"What do you mean...?"
Akutagawa sat up a bit more before he slightly lifted one side of his shirt a bit. The exposed skin was scarred. Red lines covered the side of his stomach.
"I've thought that way..."
"Why are you even telling me? I'm your enemy..." Atsushi said as he tried to stand up. "Aren't you scared of how people will view you? Don't get me wrong- It's just how you usually were... Though, I guess things have changed..."
"I'm dying... There is no bigger flaw than a person knowing that they are dying and cannot do anything to save himself." Akutagawa pulled the borrowed shirt back down. "One person will know the truth..."
"We need to go to sleep..." Atsushi said as he held a hand to Akutagawa. Akutagawa reluctantly took it. Atsushi used his strength to pull Akutagawa up onto his feet. "Try walking..." Atsushi of course was holding Akutagawa to ensure that he wouldn't fall.
"What makes you think I'll be able to...walk..." Akutagawa asked as he tried to balance on his own feet.
"Just try... I'll catch you if you fall..!"
Aku sighed before he looked down at his feet. Slowly he lifted one foot to take a step. He was able to take one step forward. He wobbled a bit before he gained his balance.
The muscles in his legs had started deteriorating in the time that he was bed-bound. His legs could barely hold him up.
He was able to take two shaky, slow steps. His third step was shaky and very unbalanced. His leg had finally given out on him. He would've collapsed onto the floor if it weren't for the Man-tiger catching him.
He had Akutagawa's right arm across his shoulders and his left behind Akutagawa's waist.
As soon as Aku lost his balance, he wrapped his other arm around the front of his waist and pulled him against himself. He pulled him in by his waist. Akutagawa reflexively held onto Atsushi for balance. Once he was caught, Akutagawa and Atsushi stared at each other in silence for a quick moment.
"I caught you..! Hehe..." Atsushi laughed nervously. Akutagawa didn't respond, he only looked at Atsushi's eyes, then down to his lips.
"I... Uhm..."
"Hm?" Atsushi hummed as he slowly placed Akutagawa in his wheelchair. Atsushi let go of Akutagawa.
Akutagawa had wished that he could just feel that amazing feeling of being cared for and held for just a bit longer. Despite his internal begging for Atsushi to stay, he let go as well.
"What is it?" Atsushi said with that stupid grin on his face.
"Nothing... Fool..." Akutagawa hadn't noticed but Atsushi did, Akutagawa was blushing hard.
Atsushi was visually skeptical but he didn't ask. He began pushing Akutagawa back to the room.
"I already told you, it was a horrible idea..."
"You took 2 steps and I caught you when you almost fell. I don't think it was all that horrible" Atsushi said.
They were back in the room. Akutagawa checked the clock and it was 1:38 am.
"I'm not tired.. I'll just read my book" Aku thought aloud to himself.
"What was that?"
"I'm not tired" Aku said a bit louder for Atsushi to hear.
"I'm not either, especially after..." Atsushi looked down at his bandage. Atsushi quickly switched back to his cheerful demeanor. "I guess we'll be starting the morning early I guess."
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
"Did you really have to put him with the boy?!" Nakahara Chuuya yelled over the phone to Dazai.
"He was the only one available..! Cut me some slack!" Dazai almost yelled back.
"Agh! You're such a fucking prick!"
"Mhm" Dazai hummed sarcastically. "At least I helped, I could've just let him y'know... Die"
"Fucking asshole!" Chuuya yelled before the line died and he got a message from Dazai.
'Chibi is so cute when he's mad 😉'
"Agh!" Chuuya threw his phone onto the sofa.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
"You can't find him?" Mori asked the assassin that stood in front of him. The assassin shook his head. "You're not lying to me are you?" He asked again. The man shook his head again. "No records of his death?"
"They said that he and his belongings were missing from his room." The man spoke.
"Hmm... Interesting"
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
4am:
Akutagawa read as Atsushi cooked breakfast. After a few minutes, Atsushi placed a plate of food in front of Akutagawa.
"Breakfast for you." To Akutagawa, Atsushi acted like a waiter in a cafe.
"And may I get water with that?" Akutagawa asked. Atsushi seemed to understand what Akutagawa was thinking. That was the special thing about the two.
"Right away, sir!" Akutagawa smirked to himself as Atsushi sped off to get him water. "Here you go!" Atsushi said as he placed the water cup next to Akutagawa's plate. "Anything else?" Atsushi held his invisible notebook against his chest.
"That'll be all," Akutagawa chuckled, and Atsushi giggled. Atsushi thought it was fun that Akutagawa was able to joke right now. Akutagawa turned back to his food with a cute, little smile on his face.
Atsushi left Akutagawa alone as he left to get his own food.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
After eating, the two sat at the table for a bit. Akutagawa read and Atsushi fidgeted in his seat.
"Is there anything you want to do before you..."
"Die? No. What I want, I will not be able to attain." Akutagawa marked and put down his book.
Atsushi always noticed that. He always had Akutagawa's full attention when he spoke.
"Why is that?"
"I will never understand my feelings... You have already stated what you think of them. I won't try to change how you feel..."
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...
