Chapter Text
Akutagawa waited for his boyfriend to come out of the shower as he played Smash Bros on his nintendo switch. It sure was taking a toll on his thumbs, the buttons were so tiny and his thumbs were huge.
The bathroom door creaked open and out came an Atsushi with dripping wet hair. That man never learned to dry his hair, which meant Akutagawa had to dry it everytime his boyfriend decided to be hygenic.
“Oh? You’re losing right now.” Atsushi perked up a brow in amusement as Akutagawa was too focused on staring at his boyfriend. He whipped his head to see his Pikachu character get kicked off of the edge of the map. He let out a sigh in frustration, careful not crush the nintendo switch (Atsushi told him this is the last nintendo switch he’ll buy since he broke the last two).
His dumb boyfriend and his stupid uneven hairstyle that charmed him from the day that they met. Akutagawa placed the switch on the coffee table as Atsushi was drying his head with a dry towel. He laid on the couch, sprawling his limbs onto the other. Akutagawa let him cuddle onto him while the water hanging off the tips of his hair dripped onto Akutagawa’s plain black tee.
He inhaled the air to smell Atsushi’s shampoo. Was it new? He smelt different from his regular shampoo. He didn’t like this new scent. Akutagawa scrunched his nose, “Your hair stinks.”
Atsushi just looked up at him with a fond smile and chuckled, flicking his head. “You are so annoying, y’know?”
What lead to all of this? Was a dumb band battle. Where only one band from their college could enter into the Yokohama band competition. The problem was, neither of the bands were meeting the requirements of the competition.
Well, one was, it was just that Akutagawa’s lead singer suddenly caught the flu.
—
“Akutagawa!” Higuchi’s high pitched voice caught his attention in the serene atmosphere of the college campus. He turned his head to the voice as she was holding a flyer. She shoved it into his face with an excited grin. “We should be able to enter this year. Just tell Chuuya and I think we’ll be locked in for good! The ADA doesn’t have a guitarist to join!” She seemed so prideful as she puffed out her chest with another smile.
Akutagawa took the flyer from her and read it, eyes scanning the flimsy paper as he nodded. This was solid, they might get in this year, ADA went last year. But they couldn’t because their guitarist had moved to America or something of the sort. The guitarist with the brimmed glasses and expresso brown cap was really talented, Akutagawa thought so.
They would be able to join this year, it was possible for them. All this talk about dreams, this was Akutagawa’s dream. It may be a minuscule dream, but he would pursue it until hell came to Earth.
Now they just need to tell Chuuya, Akutagawa whipped his body with a lot of force as he speedwalked to where Chuuya most likely was. He was most likely hanging around near the stray dogs, the redhead loved taking care of them. He was determined to tell his senior as he bumped into somebody.
”Watch your step, Akutagawa.” A familiar voice made his head look up so fast that he swore he would’ve injured his neck. Dazai? He was his senior when he taught him how to start on electric guitar.
Akutagawa’s expression was full of surprise, then his expression dimmed down to a glare. Dazai smirked, “Oh? You’re looking forward to the Yokohama competition? If you can even beat us first. I doubt you could, since you can’t even beat me.”
The younger was at a loss of words. The older man was his mentor since he was a rebellious teenager, someone he looked up to. Now insulting him and everything that Akutagawa has done to work up this moment in his life. He felt emotions, a tidal wave of them building up inside, sadness, disappointment, anger, and determination.
”At least we—” Akutagawa tried to spit back a response before someone interrupted them.
”Is someone causing a ruckus so that I can’t spend time with the dogs?” Chuuya’s rough and strained voice called out as he leaned his elbow on Akutagawa’s shoulder. “Leave Akutagawa alone, Dazai. If you have a bone to pick, pick it with me, you ass.”
He was glad in a way that Chuuya saved him. Akutagawa never thought he would even think this, but Chuuya was a good leader of the band, his aura and presence sometimes made people cower. But never Dazai. Akutagawa would wonder why, did they have a bad history? Or what?
”Nice to see you, shorty. Never thought I’d see you again.” Dazai snickered as he swiped his hand over Chuuya’s head twice.
“Do that one more time, and I’ll break your arm again. Then your puny little band won’t even have a chance at Yokohama’s competition.” Chuuya snatched Dazai’s arm and tightened his grip.
Akutagawa felt the tension just seeping from the two of them as Chuuya’s frown lines were as deep as ever. He felt awkward, standing right between them as Chuuya grabbed Dazai by the collar. The brunet making witty remarks and Chuuya only tightened his grip even further.
”Hey Chuuya! Have you told Tachihara the news?” Higuchi, like the angel she was and is, chimed in as her blonde strands of hair bounced around her head.
”Hmm? Oh. I will in a moment, after a beat this punk’s ass.” Chuuya paid a quick moment of attention to his bandmate as he focused back on Dazai.
”Oh. I’ll wait for him to respond so we can get his bass tuned up.” Higuchi waved as Akutagawa wanted to so desperately follow her.
But something in his gut told him not to. That something must’ve been right, because right as Higuchi had left, Chuuya and Dazai were tussling each other. Akutagawa followed them as they kept brawling in a hollow hallway where barely any college students went. Except for drugs or quickies.
Chuuya was being pushed onto the wall as Dazai had a grimace on his face. Once again, something in his gut told him that he shouldn’t be there, but he felt like he needed to stay. “I’ll be going, Chuuya. Be sure to tell him so we can prepare quickly.”
That was a quick lie so he could hide possibly behind the stairs to hear what the issue was. Akutagawa then slid behind the wall and leaned closer.
There was some rustling and cursing. “Out of all the people, Tachihara?” Dazai’s voice muttered as he had his arm over Chuuya’s neck. The shorter rolled his eyes and easily slipped out from under, walking away with the clicking of his shoes.
”Yes, he’s my boyfriend. Why would he not be apart of my band? Unlike you.” Chuuya scoffed as he then left out of the hallway onto the bright sunny campus.
Akutagawa’s eyes then widened at the sight, Dazai was leaning against the wall, clearly dejected and rejected. Why did he feel so bad for him? He quietly snuck out of the hallway where Chuuya went as he bumped into someone again.
Who was it this time? Akutagawa was on the ground as the other guy fell too. His black thin coat that he wore everywhere fell onto the floor, getting a bit tattered in the process. “Oh! I’m so sorry!” Akutagawa gazed up to see two kind eyes staring back at him with a polite smile.
It felt like time stopped for a moment, the air in his lungs ceased to exist as his eyes only saw this stranger. “Uhh..” He had no idea what to say, he wasn’t the best at social situations, one would say. “It’s fine.” Akutagawa yanked his coat from the floor and dusted off his ripped black jeans.
He suddenly held a hand out for the stranger, the other took his head and pulled down to help himself get it. The guy had a weird amount of strength for his appearance. “Thanks.” The stranger nodded and Akutagawa wanted to ask for his name so bad. But he didn’t, just nodding and walking away with his coat slung over his shoulder like a bag.
”Yes Tachi? Alright, I’ll go over to Mori’s and get your bass all tuned up.” Chuuya hummed as Akutagawa passed by, seeking where his sister is. Probably near Tachihara, since they were close friends since forever ago.
”Hey Ryuu. Come with me to get Tachi’s bass tuned.” Chuuya called his name and Akutagawa stopoed in his tracks. “I know you hear me, so just get over here, punk.”
”But why can’t you head over to Mori’s yourself?” Akutagawa asked out of pure curiosity as Chuuya shrugged.
”The guy is a creep. I feel like he’s secretly a vampire or something.” Chuuya shivered as the taller agreed to come with.
”Let’s go then, better get all the instruments up to date so we can go to the competition by default!” Chuuya excitedly pumped his fist in the air.
Sometimes Akutagawa really thinks that Chuuya has the mind of a kid. Of course not during whatever happened between him and Dazai in the hallow hallway. Akutagawa had the urge to just ask, because his current mentor and past mentor having a thing in the past strikes curiosity.
As they were in the garage of Mori’s, Akutagawa knocked on the wall, holding Tachihara’s black and red bass. Which the colors were chosen by Chuuya, Akutagawa would’ve complained about any romance in the band. But they were the exception, not too lovey dovey or showing too much PDA in public.
“Hey, so you’re here for a tune up?” Mori’s long, shaggy black hair fit his pale skin as he waved. Akutagawa nodded as he handed him the bass and let the other examine the bass like it was a new species. “Ahh, a pretty nice bass you’ve got here, Chuuya. By the way, Dazai left his old guitar here. You can have it if you need a spare.” Mori offered.
The redhead shook his head and declined, “Sorry. I do drums, Mori. I also don’t do hand-me-downs from garbage people.” Chuuya fixed his fedora as Mori stopped talking after and began tinkering with the bass.
Once him and Akutagawa were out of the garage that reeked of gasoline and metal, Akutagawa turned to his senior. “Hey Chuuya, I was wondering if you and Dazai ever had a thing? You don’t have to answer, I know that’s probably out of bounds for a person like me to ask.” He quickly backed out of asking as Chuuya waved his hand side to side.
”No you’re fine Ryuu. It’s time I vent about the past.” Chuuya let out a loud sigh as they passed the benches and took a seat. The benches had been simmering in the pure heat of the sun, so it was sort of burning both of their asses. But they collectively ignoring the very painful burn on their asscheeks.
Chuuya took a gulp before talking, “So we were a thing. Were is the key word. Dazai and I were really close in all terms, just that one thing scared him off and he was a coward. A coward hiding behind a mask.” He took off his fedora and ran his hand through his hair, his facial expressions seemed very displeased.
Coward? Akutagawa never had thought of Dazai like a coward. What had happened for Chuuya to say such a obscure word?
“But now I have Tachi, and he isn’t afraid of much…” There was a brief silence between them as Akutagawa knew what they were both thinking “except for frogs. What is his fear of frogs from?” Chuuya and Akutagawa both cracked up at their synced thoughts and just felt the faint wind brushing against their faces.
Tachihara’s bass was set by the bench as Chuuya sat next to it protectively. “Chuu!” Tachihara’s brownish-red hair shined through the sun’s death rays and as ran while waving. Gin followed after him as her hair was tied up, she took off her mask to breathe as Akutagawa raised an eyebrow.
“You don’t have trouble breathing and you have a mask? Why would you trouble yourself like that?” Akutagawa questioned as he wheezed and coughed. Gin pushed his shoulder as she shook her head and rolled her eyes playfully.
”Shut up Ryuu.” Gin flicked his head as she ran off. Knowing damn well that Akutagawa would chase after her. This was their dynamic.
As they headed nearby the dormitories on campus, the two chattered about anything they heard. Akutagawa wanted to spill about Chuuya, but he figured it wasn’t his place.
“So, I heard from Tachi that PM is joining the competition by default! I’m happy for Chuuya, Tachi, and Higuchi.” Gin smiled jokingly as she purposefully left out her brother.
”What about me you dumbass?!” He complained as she laughed and ruffled his short hair.
”Proud of you too, Ryuu.”
Akutagawa received many praises on a multitude of ideas, talents, and more. But just that phrase coming from his sister made it all the more realistic. That his mini-dream is coming true, like the way he’s wanted for a while now.
”Ryuu, you seem more shy and reserved, what’s up? Did you find drama?” She wiggled her eyebrows as Akutagawa shook his head. “A crush?”
Akutagawa froze on the spot as Gin cackled. “Really? Who?”
”Well, I don’t really know his name.” Akutagawa muttered as Gin was exasperated.
”How do you have a crush and not know his name?” His sister were the very small percentage of people that knew that he was gay. She’s just teased him about it in a joking way, he’s just glad he has her to lean on.
”I don’t know. We just bumped shoulders and fell. Then after that, his eyes just captivated me, like a tiger to its prey.” Akutagawa explained as Gin tilted her head.
”Strange comparison but okay.”
Akutagawa saw his sister leave to the dorms and saw Higuchi speed pass him. He had his own suspicions about those two, but it wasn’t really his business. He fixed his coat as he stretched his white tee shirt. He fixed his ink black shoulder bag and held the strap securely before walking towards the guys’ dorm.
He bumped into somebody else again as Akutagawa mumbled a ‘sorry’. It was that guy again, the soft eyes and silver hair with a black strip of hair, like someone with a fountain pen drew on his hair. It was beautiful.
”Hey! Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going!” The guy with eyes similar to a sunset met his eyes. “Wait, it’s you. I’ve heard of you! Uhm.. Akuta—”
”Akutagawa Ryuunosuke.”
“Oh! Ryuunosuke? Nice name. I’m Nakajima Atsushi!” Atsushi’s smile felt like the feeling of sunshine on his skin.
No one’s ever complimented his name before, Akutagawa felt a blush come onto his cheeks. “Nice to… meet you Atsushi.” Akutagawa covered his mouth with the back of his hand and coughed.
”Same with you!”
”Atsushi, how did you hear about me?”
Atsushi’s eyes widened as he adorned a grin on his lips. “Are you kidding? You were Dazai’s protégé and he took you under his wing. I’ve heard your name thrown around. Around half an hour ago, I talked with Dazai and he told me to talk with you. He more or less yelled at me to, he was really upset about something.” Atsushi shrugged as Akutagawa knew what Dazai was upset about.
”I’m not all that, I promise.” Akutagawa chuckled as he looked down at his own pale hands. “Dazai’s better than me of course, he’s insulted me too many times to count.”
“That’s not very nice of him.” Atsushi shook his head in disapproval as he patted Akutagawa’s slim shoulder.
Akutagawa could feel how genuine Atsushi was as his hand felt burning hot on his shoulder. Maybe his body was malfunctioning or something. “What about helping me? I need help with singing for my major.”
Now his body was definitely malfunctioning, his body felt like it was being set on fire. He coughed violently on the back of his hand and cleared his throat. “Are you okay?” Atsushi’s eyebrows were cinched with concern as his eyes were round as a deer.
”No.. I mean yeah I’m fine! But why would you ask me? Ask Higuchi, she’s our singer.” Akutagawa asked and Atsushi made an ‘o’ with his mouth.
“Right.. But you’ve had training under Dazai! Teach me!” Atsushi’s eyes were twinkling like stars.
”Aren’t you getting training from Dazai? Also I got taught for my electric guitar, not singing.” His throat felt raspy as he felt his lungs desperate to squeeze a cough from him.
“I mean I am, but why would I not want to learn from the Akutagawa Ryuunosuke?” Atsushi’s smile lines perked out as he smiled; that smile that made Akutagawa’s insides feel funny. Maybe Gin was right.
Ryuunosuke swallowed the thick spit in his throat as he hummed. “Sure, I’ll teach you. I don’t have much to teach you if Dazai is already your mentor—”
”Ryuu! Come! We have practice!” Higuchi stood beside him all of a sudden. He forgot that they were standing near the girls’ dorm.
“Oh, right. I’ll see you around, Atsushi.” He waved as he spun on his heel, Higuchi wrapped an arm around him and dragging him towards the practice room.
Akutagawa took one last look at Atsushi while walking away, the other had his eyes crinkled with a smile that glistened in the sunlight. He might have got his heart in a knot by this guy. Who knows?
”Ryuu!” Chuuya and Tachi both said as he entered the practice room.
“Are you hyped? I can’t believe we’re actually going! We have to show them that we aren’t people to be looked down upon.” Chuuya puffed his chest out in pride as he had a look of satisfaction.
“Yeah, it’s always been a distant dream, it doesn’t feel real at times.” Akutagawa hummed in his chest .
Chuuya moved on to playing his drums immediately. Picking up the drum sticks and slamming them on the snare with passion. It rang throughout the room as they all stared. “What? Let’s get it going ya’ll!” Chuuya encouraged them as they went to their places.
Higuchi held her mic in her hands, her clammy hands that were increasingly sticky with the sweat. Their dream as a band, is coming true. To even play in the competition is an honor that all members should let in their minds. The exposure that would be of playing in Yokohama, the people that would watch, scouts, trainers, and fans even. They might get super popular even after this!
Their practice went by in a whiz as Akutagawa grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder and saying his goodbyes. Higuchi had a nervous smile as her voice had cracked a few times while singing the intense high notes. We can learn to fix it, Akutagawa thought as he started his path to his dorm.
He hadn’t been in his dorm room for a while since his first attempt was interrupted by Atsushi. He wondered if his roommate would even be there. He seemed a bit timid, not in a way on socially awkward, but timid in general.
“Hey Tanizaki, you here?” Akutagawa knocked on the door as the door almost opened immediately. It was a ginger with clips in his hair. It was, in fact, Tanizaki.
“Ye—yeah. What’s up Ryuu?” He quickly ripped the clips from his hair with a blush across his cheeks. Akutagawa couldn’t see a reason to be embarrassed about it.
”Nothing, I just have to practice for the PM.” Akutagawa muttered his words while he tossed his bag across the room near the wall.
Junichirou’s eyes were sparkling as he had a grin, “PM? I heard you guys were going. I’m so pumped for you to go and live out your dream! I’m sort of sad that ADA didn’t get a chance.”
Akutagawa raised a brow at his words, he knew that the other was a big fan of the ADA, but he had no clue he was ty is big of a fan. Also having the nerve to say it to a member from a different band, it was interesting. But he digressed, maybe he should mention that Atsushi might be coming over. Although he didn’t want Junichirou to have a heart attack while he was at it.
”By the way, Atsushi’s coming over so I can help him with vocals.” He slips the words in so casually as Junichirou dropped his phone. The slight thud against the floor was the last sound before a long pause.
“Wait! So he’s what?!” Tanizaki got up close and personal with Akutagawa to the point that he could smell the scent of tangerines. Akutagawa never knew if it was a cologne or his natural smell, but it smelt a lot like an orange rind. He was strange.
”He’s coming to the dorms, you’ll lead him here, right?” Akutagawa asked as his ran a hand through the long parts of his hair. Tanizaki nodded with vigor as he put up a thumbs up to the other.
Akutagawa just laid back in his bed as his roommate said something akin to going to hang out with his sister. In his opinion, he doesn’t really spend that much time with Gin, maybe he should change that. He let out a sigh as he shut his eyes. Letting his body sink into the mattress that was practically a few inches from the floor (God bless the bed frame for barely holding up his bed, a broke college student can’t afford to buy a whole new bed).
There was knocks on the door as Ryuunosuke lifted his head and stared at the door until it opened. Huh.. Tanizaki just said he was going out, and he’s the only other one with the key. Then who is this?
A guy was pushed into his room before the door shut with a loud bang. Ryuunosuke kept his eyes fixed on the guy who was currently on the floor of his dorm room. “I knew that that guy was suspicious.” A voice mumbled as his head was shown to the raven haired man with white tips.
Atsushi? Akutagawa was in shock, frozen in his position of laying in his bed. He was staying still for a few minutes, until he realized that he should probably greet him. Ryuunosuke jolted up from his bed and stood up straight like he was in the military. “Oh—Oh, hello Atsushi.” He had a hand out as the smaller gave him a eye smile while shaking his hand.
“You don’t have to be so formal with me Ryuunosuke. I’m going to be your student for now on! You are my tutor for singing! Plus, who was that at the door? He smelt like a strong scent of tangerines.” Atsushi scrunched up his nose as he sniffed the room.
Oh. That must’ve been Tanizaki then. That brat, of course he would stay around to see Atsushi, he’s a fan after all.
”Yeah, that’s my roommate, he’s always like that. It’s alright though.” Ryuunosuke dug through his shelf for a notes sheet for singing. “So you can just follow my lead, right?” He looked up at the guest as the other was just obviously staring at him, with no intent of looking away.
Akutagawa felt a burning sensation spike in his body as he glanced away to clear his throat. “Ahem!” Then he started to sing, he had a low alto tone as Atsushi watched with attentive eyes.
He felt similar to being an organism watched under a microscope. Ryuunosuke was being zeroed in on by Atsushi, who started to sway left and right to the ballad he sang.
Once the practice song ended, Ryuunosuke coughed again, which ended with him rushing to grab a bottle of water to drink. His coughing problem made his throat parched. “You did amazing! How did you sing so well? Why don’t you sing for the band?”
Atsushi kept pressing on with the multitude of questions as Ryuunosuke answered each question. “Thank you very much. I used to take a small singing class with Mori, he said my vocals were a waste of talent since I have a coughing issue. I don’t sing for the band because of my throat, I feel I would ruin my voice if I attempted to.”
”Oh, that sucks.” Atsushi empathized with the guy as Ryuunosuke sat down the opposite of his own bed where Atsushi was sitting. He was sitting on Tanizaki’s bed that was a soft, bouncy bed.
”Yeah, anywho we have Higuchi, her vocals are as strong as ever. And if we needed a lower range, we have Tachihara.” The raven haired man explained with his hand movements as Atsushi looked as if he were taking mental notes of if. Was he taking intel on Akutagawa’s band for Dazai? No way. He’d seem too nice to do that.
”Oh, then can you listen to me sing and give advice?” Atsushi’s lips curled up like a kitten as his eyes closed, his dark brown lashes shining in the sunlight that flowed through the dorm window. He seemed excited to sing for Akutagawa; it wasn’t like he was the most popular member for the band, that was Chuuya.
Nonetheless, Ryuunosuke was anticipating the other’s singing, he hadn’t heard someone else sing that wasn’t Higuchi or Tachihara in a long while.