Chapter Text
Atsushi woke up ready for battle. Body vibrating, breathing shallow, arms tight at his side. Whatever was going to happen today, his body assured him the defenses had been mounted. Muscles tense and heavy with anticipation; a bow at full draw. A swirling mix of fear and survival instinct were tumbling around in his chest like rocks. Only when the challenge, the chaos, the threat made itself known would that arrow poisoned by anxiety and dread finally be released. Sweet, sweet release.
Too bad it was Saturday.
He groaned. If he was being honest, it wasn’t even that it was Saturday really…it was the fact that there was no challenge, no chaos, no threat. Nothing was really wrong and it had been like that for a while now. It’s been months since all the dust settled from their battle at the airport and things were slowly but surely returning to normal. Even better than normal actually.
And somehow that made his body feel worse.
He was still restless, fidgeting, eyes on high alert. He felt like a caged beast, limbs aching to run and defend his territory. But alas, he was but a simple human detective with a simple godlike tiger inside him. And today was his day off. He grinned as he bounced out of bed and headed to the shower.
At least it was Saturday.
XOXOXO
Akutagawa let out the long, pained sigh of someone about to meet their predetermined end. He perhaps wasn’t physically dying anymore but his soul sure felt like that’s what was happening. Despite all the strength it took to survive a godlike being and an irritating Russian cockroach, it seems his fate had been sealed. For he was to perish from annoyance. Defeated once and for all by his greatest rival, his one true ordeal, the one who had found a way to aggravate him to death…by reading over his shoulder.
“Weretiger if you do not cease that insufferable noise I will impale you.”
“Akutagawa I’m just breathing!”
“Well stop it!”
Atsushi huffed, scooting further away from him, but not leaving the bench completely. It was a beautiful day after all and Akutagawa didn’t own the park. He certainly didn’t own the impressive maple tree that was offering solacing shade to the two of them. He didn’t own the crisp autumn air, the radiant sun, or the spongy tufts of grass either.
“Did you not even bring your own book?”
“I wanted to find out what happened at the end of that one.”
“Can you not afford your own copy?”
“Yeah but why would I do that when I can just use yours?”
Akutagawa’s head turned so slowly you could hear a mechanical click, click, click as it moved millimetre by millimetre to face Atsushi head on. The younger man grimaced, preparing himself for the inescapable onslaught mere minutes away if the murdery look in Akutagawa’s eyes was any indication.
“Why are you even here to begin with?”
“It’s Saturday?”
“And?”
“It's our day off.”
“There is no ‘our’ day off you imbecile, there is my day off and your day off, and why you feel the need to spend it bothering me is a mystery even your puerile master detective could not solve.”
His gold and purple eyes rolled before staring Akutagawa down, who met him with a cold, dead look in response. They remained locked in a staring contest until Atsushi’s eyebrows shot up and his lips pursed. He extended out his hand expectantly.
The mafioso let out another melodramatic sigh before handing over the book, begrudgingly reaching back into his bag to pull out another one. Atsushi happily flipped back a few pages, humming as he found the right passage. And so they were able to read together in blissful, peaceful silence for exactly one hour before the younger man’s restless energy demanded an outlet yet again.
“Hey so…have you been feeling weird lately?”
With the raise of a near non-existent eyebrow, Akutagawa responded.
“Weird?”
“Yeah, weird.”
“I heard you, idiot, I am asking you to elaborate.”
“Fine!”
“Do not ‘fine’ me…get on with it already.”
“Fine…if you’re going to be such an asshole about it! I just…I feel..restless.”
“You don’t say.”
“You know, I think you’re getting too comfortable with the sarcasm.”
Akutagawa smirked.
“Okay so you are feeling restless. Continue.”
“Things are…a little too calm. I keep waiting for something bad to happen.”
“Have you not gained enough skill that you feel prepared to take that on?”
“No…I do…”
“Then?”
“Argh! Okay I guess I want something bad to happen already!”
Akutagawa scoffed.
“Weretiger…”
“I just…this is uncomfortable okay?! It’s never been like this! Like…what am I supposed to do?”
“Bear it.”
“Do you always have to be this depressing?”
Akutagawa snapped his book shut, eyebrow twitching.
“Weretiger…”
“Just…it’s really uncomfortable. It’s not like I don’t know how to deal with pain and chaos and fear and all that. But this just feels…like I can’t figure out how to make the itching go away.”
“Have you been examined for fleas?”
Atsushi tried to throw his book at the devious man who was covering a laugh with a cough but it was easily intercepted by the deft, dark ribbons of his ability.
“You’re an asshole.”
“And yet you choose to be here…”
“Well what else am I supposed to do?!”
Something strange flashed across Akutagawa’s face. Atsushi did his best to categorize it. Was that…care? The older man turned towards him, eyes started to flicker with resonation.
“Are you…bored?”
Atsushi paused, eyes drawing up to peer at the bright blue sky distilling through the canopy of maple leaves above them. Bored. He’d never considered that.
“Bored…huh. Yeah…you know what? I think that’s it.”
Akutagawa had buried his face back in his initial novel now that it had been returned to him.
“What a bewildering mystery that was. Glad to see your detective skills are improving.”
“Shut up.”
“You shut up.”
“So…how do I fix it?”
“Fix what.”
“How do I fix being bored?”
Akutagawa tried to hide his head even further in the novel's thick collection of pages.
“Is there no one else that could assist you with this?”
“Akutagawa!”
“I do not know you idiot! Find a hobby or something!”
The younger man paused his psychological torture of the exasperated mafia member, eyes flooded with awe and disbelief.
“A hobby?”
“Yes…a hobby. You have time for that now it seems. So go find one.”
Atsushi leaned back against the bench, eyes shining, sun warming his face through the rustling leaves.
“Wow…a hobby. I never thought I'd be the type of person who’d be able to have a hobby…”
“You should consider your words before you say them weretiger.”
“Akutagawa shut the hell up.”
“Are you finished with your existential tantrum? Can I return to reading?”
Atsushi tried to snatch the book back but his hand was effortlessly smacked away by the mafioso’s legendary ability.
“Ow! Fine…do you have another book then?”
Akutagawa looked at him, really looked at him, in that way that was entirely too unnerving. Atsushi narrowed his eyes, feeling his stomach start to flip from the attention. They glared adorably at each other until Akutagawa reached into his bag to pull out a large, hard cover book and a small black case.
“Here.”
Atsushi stared at the magical items now in his possession.
“What’s this?”
“A book on photography and a camera.”
“You’re giving this to me?”
“I have no use for it. Consider it a bribe for you to shut the hell up.”
Atsushi couldn’t taste any spice or heat from the cutting words, instead it felt like he’d just had a sip of warm honeyed milk. He knew there was no way the man next to him would call it this, but this was a present. The book was opened within seconds, his mind suddenly running off in twenty different directions. There were so many buttons, so much to learn, he’d probably have to spend the rest of the afternoon and probably well into the night now learning all of it!
He glanced at his reluctant partner next to him, he should probably take him for ramen after as a thank you. But for now he needed to figure out what the heck shutter speed was.
Akutagawa let his eyes drift over briefly, watching the young man attempt to drown himself with new knowledge, being kept a float with that somehow immortal sense of wonder. He shook his head, at least he was able to return to his novel now, despite his own chest feeling its own strange variant of anxiety.
XOXOXO
The Armed Detective Agency seemed to be having a lot less trouble adjusting to the lack of universe threatening chaos and spirit crushing challenges than Atsushi was. The energy during their Monday lunch was proof of that. Kyouka and Yosano were splitting a large container of slightly sweet iced tea and elaborate bento boxes. Kunikida’s frown was significantly less harsh as he leisurely added a few notes to his book while picking away at an eel rice bowl. Ranpo was being doted on and fed a variety of exotic treats that had been exported from who knows where thanks to his wealthy “rival.”
And Dazai was grinning like a maniac who had just swallowed way too many magic mushrooms as he shuffled through all the photos Atsushi had been so excited to show him.
“So, photography! What made you want to try photography?”
“Akutagawa suggested it.”
“Akutagawa suggested it. You don’t say! And then you went and spent all your money on this book and a fancy camera!”
Dazai looked a little too comfortable, like his bones had suddenly turned to rubber with the way he was now sprawling himself over the desk. Atsushi gave him a bit of a side eye, shoulders tensing as his body started mounting a defense.
“Uh, he actually gave those to me.”
“He gave those to you. You don’t say! Now what could have possibly happened to make little Akutagawa suddenly so generous?”
“Dazai stop being weird, he just wasn’t using them.”
“Fine…fine, forget I said anything. I’d much rather discuss your art anyways! Hey everyone! Come look at Atsushi’s artistic photos!”
The group huddled around, eyes lit up and ready to do their best to cheer him on. It wasn’t just Kyouka that had noticed his mood over the last while and the fact that he was starting to pull out of it made everyone eager to offer their encouragement.
But even with all their best intentions, it was only shock that was present on all their faces as they had to bear witness to the surprising subject of Atsushi’s foray into photographic art. There were some suspicions that his interests in a certain someone might be blossoming, but to have that fact confirmed, and confirmed so visually. It caused even the most stone faced of the group to have their features carved into some type of a reaction.
Yosano was able to reshape her face back to something neutral and mildly supportive first, so she did her best to parcel out some positive commentary.
“Oh…Atsushi, these are so nice. The park looks beautiful.”
“Thanks!”
“You sure…you sure like that maple tree and that bench huh.”
“Yeah there’s something about how red it is that makes me want to stare at it all day.”
Since Kyouka knew him best, and wasn’t afraid of him in the least, her statement was much bolder.
“There are a lot of pictures of Akutagawa.”
“Huh? Oh yeah…I guess so. I mean I don’t think there’s that many…”
Dazai’s voice was like melted frosting.
“You find him that fascinating of a subject, Atsushi?”
“Well yeah, I mean look at this bone structure. He photographs really well don’t you think? And the book said I should be photographing things like that.”
Tanizaki cut in.
“Things like that?”
Atsushi grabbed some of the stack back from Dazai, who was making that face he generally only made around Chuuya. He turned to his orange haired friend with a smile.
“Yeah, it said to photograph things that are visually striking,”
“Oh…so you…so you think Akutagawa is visually striking?”
“Yeah? I mean, doesn't everyone?”
Atsushi wasn’t really sure why everyone suddenly found the walls, the floor and the ceiling so interesting. Kunikida shot the entire room a warning look.
“Well that’s great Atsushi. We wish you lots of luck with your endeavour. The picture of the cats is very endearing.”
“Thanks! They’re cute right? For some reason they look like soulmates to me.”
Kunikida started coughing, giving Dazai just enough of an inch to creep back in.
“Oh…so you think that white cat with the black tiger stripes and black cat with the little white tufts…the little white tufts at the tips of its ears…look like soulmates?”
“Yeah, they kind of match in a way…a bit like ying and yang. I don’t know, don't you think so?”
“Oh I think so, I think so very much.”
Kunikida had finally recovered enough to intervene.
“Anyways, we all think you are doing a great job. And you should enjoy photographing what you please, just good to see you feeling better kid.”
“Thanks Kunikida.”
Atsushi started humming as everyone returned to their work, a fuzzy warmth in his chest from his friends' feedback, even if they were confused about his preferred subject. They probably just didn’t have “the right eye”. The book had mentioned that could happen. He picked up another stack of photos to sort through. There weren't that many of the blunt, porcelain skinned mafioso; but the ones that were of him sure were stunning. He smiled, pulling one out of the pile. Akutagawa was sitting on the bench, skin brushed with soft golden light, eyes narrowed in anger. Atsushi had snapped the shot just before a tendril of Rashomon was sent out in an attempt to knock him off balance. He decided to keep this one for himself, maybe frame it.
The composition in it was great.
XOXOXO
Click!
“You do realize the purpose of me giving you the camera was so you would leave me alone.”
Atsushi just smiled.
“But you’re so photogenic!”
Akutagawa huffed, turning his head away which only gave Atsushi access to his side profile. The fool was primed and ready with another Click! The mafioso grunted at the now akin to Chinese water torture sound. He could leave the bench, he should leave the bench. He should stop coming here every Saturday like he has for the past few months.
But Atsushi didn’t own this park.
He flipped another page of his book while the young man moved to the ground in front to try and get a better angle to capture the crimson red Japanese maple tree behind them.
Click, click, click!
“Ow!”
Rashomon had swatted him just enough to knock him flat on his backside. Akutagawa flicked one of the pages of his novel before crossing one long leg over the other.
“Weretiger…you’re being disruptive. Stop it.”
“I didn’t invent cameras! Don’t blame me for making them loud.”
The older man sighed, deeply avoidant about the fact he could just leave. And hasn’t. Not once in the past however many Saturdays it had been now.
“You don’t own this park, Akutagawa.”
“And neither do you! You do realize there is an entire city you could be photographing?”
Atsushi sat crossed legged on the ground, face twisting into something unpleasant. Taking photos here in this park was fun, wandering around Yokohama by himself taking photos made the anxiety that usually started on Mondays rustle in his chest again.
“I don’t know if I like photography that much.”
“Well, can you not find another quieter hobby?”
“Another hobby? You can have more than one?”
“Do you say these things on purpose to elicit pity or has your life really been that grim?”
Atsushi ignored him, mind swirling with enough need and desire to trigger just enough courage and audacity for him to take a chance on something. It was a little risky, it was a little dangerous, but something told him it just might be the secret antidote he’s been searching for.
“How do you find new hobbies?”
“There are a multitude of workshops and classes around the city for a variety of different skills and activities. I suggest you start there.”
Atsushi allowed his face to slip into something a little more wistful.
“Oh…workshops. But those cost money probably…”
“Yes.”
“Oh…well, then I guess I’m stuck with just this then. I don’t have the extra funds for all of that. What with me being a poor, broke, orphan…”
He brought the camera back to his face, closing one eye as he looked through the viewfinder with the other.
Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click! Click!
“Weretiger!”
“Yes?”
“That doe eyed facade may work with everyone else but you are a fool if you think I cannot see through it. State your intentions now.”
“Do the workshops with me.”
Akutagawa looked like he’d just taken a sip of unsweetened tea. His voice was like scalding hot water.
“What.”
“Oh…and if you could also maybe pay for them?”
“You have lost your mind.”
As much as Akutagawa liked to brag about his knowledge of Atsushi’s inner workings, the opening of that gate between them allowed water to flow both ways. The young detective was armed just as well with an intimate knowledge of things Akuttagawa tried to keep hidden.
“You’re bored too Akutagawa, don’t lie. If you do this with me, it’s also going to help you. I’ll even plan it all.”
“Absolutely not…and I am not bored by any means. I live a very rich and interesting life.”
“Oh yeah? How come you had that camera and book then?”
Akutagawa scoffed, Atsushi let a mischievous look take residence instead of his usual sunny disposition before continuing.
“You know what, actually no that’s fine. Now that I think about it, I don’t want to risk this truce between us. And us taking classes together…would probably do just that.”
“Excuse me?”
“You know, because I’ll probably be better at all these hobbies…and then you’ll get all angry again and we'll be right back where we started. You’re definitely right, that was a dumb idea. I’ll just keep working on my photography.”
Click!
Click! Click! Click! Click! Click!
Akutagawa’s eyes went wide.
“You are trying to bait me…”
“Me? Nakajima Atsushi? The saddest orphan of all the orphans? How would I even know how to bait anyone…”
Akutagawa placed his book down on the bench, carefully and with calculated intention. He crossed his arms, his thoughtful gaze attempting to follow the swirling pattern of gold and purple in the detective's eyes as if they offered the answer to the meaning of life itself.
Atsushi was holding his breath, drowning under the cresting waves of those grey irises, he didn’t see Akutagawa reach into his coat and pull something from his wallet. But he felt the sharp, weighted black card once it was flicked directly at his forehead.
“Do your worst.”
Atsushi fell backwards, resting now on the soft grass, and stared up at the black card in his hand. It felt like he’d been given an obsidian key to something magical, all he had to do now was find his way to the treasure chest. He lifted himself back up to hit Akutagawa with a smile so stunning the older man felt his eyes shamefully bug out.
“Don’t worry Akutagawa, this is going to be great!”