Hey everyone hope you're having a good weekend and hope you enjoy the new chapter :D
Atsushi tries not to say anything during the ride to the hotel he and Dazai are staying in, only giving one word answers when he absolutely needs to. Dazai doesn't seem to notice or get the hint that Atsushi doesn't want to talk. He seems content to just chatter away without really paying attention to Atsushi's answers. Sitting in a car with Dazai is hard as hell and Atsushi is looking forward to when he can get to the hotel and flop down onto his bead. Get some time to himself to clear his head for the coming few days with no one else but Dazai.
But of course things are not that simple... as if Atsushi would be lucky enough for them to be that simple.
"Beg pardon?" Atsushi asks as soon as the receptionist has finished speaking.
"There's been a slight mix up with the booking for your room," she says. She's pretty, with glasses and fluffy cropped hair, and she does look genuinely apologetic.
"That's fine, nothing that can't be fixed," Dazai says with a smile and a wave of his hand. "What kind of mix up?"
"Well there's only one left," the girl replies.
"Well that's fine," Dazai says turning to smile at Atsushi. "We can deal sharing a room for a few days."
"Sure," Atsushi says even though he is so beyond able to deal with the idea of being in a room with Dazai with no way of really getting away from him for the night.
"Oh thank god," the girl sighs with relief. "It's just there's a wedding party on this weekend and you're the only two not part of it. Every other room we have is booked out."
"That's fine, we'll take the one," Dazai says.
"Sure thing," the girl smiles and hands him a key. "It's room twelve, up the stairs and at the end of the corridor on the left. It's nice and secluded so you shouldn't be disturbed by the wedding guests."
"Thank you sweetheart," Dazai says and takes the key from her. He turns to shoot a slick grin at Atsushi. "I think we'll be fine with nice and secluded won't we Tiger," he whispers in Atsushi's ear.
"Fantastic," Atsushi mutters.
This can't get any worse, he thinks as he trudges up the stairs behind Dazai and follows him down the corridor. His eyes are glued to the subtle sway of Dazai's hips as he walks and he tries not to think about wrapping his legs around those hips and ridding him into a mattress. On my god, stop it! It's already bad enough that you're sharing a room with him. Don't makes it worse by staring at his ass and getting a hard on! ...It really can't get any worse.
Atsushi realises it can as Dazai opens the door and they are confronted with one double bed. No sofa, no chair, nothing else to sleep on apart from the floor and one bed in the centre of the room. Atsushi wants to ram his face into the nearest wall, curing his horrific luck. This really is just unfair.
"Well I can sleep on the floor," Atsushi says trying not to sound as if he wants to punch something.
"Aww you don't need to do that Tiger," Dazai says, his voice suddenly at Atsushi's ear. Atsushi can feel the heat of Dazai's body pressing against his back and everything prickles. "I'm sure we can do something to salvage the situation."
"I'm happy to sleep on the floor," Atsushi says.
"And here was me hoping that you could be my little spoon," Dazai chuckles, his arm coming to wrap around Atsushi's waist. It pains him to admit it but Atsushi kind of wants to. He can't let himself be swept up in it though, otherwise he won't survive.
"I'm going to go take a shower," he says. He takes hold of Dazai's wrist and removes the arm from his waist.
"Sure you don't want to shower together?" Dazai asks, following him as he makes his way over to the bathroom. "I don't know about you but I rather enjoyed the last one we shared." His breath is hot against Atsushi's neck and he tries not to shiver. He can't ket Dazai know he's affected by him otherwise he'll be insufferable the whole night.
"I'm going for a shower," Atsushi says firmly, "alone."
"Shame," Dazai says but to his credit he backs off all the same. "You can't avoid me forever."
"Just watch me," Atsushi mumbles as he goes into the bathroom and closes and locks the door behind himself. He braces his hands against the door and rests his forehead against it as he opens his mouth in a silent scream of frustration, letting out everything he can until he feels like he's calmed down. Once he's done he strips off his clothes and gets into the shower Just get through the next couple of days and then you can put some distance between the two of you. Atsushi snorts derisively to himself as he turns on the water. If you believe that you'll believe anything...
"So we're all in agreement," Dazai says warmly, looking between the well dressed man and the huge slab of beef they are trying to do a three way deal with. So far negotiations haven't quite been going according to plan, what with Port Mafia being the only flexible organisation. Atsush found that is working to his advantage as he had set his phone to record before every meeting and he's gotten a lot of good material to take back to Kunikida. The only real problem of this whole thing has been trying to resist Dazai.
"We are in agreement," the well dressed man says.
"Yes," the huge muscular man agrees.
"Good," Dazai says clapping his hands together. "So we can settle this with a drink and then be on our separate ways.
"Yes," the wall dressed man agrees.
Atsushi can feel himself thrumming with excitement. He's got so much that he can take back that will put Port Mafia away and even possibly both of the other two organisations present. Kunikida's going to be so proud of me and he won't think I'm useless.
The sudden clatter of a can hitting the floor sounds incredibly loud in the otherwise silent warehouse and for a moment Atsushi thinks his excitement has given him away. The expressions on the well dressed man and the beef-cake and their respective men harden.
"What was that?" the well dressed man asks.
"I'm sure it's nothing," Dazai says, trying to salvage the rapidly souring situation.
"You brought police," the huge man snarls, pointing an accusing finger at the well dressed man.
"I'm sure it was just a rat," Dazai says.
"Bullshit," the huge man spits and as it transpires he's not wrong as there is a sudden flurry of footsteps.
"Don't just stand there," the well dressed man shouts at his men. "Go after them, bring them back." There is a flurry of movement as the men who were flanking him tear off after the footsteps, pulling guns from holsters.
"You betrayed our trust," the well dressed man fumes, pointing at the huge man.
"Now gentlemen," Dazai says, raising his hands.
"We had nothing to do with this," the other man snarls.
"This isn't helping anything," Dazai carries on even though neither of them are listening to him. Atsushi thinks about slipping his hand into his pocket to stop the recording but, judging by how on edge the other two men are, they'll notice and turn their anger on him.
"Or maybe," the well dressed man says, turning to glare at Dazai.
"You set this up," the huge man finishes also turning to glare at Dazai. "You wanted to frame us both."
"I think some wires are getting crossed," Dazai says. "I just came here to sort out this deal with you both."
"Bullshit," the huge man spits again.
"Look at me," Dazai says, trying to show just how unthreatening he is, "I came here with one other man, both of us are unarmed and we clearly couldn't take down either of you by ourselves."
"Which is exactly why you would have bought back-up," the well dressed man says. He reaches into his jacket pocket and Atsushi can almost see what is about to happen even before it does.
"Look I –" Dazai begins but he doesn't have a chance to finish his sentence before the man pulls a gun out of the inside pocket of his jacket and points it straight at Dazai.
"Dazai!" Atsushi runs to him, pushing him out of the line of fire as the man squeezes the trigger and the gun goes off.
Time slows down as Atsushi suddenly finds himself starring down the barrel of a gun, a bullet slowly coming towards him. Why did I do this? he thinks to himself but as he looks over at Dazai's stunned expression he knows exactly why. He couldn't have let Dazai get shot, even if it meant taking the bullet for him he couldn't stand by and let Dazai get shot.
At first he doesn't feel anything, just hears the echo of the gunshot ringing in his ears. Then his arm begins to burn. He feels the trickle of blood but not the ripping, tearing sensation he's told comes with being shot. It's shock more than anything that makes him collapse to the floor, hand clutching his arm and breath tight in his chest.
"Atsushi..." Dazai says and there is a definite catch in his voice. "Atsushi..." Atsushi has to note that it's one of the few times Dazai has called him by his actual name and not a ridiculous nickname. He watches as Dazai slowly turns to the well dressed man. "You really shouldn't have done that," he says and his voice sounds surprisingly calm.
"He... he stepped into it," the man stammers, looking from Atsushi on the floor to the manic look in Dazai's face.
"I suggest you leave if you value your life," Dazai says softly, his voice low and dangerous and taking on a tone Atsushi's never heard before. He wants to be able to tell Dazai that he's okay, that it's just a graze, but he can't seem to be able to speak. He's still in shock.
"What?" the well dressed man asks.
He doesn't have time to react any other way before Dazai lunges at him. He pins him to the floor and begins to land blow after blow to his face until his knuckles are bruised and bloody. The other man and his flunkies stare in surprise, watching as Dazai pounds his quarry into the floor, before they all seem to come back to themselves and dart away.
Dazai continues to beat the man beneath him until he runs out of steam. He gets off the man who slowly rolls onto his front and them pushes himself to his hands and knees, coughing and spluttering. Dazai lands a kick to his stomach that sends him sprawling down to the cold hard floor again.
"Get out," he snarls.
The man begins to crawl away but Dazai pays him no mind as he rushes to Atsushi's side. A gentle hand brushes Atsushi's hair from his face and he come back to himself. He smiles at Dazai but the pain in his arm turns it into a grimace.
"Hey," he says softly.
"Hey," Dazai says back. "Are you alright?"
"It's just a graze," Atsushi says. He's not totally sure but he's trying to be reassuring. "I'll be fine."
"You're still bleeding beautiful," Dazai says, gently moving Atsushi's hand away from the wound so he can see the extent of the damage. "We need to get this cleaned up."
"It probably looks worse than it is," Atsushi says as Dazai slowly helps him to his feet, careful not to knock him.
"I'll take you back to the hotel, get you cleaned up and look after you," Dazai says, wrapping his arm around Atsusi's waist.
"I don't..." he begins to protest but Dazai cuts him off with a finger on his lips, the man on the floor all but forgotten.
"I know but let me."
"Okay," Atsushi mumbles and leans against Dazai's chest. It's warm and solid and nice and Atsushi can feel himself falling just a little bit in love again.
