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A storm is raging outside, casting the night sky in a gloomy haze and dusting the environment in a thick layer of snow. The cold had seeped in a long time ago and Akutagawa is unable to keep a coughing fit at bay.
He stares out the window, willing the storm to let up even when he knows it’s impossible. Nothing ever truly seems to go right for him, a reality that he comes to face time and time again.
“I’m freezing,” a voice sounds from behind him and Akutagawa lazily shifts his sight towards the source.
Atsushi’s seated in front of the fireplace. He’s hugging his knees and wrapped in a thick blanket yet shivering heavily in spite of it all. If Akutagawa listens closely, he can hear Atsushi’s teeth chattering.
It’s a rather pathetic display.
Still, Akutagawa finds himself agreeing. He doesn’t think he’s ever experienced such a climate before.
“I thought cats grew winter coats to keep themselves warm,” he says in spite of it, unable to keep himself from teasing Atsushi over his current predicament. He knows he’s succeeded when Atsushi glares at him.
“I’m not a cat,” he sniffs, shuffling closer to the fire, “and I’m not covered in fur.”
Akutagawa pretends to think it over for a moment before smirking. “My previous encounters with you suggest otherwise. You’re practically a furry.”
“Freezing or not, I will beat you up if you don’t keep quiet,” Atsushi threatens. However, Akutagawa knows him well enough by now to know that it’s empty.
He crosses the distance between the two of them and comes to a stop right in front of Atsushi. “I’d like to see you try.” Atsushi’s mood has visibly soured, and unfortunately for him, Akutagawa’s not through with him yet.
He might as well get some form of entertainment while he’s trapped inside this shithole.
He nudges Atsushi with his foot, and in turn, Atsushi stares at him like he wants to eat Akutagawa alive. “What’s wrong? I thought you were excited to go on a vacation?”
He still recalls Atsushi’s childlike glee when he was told that their next mission would have them travel outside of Japan during their debriefing. Of course, at the time he’d been unaware that they’d be staying at a small cabin in the middle of Greenland.
His regret shows loud and clear now that he’s huddled in on himself.
“Can we please not do this right now?” Atsushi pleads, defeat evident in his tone. Akutagawa’s fully prepared to torment him more but the look in Atsushi’s eyes causes him to pause.
He looks downright miserable.
Akutagawa sighs. Perhaps it is unfair for him to take his frustration out on Atsushi. It’s not just him who’s in an unpleasant situation, after all.
He studies Atsushi’s hunched form again and an idea comes to mind.
“Move over a little,” he says. Atsushi stares at him with uncertainty, but he does comply. He doesn’t say a word when Akutagawa plops down beside him.
Akutagawa drapes the other side of his coat over Atsushi’s shoulder and scoots closer, ignoring every instinct telling him not to do so.
Being in close proximity to someone was never something he was particularly fond of, and physical contact even less. Despite knowing that Atsushi would never harm him without cause, he still can’t help but feel like his skin is crawling now that Atsushi’s pressed into his side. The glance Atsushi throws towards him is only causing him to be more alert.
It’s beneficial for the both of us, is what he tells himself, even though he’d rather be anywhere else.
After minutes of silence, Atsushi speaks again, voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you.”
Akutagawa’s eyes widen in surprise, though he’s quick to school his expression back. “Don’t thank me, jinko,” he says, an attempt to shut Atsushi down. When Atsushi tries to protest he’s quick to cut him off. “I have to make sure you’ll survive for our upcoming battle.”
Atsushi huffs, his expression growing pinched. “You’re so fucked up.”
“Hmm?” I’m also the one keeping you warm tonight,” he says, brushing Atsushi’s remark off with little to no effort. “Weren’t you the one who said you wanted me to be nicer?”
Atsushi shakes his head, seemingly in disapproval. “I don’t know why I even bother.”
Akutagawa’s ready to unleash another onslaught of jabs at Atshushi when another coughing fit spurs up out of nowhere. It’s more intense than the previous one, and his body racks violently as he coughs into his hand. It lasts for a solid minute or two and he’s dry heaving by the end of it.
The cold has never been kind to him, a reminder of his illness and his ever-fleeting mortality.
Unbeknownst to him, Atsushi had begun to rub his hand up and down Akutagawa’s back. He stills once Akutagawa tenses. “Are you okay?”
Akutagawa looks away, irked all of a sudden. “What does it matter to you?”
“You know you don’t have to pretend around me, right?” Akutagawa’s brows furrow at Atsushi’s words. He retreats further into himself when he senses Atsushi turn towards him.
“I don’t expect you to open up to me, I wouldn’t force you to,” Atsushi says in a gentle tone, “But I would at least appreciate it if you were honest. It’s the least I could ask for.”
Akutagawa’s fingers dig into his knees. If there was one thing he was fully unprepared for when it came to Atsushi it would be his kindness. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d be at the receiving end of it. Their relationship had been hostile right from the very start but something changed within the last few months.
Or it has, ever since… the incident happened.
The scar on his neck aches, the agony of the injury still burned into his memory.
“I’m tired,” Atsushi laments. It successfully snaps Akutagawa out of his train of thoughts, and needless to say, he’s grateful for the change of topic. “Do you mind if I rest on your shoulder a little?”
“Do whatever you want, kitten,” he grimaces as soon as the words leave his mouth, and from the way, Atsushi scrunches his nose he didn’t appreciate Akutagawa’s comment in the slightest either.
“Please never say that again,” he requests and Akutagawa finds himself agreeing easily.
“It was a stupid thing to say, anyway.”
Atsushi leans further into him. “Can you make sure I don’t freeze to death,” he mumbles into Akutagawa’s shoulder. It tickles.
“Can’t make any promises,” he replies, yet when shifts his head to look at Atsushi he’s already fast asleep. “You really are just a giant house cat,” he comments to no one in particular.
He tells himself that he’ll stay awake because someone has to stay on the lookout in case someone with less than good intentions breaks in. But his eyelids start to feel heavy and before he knows it he’s fallen into a deep sleep.
It’s morning when he wakes, light filtering into the room. The fire has been put out by now, and the only thing protecting him from the chill temperature is the blanket Atsushi covered himself with last night.
Right. Atsushi.
“Jinko?” He calls out, voice rough. Everything’s still a little fuzzy, but panic starts to sink in when Atsushi doesn’t answer immediately. “Where are you?”
“Right here,” a voice sounds behind him and Akutagawa startles.
Atsushi settles right in front of him. “I made you tea.”
Akutagawa moves into a seated position and accepts the mug Atsushi offers to him. It’s not the first time Atsushi’s made him tea, a habit he picked up ever since Akutagawa accidentally let it slip that he prefers it over coffee.
“The snow is thick out there. I doubt we’ll be able to get out of here any time soon,” Atsushi says as Akutagawa takes his first sip. He makes a noise of content as warmth finally begins to pour into him. “I should call Dazai-san and give him an update on the situation.”
“We could always try to climb through the window,” Akutagawa comments.
Atsushi makes a face. “Don’t even think about it.”
Akutagawa shrugs to himself. His stomach makes a loud rumbling sound, and it’s only then that he realizes he hasn’t eaten since yesterday afternoon.
Atsushi stares at him. “Would you like to make breakfast together?”
Akutagawa considers the offer for a moment, but another rumble causes him to make his final decision. “Sure.”
As they move to the kitchen Akutagawa discovers that he doesn’t mind his predicament all that much, not when he gets to spend it with Atsushi.