Chapter Text
“You know just as well as I do you shouldn’t be here right now.”
Atsushi chastised, one hand on his hip as he glared at Akutagawa from across the rooftop.
“Forgive me, knave, but I don’t believe there was any specific rule stating I shan’t be allowed in a 165 metre radius of you. Perhaps I just wanted to rest somewhere. You ever considered that?”
Akutagawa huffed blithely.
“Oh, yes, because standing just above our workplace like some little looming angel of destruction is ‘resting’. In fact, aren’t you supposed to be at work right now? Where are you even finding the time to do this?”
“This is my break.”
“You’re spending your breaks glowering at our base?!”
“Know your enemy.”
“We end up working together 50 percent of the time!”
Atsushi sighed and shook his head. This conversation was going nowhere. All he came up here to do was chase him away (or, at least get him to stop staring at the ADA) and he was instead about to invoke an argument with someone who he knew would never listen. And, to be completely fair, Akutagawa technically wasn’t doing anything. He was just.. there.
Resigned, the weretiger turned to leave.
“I don’t understand what he sees in you.”
Atsushi paused. Excuse you? He turned around to look at Akutagawa, and was to some extent bewildered when he discovered the older man’s look of utmost seriousness. Akutagawa continued pointedly.
“You’re pitiful. Over altruistic with a White Knight complex. You bring people misfortune simply by being around them. How could you… How could you be better than me? How could you be more deserving of praise than me? I don’t understand.”
Why does this sort of thing always happen to me?… Atsushi sighed to himself. He had long since grown accustomed to Akutagawa’s hatred (?) of him, but he didn’t understand why. What had he done to be the outlet of such loathing?
“And, the worst of it? You don’t even understand how generously Lady Fortuna has laid her gifts onto you—”
"I'm not stupid!” Atsushi interjected. “Obviously I know I’ve been favoured! I’ve been helped every second of my life since I left the orphanage! Dazai - San , Kunikida - San, Yosano - Sensei, Kyouka - Chan, Byakko - chan.. Do you seriously think I don’t know I would be dead by now if not for the kindness of the people I’m surrounded by?"
He hissed, his fingers clenching into his fists and leaving deep crescent shaped indents before loosening and falling to his side.
"Just leave. You're creeping out everyone in the office."