyone had enough time in the world to leave.
“Seriously? We won’t get there by sunset at this rate.”
“Whose fault is that for not taking your private jet?”
“Be grateful I even got you a first-class ticket. Anyway, I wouldn’t have anywhere to put it if we did take it, and Mori would get a little suspicious. You know better than anyone else he tracks those things.”
Indeed, they had flown a helicopter to Spain one time as teenagers behind Mori’s back. They were promptly forced to stay under Hirotsu’s supervision for the next fortnight so they wouldn’t do it again. Such fond memories.
“Oh, so Chibi can be smart when he wants to.”
“Are you implying that I’m not usually smart!?”
They had got to the train station a lot quicker, luckily, and found refuge on a nearby bench. The station was crowded, but Dazai kept his eyes on platform nine and ten’s dividing wall, watching as Wizards appeared out of it. It happened more often than he thought it did.
“Chuuya, is Dazai alright?”
He blinked out of it. To his right, stood Blaise. Chuuya scoffed, standing up in sync with himself and grabbing all the luggage.
“Oh. Hi, Blaisey! Been a while.”
“Indeed. How is everything? Mori not giving you too much of a hassle?”
“No, Dazai left not too long after we returned. He’s been giving me a hassle in the form of paperwork, though.”
“Oh. Congratulations.”
Dazai beamed. Blaise obviously didn’t know that he had to isolate for two years just to get Mori off his back. He didn’t know that you couldn’t just leave a mafia (unless you were Dazai Osamu, of course). Chuuya rolled his eyes again.
“Well, lead the way.”
“Will do. Ah, Dazai, in case you didn’t hear while spacing out, we’re heading to a cafe in Diagon Alley. Oh, and once you disappeared, Dumbledore released a statement about what really happened in first year, quelling any rumors.”
“Shame Mori’s plan only slightly worked out.”
“Shame indeed.”
“Wow, Chuuya! You don’t have to be so rude to your boss, you know?”
Blaise listened to them bickering as they walked, chiming in occasionally. He stood in between them because Chuuya said that he’d pummel Dazai to the ground, and he wasn’t too sure if that was a joke or not.
“So, are you tagging along because Dazai wanted to introduce you as part of the gang, or as his date?”
“Both, I suppose. Dazai did say to Snape that we’re married the other day.”
“Oh. Right. I’m glad it all worked out.”
“What?”
Chuuya and Blaise giggled together.
“Wonder who gave Ron your number, huh?”
“Mhm. Got no clue...”
“Huh!?”
“I seriously wasn’t expecting Snape to choose to come to Yokohama for his holidays, though? Did you know?”
“No.”
“...Really?”
“Really.”
They stopped at a pedestrian crossing. Dazai didn’t know that it would take so long for him to figure out what exactly they were doing to him, but now he wasn’t sure how to word his thoughts.
“...You set this up?”
Chuuya laughed. Loudly. It attracted a bit of attention from others waiting to cross and those who walked by the corner.
“Who did you think did it? Mori? No one else knows your real number, anyway.”
That’s right. It wasn’t on his work phone, or any of his spares. It was on his personal phone.
“Fuck.”
Dazai’s face was bright red as they approached the leaky cauldron. Chuuya had chosen to wrap his arm around his shoulders to keep him supported. He kept his head low with Dazai’s and lowered his voice to a whisper.
“Mori never found out. Promise.”
Before Dazai could even comprehend those words, Chuuya had shot his head back up and started acting as usual. The bartender nodded his head at them as they walked by and entered Diagon alley. Instantly, the table sitting in front of the cafe practically full of red heads made itself known. Hermione waved them over, and Dazai didn’t miss the shiver Draco gave when he noticed Chuuya.
The gang was quite confused as to why he joined them, aside from Blaise. Chuuya simply pointed to his choker and left it at that. A few members realized, after seeing the black gem embedded inside of it, and others continued their confusion. Chuuya didn’t explain despite now being fluent in English. Dazai did instead, conveniently leaving out the part where they were Mafia partners and not friends.
They had accepted Chuuya well. After all, he was quite polite and friendly to anyone aside from Dazai. A few times, as Chuuya insulted him, Dazai noticed members looking slightly concerned. Dazai always chirped back an insult. Draco met Chuuya’s eyes from across the table. For the first time in many, many years. He looked a little surprised, but then looked down at his food on the table.
Eventually, they returned to the Weasley’s house and were welcomed by their parents (this was his first time in such a place that looked like it belonged to someone. A family.) and were made a feast before retiring into bed. That night, Dazai had the best sleep he’s ever had, next to Chuuya and surrounded by people who truly liked him.