every time chuuya uses corruption, it takes a toll on him. it’s more of strain on his lifeline—a burden that would soon take over him.

if he keeps using it, he risks losing himself to arahabaki, relinquishing all control to the personification of calamity and destruction.

but every single time dazai pulls him out, it doesn’t seem like chuuya is losing himself.

it feels like /life/ is coursing through his veins—an awakening that makes him see clearly.

he feels alive. mortal. he feels /human/, and that’s all he needs to be reassured of.

how ironic is it that dazai, who wishes death and calls his ability ‘no longer human’, would unyieldingly save him from corruption in order to make him feel /human/ again?

again and again, it’s like being plunged into cold water when corruption is nullified, but chuuya feels refreshed.

chuuya’s last thought drifts away in his mind, an endless void of nothingness, and he suddenly wakes up, gasping for air, in the lap of his savior.

he trembles a bit, clutching the coat in front of him, as he tries to take his breath. it’s like waking up from a nightmare.

chuuya doesn’t realize it, but there are tears drying on his cheeks. vulnerability is blatantly shown on his face, but dazai says nothing about it.

instead, dazai whispers a “sleep well, chuuya?” as he cards his fingers through ginger hair.

they lay in the aftermath of chuuya’s corruption. chuuya is draped in his own coat, lying comfortably in dazai’s lap.

chuuya sighs in content, closing his eyes, as he enjoys the feeling of dazai’s fingers gently combing his hair.

it’s relaxing, and he feels /grounded/.

they stay like this for a while, enjoying the wind whistling around, and the natural light of the moon basks their figures.

chuuya doesn’t want the moment to end, but dazai pokes his cheek, forcing chuuya to open his eyes and glare at him.

“we need to head back, chuuya,” dazai says teasingly, sweeping back a lock of chuuya’s hair to reveal chuuya’s annoyed frown.

the moment obviously wasn’t going to last long and chuuya needs to handle reports, so he stands up with dazai getting up as well.

they had defeated lovecraft, and chuuya feels especially drained from beating the supernatural monster.

dazai’s plan had secured lovecraft’s fate from the very beginning, and chuuya’s just grateful that they were able to finish quickly and head home.

“oi, dazai, where’s my hat?” chuuya grouses as he slips into his own coat and stretches, releasing tension from his muscles.

chuuya takes a step, before yelping as he suddenly tumbles forwards, his legs not being strong enough to support him.

a blur suddenly appears before him, and he collapses into dazai’s chest with his hands grappling onto his tan coat.

chuuya’s face flares up, internally cursing his weakened state and the fact that his face his buried in dazai’s chest.

not to mention that he can barely stand right now, so he’s depending his weight on dazai’s.

“it looks like the little chibikko is too weak to even stand on two feet,” dazai muses as he secures his hold on chuuya.

“shut up,” chuuya says weakly, slamming a fist against dazai’s chest.

“even your insults are dry!”

chuuya just rolls his eyes, too tired to say anything back.

it turns out that corruption has depleted all his energy from his body, so chuuya feels absolutely sluggish and slow right now.

“hey dazai,” chuuya mumbles suddenly into dazai’s chest, regarding the harsh reality of his thoughts that drifted into his mind earlier. “why do you always stop corruption?”

chuuya could swear that he could feel dazai’s heartbeat /stop/, but it beats again before he could ask.

“don’t you already know?” is his answer, and chuuya gives him a look before sighing.

chuuya whispers the word, but dazai hears it clearly. /trust/.

trust is an unquestionable trait that the two of them values, even if one of them regards it highly than the other.

“do you think i would rather let you die, chuuya?” dazai asks, returning to his little hobby of letting his fingers glide through chuuya’s hair.

chuuya wraps his arms around dazai’s torso, giving in to absolute comfort. he doesn’t say anything, but the answer is clear.

dazai would never let chuuya die.

there is a minuscule spot in dazai’s heart for a certain singular person, and it’s always kept secret and locked by a key.

the only person who could access it is chuuya, and only chuuya.

equally in return, chuuya has a soft spot for his partner. it’s an undeniable thing, giving in to the person he had trusted his entire life—even if that person had left him.

but dazai’s still here, and he trusts that there was a valid reason why he left.

questions that are silently asked could be only answered without words. its answers can only be expressed by raw /feelings/, and that’s what makes chuuya lean closer into dazai’s hold.

no, he doesn’t feel /vulnerable/ in front of him. they’re past that.

this is more of a bonding that could only be formed from trust and mutual understanding.

“we both know that we’ll always have each other’s back, right?” dazai whispers, the words wrapping chuuya in a warm hug, gentle on the ears.

chuuya nods, and he feels fatigue taking over.

/“remember to take me back to the extraction point, dazai.”/

/“you got it, buddy.”/

chuuya drifts off to a deep slumber, but this time, he’s embraced by someone who would stay, even if it were for a little bit, to say good night.

——— end

this was supposed to be an analysis thread about chuuya and corruption, but suddenly it turned to a short rewritten ending to the double black episode haha

this was a quick and short thread since i’m always so busy, but hopefully it was enjoyable !!

the thread basically starts at the end of the episode (the margin being a bit broad though). chuuya is seen sleeping at the end, so the thread begins where chuuya wakes up from his nap !!

too bad chuuya is too tired and went back to sleep again in this thread