AkuHigu

"I'm sorry"

- Akutagawa to Higuchi after the rescue (Chapter 14)

AkuHigu is the het ship between Ryunosuke Akutagawa and Ichiyo Higuchi from the Bungou Stray Dogs fandom.

Canon
Higuchi is works as part of Akutagawa's command unit and acts as his assistant and bodyguard. She is shown to be very loyal to Akutagawa and is always willing to fight alongside him, though this is highly unreciprocated. In various occasions, Akutagawa largely expresses his refusal to accept Higuchi's assistance in his endeavors, especially in his constant pursuit of gaining Osamu Dazai's acknowledgement, claiming that he does not need her nor anyone else's help.

After Higuchi tricks the Armed Detective Agency, cornering Naomi, Junichiro, and Atsushi in an alley, shooting at them and harming Naomi, Tanizaki grabs her by the throat, lifting her and declaring he'll kill her. But then, Akutagawa shows up, impaling Junichiro. Higuchi immediately running over to make sure he's alright. He slaps her across the face, telling her that they were ordered to take the weretiger alive, not gun everyone down, eventhough Akutagawa instinctively saves Higuchi after she gets cornered by the tiger, forcing him to ostensibly kill Atsushi despite strict orders of bringing him in alive.

As Akutagawa continues to fight Atsushi, Dazai eventually stops it, and Higuchi threatens Dazai, before Akutagawa tells her that they can't win and to let it go. Later on, after the battle on the ship, Akutagawa is severely injured and in comatose. Higuchi is talking with Mori when he says that there are probably going to be people who want revenge on Akutagawa for all of the sunken cargo and money lost on the ship, which instantly fills Higuchi with dread. Even though Higuchi herself notes, is rather unfit in the Port Mafia, the reason she didn't left is Akutagawa .Akutagawa is kidnapped, and Higuchi immediately prepares to go rescue him, with or without the help of the Black Lizard. She charges into the enemies base, gunning them down as much as she can before she's shot in the leg and her shoulder. Just as she's about to be killed, she is backed up by the Black Lizard, and she immediately runs to where Akutagawa is. As she stands over his bed he wakes up, and Higuchi reaches for her handkerchief, trying to wipe Akutagawa's face, but he grabs her hand, apologizing for the trouble as a few tears fall from Higuchi's eyes.

Following the three-way conflict, while driving down at night, Higuchi notices Akutagawa in his civilian clothing along the streets. As she thinks of a way to drive him home, she sees a woman leaving with him, much to her distress. The next day, being jealous, Higuchi tries to look for the woman, thinking that she is either an enemy assassin or a government spy sent to harm Akutagawa. Reaching a dead-end alley, Higuchi finally recognizes the woman to be Gin, and they also learn that she is Akutagawa's younger sister, to which Higuchi sobs out of relief. Later, she asks Gin to call her "older sister" as her superior. After Fyodor Dostoevsky stabs Mori, infecting him with Alexander Pushkin's virus, Higuchi is the first to rush in and aid Mori. Naturally, she participates in the Port Mafia and Agency's feud. While patrolling their headquarters, she is ambushed by Kyōka's Demon Snow, dragged into another room. Kyōka threatens her for the security code of Mori's safe room. However, just before Kyōka can do anything, Akutagawa intervenes, cutting a hole in the floor and separating the two. He instructs Higuchi to alert the others of the Agency's raid.

In chapter 88 of the manga, when Higuchi encountered an alive Akutagawa two days after his assumed "death" by Fukichi's hands, she embraced him from behind in tears. She said that she was planning for his funeral until she saw him and wanted to tell him something important. When Akutagawa revealed his undead form, she was in great shock and said "My feelings, I haven't-" which indicates that she was planning to confess her feelings to him before she was turned.

In BSD Anthology Hana, Higuchi was in disguise and were stalking Akutagawa. While Gin-an assassin crossed over Higuchi, Akutagawa recognized her immediately.

Fanon
AkuHigu isn't as popular as some other BSD ships and is very overshadowed by its rival ships such as Shin Soukoku or ChuuAku. However it is still often noted by the fandom as one of the few ships that could eventually be canon, because of Higuchi's hinted crush on Akutagawa.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

TUMBLR

Trivia

 * Even though Akutagawa berates Higuchi when he arrives and finds out that she has gunned down an entire alley, which placed Atsushi Nakajima, their bounty target, at risk, Akutagawa instinctively saves Higuchi after she gets cornered by the tiger, forcing him to ostensibly kill Atsushi despite strict orders of bringing him in alive.
 * In BSD Anthology, Higuchi was in disguise and were stalking Akutagawa. While Gin-an assassin crossed over Higuchi, Akutagawa recognized her immediately