"Is today going to be different from the rest?" Fyodor drawled. For him to be losing interest now might spell the end for Dazai.

"Depends. Do you have any good scotch laying around?" he knew he wasn't going to get any, but that wasn't the point. The nine-tailed fox was terribly parched. He almost didn't care what sort of liquid slid down his throat as long as it provided him with temporary relief.

"I've got some watered down wine available. Though I know that's not nearly as good as scotch." Dazai could hear the scoff Chuuya would have made if he were there to hear the oni talk so lightly of his favorite kind of alcohol.

The fox snorted, "supposing you still intend to capture the alluring tengu, I suggest you offer him exquisite wine versus the watered down stuff you're keeping on hand. He'll know the difference between the two."

"Information, but not useful information," the oni sighed. "I grow tired of these idle chats."

"Me too." Finally, something he and the oni could agree on.

"I wonder what would happen if I were to beat you within an inch of your life. Would your precious Chuuya come to your rescue or leave you to rot?" It was a rhetorical question. The fox was positive Fyodor liked hearing himself talk. "How about tormenting you for several days on end? That might be fun," he added conversationally.

"I guarantee he won't show no matter what you decide to do," Dazai's tone of voice grew colder. He was finished playing the role of the easygoing, carefree yokai.

"Nikolai, bring in the dull spears," demanded the oni.

On cue, the uwabami wheeled a cart of spears inside of the torture chamber. It looked like the weapons had been carelessly tossed into the cart. They were strewn about with the tips of the blades pointing in various directions.

The fox found it difficult to accurately gauge how many spears were piled in the wooden cart. Probably more than he would have liked.

"For every hour that passes I'm going to stick you with a spear in hopes of prompting you to share valuable information. Should you wind up Swiss cheese by the end of it, well, that's your own damn fault, Dazai-san," Fyodor explained with an air of impatience.

In the distance, a bell chimed, indicating the beginning of a new hour.

"What a coincidence," Fyodor marched over towards the cart. He selected a spear that showed signs of rusting. "This one will do nicely."

The oni stood in front of Dazai once more. He raised the weapon above his head as if he were going to throw it. He chose to angle the the weapon downward, and pierce the middle of the fox's right thigh.

Dazai bit back the urge to react. He did, however, wince from the fire spreading throughout his thigh.

"Only sixty minutes to go before you receive the following one," the oni taunted. "I'll have plenty of time to decide where to impale you next."

Dazai grit his teeth, "looking forward to it." Determination danced in his chocolate brown orbs.


The amount of power returning to Chuuya nearly knocked him unconscious.

He was at a local apparel store with Tatsuhiko. The two were out shopping to update Chuuya's wardrobe. Primarily because he needed proper work attire, but Tatsuhiko also offered to buy him a few casual outfits.

The tengu stood in the coat section when a wave of nausea hit him hard. He crouched down to minimize any damage he might cause. Then, he felt extremely lightheaded, and before he knew it he was experiencing a hot flash.

His body must have adjusted to his power not being very apparent. Now that a majority of it was restored his system didn't know how to handle it. He lost his vision shortly after the realization.

"T-Tatsuhiko?" he stuttered, attempting to call out his companion's name. God, he wanted to crawl into a hole and die from sheer embarrassment. Never had he felt so weak in his life. Tearing out his wings was surprisingly preferable.

"Chuuya, what's wrong?" he asked the shorter male after he found him. He didn't get a response so he crouched down with Chuuya, placing a reassuring hand on his back.

"I... need a moment," a tightness swelled in his chest. The tengu started to believe his intake of oxygen wasn't enough.

The taller male stood abruptly, sweeping the redhead into his arms. Chuuya was being held bridal-style with no warning whatsoever.

"Careful," the tengu hissed. The swift movements were too much for his current state.

"My bad," Tatsuhiko winked, wishing to be forgiven. Chuuya grunted, and Tatsuhiko took it as Chuuya's form of clemency.

With the front cashier's permission, Tatsuhiko carried the redhead to the back of the store. He gently set him down on a small couch meant for the employees.

Chuuya closed his eyes. At the rate he was going, he didn't care if he fell asleep. His body welcomed the idea of taking a breather.


Day turned to night by the time Tatsuhiko and Chuuya were sitting inside the winery.

The tengu remembered falling asleep at the store, but he hadn't anticipated waking up in the comforts of Tatsuhiko's French style home.

"You were out for awhile. I called a taxi to come pick us up. I did have to carry you indoors after we arrived," the white haired male described their previous situation.

"Gotcha," Chuuya noted passively. "That still doesn't explain why you brought me here when there aren't any customers. How else am I supposed to learn the ropes?"

"There's no need to rush. Take care of your fatigue first. I'll have you shadow me when you feel up to it."

"Tch! All right," the tengu conceded.

Tatsuhiko busied himself with setting up a table, using a white table cloth to dress it up. He gathered an assortment of wine to put on top of the table. Last but not least, he brought out different food, from the winery's kitchen, that would compliment each type of wine.

The first round of tasting consisted of Merlot and roast duck. The taller male made sure to serve Chuuya first before serving himself. He was the host, after all.

Chuuya picked at the roast duck. To Tatsuhiko's credit, it was delicious, but the tengu didn't really feel hungry.

On any regular day, Chuuya would have savored the Merlot. However, he gulped the red liquid down without considering the flavor.

It was like that for the other wine and food as well. The tengu would barely touch the food, and drink the wine as if it were water. His face was unquestionably flushed.

"You might want to slow down," Tatsuhiko warned. "You've barely had anything to eat, meaning there's only alcohol coursing through your system."

Chuuya was too drunk to heed his words or care.

"Bastard!" the white haired male flinched at the malice behind the word, thinking it was aimed at him. "Why did he have to go and leave me?" sobs started escaping from the petite redhead.

"Who?" Tatsuhiko gently asked.

"Dazai... that shitty bandage wasting device," his shoulders shook, the tears refusing to stop. "I loved the stupid mackerel. I still do! Fuck!"

Drunk Chuuya and sober Chuuya didn't see eye to eye on the matter of Dazai.

In reality, the tengu chose to ignore his feelings that didn't disappear after the fox's betrayal.

"What's so great about him?"

"His eyes, his stupid grin, plus his shitty attempts at setting the mood. It's because he's a pervert," he sniffled.

"If you could see him now, would you?" Tatsuhiko prodded.

"Yes!" Chuuya whimpered. "So I could punch him in the face, and tell him what an asshole he is! Then maybe, finally... confess my, uh... feelings to him." Certainly not a classic tsundere response. A classic, plastered tsundere response.

Tatsuhiko felt a pang of jealously towards the man known as, Osamu Dazai, "you might get to see him sooner than you realize."

His words didn't reach the drunk tengu because he was out cold (after three whole drinks).


Author's Note: February is going to be a very busy month for me work wise. Apologies in advance if updates get even slower. I think this fic is getting close to the end, but I don't know if that means one more chapter, two more, or possibly three. I haven't worked it all out yet. Anyhow, please enjoy the newest addition of Yokai Love Story, and if it's not too much trouble, leave a review and tell me what you think so far. Reviews are a big help in keeping me motivated~