i wanted to break free and write something that makes me happy and the thing that makes me happy are akutagawa and atsushi napping together so.
within time, they learn how to be free.
atsushi learning that yes this happiness and comfort is here to stay, that yes he's allowed to live freely and not shackled to his past. akutagawa learning that even without strength he can be live, that he has long since received the acknowledgement of his and that he doesn't have to be shackled with darkness.
they're learning. (not separately, oh no, they've long passed the stage of learning alone and now they're learning in company.) they make mistakes. they fight. everything's not perfect at all times but they're learning and they're happy.
(after all, light and darkness can exist together.)
within time, they learn how to be free.
they share an apartment together, along with kyouka. while the apartment has two rooms, the both of them opt to share a room together while kyouka can have a room by herself. sure, akutagawa can sleep on the couch or sleep on the floor of atsushi's bed like any other guest would, but atsushi feels guilty to do that to the other guy so apart from sharing a room, they also share a bed.
it feels rather domestic and atsushi isn't complaining. (though atsushi often feels cramped in his small bed since some nights, it's not only him and akutagawa sleeping but kyouka too.)
atsushi feels warmer and more safer sleeping near someone. sure, it's not the most comfortable of positions since his short legs often gets tangled with akutagawa's long ones, and often times atsushi wakes up sweating since the air conditioning isn't really the best, and often times he wakes up shouting which just leads to akutagawa waking up in a fit and just pulls atsushi and embraces him until they fall back asleep (when they were still first starting sleeping together, akutagawa nearly killed atsushi over the first time he violently woke up because of a nightmare). it's not comfortable, not in the long run, but it's nice. it's domestic. it's what the both of them needs after long years of not enjoying and not feeling this simple thing.
atsushi smiles softly as akutagawa throws a hand over him and pulls him close, their legs are once again tangled and they are both hidden from the world out there by their blanket, atsushi's fairly sure that they'll wake up sweating the next day but he doesn't mind and just wraps his arm around akutagawa too. he can get used to this warmth and safety.
(when they wake up the next day, akutagawa refuses to look at atsushi in the eyes while they make breakfast for kyouka. it's cute.)