#i just realised i don't have a really shippy odazai fic

[verdelet]

Rating: General Audiences Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Category: Gen Fandom: 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs Relationship: Dazai Osamu & Oda Sakunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs) Characters: Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs), Oda Sakunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs) Additional Tags: not-a-date date, Fluff, No Angst, pre-relationship if you squint

Language: English Published: 2017-01-23 Words: 2024 Chapters: 1/1

Summary:

Dazai is, upon hindsight, an acquired taste. Oda doesn't mind though. Dazai's company is more than he's had in a long while, even if he can't figure out why Dazai meets him as often as he does.

It's not like Oda is complaining about the company. He wouldn't. He enjoys Dazai's company and the way Dazai seems to regress by at least five years when spending time with Oda. It's refreshing, and it gives Dazai the opportunity to actually act his age, though Oda thinks that sometimes Dazai isn't acting his age as much as he is simply catching up. He'd mentioned it once, out of curiosity, but Dazai had laughed and feigned wounds at the 'cruel' words. Oda had apologized, wondering if he'd touched on a raw topic, and the face Dazai had made at the time looked somewhere between amused and surprised. He digresses, however. The point is that Oda genuinely enjoys Dazai's company and the way Dazai is so very careful not to touch his skin for even a second so long as their location isn't absolutely secure. The way Dazai takes ages to order anything at a restaurant but always settles for the same crab dish. The way Dazai bounces from thought to idea to revelation so quickly Oda's surprised he doesn't get motion sickness, but always leaves room for Oda to offer some kind of input anyway. Still, he doesn't know what to make of the way Dazai is smiling at him right now, smirking actually, and leaning precariously over the chair that Oda finds himself getting ready to catch Dazai when he inevitably falls. The owner of the curry shop, to his credit, laughs and serves up Oda's usual lunch before heading upstairs to make sure the children aren't causing property damage (from the thumping Oda's been hearing every so often since he'd arrived, he's not going to hold his hopes up too high). "O-da-sa-ku~" There's something in the way Dazai says that nickname that he likes. The way it rolls off the other's tongue so easily, the way it sounds like affection at times, the way Dazai grins like he would make Oda carry him if not for the importance of not cancelling out the future-seeing Ability. “Yes?” He watches Dazai steal a bite of his curry, absently wondering why Dazai always steals a bite despite never being able to handle its spiciness. Dimly noting that he could stop Dazai from the inevitable burnt tongue but also realising that he doesn’t really want to because there’s something appealing about the way Dazai’s nose scrunches up as the younger man pulls a face at him. It’s cute, which is a term he’d never thought he’d use on anyone in the mafia. “Egh…” Dazai steals his water and drains most of it, still pulling a face. “Don’t you have a mission to complete today?” Oda takes his spoon back, unable to help smiling when he takes a bite and Dazai squints as though waiting for him to react to the spices. “Mmhmm. I’m on it right now.” Dazai frowns when Oda doesn’t react, but Oda just tilts his head in confusion. “Here?” For the life of him, he can’t imagine why the mafia would organise a mission in a curry shop important enough to send in an executive. Upstairs, there’s another heavy thump, and Oda also hopes that the shop structure is a lot stronger than it looks. “Yup! You know, Odasaku, it’s important for me to make sure my subordinates are working in an acceptable working environment,” Dazai explains, grinning and sitting sideways on the stool so he can kick his feet lightly at Oda’s. “But I’m not your subordinate,” Oda points out, because he might be in the lowest rank of the mafia, but that also means he isn’t tied to a particular division. “Ah, but you see, as an executive,” Dazai counters back, “The only ones who aren’t my subordinates are the other executives and the boss. So Odasaku, you’re technically my subordinate~” “I see.” It makes sense, he supposes. In the barest sense, he is technically under Dazai, even if he isn’t directly affiliated. Strange that Dazai would still consider him a subordinate, though. Few would. “So… your mission is to check on my working conditions?” “It is.” Dazai hooks an ankle around Oda’s, tugging as though to make Oda turn to face him but not hard enough for it to be an actual command. “It’s important to make sure my subordinate is happy with his working conditions. It wouldn’t do if they were being asked for too much, you know?” He doesn’t. “And you arranged for this mission… on my day off?” There seems to be a logic there that he can’t quite follow. Dazai doesn’t even look phased, which means the other knows it’s Oda’s day off (and it’s obvious because Oda’s spent all morning with the children as he always does when he can afford to). “Exactly.” Dazai nods as if to seal a deal Oda hadn’t been aware was being made. It’s followed by a slide that nearly has the stool Dazai’s on tipping over from the sheer weight imbalance, but Dazai plants a foot on the footrest of Oda’s stool to keep himself upright and leans forwards until he’s almost draped against Oda’s arm and shoulder. “So, Odasaku, what do you do on your days off?” "Nothing worth noting..." Oda can't say he knows where Dazai is going with this. Even when he does have work, it isn't as though the mafia has anything significant for him to do. Dazai doesn't seem the least bit perturbed by the lack of enthusiasm, only grinning crookedly and hooking an arm around Oda's own. He can imagine Dazai's commentary though, the little comments his friend would drop in regards to how Oda spends his day and well... It'd be sad to waste Dazai's time if the young man is willing to spend it with Oda. "Dazai, what do you do on your days off?" The question gets him a laugh, Dazai's grin apparent even without Oda looking.  "Mafia executives don't get days off, Odasaku," Dazai teases, as though it's common knowledge, "You know how it is." Oda doesn't. "No rest for the wicked, and all that."  "That sounds tiring," Oda answers dutifully, and Dazai's weight slumps against his arm in response.  "Exactly~ That's why I've decided to take the much less stressful job today and spend it on making sure my dear subordinate is doing well!" Dazai hums, clearly not about to change his mind, and Oda shrugs internally. If Dazai wants to treat today as the day off that he doesn't usually get, who's Oda to tell him otherwise? Still, it would be better to ensure Dazai at least enjoyed it, right?  "Okay," he says in the end, as though he'd been questioning whether Dazai should tag along in the first place. "Well... First of all, there's a movie that I've been considering watching for a while now, if you're interested?" It's not a lie, but he hadn't planned to actually watch it until now.  "Oh? That sounds like you're asking me out on a date, Odasaku," Dazai teases, and Oda pauses to think on that for a moment. It doesn't sound as though Dazai is opposed to the notion of being on a date with him, but it's not like he wants to give the wrong impression either... "If that's how you'd like to see it," he says, and it really is as simple as that.

"Humans really are strange... Would someone really go to such lengths just for the sake of another person?" It's natural, the way Oda finds himself half a step behind Dazai. Most of the younger man's expression hidden by the angle as well as the bandages that never seem to come off. He's not sure what sort of expression Dazai carries when the statement is made, but he's also learnt by now that the physical features rarely convey Dazai's true emotions. "You didn't enjoy it?" Oda watches Dazai out of the corner of his eye. Dazai pauses, barely for even a second, but it's enough for Oda's stride to catch up, and they fall into step side by side. It's not that much easier to see Dazai's face, but Oda appreciates the gesture.  "It was decent," Dazai concedes, hands tucked neatly into his pockets. To their left, Yokohama's lake glistens with the colour of sunset, brilliant orange melting into blue melting into black. Following the brick-lined path brings them past various couples leaned against the railing, all caught up in their own little world. To their right, past the shrubs that act as a separator, Oda can hear children laughing as they chase each other around the field, the occasional bark of dogs meeting in play.  "I'll look for a better movie next time, then." For some reason, that makes Dazai laugh, and Oda turns to him in question.  "Your tastes are just fine, Odasaku," Dazai says, then frowns a little. "Though I have to ask: Where exactly are we going?"  "Ah... A seafood restaurant opened up recently, and I thought it'd be more fun to try it out since I had someone with me." Also not a lie, but he thinks Dazai knows it isn't the whole truth. It isn't a reason why Oda had parked the car on one end of the park, after all, and why they're walking to the restaurant instead of driving there. Fortunately, Dazai doesn't seem to mind - there's a smile Oda can catch the edges of, and if his companion had had any complaints, he's certain Dazai would have brought them up.  With a laugh, Dazai skips a few steps ahead and spins around, treading backwards with ease even as Oda glances around to make sure he isn't about to bump into anyone. "You know, when I said that this was a date, I didn't actually mean it~"  He's grinning and reaching out to pull Oda closer by the coat lapel, and Oda follows the motion until they're almost chest to chest.  "If you don't want it to be a date, it doesn't have to be," Oda reminds him. Had Dazai not enjoyed the day? It'd be disappointing, but Oda supposes it isn't surprising... It's not as though he's very good at being decent company- "What do you want today to be, Odasaku?" Dazai's finger trails up his chest, running over each button but stopping just short of where his collar parts to show the dip of his collarbone. Even now, Dazai's careful to avoid skin-to-skin contact, and Oda can't help but appreciate the little gesture regardless of its practical uses.  "I just wanted you to enjoy today." Facing Dazai like this, Oda can watch his friend's expression shift slightly. "It would have been boring for you if you'd just followed me around on errands, so I wanted to spend time with you instead... But if you'd prefer to stop here, we can-" The smile Oda's so used to seeing slips, just for a fraction of a second, before it's back and melting into something much softer.  "I'd like to have dinner with you, Odasaku," Dazai murmurs, and his hand falls back down to catch Oda's sleeve, tugging just slightly. "Since you've been such a wonderful subordinate lately, I'll even treat you myself~"  "Dazai, you don't have to," Oda points out. He may not be paid as much as an executive, but Oda's always been good at saving money and he can afford this much at the very least. "Ah, but what if I want to?" There's a laugh dancing just below those words. Oda can hear it as clear as day, and considers resisting for all of a second before tilting his head in submission.  "Then I'd appreciate the gesture," he answers. Dazai hums, something victorious in the steps his friend takes until Oda carefully pulls on a sleeve so Dazai doesn't end up walking in the wrong direction. Overhead, the streetlights are starting to flicker to life, the sky a purple-blue kaleidoscope of colours speckled with the silver glitter of stars. All around, Yokohama hums with the life of its citizens. For Oda, just for tonight, he need only focus on Dazai, and he's willing to admit that he quite likes it that way.