Fractured Reflections

Chapter V

Atsushi's POV

The walk back to the Agency's base is quiet, but it's not the comfortable kind of quiet. It's the kind that hums with tension, unspoken words swirling in the air between us.

Akutagawa is walking a few steps ahead of me, his back rigid and his movements stiff. He hasn't said a word since we left the warehouse, and while that's not exactly unusual for him, it feels... different this time.

"Hey," I say finally, my voice cutting through the silence.

He doesn't stop walking. "What is it now, weretiger?"

I sigh, quickening my pace until I'm walking beside him. "You've been weird all night. What's going on with you?"

He glances at me, his dark eyes narrowing. "Nothing. Stop prying."

I roll my eyes. "You're terrible at lying, you know that?"

His jaw tightens, but he doesn't respond. I'm about to press further when he suddenly stops, turning to face me.

"Why do you care?" he asks, his voice sharp but quieter than I expected.

The question catches me off guard. I stare at him for a moment, searching for the right words. "I care because... we're a team," I say finally. "And whether you like it or not, that means I'm going to look out for you."

He scoffs, turning away. "A team," he mutters, his tone dripping with disdain. "How naive."

I frown, crossing my arms. "You don't have to believe it, but it's true. And if you'd stop pushing everyone away for five seconds, maybe you'd realize that."

His shoulders tense, and for a moment, I think he's going to lash out. But instead, he just sighs, his posture slumping slightly.

"You're a fool," he says quietly.

"Maybe," I reply, "but at least I'm not alone."

Akutagawa's POV

His words hit harder than I'd like to admit.

I don't respond, partly because I don't know how to. What am I supposed to say to something like that?

He doesn't understand. He couldn't possibly understand.

But as I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, his expression determined yet strangely gentle, I feel a pang of something I can't quite name.

"Let's just go," I say finally, turning away before he can see the cracks forming in my carefully constructed walls.

We walk the rest of the way in silence, but this time, it feels different.

Less heavy.

More... uncertain.

Atsushi's POV

When we finally reach the Agency's base, Dazai is waiting for us with his usual infuriating grin.

"Well, well. Look who's back," he says, his tone teasing. "Did you two bond on your little adventure?"

Akutagawa glares at him, his expression as icy as ever. "We completed the mission. That's all that matters."

Dazai chuckles, his gaze flicking to me. "And what about you, Atsushi? Learn anything interesting?"

I hesitate, my thoughts still tangled from the night's events. "I... think we're starting to understand each other," I say carefully.

Akutagawa scoffs, turning on his heel and heading toward the door. "Don't flatter yourself, weretiger."

I watch him leave, a small smile tugging at my lips despite his words.

Because for the first time, I think he might actually be starting to let me in.

Akutagawa's POV

The moment I'm alone, I let out a shaky breath, leaning against the wall.

What is he doing to me?

Every time he looks at me with those earnest, unwavering eyes, I feel like the ground beneath me is shifting, cracking, falling away.

It's dangerous. He's dangerous.

And yet, I can't seem to stay away.