Why
Fluff-ish, takes place in canon. The title is inspired by the Sabrina Carpenter song.
Shin Soukoku Week 2019 Day 1: Tickle a Dragon’s Tail
Rated K, no warnings apply
Once, Kunikida had told Atsushi to avoid a man named Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. That he should run away no matter the circumstances. The warning was more than sensible, considering that Atsushi’d almost died the day they crossed paths. The second day they met, he’d been kidnapped and thrown in the back of a cargo ship to be sold on the black market.
The third day was different. By then, both of their immense hate for each other had had time intensify to insane levels. But then, Atsushi was no longer afraid of Akutagawa. No, all he wanted was to understand the motives of such a terrible person. And somehow, both ended up surprising each other with words that told them how to help themselves.
“Jinko.”
Atsushi looked back at Ryū, who was sitting on the other side of the couch. “What is it?”
The dark haired man shook his head. “How is it that we ended up like this? Why, of all the people in the world, did we choose each other?”
“I was just wondering that myself. I think that it’s because when an unstoppable force meets an immovable wall, they’re sure to clash.”
“Then, how did I end up falling for you?”
The silverette smiled. “At first, being with you was like tickling the tail of a sleeping dragon. I always felt like I was walking on eggshells, and one wrong move would be the end of me.”
Ryū moved closer, confused but interested nonetheless.
“People told me not to play with fire unless I wanted to get burned. But if you’re fire, then I’m water. The two seem like they could never go together. In some senses, that felt true. But I realized that in the end, one without the other would result in chaos. “With only fire, the world would become dry, lifeless, and desolate. But with only water, the world would drown itself in the intensity of overpopulation and the coldness of isolation. And eventually, those worlds would harbor no space for living things.”
Ryū began to smile. “So though it feels like I’d cease to exist with you, I’d be miserable without you.”
Atsushi wrapped his arms around Ryū. “Yes, but I’m glad. That means that you’re perfect for me in every way.”
Tickling a dragon’s tail didn’t promise that he would be harmed. It just meant that there was a multitude of possibilities for how things could end. Sometimes, those endings required courage and a little bit of curiosity. And lucky for Atsushi, tigers had both of those.
The dragon wasn’t dangerous, it was lonely, and Atsushi had ended that.