The company car’s steering wheel burns red beneath the blond’s hands; he’s squeezing it so hard it’s a surprise it doesn’t break under his touch. Abiding by the traffic laws grows increasingly difficult in Kunikida’s current state.

Because Dazai hadn’t shown up to work that day. It’s not too unusual of an instance: whenever things are just calm and peachy at the Agency, the brunet tends to take some days off without letting anyone know beforehand.

In most cases, he spends the days in bed, drinking himself to a figurative death while chain smoking and watching old movies that will only make him feel worse before departing with his apartment to go to a bar to pick someone up before practicing safe or unsafe sex with the individual or individuals — it all depends on his mood. It’s usually nothing to worry about.

Alas, each time without exception, Kunikida worries.

He knows his partner. He knows Dazai. He knows what he’s capable of. And each time, Kunikida fears the brunet has taken the biggest, strongest leap of faith there is.

As he parks the car in Dazai’s empty parking spot — he doesn’t own a car and Kunikida wouldn’t put it past him to pay extra for the spot only so someone else couldn’t get it — outside the apartment building, Kunikida’s heart beats fast in his throat.

Precisely twenty-five unread text messages. Eleven missed calls. Dazai has two spots on Kunikida’s daily schedule, yet each time he pulls one of these stunts, he ends up taking up more time out of the blond’s day, living inside his mind and interrupting his lunch break and work duties in the form of anxiety-inducing worms in Kunikida’s stomach, his heart, his brain.

(FANFIC BY Lysanderwarrior)