bsd oneshots from ao3

(shin soukoku angst? and sigmatsu?) you're the breeze in my austin nights

Yokohama is a port city where you can smell the sea anywhere if you try hard enough. At least that is what Atsushi thinks. He has only been in the city for four years, after all. He is not at all that familiar with the city, in a sense. Given how many missions he has gone on for the Armed Detective Agency (ADA), he has grown to know all the venues and spots for missions like the back of his hand, but at the same time, he has little to no time to explore Yokohama on his own accord, he has little to no idea how to get from one part to another.

So, Atsushi counts it as unluckiness that when the one time he finds the Yokohama he knows to be too stuffy and wants to get out of the place, he does not know where to go.

It is not a workday, so he is unable to ask his colleagues―who know Yokohama better than he does―for suggestions. Not that Kunikida would let him off during work just because he is "too suffocated".

Kyouka still lives with him, but she is on a date with Kenji, so she is nowhere near the apartment.

Atsushi sighs. He takes out his phone, and scrolls through his contacts. One name catches his eye―it is the name of the first person he has ever hated. It is the name of the first person who has blatantly told him he wants to kill him.

Given all of that, the logical action now is to scroll the fuck away from that name and be on his merry way, but Atsushi knows that the relationship he shares with that person has changed over the years, ever since the defeat of the Decay of Angels (DOA) and the signing of an official treaty of alliance between the ADA and the Port Mafia. Atsushi knows that the person holds little to no ill intent (not any that he knows of, anyway) toward him after all they have gone through.

Strange to say, it is as if they have formed a friendship. One that requires very little effort; one that is like a promise.

If you ever need me, I'll be here.

That is exactly what the person says when they meet for the first time after winning against the DOA. After successfully obtaining the Book, as well as the Page used by the DOA.

So, Atsushi taps on the person's name, and he waits as the phone dials to the person.

The phone beeps.

"Hello?"

"...Akutagawa."

―――

Years ago, if you tell Atsushi that he would be sitting in a car that his former enemy owns, he would have laughed in your face. But here he is, sitting in the passenger seat of Akutagawa's car.

Atsushi does not laugh at the situation. He does not feel the need to.

Instead, he tells Akutagawa, "Thanks for picking me up. At... midnight."

Akutagawa shakes his head. "It's no problem."

When Akutagawa is not set on killing Atsushi, he can be such a gentleman. Atsushi questions why they have to meet the way they do―what if they met as neighbours? Or train partners―those who take the same train at the same place at the same time every day? Or maybe even co-workers―what if Akutagawa joined the ADA?

There are a million possibilities on what could have been, but Atsushi decides to just focus on what actually has been.

What is actually happening now is this: Akutagawa and Atsushi, in a car, driving to what Akutagawa claims is his "safe place".

Atsushi knows better than to think Akutagawa is taking him to an unknown place so he can kill him, but he can not help overthinking. So, when Akutagawa stops by the beach, Atsushi has his guards up.

"Jinko," Akutagawa starts.

Atsushi stops and jolts. "Y-Yes?"

Akutagawa sighs. "I'm not going to kill you. We're over that, and we've been over that."