Archive of Our Own ^beta

The two of them are sat on a rooftop, one that's high enough not to be seen by any stragglers below but low enough that you would still have to crane your neck to see the peak of the Port Mafia towers. It's peaceful up here, Atsushi decides. The wind gently blows around them both, ruffling their hair and cooling their skin. Leaves and petals are picked up from the wind, dancing and weaving past each other, all allowing the wind to decide their new destination. A petal flies towards them both, fluttering as if it were a butterfly, before landing on the edge of the rooftop. Atsushi's gaze follows.

It lands a few centimetres away from where his hands are curled with Akutagawa's, fingers laced together loosely as if they are both scared that the other will jerk away without warning. Both are calloused and rough from work, but Atsushi's fingernails are decorated in chipped colourful nail polish while Akutagawa's are unpainted and bare. Atsushi wonders if the other would allow him to paint their nails one day. 

His eyes leave their hands and travel up Akutagawa's arm, the petal now forgotten. Atsushi can make out sewn marks embedded in the fabric. All are black, blending in and giving the illusion that the coat is pristine and unmarred. He's sure that Akutagawa can afford a new coat, Port Mafia pay and all, but perhaps they have grown attached to it. The thought causes Atsushi to smile. Cute.

Once his eyes reach their face, it is void of emotion, as per usual, but there is a subtle crease in their eyebrow that makes Atsushi do a double take. His own eyebrows furrow. Frowning, he lifts his free hand to touch Akutagawa's cheek, gently. Carefully. Hoping the other doesn't flinch away and untangle their hands. 

They don't. 

Akutagawa sends a questioning look Atsushi's way, their nose wrinkling slightly. Atsushi ignores the action and tilts their head so it faces him instead. He brushes his thumb back and forth.

"What are you doing?" The tone is harsh, and Atsushi may have reversed his actions if he didn't know them. They're curious, wondering why and what motivated Atsushi to do so, but they don't know how to frame the question a different way. Nonetheless, both know that despite the murderous tone, Akutagawa does not mean to cause Atsushi harm or discomfort at that moment.

Atsushi hums, his hand travelling up towards their creased eyebrow. They poke it. Once, twice then three times before Akutagawa turns their head away from it. Atsushi pouts. "Your eyebrow," He starts, "Your thinking about something too deeply again."

"I am not. You cannot read my thoughts." Akutagawa narrows their eyes at him. "Unless that is another one of the unique traits that you have failed to tell me of." They huff through their nose. 

Atsushi giggles. "No, I promise you, no mindreading ability here." He taps his temple a few times.

"Mm."

Atsushi lifts their intertwined hands and places them in his lap before shuffling sideways toward them. Akutagawa sends him another curious look. "You sound so grumpy," Atsushi says.

Akutagawa rolls their eyes. "That's how I normally sound, Jinko."

"Then you always sound grumpy." Atsushi's thighs are touching Akutagawa's, and now there is a pink dusting their cheeks that makes Atsushi's smile turn a little dopey.

"What are you doing?" They echo from earlier. Akutagawa's eyes dart from his face to their flushed thighs.

Atsushi lifts his free hand to cup at the other's cheek, fingers brushing a strand of hair behind pierced ears before moving to clasp the back of their head. The pink has turned into a pretty shade of red, now. "This," He whispers, tilting Akutagawa's head down and leaning in, lips brushing against the tense eyebrow. It twitches under his lips.

"I-" Akutagawa starts but fails to speak again as Atsushi kisses their eyebrow. He starts at the edge closest to their ear, pressing pepper kisses along the upper edge. Atsushi can feel the tension bleed from their eyebrow slowly. His lips quirk upwards. 

When Atsushi reaches the tip of their eyebrow, he moves down their nose, feeling as it crinkles and relaxes under his lip. The kiss on the tip of Akutagawa's nose lasts a second or two longer than the previous kisses. A strangled noise crawls from their throat as if they are contemplating whether to push Atsushi away and interrogate him or simply sit there and indulge in this until the other is finished. They choose the latter.

Atsushi's kisses travel downwards, lips brushing against metal from Akutagawa's septum piercing and angel bites, but he narrowly misses pouting lips, pressing a kiss to the corner of their mouth instead. They huff. Atsushi chuckles. 

He kisses along their jaw, up their cheek and on their eyelid. Feather-light kisses all over their forehead. Atsushi makes sure to pour love into every single kiss, trying to wordlessly communicate to Akutagawa that he's there, and forget whatever is worrying them for now. His hand moves from the back of their head to their cheek, thumb brushing along their cheekbone. His kisses down their nose again, humming a random tune under his breath and causing vibrations to echo from his skin to theirs. They squeeze his hand. He squeezes back.

Finally, finally, Atsushi's lips brush over Akutagawa's. He hovers, not pressing forward. Teasing them. Testing them. Both of their eyes are closed, so Atsushi can't attempt to read the look in their eyes, but Akutagawa's free hand curls around his tie and pulls. Hard enough to demand and slide their lips over his but gentle enough that neither of them topples over.

The kiss is slow and sensual. Neither rushing because they have nothing to prove. The kiss is a reminder, from Atsushi to Akutagawa, that they don't have to bottle up their feelings anymore. Atsushi will always lend an open ear for them at any time reasonable.

Akutagawa pulls back from the kiss, face flushed with red. Atsushi smiles, fangs poking through before he giggles. Akutagawa glares at him.

"What?" They murmur, barely above a whisper. 

Atsushi's hand glides from their cheek to their chin, grasping it and tilting it upwards. He leans in and kisses their chin once before placing a chaste kiss on their lips. "Nothing," He whispers back. "Red suits you." Atsushi pulls back, snorting at Akutagawa's furrowed eyebrows and wrinkled nose.

"Red? Seriously?"

"Mhm!" Atsushi nods.

Akutagawa rolls their eyes. "I'll remind you of this when I'm covered in blood one day." They swat away the hand that's holding their chin but don't make a move to release their hand from Atsushi's grasp.

"Ah, well, hopefully not!" Atsushi chuckles. "Don't back out of your promise, now. Or else Kyouka will slash your kneecaps." She would have a field trip with that, Atsushi thinks.

"What if it's my own?"

"I would be more concerned if it was your blood." Atsushi boops their nose, pulling back in time to miss teeth trying to bite his fingers off. "Wait, let me rephrase." He clears his throat. "You look cute when you blush. Not when there's blood all over you."

Akutagawa blinks, once then twice before huffing. "I thought you loved every part of me." 

"And I do!" Atsushi proudly declares. "But you look hot bleeding, not cute. There's a difference."

"There is?" Their eyebrows furrow.

"There is."

"I-" Akutagawa starts, but they pause for a second before speaking again. "Whatever. You have weird tastes, Jinko."

"Thank you!"

"That wasn't a compliment."

"I'm taking it as one!"

"Nevermind, you're weird overall."

"Hey! You like my weirdness."

"Unfortunately so."