Chapter Text
Atsushi is a lightweight. He wasn’t always. His metabolism used to mean that he could go out drinking with Dazai and Chuuya and have anything to drink and wake up fine the next day. However, that had changed after having Yume and one drink has him tipsy. Two and he’s drunk. Akutagawa hasn’t seen him have more than that since her birth, but Atsushi is currently finishing his fourth of the night, and Akutagawa dreads what comes next.
“Yume,” Atsushi says as he crawls across the booth to put his hands on Akutagawa’s shoulder. “We have a daughter. That’s crazy.” He laughs, giggling and swaying before one of his arms wobbles and he collapses onto Akutagawa’s lap.
Okay, maybe this wasn't too bad.
“We have a daughter,” Akutagawa affirms. He reaches out and strokes Atsushi’s cheek as he looks up at Akutagawa from his lap. “Yes, that’s crazy. You’re very drunk right now.”
“I am!” Atsushi chirps. And then he smiles and it’s as if everything is right in the world. Akutagawa would kill for that smile. For the way Atsushi looks at him like he’s in love and Akutagawa is perfect, even though he knows only one of those things is true.
“Have you had enough weretiger?” he asks.
“No, Chuuya is getting -” Atsushi frowns and sits up. He looks around the bar and tries to spot a familiar redhead. “-Chuuya is getting me-”
“Shots!” Chuuya says as he bounds over to their table. He still walks on his own legs, a feat he is not sure that Atsushi could manage right now. They have only been here for the better part of two hours, but after bearing Yume, Atsushi’s tolerance has gone down the drain.
They are celebrating a mission. An ability user threatening the city. But Shin Soukoku have a vested interest in keeping Yokohama standing and with the help of their friends, evil is defeated again. Yadda yadda yadda.
He still rolls his eyes at the thought, but Atsushi was delighted at the prospect of an evening out. They do not shirk their responsibilities as fathers, but it is nice to get a few drinks and get silly drunk and flirt outrageously in front of their friends. A few hours to themselves, but then they go home to their daughter, whom Gin watches right now.
“Shots!” Atsushi says, bringing Akutagawa’s mind back to the present. He watches with a mild horror as Atsushi chugs something lime green and then slams the empty glass down onto the counter.
“Slow down maybe?” he suggests. He sets a hand on Atsushi’s back and rubs at it. “You’re going to get-”
“-Sick” he says again, two hours later.
“You’re sick,” he repeats.
Atsushi, leaning over the toilet bowl and grimacing, gives him the middle finger.
Akutagawa sighs. He steps forward and kneels behind him. He’s careful as he reaches out and pulls back Atsushi’s long hair. He ties it into a low ponytail and brushes back his bangs. Atsushi watches him with wary eyes, then he closes them as he goes almost visibly green before heaving again. Aktuagawa does not retreat. He has a toddler. This is not the first disgusting substance he’s come into contact with. So he stays where he is, and holds Atsushi’s hair back.
When he finally stops long enough that Akutagawa feels comfortable leading him away from the toilet, he leans into him.
“You warned me,” he pants.
“I did. You’re okay though, weretiger. Silly little monster.”
He helps Atsushi to his feet. The weretiger still sways on them, so he holds him upright with Rashomon.
Atsushi tries to go straight for their bed, but he stops him. “Here,” he says. He tries to give him some water but Atsushi glowers at him.
“Just wanna sleep.”
“You will feel better if you drink.”
“Will not.“
He is cut off when Akutagawa shoves the cup between his lips. “Drink,” he says firmly.
Atsushi is glaring but cannot focus as he does as he is commanded. Akutagawa goes through the same song and dance with brushing his teeth. Then getting the weretiger to strip off his outfit from their celebration. Finally, exhausted and combative yet, Atsushi crawls under the covers. Then he kicks them off.
“What are you doing?” Akutagawa asks.
“Too hot,” he gripes.
He rubs his face with his hand before going to get a box fan and setting it up so it's facing the bed. That seems to finally do the trick and Atsushi flops onto his stomach and closes his eyes. Akutagawa sighs and goes to settle next to him.
He is half into bed when he hears Yume start to get up.
“Fuck me,” he says, feeling less enamored with the magic of being a father now that it’s 3am and his partner is drunk and his toddler is getting out of bed in the middle of the night.
“I got it,” Atsushi says.
“Do not get out of bed,” he snaps.
Akutagawa gets up and throws a robe over his pajamas as he heads into their daughter’s room to see what she needs. Behind him, Atsushi starts to snore.