#sskkweek2019

[shinsoukokuvalentine]

Real

(You have no idea how excited I am to post this. I’m super proud of this and I hope you love it as much as I do!

For Shin Soukoku Week, Day 7: Free Day)

212/365: Real

For the first time in years, Atsushi’s hands shake as he takes the mic.

It’s just a publicity stunt, he tells himself, taking a deep breath, it’ll blow over soon enough, and then you can stop.

He looks over at Ryuu, who waves to the cheering crowd in front of the stage, blowing random, chaste kisses that cause his fangirls to squeal with delight.

Ryuu had consented to this. He had sat there right next to Atsushi, protesting along with him at first, but after being told the advantages by Mori, Ryuu had simply begun to agree and nod his head. Atsushi didn’t have a chance to speak out against the two of them. He was the newest member, after all.

So he waits, smiling as he usually does, hoping the audience sees the sweat on his face as typical post-performance exhaustion. He waits as Ryuu makes his way over to him, striding with purpose in a few seconds that seem to stretch on for hours.

Finally, Ryuu takes the mic as well, his fingers wrapping around Atsushi’s own. He leans in, and Atsushi mirrors him as instructed.

“I have an announcement to make,” Ryuu says with his typical nonchalance, a characteristic that at least a fourth of their fangirls seem to swoon over.

If the crowd quiets, it’s only by the smallest margin. Ryuu wraps his other arm around Atsushi’s waist, and the crowd gets even louder, cheering and clapping and waving their glowsticks through the air.

Ryuu speaks again, and his lie causes blush to burst across Atsushi’s face, which he instinctively covers with his gloved hand.

“Atsushi-kun and I are dating.”

The crowd’s joyous screams probably fractured a few eardrums.

x

“That’s it,” Atsushi growls, slamming the backstage door shut behind him. “Mori-san is evil, and we need to get a new producer.”

“You know that without PORT, we’d still be working in convenience stores, right?” Chuuya points out, lifting the cooling towel from his forehead just enough to give Atsushi the side-eye. Atsushi huffs and throws himself down on the nearest stool.

“Without PORT, I wouldn’t have to look like I’m dating him,” he shoots back, glad Ryuu’s not in the room to hear him.

“But it’ll make our publicity skyrocket,” Dazai says. He sits in front of one of the mirrors, wiping stage makeup off his face. “You know fans have shipped you two since you joined the band. They’ll practically be eating out of our hands now.”

Atsushi groans, crossing his arms in front of his chest and throwing his head back. “They already were,” he says. “Hopefully this’ll go like Mori-san says and will just blow over. I don’t know how long I can pretend to like him.”

“Uh, Atsushi?” He hears Chuuya speak up, and he lifts his head in time to see Ryuu glaring at him, standing in the doorway. Atsushi goes pale.

“I-i mean, uh,” he stammers, trying to come up with an excuse, but Ryuu leaves as quickly as he came, slamming the door behind him with such force that Chuuya nearly falls off the couch.

x

They have to keep up the illusion. That’s what Mori said. That’s why they hold hands walking on stage, why they look into each other’s eyes instead of at the crowd when they sing love songs.

At first, it’s enough to make Atsushi’s stomach turn. But Atsushi nearly catches himself falling for the ruse multiple times, starting to enjoy the attention Ryuu gives him, the affection, even the gentle way he holds his hand.

But then he reminds himself it’s a trick, and a frown almost crosses his face before he snuffs it out and grins at the crowd. Every time he hits that realization after breaking out of a two-second dream, every time he reminds himself that it’s Ryuu of all people showing him this affection, it feels like betrayal stabbing into his gut. It makes him long for the day that they can stop pretending and just go back to being their normal selves, so he and their fans don’t have to fall for their lies over and over again.

That is, until Ryuu kisses him on the cheek.

The crowd screams. Atsushi’s face heats up again, like fire and ice and electricity all at once, bursting from where Ryuu’s lips touched his skin. Ryuu pulls away immediately, turning and waving to the audience again as if it was nothing, and Atsushi tries to brush it off as well, bursting into laughter as fake as their relationship.

But we wouldn’t have come this far if he wasn’t good at acting.

x

Sharing hotel rooms becomes commonplace, and while at first Atsushi struggles to be in the same room with Ryuu for an extended period of time, they soon learn how to share a space as long as they keep their distance from each other.

“This is the opposite of distance,” Atsushi hisses, nearly ready to shatter his phone. Mori had rented hotel rooms for them on the next spot of their tour, but either he forgot how many band members BSD had or he knew exactly what he was doing, because he had only rented three rooms for four people.

And Atsushi has a feeling he knows who will be sharing a room.

“I’m taking the couch,” Atsushi snaps, throwing his pillow down on it as soon as he steps in the door. Ryuu frowns.

“That’s a loveseat,” he points out. Atsushi rolls his eyes.

“I don’t see your point.”

“There’s no way you can squeeze on that, Jinko,” he says. Atsushi avoids pointing out that it’s better than the alternative, preferring to simply say nothing as he unpacks.

Ryuu only leaves him in silence for a moment.

“You’ll hurt your back if you sleep on that thing.”

“I’ll be fine,” Atsushi says sternly, sitting on the loveseat. It’s hard as a board.

Ryuu must notice this, for he raises an eyebrow. Atsushi crosses his arms stubbornly.

“I’ll be fine,” he repeats.

He tells himself this, over and over, until he’s tried for over an hour to get to sleep on that tiny cement block. With an exhausted groan, he gives up.

“Ryuu-kun?” He whispers into the dark room. It takes a second, but he finally hears a small grunt from the bed. “Can I sleep with you?” The question feels strange on Atsushi’s lips, and very quickly Atsushi worries that he’s crossed a line. They’re not actually dating, and that’s not a thing bandmates ask each other, he reminds himself.

Atsushi opens his mouth, ready to say that he takes it all back, but Ryuu makes another sound. It takes a moment for Atsushi to realize that he said “mm-hmm.”

Atsushi takes a deep breath. He slides off the couch, taking his pillow with him, and makes his way over to the bed in time to see Ryuu scoot to the side, even holding up the duvet so that Atsushi can get under with him.

Heart hammering in his chest, Atsushi slowly crawls beneath the covers, watching Ryuu’s face for any sign of discomfort, but Ryuu’s eyes remain closed, his expression neutral. Atsushi’s own anxiety seems to melt away as he allows his body to settle into the soft mattress, even letting out a small sigh and allowing a smile to form on his lips.

“Thank you,” he murmurs.

Ryuu must have fallen back to sleep, for he says nothing. Instead, he nuzzles close to Atsushi, practically cuddling him. Atsushi stiffens again, eyes widening.

But then, he sees the calm and peace on Ryuu’s face. He sees the gentle way his chest rises and falls, small breaths escaping his slightly-parted lips. There’s no tension in his posture, like there is when the band is alone, and there’s no show in his motions, like there is when they’re onstage.

There’s only Ryuu, at his purest and most vulnerable, and he has allowed Atsushi to see him like this.

In spite of himself, Atsushi finds himself relaxing again as he smiles.

“Sleep well,” he whispers.

x

Atsushi isn’t sure what changed. At least, that’s what he tells himself. If he truly thinks, he knows exactly what changed, when it changed, and why it changed. If that small kiss on the cheek shook him, that one night in the hotel shook Atsushi’s entire world.

But he chooses not to think about that. Their relationship is a farce, a career strategy. It’s purely business, and nothing more.

So why does Atsushi catch Ryuu staring at him, even when there are no cameras? Why does he still hold his hand, even when they’ve stepped offstage? Why does he still kiss his cheek, even when they’re simply parting ways to go to their own rooms?

Why does Atsushi let him do all these things?

It’s for the lie. It must be. It’s all for the sake of staying in character, of giving the audience what they want. It’s all a farce.

That’s why Atsushi nearly crushes the flowers he finds outside his door the next morning.

“What are these?!” He yells, storming into Ryuu’s room. From his desk, Ryuu raises an eyebrow.

“I should think it simple enough to figure out,” he says. His placid tone only infuriates Atsushi further. “They’re flowers, Jinko.”

“I can see that they’re flowers!” Atsushi shouts, ready to throw the bouquet onto the floor. He doesn’t. “I mean why do you keep doing this?!”

Ryuu’s eyes narrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Before Atsushi knows what he’s doing, he’s stormed over to Ryuu, tossed the bouquet onto the couch, and grabbed him by the lapels of his shirt.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about!” Roars Atsushi. “No one’s looking at us! No one’s watching! Why play with my feelings when no one’s around to squeal at it?!”

Ryuu’s expression doesn’t change. He stays silent. Atsushi squeezes his eyes shut when he sees his vision begin to blur, and he lets go of Ryuu’s shirt, stepping back as if that could make his tears any less obvious.

“What if I started to develop feelings for you? Is that all part of your game, too? Will you not leave me alone because you’re teasing me about it?” He stops when his voice breaks. He wipes away tears with his sleeve, sniffing unceremoniously.

He didn’t notice Ryuu get up from his chair. All he feels are arms suddenly around him, holding him close, accompanied by a scent that’s grown oh-so familiar in the past few months.

His arms seem to move on their own, and soon he’s holding Ryuu as well.

“Atsushi-kun,” Ryuu murmurs in an unfamiliar, gentle tone, his lips close to Atsushi’s ear, “why do you think I agreed to pretend?”

Atsushi opens his mouth, but no answer comes out. He rolls the question over and over in his mind, each time picking up more and more evidence, revealing the reason that Atsushi had always feared since the beginning.

But now, somehow, nestled in Ryuu’s embrace, he feels no fear at all.

Atsushi isn’t sure who moves first. He isn’t sure when it begins, nor when it will end. All he knows is that they’re kissing and Ryuu’s lips are soft and his tongue feels so good against his.

All he knows is that Ryuu was never pretending.

[firecrotchette]

shin soukoku week day 4

prompt: BEAST AU

title: why don’t you figure my heart out?

summary: Something so simple and meaningless as the amount of sugar cubes in his tea or coffee wouldn't be enough to salvage him, Atsushi's cowardice and fear chained him in place. But the smell of ink on paper might just be the key.

ao3 link

[3stirali]

@shinsoukoku-week 2019☆ day one: tickling the dragon’s tail (hint: it’s a manhattan project reference)

ao3 link title: dark december word count: 1650 summary: Being short-staffed is one thing. Atsushi can understand that. But why does he have to work with Akutagawa?

[kou-star-blog]

but who would care for drinking when this, whatever him and the handsome stranger do, can get him on a drunken high?

for shin soukoku week 2019

day 3: safety

[synstropezia]

Title: Mari Bercakap Hingga Malam Terpeluk Biru Langit

Summary: Mari bercakap hingga malam terpeluk biru langit; adalah hari di mana kegelapanmu bisa menyatu dengan cerah putih awan, yang pengetahuannya terbatas pada cara memeluk tanpa tahu untuk melepaskan kerapuhan. #sskkweek19

Rate: T

Chara: Nakahima Atsushi x Akutagawa Ryuunosuke

Genre: General

Disclaimer: Asagiri Kafka & Harukawa Sango

Day 1: Eye of the tiger/tickle a dragon's tail

[shinsoukokuvalentine]

Discovery

(Wow. Okay. I love this one so much and I’m sooo proud of it! Let me know what you guys think. This actually covers 4 SSKK week prompts, from both yesterday and today: character study, OOC, scars, and secrets. I really love how hey al came together ^^)

210/365: Discovery

Atsushi thought he knew who Akutagawa Ryuunosuke was.

Akutagawa was bloodthirsty. Akutagawa was merciless. Akutagawa was the enemy.

But after a while, after a few too many promises that now wasn’t his time to die, a few too many worried looks on the battlefield, and a few too many helping hands, Atsushi spoke up.

“Who are you?”

Akutagawa narrowed his eyes. He stopped in his tracks, turning around almost haughtily, if that was possible.

“You know who I am, Jinko,” he snapped. Atsushi’s neutral expression didn’t waver as Akutagawa repeated his tired old line, “I’m the one who will kill you.”

Atsushi sighed a little. “Yeah, I know,” he mumbled, waving off the threat he knew by now to be empty. “Other than that. What else.”

Akutagawa shoved his hands in his pockets, still casting his glare on Atsushi. “What are you playing at?” He hissed.

A frown passed over Atsushi’s lips. He turned his head to the side and his feet followed, walking the opposite direction of Akutagawa.

“Forget it,” he muttered. Akutagawa wouldn’t reveal himself so easily.

Verbal answers to Atsushi’s question came few and far between. Of course, he would give away the occasional tidbit, such as saying “I hate coffee” when Atsushi offered to take him to a cafe, and “Rain doesn’t bother me” when the sky suddenly split open and Atsushi rushed to find an umbrella. But such statements were hardly an insight into his character.

Slowly, Atsushi realized that although Akutagawa rarely spoke of himself, he spoke of Atsushi quite often.

“Idiot,” he muttered when Atsushi ducked under a tree during that downpour, which barely kept the rain away at all. Atsushi shivered and shook his head as droplets fell on him, but without warning, they stopped, and Atsushi looked up to see Akutagawa holding Rashoumon like an umbrella above his head.

“If you hate the rain, check the weather and bring an umbrella,” growled Akutagawa. He didn’t give Atsushi a chance to thank him before he began walking away, Atsushi slipping on the sidewalk in his rush to follow and keep under Rashoumon.

It became apparent that Akutagawa’s actions spoke louder than his words. They spoke in the way he jumped in front of Atsushi to shield him in battle. They spoke in the way he brought Atsushi daifuku the day after he mentioned how much he wanted some. They spoke in the way he draped his own coat over Atsushi’s shoulders, despite shivering himself.

With a soft smile, Atsushi held out one side of the jacket. He hesitated for a moment, but Akutagawa slowly nestled in beside him, breathing deeply.

“You’re warm,” he murmured, softer than Atsushi had ever heard him speak.

Akutagawa Ryuunosuke kept his secrets hidden, but slowly, he began to show them to Atsushi, as if gradually pulling back the curtain on a mural, one that encapsulated an entire wall in its brilliance. And Atsushi would discover him, piece by color-filled piece, unil Akutagawa became whole before his eyes as a collage of beauty and strength.

He would discover him in their first kiss, standing on the platform between two rushing trains, the wind whipping their hair around their faces.

He would discover him in the smallest touch, like the brush of Akutagawa’s fingers against his face, or the way he gripped his hand, showing fear that never crossed his face.

He would discover him before their enemies, power seeming to flow from him as soon as whoever opposed them dare threaten Atsushi.

He would discover him in late hours of the night, fingers gripping sheets and hair, whispering each other’s names amid gasps and moans.

He would discover him when they laid silently together at dawn’s first light, Akutagawa tracing Atsushi’s scars with his fingers, drawing lines between his freckles like constellations. Before, Atsushi would’ve seen something so gentle from Akutagawa as being out of character.

But now, he thinks, placing a kiss to his lover’s forehead and watching blush dust his cheeks, now he knows better.

Now he knows Akutagawa Ryuunosuke.

[shinsoukokuvalentine]

Dust

(This felt jarring, even for me. Oh well, I wanted to write both these scenarios and neither of them was developed enough to make their own post. *slaps two mismatched plots together like chocolate pudding and ketchup*

For SSKK week, day 4: AUs. For the record, the only reason I haven’t written anything for the BEAST au yet is because I’m waiting until a fully translated version comes out. I like things in completion and I’m stubborn.)

211/365: Dust

Atsushi had stopped paying attention to the movie long ago. How could he, with Ryuu sitting in his lap, sucking and biting on his collarbone?

He holds down the urge to hiss at the sensation. They’re the only two in the theater, but it still feels wrong to make noise, somehow.

Ryuu pulls his mouth away, panting hot breath onto fresh bruises. Even in the dim light, Atsushi can see the sultry way Ryuu looks at him, as if he’s already started undressing him with his eyes. Atsushi returns the look and threads his fingers through Ryuu’s hair before pulling him down into an open-mouthed kiss.

Ryuu moans when Atsushi bites and sucks on his lip, causing him to shift his hips in Atsushi’s lap, stirring up tantalizing friction that has Atsushi moaning right back. He moves his tongue along Ryuu’s, tasting a bit of the buttered popcorn that they had finished before the movie even started.

They make out through the movie’s climax, and by the time the credits begin to roll, multiple bruises visibly mark Atsushi’s skin from his jawline to his collarbone.

“Mine,” Ryuu accentuates his words with a final bite, a final sharp tug with his lips, and Atsushi finally releases a moan that turns his lover’s face cherry red.

Clearing his throat, Ryuu stands, and Atsushi whines a little when his lap suddenly becomes cold.

“We should get going,” says Ryuu, holding out his hand. Atsushi takes it and stands with a sigh, but he yelps a bit when Ryuu jerks him close, pressing their bodies together again, and breathes in his ear, “If you can wait until we get home.”

Atsushi squirms a bit, nodding, and Ryuu lets go of his arm long enough for Atsushi to cling to him, nuzzling into his shoulder as they walk down the steps to the door.

“I love you,” he murmurs. Ryuu says nothing, but the tender way he kisses Atsushi’s forehead returns his affection and more.

Theater staff give them odd, knowing looks as the two walk out, rolling their eyes at Atsushi’s fresh hickeys. Atsushi chooses to ignore them, gasping instead at the cold night air when they step outside.

“Should’ve brought a jacket,” Ryuu mutters, but he takes the coat off his own shoulders and drapes it over Atsushi’s. When Atsushi gives him a worried look, he scoffs, “I’ll be fine,” and Atsushi knows that he won’t accept the jacket back now.

x

For as late as it is, the train station is swamped with people. Ryuu holds tight to Atsushi’s hand so they don’t lose each other, his eyes darting occasionally to the bruises still fresh on Atsushi’s exposed skin. He causes himself to blush when he imagines where else he’ll give Atsushi hickeys when they get home.

That’s when they hear the first scream.

Ryuu’s mind wipes itself clean in an instant. Like many others on the platform, he and Atsushi whip their heads around to the source of the sound. A middle-aged woman begins to sob at seemingly nothing, holding her arms out to a mysteriously empty space on the otherwise crowded platform. Ryuu stares at the woman in bewilderment, but another scream echoes through the tunnel, and another, and another.

He frantically tries to see what’s going on, to understand, only to stare in horror as a police officer, instructing everyone to remain calm, crumbles into dust before their eyes.

People scream. The sound overwhelms Ryuu, who sees them now, nearly half the people on the platform, blowing away into ash.

“Ryuu?”

With a gasp, Ryuu looks to his side. Shaking, Atsushi clings to him, and he looks up at Ryuu with wide eyes filled with terror and confusion.

“What’s going on?”

His soft, innocent question holds his last words Ryuu hears from his lover’s lips, and Ryuu’s voice joins the screams as Atsushi fades into the wind.

[shinsoukokuvalentine]

I'd love to see this one! “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”

(Welcome to part 4 (and final for a while at least) of the Sundog AU! I’m really proud of this one, so I hope you like it too. Thank you for putting up with me shoving this AU into nearly every ask I’ve gotten for the past week.

Hey, it’s also the 1st day of SSKK week as well, so this also fits that prompt: Eye of the tiger. Vaguely. I did my best.)

18. “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”

209/365: Justice

Alarms sound from every single one of the Sundog’s corridors.

“We’re taking fire!” Higuchi yells, darting past Ryuu, yelling into her com link. “All gunners to the port side!”

Ryuu pants, coughing into his hand occasionally. He races down to the main engine room, hoping Chuuya’s already there, assessing damage.

“Ryuu!”

Ryuu stops suddenly, whipping his head to his side. Atsushi beckons him with one hand, a finger held to his lips with the other hand, hiding around a corner. Ryuu rolls his eyes as he slides next to him.

“What?” He almost hisses. Atsushi’s eyes are alight with excitement, and he nearly seems to jitter as he speaks.

“That fighter you’ve been working on,” he says quickly, “the one with the cloaking. Have you finished it?”

Ryuu’s eyes narrow. “Don’t you dare,” he snaps, but Atsushi keeps talking.

“Because, if you’ve finished it, we can slip between the phaser fire and onto the Krysa,” Atsushi beams as if he’s just discovered an infinite pool of wealth.

Ryuu frowns. “You think I haven’t thought of that?” he mutters. “If it was ready, someone would be flying it out there by now.”

Smiling coyly, Atsushi tilts his head. “Didn’t you say that all you needed was a jewel board?”

Ryuu raises an eyebrow. “Yes…?”

Atsushi beams again as he reaches into his pocket. When he pulls his glove back out, he holds a small wrapped package in his hands.

“Kyouka found it on Asagiri,” he says. Ryuu’s eyes widen, and he quickly grabs up the package. Nevermind that Kyouka likely stole it - none of them would be able to afford a jewel board unless they didn’t want to eat for a month - it’s his now.

Atsushi must notice the fascination in Ryuu’s eyes, for he grins as he pulls his large blaster off of his back. “So are you in?”

Delicately, Ryuu unties the small ribbon that Atsushi’s wrapped around the package, leaving the jewel board’s circuits to glitter in the ship’s flashing emergency lights. He sighs, folding his hands around it.

“This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had,” he says, then looks Atsushi straight in the eye. “Of course i’m in.”

x

They should’ve told someone else. They shouldn’t have gone alone.

They shouldn’t have gone at all.

“ATSUSHI!” Ryuu screams, doing his best with his small phaser as Atsushi fires his larger gun. Crawling along every wall, floor, and ceiling, hissing, furless, rodent-like creatures the size of children swipe and bite at them. Whenever they shoot one down, four more seem to take its place.

“I know!” Atsushi snaps back, covering them as they scramble back to the pod. Over the ship’s intercom, a harsh voice laughs.

“Run, little dogs,” the Krysa’s captain taunts. Ryuu snarls and shoots the nearest surveillance camera.

“This is the stupidest plan you’ve ever had!” Shouts Ryuu, running as fast as he can without falling over deformed monsters. Despite not having eyes, each of them faces the two, screeching with noise that nearly drowns out anything Ryuu or Atsushi could say.

“You don’t say!” Atsushi shoots back. His more powerful, but slower blaster can take out more than three of the monsters at a time, but even that doesn’t seem to be putting a dent in them. Ryuu turns quick enough to shoot at a monster that approached Atsushi from behind. He shouts, “Kunikida’s going to have our-!”

He’s cut off by a harsh sound. It’s a dry, strangled noise, louder than the monsters, and after an agonizing moment, Ryuu realizes it’s coming from his own lips.

He looks down, sees the monster on his arm, blood covering its fangs, and he makes that sound again. That’s his blood. That’s his arm, no longer attached to him, being swallowed down the beast’s throat.

“RYUU!” Atsushi yells, and the monster falls dead, a phaser blast through its misshapen skull.

Ryuu doesn’t move. He doesn’t move until Atsushi grabs his other shoulder, pulling him along the corridor. Unbearable pain flares up from where his arm used to be just milliseconds ago.

“You’ll be okay,” Atsushi says, over and over, shooting at the monsters that still follow them. “You’ll be okay.”

Spots dance across Ryuu’s vision. He grimaces, doing his best to run alongside Atsushi.

“Atsushi,” he says, teeth gritted together. “You’ll have to fly us back.”

Atsushi stumbles. “N-no, you can do it still,” he insists while they turn a corner. Ryuu glares at him.

“We both know… You need,” he gasps, holding close what remains of his arm, “… Two hands.”

Atsushi gulps. For a second, he squeezes his eyes shut.

“I-I know you can do it, somehow,” he stammers. Ryuu growls.

“Atsushi!” He shouts, causing him to turn to him with wide eyes. They pant as they run, and the rages fades from Ryuu’s face as he looks into Atsushi’s eyes, filled with fear. “I need you to fly us home,” he murmurs, barely able to be heard over the monsters.

Atsushi stares at him a second longer, mouth open, but a charging monster screeches as it jumps towards them, and Atsushi turns to shoot it. He says nothing else, but his entire body shakes as he helps Ryuu back to the fighter.

They make it in by the skin of their teeth. The monsters snarl, and one of their hands gets severed in the fighter’s closing doors. Ryuu spits on it.

“Payback,” he mutters.

Though he manages to make it to the cockpit, Atsushi freezes the second he sits in the pilot’s seat.

“I…” he stutters, eyes darting over the controls. “I… I can’t do this.”

Ryuu pants. He can feel consciousness leaving his body, and the pool of blood at his feet only grows as his arm continues to bleed. “Doesn’t matter if you can,” he hisses through the pain. “You have to.”

The monsters pound on the door, and the fighter lurches forward under their might. Atsushi gasps, hands instinctively flying to the controls before he suddenly pulls them back, chest heaving.

Ryuu slides down to the floor, breathing shallow. “See?” he says. “You’re… A pilot, Atsushi.”

Atsushi’s lips form a thin line. He looks from his hands to the controls, then back to Ryuu, causing him to gasp.

“Ryuu, you’re-!”

“I can see a doctor… When we get home,” he says. With his remaining hand, he grasps the bleeding stump of his other arm. He locks eyes with Atsushi and nods. “Your job… Is getting us there.”

The ship lurches again, and once again, Atsushi’s hands fly to the controls. Except this time, he doesn’t take them off.

“You can do this,” whispers Ryuu, his voice failing him. The fighter hums to life as Ryuu lets his heavy eyelids begin to close. “… I love you.”

The fighter jettisons out of the Krysa, and Ryuu hears Atsushi shout his name before every light goes out.

x

“… How does it feel?”

Ryuu flexes his arm again. Mori had it fitted with the absolute best; the materials are first-rate, and it moves as smoothly as his original one. Still, he sighs.

“It doesn’t feel like mine yet,” he mutters, lowering the robotic arm to his side. Atsushi sighs and nods.

“I wonder if it ever will,” he says, gazing out the window. Ryuu follows his line of sight. They’ve stopped for a supply run, and the planet’s two suns light up the sky outside.

“I’m sorry,” Atsushi murmurs, slumping over in the chair beside Ryuu’s hospital bed. Ryuu turns to look at him as he continues, “if I hadn’t had that stupid plan-”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Ryuu interjects. He closes his eyes, breathing slowly. “I’m sorry I pressured you into flying.”

He feels a hand push some of his bangs out of his face, and he looks up to see Atsushi smiling gently at him.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs. “I… Think I needed that,” he admits, his smile turning sheepish.

Ryuu huffs a bit, closing his eyes again. He nearly jolts up in bed when he feels something warm and soft touch his lips.

He stares at Atsushi, eyes wide, as the other man pulls away, eyelids fluttering.

“I think you needed that,” he whispers, grinning, and Ryuu can only nod. At his stunned reaction, Atsushi bursts into laughter.

His laugh glitters like stardust, echoing through the otherwise empty sick bay like wind chimes.

“I love you too, you know,” he finally manages to say as his laughter dies down, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.

Ryuu’s face flushes, and either Atsushi doesn’t notice or doesn’t care, because he goes on to talk about his upcoming pilot lesson with Dazai.

[firecrotchette]

shin soukoku week day 5

prompt: constellations

title: vega’s smile overhead

summary: On the night of the hundredth anniversary of their union, Ryuunosuke gives his husband, Atsushi, a spectacular gift.

ao3 link

[firecrotchette]

shin soukoku week day 6

prompt: "We look up from fighting And start to become our new selves My empty palms Take your hand Towards the path That my heart knows I should go

—Bokura by Luck Life

title: the heart knows

summary: When he's unable to kill Atsushi at the end of the six months he promised not to kill or murder, Ryuunosuke thinks this is his final defeat. A gentle hand shows him that that's not true. That, maybe, there's something after to look forward to.

ao3 link

[firecrotchette]

shin soukoku week day 1:

title: From the Edge

prompt: tickling the dragon’s tail

summary: A chance encounter, a small nugget of information from Kyouka and the creeping sensation of guilt has Atsushi wondering if he really understood Akutagawa Ryuunosuke at all.

ao3 link

[firecrotchette]

shin soukoku week day 3

prompt: scars + safety

title: Show a Little Lovin’

summary: A year after, Atsushi is still lost and searching for meaning. A year after, he still carries the collar and the scars beneath. A year after, he starts to realize, at last, that he's not alone.

ao3 link

[firecrotchette]

shin soukoku week day 2

prompt: ooc

title: Alone in a Room

summary: Well, all things considered, there are worse things that could've happened when being assigned to stop and capture a foreign ability user with the power to jump from body to body whenever they wanted.

Atsushi could do without the stupid coat and the chronic cough, though.

ao3 link