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~1~
Admittedly, Atsushi and Akutagawa are being a little stupid the first time it happens. They should have known someone would find them if they stayed overnight in the Armed Detective Agency's office.
They just didn’t expect to be kissing on the sofa when Ranpo walked into the office.
Ranpo enters the office with his usual confidence and swagger. He freezes for a moment, staring when he first sees Atsushi with… a member of the Port Mafia? He is so surprised by what he sees that he drops his lollipop. It hits the floor with a loud thud.
The noise startles the pair apart, and they are both red in the face and sputtering to try to find a way to explain what Ranpo had seen but coming up with no conceivable lie. Even if they could come up with an excuse for why they were making out, they knew Ranpo would see through it.
Ranpo continues to stare at the two, wide-eyed and blushing. At first, he looks like he wants to say something, but then he just bursts out laughing until tears stream down his face.
“Why are you laughing?” the cool-toned voice of Akutagawa demands.
He is flushed pink, making him appear much less threatening than usual. Atsushi has his face buried in the man’s black coat, hoping it might swallow him up so he will be spared from the embarrassment of telling Ranpo about his relationship with Akutagawa long before he was ready.
Ranpo is laughing so hard that he can barely breathe. He continues laughing, clutching at his sides until he looks up and sees how flustered the men look. He stops laughing and stares for a second in silence before tilting his head to the side and chuckling quietly under his breath.
“Are you two dating? It's a wonderful day for romance, you know!” he says playfully.
Atsushi is startled by the question, sitting up and leaning slightly against Akutagawa with his chin resting on the mafioso’s shoulder, “A-aren’t you mad that he’s a member of the Port Mafia?” he asks curiously, “Isn’t that against the rules or something?”
“It is technically considered illegal, but honestly, I don't really care!” the detective shrugs, “But considering what I walked in on this morning, I don’t think there’s much that can be done to stop you now.”
He smirks, looking at the two and tapping his chin as he thinks, “Plus, I think the two of you make an interesting couple.”
The white-haired man practically shrieks, “H-how’d you know we’re already dating?” he sputters.
Akutagawa’s expression turns menacing, “If you tell a soul about this….” the threat is clear.
Ranpo's smirk only grows wider, “Oh, you know you can’t hide anything like that from me, right?”
He then meets the eyes of Akutagawa, “ And no need to worry! I will keep quiet about your secret!”
The mafioso sighs in relief.
“But! I want something in return!” he grins, “I love a good romance, you see, and the mafioso and the detective make for such a good plot! So tell me… who asked out who!”
Both men are stuttering and embarrassed until one of them speaks.
“Akutagawa did….” Atsushi mumbles, nearly inaudible, “H-he didn’t do a good job of it, but he did…”
The tiger receives a playful punch from his mafia boyfriend in return.
Ranpo raises an eyebrow but keeps smirking, “How did he ask you out? It sounds rather funny.”
Atsushi scoffs under his breath, “After we finished a mission, he uhh… used Rashomon to drag me to a restaurant and ordered me chazuke,” he blushes, recalling the memory.
Ranpo laughs. He is absolutely delighted he asked the question, “How funny! So he used the ability to drag you out to dinner together and just assumed you knew it was a date? That's just hilarious. How did you figure out it was a date anyway?”
“He only said it was a date afterward,” the tiger man whispers.
“I also didn’t mean to use Rashomon,” Akutagawa mumbles, “It just sort of jumped out of my coat and took him like it was reading my mind.”
“So the two of you got together because you were so dull that a 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘵 had to push you together?!? That’s certainly…something, but thanks for telling me,” Ranpo replies, seeming entertained before continuing onto another topic.
“Do you think it will work out? You are a Port Mafia member, after all. Will you two be able to keep it up, with the ADA and Port Mafia being at odds with each other?”
The detective seems genuinely worried for his friend.
“We’ve been making it work for this long…” Atsushi says a little solemnly, “But it is hard to be on different sides sometimes.”
Ranpo feels slightly guilty for asking about such a touchy subject, so he smiles at the couple, “You two are adorable together.”
He then leans back in his chair with a wide grin, “Now, are you two sure you have no more secrets?”
Atsushi looks shocked, “You just found out that I am dating a member of the Port Mafia, and you are asking if I have any more secrets?!? What else could I possibly be hiding?”
The detective merely shrugs, “Just testing to see if I could catch you in anything else since catching you in this was so easy,” his expression darkens, looking much more serious than he usually appeared, “But if I were you, I would make sure not to be caught in the future. It may not turn out so lucky next time.”
Both men nod, and within a few minutes of calm conversation, Akutagawa slinks out of the ADA office with his cheeks reddened, leaving Atsushi to face the smirking detective on his own.
“You owe me 𝘴𝘰 much ramune for this,” Ranpo says immediately.
“I know,” Atsushi says, his head collapsing on his desk in embarrassment.
~2~
After the embarrassing moment with Ranpo, the couple smartly decided they would no longer have secret meet-ups in the Armed Detective Agency office. However, that would not stop them from being discovered again.
It was a shocking sight when Kunikida, on his way to the Armed Detective Agency headquarters, saw his colleague, Atsushi, pressed against a wall in the alleyway beside the office, locked in a passionate kiss with a very familiar figure.
Akutagawa of the Port Mafia.
Kunikida is startled by the unexpected sight. He freezes for a moment, watching the two with a mixture of surprise and disbelief until he eventually clears his throat, trying to draw their attention.
Both men squeak, shocked by being discovered. Out of habit, Rashomon activates, shielding the two men in case they are in danger. On the other hand, Atsushi is nearly completely red in embarrassment,
"K-Kunikida???"
“Ah, er…” the blond man coughs, raising a hand to cover his mouth to hide his utter shock at stumbling upon the two men from rival organizations, “U-um…”
His thoughts are racing, and he has no idea what to say. He is completely blindsided by what he just walked in on.
As Akutagawa realizes that Kunikida is not an immediate threat, he allows the tendrils of Rashomon to return to his coat. Still, he and Atsushi look no less scared, terrified even of the blond man.
“K-Kunikida….” the mafioso slightly bows his head, unsure how to approach speaking to a man with whom he had previously had limited run-ins.
The detective clears his throat again, still unsure if he should address the elephant in the room, “Ermm…”
He looks away from the two trembling men to make sure no one else is near the alleyway before lowering his voice slightly.
“What are you two doing here?” Kunikida crosses his arms, looking at the two expectantly but glaring at Akutagawa as if he wanted to cut him down.
Akutagawa practically disappears into the vast darkness of his coat, hiding his flushed cheeks from Atsushi’s superior, “I think you saw what we were doing….”
Kunikida narrows his eyebrows, looking more annoyed than anything, “That is an understatement,” he hisses at the mafioso before turning his attention to Atsushi, “Would you mind explaining why you were doing that with a member of a hostile organization?”
There is practically steam coming out of the man’s ears as he continues to near-shout at the white-haired man, “Is this how you spend your free time? Kissing members of the Port Mafia while on duty? You are a detective, Atsushi! This is a disgrace!”
“Technically….” Atsushi mumbles, still very traumatized by being discovered, “I’m not on d-duty yet….I haven’t clocked in….”
Kunikida feels as if he might burst a blood vessel, “That is not an excuse, Atsushi! Even if you had not officially "started" your day, that does not mean you have the right to do whatever you want! You're still representing the agency even outside of work hours. As a detective of the Armed Detective Agency and a member of the detective world, you should show more restraint towards our enemies!”
He then turns his attention to the mafia member trying to disappear into his coat, “And you, Akutagawa! What are you doing with Atsushi?”
The loyal demon of the Port Mafia had never looked so terrified. He tentatively raises his head from his coat and hesitates to make eye contact, “I-I was….” he hates that he sounds so weak, especially in front of a member of the Armed Detective Agency, “k-kissing him…”
Kunikida blinks a few times as he glares at Akutagawa, then looks at Atsushi, hoping to catch even the slightest bit of fear from him that would imply that this was anything different from the obvious reading of the situation.
“Was this a consensual interaction?”
Atsushi, though very flustered, nods immediately, “Absolutely!”
While he sighs in relief that there was no foul play, Kunikida still raises an eyebrow, “Is there a reason you decided to kiss your enemy, Atsushi?”
“We’re…not enemies anymore?” the tiger man squeaks.
Kunikida is at a loss for words at the ridiculous display of embarrassment.
“You are aware Akutagawa is a member of the Port Mafia, and the Port Mafia is one of our mortal enemies, yes?” he asks, feeling as if he might collapse at any moment.
“I’m aware of that,” Atsushi defends, “But Aku is not my enemy.”
He looks disgusted but is also somewhat curious as he realizes the obvious implication.
“Are you two...a...couple?”
He isn’t sure he actually wants the answer, but if he didn’t ask outright, he feared he might not sleep right again.
“Y-yes…” Atsushi mumbles, “We are…”
“How long have you two been a couple?”
The question is asked with a more curious tone than before.
“A few months now.”
Kunikida is surprised. He hadn’t expected Atsushi and Akutagawa to have been able to hide something this significant for so long.
He tries to keep his face as neutral as possible as he addresses them again after taking a big sigh, “Well, I suppose there's nothing I can do about this now to make you stop. But I'm going to ask you to try not to show such affection to Akutagawa in public. It's important for detectives to maintain a good reputation amongst the citizens of Yokohama and one of our own being seen with someone like him, a 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭.”
The blond man sighs again, “Just be careful.”
Atsushi and Akutagawa nod in sync.
“We will be!” they vow.
“We’ve only been discovered once before this,” Atsushi smiles proudly, “So we’ll try harder.”
Kunikida decides for the sake of his own heart, he doesn’t need to know who else had discovered the odd couple.
“Good. Do not let me catch you two again...at least until the end of the day.”
The man’s eyes widen as he checks his watch, realizing how much time he’d wasted by being distracted by this relationship. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go. A few cases have already piled up, and it does not seem like they will be solved without me. So, until later…”
Atsushi and Akutagawa collapse into each other’s arms laughing as they watch Kunikida go.
~3~
The third time it happens, it’s on a case.
Atsushi and Akutagawa had been working together a lot more as their organizations (specifically Dazai) realized how well their abilities were compatible. It became common for the two of them to share a few quick kisses hidden from the public streets after cases.
However, the couple was very unaware that the newest member of the ADA, Kyouka, was looking for her mentor after the latest case. And unfortunately, it became the second time Atsushi and Akutagawa were discovered making out in an alleyway.
When she sees them, she drops her phone, her mouth agape in shock. Her former and current mentors were locking lips in the alleyway.
“What the fuck….” she whispers to herself.
It is just audible enough for the two to break apart, blushing and sputtering, mostly in disbelief that they had been caught yet again.
“K-Kyouka???” Atsushi stutters, his arm still holding Akutagawa close to him.
Kyouka doesn't seem to care about the blushing, embarrassment or sputtering. As soon as she sees Atsushi, she starts walking over to the pair.
"Why are you kissing Akutagawa?" she asks in a stern tone accompanied by a deadpanned face.
“W-we….” the tiger man trails off, “We are…..”
“The Weretiger and I have been dating for a few months,” Akutagawa says oddly confidently.
Kyouka stays quiet and stares blankly at her former mentor, “You two are DATING?!?”
“We are…For a few months now.” Atsushi confirms, lowering his head slightly, “A-are you mad?”
The girl sighs and glances over to Akutagawa shaking her head disappointedly, "You are a terrible influence, Akutagawa. It is not okay to corrupt Atsushi, you know. He is an innocent boy."
Both men share a quick laugh.
“I’m 𝘧𝘢𝘳 from innocent, Kyouka,” Atsushi says offhandedly.
Simultaneously, Akutagawa rolls his eyes, “I don’t think he can be corrupted by me. He is forever an angel.”
Kyouka takes a deep breath in and out, then sighs, glaring at Akutagawa, "So then, I've got a question for you."
“What’s your question?” Atsushi responds, curious to know what the girl would ask.
"Does this innocent angel know about everything you've done in the mafia? What you've done to countless people. The violence that you've caused. Does he know about 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 you've done?"
Akutagawa bristles, clearly upset by any mention of some of his more brutal crimes while in the Port Mafia. He glows red, his demonic coat itching to attack, but he keeps himself calm enough to control it.
Atsushi gently places a hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder to calm him even further, “I know a lot about what Akutagawa has done in the mafia,” he says, rubbing the taller man’s shoulder, “I’m sure he hasn’t told me everything, but that does not change the fact that I love him.”
Kyouka chuckles when she notices Akutagawa’s reaction, then places her hand on Atsushi's shoulder in a similar manner to what he did to his boyfriend.
"But how can you love this demon who killed so many innocent people? This man who's caused chaos and violence everywhere he's been. This devil whose only goal is to cause suffering to everybody around him. I just don't get it."
It was clear that Atsushi was barely hiding his anger, “He has done evil things, but that does not mean that 𝘩𝘦 is evil. You might be too young to understand, but I love Akutagawa despite his flaws. I do not make him feel guilty for the hurt he has caused others. He has not killed anyone since we have been together. I believe that proves that he is not a demon.”
The young girl does not seem satisfied with Atsushi’s response. She violently shakes her head and yells at the couple.
"He has done evil. He has caused suffering. Therefore, he is evil. It's that simple. Even if he has not killed anyone since you two started dating, that doesn't change the fact that killing is the one thing he's good at. Not to mention that he's also good at causing a ruckus and making a scene."
Atsushi looks at her sympathetically. It must be hard for her to see him with someone who still belonged to the organization that caused her much pain. He just hoped that, in time, she would understand why he loved Akutagawa.
He smiles at her knowingly for now, “Are you worried about me, Kyouka?”
Kyouka lets out a sigh. She tilts her head at him, “Yes, I'm worried about you. If Akutagawa was capable of killing without hesitation before, don't you think he's capable of doing it now? He's dangerous. What if he hurts you when you're doing something he doesn't like or when you're not listening to him?"
Akutagawa merely laughs in response, “He may be annoying, and I may have ripped off his arms or legs a time or two, but I would never deliberately put him in harm's way again.”
He seems to mean every word, looking at the shorter tiger man with love and adoration.
Kyouka's eyebrows narrow slightly. Then she looks at Atsushi, “But didn't you say that you only started dating a few months ago?"
Atsushi nods.
“And he hasn’t hurt you in that time?”
The young tiger man smiles, “No, he hasn’t hurt me at all since we started dating. We got a lot of that violence out of our systems already.”
Kyouka remains silent momentarily, then she glares at Atsushi, “I want you to promise me something. If Akutagawa is ever to harm you, even once, please tell me. Do not keep it from me, okay?"
“He won’t,” Atsushi says sternly, “But I promise all the same.”
Promises from Atsushi were nothing to overlook. Kyouka sighs, bidding the couple farewell. If Atsushi promised that Akutagawa would not corrupt or harm him, she would have to trust him. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t continue worrying about her friend.
Meanwhile, the couple are already playfully arguing about whose fault it was they got discovered this time.
~4~
Atsushi and Akutagawa really should have been expecting that Dazai would find out about them at some point. After all, he was the direct reason they had met and connected in the first place. It was a near guarantee that the man that had mentored both of them would one day catch onto his two mentees’ romantic relationship.
However, they expected it to happen differently than it did.
Dazai had a tendency to break into the homes of his Armed Detective Agency colleagues. Most times, it was a minor inconvenience at worst, but when Atsushi and Akutagawa were happily enjoying long, love-filled kisses on the tiger man’s couch, it was a little more of an issue.
Luckily, they still had most of their clothes on when Dazai broke in, but if the man had chosen to visit Atsushi only a few minutes later, that might have been different.
The heavily bandaged man barges in with no regard for boundaries or privacy, walking in without even knocking. He first looks shocked as he sees the pair deeply kissing one another, their bodies pressed so close together, but this shock quickly turns into a devilish smile.
“Oh~ You two look cozy, “ he chuckles, his tone dripping with mockery.
Immediately the couple breaks apart, their eyes wide and fearful.
Akutagawa, always trying to impress his former mentor, makes a futile attempt to push himself away from Atsushi and reach for something to cover his bare chest with, but the other man’s arms around him make it impossible.
“D-Dazai….” he stutters, trying to remain professional.
Dazai seems to bask in the discomfort and chaos he has caused the two. Seeing Atsushi and Akutagawa scrambling to break apart is entertaining in his eyes. He also can't help but look a bit more intently at the situation before him. Seeing their bare chests and how they are wrapped together is seemingly fascinating to him.
“It seems I've caught you two in a rather compromising position. My my. This is quite embarrassing indeed,” Dazai seems to have taken a liking to teasing the younger men.
The taller man has pretty much given up on trying to make himself appear decent and is instead haphazardly frozen in shock on top of Atsushi, half embracing him, half trying to hide his face from the man he admires.
Dazai chuckles, enjoying every second of Akutagawa's embarrassment, “Well, well. You've sure gotten yourself into quite a predicament, Akutagawa~.”
Of course, he knows that his current apprentice, Atsushi, is just as, if not more, embarrassed than the other man, but teasing Akutagawa was just too much fun.
“It's okay, you two. We're all adults here. No need to be embarrassed, “He says, walking even closer until he is right in front of the pair. “I mean, it isn't every day I see two men engaged in such an intimate position.”
Now it is Atushis’s turn to be the one more flustered between the two. He is nearly entirely red, mostly unseen because Akutagawa was on top of him, “You…You can’t just break into my apartment!” he shouts, his cheeks burning a bright red, “W-what if We-I weren’t decent?”
Dazai puts a finger to his lips and winks, “Hey now, let's be polite and not scream in front of guests,” he teases, “You two were engaged in such a passionate embrace~ I don't believe decency was a matter.”
“You were -not- supposed to see that!” Atsushi shouts, “You wouldn’t have if you didn’t break in!”
“I have a natural talent for interrupting these -private- moments~ You two should feel honored that I witnessed your love~.”
“Well, we don’t!” Akutagawa growls, defending Atsushi against Dazai, “Atsushi and I rarely get any time alone as it is…. When we do, we don’t need to worry about you interrupting us!”
Dazai laughs at the two, “Aren't you a possessive one, Akutagawa? Your concern for Atsushi is so adorable.”
Atsushi hisses at Dazai, sounding like an angry cat, “Get. Out.”
The man seems impressed that Atsushi is capable of lashing out against him,
“Woah! You've shown me your claws!”
He turns to leave and pauses when he is only a few feet away, “Why should I leave? It's hilarious to stay and watch you squirm.”
“Why can’t you leave us alone???” Atsushi growls, more annoyed than he had ever been, “Congratulations! The two people you paired together are dating. We will tell you about our relationship sometime, but right now, I just want to enjoy the rare time I get with my boyfriend… ALONE!”
“I could never leave a juicy situation like this one,” Dazai grins at the two men, “This is too good to abandon so quickly. Can't a guy have some fun?”
“Dazai,” Akutagawa sounds borderline murderous, “If you don’t leave us alone, I will tell Atsushi 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 detail about what I saw Chuuya doing to you a few weeks ago. Every. Single. Detail.”
The man freezes, and Dazai is entirely speechless for once, his jaw agape, “What did you say?”
“You heard me,” Akutagawa says simply.
Dazai stares, horrified. He starts to tremble.
“Y-you wouldn't... Would you?”
“Don’t test me. Leave,” the taller young man hisses.
Immediately the other man turns around and walks out of the apartment, leaving the couple alone.
Atsushi and Akutagawa sigh in relief, finally glad to be rid of Dazai.
“What did you threaten him with?” Atsushi wonders aloud, “What did you see him and Chuuya doing?”
“Nothing,” Akutagawa grins slyly, “I just wanted to see if he’d admit he and Chuuya are together.”
Oh god, that was genius.
~5~
As it would turn out, Dazai was not the only person with a habit of breaking into others’ apartments. Atsushi and Akutagawa got much better at hiding their relationship from everyone else, even though it would be ultimately pointless. They also decided it would be best to frequent Akutagawa’s apartment rather than Atsushi’s, hoping they would not be barged in on.
But unfortunately, it seemed as if Chuuya also had a habit of entering apartments when he wasn’t allowed. However, at least in his case, Akutagawa had given him a key to let himself in if necessary.
When the mafia executive enters Akutagawa’s apartment, Atsushi and Akutagawa are cooking a meal together. However, Atsushi is not doing much cooking and is instead hanging onto his boyfriend like a koala.
“Oh, for... You have to be kidding me,” Chuuya sighs, still standing a ways back from the couple.
Both men freeze. Akutagawa seems much more statue-like than usual, and Atsushi squeaks and jumps away from his boyfriend and bows his head.
“Chuuya Nakahara,” his voice shakes. He is clearly terrified of the executive.
“Don't be such a drama queen, Atsushi,” Chuuya responds, “This doesn't have to be so awkward. I couldn't give two shits about what the two of you get up to behind closed doors.”.
Even though he says that, his tone suggests that he actually does care quite a lot. It’s a detail that Akutagawa catches as he practically grew up around the executive. He knew Chuuya had always cared for him and his well-being, so realizing the younger man was in a relationship must have thrown him for a loop.
“Did you…. Did you need something?” he asks, finally having enough courage to face his superior after being caught with his lover.
Chuuya shrugs, “Well…the boss just informed me about a gang of ability users that is about to make a move on the mafia. They've sent over a special envoy to discuss the details, and I just came to pass the news on.”
He turns his attention back to Atsushi, smiling devilishly, “Now... Who's this new plaything of yours?”
The executive is very aware that Akutagawa had only ever pathetically pined over the tiger, but he wasn’t sure if Atsushi knew that. Atsushi slightly blushes and looks at his taller lover for answers.
In response, Akutagawa smiles softly at his boyfriend before looking at his superior with an unreadable expression, “He’s… not a plaything,” he whispers. He wasn’t sure how to tell Chuuya that they’d been dating for months.
The executive chuckles, “Oh, come on. Don't pretend like I'm some dumbass, Ryuunosuke,” he smirks, “I know he’s much more than a plaything to you.”
Chuuya bats his eyelashes and poses like a high school girl with a crush, “He’s your double sugar muffiny poo,” his voice goes high-pitched to embarrass the young man further.
Then, satisfied with his teasing for the moment, the executive crosses into the kitchen, seemingly intrigued to see what the couple was making before he let himself in. He smiles softly when he pulls a ladle out of a pot of slowly simmering soup and sips on the warm liquid.
“Hm…This actually tastes pretty good,” he sounds a little surprised, as if he had no faith in Akutagawa’s cooking ability, “What is it?”
“We were trying to make a chicken soup!” Atsushi exclaims, “Though I think Ryu has been much more helpful with that than me.”
The tiger does not realize how he slips in how he refers to Akutagawa.
Chuuya chuckles, “Oh? And what have you been doing during this whole process?”
Before Atsushi can respond, the executive looks at him with an amused expression, “Ryu?” He doesn't seem entirely surprised at his slip-up. After all, he’d also called the taller man that a few minutes ago. It was no surprise to him that Akutagawa’s boyfriend would also have the right to use his given name.
Atsushi’s cheeks are scarlet, and he sputters, trying to figure out how to explain himself, “Well… I… ummm…”
Luckily Akutagawa comes to his boyfriend’s rescue, answering Chuuya’s question, “He’s been reading the recipe to me.”
Chuuya gives Akutagawa an equally confused and unimpressed expression, “You had to have the recipe read to you out loud and have Atsushi cling to you just to cook chicken soup?”
He chuckles, “No wonder you didn’t want me to see you cooking. I was expecting it to be something more elaborate than this.”
“He’s been getting much better at cooking recently!” the tiger man exclaims, more than happy to defend his boyfriend’s honour, “B-but I suppose I could have been more helpful.”
It was clear by looking at Akutagawa that he would not have cared if Atsushi had not lifted a single finger to help with the cooking. He was absolutely smitten with the white-haired man.
Chuuya just rolls his eyes and chuckles as he realizes just how deeply enthralled by Atsushi he is, “You know, you're a lot more sentimental than people give you credit for. If it were anyone else, you'd just call them lazy and get on with your day.”
Akutagawa blushes, trying to avert his gaze from Chuuya, “I don’t know what you mean. Atsu-I mean, the Weretiger has been plenty helpful.”
He really wasn’t selling the act of still being enemies with the shorter man. Especially given how close their bodies were pressed together as they stood, even with Chuuya in the room. It was like they gravitated toward one another.
The executive merely rolls his eyes, “You're the worst liar on the face of this goddamn earth, Ryu. What's wrong? Can't let others know you turned your greatest rival into your lover?”
A part of the couple wants to tell Chuuya about the other -four- times they had been caught, but they decide it wouldn’t be the best approach. Instead, Atsushi clears his throat, summoning enough courage to speak.
“A-aren’t you supposed to be mad?” he asks, not daring to make eye contact with Chuuya, still terrified of the Port Mafia executive.
“Nah, I'm not that big of a dick,” Chuuya shrugs.
He steps closer to Atsushi, smirking but also looking concerned, “Why are you so afraid of me?”
Atsushi wishes he could sink into the ground. He can barely make eye contact with the man, “Y-you’re you…” he stutters, “You’re so powerful and have such a threatening aura… I’ve heard so many horror stories about you…”
Chuuya stays silent for a second before grinning, “Huh? You know a lot of stories about me, do ya?” He crosses his arms tightly across his chest, “I'd love to hear one. Tell me, just what do they say about me?”
“Well…” Atsushi flushes, “They’re mostly from Dazai, so I don’t know how accurate they are…”
The executive scoffs, “Because he's such a 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 source of information.”
“Can you really level a building with a single touch?” the tiger man seems genuinely curious now, “He said that you sometimes go all crazy, and he’s the only one that can stop you and that you….and him 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 one another.”
Atsushi hadn’t realized how romantic it sounded until then.
Chuuya snickers, “That’s not even half of what I could do if I wanted to. And as for the rest,” he smirks, “That's quite a bold statement of me and that bastard... Is that all you've heard?”
“Well…no..not exactly….” Atsushi whispers.
Chuuya grins, “Then what else have you heard? Come on, don't be shy.”
“Well…” the white-haired man’s blush darkens, “One night he broke into my apartment and…”
Atsushi becomes much too flustered to continue the story, so his boyfriend continues.
“I told him that if he didn’t leave me and Atsushi alone, I would tell everyone what I saw you doing to him!” Akutagawa explains.
Chuuya seems to be holding back laughter as this story unfolds, “And what did he say?”
Atsushi smirks, “He was terrified and left pretty soon after.”
“Dazai’s such a scaredy cat,” the executive rolls his eyes, then raises his eyebrow at Akutagawa curiously, “So... what did you see me doing to him?
“I didn’t actually see anything. I just wanted to see if he would admit that the two of you are in a relationship,” Akutagawa replies proudly, “From his reaction, I deduced that you were.”
Chuuya does not react to the accusation at all. He only laughs, “Ah, smart move. I love catching out that bastard in his lies. He's always so easy to play too.”
It seemed that’s as close as the couple would get from the man to admit that he was, in fact, in a relationship with Dazai.
A moment later, Chuuya smiles at Atsushi again, “Well, since I know your little secret now, may I ask you something?”
“Y-yeah…” the tiger man sputters, “What’s the question?”
“How long have the two of you been together?”
“Around six months,” Akutagawa says proudly, “Around when I vowed to no longer kill anyone.”
Chuuya gasps in surprise, “Six months! That's a longer relationship than most I know. I'm kinda impressed.”
Then, the executive gives the tiger a small smile as he pats his shoulder, “You’ve really done wonders to soften him up. I should thank you sometime.”
It is clear that he is joking.
“But anyways... how did you guys get together?”
“That’s a long story….” Atsushi responds, “Why don’t you join us for some soup, and we’ll tell you?”
By the end of the night, the young tiger man was no longer as petrified of the mafia executive as he was before, and Chuuya thinks he might have taken another person younger than him under his wing.
~+ 1~
Honestly, Akutagawa wasn’t entirely sure how he spaced out on it. More than likely, he was some combination of distracted and nervous. He hadn’t meant to keep his relationship with Atsushi a secret. He simply just…. hadn’t ever found a good time to reveal the information to some people.
But it hits him all at once when he walks into his sister’s apartment to see her holding the wedding invitation.
Shit.
He had never told her he was dating the Weretiger.
Gin sits silently with the invitation in her hands, looking a mix of confused, annoyed, and slightly hurt. She doesn't dare look over at her brother as she listens to the sound of him coming into the house, and the silence is deafening to both of them.
Eventually, Akutagawa decides to speak, “Gin…” he sounds a little nervous, “I meant to tell you…”
His sister lets out a small sigh before finally speaking up, "You had your reasons. I'm sure you did,” her voice is calm yet tinged with sadness, “Was there a reason you felt you had to hide it from me?"
She turns her head to look at her brother with a tired expression, the wedding invitation clenched tightly in her lap.
Akutagawa sighs heavily. He looks guilty for not having said anything to Gin yet, “I think it kept it a secret for any particular reason,” he admits, “I don't think a good moment ever came up where I could just say ‘Hey, Gin, you know that guy I was very annoyed with? Well, we’re dating now!’ “
Gin snorts lightly at her brother's explanation before sighing, "I still think you should have found a way to let me know, Ryuunosuke. But what's done is done, I guess. Are you certain this man is the one you want to marry? I mean, it's quite ironic you're dating someone you used to get so annoyed with."
Akutagawa flushes as he nods, “I’m happier than I’ve ever been….” he sighs as he collapses onto his sister’s couch, meekly covering his pink cheeks with his hands, “I feel like I’ve become an entirely different person, Gin.”
His sister lets out a small laugh, "Well, it's good to hear that you're happy at least. I was worried about you for a while there,” she teases.
She then looks up at the ceiling and inhales deeply before speaking again, "I guess in the spirit of honesty, you should know that I am seeing someone too."
“You’re what???” Akutagawa shrieks, sitting up from his position on the couch, “Who????”
Gin's face flushes, and her body language becomes extraordinarily awkward and nervous at the question, "I think this would be better if I... just showed you."
She stands, walks over to her brother on the couch, reaches out with one hand, and gently pushes on his shoulder, trying to get him to stand, “Get up, Ryu,” she hisses.
Akutagawa is on his feet a moment later, ready to follow his sister wherever she plans to lead him. He can’t help but assume that this individual might be in the apartment with Gin. God, he sure hoped he hadn’t been interrupting something. He’s had enough of that himself.
Gin leads her brother toward her bedroom, her face still flushed with anxiousness. She reaches for the door handle before looking over her shoulder again.
"Close your eyes, okay?"
The elder of the two siblings nods, complying immediately and closing his eyes.
The moment that her brother's eyes are shut, Gin opens the door to her bedroom, walking inside and tugging her brother’s hand to drag him into the room. When she sees the person she is soon to surprise her brother with, she smiles and raises a finger so they don’t spoil the surprise.
Once Gin has Akutagawa at the end of her bed, she taps his shoulder, “You can open your eyes now,” she says, feeling her cheeks already heating up as she braces for this reveal.
As he opens his eyes, Akutagawa doesn’t know who he’s expecting, but when he sees a familiar face, he can’t help but smile.
“Of course it’s Higuchi,” he rolls his eyes before looking at his sister teasingly, “I knew you would try to win her over the moment she finally caught on that I’m into men.”
Gin laughs in surprise when her brother recognizes who is standing in her room with her. Though she had not expected him to know, Gin could not help but feel proud of her brother's observation skills.
Then her expression turns slightly sheepish as her face flushes bright pink, "I didn't think you knew the two of us even slightly knew each other?"
“You’ve told me about working on missions with her a few times,” Akutagawa responds, “Though I think you purposely avoided telling me when you worked with her so I wouldn’t try to push you to ask her out.”
He finally addresses the other woman in the room, “You better be treating my sister right, Higuchi.”
Gin smiles at her brother's comments, trying to stifle a chuckle at his teasing. Higuchi stands next to her with a sweet and slightly bashful look on her face. The two have been together for several months now, but neither likes to show affection openly.
"I'm trying my best, sir,” she says embarrassedly, bowing her head.
Akutagawa chuckles, “Very good.”
He then turns his attention back to his sister with a sly smirk, “You just had to upstage my engagement with your relationship reveal?”
Gin gives her brother a small, mocking bow, her expression turning from sheepish to smug."I knew you always hated it when I stole your spotlight. This was my golden opportunity to do so again. I simply couldn't help myself."
Her arms wrap around her brother’s back, “Now, do be a good brother and say you're happy for me like I said I was happy for you, Ryuunosuke."
“I’m happy for you, Gin,” Akutagawa replies earnestly.
Higuchi, who had watched the siblings interact, gasps, “Your brother is engaged?!?” she shrieks, “To who???”
Akutagawa awkwardly coughs, “Atsushi Nakajima…. The Weretiger.”
Gin tries to keep a straight face when her brother tells Higuchi who he is engaged to, but the slight smirk that forms on her face gives away her amusement. "My brother really has a knack for picking men, doesn’t he?"
“On the topic of my wedding….” Akutagawa trails off, “I was wondering if perhaps you would like to be a part of it… Chuuya already insisted on being my best man since Dazai is Atsushi’s, but….”
Gin pauses to think momentarily, seeming quite surprised that Akutagawa has requested her to be a part of his wedding.
"Yes, I... I would love to,” she smiles brightly at her brother, clearly happy about his request.
Higuchi remains quiet, listening to their conversation without saying a word.
Akutagawa awkwardly looks at the blond woman his sister is dating, “Of course, Higuchi can come too as your date,” he teases his sister.
Gin’s face reddens, and she quickly punches Akutagawa in the arm to deflect how embarrassed the comment made her. Higuchi lets out a small giggle in response to both the teasing and the punch, though she quickly covers her mouth as if trying to control the sound.
“Just let me know your answer in the next few days,” Akutagawa smirks, waving at the two women, “I have to return to my future husband now!”
~~~
A few months later, Gin wipes tears from her eyes as she watches her brother marry the man of his dreams. She is full of elation that her older brother has finally found happiness and had the courage to give his heart to someone who would cherish it.
There is not a single dry eye during the wedding. Still, no one anticipated Chuuya to cry the hardest as he escorted Akutagawa down the aisle and watched as he dedicated his life to the man he loved.
Those closest to the couple watch in awe as the formally rigid Port Mafia man and the skittish tiger man embrace one another, swaying slightly as they dance for the first time as husbands. They gaze into one another’s tear-filled eyes with nothing but complete adoration and love for one another as soft lyrics surround them.
They would be okay.
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥
𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘴
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵
𝘛𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶
𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮
𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮
𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰'𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥
𝘋𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘺
𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶... 𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦
𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶... 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦... 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵
𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘴
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦
𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶
𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘶𝘵
𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦
𝘐𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘺
𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶... 𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦
𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶... 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦... 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦