Camellias and Star Anise

The battle has been going on for hours. Response comes slowly, too slowly. He ducks under a blow, but misses the knife that slices right into his shoulder. Pain explodes in his torso, aches running right down to his bone. He can't, he can't, they're all too much, too many, he can't hold them all back, he cries out for his people to run, while he tries desperately to hold on for their sakes. There are no more choices, none, save for that one, the desperate last move – that could also kill him, not just them –

"Oh Grantors of Dark Disgrace, Do Not Wake Me Again!"

He screams out the words, a mantra that will spell death for everyone in the vicinity, and the madness takes over. He can barely feel his body cracking, failing under the pressure that his Ability puts on it. Gravity inverts itself, turning the fight into a massacre, as blood flows freely from them, from him, it's spreading everywhere, he needs to stop, where is he, his partner, his bandage-waster, his lover, his Dazai -

The madness is winning, he can't hold anything back now, the enemy is running, they're fleeing, but the Port Mafia takes no prisoners, kill them all, kill everything, be the monster, be the god of calamity that once painted the world in flames and death -

No, no, he can't, stop, those are his own men that he's going after, stop, he can't stop, all the screams, his men are dying, limbs ripped apart, blood spraying everywhere, gods where is Dazai, where is his partner that he could always count on, the wave is growing, he's drowning, someone, anyone, please help –

He falls to his knees, choking on his own blood even as the warehouse crumbles around him, the black holes that he made –that the monster made – still active, still sucking up everything, still pulling on his own life source, he's dying, where is Dazai, he can't hang on for much longer, Dazai, where are you, I can't, it's too late –

The void looms before him, and his Ability finally – finally – switches off – but it's too late, time's run out – as a hand grasps his shoulder. Dazai, Dazai his partner, his lover, his other half, he's in front of him, shaking his shoulder, but he can't hear anymore, he can't feel anything, everything's fading, the world is dimming right before his eyes, and he struggles to whisper the words "I'm sorry, I love you" to Dazai before it all goes black.

Dazai screams at him, at everything, at nothing, cradling his beloved in his arms as he tries to wake him up, demanding, pleading, begging those beautiful blue eyes to open and for his hat-rack, his slug, his lover to come back, he'll do anything, anything, he'd give up anything, just please wake up, Chuuya, wake up, please, Chuuya, I love you too, don't go, you can't go, Chuuya – It grows into a wordless scream, a plea for Chuuya to wake, to breathe and fight with him and be his vibrant and short and beautifully alive self again –

He does not wake. The world crumbles around them, and Dazai screams.

A week later, two graves stand next to each other, each decorated with camellia flowers as red as blood and sprigs of star anise.

Nakahara Chuuya & Dazai Osamu

Now I have neither happiness nor unhappiness. Everything passes. That is the one and only thing that I have thought resembled a truth in the society of human beings where I have dwelled up to now as in a burning hell. Everything passes. ~ Dazai Osamu

Inspired by:

[Soukoku] Flower of miracle - Rimi Natsukawa

[Soukoku] Bokura no Let it be - Soraru

[Soukoku] Self-inflicted colorless - Mafumafu