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It wasn't that he wasn't trying (in fact he always was), the problem lied in the fact he and the tiger were different in terms of beings. One form holding two different creatures. A boy and a tiger, one in the same but at the same time not. He had grown used to the tiger that lied under his skin. One who gave him strength and practically protected him. His ability and constant companion. It stood close to him, a reminder that he had survived so much.
A blessing or a curse, it was his. Silently it prowled in the dwellings of his mind and soul, ready to spring if danger was ever to show. To protect what the boy saw worth saving. Both agreed to one thing. They didn't like being confined.
[An unnamed part of Yokohama]
Of all the nights Dazai had to send him out on a mission, it had to be one on the night of the full moon. With Akutagawa of all people. What was the man trying to prove with pairing him up with the person he hated the most. Why did both the President and Mori agree to this?
Oh, that's right, because they were still at a cease-fire, and they were the best for this. Oh how much he had tried to get out of it. Didn't they know? Probably not.
Well, Dazai might have, the gleam in his eyes as Atsushi tried to fight his case was one of a very sneaky and plotting man. Akutagawa was just as against the placement as he was. The sickly man harboured as much hate for him as he did for the other. Alas, it was no use to fight against a stubborn man.
They were stuck.
The silvered haired man would like to state that on some full moons he had better control and the tiger never showed. The feline lied dormant, allowing him to be a little more normal. This was not that time.
As they walked to where the warehouse was (an overlook if you fancy, of what they were dealing with: A group of smugglers were taking refuge there. They had stolen documents that the mafia and the ADA would like to have back. Ranpo had tracked them down earlier that day, using his ability), Atsushi felt the tiger prowl around in his mind. This full moon, the tiger wouldn't be stopped from breaking free. He couldn't stop it. What power did he have against the beast anyway?
Akutagawa was feet ahead of him. The black cloaked man didn't care about the inner turmoil of the other. Get the job done, get out of the presence of that annoying Jinko. He had been annoyed by the way the other had tried to get out of a job. Pathetic. He turned his head a little and saw Atsushi dragging his feet. The sun was close to setting and soon, the moon would rise.
"Jinko, stop dragging your feet and walk like you actually have a purpose. The sooner we get this done the sooner I don't have to look at you,"
Atsushi glared at him but walked faster. "Trust me, I'll be more than glad to get this over with," he retorted back.
They would call the feeling that ran between them hate. Hate, however, had ebbed away into tolerance and an unspoken respect for the other. They were learning, slowing their threads of fate were weaving together. Atsushi was growing used to the cold demeanour and murderous intent that was Akutagawa Ryuunosuke. Akutagawa was growing used to the stupidly selfless and caring person that was Atsushi Nakajima.
They drew near, stealthily getting into the warehouse. Crates stacked high. Atsushi smelled the faint scent of metal. He picked up the sound of people coming closer...
"Akutagawa!" The other was already on it.
"Rashoumon!"
The black tendrils of the demon rushed forward, stabbing at the newly revealed offenders. Gunshots rang out as both rushed forward.
All was going well until Atsushi caught sight of the large glowing moon that laid visible from the windows high above.
He stopped, the world becoming background noise, the only thing that mattered was the tiger that was clawing its way to the surface and the moon that hung above. He didn't notice the blue glowing that encased him or the angry yells of his partner.
"Atsushi!"
Akutagawa yelled when he saw the other stop. That moron! There was no time to stop and - oh no.
He had only ever seen the Jinko in full tiger form once. Long ago during their first fight. Dazai had told him a while back that the fool was at his strongest like that. He also told him that Atsushi had a hard time remembering everything he did in that stage.
Beast Under The Moonlight indeed.
Where Atsushi stood was now a large white tiger glowing a soft blue. It rushed forward, attacking. Its strength was unparalleled.
They were done in minutes. The tiger's strength and apparent rage had made the job a lot easier. The files were safely packed away. Now to the next problem.
After the stupid attackers were taken out, and the documents taken, the tiger had decided that Akutagawa was a nice little plaything and started to attack him. But in the way, a kitten would attack without malice and more to play than to actually kill.
So he found himself being pinned down by a large paw like a toy, Rashoumon only a minor annoyance (more like another thing to mess with) to the mighty being. Wiggling a bit he pulled his phone out and dialled a certain bandage wearing man.
"Hello~"
"Dazai, come pick us up," he gruffly said into the phone.
"But why? I wouldn't take either of you to have horrible direction. Did something happen perhaps?"Damn that man and his provoking ways.
"Yes, something did in fact happen,"
"Hmm? Oh, something did? Say, I don't hear Atsushi on the other end. Did you finally manage to chop up the tiger~?"
Akutagawa growled darkly into the phone. He looked up, the tiger's eyes on him. The intelligence they held...
"Shut up Dazai. The thing that happened is all Atsushi's fault. The stupid Jinko turned into a stupid tiger and refuses to turn his ass back!"
"Isn't that his ability? Oh! I remember! It's a full moon!" Akutagawa deadpanned. He may look up to him and want his praise, but for fuck sake, he didn't have time for this.
"No shit. Turn this idiot back so I can get home and be done with this,"
"Ah but I'm a little busy~ And you are always going on about how you can handle anything~?"
"I am being pinned down by a large cat and am in no mood to deal with this. And when has being busy ever stopped you?"
"Oh alright. My lovely double suicide will, unfortunately, have to wait another day!"
The phone went silent as the line disconnected. He would be stuck for a while.
Akutagawa wondered just how much of the tiger right now was Atsushi. It clearly knew to attack the enemy instead of him during the fighting. Did that mean it understood what was going on? Rashoumon was again swatted away by a large paw, unsuccessful in its attempt to free its master.
The warehouse was silent besides the sound of a tiger lowly growling and a demon trying to pry something away from it.
"Jinko you are a fucking idiot,"
Atsushi woke in the morning with a dull headache and an aching body in his own house. What had happened? How did he get back? He saw the moon and, oh. Silvers of memories played out. Bodies scattering, the yells of the enemy and his own partner, the loud roar of a tiger, swatting at a black blur.
He turned his head and saw a piece of paper next to his house keys. Who had...?
The elegant and neat handwriting of Akutagawa was printed onto the small paper.
"Dear Jinko, Next time you decide to play cat, I will not hesitate to use Rashoumon to slice you into bits. I do not enjoy being used as a plaything and then trapped under three tons of animal fur. You better be lucky that I took you home and not Dazai. Do not mistake this act as friendship or kindness. I do not care for your life but am willing to admit that sleeping in a warehouse is uncomfortable and unfortunately Dazai wouldn't let me leave you.
-Akutagawa Ryuunosuke
P.S. your apartment is crappy and you need to buy more milk"
Atsushi snorted at the last part, rolling his eyes. The tiger made a sound like it was amused. He would someday learn how to handle the tiger. But for now, he was okay with it. The large animal made a reassuring noise as it settled down.