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Akutagawa clicks the front door shut behind him as quietly as he can, but he knows Atsushi is awake. The hallway light was left on for him and their bedroom light is dimmed under the door. Akutagawa shakes his head and smiles to himself as he takes off his shoes. He told the stubborn Weretiger that he could go to bed first.
But Atsushi has never been someone who listens.
Neither has Akutagawa.
As he creeps through their dark apartment, Akutagawa's feet drag across the floor. A full day of overseeing market deals and an unexpected gang threatening the Black Lizards. Akutagawa couldn't let bugs undermine his squadron like that so discipline was obviously necessary. His bones and muscles ache for his partner now. The coat on his back feels heavy and at 2am, but the dirt and grime from the day can wait until tomorrow morning.
One year ago, Akutagawa had never dreamed of homesickness, but when he opens the bedroom door to Atsushi reading by the lamplight in bed, he is home.
Akutagawa leaves Atsushi engrossed in his book and goes to change into pajamas and brush his teeth with little fanfare. His coat gets carefully hung on a hook on their closet door. Every move he makes is efficient and calculated. He wastes no time walking around to Atsushi's side of the bed.
His partner is only wearing his own set of pajamas, gray instead of black. And Atsushi is beautiful in the warm lamp light. Laying on top of their blanket, those vibrant eyes refuse to sleep as he stares at the book in front of him. Atsushi is relaxed enough laying down here in their home. The damage of their shared pasts still haunts them and despite that, they found themselves useless without the other. The two of them are two pieces of one, forever bound. Atsushi is no longer weak and afraid like their first meeting with muscle and skin filling out his frame now. It's incredibly attractive (and annoying). It's times like these where Akutagawa finds it hard to focus in the presence of his partner. His partner. The painting before him fills Akutagawa with selfish content. No one but Akutagawa will have the reward of seeing Atsushi, holding Atsushi, or kissing Atsushi because Akutagawa has found his Weretiger and he intends to keep him.
The book he's reading is a recommendation from that anxious author or written by him. Akutagawa doesn't care. He knows what he cares about deeply. Atsushi keeps reading his book until Akutagawa makes the efficient and calculated choice to knock Atsushi's book out of his hands and onto the floor. Only then does Atsushi look up at Akutagawa, snapping, "Hey!"
Akutagawa does his diligent duty of ignoring his partner and crawls on top of Atsushi, laying his whole weight on his chest. The two of them sigh in relief as Akutagawa tucks his legs in between Atsushi's.
Contrary to Atsushi's complaining, he wraps his arms around Akutagawa. Atsushi whines, "Akutagawa, my page…" He sighs again and starts rubbing a hand up and down Akutagawa's back.
His voice is muffled by Atsushi's shoulder, but Akutagawa points out,"Weretiger, you haven't been reading this whole time." While Akutagawa was changing and moving around their bedroom, Atsushi didn't flip through a single page.
Atsushi's hand stops moving. "How do you know that?"
He hugs Atsushi tighter. "I see everything, Weretiger. There isn't a moment where I am not in the know."
"You're so dramatic," Atsushi groans, but there's a smile in his voice. Akutagawa frowns and props himself up to show Atsushi his disappointment. Atsushi is still grinning, his hands warm against Akutagawa's spine. "Hi."
"Hello," Akutagawa says back. His frown breaks into a smile easily. He leans in to press a chaste kiss onto Atsushi's lips.
"Long night?"
Akutagawa falls back onto Atsushi's chest. "Some imbeciles decided to question the authority of the Port Mafia and ask for protection." He doesn't even want to think about the nightmare of reports and security meetings he will be forced to attend. Akutagawa continues to rant and complain into Atsushi's shirt as Atsushi hums and plays with Akutagawa's hair.
It takes three consecutive yawns for Akutagawa to laugh into Atsushi's collarbone. "Is it time for bed, Weretiger?"
Atsushi yawns again. "Maybe. I'm listening though I swear." The lengths this man will go through to be stubborn is infuriating. Akutagawa kisses his pulse point and looks up to watch Atsushi's eyelids slowly blink back at him. "Okay, yeah, bed time," he finally agrees. Instead of letting Akutagawa shift off of him to his own side of the bed, Atsushi holds on to his waist tightly and rolls them to the side.
"Surely, there are easier ways for that," Akutagawa says, adjusting his pillow underneath him.
Atsushi kisses Akutagawa's forehead as a mock apology. "No, not really"
The alarm clock on the night stand reads 3AM when Akutagawa manipulates Rashomon to pull the blanket over them and turn off the lap light. He brushes Atsushi's bangs away from his face, getting one last look at his partner before their night ends. "Goodnight, Atsushi."
"Goodnight, Akutagawa." He always reiterates that he's not a cat, but the way Atsushi stretches out and curls up into Akutagawa's chest says differently. The scar on Akutagawa's neck is kissed as a reminder for both of them. Akutagawa pulls his partner in close as their breaths start to even out. Sleep comes easily in the warm embrace of the their bed and Akutagawa's sore body is able to relax. That is until Atsushi's voice vibrates against his chest. "I have to wake up at 6 tomorrow by the way."
With that, exhaustion is pulled from his body and Akutagawa opens his eyes with a fresh scowl. He sits up in bed, pushing Atsushi out of his arms. "Absolutely not." He is not coming home at 2 in the morning for Atsushi to leave their bed in a few short hours. There's only one solution.
Knowing Atsushi's next move, Akutagawa binds him to the bed with Rashomon as he climbs over his partner.
"Akutagawa, what the hell are you doing?" Atsushi shouts as he struggles. Rashomon tightens around his arms and legs. "Akutagawa!"
"Be quiet. This will only take a moment." Akutagawa waves him off as he feels around for Atsushi's phone on the night stand and opens the ADA group chat. He raises his eyebrow at the most recent photo sent which looks like a whirlwind went through the agency's kitchen and then a series of texts reprimanded Dazai's cooking skills. Next to him, Atsushi continues to fight against the blanket and argue against him. Akutagawa starts typing.
Atsushi transforms and rips the blanket in two with his claws, tackling Akutagawa into the bed and grabbing his phone out of Akutagawa's hands.
"I sent it already," he says.
"You said 'I'm sick tomorrow. Not coming in.'?!" Atsushi complains.
Akutagawa turns and looks at the mess their bed is in. Their blanket is ripped to pieces with wrinkled sheets. He smirks. "The last time you did this, we were in very different circumstances, Weretiger."
Atsushi closes his eyes and pushes Akutagawa further into the bed. "Stop talking," he scolds. "How am I going to explain this to the agency? I can't miss work because you wanted to sleep in, Akutagawa."
"We can sleep in," Akutagawa corrects.
The look he gets is not a very grateful one, but Atsushi doesn't text anything more. Atsushi simply puts the phone back on the night stand and starts picking up the scraps of blanket. He grumbles, "You can get the spare blanket."
Akutagawa smiles in the dark. Victory is his. They throw their old blanket to the ground to deal with in the morning and cuddle up under the new blanket. It's not the first time their bedding has been ripped to pieces and it will not be the last. Not if Akutagawa has a say in the matter. Seeing Atsushi riled up is a highlight of their relationship.
"You're a bad influence," Atsushi sighs and wraps his arms tighter around Akutagawa's middle. Almost completely under the blankets, it's a little hard to hear his Weretiger.
"I am a criminal after all," Akutagawa says into Atsushi's hair. He doesn't need to see his partner to know that he's rolling his eyes in the dark. Akutagawa presses a kiss into the silver crown of Atsushi's head before they both fall asleep.