Work Text:
Atsushi was doing okay.
Really he was!
He actually was. Stumbling on Dazai-san and taking him back to his home had somehow spiralled into Atsushi somehow landing a job interview at the newspaper/radio place that the man worked at.
Half of the place belonged to the radio station, who focused on getting the news out onto the air and ensuring the people of Yokohama had the latest of the news. Meanwhile, the other side, the side that Atsushi joined, was the writing and publishing side. It wasn't just newspapers per se, it was also magazines.
But Atsushi had somehow landed a job thanks to Dazai-san dragging him in the next day and sitting him in front of Fukuzawa-dono, who immediately placed some news articles in front of Atsushi and asked him what was wrong with them.
He had picked them up and started muttering about the lack of backed up information, the lack of credible sources, and the lack of clarity of statistics.
He had completely missed the approving glance that Fukuzawa-dono had given Dazai-san, who beamed.
The rest was history, really.
Well not really.
Atsushi would love to say that he had immediately landed a job on the writing team, but he himself had no credentials to his name, and had to work his way up through the editing team first, then to the writing team.
Luckily, everyone on the “Arm Yourself” publication editing team was really sweet, and didn't want to leave the editing team. So they just let Atsushi swiftly ascend the ranks and practically pushed him out the door to the writing team.
Where Dazai-san was waiting, arms open and practically dragging him to the writing team section. The man was supposed to be his mentor, like Haruno-san had been his mentor for the editing section.
Except. . .
Well, Dazai-san was exceptionally lazy when it came to actually writing his articles. Oh the man could and would crunch like no one else and grind out practically flawless articles that had everything that was needed. But that wasn't exactly the type of work that Atsushi wanted to do. Procrastinating only made Atsushi feel like he was losing control of his life.
Luckily, Kunikida-san had noticed him floundering.
The man had shot Dazai-san with a foam bullet and dragged Atsushi over to his desk, showing him how to use his computer while talking Atsushi through it. It helped a lot, and now Atsushi could do it with ease. He was writing his own articles while Dazai-san still snored off to his left, taking a nap and procrastinating again.
He even had his own little mentee! Kyouka-chan was so cute, trailing behind Atsushi and watching his every movement with excitement. She was a little quiet, but so had Atsushi been when he first started in each department. Kyouka-chan finding her voice would take time, and Atsushi was more than willing to wait for it.
Atsushi was doing great, all things considered.
When he had been thrown out at the age of eighteen, he hadn't expected to be employed nearly as soon as he stepped foot in Yokohama, and he hadn't been expecting a steady salary either.
But now at the age of twenty-one, he could confidently say he was doing alright in life. He had his own apartment, he had a cell phone, he could buy his own clothes. His coworkers liked him and valued his input (not Ranpo-san, but Ranpo-san only wrote about true crime. Ranpo-san never asked for help).
Atsushi was doing wonderful, his past not being a daily factor anymore.
Atsushi was growing as a person.
And then everything changed with a single delivery.
~~~~~~~~~~
It was just a normal day.
Atsushi was typing away at his company-issued computer, blue-light glasses on and humming the tune of the popular song that Kyouka-chan had been playing on her phone recently. The girl laughed slightly when she realized she had influenced Atsushi into listening to this sort of music, but she also shared more with him that she thought he would like.
And then there was a knock on the door to their open office space.
“Delivery for Nakajima Atsushi?”
Atsushi tore his eyes away from the screen, a pleasant smile pasting itself on its face. He could hear Dazai-san’s soft snores stop and Kunikida-san stopped typing as well. Ranpo-san turned in his seat, not stopping his munching but one eye was opened a sliver. Kenji-kun looked up from his plant article, a friendly but somehow chilling grin on his face. Yosano-san poked her head out of her little cubicle, her confident, creepy smile eeking up her face.
Worrywarts, the lot of them. Just because Atsushi never got deliveries here, doesn't mean he was gonna killed or something.
“Yes, that's me.” Atsushi said, standing. Kyouka-chan stood with him.
“Sign here please.” The man held out a clipboard, and Atsushi perused it before signing. Multiple signatures from people in the publication and radio offices, and from down the street. So not a scam.
“Here you go!” The man presented him with–
Atsushi blinked, taking the item and staring at it.
A flower?
What sort of flower is this?
“It's a parrot tulip.” Kunikida-san appeared at his side, also staring at the flower in his grip. Ah, he must have said that out loud.
“Oh my~! And how do you know that Kunikida-kun?” Dazai-san asked teasingly.
“Shut up with that tone you fool! I actually have a girlfriend and get her flowers.”
“Higuchi-chan is one lucky girl if you know what that flower is.” Yosano-san immediately joined in on the teasing.
“But–!” Atsushi immediately broke up the ensuing scuffle before it began. “But why did this get delivered to me? And why only one?”
“Maybe someone made a mistake by not leaving a tag?” Kyouka-chan asked, staring at the flower with a burning intensity. “Not that anyone is good enough for you, you know.”
Her tone was somewhat sulky, and Atsushi couldn't help but pat her head and chuckle. The girl had come to see him as an honorary older brother, since he had the tendency to go above and beyond for her. And she had never had siblings before, so she had latched onto him pretty quickly.
“Yes yes, I've heard you and Dazai-san talking.”
Dazai-san harrumphed and peered at the flower a little closer.
“It didn't come with a tag? How interesting! Atsushi-kun must have a secret admirer! Why Atsushi-kun, I knew you would become a little heart slayer, but not so soon!”
The man wiped away an imaginary tear, and Atsushi rolled his eyes at the man's antics. He also saw Kunikida-san readying the plastic gun as Dazai-san got ready to wax poetry about how quickly Atsushi had grown.
It was probably just a one-off thing, and Atsushi should and will cherish this little tulip that someone had accidently gifted him.
It totally slipped his mind to ask the smartest person in the room. Then again, Ranpo-san was being rather quiet as he looked at the bloom in his hand with a sharp intensity.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Delivery for Nakajima Atsushi?”
Atsushi looked up from his screen in surprise, his jaw dropping a little when he saw the same delivery guy from before.
Dazai-san sat up straight, glad to finally not have to type because he had been procrastinating again.
“My my! The secret admirer strikes again!”
Atsushi signed his name and was presented, once again, with a parrot tulip. He stared at the flower in his hand with a befuddled gaze, before turning to Ranpo-san.
“Ranpo-san, do you–”
“Nope.” The man swiftly said, chomping on some chocolate.
“But I didn't even–!”
“Don't know who. Sorry Atsushi-kun.”
He didn't sound exactly sorry though as he continued to munch on his snacks.
Atsushi deflated, and gently put the bloom in the vase with its mate from the day before, staring at the two of them. He really didn't understand. Why on earth was someone sending him of all people flowers?
Kyouka-chan eyed the flowers.
“No Kyouka-chan. No burning the flowers.” Dazai-san laughed as he went back to typing frantically, clicking between windows to put in the links to the articles and the resources that backed up his data that he presented in his article.
Atsushi frowned at the tulips as well.
It didn't make sense, to send him flowers. Him of all people? But there they were, almost mocking him with their existence.
Well, at least it was nice to be appreciated, in some sort of sense. He didn't understand why someone was sending him flowers, maybe as a thank you?
Or maybe it was someone who read his articles? That could be it, they liked his articles so much that they wanted to thank him by sending flowers to him.
Atsushi didn't need to know the reason why some people did something, people did stupid things all the time for the hell of it.
Exhibit A, Dazai-san procrastinating so he could get a rise out Kunikida-san. Dazai-san knew this would happen every time, and so did Kunikida-san. However, they still played the same song and dance whenever Dazai-san procrastinated to the last minute to write his articles.
Atsushi just shook his head and went back to his station and started typing up his own article again. It wouldn't matter in the end anyways. Atsushi may have gotten two pretty tulips from the mysterious sender, but that was probably going to be the end of it.
The status quo never really changed.
~~~~~~~~~~
It changed slightly when Higuchi-san, Kunikida-san’s girlfriend, popped by to grab Kunikida-san for lunch.
She was a little bit of an ice queen at first, but she had quickly warmed up to Atsushi because Atsushi always sent her pictures of Kunikida-san throughout the day. They ribbed each other back and forth, but there was no real heat to it. Atsushi actually thought of the older woman as sort of an Ane-san figure, not that he'd ever say that to her face.
“Hi Atsushi-kun.” The woman greeted brightly, patting Kyouka-chan gently on the shoulder in greeting as Kyouka-chan nodded back.
“Kunikida-san is finalizing something with the President, but he should be out in a minute.” Atsushi reported to Higuchi-san. The woman shook her head fondly.
“Probably just trying to get him to take over the reins when Fukuzawa-dono decides to retire.” Higuchi-san sighed. “Doppo-san is highly sought after, after all.”
Atsushi agreed. Kunikida-san’s articles were incredibly detailed and intelligent, but never too intelligent that no one could understand them. Because of this, Kunikida-san was always being sent letters, asking to write on one topic or another, or for him to leave the “Arm Yourself” publications and join the other persons.
Fukuzawa-dono didn't take too kindly to those letters.
They were quiet for a bit, and it wasn't an awkward silence.
And then it happened.
Higuchi-san’s eyes wandered, and they landed on the two parrot tulips that Atsushi had in a vase.
The pretty brown eyes widened, before narrowing and her hand came out and tapped a fingernail against the vase ever so gently.
“Atsushi-kun, what are these?”
Atsushi shrugged.
“I don't know.” He answered honestly. “Flowers? They were delivered one at a time yesterday and this morning.”
Higuchi-san's eyes blinked slowly, and she studied the bright, vibrant ruffled petals of the tulips.
“Did you get a note with them?”
“Nope. Dazai-san and Kyouka-chan were most displeased with that.” Atsushi joked.
Higuchi-san's lips started to curl up. She started to chuckle. To laugh, to guffaw.
“Higuchi-san?” Atsushi asked, staring at the classy woman holding her stomach as she laughed so heartily.
“Sorry. Sorry.” The woman wound down, wiping a tear that had gathered at the corner of her eye. “I didn't mean to laugh. It's oddly romantic, isn't it? Getting a flower a day?”
Atsushi felt heat enveloping his entire face. He was probably a beacon for everyone now.
“RO-RO-ROMANTIC!?” He screeched at the top of his lungs.
Higuchi-san watched on with a pleased smirk.
“Why yes of course romantic Atsushi-kun.” The woman practically purred, looking as if she was a cat that got the cream. “Why else would someone send only one flower a day? If only to say that they were thinking of you that day?”
Higuchi-san muttered something under her breath, something Atsushi couldn't really catch because he was floundering, physically and emotionally, but it sounded like “I am so going to bring this up.”
“I- I- huh!? Why would- NO THEY'RE NOT ROMANTIC FLOWERS!” Atsushi screeched, before hiding his face into his hands and practically melding with his desk to hide from the mortification.
Higuchi-san cooed and he felt her pet his hair.
“There there Atsushi-kun. Whoever is pursuing you romantically has to get past the entire newspaper division first! So you have time to think.”
“Ohmygodpleasestop.”
“Ichiyō-san, please stop tormenting my kid.”
"But Doppo-san! It's so much fun!”
Atsushi peeked up and he must have looked utterly pitiful because Kunikida-san sent Higuchi-san a warning look. She sighed and nodded.
“Sorry Atsushi-kun, did I go too far?”
Atsushi mumbled, not really saying words but just making noise. Hoping that she'll accept it and move on, because she and Kunikida-san needed to eat lunch.
“Nope. I'm not moving until you say so.”
Why were his friends so stubborn?
“It's. . . It's fine.” Atsushi muttered. “I'm okay, you didn't hurt my feelings, promise Higuchi-san.”
The woman’s deep brown eyes studied him, before nodding and patting his head once more, before turning and immediately going to Kunikida-san’s side. Kunikida-san held out an elbow and she placed her hand in the crook of it, cheeks pinking in pleasure.
Aww, they look like a normal couple. How adorable, Atsushi wondered how long it would take them to be menaces in public again.
Kyouka-chan, who had been quiet through the entire ordeal, reached over and poked the vase again.
“Atsushi-kun?”
“Yes Kyouka-chan?"
“You know my parents would kill for you in an instant, right? You just have to say the word.”
“Kyouka-chan please, there's no need for that!”
“I'm just saying, they're more than willing to give a shovel talk and bury a body.”
“Kyouka-chan!”
~~~~~~~~~~
“A-ku-ta-ga-wa-kun!”
Ryuunosuke looked up, eyes clearly from trying to memorize his script and his mouth sore from doing articulation exercises, and stared at his best friend.
Higuchi’s eyes were sparkling, but not in the way that they normally were after a date with the idiot man that had somehow gained Higuchi’s affections. No, this sparkle had Ryuunosuke's shoulders squaring back for battle.
Higuchi was about to try and tease him.
“Yes Higuchi? How can I help you?”
“Guess what?” She sing-songed, and Ryuunosuke’s preservation instinct was screaming at him to just run away and not engage right now. Higuchi had obviously found something she considered “juicy” to tease him with, and was about to drag this out as long as she could to make Ryuunosuke suffer.
“You and that writing maniac broke up?”
Only in Ryuunosuke's dreams would this happen. So sue him though, no one was good enough for his best friend. He had tailed the damn man for days trying to find dirt and had only stopped using his connections to try and ask the man to leave the “Arm Yourself” publications when both Higuchi AND Gin intervened, Higuchi's eyes watering and Gin’s eyes cold.
Ryuunosuke couldn't stand seeing his best friend cry, so he stopped. But he was ever hopeful that one day Higuchi would wake up and find someone worthy of her.
Higuchi laughed, shaking out her hair. She was positively glowing with happiness.
“Nope! Doppo-san and I had a wonderful lunch together.”
“Pity.” Ryuunosuke sighed.
Higuchi flicked his forehead, and Ryuunosuke rubbed at the red mark and glared at her.
“No, I found out something rather interesting has been happening for the last few days over at the ‘Arm Yourself’ section.” Higuchi hummed, leaning against the doorframe of his sound booth.
“Oh really?” Ryuunosuke sighed.
“Yes! Apparently,” Higuchi's voice dropped into a conspiratorial whisper, “someone has been sending Atsushi-kun flowers!”
Ryuunosuke's heart skipped a beat, but he knew his mask didn't crack.
“Atsushi-kun? Who's that again?” He asked, before pretending to remember. “Oh right, it's that guy you talk about other than the writing maniac.”
Higuchi was watching him with incredibly sharp and devious eyes. Ryuunosuke wouldn't crack though.
“Akutagawa-kun.” She practically purred. “You have two seconds before I bring my evidence out.”
Ryuunosuke felt a pang of anxiety screech through him.
“Evidence? What evidence?”
Higuchi’s eyes twinkled brighter.
“Do you remember that we went to that bar last week? And you got drunk?”
Oh no.
“So?” Ryuunosuke tried to bluster through it. “Lots of people get drunk. It was a bar after all.”
Nonononononono–
“Yes, I suppose you're right.” Higuchi nodded. “But most people don't sob about how wonderful someone they've never interacted with is and how he's going to send them flowers.”
SHIT!
“Okay, what does this have to do with anything? So I have a crush on someone.” Ryuunosuke deflected, turning back to his script and trying to look very immersed in it. He couldn't believe he had made such a mistake–!
Painted fingernails whisked the paper out from under his nose.
“Because~!” Higuchi sang, and dammit. Dammit dammit, she must have more evidence, or she wouldn't look so damn smug– “You mentioned parrot tulips, Akutagawa-kun.”
“What about them? They're pretty.” Ryuunosuke said sullenly, sinking down in his chair.
“They are.” Higuchi agreed with a nod. “The ones you got Atsushi-kun are quite lovely!”
Ryuunosuke stared down at his desk, not saying anything.
“Hey.” Higuchi suddenly gentled her tone, and her hand was gentle too on Ryuunosuke’s shoulder. “Did I take it too far? I'm sorry if I did. I just think it's cute is all. You two would be an adorable couple.”
Ryuunosuke’s ears and neck burned at the thought of actually dating Nakajima Atsushi.
No, the flowers were simply to show that Ryuunosuke was thinking of the guy and appreciating all his work for the company. The articles he wrote were well-articulated and thought out, and made Ryuunosuke think about his actions if Nakajima provoked the reader. Ryuunosuke was just trying to show his appreciation for the writer, nothing else.
“Hey.” Higuchi shook his shoulder. “Aku-ta-ga-wa-kun! You two would be an adorable couple you know!”
Ryuunosuke shook his head. “No no no.”
“Aw c'mon! You'd be utterly happy with him, I know that. Atsushi-kun may look super sweet and cute on the outside, but he hides a sharp tongue.”
Oh Ryuunosuke knew that. Nakajima’s tongue was utterly fiery when he was writing, especially when he was raking a company over the coals for some policy that they had violated. Nakajima had a backbone underneath the sweet outer shell, Ryuunosuke knew that.
Not that Ryuunosuke would actually try dating Nakajima Atsushi.
They guy was utterly surrounded by people who were protective of him. Ryuunosuke would have to talk to each of them if he wanted a snowball’s chance in hell of dating Nakajima Atsushi.
No.
No, all he could keep doing now, was sending the flowers of appreciation to Nakajima Atsushi and hope he appreciated them.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Delivery for Nakajima Atsushi?”
Atsushi turned, standing and walking towards the delivery man.
This was the fifth time this week to get a parrot tulip. He was getting quite the bouquet.
Atsushi signed off and stared down at the tulip in his hand.
He kinda wanted to know who was sending them to him. He was fine not knowing, but he also really wanted to know. If only so he could thank them and ask them why they were sending so many flowers to him.
“Atsushi-kun!” Higuchi-san popped up, looking as impeccable as ever in a cream suit pants with a red shirt. “Another tulip?”
“Yeah.” Atsushi stared at the flower.
“Man, he really has the money for it, doesn't he?” Higuchi-san mused, tapping a finger on her chin.
Atsushi's head snapped over to her, eyes laser focused.
“You know who's sending these flowers to me!?”
Higuchi-san's eyes widened, and she floundered, hands waving.
“Uuuuhhh, please forget I said anything?”
“No! Please tell me who's sending me these!” Atsushi pleaded, holding the flower to his chest delicately. “Higuchi-san please? I want to thank them!”
Higuchi-san looked conflicted.
Ranpo-san behind Atsushi snickered, and he thought the man said something like “shoulda gone in the acting career,” but he was focused on his friend's girlfriend.
“He. . . His given name means Son of Dragon. That's all I'll tell you, Atsushi-kun.” Higuchi-san placed her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look.
Son of Dragon.
Atsushi could work with that. Atsushi could definitely work with that, since they're couldn't be that many people with such a name attached to their person.
He gently stroked the tulips petals and wondered just what kind of person this “Son of Dragon” was.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ryuunosuke was having a relatively peaceful day.
He had done his segment for the morning radio, as was required of him, and was getting coffee because he needed it to deal with his coworkers.
Chuuya-san was still figuring out a way to send a knife to Dazai-san, which was utterly hilarious. He could just send one of those retractable knives and the post wouldn't know the difference beyond the weight, but Chuuya-san wanted to send an actual knife to his ex (but still somehow his best friend?) as a prank.
Even though Dazai-san has left the “Portside Voices” of the building and gone into writing, they still saw him fairly often.
Mostly because he popped over to brag about Nakajima and his progress, which Ryuunosuke was ninety-five percent sure belonged to Higuchi's boyfriend. Not that Ryuunosuke was approving of the guy or anything.
It was after he had finished pouring his coffee, added creamer and a sugar cube, when everything changed.
Nakajima Atsushi walked through the door, eyes trailing around the break room.
Every instinct in Ryuunosuke’s body screamed for him to hide, and to hide right this instant. Nakajima was holding a parrot tulip, so of course he must have figured out who had been ordering it for the writer.
Luckily, Ryuunosuke was wearing his darker clothes today. He started to edge towards the darker corners of the break room. He shouldn't stand out.
Unluckily, Chuuya-san was also in the break room, and saw Nakajima Atsushi standing in the doorway and looking around.
“Hey kid. You need somethin’?”
“Uuh. I'm looking for Akutagawa Ryuunosuke-san?”
Higuchi must have snitched on him!
Chuuya-san immediately swiveled his head and found Ryuunosuke’s eyes.
He looked like a cat that got the canary, which was kinda true. Chuuya-san was a notorious gossip.
“Ryuu? You gonna come talk to him?” The guy purred, and Ryuunosuke debated pouring the hot coffee over the man's hat. But no, then Chuuya-san would bleach Ryuunosuke's favorite coat.
Ryuunosuke would settle for pouring salt in Chuuya-san’s tea later.
Ryuunosuke simply gave him a dirty glare for the moment and stepped forward, before inclining his head to the side. “Let's talk elsewhere.”
“So mean!” Chuuya-san whined.
Nakajima Atsushi nodded and followed him to an unused room.
He was still holding the parrot tulip, gently thumbing the stem.
“Why did you send me these?” Nakajima started out quickly, eyes piercing Ryuunosuke's soul.
Ryuunosuke had to look away as his ears and neck burned.
“You're. . . You're very beautiful.” Ryuunosuke started out slowly, after forcing himself to look back at Nakajima. He deserves that at least.
“And I wanted you to know that you were appreciated.”
Nakajima blinked, clutching the flower gently to his chest.
“Why not tell me yourself?”
Ryuunosuke shook his head. “I can barely talk after my normal day of work. And- and I can barely look you in the eye because you're so beautiful.”
Nakajima looked away at last, and Ryuunosuke saw the blush that had been building on his cheeks.
“Did you want to ask me on a date?” Nakajima asked.
Ryuunosuke nodded vigorously. “If you would like to give me the chance! I promise you won't want for anything.”
Nakajima smiled softly down at the flower, and Ryuunosuke treasured the sight in front of him.
“Okay. I’d like to go on a date with a thoughtful guy like you.” Nakajima muttered.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Delivery for Nakajima Atsushi?”
Dazai-san tilted his head back. “Hmm? Atsushi-kun, I thought you and Akutagawa-kun were dating already?”
“We are.” Atsushi muttered, cheeks hot. They had been dating for a few weeks now.
He got up to sign off on the delivery, and was presented with a single, fresh, vibrant red rose.
“Oh.” He whispered, looking at it and falling in love with the flower almost immediately.
“There's a tag this time!” Dazai-san had followed him, and was now poking at the tag.
Atsushi flipped it over.
“Do you think a rose for every day we're together will show you how much I love you?”
Atsushi's cheeks went into supernova heat.
“I really need to thank Higuchi-san.” He muttered as he placed the red rose in the center of the tulips.
It stood out like a new beginning.