Lay me down

The sound of mud being squished into the road along with heavy footsteps were so gravely embedded in Atsushi's mind now that he'd been running for so long.

What was different, is this time he had a certain dark haired male in his arms. After a vicious encounter, Akutagawa was badly wounded.

"Jinko."

His voice was so light, that surely without Atsushi's heightened senses he wouldn't have heard him at all.

"You fool... there's.. no getting out of this one."

The younger man looked down, and realized just how sickly pale his enemy looked. He didn't look to be in pain, in truth he just looked tired.

Atsushi felt a pang of guilt in his gut. Had he never noticed before?

It was here that the orphaned boy also realized how light Akutagawa felt. He knew he was skinny, but he didn't seem to be eating at all.

"Don't talk like that." Atsushi grunted, pushing himself to run faster.

"Put me down.. please, put me down." Akutagawa's voice was laced with dread.

Atsushi took a deep breath in and came to a stop, looking around for somewhere he could take the mafia's black dog.

He spotted a dark, closed in alley way and jumped the fence, lowering himself and Akutagawa to the ground.

He then carefully lay his enemies head upon his lap, hoping to give him some form of comfort.

Akutagawa seemed more peaceful now. His face wasn't contorted in his usual permanent scowl, and his features were softer.

"I suppose this isn't that bad of a way to die."

Atsushi scoffed.

"You aren't going to die. I promise."

"Promises are empty." He mused.

"Not mine." Atsushi said.

It had started raining, and the smell of blood was becoming more and more apparent. Atsushi stared down at Akutagawa's face, and momentarily panicked as he shut his eyes.

"Akutagawa?" his throat quickly became dry.

His hand found it's way up his chest, and he breathed out softly when he felt a somewhat withering, but still steady pulse.

His arms wrapped around narrow shoulders as he brought the pale man closer to his chest.

"I used to think I hated you." Akutagawa whispered against Atsushi's neck. "But I don't, not at all."

Atsushi could feel a growing dampness on his shoulder.

"Please don't cry."

A pang sounded in his chest.

"I don't cry, Jinko."

"You're crying."

Atsushi pulled Akutagawa away from his shoulder slightly to look him in the eyes, and yet another pang went through his chest.

His long eyelashes were wet and glistening, and tears were streaked down his pale cheeks.

"To think I was lying in wait for this to happen, and now I'm less than prepared." Akutagawa choked.

A mere whisper in the dark, the taste of iron on his tongue. The only thing keeping him from the brink of death, was the gentle hold of his sworn enemy.

"I'm sorry." Atsushi said.

"Jinko."

Atsushi looked down, his eyes meeting grey. He could have never imagined to see such softness, such regret in Akutagawa's eyes.

"Was there more I could have done? In this lifetime?"

Atsushi could feel his enemies pulse running wild in his chest, like a bell. The type of bell you hear at a funeral.

"Maybe. But that's just how life is. It sucks" Akutagawa took in a shaky breath beneath him.

"Atsushi."

Atsushi flinched at the use of his name.

"That's the first time you've-"

"I don't want to die. Not here."

Akutagawa's confession pierced right through the weretiger's soul. Truely, how cruel could this world be? To have barely lived your life, and have it pulled from underneath you like a rug?

Akutagawa was undoubtedly not a good person. But that didn't mean he was a bad person. Even so, the thought of him dying, made Atsushi's chest feel uncomfortably tight.

"I don't want you to die either. Not here."

The look in Akutagawa's eyes told Atsushi he wasn't a bad person. These weren't the eyes of a bad person. These were the eyes of someone who had suffered for far too long, someone who'd never been welcomed by this world.

"I don't deserve this much from you, Atsushi.."

"I would give you more if I could."

"Why?" Akutagawa's voice was growing more raspy and tired.

"I don't know exactly, but I would."

"Do you think that, in another life we could have been friends?"

It had started pouring now, and Atsushi held the older closer against him.

"Yes." he said. "We still can, once you're healed."

Akutagawa only smiled. A sweet, knowing smile that held no hope or will.

He shut his eyes once more, the conversation being swallowed by the patter of the rain.

"I realize that I care about you, Akutagawa. More than I let you know." Atsushi laughed softly.

With no response, he felt his eyes glisten.

"You have to stay awake, y'know?"

Why wasn't he waking up? Why weren't his eyes opening, to grace him with the greyest clouds?

Afterall, rain is seemingly annoying until it's gone.

And once it's gone you only await it's return again.