Bungou Stray Dogs One Shots

Shin Soukoku

This one shot is requested by YourlocalsShipper! Once again, I apologize for taking a long time :') I hope it meets up to your expectations :)

I truly apologize if it's not accurate, I didn't really know how to explain this in an one shot :')

This one shot is also quite short, I also apologize for that :')

Age regression is truly an interesting subject to learn about. It is seen as some kind of coping mechanism with a few mental disorders. It is also called a 'form of therapy' somehow.

Atsushi had once been suggested to use this method by someone he knew. Even if that person was joking about that, he decided to use it to test for himself.

Soon, it became a small habit to him. He will hug a stuffed toy as some sort of comfort when he knew that no one was around to judge him, clutch a smaller blanket and walk around his house while clutching it, letting it trail on his house's floor at everywhere he goes like a toddler, even occasionally sucking his thumb when he felt nervous, scared or simply had a bad day.

Akutagawa had found out about this coping mechanism when he went over to Atsushi's house unexpectedly and saw him sitting curled up on the couch, sucking at his thumb. After a few minutes of questioning, the weretiger confessed everything with an embarrassed look on his face. However, the elder didn't mind that his supposedly 'mature' lover was acting slightly childish and reassured the other that he was fine with the other's attitude and that he will be very patient with him.

Over the next few months, Atsushi soon developed another habit of whining childishly only around his lover. At first the mafioso thought it was adorable, though he'll never admit it out loud, but soon he started growing sick of the annoying tone of whining in the weretiger's voice.

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Atsushi had began one of his whining episodes when Akutagawa finally snapped at him, unable to contain his annoyance at the other anymore. The mafioso longed for the weretiger to just shut the hell up and stop whining like a small spoiled brat.

"Will you just shut up?! I'm trying my best here and your stupid continuous whining is not helping! So shut the hell up and actually talk like a normal human being instead of whining like a stupid toddler!"

The white haired male froze at the other's statement. To Akutagawa's dismay and horror, the other started slowly backed away from him, tears beginning to form in his eyes. He wiped them away as they trickled down onto his cheeks, mumbled an apology before going away to his bedroom. A sense of guilt hit Akutagawa as he stared after the disappearing figure, remembering how just a few months ago he was reassuring him about how it was alright and how he would be patient with the other.

He sighed before walking to the bedroom, knocking on the door with one hand and the other hand being placed on the doorknob.

"Jinko? May I come in?" He tried to keep his voice as calm and soft as possible to not scare the other anymore. He didn't received any responses, yet he knew that his lover was alive and inside the room due to the small sniffs he was hearing through the closed door.

"Atsushi?"

Another moment of silence was the response. Akutagawa tried going in but he then found out the door was locked. He ended up using his ability to smash open the door, startling the younger.

"Jinko?"

Atsushi wiped his face with his hands, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. "Hm?"

"I'm...sorry" the mafioso sat on the end of the bed.

The apology and sudden action surprised the other. Akutagawa wasn't exactly someone he expected to apologize for something.

"It's fine. I was acting very childish anyways. I'm sorry, Aku"

"No it's my fault... I promised to be patient with you"

"No no, I'm sure it was annoying"

Soon it turned into a small argument between them, which ended in them cuddling for a while on the bed. Akutagawa had to leave after a few hours, but he promised Atsushi that he will return the next dsy, which cheered the other up.

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It turned into a daily thing for Akutagawa to visit his lover, no matter how busy he is. It was as if he had suddenly became Atsushi's caretaker, but he had finally accepted that his lover wasn't what he thought he would be.

"Jinko! Give me my coat back!"

"No!"

Akutagawa sighed heavily before using his ability to try and grab his coat back, which failed as the weretiger dodged his ability easily and escaped from his sight. It might take a while for him to get used to his lover's habits though.

But that's what makes love beautiful, doesn't it? Someone who accepts your flaws. Someone who accepts your sincere apologies. Someone who accepts that you aren't perfect. You would have to do the same likewise, otherwise it wouldn't be a true love relationship.

If someone had told Akutagawa from the past that Atsushi would use age regression as a coping mechanism, the mafioso would have a hard time believing it. He would also have a hard time believing that they even got together in the first place.

Sometimes your true love is someone unexpected. That's what Akutagawa learned later in life.

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