Bungo Stray Dogs Oneshots

You're Not Alone (Atsushi x Akutagawa)

Ship: Atsushi x Akutagawa

Genre: Fluff

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The afternoon sun bathed Yokohama in a golden hue, casting long shadows that stretched across the bustling city. The usual sounds of life, chattering pedestrians, the hum of traffic, and the distant cries of seagulls, created a familiar symphony that Atsushi Nakajima found oddly comforting.

He walked doing the quiet streets, his footsteps almost silent as he moved. Despite the warmth of the day, a chill clung to his skin, a remnant of the uneasy feeling that had settled in his chest since that morning. His mind was elsewhere, lost in the labyrinth of his thoughts, as he tried to shake off the lingering echoes of a nightmare that had haunted him the night before.

The voice of the orphanage directors still rang in his ears, a cruel reminder of the torment he had endured for so many years. He could hear the sharp, accusatory words, the venomous tone that always made him feel so small, so worthless. Even now, as a member of the Armed Detective Agency, those memories clung to him like a shadow, a constant reminder of the person he feared he still was.

But Atsushi wasn't alone.

His mind was snapped back to the present as he felt a presence beside him, a familiar yet unsettling one. He didn't need to look to know who it was. The air around them seemed to grow colder, and the soft sound of laboured breathing reached his ears.

"Why are you following me, Akutagawa?" Atsushi asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke didn't respond immediately. He walked in silence for a few moments, his black coat flowing slightly with each step. His eyes, dark and sharp, remained fixed ahead as if he were searching for something in the distance.

"Don't flatter yourself, Jinko," Akutagawa finally replied, his tone as cold as ever. "I wasn't following you. I simply happen to be going in the same direction."

Atushi let out a small sigh, knowing better than to argue with Akutagawa. Their relationship had always been complicated, a mixture of rivalry, animosity, and something else that Atsushi couldn't quite place. He knew Akutagawa saw him as a weakling, someone unworthy of Dazai's attention. And yet, despite the hostility between them, there was an unspoken understanding, a shared pain that neither of them acknowledged out loud.

As they continued to walk in silence, Atsushi couldn't help but glance at Akutagawa from the corner of his eye. The man's pale skin looked almost translucent in the sunlight, his black hair a stark contrast against the brightness of the day. Atsushi noticed the slight tremor in Akutagawa's hand as he raised it to cover his mouth, another bout of coughing overtaking him.

"Are you... ok?" Atsushi asked hesitantly, unsure of how his concern would be received.

Akutagawa stopped walking, his body tense as he struggled to suppress the cough. When he finally looked at Atsushi, his expression was unreadable, a mix of disdain and something else that Atsushi couldn't quite identify.

"I don't need your pity, Weretiger," Akutagawa said sharply, his voice strained. "Save it for someone who actually wants it."

Atsushi frowned, feeling a pang of guilt for even bringing it up. "I wasn't pitying you. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

Akutagawa's eyes narrow as if he were trying to gauge the sincerity of Atsushi's words. For a moment, the tension between them hung heavy in the air, neither of them willing to break the silence.