Chapter Text
Loathing, that was what they call it.
Loathing, the feeling when your stomach churns.
Loathing, the way someone’s hand trembles.
Loathing, the exact way Atsushi Nakajima makes Akutagawa feel.
The weretiger was pathetic, an imbecile, in fact. His shrill voice and the way he shrieks like a child whenever something annoys him just—got on his nerves.
“Rude-osuke Mean-takagawa!”
“Weirdo goth!”
“Apple seed!!”
The insults kept on getting weirder. What the hell did apple seed mean?! Was it some profound metaphor he didn’t get?! No, the weretiger was too stupid to be deep and intelligent. He couldn’t even read ‘lachrymose.’ It was an easy read as well, a literal children’s book!
Akutagawa sighed, wiping off the crimson liquid on his cheek as he walked away from a mission. Tachihara called out and asked for help, but he turned the other way.
“For six months, you won’t kill anyone.”
Akutagawa wouldn’t dare look at the suffering gang members, then instinct would activate and suddenly a massacre would happen before they even blinked. He wouldn’t dare lose to the weretiger. He had more self-control than that.
Instead, he strolled down the bustling streets of Yokohama, dressed in casual attire and small sunglasses. Blood was wiped off long ago, not much to clean with his avoidance of killing.
He entered a small bakery, the faint smell of foreign French foods that he was ever so familiar with. Akutagawa remembered the first time they stumbled into such a quaint store, Gin’s sparkling eyes was something he’d never forget.
“Ah, good morning, dear!” An elderly woman smiled, wrinkly skin and her eyes barely visible. Her hair was tied into a small bun as she entered the counter.
“No sister today, I see,” she pointed out. “Are you here for the usual?”
Akutagawa nodded silently, hands in his pockets before he pulled out his wallet and an amount of cash. He handed it to the lady, who smiled again before ushering an intern to the kitchen.
He spotted new pastries on the display glass. A croissant drizzled in apple jam, and a tiger shaped muffin. A tiger…? What on earth?
“I see you’ve set your eyes on the muffin,” A voice calls out. A girl appears with his order, along with a steaming hot drink.
“Why is it a tiger?” He asks curiously, though his jaw clenches at the reminder.
“Oh, I made it myself. I’m gonna ask someone out, and he REALLY likes tigers.” Her voice was an airy tone, cheeks rosy at the thought of this mystery boy.
Really likes tigers…
Tiger…Weretiger?
She likes…Nakajima Atsushi?!
There was no way. Someone actually had a crush on the weretiger. The guy with a horrid haircut. The guy who says ‘sorry’ to an automatic door.
“What’s his name?” he asks, despite himself. It wasn’t natural for him to pry, but something inside him told him to just find out.
“Atsushi Nakajima,” she replies breathlessly. “I met him at a cafe, we hung out for a while, I think I’m ready to ask him out.”
Despite the aloof face, something inside him twisted. No, it can’t be. He shouldn’t pry into the weretiger’s personal life. If he was going to date someone, then fine, have him date that girl for six months until he dies when they fight.
“I…see,” he says, grabbing a complimentary apple off the counter before getting the pastries. She waves a cheerful goodbye as he walks away. Akutagawa takes a bite of the juicy and tasty apple, then scowls as he spits out the apple seeds.
Damn it.
He didn’t even notice the pole he was walking into.
Now his nose was bleeding, the drink spilled, and the bag of pastries dropped.
He kicked the pole, harder than others before spurting into another coughing fit. Blood dripped onto the pavement, no one even offering a hand.
“Wait, are you okay?!”
A familiar blur of silver hair rushed to see the coughing man.