A/n: I'm a rat in the walls, help me, no hablo ingles. (translation: I've barely left my room today because I was writing this and making the cover, someone save me. English sucks ass, if you see grammar errors, no you don't.)

It's another regular day at the Armed Detective Agency. There are no complicated murder cases, no need to stop a bomb from blowing up half of the city or having to save people from the Port Mafia. It was thankfully just regular paperwork and chatting. Atsushi has his head down on his desk and is looking out of the window, trying to mentally get away from all the loud talking and racket happening in the background. He usually enjoys the lively atmosphere that his colleagues created in the office but on this specific day, he cannot wait to finally go home and rest.

There is something so odd and tiresome about this day, he can't quite put his finger on it, but it all feels wrong. At some moments he gets a surge of a familiar impending doom feeling that is accompanied by a deep pit in his stomach which makes him feel like he's on a never-ending rollercoaster. But he doesn't mention it to anyone. In fact, he hasn't been mentioning anything to anyone today – he's too tired to have a decent conversation.

Rest is something Atsushi's struggling with lately. To most of his colleagues, Atsushi looks like he always does. Some even think he's holding up rather well despite everything that has happened in the last few months. Truth be told, these events have left him with problems that he can't solve, at least not on his own. But Atsushi keeps quiet, unsure it's alright to feel what he feels since no one else in the agency seems to be impacted by anything. He has been trying to convince himself that he is making it all up, that it was all because he isn't getting enough rest. And in some moments, it works just fine. He doesn't feel the need to cry anymore, he doesn't feel the need to annoy Kyouka and others with his endless rants and small complaints anymore. He just needs to survive and that's what he's doing.

It's been three months since Akutagawa swore that he would kill Atsushi and that he wouldn't hurt anyone during those three months. Atsushi knows that Akutagawa is a man of his word, as much as he hates to admit that. He is many things, but he isn't a liar. Atsushi is aware of that, but he is also aware, that this simple promise doesn't stop other members of the Port Mafia from harming the city and its citizens. If they are going to try to stop the organization that is currently the biggest threat in Yokohama, they are going to need more time and a bigger, more in-depth plan on how to do it. This promise is  just a countdown till another fight. Another battle, that could potentially harm many innocent people in the process. He hated that. He hates how cruel and ignorant these people can be. He despises seeing people get hurt or worse – killed for no good of a reason. In his eyes, it is pathetic and inhumane.

Atsushi feels a headache starting to brew, so he decides to put off the problem at hand for the time being. He slowly rises from his desk and is greeted by Kyouka's blue eyes meeting his own.

"What's up, Kyouka?" he asks as he shoots her a small smile. Kyouka places a cup of freshly brewed tea on Atsushi's desk and shoots a small smile back at him. Kyouka isn't one to talk a lot, her replies and questions are always precise and straightforward, and she rarely starts conversations first. She shows that she cares through her actions rather than words, which lately, Atsushi appreciates. Everywhere he goes, people are just a little bit too loud, a little bit too optimistic. Sometimes it feels like no one else is as worried as he about what the Port Mafia is planning next. He writes it off as him overreacting, being overdramatic. He just needs a small break and he'll be okay.

"Thank you, Kyouka! We can probably head home soon, so I'll finish this tea and we can head out." He announces to Kyouka and hears a sigh coming from behind him. It's Dazai. The one person he doesn't wish to talk to right now. Atsushi turns to face his co-worker with a slightly irritated look on his face. He has noticed Dazai acting weirdly in the past week and Atsushi knows that whatever he is up to, is not going to be fun. Maybe it will be fun for Dazai but not for the other members of the agency. Or maybe just not fun for Atsushi. Somehow Dazai always manages to do this thing, where he doesn't tell his plans to Atsushi. It seems like everyone knows what is going on except him and without a doubt, it
makes him anxious.

"Oh Atsushi, leaving us so soon today? My heart is breaking!" Dazai says in a dramatic voice, putting a hand up to his forehead and acting like he's been deeply wounded. Atsushi turns back to face his desk and takes a sip of his tea, "Yes, Dazai, I'm leaving sooner today. Nothing is happening anyways. The Port Mafia has been on the low... well as low as they can get and it's a Friday so yes, I'll be leaving earlier today." He says in a snarky tone and with sluggish, slow movements starts cleaning up his desk.

"Well, you take care then. You've been looking quite tired lately, I'm starting to worry that it could affect your capability to work when you're needed."

Dazai's tone and words seem to imply some sort of event that Atsushi hasn't been informed about. Atsushi stops for a few seconds, pausing to think of something to say back to Dazai. Something, anything, just to let him know that he is exhausted from being left in the dark about everything. He is exhausted by everyone talking and walking around carefree as if they don't worry about the Port Mafia or other possible threats. He trusts these people, he does but he feels alone, in the sense that he seems to be the only one worried. He wants to explain how draining it all is but instead he resumes cleaning up.

"Mhm. I'll take care." Atsushi responds apathetically, with little energy. He shoots a glance at Dazai and there it is again – that look. That look of a plan. A plan Atsushi won't be hearing about anytime soon until it's too late. He decides it's not worth even asking at this point, so he simply turns away and faces Kyouka.

"I'm done here. Let's go, Kyouka" He says goodbye to everyone that was still sitting around in the office and notices that Dazai had now turned to face the window. He can slightly see his cold expression in the reflection and it makes him feel the same pit in his stomach that he felt before, only this time it doesn't resemble a rollercoaster, it feels like falling off a skyscraper, approaching the ground at an unbelievable speed.

***

The walk home always feels peaceful to Atsushi. Mostly because there is a home to return to. Yes, having a roof over his head and warm food in his belly never stops making Atsushi feel gratitude and contentment. From a stranger's point of view, Atsushi's apartment doesn't look like much, but to him... it's more than he could ask for. He doesn't care how small the space is, as long as it's his, it's good enough. And to make things even better in his eyes, he's also sharing this apartment with the closest person to a real family that he has – Kyouka. This is practically all he's ever wanted, so going home is the best part of the day for him, unlike shopping.

It's not that Atsushi hates shopping but being in a convenience store is still unusual for both Kyouka and him. Unusual in the sense that there are so many different foods that neither of them have tried and it gets a bit overwhelming and confusing sometimes. But being confused by the amount of food in front of you is infinitely better than being stressed about how you'll survive with no food at all.

Atsushi isn't particularly worried about a balanced diet or anything, he always gets the stuff that makes him feel happy, warm, and satisfied even if it slightly lacks in nutrients. Kyouka on the other hand is the one that's worried about the health aspects of their meals, but she is also the one that has a big sweet tooth so their efforts to maintain a certain balance in their food choices are rather useless. And by that, it means that they buy a variety of vegetables and fruits but by the end of next week, they have all gone bad since neither of the two eat them. They know it's practically useless to keep buying them, but both feel a bit ashamed for eating only processed foods and keep hoping that one day they'll use the fresh ingredients they get.

When shopping for food Atsushi and Kyouka usually have two different objectives though – Atsushi gets all the savory foods and Kyouka takes care of the dessert options. And today Kyouka wants something only a bakery can provide – cheesecake and Swiss cake. She and Atsushi discuss where they'll meet up after they're both done with shopping and they decide on the park nearby their apartment. With that, Kyouka is gone, and Atsushi is left alone with the shopping list.

Upon entering the store Atsushi feels his stomach rumble in anticipation to get some delicious food. The first aisle he practically runs to is the instant noodle section. Consumed by the colorful labels on the different instant ramen packages, Atsushi's surroundings slowly melt away. He can feel his mouth watering and his stomach rumbling louder than before. As he walks forward, not taking his eyes off the dozens of different dinner options, he is pulled out of his food trance by a sudden crash.

"Oh shit! Sorry!" He apologizes as he recoils from the person he's just collided with and upon closer look, he realizes who he has bumped into. It's Akutagawa. Although he isn't dressed as he usually is. His coat is closed, the white ruffles that he usually has are nowhere to be seen and on top of that he is wearing black sunglasses. Very subtle.

"You?!" Both exclaim as they swiftly move a few steps away from each other. Their faces are painted with a mix of surprise and annoyance, and Atsushi's mind is racing with dozens of confused thoughts. What does one even do in this situation? I've never thought about what I'd do if I ran into someone from Port Mafia outside of work? I guess it makes sense since they obviously need food too but still what I am supposed to-

Atsushi's train of thought is interrupted by Akutagawa's voice. "You sure keep a balanced diet, Weretiger." He says looking down at the two ramen packets in Atsushi's shopping basket.

"Well, you sure lay low with your funeral clothes,". Atsushi spits back, referring to the totally not outstanding outfit that Akutagawa is wearing.

"If you're trying to offend me, it is not working. Your attempts are completely futile."

"I'm not trying to offend you, I'm making a joke."

"You'd have to be funny to make jokes," Akutagawa says, staying completely nonchalant, and reaches for an instant ramen cup.

Silence falls upon the two of them. Atsushi frowns when he finally processes what is happening, he realizes that he needs to get the food he came there for and get out. This whole interaction with Akutagawa is making him feel uncomfortable and he wishes to get out of the store faster. He picks up two more packets of instant ramen noodles and turns around to leave.

Atsushi goes to get all of the things he needs to buy, trying his best to avoid Akutagawa at all costs but the store is small. There is not much space where he can hide so he is forced to once again be in the same aisle as his sworn enemy. This time it's the bread section. Atsushi quietly curses ever discovering curry bread, which had become one of his favorite foods over the months, and slowly approaches the shelves where it's at. Akutagawa was a few feet to his left and apart from him, across from the bread section, an old lady is trying to reach a jam jar from one of the higher shelves. Noticing this, Atsushi moves to help but is surprised to see Akutagawa do it before him. Akutagawa reaches up to the shelf and gets the jar, gives it to the lady, and completely ignores Atsushi's piercing gaze, moves on to the next aisle.

After what seems like forever, Atsushi finally gets to the checkout. He pays for everything, slightly saddened that the cost went a bit over his planned budget for tonight but overall satisfied because he'll get to go home and enjoy some delicious food, and he'll get away from Akutagawa.

Once he's packed all his groceries in his bag, he exits the store. He starts heading towards the park that he and Kyouka agreed to meet in but suddenly stops in his tracks. The feeling. The pit in his stomach. It's not like it was before, it's more intense, more urgent. He turns to face the alleyway he was passing but it's almost pitch black. He slowly starts walking towards it, suspense building in his mind and his body overcome with a sense of dread. This is a familiar fear, one that he knows well and just as he's about to enter the alleyway completely and investigate further, he's interrupted by a loud voice.

"Weretiger, you forgot this." Akutagawa's voice rings in the air as a shot and Atsushi snaps back to reality, the fear melting away from his body and mind. He turns to face Akutagawa, who's stretching his hand toward Atsushi. He looks down at what he's holding and sees his beloved curry bread. Atsushi's face goes blank, he feels his cheeks and ears get hot from embarrassment and he snatches the treat out of Akutagawa's hand, murmurs a quick "Thank you" and hurries past him. As he walks away, he can feel Akutagawa's eyes staring through him and right there and then, Atsushi is ready to jump in front of a car.

I can't believe I really forgot the bread. And Akutagawa out of all of the people just happened to see that? Moreover, he was the one who gave it to me?? This day is getting worse and worse.

***

After meeting up with Kyouka, they both walk home. The whole way back Atsushi keeps quiet about his encounter with Akutagawa but Kyouka knows something's up. But only once they've gotten home, eaten, and cleaned up the kitchen she finally asks if anything happened at the store.

"Oh, well..." Atsushi pauses and looks away from Kyouka. "I kind of ran into someone that we are possibly, sort of, kind of against?"

Kyouka's expression was slightly clouded with uncertainty, and she said nothing. Atsushi took this as a sign that she didn't understand what he meant and after a bit of consideration he explained the whole encounter.

"I ran into Akutagawa at the store. And before you say anything, he didn't do anything, we have a pact and he's keeping his word as far as I know. It was just a weird interaction." At this moment, he forgot to mention the weird alleyway, in fact, he forgot about the weird feeling that he felt today overall. His mind was somewhere different and as weird as it was for him, he was thinking of how humane Akutagawa seemed. It was unusual and plainly put - weird to see Akutagawa outside of work setting. He seemed completely different and Atsushi wasn't sure how to feel about it.

Pulling him out of his thoughts, Kyouka got up from where she was sitting and went to lock the door, then returned and closed the curtains in the bedroom and the kitchen. She sat back across from Atsushi and for a moment there was silence.

"If he tries anything, I'm going to kill him." She announced and started getting ready for bed.

"I doubt he'll try anything until the three months are up, so-" Atsushi was interrupted by Kyouka.

"I know you want to think the best of people, but that's not always the case, Atsushi. You're kind, and you've given me so much – a reason to live, a family, and hope. I'm not going to watch you get killed just because you think you can help someone who doesn't want your help. You saved me but for Akutagawa, it's too late. Just because he acts like a decent human outside of work, doesn't mean he's not a cold-blooded killer. Don't waste your time on some dream." She says before leaving to go to the bathroom.

Atsushi is taken aback by what Kyouka said. He was just thinking of how weird it was to see him in that store, he wasn't even thinking of saving Akutagawa, he hates the guy, and doesn't want anything to do with him but then why... why does he feel a sense of guilt? Guilt about what Kyouka has said?

Truth be told, Atsushi does want to save someone. But it isn't necessarily just Akutagawa, it's anyone. He wants to help; he can't stand not helping when he can. He's a selfless person, always has been. And maybe the reason why he feels guilty about the things Kyouka said is that this whole time he's been unconsciously trying to somehow help Akutagawa be a better person. On the surface, the pact he made with him was a way to stop him from killing people. But somewhere deep inside Atsushi, he was hoping Akutagawa would see that there is more to life than killing. Unknowingly, he was hoping he would change and Atsushi could somehow help.

Atsushi was deep in thought, trying to remind himself that Akutagawa was a bad man, a cruel person who has killed so many innocent people. He can't be saved just like Kyouka said. But... something inside of him also wants to believe that if Akutagawa can be not-so-evil outside of work, then maybe, just maybe, he has a chance to change. His opinions about Akutagawa are shifting from anger to annoyance to... hope?

Hope? No way. There is no hope for Akutagawa. No way that I'm going to do anything to help him. Screw this and him, I'm going to bed.

***

A/n: I'm having so much fun rewriting this story! I am also adding more depth to the characters and trying to make them more in-character because I did Kyouka and Akutagawa really dirty three years ago....

I hope whoever reads this has fun! Next chapter will be out uhhh I dunno when but sometime soon since I'm on break.

Hope you're all well!