"Chuuya, I…"

Dazai mumbled through Chuuya's lips.

"I lo--"

"No."

After being separated for months after finally rekindling what they once had, Dazai and Chuuya pulled one another into their arms. One thing led to another, and now they were on Chuuya's bed, Dazai scrapped of his trenchcoat and his vest partially unbuttoned, and Chuuya scrapped of his mafia coat and black jacket, making up for their lost time with a loving kiss.

Until Dazai tried to speak, and was cut off. "No?"

"No."

Chuuya separated his lips from Dazai's and looked him in the eye. Dazai wore a look of hurt. "Why?"

"Because, Dazai, we...we can't."

"We can't what?"

"We can't love each other."

Dazai dug his nails into the fabric of Chuuya's shirt, each word slowly wounding him more. "Why not?"

"Because...we're on enemy sides. You're with the Agency, I'm with Port Mafia, it...it could never work."

Dazai forced himself to smile. "You know...we could just leave them."

"Huh?"

"I could leave the Agency, you could leave the mafia...we could find other jobs, and then we could be happy together."

Chuuya closed his eyes. "Yeah, who wouldn't want to hire a mafia executive?"

"I got hired into the Agency despite that."

Chuuya stared at him, trying to assemble words to say after that, until he found what he wanted to say. "Still, we...we can't just throw our lives away and start new. You shoulda said something to me back when you were leaving the mafia, you asshole."

Dazai sighed. "I couldn't tell you, Chuuya. If you had any ties to me leaving...you could've become headhunted by them, too."

"If you told me, I woulda left with you."

Dazai stared at him blankly, with surprise.

"You would've?"

"You're the reason I joined in the first place."

Dazai looked away from him.

"I...I do love you, though…"

Chuuya was silent.

"I love you, Chuuya. I don't care if we're on enemy sides. I still love you."

Chuuya still did not respond.

"Do you love me, too?"

Chuuya inhaled deeply. "No."

Dazai had that look of hurt again. "No?"

"No."

"Why...not?"

"Because the way I feel about you can't be classified as love."

The look of hurt melted away slightly. "Keep talking."

"I...I want to squeeze your hand when you need moral support. I want to entwine my fingers with yours under tables while we're in public. I want to hold you close when you're feeling sad. I want to hug you tight on cold nights. I want to kiss you after being apart from you, whether it's three hours or three months. I...I want...you. The way I feel about you is...more than love, Dazai. Love isn't enough. We're...we're like one soul in two different bodies."

Dazai felt as if he was on the brink of tears.

Which was absurd.

Dazai didn't cry.

So he masked it with a smirk and teasing words.

"Since when were you so sappy, Chuuya?"

Chuuya scoffed. "Oh, shut up."

Dazai laughed, and Chuuya felt his heart wrench. That laugh, that smile, it gave him a warm feeling in his chest that he couldn't explain if he tried.

"I thought you said we couldn't love each other."

"I was wrong. I've been wrong about a lot of things."

"Really? Like what?"

"Well, I was wrong about you."

Dazai tilted his head to the side in curiosity. "In what way?"

Chuuya laughed at himself before he started talking.

"When Mori first had us work together as partners, I was furious. I couldn't stand you. You drove me fucking insane. And I thought that I'd always loathe you. But...I didn't. I grew to trust you. Care about you. Love you. Which is...not like me."

Dazai smiled and pressed his forehead to Chuuya's. "Awww, you're so cute, Chuuya."

Chuuya felt his face flush. "Shush."

Dazai brushed his lips against Chuuya's for a moment, as if to taunt him. "I love you, Chuuya."

Chuuya closed his eyes. "I love you, too."

Dazai slipped two fingers underneath Chuuya's choker necklace and pulled him against him for a kiss. He heard a small whine escape Chuuya's lips, which warranted a chuckle.

Chuuya sighed into the kiss, putting his hands on the sides of his face, slowly running his fingers through Dazai's messy hair. He felt Dazai's hands run through his hair as well. He then detected the sensation of Dazai's lips softly parting, which caused him to briefly break away. He looked into Dazai's eyes, somewhat frazzled and annoyed.

"Don't bite me again, dumbass."

Dazai smirked, tracing Chuuya's bottom lip with his finger. "If you insist, aibou."

Dazai pulled Chuuya down again, pressing their lips together once more. It ended rather quickly, however, as thoughts started flooding him.

He pulled away, their faces still close. His voice was almost a whisper.

"Chuuya, I...I love you so much."

Chuuya repositioned himself and rested his head against Dazai, tucking the top of his head gently under his chin. "I know you do."

Dazai wrapped his arms around his partner, using his chin to ruffle his hair. "I...I never thought I was capable of feeling this way about anyone. And I thought that when the day came where I did, that would be my time for a double suicide."

"Dazai, are you fucking kidding--"

"Let me finish, Chuuya."

Chuuya exhaled heavily and closed his eyes. "Fine, continue."

"Look, I...I know I'm not the best boyfriend in the world, but I do love you. I never thought the day would come where I'd feel that way, but I do. I...never want to spend a day without you. I want to always be with you."

Chuuya looked up at him.

"I want to spend my life with you, Chuuya. Do...do you accept?"

Chuuya stared for a moment, then gave Dazai a crooked smirk.

"Hell yeah I accept, you dumbass."

And then their lips met once again.