City of Strays is taking a while because of the scene I am working on. So here is a little something to feed your hunger while you all wait lovelies. Plus it will help me elaborate on some back story too.

17

The two teens were the last pair on the planet one would expect to get along...that was a fact. They were so different from each other that surely there would be no cohesiveness between the youths at all ever. The pair fought so much that even guests at meetings had taken to ignoring their shouts of insults and general bickering from accross the table. Mori smiled wide as he busied himself with continuing talks, while Kōyō simply sighed looking slightly annoyed by the younger Executives. Ace was the only one that ever showed any sort of disdain for the two. They were the last two people that anybody would think could possibly get along with each other and yet-

"Just what the hell were you thinking Dazai!? I know I useually let your suicide attempts go but this one I refuse!"

"What? All I did was walk into an abandoned condemned building by my lonesome because somebody was taking too long. Who poured salt on you Slug? I'd hardly call that a suicide attempt."

"An abandoned building full of explosives on almost every floor!? A hail of bullets is hardly an attempt, I can stop those. But an entire collapsing building spitting out fire and smoke!?"

"We both know there was no way he was coming out of there. Besides what matters is we finished the job and my actions got you in there faster."

"Your actions almost got us both killed damn Mackerel!"

"Please, like you're actually weaker then a building. I thought you always bragged about your Gift manipulating gravity. You're presenting a very ununified confussing front in front of Mori's important guests Slug."

"Again bullets are one thing and a entire flaming building is another! If you want to kill yourself then try something like jumping into a river next time! I'll gladly not fish your ass out!"

"Lier."

"What!?"

"Oh that's right! Slugs don't have ears, can't believe I forgot that! I called you a lier because we both know you'd eventually drag me out of the water. Like always you'll let me make an attempt and then pull me out of it a moment later. You can't help it, it's habit by now because you know you secretly love me and can't let any harm come to me or you'd be totally lost and alone. Which, by the way, you're oh so terrified of being."

"That's it! I'm going to kill you stupid Mackerel! Come here!"

So the meeting continued with Dazai's high pitched hysterical laughter, while a shouting irate Chūya wrestled trying to pin the brunette to the ground for a good beating. His face almost as red as his bright locks.

Chūya was loud, blunt to the point of out right rudeness if not foul-mouthed and full of energy.

Dazai was quiet, dangerously cunning and lazy.

Chūya was the primary offensive power of their duo. He was practically born for combat between his Gift and being the most skilled martial artist the Port Mafia had in their ranks.

Dazai handled the general strategy and specialized in neutralizing other Gifteds. His mind was unparalled. Only the orange haired Executive could fathom his mind enough to enter the light despite being kept in the dark.

Chūya acted like any other boy his age, yet harbored an ancient entity within himself.

Dazai acted...different..then any other boy his age, yet was normal even with his unique power.

Chūya kept Dazai sane. When the brunette started slipping it was the hat-wearing teen that pushed and held him upright to steady him.

Dazai was Chūya's shadow. He was always right beside the other boy, or not far behind, acting as a sheltered port whose waters were reliably steady.

The grinning brunette opened his eyes before letting his gaze drift up to the clock on the wall reading the time. It was after midnight. He'd been sitting there on the couch for hours while his mind drifted back to days long since passed. They'd been seventeen during that meeting where they argued with each other for like the billionth time since they first met. A part of Dazai had wondered over the years if, just maybe, Ogai Mori had lied to him that day he sent him out to investigate the previous boss reappearing. If maybe the previous boss had just been a cover up for the actual person he was sending his charge out in search for. It couldn't have just been coincidence that the loud orange haired punk who'd become one of his only two friends in all the organization, and the most important person period to him, was the one that plowed him into the side of a building when they met in Suribachi City. Right? Not with the late boss of the Port Mafia being involved it couldn't. Especially considering Ogai knew of Arahabaki and the mafia's own supposed search for the ancient entity which the Gifted had no clue about until it came up. No. Everything that happened back then was definitely not coincidence in the slightest...

A rather loud snore caught Dazai's attention making him look down at his side only to laugh quietly to himself. Speaking of himself and the orange haired punk, there leaning on the detective snoring away in a very familiar fashion was Chūya. His former partner was totally out of it not unlike if he had used Corruption. Though the privet investigator had the feeling that, if he so much as moved half an inch, the gravity manipulator would wake from his slumber instantly. Not that he was going to try it out. Nah. Better let the man sleep. It wasn't like Dazai was complaining after all so it was no use bothering his ex-partner. Instead the man opted to remain where he was watching the more petite framed man sleep snoring against him with mouth agape and bright strands of hair obscuring his face. Yup the Gifted was still the same old Chūya without a doubt. The hat he'd received as a welcome present to the Port Mafia resting on his chest held there by a hand. The other arm flopped out over the taller detective's lap in a careless manner. Shaking his head watching his partner the brunette detective found himself not caring what had brought the two unlikely pair together. It could have been all part of Mori's plans...could have been something else entirely. Whatever the case was he and Chūya were stuck together without any hope, or want, to leave the other. Even when one crawled up from the underground to the surface their paths still had the habit...no more like instinct...of crossing. They were fatefully each other's. And that was never going to change no matter what may pop up in their paths along the way. The brunette chuckled fondly as he lowered an arm to drape it over the sleeping man's shoulders, "Rest now, Partner."

The only response was a grumble about a 'kid with a deathwish of a partner' as Chūya pressed his face more nuzzling into Dazai.