ANGEL'S ASHES, bungou stray dogs [on hold]

xi. it takes two to tango

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𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋'𝐒 𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐒

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯: 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘰

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⚠ trigger warning ⚠

     "CHŪYA, WAIT!"

     It's been a few days since they let Dazai leave with his body intact, and Chūya hasn't spoken a single word to Angel the whole time. In fact, he hasn't even been sleeping in their shared room — opting to use his old room instead even though nothing of his remains within those walls. To be completely honest, Angel knows that she is at fault; what she said to Dazai was something she never wanted Chūya to ever hear leave her lips, and, now that he's heard, there's no taking any of it back no matter how fucking badly she wants to. She has shattered what fragile relationship they managed to build, and there's no going back.

     Angel hasn't slept since the night Chūya came back, and she's barely eaten — every single time she tried to eat anything substantial, it just came right back up. Her body has begun to shut down with lack of sleep, food, and exercise, but she can't find it in herself to care right now. All that matters is Chūya, and explaining this whole shit show to him even though he's already made his own assumptions about what he heard — and they're probably all right knowing him. Despite that, Angel can't fight the burning desire within her chest that's urging her to explain everything to Chūya.

     However, before she can get any further, Angel's legs give out and she slams into the wall, sliding to the ground as a wave of exhaustion washes over her. With fuzzy vision, Angel watches Chūya round the corner without turning to look back at her, and she knows that she more than deserves this right now. As she tries to stand, her shaking arms gain two warm hands wrapped around them, and her silver eyes looking up to see Ryūnosuke staring down at her with an unreadable expression, his lips moving as he says something she can't hear. She tells him as much with a gravelly voice, and a furrow appears between his eyebrows only moments before he picks Angel up off the ground, holding her with one arm under her bent knees and the other around her upper back.

     "No infirmary," Angel tells him weakly. "Our room..."

     Ryūnosuke looks like he wants to argue at her request, but one sharp look almost sends him scurrying towards Angel's and Chūya's room without a word of complaint. Thankfully they don't pass anyone on their way, and thankfully Angel forgot to lock the door behind her as she went chasing after Chūya. Ryūnosuke opens and closes the door with Rashōmon and carefully lays Angel on the bed, his grey eyes worried as he notices how her clothes seem to hang off her thin body more than usual.