- Ch.2 Thunder and lightning -

*Chuuya POV*

"You really don't like thunder do you?"

No, I really don't like the damned sounds the clouds produce, making me have a slight heart attack every 5 seconds. The lightning doesn't help either, only the thought of being fried in a matter of seconds makes me shiver.

The cold, bleak atmosphere, the dull scent, the sudden clatter, the chills running through my spine,...

I really hate it.

When I was little, I would always be frightened by thunder and lightning. It seemed so chaotic to me. Something uncontrollable, something I couldn't comprehend.

And now that I grew up, I still don't like it. Yet I am forced to face it head on since I have to investigate that damned case at the Oalsom. What a pain.

Chuuya was headed to the Oalsom. He had parked his car and was now walking in the pouring rain making him jolt with every raindrop that fell on his neck.

After a few minutes walking he stood in front of the gate of the estate he grew up in.

An overwhelming feeling of nostalgia hit him. This had been his home. The place was filled with all his memories.

He opened the gate.

Memories filled with happiness.

He walked towards the red flowers, his special flowers.

Memories filled with tranquility.

He knelt down in front of one and smelled the familiar sweet scent.

Memories filled with hope.

The scent reminded chuuya of him.

Memories filled with love.

Everything at the Oalsom reminded him of that person.

Memories filled with Dazai.


*Flashback*

"You really don't like thunder do you?"

"No. Can we go back inside now? We can visit the garden tomorrow. It doesn't matter." I stutter.

Since the day I met Dazai we would always meet at the bench in front of the Chocolate Cosmos he adored so much.

Every Single day Dazai would wait for me.

Even when it rained and all the others were inside, he would wait for me.

We would talk about our hopes, dreams, life. It were pleasant conversations and with each one of them we grew closer to each other. As each day passed by I got to know one more detail about him while he seemed to see through me from the very beginning.

Today there was a terrible thunderstorm attacking the little garden we shared, and as always he would be waiting for me. Today was no exception.

"We can talk inside. If you want we can go to my room since I don't have to share it with anyone. The maids won't notice if we sneak in." I offered.

The thing is, Dazai doesn't socialize with anyone but me. If we were inside, with the others he tends to be distant and push me away. Only when we are alone he seems comfortable enough to be himself.

But since there was a stupid policy that said that you may only go to your room to sleep and that other than you and your roommate(s) nobody was allowed to step in one's room. So we would always be surrounded by our fellow pears in the leisure room, the only time we could be alone was in the garden.

"Could it be Chuuya… that you are just scared of the thunder? hmm?" He said with a smirk on his face.

"Tsk. Who the hell is scared of the- AH FUCK!" I gasped because of the thunder that interjected my defence and with that also struck my only pride.

"Ha, fine we'll go to your room. I wouldn't want you crying over it." He chuckled.

"I'm not scar- Ugh just forget it, come on stupid."

*Interruption Flashback*


"FUCKIN- ugh."

Chuuya got a rather harsh wake up call from the thunder striking him out of his trance. He sighed and had another look at the flowers before entering the Oalsom estate. Nothing out of the ordinary. The garden had remained the exact same as he recalled. Maybe there were some clues inside.

First he inspected the corridors with the sleeping rooms and stopped at one he once called his.

He entered the small room that once seemed so much larger. Except for that, everything was the same when he left it.

The walls were a very light beige color, almost looking white with above the bed a few pictures, posters, notes and a calendar.

The floor was made of a soft black material. On the right side there was a big window with in front of it a small tv.

The lower bed I had slept on had a grey sheet with a navy coloured pillow on top. While the upper bed was covered in all black. Black sheets and a black pillow.

It was just a simple, plain, ordinary room but I was still very fond of it.

I took a seat on the grey sheets looking out of the window, trying to calm myself.

Back then I still had him to comfort me from the thunder.


*Continuation flashback*

"Must be nice having a room to yourself." Dazai said observing the place.

"Yeah, you share with Milo right?"

"Yep, he's alright. But still, I'm very fond of my privacy."

"What do you mean? You only sleep there?"

Dazai smirked and plopped on the bed.

"Oh Chuuya… As I am eighteen I have my...needs. Which I rather not share with that 14 year old. You're a lucky bastard for having this whole place to yourself. I'm jealous." He said playfully.

"Move, I'd also like to sit on my bed, if you don't mind." I said shoving his legs away.

"What are you even saying? Your needs?" I asked.

Dazai straightened up and leaned closer.

"Well… you are a sixteen year old boy so I suppose you should know. But then again, wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't had any experience in that department. So, if a boy is horn-"

"I know what you mean dammit you don't have to explain it idiot." I cut him off.

"Ah, so you also have those needs eh?" He smirked.

"Of Course I do, I am a gu- what are you doing?" I asked as he leaned forward looking at me… seductively?

Oh no, this is gonna be like that staring contest that wasn't a staring contest again. He's gonna kiss me. Of fuck. N-n-n-no.

I quickly placed my hand on his mouth.

He was so close dammit.

I felt my face turning red and my throat began to feel dry.

"I don't think so, you stupid-" I stopped and looked wide eyed at the person in front of me. My whole body started to heat up and tingle.

It was freaking tingeling. Why the fuck was it fucki- "ngh."

Dazai had taken advantage of this awkward situation by taking my hand that covered his mouth and had been licking it.

"Let go bastard" I hissed.

As soon I managed to free my hand out of his grip I felt a sudden weight upon as my back was being pushed onto the soft sheets.

I was being pinned down by Dazai. He had pressed himself on top of me, securing the position by putting his hands on my shoulders.

"You really are lucky Chuuya~" He smirked playfully and brought his face to my ear and breathed: "While I have been struggeling with coping with those needs you could just do as you pleased. I'm jealous."

I didn't know how to respond. My body felt numb and my mind was dazed.

I didn't have the strength to push him off nor could my throat produce any sounds.

"Would you mind helping me with that?" He smirked before putting his face inches away from mine.

He looked at me innocently like this was a normal thing to do.

Well it's not like it was abnormal because we were guys. Love is love. As long as you make eachother happy, who cares what gender they are? I never really understood the fuss about it.

But it was the fact that I had no experience with love in the first place. Can you blame me, I mean I am being raised at an orphanage for pre-mafia members who were 90% guys. On top of that they were all much younger and more immature than me.

And then all of a sudden an attractive eighteen year old boy covered in bandages walzed in out of nowhere and acts all mysterious. Out of all people, befriending me and sharing little details about himself.

Like the fact that he likes crabs, strategy games, the color red or that he despises dogs, self pity, secrets and… himself.

I don't really understand why, over those couple of months I got to know him better and noticed all these little details about him.

The way he looks at me when I'm supposably not looking, though I see him in the corner of my eye smiling fondly at me.

The way he desperately tries to keep his brown locks from falling in his eyes.

The way he always talks on this calm, mesmerizing manner.

The way he carefully thinks of his next thing to say, choosing these specific words that you can interpret differently. In the things he says lingers a deeper meaning if you try and read between the lines.

The way he seems to see right through me, like he is able to read my thoughts.

But he actually can't, because if he could he would realize he really is something special. Someone worthy of living.

I really, really don't understand why he hates himself.

Since when have I grown so fond of him? Since when have I grown to love all those little details about this person?

And then it struck me.

There isn't anything abnormal about this situation.

I had fallen for him.

Then why was I resisting him?

I looked at him, trying to calm myself down.

"Well…" He whispered.

Wait...was he waiting for my permission?

"Well, what?" I uttered.

My voice just cracked, great.

"So.. do you-" He breathed moving even more closely.

His lips were barely an inch separated from mine.

"-want to help me with this?" He pouted and looked down at his-

Oh.

WOT?!

If I weren't hot already, I was now. My whole body felt like it was burning.

Burning with…

Desire?

If I would just give up resisting and just let him take over.

What would be wrong with that?

Why was I even resisting in the first place?

After all, I really had fallen for him.

"Help yourself." I barely spoke, shivering with anticipation.

He smirked.

Now I have done it.

A pair of warm, soft lips were placed upon mine.

I sighed with relief. All this tension building up and I finally let loose. And let this feeling take over..

He deepened the kiss, placing his hand on my cheek.

I felt his tongue brushing on my lips. As soon as I opened my mouth his tongue swirled around mine. Both of us fighting for the upper hand.

But of course Dazai would take control.

I was being completely dominated. He was all over me. His hands rubbing up and down my waist.

He made little sounds of pleasure that made a shiver run down my spine.

His other hand was placed on my head, his fingers going through my hair.

The kiss continued passionately as both of us were overflowing with emotions.

On the background I heard the thunder still clattering ever so loudly.

My hand gripped his shirt tightly and I pulled him even more closely.

His warmth was making it very difficult to breath throughout the passionate make out.

Again, lightning struck.

But I wasn't frightened anymore.

The reason I was resisting Dazai..

I was scared.

When you think about it, Dazai himself is kinda like thunder and lightning.

Both chaotic and uncontrollable.

Making my heart flutter every 5 seconds.

Having this cold atmosphere around and making me shiver.

The suddenness.

The unexpected.

Something I didn't comprehend.

I didn't hate the thunder and lightning anymore.

I began to associate it with him.

Everything was being associated with Dazai.

Every single thing began to remind me of him.

He has set his print on all things.

Including me.

He had consumed me with love.

*End of flashback*


The sudden outburst in the clouds snapped Chuuya back to his senses.

He didn't understand.

That all those memories held such strong fondness over that man yet he can't help feeling this intense disgust over it.

He hated this.

Everything was associated with him.

He hated the man he once treasured so dearly.

And he absolutely hated the thunder.


*Dazai's POV*

"So Rampo, have you figured out what's behind this chaos?" I asked the fellow detective.

"Most likely an ability user that can manipulate the state of mind. Possible motives would be revenge for the Port Mafia since it started at their orphanage but it could also be as a distraction for the real purpose." Rampo stated.

"Or simply for their own amusement?" I asked.

"Doubt it, all the people we interrogated stated that they had no memory of why they were confronted by a boy, who they couldn't recognise. If it were just for amusement, taking those measures to hide his identity would make no sense. If you'd pull a stunt like that for the purpose of trolling the mafia wouldn't you want to take credit? Also the way the culprit handled, it is very precise. Making the security guard dispose of all the cams. He went out of his way to leave no evidence behind. The case is too complicated to be just pulled by some trickster." Rampo explained.

"It's not even our problem. It's the mafia's domain that has been attacked, they should figure it out." Junichiro snorted.

"There are still a few of those brainwashed teenagers out there. They are a threat to the city we are supposed to protect. We can't just leave it like that!" Atsushi sputtered.

"Atsushi is right." I calmly stated.

"Rebelling brats are one thing but this is about ability users who lost their common sense by an ability user who can supposably make you do anything he pleases. Such a dangerous power concerns the whole city." I tried to convince Junichiro who seemed to understand.

"Then what are we gonna do?" Naomi asked.

"I suggest we split up in teams. One trying to capture those brats and the other should go to the Oalsom manor to investigate." Kunikida proposed.

We all agreed to the plan and later I, Atsushi and Rampo went to the Oalsom to look for clues. As for Kyouka, Kenji, Junichirou, Yosano and Kunikida, they went into the city to capture the remaining brainwashed teenagers.

I suggested it would be better if I went along with them since I could reverse the effect of the ability but Rampo said that the chance we'd encounter a mafia member in the Oalsom was high since they would likely be trying to figure out what happened to their mafia members in training.

I didn't really like the idea to go back there. The place was filled with memories of me and Chuuya.

And it would still hurt thinking back to the time I spend together with my former partner. It only reminded me that he hated me now.

I miss him.

Thinking about it, this whole case looked alot like what happened back then.

All out of the sudden a change in behaviour. And a reason that remained unknown.

But it couldn't be the same as what happened to Chuuya.

If it were the consequence of an ability, then why couldn't I neutralise the effect by touching him as he did with the others?

It still pained me that I don't know why Chuuya held such hatred towards me. He never figured out why the grudge was formed.

And Chuuya wouldn't tell me.


*Flashback*

"DON'T."

"Don't...please don't." Chuuya pleaded.

The sound of his voice raspy and filled with both despair and...hate.

"Chuuya…" I said quietly.

The other boy was sitting in the corner shaking furiously and crying his lungs out. He sat holding his knees while moving back and forth.

I wanted to comfort him. Throw my arms around his frail body and never let him go again.

I wanted to cup his cheeks, stare right into his beautiful blue crystal eyes and kiss him.

I wanted to kiss his swollen lips, his bright red cheeks, kiss his tears away along with his fear.

His fear for me.

He was scared. So unbearably scared.

He looked at me like I was the devil. Giving him agonizing fear but at the same time some sort of desire to come closer. A complex and confusing contradiction.

While his words were said with an awfully desperate and bitter tone it also sounded like a cry for help.

"Don't come any closer. I beg you." Chuuya breathed uncontrollably.

His words ever so clear to me, carving right into my heart and piercing in my brain that I could still hear them echoing in my ears, yet I ignored them and lowered me to the same niveau of the crying mess now a few inches away from me.

I knew Chuuya. Better than he knows himself.

Although I have known him only a couple of months I knew him all to well, picking out the pieces of a complicated puzzle that was after it was laid out didn't seem that complicated anymore.

I knew his likes; weird music, weird hats, generally weird fashion, weird poems,...

His dislikes; childish people, self pity, bugs, fish,...

I knew his habits; easily being angered but it never lasted long, trying to look all though but secretly being the most cutest thing I've ever seen,...

I knew his movements; looking at me at the corner of his eye, ….pulling his sleeve and avoiding eye contact whenever he was nervous,...

I knew his breathing pattern.

I knew his words.

His words that always seemed to contradict themselves.

Saying I am a stupid idiot yet looking at me admirably (and slightly confused) when I explain my fascination for philosophical subjects.

Or when he says I am a burden, yet when he thinks I'm not paying attention he stares at me with a love struck look on his face… and 2 seconds later he mentally slaps himself and curses under his breath like he tries to deny the fact that he's is in love with me.

I know him.

So when he's saying to leave him alone…. he actually means the opposite, right?

I took the crying mess inside my arms and tried to reassure him but the redhead just kept screaming and shaking uncontrollably...like he was possessed.

Chuuya scratched, tried to push me away, his legs throwing one kick after another but all those things were nothing compared to the pain his words held.

"LET ME GO BASTARD!"

"YOU DISGUST ME!"

"DON'T TOUCH ME DAMMIT!"

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME!"

"I HATE YOU!"

Chuuya suddenly stopped his rampage. His movements were frozen. His head buried in my chest. His insults replaced with silent sobs.

"Chuuya…?"

"I hate you." The man said so calmly.

"I- I really do...hate you. I hate you so much." Chuuya said now silently crying.

His head was still against my chest alongside his fists that clenched to my shirt.

"...Why?" I asked.

I didn't understand. Yesterday we were fine.

We laughed. We hugged. We kissed.

Not a single thing happend. Yes we had a fight but it was just like always. Our endless bickering that didn't held any importance. Nothing out of the ordinary.

I teased him and gave him a kiss on his grumpy little head.

I told him goodnight and that I loved him in which he responded something snarky.

But after his head was turned I heard him whisper something that he didn't want me to hear.

"I love you to."

"I hate you."

"...Why?"

"... I really don't know."

And with that he bursted out in tears and I let him be.

We sat there for a couple of minutes. Not saying anything. Chuuya crying into my chest and I who tried my hardest to not hold his head in my palms and press my lips on his to calm him because I knew he would hate it.

Because...he hated me.

Like a lightning bolt on a sunny day.

Chuuya always feared lightning and thunder yet he himself was like a raging storm.

After that we didn't talk. He avoided me and when I tried to talk to him, to understand him he'd just say the same thing over and over.

"I hate you."

Over and over. Every time again.

"I hate you."

And with that I began to share his emotion.

I began to hate myself.

"Just leave me alone you shitty bastard. I don't want to talk about it. I hate you."

"...Yeah, I hate myself to."

And with that the scars and the bruises began to increase under my bandages but this time they were self inflicted.

*End of flashback.*


"Oi, Dazai quit zoning out!" Rampo said firmly bringing Dazai get back to reality.

And just like that the facade continued.

With a smile Dazai waved his comment away and bubbly stated how pretty the flowers in front of them were.

Cosmos atrosanguineus.

Flowers that can grow up to 70-100 cm. The leaves are 7-15 cm long and they have a fleshy tuberous root. They hold a dark red to maroon dark brown color with a purple glint to it and a light vanillin fragrance attracting many bees and butterflies with their sweet scent.

He thought they were utterly beautiful.

"Yes.. we should go upstairs to investigate." Rampo stated.

Dazai took one last look at his favorite flowers, silent witnesses of all the meaningful moments Chuuya and him shared in front of them. Like their first kiss…

"Yes. I suggest I do the left wing and you the right one yeah?" he stated cheerfully despite the nagging feeling in his chest.

"Alright. Let's gather here again after 20 minutes." Rampo said.

And with that Dazai separated from his companion and was now heading to the left wing. The first thing he noticed was the mess in the corridors and classrooms. Both tables and chairs were all over the place along with the garbage kicked out of their containers. Books, pencils, even shoes here and there, all lying on the floor.

Dazai imagined how the play must have went.

A classroom full of pre-mafia members solving math problems when suddenly...a switch.

Like a lightning bolt on a clear sky the students began throwing their stuff at the now paralysed teacher. Shouting, kicking, throwing, running, insulting began to erupt. The out-of controlled students violating the teachers and the maids who were so overwhelmed that they couldn't hold composure against the youth and they broke down, crying in corners, screaming out of pure agony, running away from their haunting hallucinations. The students were free. No one to stop them. Not even themselves. Completely out of their sense they went on a rampage, running through the corridors and outside the Oalsom, beginning their quest to terrorise the city. A danger to Yokohama and themselves.

Dazai inspected the other 2 classrooms and the exact same sight could be perceived. 'The Switch' that must have happened at the same time affecting everyone at the Oalsom.

The rooms. The rooms should be clear. Since 'The Switch' happened around 10:00 am when everyone were in their classroom the room should be clear but still, maybe some clues can be found. If that would be the case it's likely an attack from inside, one of the students themselves maybe?

No, no that can't be. All abilities off all students are registered and thoroughly described in the Archive and not one of the abilities could cause this kind of chaos.

Dazai pondered and pondered. This whole case was so vague. Normally he would move himself into the mind of the attacker, analysing their motives and figuring out their moves, that way he could come up with a theory of how things would go next, predicting their next movements and so coming up with a plan for the long run. A plan that never failed to show the expected results.

But this time it was different.

He couldn't figure out their motive, their way of thinking, their...emotion.

Why? Who? How?

What was he missing?

A missing link? A clue he had overlooked?

He needed something that would put the pieces together. Like that one corner of a puzzle that made it possible to lay out the other pieces systematically.

If only he could just-

"Dazai?!"

And in that moment everything froze. Dazai's eyes widened and all the memories flashed before his eyes. Starting off with the good and ending with the words 'I hate you'. He began to feel dizzy and his mind was a raging tornado.

Eventually he managed to make a sound out of his now dry throat.

"Chuuya."


Author's Note:

Hiya! Thanks for reading!

It surely been awhile! Well I was busy with exams and such but to make up for it I'll be posting 3 more chapters in one day so there is that.

Hope you enjoyed bai! :)

Ps: Hi Elin.