Hope you enjoy the Lovecraft cameo in this chapter. XD

Whether it's bad luck, divine intervention or everyone in the entire world is just out to get him Atsushi can't seem to drum up even a few spare minutes to go and see Dazai. After dragging him away from the shattered remains of his phone Kunikida keeps him in his office for ages. He rips Atsushi essay apart paragraph by paragraph and tells him to re-do the whole thing. Thankfully the essay was just a first draft so it's not the end of the world but that on top of the phone has him leaving Kunikida's office utterly deflated and on the verge of tears. He checks his watch and practically runs to the book store to see Dazai as it's later than he thought when he's finally granted freedom.

Luck is not on his side though, as when he gets there the shop is already closed and there is no sign on Dazai anywhere. As he stands outside the door he really feels like crying. He clutches at straws for how to get in contact with Dazai but he doesn't know where he lives, he doesn't have any paper to write him a note and he can't stay and wait all night because he has no idea when the shop is next going to be open. With a sigh he resigns himself to the fact that he will have to try again tomorrow.

However for the next week Atsushi desperately tries to see Dazai but between running around to get his phone fixed, going to classes and re-drafting his essay he barely has time to eat, sleep and shower never mind anything else. The longer it goes on the more down he gets. He knows he's pushing himself too hard but he can't seem to stop. Naomi and Yosano offer to go and talk to Dazai on his behalf but he politely declines. This is a conversation he has to have (especially the longer it goes on) and sending someone else will look even more like he's giving Dazai the brush off.

By the time he finally has freedom to go and try again he still doesn't have a working phone but he's left it way too long to wait any longer. Butterflies are going crazy in his stomach as he pushes open the door of the book store. He has no idea what he's going to be met with – the cold shoulder, open hostility, whatever – and that is only making his nerves worse. It's not until he hears Dazai's voice that his heart skips and his knees turn to jelly.

"Anyway beautiful you don't want to be reading that, you want to be reading this," Dazai says to someone and Atsushi instantly feels sick. He sneaks around the edge of a stack of books to peer round at the desk and see who Dazai is talking to.

It's a beautiful blonde woman in a smart looking suit and with her hair clipped up in a way that makes her look even more sophisticated. Oh she's really pretty... Self conscious begins to creep in as she laughs.

"Oh yes?" she says. "What's my incentive?"

Dazai takes her hand, brushing his fingers along the back of it, and places the book into it. "If you give me your name you can have it for free," he says.

It feels as if Atsushi has been stabbed in the heart. Does he just do this with everyone? I guess I'm not special... He can feel tears starting to prick the corners of his eyes. He really thought that he and Dazai had something special but clearly they didn't as it's been a week and he's already flirting with someone else. Then again if he hadn't left it all that time it wouldn't even have been an issue.

The woman laughs again. "My name is Higuchi," she says.

"Cute name," Dazai says and Atsushi's at his limit.

He turns and darts out of the shop before he can hear any more, cursing his rotten luck that he's in this shitty situation in the first place. If he hadn't broken his phone like an idiot then he would have been able to call Dazai and they'd probably be spending the evening together now that he's finished with his essay.

When he finally gets home, after wandering around feeling miserable for a good half an hour, Kenji calls out to him from the living room. "So how did it go?"

Atsushi doesn't give a verbal response and instead goes through to the living room, sits down on the sofa next to Kenji and rests his head on his shoulder. "I fucked up," he mumbles. "I fucked up so bad."

"What happened?" Kenji asks.

"I went to the book store to talk to Dazai and he was flirting with this gorgeous blonde woman," Atsushi sniffs. If feels as if his heart is breaking all over again, the pain in his chest worsening by the second.

"What?"

"He basically sad the same thing to her that he said to me when I first went in," Atsushi continues, tears filling his eyes.

"That bastard!" Kenji cries.

Atsushi shakes his head. "It's my fault."

"How is it your fault?" Kenji asks wrapping his arms around Atsushi and pulling him into a hug.

"I didn't call him after we slept together," Atsushi replies, "so as far as he's concerned I gave him the brush off and wasn't interested anymore."

Kenji seems to think about this for a moment. "I'm sorry babe, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Recommend me a new book store," Atsushi offers.

"Actually..." Kenji says after a pause, "there is this new place that's just opened up."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah it's called Lovecraft's. It's kinda weird and quaint but it's got a good selection, you'll love it," Kenji says beaming at him and Atsushi feels a little better. Kenji's smile is infectious and being around him really is helping.

"To be honest as long as there is somewhere I can get books and don't have a chance of running into Dazai I'll be happy," Atsushi says with a soft chuckle.

Kenji gives him another hug. "There we go, I knew I could get that smile back."

"Thanks Kenji," Atsushi says.

"You know I'm always here for you, no matter what right?" Kenji tells him.

"You're the best."

Kenji gives his hair another ruffle. "You fancy pancakes for dinner? We've got some stuff that's going out of date soon and this will be a good way to use them up."

"Sounds great."

When Atsushi stands outside Lovecraft's book store it it most definitely not what he expected. When Kenji said 'weird and quaint' what it looks like he meant was terrifying beyond all reason. Not that it looks it from the outside but it's giving off this vibe that Dazai's store most definitely doesn't.

No!

Don't compare the places otherwise you'll just want to go back to Dazai's and that is out of the question!

He shakes himself out of his thoughts. He has to keep himself from comparing because there is no way in hell that he can go back to Dazai's after seeing him flirting with that woman. He still needs books though so he takes a deep breath and pushes the door open.

The inside is just as unsettling as the outside. Even though it's a bright sunny day outside it feels like Atsushi has stepped into a horror movie setting in the middle of a midnight thunderstorm. A chill runs down his spine especially when he looks around and sees that he is the only person inside.

"Hello..." he calls out, taking a few steps inside. Common sense tells him to stay near the door because then he can escape but now he needs to know if there is any one else around. "Hello?" he calls again.

"Hello," a deep voice says from behind him.

Atsushi jumps out of his skin and whips around to see a tall man with long, black hair and deathly pale skin standing in front of him. He looks almost dead and Atsushi feels the shiver all the all the way down to his bones. "H... hi..."

"Welcome to my establishment," the man says, his expression never changing.

"H... hi," Atsushi stammers again.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Lovecraft," he holds out his hand for Atsushi to take.

"Atsushi," he says taking Lovecraft's hand. It's cold and kind of clammy. Atsushi doesn't want to say anything – it's rude for a start – but he does cast a glance down and a shiver runs all the way up his spine. What he's holding isn't actually a hand, even in the dim light of the shop he can quite clearly see that it's a tentacle. His eyes widen as he bristles like a startled cat. What the fuck is wrong with this guy, he has tentacle hands?!

"So was there anything you were looking for in particular?" Lovecraft asks.

"Um... I don't know," Atsushi says.

"May I recommend something?" Lovecraft asks.

"S... sure," Atsushi stammers trying to keep his eyes on Lovecraft's face and not on his weird tentacle hands. Kenji how the fuck did you find out about this place?

That proves easier said than done as Lovecraft reaches up to the shelf right next to Atsushi's face and his tentacles wrap around the spine of a book. Atsushi tries not to visibly recoil as Lovecraft pulls the book out and hands it to Atsushi.

"The words inside this book are powerful and potent," Lovecraft tells him, "and will touch the lives of all who read it. It will be of great use to you."

"Thanks."

At The Mountains of Madness, the title reads. Madness is fucking right Atsushi thinks as he looks at the price. Thankfully it's not too expensive (still more than he'd be paying at Dazai's but he's not supposed to be thinking that). He pulls his wallet out of his pocket and hands Lovecraft a note.

"Thanks for the book," he smiles.

"I hope you enjoy it," Lovecraft says, "please allow me to..."

"No it's fine," Atsushi says, backing away. "Keep the change.. for the recommendation."

"I hope to see you again," Lovecraft says, inclining his head in a sort of bow.

"Sure," Atsushi says as he leaves. Once he's outside in the bright sunshine once more he feels a lot less unsettled. He walks around the corner, making sure that he's out of sight of the shop before allowing another shiver to pass through his entire body.

I am never EVER going back there again!