…

The most memorable rendezvous Chuuya had with weretiger though was the next one. As it happened that late evening he was leaving one of his regular bars he paid a visit to after another successful mission a bit tipsy when he spotted under lamppost well known by then silhouette of no other but Nakajima.

Just simple fact that other male was present made gears in Chuuya's head turn a bit faster clearing drunken fuzz. Additionally it also seemed the other was waiting for him to make his own appearance which was even more suspicious.

Narrowing his blue eyes towards grey haired male he sloppily stepped ahead. They were on neutral ground as it happened which meant that there was no need for bloodshed between Port Mafia and Detective Agency however that didn't mean Chuuya would just let his guard down. Especially when intoxicated.

Yellowish light was surrounding Nakajima as the other stood patiently, grey hair flowing along breeze in tandem with strange long coat he seemed to wear. Now Chuuya wasn't the one to comment on people's fashion choices however that piece of wardrobe brushed him the wrong way—reminding him Dazai once again.

"Weretiger" he spoke a bit loopily gazing warily at the other man. "Why do I owe the pleasure—"

Nakajima frowned at that suddenly seeming at loss. Chuuya could swear he noticed confusion cross other male's face as if he wasn't sure himself where he was or why—why did he try to find Chuuya in the first place. Then again it might've been just the flicker of the street light or maybe he had a tad bit too much wine that night.

"Nakahara-san" spoke finally Nakajima turning his purple-yellow eyes towards him with such ferocity Chuuya almost took one step back. "Can I ask something of you? A favour of sorts?"

Blinking slowly he tipped his head to the side pondering. He was both alike morbidly curious and terrified at sudden appearance of weretiger. Somehow a very ominous feeling settled between them both while they observed each other. Red alarms were going off in Chuuya's mind. This meeting—it felt wrong.

The shift in mood was almost asphyxiating.

"Favour?"

Weretiger nodded silently at that, those eyes were unwavering for that one second—like a man that finally made up his mind. When words finally fell from his lips Chuuya frowned. The man that stood before him was nothing alike the soft, shy tiger he met few months back. Those purple-yellow eyes looked a bit too harsh, those under-eye lines a bit too visible and that furrow between brows a bit too deep. Nakajima looked distressed.

That left Chuuya's mouth running dry, somehow the fact that weretiger could look so broken was just wrong—so, so wrong. Yet he kept silent his mind reeling a bit.

"Promise me one thing only, that you'll protect Yokohama no matter what future would bring" spoke softly yet incredibly sharply at the same time Nakajima, hiding his gloved hands into coat's pockets. "Even if it meant killing—"

Gears grind to a sudden stop as chill ran down Chuuya's back. What was this kid talking about? Killing? Personally he's had no reason to do such thing when unnecessary.

"—wait a second there" he cut in frowning. "What's this thing you're blabbing about now?"

Yes, Chuuya was intoxicated but this was just ridiculous. Nakajima chuckled under breath to that yet it was strained. When he looked right into his eyes Chuuya swore he's seen blue shine in them and subconsciously gulped.

"Is there something brewing on the horizon" he divulged instead, prodding. With his entire 5'2 stature he leaned a bit forward, pouting. "Did that suicide maniac send you again to bother me?"

"Dazai-san has no idea I'm here tonight" responded slowly Nakajima, his usual expressive facade was stoic—too stoic for Chuuya's tastes. It was brushing him in all the wrong ways. "And I'd rather it stayed that way if you could, Nakahara-san."

With surprise evident on his face Chuuya felt as his eyebrow shot upwards. So it seemed that weretiger went ahead alone to meet with him about whatever was bothering him. Omissioning Dazai—wrong. It was all wrong, Nakajima was glowing right next to Dazai the last time he's seen them both together then why—?

"And it will" he answered back instead, nodding.

That placated grey haired male who breathed out slowly as if he was mulling over whatever was on his mind.

"There might be something on the horizon. That's why I came to speak with you or rather ask for a favour."

"Favour?" Chuuya repeated himself still trying to understand and failing miserably at that. "Favour to do what exactly?"

"Protect" was one word that fell from Nakajima's lips. "Protect Yokohama and everyone there."

Protect. It was such ridiculous thing to ask of him. Chuuya chuckled sadly under nose considering, as it was he was one of the last few people that actually could protect anything. Not to mention entire city, every living human being. Breeze pushed his red hair into wild dance as he tried to find something, anything in other's body language.

His gut twisted.

"I am the last person that can protect" he deadpanned softly instead. "We both know that Port Mafia doesn't work like that."

Nakajima dared to chuckle at him, smirking. "If you say so. We both know though that for Dazai you'd go to hell and back again if it meant saving him."

That ticked him off. Before he knew it himself Chuuya was snarling, flailing about. "What do you mean by that weretiger?! I wouldn't give two rat's asses about that bandage freak dying—"

Another chuckle escaped other male. "Yes, of course. My bad" he stated carefully. "Do promise me though—" here his eyes literally bore holes into Chuuya's. "—that you will protect Yokohama and Dazai no matter what it'd take."

There was certain heaviness to those words, they almost sounded like a plea. Weretiger waited patiently for his response, a response he didn't completely understand back then as he agreed.

"Done" he waved that problem away, sighing. "Is that all you wanted from me Atsushi-kun?"

Other male seemed pleased with that and nodded, only then Chuuya noticed how incredibly tense other was thorough their entire exchange—stiff shoulders dropped only now after he'd agree.

"I'm sorry, it's probably weird for you but believe me when I say you're the only one that can help me. Don't ask in what or how, you'll know."

Weird cryptic and twisted way weretiger was speaking slowly kept on rising his anger levels. If he didn't know any better he'd swear kid was spending too much time with Dazai.

"That goddamn suicidal maniac is rubbing off on you, you know that right?" he couldn't help but snark at taller male. "It's starting to piss me off, honestly."

Nakajima shrugged nonchalantly his shoulders, long gray wisp of hair curled on the wind. "I wouldn't say so" snipped back Atsushi almost teasing.

Chuuya however let his intoxication speak louder than his rational thinking. Without missing a heartbeat he visibly tensed and his eyebrow started it's nervous dance. "You clearly were following me, waiting even, before I'd leave that goddamn bar. You wear a carbon copy of that disgusting thing Dazai calls his coat and on top of all of that you spew a bunch of ridiculous, cryptic as fuck phrases about protecting and killing—" here Chuuya narrowed his eyes in a warning. "—I'm sorry that I don't quite trust or believe you."

Weretiger was never meant to be so calm and calculating alike Dazai and the person that stood before him right now? Was exactly like that. He could just as well be speaking with impersonator for all he knew but that's when he seen it again, that second of confusion cross Nakajima's face before it'd settle back into blank expression yet again.

"Are you okay, Atsushi—?"

Before he could actually finish his question though Atsushi closed his eyes breathing out. "I remember now."

Remember what? Looking quizzically at weretiger Chuuya wondered if other would actually continue that trail of thought but it seemed that wouldn't happen—or maybe that in itself was supposed to answer all questions. Nonetheless he was just as lost as he was in the beginning.

"I remember everything" repeated under breath Nakajima eyes locked on the ground and Chuuya swore the other's fists shook in frustration. "I need someone I can trust, I need someone that is capable of saving Yokohama. And that person is you Nakahara-san, only you can do that."

Never one to feel good about being out of the loop Chuuya let it slide this time as a very chilling feeling settled in a pit of his stomach. He couldn't understand the amount of trust and hope Nakajima was putting in him, maybe it was because he managed to destroy the dragon thanks to his corruption or maybe it was because of Dazai himself, he didn't know.

Unbeknownst to Chuuya he'd never know in the end. The entire exchange became a mere blur in his memory, one that left a certain chill running down his spine upon trying to recall it.

A/N: chpt 3 is plot bunny that's brewing in my mind towards Atsushi and his "amnesia" but I'll see if I manage to actually write that down as it'd probably be shitty af