Work Text:
Bzz.
Atsushi’s phone vibrates from where it sits on the bedside table, and the boy grasps it, flipping it open and clicking on the message he just received.
Dazai-san ( ¨̮ )
Atsushi-kun!!!!!!!!!!!
The boy feels his heart skip a beat. Given the amount of exclamation marks, something probably took a turn for the worse. Did Dazai attempt to hang himself with a hanger, once again? Atsushi cringes—anything but that, he prays, please.
He is about to answer, worried, when he receives another message.
Dazai-san ( ¨̮ )
□
Atsushi frowns, not understanding why Dazai is suddenly sending him an emoji of a yellow face wearing glasses. Is a man with glasses attacking him? Did he find a way to kill himself with glasses?!
His phone buzzes once again in his hand, this time twice, and Atsushi feels apprehension creeping over him.
Dazai-san ( ¨̮ )
Atsushi-kun, look!!! □□
Dazai-san ( ¨̮ )
□ it’s Akutagawa with glasses
Atsushi raises his eyebrows, feels incredulity slowly replace the apprehension. He stares at the emoji, at Dazai’s message. Then once more at the emoji, and Dazai’s message, again. ‘Akutagawa with glasses.’ He makes a face. Starts typing his answer.
Me (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑
… Dazai-san…
He stops, looks at the loading bar as his message gets sent, wondering how he should answer. His phone vibrates, and the boy sighs.
Dazai-san ( ¨̮ )
???
He fixes his screen for a while, nibbling on his lower lip, not knowing how to formulate his thoughts. He has seen Akutagawa wearing glasses only once, but it is more than enough to compare the raven to the emoji. The boy sighs again, and starts typing.
Me (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑
I dislike Akutagawa greatly but
He briefly gazes around him, mentally slapping himself for not simply laughing at the joke (or at least what was supposed to be one), then turns to his screen. He pinches his thigh, then types again. If he’s going to jump in, he’ll do it with both feet.
Me (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑
Dazai-san
Me (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑
Akutagawa looks way better than this emoji
♢
Ding!
Chuuya opens his eyes and grunts at the sight of the white light coming from his phone. He stretches and glances at his clock radio. 2:33PM. He sighs as his phone rings once again, mentally inveighing against the nuisance sending him messages right after he came back from a mission, then grabs his phone. He nearly sends it smashing against a wall at the sight of the sender.
Mackerel
Chuuya
Mackerel
Chuuya
The redhead rubs his face, sighing loudly. He could go back to sleep, he could, but he knows Dazai doesn’t give up that easily, and that he would harass him until he answers him. Self What? You woke me up He burrows his face in his pillow, and grunts. He’ll kill him, one day, he’ll surely kill him.
His phone rings again, and he raises his head.
Mackerel
□
The redhead frowns, and narrows his eyes. He glances at the time, making sure it is indeed 2 o'clock in the afternon, and not in the morning (although it would explain why the moron that is Dazai is sending him such an strange emoji), then looks at the small face, yellow, wearing glasses and with ridiculously long teeth. Nothing comes, and the boy figures the brunet is expecting an answer.
Me
?? What’s that again??
The reply comes much faster than expected, and Chuuya almost snorts.
Mackerel
Akutagawa wearing glasses
He stares at his screen, biting his bottom lip, then lets out a laugh despite his will. It is true that, in a way, it reminds him of Akuatagwa when the raven wears glasses. Not that he looks like it (not at all, if truth be told), nor that the joke is funny (even less so), but Chuuya just woke up, he’s exhausted, and Dazai is an idiot with way too much time on his hands.
Me
… Bastard
He buries his face in the pillow once again, chuckling silently, too tired to curse himself for laughing. He hears his ringtone, and straightens himself up, laughing as he reads the brunet’s new message.
Mackerel
Chuuya did you laugh
The redhead arches an eyebrow, then sends his answer, certain that Dazai will answer him in the next fifteen seconds—is the Agency that laxe?
Me
Sadly, yes
Mackerel
Good
Me
Why?
The redhead looks out the window and listens to the birds singing for some time, waiting patiently as Dazai tells him about the last misfortune that happened to him.
Mackerel
I sent the same thing to Atsushi-kun but he told me Akutagawa looked better
Mackerel
He didn’t laugh
Chuuya lets out a chuckle and lies on his back, holding his phone in the air.
Me
That’s because he knows better than to laugh at your shitty jokes
Chuuya feels sleepiness wash over him and he yawns, setting his phone on the pillow next to his. Dazai takes longer to reply, and the redhead considers going back to sleep, taking advantage of the day off Mori has so kindly granted him. The ringtone echoes again, this time twice, and the boy grabs his phone. He raises his eyebrows, then rolls his eyes.
Mackerel
Probably
Mackerel
You can back to sleep, now, Chuuya (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*
Me
I don’t need you to tell me what to do, shitty Dazai
Fully knowing he won’t get an answer, he sets his phone on his bedside table, stretches, then burrows his face in his pillow, a thin smile on his lips. It doesn’t even take him five minutes to sink into a deep sleep.
♢
‘Man-tiger.’
Atsushi starts lightly, locking eyes with Akutagawa. He clears his throat, embarrassed.
‘Yes.’ ‘I was talking about the informations.’
Atsushi nods, feeling his cheeks heat up. ‘Ah, sorry.’
The raven lifts an eyebrow, but says nothing, settling for adjusting his glasses as he hands the papers to Atsushi. The latter swallows.
‘There. Understood?’
Atsushi nods his assent quickly, grabbing the papers—he hasn’t understood a single thing, but Ranpo probably will if he gives him enough sweets. He feels Akutagawa’s gaze on him, but he stays silent, trying not to let a dumb smile make its way on his lips.
‘Well, thank you,’ he finally says, after pretending to skim through the papers.
He glances nervously at Akutagawa. The raven is staring at his hands and the papers in them, but looks up when he registers Atsushi’s words. The other feels himself flag under his gaze, his grey pupils; the black irises observing him through the lenses, and swallows.
Akutagawa peers at him a little more, a frown on his face, then turns around, walking away.
‘You’re welcome.’
♢
‘Chuuya.’
The redhead looks up from his book at the call of his name, watching Akutagawa as the raven places himself next to the sofa he’s sitting on. He’s wearing his glasses today, the older male notices; and he looks frustrated.
Chuuya lays his book on his lap. ‘What is it?’
Akutagawa stares at him for a while, seeming to weigh up the pros and cons, then sighs. ‘Do I have something on my face?’
Chuuya blinks. He stares at the younger, then shakes his head. ‘No.’
Akutagawa nods, but the frown on his face remains there. He adjusts his glasses, eyebrows still furrowed, and Chuuya feels his curiosity piqued.
‘Why?’ he asks, lightly tilting his head.
The raven gazes at him, hesitant, then crosses his arm over his chest. ‘The man-tiger.’ Chuuya arches an eyebrow, confused, but Akutagawa carries on. ‘Boss ordered me to give him some informations about a case, but he wouldn’t stop staring at me. I don’t understand.’
The redhead frowns, examinating the face of the younger, for fear of having missed something obvious. But his pale skin is intact, stainless, and he sees nothing abnormal with his face, except for -
Chuuya stifles a gasp, and does his best to hide the fact that he’s understood—the glasses, the damn glasses. Akutagawa is, thankfully, too engrossed by his thoughts to notice, and the other almost feels pity for him.
That shitty Dazai, he thinks, sowing dissent even when he’s not part of the Port Mafia anymore.
He rolls his eyes, then turns to Akutagawa.
‘Don’t sweat it,’ he says, and the raven locks eyes with him. ‘He probably didn’t sleep well, or something like that. You know how they are, at the Agency.’
Akutagawa seems to ponder on Chuuya’s words, then slowly nods.
‘I guess,’ he eventually mutters.
Chuuya smiles warmly, then watches as the raven walks out of the room, the worried look on his face having vanished a bit from his face.
The door slams, and the redhead counts one minute before grabbing his phone. He types his message at a spectacular speed.
Me
There, you fucked up. I have to fix Akutagawa now
A few minutes pass, during which Chuuya attempts to read, but to no avail. He hears his phone ring, and he closes his book, setting it on the sofa.
Mackerel
?? What do you mean
Chuuya clicks his tongue at the message, but refrains from insulting Dazai—he doesn’t have the time to argue with him.
Me
Remember your emoji joke?? Well
Me
Your apprentice, Atsushi??? The man-tiger
Me
He better stop staring at Akutagawa when he’s wearing glasses
The reply is quick, and Chuuya cannot contain his laughter.
Mackerel
Holy shit
Me
Your fault, shitty Dazai
♢
Atsushi lies on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Kyouka is taking a bath, and the food is almost ready. He can hear the birds chirping outside, and he inhales deeply.
His phone suddenly buzzes, and the boy grabs it, lazily flipping it open. It’s a message from Ranpo, asking if he intends on giving his sweets tomorrow. Atsushi types a ‘yes’ and sends it. He’s about to put his phone on the floor when he lays eyes on his conversation with Dazai, and a thin smile makes its way on his lips.
‘□ it’s Akutagawa wearing glasses.’
The boy thinks back on the afternoon; on Akutagawa. His long, black coat hugging his figure, his hair glently fluttering in the wind, his glasses bringing out the grey of his eyes. He looked puzzled, his eyebrows furrowed, his slightly red lips forming a thin line, a glint of confusion in his eyes. Yes, he seemed at a loss, staring at him while Atsushi tried to refrain from yelling his glasses fitted him perfectly, then turning and walking away from him, his gait slow and similar to one of a lone wolf.
Atsushi lays his phone on the floor and exhales loudly. He once again gazes at the ceiling, then starts chuckling, closing his eyes.
‘He definitely looks better than that dumb emoji.’