A/N

Chuuya returns from a near death mission with an ability user, and talks through a fear he has about their soon to be born children.

Placement: Dazai is about 5 months pregnant here (Mid-end July?), so this is after the events of Foot in Mouth, but a good few weeks before their babies early appearance.

This went a lot darker than I intended, so there is an additional warning for violence and torture - in conversation *only*

Also as I know I forget to define it and I use it a lot in this fic: Cwtch/Cwtched/Cwtching - It's a Welsh word, here it's meaning a cuddle or hug (but like nicer, cosier and more personal than a hug if that makes any sense?) The word can also mean a small cupboard/cubbyhole

Dazai had been sleeping soundly until he'd been awoken by loud noises and curses coming from the kitchen. He checked his phone, it was too early for Chuuya to be home and anyway, he always came in through the garage. He groaned, lumbering out of bed, it was too hot, and he was too pregnant to be dealing with intruders in his house.

He made his way slowly down the stairs, Mafia training kicking in as he surveyed the areas for any hidden threat. Into the kitchen and noises seemed to be coming from the laundry room. Dazai grabbed the wok he'd left to dry on the cooker as a small voice in the back of his head tried to reason that it was probably Chuuya and not an intruder. He slowly approached the laundry room door, it was slightly ajar and as Dazai got closer he realised the noises were sobs. He pushed it open with the edge of the Wok, his bump was too big for him to successfully hide behind the door at this point. He dropped the wok and ran into the room when the "intruder" was revealed to be Chuuya.

He was sat in the middle of the room. His hat was missing and his clothes look like they had been shredded by claws. He was covered in blood, Dazai couldn't work out whether it was Chuuya or the enemies blood.

"Dazai?" Chuuya's voice was quiet, he was shaking and paler than Dazai had ever seen him. He crouched down next to Chuuya, promptly falling over as his bump overbalanced him.

"Are you hurt?"

Chuuya shook his head.

"It healed before I got here"

"Okay then, we're gonna get you undressed, and into the shower, that okay?" Dazai's voice was calm and clear.

Chuuya nodded. Dazai got up, moving to the back room to turn on the shower, it was fully stocked but as they rarely used it needed a few minutes to get warm. He grabbed a roll of black bags and a pack of wet wipes from the cupboard and sat back down. He slowly undressed Chuuya, who just sat there, sniffling and letting Dazai manhandle him out his clothes. Dazai put all the clothes into the black bag, using the wet wipes on his hands

"Can you get up on your own Chuuya?"

"I think so,"

"Make your way in the bathroom and I'll be behind you when I've wiped the floor, okay?"

Chuuya nodded, "You'll be right behind me, won't you?" there was fear in his eyes that Dazai hadn't seen before.

"Of course," Dazai paused, "Why don't you just stand up, I'll quickly wipe the floor then we'll go together?"

"Yeah that sounds good."

Dazai quickly wiped the floor, wishing Ane-san or anyone had given him a heads up as to what happened tonight before Chuuya came home in this state. He moved to get up, promptly falling back down – the babies had decided they had needed one last growth spurt the last few days, and Dazai wasn't used to the size his bump now was.

"Oof, can I have your hand Chuuya?"

Chuuya thrust out his hand, helping to pull Dazai up,

"You're real? You're really real," he muttered as he collapsed into Dazai, nearly over balancing them.

"Of course, I'm really real, silly Chibi," Dazai tried to lighten the situation, at a loss as to what was bothering Chuuya. The babies had chosen this moment to start kicking, so Dazai moved Chuuya's hand to his bump,

"See, definitely real, even our babies are saying hello to their dad,"

"No, no, you weren't supposed to find me, this'll hurt the babies, you're too close I can't be stressing you out now," Chuuya started babbling.

"Shh, shh Chuuya, I am fine, confused but fine. The babies to. Right now, all we're going to focus on is having a shower, like we do every day. It's all nice and warm, and we've got clean pyjamas waiting in the tumble dryer. That okay?"

"Okay."

"You're gonna have to let me go so we can get there Chuuya, you may be a tiny little chibi but I can't move with two babies and you attached to me."

He quickly let go of Dazai and stumbled into the shower, Dazai pulled off his pyjamas, knowing he was going to get soaked whether or not he actually had a shower. He threw them at the washing machine to be dealt with later.

"This feels so good Dazai," Chuuya was stood directly under the shower, not moving. He had been right he had no injuries, but more bruises than Dazai had ever seen on him. Although they would probably be gone by the next night. Dazai grabbed a bottle of shampoo and started washing Chuuya's hair, thankful for their height difference meaning he didn't have to try and bend over.

"I'm glad" he desperately wanted to ask what had happened to him on tonight's mission, but he knew this was Chuuya's process and he just had to wait. He continued to wash and fuss over Chuuya, making sure whether it was a hand, a leg or his bump, that some part of him was constantly touching Chuuya. When he couldn't eek the shower out any longer he wrapped Chuuya up in the fluffy towels he had picked, and went to get their pyjamas out of the tumble dryer. Chuuya followed him and stood behind him, waiting for his next instruction. Dazai quickly got himself dressed before he finished to drying Chuuya, rub his hair in such a way it would usually get him yelled at, but Chuuya was too far gone to care.

It was unnerving.

Dazai got Chuuya dressed and placed a light kiss on his lips.

"C'mon, bedtime."

He took Chuuya's hand and they made their way upstairs,

"Do you want to clean your teeth or anything first?"

Chuuya nodded.

After their detour to the bathroom Dazai tucked Chuuya into their bed before sliding in next to him, Chuuya immediately cwtched into Dazai's side, waiting for him to fold a blanket over his bump so Chuuya could use it as a pillow with it getting uncomfy for Dazai. They stayed like that, in silence for about five minutes, Dazai was convinced Chuuya had fallen asleep, when his quiet voice started

"It was terrible Dazai."

"You're safe now Chuuya," Dazai cwtched him closer to emphasise his point.

"It was supposed to be such an easy mission, but our intel was wrong, no one knew they were ability users. It was awful," his voice was shaking, "I saw you dead, our unborn babies too, and countless faceless babies we could have. Again, and again, in different ways and they got your voice perfect, pleading to be allowed to live. Then, then I did the unthinkable, I unleashed corruption, gutting you and tearing out children apart, and I didn't even feel remorse. It was terrible. I couldn't sense reality from their twisted visions." He paused, "I actually started to summon corruption, but golden demon gagged me after the first word. Akutagawa took care of them, I, I couldn't."

"You did well Chuuya, I don't know how anyone could make it through such visions."

"I feel inhuman, who would think such things?"

"You're not inhuman Chuuya, it sounds like that ability user focuses on manipulating their targets worst fears. It hit you harder as this is all new and your Alpha instincts are intertwined with that fear."

"What, what if I did unleash corruption? What would you do?"

"I would save Chuuya of course, like I always have."

"What if I was going to hurt our babies?"

"You wouldn't." Dazai stated like it was the most obvious face in the world.

"But –"

"Nope, there's always a teeny tiny bit of Chuuya present when corruption takes over, and that's all you need. But if it makes you feel better, how about we agree, right here that corruption will be the absolute last resort? That you won't unleash it unless, I don't know, the world is ending?"

"What about Mori?"

"Screw Mori, I learnt a lot under him, he will bend to my will."

"What if our babies inherit Arahabaki?"

"I could start a whole new religion! Or would it be a cult?" he laughed

"Dazai! I'm being serious." But there was a small smile on his lips at Dazai's suggestion.

"I know, I couldn't resist though, Arahabaki is inherently a selfish God Chuuya, I can't see it willingly splitting itself to reside within our children, especially as your making these children with the only thing who stops it. But, if it makes you feel better, how about when they can talk, we'll take them to one of the testing rooms at headquarters, and see if your little chant works on them?"

"We'll know for sure then, won't we?"

"Yep and we can repeat it every year till you feel confident they haven't inherited it."

"With every child we have?"

"Getting ahead of yourself, aren't you? Two babies are enough to think about for now." Dazai paused, "but yes, whatever we can do to put your mind at ease"

"Good, I'm sorry if I worried you tonight." He kissed Dazai.

"Well, I'm not allowed out to do stupid things on missions so you took your time taking up my place," Dazai smiled. "Neither of us will ever hurt our babies Chuuya, and I'd like to see anyone try"

"I know, it just really threw me, I'd never really faced that fear until they brought it into my mind. I was very happy leaving it at the back of my head, you know like the fear you'll feed me canned crab one day…"

"It is a delicacy!"

Chuuya laughed and shifted on the bed, he was in a happier space now. He trailed his hands over Dazai's bump.

"You're getting big now"

"They're getting damn good at kicking too," Dazai grumbled.

"Perfect, they're getting practice in young" Chuuya laughed.

"Do you think they'll get any abilities?"

"Ane-san seems convinced that they'll inherit both of ours, and have unique abilities of their own."

"Could you imagine that? I hope they don't kick in till they're older I don't think I could deal with babies who can use tainted, no longer human and a mystery option,"

"At least you can stop the abilities, I'll have to deal with two mini version of you."

"Oh, I take it back, that sounds perfect." Dazai laughed.

Chuuya's reply was cut off when he started yawning, he snuggled back into Dazai.

"Good night Chibi, I'm glad you came home safe." Dazai tipped Chuuya's head back so he could kiss him.

"Me to, night Dazai."