A party after the Decay of Angels
Ango tried to escape to do paperwork as things ended. The Ada and associates (sigma, lucy, katai, aya, poe) were celebrating, and the mafia were slowly recovering themselves udner the loud eye of chuuya. Akutagawa and atsushi had finally been distracted from their shouting match/reuniting party byt their respective allegiance, and Ango was trying to go back to work. Unfortunately, it would have taken a more stubborn (ango was very stubborn), or stronger (ango was not that weak either) to get out of dazai’s grasp, who had caught him as he was trying to get away discreetly. Maybe it would have juts taken ango wanting to get away.
So here h was, in the agency’s bureaux, an untouched drink in hand, trying to stay focused on whoever was talking to him, and failing. Staying awake seem outside of hiss grasp without work to focus on. He could not steel himself against the contentment he felt wtaching them, and the fatiogue was catching up on him.
It was catching up on everyone, really. Atsushi, kyouya, lucy and kenji were all slumped in a corner asleep on each other. Somehow atsiushi kept murmuring something that sounded suspiciously like ‘rashomon’, but it mostly ade dazai smile. AT this point, ranpo and poe, and yosano and dazai were the only ones still awake; teh director and kunikida had also scoinked out. Kunikida would probably be upset at not having slept in good conditions.
Yosano shook the director awake, and ranpo and poe decided to go home. Yosano and the director took kunikida, as dazai told them he would take care of the kids and ango, who seemed to occasionnally shake himself awake and - was he reaching for a pen ? His laptop ? Was he trying to work in this state ?
What was that he was saying ? Chibi ango working ? Chibi ango re, indeed, dazai would know, very industrious and loud creatures, but still. That was so - he was getting distracted. The kids, first. At this point - yes, at this point, there were people he could call to take them of his hands, weren’t there ? Probably everyone involvezd would be mad at him for it, which was the way he liked it.
So, after a very fuyn phone call that infuriated one person, confused another, and was sure to confuse and infuriates 2 to 4 others in teh morning, all that was left here was him and ango.
“you work too much”, he said softly, crouching in front of his - of his friend. (if he could call favor from his ex-artner and dump the kdis on the teen he damaged, he certainly could reclaim this too, right ?) He reached and took a strand of hair - oh, ango must really bo overworked, if his hair left its usual position - , tucking it behind ango’s ear. He must have woke him up, as behind the glasses, greeen eyes half-opened
-dazai-kun?
…maybe he shoudl have hold onto hatred and anger longer. Harder. This was still to much, and he could still remember - an umbrella and a lie. A gun in a safe, and confirmation nothign was to be kept. Odasaku in a sick bed, and the one to blame. Friendship, shattering, and a picture left behind. It hgad hurt past everything bearable, to lose this man in front of him. Hating him would have been safer, than to take the risk of letting him in again.
No. Because of something like that, he already had to see ango in the hospital, knowing he was there because of him, and alive only through luck. Back then he had managed to hold onto the hatred, but. That had hurt more; it would hurt worse now.
That’s a risk he will then have to take, getting his heart broken again.
(but there are otehr ways to break a heart than lies and betrayals; there’s loyalties til death and udnerstanding at the very end. Maybe he should never have loved to start with)
-eh, ango.
Ango forced himself awake, looking at him through transparent glasses. For something like an eternal moment, thier eyes met, ango’s glasses transparent, dazi himself only smiling softly, too many barriers down. Then ango woke himself up the rest of teh way, and dazai-lun ‘s smile took a more cheerful tone. But despite looking less vulnerable, ango stayed here.
-So, time to go home § I’m your abbysitter for the night, making sure you take the night off!
-There’s no need, Dazai-kun.
-ogh, there is ! If I leave you on your own, will you sleep or will you satrt on yrou work ?
-I don’t think you realize the amount of work there will be, after something like that. And the rest of the division doesn’t have near the amount of inform -
- beep ! Boring ! First you need sleep, so I’m following you home to make sure you get it. Sleep is important, Ango !
Dazai doesn’t let his smile falter. He - didn’t intend to reuse the words, and to get so close to that tone - maybe he should have. Because its eems the recollection of that nioght is making ango bend.
-VEry well, Dazai-kun. I’m in your care tonight, then.