"Thank you for inviting me to dinner."

"Mhm."

The last thing Dazai expected after work was a call from Chuuya requesting (or, more accurately, ordering) he come with him to dinner. Of all the years Dazai has known that redhead, he was never all that forward with what he wants. But sometimes, a pattern will break.

Dazai was, of course, more than happy to accept. Why pass out on the opportunity to see his old partner and potentially tease him some more for his absurd sense of fashion?

Alas, Dazai bit his tongue. Chuuya forwent with his tacky hat, and now dons a red blazer in contrast to his piercing eyes, paired with a white dress shirt and dark dress pants. He looks amazing. There was nothing Dazai could pick out to mock.

Dazai pretends to look at the menu so he can avert his gaze from the shorter man. If Chuuya caught him eyeing him like that, he was sure to receive a pounding. Today, Dazai wishes not to get punched.

"Why did you ask me to come here? Is there something the chibi wants from me? He's never forward like this~"

"Shut up."

Dazai takes this opportunity to survey the dishes the restaurant has to offer. Since this is a nice place, and Chuuya invited him out here, he figured Chuuya would pay for his meal—and if he wasn't, Dazai could most certainly manipulate him into doing so. He finds a crab dish that sounds quite delectable, and decides he'll order that when their waiter arrives.

Dazai closes the menu, satisfied, and looks across from him. Chuuya has not picked up a menu, and is instead fiddling with his hair.

Peculiar.

"Why aren't you looking at your menu, Chuuya?"

"I already know what I want."

That reply came far too quickly to be normal.

This is getting too worrisome.

"Is something the matter, Chuuya? Had a gust of wind swept your hat away? Or did you measure yourself, only to discover you have shrunk?"

Chuuya glares at the mocking grin plastered to the brunette's face. "Shut up. It's nothing like that."

Aside from the "shut up," not a response Chuuya would usually give to such a question.

Curiouser and curiouser.

"Chuuya."

Chuuya rolls his fork between his fingers. "What?"

"Tell me what's wrong."

Chuuya exhales. "I don't want to."

"Chuuya."

There is no reason for Chuuya to keep fighting; there is no winning against Dazai, his old partner. There's no hiding anything from Dazai, just like how Dazai can't hide anything from him. It's a battle not worth fighting.

So Chuuya surrenders.

"I...I think I'm in love with you."

Dazai freezes.

"A-and I'm terrified."

Dazai blinks rapidly, taking a few seconds to drink in what the redhead just said. "Chuuya's so mean. Don't play with my heart like that."

"I'm not. I'm serious."

Dazai looks into Chuuya's deep azure eyes. He knows the truth. He knows this is the truth.

Never has the truth been so shocking.

"Is...that why you invited me to dinner?"

Chuuya says nothing, which answers his question enough on its own.

"Why? Why do you think you're in love with me?"

Chuuya swallows. "I can't stop thinking about you. I hate seeing you suffer. I want to always be with you. I'm still pissed at you for leaving me behind. I...I want to take your hand and hold it in mine. I want to share my dinner with you when our damned waiter arrives. I want to feel your messy hair in my fingers as I kiss you. I...I'm in love with you. And I hate it. It's fucking scary."

He pauses to take a breath.

"You're in the light now. We're on opposite sides. We're enemies now. I always thought I hated you, and after eight years, I've realized I was wrong. We've only cooperated because we had to. It could never work. And...I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to risk anything. But...I wanted you to know."

At that note, Chuuya averts his gaze and swirls around the ice in his drink.

Dazai's heart stutters and he squeezes his eyes shut before opening them again, still looking at the redhead despite the redhead not meeting his eyes. "You...you really love me?"

Chuuya nods slowly.

"But...I...I'm not—"

"Don't."

Chuuya finally looks at Dazai, who gives him a look of confusion.

"I know what you're gonna say. That you're broken or unlovable or some other bullshit like that. Listen to me when I say this: do you think that little Atsushi boy would follow you around and look up to you and stay by your side if he didn't care about you? Do you think that four-eyed blond Mr. New-partner of yours would put up with your daily shit and not kill you if he didn't care about you? Do you think any of your coworkers would put up with your bullshit on a daily basis and cooperate with you if they didn't care about you? Do you think I'd invite you to this dinner, tell you I love you, and tell you this whole speech if I didn't care about you? Do you think I'd risk my life for you multiple times if I didn't care about you? Shut your fucking mouth, Dazai. It doesn't matter what you think. You've impacted so many people's lives, for better. You have so many people who care about you. So many people who love you. Don't say you're unlovable. That's not even the slightest bit true. Look at you. You left the mafia and changed your ways to pursue a request your friend made for you. You're doing good now. You're saving people. I know that if Oda could see you now, he would be so fucking proud of you. So many people love you, Dazai. So don't go trying to tell me that you're unlovable."

Dazai is shaking. He feels his eyes moisten and his vision clouds. He feels a single droplet drip down his cheek. "Chuuya...I-I..."

Chuuya laughs. "See? You're crying now. You know I'm right. I love you."

The redhead scoots his chair beside Dazai, cups his face, and wipes away the tears.

"I love you."

Chuuya says again.

"Can I kiss you?"

Dazai swallows and holds back more tears, nodding his head.

Chuuya leans in, gently pressing their lips together, his hand wandering into Dazai's hair as he does so. Their lips connect together perfectly, like this was meant to be. Their mouths fit together perfectly, as does every other part of them.

"Chuuya...I..."

Dazai mutters against Chuuya's lips, which causes Chuuya to pull back.

"I think I...I love you, too."

Chuuya chuckles. "You'd better!"

He kisses Dazai one more time, and then moves back to where his chair originally was, twining their fingers together. Dazai smiles at him; the most genuine smile Chuuya had ever seen from his old partner. It makes his heart swell.

"I can't wait to bring you back to my place and hold you in my arms all night. But until then, when is our damned waiter gonna get here?!"

Dazai laughs. God, he loves that redhead.

Sometimes, patterns are broken. But sometimes, a pattern will never change.