Work Text:
It's a quiet lunchtime in the office.
Beside him, Dazai is uncovering his cup noodles with relish, and Kunikida is sat at his own desk with a serving of takeaway beef bowl. The smell of seafood wafts over to Atsushi as steam billows out of the cup.
It's a nice break from the usual chaos, no doubt helped greatly by the fact that Dazai's starving and giving his full attention to the noodles. Below the whirring of the AC, Atsushi can almost hear Kunikida praying for the quietness to continue.
Alas, he has something he needs to ask. “Dazai-san, help.”
Dazai swivels around in his office chair, excited. “What is it, Atsushi-kun?”
“Don’t look so happy when someone is asking for help,” Atsushi mutters, staring sullenly into his bento. He's also avoiding Kunikida's pointed why-would-you-engage-him-in-a-conversation glare.
“Oh don’t mind my expression, Atsushi-kun.” Dazai waves a hand dismissively. “What do you need my help with?”
"...It's Akutagawa."
"...Can't say I'm surprised, but do go into more details." Holding up a mouthful of piping hot instant noodles with a pair of chopsticks, he blows at it to dissipate some of the heat.
"He wants me out of the house." Thinking about Akutagawa's glares every time he steps into their home makes him sad. "I don't even know why he's so mad at me." Atsushi wails. "I asked but he keeps avoiding answering."
"Listening to you say all this while you eat the bento your boyfriend made you is very upsetting, by the way. Especially with my three-minute lunch." Dazai eyes the bento - rice, egg rolls, cherry tomatoes, slices of fried chicken - enviously.
"That's because it's his turn today!" Then, turning bright red: "Boyf-"
"You can make your own bento in the morning, Dazai." Kunikida comments from his desk.
"You're so mean, Kunikida-kun. You know I can't wake up that early." Dazai turns back to Atsushi. "Have you done anything out of the ordinary recently?"
"I... made him a scarf."
"Now isn't that cute," Dazai chuckles. "Does he like it?”
“I think so? He made a weird expression when I gave it to him, though.”
“You know, that could’ve just been his happy face.” Pondering over the matter for a few moments, Dazai eats another mouthful of noodles. “Does he actually wear the scarf?”
“Yeah, sometimes, when it’s cold.”
Dazai sighs. “Then I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"But the anniversary - "
“An-ni-ver-sa-ry!” Crying out, Dazai falls back against his chair dramatically, until man and chair both hit the wall behind. "Now you’re just doing this on purpose!” With a graceful kick the chair is sent gliding back to his desk. Dazai grabs the cup of noodles before the impact can knock it over. “Well, trust me. Can someone actually mad at you make you such a delicious lunch?"
"True, but how did you know it's delici- hey!" One of the egg rolls are trapped between Dazai's chopsticks, half-eaten. "When...?"
"Tsk tsk, Atsushi-kun, too slow."
Atsushi pouts. "How about you, Dazai-san? Any luck with the guy you're trying to woo?"
Dazai's smirk freezes. "Nothing yet, I'm afraid."
Kunikida pauses between spoonfuls of his beef bowl. "It takes a lot to be blind to your advances, Osamu Dazai. Have you considered moving on to someone less clueless?"
"No thanks, Kunikida-kun." Dazai turns to Atsushi with a complicated expression, one that involves the light in his eyes dying very rapidly. "That's one of the things I like about them."
"Suit yourself. Just don't come crying to me."
"Now why would I do that?" Dazai's eyes are dangerously empty now, and guiltily Atsushi feels a little better about his own situation.
"Good luck, Dazai-san," he whispers.
"Aight..." Dazai mumbles in reply.
On the one year anniversary of Akutagawa moving in, Atsushi decides to splurge a bit and buy an expensive brand of fig tea; a peace offering though he's still not sure why Akutagawa's irritated at him.
"I'm back!"
"Welcome back." Tonight Akutagawa doesn't glare at him when he opens the door. Atsushi takes it as a good sign.
Putting down his work satchel, Atsushi excitedly shows Akutagawa the contents in the two grocery bags. "And I got you this!" He brandishes the box of tea not unlike a shield. "You know, to celebrate a year of you... moving in..." He trails off at the blank look on Akutagawa's face.
"You remember." Akutagawa looks from the box to Atsushi, then back at the box. "But is it a cause for celebration?" It's not a snide remark - he sounds genuinely perplexed and it breaks Atsushi's heart.
"Of course!" Atsushi goes into the kitchen to deal with the rest of the groceries; usually Akutagawa helps him, but not today. God, maybe he still is angry at me. When he's done putting away the vegetables and fruits and various other foods he sees Akutagawa waiting patiently in the living area, holding something.
"Weretiger."
"Yeah?" Atsushi replies, voice a little unsteady. Perhaps he's about to find out what he did that annoyed Akutagawa so much.
Akutagawa holds out a length of black fabric to him. "For you. As thanks for... everything." He's pointedly avoiding looking at Atsushi.
The scarf feels soft in his hands; the edges are a tad uneven. Suddenly an image comes to him: Akutagawa struggling with the yarn and needles, when he has the house to himself; maybe even trying to follow some video tutorials. Him hurriedly stuffing the undone scarf into some unseen corner whenever Atsushi returns.
"Are you finally done with whatever it is that you're knitting, weretiger?"
"Yep!" Atsushi had smiled, draping the white scarf around Akutagawa's neck. "It's for you!"
"We match," Atsushi mumbles, and much to his embarrassment, his eyes start to burn.
"Don't you dare cry, weretiger. I'm not equipped to deal with that," Akutagawa says not unkindly, crossing his arms.
"I'm not gonna cry," Atsushi sniffs.
"Put it on, then. I want to see how it looks on you."
"Don't wanna."
Akutagawa blinks in surprise. "Why not? ...You don't like it?"
"I haven't showered after coming home, dumbass." Atsushi rests his palm firmly on the square, feeling how the fabric presses against his skin. He looks up and smiles. "I smell terrible right now."
A chuckle escapes Akutagawa. It's the best thing Atsushi has ever heard.
"Also you questioned if the anniversary of you moving in was worth celebrating." Atsushi tries to look as earnest as possible. Unfortunately, he attempts it by trying to appear stern, which is something he isn't very good at. "If it wasn't, you wouldn't have chosen today to gift me this scarf, right?"
"O-Oh." Akutagawa's gaze slides towards the tatami flooring again. "It is important, but I thought- only to me..." His voice trails off.
"Akutagawa!" Atsushi yells, lunging at him with arms outstretched.
"No! You said you haven't showered!"
Atsushi laughs.
-
"Stop whining, weretiger. It's not my fault you're on cleaning duty this weekend."
"I'm not blaming you." Atsushi leans against the mop he's holding. "It's just that I had so much to do at the agency this week..."
"Not my problem," Akutagawa remarks, infuriatingly calm from where he's sitting on the sofa, reading a book. "You should've conserved some energy, knowing that you have to clean this week."
"So cold," Atsushi pouts.
Even if he says he doesn't care, Rashoumon silently sneaks out of Akutagawa's sweater and wraps itself around some of the furniture, moving them so that Atsushi can mop the floor easier.
"If you don't stop grinning I'm dropping the table on your toes, weretiger."
"You wouldn't- wah!" Atsushi hops away as the coffee table drops a few inches, hovering slightly above the floor.
"Take that as a warning." Akutagawa smirks.
Next after mopping the floor is window-cleaning. Atsushi sighs again and adjusts the green cloth keeping his hair in place, resigning himself to the task. The sooner he gets it over with the better. For some reason, today it takes him a while to climb to the top of the ladder beside the windows.
He blinks in a tired daze, staring at the wet rag in his hand; he's forgotten the spray bottle. How could he have forgotten one of the only two things he needs?
The afternoon sunlight streams in and covers everything with a soft yellow glow. He sits at the top step quietly for a moment, confused. From somewhere to his right, the spray bottle floats slowly upwards to him.
"Akutagawa." He looks down to see that his housemate has left his seat on the sofa.
"You're actually really tired, aren't you." There's a hint of worry in Akutagawa's voice and his slightly furrowed brows.
"Don't worry about it." Atsushi manages what he hopes is a reassuring smile, reaching for the spray bottle. His arm feels like it's moving through water, and for a moment the combination of the heaviness and the sunlight gives him the illusion of being at the bottom of a pool. Floating, sinking, drifting...
"You only say that when there's something actually worrying." Rashoumon wraps itself snugly around Atsushi. It can be gentle and warm as much as it can be merciless and unyielding, but by now Atsushi already knows that.
Rashoumon lifts him from the ladder and sets him down on the sofa. The cleaning rag is pried carefully from him and the ability returns to Akutagawa.
"I'll take over." Akutagawa glances at him over his shoulder. "You get some rest."
"Sorry. In exchange I'll deal with dinner - "
Akutagawa sighs loudly. "No, weretiger. That's not how it works."
Atsushi leans against the armrest, watching Akutagawa clean the windows. With Rashoumon, he doesn't need the ladder. "Then how does it work, Akutagawa?"
"We cover each other's flaws and weaknesses in battle... I suppose the same applies to other situations."
"That sounds good." Atsushi feels his heart grow light, even as his eyelids start falling shut. "You know, I've been thinking."
"Yeah."
"Maybe I'll mop the floor each week, and you can deal with the windows."
"That does seem much preferable." Atsushi knows that Akutagawa does not particularly enjoy mopping the floor. "Why didn't we think of that sooner?"
"I dunno; we're not master strategists. Also we're not the complaining type, so it makes us dumb sometimes." Is it really okay for him to fall asleep like this, in the middle of the day? Is he forgetting something?
Yes, it's okay. No, you're not.
Akutagawa will be dealing with dinner. It's okay for him to rest.
He still feels slightly guilty. Is it okay to live like this, so carefree? In his past experiences not having something to do meant he was doing something wrong.
That's in the past.
...The pitter-patter of the rice bouncing around in the plastic sack as they refilled their supply sounded like rain.
Someone unties the cloth around his hair tentatively. So he did forget something - but it's okay - his partner will take care of it - he has to learn to trust more -
He feels something pressing against his forehead, something familiar and kind. Akutagawa's hand, gauging if Atsushi has a fever, even when his own hands are unnaturally cold. It's the thought that counts. Atsushi wishes he could hold on to the hand, but he'll have plenty of chances when he wakes up.
It's nice, not having to keep running, to grasp on to things or have them leave him forever.
Someone - Akutagawa, his partner - presses a shy, fleeting kiss into his hair, and Atsushi smiles as he lets himself fall asleep.