Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

His name is Atsushi Nakajima, a bonafide ability user who possesses the ability Beast Beneath the Moonlight. Titled appropriately so, given that he can turn into a near-indestructible tiger usually under a full moon. Most recently, he can do it whenever and however he pleases (meaning full or partial body transformations).

Atsushi is, without any pretenses, a damned idiot.

Because after their long-overdue victory against Fyodor and that bastard of an ability user Pushkin, he makes Akutagawa promise to not kill anyone for six months. Akutagawa, for whatever reason other than murder, agrees readily.

So, a little after two months since their interaction, Atsushi holds his head in his hands, eyes straining to look at his reports in his lap, shoulders weighing heavy and face weighing heavier. He barely pays attention to the squeaking of the wheels of the chair as Dazai smoothly slides closer to him, the back of the chair hitting his own chair.

"Atsushi~ you look so stressed!" Dazai stretches over his shoulders, eyes cast downward.

"I-I... I should've said something longer like eight or even twelve!" He harshly whispers.

There's a grating laugh that Atsushi snaps his head back, to see Dazai hanging over the chair, back on the floor, and the back of his legs perched neatly on the chair. His face is near crazed with laughter, tears already forming at the corner of his eyes. Broken words spill out like a record glitching. Atsushi makes out only two words: sucks and wild and he can't make heads nor tails of it— his face twists in pure displeasure and he kicks the chair out from under Dazai.

If only Kunikida hadn't gone out.

Dazai continues to cackle and Atsushi looks around for reinforcement and sees—

Kyouka sits quietly with Naomi and Tanizaki, who take turns taking pictures for Kenji, who was newly gifted a polaroid camera. Kenji, in turn, takes a multitude of photos, some blurry, some clear as day but all random pictures of the things in the office. Ranpo also plays along too, posing in various poses and instructs Kenji to take them from certain angles. Yosano is nowhere to be seen, having hidden in her office.

— no one to help. Of course.

Dazai crawls over, face wildly teasing and highly inappropriate for a work environment as Atsushi sinks into his chair, a head thrown over his shoulders and whimpers. The only other interaction that he had with Akutagawa was the accidental grocery shopping incident... in which, for a split second, he contemplates joining the Port Mafia group when he got a sneak peek of the salary Akutagawa gets.

His heart drops when he remembers the amount of zeros places after the decimal point...

"Hey hey hey, you wanna know a secret?"

Atsushi yelps a bit, completely caught off guard as Dazai leans into his headspace, his eyes wide with cosmic and endless mirth from his misery. He hadn't even realized that Dazai, who he last remembered was crawling on the floor, had gone to the other desk just to lean two sharp elbows on it and lay nicely on the palms of his hands, smiling widely.

A cursed image.

Atsushi narrows his eyes at Dazai, his lips frowning.

"Well, I didn't think he'd take it seriously!"

"He's boring, Atsushi, you of all people should've realized this," Dazai deadpans.

A myriad of emotions, mainly confusion, overtake Atsushi's face, flipping through like cards being shuffled. Is it considered blase if he only knows Akutagawa as thick-headed and violent? Is Akutagawa truly a dull person if he's done nothing but throw tirades at him? Something in his brain short-circuits because it wouldn't be so inaccurate as to call Akutagawa boring but.. would it be accurate? 

The jovial atmosphere from one end of the office and the ludicrous teasing administered from Dazai to Atsushi is almost immediately broken when their office doors open and a silent figure stood by the door. The silence in the office is so palpable, Atsushi turns around, wondering who could be at the door, before he sees—

"Akutagawa?"

There stood Port Mafia's rabid dog, Akutagawa... except... Atsushi squints his eyes and takes in the image fully. Akutagawa stood there, face as ever expressionless as the moon itself, sharp eyes notably a darker grey than before, but carries himself strong and determined. His signature black coat is replaced with the tattered ends of a light beige-nearing gray trench coat that's likely a size too big and has shorter but wider sleeves and ends a little past his mid calves. His coat is open, revealing a taut black dress shirt that ends slightly loose at his wrists paired with a pure white tie. His pants are different too— they are long black dress capris, flaring slightly at the bottom, with faint lines running straight down on the pants.

Atsushi blinks, staring blankly at Akutawaga... who stares blankly at him.. who stares blankly at him. 

"What are you doing here?" Akutagawa says.

It breaks their weird stare-off and Atsushi immediately rises on his feet, preparing to fight Akutagawa even in his new attire. Except... Akutagawa still stands there, hands in his pockets, eyes devoid of emotion. Atsushi hears, rather than sees, Dazai move from the desk and his head peeking past Atsushi's.

Immediately, light gray tendrils invade their office space, rapidly progressing to where Atsushi stands and he jumps away, landing right on top of Kunikida's desk. From the corner of his eyes, he sees Kyouka readying Demon Snow with Kenji holding up a desk and Tanizaki protecting Naomi from behind her. Ranpo, however, stands quietly, watching the show unfold.

Atsushi watches the tendrils rip apart his chair and prepares himself for the next set of tendrils except... it never comes and it immediately heads over to Dazai, who stands quietly. The tendrils barely reach him before No Longer Human is activated and they dissipate into thin air, few remnants of gray dust floating about.

When he looks over at this strange Akutagawa, Atsushi gasps at the immense look of absolute and putrid hatred written on Akutagawa's face.

"Looks like cockroaches really can survive anything," Akutagawa spits out, stepping forward.

Atsushi, whose arms and legs have already partially transformed, watches in shock and bewilderment as Dazai leans back against the desk, his eyes cool and hands stuffed back into his pocket. What is going on?! He thinks wildly, watching tendrils from Rashomon nearly engulf the space in the office.

"Dazai! Look out, Akutaga—"

"Akutagawa."

Both Atsushi and Dazai look over to Ranpo, who's conveniently stood in between Akutagawa's path towards Dazai. He stands proudly with glasses on his face and smirks at Akutagawa, who stops in his tracks and carefully regards Ranpo. The tendrils retreat back into the coat and the look of hatred that Atsushi saw is gradually becoming less hateful and more neutral. His brows furrow as Atsushi watches the scene before him and looks helplessly at Dazai, whose face is still as cool as ever but eyes more quizzical than before.

Demon Snow however appears behind Akutagawa and the hostile environment is back again. Atsushi runs towards Kyouka, who's jumped forward and branded her knife before it's immediately broken with Demon Snow held against the wall by the same tendrils that initially retreated.

"Kyouka!"

Atsushi watches tendrils wrap around her neck and moves to break it, his arm outstretched as he jumps forward.

"You're gonna have to release her if you want my help," Ranpo singsongs.

Immediately, the tendrils retract again and Atsushi skids across the office, nearly bumping into Kyouka, who holds her neck gingerly. Demon Snow disappears from Rahoumon's hold and both Atsushi and Kyouka look at this Akutagawa, who looks back emotionless.

Like he didn't almost kill a 14-year-old girl just now. 

"What is wrong with you?!" Atsushi howls.

However, the question goes unanswered as Ranpo gazes intriguingly at Akutagawa with one finger on his hands and eyes near manic. Akutagawa stares quietly at Ranpo, eyes betraying no emotion and Atsushi has half the mind to thoroughly knock Ranpo off his feet. The doors behind him open and Yosano walks in, asking what the ruckus was before she spots the unknown Akutagawa-lookalike standing before Ranpo in quiet obedience.

Her face twists.

"Ranpo! What the hell?!" Yosano yells, pulling out a scalpel (it wasn't like she was prepared for Akutagawa to show up unannounced).

"Explain." Akutagawa gruffs out, his hand reaching over and pulling at Ranpo's collar.

The laugh that escapes Ranpo's mouth cover up the silence in the office and Atsushi stares wildly in disbelief. He watches as Ranpo pries the hand off his collar, mumbling something about ruining the fabric as Akutagawa blinks, moving his hand back into his pocket.

"Ranpo~ Care to share for the class?" Dazai hums.

Immediately, Akutagawa's eyes narrow and Atsushi, who's been holding Kyouka close to him, tightens his grip. His arms and legs are still partially transformed but his position is ready to switch into attack mode. He watches as Akutagawa coldly glares at Dazai before turning his full attention to Ranpo, who he looks at with.. a slight hint of annoyance.

Something.. something that's usually directed to Atsushi.

Ranpo grins.

"He's not from here," Ranpo explains cooly. " I mean, he's not from this timeline."

Chapter Text

Inadvertently, Atsushi relinquishes his grip on Kyouka, who stands back with her arms back against her sides, while his arms and legs start to morph back into a normal human arm and leg. He looks at Ranpo with wide, quizzical eyes, and turns his attention to Dazai— maybe, he has an idea of what— and sees a blank but calculating look. Dazai looks to Atsushi from the corner of his eyes and winks.

So he doesn't know either, huh?

"Uwah, I always imagined the possibility but to see it here, standing before me!" Ranpo gushes.

He's pulling at Akutagawa's coat, examining every bit of clothing that he can reach, jumping from one side to another with Akutagawa glares visibly at Dazai, disregarding Rampo's rants. Atsushi steps forward, an instinct to protect Dazai from danger, and flinches when the Akutagawa's glare makes it on him. However, in an instant, he notices the glare soft into something.. different... something like indifference or maybe sadness?

"Ranpo," Dazai enunciates sternly but it has no effect on him.

The doors open to reveal the missing Kunikida and the President stepping into the office. In a near instant, Kunikida draws his gun, his arm extending out to protect the President when he looks and sees Akutagawa. Atsushi stills, unable to move, watching the scene before him. Can he say that Akutagawa won't hurt them when they've been proven wrong time and time again? Silent, long tendrils make quick work of the gun, tossing it harshly on the opposite side of the office, close to Dazai's face but nearly grazing him. Atsushi steps forward, hands in fists and feeling the temptation to transform again nearing him. This Akutagawa leers over to Atsushi's sudden movement and turns to face him, eyes piercing.

"Whoa, wait wait wait!" Ranpo yells.

"Ranpo! What are you doing, it's Akutagawa!" Kunikida counters.

He moves his hand towards the inner lining of his vest, reaching for his book of Ideals, before he feels a hand on his shoulders. Kunikida turns and watches the steeled look on Fukuzawa's face. There's a tense look before Kunikida gives in with resignation, hands withdrawing from his vest without his book. Ranpo grins back at Fukuzawa, waving his hand.

"Ranpo, please explain," Fukuzawa requests.

Atsushi stands nervously around the crowd that's gathered around Ranpo, who sits on one end of the couch with the President, and Akutagawa, who sits on the opposite alone. Kyouk stands a little behind him, eyes peering. Yosano had walked towards Tanizaki and Naomi, who are closer to the doors. Dazai, who is next to him, closer to Ranpo's side, has a hand on his chin, his arm propped by his other hand and listens intently to Ranpo's explanation.

"If we were to call our timeline 'A', then Akutagawa here," Ranpo gestures. "He would be from timeline 'B' or maybe 'C', who knows!"

Akutagawa sits quietly, his face emotionless but eyes ever piercing at Ranpo, who continues on without a hitch. The situation is more easily said than explained. At least, by Atsushi's standards. According to Ranpo, this Akutagawa is from an alternate timeline that was created by The Book in accordance with its rules and regulations. It isn't necessarily a rewrite of sorts, more so another strand on the 'original' timeline or universe. He mentions something offhandedly, something about the differences between the 'original' versus 'root' timeline, saying that they are not synonymous despite the heavy implication. Ranpo goes on further, somewhat explaining the physics behind this situation, as he quotes verbatim: "Time is an illusion that is not rooted by physical reality". Atsushi finds himself winded, his brain unable to process the speed of which Ranpo rants, his face mirroring the level of ignorance. 

"You know," Dazai interjects. "This reveals more about The Book's powers than the current situation."

Atsushi shakes his head in unsure agreement. Rather, he feels that he's just shaking his head because Dazai is talking and saying something that sounds smart enough to agree with. He glances over at Akutagawa, who is still glaring at Ranpo. If anything, Atsushi ponders, this thing about him is still the same no matter what timeline.

"Of course," Ranpo agrees. "But that's the most interesting thing about this—"

Ranpo reaches over, gesturing to Akutagawa's left arm. There's a thick layer of hesitation that blankets over the group and it's near suffocating until Akutagawa raises his arm slightly and brings it to Ranpo. He quickly grabs it and pushes the sleeve up, showing two dark gold bars that wrap around his wrists.

Akutagawa blinks, taken aback at the sudden ink on his wrists.

"This—" he drags Akutagawa's wrist up to showcase it.

Atsushi has a sudden fear that Akutagawa may just end up killing him afterward.

"This isn't caused by an ability, which means..." Ranpo trails off.

Akutagawa snatches his wrist back, gently moving thin and delicate fingers across the gold bars. They're not extremely thick bars, in fact, if anyone were to see it, it'd appear more like bracelets or an interesting tattoo design. But they're gold against his pale skin. Akutagawa's light brows furrow and Atsushi notes that this is probably the most he's ever seen Akutagawa emote— version A, version B, whatever!

"Meaning that The Book is responsible." Dazai whispers, something different in his tone.

"The Book is sentient." Fukuzawa finishes off.

At that moment, Akutagawa snaps his head back, his eyes widen and it's nearly comical for Atsushi to. Except, he's reading the room and the amount of trepidation and dread that soils the atmosphere should be enough to keep his mouth shut.

"W-What does that mean?" Atsushi asks, against his own wishes of keeping shut.

"The last thing I remember was my hand reaching the door to my apartment" Akutagawa starts, ignoring Atsushi's glance. "Suddenly, I was opening the door to the office."

Atsushi blinks. The office? He wonders what Akutagawa means by that and again, against his better judgment, speaks again.

"You.. know what this place is?" Akutagawa glances over and Atsushi flinches.

"Of course, it's the headquarters of the Armed Detective Agency."

Akutagawa pulls back his sleeve, hiding the gold marks, carefully taking Atsushi into account. Atsushi straights his shoulders, unsure if he's readying for another fight but there's no blood lust, nothing that screams out danger. His hand curls and uncurls as a bead of sweat appears on his forehead. Something about Akutagawa's gaze is nerve-wracking... different... heavy.

"Who are you in this universe?" Akutagawa glances back to Dazai, who has a surprisingly shocked look on his face.

"Ah, I'm not sure of what you mean?" Dazai asks, a coy smile on his face.

Atsushi watches the dark glare that Akutagawa gives and it's odd to see it not usually directed to him. Ah, well, this isn't really that Akutagawa anyway. Akutagawa abruptly stands and everyone in the room stands before him, readying to fight him. He crosses over to Dazai, eyes manic with hatred. Atsushi steps in front of Akutagawa, an obstacle in his path, a hand out on his chest and briefly watches a hint of conflict in his eyes. 

"You are a stain in my universe," Akutagawa spits out. "You have brought discord, needless slaughter and unimaginable pain as the godfather of Port Mafia."

Atsushi freezes, his hand slipping off of Akutagawa's chest before balling up into fists. He wants to scream back, fight and throw fists against this Akutagawa who stands before them, spouting lies. Because Dazai would never do that. Except, his eyes are wide with fear and anger because a part of Atsushi, who stares at the endless amount of hatred deep in Akutagawa's eyes, can't ignore this amount of emotions. 

When Akutagawa looks down at him, Atsushi snaps back into reality, his hand is loose, fingers uncurled. There's something intimate with how Akutagawa regards Atsushi as if his eyes are focusing and unfocusing in every millisecond in time, as if in disbelief that Atsushi is standing in front of him. Akutagawa shifts, turning to face Ranpo and Fukuzawa.

"My mentor, is he here?" Akutagawa asks.

Atsushi watches the grimace appear on Ranpo's face, barely hidden with the tip of his hat.

"Your mentor is?" Fukuzawa asks.

"Sakunosuke Oda." 

Chapter Text

There's a gentle breeze that shakes the trees and disturbs the grasses. Atsushi stood at the top of the steps, eyes watching listlessly at the scene before him, a scene he's only seen once in his life. The sun is high in the skies, barely obscuring by passing clouds, yet the rays still hit the waters below, sparkling like twinkling stars in a vast, blue space. The bay bridges on the horizon stand proudly and shine just as bright as the seas. If one listens for it, the faint sounds of horns from the passing boats can be heard and they compliment the endless tranquility in this cemetery. 

Dazai takes lead, solemnly walking down the steps, with.. version B of Akutagawa following suit, quiet and complacent. Atsushi is just a few feet away, quietly keeping to himself. He remembers the first time he came here, it was as if he had entered a new world, something that Yokohama created to keep secret. But, as he walks behind the two men, he feels like he's intruding on a sacred place.

Something in his stomach curls up. He wouldn't.. start attacking in a cemetery right? On instinct, if anyone were to ask him the same question, Atsushi would have said 'yes, yes he would'. But this isn't the Akutagawa he's known, fought against, fought with.

That particular grave lies isolated on a small hill with one of the larger trees in the cemetery. The church beside it is quiet but breaks the tranquility with loud, delicate bells. Dazai once told him it was a special request, a gift of sorts, but Atsushi never understood what it meant and he never pushed it.

The men walk up the steps and Dazai steps aside, his arm gesturing over the grave as if to showcase it. There's a tight smile on Dazai's face and Atsushi grimaces, as though he's taken a hit. Atsushi watches Akutagawa from behind carefully but before he could say anything, he's being pulled away by Dazai himself.

"What are we doing here, Dazai?" He whispers once they're a few feet away from Akutagawa.

Dazai holds one finger against his lips and winks, pointing back to the steps that they came from. Atsushi turns and, at this angle, he can see that Akutagawa is on his knees and has two hands clasped in front of him. His profile is cold sober and if Atsushi didn't know any better, he looked...

Oh. It's a stark contrast between the Akutagawa from this universe and the unknown one. Atsushi curls his hands into small fists. He remembers when he had asked Dazai if it was someone he loved, the question was answered in the most Dazai-way possible. 

Dazai walks past him, heading up the stairs, his hair covering his face while Atsushi stood at the bottom of the steps. There's a bigger breeze and it blows away some of the hair that was covering Dazai's face. The question that Atsushi wanted to ask was stuck in his throat as he watched forlorn eyes look towards where Akutagawa stood.

Towards... towards someone that Dazai loved very dearly.

I wonder what kind of person Oda was? He thinks quietly to himself.

Atsushi watches Akutagawa carefully stand, his hands curling back into his coat and curtly walks away, heading towards the steps. But the face that he sees next is something akin to anger and hate. Akutagawa tilts his head, eyes meeting Dazai and aims this undue hatred towards Dazai. Atsushi stares at Akutagawa, something different in his gaze because he doesn't think he can look at Dazai right now.

"Did you kill him?" Akutagawa asks, unencumbered.

"No."

Atsushi watches the look of surprise on Akutagawa's face, all animosity is suddenly gone. He whips his head around, something nagging him to see what Akutagawa sees and he.. he sees it and it almost makes him cry. Dazai looks at Akutagawa like he's lost a best friend but also... It was like he lost a beloved. 

When he catches Dazai's eyes, Atsushi looks down in shame and marches forward, ignoring Akutagawa and Dazai as they head back to the taxi. He feels ashamed that he never knew about Oda, embarrassed to take Dazai's flippant response to his question many months ago at face value, but most of all? Atsushi feels useless that he's never had lost anyone as important to him like Dazai has.

—

The car ride is quiet, with just Atsushi and Akutagawa sitting in the backside and Dazai riding in the passenger seat. Still, his hands curl and the outside world does nothing to distract the endless of questions in his head. Who is Oda? You say mentor but does that mean he's still alive in your universe? What about Dazai? Are they together?

"You're being annoying," Akutagawa grunts.

"What?" Atsushi turns his head to the left, staring blankly at Akutagawa.

"Haha~ Atsushi, you've made it too easy!" Dazai giggles.

"If you want to ask something, just say it," Akutagawa crosses his arms across in chest, face unpleasant as he regards Atsushi.

"A-Ah.. was it obvious?"

"Yes." The replies come from both Akutagawa and Dazai, who share a tense look.

"Oh.. aha, no I just..." Atsushi gulps. "W-What kind of person is Oda?"

In his mind, Atsushi writes his will and memoir and hopes that one day, humanity will be able to read people's brains from beyond the grave. But Akutagawa uncrosses his arm and places the left arm on the car door, his hand tucking his chin in.

"Strong... and kind." Akutagawa chews a bit. "He was the most powerful person I know."

Atsushi nods, his face a bit pink from embarrassment but he watches from the car mirror a look of appreciation on Dazai's face. He lets a small smile on his face and silently thanks Oda for helping Akutagawa and for being Dazai's friend.

"Now it's your turn to answer some questions, boy," Dazai grins as Akutagawa glares coldly at him.

They've made it safely back to the office without any fuss and Kunikida waves off the driver, thanking him again for all he's done. But rather than going upstairs, they stop by Uzumaki for some refreshers

"I refuse," Akutagawa bites.

Currently, Akutagawa sits across both Dazai and Atsushi. Despite their initial understanding in the car, Atsushi is still on edge, worrying if Akutagawa will just go wild and try to kill Dazai on the spot again or if he'll behave. These are thoughts that he never knew he would be thinking about considering he was always afraid that Akutagawa of their universe would just break his promise and kill him the next time they see each other.

"Hello! What would you like to order?"

"Could I get shiruko and houjicha?"

"Of course! Coming up!"

The tea is set carefully on the table with the waitress saying that the shiruko will be arriving soon after. Akutagawa nods and takes the tea, drinking it quietly. Atsushi blinks at the.. probably the most civilized he's ever seen Akutagawa and—

"Atsushi, your face broke," he feels someone poking his cheek and smacks Dazai's hand away, blushing furiously.

Atsushi sneaks a look back at Akutagawa, who looks at him as if he's glaring. Except... Isn't that his normal face? He always looks mad at someone! Atsushi finds his face still hot, his mind shortcircuiting again at the thought of differentiating between this universe's Akutagawa and the other.

"Thank you for waiting, here's your—"

The waitress slips, her foot bending at a weird angle and in a split moment, Atsushi felt that same bloodlust he'd normally sense with this universe's Akutagawa. He slams his hands on the table, eyes darting to the waitress.

"Wait!"

In an instant, beige-gray tendrils wrap around the bowl, cup and platter while holding the waitress around the waist and legs, gently setting her down on the floor. Those same tendrils slowly unwrap around the bowl and cup and move it to the waitress, whose face is pink. Atsushi freezes, his hands outstretched towards Akutagawa and blinks furiously at him.

"W-What?'

"Are you okay?" Akutagawa asks, looking at the waitress as Rashomon gently gives her the platter again.

She nods furiously, her face almost completely red, and hurriedly thanks Akutagawa before slamming the shiruko and houjicha on the table and rushing off to the kitchen. The hand that was once outstretched to stop Akutagawa from... something... is now faltering in his strength. He watches Akutagawa looking back at him and quickly returns his hand to the side, slowly sitting back down.

Dazai hums next to him, completely unperturbed.

Atsushi looks at Akutagawa bewildered, his mind racing. Because...  this isn't Akutagawa, he mentally screams! No way this is the same guy that has this weird hatred for me! No way! He leans forward on the table, trying hard to ignore the soft chews of Akutagawa eating the shiruko with Dazai humming some godawful song, ignorant and blissful.

"Atsushi, you look stressed~"

"Dazai, shut up."

Chapter Text

Ranpo sat on the desk, a lollipop stick dangling from his mouth. Atsushi watches in mild amazement when he catches on the small garbage can beside Ranpo, which is now filled with various small plastic wrappings and white sticks.

"Good trip?" Ranpo asks, voice quiet but stern.

Akutagawa, who walked in behind Atsushi and Dazai, briefly nods and stands before Ranpo as if he's expecting more. Dazai pulls forward, grabbing a lollipop from Ranpo's bowl of candies (of which Ranpo promptly screams at Dazai to hand them back). Dazai shakes his head, a mischievous look in his eyes, as he trots around the office to avoid Ranpo's clutches. Atsushi sighs and he finds himself a bit embarrassed that this Akutagawa is witnessing something so childish.

"Does what I say have any effect in this timeline? This universe?" Atsushi looks over at Akutagawa, who's taken in the scene without blunder.

"Mmm?" Ranpo looks over, momentarily stopping in the chase. "No, why would it?"

"Oh, you figured it out?" Dazai, who's near the couches, hums quietly, ripping the wrapper off the lollipop.

"You want to know more about your relationship with my mentor in my universe," Akutagawa states plainly.

Dazai hums approvingly, smile wide as he pops the lollipop in his mouth to Ranpo's dismay. Atsushi looks back at Akutagawa mainly in surprise. He didn't think Akutagawa would be so... Well, I didn't think he'd be smart enough to be quite honest, he tells himself in full earnest. Atsushi pauses and quickly looks over at Ranpo, who stalks over to his desk and digs his hands into the bowl of candies.

"Wait, shouldn't it have an effect?" Atsushi asks. "It's like all those time-traveling movies!"

Akutagawa now looks over at Atsushi, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Y-You know! A butterfly's wings can cause a tornado somewhere in the world?" Atsushi fumbles.

Something in Akutagawa's eyes looks at Atsushi like he's either the smartest person in the world or the dumbest person in the world. At this moment, Atsushi can't tell which is which.

"Nah," Ranpo says casually. "Akutagawa is from a future that's completely different from ours. In fact, he's older than the one in this universe."

Dazai hums from the couches in agreement and Atsushi knows now that science will never be his forte. The doors open, revealing Kunikida along with Tanizaki, Naomi, Kenji and Kyouka. Atsushi waves weakly at them, his mind still reeling from the new information. Kenji walks forward with a skip in his step and stops directly in front of Akutagawa, unaware of the glare Akutagawa has on. Atsushi snaps back and immediately goes to Kenji, trying to carefully pull him away from Akutagawa.

"Akutagawa, I heard that you want me to dye your hair!" Kenji smiles.

Akutagawa's face changes into something Atsushi's never seen before. It flashes from pure bewilderment to absolute hatred. He grabs on Kenji, attempting to pull him away as Kunikida steps forward. Both Tanikiza and Naomi along with Kyouka watch from a distance the myriad of emotions that flash on Akutagawa's face, both in fear while simultaneously intrigued.

"I did not say anything like—" 

"Well, you can't exactly walk around looking like our Akutagawa," Ranpo cuts Akutagawa off.

"I'm not very good at dying hair but I can try!" Kenji offers.

"N-No, Kenji, let's just..." Atsushi whispers, trying and failing to pull away Kenji from Akutagawa's line of sight.

"Ranpo has a point," Kunikida speaks up. "We don't even know how long you're going to be here."

Akutagawa blinks. 

"I refuse to dye my hair."

Ranpo grins, popping a lollipop in his mouth. Atsushi watches in fear— unsure if he's scared of Ranpo's calculating gaze or Akutagawa's menacing glare.

"You'll need a new name or nickname so we don't get you confused with our Akutagawa," Dazai pipes up.

Atsushi almost immediately wishes to relieve Dazai from this plane of existence called life as his head whips around towards Dazai. When he looks back at Akutagawa, he flinches and falls back on his backside, watching a dark aura surround the other Akutagawa. Even without Rashomon activated, he can almost see the black tendrils that match this universe's Akutagawa.

"No new names, no hair dying." It is stated as a fact with eyes cold as ice accompanying it.

"Hehe, you forget that we're at the Armed Detective Agency," Ranpo giggles. "We have ways of making you comply."

"I am a member of the Armed Detective Agency," Akutagawa stands his ground, eyes shining arrogantly. "Go ahead and try."

Atsushi gulps, the tension in the air high as he watches Ranpo grin widely, eyes leering at Akutagawa, who stares back at him with cold, stubborn emotions.

"Hey, Yosano! Akutagawa is back and he's ready!"

Atsushi blinks and his hand that was Kenji's arm is no longer holding onto anything. He whips around and Dazai, who's taken refuge on the couches is no longer there. Kunikida, who was a few feet behind him, has also disappeared. He looks beyond the office, where Tanizaki, Naomi and Kyouka stand and sees nothing in the area. When he looks back at Ranpo, he's shocked to find that even he's gone.. and that the window is open! Atsushi rushes over to the window, watching Ranpo on the ground waving at him before running away. Atsushi blinks again, realizing that even Akutagawa has also disappeared.

"Oh? Akutagawa?!" Atsushi flinches at Yosano's voice nearing the office.

Immediately, his belt is being pulled and he finds himself flushed against Akutagawa, who is currently hiding under the desk with his knees up. He lifts a finger to his lips, eyes demanding for Atsushi to keep quiet and he reels back. Atsushi nods quietly and pulls his knees up to his chest, a bead of sweat appearing on his forehead as he listens to the sounds of heels clacking down the hall.

Atsushi remembers when Yosano healed him and shudders at the thought. When he looks over at Akutagawa, the image of him curled with his knees tucked quietly under his chin, he's struck with two thoughts: how outlandish the image was and a mutual understanding of how excessive Yosano's ability is, despite the benefits.

"Hey, where is he?" Yosano's voice echoes in the office. 

Atsushi gulps, watching nothing on the floor but ears hypersensitive to every movement and noise Yosano makes. From the corner of his eyes, he sees Akutagawa curling up slightly with eyes as wide as dish saucers. It would be comical had not for the fact that Atsushi thoroughly understands exactly how it's been.

"Tch, dammit Ranpo," There's a small click of the door and it closes.

There's a thick blanket of silence between him and Akutagawa as the threat leaves the office. Atsushi gulps, feeling awkward being right next to Akutagawa in such an enclosed space.

"I once agreed to be healed by Dr. Yosano 40 times," Akutagawa starts and shudders. "I only got up to four times."

"My god man," Atsushi whispers, watching Akutagawa's eyes widen in fear as he recalls the event.

"I've only been healed by her a couple of times and I immediately regretted it," Atsushi offers, his shoulder slumping.

This inadvertently bumps against Akutagawa in their enclosed space. Atsushi stutters, offering a horrified and hurried apology. Akutagawa pays no mind, arms still wrapped around his knees. In their periphery, Kunikida pops through with a stern but apologetic look on his face. Atsushi hears the shuffling of sandals against the floor and Dazai's obnoxious laugh.

"That's a dangerous weapon, Ranpo," Tanizaki whispers.

"So, even Akutagawa couldn't handle his Yosano, huh?" Kunikida warily smiles.

Akutagawa vigorously shakes his head, a shudder escaping from his body and Atsushi chuckles at the scene. Something about it seemed refreshing to him and the tension in his shoulders loosen. They bump against Akutagawa but rather in fear, Atsushi feels... rather relieved that he has someone that can share with him the pain of being experimented on by Yosano.

"So.. I can't dye his hair?" Kenji asks, his hands behind his back as he tilts down to look at the crowded space.

Atsushi giggles, leaving the enclosed space with Akutagawa following suit. Tanizaki walks over with Naomi wrapped around his arm, his hand on his face in thought.

"Well, what color would it be if we were to dye his hair?" Tanizaki asks.

"Ahh, brother~!" Naomi intertwines her hands with her brother's, much to his dismay. "It should be the same color as you, red like passion~"

Atsushi cringes at the sight, still wary of what kind of relationship Tanizaki has with his sister but when he looks over at Akutagawa, he sees something akin to a longing in his eyes. It's brief before his face is back to being emotionless but...

"I see that you still care deeply regarding your sister," Akutagawa bows slightly. "That's good. Little sisters should be treasured."

This strikes a chord in Atsushi, who blatantly regards him while Tanizaki stares back, slightly embarrassed but interest piqued. Naomi still cuddles against her brother, a soft smile appearing on his face while Kunikida and Kenji regard Akutagawa quietly. Atsushi wonders what happened to Akutagawa's sister... I wonder if she isn't.. with him anymore.

"You know, we could probably just dye the tips of his hair," Naomi offers. "Maybe clip his hair back too."

Atsushi notes the look of appreciation in Akutagawa's eyes and smiles a bit.

"How should we differentiate between Akutagawas?" Kyouka asks.

"We can call him 'Shiro'?" Dazai offers.

It's immediately vetoed when Akutagawa gives him another earned glare.

"F-First name?" Atsushi offers, almost immediately regretting it when Akutagawa looks at him.

"R-Ryuunosuke..." he replies, mulling over it as though it was gum that's close to running out of flavor.

"Then Ryuunosuke it is," Atsushi chuckles a bit, a hand raising up to rub his head.

The atmosphere is amicable, kind even, as Naomi drags Tanizaki with her to go on a run to buy some hair dying supplies, including the hair dye. Kyouka and Kenji, along with Dazai, go to the next-door room, the infirmary, to prep it for the hair-dying session. Kunikida follows Dazai, yelling about something regarding his other reports being incomplete or downright awfully written, exiting the office and leaving Atsushi behind with...

Ryuunosuke nods quietly, a hint of a smile appearing on his face but it's quickly hidden. Atsushi... wonders why he wants he has a sudden urge to see more of it as his smile slips into something more curious

"Sit still!" Kenji yells, as he wraps the shawl around Ryuunosuke's shoulders.

Atsushi covers his mouth as he watches Ryuunosuke struggle to sit down complacently. Even though he agreed to the hair dye. Once the shawl is wrapped around his shoulders, Atsushi watches as Ryuunosuke glares holes into the open windows, his eyes screaming out their annoyance. Kyouka pulls on Atsushi's sleeve, presenting him with a small bowl of gelled bleach and some brown pigment in the center.

"Can you mix it?" Kyouka asks, handing over a pair of clear plastic gloves.

Atsushi nods, putting on the gloves and mixing the colors thoroughly as he absently looks at Naomi, who stands before Ryuunosake with a tub of vaseline in her hand. 

"If you keep moving, we're going to have to dye your entire hair and I bought two colors,"

Ryuunosuke freezes.

"That's right. You keep misbehaving and you'll get the wrong color." 

Ryuunosuke looks over at Tanizaki's fearfully gaze and Atsushi wonders where Noami's gotten the courage and nerve to stand up against... well, this Akutagawa in front of them. But he watches something... careful in Ryuunosuke's eyes and remembers what he said to Tanizaki: little sisters should be treasured. Atsushi smiles: Of course, Aku— err Ryuunosuke wouldn't hurt Naomi.

"You ready, Atsushi?" Naomi waves him over.

"Y-Yeah!" Atsushi rushes, to Naomi, who moves to give the mixed hair dye in his hand to her.

"Oh, I'm not dying his hair," 

"W-What?"

Naomi holds the vaseline in her hand, eyes narrowing at Ryuunosuke.

"I'm keeping him in check— he might try some funny business."

"I'm not going to try anything," Ryuunosuke bites.

"Yo-Your eyes say otherwise though..." Tanizaki trails off.

Atsushi gulps, a sudden pit of dread entering his stomach. He looks over at Kenji, who stands behind him with a tight grip on the shawl wrapped around him and immediately recognizes that he's the muscle behind this operation. He looks down at the mush of brown pigment, fearful at the power struggle between Ryuunosuke and Naomi.

"J-Just..." Atsushi sighs. "Just keep sit, okay?"

Ryuunosuke grits his teeth but keeps his word and stays quiet. A small shiver travels down his spine as he reaches for Ryuunosuke's bangs. Oh wow, it's really soft, his mind offers as he slowly paints the hair dye on the white tips of Ryuunosuke's hair. His eyes catch Ryuunosuke's and as emotionless as he's appearing, there's something more behind his eyes. Atsushi bites the inside of his cheeks, feeling some heat arising on his face. As he paints the tips gently, moving up to combine the black strands so they meld together, he feels strangely intimate. If his heart pounds a bit faster, Atsushi can't tell, because he's too focused on how the color goes on strands of hair.

"Alright! Wait about 30 minutes before rinsing," Naomi gestures to Kyouka to bring over a bag of supplies. 

Atsushi places the bowl carefully on the nearby desk, his fingers trembling slightly. He looks away, towards the windows and can feel Ryuunosuke's eyes on him. He can feel the heat on his face spreading and his stomach moving against his abdomen as if to escape his body permanently.  He listens to Naomi explain to Ryuunosuke how to rinse out his hair, which bottles were the shampoo and conditioner and how long the dye will stay. When Ryuunosuke turns and enters the adjacent bathroom to wash out his hair, Atsushi feels a hand on his shoulders, scaring him from his own thoughts.

"Ah, sorry Atsushi," Tanizaki apologizes. "I would've offered but..."

"O-Oh, haha," Atsushi waves his hands. "No, it's okay."

The door swings open, revealing a partially wet-haired Ryuunosuke with a deep scowl on his face next to Kenji and Naomi. Atsushi blinks and... struggles to hold in something from his throat. A laugh or chuckle? A cry, maybe? Because Ryuunosuke looks almost exactly the same. Naomi from nearby clicks her tongue disapprovingly.

"You still look like Akutagawa,"

"I am Akutagawa,"

"No, you're Ryuunosuke," Naomi gestures him to come hither and both Atsushi and Tanizaki watch in amusement as Ryuunosuke begrudgingly comes forward.

Naomi tiptoes forward and quickly clips back one of the bangs behind Ryuunosuke's ears, moving her finger over to fully tuck the strands of hair. Atsushi feels a sudden shift in mood and looks over to Tanizaki, who's glowering coldly at Ryuunosuke.

"Oh wow, there!" Naomi grins, hands outstretched and showcasing it to everyone.

Oh wow... Atsushi finds himself speechless as he looks at Ryuunosuke, who looks as shocked as he is. The now black-tipped bangs, slightly lighter than Ryuunosuke's real hair, softens his face. One side of his bangs gently curves against the side of his face while the other one that was clipped by Naomi is tucked loosely behind his ear, the black boppy pin evident against the light.

Atsushi fully bites the inside of his cheeks, his face even redder.

He looks.. kinda cute.

Ryuunosuke moves to pull out the bobby pin but is stopped by Kenji, who is smiling bright, complimenting him accordingly. Atsushi shrinks a bit as Naomi fully tackles her brother to the floor ("You look jealous, brother." "I-I'm not!" "No need to be jealous, brother, make me yours again~" "N-Naomi!") and Kenji excitedly asks Kyouka to dye his hair dark as well. Atsushi catches the tense look on Ryuunosuke's face as he looks at Kyouka but it's immediately replaced by shock as Kyouka smiles at Kenji and politely declines to color his hair.

Atsushi finds himself wondering.... He wants to know more about Ryuunosuke. About this Akutagawa.

Chapter Text

"What did you do at the Armed Detective Agency?" Kunikida asks.

The day is barely halfway through and Ryuunosuke, with fully black hair and one side of his bangs clipped messily against his scalp, looks at Kunikida unamused. Atsushi finds himself distracted at this new image of Ryuunosuke because Akutagawa would have never allowed anyone to touch him. Let alone dye his hair. The windows are open, courtesy of Ranpo and a small breeze enters in and gently moves those same black hairs. Atsushi watches almost mesmerized.

"Hey, Atsushi," Dazai whispers from beside him, crouched by his desk.

Atsushi closes his eyes, a small distressed sigh escaping from his lips. Dazai currently has his hand next to his lips, as though anyone can see what he's whispering, and eyes peering up at him.

"What?" Atsushi whispers back.

"Make it less obvious," Dazai grins, eyes teasing and knowing.

"WHAT?!"

Atsushi pushes against his desk, standing abruptly with a huge red tint on his face. He freezes however, when Kunikida looks over with an incredulous look on his face, eyebrow lifted to complete the image, he feels the heat rising on his face. Ryuuunosuke looks at him with boredom before turning back to face Kunikida.

"I was appointed the 'shredder ambassador' and a 'former public moral committee'," Ryuunosuke states.

A large howl echoed the office as Dazai rolls away from Atsushi, knees tucked under his chin as streams of tears fell from his face. Meanwhile, Kunikida, with a slight flush on his face, coughs quietly, his glasses. He sees an angry Ryuunosuke staring down at Dazai, who's still laughing and Atsushi covers his eyes in fear of witnessing a murder.

"What are you laughing at?" Ryuunosuke growls.

"Pfft! K-Kunikida! K-Kunikida appointed y-you right?" Dazai laughs out in chunks.

"...Yes,"

The howling gets louder as Dazai grabs his stomach, tears fully flooding his face and rolls back and forth on his back. Atsushi rushes over to his mentor, two hands grabbing the lapels of his jacket and starts to vigorously shake him in an effort to stop his laughter. It doesn't work.

"Ehm!" Kunikida coughs, momentarily halting Dazai's laughing fit.

Atsushi looks over to Kunikida with eyes of blessed appreciation... that is, until Dazai starts giggling into his hands, eyes peering at Kunikida. He watches Kunikida turn red, his foot tapping furiously against the floor, a hand on his hip. Dazai is pulled out of his grips and Atsushi watches in part fear and relief as Kunikida drags him into the computer room and shuts the door.

"I don't like paperwork," Ryuunosuke states, catching Atsushi's attention.

"Haha, honestly same," 

Atsushi smiles brightly at Ryuunosuke, who closed his eyes and nodded with a semblance of a smile on his face. A part of him wants to know more about their relationship in the other world... or maybe, he just wants to know more in general.

—

The rest of the workday goes by as smoothly and quietly as possible. Kunikida, with a tinge of embarrassment, reinstated Ryuunosuke's position as the shredder ambassador on a 'temporary basis and gave him documents that needed to be shredded. In the corner, with Kyouka cleaning up every now and then, Ryuunosuke would shout 'discarded!' with a joy that unfortunately grabs Atsushi's attention, further distracting him from work.

But also because Dazai keeps poking fun at him relentlessly, despite the obvious flush on his face and to Atsushi's dismay. Still, Atsushi will look over to where Kyouka and Ryuunosuke stood, despite Kunikida's hounding and Dazai's pestering, and catches himself staring at Ryuunosuke's profile. 

"Where are the enemies? I can cut up and dispose of the Agency's enemies," Ryuukosuke approaches Kunikida.

Atsushi has an incredulous look on his face as he watches the scene.

"Huh?" Kunikida asks. "No, actually—"

Kunikida pulls out a sheet from the pile of papers on his desk and instantly Atsushi recognizes the red letterhead and cringes. Akuta— Ryuunosuke is going to hate this, he murmurs quietly to himself. Kunikida brings the sheet up to Ryuunosuke's face before slamming it down on the empty desk across Atsushi's. 

"Since this is an unprecedented time, I want you to write a report on what transpired prior to you arriving at the office," Kunikida points to the smaller boxes at the bottom of the document. "Initial here once you're done."

Kunikida turns back to his desk, opening his laptop and starts to type a few things. Atsushi watches intently as Ryuunosuke looks over the paper before, taking a seat at the empty desk. A small beige tendril reaches over to Atsushi's desk and pulls out the pen at the corner, surprising Atsushi. Ryuunosuke takes the pen and starts to scribble down some words on the document much to Atsushi's surprise. I thought he hated paperwork?

"Done."

Ryunosuke abruptly stands up, Atsushi's eyes trained on him as though he could disappear before his very eyes. He hands over the paper to Kunikida, who immediately gapes at it.

"It just says 'I went home and found myself at the office!'," Kunikida yells. "Wait, why did you sign the manager and president boxes?!" 

Ryuunosuke clicks his tongue and Atsushi's eyes widen as long, beige tendrils rise from behind Ryuunosuke. His eyes are cold and angry but it doesn't stop Kunikida, who looks at him furiously.

"Stop being stupid!" Kunikida yells.

The office doors open and Atsushi looks over to see Ranpo with Yosano in tow. He sees Ryuunosuke flinches as the tendrils retreat back into his coat. Atsushi waves at Ranpo, who waves back with something in his hand.

"Hahaha, Kunikida tried to make you write a report?" Ranpo asks Ryuunosuke as he walks over to his desk.

Ryuunosuke nods curtly as he walks away from Kunikida, who is still fuming over such a ridiculous document being handed to him. Atsushi has a sheepish smile on his face, unsure if laughing would get him Kunikida's or Ryuunosuke's wrath. Ranpo sits quietly at the desk, feet up and smirks as he waves around a card in his hand.

"I can't answer why you're here," Ranpo begrudgingly says. "But I can help you in your personal search."

Ranpo flicks the card on the desk, revealing seven empty boxes with one being stamped with the logo of the agency on the top left-hand corner of the card. There are smaller boxes on top of the bigger boxes, with the names Fukuzawa, Yosano, Tanizaki, Kunikida, Dazai, Kenji, Kyouka and Atsushi labeled neatly. A look of recognition appeared on Ryuunosuke's face as the stamp rolls on the desk towards him.

"This is really insurance, to make sure you behave," Ranpo states. "But you get everyone's approval stamps, I'll help you get to see her."

Ranpo points to the filled box.

"The president already gave his, as you know," Ranpo hums. "Of course, you already know that."

Atsushi is taken aback by the sudden air between Ryuunosuke and Ranpo. He feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up to see Dazai, who taps on his nose quietly. They both look back at Ryuunosuke, who looks at the cardstock with something akin to determination as he grabs the stamp.

"Even with your... disguise," Ranpo waves his hand generally at the new look Ryuunosuke sports. "You'll have to be extra careful in our universe."

There's a pensive look on Rnapo's face, something that Atsushi has seen before in times of dire consequences and it sends a shiver down his spine.  But Ryuunosuke snaps back, eyes ablaze and Atsushi watches entranced.

"I accept,"

Ranpo hums, feet pulled from the top of the desk and leans forward, his hands folding to cover his face.

"I'll give you a hint.. or maybe a warning for you: your sister is alive here but she isn't who you think she is," 

Ryuunosuke clicks his teeth in disapproval before Tanizaki grabs the stamp from his hands. Atsushi looks over, his hand raised as if to stop Tanizaki but holds back when he sees Tanizaki's eyes. Atsushi's eyes flicker to Dazai, who has a small smile on his face but says nothing as Tanizaki speaks to Ryuunosuke.

"Little sisters should be treasured right?" 

Tanizaki stamps the card and hands the stamp back to Ryuunosuke before walking over to Naomi, who quickly wraps her arms around his chest. They both smile brightly at Ryuunosuke, who nods in appreciation. Atsushi smiles, looking up at Dazai who also smiles at the scene. Kenji raises his hand but slightly deflates when Ranpo shakes his head. Atsushi tilts his head in confusion before Kenji appears in front of Akutagawa, grinning ear to ear.

"Ah, I have the perfect job for you!" Kenji says excitedly. "I can teach you tomorrow!"

Akutagawa blinks, his brows unfurrowed. As if understanding the atmosphere, both Atsushi and Dazai's smiles were wiped off and Kunikida looks at Ryuunosuke with a sudden realization.

"Where is he staying?"

Atsushi stood before his apartment door as the sun sets, his hands shaking as they reach into his pocket. The keys jangle a bit as he struggles to find the right key and inserts it into the lock.

Apparently, it was decided that Atsushi would be housing him with Kyouka stays with Yosano during Ryuunosuke's interim period. When Dazai offered to host Ryuunosuke with a sly grin on his face, the sheer bloodlust that weighed in the atmosphere from Ryuunosuke immediately add Dazai retract his offer. It was near unanimous, with only Atsushi mildly rejecting the idea... out of fear that he won't wake up the next night. Even Kyouka couldn't help him as Yosano reassured her that she'll be well taken care of.

The doors swing open into a dark genkan. Atsushi steps inside with Ryuunosuke quickly following from behind as he toes off his shoes. Atsushi reaches out towards the light switch on the left side of the wall and flicks it on, the lights above flicking on. He looks behind him to see Ryuunosuke toeing his shoes off and bowing slightly.

"Excuse the intrusion," he says quietly.

Atsushi walks forward, reaching for the table that's propped against the wall and placing it on the tatami mats. He waves over to Ryuunosuke, who's stepped in and standing... awkwardly in the entranceway between the kitchenette and living room/sleeping area.

"S-So, I uh... With Kyouka, I slept in the closet to make space," He points at the folded bedsheets in the corner. "You can use Kyouka's futon in the meanwhile."

Atsushi pauses, putting his thumb in his mouth and biting his nail a bit, brows furrowed.

"I-I just realized that there's no food so..." Atsushi looks at Ryuunosuke, who regards him quietly and emotionless.

"D-Do you want to order some takeout?"

—

After a few minutes of coaxing, Atsushi was able to get Ryuunosuke to tell him what he liked and disliked so he could avoid ordering foods that he disliked. Apparently, the only things on his dislike list that were edible were soramame and mandarin oranges. Atsushi gave an awkward laugh and called up the closest restaurant near him, ordering two bowls of chicken katsudon and shrimp tempura. The delivery would arrive in about 45 minutes... which left Atsushi and Ryuunosuke sitting awkwardly across the table, with Ryuunosuke's eyes trained on Atsushi.

"Y-Yes?" Atsushi asks, wondering if maybe he had a question.

The silence still stands with Ryuunosuke staring at him. A part of Atsushi wishes that he would just start attacking him, something that Akutagawa would do in a near heartbeat. Instead, Atsushi is still being watched by Ryuunosuke, who sits there with his legs under him and hands in his lap.

"O-Oh! Right!" Atsushi stands up and walks towards the closet. "You want some pajamas right?"

He sifts through his clothes, wondering which would fit Ryunnosuke. The thing is...I don't think he's smaller than me but I don't think he'll fit in my clothes, he ponders. His hands grab a white shirt, left behind by Tanizaki who had come over with Naomi to host a small house warming party with him and Kyouka. He distinctly remembers that Naomi had 'accidentally spill some water on Tanizaki and was trying to strip him of his shirt. He finds an unknown pair of pants and... upon further inspection, realizes it's Dazai's casual pants that he left after he got stuck in the mud trap a couple of weeks back. Atsushi holds the white shirt and black pants to Ryuunosuke

"Here. It's Tanizaki's so I think it'll be bigger than any one of my shirts and—"  Ryuunosuke takes them without hesitation before Atsushi could finish the sentence off by saying the pants belonged to Dazai.

"The bathroom is on that side," Atsushi points to the doorway in the kitchenette that sits across the genkan.

Ryuunosuke rises up, making his way towards the bathroom. Once the door closes, Atsushi signs, leaning against his closet as he tries to calm his heart down. It should have been easy dealing with this Akutagawa but, because he's so used to bloodthirst and impromptu fights, he... he couldn't deal with a semi-civilized Akutagawa. He buries his face in his hands. Oh god, why do I suddenly miss Akutagawa's random fights?

Ryuunosoke opens the door and Atsushi looks to see him in a white shirt and loose black pants that go past his knees but...

"Pfft, why do you still have your coat on?" The glare immediately shuts Atsushi up.

They spend the rest of their time being quiet until the door rings. Atsushi rushes up and opens the door, quickly paying for the food and thanking the delivery person. Mealtime is even quieter, with Atsushi trying and failing to hide his gaze at Ryuunosuke as he eats his meal quietly, barely looking up. Still, Atsushi stares mindlessly, carefully noting the differences he sees. While Akutagawa's eyes had always been cold and gray, light barely showing, this Akutagawa... this Ryuunosuke has darker gray eyes, which he notes, will light up from time to time. But it's only when he's... expressing emotions, Atsushi thinks. His eyebrows, though barely noticeable as to appear nonexistent, are slightly more prominent on Ryuunosuke's face. Atsushi's eyes drift towards the forehead, taking into account the wispy hairs at the top. Oh, his bangs are a bit longer too, he stares.

"Thank you for the meal," a pair of chopsticks clicking on the bowl snaps Atsushi's obvious stares.

A small noise of confusion escapes from Atsushi's mouth, which he quickly covers by trying and sadly scarfing down the rest of his food while Ryuunosuke looks at him emotionless. When Atsushi finishes the food, he coughs slightly, trying desperately to breathe while swallowing the rest of his food. Ryuunosuke walks over and grabs the empty containers, heading to the kitchenette and goes straight for the trashcan under the sink and tossing it. Atsushi gapes, his mouth open and rice at the corner of his lips.

"Um..."

"In my universe, this is my apartment," Ryuunosuke turns back around, eyes staring down at Atsushi.

"O-Oh, really... ahh, okay," Atsushi wipes his face, the rice falling on the floor. 

The remainder of the night goes as uneventful as it came to be. Atsushi rolls back the table in the corner, heading back to his closet to grab his own pajamas and heads to the bathroom. When he closes the door, he sees the loose slacks and dress shirt behind the door and finds himself reaching out and touching the material. Atsushi catches himself and, with a face tinted red enough that rivals tomatoes, he quickly changes out of his clothes, hanging it next to Ryuunosuke's clothes. When he steps out, Ryuunosuke has already rolled out the futon and is now taking off his trench coat.

Atsushi watches in a trance. Since working with Akutagawa that a few weeks ago, he knew that Rashomon was summoned by his clothes so.... Atsushi knew that taking off his coat was akin to stripping down to have nothing on him, even with the shirt hanging on his back and chest. Ryuunosuke slips the coat down to his back, unaware of Atsushi from behind. He slips his arms out and places the coat hanging on one of his arms, flattening it down before folding it three times and gently places it down next to the futon. 

"Did you need something?" Ryuunosuke turns slightly, his eye landing on Atsushi, who freaks out, hands waving in the air.

"G-Goodnight!" Atsushi rushes to his closet, apologizing furiously for no apparent reason and shuts it on Ryuunosuke.

It takes a while for Atsushi to sleep, who stares in near darkness at the closet door. Mainly because he thinks he intruded on something as Ryuunosuke took off his jacket. Maybe because of the loud pounding inside his head that won't stop. But in the end, he's human too and he succumbs to the fatigue of being alive.

—

Atsushi blinks, standing behind two men at the bar of Uzumaki Cafe. He hears soft laughter that overpowers the smell of fresh coffee in the air. He sees the owner from behind the bar, a soft smile on his face as he prepares the coffee. His mouth moves but no words come out and... he watches the two men: one with hair as dark as a raven and the other with hair was white as.. his?

His eyes widen, his hands reaching up to touch his throat, his mouth, his face. I'm real? I'm.. here?

The two men turn to face each other and Atsushi gasps at the scene. He immediately recognized that the dark-haired man was ... Akutagawa.. well, Ryuunosuke, who holds a small cup of water in his hand, his mouth moving but his face light. Atsushi turns to face the white-haired man, almost knowing yet unknowing who it is. Something is stuck in his throat as he watches... himself... Atsushi? smiling brightly at Ryuunosuke, his shoulders moving as he laughs.

Still, the noise that fills the cafe is indiscriminate, filled only with laugher and the sounds of the coffee machine brewing. Atsushi can't make out much of the words but he watches the two men in front of him, laughing and talking. 

"Haha, I suppose you're right in this case, Akutagawa," Atsushi snaps as the voice rings as clear as day.

"Mhm," Ryuunosuke hums. "Of course I am, Nakajima."

Chapter Text

Tomorrow comes and around 5:30 in the morning, Atsushi wakes up in cold sweat. Because he's had his fair share of dreams and nightmares, some he remembers as clearly as daybreak, some just leave lasting impressions on his psyche with little images. But this dream.. leaves a nasty tinge on his tongue, something he's never experienced before. Because it was as if it was a memory, something that he'll recall at random parts of the day. But this dream— this memory is not his.

When he slides the closet open, his head peering out, he's surprised to see the futon already rolled up with no visual on Ryuunosuke in his room. Atsushi finds himself sighing quietly to himself, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead and heads to the bathroom to start his day. By the time he's done showering, noting the clothes that were hanging behind the bathroom door now replaced with the spare clothes Atsushi gave him, he notes that Ryuunosuke is still not... here. Atsushi glances at the clock hanging above the entrance door, reading 6:27 and sighs a bit. 

I wonder where he went? 

Atsushi steps out, already locking up the apartment when he hears scuffling on the rooftop. He quickly jumps up to the rooftop using the bars and is surprised to see Ryuunosuke standing on the roof, eyes mellowed and taking in the view of the city. 

"You... how long have you been up?" 

"I'm a light sleeper so I thought I would watch the sunrise against the city," 

Atsushi looks over at the city, watching the sun's rays gently caress the sharp edges of the skyscrapers and tall buildings. Soft oranges and yellows permeate the air, giving Yokohama a glow that only appears in the morning, as pinks and purples beautifully color in the skies with few clouds in it. There's a few wispy streams of smoke scattered through the horizon as sounds of cars revving break the silence and loud boats announce their presence at the docks. Atsushi sits at the edge of the roof, legs swinging back and forth. He glances up at Ryuunosuke, who continues to stare at the scenery, before quickly looking away, feeling overwhelmed as he watched light yellow and orange hues reflect nicely in his dark gray eyes.

"Time to leave, isn't it?" Atsushi smiles at Ryuunosuke, who looks down at him.

"Yeah, but let's get some breakfast before heading in."

It takes a few minutes of coaxing from Atsushi before Ryuunosuke agrees to stop by a local bodega to grab a few breakfast sandwiches. Ryuunosuke told him that he didn't need breakfast and Atsushi doesn't find it a surprise but still, he agrees and they head into a nearby bodega. Atsushi has become good friends with the cashier, who offers him a discount on the sandwiches and added two bottles of juice as a thank you for his patronage. Atsushi smiles brightly and both head off to the office with Ryuunosuke wordlessly eating his sandwich by Atsushi's side.

"Haha, you know Dazai once stole my juice and almost threw up on how sweet it was," Atsushi grins as he pops the tab on the can. 

Atsushi drinks the juice, looking from the corner of his eyes as Ryuunosuke pops the tab open and starts to drink it. 

"Too sweet?" 

Ryuunosuke looks down at the can, momentarily stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. Atsushi, who was walking more forward, stops and turns, his hands holding the juice carefully as he looks at Ryuunosuke. He watches as Ryuunosuke takes another sip of the can and... Oh wow.

"No, it's perfect," Ryuunosuke smiles lightly. "A reminder of a time where sugar was scarce."

Ryuunosuke continues walking forward, leaving Atsushi behind as he stands, the juice now nearly slipping from his grips. Something tugs on his heart as he replays the smile that Atsushi briefly saw on his face. Something so tender, so knowing and so.. so small. Atsushi whips around, jogging slightly to catch up with Ryuunosuke.

Something... something about that didn't seem like it was for me, he thinks. It was as if... he wasn't looking at me.

—

"Ah, good morning Ryuunosuke!" Kenji jumps up from his seat, waving excitedly at Ryuunosuke, who nods in return.

Atsushi steps into the office, smiling and waving at Kyouka who looks well-rested. She stands next to Tanizaki, who is currently being handed various folders with Naomi sitting across from him, typing something on the laptop. Atsushi finds Dazai lounging on the couch, his head hanging from the armrest and waves slightly at the image. Dazai grins and waves back.

"Get back to work, Dazai!" Atsushi whips back to Kunikida, who stands near Ranpo.

"Yes, mom!"

"What did you say?!"

Atsushi laughs as Kunikida stalks over, arms already putting Dazai in a headlock. He walks towards his desk, eyes trailing back to Ryuunosuke and Kenji, who has a small bag on him. With Kunikida and Dazai having a screaming fit, Atsushi can't exactly make out the words Kenji is saying but watches them walk away with Kenji leading the way and doors closing on them. Atsushi feels an itch in his hand, something that he can't seem to scratch away and hasn't the faintest idea why the sensation appeared.

"Hey Atsushi~ C'mon we're going to work!" Dazai breaks the hold of Kunikida's headlock and dives straight for the folder on the small table.

Leaving Kunikida shocked and in awe, he slithers to Atsushi before grabbing hold of his shoulders and forcing him back towards the office doors. Atsushi can hear Kunikida yell something about 'it's not a two-man job' before the doors close on them. Atsushi struggles to walk forward with Dazai being excessive in his pushing from behind.

"W-Where's the job? No actually, what is exactly the job that Kunikida wanted you to do?" 

"Oh don't worry about that, I'll finish it within a couple of hours," Dazai giggles close to his ear.

"We're going to take a trip Atsushi and secrecy will be our maid of honor."

Dread prickles his skin with intensity, the sun beating down on his neck and sweat appears on his forehead in an attempt to claw at his skin for being so hot. Atsushi and Dazai both hide behind a concrete slab in one of the more run-down areas in the neighborhood, with broken swingset chains lounging on the gravel and green benches rusted into oblivion, with pieces of them already falling off. The sun is high in the sky, mocking the two detectives furiously. Atsushi stares at Kenji's attempt at putting his straw hat on Ryuunosuke, who furiously shakes it off before Kenji puts it back on. Ryuunosuke, of course, relents and allows the hat to remain on the head.

Atsushi finds a smile appear on his face before he turns to look at Dazai, who also has the same smile on his face.

"Why are we following them?" Atsushi whispers quietly.

"Because it's fun~" Dazai whispers back.

Atsushi looks back at the scene as Kenji drops the supplies in his knapsack onto a makeshift table built from wood. There are gardening gloves, small spades, an arrangement of different seeds. Before Atsushi can ask what Kenji's condition is to Dazai, Dazai cuts him off and explains matter-of-factly.

Kenji's condition was to have Ryuunosuke help him in gardening at a local community outreach program that he personally founded alongside an elderly woman by the name of Maki. Atsushi looks over and there's a makeshift roof over a small garden few spouts noted. Apparently, with Maki's help and the rest of the community, they've been making a community garden to give back to the neighbors, shared among all. 

Atsushi watches as Ryuunosuke looks at Kenji, eyes fierce and determined and follows Kenji's instruction as he shows him how to plant the different seeds accordingly.  It's almost... serene, watching Ryuunosuke help plant the seeds while Kenji chatters about the garden and about Maki.

'You know," Atsushi looks up to Dazai, both still crouched behind the slab. "I've never seen Akutagawa so... helpful, you know?"

"Mmm."

"Don't get me wrong," Dazai laughs softly. "It's still intense as ever but.. he's not boring now."

Atsushi looks back, his fingers squeezing the concrete slab tighter. It was true that Akutagawa in this universe was often bloodthirsty, brash and overall someone that attacked first and asked questions later. His mind wanders to when Dazai told him that they were partners, that their strength will one day surpass his and Chuuya's. The first thing Akutagawa does when he sees me is sick Rashomon on me, Atsushi grimaces at the thought of when he lost a leg to him.

Kenji's yelp breaks Atsushi's trance and in a near-instant, Atsushi moves to stand on his legs before he feels a hand on his shoulder. Dazai points and Atsushi turns, looking at beige tendrils that shoot up from Ryuunosuke's coat and pierce the soil in the garden. Kenji claps happily, thanking him and both move fast to drop the seeds in the holes before Rashomon piles the dirt on top. Kenji passes a couple of watering cans and Atsushi watches in surprise as Rashomon takes the cans and starts to slowly and gently drizzle the water onto the newly planted seeds.

"Ryuunosuke..." Dazai looks down at Atsushi. "... would be the better partner."

Atsushi catches himself and looks up at Dazai, to apologize? To vehemently deny? To.. something! But Dazai looks down at him like something in his mind is tick-tocking, gears churring before there's a snicker escapes from his lips, his finger pointing back to Kenji and Ryuunosuke.

There's a small flush of color on Atsushi's face but he looks back anyway and smiles as Kenji congratulates him. Close by, he sees an elderly woman, likely Maki, with a horde of children behind her as she walks up to Kenji and Ryuunosuke. There's something in her hand and when she lifts the napkin from the top, it reveals a plate with various fruits and onigiri. Kenji hops excitedly, thanking the older woman while Ryuunosuke bows from the background.

The kids that followed Maki rush towards Kenji, who welcomes a good bunch of them with a warm, if not, incompletely hug as he tries to lift them all in his arms. Loud, happy squeals echo in the area as the wind blows, moving the leaves of the trees in the surrounding area.

"Well," Dazai says. "Looks like his work is done."

Dazai stands, moving away from the scene while Atsushi kneels there quietly. 

"Atsushi?"

Atsushi looks at the scene unfold before him. Few of the kids approach Ryuunosuke. A young boy that's likely the leader of the group, with messy light brown hair and hands on his hip, is currently sizing him up. Another child, a girl with a small pink bow that holds her ponytail up and dirty blonde straight bangs covering his forehead, peers up at Ryuunosuke, who looks down at the children blankly. The third child, with hair as dark as Ryuunosuke's but eyes as bright as the sky, rush behind him and pull on his trench coat. Atsushi watches in slight fear, wondering if this Akuta— Ryuunosuke would attack children.

His trench coat started to transform into an amorous blob that carried the three children, dipping into the blob more before the beige blog transform into something flat and encircles aorund.

"Slide, slide, slide!" The young man, the leader screams.

All the children that Kenji was able to gather in his arms start to fight against him, jumping down and rushing towards Ryuunosuke, whose face distorts into pure shock. The children pile onto him, the distinct sounds of struggle barely escaping the hoards of children laughing and giggling. Atsushi stares in disbelief. Kenji looks over and waves for them to come over, shocking Atsushi even more.

"You.. knew?" Atsushi asks quietly as Dazai walks up from behind him, arms behind his head and a lazy smile gracing his face.

"Oh? No, Dazai said that he'll be visiting to see how Ryuunosuke is doing," Kenji answers, turning to face Maki.

"Well Maki? Did he do good?" Kenji asks.

"Haha oh lad, of course, he did," Maki smiles as she looks to Ryuunosuke.

Ryuunosuke was finally able to break free of the hoard of children at a cost. Rashomon had created makeshift poles to slide down, swings for them to swing on, slides for them to go on, doubling both as an amusement park as it reconfigures its shapes and as a playground as the laughter and joy of the children echo the area. Dazai has a cheeky smile as Atsushi watches in wonder. One particular girl, the same one with the bow holding her ponytail up, clings on Ryuunosuke's neck.

"Again, big brother! Again!" She screams into his ear.

Ryuunosuke stutters before one of the tendrils wrap around the girl's waist. She's thrown a few feet upwards in the air, with loud screams entering the skies, and falls down into the tendrils, bounding a bit before it spins her and the other children around like a teacup ride at an amusement park.

"Who knew he'd be good with kids too?" Dazai mumbles.

Atsushi can only hum in agreement. 

—

The children walk back to Maki, some of which are carried by the bigger kids with mirroring yawns that spread contagiously among the young ones. Atsushi smiles at them, waving slightly, as Maki pats the leader of the crew on the head. When Atsushi looks up, he sees Ryuunosuke... sitting on the floor, which his head down, shoulders slouched and arms sitting loosely in his lap. Maki giggles a bit with Kenji beside her smiling ever so brightly.

"Go on," Maki asks the young boy. "What do we say?"

The leader of the group weakly glares at her before turning around with the other younger girl following from behind. Dazai snickers in his hand as Atsushi watches the children approach Ryuunosuke on the group with Kenji by their side.

"T-Thanks mister..."

"Mhm! Thank you, big brother!" The younger girl fully wraps her arms around Ryuunosuke's neck.

Something in Atsushi's heart beats a little bit louder as he watches Ryuunosuke look back at him with eyes wide as the little girl wraps her arms around his neck. Though his eyes betray nothing, there's a slight tint of pink on his cheeks as she nuzzles into him. Ryuunosuke lifts a hesitant hand and pats her on the back. She pulls away from the embrace, bright pink but with a smile on her face.

"I like your clip!" She points to his bings. "Y-you look cute!"

She quickly dashes back to Maki, hiding behind her and leaving the other boy behind.

"A-Ah! Hey!" He turns back around, his scowl clashing against the pink tint on his face. "T-Thanks old man... Hey! Saito, come back!"

The boy rushes to his friends and the younger girl, leaving Ryuunosuke shocked on the floor. Both Maki waves at Kenji, bidding them farewell, with the children tiredly waving back but still smiling. Atsushi watches Kenji squat by Ryuunosuke, his hand outstretched. Ryuunosuke looks at Kenji, eyes blinking slowly before pulling out the stamp and approval card. Kenji grins and stamps it happily.

"Ah, looks like he's a lady killer too," Dazai murmurs and Atsushi blushes.

"Mhm," he says, his hands curling up. "He's... different from Akutagawa."

Dazai looks at Atsushi, who tilts his head down. Something quiet pierces through the joy that was left behind.

"Atsushi?"

"I.. didn't realize how different he'd be..." He trails off.

Atsushi looks at Ryuunosuke, his eyebrows furrowing, his eyes stained with uncertainty.

Back then, when he tried the juice... I wonder who he was thinking of.

Chapter Text

Ryuunosuke glides his hand over the gold bars on his left wrist, both mesmerized and confused. It's only been two days since he's entered this alternate universe and the bars on his wrist have a small empty space that shows his normal skin but they otherwise look unchanged. Both Kenji and him, along with Dazai and Atsushi are back in the office after visiting the gardens at the outreach center.

Ryuunosuke looks over at Atsushi, who quickly looks away from him, feigning searching for some obscure papers on his desk. Nakajima...

When Ryuunosuke first arrived, he was shocked to see... Atsushi blend so effortlessly in the office. He looks different from the Nakajima from his universe. This Atsushi had slightly darker gray hair, with eyes that mirrored the setting sun and jagged, spiky bangs that were terribly uneven yet frame his face well. He wore different clothes too— he wore a white button-up with the sleeves pushed to his elbows, a loose black tie that desperately seemed to become looser as the day went on accompanied with black pants, suspenders and fingerless gloves. Ryuunosuke noticed that the suspenders also had a belt that, on some occasions, acted as a tail. How appropriate, he once thought.

He's caught Atsushi of this universe staring at him many a time but always put it on the backburner. After all, Ryuunouske was a familiar face on a stranger's body in a foreign time. Still, to say the looks and glances were unnerving would be an insult. Rather, Ryuunosuke thought them to be... weird? Interesting? The last time he saw Nakajima in his home universe was well over 8 months ago after the incident.

His mind snaps back to a young girl standing in front of him. Kyouka...? In his universe, the Kyouka he knows was almost blindly loyal to Nakajima, who was also attached to her. The Kyouka in his universe wore a long, white kimono that contrasted against this Kyouka's red kimono. The datejime wrapped around her waist was as red as blood but here, in front of him, it's as gold. It matches Nakajima's eyes.  He remembers taking her hostage, almost killing her with her Demon Snow but now, this ... Kyouka stands before him passively.

"I want to ask you some questions," Kyouka states.

"Mm."

"If you answer my questions in honesty, I will stamp your card," Kyouka responds.

Ryuunosuke nods, turning to face Kyouka in the chair, hands still in his pocket. The Kyouka that stands in front of him has kind but strong eyes, different from the Kyouka that once stood in front of him with Demon Snow ready for battle and a sharp knife in her hand. A killer if he's ever seen one.

"Am I still in Port Mafia?"

"... No," Ryuunosuke answers. Based on the subtle look of surprise on her face, he continues. "You disappeared after... certain events transpired."

She nods and continues forward, eyes still determined.

"How many people have I killed?"

"Thirty-five."

"How do I control Demon Snow?"

"I've seen you use that cellphone clipped to your datejima,"

"Why do you want to find your sister?"

Ryuunosuke flinches, eyes going wide and rise to stand on his feet, towering over Kyouka. His eyes narrow coldly at Kyouka, who looks up and readies herself in a fighting stance, hand reaching for her knife. Insubordinate child, Ryuunosuke grits, why does it matter to you?! Instead, he reels back his dark aura as the sound of chairs scraping against the tile breaks him from his trance. He watches from the corner of his eyes Atsushi heading over to Kyouka, pushing her behind him and readying himself for a battle as well. 

Ryuunosuke stares blankly at those sunset eyes. Even now, he could see that Nakajima and Kyouka will always be together, protecting and pushing each other. The dark aura that threatened the peace slowly dissipates and Ryuunosuke closes his eyes before opening them.

".. To apologize, to make amends," he answers.

Something in Kyouka's eyes changes as she stares at him. Ryuunosuke sees it— it's something like recognition, like she's seen something like this before. She... probably escaped Port Mafia and made a home here, Ryuunosuke ponders. His eyes flicker to Atsushi, who stands there with his mouth slightly open. A brief image of Nakajima and Kyouka appears in his mind, back when he was fighting to save Gin. Nakajima and Kyouka were blindly subservient to  Back.. before Dazai killed himself. It's different here.

Kyouka pushes past Atsushi, who calls her out in confusion. She stretches a hand out to Ryuunosuke, who looks at it dumbly for a few seconds. She points patiently to his pocket and Ryuunosuke pulls out the approval card and the stamp. Kyouka takes it and places a small stamp on it, looking up at Ryuunosuke with kind eyes and a soft smile on her face.

Oh... she knows what it's like to seek forgiveness...

"T-Thank.. you," Ryuunosuke responds back, eyes still wide.

The boxes are halfway stamped and filled in various areas. The filled boxes are labeled Tanizaki, Kyouka, Fukuzawa and Kenji highlighted by their red ink. Ryuunosuke's eyes linger on the box labeled Atsushi before hovering over the other box labeled Yosano. As he stands in the center of the office, his eyes move towards Yosano's general office and feel a cold shiver run down his spine, indicative of his reticence. Yosano in this universe still carries the same headstrong personality with a penchant for resurrection by mutilation. I am not going through that again, he contemplates.

"Hey Ryuunosuke," his eyes shift towards Dazai, who has a casual smile on his face as he waves.

"Oh, who's next on your list?" Dazai comes close, peering down at the card. "... Yosano?"

"No."

His reply was immediate, cuts straight to the point. Dazai chuckles a bit before smirking down at him. Ryuunosuke can feel the stir of Rashomon awakening, waiting to strike.

"Well," A click from the door and Kunikida walks in, hands carrying a small pile of papers. "You can either follow me or help Kunikida with paper—"

"Where?" Ryuunosuke cuts again, purposely ignoring Kunikida's mumbling as he drags himself to his desk.

Dazai grins, waving his hand to come hither before pointing to the doors. Ryuunosuke has a blank stare as Dazai tells him to follow him but nonetheless, follows the man on the way out of the office. Dazai stops however and turns his head towards Atsushi, who stands with Kyouka, talking about nonsense. Ryuunosuke watches with little care when Dazai tells Atsushi not to follow him and Atsushi turns bright red before yelling back at him.

He's reminded of how different the Atsushi is here compared to his universe.

—

It's a small hole in the wall Dazai leads him to. Despite the bright sign hanging above with an image of a man with the name 'Lupin' underneath it, the entrance to the place is almost obscure, with short steps that lead to two different paths. Nonetheless, the walk is silent even as they enter the bar, which is filled with light piano notes and dimmed lights. 

Ryuunosuke tenses, stuck in the bottom of the stairs as Dazai heads straight to the bar counter. The dimmed lights accompanied with a light air of secrecy and comfort contrasts against the fact that there are absolutely no windows and that the bar is likely located in a basement. Essentially the best place to ambush and the worse place to be ambushed.

"Haha, don't worry," Dazai waves, calling him to the bars. "No ambush is going to happen. This place is a neutral zone."

Ryuunosuke hesitates because this Dazai, who carries the same face and facade as the other Dazai in his universe, is now a member of the Armed Detective Agency. Meaning, he is different from the other one. He walks forward and sits across the bar, a seat away from Dazai just to be sure. Dazai takes it into stride, a smile appearing on his face as he turns to face the bricked wall. The bartender approached him with a cool air, asking if he'd like to order anything. Ryuunosuke declines.

"Ah," Dazai shakes his head. "That's my conditioner for you: to have a drink and talk."

Ryuunosuke stares quietly at Dazai.

"If I order water?"

"Doesn't count."

"So it has it be alcoholic?"

"Yes sir!"

".... Fine." Ryuunosuke turns to face the bartender. "Whiskey on the rocks."

There's a light hum from Dazai as they await their drinks. Ryuunosuke closes his eyes, allowing himself to focus more on the background. The bar is small, with few seats elsewhere and barely extends back. There's a small tabby cat that walks around, hoping up to a small bar closer to the Dazai's end but sits on the end of the counter. Even the sounds of the city barely make it down to this bar, which shakes on occasion from the trains running underneath it. For a split second, Ryuunosuke can see why it is a neutral zone.

The drinks come, the round ice clinking against the glass. He turns to see Dazai, who holds the same drink in his hand as he brings it up to the air, a toast. Ryuunosuke pauses for a second before grabbing his own drink and holding it up in the air, a few inches away from Dazai's own drink.

"To the stray dogs."

They clink their glasses and Dazai takes a languid sip while Ryuunosuke sets his down, his eyes shift to the packets of sugar on his righthand side. There is a palpable quietness between the two men, to say it was silent would bring injustice to the soft piano notes coming from a nearby radio in the bar.

"How've you been?" Dazai smirks when Ryuunosuke looks over, his eyes guarded.

"That's the first question?"

"Haha, okay fine~ If you wanna get down to brass tacks..."

Dazai takes another sip of his drink, lips pursed and eyes quietly taking note of the ice his drink. Ryuunosuke ruminates on... the other Dazai in his universe. That Dazai, clad in black with bandages that hid his right eye, had smiled back at him... before jumping off the rooftop of the highest tower that locked him in Port Mafia's grip. That Dazai, who spoke so eloquently, carried the air of importance, of someone who was the godfather of Port Mafia, yet in his last moments, he had appeared childlike to Ryuunosuke. But the Dazai in front of him, who has slumped shoulders and wears a beige trenchcoat that contrasts against his dark hair, has a carefree smile, eyes nostalgic and yet... pragmatic.

"How much can you tell me about your universe?"

Ryuunosuke pauses.

"I suspect not much but I suppose it depends on what you're asking."

"Hmm," Dazai hums quietly. He turns to fully face him, arms and hands in his lap and a face devoid of emotion.

For a split second, Ryuunosuke feels the sudden urge to defend himself. Because the image reminded him too much of the very last moments, of the face Dazai made before he killed himself.

"How is your mentor? How is... Oda?"

Ah... I see. Ryuunosuke nods, something immediately clicking in his mind. I owe Dazai an apology then.

"He finally finished his novel. It will be published hopefully soon but he hasn't given a date." Ryuunosuke pauses again, murmuring softly to himself. "For some reason, he's been keeping it a secret."

"Haha, I suspect that much!" Dazai smiles, turning back to his drink and swirls the glass gently in his hand. "But it's good that he finally got to finish his novel. I'm... glad, you know?"

Ryuunosuke briefly nods, reaching out to grab his own glass before taking a small sip. The bitter taste coats his tongue aggressively and burns his throat. His nose crinkles a bit. Even one sip, Ryuunosuke is already feeling... uncomfortable. He was never really a drinker, even after he had turned 20 years old.

"What about me? How is that me doing in your universe?"

Ryuunosuke is quiet and when his eyes flicker to him, Dazai has a knowing smile on his face.

"... I suppose he is doing as well as he can be," Ryuunosuke responds cryptically.

"Ah, your lying is better in that universe but..." Dazai flicks his eyes, the smile dropping. "In this universe, I was your mentor so I can tell when you're lying."

The cat from the bar jumps on, walking over to Ryuunosuke, who stares at him blankly before reaching over, a hand hesitantly in the air. The cat moves his head closer, ducking it into Ryuunosuke's palm accompanied by a purr. The music still plays as softly as it can in the background, ignoring the discernible tension in the air.

"Did you kill Dazai?"

Ryuunosuke blinks. 

"Unfortunately not."

Dazai sighs audible, something that many would assume to be in a pleasurable fashion but to Ryuunosuke, who sits beside the man even if a barstool away, could tell the hidden depths that sigh held. It's faint, so faint that perhaps Ryuunosuke wouldn't have felt it if he were closer to the entrance of the bar. It was a sigh filled with unquestionable complexity, emotions ranging from regret to peace to... a newfound hope of sorts.

"I will answer one more question," Ryuunosuke states. "And I will offer the truth in exchange for my question answered."

"Oh of course, of course. Shoot!"

The taste of the bitter whiskey still sits on his tongue and Ryuunosuke grimaces. But as quickly as the grimace appears, he schools his face into a neutral expression before turning to face Dazai.

"Who is Oda to you?"

Dazai's jaw tightens a bit and he takes a quick sip of his own drink, eyes mellowed yet betray no emotion. Perhaps its a cruel question but it is something that needed to be answered. Because Ryuunosuke still doesn't understand what happened that day, why Dazai jumped off the rooftop, why he and Nakajima were tasked with protecting the Book. Of which, they never found even after the towers were thoroughly scoured and searched.

"Odasaku was someone I cared very much about... A close friend..." His voice trails off, surprising Ryuunosuke.

"A friend?"

"Yes but more. To me, at least."

"More... than a friend?"

Dazai blinks, looking over at Ryuunosuke who currently is staring back with a slight air of confusion.

"To be quite blunt, I loved him" Dazai starts. "However, it would be inaccurate to say whether these feelings were platonic or romantic. I just loved him."

Ryuunosuke nods, though the air of confusion still lingers over him. Dazai chuckles a bit, waving him off before taking another sip of his drink. Ryuunosuke listens quietly to the low murmurs and hums of Dazai softly humming the piano tune. He ignores the whimsical finger in the air as Dazai moves it about, as though he is the conductor in front of a symphony and directing them.

"My turn right?" Ryuunosuke shifts, eyes leering as Dazai continues to move his finger about. 

He grunts in response and Dazai stops humming.

"Do you like Atsushi?"

Something strikes the neck and Ryuunosuke finds himself unable to swallow, his heart beating a bit too fast for his taste. He suspects its the whiskey but... if it were poison, it would have already killed him the minute he took his first sip. Instead, his hand twitches against themselves, fingers interlocked and laid on the bar countertop.

"...I—"

"Actually," Dazai cuts him off. "That was a bad question, rather, don't you think he's interesting?"

It's.. still the same question, Ryuunosuke offhandedly comments in his mind. Still, it does nothing to halt the slowly increasing heartbeat. His mind wanders to the Atsushi of this universe. Perhaps the biggest difference he's seen is the air of guilt and regret has all be disappeared in this Atsushi. Perhaps he hasn't been privy to it but back when he fought Nakajima, every punch that landed, every swipe of his claws that pierced his defenses were fueled by guilt and regret. 

Ryuunosuke hasn't seen that...

"... Yes, I... suppose he is interesting," Ryuunosuke finally responds, curt and brief.

Dazai has a breezy smile, now using both arms to imitate the conductor of a symphony at full force. The rest of their time goes by quietly, Ryuunosuke has finally ordered some water and Dazai let him go after that. Their conversations were done now, but the air between them has changed. Because Ryuunosuke learned something new about this Dazai in this universe and in a sense, he's forgiven the dead Dazai in his universe many months back. But this Dazai, who still carries the same suicidal intentions— he wears a careless smile and has eyes that can calculate how much usage of person is capable— is much lighter here. Much more... subservient to the duties of being a detective, of bringing justice in his actions.

For all his complexities, Dazai Osamu can be relatively straightfoward.

Chapter Text

When Dazai and Ryuunosuke return, after Kunikida promptly scolds Dazai for disappearing without helping out with any case, there is a notable air of indifference and ... something. Atsushi glances, noticing how Ryuunosuke now walks a slightly closer distance to Dazai, despite the vacant expression on his face, hands still stuffed in his pocket. Dazai is thoroughly tossed across the office, head landing first on top of the couches as Ryuunosuke watches passively.

"How.. was the drink?" Atsushi asks, just a few distances on his left.

His shoulders shrug slightly and Ryuunosuke looks back at the floor. 

"I never did like alcohol," he says quietly.

"Hehe, not sweet enough right?"

Atsushi chuckles a bit, remembering when he had accidentally tried Dazai's soda. There is but the faintest smile on Ryuunosuke's face, his head nodding in agreement and Atsushi's hands twitch, feeling the urge to reach out. But to reach out to where? To who?

"Hey brat," Ryuunosuke shifts, eyes immediately glaring at Kunikida, who barely flinches.

"My turn next," A notable grimace appeared on Ryuunosuke's face. "What? Don't give me that look— you want my stamp of approval or not?"

Atsushi snorts, quickly covering his mouth as Kunikida glares coldly at him as he watches Ryuunosuke's deadpan expression in response to Kunikida's question. There is a slight flush on his face, part in embarrassment for having been glared at by Kunikida but also... Ryuunosuke caught him laughing and he... He doesn't look mad at me, Atushsi thought.

"Listen, I... know I made you the shredder ambassador but you need to do more than that here," Kunikida continues. "I'm assigning you on a case with Atsushi. See it to completion including the required paperwork."

What?

"W-What was that, Kunikida?" Atsushi stutters.

Kunikida looks over, his face ever neutral and brows still furrowed. 

"You can show him the ropes, Atsushi," Kunikida finishes off.

Atsushi openly stares at Kunikda as he walks over to his desk, fishing out an open case, explaining the situation to Ryuunosuke, who's walked past Atsushi and is now currently standing next to Kunikida, reading through the file from past his shoulders. As his mind twists and turns in this new information given to him, Atsushi feels a hand on his shoulder and robotically turns to face Dazai, who has a knowing smile on his face. His eyes sink more into his face.

This mission is simple enough as it is: retrieve a briefcase from an informant regarding another case. A simple retrieval case. But Atsushi, who sits in the backseat next to Ryuunosuke, who is currently looking straight through the taxi driver's head, is ... sweating bullets. He's never even worked properly with Akutagawa and so he didn't know what to expect when put on a mission together with Ryuunosuke.

Ahh, but if he was going to kill me, it wouldn't be here... Atsushi glances over at the Ryuunosuke, hands clenching tightly in his lap. I don't know why I'm so nervous right now.

The taxi drops them off at an abandoned building at the far ends and edges of the city.  It appears as most abandon buildings appear with shattered windows spaced out on the different floors, glass decorating the outside like sparkles. The door is tattered with notable scratches and orange rust that peels the edges. When they step inside, the expansive first floor is occupied with dust that dances in the small light rays that manage to penetrate said building. There is a large staircase with a dark green carpet that's long overdue for a cleaning, staining brown in the areas where the waters come in contact with it, located towards the back of the first floor.

Kunikida was told that the informant, a thin, elusive person who wears a fox mask and disguises themselves with a voice modulator, will arrive at exactly 5 o'clock at night and they will carry a black briefcase. Atsushi glances down at the watch on his wrist, reading 3:42 PM. Both men walk towards the stairs and Atsushi sits down a few steps above the bottom step, with Ryuunosuke standing quietly in front, his eyes turned towards where they entered.

Atsushi leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees as rests his chin on top of his hands, trying ever so desperately to avoid staring at Ryuunosuke in the right of his line of vision. Because this is a simple and covert operation, Ryuunosuke, against Naomi's wishes, took out the clip in his hair and opted to wear a pair of darkly tinted sunglasses, provided by Ranpo. In this angle though, Atsushi ponders, he really does look like Akutagawa.

"Have you decided on your condition?" Ryuunosuke breaks the silence.

"Huh?" Atsushi blinks, lifting his head slightly off his hands. "Condition?"

"I only have you and Yosano's left," Ryuunosuke explains.

Atsushi hums, acknowledging but unable to answer. He honestly hadn't thought about it.

"Wait, how are you going to get Yosano's?" Ryuunosuke grimaces.

"I.. I'll figure it out."

The sun is starting to set, the bare glimpses of light from the broken windows retreat away from the building, the dust dancing, moving forward closer to the light. While Atsushi's position gives him the appearance of boredom, he's actually highly attuned to every noise in the building using his ability. He can hear the tired creaks of decaying wood, every groan of rusting metal, even the hollowed voices of the wind pushing through the building, trying to break it down.

The entrance door opens, swinging slowly yet the squeaks echo throughout the building. A dark figure, amassed in black, stands before the entrance, the setting sun highlighting the figure from behind. It takes a couple of steps forward, Ryuunosuke standing his ground with a notable scowl on his face while Atsushi stands up behind him, arms tense and hands tightened. The figure walks, letting the heavy metal door close loudly behind them with a loud bang— the distinct fox masks shows, white against the black. 

"Are you...?" Atsushi starts, his eyes narrowed, as he steps forward in front of Ryuunosuke.

"Fox is fine." The voice speaks, garbled with noise and inhumanely deep. 

Fox extends their arm, a notable dark briefcase in their hand and passes it to Atsushi without care. They shrug their shoulders. Atsushi examines the briefcase, listening carefully for any soft noises that could indicate a bomb or other unnecessary machinery in the briefcase. Ryuunosuke steps closer, a hand extending out to touch for the briefcase. Atsushi waves him off, nodding.

"I just hear papers," Atsushi says.

"Of course it is," Fox speaks, crossing their arms over their chest. "If it was going to be a bomb, it wouldn't be in a briefcase."

"And where exactly would you put a bomb?" Ryuunosuke asks, eyes locked on the suspicious person.

Fox shrugs their shoulders. "I actually hate explosives so, nowhere." 

Atsushi nods.

"Then—"

A loud explosion above them shakes and breaks the second floor, debris of decayed wood and metal beams falling down towards the two detectives and informant. Atsushi quickly grabs Fox by their arm, pulling them closer to him as he and Ryuunosuke jump back. The dust from the explosion settles and on top of the rubble stood another figure, clad in dark grays with a distinct Noh mask, similar to Fox. Atsushi looks over at Fox, unable to read any expression.

"You set us up?" Atsushi yells.

"Fox! You bastard!" The Noh-masked figure yells, voice garbled similar to Fox's but an octave higher. "Took you long enough to come out of hiding!"

Atsushi glares coldly at the Noh-masked figure, his arms and legs having already transformed into his tiger ability as Ryuunosuke stands on guard, glasses still on his face. Meanwhile, Fox grabs the briefcase Atsushi dropped during the explosion, clutching it tightly in their hand.

"Noh's my former partner," Fox says, "Emphasis on former."

Atsushi flinches when he feels a hand on his own transformed arm and looks back at Fox, who is shaking their head.

"Noh's an ability user, he's—"

A rage of ice circles Noh and spreads towards Ryuunosuke and Atsushi. They both jump, Atsushi pulling Fox up from their arms despite them clutching the briefcase in their hands. The ice spreads more, following the two like serpents who've caught wind of their pray while a distorted, high-pitch laugh echoes the building as the temperature drops, slow puffs of hot breath freezing in the air.

"Careful! Noh's an ice ability user!" Fox screams as Atsushi roughly tosses him on top of the staircase.

Sharp icicles emerge from the serpents of ice, spikes reaching and piercing through the ceiling above as Atsushi quickly jumps on one of the spikes while Ryuunosuke using Rashomon to pierce another spike, finding his footing. Atsushi looks over at Ryuunosuke, whose nose is now slightly pink as the icy cool air starts to replace the once temperate environment. Shit, he's going to freeze us here! 

"Fire is his weakness!" Fox yells, stepping back as larger ice spikes try to pierce him.

"Hey hey hey! Fox, you bastard!" Noh yells, jumping onto the large ice spikes he's made and starts to head towards Fox.

"Shit, Ryuunosuke!" Atsushi yells, looking over to Ryuunsouke.

"I got it."

Ryuunosuke uses the momentum built from Rashomon as it carries him through the large ice spikes, Atsushi following suit. If fire's his weakness, then we just need to start a fire! Atsushi breaks one of the ice spikes and tosses it at Noh, who is caught unawares and promptly knocked to the opposite side of the building, Fox still safe at the top of the stair case. A loud explosion from behind Atsushi catches him off guard as he turns to look at multiple large shards of ice chase after him. He flinches, eyes immediately closing until he hears the sound of cracks like broken glass near his face.

When Atsushi opens his eyes, he sees Ryuunosuke by his side, using Rashomon to break the large ice shards and shielding him from the damage. From this angle, he can see how red Ryuunosuke's ears are, his fingers nearly a dangerous purple because of the lack of heat in the building, the icy air squeaking it dry. A piece of the ice shards breaks off, slicing Ryuunosuke's face as the ice shards start to appear more and more frequently.

"S-Shit!" 

"Ryuunosuke!"

Sharp claws extend out and Atsushi steps forward, moving as fast as he can as he breaks and shreds the ice shards. He quickly glances at Ryuunosuke and meets his eye.

"We have to restrain Noh and start a fire!" Atsushi grits his teeth, feeling the heavy weight of the ice shards pushing him back as they get larger and larger against his claws.

Ryuunosuke, who is still fighting against the horde of ice shards alongside Atsushi, scowls more as the blood slips out from his cheek, slowing down as it freezes. Atsushi looks over again and an idea appears in his head. He remembers when Fox has walked in, he had heard something metallic against the figure and assumed it was the metal bits from the briefcase. 

"Fox..." Ryuuonsuke looks over. "I think.. they have a gun. We can use the gun to start a fire—"

The ice nearby moves in an automatic fashion, straight and sharp, and slams Atsushi against Ryuunosuke. They both fall back, his back effectively slamming Ryuuonsuke against the wall. In the far background, Atsushi can hear Noh's voice and looks over to see him approaching them.

"Can't believe that this the Armed Detective Agency Fox left me for," Noh smirks, a large chunk of ice floating in the air, sharpen to a point and floats effortlessly behind him.

Atsushi staggers to get up, his arms shaking a bit from the impact, feeling Ryuuonsuke behind him doing the same. They both make eye contact before Atsushi rushes in, effectively breaking the chunk of ice into medium size. Atsushi distracts Noh, jumping on and off the collection of ice shards in the air while Ryuunosuke heads over to Fox. They quickly toss their gun in the air, Rashomon grabs at it and Ryuunosuke uses Rashomon to jump back towards a pile of wooden chairs in the corner of the building. He brings the chairs swiftly with Rashomon, creating a haphazard pile of woods. Echoes of screams and shouts as Atsushi and Noh fight off, with various ice shards flinging throughout the building.

Rashomon reaches out, Ryuunosuke watching Atsushi carefully fight the ability user and pulls out of the metal beams that had fallen from the earlier explosion. It slams its dead center into the pile of wood that Ryuunosuke's created and he jumps back, pulling out the gun and starts to fire it towards the bottom of the lead beam. White and yellow sparks flicker as the bullets hit metal, slowly but surely lighting up the wood until a bonfire of decayed wood burns brightly around the metal beam.

The smell of burning wood and smoke fills the building, distracting Noh long enough for Atsushi to slam him into the ceiling and walls. Ryuunosuke pulls back the carpets, dragging them across the floors and the fires quickly grab on, clinging desperately at whatever it can find and burn. The air, once icy and tightly bonded to the air, now becomes stuffy with smoke and the rising heat from the fire. Noh is thoroughly knocked out, fragments of the ice shards falling but with the rising heat and fires, turn into water. 

"We got to get out of here!" Atsushi yells at Ryuunosuke, who flippantly hoists Noh onto his back. 

Ryuunosuke coughs, the smell of the wood and smoke from the fires distracting him before he nods and heads over to Fox. The building begins to give way to the fires, the ceiling falling apart, allowing more and more debris to fall through the gaps. Luckily, both detectives, each carrying at least one person, are able to safely exit the burning building. They both watch in awe as the fires claim the building as a victim against a cold, moonless night.

Atsushi looks over to Ryuunosuke, who stares at the fire with something akin to relief and pride. He allows himself a small grin, pleasantly surprised at how well they worked together despite this being their first mission together. Fox passes the briefcase to Ryuunosuke, who takes it nonchalantly. They walk over to Atsushi, who gives them a confused look.

"If.. possible," Fox says. "I'd like to take Noh with me. My car is parked a few miles away but I can drop you off to the Agency in return."

Atsushi blinks, forgetting that they had taken a taxi to get to the drop-off location. Noh lays soundly against Atsushi's back, his back rising slowly as he breathes in and out. He quickly glances at Ryuunosuke, whose cheek is still marred from the ice shard, and sees a quick nod. Atsushi nods back before looking at Fox, eyes giving his approval.

All four persons walk towards Fox's car, with them leading the way. They are lucky that there's a small, dirt pathway and despite the cold night, the wind barely blows so the stench and smoke of the fires linger softly in the air. Once the car was in view, Fox instructs Atsushi to put Noh in the trunk, stating that he likely won't wake up until the next day after.

"How do you know that he won't attack?" Ryuunosuke asks, sliding into the front seat.

"Because I'll apologize properly this time," Fox's voice is still garbled and funny.

Atsushi blinks. "Apologize?"

Fox shrugs. "Partners, am I right?"

Atsushi and Ryuunosuke walk towards the entrance of the office, which is located right next to the cafe's doors. They walk down the hallway quietly, heading towards the elevator, with Ryuunosuke holding the briefcase. Atsushi pulls on his shirt, sniffing it and immediately feeling repulsed by the smell of burning wood as they enter the elevator His eyes linger up to Ryuunosuke, on the side where his cheek has a notable cut and dried blood as he presses the fourth floor

"You know," Ryuunosuke shifts his gaze towards Atsushi. "Yosano's most likely going to ask to heal you..."

Atsushi points to Ryuunosuke's cheek.

"Why don't you let her heal you once?"

Atsushi feels the gaze of dark gray eyes that are oh so effectively belittling him at this very moment. His finger retracts, drooping slightly and shrinks a bit in the corner of the elevator. The belittled look Ryuunosuke sports is quickly replaced with something that Atsushi recognizes easily: resignation. 

"... I guess I have to, don't I?" Ryuunosuke deadpans.

Yikes, sorry.

—

When they head out of the elevator, Ryuunosuke and Atsushi are immediately shocked (with one being more "scared" than the other) when they see Yosano standing in all her glory, a hand on her hip and the other holding an ax. Her smile is wicked, her aura complimenting it so. Atsushi looks around, seeing no one else in the office. 

"Well, well, well!" Ryuunosuke tightens his grip on the briefcase. "I knew it would be a good day!"

Yosano sports an even nastier grin, her eyes locked on Ryuunosuke, specifically the cut on his cheek. She takes slow, calculated steps towards him, heels echoing in the office. Atsushi feels a sense of dread claw at his stomach, even though she wasn't eyeing him in the same way that she's eyeing Ryuunosuke. It's like watching a cat about to eat a rat, he mindlessly compares the image that he sees.

Her hand extends out, pointing towards the briefcase. 

"I'll take the briefcase but in exchange, if you want my stamp, you'll have to get healed by me—"

"One time."

"HUH?!" Atsushi flinches. "Why once?!"

"I only hurt my cheek," Ryuunosuke deadpans, pointing to his cheek.

Something dark lurks in the air and Atsushi shivers as it crawls down his spine.

"Oh, really?" Yosano scowls back at Ryuunosuke, who takes the full hit without flinching.

"How many times did I heal you in the other universe?"

"Twenty times."

Well that's bullshit.

Yosano blinks and taps her foot impatiently. She murmurs quietly, something like 'that's so unfair' before her shoulders slump, a sigh escaping her mouth. Her hand is still outstretched so Ryuunosuke hands her the briefcase. 

"One time, huh?" Her mouth twists into a crazed grin, eyes piercing.

Perhaps Atsushi's imagined this but he could've sworn he saw Ryuunosuke flinch reflectively, his hand twitching when Yosano's eyes pierce through him as he moved his hands into his pockets. Yosano walks forward past Ryuunosuke, who makes no movement whatsoever before he is being pulled by the collar of his coat by Yosano, her ax waving randomly in the air. Yosano offhandedly tells Atsushi to wait in the office while she drags Ryuunosuke next door to the trauma room.

Atsushi watches and claps his hands in prayer.

"Godspeed, Ryuunosuke." 

Chapter Text

Atsushi tries his very best to avoid glaring at Ryuunosuke, who's staring down at his pile of paperwork with emptiness. He isn't even holding a pen in his hand and there's a light sway in his posture. A deep sigh escapes Atsushi's chest and moves to stand up from the table.

"I can make some tea, you want?"

Ryuunosuke stares, eyes nearly forlorn and briefly nods. The corners of Atsushi's face tilt down, recalling how Ryuunosuke came out of the infirmary after Yosano healed him. Once. Despite the notable shine on his skin, his face aged with more notable lines near his eyes while Yosano walked behind him, waving and tapping the approval card on his back. She looked all too happy and Atsushi shivered.

The electrical kettle sits in the corner of his small kitchenette and Atsushi moves to bring it out from the corner, plugging in the bottom, heating part into the outlet. He takes the kettle out and goes to the sink, filling it with cold water half water. Ryuunosuke stands up, heading over to Atsushi, who's unaware of the approach. Atsushi reaches above him, opening the cabinet and pulling out a small box filled with prepackaged oolong tea. 

"Have you decided?" Atsushi yelps, dropping the box on the counter as the kettle begins to boil.

Ryuunosuke stood in front of him, eyes quiet and open against the kitchen light. Atsushi blinks, something boiling in his stomach as he takes this image in. He turns back around, heading towards the drying dishes and pulls out two cups, his back against Ryuunosuke's.

"Hmm, I don't know," Atsushi chuckles a bit and jokingly responds back. "How about a kiss then?"

As if he'll give me a kiss.

"Okay."

What?

"What?"

Atsushi turns back around, holding two cups in his hands and stares openly at Ryuunosuke, who looks as emotionless as ever. The scratch on his cheek is gone, immediately replaced with smooth, porcelain skin but his eyes betray nothing, no hint of embarrassment nor misery. Atsushi shakily puts the cups down as the kettle powers off, signaling the end of its boiling phase.

I'm kidding! His mind screams. 

"Listen, I—"

A pair of warm, clean lips touch his own and Atsushi widens his eyes. Ryuunosuke is.. kissing .. me?! The steam of the boiling water enters the kitchen, warming it up slightly and Atsushi finds himself leaning against his counter, hands trying desperately to steady themselves while Ryuunosuke leans more. His cheeks burn further once he realizes that Ryuunosuke has his eyes closed, dark lashes against his pale skin. Paler than his, at least. It's soft and pliable with so little pressure that only the warmth of his lips acts as an indicator that Atsushi's being kissed right now.

When Ryuunosuke pulls away, Atsushi stares wide-eyed. A faint flush blooms on Ryuunosuke's face, his hand automatically covering his face in true Akutagawa fashion and Atsuhi's heart stutters.

'I... apologize if it was bad..." Ryuunosuke trails off.

Atsushi allows his mouth to speak before his brain can stop him.

"Was it your... first....?"

Dark gray eyes flicker towards Atsushi coldly, of which he flinched notably but those same eyes look away, something bashful behind them. Something whines in his heart and Atsushi brings up to hands to his face, cupping them tightly. I took his first kiss! What the—?! He swiftly turns around, stammering out the words 'tea' repeatedly without any helpful suggestion or inclination of a sentence and shakily reaches for the slightly cooled down kettle. His mind is reeling, kindly allowing his body to operate automatically as he pulls out two tea bags and pours hot water over them. Afterwards, he places the kettle back on top of the warming plate and grabs the cup.

"I will do more research and I will kiss you again."

His hands swing the hot tea almost comically and Atsushi releases his grip on them in fear of being burned by hot water. However, rather than hot water splashing on him, Rashoman wraps its tendrils around the cups and moves them gently to the table. Atsushi, who had his arms raised, peers, over to the table and looks at Ryuunosuke, who stares at him with a hint of concern.

"Ah, t-thank you..." Atsushi, despite the blush, feels his shoulders slump.

"N-No.. I'll stamp your card," He says quietly. "You... want to see Gin, right?"

Icy, dark gray eyes immediately bare fangs at him and Atsushi recoils at their intensity. 

"I do want to see my sister," Ryuunosuke bites. "But your pity is not needed."

"I'm not—!"

Atsushi pauses, his blush nearly gone and has a deep frown on his face that contrasts against the thin line on Ryuunosuke's face. It wasn't as though he was expecting Ryuunosuke to take his joke as seriously as he did. Who... who says they'll do more research on kissing? His mind derails and Atsushi tries to pull it back... it doesn't take.

"T-Then.. I'll.. I uh... stamp your card... after you give me.. a better ki-ki-kiss," his mouth explains while his words trail off in the end.

Atsushi digs himself further into his soul and body, his blush erupting in full force. He wonders briefly if there was a way to surgically remove whatever portion of his brain that's making him act up. But Ryuunosuke nods, eyes steeled and determine before walking back to the table and picks up the tea.

The two roommates go back into writing up their reports: Ryuunosuke has attempted to shred his at least five times within the span of the hour and Atsushi, in turn, has decided to write the entire report himself. If RYuunosuke, who gingerly brings the cup to his mouth, shares a hidden smile, Atsushi cannot tell. Because his lips are still tingling, unconsciously licking at them and ignores the mantra that runs itself from his mind into his heart on an unstoppable path:

I want to kiss him more.

When Atsushi dreams, he dreams of a battle, a desperate fight between two persons. A flurry of blood, spit and sinew decorate the air around these two people and Atsushi watches in shock. Are they...? His face morphs into something horrific as the faces of the two persons clear and he sees a damaged yet determined Ryuunosuke faced against... him.

But the dream cuts his vision, the image of bleeding and damaged Ryuuonsuke against a reckless yes despondent version of himself no longer haunts him. Instead, it shows him the time when he and Ryuunosuke visited a nearby deli, sharing of drinks and an overall peaceful walk to the office. One of his favourite moments with Ryuunosuke.

But his dream is cruel. Because it flashes back to the kiss, of soft lips so gently holding his with long, thick lashes that dare to tempt him more. His dream, his subconscious, dares to ask Atsushi a question he didn't think lingered in his mind: Do you want this Akutagawa to stay here?

When Atsushi wakes up, his eyes are wet and his face crusty on the sides. His hand reaches upward, touching his lips gently and feels an impending frown. His body is screaming at him and Atsushi, who is so used to his mind screaming at him, finds his own heart sinking deeper in his body. As if it is trying to hide from these screams.

Because... he knows the answer.

Chapter Text

The two detectives walk in tandem, stopping by the nearby bodega and being welcomed with a cordiality that is befitting of a person who owns a bodega. Atsushi waves, picking the same two bottles of juice that they drank and pays for it while Ryuunosuke chats with the man behind the hot foods and sandwich counter. Atsushi pulls out the same sandwiches he bought before and Ryuunosuke takes it without question. Atsushi fills the silence between them, speaking about nothing and everything as he readjusts the bag filled with the reports over his shoulder, with only the city noises interjecting every now and then.

Ryuunosuke nods, offering a few words and phrases every now and then as Atsushi talks with hints of a smile on his face. Atsushi blushes, stuttering a bit but continues forward. He offers his library card, telling Ryuunosuke he could probably sneak out to the library once he drops off the paperwork and Ryuunosuke lets his eyes flicker towards the card then back to Atsushi's face.

Their walk is filled with familiarity and the unknown. If dark gray eyes linger a bit longer on Atsushi, he hasn't noticed. Nor has he noticed that the once expressionless Ryuunosuke is now.. carrying an expression, an emotion is lightly written on his face.

—

"Did he actually write the report?"

"It.. it was a combined effort..." Atsushi finishes off weakly.

Kunikida glares harder at Atsushi and Ryuunosuke, shifting between the two. Ryuunosuke is ever expressionless and stands his ground. Atsushi feels like the ground is feeling too elevated for him.

"Well?" Kunikida looks over to Ryuunosuke, who eyes him carefully. "Did you write it?"

"Yes."

That is complete and utter bullshit. You tried to shred it multiple times!

"Atsushi?"

"Y-Yes, he did... the first couple of pages—"

"What?! I said—"

"I proofread."

Atsushi nods vigorously as the tapping of Kunikida's foot increases. Although 'proofreading' really meant Atsushi writing everything and Ryuunosuke adding a few words (well, more like taking a few words out so it quote 'reads better'). Kunikida turns away from the two detectives, grabbing the newly furnished report and quickly reads the first page. There's a hum of something and Atsushi looks over at Ryuunosuke, who stands there quietly, staring blankly at Kunikida.

"Hmm, it's not.. bad," Kunikida starts. "But I suppose it's good enough for you."

A heavy but relieved sigh escapes Atsushi as Kunkida places the new report done and gestures Ryuunosuke to pass the approval card and stamp. A bright smile appears on Atsushi's face as he watches Kunikida stamp the card but pauses when Kunikida passes the card back to Ryuunosuke.

"What's Atsushi doing for you then?"

Immediately, Atsushi feels his face heat up and looks away. Ryuunosuke shifts quickly, offhandedly mentioning that he'll be heading to the library, as he puts on his glasses and starts making his way to the door. Atsushi and Kunikida both watch in confusion with Kunikida shrugging and turns back around to the new report. Atsushi sighs and saunters over his desk with slumped shoulders, desperately trying to push down the heat from his face.

The sound of a pen being snapped jerks Atsushi's attention away from his own files to see Kunikida, pale and frozen in his seat. His eyes widen in confusion and fear, worried for his senior until the office door slowly opens accompanied with haughty laughs and heavy footsteps. Atsushi turns and watches in fear as Dazai and Rampo look over at him.

"Ayo!" Dazai screams, eyes manic while Ranpo bursts out in uncontrollable laughter.

Immediately, all color is lost from Atsushi's face as he stares at the men in true horror and dread. Stomach curls and coils, wanting to disintegrate itself, while his heart claws against his chest, wanting to escape this cramped, moist cavern. From the entrance alone, an atmosphere of smug intelligence and utter enjoyment of other people's misery drifts closer and closer to where Kunikida and Atsushi sat.

Please, Atsushi prays, someone kill me now.

The logical thing to do was to give Ryuunosuke a working phone in the event that he was split away from any one of the members of the agency. However, because there hasn't been a precedent set for when a person is dragged from one universe into another, logic is but a theory. So here stands Atsushi, staring up a very tall building with an avant-garde type art installation, in the shape of a cube, acting as a marker for the library.

The only other time Atsushi's been to the library was when he and Tanizaki were getting the helicopter to board the Moby Dick. In any case, the library was massive and something that filled his own heart with wonder, especially since he's been studying on his own about various subjects. Kyouka, at his own request, confirmed that Ryuunosuke was still in the library, diligently studying (of which he immediately blushed at the thought) and roaming through the hallways with many books in his hands. Atsushi looks down at the watch on his wrist, immediately realizing that Ryuunosuke had spent the entire day at the library.

In any case, Atsushi steps into the library, immediately relieved as the gush of cool air from the running air conditioners move his hair and wrap around his neck. There are about five floors, with the first floor acting more as the central hub with information and guest services at one end, automatic kiosks for checking and returning books as well as a small gift shop that sends few trinkets. Each floor afterward is separated differently with the last floor, the fifth floor, being a small cafe with empty spaces and conference rooms to read and/or study leisurely. After meticulously searched for a beige/gray trenchcoat and dark-black hair, Atsushi finally finds Ryuuonsuke sequestered in a corner of the library with a few books under one arm. His finger is up, carefully looking through each title and even with the glasses on, Atsushi can tell that he's trying to find some book.

"Hey," Atsushi whispers so as not to disturb the other guests.

Ryuunosuke looks over, finger curling back in, and nods curtly. His head leans to the left, Atsushi suspects looking at the clock hanging in the middle of the floor facing in all directions. But then, he looks down afterward, almost in a bashful way. Atsushi tilts his head in confusion.

"What happened?"

"I was able to conclude my research on how to better kiss you—" Atsushi blushes almost immediately. "— However, I didn't realize I spent my entire day here."

Atsushi smiles. "That's okay, haha." He points to the small stack of books under Ryuunosuke's arm.

"What's all that then?"

"Some books on pesticides and their alternatives used in farming, a book regarding architecture and some poetry books I found interesting."

Atsushi watches at Ryuunosuke kneels down to place the books on the floor, before lifting his left wrist and pulls back his sleeve. The two gold bars that were barely filled are now almost 75% stripped away, revealing a pale underside. Atsushi quietly examines it, his eyes shifting between either side of the gold bars. It seems to end at where the two tendons would meet.

"When.. did you notice the change?" Atsushi asks.

"It wasn't like this in the morning..." Ryuunosuke glances back at the watch. "I only just checked it."

It seemed so arbitrary, Atsushi thinks carefully, I mean wasn't it just barely fading away almost a week ago? What's the trigger? Atsushi shakes his head, determined that they should see Ranpo first thing in the morning to show him the new development. Ryuunosuke agrees but when Atsushi gestures for him to follow, Ryuunosuke stills, arm still full with books. Something clicks in Atsushi's mind.

"Do.. you want to check those out?" Ryuunosuke shifts his gaze, looking to the left. 

"No, that's fine," Ryuunosuke shakes his head, eyes calculated and cold. "I don't know how long I'll be here so it would be counterproductive to check out any books."

There's a somber look on Atsushi's face as those words harshly pull at his heart and punches him in the gut. His hand squeezes on his side, and with determination, moves forward to grab the books from Ryuunosuke. Atsushi is looking down at the pile of books in his hand, plainly ignoring whatever look Ryuunosuke is giving him and moves forward towards the escalators, saying something about making a library card. 

Atsushi uses the kiosks available to check out the books, pulling out his library card and scanning it. Both are them are quiet as the kiosk prints out a receipt with the book titles and the return date listed at the bottom— two weeks from now. As they walk out, Atsushi still carries the books in his hands, partly because he feels that it'll be awkward to give them back but also to hide his flushed face.

When they get home, Atsushi immediately winces as the light turns on, remembering that he still hasn't bought any groceries for anything. He offers takeout again and Ryuunosuke nods briskly, removing his glasses. Suddenly, the books in his hands are being lifted against his own free will and Atsushi stares at the beige tendrils that slowly wrap around the pile of books.

Atsushi has his mouth open, to protest but suddenly he's being backed against the door, his back flushed against the door and he stares wide-eyed at dark gray eyes, quiet but filled with some unknown emotion. The flush deepens on Atsushi's face as he feels as a hand gently holds his jawline. Inadvertently, his tongue darts out, licking his own lips and watches, entranced, as Ryuuonsuke leans in until just the tip of his nose nears his cheeks. A mewl escapes from Atsushi, against his own volition, when Ryuunosuke fully leans in, taking his own lips fully.

The kiss is much deeper than the first one but still as soft as ever. Ryuunosuke moves his lips gently, his lower lip just lightly brushing against Atsushi's bottom lip. Those same soft lips part gently, taking Atsushi's more and more and suddenly, his lips are pulling gently, coaxing Atsushi to open his mouth more. Nervous and overwhelmed hands reach and grab the lapels of the trenchcoat, a low and pregnant moan muffled against lips comes out from Atsushi. His mind is hazy, both aware and unaware of the body heat exudating from Ryuunosuke as his lips pull any and all defenses down. 

Ryuunosuke pulls away, an inadvertent whimper escapes from Atsushi and as quick as this kiss came, Atsushi squeezes hard at the lapels of the coat as he feels something wet, soft and oh so warm against his neck. His head tilts back, hitting the door with a soft thud, fighting off the urge to moan as the sensations of a wet tongue and soft lips fight against his own senses. An arm is wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer to Ryuunosuke. Instead, heavy breathes fill the air in his apartment and something darkly enticing and needy coils in his stomach.

"R-Ryuu.. aaahhhh... R-Ryuunosuke..." Atsushi whined.

Immediately, the sensation on his neck disappears and Atsushi fights the disappointment from appearing on the face as he stares at Ryuunosuke, who also has a light flush on the bridge of his nose, dusting over to his cheeks. His own hands that've grabbed his trenchcoat loosen a bit but he can't seem to let go. The arm around his waist loosens as Ryuunosuke looks away in shame.

"I.. I apologize," He says quietly, moving to wipe the saliva off his lips. "I-I went too far, I—"

"No!" Atsushi freezes when Ryuunosuke looks over him.

A moment of silence passes by.

"I... liked it... a lot," Atsushi whispers, face extremely red but eyes genuine.

That same moment of silence reappears and stays for quite a bit before Ryuunosuke breaks it with just a touch. His hand reaches for the side bangs, earning a small gasp from Atsushi. His fingers twirl the silver-white hair, Atsushi blushes further and bites the inside of his cheek.

"You're so different..." Ryuunosuke whispers. "So much kinder, softer... so much more."

Atsushi feels his lungs pause, his heart pounding loudly in his chest. Because what he is seeing now is an Akutagawa looking at him and only him with earnestness and openness that Atsushi's never seen before in his whole life. It colors his gray eyes beautifully like polished marble, lighting up kindly. Something in him screams to be selfish, even if it's only for today and Atsushi finally lets that feeling sink in. 

His hands tighten and he pulls Ryuunosuke in, the tip of his nose gently nuzzling against Ryuunosuke's own nose. Atsushi lets out a heavy sigh and pleads desperately with God himself.

"Please... please let me have this."

Ryuunosuke pushes forward, lunging and latching onto Atsushi, lips meeting lips, soul meeting soul. Atsushi moans against his lips, immediately feeling two arms gently pull him closer with one warmly on his upper back and the other tight around his waist. His hands move to gently card into black hair and Atsushi's kindly rewarded with a deepening kiss accompanied by a smile that he tastes more so than sees.

Who knew God gave as much as he took?

Pulling away from pliable, warm lips is a lot harder than Atsushi thought it would be. Maybe it's because of who owns those lips. In any case, his stomach curls something wild and different but not uncomfortable and Atsushi is, unfortunately, the one that pulls away, though his body is protesting in every fashion. He mumbles something about food, a sheepish smile on his face as Atsuhi's finally realized that despite this delectable meal in the form of Ryuunosuke's lips and touches, his stomach needs actual sustenance. Ryuunosuke nods, face flushing a bit but slowly unwraps himself from Atsushi, who wants nothing more than to stay in his arms.

When Ryuunosuke heads slowly to the bathroom to change, Atsushi slides down on the floor, breathing hard and slow. Oh god, wow that was just... His face lights up, a hand immediately covering his face as though anyone can see him in this state of total reciprocated bliss. His hands fumbled for his phone to place a call for takeout and even his voice is a bit choppy. Still, he's managed to put the order in and just barely gets past into the living room when Ryuunosuke leaves the bathroom.

He still has his trench coat, Atsushi notes but makes his way to change in the bathroom, telling Ryuunosuke that the food will be here in about 40 minutes. He nods briskly and heads over to the table, quiet and... undisturbed of what just happened. Something pangs in Atsushi's heart, his lips tightening in the corner and when he changes, slipping out of his dress shirt, it's slow and tense. His mind speaks to him providing flashbacks of the gold bars on Ryuunosuke's wrist and the frown deepens.

He's not... he's not supposed to be here.

—

The food arrives and both men, dressed in sleepwear, sit beside each other in a tense and almost awkward silence. Atsushi peels back the lid and starts to take a few bites out of his meal, realizing a bit that he can't really taste some of the chicken. He glances over to Ryuunosuke who sits on his right and notices that he's eating quietly and softly.

"Will you stamp my card after this?" Ryuunosuke asks, eyes steadily looking down at his meal.

Atsushi blinks and nods, humming a note of approval as he chews his chicken. But at this point, he's looking almost straight at Ryuunosuke, eyes unwavering. The food doesn't taste good so I wonder if they made it differently, Atsushi reasons. Because it can't be anything else that can leave such an empty taste on his tongue. 

Still, they both finish their food in silence with faint noises of chewing occasionally breaking the silence. Atsushi gets up, grabbing the plastic containers and throwing them away but when he comes back, he stops in his tracks. Ryuunosuke still sat at the table, with his beige trench coat appearing out of place with his sleepwear underneath, but Atsushi could see a red book in his lap, one of the books from the library. Ryuunosuke reads quietly, eyes attentive to every detail in each page. Slender, pale fingers turn the pages slowly, his head barely moving as he reads.

It's an image that will both haunt and amaze him.

"What's the other me like?"

These words were not the ones that Atsushi wanted to say. Especially when Ryuunosuke, who has a page in his hand, flinches but his head is still downturned. Atsushi walks over, barely a few meters away but can't find any will to actually sit down next to Ryuunosuke, instead choosing to hover over him. But there isn't a response and Atsushi feels an inkling of frustration until his eye catches the approval card on the table along with the stamp. His eyes roll but reaches over, quickly stamping the card and tossing it a bit too harshly back on the table.

Atsushi can't seem to understand why he's mad right now. But he is.

Ryuunosuke looks up, causing Atsushi to flinch. Because his eyes are unhappy as he stares back at him, they are gray and unhappy and Atsushi frowns more, shoulders hunching a bit. This isn't fair, he thought quietly. But that gaze is enough for Atsushi to slowly stand down, sliding down to his knees with his hands in his laps, his own ashamed gaze barely meeting his.

"I thought he was interesting," Ryuunosuke answers, closing the book in his lap. "Very different from you, of course."

Atsushi bites the inside of his lip, wanting to know more. Ryuunosuke nods.

"He... He was very afraid, skittish despite his position," Atsushi tilts his head.

"Position?"

"In my universe, he was a part of Port Mafia, known as the 'White Reaper' to all," Ryuunosuke averts his gaze a bit. "He was a very powerful opponent."

Atsushi slumps a bit, feeling a bit guilty for having this anger as it subsides in his stomach. He casts his gaze downward, twiddling with the hem of his shirt but snaps back to look at Ryuunosuke when he feels delicate fingers stroking his neck. But Ryuunosuke stares back, dark gray eyes seemed far away from him.

"I was...later told that Nakajima wore a collar with spikes that drove into his neck to control his ability," Ryuunosuke continues to move his fingers, tracing emptily at the skin.

Atsushi shivers, mouth dry and face hot.

"I'm... glad that you don't have to resort to such a measure." 

Atsushi bites his lip when Ryuunosuke pulls away, his eyes finally returning back to here and quickly averts his gaze. He finds a shaky hand reaching out, holding Ryuunosuke's left wrist, and wonders whose hand that is. 

"C-Can I kiss you again?" Atsushi asks desperately.

When Ryuunosuke looks back at him, Atsushi can feel his heart breaking, his soul screaming. Because his eyes, dark gray and so much like Akutagawa, looks at him with tenderness and.. fear, his mouth is barely open. His hand tightens around the wrist, feeling a burning sensation in his eyes. There aren't a lot of words to say and Atsushi knows.

He knows that Ryuunosuke doesn't belong in this universe, in this timeline. He knows that now, every time he looks at Akutagawa, he'll see Ryuunosuke and his heart will become bitter. He knows that every time he goes to the library, he'll always have a receipt of when he and Ryuuonsuke visited when he spent almost a way day in the library truly enjoying himself and learning about subjects that even Atsushi never thought he'd enjoy. There's going to be a lingering emptiness in the apartment even after Kyouka moves back in, a lingering emptiness in his heart.

I don't understand why I can't have him?!

"Nakajima..." Ryuunosuke starts, starling Atsushi from his reverie. "He looked different too."

Atsushi makes no comment, hand still tightly wound around his wrist. Ryuunosuke continues.

"His bangs were more straight than yours, his clothing darker too." 

Ryuunosuke pulls his hand away, causing Atsushi to flinch, and raises it to gently stroke a finger on Atsushi's cheek. His mouth opens a bit and his cheeks warm, immediately flustered but their eye contact don't break. Atsushi closes his eyes when he feels a finger gently stroking his eyelid and extending down to the lashes.

"Perhaps his ability was always on but Nakajima's eyes were always gold whereas yours..." Ryuunosuke whispers.

"My.. my eyes are what?" Atsushi whispers back, eyes still closed, heart still violent in his chest.

He feels the hand pull back and immediately misses the gentle warmth that it gave off. His eyes flicker open and watch something unreadable on Ryuunosuke's face pass by. Ryuunosuke pulls away, head dropping down and hands back in his lap. His face scrunches up, nose wrinkling and eyes crinkling, brows barely visible now furrowed. Atsushi watches quietly, guilt eating at his soul but makes no move to break this overbearing silence.

"Like... when day meets night," Ryuunosuke grunts out.

His head snaps back and reflexively, Atsushi draws back a bit when a forcible arm reaches out and grabs him by the collar of his shirt. Suddenly, day meets night. There are lips against his and Atsushi groans against it, feeling one hand on his neck and another pulling at his wrist. Atsushi has one hand on his chest, the other being dragged by Ryuunosuke. He leans forward, allowing Ryuunosuke to take him.

They are both reckless, allowing promises to be made against all odds, as lips move and dance with one another. They are both learning, feeling the cracks in every kiss, engraving every soft gasp or whisper that manages to escape from their mouths. Atsushi yearns and Ryuunosuke seeks out.

These promises are lies in truth in lies and unbeknownst to these two detectives, promises must be said out loud to become true.

Chapter Text

"That was quick," Ranpo states.

But the mirrored devilish smirks on both Dazai's and Ranpo's faces betray Ranpo's nonchalant reply. Ryuunosuke stares down at Ranpo, ignoring Atsushi beside him furiously blushing. Ranpo waves at him, pulling out a case file. Ryuunosuke promptly ignores Dazai behind Ranpo, who sidesteps and pulls Atsushi away from his side. He feels a flicker of annoyance that spreads down his spine and shoots out into his stomach, something that he can't quite understand why he's getting irritated.

"Gin will pass through this area although I can't say what time," Ranpo shrugs. "I'm not a time traveler."

Ryuunosuke reaches for it, hands barely about to open it before Ranpo starts to talk.

"You're running out of time," His brows twitch and he looks over to Ranpo, who points at his wrist.

Even though his wrist is hidden behind his black sleeve, Ryuunosuke can practically see the gold bars that now cling halfway through his wrist, with the tips starting to fade. Still, he moves forward, grabbing the folder and opening it. There was nothing else except a map of the city with a small 'x' located in one part of the city and circled. On the side, on a green sticky note, Ryuunosuke plucks it and reads the letters carefully.

Learn from this.

When Ryuunosuke glances back at Ranpo, it doesn't surprise him much to see two feet on top of the desk, a lollipop in his mouth hanging loosely with arms behind his head and an unreadable expression on his face. His hand reaches for the glasses in his pocket, tucking the folder under his arm as Ryuunosuke swiftly turns away from Ranpo, heading towards the exit despite the yelling coming from Kunikida.

I'll show you, Gin... his mind is interrupted when he feels a gentle touch on his arm. Ryuunosuke whips around, body tense and eyes even more tight and dark until he sees Atsushi in his line of vision. His body relaxes a bit, the glasses are loose in his hand, just barely close to his face. His eyes drift, taking into account the furrowed brows, the tight frown tugging at the corner of Atsushi's lips and most importantly, the sea of purples and golds that betray worry and concern. There's a storm approaching in his heart.

His eyes were always the point of interest for Ryuunosuke, a clear indication of how different everything is in this universe. Nakajima's were always gold, even during their passive and tense walk up the floors of the main building of Port Mafia. But Atsushi, who still hasn't released his arm, gazes carefully at him. Ryuunosuke sighs a bit, hoping to both comfort and inform Atsushi that he's okay but finds it does nothing for the storm in his heart. The hand slips from his arm and Atsushi smiles a bit in response, lips twitching into a smile.

Ah, I want to kiss him again.

"You're going to go there now?"

"Mhm, I may not get my chance if I miss her."

There's a pause in the air and Ryuunosuke looks at Atsushi, who glances down at his face before looking up back at him. His eyes are hesitant but bright.

"Need company?"

When Atsushi first stated his condition, Ryuunosuke was quiet and contemplating. But he had ultimately decided that the benefit of seeing Gin outweighed the risks of... Atsushi, in general. Even though he knows that Atsushi wouldn't be a risk so to speak. Still, when Ryuuosuke first kissed him, it felt foreign. Not uncomfortable but foreign. When he pulled back to see a very pink Atsushi with glittering eyes, Ryuunosuke immediately felt his heart knock loudly against his chest. 

Still, after he did his research, Ryuunosuke was pleasantly surprised at how receptive Atsushi was under his... administrations. The book specifically stated that getting very closer to the recipient of the kiss was one of the first steps in initiating and maintaining a good enough kiss.  What he hadn't except was his own body to move out of tandem, against his own will. When Ryuunosuke held Atsushi against this chest, his arms pulling the boy closer and closer, there was a fullness in his heart. Something... something he's never really experienced before. Almost intoxicating. When lips moved down Atsushi's neck, who was withering in his touches, his mind had blanked out, his heart and body moving forward. Atsushi was malleable in his arms, his voice soft yet strong, his eyes even stronger with the gradient of purples and golds. In his life, Ryuunosuke has learned to own, one must fight for it but when Atsushi asked for more, to be more at that moment, Ryuunosuke gave in.

Now Ryuunosuke sat on a green bench with Atsushi by his side. The small fountain behind spills water out with a harshness that belies the otherwise serene appearance, decorated with small stone cherubs that hold roses in their hands. Atsushi glances over, meeting Ryuunosuke's eyes and smiles kindly at him. Ryuunosuke gazes back, his eyes softening. Truly intoxicating. The wind blows kindly, jostling the nearby bushes and sprinkling some water behind their heads but he doesn't pay attention to it. Ryuunosuke is determined, even if he had to wait here for hours on hours, he will wait.

—

The first couple of hours goes by very smoothly. Atsushi, Ryuunosuke notes, is a talker of sorts. But Ryuunosuke gives and takes while they converse. Atsushi reacts strongly, eyes wide when Ryuunosuke tells him how many chocolate bars he was able to earn. His laugh is the same too. When Atsushi tells him of his favorite food, chazuke, Ryuunosuke nods approvingly, stating that the simplicity of a food doesn't deter its flavor and watches quietly as Atsushi beams at him. They speak about their tendencies to over sugar drinks, the preference for extremely sugary drinks and Ryuunosuke allows a smile to slip through his cool facade. There's a sense of relief to be able to discuss with Atsushi their backgrounds. As the sounds of the city alive echo throughout the park, it welcomes an amicable and familiar ambiance between the two detectives, who, despite all differences, were essentially the same.

"Want something to eat?" Atsushi asks gently.

Ryuunosuke watches the crowd of people disappear down the streets, leaving the small park that they're sitting in almost completely empty. 

"I'm not particularly hungry," He responds.

"Oh..." Atsushi droops his shoulders a bit. 

Ryuunosuke notes it.

"I... suppose eating something small would do us good,"

Atsushi nods, pointing at the streetcar vendor down the blood, which appears to be a blimp in the horizon.

"I'll grab something from the trunk, okay?" 

Ryuunosuke nods, watching Atsushi run towards that same blimp and turns his attention back to gazing quietly at the scene before him. While the park is small, there is still a row of rose bushes that surround the circle of the fountain. For a passing moment, Ryuunosuke feels as though he's back in his universe. Visions of Tanizaki and Naomi walk by, laughing with their arms link. They wave at Ryuunosuke while another vision of Kunikida pops through, yelling at the two to get back into work. He blinks and sees Ranpo along with Fukuzawa and Yosano beside him, marching along down the path. He blinks again and he sees Kenji, holding his hat for him to take it. Ryuunosuke gasps softly, memories of his past and present appearing before his eyes like dust in the wind. He shakes his head in an attempt to clear his head and banish these visions until he sees Oda sitting next to him on the bench.

To say Ryuunosuke was shocked would be an understatement. But he stares at the red-haired man, who barely appears opaque like a ghost image. He looks back with his signature tired eyes but smiles briefly, before pointing forward. Ryuunosuke follows the finger, his head turning slowly towards whatever it was Oda pointed at and finds himself lost for words.

Even in a small park, the noise of heels clicking on the bricked pathway echo clearly, the noise piercing through Ryuunosuke's ears. The breeze is much stronger now, rustling the rose bushes more as birds flap their wings to escape. Ryuunosuke looks up, unable to stop his eyes from widening.

"You're here early,"

"...Gin?"

He stands quickly, arms reaching out and embraces Gin, his face twisting in a mix of fear, guilt and regret. Fear— what if she's not really here? Guilt— I failed you as your brother. Regret— I'm... I'm not... But this Gin, who wears an elegant white dress, her hair loose in the window with a small brown bag by her side, pauses, her body stiff, before relaxing in the embrace, slowly returning the embrace. Ryuunosuke feels her arms slowly release the embrace and he follows, albeit sorrowfully. Gin reaches and pulls the glasses from his face.

"Oh, you're not my brother?" Ryuunosuke flinches.

"I-I'm not going to hurt you, Gin," Her eyes narrow a bit.

Ryuunosuke lets his arms fall to the side, his eyes desperate as he pleads silently for Gin's presence. He notes that unlike his sister back in his universe, this Gin had almost the same color eyes as him. His true sister was always a bit darker than his own. But this Gin's eyes were staring carefully at him before she took a seat next to him on the bench, carefully handing over the glasses back.

They sit in silence, Ryuunosuke completely forgetting about Atsushi, as he watches Gin, who stares quietly forward. Her hands move the brown bag towards her side and Ryuunosuke finds a hidden relief when the bag is placed on the other side of her, not acting as a makeshift barrier between them. The breeze becomes gentle now and he burns this image of Gin in his mind.

She looks beautiful, untouched by Port Mafia. 

His mouth opens to speak, to say something anything but Gin cuts him off.

"You're not from here, right?" Gin asks quietly.

Ryuunosuke shakes his head. "That is correct."

"I'm supposed to meet my brother soon..." Gin turns to face him, her eyes light. "I didn't know your hair was completely black."

Ryuunosuke touches the tips of his bangs, noting the off-black color against his own naturally dark hair.

"No, I... They dyed it to avoid unwanted attention drawn to me."

Gin nods quietly, her hands now in her lap but her posture was poised without rigidity. His own eyes soften in return and for a moment there, Ryuunosuke forgets of the world around him. He has his sister with him. For this moment, his sister sits beside him in peace and quiet.

"You're not scared I'll hurt you?" Gin hums.

"If you were going to hurt me, you would have done so already."

Ryuunosuke nods but finds something stuck in his throat. He wants to know, he needs to know. He closes his eyes, turning his head to face forward and takes a deep breath in, feeling as though everything could come crashing apart. When he turns, he's kindly greeted by light gray and quizzical eyes but an otherwise soft expression. Gin tilts her head a bit, indicating her confusion but Ryuunosuke continues.

"Do you think I'm evil?"

— "RASHOMON!"

A loud crash reverberates throughout the small park as black tendrils smash violently against the metal green bench, pieces of the metal breaking off like bread crumbs. Ryuunosuke grabs onto Gin, using his own abiity to create a large protective shield as they jump away from the offending attack. More birds from the nearby trees flock away, creating a sort of veil, as Ryuunosuke pulls Gin behind him, eyes searching for the offending attack.

Gray on gray eyes meet, dark against light, and time stands still for both men. Ryuunosuke stares icily at the intruding figure, who stands before him wearing a long, black coat with a white dress shirt underneath. The figure before him stands in a fighting stance, a hand covering his face as he coughs with hair as dark as the shadows with white-tipped bangs. Those gray eyes, darker than his own, look at him with daggers and spite.

"Who are you?" The figure speaks.

"Akutagawa." Ryuunosuke answers.

The coat moves inorganically and Rashomon, as dark as the shadows underneath him, appears behind with eyes glowing red. Ryuunosuke watches carefully, his arm still extending out to protect Gin behind and his own Rashomon appears quietly like a snake in the grass, beige-gray tendrils moving fluidly in the air. But the anger that Ryuunosuke had spent months controlling seeps into his blood and burns it from the inside out when he realizes that the same black coat that Akutagawa has on is almost exactly like the one that Dazai, the dead one, wore.

"Bastard!" Ryuunosuke yells. "How could you join Port Mafia?"

"What did you say?!" 

Black tendrils strike forward only to be met with beige tendrils that counter back, their sounds vibrating in the air like chimes of glass attacking glass. This bastard! Gin will get hurt if she's anywhere near Port Mafia! His mind runs rampant, ignoring the screams of Atsushi from the sideline as he steps forward, his own ability slowly but surely pushing back Akutagawa's own ability.

"You're weak!" He spits out.

The lighter tendrils slip past the rapid onset of tendrils attacking one another and firmly wrap themselves around Akutagawa's left leg. There's a nasty smirk on Ryuunosuke's face when his own ability lifts his Akutagawa up, dangling him in the air, as more beige tendrils wrap around the coat and effectively covering it but before he can toss this sorry excuse of an ability user to the side, he feels a firm hand on his shoulders.

"That's enough."

Gin looks at him hard but quiet, hand still on Ryuunosuke's shoulder. Rashomon releases Akutagawa, allowing him to fall haphazardly on the bricked path. Gin passes by Ryuunosuke, running towards Akutagawa as Atsushi runs towards himself. He watches the scene before him: Gin gently holding out her hand as Akutagawa pushes it away, mumbling something about getting her dirty as he stands up, dusting off his own clothes. Akutagawa turns to face Gin, the scowl on his face betrays the voice of concern as he asks Gin if she's hurt, to which she smiles and shakes her head. Ryuunosuke bites the inside of his cheek, the feeling of animosity being replaced with... jealousy.

Gin... cares for him?

"Hey, were-tiger!" Ryuunosuke breaks out of his trance. "What kind of game is this?!"

Chapter Text

Atsushi flinches when Akutagawa yells at him, his hands automatically raising up as if it'll calm him down. Light gray eyes flicker between him and Ryuunosuke and his mind goes blank. How exactly does one go about telling them that 1) there's an alternate universe that nearly mirrors theirs and 2) the man behind him is, by all means, Akutagawa himself? Technically. He snaps back into reality when he sees black tendrils slowly awaken and immediately feels a similar atmosphere behind him. 

Atsushi turns to see Ryuunosuke glaring coldly at Akutagawa. He feels the hands of danger approaching his neck in a death glare match between two Akutgawas. 

"I— Uh I— I-It's complicated?" Extremely unhelpful, Atsushi knows it.

"Uncomplicate it." Akutagawa demands, his own Rashomon now waking up.

Gin reaches over, showing the brown bag to Akutagawa, who briefly glances back coldly before a somewhat passive expression appears on his face. Atsushi sighs quietly, silently thanking Gin for slightly diffusing the situation. Akutagawa is still irritated, that much is obvious. Still, Atsushi stands a bit straight, eyes meeting Aktuagawa's.

"He's..." Atsushi gestures behind him. "He's from a different universe than ours... He's you in that universe."

Laced with malice in those gray eyes, Atsushi can see bewilderment. His eye twitches, as if holding back a cringe. Atsushi frowns more, unable to explain more without it being... even more confusion to say the least. He looks over to Gin, who has a quiet expression on her face before nodding understandingly. 

"Why did you join Port Mafia?" Atsushi whips around, meeting a dark glare from Ryuunosuke who aims it directly at Akutagawa.

"Why should it concern you?" Akutagawa counters back, expression dangerous.

Even if he had promised not to kill for six months, Atsushi knew that Akutagawa was still capable of incredible and debilitating violence. Atsushi twists his body in an effort to maybe push or pull Ryuunosuke away from the situation but he is immediately shut down by dark, soulless eyes. Shit, I can really see Akutagawa in his eyes, his mind whispers.

"You're going to get Gin hurt! Or worse!" Ryuunosuke bites back.

The tails of his coat move barbarically like a rising and striking serpent and Atsushi flinches at the sheer bitterness that Ryuunosuke exudes, eyes piercing as he scowls at Akutagawa from afar. Even without turning to face Akutagawa, Atsushi can feel the mirroring image crawl from his shoulders and claw at his back. 

Akutagawa scoffs. 

"Your inability to protect Gin does not extend to me."

"You bastard—!"

Sharp blades coil and shoot out towards Akutagawa, slithering past Atsushi, whose voice is drowned out by the sharp gusts of wind. Immediately, his arms and legs transform into his tiger ability, legs poised to jump forward and grab the blades as black tendrils slither and arm themselves for defense. However, it's all for naught when those sharp beige blades pause mid-air, just a few inches away from Gin, who jumped in front of Akutagawa. Atsushi gapes, his eyes taking in the image of Gin holding up a blade that neatly covers a portion of her face with eyes as sharp as a knife to match it. Atsushi, with a hand still on the ground, ready to pounce at any moment, watches conflicted and confused as the beige tendrils pull back with the matching black tendrils slowly return back into Akutagawa's coat.

Gin still raises a sharp blade, her eyes fierce. Atsushi reels back, turning to face Ryuunosuke, who gapes at Gin as if she's betrayed him. Atsushi lets slip a dismal expression, eyes taking into account the slight tremor of Ryuunosuke's left hand, the one that's marked with gold bars and the way he stands too rigidly, like a soldier preparing for battle.

"Idiot," Akutagawa glares coldly at Atsushi before shifting his eyes towards Ryuunosuke, who stands like a deer caught in headlights.

"Port Mafia saved Gin. We serve our lives in the name of Port Mafia," Akutagawa declares.

Ryuunosuke flinches, his eyes widen and shoulders drooping. Atsushi watches, his heart breaking. He can't imagine what Ryuunosuke must be feeling— to be told that in another universe, he was saved and raised into Port Mafia along with his beloved younger sister. His hand is hesitant but he reaches out slowly and gently touches Ryuunosuke's shoulder. The trance breaks and he turns to face Atsushi with near empty eyes.

It was disturbing.

The sound of heels clicking makes Atsushi turn around, his hand dropping from Ryuunosuke's shoulder. Gin turned back around and gestures to Akutagawa to move forward. Akutagawa crosses his arms, a lingering deathly glare aimed directly at him and Ryuunosuke before turning to face Gin, reaching to grab his glasses and placing it on his face.

"Let's go home." Gin smiles and nods.

Akutagawa glances once more, eyes digging at Atsushi and Atsushi flinches. Something sits in his stomach as he watches Akutagawa turn away as he steps away. It... felt like shame. Gin soon follows suit but stops a few steps ahead and turns to face Ryuunosuke. From his periphery, Atsushi could see Ryuunosuke flinch at her gaze.

"You're not evil, brother," Ryuunosuke gasps quietly. "Perhaps misled? Easily corrupted?"

Gin smiles tight but softly and steps forward, catching up with Akutagawa, who continues to converse with her as though he didn't just attack a version of himself a few moments ago. Both detectives watch the members of Port Mafia disappear in the horizon, the sounds of the city overtaking their retreat with waves of bustling pedestrians, cars moving about and trains whistling. The sun is now hidden by some clouds that are dangerously darker than normal.

Atsushi reaches out in an attempt to touch Ryuunosuke again but stops in his place, his eyes widening. Ryuunosuke stood there quietly, hair moving softly with the wind, back and shoulders slouched and eyes in complete agony. Atsushi bites his lip but forces his hand to move forward, to grab Ryuunosuke by his wrist. Ryuunosuke flinches under his touch and when he looks, Atsushi gulps.

"Let's... go home."

The rain comes as unexpectedly as it does. The sounds of the city are drowned by the downpour as both detectives rush back to the apartment, failing to bring an umbrella, with the case file left behind, ripped to shreds by this rainstorm. Atsushi is the first one to step through the doors, Ryuunosuke following after. No words are exchanged between the two as Atsushi steps further in to grab fresh towels in the bathroom. Ryuunosuke stands quietly by the door, the droplets of the skies slipping and falling onto the ganken. 

When Atsushi steps forward out of the bathroom and heads over to Ryuunosuke, his hands tremble holding the towels. Ryuunosuke stares dejectedly at the floor, eyes detached from their reality and mouth lax. As Atsushi steps closer and closer to him, his own heart pounds louder and louder, screaming and crying in his chest. He places the towels on the corner of the counter, picking up a clean one and gently lays it on top of Ryuunosuke's sopping wet hair. He starts to slowly and tenderly dry his hair, black against the white towels. Atsushi moves carefully, gently holding and squeezing the dyed bangs before moving to the front fridges, where he softly rubs it, careful to avoid his eyes. 

No words are said because no words need to be said. Still, Atsushi finds his mouth to be so unreliable at times like this.

"You... should take a bath," He whispers. 

Ryuunosuke makes no move, even after he's done drying his hair. Atsushi frowns more, a thin line appearing on his face. He leaves the towel hanging loosely around Ryuunosuke's shoulder as he picks up the extra towels and heads to the bathroom. He places the towels on top of the sink edge and turns on the water, drawing Ryuunosuke a warm bath. Afterward, he quickly goes to his closet and pulls out a long-sleeved shirt (he suspects it's Dazai's shirt from when he crashed over) and pulls out a pair of his own shorts with an adjustable draw. Atsushi places the spare clothes on top of the toilet seat and makes his way to Ryuunosuke, who still stood quietly at the ganken.

Atsushi reaches, grabbing his arm gently and pulls Ryuunosuke towards the bathroom. He's compliant, allowing Atsushi to pull him without a struggle, eyes flicking between desolating and agony. When both men are in the bathroom, Atsushi turns, dropping his grip and watches with concern the lack of response or movement from Ryuunosuke, who continues to stare down, as if it were a struggle to look up. 

Slow, tentative hands reach for the beige coat. Atsushi flushes a bit. I'm just... I'm helping because Ryuunosuke looks so... He bites his lip as his hands fully wrap themselves around the lapels. He looks lost. 

"I can.. I can dry this while you—"

Slender, firm hands grab hold of his wrists and Atsushi gasps a bit, taken aback by the motion. Despite the soaked wet clothes that cling to his body, Atsushi can feel the warmth radiating out from Ryuunosuke's hands. Atsushi looks back and sees dark gray eyes, quiet and conflicted, stare back at him. For a moment, they both stand there quietly, hands still holding his own wrists, as the sound of the rain knocks against the rooftop and windows. Wordlessly, Ryuunosuke shakes his head and wordlessly, Atsushi understands. He steps back, releasing his grip as those same hands that held his wrists fall by Ryuunosuke's side.

Atsushi steps out, closing the door quietly and listens intently to the rain pour. I want to help him, but how? I'm not his... He gingerly touches his own lips, his fingers twitching, wanting nothing more but... I'm not anything to him. His face burns when he hears the bath being run behind the door and moves forward, away from the door, away from his own heavy heart.

Atsushi has decided against taking a bath, instead, he bows his head over the sink and pours warm-to-hot water through his hair, rinsing out the cold rainwater. He uses a spare, small towel to dry himself and quickly changes into warmer and more importantly dry clothes. He spots a brown paper bag filled with groceries and picks up the note.

Groceries for the week. I'll buy more next week.

- Kyouka

A smile slips on his face and he silently thanks Kyouka for being so proactive. In the bag are various flavors of noodles, a small carton of eggs, scallions and other dry ingredients and powders. He moves the back of groceries to the kitchenette, his mind set on making some ramen with eggs and scallions. Grabbing the larger pot from the stovetop, Atsushi fills it up with enough water to cook two instant noodle packets. He's cutting up some of the scallions when the bathroom door opens. Atsushi turns, watching Ryuunosuke with a towel on his head make his way towards the small table and pulls out one of the books he's checked out.

The smell of spices fills the air, the delicate boiling of water against Atsushi's cracking of eggs and knife scrapped against the cutting board join the sounds of the rain outside. When Atsushi brings the two bowls of ramen, complete with a slightly running egg and garnishes on top, he notes that the towel on Ryuunosuke's head is still present. 

"I uh... I made some instant noodles with some extra things on top," Atsushi says. "I hope you like it."

There's no response and Atsushi tilts his head, a frown forming on his face. He looks down at Ryuunosuke's lap and notices that the book he grabbed was still on the first page. A hand reaches forward, gingerly lifting the towel to see Ryuunosuke's face and feels his whole body freeze up. Ryuunosuke looks down in his lap with forlorn eyes that seem to gaze at a distance, barely acknowledging the words on the page that he's open.

"Ryuunosuke?" Atsushi whispers.

No movement.

"Ryuunosuke?" He tries again, a bit louder.

A flinch and Ryuunosuke tilts his head up, eyes numbly staring back at Atsushi. His own hand moves against his protests, gently pulling down the towel and wrapping it around Ryuunosuke's neck, his hands still holding the towel. I want to help him, I want to help him! His mind screams. But the trance is broken when Ryuunosuke moves, pulling the hands away from the towel. Atsushi lets out a broken sigh when Ryuunosuke moves forward, quietly thanking him for the meal, and proceeds to eat the noodles quietly.

—

Dinner is quiet. The rain has slowed its descent, now allowing large droplets to periodically fall from the windows and the gentle buzz of a city drenched now take over the atmosphere. After saying thanks, Atsushi takes the empty bowls and places them in the sink, vowing to wash them tomorrow. When he walks back, he sees Ryuunosuke lightly scratching at his left wrist, the gold bars appearing more faded. Atsushi takes a seat next to him, quiet as he watches Ryuunosuke twist and turn his wrist.

"Do you think Akutagawa is evil?" Atsushi blinks, turning his attention to Ryuunosuke, who sits quietly with an unreadable expression.

His mind goes blank. Perhaps, in the beginning, Atsushi would've said yes but, as he stares at Ryuunosuke, who essentially is Akutagawa who is Ryuunosuke, evil wouldn't be the world he'd use. Akutagawa is vicious and blood-thirsty but somehow... the word 'evil'...

".. Doesn't suit him." Atsushi mumbles.

Ryuunosuke looks up, pausing his motions. Atsushi tilts his head, eyes looking up as though he can see Akutagawa. But an image of the headmaster appears in his mind and he recoils, eyes widening. Oh, I see.

"I made him promise me that he won't kill anyone for six months and then I'll accept his challenge," Atsushi states.

"... Why did you do that?"

Atsushi finds his lips curl a bit, something unreadable as he smiles at Ryuunosuke, who stares back with wide eyes. The words that come out of his mouth feel foreign on his tongue, as though it wasn't him that said it:

"Even he deserves a second chance."

Atsushi shifts his eyes downward, staring quietly at his own hands that sit in his lap. For the longest time, he once thought of himself as a monster, an undeserving being that even Death wouldn't take. After meeting Dazai, after meeting Kyouka, after meeting everyone in the Agency, he's learned to love and protect. His hands twitch, tightening in his lap as the corners of his lip tighten. When he first met Akutagawa, it was violent and frenzied like a piranha that caught the scent of blood and gathers to it. Akutagawa was just as violent and frenzied and what most would say a horrible human being. 

But he tilts his head up, eyes determined as he looks at Ryuunosuke.

"For the longest time, I thought monsters are just... monsters." An image of the headmaster appears behind Ryuunosuke, his back turned and quiet. Atsushi finds himself smirking.

"Monsters are people too. Just... more complicated so..." Atsushi trails off, a tinge of embarrassment swelling his heart as Ryuunosuke stares at him blankly.

Atsushi didn't think he would found himself talking nice about Akutagawa. After all, they've barely worked together as a team. But Akutagawa, in Dazai's eyes, was always a step ahead of him. Atsushi is playing catch-up, is all. A gentle sigh breaks the trance and Atsushi finds himself beaming as Ryuunosuke lets slip an appreciative smile at him, his gray eyes shining. He really does look beautiful.

"Thank you," He nods, the afterimage of the smile still lingering on his face.

The remainder of the night is spent as quietly and domestically as it can be. Ryuunosuke sits beside Atsushi as he reads through some of the agriculture books, having already finished reading the one about pesticides while Atsushi flips through the poetry book. Atsushi has never been one to truly understand the intricacies of poetry, often getting confused when he tried to self-teach himself how to write haikus but as he flips through the page, sitting, something tender flows in his heart. This feeling then expands a bit more when he pauses as a page in the book, reading the passage over and over again:

... but everyone but everyone had this patina
of slightly bruised longing, this shimmer of
I think I knew you when we were children,
this look of I’ve loved you ever since you were born
and probably longer than that... 

When Ryuunosuke leans over, too close to him, Atsushi flinches, immediately closing the book. His heart pounds a bit harder, in spite of Ryuunosuke's calm expression but he goes back to reading and Atsushi goes back to.. thinking.

But those words linger in his mind.

Even after... Even after the lights are turned off. Even after Ryuunosuke asks him to stay, of which Atsushi greedily accepts. Those words— 'this summer of I think I knew you when we were children'— calls out to him, as he lays down quietly in the futon with Ryuunosuke quietly staring back at him. His face burns but his eyes can't seem to look away. As though if he looks away, Ryuunosuke would disappear.

These two boys, children even, lay quietly under the shared futon and blanket, a sanctuary sheltering them from their harsh realities. The world moves as quickly and effortlessly as ever but these two boys, with their noses so close that there is barely space in between, gaze into each others' eyes. Ryuunosuke says goodnight, eyes slipping close and Atsushi, who dreams of things that don't belong to him, desperately wishes for that to come true.

Tonight, Atsushi's wish comes true but with a price.

Both detectives sit quietly on that same park bench and talk and laugh without a care in the world. Ryuunosuke talks about the different farming techniques he's come up with Kenji. Atsushi talks about the number of cases he was able to solve without issue. There is peace in this bubble... Until Atsushi feels eyes on him and turns, facing forward, and watches a different version of himself stand before them merely a few meters away.

This... Nakajima stands quietly, eyes betraying no emotion but Atsushi blinks and Nakajima looks downward, shoulders shaking. Ryuunosuke beside him stands, scaring Atsushi a bit as he looks at his eyes filled with determination. Ryuunosuke steps forward and Atsushi watches, jealous and pained, his hand reaching out.

"It's okay."

Ryuunosuke smiles back when Atsushi grabs his hand. But tears filled his eyes and Atsushi can't stop them as they spill out. Because everything should be okay... right? He feels the hand tighten and brings out a heartbroken smile as Ryuunosuke stares back. Ryuunosuke speaks again but Atsushi can't hear him. But.. he can read the lips and he bites his own lips.

It's okay

Morning comes, bringing the hope of a new day. These two detectives wake up, hands close but barely touching, eyes taking in every crevice and crack in their irises. Atsushi blushes but Ryuunosuke gazes quietly. They take their time getting ready too, having woken up three hours before they would have to go to the office. Atsushi passes the trench coat to Ryuunosuke, who takes it quietly, eyes meeting his. As Atsushi puts on his tie, he watches Ryuunosuke head towards the door.

"The gold bars are gone." Ryuunosuke speaks

"... What? What do you mean gone?"

"I woke up in the middle of the night and noticed that they were no longer on my wrist." 

Atsushi stares, his hands dropping from his loose tie. Something fearful claws at his chest and punches him in the gut.

"I... ran out of time." 

How.. can you be so calm about this?

Atsushi steps forward, something in him screaming to grab onto Ryuunosuke before... before he disappears. But Ryuunosuke turns slightly, his profile visible but eyes are still hidden in the shadows of his kitchenette. The curl of his lips causes Atsushi to gasp, his eyes burning in his skull.

"I'd like you to do a favor if that's alright."

The silence stretches, because Atsushi doesn't like where Ryuunosuke is going with his. His body is paralyzed, bare feet and toes scrunching the tatami mat underneath, his hands visibly shaking by his side. Atsushi bites his lip, forcing himself to nod, ignoring the whimper that comes out as he does the motion. 

Ryuunosuke continues regardless. 

"Tell everyone I give my gratitude and..."

Ryuunosukes to fully face Atsushi, who stares brokenly at the perceptive gray eyes. He stands quietly, hands in the pockets of his coat, and tilts his head to the side. Atsushi finds the strength to move forward though they're slow and lagged as his hands move to reach Ryuunosuke, to grab him, to hold him.

"Save me, Nakajima Atsushi."

It comes out barely a whisper and Atsushi has finally found a word for this feeling that claws at his chest. It took a while of course to recognize it because it looks different, tastes different, feels oh so different but it is almost the same feeling as when the headmaster passed away. Dazai once said that 'when someone's father passes away, they tend to cry'. So what happens when someone loses someone like.. him?

Ryuunosuke swiftly turns, hand almost on the doorknob as Atsushi rushes forward, his voice stuck in his throat. When he reaches out, his hands grab nothing, the door swinging fully open. Atsushi gapes at the open door that dares to let the sun in, the birds chirping kindly in the air along with the city just waking up. His face scrunches up, lips quivering and nose crinkling as Atsushi falls to his knees, burying his face as he silently screams.

What happens when someone loses something as important as him?

Chapter Text

When he steps through the door, his teeth gritting, the familiar smell of Atsushi disappears and he's welcomed back into the office, every pair of eyes on him with mouths opened. Ryuunosuke is immediately tackled to the ground by Kenji, much to his dismay. In fact, it's almost extremely to his dismay as he feels Tanizaki and Naomi wrap their arms around his own as Kenji buries his face in his stomach, babbling nonsense escapes their mouths. Based on Kuikida's worried yet muted response (he can only tell that he's worried because Kunikida still couldn't find his glasses.. which are on top of his head), Ryuunosuke was told that he has been gone for almost two weeks.

It doesn't feel like two weeks and it takes Rashomon to pull Kenji off his chest, who is still babbling. Still, he lets slip a smile on his face and apparently, Tanizaki and Naomi believe that he's been switched with a clone. Yosano too eagerly offers to test the theory and he flinches back into an expressionless facade.

Oda gestures him to the President's office and in the office, he sees Ranpo already sitting on the couch.

'Heyo~ Welcome back!" Ranpo waves. "Did you bring any treats from the other side?"

Ryuunosuke shakes his head and Ranpo pouts, arms crossing as his legs stop their dangling off the couches. he stands before the President, Oda secured by his side and notices the tender worry etched on his face. Ranpo stands up, walking beside Ryuunosuke.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Fukuzawa asks, noting the dyed hair

Ryuunosuke shakes his head. The worry dissipates and Oda wears a weary but otherwise neutral expression.

"You mind telling us where you've been?" Oda asks albeit the worry is still clinging to his words.

Ryuunosuke's mind travels back in time, sifting through the memories. Familiar faces pass by: Kenji is ever permanent, ageless against time; Kunikida is still as high strung as ever with a heart of gold; Naomi and Tanizaki revolve around each other like two planets with all the love that the world can offer; Ranpo's brilliance precedes him in every sense of the way. But there were two new faces that Ryuunosuke's never seen before in that way: Kyouka, a killer who seeks forgiveness and Dazai, who's moved forward and took life in his hands. His eyes shift downward, as though he's looking at the plant that sits calmly on the President's desk but he pays no mind to it.

Because the last lingering moment, the one thing that echoes radiantly in his mind is Atsushi. His smile that can brighten even the darkest places on earth, his eyes that show a whole new world, his very existence that strives to protect others.

"Hmh, he can't tell us, Oda!" Ranpo giggles but it sounds very distant in Ryuunosuke's ears.

When he had slept by Atsushi's side last night, with the soft glow of the moon that peeks behind rain clouds, Ryuunosuke remembers vividly every gentle curve of his face, every soft inhale and even softer exhale that came like clockwork. There was only one thought that weaving through his dreams, even after he woke up and realized that the gold bars were gone: Atsushi was simply beautiful.

"Akutagawa?" Oda asks, breaking him of his trance.

Ryuunosuke nods, placing two hands behind his back. His eyes are fierce and determine as he looks at the President and Oda. 

"I... would like to ask of something." 

By his side, Ranpo pulls out his glasses and puts them on, activating his ability. Ryuunosuke shifts his gaze to look at him. But Ranpo has a tight but otherwise warm smile, placing the glasses back in his pocket and moves to sit at the edge of the desk (to Oda's notable chagrin).

"Now that's pretty bold, " Ranpo states. "You sure you can do it?"

Ryuunosuke nods. Ranpo has always been aware of everything, even if he didn't use his ability.

"Your request?" Oda asks. "If it's within reason."

Ryuunosuke nods.

"I want to find the White Reaper, Nakajima Atsushi."

There's a pregnant silence as a look of shock takes over Oda's face. Fukuzawa leans back, his arms crossing, face pensive. Ranpo kicks his legs in the air, purposely ignoring the tense silence that has befallen the atmosphere.

"And?" Oda asks. "What will you do when you find him?"

Ryuunosuke stares quietly at Oda, who has a concerned look on his face but his posture remains as lax as ever.  Perhaps before, Ryuuonsuke would have said something like 'to kill him' or something that carried the same value. After Gin vanished, he began to have doubts about his motivations. Perhaps 'punish him' would be more accurate or maybe, if they went against each other again, the killing would have been justified. But he swallows hard, eyes still fierce as he looks at his mentor.

"To save him."

—

Ryuunosuke steps into the small hallway that leads up to the main office from the President's office. He was given the approval to find White Reaper and Ranpo, who will always be Ranpo in any universe in any different timeline, refuses to help on the account of Ryuunosuke failing to bring special candies from the otherwise. But he says all this with a perceptive smile that speaks more to his kindness than intelligence. He makes his way out, ignoring the cries of attention as he heads to the rooftop of the building.

The city here is familiar and nostalgic: the birds sit happily at the edges, the sun peaks through the white clouds that pass by, sounds of a city fully alive echo into the air. Ryuunosuke closes his eyes, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly through his nose. While Yokohama has never been something he's given a deep thought of, he notes that it smells... different. 

"Even he deserves a second chance."

Soft, delicate fingers move to touch his lips and Ryuunosuke leans into them. Atsushi fills his mind, his words echoing around his soul and he closes his eyes to listen to them more.

"Then Ryuunosuke it is." 

A smile threatens to spill from his face.

"Pfft, why do you still have your coat on?" 

An image of a blushing Atsushi appears on his face and the smile slips out on Ryuunosuke's face. The words of Dazai interject in his thoughts and he remembers what he had asked him: Do you like Atsushi? It was a simple question really, now that he thought about it. So it should have warranted a simple response: yes or no. 

"Please... please let me have this."

"C-Can I kiss you again?"

The door squeaks open and Ryuunosuke quickly pulls his fingers away from his lips as he hears muted footsteps come closer and closer. He ignores the haggard sigh that escapes from the figure that stands beside him, immediately recognizing that it was Oda. He should probably stop eating spicy curry if he's going to sound like that.

"I'm... not evil," He breaks the silence.

There's a soft pat on his head and he turns to face Oda, who looks down at him with gentle eyes. His hand moves, messing his hair up and Ryuunosuke blushes a bit, not used to having his mentor being so handsy with him. But Ryuunosuke is still Ryuunosuke and he pushes the hand a bit more, feeling more and more mortified.

"I know," Oda grins back. "Why else did I agree to be your mentor?"

Ryuunosuke glares, taken aback by the straight compliment as he shifts his head to face the city again, his blush having fully been suppressed.

When Gin had called him evil, his own sister calling him evil despite the fact that she was a part of Port Mafia, something in him died that day. But Ryuunosuke has worked hard to find something to live for, to earn his sister's respects and affections again. But his motivation was more or less unsteady and he never found a way to really push himself to do more. To be more. To be better.

"If the Book is sentient..."

Oda hums.

"You said something?"

Ryuuonsuke shakes his head.

If the Book is sentient, he plans on thanking it. Monsters are just complicated people right?  He tilts his head up, eyes staring openly at the beautiful and expansive sky. Ryuunosuke wants to show Nakajima that he deserved a second chance too. Nakajima, allow me to save you He smirks at the thought, unbeknownst to Oda, who stands by his side watching the city as well.

Nakajima, allow me to save you like how Atsushi saved me.

Chapter Text

When he had walked into the office after Ryuuonsuke disappeared, Ranpo immediately dropped his facade, his face twisting into something unknown. He had walked over and stopped in front of him, his hands tightly balled into fists. I'm sorry, was what he said and Atsushi immediately broke down. But that was the first day and after a few more days, he had gotten used to the empty space. Kenji invites him whenever he goes to see Maki. Dazai makes a promise to buy his first drink with Kunikida's money, of course (Kunikida is greatly offended by this and takes it out on Dazai). And those few days turned into a little past a week as time passes by quietly. Kyouka's since moved back, her futon being put to good use and Dazai's decreased his annoying tendencies, which is nice. Some nights, Naomi and Tanizaki will visit along with Kenji and Ranpo and both Atsushi and Kyouka unintentionally become hosts of game night.

It's a nice, quiet life and Atsushi welcomes it. Even after he wakes up to teary eyes and a wet spot on the pillows. Even after the tears dry in his eyes and it gets harder to open his eyes. Atsushi still reads through the books and finds it surprising that even though he can barely understand the pesticides and farming techniques, when he reads it, he feels Ryuunosuke by his side.

Today will mark exactly two weeks since Ryuunosuke came and went into his life. Kyouka and Atsushi had just finished breakfast and they make their way to the office, taking their leisurely time. The sun is bright, save for the sparse white clouds that wisp in the bright blue skies. He makes a mental note to return the books after work before he spots the old man that sweeping the front of the bodega.

"Ah, welcome back, my friend!" He waves kindly and Atsushi smiles.

They slow their pace, stopping fully in front of the old man, who wears a youthful smile despite the wrinkles around his eyes. 

"My friend, where is my friend?" He asks.

Atsushi blinks, his shoulders loosening and he can't stop the hard pounding in his heart. Kyouka looks up, staring quietly before she quickly heads inside the store. 

"Oh Kyouka, what are you—?" Atsushi turns to face the man. "O-Oh, sorry. Ah yeah, he had to go back home."

His hand reaches up to scratch the back of his head, laughing awkwardly at the old man, whose smile drops. He tightens the broom in his hand before gesturing to Atsushi to come in. Atsushi stammers a bit but follows through, waving at the man behind the hot foods counter.

"Hey Hideki!" The old man waves and the man, who's notably younger than the cashier, waves.

"Hey Kousuke! Ah, young man! Welcome back!" Hideki grins. "We missed you, you know!"

Kyouka rounds back to Atsushi, holding a few bags of chips and some candies and immediately, Atsushi recognizes that it's some of Ranpo's favorite. Atsushi grins back at Hideki, waving while the old man, kindly named Kousuke, rings up Kyouka. His eyes catch the bottles of juice that he used to share with Ryuunosuke and finds a pang in his heart, his steps slowing down a bit.

"Is he..?" Hideki asks quietly, eyes sad.

Atsushi shakes his head.

"Oh no, haha, He's uh... he had to go home so..." He shrugs his shoulders, his voice trailing off.

Hideki has a weary frown on his face but nods. The sound of crinkling bags and candies snaps Atsushi out of his trance as he looks over to his side to see Kyouka holding a small plastic bag with goodies. She looks up to him and Atsushi smiles as brightly as he can, ignoring how his hand twitches by his side.

"Psst! Young man, young lady," Atsushi glances back to Hideki, who winks and points to the juices.

"Go, take it and run!" He harshly whispers. "I'll deal with Kousuke myself!"

"Hey!" 

Kousuke looks over, the bright smile on his face replaced with a deep frown and a dark aura that has even Atsushi flinching. But Atsushi shakes his head, stammering while Kyouka stands by his side, quietly observing the scene play out before her. Kousuke sighs and walks over to the row of juices, taking out two bottles and tossing them to Atsushi, who catches it without grace. He blinks, looking back at Kousuke and the bottles.

"All good, this young lady already paid for them," Kousuke grins before glaring back at Hideki, who cowers in fear. "Don't make me kick your ass, Hideki."

"You wouldn't dare, old man," He mutters back.

"What did you say?!"

A burst of laughter explodes from Atsushi, who smiles widely at the two men fighting back and forth. Despite their cold and hostile words, there is no animosity in the air. Instead, something kind, familiar and intimate wafts through. As the two detectives watch these two men bicker back and forth, Atsushi catches himself smiling down at the bottle of juices, silently thanking Kyouka, who smiles back kindly.

They make their way out of the bodega, Atsushi waving brightly at Kousuke and Hideki and Kyouka smiles kindly at them. One of their cellphones ring and it takes Atsushi a while to realize that it's his and holds both the bottled juices in a tight embrace against his chest while he pockets his cell.

"Hello? Dazai?"

[ "Ah Atsushi! Are you far from the office?!" ]

"Umm, a bit, why—"

[ "Atsushi, I'm sending you a location to you. I need you to surveil the building until you see the man in the picture that I sent you. We need to interrogate him." ]

"Got it, so—"

[ "Oh, don't worry much though. Your partner will be there."]

Partner?

"Dazai, who is my part—?"

[ "And~! Tell Kyouka to come back to the office, she has another mission! Kay, thanks, bye!"]

The phone ends abruptly and Atsushi stares.

Wait, who's my partner for this mission?

They go their separate ways. Atsushi once offered Kyouka the same juice and she too thought it was quite sweet for her taste. The bottles jostle against his chest and he runs to the location, which by foot, is about 20 minutes out. Once he gets to the location, a tall ominous appearing building that looks as abandoned as any other building, he steps through the broken doors. Perhaps it's luck that there is no working elevator and that the building is ten stories tall. Atsushi sighs, making his way towards the emergency staircases and begins his ascent. 

The snippet of the case file basically describes a skittish but dangerous ability user that's recently entered Japan in search of something. The primary objective is to capture and interrogate his motives. It's a quick and straightforward text, courtesy of Dazai, who also adds in the end: 'enjoy~'. His face scrunches in confusion. I swear, Dazai is just.. so weird. He shakes his head and only notes that he's only three floors up and sighs.

In order to pass the time, his mind decides to shuffle through his memories. He sees glimpses of Ryuunosuke.The memory of when Ranpo sicced Yosano on Ryuunosuke and he hid under the desk gives a soft smile on his face. The gentle white locks that he had to dye still linger on his palm. Atsushi passes the fifth floor when he recalls how happy Ryuunosuke looked while shredding paper with Kyouka, a soft chuckle escaping from his mouth. Immediately, a red flush decorates his face as Atsushi recalls how hypnotized he was when Ryuunosuke started to strip off his jacket, his back lean and strong.

It's the tenth floor but the instructions specifically say to head to the rooftop, which Atsushi does. But his mind is cruel sometimes, his memories even crueler. Atsushi pauses a few steps away from the door that led to the rooftop and closes his eyes, licking his lips. He imagines Ryuunosuke, who has dark lashes that look absolutely divine closed, as he leans in, taking his lips. His eyes are still closed as his lips quiver, the thought of kissing Ryuunosuke again pulling at his heart and teasing his lips.

I wonder what he meant by saving him?

Immediately, a gust of wind blows, shocking Atsushi a bit as he walks through the door. A dark figure stood near the edge of the rooftop, its black coat moving along with the wind. Atsushi tenses instantly, the bottles of juices tightening more against his chest. His chess tightens and claws from the inside as he stares openly at the figure.

God, anyone but him, please!

The figure turns and for a split second, Atsushi sees Ryuunosuke, who looks at him with opened eyes. But the afterimage fades and all he sees is the notable scowl on Akutagawa's face when they meet. Akutagawa snaps back, eyes dangerous and Atsushi forces his legs to move forward, holding back tears and vomit. His feet lead him to an area a few meters away from Akutagawa, who says nothing. Atsushi, with hands shaking, places the juices on teh ledge as he stands beside Akutagawa, his hands curling into fists.

"Surprised you even showed your face, were-tiger." Akutagawa spits out.

Atsushi holds back a flinch.

"Ryu— the other Akutagawa disappeared so..."

There's a tense cough coming from his right side but Atsushi ignores it, eyes lazily looking across the building and sees the busy office works running in and out of the cubicles. He lets his eyes trail down, to the juices he's left on the ledge. Save.. him?

"Did.. did you have breakfast?"

"What's it to you?"

Atsushi sighs exasperatedly. Well, if he's going to make it this difficult, how do I even go about saving him? He picks up one of the bottles and tosses it, partly hoping that Rashomon doesn't attack and rip it to shreds. Instead, Akutagawa catches it, peering down at the bottle as though it was poison.

"Got it for free so,"

Atsushi twists the cap open, allowing the sugary drink to coat his tongue nicely. The city is quiet now, save for a few cars in the distance and it brings in a wave of peace as he drinks his juice quietly. He turns slightly, to see if Akutagawa is drinking his and watches in a trance. Akutagawa had slowly opened his but he continues to peer down the liquid. That is until he takes a hesitant sip and his eyes, for a brief moment, light up. He continues to drink in silence, eyes still focused on the building across, the flicker of light now tamed and Atsushi gasps quietly, bringing Akutagawa's attention to him.

"... Not bad." He finishes off.

Akutagawa licks his lips after his third sip and Atsushi blushes, quickly turning away as his face heats up and his heart beats louder. He bites his lips and ignores the nerves that seem to numb his arms and hands. The silence is back, but it's more amicable than before as both men enjoy the bottles of juice. He.. could've said that he liked it.

"I... once saved up five chocolate bars just to have it exchanged for a shitty chazuke..."

The silence is still present and Atsushi wonders if Akutagawa heard him. And if he did, was he purposely ignoring him.

"Weak."

Atsushi whips back around to see an arrogant pair of gray eyes that leer down at him as he drinks the juice.

"I had 100 saved up by the end of the week."

Atsushi grins back, his eyes crinkling as he looks at Akutagawa.

"Alright, fine. You win." He tosses his hands up in defeat.

Akutagawa mutters something like 'of course' but shifts his gaze to look away from the building and Atsushi. If there's a small hint of red on his face, Atsushi doesn't say anything and locks this image in his soul. He turns back around and while Atsushi is paying attention to the building, watching more and more people go in and out, weaving through the cubicles, the grin never leaves his face, staying almost permanently on his face. He finally understood what Ryuunosuke meant by saving him. Akutagawa is a bastard but...

I'll save Akutagawa, Ryuuonsuke. Just save Nakajima for me too.