promise? (beast x canonverse crossover)

a ghost

Blood, sweat, and saliva pooled on the floor, further marring the office of the Port Mafia's boss. The furniture was already overturned, and liquor bottles were strewn all across the room. The bookshelf that once stood behind the boss' desk was burnt to a crisp ages ago.

Two mafia lackeys grit their teeth as they tried to hide their fear of their leader. The two of them held up a man by his arms—a lanky stranger in a sand-coloured trench coat. As the sun set earlier that day, he foolishly dared to trespass on their territory. Again and again, they had to readjust their grip to hold him up for their boss to continue his assault on him. Miraculously, the man was still conscious and breathing.

The two mafiosi had never seen their boss like this before. They heard rumours of his rampage a year ago, the one he went on just before he claimed the mantle of the boss. After that, Nakahara Chuuya himself never really snapped. Instead, he spent his days holed up in his office, drinking and never talking to anyone. However, tonight was different.

Chuuya sent another kick to the man's face. Blood splattered onto his clothes, dyeing his shirt an even darker shade of crimson. The boss' breath was erratic, and the blaze in his eyes threatened to burn down the entire building with him.

"You're supposed to be dead."

He kicked the man again.

"I watched you die."

Another kick.

"How dare you still live?"

The man wheezed and tried his best to meet the boss in the eye. "Please... Let me explain—"

"Explain what?"

Chuuya dug the sole of his shoe into the man's chest, forcing him to fall backwards onto the ground. The two lackeys held their breaths, waiting for the boss to lash out at them too, but his wrath was focused solely on the man on the floor.

"Are you a ghost? You here to taunt me from beyond the grave? Or is this one last sick joke? Which one is it, Dazai?"

The man, Dazai, took a moment to let his chest fully rise and fall. "I'm not a ghost. And this is most definitely not a joke."

"What are you then?"

Dazai closed his eyes. "I'll tell you. On one condition."

"Do you really think you're in a position to negotiate right now?"

"Chuuya. Please."

Multiple spots on the man's face had begun to swell, and his hair was tangled up in so much blood. None of these factors, though, had anything to do with the sheer pitiful expression on his face. He looked like a kitten kicked to the curb by his owner.

Chuuya paused. "Get out."

The two grunts gaped at Chuuya. "But, sir—"

"I said get out!" he snarled.

They bowed their heads and rushed out the door.

Once they were alone, Chuuya stooped down and lifted Dazai up by the collar of his shirt. "Tell me what the fuck you're doing here, Dazai."

He swallowed, hard, and dared to look the boss in the eye.. "Are you familiar with the multiverse theory...?"

Chuuya scoffed and dropped him.

"Wait!" Dazai pushed himself up. "I swear to you, I'm not joking."

"You tryna say that you're an alternate version of Dazai?"

"Essentially, yes."

Chuuya's expression was unreadable.

"Get back in here!" he barked.