After a brutal mission, Atsushi and Akutagawa are left battered and broken, both physically and emotionally. Though the two have never been able to see eye to eye, the night forces them into an unexpected situation where they must face their deepest...
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The night air in Yokohama was heavy with the aftermath of battle. Buildings stood in ruin, the streets littered with debris, and the faint smell of smoke clung to everything. In the middle of it all, Atsushi Nakajima stood panting, his tiger's claws slowly retracting as the adrenaline faded from his veins.
Akutagawa lay on the ground a few feet away, his breathing shallow and ragged. His coat was torn, his body bruised and bleeding from the fight they had barely survived. Rashomon twitched behind him, its shadowy tendrils weak and sluggish, as though even it was struggling to keep Akutagawa conscious.
Atsushi wanted to leave. They had defeated the enemy, their mission was over, and yet... He couldn't bring himself to walk away. Not when Akutagawa was lying there, on the edge of consciousness, his usual sharp and hostile aura reduced to something more fragile. Vulnerable.
Atsushi clenched his fists, torn between his instinct to offer help and the deep-seated rivalry that made him hesitate. They were enemies, weren't they? Akutagawa had always belittled him, had always seen him as weak. But now, seeing him like this, Atsushi couldn't help but feel a pang of empathy.
"Akutagawa..." Atsushi's voice was quiet, almost drowned out by the distant sounds of sirens. He wasn't sure why he was speaking, or what he wanted to say.
Akutagawa's eyes fluttered open, dark and clouded with pain. He didn't say anything, but the look in his eyes was enough-a mixture of pride and exhaustion, defiance and desperation. He didn't want help, but it was clear he needed it.
Against his better judgment, Atsushi knelt beside him.
Akutagawa's breathing was labored, each breath sounding like it cost him more energy than he had left. Atsushi hesitated, unsure of how to approach the situation. His hand hovered awkwardly over Akutagawa's shoulder before finally resting there, gently shaking him.
"Hey, stay with me," Atsushi said, his voice soft but urgent.
Akutagawa's eyes flicked towards him, narrowing in suspicion even though he was too weak to push Atsushi away. "I don't... need your pity."
Atsushi let out a frustrated sigh. Of course, even now, Akutagawa's pride refused to let him accept help. But Atsushi could see the blood staining the ground beneath him, the way Akutagawa's hands trembled ever so slightly, the pain etched into every line of his face.
"It's not pity," Atsushi murmured. "You're injured. I'm not going to leave you here."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The tension between them was palpable, a silent battle of wills. But Atsushi wasn't going to back down this time. Despite everything-the fights, the insults, the rivalry-he couldn't just abandon Akutagawa. Not when they had fought side by side tonight, not when they had both pushed themselves to their limits to protect what mattered.
Slowly, Akutagawa's eyes softened, though his jaw was still clenched in stubbornness. "Fine. Do what you want."
It wasn't gratitude, but it was the closest thing to acceptance Atsushi was going to get.
