"Dazai."

"...Yes Kunikida-Kun?"

"Do you want to tell me how Nakahara got onto the newspapers 'strange sightings' section and why he's on there in the first place?" Kunikida bared his teeth.

Well, Dazai couldn't see him on the other end of the phone, but he assumed that's what he was doing. Dazai should send a gift box to his dentist because without them Kunikida would have ground his teeth until they were little nubs.

Perhaps that was what Dazai intended.

"Well you see, the cat escaped, and little Chuuya followed."

"Using his ability?!"

"Using his ability," Dazai confirmed with less enthusiasm.

"You know what this means," Kunikida switched to 'clean up Dazai's mess' mode. "Constant surveillance over him, even if he's old enough to watch after himself now, he is still a child."

While Chuuya sure wouldn't appreciate being underestimated, it also would give him the advantage when he would no doubt butt heads with Kunikida the next day.

But the words rang true, Chuuya may be confident and cocky, but he still didn't know everything about the present time.

Times have changed and so have attack patterns (Chuuya's chibification was proof enough, the Port Mafia was still scrambling to find out just what in the hell had hit them.)

"Don't worry Kunikida-kun~"

"Now I'm definitely worrying."

"Bye~"

"Idiot Dazai you better come to work tomorr-"

Dazai hung up and set the phone face up on the counter, as he stared at it blankly.

He had managed to convince Chuuya to take a shower and was also briefly reminded that he would no longer need to wash the soap away from Chuuya's hair or brush through it as the redhead liked to.

Chuuya was old enough to do this stuff himself now and was definitely too prideful to ask for any sort of assistance when it came to letting Dazai brush through his hair or even touch him to soothe him through panic attacks.

While he had dragged the last Chuuya through hell and helped him rebuild himself after his ordeal in the lab, this Chuuya would insist on doing it himself.

He no longer needed Dazai.

It left an empty feeling in Dazai's chest, a weird jagged hole to know that he would no longer be able to brush his fingers through the red hair no matter what age.

How co-dependant of him.

Though Dazai hadn't failed to notice how having company, any of the Chuuya's, had made his home (or more accurately, Chuuya's home) less bland. He no longer had just the walls to hear him.

Dazai didn't necessarily enjoy the feeling but he didn't dislike it either. He would just have to become acclimated to when Chuuya inevitably aged up and left him.

Dazai slipped his phone from the counter to silently walk across the wooded floor and crack open Chuuya's door.

(Dazai was now the one who slept on the couch, now that Chuuya knew that this was his apartment.)

It was late into the night and tired from the day's activity of traveling six whole years into the future (all in a day's work), Chuuya had seemed to pass out after he got out of the shower.

He didn't even eat any dinner, surprising for him. No matter how short Chuuya may be, he ate twice as much as Dazai did, which wasn't much, but still a lot.

Though Dazai did suppose learn that it was the god he harbored inside of him that sapped all of his energy. This was directly why he slept a lot and ate twice the normal meal.

Dazai definitely teased him relentlessly about it when they were fifteen.

Now, Chuuya was sprawled out on the bed like a starfish, drooling onto the pillow like the dog he was.

Dazai snapped a picture for blackmail use and slowly closed the door with his foot, listening to Chuuya's breathing through the door.

He let his mind wander once again.

He hadn't tried to commit suicide in the past weeks, not even once. He supposed he was too busy to even think about that with watching little Chuuya, but it was more than that.

It was no longer a longing ache he felt in his sternum to throw himself off of the agency roof or into Yokohama bay, no longer a need.

He wasn't aware of when his feelings had changed, had morphed into something that he didn't want to address, but maybe... maybe he had found what he had been looking for.

That reason to live wasn't some beautiful revelation or life-changing event.

It was just something important enough to stay for.

and that thing had been right under his nose the whole entire time.

With that, Dazai numbly trailed back to the couch, and suddenly the cushions didn't seem as stiff.

Sleeping in late was strange for Chuuya.

It was a luxury he had never had before, well, as long as he knew he just got up early every day of his life. But he could say now that he got some sleep he felt significantly less snappy.

But not snappy enough to not mess with Dazai. (Younger or older, Chuuya would take any chance he got.)

So he silently slipped into the living room, socked feet sliding against the floor and to the kitchen. The Dazai-sized lump on the couch didn't move one inch.

Chuuya smirked as he soundlessly opened the fridge, putting his fingers to his lips when Mackerel noticed him from atop the fridge. He eyed the contents of the fridge.

There wasn't much, it was more like idiot Dazai had been living here instead of Chuuya because Chuuya made sure he put damn good food into his body, not just microwave meals and ramen noodles.

There was an insane amount of ice cream, which was impressive but not what Chuuya was looking for.

At last, he used 'For the tainted sorrow' to float the whipped cream to him. (It had been hiding in the back of the fridge.)

Chuuya was absolutely delighted to know that it was full.

On his way out of the kitchen, he snatched a quill pen shaking off the ink from it. (Chuuya had a feeling that it was there for decoration rather than writing because no one in their right minds would use these anymore.)

Dazai still hadn't moved from the couch. As far as Chuuya knew he had always been irresponsible and on missions, he would always have to drag the bandaged idiots' sorry butt out of bed.

Chuuya shook up the whipped cream and approached the couch, and lucky for him, Dazai's arm was already sticking off of the edge of it, palm up.

Ew, he slept with his bandages?

Chuuya shook away his disgust, and as gently as possible (he didn't want to wake the old man up.) took the hand and pressed down on the whipped cream, spreading it on his palm.

Chuuya was curious to see his reaction, in a way, this was a method, childish at heart, to gather some needed information about the behavioral side of things. Being zapped into the future, who knew how Dazai would respond now, and Chuuya just needed to see where he stood.

He brought the feather up to Dazai's nose to drag it across the skin but was disappointed when the only reaction was the slight flutter of eyelids and a grumble.

But Chuuya was persistent and tried again, pressing harder.

Dazai's hand flew up whip cream and all and smacked him in the face.

The wrong person's face.

Chuuya's plan had backfired. He had been duped. Tricked. Manipulated.

He was sure that Dazai had bought that damn can of whipped cream just so Chuuya could fail at pranking him.

Chuuya yelped and furiously wiped the whipped cream from his face until his vision wasn't just obscured with white, and he wished that he had never wiped it away when he saw the sly smirk on the idiot's face.

Well, it looked like he really hadn't changed a bit, the bastard.

"You're unbelievable," Chuuya huffed as he crossed his arms. And he was sure that he made an amusing sight, whipped cream tangled in his hair and smeared over his skin and nightclothes, but he didn't necessarily care.

Dazai snapped a picture before he could say anything and Chuuya rolled his eyes.

"You fell for my scheme so easily, it must be so unfortunate that your shortened height has also shortened your brain cells.

Just to be petty, Chuuya scooped the whipped cream from his cheeks and slathered it all over Dazai's face.

It wasn't as satisfying as he thought it would be, especially when Dazai didn't even react.

Dazai waved a dismissive hand "yes yes, yap all you want but go take a shower. We leave in..." Rust-colored eyes (Chuuya still wasn't used to seeing two of those) trailed to the clock. "Half an hour."

Chuuya gritted his teeth and marched off to the restroom with his head held high. He got nothing from that besides knowing that Dazai was still as cunning as ever.

Wonderful, it just made things harder to gauge for Chuuya.

As yet another petty action Chuuya spent more than thirty minutes in the shower to make the bandaged idiot late for work, though if he was still as lazy as he was then, then it wouldn't matter much.

He idly wondered what this workplace he worked at was really like.

Chuuya wasn't an idiot, he knew that Dazai was a pathological liar and that he was fibbing about roughly 70% of the things he had told Chuuya.

But it wasn't like Chuuya had a choice but to go along with his plans.

He would just stay here for a few weeks then hopefully get back to his own time.

After Chuuya had (as slowly as possible) gotten ready, Dazai was already waiting, not looking too annoyed. He seemed to have wiped the whipped cream from his face and hair.

Chuuya still wasn't used to him looking so... healthy.

Well, as healthy as Dazai could be.

When they stepped outside it was significantly colder than it was yesterday, the weather was gloomy, and light icy rain slapped his face.

"Do we have to walk there?" Chuuya asked, he didn't know how far away this place was but he would not be walking in it while it was sleeting.

"Nope," Dazai replied, sounding a bit too proud of himself, "I just stole a car from work."

Well, Chuuya wouldn't criticize Dazai, especially if his knack for stealing cars got them away from the harsh elements.

"You should let me drive," Chuuya watched wearily as Dazai slipped into the front seat.

He wasn't an idiot, he knew how bad of a driver Dazai was, he ran cats over every other turn. Being in the mafia, learning how to drive (faster than the speed limit and cutting through the back alleys) was one of the first things he had learned next to reading and the use of weapons.

"No can do, I don't want to get arrested for letting a minor drive~" Dazai shut the driver's door and sealed Chuuya's fate.

Chuuya was about to yell 'you are a minor,' but realized that he was twenty-two.

Whatever he was still mentally a five-year-old.

Chuuya slid into the passenger seat and ignored the comment Dazai made about him 'needing a car seat,' and buckled himself up with a white knuckle grip on the side handle.

As Dazai sped through the streets Chuuya let his mind wander.

He wondered what this apparent 'branch' of the Port Mafia was. (Chuuya wasn't quite believing the branch part, but they were somehow affiliated with the Port Mafia in the least.)

We're they annoying and stiff like the executives?

Chuuya attended the executive meetings often, whether Kouyou dragged him along so he could be in their plans that involved his power, or if Dazai forced him to sit next to him because he was 'bored and needed entertainment.'

When Chuuya had asked why Dazai even needed him there, he just shrugged with a distant look in his eyes.

"Your face is just funny to look at."

Somehow that tone had been unconvincing.

He sure hoped they didn't have a stick up their asses.

And when they pulled up to what Chuuya was assuming was the building, it was smaller than he thought and rather plain-looking.

They braced against the weather as Dazai led him to the front desk where a brunette woman smiled politely.

"Morning~" Dazai waved to her when she greeted them. Her eyes lingered a bit on Chuuya, looking a bit surprised, but she didn't seem hostile.

In fact, none of the people Chuuya had eventually met were hostile, with no hidden malice in their eyes.

Either this 'armed detective agency' was awfully talented at hiding their truths, or they were just nice.

Chuuya would assume it was the first for now.

Dazai waved his arm across the office-like room where the occupants all looked up at him.

"Chuuya this is Kunikida-Kun-"

"Dazai!" The man yelled a full sound from his chest that would make anyone flinch. "I never gave you permission to take the car!"

There was the malice.

Though Chuuya enjoyed watching as the blonde man stomped over to them and whacked Dazai upside the head, the force making Dazai whine pathetically.

"Kunikida-Kun, don't be so mean~"

"No," Chuuya waved off Dazai's complaints, "keep going."

The man- Kunikida- didn't seem too surprised to see Chuuya there. He spared him one analyzing glance before nodding and going back to berating Dazai.

Chuuya abandoned Dazai, leaving him in the 'evil clutches' of Kunikida as he faced the office, ready to get what information out of the place he could.

Before he could say anything though, a pair of golden brown eyes appeared in Chuuya's vision. He backpedaled until the rest of the boy who had shoved himself in his face came into view.

"Hi, my name is Kenji!" The kid put his hand out in front of him and Chuuya reluctantly took it. Kenji's grip was strong but not threatening.

"Chuuya," he returned shortly.

"Wow, how old are you now?!" The kid exclaimed, running circles around Chuuya like an overexcited dog to look at him.

Now?

"Hey, quit that!" Chuuya grit his teeth, but when the boy finally stood still he acted as if nothing had just happened.

Chuuya could tell he wouldn't get much information from this boy, but he may as well be friendly if he was going to be here for more than a week. "I'm fifteen," Chuuya answered, crossing his arms over his chest defensively when Kenji's eyes lit up.

"Wow, we're one year away!" Kenji shoved one finger in his face. He was very touchy, no one was ever like this in the mafia. "I'm fourteen!"

And when Kenji's smile became slightly lopsided Chuuya could practically feel the upcoming comment. "Wow! For a fifteen-year-old, you're awfully short!"

Chuuya hated that it was true, the height difference between him and this fourteen-year-old was a couple of inches, but enough to make him tilt his head slightly to look up.

Chuuya was going to kill this kid. "I'm only fifteen, I'm still growing!" He hissed "when I grow up I'll be taller than anyone here!" Chuuya felt the familiar sense of gravity lingering under his skin, a comforting hum.

It was all erased when a hand was placed on his shoulder, squeezing it once. 'Be nice.'

Chuuya shook Dazai off and huffed, "nice to meet you or whatever."

Kenji nodded vigorously, he smiled so bright that Chuuya felt the urge to shield his eyes. "Yes, maybe you can show me the wall walking trick-"

"Kenji!" Kunikida called, interrupting his sentence. "The baker's wife requested your help, she lost her cat and you always have a knack for finding it!"

The blonde's eyes widened "of course," he turned back to Chuuya with a slight wave "see ya later!"

And just like a storm, he came and went just as quickly but with a strange force.

Chuuya didn't exactly know what to think of the over-enthusiastic kid.

"Refrain from beating up my co-workers," Dazai teased and Chuuya elbowed him in the gut.

The rest of the members were just as weird.

Chuuya had seen a lot of strange stuff living on the streets and being a member of the port mafia, but meeting Tanizaki and his sister would surely be high up there in the strange interactions next to the druggies he had to interrogate and the undercover mission that involved a llama.

"This is my brother, isn't he so cute~" the sister, Naiomi's hand slithered along her brother's chest to basically grope him in front of the whole office.

They pointedly avoided eye contact as if it was a normal occurrence.

Chuuya didn't see much more than that because as soon as her hand continued further down his chest Dazai cupped his hands over Chuuya's eyes as if it was a horror movie and steered him away to the next desk.

The rest of the agency had their... unique... perks. Not a single one of them gave Chuuya the aura that they would ever work in the Port Mafia, though if they were handling the 'legal' side of things and working as a front then perhaps that would make sense.

Just based on the way he spoke Chuuya could tell that Kunikida had too much of a stick up his ass to get along with him.

The Tanizaki's were in an incestuous relationship so that was an immediate no.

The doctor, Yosano, gave him weird vibes but had a knack for violence so Chuuya could respect that yet keep a wide berth from her.

The boy with white hair didn't look too old, so Chuuya was a bit shocked to learn that he was eighteen years old. He stuttered too much for Chuuya to keep his patients while holding out a full conversation with him.

Then there was Ranpo. He was stuck up but In a completely different way from Kunikida. He truly believed that he was the best detective in the world, as he had rambled about for ten minutes straight before Chuuya had enough of his mouth and left.

Though something lingered in the back of his eyes as if he knew all of Chuuya's secrets.

He would most definitely avoid him.

The only one member that Chuuya could possibly tolerate was the young girl, Kyouka. Like the previous kid, she was also fourteen, and thankfully closer to Chuuya's height though shorter.

She was quiet, didn't run her mouth, held her secrets, but also seemed like she would tell Chuuya what was going on if he asked directly.

Something in her eyes, the haunted ghostly look of a helpless person who had seen the light, was familiar.

He had seen it in Dazai's eyes as of late.

Not that he had changed at all, he was still the same manipulative bastard Chuuya knew.

But as it turned out, Kyouka was tight-lipped, though it was more out of being an introvert than withholding information. That was fine, at least she wouldn't bother him about his height or yap in his ear.

Their conversation was shortened by Kunikida calling to Dazai, who had resorted to laying on the couch with his headphones on instead of doing actual work. Typical.

"Dazai, you have more of your..." his eyes briefly slid to Chuuya "Assignment to be done. Get up off your ass we're going to the crime scene."

Dazai peeked through one eye "But Kunikida, we have no reason to go I'm sure the Mafia has things covered~"

From those sentences, Chuuya could assume that they were talking about him. Chuuya didn't know how older him managed to get... De-aged? Sent into another dimension? But the fact that there was a crime scene meant that there was more than just a simple ability user involved.

"Idiot Dazai, come on. We're going to the scene and you're taking me with you." He decided, kicking the side of the couch and easily making it topple over and crush Dazai.

One bandaged arm stuck out from under the couch pathetically and Chuuya stomped on that too. "Stop whining," Chuuya answered Dazai's muffled complaints. The man obviously didn't want Chuuya to come whether it be just dealing with him or possibly revealing any information.

The perfect opportunity for Chuuya to stick his nose where it didn't belong. (Well technically it did belong because this case was about him.)

Kunikida made an impressive noise at how Chuuya managed to get Dazai to shut up. "There's no harm in allowing Nakahara to accompany us," the man shrugged. Dazai from his place under the couch let out a long painful groan and Chuuya took that as a sign of victory because the sound was music to his ears.

"Alright," he relented the pressure on Dazai's arm to let him slither out from under the couch like the snake he was. "Let's go see where this whole mess took place."