Work Text:
Another day at work as he walked into the ADA office.
Sometimes Atsushi would get scared the moment he walked in because mostly he would see chaos, especially in the early morning. One time he saw Kyouka in a maid outfit, he was stunned, he even saw Kunikida chasing after Dazai around their office desk. And let's not bring Tanizaki and Naomi into this.
But the moment he walked in, everyone was quiet, it was chill. Everyone was just focusing on work and doing their own thing.
Dazai was playing with his pen that's on top of his noes trying not to make the pen fall, which made Atsushi scared considered on how he wasn't talking.
Kunikida was typing out on his computer rapidly as if he was typing an essay that's due in a minute.
Kyouka is sitting a chair while Kenji standing behind her, playing with her hair. Yosano is also on her desk doing the same thing as Kunikida doing except, she kept on fixing her hair every time which is oddly weird.
Tanizaki and Naomi were leaning against a desk as she clings onto his arm and not say anything but poke his cheek.
Ranpo is just Ranpo.
The only thing that Atsushi can see is all of them have a single drop of sweat, like they're hiding something.
It was oddly weird how quiet they are; it was somehow unusual. Atsushi sensed something was wrong that no one even said their greetings when he come in. He interrupted the silence when he said "Good morning, everyone" he put up with a weak smile, brough his left palm rubbing the back of his neck and wave, and it more odd when everyone said altogether in unison "Good morning!" how weird, is this a prank? He thought. He sighed in disbelief and walk up to his desk but the moment he walked in front of his working space that's next to Dazai trying to cover his giggle which is so not obvious (totally) he saw something he couldn't believe.
Atsushi let out a gasp when he saw a rectangle pink box that is laying flat on top on his desk with a purple ribbon that is wrapped around the pink box and on the bottom right corner it was written "for: Nakajima Atsushi" in a clean cursive writing. And next to it is a pink letter that has a love heart wax stamp. Atsushi started screaming and jumped away from it while everyone was laughing. "Is this a prank?! Please tell me this is a joke!" Atsushi cried and turned to everyone, seeing them holding their laughs.
"This isn't funny!"
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"So, this was here before everyone came?" Atsushi questioned as everyone was standing around it like a documentary they're solving. Everyone nodded in a reply of Atsushi question. "Me and Yosano arrived early, and we both saw it that is randomly on your desk" Kunikida said firmly as he was fixing his glasses. Dazai suddenly face Atsushi with a smug face "someone's got a secret admirer" Dazai grinned, making his eyebrows go up and down and got bonk in the head when Kunikida put up with a fist to stop teasing him. Atsushi bring his fingers to his chin, thinking about who this secret admirer is.
"guy's what if its Yosano, woah Atsushi my kouhai! You are quite a lucky one hehe" Dazai pop out of nowhere behind Atsushi as everyone started quickly turn their head directly at her. She brought her palm to her forehead and huff in stress, "obviously it would not be me, you think I have time in making such gifts?" She angrily said, reading to punch a fist at Dazai. The yellow, blonde hair guy walk to the front of Atsushi working space to look closely to the pink gift and the letter and scratched his head "well, I mean I'm no supposed considered the girls really like him" and everyone went "ahhh" in realization as if it makes sense. "well, if it's just a random girl just threw it in the trash" Yosano said And everyone left to their desk to continue into being a chaotic mess.
Although, Atsushi in still thinking about who this person be. He decided to keep it since he will feel bad for the person to spend their money and time to make this. He sit on his chair and decided to continue working in opening the folders that's left for him.
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It is 7pm right now and Atsushi just finished work. He is walking with Kyouka in taking her home while he is holding the gift and letters he received. And thanks to the person who gave him these, he had been distracted a lot because of that. He really wanted to know who it is but it's hard to found out about this person, he even asked Ranpo but he didn't wanted to say. Which is confusing and weird, but he remembered that his face turned unusual, his face was odd. It's hard for him to think about how this person is considered there are a lot of girls that likes him. I mean he saved a lot of lives and got praised from them. People say he's kind, a gentleman, hardworking and has a pure heart, that people describe him that he is a sun that bloomed everyone's heart like a flower growing their petals. He's a great role model out of everyone in the ADA and perfect for Dazai as his student.
But the thing is Atsushi really hated how he was the 'perfect role model student' to Dazai. He secretly dislike him; he used his kindness towards others.
"Atsushi are you ok?" Atsushi snap when he heard a voice, Kyouka. "I'm fine" He huff and out his face into a weak smile staring at her as they both made eye contact. "Is the gift and the letter bothering you?" she tilted her head questioning her "n-no it's just-" he stuttered but he paused and took a big breath to talk clear "well- yeah I guess it's weird having gifts and letters, I never received something like this. He stared down at the gift along with the letter laying on top. Kyouka glared at the gift and look up to stare at his face "hmm it must be nice; I haven't had gifts in a long time" she huffed and turned away from him. still walking her home.
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9pm:
Atsushi got home and took off his shoes before he went inside and pick it up and entry into the front door. He went into his room and relaxed his back on the mattress and let out a loud huff. It's great to be back home again Atsushi smiled and tilted his head to the right to see the gift and the letter that is lying on his study desk. He kept on staring at it until he got up and decided to open it. He removed the purple ribbon just to see lots of small, shaped chocolates. He took a small love heart shaped chocolate, and his smile beamed when the chocolate sugary taste melts on his tongue. He took more that he didn't even realize he finished it all. He glared at the love letter and opened the envelope just to expect to see a paragraph but it's just
" I hope you like the gift "
- someone
Huh? He tilted his head in confusion. Ok, first of all you can't just say a simple sentence after they randomly made a gift for me that is place at my work! And second of all, who in the hell would write from somehow?! He facepalmed in stressed. You know what I'm going to sleep. He put the gift under his desk, change into his pj's and get ready for bed and closed his eyes.
"you're useless"
"no one wants an orphan like you!"
"How disgusting"
Atsushi is trapped in a jail cell with an ankle chained with handcuffs. No, why am I here again..? A man appeared in front of him dressing white clothes, a man who he feared. The one who gave him a lot of punishments, the one who he had suffered in the last 18 years of his whole life.
"That candy...where did you steal it from?" His eyes snapped just to not see jail cells and his ankle doesn't feel heavy. He was on a wooden floor with 2 candies on the floor.
"I....didn't steal it" he trembled, suddenly said those words without thinking. He was scared to look at him back. His sweats started forming that a single drop fell to the floor. Before he could think, he received a painful slap that his noes started dripping in blood.
"Where did you steal it?" He said firmly and cold, he could barely get up.
"They were in the garbage in the night watch room..... I found them while cleaning" He slowly put his head up, still scared to face him, trembling in fear. "So, you're telling me that candy is yours?" He replied more serious and stared intensely down at him in front of him like a poor small, cute animal getting attacked by its prey".
A random lady came up next to him with a similar outfit to the man, holding a stick ready to hit him " Is anyone here willing to confess the truth?" She asked. Atsushi expected no one since at that time no one around when he collected the candy in the garbage but a guy with dark hair raised his hand and said "I...I saw him.." He then pointed at me ans framed saying "He stole that candy from the store house" and when he said that he knew it was him he was the one who stole the candy.
Atsushi started at him, dead. He couldn't breathe for a second although, he was used to this. The man dragged him by the hair leading to the room where he was punished, no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
no.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry" he screamed, begging for mercy. He didn't want to go into that dark fearful room he hates the most. No, it was the whole entire place he hates. It's not just the place but everyone that's in there. He hated the rules, he hated that room, he hated how he is being treated, he hated everyone and most of all, he hated that man.
It hit him when the man locked the door as he is walking up to the wooden desk like he was about to grab something "You are a child who has been abandoned by everyone." His hand appeared with a hammer and that's when Atsushi eyes started to shake.
"By your parents, society. You are a worthless, good for nothing scum." he gave him the hammer along with a nail and harshly grabbed his ankle hard and put his left foot in it in front of him. Atsushi was confused on what he's doing until he spitted out words that he regretted to hear "nail that into your foot" he said as his eyes went wide open and paused "do it!" he yelled.
"if not, you will die in short order." Atsushi stared down at his foot trembling in fear and couldn't move light he was paralyzed.
He didn't wanted to do it, he was scared.
He was just 11.
He was just a child.
He raised the hammer, he was shaking. He knew it'd hurt even more if he didn't do it, if he didn't hit the nail. He was ready to aim at the nail, but he missed, he didn't wanted to do it. The child sobbed into a mess, a crying child wanting love, peace and freedom but he didn't have all that, it was the opposite.
It was hated, feared and torture.
The man stared at him in disappointed "I can see why your parents dumped you in that garbage bag." He snatched the hammer off him and without thinking, he grabbed the nail holding its balance and that's where the world turned upside down. The time where he wished that man is dead, and hoped to him that he will get stabbed brutally. He slammed the hammer against the nail that hit directly at his foot. Atsushi screamed in pain, a loud scream that can be heard from the other orphan. He kept on slamming it until the man was satisfied and thrown him away and trapped himself in chains.
His last words were "Atsushi...Do you hate me?"
everything turned black.
_________________
Atsushi snap and opened his eyes and got up. He was sweating and panicking...he couldn't breathe. His tears started to form as he clenched his chest.
It was all a dream (more like a nightmare).
He ran to the kitchen and drank water to calm himself down. He slowly calmed his breath as he lowered his head down, wishing that next time when he sleeps the dreams don't appear of him in his orphanage experiences.
"ugh..crap" He cursed.
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Next morning, he picked up Kyouka and start to head to ADA place. As they arrived there, Atsushi face went terrified when he saw more gifts again. This time it's a fluffy cute white tiger plushie that's holding the black letter that says " NAKAJIMA ATSUSHI" in cursive with a white pen. The plushie smelt strong and sweet like cotton candy or popcorn.
Everyone was around the plushie like somehow it was an important meeting. "Woah, they even know that you're a weretiger Atsushi" Tanizaki said in impressed as Atsushi sighed in disbelief "what I'm concerned is that how the hell do they know that's your desk?" Kunikida put his fingers under his trying to figure out who this is. "Please Ranpo! You know who it is right??" Atsushi went up to Ranpo and went on his knees and beg him "hmmm, nah I don't know" he grinned. " Aww man how come my kouhai gets one, i'm better! My hair is even better!" Dazai pouted and cross his arms, not gonna lie that's true.
Atsushi puts his hand together like he's praying, begging for Ranpo to answer him. He kept on begging and started jumping to convince him to say it, but he didn't miss that look when Ranpo suddenly took a glance at Dazai, and Dazai replied with a nod. He looked at Ranpo in confusion, does Dazai know too? "I'll give you a simple hint if you buy me some pocky sticks, give me a chocolate one and also buy 8 packs of them, thank you!" and walked off. 8 packs?! Dang Ranpo.. He got up and told everyone he is going to the convenient store that's nearby, everyone nodded and then he left.
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Atsushi arrived at the convenient store and he went to the area where Ranpo requested and grabbed 5 of them, I'm so broke he quietly sobbed. He saw a lot of food and sweets that has everyone in ADA favorites even the master! He decided to buy those for them even though he will end up being broke very soon... (he's so thoughtful I love him so much). He went up to the cashier and gave her the sweets and food he brought, and she started scanning them. He took out his flip phone seeing the messages from Dazai
Dazai: Did you arrive at the convenience store safely?
Dazai: I don't want my poor little tiger kouhai getting kidnap :(
Atsushi: it's only 5 minutes away...
Atsushi put his flip phone away and heard someone entered the convenience store from the right "Jinko." Atsushi eyes snapped and turned his head face to the direction of the voice. "What do you want Akutagawa?" he growled. The person entered turned out to be the only person he didn't want to see on Earth and it's the one and only 'Akutagawa Ryuunosuke.'
"Nothing, I just came here to get something to brighten my day but someone that's in front suddenly ruined my mood" he shrugged and gave him with an intense stare. "ugh, whatever just get out of my sight" he scoffs and turned his shoulders to face the cashier about to pay but before he could give her the money, she randomly said "thank you for paying" she said politely, huh? "uh-I'm sorry but I didn't pay yet" he was so confused, am I getting old? I'm only 18 though... he scratched his head in confusion "ahh no..it was the guy that came in that paid for you" she smiled wait what? He quickly turned his head to Akutagawa; he looked behind and both made eye contact. He smirked and broke the tension between them. What is up with him?
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"I have arrived!" Atsushi opened the door wide, raising up plastic bags fill of sweets and food. "Dang Atsushi, how many did you brought for Ranpo?" Dazai questioned, annoying Kunikida while he's working on his laptop. "Well, I brought everyone their favorites, so I decided to get you guys some" he put up with a weak smile and for a moment of silence after he said that, Everyone ran to the plastic bag and get the goods like wolves chasing their food. Atsushi flinched as one of them snatched it and it was obviously Ranpo "Me!"
A few minutes went by, I asked Ranpo a hint we made a deal for, and it took a while for him to answer since he kept on chewing the pocky. As I was waiting suddenly everyone is around Ranpo also waiting for the answer "You guys want to know too?" Ranpo said in disbelief "yes!" everyone said all together quickly besides Atsushi that he didn't recognise everyone is going to listen.
As Ranpo gulped the last pocky stick he took a deep breath and said, "it's a guy." he confidently said, leading them a loud silence as Dazai from the back started cackling like crazy, as he is holding onto his stomach from the pain of laughter.
"Wait- guy?" Yosano had a surprised expression "yes, not a female." everyone just stood there. They all turned their heads to Atsushi seeing him more shocked than anyone in this room. "t-thats even worse..." Atsushi said as his eyes were feared "Hey! I know you like girls Atsushi but don't be too homophobic!" Yosano called out "n-no! I-I didn't mean i-it like that.. it's just they're mostly girls around me. I don't see any guy seemed to take an interest in me you know..." Atsushi rubbed palm against the back of his neck as everyone went ahhhh when they understood. "And ummm...." everyone stop, and everyone's eyes went on Atsushi. He nervously look up to look at everyone "i-i'm ok with guys..." he quickly look down to the floor as everyone started yelling "You like guys?!"
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Over a couple days, Atsushi still could not find out who it is. He didn't find anything new besides it's a guy. The gifts become more disturbing, not in a bad way but it has been in hi head for ages and dying to know who it is. Even the ADA is trying to get clues from it but none of them found anything. All letters all went from the same thing, it always says
"I hope you like the gift
-someone"
Like it's not helping! Atsushi slammed his forehead against the table and groan from stress. Dazai came over wondering what's up with his student "Awww~ my poor kouhai.. whats up?" he chuckled, putting both of his palm resting on his cheeks in both sides and both of his elbows were against the table helping it to land stand balance. "These gifts become so disturbing nowadays I can't deal with this" he let a frustration groan again and started to pull his hair out like a wild animal "Disturbing you?" he questioned "Yes! Like these letters are not helpful! They repeated every time I received like 'I hope you like the gift' like seriously!?" He mocked the sentences that was written to every love letter. Dazai smiled and let out a chuckle. Dazai muttered something that's really quiet, but Atsushi swear that Dazai said "that guy..." I swear Atsushi started to feel like it's either him or someone he knew.
This is so stressful!
___________________
Atsushi and Dazai are planned to be partners in the mission that was committed murder from the Port Mafia, of course. They arrived the area where the police recorded the reports, it appeared to be a working office that had caught a lot of reports that are related to the Port mafia which make sense. They had caught 4 people died from a knife and 26 died from an unknown, maybe an ability. They said the 26 people had died with a big hole in the torso, which they did not expected that they got shot by a gun.
Atsushi knew who this 'person' that've killed 26 people, obviously Akutagawa. He was pissed that he will end up seeing him face to face in this mission, but he is ready to kick his ass which made him pumped up. Dazai and Atsushi made a plan that they be separated and meet on the other side.
The ran down to the hall way as Dazai took a turn for the left and as for Atsushi, he turned to the opposite direction. Atsushi kept on running down to the hall way until he was stopped to see a door that was locked into chains. He moved back and uses his tiger abilities to barge into the door, it was strong enough that it slammed the wall pretty hard as it started the cracks.
He looked around the room just to see all the papers were scattered and see the desk and chairs all a mess and scattered all over the place, Port Mafia is so damn crazy. The windows were broken and so is nearly all the computers screens were cracked, everything was a mess. He saw some papers that were tilted 'AKUTAGAWA RYUUNOSUKE' in big red.
He took a little red since he was curious, He had a lot of documentary and pages than most of every port mafia members. He flip some more pages and saw an image that captured his eye. It was an image of him standing around the area that's surprisingly near to his house, that freaked him out because it looked so mysterious in that photo. It was recently too. He flips more pages just to see him standing on a rooftop and he looks like he is looking for something, as he kept on looking at the documentary he saw a title that said ' AKUTAGAWA HAS FOLLOWING AROUND THIS PERSON, WHAT INTENTIONS DOES HE WANT FROM?' there was no photo, it was ripped off.
"Woah Akutagawa is a creep I never knew that" he chuckled and threw the paper away to continue looking for an enemy until he stopped when he saw a figure in front of him, he was hiding under the shadows so he couldn't see anything.
The figure walked forward to reveal himself as Atsushi a couple of steps backward trying to back away from them. And of course, he should've known who that dark figure could be, "what did you just called me?" Akutagawa asked him coldly giving him an intense death stare that Atsushi couldn't avoid. " I said that you're an emo goth bastard and a disgusting creep" When Atsushi finished his sentenced. Akutagawa yelled out "Rashomon!" and strike an attack. Atsushi jumped to avoid the attack and landed perfectly on the floor and charge at him.
He moved to the side, using his Rashomon to attack from behind as Atsushi quickly looked behind and luckily dodged it again. Everything happened so fast that his body was slammed against the wall, he didn't move aside "how pathetic" he spatted out and the Rashomon quickly strike an attack directly perfect aim at him getting his whole body against the wall, a painful attack. His mouth started bleeding and transform his arm into his tiger abilites to attack right at him. He moved fast and quickly in a blink that Akutagawa didn't think twice. He pulled up a fist at him and started coughing in blood.
He slowly got up and giving him the same stare "Jinko, you little.." he gritted his teeth. Atsushi cocked a smile "you called me pathetic?" he teased. They both ran direactly each other, ready to use their abilities against each other black and white.
After some quite a while, Atsushi was breathing heavy, putting his tiger paws on his knee trying to catch his breath. How long are we going to do this? He thought. Akutagawa was just coughing instead of breathing so much, is he not tired or is he losing his voice? He looked at him in frustration as they're Atsushi was ready to attack and charge at him again. He was caught be one of Rashomon and slammed him against the table. The Rashomon was so tight he can't use his abilities to get out "ugh! Let me go!" He growled as the raven walked up to silver head and stopped in front. In his view, he stared down at him, both making eye contact like a staring competition.
The older leaned his face closer to the younger, seeing his face more clearly. Atsushi jumped and shivered from his stare and how close they were "h-hey.. what are you doing?" He started at him in confusion, he blinked twice as his cheeks started to turn slightly pink and glared at the side, trying to avoid his stare. "You...know, your eyes are so beautiful it makes me to stab it and take them out" He coldly said. the silver looks back at him quickly questioning is he should say thank you or be scared "excuse me?" he furrowed his eyebrows.
"Your eyes are killing me, it's disgusting to look at" he huffed "ok, earlier you just said my eyes are beautiful now you're disgusted about it? If you really hate looking at me, I also hate looking at you too" He rolled his eyes. The raven stared at him getting slightly closer and the more he goes closer, the silver just stood still. "Akutagawa..." he gave him that innocent look that he found very cute and decided to lean even closer that they're a few inches away. "Did you like the gifts?" he breath out.
What.
wait..no way.
Atsushi moved out and able to rid of the grip from the Rashomon and moved away. The older raven thought he was disgusted but when he look up, he saw the weretiger blushing mess full of red like a colour of a tomato. "y-your the one..?" he stuttered and unable to breath. Are you serious? The one who gave me gifts and letters was the Akutagawa? No way.. There is no way.
"yeah, it was me" He confidently said as he fixed his posture and walk slowly towards to him. Atsushi moved back until his back was hit against the wall. Akutagawa used his Rashomon to tie both of wrist and pin him in both sides. Atsushi made a yelp sound when his wrist was slammed hard and that made Akutagawa smirk " all the gifts I made and the letters I wrote, they were all from me" he coughed and titled his head to the side "you need to stop repeating the sentences you did in the letters" He chuckled "I'm not really great with words alright" he annoyingly said as he rolled his eyes "but, you do love that plushie I gave you right?" his frown transform into a devilish smirk, teasing to get a reaction from the were tiger. "y-you!" He clenched his teeth "you can't lie, I see you kept on clenching to the plushie when you went to sleep" Atsushi snapped his eyes opened "Hold up how did you know that?" he questioned as the Raven leaned his head extra closer "You idiot, you read those documents about me before."
Before he could reply to the guy that's using his ability to pin him down, his lips made contact to his and the kiss and they stayed in that position for as long as they could. Akutagawa pulled away and wait back kissing that turned into a passionate kiss. They kept on doing this when they got interrupted by a random sound, they both jumped when they said Dazai leaning against the door frame while whistling " Hoooo~ Hooooo~ Keep taking the man role Akutagawa!" he brought up with a childish smile " GET OUTTT ALL OF YOUU!!!" Atsushi yelled and kick Akutagawa off.
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While Atsushi and Dazai left to go to the mission:
"It's Akutagawa" Ranpo randomly said taking a bite of some chocolate bar as everyone went confused and quickly realized on what he meant as their faces transform into a wide shocked expression like it could change the future.
Everyone started yelling until Tanizaki interrupted the volume "isn't Atsushi and Dazai heading to a mission where the Port Mafia is?" everyone eyes went on the gingered and everyone just look at each other in dumb founded and quickly changed their expression into crazy little child.
The end :)