Indirect Kiss
Nakajima Atsushi was not the person you would ask if you were trying to understand the youth culture, of course he was young, but his life experience in the precarious orphanage in which he grew up had caused his conception of reality to occasionally differ from what anyone would consider general knowledge, something that Dazai used to take advantage of whenever the opportunity arose.
—Giving an indirect kiss is as intimate as a normal kiss…
Those words had a huge impact on Atsushi, he had once read about the subject secretly in a romantic novel he found in the orphanage’s library, but he didn’t think it was a big deal (and it wasn’t) for most people at least, too bad his sources were a romantic novel and Dazai, from that conversation on, had been very careful with his cups and glasses at the agency, he had never offered food to his friends without making sure to bring extra chopsticks or cutlery, Atsushi never let his guard down, after all a kiss even indirect should only be given to an important person.
Despite all his caution he never imagined that the least expected person would break his defenses, it was after a mission, collaborations with the mafia usually took place at night but there were exceptions like that day when he was working with Akutagawa in the afternoon, the fight turned into a chase of several blocks and ended in an arrest as it was planned, Kunikida arrived at the scene minutes later to talk to the police and took the opportunity to give Atsushi his brown bag with some water bottles and a rice ball to regain energy because work continued until late, the itinerary still included filling out several reports and shopping for the office once the police closed the case, while the young detective was waiting, he decided to look for Akutagawa, as he approached he saw the mafioso sitting on a box in the shade of an alley fanning himself with his hand,“his fault for wearing such inappropriate clothing”Atsushi thought at first, but he regretted it when he remembered that part of their victory was due to Rashomon, so feeling somewhat guilty he decided to share.
“Do you want some water?” Atsushi asked shaking the bottle that was almost half full in his hand, Akutagawa watched him for a couple of seconds, accepting his rival’s help showed weakness and went against his principles, but faint due to dehydration was worse on his scale of weakness so in a quick movement Rashomon snatched the bottle from Atsushi’s hand, opened it and took a drink, then capped it and threw it back in front of the astonished gaze of the detective who caught it without problem thanks to his reflexes.
“I was considerate and left you some water, but if it causes you such displeasure to share, give it back to me” Akutagawa said when he noticed Atsushi’s look, but what he swore was displeasure was nothing more than shame, anxiety and a bit of overthinking a gesture that had no deep meaning “I don’t understand why you offer me water in the first place.
“It’s not that, look” Atsushi answered opening the bottle and finishing what was left in one gulp, after seeing that for the first time it crossed Akutagawa Ryuunosuke’s mind that his lips had just been on that same bottle, but he didn’t have time to say anything else because a car parked near the alley and Higuchi call him, the mafioso left without saying goodbye while Atsushi blushed watched him walk away and wondered how he would look at him on the next mission after what he had done, on the other hand Akutagawa was sitting in the car hitting his head against the window reproaching himself for his actions and justifying himself with the excuse of the heat and that it was the only water bottle, what else could he do? luckily Atsushi never mentioned that the gesture he had made with the bottle in his hands was only to get his attention since in the bag that Kunikida gave him there were enough bottles for both of them.
