Chuuya had taken his own advice and headed back to the PM HQ. He headed straight to the lounge room. He collapsed onto one of the 3 sofas and let out a loud sigh.
"Chuuya? Where have you been?"
"Heh?" Chuuya opened his eyes. He was met with fiery red eyes. "Oh, Kouyou.... Just visiting Akutagawa"
"Soo... How is he?"
Silence filled the room. Neither Chuuya nor Kouyou dared to speak. Quietly, another entered the room.
"Chuuya?" A soft voice spoke. "How's Ryuu?"
Chuuya's eye redirected to Gin, who stood in front of the doorway. He glanced at Kouyou, and then back at Gin. Chuuya groaned before speaking.
"He was doing good..."
"Was?" Kouyou said
"Was... He had an attack."
"Huh?!" Gin yelped "Why? How?""
"He told the Man-tiger about..... that" He tried not to give too much info out, with Kouyou being present. "He didn't uh..." Gin knew what he meant.
"So, he's not going to get any better..." Gin muttered just loud enough for Chuuya to hear. Chuuya nodded in confirmation.
"He can get surgery... but..."
"He might not survive..." Gin finished Chuuya's sentence.
"But it's his life here, he gets to choose if he wants the surgery or not" Chuuya stood up. "I have a meeting with the boss." Chuuya slowly walked past Gin, out the door. Before he left, he could see from the corner of his eye that Gin was tearing up. He would've loved to comfort her but he needed to get his order from Mori for his next mission.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Atsushi was back on his feet after he was able to eat a delicious meal made, surprisingly, by Kunikida. No one knew how much of a chef Kunikida was.
"Thank you Kunikida!" Atsushi thanked the blond. Dazai had been complaining in the background.
"You should've let me cook!" Dazai whined. "You're so mean..!"
"You would've just burned the kitchen the kitchen down and put us all in danger you suicidal maniac!" Kunikida replied to Dazai by scolding him.
Atsushi just watch the two 'argue' back and forth.
"Are you okay?" A soft, quiet voice asked from behind Atsushi. He jumped at the sudden voice. He quickly turned around. Kyouka was standing behind him.
"O-Oh! Kyouka!" He laughed nervously, still trying to calm himself from the scare. "You scared me!" Atsushi fidgeted with the longer piece of his hair as he spoke. "They must've told you what happened. I'm sorry if I scared you. I'm fine now, thanks to Yosano and Kunikida! No need to worry now" He smiled to Kyouka, and she smiled back. Any normal person would've missed the little grin, but Atsushi didn't, he saw it.
"I wasn't worried at all." That surprised the Man-tiger. He stopped playing with his hair.
"You weren't... worried?" Atsushi muttered, just loud enough for Kyouka to hear. She shook her head before stepping forward and hugging Atsushi.
"I wasn't worried because I know you're strong. You used that strength to saved me from the Port Mafia."
Atsushi stood in surprised silence before he hugged her back. He didn't say anything, he just hugged her. It was comforting, but why did HE need comfort? He wasn't the sick one and he wasn't losing a friend, he was losing an enemy. Shouldn't that be a good thing? The person who had promised to kill him in a few months wasn't going to be able to harm him.
The man is human, with human emotions.
Atsushi hadn't noticed that tears had began forming in his eyes.
"Atsushi?" Kyouka's little voice snapped Atsushi out of his thoughts. "Why are you crying?" she asked as she let go of the hug. Atsushi didn't move as she did so. He brought his hand up to his eye , and sure enough, there were tears rolling down his cheek.
"H-Huh?" He wiped the tears away. "Haha... I didn't even notice I was crying..." He laughed a bit nervously.
Kyouka only ignored his sketchy behavior. "Dazai told me about what happened to Akutagawa. Is that why you're stressed?" Atsushi couldn't tell Kyouka that he was worried about his enemy, or her former abuser. He saved her from the man for a reason.
"It's not that! I've just been a bit sick, not getting enough sleep and... stuff..."
"And it's because of Akutagawa?" Kyouka tilted her head as she asked. This had manipulated Atsushi into answering and telling the truth.
"Yeah.." He could lie but he wasn't going to, not to Kyouka. He much rather tell her than her finding out herself.
Kyouka didn't seem bothered at all.
"Are you mad?" Atsushi asked.
"No" Kyouka responded with the simple word. She was almost always emotionless. "We have a truce with the mafia, and Akutagawa is a crucial part of Shin Soukoku. We need both of you if we come under attack."
Atsushi knew that wasn't his reason he was worried but he nodded.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
"Have any of you seen Mr.Akutagawa?" Higuchi entered the lounge room where Kouyou and Gin resided.
Kouyou looked at Gin. Gin looked at Kouyou, then at Higuchi. Gin shook her head. "My brother has been in the hospital.." Gin said quietly. Higuchi just stared at Gin for a few moments then at Kouyou.
"Is that true?" Higuchi asked Kouyou. Kouyou nodded. "Why?!"
Kouyou looked at Gin once again and Gin nodded to her.
"He's in for his lung disease."
"Lung disease?" Higuchi looked at the two. "He has a lung disease?"
"Haven't you noticed how he frequently coughs?" Kouyou pointed out.
"Y-Yes, but I never really thought about it! I was told to just follow orders and to not question anything..." Higuchi seemed to be a mess at the moment. "Uhm... Is his disease fatal..?"
"The doctor had said he won't last more than a week. It's been 2 days since he told us that." Gin spoke up. This was info that Kouyou didn't know.
"FIVE DAYS?!" Kouyou yelped in unison. Gin flinched at the sudden change in tone.
YOU ARE READING
||Lungs of roses|| Hanihaki Au | Shin Soukoku | Bungou Stray Dogs
FanfictionAkutagawa refuses to acknowledge his feelings towards Atsushi and that Dazai finally acknowledges his strength. His life span shortens as he continues to not take good care of himself. He ends up in the hospital. He's forced to admit his feelings be...
