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It’s warm, the late afternoon sun soaring in the sky accompanied by the chill of the sea breeze.
Akutagawa closes his eyes and allows the breeze to cool his skin as exhaustion creeps into his bones. He’s covered in dirt and dried blood crusts his skin, there’s a bruise forming on his cheek and for once he wants nothing more than to collapse into his bed and pass out for several hours.
Yet the bench beside the pier gave him pause, and he now finds himself residing here. He likely won’t be arriving home anytime soon anyway, so he might as well take a short rest break as the evening begins to set in.
The pier is strangely devoid of other people and Akutagawa is grateful for it as he revels in the quiet atmosphere.
His peace is disturbed once he feels the bench creak beside him. He cracks a single eye open and notes the weretiger sitting next to him. He doesn’t spare a glance at Akutagawa, instead choosing to stare out at the ocean in front of him.
He doesn’t look nearly as battered and bruised as Akutagawa, something that the tiger’s likely to thank for. On a normal day, this would aggravate Akutagawa to no end, but right now he can’t find it in himself to muster up the energy.
Besides, the weretiger still looks worse for wear. He’s grimy and Akutagawa isn’t curious to find out what his hair is matted with. His attire is also completely ruined, like always. Akutagawa has wondered to himself how the weretiger even affords to replace his clothes since he ruins them so often ‒ he’s been subjected to the weretiger’s rambles about how he struggles to maintain his savings after all. But every time he catches himself in the act he shuts it down, not wanting to spare another thought for the weretiger.
Akutagawa shuts his eyes once more. "Why are you here?"
The weretiger shifts next to him, likely to face him. "We’re supposed to report back to Dazai-san."
The answer is short and to the point, and if it were anyone else Akutagawa was speaking to he would leave it at that.
But of course, Akutagawa would never allow it to be that simple.
"That doesn't mean I need you to accompany me here or on the way back," he says. He turns to the weretiger for the first time and is met with a sneer.
"That's stupid," the weretiger grumbles and Akutagawa doesn't even bat an eye. "You're stupid," he finishes lamely and Akutagawa scoffs.
They don't say another word to each other and the silence envelops them once more. It's a comfortable silence, one that is rarely ever achieved when he's in the presence of the weretiger. It's almost strange, but Akutagawa can't say he dislikes it.
"Thanks, by the way," the weretiger says, halting Akutagawa's train of thought. He raises his brow at the weretiger, prompting him to elaborate. "For helping me out back there."
Akutagawa makes a small 'ah' sound. The weretiger was referring to when he almost got another one of his limbs severed. "I wouldn't have had to save you if you had not acted so recklessly, foolish jinko."
"You of all people should not be talking about reckless actions," the weretiger says, responding to the bait immediately. "Besides I saved you too, didn't I?"
Akutagawa reacts in mock offense. "Did you? I don't seem to remember."
"Well I do seem to remember how you would've taken a bullet if I hadn't gotten you out of the way in time," the weretiger says. “I would’ve had to carry your ass back to the agency and I don’t think either of us would’ve liked that so if anything you should be thanking me too.”
The weretiger was trying to sound witty but his tone was off. Of course, Akutagawa wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to hone in on it. “Be careful there, Jinko, you almost sound worried.”
The sheer amount of shock that overtakes the weretiger’s face would almost be comical if not for the strange feeling that begins to bubble within Akutagawa in response to it. He coughs, awkwardness overtaking him at once. “I suppose I could thank you but are you really deserving of it?”
“Why are you so difficult,” the weretiger says, more to himself than to Akutagawa. He rubs his flushed cheeks, likely a result of the remnants of his embarrassment.
Akutagawa looks out in front of him once more and it’s only then that he realizes the sun has begun to set. He takes in the scenery of the sky, painted in various hues of yellow, pink, and purple. It’s beautiful, and Akutagawa wishes that he could remain in this moment forever.
“Hey.”
Akutagawa faces towards the weretiger and is stunned when he discovers an exact reflection of the sunset in his eyes. The golden rays only seem to highlight his features and Akutagawa finds himself entranced
“Thank you still, for saving me. I really am grateful to have you around,” Atsushi says and Akutagawa feels warm once more. This time for an entirely different reason. And Akutagawa can’t seem to figure out why.
He gulps, unable to find a response. Atsushi must have picked up on the tension because he suddenly lets out a nervous laugh. “Maybe that was a little too sappy on my part,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck.
“It’s fine,” Akutagawa says, voice hoarse. He doesn’t understand why that rattled him so much. If Atsushi had told him this a year ago he would’ve surely lashed out. Yet now he can’t even muster up the anger.
Somehow, over time they’ve known each other Akutagawa has begun to tolerate Atsushi’s presence, maybe even to the point where he longs for it.
He can’t bring himself to hate it though.
“You’re not too bad either,” Akutagawa says. They do make a good pair after all. And maybe one day Akutagawa will be able to express that freely. But for now, he’ll settle for this.
And if the easy smile Atsushi gives him causes the fluttering in his stomach to increase then that’s only for him to know.
“I guess we should head back now,” Atsushi says.
“I suppose we should,” Akutagawa agrees, but he makes no move to get up.
Tomorrow, they’ll return to their usual disagreements and hostility. But for now, Akutagawa allows himself to stay within the comfort zone of the sea, the sunset, and the warmth of Atsushi’s company.