Withering moon lit rose

Extra 2

Atsushi had returned to the agency hand in hand with Ryuunosuke. Atsushi had the promise ring on his finger, Ryuunosuke had asked him if he wanted to wait and announce the reasoning behind it to the Agency later but he was adamant about keeping it on him.

"There you are! I was worried you had disappeared again!" Kunikida hollered at him the second he had walked into the Agency. So much for a peaceful day with Ryuunosuke, which was what he had hoped for.

"I was only gone for a couple of hours. And I was hoping I could have the day off because..." Atsushi trailed his words off. He didn't know how to explain this to Kunikida, after all Atsushi believed that Kunikida didn't understand romance due to him never witnessing Kunikida having an appeal for it.

"Because?" Kunikida questioned with his arms crossed. He'd already allowed Kyoka the day off, she'd begged him to allow her to take Kenji shopping as in her words.

'He lacked the city fashion'

Which was true, however Kunikida was unbothered by the boy's clothing choice. As he looked Atsushi over he was still in his old clothes from his prior organisation. But something on his hand caught his eye. The ring.

"Who proposed to you?" Kunikida questioned while Atsushi was trying to find the words to explain his prior statement. This question caught him off guard and his mind went blank.

"What?" He pondered aloud, Kunikida pointed to his hand with a sigh.

"The ring. Who gave it to you?" He knew Atsushi was 21 now and was legally allowed to marry but he was still concerned about who it was.

Both Akutagawa and Atsushi turned away in embarrassment at the question. Kunikida quickly pieced together what had happened.

"That's what you were planning with that bandage wasting idiot!?" He hollered, grabbing the attention of Ranpo who was discussing something with someone on his phone.

"Hey Kunikida!" He shouted, bringing the phone away from him as he spoke. Kunikida turned to look at him.

"Can you not shout so much? And leave the pair alone, it's a promise ring if you cared to look properly!" Ranpo then returned to his call while making his way into Fukuzawa's office and shutting the door behind him. This is what happens when Fukuzawa ends up going on a meeting outside the agency.

The three were left in silence for a moment before Kunikida spoke.

"Atsushi may a speak with you in private?" Atsushi didn't even have a chance to respond as Kunikida grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the room. Akutagawa was going to follow them both when Yosano made her way out of the infirmary.

"Akutagawa perfect timing. I need someone to go shopping with me." She smiled as Akutagawa looked around solemnly. Tanizaki had hidden away the moment he knew she was coming. Traitor.

Kunikida had dragged Atsushi to one of the empty store rooms they had at the Agency, he was sure they wouldn't be disturbed here. Kunikida lent himself against the wall and allowed Atsushi to recollect himself.

"So a promise ring?" Kunikida questioned. Atsushi already regretted having allowed himself to be dragged here.

"Yes, Ryuunosuke gave it to me while I was out." He had to get this across to Kunikida. He wasn't too sure if Kunikida's opinion of Akutagawa had changed a lot over the last 3 years.

"Even using his first name? Guess you are serious about this." He had a slight humour to his voice but that made Atsushi more nervous than anything.

"I am. This didn't happen overnight. We made a promise and..." Kunikida raised his hand in front of Atsushi's face to stop him. He was slightly confused but then Kunikida spoke.

"And why do you think he deserves to have you? He's tried to kill you multiple times, has he not? He tried to kill Kyoka on the train. He has killed individuals in the past." Kunikida kept piling on reason after reason on why Akutagawa didn't deserve Atsushi. Eventually he couldn't take the slander against his boyfriend anymore.

"That's enough! Yes, he's killed people! Yes, he's tried to take mine and other agency members' lives! But what has he done to change that? He nearly gave his life in exchange for my freedom! The day I arrived in Yokohama he was the one who gave me the chance to meet Dazai, to be here! And that day when I'd been captured, I ended up on his doorstep by chance. He could have turned me away, allowed me to be captured. But he didn't!" Atsushi began to cry but his demeanour didn't falter.

"He can't change the past. No one can. But the love and affection he's given me. I wouldn't trade it for anything, he made me feel alive. Feel wanted. That's something I've rarely felt in my entire life." Atsushi had concluded his opinion. Kunikida kept a serious expression on his face until he erupted with laughter. Atsushi was so confused, what was happening?

"Ah it's good to see you haven't changed." He wiped away a tear he had gained from laughing so much.

"You're both made for each other. I had a discussion with Akutagawa a few weeks back. You'd been back about a day and he'd been acting incredibly depressed, so I dragged him to the café and do you want to know how he reacted with how you'd been treating him?" Atsushi grasped at her arm feeling uneasy about this, he treated Akutagawa as if he was nothing, he didn't really want to go back on these memories.

"He was like a wounded animal. He was so moody, he had an expression on his face saying 'it's all my fault, all I do is harm people'." Kunikida started laughing again, Atsushi was concerned the man may have been starting to go insane.

"Such a fool he is. Not many know this but since he joined the Agency we have been able to save a lot more people quicker. But the funny thing is he sees himself as a burden on any mission he goes on." Atsushi sighed, he was surprised. After all Akutagawa had always struggled with his self worth saying he wasn't strong enough. Atsushi could never understand why because whenever they fought in the past he'd only be able to beat him by just an inch.

"So what I'm trying to say is I'm glad that you both realise how much you've given one another, how you've changed one another for the better. It took me a long time to figure that out with my partner." Kunikida rubbed the back of his neck with a slightly embarrassed expression on his face. Atsushi nodded along to his words while wiping away his tears. But then something Kunikida had said stuck out to him.

"Wait partner!?" Atsushi was in shock, last he heard Kunikida had never once been approached or approached another about romance. Yes he had his ideals written down but he'd never gone out to follow through with them.

"Huh, you didn't know?" He questioned feeling a bit awkward that this was how Atsushi found out.

"No I didn't. So who's the lucky woman?" Atsushi questioned back.

"Atsushi, he's a guy." Kunikida sighed while explaining. Atsushi tilted his head confused for a second, his ideals said a woman. Wait, did that mean he changed his ideals!?

Atsushi then spent the next few minutes apologising profusely for assuming such things. Kunikida waved the matter aside, this didn't bother him really. That many people made that assumption based on how he looked. (I know I put Katai is who he is dating but I am very much invested in the KuniBram ship at the minute, so I might change it to that)