Chuuya's eyes fluttered open, greeted by a world drenched in shadows and moonlight. Disoriented and groggy, he pushed himself up from the cold, hard ground. A throbbing ache radiated through his body as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.
Then, as the fog of sleep lifted, the memories came crashing back—Dazai.
With a gasp, Chuuya turned his head to the side, and there, lying motionless on the ground beside him, was Dazai. His once-pale face was now ghostly white, his eyes closed, and his clothing stained with blood. Chuuya's heart clenched in his chest as he took in the sight.
"Dazai?" Chuuya's voice was barely a whisper as he reached out to touch his partner's cold cheek. There was no response, and fear clawed at Chuuya's chest. He gently shook Dazai, but Dazai remained unresponsive.
"Hey. This isn't funny." Chuuya warned, his voice tinged with a hint of desperation. "Get up." He shook Dazai again.
He couldn't be dead. This stupid bastard was the most unkillable person he knew. He can't even kill himseld, so why would death come for him so suddenly like this? It's just one of Dazai's pranks, right?
The dumb pranks that Chuuya hated. He hated them, but with them gone like this, he somehow missed them.
That's when he broke.
Dazai's dead because you aren't
Tears welled up in Chuuya's eyes as he cradled Dazai's lifeless body. He had always known that Dazai was suicidal, but he had never expected this. Dazai had sacrificed himself for Chuuya, and now he was gone.
"Dazai, you idiot," Chuuya whispered, his voice trembling. He couldn't believe that the man who had infuriated him, challenged him, and somehow become an irreplaceable part of his life was now gone. "Why did you save me?"