…

It was couple months later that Chuuya actually properly met weretiger. Butted-heads more like, really. It was a mundane mission, nothing much. Yet their paths crossed on the battlefield as it was. It was a perfect and probably the only occasion Chuuya would ever have to actually stand head-to-head with the mythical weretiger.

The alleyway was lit with leftover sunset rays which graciously fell over them both. Blue iris stared into depths of purple-yellow ones and vice verse. Tipping his head to the side Chuuya smiled before nodding as in means of a greeting. Weretiger however was on edge, his eyes unwavering and waiting for one wrong move. Without much effort Chuuya stomped his foot down on the ground making a small crater thanks to his ability, alike watching weretiger like an eagle it's prey.

Ever since the day Chuuya heard about boy's ability he was curious, he never seen nor felt it on his own skin and Nakajima's fame was preceding him well.

"You—weretiger, you're on Port Mafia's territory" he mentioned half-casually, smirking. He stroke a pose, thumbs loosely looping into pants pockets. "I hope you know what this means."

Nakajima growled under breath, his grey hair flowed on the breeze. "I am not looking for a fight" he responded back, hoping that Chuuya would listen.

Which he of course didn't, so instead tipping his head a bit lower he chuckled. "Sorry, kid, no can do. When it comes to ADA it's KOS."

That taken aback poor weretiger who gulped none-too-quietly. Eyes wide and hands trembling. "K—O—S?" repeating meekly, Nakajima looked around them. "Why? I thought there's truce in place"

Now, the kid wouldn't be far from truth but Chuuya wasn't the one to say otherwise. "Was—was is the key word" he replied, glowering. "Yokohama was saved, there's no point in keeping truce any more" adding that he let his ability glow around him in well known red hue. "That means, it's time for fight!"

Time stood still just like weretiger did clearly stupefied and maybe a little bit terrified. Before he could blink though Chuuya was speeding towards him with twisted smile upon his face, the kick that he landed on Nakajima send the other hurling backwards into old, abandoned warehouse.

Frowning a bit Chuuya speed after weretiger. He found him sprawled on dusty floor, coughing some blood to the side. There was anger in Nakajima's eyes.

"I don't want to fight you" he tried reasoning again, slowly crouching. "I was just going to leave a message for Nakahara Chuuya from Dazai-san."

Now that piqued Chuuya's interest. "What does that bastard has to say?!" he screeched, flaunting around.

Frowning a bit Nakajima narrowed his eyes. "He said you're getting soft—and shorter, Chuuya-san."

Sudden wave of embarrassment made him see red. "What did you say, weretiger?!"

Younger male only chuckled at that, standing up and smiled. "So you're Nakahara-san, I gather?" he mentioned, blinking his owlish eyes twice. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to meet a person that saved Yokohama, you see? I wanted to say—" here Nakajima bowed in half. Something that never-ever one should do in a presence of an enemy. "—thank you, Nakahara-san."

"Thank—you?"

Chuuya's words echoed in the dark, dusty space. Nakajima looked upwards blinking before slowly standing up to his full height. Somehow the fact that he was taller than Chuuya irked him even though younger male hasn't said a mocking word about that.

"Yes" answered him weretiger nodding before a small, uncertain smile appeared on his face. "I've heard about what happened from Dazai-san—"

His traitorous eyebrow ticked angrily at hearing this, he couldn't help it. Weretiger heard about him from bastard himself? What was he spewing he wondered. "—and so you thought it is a smart idea to meet with me, weretiger? What gave you an idea that I am not going to crush you into dust."

Atsushi sweatdropped at that, scratching his neck. "Ugh, you see—" he started, not meeting Chuuya's eyes. "—from what I understand, Dazai-san respects you a lot. He trusts you with his life even" he added sighing and finally meeting blue irises that were blinking back curiously. "You sounded like a good person, Nakahara-san."

Record scratch stopped Chuuya's mind from overthinking. It wasn't possible that bandage freak actually felt something akin to emotion, especially positive one towards him. Respect? Trust? Those two words were like a foreign dishes to a person like Dazai and yet this boy standing before him, he thought—he believed.

He couldn't help it, he chuckled before laughing out. "That manipulative bastard—" he responded softly, shaking his head. "Well done, Dazai" he murmured to himself looking almost with pity at weretiger boy. "You know what?" he asked loud and clear to catch weretiger's attention. "Atsushi, be wary of a person you know as Dazai Osamu. He's not as good as you think he is—"

"—Dazai-san might not be perfect but nobody else is either" shot back almost instantly Nakajima yet Chuuya noticed the slight furrow of weretiger's brows. Yes, that's right, he needed him to think about who Dazai was in the first place. "I don't care what he's done in the past, he's different now..."

Yet again there was a slight waver in his voice. Chuuya chuckled tipping his hat as he moved ahead. Purposely his steps were slow and methodical, calculated. He didn't omit looking right into purple-yellow irises when they were mere couple inches apart.

(And yes, Nakajima was taller than him too... damnit.)

"Maybe he is, maybe he isn't—only Dazai truly knows it right?" tipping his head to the side Chuuya smirked as Nakajima gulped slowly, purple-yellow eyes gazing back at him. "But mark my words, what happened with Shibusawa probably wasn't just an accident. Dazai is unpredictable, he's too smart and too cunning for his own good. He's alive only because he knows what he's truly after and no—it's not double suicide with a pretty girl. Knowing that bandage freak he has some plans towards you ~A~tsu~shi~kun."

With a wicked pleasure upon mortification on weretiger's face he couldn't help but sing-song his name like that. He might've been short in stature but he was more than intimidating if he wanted to. Then he winked lasciviously towards other male and stomped his foot once leaving a dent underneath them before casually walking away.

He was already at the entrance, waving his hand slowly.

"Thanks accepted by the way" he called over his shoulder, not stopping nor looking back. "It was nice to meet you, weretiger. Likewise I've heard a lot about you. Keep safe and don't walk after dark alone Atsushi-kun."

Chuuya could swear he heard animalistic growl behind his back. Not that it mattered, he could take-on weretiger any day and that thought alone made his day five hundred times better. It seemed that mythical weretiger was just that, a myth and nothing more.

A/N: chpt 2 is my headcanon where Atsushi actually admires Chuuya's strength (yes, atsushi would fanboy okay, lmaooo?)