"Chuuya? Please come home soon. I think I broke my ankle."

Chuuya had left about a half hour ago to pick up groceries, which meant Dazai had some alone time.

And of course, since he was alone, he got himself into a predicament.

"What did you do this time, dumbass?"

Chuuya had gotten to his favorite aisle (the wine aisle) of the store when his phone rang, and predictably, it was Dazai, calling about an issue he ran into.

"I think it's best you just come home and see what happened."

Chuuya took a few bottles of wine off of the shelf and put them into his cart as he held his phone with his shoulder.

"You're worrying me, Dazai."

Chuuya took a bottle of sake off the shelf for Dazai.

"Oh don't worry, aibou. It's nothing new. But I'm bleeding, so don't take your time, please."

Chuuya sighed.

"Alright, I'll be home soon."

And then he hung up.

Chuuya liked it at the supermarket. It was peaceful and quiet and he enjoyed the simplicity.

But something happened to Dazai, so he knew he had to rush.

He probably just slipped and fell--or even is simply toying with him--but why risk it?

He grabbed the rest of the items he needed, quickly went to the checkout, and went home.

-

"Hey, aibou, what's up?"

As Chuuya opened the door with bags in his arms, he heard Dazai's voice greet him.

"Where are you?"

"Over here."

Chuuya saw the top of Dazai's head, along with his arm behind the couch. He put down his bags and quickly walked over to Dazai.

He stared, half in surprise, half in annoyance.

Because the situation he found Dazai in was both extremely predictable behavior for him, but also unexpected for him to have done.

"What the fuck did you do?!"

Dazai was, in fact, bleeding. He had a rope loosely around his neck, and the end was roughened, as if it had snapped. There was a chair behind him.

"Oh, just tried to get sweet release once again."

Chuuya quickly pulled the rope off of Dazai's neck. As he did so, Dazai said, "Ah, thanks, that thing was chafing my bandages against me to no end," to which Chuuya rolled his eyes.

He stomped off and came back with a first aid kit and extra bandages. He pulled off Dazai's blood-soaked sock and gently wiped away the blood.

"You've been doing so well for so long. What snapped in your mind that made you do this again, idiot?"

Dazai simply shrugged. "Dunno."

Chuuya looked Dazai directly in the eyes. "Yes you do, asshole."

Dazai sighed and conceded. "Fine. It was because you left me alone."

Chuuya scoffed. "You left me for four years, and I never tried to kill myself. Try again, asshole."

"No, I mean it. I realized since you've come back, I've been...less sad. I haven't wanted to die nearly as much as I used to."

"Dazai--"

"I thought it was just a coincidence. But no. It was because of you. You've given me the will to live, Chuuya."

"Dazai, I only went to the supermarket."

"Any time that's not with you is suffering."

Chuuya did not realize he stopped drying Dazai's blood. At this point he was just staring at him.

Dazai noticed this.

"...you okay there?"

Chuuya snapped out of his daze.

"Stop fucking with me, Dazai. What's the real reason you did this?"

Dazai gave Chuuya a gentle smile. "That was the real reason. I don't want to be without you."

Chuuya forced himself to scowl. "You seemed to function just fine without me. You don't need me."

Dazai's expression morphed into shock. "How could you think that?"

Chuuya squeezed his eyes shut. "You're doing things for the good of people now. You're out of the mafia. You're helping people. You're a better person now than you used to be, Dazai. You don't need me. So stop telling me you do."

Dazai stared at him for a moment.

"Chuuya really is an idiot."

Chuuya's eyes swung open and he pushed the cotton ball against Dazai's wound, more aggressively than before.

"Oi, you--"

"I'm doing better because I'm out of Port Mafia, not because I wasn't with you."

Chuuya was silent as he put down the bloody cotton ball and picked up some bandages.

"And how could you think I don't need you when you're tending to one of my injuries right this second?"

Chuuya laughed at himself.

Dazai leaned forward slightly and put his fingers underneath Chuuya's chin, turning his face to look at him.

"You know I love you, right, Chuuya?"

Chuuya tugged on the bandages.

"That's the first time you've said that."

Dazai smiled. "Then I'll say it again: I love you, Chuuya."

Chuuya stared for a moment, then smiled crookedly. "I have no strong positive opinions on you whatsoever."

"Come on, Chuuya."

Chuuya inhaled, and then exhaled deeply.

"I love you, too. Now, let's get you to the hospital, you dumbass."