Due to various policies and other tricky formal arrangements, Special Divisions made it quite clear that they would not be done with Chuuya Nakahara until they saw to it that he was safely escorted to a hospital.

So safely escorted to a hospital Chuuya was. There was a lot of fussing about and sympathetic talks about how to due to the intense strain, he was likely to never walk again. 

Not that any of this mattered much to him. He knew very well that the second he got out of here, Mori would be able to use something from the shadier side of the medical world to fix him right up.

So, at the moment, everything was actually quite peaceful.

That was of course, until one bright morning, the doors to his hospital room were flung open so wide they nearly fell off their hinges.

At first, Chuuya thought it was a trick of the light. Because last time he checked this was not central Yokohama and the time was also not noon. But when the figure in the doorway grinned, knife sharp and taunting, there was no mistaking Osamu Dazai.

Chuuya sat up at once, elbow propped on sanitized-white pillow cushions and hospital gown moving around his small form.

"Hello Chuuya~" Dazai said.

"Security." Chuuya said.

Dazai jumped, bravado vanishing in an instant as he rushed over into the room and covered his partner's mouth.

"Hey, hey don't do that," he said, "I'm kinda-"

"Banned from here?" Chuuya said, pulling Dazai's hand off him with ease. "Yeah, Sakaguchi told me you stole an entire storage cabinet worth of antibiotics this one time."

His eyes flicked up and down over Dazai. 

He looked much more put together since the last time Chuuya saw him. Clearly having found the time to take a shower, gather himself, and probably convince one of his coworkers to buy his groceries or something else of that ilk.

He poked him experimentally in the side with his free hand, "Did something for that stab wound?"

Dazai grimaced, "Yes but it hurts when you do that."

"Good," Chuuya hmphed. Then, using the wrist he still had in his grip, yanked Dazai closer, faces inches apart as he glared at him, "What the hell, you bastard, I thought we were having a moment!"

Dazai faltered. And then slowly, unbelievably, an embarrassed little blush began to creep up his neck. 

Chuuya grinned.

Dazai, realizing that his partner wasn't actually mad at him, brightened at once.

"We were, we were!" he said with a wave of his hand, making his way to the window and whisking open the blinds. 

Bright sunlight streamed in from the glass, "Really Chibi, we were. I don't hate you one bit. In fact, you look quite adorable all hooked up to those machines and stuff."

Chuuya snorted, crossing his arms across his chest, 

"You really couldn't have waited just a bit? I saw the police report, they didn't even need you. Akutagawa apparently followed Atsushi when the kid got kidnapped and freed him along with the rest of the Detective Agency."

"Ugh, I know," Dazai said, turning back around and rolling his eyes dramatically, "Makes me look stupid, doesn't it? Looks like that Mary Shelley never had any real leverage in the first place."

He smiled, "But it wasn't a complete waste though! Apparently the needed someone to also retrieve Fyodor from the restaurant basement he ended up tied up in. He's likely fuming to himself back in jail."

"Good riddance," Chuuya mumbled.

The conversation tapered off then, and a silence passed between them. Dazai, leaning against the wall and looking calmly through the window and Chuuya fiddling with a loose thread in the hospital sheets.

The executive swallowed.

I should...ask him.

He thought. Only to immediately shut that notion down. How exactly did one ask: "Hey, by the way, did I accidentally confess my hopeless infatuation with you that may or may have not existed for a very long time but I was just too proud to ever admit it seconds before I knocked out?"

How would Dazai even react to that? Would he laugh? Think it was some sort of joke? Hold it above Chuuya's head forever and explore a more...less child friendly version of teasing?

Or worst of all, would his face fall? With sadness or confusion...a small horrible quiet moment of silence before he let Chuuya down...?

Chuuya gritted his teeth, clenching the sheets between his fists.

I didn't mean to fall in love with you!

He looked up, only to see Dazai's profile as the breeze ruffled through his hair, eyes tracking a little red butterfly that had flittered briefly by the window.

Chuuya's fists unclenched, whole posture softening as he stared.

I really...really didn't mean...to fall in love with you...

"Oi, Chibi, I have an idea."

Chuuya jumped when Dazai finally turned his head in his direction, trying his best to make it look like he had been doing anything other than what he had been doing.

"What now?" Chuuya said, the angry bite in his voice melting away as he cautiously eyed the detective, who was approaching him with an increasingly alarming swiftness.

"I really do feel bad about leaving you all alone, you know."

Dazai smirked, leaning down. His eyes twinkled mischievously, a single finger pressing against his lip as if to signal a secret.

"How about I make it up to you," he all but whispered, "right now?"

Chuuya froze, battling a storm of heat bubbling his chest.

"What - what are you-?"

Dazai chuckled.

Then abruptly snapped his fingers.

The sound was so jarring that Chuuya nearly missed it when Dr. Yosano came through the door, looking only slightly irritated that Dazai had made her wait for his signal.

In one had she held her medical bag. In the other, a giant butcher's knife.

Chuuya startled, looked sharply between the grinning detective and the psychopathic physician. 

His gaze landed on Dazai.

"No."

"Whatever you think Mori can do for that," Yosano said matter-of-factly, gesturing at his leg, "Probably isn't going to work. The most any doctor can do right now is ensure that you keep the limb -- but it'd probably be fucked up for the rest of your life."

Dazai was nodding vigorously, "Yes, I'd trust Yosano-kun on this one, she knows her stuff."

"I'm not going to let that woman hack me to death!" Chuuya snapped.

"I literally resuscitate you a second later." Yosano said as she rounded at his bed side.

"Stay away from me with that thing!" Chuuya said, jabbing a finger at her butcher's knife. "Shit! This is probably stupid illegal! You can't just come in here and - and-"

"Don't be such a baby Mr. Port Mafia Person. Everyone at the agency has gone through my healing at least once."

"Oh shut it!" Chuuya said, having shifted himself on the bed as far as he could, "Come on! Don't act like you're not going to enjoy this -- you still have a grudge against me from our fight in the tunnels I just know it! Ah - Dazai help!"

Dazai, who was rearranging vials that he probably wasn't supposed to touch on the hospital counter, turned casually over his shoulder.

"Yosano, do you really want revenge on Chuuya?"

Yosano, who was already holding her blade above her head in preparation to strike replied just as casually, "No, what makes you say that?"

Dazai sighed, "Hm, looks like I'm going have to improvise here."

He began walking in their direction.

"Sorry Yosano," he said, snatching a bottle of something marked with a skull from her medical bag, "But Chuuya promised me revenge first."

Chuuya narrowed his eyes "Now what are you going on about-"

Dazai stopped at Chuuya's side.

"You kissed me."

Chuuya froze. Yosano made a startled sort of sound that she swiftly disguised as a cough.

"F-fuck come on Dazai" the gravity manipulator stammered, "You know I just did that to-"

"I know," Dazai chirped, "But remember? You told me save the revenge for later. Well, its later!"

"Yeah but I didn't mean-"

And neither Dazai nor Chuuya ever found out what Chuuya didn't mean. Because in the next second Dazai had knocked back the bottle and pressed his mouth to his partner's with all the force of a truck slamming into a brick wall.

When Chuuya eventually came to a minute later, he was half hysterical and panicky when Dazai was nowhere in sight.

Yosano, who was there and also very clearly amused, soon reassured him that Dazai had ingested so much poison over his life time that he was pretty much immune. 

According to her, the suicidal man was currently back at the agency, recounting the story to Kunikida and cackling like a madman while retching into a trashcan.

"I'm going to kill him," a shell shocked Chuuya swore.

 Yosano, packing away her things, merely shrugged in response.

"Be gentle."

__________________________________________

Chuuya was cleared for discharge soon after. 

Not wanting to burn any braincells trying to figure out what the fuck just happened, he decided to head back home.

To the Port Mafia.

For whatever reason, he found himself becoming antsy as he approached the swinging glass doors. Yes, he had been at the center of the conflict. But that whole ordeal had been directly because of Mary Shelley, not him. 

Yet he couldn't help but feel a little...oh he didn't know. Embarrassed maybe? Some pretty weird things had gone down between him and his colleagues, this was bound to be awkward.

Scared of a little reunion, Chuuya-kun?

Chuuya smiled sheepishly at the sound of Dazai's voice in his head. If the roles had been reversed, if it were Dazai returning to the agency after having the whole city fall in love with him, he'd probably bound through the entrance with handfuls of confetti demanding they still treat him like a king.

Yeah, Chuuya wasn't about to let a hypothetical Dazai beat him.

Chuuya took a deep breath and stepped inside.

Then paused.

Aside from the light coming through the doorway, it was completely dark inside. Chuuya squinted, but was unable to make out a single thing. The shutters appeared to be closed, lights off.

"The hell?"

The lobby of the ever-busy organism that was the Port Mafia building seemed to be, for once, completely still.

Well, no. Not for once. This had happened before.

He was getting a sharp, distinct sense of deja 'vu.

The fluorescent lights came on with a blinding white flash.

Chuuya's eyes welled with tears at the sudden brightness.

The lobby was filled with Port Mafia members. Including a quietly coughing Akutagawa, a smiling Higuchi, a waving Black Lizard, Koyo, Kajii,  and was that Q?

At the center, of it all there was a table that had most definitely not been there before. On top it was a spread of various foods and pastries.

And above that, a banner with that same bubbly lettering that Chuuya had become all too familiar with:

CONGRATULATIONS CHUUYA!

And in slightly smaller font below it:

EVERYONE LOVES YOU!

Chuuya scrambled back, hands held out defensively in front of him.

"Oh hell no!" he cried, "I thought you guys were back to normal!"

"Back to normal?" a smooth voice echoed. 

Mori was at the table, cutting a slice of orange cake for Elise, who was hopping up and down with excitement. "Of course we're back to normal."

Mori handed the little girl the plate, tucked his hands in his coat, then walked over to Chuuya. He looked down at him carefully with those formidable red eyes of his. They did seem...clear enough.

He sighed, sounding terrible tired, "Chuuya-kun, do you mind kindly restoring me as Boss of the Port Mafia?"

"Y-yeah," Chuuya said, heartbeat slowly evening out. 

Now that he paid closer attention, he could tell that everyone's gaze wasn't stuck to him the way it used to be. Q was showing Elise a cherry, Higuchi kept on shooting Akutagawa furtive looks -- and Hirotsu and Gin were fussing over the bandage looped around Tachihara's head.

"Of course," Chuuya said, "Right away. You're the boss, Boss."

Mori grinned, clapping his hands together, "Excellent! Now we may resume!"

He gave a thumbs up to Kajii who excitedly fired up the loud speakers.

"Wait, wait hold it," Chuuya exclaimed, starting forward. Kaji turned off the speakers with a look more befitting of a wounded puppy.

"If you're all back to normal, then what's - why is - this?"

Chuuya was gesturing widely, almost frantically, around the room.

Koyo snickered into her sleeved just as Gin approached him and placed a party hat ontop his regular hat.

Mori tilted his head, eyebrow creasing, "Whatever do you mean?"

"The decorations," Chuuya said, "The banner, the food, why...?"

The Port Mafia exchanged glances, then started laughing.

"Two reasons," Mori said, voice filled with amusement. He held up a finger, "One -- we never did properly welcome you back from your mission overseas. Though, ah, according to the police report it was a scam..."

"Yeah it was," Chuuya said, still trying to scope out something suspicious, looking for the trick, "That means there wasn't any money. The whole thing was completely catastrophic! I nearly decimated Yokohama!"

"Oh no no no, I wouldn't say completely." Mori said, holding up another finger, "That brings me to my second reason. Master Natsume contacted me about being so very impressed that a member of the Port Mafia had the initiative to save the city and donated tones of cash!"

"Eh?"

"Isn't it wonderful?" Koyo said, "You've done us all very proud."

It was then that Chuuya noticed how everyone seemed to be looking at him warmly. Not the gape-mouthed obsessive warmth that they had been filled with before. But something fiercer - worthy of the most dangerous organization in Yokohama.

Chuuya blushed, scratching the back of his neck, "Well...Dazai helped..."

"Hm? Dazai?" Mori said. He waved his hand dismissively, "Oh right. Eh. Don't be silly Chuuya, this party is for you. And - oh no Elise don't touch that!"

And with that, Mori hurried off to stop Elise from downing a bottle of alcohol.

Chuuya was so absorbed in watching him walk off, thinking of just how much better life was when you were on Mori's side, that it caught him off guard when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

He turned to see Higuchi and the Black Lizard, Akutagawa hanging back just behind them.

They all, except for the mad dog, dropped into steep bows.

"We just wanted to say that we're really, really sorry!" Higuchi exclaimed.

"Oh..." Chuuya said, memories of every interaction he had with the ability influenced group flashing over his mind, "It's okay you guys. Jeez...you can stand up, you're embarrassing me."

They did, although they were the ones who looked far more embarrassed. Higuchi pressed the heels of her palms against her face, "No, it's not okay. We set you up with Fyodor."

"Oh," Chuuya said, "Yeah, that's true you did do that. But honestly, it's fine. You were just under the ability  so don't-"

"And apologies for the statue. We had it melted back down to make bullets." Hirotsu added solemnly.

"It's -- wait there was a statue?"

Tachihara smiled nervously, "And sorry for scaring you back there."

"S'fine, really" Chuuya patted his back fondly, " Sorry you tried to claw your brain out."

And most of all, wrote Gin, Sorry for all the stuff we said about...you know...you and Dazai...

Chuuya pressed his lips together, hoping that nothing too incriminating was working its way across his face. 

"Er, yes." he  eventually said, "Yes that was really odd. Dunno why'd you all ever say anything...like that."

"Wait, we're sorry about that?" Hirotsu said, genuinely confused, "Didn't those two kiss in the warehouse?"

"They what?" Tachihara gasped.

Chuuya covered his face, "It-! Well you were going to - I had to do something!"

"I'd ship it." Higuchi deadpanned.

"If you don't shut up I'm going to tell Dazai about this and then you're going to have to deal with that man's particular brand of wrath."

Looking smug, Gin flipped her notecard around, When's the next time you're seeing him?

"Er...well...he had given me a time and place for tomorrow. But I don't know if-"

"A date!" Tachihara said, sounding more excited than he really had any right to, "Oh we gotta help you get prepared!"

And with that, the group dissolved into a conversation that was quickly evolving into an impromptu fanfic as they wandered towards the refreshment table.

When they had left, Akutagawa finally stepped forward.

He was being even more silent than usual.

"It's fine Akutagawa-" Chuuya began, but the mafioso cut him off.

"Tell Dazai-san I apologize for trying to kill him. Twice."

Right, of course.

"Sure thing, kid." Chuuya said, "I will."

He was just beginning to walk away when Akutagawa stopped him.

"And um," these next words seemed to be causing Akutagawa a great deal of distress, "Can you...ask him to pass a message along? To Jinko?"

Chuuya blinked, "Hm? Yeah, what is it?"

Akutagawa fiddled with his sleeves, "I...I still hate him."

Chuuya stared at his subordinate, having a sudden moment of clarity. That face, those words....that was how he looked like half of the time, wasn't it?

He patted him on the back, "So Atsushi, huh? He's a good kid, I approve."

Akutagawa straightened, a look of horror passing his face, "Wait, what?"

Ah, to be young.

"Chuuya-kun!"

Mori was standing by the table, gesturing for him to come.

Chuuya did. Before he could ask what this was about, Mori placed a large wine glass in his hand and filled it to the brim with the Romanee-Conti that he never actually got to have.

"Alright everyone!" The Boss of the Port Mafia said, "A toast!"

The mafia raised their glasses. Even Q and Elise, whose cups were filled with apple juice.

"To the strength and vitality of the Port Mafia!" Mori declared.

"To the Port Mafia!" came the enthusiastic echo.

"And-" Mori said, smiling at his executive, "To Chuuya!"

Chuuya blushed, the rest of them lifting their glasses and laughing in turn.

Chuuya looked around the room, chuckled, and raised the glass to his lips.

"To me," he said, and took a sip.

It was the best he had ever tasted.