||Lungs of roses|| Hanihaki Au | Shin Soukoku | Bungou Stray Dogs

Free-Day (21)

Atsushi's eyes widened. "You've given up?"

"Of course... What else am I supposed to do? I don't have anymore time to spend on *Cough* trying." Akutagawa coughed a few bloody petals out of his system. "I have no wish to survive... If this disease is the end of me, I will not prevent such a fate..."

"You're pathetic..." Atsushi muttered. He coughed more. When Atsushi saw Akutagawa's face, he wanted to cry.

Aku had tears forming in his eyes. He wasn't looking up at Atsushi but at the table. The smile on his face didn't match his eyes. There were little blood spatters under his lips.

"I know I-" He silenced for a moment, coughing a bit before speaking again. "I know I am... If I wasn't... this disease wouldn't be a problem..!" He wanted to sob, but he held himself together.

Atsushi stood up from his seat, walking over to Akutagawa. Akutagawa felt a sudden warmth around him. Atsushi embraced Akutagawa's frail body from behind him.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." The Man-tiger kept apologizing. "I'm so sorry" He started to cry. He cried in sympathy but also cried knowing that he was killing Akutagawa. He hugged tightly, like he didn't want Akutagawa to leave. It was because he didn't want him to leave, especially in death.

"Stupid Man-tiger..." Akutagawa wasn't smiling anymore. His eyes were flooded with tears. "Stop... Stop crying dammit..!" He says as his own tears started to roll down his face.

"No..."

Akutagawa wasn't about to argue with that. He'd be a hypocrite. He just let Atsushi hold him. It felt nice but once he lost that feeling he would probably break

They sat there for a few seconds, then moments, then minutes...

Neither one of them moved. They just sat silent in their own tears.

"You can't be sorry about something that is not your fault..."

"But what if I am... People say sorry when someone else confesses that they lost someone important to them but it's not their fault." Atsushi loosened his grip a bit. "But I can't be sorry?"

"You're stupid..." Akutagawa said as he brought his hand up to Atsushi's embracing arm, holding it close.

"I guess I am... I'm a total idiot. I'm still at fault" Atsushi said as he let go of Akutagawa. Akutagawa was still internally begging Atsushi to not let go.

"Of course you are..." Akutagawa said a s he wiped his tears away, Atsushi did the same.

"I'm sorry..." Atsushi said again as he sat back down at his seat across the table from Akutagawa.

"Stop apologizing"

"Sorr- Ah! So- Dammit!"

Akutagawa laughed at Atsushi's embarrassment. Atsushi was glad to see him smiling again.

"What do you want to do today? Dazai said that I have to stay with you as my mission so... free day I guess?' Atsushi said as stood up from his seat again, walking to the kitchen to wash dishes.

"I just want to stay inside and not deal with anyone..." Akutagawa said as he fidgeted with his slim fingers in his lap. "I'm not willing to talk to people today..."

"Okay so... is that it? Just being anti-social?" Atsushi asked, a bit jokingly. He received a sharp glare from Akutagawa. "I'm kidding!"

"You're lucky I can not use Rashoumon anymore..." Akutagawa said before sticking his nose into his book.

"And I'm kinda glad about that..." Atsushi said to himself.

"What was that?" Akutagawa looked up from his book as the younger walked away.

"Nothing!" Atsushi said as he sped up.

"Hmm..."

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

"What's going on Chuuya?" Kouyou asked as Chuuya stomped into the lounge.

"Dazai's just being a dick. The usual."

"You're just being a child, both of you. You still act like how you did when you first joined the Mafia- You smell like liquor!" Kouyou covered her nose. "You know how much I hate the smell of alcohol!"

"It can't be that bad-" Chuuya sniffed his clothes, instantly changing his mind. "Ugh... Nevermind... I'm going to change..."

Technically, It was Chuuya's day off so he didn't necessarily have to be at HQ but he was there for the comfort of Gin. Gin had found out that a male assassin that was sent to kill her brother had discovered that he was gone. She hid her worry but Chuuya could always see it in her eyes.

Chuuya had finally left to change into his non-work clothes, which consisted of a red band shirt, black cargo pants, and black Converse. He passed Gin as he was heading back to the lounge. She was wearing a familiar, casual black jacket that he recognized as Ryuunosuke's. It wasn't the jacket he usually wore to work but surely it was his.

She was holding the jacket close to herself.

"Gin..?"

"Huh?" She hadn't been paying much attention but she looked up from her feet when she heard Chuuya's voice. "Yes?"

"You okay?"

"Uhm..." She could lie but no one would believe that right now. She ended up, regrettably, telling Chuuya the truth. "No... I'm not okay" She wiped at her eyes even before she even started to cry. "My brother is missing! I don't even know if he's dead or not..!" She cried into the hood of the jacket. "I miss him... I can't do this without him!" By 'this' she had meant working with the mafia. It was hard for her, considering that he was the one who taught her most things about working with the mafia.

Chuuya had hated to admit that he had the same mindset when Dazai first left the Mafia.

Dazai hadn't taught him much about the mafia and how things ran.

"How do I even do any of this?!"

He remembered when he first got the news that Dazai was missing.

"He's fucking missing?! Is that bastard dead already..!?"

Chuuya didn't know what else to do, he was only able to walk forward towards Gin and hug her.

Gin wasn't very surprised but she hugged him back.

"Are you taller than me?" Chuuya said out of nowhere. He hadn't realized that he had said that out loud until Gin answered

"Hehe..." She half-giggled through her tears. "I think so..."

Chuuya began blushing out of embarrassment. "Heh? No fucking way!" he yelped as he let go of Gin to see for himself. Sure enough, Gin was a bit taller than Chuuya but she wasn't as tall as her brother. "Shit!" Chuuya yelped again. The only other shorter members of the mafia were only just children but he was a grown 22 year old man.

Gin giggled at Chuuya. She was cheered up by Chuuya's embarrassment. Chuuya just pouted.