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Published:
2021-05-13
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2021-07-13
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Bonnie & Clyde

Summary:

After Mori makes his decision to select Tanizaki as Port Mafia's newest recruit following the Decay of Angels deal he struck with Fukuzawa, Junichiro struggles to settle into his new position as a member of the Black Lizard command. Luckily, his new companions are supportive and do their best to lessen his burdens.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Chapter 1: weathering out the storm

Chapter Text

Tanizaki slumped forward in his seat, arms folded on the table at their local fast food as he rested his cheek against the sleeve of his hoodie. Outside the window to his right, the world was too black to see a thing, the night coming upon them as quickly as the violent rainstorm that's been terrorizing Yokohama for a solid two hours now. Between that and the winds with force enough to match that of a hurricane, it's no surprise him and Tachihara had to retreat here just to escape the weather.

Lately, Jun'ichirō's mood has been in the dumps. You'd think getting a promotion and a raise more than quadrupole of what he previously made would be something to celebrate, but quite honestly, that's the last thing Tanizaki had the willpower to do. 

"He's far too dangerous," had been the words Hirotsu said last year, during Tanizaki's attempt to murder an ill Mori after being kidnapped by Black Lizard. "His ability is terrifyingly suited for assassination." 

Fukuzawa made it clear to Mori that when they negotiated after the whole Decay of Angels ordeal was through, he could take any member as a bargaining chip for assisting the ADA while they were being framed except for Yosano. Of course, she had been the person Ogai wanted all along, considering his sickening obsession with her, but the Port Mafia boss had no choice but to agree to those terms; it was either somebody else, or no reward at all. 

Though it hadn't been directly stated, Ranpo would never be given up either, considering he's basically the man's son. Other than his unnatural intelligence, Mori really didn't have much use for him other than that, so he was off the table regardless. 

So with the exceptions agreed upon, everyone had no doubt in their minds it'd be either Dazai or Atsushi getting transferred; even the both of them were expecting as much. Not only are they the strongest ability users in the Agency, but their partners are apart of the Port Mafia, meaning Mori would have plenty of more power in his reach by putting them together rather than keeping them separate. He's always telling Osamu that he's welcomed back into the mafia if he so desires, and of course even if Mori didn't want to keep Atsushi — which would be rather stupid on his part — there's a very handsome bounty still on his head if he wanted to sell him overseas as initially orchestrated some time ago. 

While Dazai acted as expectantly at ease that stressful week of waiting to hear back on Mori's decision, Atsushi was the one everyone needed to comfort. It was bad enough, the fear of becoming the enemy of the only family he's ever had, but being under Mori's thumb where he'll without a doubt be forced to kill and become the person the Headmaster abused him not to be. That was bad enough, but when Ranpo brought up the possibility of him being sold, Akutagawa had walked into the Agency only to witness the weretiger having a full-fledged panic attack.

All Tanizaki could think about during that dreadful period was how lucky he was to not be in their position. His ability is pretty useless, after all, so what reason would Mori have for plucking a crab apple from a tree full of perfect reds? Him and Naomi had nothing to worry about except offering their support to Atsushi and assuring him that no matter what happens, he'll always be welcome both at work and in their lives. There truly was nothing else they could do for him, despite what lengths Tanizaki would be willing to go to for his best friend.

It was obvious Nakajima appreciated the sentiment very much, but no one really did the trick of cheering him up like Dazai and Akutagawa. No one could influence him like those two do, and if there's one thing that could prepare Atsushi for the transition, that'd be the reassurance of knowing Akutagawa would be there with him every step of the way. It wasn't difficult to eavesdrop on their conversation with the pair only at arm's length away sitting on the loveseat in their office, knees touching as Akutagawa held Atsushi's hands in his lap while they had a serious conversation of what the future would look like if things go the way they anticipated. 

The mafioso assured him that he wouldn't act as his superior, but they'd be partners on equal ground. Obviously he couldn't promise anything, but if there were things Atsushi truly couldn't bring himself to do, Akutagawa would do his best to perform the unethical deeds for him while allowing his partner to still take the credit. It'll be really rough, but Akutagawa swore he'd do everything in his power to make him feel at least a bit comfortable in his new organization, even if it meant welcoming him into his and Gin's apartment after being no longer allowed to reside at the Agency dorms. The two of them would do everything they could if the time ever came to make the best out of a messy situation, but until then, all they could do was hold out on hope.

To be honest, Ryuunosuke seemed somewhat disappointed when him and the rest of the Black Lizard showed up that coming Monday morning to welcome Tanizaki into their division, whereas Jun'ichirō and everybody else in the ADA looked undoubtedly shocked. 'Shocked', quite honestly, is putting it rather lightly; more or less, Tanizaki's entire world blew up before his eyes, speechless beyond the words, "This must be some sort of mistake," that must have been repeated half a dozen times.

It wasn't; Hirotsu made that much clear as his words rolled off his tongue in clouds of cigarette smoke. He was the one who told Mori that Jun'ichirō would be a suitable candidate to consider as an addition to Black Lizard because of his impressive assassination skills, which is when Hirotsu told him that if not for Kouyou's presence in his room at the last possible second, Tanizaki would have easily slit his throat in his weakened state the exact same way Mori had done to their former boss on his deathbed. 

Tanizaki has a bloodlust that is Port Mafia fit; characteristics Atsushi could never equip seeing as the Agency had gotten their hands on him first. Dazai could simply be trusted as far as you could throw him, and though Mori would love nothing more than to have his pupil back, he knows the man would only cause trouble if he were to be forced back against his will. There would be far too much betrayal and sabotage for it to be a worthy endeavor, and of course Osamu would always come to Chuuya's rescue no matter the organization he pledges his loyalties to so that was already a given.

There really was only one worthy candidate to select out of the three, and since prying Naomi's arms from around his waist before leading PM's newest recruit out the Detective Agency's door for what could be very well be the last time, this was the new life Jun'ichirō would lead. It's been five meager days, a blink of an eye when stacked against the years Tanizaki had already spent at the ADA, and yet it feels like he's been gone for an eternity. Already, he misses all of his friends like hell; Kunikida's shouts at only 8:35am, Kenji and Atsushi's comforting enthusiasms, Dazai's daily suicide attempts that always riled Kunikida up undoubtedly... He misses his sister too, who he had no choice but to part ways with for the sake of her safety. Tanizaki even finds himself missing the nostalgic smell of coffee and floor cleaner first thing in the morning.

Jun'ichirō snaps out of his daze when a tray slaps onto the tabletop, glancing up at Tachihara's face expressionlessly when he plops down in the seat in front of him, a cushioned booth. 

He's already unwrapping a burger, taking a large bite as expected of someone with as little patience as he, before Tanizaki mutters dejectedly, "I told you I didn't want anything."

Another eager bite, and if Jun'ichirō actually had the willpower, he'd tell him to slow down before he chokes, the former detective's eye narrowed as it proceeds to stare in his direction.

"I know," is the blunt, food-muffled reply he earns in return, finally putting the sandwich down as he plops his thumb into his mouth to lick off the sauce. Following the momentary pause the action caused, Michizō comments, "But you haven't ate all day, and I don't want you getting sick on me. You know how hard it would be to carry you all the way back to headquarters in this weather?"

Though a frown still remains on his lips, he can't help the reaction of his eyes that visibly widen in surprise, startled that he actually noticed he hadn't ate anything. Sure, Tanizaki loves the ADA with all his heart, but the office is way too busy and chaotic for anyone except Naomi to ever pick up on anything like that unless it was Kunikida or Atsushi or somebody who they were concerned over. In times where his sister isn't around, he sort of tends to just fade away anyway, so even if Jun'ichirō were sitting there with a missing limb, it'd probably take a good fifteen minutes for anybody else to notice.

Plucking one of the fries out of the box, Tachihara reaches over and pokes Tanizaki on the tip of his nose, gaze drifting back over in the older's direction once more.

"You're spacing out again," the man states like it's a fact, Jun'ichirō feeling his stomach rumble at how heavenly the food smelled now that the scent was this much closer, "hence a symptom of low blood sugar. Eat, please, before you drive me crazy."

With a sigh, Tanizaki murmurs a, "Thank you," he didn't quite mean before pinching the fry Tachihara had been waving in front of his face between two fingers and taking a bite, blessed to finally taste the salt on his tongue for real. It may not be Chinese food, but it's still just as delicious.

"No problem! With as much hovering as Hirotsu and Gin does over me, the least I can do is return the favor by being the one to fret over the newbie," Michizō chuckles, a warm sound Tanizaki couldn't deny made his chest swell as he forced himself to sit up straight. "I promise you'll be sick of me by the end of the month."

"End of the month? You overestimate my tolerance levels," Tanizaki snorts, and now it was Tachihara who felt his smile widen at such a beautiful laugh. After almost an entire week of watching him brave through the days sluggishly, bags hanging under his eyes like he hadn't slept in years, Michizō honestly couldn't be happier to have at least managed to lift his mood a little bit.

Keeping up the banter, Tachihara leans back into his seat, resting his feet up on the seat alongside Tanizaki as he plucks another fry into his mouth. "Well either way, it seems you're stuck with me now. Or maybe I'm the one that's stuck with you; I haven't known you for very long, but who knows? Perhaps there's some pesky habits underneath this polite exterior you've had going on so far. If not for seeing you in action myself, I never would have guessed you could be as blood-hungry as you are, which was insanely impressive by the way. I don't think I've ever been more blown away."

Jun'ichirō's face immediately flushes, noticeably so considering how fair his skin is. He's fiddling with the jewelry decorating one of his ears, pulling at the earrings and rolling them between his fingers, probably a nervous habit so he could deviate his attentions elsewhere as he gazes off to the side so not to have to look at that expression smirking back at him. They certainly look super cool, and one of these days Tachihara will happily flex that he makes his own earrings using his ability with smuggish pride.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, truly," Tanizaki once again belittles what Tachihara and the rest of Black Lizard would consider one of the most impressive abilities they've ever seen, which is something Michizō knows they'll have to work on. "Compared to the Soukoku's, I'm certainly useless."

"You and I may not be as powerful as they are, but that doesn't mean the two of us can't be our own force to be reckoned with. Hell, imagine the power we'd have if you and I worked side by side rather than against each other like before! Once I teach you how to work a gun or whatever other weapons you desire that I can craft out of my ability, you'll be unstoppable, I swear!"

"So will you," he smiles, scratching his cheek, "once I teach you how to take advantage of Light Snow's stealth."

"Yes! Exactly!" Tachihara shouts with much enthusiasm, probably a bit too loudly given the public setting they're in. Tanizaki can already feel the eyes of people drifting towards them, which he would have found comical on a normal day, but to spot Ranpo and Atsushi walk in together, it triggered an immediate fight or flight response.

When Nakajima meets his eye from the other side of the takeout joint, there's a bright smile and a wave, one that would be impossible to classify as ingenuine. He almost looks as if he's about to walk over and say hi, considering how long it's been since they've caught up, but Jun'ichirō doesn't miss the way Ranpo's hand slaps around his wrist like a cuff, muttering something inaudible to him before they move up in line.

"I wouldn't take it too personally," Tachihara's voice suddenly causes Tanizaki to flinch as he turned back around in his seat, forgetting for a moment that he was here to witness that uncomfortable display. "It's the same way for me with the Hunting Dogs ever since I turned my back on them. Teruko will always greet me anytime she sees me — sometimes it's impossible to get rid of her once she starts running her mouth — but if it's Tecchou or Jouno, they refuse to even meet my eye."

The thought of this being the new usual with the ADA... all of this inescapably awkward tension and filtered smalltalk... Just the thought of it is enough to make Jun'ichirō's stomach churn. 

"That won't be the same for you, though," he follows, pausing in between to suck on the straw of his drink. "You didn't join the Port Mafia of your own free will, nor did you betray them. I think that detective guy is just trying to spare you the heartache since everything is still so fresh; distance will probably make the transition less difficult, or at least that's the way I see it. I'm sure when you've settled in fine, they'll come around. I see Atsushi's face at headquarters at least once a week, so you'll be hardly seeing him any less."

"I really hope you're right," Tanizaki says with the utmost ache in his tone, peering down at the table when he feels Tachihara had reached out and squeezed his hand. It's a little embarrassing, how teary in the eyes he got, and wet streaks already started to stream down his cheeks after what was meant to be a reassuring chuckle did the opposite. "I really, really hope you're right..."

"Hey, I might be a dumbass," Tachihara shrugs, tone light and easy, "but that doesn't mean I'm ever wrong."

Tanizaki sighs with light-hearted exasperation, a small smile playing on his lips as he retorts, "That is a very contradictory statement, Tachi."

Honestly, he didn't even realize he dropped the last two syllables off his name until there had already been too long of a pause to include it, not expecting to overstep this mutual professionalism he's exchanged with his new colleagues. 

Jun'ichirō hopes he didn't cross any boundaries too soon, but of course he shouldn't have expected Michizō to care any less. Actually, the nickname drew an attractive grin out of the guy, the tip of his nail absentmindedly tapping the metal of the ring he wore on his right index when he looks Tanizaki in the eye and says, "I dig it. Sounds almost as cute as Tani, criminally so."

"Criminally so? I don't believe you've got the power to arrest anyone anymore, says the criminal himself."

"Pot meet kettle."

"I'll have you know, I've done nothing worthy of a criminal record yet!"

"Yet. One of these days, we'll be putting Bonnie and Clyde to shame."

"Because Tani and Tachi sounds oh so intimidating," Tanizaki bites the inside of his cheek to repress a rising smile, not expecting this conversation to turn out as funny as it had after such a damper on the mood. If there's one thing he can say about his new 'comrade in arms', it's that he's sickeningly sweet when it comes to cheering people up. Now he sort of wishes he could of been there to see Atsushi throw him that child back when they were facing the Guild, because as concerning as that may have been before, it was probably super hilarious now that he's starting to get to know him better and learning he's seemingly harmless towards those that don't get on his bad side.

"Well, neither of us look intimidating either until we're fucking someone up. Maybe it's better to keep the element of surprise going," Tachihara explains, the two of them seeming to put way too much unnecessary thought into this.

"Anyway," Michizō continues, pointing to all of Tanizaki's untouched food where not even his burger had been unwrapped yet, only a single fry consumed out of the box only because Tachihara had forced his hand, "you've got a lot of grub to force down before Hirotsu and co comes to pick us up. Eat, now."

"Alright, alright, I'll eat," the younger chuckles in response to the relentless harping, casual smiles resting on both their faces as the last couple to leave makes them the only customers remaining. 

The storm was still raging on pretty hard out there when Tanizaki peers out, finally easing his stomach's spirits when he swallows that first bite of his burger, but that's to be just one more detail about this night to make it as memorable as it's already become. Maybe things really will start to look up from here, so long as Tachihara stays along for the ride.

Chapter 2: the guilt of happiness

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Two months had flew by since Tanizaki had joined the Port Mafia, which he honestly didn't know how to describe. From one perspective, it almost felt like a blink of an eye; as if he had only joined just yesterday, or that night at the fast-food had only been last weekend. Then from another side of things, it seemed as if he's been here not for two months, but two years, because as previously intimidating as the Black Lizard command had previously been, they're certainly quick to take in one of their own with open arms.

It's a Sunday afternoon in the middle of July, and to say it is hot outside would be an understatement. The sun was certainly serious about doing their job today, and not even the bitter chill of the Port Mafia's air conditioning system was enough to vanquish the sticky humidity. 

To reward them for a job well done on a huge assignment they had completed late into the previous evening, Mori allowed the crew to take the day off, despite Akutagawa's protests that earned threatening glares from Tachihara and his sister while they stood before their boss in his office. Poor Tanizaki hadn't said a word, and neither did Hirotsu or Higuchi, but given the battered state of Jun'ichirō's appearance after a tough fight between an ability user double his height and most certainly triple his muscle mass, he should be begging for the opportunity for recuperation. However, as everyone has come to learn rather quickly, Tanizaki doesn't really ask for anything and simply does as he's told, despite how often Tachihara pushes for him to be selfish and live on the edge a little.

Mori simply leaned forward in his desk as he watched Tachihara and Akutagawa's muttered disagreement go on and on and on and on, an amused smirk on his lips as he rested his cheek against the palm of his hand. Tanizaki's arm was around Higuchi's shoulder, trying to lessen the weight on his sprained ankle, while his other was looped through Hirotsu's. Honestly, he really owes it to the man, considering he had to carry the poor state of his body home through the dark streets of the city after already peeling him from the floor like the splat of a dead insect. 

Quite honestly, Tanizaki had never felt safer than he did right then and there, allowing his head to loll to the side as he succumbed to unconsciousness with ease. As he was bridal-carried down the street, Jun'ichirō can briefly remember feeling Hirotsu's hand squeeze the bare skin of his shoulder after the material of his sweater had become ripped in several places while in the fray, which had felt comfortingly warm even through the gloves he wore. Tanizaki could also recall the old man murmuring something along the lines of, "Rest easy now, son, you did great," before giving into the pull of sleep, and to be quite honest with you, Jun'ichirō is pretty sure he sobbed like a baby, despite being completely out of it. 

Most of his memory from that night were barely lucid, between the pain meds he refused to be pumped with due to personal reasons after being brought to the clinic and the haze he viewed the world through after taking one too many punches to the face. The room was spinning as he slurred for the doctors to keep all medications away from his body, as much as a surprise that had been for everyone present, but Hirotsu raised a single hand to halt the lady treating him before she could inject a needle into his arm, demanding she only do as he commanded.

Tanizaki never did have a father in his life, not even a figure of sorts; his mother's drug addiction had easily scared his dad away before he was even toddler age, and of course any man she hooked up with at the house after that were just... sketchy, though always temporary before Naomi's dad became a frequent face. He was just as out of it as she was, staggering around the house and smashing things that didn't even belong to him whenever he lost his patience over the littlest of inconveniences, which is why Tanizaki spent every waking hour counting down the days until he could finally move out and leave this hell hole behind for good.

At seventeen, unable to hold out for one more year, him and Naomi fled and found a place of their own under the pretense that they are brother and sister who lost both their parents. Technically, neither fact was truly wrong; the two of them are step siblings, and of course both of them lost their mother and father the day they took up that bottle. It wasn't a matter of lying, but more or less bending a truth, which is what can sometimes be necessary just to keep yourself alive in the very same way taking a life is. To be quite honest, Tanizaki probably would have never been welcomed into the ADA if he were challenged in his way of thinking for the entrance exam, because his thoughts and morals are Port Mafia prime without a fault; that much he can speak honestly to.

Rent was difficult, just as much as all the other countless utilities they were responsible for covering, and how they ever managed to graduate while juggling everything else, that's simply a miracle. It was just as they had that next bill staring them in the face, neither of them knowing how they were ever going to pay it off, that the Agency came into the picture, which is why Tanizaki will forever be grateful to them despite how they've now gone their separate ways. 

Like the stray dogs that they were, Fukuzawa had taken them in under his wing, accepting him and his ability-less sister into their little family of broken souls with the expectance of nothing in return. It's half the reason why Tanizaki feels so god damn guilty, because after thinking of all the ways he could repay them for so long, this is the direction his life turned in: pledging his loyalties to their enemy, and genuinely enjoying every moment spent.

Never in his life did Tanizaki have a proper parental figure, yet in pinning the seventeen years spent with his mother against the two months spent with Hirotsu, he has treated him more like a son than she ever had in his entire life. Of course, he's stern with him when he needs to be as any superior should, but then cooking soups for him every evening the week he caught a serious head cold wasn't apart of the job description, nor was forcing him to stay at his apartment until nursed back to good health.

Tachihara, unsurprisingly, stopped by to pester him everyday, and even the girls were there fairly often to take care of doing his laundry, considering a nasty fever had been the brute of it and Jun'ichirō couldn't stop sweating through all his clothes. Higuchi even made him cookies, despite being a poor baker, but Jun'ichirō accepted them wholeheartedly with a grateful smile, eating every last one of the treats despite being burnt around the edges. The woman promised she'd get the next batch right and make up for this sad dozen then, and Jun'ichirō is genuinely looking forward to watching her get better at it; she seems like the type whose face would immediately light up at compliments for her self-improvements, which is most certainly a sight he'd love to have the honor of contributing to.

Akutagawa never did show his face, and though Tanizaki hadn't asked for his colleague's whereabouts, Gin assured him regardless that it wasn't anything personal; her brother tends to stay away from anyone if they're sick, considering his immune system is fatally weak and all. However, Michizō did happen to mention that the man has been asking for updates about his condition everyday, and has also been the one to take on his responsibilities while he is ill. That alone was enough to make his chest swell as much as his raw throat, because any concern at all from Ryuunosuke is a miracle itself.

There was a solid "We're taking this day off, we deserve it after all our hard work!" versus "I am not in a state of weakness that I can't perform my responsibilities, I shall not be that pathetic!" debacle going on back and fourth between Tachihara and Akutagawa while the rest of them simply stood around taking it all in. After witnessing this go on for far too long than what it should have, Mori sighs through his nose as he massages his forehead, clearly exhausted just by watching them go at it.

"Gentlemen," he declares no louder than a whisper, yet managing to immediately earn everyone's silence and attention the very same way time stops whenever Fukuzawa enters a room, "this is not a invitation, but an order from your boss: you will take this day off. You both have wasted enough of my precious time, so go get your bearings in order and stay out of my sight; I mean it, Akutagawa."

"Y-Yes, sir," the boy in question uncomfortably clears his throat, probably in a half-hearted attempt to counteract the embarrassing stutter in his tone. 

He's glaring daggers at Michizō as they make their way out, considering the former was smirking victoriously in his direction while high-fiving Gin, all the while Higuchi was giggling and patting her former crush on the back, assuring him that a day off will do everyone some good. That didn't mean Akutagawa looked any less grumpy, but he gives in nonetheless; since forming this partnership with Atsushi, it's crazy how much his personality has lessened in intensity, even if he is still a thorn in everybody's ass. He hardly even snaps at Higuchi anymore, which she's no doubt over the moon about.

Tanizaki and Hirotsu fall slightly behind after they bow to say thank-you for the generous gift. Mori simply brushes it off and tells them to run along now while the sun is still shining, which is exactly what they take advantage of.

If not for his sister, Akutagawa would never have agreed to a trip to the beach. As prickly as he is, the mafioso truly is soft deep down when it comes to his sister (and tigers, apparently), so while it took plenty of pushing — he especially didn't want to relent if it'd mark Tachihara's second score on him today — eventually Ryuunosuke did give in, despite how irritated of an expression he wore when everyone cheered and threw their arms around him on the walk out where everyone could see them. He must of been beet red when Chuuya, who was passing by them in the hallway, started chuckling to himself at the priceless display, and it was almost enough for him to change his mind completely out of spite.

With Hirotsu behind the wheel, everyone piled into the van and drove out of the city, Higuchi's head flopping on Gin's shoulder as the latter sat between her and her brother out back. Akutagawa occupied the front where him and the old man shared muttered conversation that couldn't quite be heard over the blow of the air conditioning and the car's radio, probably much more mature and sophisticated compared to the cinema show list the girls discussed for their next night off.

As for Tanizaki and Tachihara, they encompassed the middle, easily holding a conversation the entire hour's drive before they'd have to get out and start walking. Whenever a short pause of silence would pass between them, however, Jun'ichirō's mind would always drift towards the Agency, wondering how they must be spending their day with all this heat. He wonders if they ever did manage to fix that problem they had with the fan, or if they replaced it with a new one altogether after Kenji broke the last. Dazai must be even lazier than usual when a hot day like this is enough to absorb the energy out of anyone, and then poor Atsushi who must be trying to play peacekeeper again... Oh, Jun'ichirō can only imagine how badly Nakajima would love to be here with them today. It's a shame, really; the distance separate workplaces can put between people.

Michizō is such an animated prattler, but it's so adorable that Jun'ichirō genuinely wouldn't mind listening to him talk for hours. He has so many bizarre stories that Tanizaki isn't sure which ones are real and which ones are fibs, but when he starts to talk about an older brother, there's too much emotion there to ever consider it less than authentic.

It's strange how you can feel like you know somebody all to pieces only to discover there's so much more yet to discover, and that's the feelings Tanizaki always experiences every time he looks in his direction; a yearning want to peer in at all the things that run through such an open but secretive mind. To be able to fool two dangerously powerful organizations like Port Mafia and the Hunting Dogs... It's truly mind-blowing how such honest eyes can spend years of walking on eggshells like it's nothing out of the ordinary.

It makes Jun'ichirō wonder just where that drive and motivation stems from, and in turn makes him hope that someday Tachihara will come to trust him enough to share the tale that has tensions so high between him and Yosano. Who knows, maybe someday he'll even find himself spilling the secret about his parents that no soul has ever been told.

"How is your ankle doing?" Tachihara pipes up out of the blue, Tanizaki's bare feet resting on his lap after the older had beckoned him to stretch his legs across the seat. He didn't have a seatbelt on — he doesn't believe anybody does except for the the old age home up in the front — so Jun'ichirō was simply laying down on his spine, the back of his head propped against the window where he can imagine a stretch of blue sky and beach could be seen right about now the closer they neared. Tachihara's side of the vehicle was only an expanse of greenery, endless rows of trees for miles, but green always did look good on him; that rusted copper of hair and eyes the color of amber coordinate with nature's colors beautifully. Getting a perfect front row seat in this position to stare without being too obvious was no doubt an incredible privilege. 

Michizō's hand hasn't moved the entire trip from where he rested it on the ankle bone, as if cradling the sprain would make throb any less. Physically, perhaps it truly didn't unless your name was Yosano Akiko, but emotionally, the meager touch had Tanizaki floating on cloud nine. How such dry, battered hands that can work a gun with frightening talent can be so soft and gentle at the same time is truly what's so criminal, but you'll never hear a word of complaint out of him.

"I'm doing alright," he smiles softly, eyes half-lidded as he continued to fight against the pull of sleep for about twenty minutes now. This position really was way too comfortable. "It's sore like everywhere else, but I've been through worse. Akutagawa has put me through worst."

As expected, Akutagawa's head snaps back in his direction as the duo bite back smiles, Ryuunosuke's expression pulled into a scowl as he grumbles, "I apologized once already for the pain I inflicted on you and your sister the day we met; once is more than enough to expect out of me, so stop being childish and let it go already."

Tanizaki had already broke out into the giggle fits, meanwhile Tachihara wasn't through with his fun yet; setting off a fuse as easily as Akutagawa's is always fun for entertainment.

"Oh yeah?" an eyebrow raises, a smug grin on Tachihara's lips as his thumb absentmindedly strokes over the side of his heel, "And how many times did you apologize to the weretiger for trying to take his leg? I bet you groveled like a poor bastard."

"Poor man wanted to take his leg and his V-card as if his life wasn't enough to steal," Tanizaki snorts, and now everyone in the car had erupted with laughter, even Hirotsu who was quietly chuckling as he continued to focus on the road. If looks could kill in that very moment, Ryuunosuke's certainly would have.

"I'll have you know, I've taken nobody's V-card... —whatever the hell that means."

"I can assure you, we know," Gin snorts, Higuchi's laughter still being quietly muffled into her shoulder so Akutagawa couldn't get mad at her for not having his back the way she should. "But you'll get there someday, brother, we're all rooting for you."

"Of course! We'll be stood outside your window with homemade signs and everything!" Tachihara laughs with pure amusement, despite it coming at his superior's expense. "Sealing the deal with a tiger for a meal sounds like an excellent glitter glue slogan, don't you think?"

Ryuunosuke's face is so red, you'd swear he was moment's away from exploding, practically growling as he whips his head towards Hirotsu and demands over the crying mess of everyone else, "How much further of a drive before I skewer this car with Rashomon?!"

"We're pulling over now," Hirotsu informs him, and that he does, parking in the small square of pavement outlooking the sands and the ocean. "We've got a bit of a walk to get down, but it shouldn't be any more than ten minutes at the most. We'll just have to lug Tanizaki along with the rest of the commitment."

Stretching his arms above his head with a groan, Tachihara volunteers, "Alrighty then, I'll take the liberty of transporting the precious cargo on board."

You could literally hear Akutagawa scoff as he slammed the door shut behind him on his way out, shaking his head in annoyance that he's the one getting teased while the two of them have been doing nothing but dance around each other this entire time.

"Man," Tanizaki casually chuckles after Tachihara had crouched down on the ground in front of his open door and allows for him to climb on, hoisting him up, "how are your arms so built? My noodle arms would be so jealous, and no doubt put to shame." He had on one of those muscle shirts with the hood on the back considering his usual wardrobe would be much too uncomfortable in weather like this, so it's really the first Jun'ichirō has ever gotten a serious look at them like this. There was no point even bringing up Akutagawa, because he had a hoodie and jeans on, hood flicked up over his head so he didn't have to look at anybody. They probably soiled his mood for the rest of the evening, but he'll get over it eventually.

A fond smile on her lips, Gin rolls her eyes, quietly snickering to herself as she and Higuchi whispered back and forth to each other about them; about how helpless the men in their lives are. It's genuinely hilarious, but then again, it's not like the both of them are much better. They've been keeping quiet about the fact they have been exploring a romantic relationship together for a while now, and to be honest, it's crazy how dense their companions are, especially now as they walk side by side, hands interlocked at the hip without a single notice. Considering Hirotsu was the one to drive them to their first dinner date since both of them wanted to experiment with the wines, he's been made aware from the start; it's Tachihara and her brother that are truly stupid, and perhaps Tanizaki depending on how long he remains clueless.

Michizō, of course, is brimming with pride, the kind of pride you'd want to slap off of somebody's face. "Well, Chuuya and I both have a membership for the gym, so we'll usually slip away early in the morning before work starts to get some training in. We've been trying to convince Gin to join us as well, and it's looking rather promising."

With an excited gasp, Tanizaki exclaims, "Hey, maybe I should get one too! We could all go together, yeah?!" Maybe there truly was hope to ditch the 'fragile toothpick' build after all!

An uneasy chuckle is all that follows from the guy, wearily so. His response is rather hesitant when he says, "... No, that probably isn't the greatest idea. I would get way too distracted, waaaaay too distracted, because... well, you know. You're too... chatty."

"Me? You think I'm the one that's too chatty?!"

"N-No, I mean... you know..." he awkwardly scratches the back of his head. "You'll make me too chatty, and if you're there I definitely wouldn't be able to concentrate. I talk a lot when I'm around you, so you'd only hold me back— No, I'm sorry! That came out even worse than before! It's like... I wouldn't think straight. Yes, that's it!"

"It's okay, you don't have to worry about it, really. It was only an idea," Tanizaki chuckles uncomfortably, ignoring the disappointment settling in the pit of his stomach that Michizō is this strongly against him being there. By the sounds of it, Tachihara is acting like he's going to war or something. If it weren't so offending, this conversation would be hilarious.

Who is he kidding, it is hilarious. 

And to be fair, Tanizaki agrees that would be much too distracting for him too, atmosphere and all... 

Of course, none of that matters now; not with the beach so close in their sights. Other than the car that drove behind them they lost somewhere along the way, there didn't appear to be another soul around but themselves. 

Despite coming here at least once every summer, Jun'ichirō was jittering with excitement. The place and scenery might not be any different, but the company sure as hell is, and that alone can change everything. 

Notes:

I'm thinking I should be able to clue up everything that I wanted with this fic with one more update, but if things go overboard and I do not, there could be a possibly fourth part, we'll have to wait and see lol. Once again, thanks so much for reading, and I really hope you're enjoying this mini series:)

Chapter 3: sugar-coated

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"Tachihara, if you don't put me down—!"

With a wicked grin on his lips, Michizō does the exact opposite as he's been told, throwing the body in his possession into the sea without even giving the poor guy a chance to take his shirt or sandals off first. They hadn't started to set up their area yet or even given the chance to lay down their things before the guy had immediately rushed towards the sea to give his companion a toss, laughing to kill himself when Jun'ichirō's body crashes into the wave.

"Come on, Tachihara, seriously? That was just cruel," Gin scorns in a lighthearted demeanor, assisting Higuchi with spreading out some towels while Akutagawa tried jabbing an umbrella into the sand with much more aggression than necessary. Hirotsu had lugged the heaviest weight, so hasn't had the chance to start on anything yet except put down the cooler.

"Cruel? How dare you insult my act of kindness! I was merely helping him cool off, isn't that right my poor, innocent victim?"

Sitting down on the sands of the shallow ocean, Tanizaki's expression begs to differ as he chokes on the salt water that had got into his mouth, rubbing at his eyes with the palm of one hand so he could actually see again while the other flipped him off, even if it was just so he could slyer at Tachihara once his vision could return. His hair was stuck to his face, ginger hair that now looked much darker flat against his forehead, not to mention how cold his arms now were. Yet the older was still stood by the shore laughing all in good nature at his pathetic display, hands on his hips and an ever so consistent smile on his face that would be punchable if not for how alluring such an expression was. It's genuinely debatable whether or not Tanizaki wants to strangle that neck or kiss it instead.

"Even as you slyer at me with such cold eyes, you're still so pretty, Tani~!" Tachihara teases, seeming to be purposely egging him on like the bait dangling from the tip of a fisherman's pole. And that stupid worm wouldn't shut up either, because when he sighs dramatically, it follows with a, "It's too bad you're so weak and vulnerable, leaving me out here to melt under the sun alone. Oh well, guess I'll walk over here and see the end by myself—!"

Bad ankle be damned, Jun'ichirō used it to his advantage so he could suddenly lunge himself at his companion in their weak attempt to catch him, tackling the man into the sand in a fit of chuckles. With an almost squeal in his voice from the action's impact, Tanizaki yelps the words, "I'll show you 'weak and vulnerable'!" as he playfully slapped him across the face with clumps of sand in repetitive motions, straddling his torso to keep him securely pinned.

Despite the goosebumps that covered his arms due to the sea breeze that cut through his shivering flesh, water still dripping down his back and his shorts feeling a thousand times heavier with the weight of the water clinging to the fabric, Tanizaki was genuinely laughing so hard as they wrestled that his stomach was aching, neither of them having the strength left to do anything but wheeze in a sorry attempt to catch their breath. He believes Tachihara could genuinely say the same, because his state was just as weak as he hovered over him after flipping their positions, that perfect grin of pearl whites Jun could not get sick of never swaying in the slightest.

"Must they seriously frolic at the beach like this? How humiliating," Akutagawa clicks his tongue in visible disgust, earning giggles from Higuchi and his sister. Gin was knelt down on one of their towels, seemingly immersed with whatever she was doing on her phone judging by the smile she couldn't fight, but Higuchi's attention was free enough to properly respond.

"Oh, they're alright!" his subordinate beams as she unscrews the cap on the reusable water bottle in her hand the woman took everywhere she went, having stuffed lemon slices into the bottom for added flavor. "Not like there's anyone around to judge but us!"

"Exactly, that's why I am judging—! Gin, who could you possibly be texting right now?!"

"No one," Gin chuckles suspiciously under her breath, emitting an almost offended gasp when her overbearing brother uses Rashomon to easily pluck the device out of her hand. Though the less intense Akutagawa of the family tries to snatch it back to no avail, the assassin is only semi-defensive when she playfully snaps, "Hey! Mind your own damn business—!"

"Quit giggling and tell me who this is! A man you've been seeing? That Katai guy?!"

"My, Akutagawa, why won't you leave the poor lady be?" Hirotsu utters with a smile, the person in question immediately tensing up as he stiffly glanced at the old man out of the corner of his eye, almost as if betrayed by the fact that he wasn't on his side. "If you're always so invasive of her privacy, how will she ever settle down?"

"Settle down? Settle down?! How old do you think she is?!"

"Old enough," Gin responds, pretty well close to settled down already considering her and Higuchi already live together and have been discussing all week about adopting a pet sometime soon. "You're just prickly that I'm going to be long before you are—!"

"THE WERETIGER?!" Akutagawa shouts almost loud enough for everyone back in Yokohama to hear him, still staring down at the text messages on her phone as he stumbles in his step, slapping his palm against his forehead as if contracting a fever from the very display. It took every sliver of willpower not to laugh at him, because he was always so dramatic, as if the film crew of a cringy drama had their cameras pointed on him at all times. "Gin... Please. Tell me this isn't true. Atsushi is... Atsushi could never be your type! He's immature, and annoying, a-and much too bright to look at. It's painful, utterly PAINFUL!"

"I can assure you, Aku, that I have no intentions of taking Atsushi from you. In fact, I'm doing the very opposite, because you're an incredible brother who deserves all the happiness in the world—!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Maybe if you'd stop INTERRUPTING EVERY SENTENCE THAT I SPEAK, MAYBE YOU WOULD KNOW!"

"KNOW WHAT?! THAT YOU INTEND TO HAVE HIM WALK YOU DOWN THE AISLE?!"

"HOW ARE YOU SO STUPID, OH MY GOD!"

"I'm not stupid, but you know who is? Your fiancée!"

"C-Come on now, you two, there's no need to bicker," Higuchi nervously laughs as she stands between them, hands raised in surrender as she served as the poor attempt of a wall between brother and sister. "Let's just take a deep breath and cool off."

"Yo! Your company has arrived!"

Akutagawa's eyes practically bulge out of his head when it snaps in the direction of the entrance where he sees both his mentors sauntering on over to them from a fair distance away yet, a pair of aviators on Chuuya's face as he waves his arm in the air to alert them of their presence. Dazai, his bandages sticking out like a sore thumb as they travelled all up his arms and neck exposed from the short-sleeved button up he wore, is his usual urkingly perky self, stealing the glasses off of Nakahara's eyes and putting them on himself when he knew they had an audience to observe.

Black Lizard proceeds to watch on in awe of their appearance as the shorter of the two immediately begins to yell and scream in protest, kicking the back of Osamu's knees with unnecessary force after a likely taunt towards his height had been hurled his way; after all, Dazai was in his absolute glee watching his partner fail to snatch them back. Kaiji was also with them, likely due to the fact that Chuuya felt so bad that he doesn't have any friends that they ended up becoming accidentally closer than expected. They really do get along better than either one of them expected, despite the fact they're both extremely destructive forces.

As the commotion drew on, Kaiji's laughter just as hilariously loud as Chuuya's voice, Akutagawa groans as he sits down underneath his umbrella, hood up as he leaned his forehead against his knees. Higuchi crouches down beside him, an attempt at a reassuring smile on her lips as she pats him on the back for comfort. Then, after a moment, he groans,

"You invited them here, didn't you?"

"I did, actually," it's Hirotsu who chuckles, Akutagawa then slowly lifting his head to peer over at the old man with his usual blank expression. "Today is Nakahara's scheduled day off, so I thought I'd tell Gin to ask if he would like to accompany us as well."

"This is Chuuya Nakahara you're talking about; I'm sure he has plenty of other things to be doing with his time—!"

"As eccentric as that man is, no one understands but Kouyou and I how lonely he gets."

The temporary silence that follows is heavy, and only because Higuchi's perfume from kneeling so close began to choke him, Akutagawa's coughing had been the factor to break it before Hirotsu goes on.

"Him and Dazai may be reverting back to old habits," he proceeds, and Ryuunosuke can't help but frown, eyes downcasted as guilt settled into the pit of his stomach, "but that doesn't mean things are the way they used to be. Dazai still stays at the Agency dorms, after all, and with how busy Kouyou and the rest of us are with our own priorities, Nakahara didn't really have any company until he started getting to know Kaiji."

He may have claimed that he started asking him out to dinner and the movies out of sympathy, the words go unsaid, but Chuuya was just as desperate for a friend as well. Truly, as strange as a pair they may be, both Kaiji and Nakahara really did need each other more than they would of thought.

As the conversation drew on from there when Higuchi inputs commentary of her own, followed by Gin, Akutagawa peers over at the trio again before he's visibly surprised at seeing a fourth body added to the picture, watching as Atsushi sprinted towards them with bare feet and a sleeveless hoodie, ever so charmingly clumsy as he accidentally tripped fast-first into the sand by his own two feet alone. Ryuunosuke couldn't help the smile that won the fight against his restraint, because somehow it was so like Nakajima to have the shoelace strings of his shirt at uneven lengths.

After Dazai received the beatdown of his life, Higuchi has to catch him when he dizzily staggers into Hirotsu's cooler and almost falls face first like poor Atsushi had, Kaiji laughing at the sight as he carried a backpack on his shoulder and a ring floatie looped through his arm, of course his signature yellow in color. He looked no different, having sunglasses cover his eyes, and as for whether or not he even brought a shirt at all to wear with his swim trunks, that's a mystery.

"Hello, lemon bomber..." Akutagawa dejectedly greets the man when he sits down on the towel beside him, so uncomfortably close that there wasn't a single inch of space separating their hips. Truly, being in the man's company in general is exhausting.

Ryuunosuke didn't think there was any kind of 'hello' he could of said that would piss him off more than their current sitting arrangement, but when he practically screams the words, "Hello, Diablo!!!!!" so very close to his ear, the man hisses in both pain and annoyance, especially when he hears Atsushi giggle on his left.

"Now what are you laughing about?" Akutagawa grumbles, the statement having much less bite than just about anything he's said all day.

"Kaiji is funny," Nakajima chuckles as he walks past him with their own cooler bag hugged to his chest, and Ryuunosuke was half tempted to slit the scientist's throat when his loud, obnoxious laughter drowns out the heavenly sound of Atsushi's entirely.

"Yeah, well I can be funny too!" Ryuunosuke practically snarls, truly being vicious enough to live up to the 'rabid dog' reputation that precedes him.

"You telling the priest that you're the devil after I just admitting I'm an atheist who supports science over religion is true comedy gold, Aku, we should go into business~!!!!!!"

"Fuck off, Kaiji!"

"No!!!!!"

Atsushi is still laughing, still laughing at Kaiji's humor, and Akutagawa is very close to feeding the damn man to the sharks. Rashomon is already sparking at his back, only half grateful when Kaiji rushes off after Chuuya told him to come borrow some sunscreen from him as he knelt down in the sand and slathered some on Dazai's face, probably too much considering he looked white as a ghost. The guy genuinely didn't seem to care though, probably because he was in his absolute glee just to have Nakahara's hands on him.

His back was turned, still starring off at Kaiji as he watched him flop down in the sand next to Chuuya, the latter wheezing when he practically tackles him over with how close he once again sat, Nakahara's reaction to it a complete opposite to his own. However, his attention is only fixated on the sight long enough for Atsushi to sit down beside him without his realization, turning his head in the weretiger's direction with a hum when he feels fingers gently tug on the material of his hoodie he pinched between two fingers.

"I, um..." Atsushi almost sounds nervous, an awkward smile on his face as he stared down at the cooler still in his possession. "I know you don't eat very much, so I wasn't sure if you had packed anything for yourself, so I—!"

"I don't, but Higuchi and Gin made sure to fill the cooler with food that all six of us could share, so I imagine they'll be trying to stuff a meal of sorts down my throat before the day is done," Akutagawa murmurs with vivid attitude, Nakajima's laugh almost airy and embarrassed as he scratched the side of his arm.

"Oh, well that's good then, I'm glad!" he says, tone slightly higher in pitch as he made a motion to stand, a word not leaving Ryuunosuke's mouth as Rashomon absentmindedly slithers out of his sweater and loops around the boy's waist to keep him there in place.

Then, like the most casual thing in the world, Akutagawa drags the cooler over to himself, unzipping the top open and digging through the contents himself as he states, "However, I'd much prefer anything you have put together for me. As much as it brings me great pain to admit this, excruciatingly so, your cooking is... satisfactory. Therefore, I shall consume everything in this."

"Hey, then what will I—?"

"I shall consume everything in this while the tiger fishes for his own food as an animal should. Now, I demand to know, did you or did you not skip breakfast this morning?"

"I—!"

"Then I command you sit and eat before hunger leads you to pass out and drown, or else Kaiji will have a very terrible joke to share about the experience that every fiber of my being wishes to avoid. Now, let us dine—!... You... You packed figs? You bought figs for me?"

Without much say in the matter, Atsushi smiles and sits back down, the silent thank-you he didn't have to voice. It was adorable actually, how flustered the little sentiment made such a prickly man, and it took every sliver of willpower for Nakajima not to kiss his cheeks; to kiss the small smile that rose without Akutagawa's own realization.

 


 

The rest of the afternoon flew by, hours drawing on like seconds. Tanizaki had been SO happy to see Atsushi, the two practically tackled each other in their excitement, and that happiness was contagious beyond describable. The blue skies, the sun, the smiles they couldn't wipe off their faces... Though not everyone expresses it the same way others do, it was without a doubt that they were all in their absolute glee.

They played a fun little game down by the ocean, actually, using Tanizaki's ability; they'd have a test to see which could identify the real Jun'ichirō by trying to tackle him into the sea, but of course the consequence of choosing the wrong one is falling face first into the water through the illusion. 

Everyone was terrible at it, and to be honest, no one expected Tachihara to have some sort of mastery at the sport. Maybe it was just in his head, but in all the expressions the Tanizakis wore, somehow the real one always seemed to have this sort of a gloat about them; a glint that the projections simply lacked. 

The smile would waver, an urge not to laugh when Michizō would stare him in the eye, a knowing smirk on his lips. Tachihara only needed to take those first two steps in stride towards him before Tanizaki would tense at the oncoming attack and curl in on himself as he laughed through his beg for mercy, wheezing when the latter's arms would link around his lower torso and fling them both into the ocean. Taking his injured ankle into consideration, Tachihara always spun them around first so he was the one taking the brute of the fall even on sand, flopping back first so he served as a landing pad.

Honestly, no one had ever seen Jun laugh so much in his life, not even himself. All else aside — worries, stress, the Agency — today, at least, Tanizaki was on cloud nine, and if Tachihara could capture and preserve this day forever, he would do so in a heart beat; he would relieve this day forever if only time allowed it.

Atsushi was probably the worst at the game, not that Chuuya or Dazai or Kaiji were any better. Akutagawa didn't participate, nor did the women who went off by themselves to explore one of the nearby sea caves that Higuchi really wanted to see but not venture through alone. Gin, of course, had happily obliged, and with a smile Hirotsu insisted they have fun and stay careful while he barbequed something for everyone to eat, all the while keeping a close eye on Akutagawa after he accidentally fell asleep under the umbrella's shade. As tough as he is, this is also the same man who fears bathing and sleeping because it leaves him in a vulnerable position; the least the old man could do is ensure he slept comfortably and undisturbed.

At one point during the game, Nakajima had staggered back over alone, dripping wet after his countless failed attempts. Hirotsu and him share a knowing smile in his approach, silent after he quickly notices his partner lost in slumber. Atsushi's stomach — despite being forced into the most awkward but only picnic of his life just earlier — growled just smelling the meat being grilled while he dried himself off with the towel he brought so small and cheap compared to everyone else's, but to be honest, he was more tired than hungry. His nightmares had kept him up most of the night, lead his morning to begin at four instead of five, a story discreetly told by the yawn that forced it's way out of his mouth as he stretched his arms above his head.

"You can lie down too, you know," Hirotsu extends with a genuine kindness, voice barely above a whisper in hopes of not disturbing the young man who slept. "I'm sure he won't mind so long as you don't touch or get too close to him."

Nodding his head, Atsushi doesn't waste any time to take him up on that offer, Hirotsu watching the man sprawl out on the neighboring towel for only a split second before his head shoots in the direction of the beach's entrance where laughter and music could be heard, intrigued by the entry of four men no older than Chuuya or Dazai he couldn't recognize. One was carrying a stereo on their shoulder, lugging bags and other beach equipment with them, and though they were no bother to them, it disappointed Hirotsu the slightest bit; he honestly believed only they came to this spot on the days that they did, but he supposes it must not be as secretive as he suspected. 

Taking a draw of his cigarette, Hirotsu's eyes don't leave them when he watches the boys merge themselves with the group already present by the sea, unable to hear the words that left their moving lips but assuming it was a greeting of sorts judging by the wave of their hands. 

Of course, given the socialites that Chuuya and Tachihara are, it's no surprise they dive into a conversation with them right away, all the while Kaiji and Dazai were behaving as their annoyingly boisterous selves; Dazai was probably subtly insulting them through tease and charm, all the while Kaiji probably aimed to make them the victims of his next science experiment.

Tanizaki, however, was the one Hirotsu pitied the most, because as warm and polite as he is, the presence of strangers makes him extremely shy, especially when they're relatively close to his own age range. Adults or the elderly don't give him struggle, but peers seem to be a bit of an issue when it isn't mission or case related; that much was obvious by the way he immediately side-steps closer to Tachihara with the most uncomfortable of smiles on his face, body language tense.

Hirotsu couldn't help but smile, smile for real, when he didn't have to yell at Tachihara from all the way over here to put his arm around him, because the boy did that all on his own oh so casually while they all chatted it up, Dazai getting thrown into the ocean by Chuuya probably because of something off base that he said. Kaiji seemed to be invading the personal space of one of them, able to imagine beneath the sunglasses rests that crazed look in his eye that no one was safe from, but Chuuya took him too and tossed him out to sea, brushing his hands together like he just performed hard work while he chatted on with the men as if nothing was wrong. 

Hirotsu had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes when he sees them making their way over, all of them. Immediately, he glances over at Akutagawa to see if he was still solid, out like a light so it seemed. As surprising and unsurprising as it is, the mafioso must have sensed Atsushi's presence close by and shifted over, removing the remaining distance between them altogether when he slung his arm over his waist and cuddled into the weretiger's back. Rashomon, however, seemed to be wide awake, red electricity crackling at the edges as it hovered in the air as if to guard them while they slept. If there's ever a time Akutagawa is unnecessarily overprotective, it's in the midst of sleep.

The beast was already pointed in the direction of the strangers just as they had only borderline met their proximity, Tachihara's name just barely leaving Hirotsu's lips in time before the boy he viewed as his own grandson quickly snatches the umbrella pole out of the hands of one of the strangers and transforms it into a weapon, blocking Rashomon's fangs from pulverizing the poor guy's neck just in the nick of time.

Though Akutagawa remained 'asleep', he looked visibly irritated, still not moving from his current position; actually, he only further buried his face into the crook of Atsushi's neck with a groan, like a child being pried away from their favorite teddy bear. As if there were corpses at a morgue, Hirotsu simply sighs and drops one of their larger towels atop of them, covering their bodies entirely.

"I apologize, gentlemen," he says as if addressing a professional in power and not a couple of beach boys who now looked comically horrified even with sunglasses covering their eyes, mouths dropped as they proceeded to stare at the bump of Rashomon still sparking underneath the blanket, the tip tauntingly poking out like a warning. "I'm not aware of how familiar you are with abilities, but that one just so happens to belong to my son, as is the weapon my other son just made out of your pole. While you have no worries about Tachihara giving you any troubles, assuming introductions were already prior made, this one, however, is much more... prickly. He prefers to remain undisturbed, so if you could be so kind."

"Why yes, of course," the seemingly more outgoing one replies, black hair slicked back to one side as he lowered his dark shades just below his nose so the eyes underneath could be revealed. "We won't be causing him any trouble, promise; we're only here for one thing, after all."

"To get wasted until we forget our own names!" another cackles as he raised his already half-empty beer bottle in the air as the other three join on in unison, Tachihara seeming to thrive with the energy as he rushed past Hirotsu with a grin to swipe a volleyball from the backpack he brought with him. Gin and Higuchi, hand in hand, he could spot returning from a distance, Michizō waving them over as he held the ball up, knowing how incredible and competitive both women are at the sport; the three of them are, and now would be no better opportunity to show that off than ever. 

"Well then, guys," Tachihara snickers both in excitement and amusement for what was to come, spinning the ball on one finger, "how about we get this party started with a mean game of volleyball?"

As the newcomers hollered in cheer and rushed over to the open space of the beach, more than prepared to set up the volleyball net they themselves brought, Michizō was not only ready to show them up, but hopefully impress his own newbie still stuck to his side like glue, a habit he'd rather stop breathing than complain about.

"You ever play volleyball before?" Tachihara asks as they slowly made their way over to where everyone else was, eyes solely devoted on the eyes that haven't stopped peering at him. His voice is almost a tease, smack talk coated in sugar, but Tanizaki merely smiles, chuckling as his gaze now reverts to the poor excuse of a construction crew that fought more than set up.

"In high school, yeah; Naomi and I both did. Warning you though," he shrugs, lips tugging in a smile as he mused, "I might make you look bad."

"Is that so?" An eyebrow raises, and as if Tachihara couldn't have been any more fired up to play his best, somehow that flame managed to engulf him from the inside. He can't help but laugh as he peers up at the sky, ever so clear still with only the rare cloud and seagull flying through here and there. 

"Well," he hums, tone just as teasing and cocky in undertone, "give me your worst, Jun."

"Just wait and see, you'll soon be regretting those words, Tachi," his name is emphasized to spite in a lighthearted manner, and never had that name sounded any more perfect coming out of somebody's mouth. 

Notes:

Sorry this update is coming so late, work is a pain in the ass lol. I know I said before that I should only need one more update to clue this mini series up, but I still couldn't fit the final plotline I wanted to include in this part, so by the next I should hopefully have this completed. Thanks so much for reading!

Chapter 4: lost but always found

Chapter Text

When Atsushi next awoke, it was dark.

He never did like the dark; actually, that was an undeniable understatement, an understatement harboring much more baggage and a stream of his own tears staining the pages of the books he use to find his salvation in once upon a time ago.

It's not that he truly despised the pitch black, but instead feared it like a stranger he was all too familiar with. To be honest, Atsushi wished he could love the dark; the tranquility, the quiet, the peace of a sleeping world... Much of those things lie within the mess that entangles the dangerous flash of red that is Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, much in the same way Nakajima yearns to love the force that terrified him.

Now, encompassed by arms so frail but never dared to be called weak, submerged in the warmth Atsushi sought to find within not just the dark but the very darkness that continued to breath on his neck in smooth intervals, he wasn't scared of anything. The only thing Atsushi genuinely feared in that moment like a small voice in the back of his head was the reality of losing a rarity that may never be found by chance again.

Not wanting to disturb the body that restrained his own by limb and Rashomon's comforting presence alone, Atsushi shifts only enough so the top half of his face was poking out of the blanket, eyes sparkling like the fireworks he heard exploding across the sky in colorful bouts. He couldn't help the smile that spreads across his lips, a grin the weretiger couldn't contain, because there was not a word that could sum up the staticky tickles he was feeling in the pit of his stomach but amazement.

Though Nakajima had tried his best to remain quiet for the ten minutes he was lucid, the boy couldn't help but giggle when Akutagawa begins to choke into the back of his shoulder in a fit of coughs, unable to believe he hadn't suffocated under the weight of the towel all the while they slept. Considering the sky was black, littered in stars and magic, they must have slept more today than they had in three nights.

Eyes falling to a temporary close, Atsushi lifts a hand to caress the top of his partner's head, murmuring with a glint of a smile in his voice, "You snore loud."

"And?" Akutagawa chokes, tone more hoarse than usual from the obvious thick of drowse and sticky throat. "What do you suppose I do about that?"

"Did I say you had to?"

"Then why else bring it up?" the mafioso sighs, contently so unlike the mockery of his word and their delivery. He truly did sound the most relaxed he's ever been.

"I believe commentary is a concept you're all too familiar with, Ryuunosuke," Atsushi hums, lips and toes curling at how pleasant a feeling it was to feel those arms of his further hug themselves around his ribs after the man's first name rolled off his tongue so naturally. "I merely assumed someone with your intelligence could grasp such a concept, but perhaps I'm wrong."

"And I assumed someone like you would know better than to provoke the man whose ability is currently curled around your waist," he threatens to no real ill-intent, even if Rashomon's tendril did start to tickle his skin as it slithered around the length of his bare thigh and down past his knee, ironically enough the one it previously chopped off in a not so distant past. "Still eager to speak?"

"The only thing I'm eager for," Atsushi murmurs barely above a soft whisper, further leaning back against Akutagawa's chest as he inhaled a deep breath of fresh air like it was the last he'd ever have it at his disposal, "is making every last moment you and I lie here together amount to infinity."

Though the words were so corny yet so Atsushi, it still made Akutagawa feel warm and feverish as he hid his face within the crook of his neck once more, Ryuunosuke's only response being the firm squeeze of his hand he easily found beneath the covers.

Their companions could easily be heard across the beach, laughing and shouting to their heart's content, yet neither one of them had the desire to return to a world not just shared by the two of them, but every other being alive.

If life is expected to go back to as much of a normal as can be after spooning under the covers for uncountable hours, Atsushi and Akutagawa are certainly in no hurry to throw away what time they have left; time spent as ordinary young adults with no pain or detrimental priority.

The volleyball match had been competitive to a degree that you'd expect for it to lose it's fun factor altogether, but that couldn't have been the case at all; not when there were so many giggle fits.

Though Tanizaki's ankle is so sore now that he can barely walk, it had been worth the laugh of every fall he took but also worth every victory he took against one on one's against Tachihara. You could almost call them disgustingly flirtatious every time they would get up in each other's face from opposing sides of the net, half spitting in each other's faces too as playful smack talk rolled off their tongues.

They were practically biting their lips just to not let their grins show, and after pumping their systems with booze to only heighten a mood that had rose exceptionally high, it was no surprise when Tachihara and Tanizaki ended up messily making out on the vacant half of the beach by the end of the night, Jun'ichirō giggling breathlessly against his mouth as fireworks exploded overhead.

Honestly if Michizō were in his right mind, he would probably be borderline screaming with concern that Kaiji of all people had been entrusted to explosives while likely intoxicated like the rest of them, but right now, only Tanizaki's eyes screamed; screamed with a breathtaking desire as his arms looped around his neck that Tachihara wondered if this were just a horny dream he was experiencing, later to wake up embarrassed and disappointed.

At least the weight of Jun'ichirō sitting in his lap felt real enough, as did the lingering taste of him as he had leaned forward to rest their foreheads together, eyes flittering to a drowsy close. When a hiccup squeaks in the back of his throat, Tanizaki calmly laughs under his breath after slapping a hand over his mouth with partial embarrassment, Michizō chuckling as well as his own hand remained lazily resting against his lower back. All Tachihara could wonder as he accepted this pass to be able to freely stare at him for as long as he wishes is how Tanizaki had never been snatched up sooner, but it's a fact he never will complain about because he gladly jumped at the opportunity. He would do it again in a heartbeat, with or without the competition.

If once they sort through their feelings in the morning and they decide on something solid, Tachihara will be the luckiest victor the world has ever seen. He may not have had to of competed against somebody in order to secure it, but the prize itself is the best part alone, unable to wipe a sucker's smile off his face when Jun buries his face in the crook of his neck and whines, head aching with alcohol and overexertion from earlier's sporting event. It didn't help he drank to his heart's content while on an empty stomach, and while the world did spin, it felt more like a carnival ride than a natural disaster.

"Tachi," Tanizaki chokes out, hand still covering his mouth as Michizō adapts to their new positioning, pulling him in closer as he practically held him like a child. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Gently stroking the side of his arm, Tachihara smiles down at him, a comforting expression as he assures him, "You're alright, I'm here with ya."

"I think I lost..." the worse of the two drunks continues, sounding more and more delirious by the second. "I think I lost my phone.... over there...."

"You did?"

To make sure he wasn't just imagining things, Michizō pats both his pockets to ensure that it wasn't on his person, Junichiro giggling uncontrollably as he pinched the side of his companion's face.

"Taaaaaaachi! Are you trying to take advantage of me~?" he teases, Tachihara much more focused on locating that missing phone than anything else as he used his own to serve as a flashlight, searching the close proximity of them at a glance without having to move. "At least" — a hiccup — "At least take me out first! We... We can go to the arcade! O-Or eat hotdogs from that food truck with the really good homemade fries!"

"That all sounds really wonderful, Jun," is his busy response, distracted by the fact that he can't pinpoint where that damn device went. If it turns out that his phone was in his bag back over by the umbrellas this entire time, he might just have to throw him in the ocean again when he's sober for getting him so worked up over it. It wouldn't be very doubtful, given how mature and responsible Tanizaki is when it comes to this sort of thing, but then again, he behaves the exact opposite when he's had six too many drinks in his system.

"Taaaaaaaachi!" Tanizaki drawls again, much more whining this time as he further hugs onto him, reburying his face into his shoulder, "I'm hungry!" He genuinely sounded like he was borderline crying, and it would seem Michizō learned tonight that a drunk Tanizaki is a helplessly needy Tanizaki.

"You're hungry, you say?" Tachihara responds, now attempting to stand up with a grunt as he proceeds to hold Tanizaki in his arms, the latter unable to stop laughing when the older stumbles in his footing the moment he does. Jun might visibly be more drunk, but Tachihara also drank a few drinks more, despite how well he can handle his alcohol.

He begins walking them back towards where all the others were, caring less now about the comments an even more drunk Chuuya is going to throw his way for sneaking off alone and how messied their current appearances had become. He could at least count on Hirotsu and Akutagawa for remaining sober, so while he could leave Tanizaki in their care, Tachihara could go back to the scene of the crime where he can hopefully find the missing cell.

It doesn't help that it's completely black out, but it's worth his efforts. While Tanizaki doesn't seem to care too much at all for it right now, he'll no doubt panic in the morning when he sobers up and finds out it's gone, especially when he more than likely has a lot of memories with the Agency on that phone he quite literally can never get back.

Atsushi and Akutagawa seemed to have awoken sometime earlier, because when everyone comes into visible view, they're included in the group all gathered around a bonfire, the guys from before seeming to be packing up their things in ready to go home. It almost makes Tachihara smile, to see everyone looking so happy.

Chuuya had passed out entirely, an ugly snorer soundly asleep as his head rested against Dazai's lap. Osamu's legs were probably numb for sitting in that position for so long, but the man isn't the type to genuinely complain about pain or fatigue unless it's for a joking purpose. Now, with everyone drunk and paying little attention at all to their surroundings, Dazai looked genuinely unguarded and at ease, staring down at the mop of ginger hair that he gently carded his fingers through, all the while Chuuya's own hand that clutched his skinny calf would squeeze or pinch the skin every now and again, likely a safety impulse from whatever was going on in his dreams.

Gin and Higuchi were also both asleep, Higuchi's head resting on her shoulder while Gin's rested against her girlfriend's head. Tachihara can only pray that there's something more going on between them than he's been made aware of, because ever since Gin had been struggling to hide a sudden crush on Higuchi the first day she even showed her face at Port Mafia, he's been silently rooting for them like hell. Their hands were locked, firm but laying lazily against Gin's thigh as she caressed the side of her thumb, and this time Michizō really does smile, internally cheering so not to disturb such a sight.

As for the other three, they were wide awake, though silent enough that you would never assume they were.

Kaiji, as shocking as this is, seemed really relaxed and quiet, probably because the booze had finally managed to settle his racing nerves down rather than skyrocket his already peak energy. He no longer had his glasses on, and was now tending to the fire with a giant stick as he kindly taught Atsushi and Akutagawa how to roast marshmallows and other food over the flames.

Tachihara had to bite back a smirk when his and Akutagawa's eyes met, especially after seeing the latter's jacket draped over Atsushi's shoulders as the weretiger happily conversed back and forth with Kaiji in his attempt to roast his marshmallow on a twig. Though Ryuunosuke never does appear warm or welcoming, his expression seemed less cold than usual, but actually at ease as he watched Atsushi's squeal when he accidentally caught it on fire with a small smile he fought to suppress. The man had to stand up and grab the wrist Atsushi had been holding the stick in, wordlessly lowering it so he could blow it out for him.

Nakajima was sheepishly chuckling, a, "Sorry, Ryuu," in the midst as Akutagawa hums with a nod and sits back down. Atsushi was still insistent to eat it, burnt to black or no, but when he bites it off the stick, he's proud that it managed to taste delicious anyway, boasting to Ryuunosuke about how he wants to make one for him next. While Akutagawa is no doubt the type to want roasted marshmallows only if they're cooked to a golden perfection, nobody doubts that he'll eat whatever creation Nakajima manages just to keep him happy and not waste his precious efforts.

Though Dazai's attention was mostly on Chuuya when he wasn't nodding off to sleep, he couldn't help but proudly watch his pupils getting along so well in between, another leading cause into such a serene smile on his lips.

Hirotsu wasn't anywhere to be seen, but when Tachihara asks, Akutagawa confirms that the old man needed to take a leak so went somewhere more private. It's not like Tachihara had to worry or anything, given who the man is, but he hopes he'll return momentarily so he could help him search for the phone. Hirotsu may not be his actual grandfather, but that doesn't mean Michizō doesn't rely on him like one; he certainly needs his level-head right now, but then again, when doesn't he?

Approaching the towels where Shin Soukoku previously slept, Tachihara attempts to lay Tanizaki down, which is more of a struggle than he imagined. Jun had passed out while he was being carried, or at least he assumed he had, but the second he tried to lay him there, his arms locked around his neck and pulled him down, smashing their lips together with ever so much passion that it killed Michizō to have to turn him away.

"I have to go now, but I'll be back in a few minutes, alright?" Tachihara assures his partner, still half-hovering over him as he brushed his thumb over the lips that just attacked him. "Try to get some sleep, baby."

Once again, to no surprise, Tanizaki is sulking like a child, but he relents anyhow with a grump 'fine'. His face was flushed, from both the booze and probably the unexpected pet name, yet it was the cutest thing he's ever seen.

Tachihara lingers close by long enough to see him turn over on his side and close his eyes, a victory no less. Then, in perfect timing, Hirotsu also makes a return, seeming to walk straight up to him to no surprise.

"Gramps! Can you come help me? Tanizaki lost his phone."

Hirotsu was definitely refraining himself from making jabbing remarks regarding their frolicking, and he's successful; the man doesn't open his mouth about it, and without a complaint mutters an, "Alright, do you know where he last had it?" before Tachihara points down the shore.

He's grateful Hirotsu is reliable for this sort of thing, very grateful just to have him in general, and with that they make their way down to the area of seclusion, no judgement or berating to be passed along.

 


 

"Hell yeah! Finally!" Tachihara cheers for the umpteenth time after finally finding Tanizaki's cell tucked away between two rocks. "Thank god we managed to find it before sunrise."

"Yes, well, I didn't expect for us to be here this late either," Hirotsu comments dejectedly, the fire still burning bright in the distance. "I figured we were going to set off the fireworks and then pack up to head home, but I suppose I should have expected things to not go as easily as that. While it is difficult to pull you all away from duty to have a bit of fun, it is near impossible to get you lot back once we've succeeded in getting you there. Perhaps it must be the kid in you all that didn't have the time to properly outgrow it before being forced to mature far too quickly."

"Geez, Gramps, are you sure you weren't on the bottle?" Tachihara laughs mockingly, the man he was side by side with sighing before tearing his gaze away from the stars.

"Laugh now, but you'll understand someday when you are my age. When you're old, all you have is nothing but time to reflect on times when you weren't."

The, "If you say so," Tachihara had said in response just barely made it in time with the fond roll of eyes; in time before he suddenly felt his heart sinking at what looked to be a sudden area of vacancy.

"Tachihara?" he hears Hirotsu ask, meaning the sudden horror Michizō was overcome with is being expressed on his face more than he suspected. "Is everything alright?"

Without answering his question, Tachihara bolts toward the shape of an umbrella, the very area he left him before taking off. Though it wasn't possible for Tanizaki to be lying underneath the towels without leaving a shape, he threw them all aside anyway for his own desperate search of piece of mind, choking on a breath that half sounded like a sob when the entire surrounding area was emptiness.

"Akutagawa!" Tachihara shouts, definitely much too loud and alarmed for it managed to make Gin and Higuchi stir.

His voice cracked to an embarrassing degree when he said his name, but Ryuunosuke simply peered over at him with a nonchalant, "What?" as Michizō raced over, heart beating out of his chest when he stands hunched over in front of the man as he fought to catch his breath.

"Tanizaki.... p-please tell me you've seen him."

Much to his demise, he shakes his head no, Atsushi slapping a hand over his mouth as he squeaks, "Tanizaki is gone?"

Those three words were enough to send Tachihara into almost a full-blown panic attack, but he feels Gin's hands on his shoulders from behind before Hirotsu plays the voice of reason.

"Tanizaki isn't in the proper physical state to leave all on his own, so I can assure you he could not have gone far," Tachihara can't help but tone out the words Hirotsu spoke, his eyes all too focused on the area where the men had previously been packing up their things to leave who were now gone.... had left, during the search for the cell phone.

The last thing Michizō hears is his name, a warning, leave Hirotsu's mouth when he releases an almost growl-like sound in the back of his throat before running like he's never ran before up the rocky ditch that leads back to the street they drove on to get here.

His bare feet hurt like hell, stampeding against the pavement as tiny rocks stabbed into his skin, but not even the burn of his lungs could compare to the nauseating fear of where Tanizaki must be right now; the nauseating reality that already, this early into the game, he's failed to protect him.

Tachihara was dizzy when finally he stops beside where their van and Chuuya's car was parked, the vehicle of the other men gone and nowhere in sight. This time, he genuinely does choke on a cry when a broken yelp of a, "No..." falls from his lips, hearing another set of feet coming towards him before Gin just barely manages to catch him in her arms, her bare feet just as hurt and sore as his own while she too fought to catch her breath.

"He's gone, Gin..." he whimpers, only having to recognize the scent of her perfume to know that it was her. "H-He's gone..."

It isn't long before everybody else makes an appearance, and as embarrassing as it is to have an audience to witness his drunken breakdown, there were no words of judgement to be passed around; just pity, which honestly felt worse than a punch to the gut.

 


 

For more reasons than one, Atsushi hasn't been able to get the craze that was yesterday out of his mind.

His emotions were a mix of sickness between everything that happened between him and his partner and what happened to Tanizaki at the end of the night. They didn't even wait until morning to drive home, but instead packed up right away. They were on the road after twenty minutes of searching the entire beach, despite how much of a fight Tachihara put up about staying there in case the men or Tanizaki managed to turn up in a scenario where maybe he had just gotten lost trying to find somewhere to piss or throw up without telling anybody. Hirotsu told him that they would be back here to search in the morning, considering there's not much else they can do without the light of day.

Michizō had starting sobbing about how he's probably lost in the woods somewhere or drowning out in the ocean as they speak, and started crying even harder when talking about how those guys probably got their dirty hands all over Tanizaki and are already on their third round with him. He was absolutely hysterical as Hirotsu carried him back to the car, and because Higuchi only had one drink, she served as the designated driver for Chuuya's group considering Akutagawa and Atsushi don't know how to drive.

Her and Nakajima switched vehicles for the ride home, and at around four in the morning, Atsushi had finally been dropped back off to the Agency dorms where a 7am rise for work awaited him in the coming hours.

He didn't sleep; how could he, after all of that? Kyouka, thankfully, had heard him sniffling in the doorway, and all night long or what little remained of it, she talked him through it. Seeing Tachihara break down was contagious — listening to him cry the entire car ride home had Atsushi teary in the eyes — already had him there borderline, but seeing Kyouka and that soft expression of concern, it had been all too much for the weretiger to bear. She had known that somehow, probably saw the way his shoulders trembled as shaky hands gently shut the front door to their home behind him. Then as soon as those small arms threw themselves around him, Nakajima became the weeping mess Black Lizard had to comfort Tachihara through until the coming morning as well.

Nakajima was like a zombie, staggering into work the next day. Him and Kyouka were the very last to show up, considering she refused to leave before he had, and what they walked into was a commotion.

"What's going on?" Atsushi murmurs aloud, a question not intended for anyone but a question Kenji, who stood close by to the doorway the pair walked in through, more than happily answered, despite the concern laced through his naturally peppy tone.

"The Director received a video threat today for ransom," he explains, tone just barely visible over Kunikida's powerful voice that argued against Naomi, Yosano, and Ranpo, the office a cacophonic mess of voices dominating voices. "A group of men kidnapped Tanizaki and only intend to give him back in exchange for three million dollars cash."

"It seems like they still think he is apart of the Agency, which is why they believe they can use Tanizaki as blackmail leverage," Haruno murmurs dejectedly, leaning against the nearby wall as she dabbed at her teary eyes using the sleeves of her sweater. "The office is a mess and no one knows what to do about it."

"Tanizaki may not be here anymore," Atsushi listens in on the argument Kunikida played a hand in, the room quieting down as he spoke, "but that doesn't change the fact that he's one of us! We're saving him, and that's final!"

"And where exactly do you intend to pull three million dollars from, huh?" Ranpo fires back matter-of-factly, seeming furious yet eerily composed both at the same time. "Tanizaki is Port Mafia property now; that amount of ransom is mere loose change in Mori's pockets. If they don't get up off their asses and help him themselves, that's his own fault for not resisting this arrangement more fiercely."

It may not seem that way, but Ranpo was actually one of the ones most hurt by Tanizaki's leaving.

It may not have seemed that way, but they were close during the time they spent together here. They were never close on a personal level per say, they didn't share with each other their deepest darkest secrets, but the two of them spent a lot of time in the other's company, as did Kenji. There was a mutual friendship more long-lasting than it was intimate, and all it took was a few really good memories for Ranpo to feel betrayed by Tanizaki's lack of resistance put up against an enemy they shared a same degree of hatred towards.

If Ranpo wasn't willing to save Atsushi against Port Mafia when he first joined the Agency, a stranger but a member of their team, like hell was he going to give an ally turned enemy the benefit of the doubt...

Naomi and Yosano both had their own opposing sides to the argument as well; Yosano agreed with Ranpo that they should alert Port Mafia of what was going on and allow them to handle the situation in their own way without their meddling, all the while Naomi, to no surprise, wanted them to rescue her brother immediately, with or without a plan.

Dazai was present in the room, but he hadn't said a word; didn't even bring up last night or anything else related. Unaffected, he sat there, ignoring the knowing looks of concern Atsushi conveyed entirely. All morning, he busied himself with his cell phone, paying no mind to the chaos that unfolded around him.

No one was able to come to a single agreement, even Fukuzawa has yet to make a proper decision or announcement, but Kunikida wasn't wasting any more time standing around doing nothing.

"Atsushi," he says, no greeting no nothing, just serious business.

Nakajima's back immediately stiffens, stammering a, "Y-Yes, Kunikida?" as he prepared for orders to get dished.

"Is there still a seven billion yen bounty over your head?"

 


 

As painfully expected, Mori didn't really kick up much of a fuss regarding Tanizaki's disappearance, especially considering the events that surrounded it. Their boss told them that he simply didn't have the time to waste searching for a new recruit of meager status all because they got themselves lost while intoxicated, and though Akutagawa braced himself for absolute hell to break loose, Tachihara managed to keep himself surprisingly cool, though only in the way a savage of an animal is restrained by muzzle. He may not have ripped the head off Mori's shoulders, but that didn't mean the expression on his face failed to express those intentions.

Though they all had their own duties assigned for the day that needed to be taken care of, Michizō especially so almost as if to be punished and refrained from focusing all of his attention on finding his partner, the group that had all been there that night have been doing what they can between tasks to find any sort of clues. Hirotsu drove himself and Tachihara back out to the beach at five o'clock this morning to spend hours searching the sands before work would even come close to starting, so without a trace of Tanizaki still to be found, they've dedicated their search to finding those guys.

None of them are really techy, but out of all six, Kaiji seems to be the closest to it, so he has been trying to find any information he can find about the men while Chuuya hovered over his shoulder, eating his lunch while they were both on their dinner break. Except for Akutagawa, the rest of Black Lizard were away still handling a previous ordeal issued by the boss, though he wouldn't be long leaving as well as his phone suddenly vibrates in his pocket the moment he steps into the lunchroom.

"Hey," Nakahara greets him casually through a mouth muffled with food when he notices his pupil enter the room, the latter's face already buried in their cell, "has anyone been able to have much luck? These bastards, of course, were easy to track down on social media, but there isn't anything remotely incriminating or gives away any kind of gang or organization." 

"It's a pain in the ass," Chuuya chuckles despite the statement he spoke, patting Motojirō on the shoulders with a grin as he goes on to say, "but I promised Kaiji here that I would try baking him a lemon pie if he manages to give us a clue, so he's more than well motivated! Ain't that right, buddy?"

"You bet I am!!!!! Chuuya's pies are the best!!!!"

"R-Really? You think so?" Nakahara sheepishly scratches the back of his neck, a little red in the face from the compliment. "That shitty Dazai says a blind dog can cook better than I can, but at least I don't nearly burn my apartment down trying to fry a couple of eggs—! Hey, Aku, where are you going?!"

"I've got something to take care of," he replies no more discreetly than he could have, peering down at Dazai's name appearing on his lockscreen through a message banner he quickly skimmed one last time before slipping the device away once more, understanding the coordinates and what needed to be done. "As for care, your baking lacks it, Chuuya; that fig pie you made me for my birthday last year was absolutely pitiful."

Ryuunosuke left before he could stick around to hear the shouts of his superior that followed afterward, able to hear his voice screaming about ungratefulness and a 'lack of respect against his elders' the entire ways down the hall long enough. 

He amused himself by it only long enough before he had to get down to serious business. While Osamu may have directed Tachihara well on his way to play hero, certainly known as the true greatest at hunting down pests that managed to slip past their feet, Akutagawa had his own moment to shine before Atsushi could do something stupid yet again. What was new?

 


 

All the ADA could do was wait around for things to set into motion, the silence in the air tense until a sudden crash into the door has their weapons at the ready, shocking everyone except for Dazai and Ranpo who proceeded to sit like nothing was happening. Tachihara may not be as much an enemy as before, at least not at the moment, but this certainly wouldn't be the first time he has raided the Agency with the rest of his squad. Considering their current circumstances, they have no choice but to be cautious, especially now when tensions between them run so high.

Michizō had a crazed look in his eye, an expression that would terrify anyone but the powerful. He has two giant duffle bags that he throws onto the desk, breathing in pants as he screamed much too loud than indoor-appropriate, "Just take the god damn money, alright?! I don't give a fuck how much else more this bastard needs, what I need is much more important!"

"Hold on, just take it easy," Kunikida commands, pointing to a seat for the man to sit down in that Tachihara only kicks over, a more than clear answer that evokes a sigh out of him. "Listen, we're not going to help you if you don't calm down, okay?!"

"Well of course you aren't," Michizō sneers, a bitter look of disgust curling his features when he emits a hollow chuckle under his breath. "Except for Atsushi, not a single one of you self-centered sons of bitches even bothered to pick up the phone and give Tanizaki a call after he left. I suppose having him locked up makes cutting him out of your lives that much easier; easier to get back to your merry little band of good-doers that only truly accept the absolute perfect good. I'm sure he felt the life getting sucked out of him every single day he had to come in here and pretend no bloodlust or rage existed below the surface of a smile, the same way I did before the Port Mafia finally set me free."

"Seems I'm not needed here anymore," Ranpo begins, everyone silently holding their breaths as their attention redirects to the detective, sitting on the edge of his desk as his feet dangled. "Not when we've got a know-it-all standing right there."

"You of all people really shouldn't start with me right now," Tachihara grumbles, eyes threateningly serious as they bore into Ranpo's own unremorseful stare, a sucker balling around the latter's mouth. "I mean it; I don't trust myself not to put a bullet through your head by the end of it once you get me going, so for someone as weak and defenseless as you, I think your best bet is to shut up before you never speak again—!"

"That's enough!" Fukuzawa's voice suddenly explodes into the room, a tone so powerful that it really does possess the strength to make all surrounding life submit to a guilty silence. He takes a deep breath, eyes in a serene close as he takes only several steps forward into the office. "I've been in contact with Mori, and the one thing he did enforce seriously was that no funds of the Port Mafia will be spent on this endeavor."

Yosano's eyes roll, and it's certainly not difficult to imagine the thoughts that must be running through everyone's head right now: all that talk of how great the Port Mafia is, and yet their loyalty always falters at the end of the day.

Snatching the bag off the table, Tachihara tears the zipper off before dumping all the stacks of bills onto the floor in front of the man, such a show of disrespect that no one in the Agency would ever dare to commit, a member or no.

"Yeah, well these funds are all mine; my Port Mafia blood money, and the millions I have stored away from my Hunting Dog days. I can do whatever the hell I please with it, whether you or Mori or anybody else likes it!"

"Director, please!" Naomi begs, tears in her eyes that had yet to shed. Her hands are clasped in plea as she and the man make eye-contact, a genuine hurt in her gaze as she cries, "My brother is all I have, don't make me lose him!"

Fukuzawa is silent only for but a moment, and after said drag of a moment, he utters, "I did not say I wasn't going to do anything. Like it or not, I am the person responsible for allowing Tanizaki to serve as a bargaining chip for the seal of our deal, so for tearing him away from the only family he's ever known, I owe him at least this little. Luckily, I entrusted Dazai to already set things into motion as we speak. I don't suppose you've let me down?"

With a careless shrug, Dazai nods, much to the surprise of everyone.

"Everything has been taken care of. All we're waiting for now is a retrieval of the damsel."

In a matter of seconds, the room cleared out.

 


 

Jun'ichirō genuinely couldn't remember what happened last night for him to have winded up where he did; bound by ropes, laying on the floor in an empty room that at least had sunlight that poured in through very few windows, and wracked with the absolute worst hangover he's ever experienced. 

Considering how drunk he was last night, they definitely managed to take him without a fight, which he supposes somewhat worked out in his favor if this was to be inevitable since it earned him less of a beating in the process. Other than a couple of bruises and a crying need for a glass of water with some pain meds, nothing was different, though let's not disregard how poor of a state he was in just the night before last from that previous mission he got hurt on. As little as Tanizaki has done to help it, he is still technically in his recovery stages, which definitely didn't appreciate getting thrown on the floor while the needle-like sensations of the rope's bristles set his skin on fire.

It's probably so pathetic, how badly he found himself missing Tachihara the entire while he laid on that floor alone in the dark, no choice but to stare up at the ceiling and listen to the thoughts in his head. Though getting kidnapped is obviously very shitty, especially when he was taken so easily in such a vulnerable position, Jun found himself more bummed out over the fact that he got to miss out on what came next; what other breathless moments that would have came after Tachihara returned with his phone before a night straight out of his every fantasies could come to an end. 

Though today, sober and no longer hidden out in the seclusion of the dark in a faraway beach, may mean things go back to normal, Tanizaki is genuinely so frustrated that he couldn't have made last night count more. 

Maybe they would have laid there and gazed at the stars together, despite how heavy Tanizaki's eyelids felt with a pull for sleep?

Maybe they would have laid there and had a conversation, deep and raw and so interpersonal like none they've ever had before, not with anyone? Hearts on their sleeves like there were no consequences of a tomorrow that felt so far out of reach that it didn't existed, maybe Tanizaki could have actually spoke to somebody other than Naomi for the first time about the childhood he lived? Grew the courage to finally ask Tachihara about his brother he knew just snippets about from Yosano, and truly offer for the vent of how it felt to play a spy against two families he called his own Michizō must have begged for all that time spent so helplessly isolated and alone?

Or maybe they wouldn't share words beyond just three: an 'I love you' as they slowly fell asleep wrapped both in the embrace and warmth of each other's presence, lost in a scent that has become so comforting familiar despite what little time has gone by since they were just strangers sitting in a booth, the taste of fries and Bonnie and Clyde that allowed for imaginations to run wild.

Oh, how badly he wanted to be his partner in crime. To laugh together until their stomachs ached after playing each other's alibi, choosing to ride or die only for as long as the other can keep up with their every step. Happily, they would become a name to be remembered, and someday when they would die young in but a glorious and romantic televised display, both would be remembered not just for their power and fame, but a bond so unbreakable that not even the fear of death could shake the love from their eyes. 

Soukoku and Shin Soukoku may become the center of book after book after book, but just their one page would satisfy Tanizaki; one single page left as evidence to remind of an untold story about two boys in love who fell for the sparkling desire of playing the enemy over staying true to family, a single liner that could never come to sum up every detail of memories only they shall take with them when they die.   

A door slams against the wall just as a fresh pool of tears silently rolled down Tanizaki's face, and though he's prepared to ignore it for the fifth time today, his breath can't help but hitch in his throat when he hears that rambunctious group of people he still loves as deeply as the day he left them make their iconic entrance, always so big and grand that it almost made Tanizaki feel that strong and confident back when he felt like he actually belonged. 

It's Kunikida's voice he hears first, stood beside his corpse of a body as he stared down at him with a hard expression, ever so serious like nothing has changed. The sun beams that flitted in through the window shine at his back, which was satisfyingly fitting for someone so indescribably heroic. There is no soft comforts to be shed when he tells him with such a strictness that it almost felt like a scold, "The situation has been dealt with, we will make sure the perpetrators will be properly apprehended for their crimes." Still, it was good to see him again.

Yosano is the one untying the ropes from his person, not meeting his eye when he peered up at her face for reasons that weren't personal; she was simply focused on cutting through the bindings and handling the situation, her only ask being, "How are your injuries? Do you require any medical attention?"

He didn't really get much of an answer before it's Naomi that's making a dramatic entry that made Jun feel so warm and precious during even the hardest times of his life; she truly was his light in the dark, and though he can't allow for it to shine for him anymore, getting to feel her throw her arms around him one last time as she sobbed into his shoulder made him grateful despite how painful it was to know that this would be their final end.

Ranpo the all knowing probably knew that as his presence clung to the doorway like a mere shadow on the wall, expression unwavering as it failed to express even a single thought that must have been spiraling through his mind right now. As much as Jun'ichirō would love to have just one last talk with him, not a hashing but merely a casual exchange of jokes and stories and commentaries they wouldn't dare share with anyone else like old times, things could never be that way again. Maybe it's better they leave things silent this way, so at least their final conversation could be remembered as something lost but once beautiful.

Dazai stood next to him, exactly where he should stay if not further away. That sickening gloat of smuggish pride that hid behind eyes so cold and calculating, Tanizaki is glad to now stand as his enemy, because that man is an evil beyond the strict protocols of the work of an organization. Until proven otherwise, Jun'ichirō's gut will always tell him that the bad news that showed up on their doorstep one day several years ago is cold down to their very core, and maybe his own personal experiences with the guy may prevent that from ever changing at all.

Kenji's smile never does change, not for friend or foe alike. Very few are even viewed as foe in his eyes, after all, and no matter the roads that would lead them apart, Tanizaki knows he would always remain in that special place in his heart the same way he'll always be held close in his own as well. That soul of his is so in-destructively beautiful, and though Kyouka's expression was total opposite to his on the outside, it was the very exact same. Their circumstances may be entirely different, but it doesn't change the fact that both she and Jun'ichirō were backed into that same corner that lead them to join the mafia without choice, which is why he knows she would never judge him for that even if the words may never leave her mouth.

It burned somehow to see them all again, as his heart sunk to the pit of his stomach, and though it was becoming harder and harder and harder not to break down, it's that pleading, "Tanizaki!" he hears the voice of his love cry oh so desperately that shook every last shred of resistance out of his body, because as happy as he was to see everyone, every fiber of his body yearned and screamed to see not just Tachihara again, but Hirotsu and Gin and Higuchi and Akutagawa and everyone else he's becoming closer with by the day.

The moment those restraints finally set him free, Tachihara's name was a weak croak out of the back of his throat as well when he pulls himself off the floor with the struggle of a cripple, almost collapsing back down to the floor from weakness and fatigue before him and Michizō manage to catch each other.

An, "I got 'cha," falls from Michizō's lips the moment he saves him for neither the first or last time, both trembling as the mess of their emotions got the better of them as they fell to their knees. They're both choked up and overwhelmed, spewing apology after apology to one another as if they've committed the gravest of sins, before it isn't long that the rest of Black Lizard makes their own appearance.

Tanizaki could feel the weight of Hirotsu's jacket cover his shoulders before a warm hand is placed on his head, the old man crouching behind him with a smile as he asked, "How are you feeling, son? You have my deepest apologies that we weren't able to save you up until now, but know that you are now safe and will be well taken care of." 

"They didn't hurt you too badly, did they?" Tachihara, sniffling all the more pathetically as his eyes so puffy and red only now started to slow down producing the waterworks. His hands were still holding Tanizaki's shoulders, a squeeze so comfortingly firm that Jun'ichirō helplessly adored. "Say the word and I'll take care of the motherfuckers myself. Akutagawa had to rescue Atsushi from playing the distraction of kidnapper bait to keep them at bay for long enough to get to you, but I will gladly give them my own hell if it will make you feel the slightest bit better—!"

"No," Jun'ichirō isn't long denying, arms hanging over Tachihara's shoulders as he buries his face in the crook of his neck, staggered breathing burning his chest like fire. "Stay, please. Don't leave me again."

"Alright," Tachihara gently whispers, ignoring the sting of 'again' as he stroked the top of his head, whatever he could do to quench the tremors. Leaning his cheek against his temple, Michizō allows for his own tired eyes that hadn't slept in nights to fall to a temporary close, murmuring, "I'm not going anywhere, never again."

The vigorous nodding Tanizaki performed only lead to the fabric of Tachihara's shirt to become even more soaked, already knowing he had started to cry harder before the wails had even erupted. 

Higuchi was even moved to tears by the sight of them, Gin holding out strong as she kept a strong hand on her girlfriend's shoulder, proceeding to watch on with a nonchalance that failed to express all the things every one of them were feeling. 

As for the Agency, they no doubt felt awkward and intrusive, only relenting to Hirotsu's threatening glare for those reasons. "Your assistance was much appreciated, but as for your presence, it is no longer needed now. So if you could kindly make an exit, that would be most helpful."

Though the words were polite and sophisticated, somehow they still came borderline cold. Without a peep out of them, the Agency silently filed out of the building, pausing only for the split second it took Tanizaki to raise his head and cry, "Thank you! Believe me, thank you very, very much, I love you guys so much!"

A, "Goodbye, Tanizaki," that Yosano said had spoke for the rest of them, but unlike all times it felt before, it was warm and felt not at all like a permanent departure. The doctor's expression looked so soft for what little time he saw it before they left, and that alone will certainly help Jun'ichirō sleep easier at night.

With the Agency now gone, it was as if a weight lifted off the room, everyone now free to speak and behave as they pleased without an audience. Akutagawa and Atsushi must have passed them all on their way in, because the latter's innocent voice could be briefly heard momentarily before both their bodies entered the room, Atsushi's battered and bruised but looking more happy than ever.

Tanizaki's name is a gleeful cry from his lips before the weretiger is tackling both him and Tachihara to the floor in a giggly hug, which evokes laughs out of all of them in turn. Though Akutagawa had started coughing into his hand, it was to no doubt to hide a smile, a smile they all bore at finally being back together again.

"I can't thank you guys enough either," Jun'ichirō sniffles, looking like an absolute mess but a joyful one at that. Tachihara couldn't resist the urge to hold one side of his face while he kissed the other cheek, Tanizaki in giggles through his next declare of, "As much as I do the Agency if not more, I love you all too. To leave the Port Mafia now, despite how little time has gone by, it would break me to never get to share these moments with you again. My entire life, all I've wanted more than anything was a family and a partner to love me unconditionally, and in such a short but painful span of time, I managed to find both somewhere along the way. Truly, it makes me so indescribably grateful."

When Atsushi leaves again after a brief reunion, Tanizaki didn't have to assume for a second that this would be the last he'd ever see of him again. Nakajima hadn't let go, not even from the start, and as much as he is overflowing with gratitude, just as much is harbored for his bestest friend in the entire world. 

"Well, we are truly so grateful to have you as well, son," Hirotsu beams, a rarity reserved for only very few people that did not exist outside this room.  "No matter the paths life may lead us down, you can always count on me to be there for you unconditionally. If someday you should decide to return to the Agency, that won't change for a second. You're just as much my boy as Tachihara and Akutagawa, a fact I want you to remember always."

Akutagawa's cough intensifies, red in the face from a sentiment he did not expect to include himself. Though him and Hirotsu are close, never had words of that kind been explicitly stated before. As uncomfortable of a feeling it evoked in the pit of his stomach, it also made him feel... well, glad, to say the least. Warm, but loved no less.

"We all feel the same way too, Tanizaki," Gin smiles after having pulled her mask down to below her chin, a matching expression to Higuchi's. "You're one of us now, and no distant future can ever change that."

"They certainly can never take away the memories created," Higuchi proceeds, "which will be the one thing that binds us together forever."

"Well you guys can bind yourself together with that metaphorical shit all you want, but I, on the other hand, will have this thing called a marriage certificate," Tachihara snorts half-jokingly, evoking a laugh out of everyone present. 

"Though it's certainly much too soon for that, my love," Tanizaki is left speechless by the return of that breathtaking smile, fingers ever so delicate as they stroked down the side of his face. "This is only the beginning of our story yet."

"And I can't wait to write every page with you."

For a life now lead to sneak through the shadows, shrouded in the darkness all good feared, somehow it couldn't quite possibly get brighter from here.

Notes:

@pilwxn more tachizaki food yw<3