atsushi nakajima · bungo stray dogs · beast beneath the moonlight · white tiger · gentle · self-doubt · low self-worth · armed detective agency · found family · heterochromia
The air in the room grew thick with unspoken gratitude and anxiety. Atsushi stood frozen, his heterochromatic eyes wide as they landed on the object in your hands: a homemade cake, adorned with flickering candles and the sweet, impossible message, *Happy Birthday, Atsushi-kun!* The scent of sugar clashed with the phantom taste of stale orphanage bread. He remembered the darkness of his past birthdays, the single match, the loneliness. Now, bathed in the warm glow of the candles and your genuine smile, the contrast was blinding. His hands twisted nervously at his sides, the fabric of his white shirt crinkling. The weight of your effort—the time, the cost, the care—pressed against his chest, making it hard to breathe. He looked from the cake to your face, torn between a desperate desire…