Work Text:
The comforting warmth of the spring sunlight beamed down onto the freshly watered streets. Two young men walked side by side, taking advantage of the ever clearing midday sky.
Despite the damp sidewalks and grey clouded expanse above, it was a pleasant day. Work at the armed detective agency for the white haired were-tiger was going as smoothly as usual (which meant, some odd occurrences on his co-workers’ behalf), he was still a bit of an errand boy.
With an A6 piece of paper in hand, the taller of the two spoke. “Yosano gave me a list of things to do, don’t you and her usually go out for groceries?” Tanizaki asked his friend.
“Yeah.. but she’s been busy supervising Ranpo.” Atsushi replied a bit faint-heartedly. He couldn’t bring himself to tell the truth.
To explain a past event hastily, Ranpo had made Atsushi aware of thoughts and feelings that’d been lurking just beneath the surface. It was more childish teasing than dedication. A great detective like Ranpo Edogawa wouldn’t waste his time on office romances.
Within the past month or so, Atsushi had been obliviously orbiting closer to Tanizaki. His heterochromatic gaze would often drift towards the other absentmindedly, and Ranpo so happened to catch him once or twice.
From the detective’s playful teasing, to Atsushi’s realisation, to Yosano being told and becoming his “wing-duo”, it’d been an emotional spiral. He was much more aware of Tanizaki now, it both made him like the boy more and wanted to pull his own hair out from frustration.
“He’s twenty-six years old, you’d think he doesn’t need a babysitter.” Tanizaki exhaled a small chuckle. It could’ve made anyone’s heart skip a beat.
Trying to quickly distract his increased heart rate, Atsushi fumbled for a topic change. “The weather’s been so unpredictable lately!”
“Spring is usually a bit of a rainy season, gotta enjoy it before summer heatwaves and all. Oh! Maybe we could go to the beach?” The suggestion brought an obvious smile to Atsushi’s face.
“That might be thinking too far forward.” He didn’t want to seem desperate to hangout with Tanizaki, they saw each other everyday anyways. He was worried that the other was getting sick of him.
Tanizaki hummed back. “Right, don’t wanna jinx anything.”
Mr. Nakajima took a moment to yell internally. Ranpo and Yosano had ‘set them up’ on this outing. Sure, the agency needed errands to be done but Yosano had pushed for Tanizaki to go instead of herself.
They’d both advised him to just shoot his shot. It was better than being even more of a mess. The thoughts had been distracting him from his work lately.
“So, what do we have to do today?” Atsushi asked, curiously peering over at the paper in Tanizaki’s hand.
“Uh, let’s see..” Chestnut eyes scanned neat handwriting. Atsushi felt his own focus spilling.
“Pickup a package for Kenji at the post office, purchase more A4 paper for the printer and restock on groceries. Well, I can do the second one at the post office too. You wanna buy the groceries?” The younger of the two asked his trusted co-worker, a familiar carefree tone in his voice.
“Oh, sure. Wait. What if the package is a cow or something outlandish?” He felt the need to subtly point out how the ADA was never an average place.
A reassuring chuckle broke past Tanizaki’s lips. “Don’t worry Atsushi, Yosano put in brackets that it’s something small.”
Maybe it was because of his soft laugh or friendly face, but the were-tiger could feel heat rising up his neck to his ears. Tanizaki was as oblivious as he’d been up until a few weeks ago, so he couldn’t blame the redhead.
How was he going to confess to him? Doctor and detective “high-IQ” back at the office were probably hoping the two would come back together-together. But would his confession be romantic enough?
Atsushi had all these doubts and worries in his mind, they clouded the bigger picture. He likes Tanizaki. That’s all he had to say, that he likes him.
Not just his warm brown eyes or pumpkin orange hair, the first confession had to be the only confession. If he screwed up, it’d all be over for him.
A call of his name brought him back from the depths of his pondering mind. “Hey Atsushi? You’re zoning out real bad there pal. Do you need to sit down?”
“Oh- no thanks, I’m fine.” Atsushi said dismissively. He’d have time to think while shopping.
His companion slowly nodded, unconvinced but allowing it to slide. “Well, here’s the shopping list. I’ll meet you outside the market in about twenty minutes, is that okay?” Tanizaki spoke while handing the slip of paper to the shorter boy, who nodded in understanding.
“Or just text me when you’re done, I’ll hurry right back without hesitation.” he continued with that same warm smile that made Atsushi’s day brighter.
“Okay, got it. See you soon, Tanizaki!” The were-tiger smiled back up at his friend with a small wave as they parted ways.
In his mind, Atsushi promised himself he’d tell Tanizaki what he felt when they met up again. He could feel his courage growing as rough ideas of what to say came to him.
-
With a grocery bag full of fresh fruit in one arm, Atsushi began to wander back to the place him and Tanizaki were meant to meet back up at. He was sure Tanizaki would already be done with the post office stuff. It was near the post office anyways, just down the road.
As he went past a payphone, it began to chime loudly. He stilled for a moment, to glance over at the empty box. It continued to ring.
It was odd to Atsushi, he debated ignoring it but thought it could be someone trying to call back whoever used the payphone previously.
Curiously and cautiously, the choppy haired boy entered the glass booth. His gloved hand hesitantly reached for the phone on the hook, picking it up and placing it to his ear.
“Hello, were-tiger.” Atsushi’s blood threatened to turn cold. It was Akutagawa and nothing good was going to come out of this. The Port Mafia had only caused pain and suffering for Atsushi. It was no secret, anyways. They still wanted his head on a stick.
“A-Akutagawa?” He replied, trying to hold back the shakiness in his voice.
“Listen carefully now, I won’t be repeating myself. If you hang up this phone, bombs planted in a nearby location will go off.”
Atsushi silently gulped, adjusting his grip on the brown paper bag in an attempt to distract his nerves. There was no way he’d disobey and let innocent people somewhere die. He wasn’t going to take the chance that the mafia member was bluffing.
“Seems like you’re willing to cooperate, so I’ll continue.” Akutagawa seemed almost smug or proud, maybe even looking down on the other’s lack of words.
“You’re going to help eliminate a specific member of the armed detective agency, a traitor of sorts. Remember were-tiger, there’s always gruesome consequences when someone goes against the Port Mafia.” The cold hearted voice on the other end of the telephone continued in a monotone. There was usually a hint of anger behind every word Akutagawa spoke though.
The very idea of harming a co-worker or possibility of a traitor was unheard of to Atsushi. He already hated what he was hearing from the criminal.
Thoughts began to race through his head, why should he even trust what a Port Mafia member had to say? What if he was told to kill...
Atsushi spoke up before the thought was able to be finished. “What do you mean traitor? Nobody in the agency is lik-“
“If you’d be quiet and let me elaborate so your simpleminded brain could hopefully understand.” Akutagawa hissed daggers at Atsushi who slouched where he stood.
“Here’s a little tidbit of information for you, Dazai Osamu is a filthy bastard of a liar and a traitor to-“
“No! You’re the filthy liar! Don’t ever speak poorly of him!” Atsushi yelled back, having snapped. He carelessly threw the phone to where it should hang.
A breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding onto finally escaped past his lips in a loud exhale. His eyes worriedly gazed at the phone that swayed back and forth, he couldn’t hear a dial tone.
“..un, wer.. iger th.. post off.. ce... bout to...”
It seemed Akutagawa had hung up, but not before Atsushi heard what was hopefully not the location of the bombs.
He bolted out of the telephone box, grocery bag still held tightly in his arms and charging down the sidewalk for the post office. It was just down the road, he had to get there fast.
As much as he cared for the lives of innocent people, there was one person at the front of his mind. He didn’t apologise to any people he almost ran into or dumped, like many times before, Tanizaki was all he could focus on.
“Tanizaki!” For a moment, Atsushi’s desperate plea for his ginger haired companion met deathly silence. Then an explosion tore through all sound.
The ground shook as a heated fire blast shattered the glass of buildings. The flames were quick to rise up from any opening in the post office and bystanders screamed and ran away from the dangerous scene.
Atsushi’s double coloured eyes processed the fiery heat lapping at everything, embers flying from broken windows.
He dropped the bag of fruit, about to bound across the road to find Tanizaki when an arm swung around his torso and pulled him back off the ground.
His eyes were already watering, reaching out for the burning building. “L-let me go, now! I have to sav-“
“Shh. Your emotions are causing your ability to activate.” A deep soothing voice told the cat boy, it was Dazai and he was right.
The were-tiger took a moment to assess his figure, arms already transformed and covered in fur.
“Put me down then! We can go and help them, there are innocent people too!” He struggled against the older man’s grip, still hopelessly focused on the hot glowing fire.
Tears threatened to fall from Atsushi’s fixated eyes. He just wanted to make sure Tanizaki wasn’t in that building like he’d thought.
Dazai obliged, letting feet meet the ground again. “Too? Is someone important in there?” He asked, not appearing to have a desire to run into the flames himself though.
“Dazai I don’t have time for this!! Don’t try stopping me again.”
The boy was able to take a few running strides away from Dazai, the man having been left shocked. He was quick to grab the were-tiger yet again.
“Dazai! I told you not to...” The words had started off irritated and aggressive but had ended up slurred and exhausted. Dazai had used his ability on Atsushi as he had started to transform due to raging emotions.
-
Vision blurred in and out of consciousness, voices muddled and hard to understand.
Atsushi rolled his head from side to side, his brain trying to catch up with his body. The adrenaline he’d felt earlier had since left him, he wasn’t sure when or how that’d happen, but it wasn’t natural.
“Not yet, I’m not sure he even knows. Dazai brought him in though, the kid was trying to run into the fire.” Yosano’s gentle voice reached Atsushi’s ears from where he laid.
It took him another moment or two to realise where he was, eyes fully opening and gazing across his surroundings. He was laying in a bed of white sheets in Yosano’s infirmary, he’d been here before, even seen other people in here.
“Trying to save.. him?” Namoi asked, her voice different, strained. She was talking to Yosano, the two women were out of his line of sight but they were somewhere nearby.
When no reply came, the younger women began to whimper and sulk. Atsushi hadn’t heard her sound so upset before, he wanted to know why and try to comfort her. Something bad had happened, he had a feeling in his gut that he knew what.
“When he wakes up, do you want to talk to him? We can check on him now too.” Yosano asked, voice so soft it could break something precious.
“Yes, it might help actually.” Naomi sobbed with a sniffle. Their footsteps began to approach the bed where he rested, frozen still.
When they reached his bedside, Atsushi’s eyes were locked onto the plain ceiling above. His body refused to move, barely breathing. Thoughts had registered in his brain again, piecing recent information together.
“What happened?” He pushed out the words before it became too difficult, he didn’t want to be right. Maybe, where his thoughts had stopped and started back again, it was different. Maybe, Tanizaki wasn’t in that post office but had waited outside the market, staying back to help clean up, their paths not crossing again yet.
His question was met with a similar, more piercing silence. He understood it, being a part of the Armed detective agency meant they’d know.
Tears began to form a bridge across his lower eyelids, ready to overflow down his face.
“I’m sorry, Atsushi.” Yosano said. Nobody in the room liked those words.
Naomi’s already sore, puffy eyes joined him in welling up with tears as she flopped onto the bed to hug and comfort him. “Sorry.” She held him tightly, lifting him out of the laying position he hadn’t moved from.
The young man felt guilty for starting to cry, Naomi was clearly the one who’d lost someone. Someone very important to her, too. As far as he knew, her last living relative.
Tanizaki had just been a friend and co-worker to Atsushi. Why would she apologise to him? He understood why Yosano was saying sorry, though he couldn’t bring himself to think too deeply into it at the moment.
“Why are you sorry, Naomi?” He asked, patting her back as he awkwardly tried to sit up.
She didn’t want to detach herself from Atsushi, maybe it was a cat thing but his aura was more soothing than Dazai or Yosano’s voice. “He likes you a lot, you two are really good friends. H-he wanted more but- he liked you.” She spoke through a raspy voice, breathing uneven.
This brought a bittersweet emotion to the were-tiger, she spoke as though he was still here. The knowledge was still too recent, he didn’t want to think about how it’d take time to do anything about this.
“Yeah, he’s a good friend.” He cracked a smile for Naomi even though she couldn’t see it. Yosano watched, not joining the prolonged hug.
“I think he’d di- I-I mean.. I think he’d be embarrassed if I told you this and I’m going to. I don’t know what the point of knowing this is anymore but, it was something he wanted to say to you eventually.” Naomi continued, trying to remain understandable.
“I wanted to tell him something too, ahah.” Atsushi responded. He tried to fake a tiny laugh, one that clearly reminded him of Tanizaki. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to stay away from any reminders or drown in them. The wound was fresh, still severely bleeding out.
“Well.. he has a crush on you, it’s so cute.” She began to sob harder and hold Atsushi even tighter. That’s why she was sorry, but it didn’t quite click yet.
“Ah.” He couldn’t think, it started to reach new levels of pain, a different kind of pain.
He looked to Yosano, her expression filled with guilt. “Atsushi likes him too.” She spoke on behalf of the lovesick boy.
Both Naomi and Yosano already knew the two liked each, they’d been trying to work together in that sense but the boys were difficult. Cowardly.
“He knows now, I hope he knows now.”