"Ryuunosuke? Is there a problem?" Atsushi questioned, he had to remain calm and he would know if something was wrong.
"No, no problem. I was just checking in to make sure you're okay." Atsushi was going to say something but then heard Kunikida shouting at Dazai in the background.
"Sounds like it's lively there?" Akutagawa gave a light laugh at his boyfriend's words.
"Yeah, Dazai hasn't been doing any paperwork and instead been bugging me."
"What's he bugging you about?" There wasn't anything for Dazai to really annoy Akutagawa about from what Atsushi knew.
"It's nothing," It was a very quick and sharp response, Atsushi thought it suspicious but didn't press further. "Anyway I'll be done in about fifteen minutes, do you want to go out for lunch?" Atsushi began to panic. He was half an hour away from their house, he was unsure he'd be able to get back before him.
"Sure, let's decide when you get back." Akutagawa gave an affirmative grunt in response.
"I love you." Akutagawa stated, he waited for an answer. But didn't receive one, Atsushi had already ended the call on his end.
Atsushi quickly bid Gin goodbye, removed his promise ring as he feared breaking it and began to race down the streets of Yokohama using his tiger ability, it was the only shot he had at getting back before Akutagawa.
Block after block he finally made it to their apartment in seventeen minutes, but he watched as Akutagawa made his way inside the building. He must have finished earlier than he said. With no other choice Atsushi began to leap up the side of the building to an open window, dragging himself through. They lived on the seventh floor, but he'd only jumped to the third one. With no time to lose he bolted up the stairs onto their floor, he could see the lift was just one floor away from theirs.
He quickly threw himself into their apartment and slammed the door behind him. A tad bit out of breath and his clothes battered and ruined due to transforming into the tiger he ran into the shower turning on the water and began to wash himself.
"Atsushi, I'm back!" Akutagawa hollered down the hall as he took off his shoes.
"I'm just in the shower, I'll be done soon!" He responded knowing he wouldn't dare to walk in while he was in here.
A few minutes later Atsushi made his way into the living room with a towel draped around his shoulders, dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. Akutagawa didn't notice him coming in as he was reading something on his phone. Atsushi placed himself next to Akutagawa while he began to dry his hair.
"So where do you want to go for lunch?" He questioned, finally grabbing Akutagawa's attention. Before he responded Akutagawa grabbed the towel Atsushi was using and began to dry his hair for him.
"How about that cafe down the street?" He pondered aloud while trying to dry Atsushi's hair, he knew if he didn't it would end up drying in an awkward position and Atsushi would get worked up over it.
"Yeah." Atsushi smiled in response, Akutagawa smiled back. He was happy he could have moments like these with Atsushi but then he looked at his hand and saw the ring missing. Atsushi never took the ring off unless he turned into the tiger, and for all Akutagawa knew he'd been in the apartment all morning.
He tried to brush it aside and thought he might have taken it off due to being in the shower. But the nightmare from last night came crashing back. Akutagawa stalled in his movements which caused Atsushi to turn around and look at him, his eyes glazed over as if his mind was elsewhere.
"Ryu?" Atsushi questioned as Akutagawa snapped back to the present.
"It's nothing, get changed and we'll go." Atsushi made his way into the bedroom and saw his ring in the pile of discarded clothes.
"Shit." He cursed internally, he didn't mean to forget to not put it back on after transforming.
He prayed Akutagawa hadn't noticed.
~
Fifteen minutes later the pair sat in the small cafe, it wasn't a large one but it accommodated plenty of people.
"So, I remember you had a sister right?" Atsushi questioned, Akutagawa had mentioned her a couple times over the past year but never told him anything particularly interesting.
"Yes, Gin. Why are you asking?" Atsushi rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Just I realised I don't know that much about you when you were younger, I mean you know pretty much everything about me." Akutagawa nodded in agreement, he did know a lot about his boyfriend although that was partially due to him opening up really easily.
"Well we could go meet Gin this afternoon if you'd like?" Atsushi nodded almost immediately, even though he'd just been at hers. Maybe him speaking to his sister might get him to be less afraid of being alone.
"I'd love to meet her!" Akutagawa gave a soft smile, the thoughts of earlier a distant memory.
~
"Ryuunosuke? What a surprise, I didn't expect you here?" Gin responded as she opened the door for the pair. She gave a small nod to Atsushi, they both mutually understood not to discuss the issue unless Ryuunosuke himself brought it up.
"Gin, you remember Atsushi don't you?" Ryuunosuke questioned.
"Of course I remember the tiger that stole your heart." She joked causing the pair's faces to flush red.
"Ahem. Yes, well I thought it was time I introduced you both properly." Gin nodded and then turned to Atsushi.
"Has my brother been treating you well? He can be a pain sometimes." Atsushi quickly shook his head.
"No, he's been ever so kind to me. I'm very grateful for him, he even got me this." Atsushi presented his hand to Gin so she could see the promise ring. She was shocked to say the least. She'd never expected this kind of thing from her brother of all people.
"Ryuunosuke? Is this real? I mean I'm not hallucinating am I?" Ryuunosuke nodded at his sister and placed his hand on hers.
"It's real, I gave it to him about a year ago." She jumped up almost immediately hugging the pair, she knew her brother had feelings for the Weretiger but never thought he'd have the guts to act on those feelings. She released the pair and got to her feet.
"Would you both like a drink? I'll go make you one." Ryuunosuke shook his head.
"I'll just have a glass of water, I can go get it myself. Why don't you two catch up? I imagine it's been a while." The siblings nodded in agreement as Gin settled herself beside her brother and Atsushi made his way into the kitchen. Although Atsushi wanted to give the pair privacy he listened in slightly with his tiger ears in case last night was brought up. Although the conversation was mainly Gin fawning over her brother in finally finding someone who could tolerate his stubbornness.
"By the way, you've not had any problems have you?" Gin questioned, this was incredibly vague so she prayed her brother would steer the conversation the way she wanted.
"No, not that I can think of? Why do you ask?" Gin shrugged her shoulders.
"No reason you just seem a bit tense was all. Maybe your little tiger did something to you?" She said the last bit in a mocking tone, making Ryuunosuke blush slightly. He then lightly tapped her on the arm in admonishment.
Gin was about to get up and find Atsushi as he's been gone for a long while when Ryuunosuke grabbed her wrist.
"Actually... There is something..." He muttered ever so quietly that Atsushi was just able to pick it up.
"It's about Atsushi..." Just as Ryuunosuke was about to get to the main point Ichigo walked in with Mirai running off towards her room ignoring anyone else in the house.
"You're still here?" She questioned but Atsushi quickly shushed her to get her to be quiet.
"Yes, I came here with Ryuunosuke and he doesn't know that I was here earlier. So please don't mention it, for his sake." Ichigo nodded immediately, she knew what he was capable of. She'd seen it first hand.
"Although Mirai might cause a problem in your plans." Atsushi raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"She's a child. She doesn't think before she speaks. She might accidentally mention you being the 'scary man' from earlier." Atsushi nodded in agreement, even though Mirai had spoken with him about a year ago she'd completely forgotten who he was.
"Can she not stay in her room while we're here?" Atsushi questioned, it was the only solution he could think of. Ichigo shook her head in exasperation.
"Pray you never have kids. Ryuunosuke is her only uncle, you want to deprive her of seeing him?" Atsushi shook his head quickly at this. Although Ichigo's statement wasn't a hundred percent accurate.
Technically she had two uncles.