It wasn't like you were expecting anything different. You knew Dazai, in and out, yet you were still surprised when he stumbled back into your life forcefully, no remorse left in him.

 

Your's and Dazai's bond was always a disagreeable one. There was no kindness, there was no forgiveness; it was just pure amnesia anytime anything happened between you both. Whether it was good or bad, you were only left with a notion of what to feel. Labels also didn't suit what you two had. Lovers? Not a chance. Friends? Too close with one another to call your relationship that. Rivals? Possibly. It didn't really matter though, as you knew the patterns Dazai had engrained in you, and he knew you'd take him in like a stray dog every single time.

 

The hail thumped and slashed against your windows, making it impossible to have silence just for a moment. You were staring at an old picture of Dazai, back when he and you were just teenagers trying to survive. His smile was genuine, teeth showing as he grinned ear to ear in a manner some would refer to as silly. It almost could distract one from the bruised eye bags coloring under his lower lashes. You'd say he was beautiful, gorgeous even, if it wasn't for the fact you were acquainted with such a man of incorrigible destruction.

 

Abruptly, a persistent knock is at your front door, eerily familiar. You hesitantly walk closer to the sound, pushing the door open with a shaky hand.

 

It was Dazai.

 

He was soaked by the weather, making him look as if he were drowning in his clothes. He had a particular odor of alcohol to him that you could not recall the name of and a light hint of crummy cigarettes. He was drunk; there was no mistakimg that, as he leaned on your door frame for support, struggling to stand up straight.

 

"Let me in, please..." He begged, voice low and sardonic, attempting to be humorous. "You love me, don't you?"