Hey guys! Wow, so I've got a new story here! Haha, yes yes I will work on the other ones too. This was an idea that was lingering around for a while, that I had to get it out there.

Before I begin, I want to thank some close people:

Rachael Marin for scripting and suggesting some ideas for this chapter and Aiden for allowing me to use his character, Mark Sanders. There will be another original character I will be including in this story that was borrowed, so I will also thank my boyfriend, Liam, for his original character in advance.

That said, hope you enjoyed this short chapter. Hopefully I will make them longer when I get there.

Chapter 1

~Yokohama - 8:15 pm~

Chuuya sighed as he leaned against his cruiser. There was very little activity all evening, so he decided to give himself a break. As he sipped his coffee, he checked the time on his phone and sighed. It was just a Monday night, hardly any kind of excitement going on except for the occasional troublemaker causing mischief. With his shift starting over an hour ago, this looked like it would be a very long shift going into the wee hours of the morning.

"We have a distress call on Route 490. Officers, can you reach me?"

Hearing the radio, Chuuya opened the door, clicked the receiver on and spoke inside of it. "This is Officer Nakahara calling in. What seems to be the trouble, over?"

"We have a call coming from the Yokohama port, regarding a man who's about to jump off the Tsurumi bridge."

Chuuya tensed as he heard the radio's report. His eyebrow then twitched with annoyance when he realized that there would be one man who would do something like this. "Let me guess…" He said slowly, "He wears bandages and a brown coat…over…"

"Affirmative," said the dispatcher's voice.

Chuuya started up the car and shut the door. "I'll bring him in, over." He put the radio back in its holder and sped down the road, cursing to himself as he drove down the road.

He had been a cop for 3 years now, starting from a kid who lived on the streets and somehow moving up in the world. Over the many years during his hardships, he had come to learn that fighting and struggling on your own is how one would succeed in life. Sure, he had some help and the occasional advice, but he relied mostly on himself. He didn't want to be in the position he was in, so he worked hard to fight out of it. He went to school, he graduated, and he trained at the academy where he graduated and earned his position as a rookie.

He drove up to the building and parked the car. Grumbling, he got out, equipping his handcuffs in his right hand. As he made his way up the stairs, he grew more and more agitated. Every time when the man in question would do what he did, it was always a headache. There was a time when he used to call the suicidal man his friend, but circumstances pushed them apart. Feelings had no place in all of this. Chuuya put his job above all that…and also one other thing but more on that later.

He made his way toward the roof when he saw the bandaged man in question. He watched him for a moment, swooning and swerving on the building's edge like he was some kid playing a game. The moonlight kissed his messy brown hair and his bandages, reflecting a faint glow off of them. He was singing off key as he walked along the edge, and Chuuya could tell by all the mannerisms he was making that this man was drunk. He shook his head in shame as he walked toward the man.

"Hello Dazai, I see that you're causing problems again," Chuuya said.

"Hiii Chuuyaaa~" Dazai slurred as he waved.

"Cut the crap, Osamu," Chuuya snapped. "This is what… the 14th time this year that you're acting like a dumbass. Have you not been listening to a word I said?"

"Weeell at least it would give you more work to do!" Dazai laughed at his excuse.

However, Chuuya wasn't laughing. All what this was doing was causing him more annoyance. "How's the job hunting going?"

"Job hunting?" Dazai repeated, his face scrunching in disgust. "Work sucks! That takes too much energy!"

"And yet you would blow a bunch of your government-earned money on cheap booze and do something like…this," Chuuya pointed at the ledge. "Something has to change, Osamu. If you don't want to live, then change your life for the better."

"Ugh, that's just the 'man' talking. What happened to you, Chuuya? You used to be cool."

This man was really trying to test his patience even further. "Unlike YOU I'm DOING something with my life!" Now they were a foot apart as Chuuya held out his hand for Dazai to take. "Now then, are you going to come with me or what? This is the last chance. We can do the easy way or the hard way. Up to you."

Dazai gave a dark smirk as he looked at his former friend. Sure, Chuuya used to be just like him, doing booze and other things. They did whatever they wanted when they were teens. Now Chuuya was a police officer while Dazai worked as some struggling artist with no direction in his life. There was no way he could get a job, especially with his record. And yet, Chuuya got all the luck and is now on the other side of the law. The brunette could not understand why the change. He remembered a man slightly older than they were talking to him about things, a man of short and dark hair. Whoever that man was…he said something to spur something in his former best friend. Now they barely talk unless it's something like this.

"Sure…you're a cop," Dazai said, "You're society's biggest pain in the ass."

Chuuya snarled at the insult, "Might want to say that again?"

"You're society's…pain… in the ass," Dazai repeated as he shoved him back.

Chuuya stumbled back and recovered quickly, considering his training and Dazai's intoxicated state. "Do we really need to do this?"

"You're…you're not Chuuya," Dazai slurred, "You're just someone brainwashed by the government!" He lunged forward with a punch.

Chuuya immediately grabbed the punch, using his former friend's movement against him as he hooked his leg underneath his and brought him to the ground. Then he placed both of his hands behind his back. "Osamu Dazai, you are under arrest for disorderly conduct and attempting to fight an officer. You will be spending a night in holding for your actions…"

"What the hell?!" Dazai protested as he felt his arms twist behind his back and cuffed.

"I have given you plenty of warning and plenty of chances to do this the easy way but once more you wouldn't listen to me," Chuuya said as he made the man stand. "Let's go."

"This isn't fair," Dazai whined.

"Yeah well, it's your fault. Move it." Chuuya urged. He clearly ran out of patience for the other man. However, if there was a silver lining, at least it gives him something to do. However, dealing with Dazai like this hurts him every time. They were really close friends but inside Chuuya wanted to help the man more than anything, even if it meant tough love. That's basically what is part of the deal with best friends. They are always honest and will do whatever they need to do to make sure the other is living properly…even if it means being tough and harsh. Chuuya never wanted to give up on the man, but now that this is the 14th time this year alone Dazai has done things like this to him, things have got to change.

As Chuuya was driving back to the station, there was silence between the two for a moment. Dazai was riding in the backseat, wearing those coughs behind him. He was uncomfortable but he would never tell Chuuya that. In fact, he was feeling rather hurt too. He felt that Chuuya left him all those years ago, and it always seemed that the man favoured his job a lot more than him. What got him to change that made him work so hard? Dazai hated all of this. He hated losing people as it brought him much suffering, and pain and suffering were his least favourite things.

Chuuya watched him from his rear-view mirror. He seemed to have calmed down, so he sighed. "Look…you may have been an asshole tonight but you need help." Dazai scoffed at this, but Chuuya ignored him and continued on. "So I will talk to my boss to see if we can hook you up with a therapist.. You won't have to pay. If it's out of my paycheck, then so be it."

"Ewww, I hate therapy!" Dazai whined.

"Yeah, well you're not going to be like this forever!" Chuuya argued. "Either it's therapy or the psych ward. Which is it? Take your pick because I've run out of patience dealing with you!"

"Don't talk to me like a child…"

"Think about it in holding then…" Chuuya wanted to say, "yes well you're already a child" but he had already ran out of mental energy arguing with the man in the backseat.

"Fuck you too," Dazai cursed as he continued to look out the window.

Chuuya gripped his hands into fists at the steering wheel but let it go immediately. Talking to this guy was like talking to a brick wall. There was no way of getting through to him. He could feel a migraine coming on, and it was starting to really hurt. He hoped that there would be some way that Dazai would just cooperate with him…for once!

The taller man looked at his former friend through his rear view mirror and could easily tell that he was having a hard time. Perhaps he was being rather difficult and should cut him some slack. After all, he was trying to keep the peace for the public as a whole. "Okay, listen… I'll do the therapy for you," Dazai trailed off, giving in to his former friend's demands, "but on one condition."

"What?" Chuuya asked. Finally we're getting through!

"You come with me…" Dazai was starting to sound like a scared child. It almost made Chuuya feel bad. "I don't think I can be in there alone with someone as looney or loonier than I am."

"I have my job to do, Osamu," Chuuya said apologetically, "However…I know someone who can take care of you. She's a good friend of mine and it's usually the best thing to talk to someone whom you don't know."

"Okay, who's this chick that I'll be lucky enough to be near?" Dazai asked, excitement seeping back in. A woman doctor huh? He was already starting to get some interest in this proposal. "I hope you know that most shrinks take this profession because they have problems that they try to solve through other people."

"Yes, well she's a doctor with a heart of gold," Chuuya said. "She may be…strange at times but she really cares. Her name is Dr. Akiko Yosano."

Dazai was beginning to imagine this woman in front of him and he was starting to get even more excited. Perhaps there's a hook-up involved? So many fantasies were moving through his head as he imagined what that would be like. "Okay~ So what does this Akiko woman look like? I think I'd be comfy talking to a beautiful woman."

"Well she is really pretty," Chuuya replied, "You will know when you meet her." He was starting to wonder where this excitement was coming from but then he realized what Dazai was like back in the day, and the fact that he never changes at all made him wonder if this was a good idea or not.

Dazai pondered for a moment as he went through everything Chuuya said. He's going to talk to a really pretty woman, probably around his age. Even if Chuuya won't be around with him, he will still be able to talk to an attractive woman. He had been around many women in his life and despite his problems, he was quite the flirt. Sometimes girls would flirt with him and he wouldn't try very hard; it must have been his looks. He was quite handsome, after all, and the way that he spoke to them. Now there was one more question on his mind. "You said that she was strange… So how strange are we talking here?"

Chuuya made a face as he tensed. He remembered a certain incident where he was involved in, and the look of Yosano's evil grin still plagued his nightmares to this day. "...Don't ask."

"Oh dear god, she's gonna kill me!" Dazai cried.

A vein twitched in Chuuya's forehead. There goes that migraine again. He should take some Advil when they get to the station. "Don't get injured and you'll be fine!" He snapped.

Dazai immediately stopped panicking and looked at the red-head. "Ooooh right… I'll keep that in mind," he said as he smiled sheepishly.

Chuuya let out an agitated sigh to calm down. "But you're still going to be in a holding cell for the night until you sober up." He pulled into the station and turned the corner to enter the parking lot. "I was told to bring you in and since you wanted to try me and push all my buttons…we're doing this the hard way."

Dazai had that realization as he had forgotten he was going to be put in a cell…by someone he called a friend, no less. He leaned closer to the bars of the cruiser. "Please Chuuya," He begged, "Don't put me in jail. I know I wouldn't like it there." He teared up a bit as he shook. "I'm scared already. I need you near me."

Chuuya sighed as he listened. He sounded like a scared child that it was making him feel a bit bad again. "You tried to attack and insult me…an officer. I'm sorry but that's protocol. I can't look the other way…none of us can't. However…if it helps, I will get you some food and a NON-ALCOHOLIC drink when I finish paperwork…okay?"

Dazai nodded wordlessly as he felt a million awful things running through his head - from wanting to berate Chuuya for what he is doing to wanting to kill him and escape. He stared at Chuuya and thought about using the handcuffs to choke the life out of him. This wasn't his best friend anymore, and he didn't care if the man was trying to help. "Fine…I'll be good in there…" He said coldly.

As Chuuya parked the car, he undid his seat belt. He could feel Dazai's hatred for him, but right now, he has said all he needed to say. In his defense, he had told Dazai many times to be better. He even went through all the trouble of helping Dazai find work. An artist could only get an income if anyone had thorough interest in their paintings. While Dazai had a buyer or two…it was not enough to put food on the table, let alone pay rent. This was why the brunette was on welfare. Chuuya didn't like seeing his former best friend this way, so that was why he was being harsh; he cared…probably a little too much. It just really hurt that Dazai couldn't see it that way, but Chuuya had no time to feel such feelings. He had his own life to live, and his own issues to deal with.

He got out of the car and opened the door in the backseat, grabbing Dazai's arm gently. "Come on," he said, "And once again, I'm sorry for this but you had it coming."

"Yeah, whatever," Dazai grumbled as he was taken to the station.

Once there, the usual processing was done, and Dazai was put in a holding cell. Throughout, Dazai couldn't look at Chuuya, who stepped out of the room to complete the paperwork needed.

"Evening Chuuya," a black haired man waved at him. He had long spiky hair and a leather jacket over his uniform. There was a serious look in his eyes, but his personality would make anyone feel at ease and protected. This was the vice chief, Mark Sanders, and Chuuya held a lot of gratitude towards him.

"Good evening, Mark," Chuuya returned the greeting with a bow as he took a small box of Advil from the area where one would get coffee and any other supplies from. He took a small cup and filled it from the water dispenser next to the coffee pot.

"Are you feeling alright?" Mark asked as he looked at the processing room. "Wait, don't answer that. It's Dazai again, huh?"

Chuuya sighed. "He decided to piss me off again tonight, and right now he's angry with me, but there's nothing I can do. I stopped going easy on him a while ago." He took out a tablet and swallowed it with the cup of water he filled.

"Oh no, you did the right thing," Mark said as he crossed his arms. "Dazai will get over it, but you have been dealing with him the past couple of years. So don't you think that maybe you should think about what's best for yourself?"

"Are you saying, cut ties with him?" Chuuya asked. "I'm already halfway there since he's barely listening to me."

"I know he's your best friend," Mark said.

"Was my best friend," Chuuya corrected.

"That proves my point. You need to choose and if Dazai is not interested in changing his life for the better, then that means he's a lost cause."

"I can't give up on him," Chuuya pointed out. "I already gave him the therapy idea, which I want to ask you and Fukuzawa-sensei about."

Mark raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the younger man's request. "You know that he can't afford it."

"I do, which is why I hope it could be out of my own paycheck," The rookie suggested.

Mark shook his head. "Rejected," he said. "This is what I mean about choosing. Besides, how is Hikari anyway? You need to think about her."

"Why do you think I think mostly about my career and what's best for it?" Chuuya asked. "I can't abandon Dazai either. Also, Hikari is fine. She has school tomorrow…career day. So basically I'm her show-and-tell." He chuckled.

"Then you focus on that. Your daughter needs you the most. She doesn't have a mom since you have full custody of her. As far as Dazai goes, I agree that he cannot be abandoned. And that's why Fukuzawa asked me to bring you this." He gave him an envelope.

Chuuya looked at the envelope with a quizzical expression as he took it and opened it. "What is this?" He took out the contents.

"It's details of your first case," Mark explained. "Normally, I would be against this considering how dangerous it is, but Fukuzawa had said that since you had been working so hard for us for the past 3 years, you deserve a raise. This is a test for you to show how capable you can be."

Chuuya studied the contents of the envelope. It was regarding a terrorist that had been involved in various incidents across the country, and the papers were newspaper clippings that showed and explained in detail what this terrorist had done. A frown appeared on Chuuya's face as he looked through the papers. "I…I don't think I can take this… Are you sure that Fukuzawa-sensei wants me to do this? I'm not a high enough rank."

Mark took the papers back. "You don't have to take it right away, and yes I agree that you are not a high enough rank. However, the chief believes in you. If you take it, you will not only get a promotion but also a raise, and you may be able to afford both the therapist for Dazai and the support Hikari needs. Not only that…" He gave the back page to Chuuya; it was a photocopied photograph of a very familiar family home in the suburbs.

Chuuya's eyes widened in shock as he studied it, his hands shaking as he grasped the papers. This is…!

"You might get closure on what happened to your family…as sources say that this bomb terrorist is linked to that."

-Flashback-

A bright flash spread across the wintry flatlight. Trees became torches as shockwaves rippled ponds and destroyed fields. A little red-haired boy stood in shock as his house became nothing more than smoldering ruins. He could not move, think or speak. His ears rang for a moment and that was all he could hear. His nose burned from the foul stench of the smoke. His bones rattled from the explosion's shockwave. The deafening ringing, the burning, the pure shock…his body felt heavy like lead as he dropped in the snow.

This was the moment when the life and childhood that Chuuya Nakahara knew…went up in smoke along with that house.

So what did you think? Let me know what you think and I will try to update this one and the others whenever I can. See you later!