BSD One-Shots

Gardening Mission

Ship - Shin Soukoku

Timeline - Season 4

Includes - Fluff

Hey guys, sorry this one is posted later than normal, I didn't really have an idea for today's post so I took the time late Thursday night and today to write this and finish it so it could be posted today, I hope it's at least decent for you guys.

Atsushi Nakajima sighed as he looked at the overgrown community garden before him. Tall weeds choked and overflowed the flower beds, and the vegetable patches were a mess of tangled vines and neglected plants. Beside him, Akutagawa Ryunosuke crossed his arms, his usual scowl deepening on his face as he looked at all the mess they had to clean up.

"I don't see why we have to waste our time here doing this," Akutagawa muttered, kicking at a stray pebble on the ground.

"It's part of our community service," Atsushi replied, trying to stay his normal positive self. "We're supposed to help out and, you know, improve the place, Dazai and our bosses gave us this task so we might as well follow through."

Akutagawa grunted in response but didn't argue any further with Atsushi. The two had been assigned to help rejuvenate the community garden as part of a joint effort between the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia. It was a rare moment of cooperation between the two organizations since they made that deal, and Atsushi was determined to make the most of it.

They started by clearing away the weeds in the flower beds, working in silence. Atsushi found it surprisingly hard to uproot the stubborn plants even when he used his claws, and his hands quickly became sore. He glanced over at Akutagawa, who seemed to be having a similar struggle. The sight was almost comical, the fierce, deadly ability user wrestling with a particularly tenacious dandelion.

"You're supposed to pull it out by the root, Akutagawa," Atsushi offered, trying to be helpful to his partner.

"I know that already, Jinko," Akutagawa snapped, finally yanking the weed free and tossing it aside into the pile beside him.

Despite their rocky start, they gradually fell into a rhythm. As they worked, Atsushi found himself thinking about how different Akutagawa was outside of their usual missions and tasks they were assigned to. He noticed the way Akutagawa's brow furrowed in concentration and the rare moments when his scowl softened, even if just for a second or two.

After a few hours, they finally took a break, sitting on a bench under the shade of a large tree. Atsushi wiped the sweat from his forehead and took a sip of water that he had.

"Did you know anything about gardening before this, Akutagawa?" Atsushi asked, trying to have a conversation with his partner.

Akutagawa shook his head. "No. It wasn't exactly something we learned in the Port Mafia,"

Atsushi chuckled. "Same here. I grew up in an orphanage, so we didn't have much time for things like gardening. But it's kind of nice, don't you think?,"

Akutagawa looked around the garden, his expression unreadable. "It's... different. Not what I'm used to,"

They sat in silence for a moment, the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling filling the air around them. Atsushi found the quiet peaceful, a stark contrast to their usual chaotic lives and their bickering at each other.

As the day went on, they started planting some new flowers in the flower beds and vegetables as well. Atsushi was surprised to discover that Akutagawa had a keen eye for arranging the plants in aesthetically pleasing patterns. When he mentioned it, Akutagawa just shrugged his shoulders, but Atsushi could see a faint hint of pride in his eyes as they continued.