For ninjou.

[tenimuho]

[Tonight, Dazai is really drunk.

This is not different from most other nights in their favorite bar, save for a few things.

1. Ango isn't here.

2. Dazai is really drunk. The kind of drunk that has Odasaku concerned that he might be trying to die through liver failure. That drunk.

And so, it's with hesitation that he speaks up.]

Maybe you should stop drinking for tonight.

Comments

[ninjou]

[Dazai's done worse for dumber reasons.]

I like you. I said that. That's why it's weird.

[tenimuho]

[That doesn't make it not terrible.]

I like you too.

[The bartender should stay in the back if he knows what's good for him.]

[ninjou]

[A deep breath. Shit. God. Okay. He can... do this. He would literally do anything for Odasaku, anything within reason and within his power.]

No, I like you.

[Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip.]

[tenimuho]

...I like you too. I know what you meant.

[As much as he questions Dazai's taste, he knows friends don't usually get that giddy about making out.]

[ninjou]

Right.

[Wait.]

Damn.

[tenimuho]

[Odasaku's face is the picture of '...?' right now. Are you okay, Dazai.]

[ninjou]

[HE IS NOT OKAY!!!!!]

But we can't do anything about it. This was easier when it was one-sided.

[tenimuho]

Do you think we could go on a date?

[...Maybe a very surreptitious date.]

[ninjou]

[No.]

Please.

[tenimuho]

That's too bad.

[Well then, he's out of ideas.]

[ninjou]

[Thunking his head against the bar...]

That was a yes.

[tenimuho]

Oh.

[How is he supposed to know when you make a face like that, Dazai.]

Okay. Do you want to see a movie?

[ninjou]

[He's just... so upset...

Huff. Huff. Breathing... He finally raises his head.]

I'd like that.

[tenimuho]

[Nod. They can do this.]

Do you like romances? Or comedies?

[Horror movies are a little too close to their everyday life. All that blood and gore is a bit over the top anyway.]

[ninjou]

[Dazai laughs.]

It's going to be suspicious if we go see a romance.

[tenimuho]

That's true. [And really obvious, wow, Odasaku.] A comedy should be fine.

[ninjou]

Right. [Dazai has a weird sense of humor, too.] We should go see the one with the car chase in the commercial. What's it called...

[tenimuho]

You mean the buddy cop one?

[They can laugh at police officers more than they usually do.]

[ninjou]

Yeah, that one. We can laugh at how fake the gunfights are.

[He grins. This is good. They can have fun.]

[tenimuho]

Sounds nice. We'll have to figure out when they're showing it and we're not busy.

[Outside of bar nights, they don't see each other much or know each other's schedules very well.]

[ninjou]

[Dazai thinks for a minute....]

Sunday? I'm usually meeting with people, but they're never important.

[Compared to Odasaku~]

[tenimuho]

You shouldn't blow off appointments.

[Just for him, anyway.]

...But I'm not busy then.

[ninjou]

I just won't schedule them, so there's nothing to blow off.

[See? Easy. Also, a little more quietly:]

Can I walk you home tonight?

[tenimuho]

I'd like that.

[Also quietly. It sounds sweet, especially if done while more sober than the last time one of them walked the other home.]

[ninjou]

I wanted to do it sober.

[Reading your mind, Odasaku. He missed him... For a whole day, sure, but it felt like forever being in emotional limbo.]