Work Text:
Between the Refrain
A Persona fanfiction
'Heartbeat, Heartbreak' plays through the speakers for the 40th time in the row.
Two days of this and he's already tapping out the rhythm on the cash register.
"You're getting used to this place, I see."
Shirogane's here again. He nods.
"It's not too bad so far. Though there's supposed to be a lunch-rush right about now."
"You were informed correctly." Shirogane says, "It just happens to be a slow day."
"Huh. So do you want anything?"
"Cafe Americano. And some Red Velvet."
He shrugs. "Sure. Coming right up."
When Shirogane leaves, he sighs and sticks his head in the kitchen.
"Narukami-senpai."
"Hm?"
He's making a parfait for the girl at table 4. Oh.
"What is it, Arisato-kun?"
"Shirogane."
"Oh. I'll take the floor then. Does Shirogane-san want anything?"
"...Red velvet cake."
"Got it. Thanks."
He ruffles Minato's hair on the way out. And smiles when the boy gives him his usual customary look.
...Ah, the parfait.
When he makes his way to the girl's table, she does look disappointed. "Oh. Arisato-kun?"
"Mm."
"Is senpai not there today?"
"Mm-mm."
"I see. Thank you, though." She says with a smile. It seems overtly familiar for some reason.
"Mm."
"...Is everything ok?"
"...?"
"You seem a bit...quiet."
"'M always like this." He says shortly. She blinks, then does smile then, "Is that so? You're not the chatty type?"
"No."
"Huh. I thought you were. I dunno, I got a strange kind of impression from you."
She's as chatty as he thought she was He just shrugs.
"I don't talk much. Usually."
"And you're working as a barista?"
"It's a living."
"I see." She says, with a laugh, "Thanks. I'll probably be ordering again when the rest of my friends come here."
The people that usually come and sit with her.
"...Sure." He says and shuffles away without another word.
He doesn't need to tell her one of them was already here.
He glances at the kitchen. He can't see the back door from here, obviously.
But he's pretty sure they're still talking back there.
About something she didn't need to know about.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Good job today."
They're technically not done, but no-one comes at this time. So whatever.
He shrugs.
"Got another song stuck in your head?" Narukami asks. He's looking at Minato's fingers, tapping away on the counter.
"Mmhm."
"Which one?"
"It's an old one." Minato answers simply, "I don't think you've heard of it."
He stops, though. It's a habit he usually keeps away from customers. Or people in general.
"Try me." Narukami says.
"...Burn my Dread. Ever heard of it?"
"Yeah, actually." Narukami says, "Didn't they release a remix of that recently?"
"They did?"
"Yep. Apparently, it's for that movie that's coming out soon."
"Movie?"
Narukami laughs, "Yes, there's a movie coming out. It's pretty much old news by now, though."
"Huh." ...Minato feels a bit embarassed for some reason, "I didn't have time to catch up on the series. For awhile."
"Because you've been moving around so much?"
Silence as Minato's fingers stop tapping.
"Mm. It was hectic."
"I see. Well, you'll probably feel more at home in this town." Narukami says. He's leaning on his hand, his expression a strange kind of lazy smile, "That or you'll die of boredom in the first week."
"...It's my third week here."
"So things can only get better, right?"
It's something that he can say so easily.
Even now?
"I guess."
"That's more like it." And there he is, ruffling Minato's hair again.
It's a habit that he started ever since Minato started working here.
His hands are warm against Minato's neck.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Oh, look who finally decided to call."
She's mad. Oh boy. He should probably apologize and get it over with.
When he does, he hears a scoff on the other line.
"Not like I've heard that before."
"Sorry."
"...Whatever." She sighs, "At least I know you're alive now. Couldn't even have sent a couple of messages or what?"
He did send some to Junpei. But it's best to probably not mention that.
"Hello?"
"...Hm?"
"Were you even paying attention to me? I was asking you something."
"Oh." Crap. "Uhm."
"Wow. Seriously? You seriously weren't paying attention?"
"Sorry."
"Quit apologizing. Ugh. Just...just listen ok? I have a lot of complaining to do, now that you've finally called. And no, you're not hanging up. Don't hang up!" She says sternly and Minato flinches. Then sighs and puts his phone back near his ear again.
Might as well make himself comfortable.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"You have a sweet tooth?"
The spoon clinks loudly when he drops it. He cringes a bit.
"Sorry, did I scare you?" Narukami asks.
Minato hastily picks his spoon back up. "No." He huffs.
Narukami stares at Minato for a bit before he asks, "Uh. Are you pouting?"
"...What? No??"
"You are!" Narukami is chuckling now.
"Am not."
"No, you can continue eating that."
"I was...planning too anyway." Minato says grudgingly, pulling the parfait cup towards himself again.
"I didn't expect you to like sweet things though."
"What did you expect me to like?"
"I dunno. Spicy things? Sour things?"
"I don't like spicy things."
"Good to know." Narukami says with a smile, "So, how's the parfait?"
"Hm?"
"Well, it's a shop product. So I need some feedback."
"S'good. You make good parfaits."
"I'm glad."
The sky rumbles in the distance and he tries to ignore the weight of Narukami's gaze.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
This time, it's Hanamura who's looking for him.
"Hey. Uh, have you seen my partner anywhere?"
"Lunch break?"
"Already? I told him to wait up for me." Hanamura sighs, "Well, it's fine. I actually needed to talk to you."
...or not.
"Me?"
"Yeah! You're Arisato-san, right?"
"...Yes?"
"My partner talked about you a whole bunch."
Now, that was interesting. "I don't think we talked that much for him to tell you about me."
Hanamura looked a bit...sheepish for some reason. "You'd be surprised. Anyway, he told me you just moved here. I did too! And seriously, how have you not died of boredom by now?"
"Same way you didn't, I guess."
Hanamura blinks, "Was that a joke? That was joke right?"
"Yep."
"Wow. Huh. You seriously are like him, y'know?"
"Like who?"
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"You seriously remind me of Narukami-kun, right now."
This was new. "Really?"
"Really! Even if it's not very obvious at first." Satonaka says, when she notices the look on his face, "I dunno. You have the same mysterious air about you."
"He's...mysterious?" Minato tilts his head towards Narukami, who was currently charming the pants off of the customer in front of him.
"Kinda, yeah! Don't you see it?"
"No?"
"A-anyway, you do remind me of him in a weird way."
"...You do realize", Minato says slowly, "that you know me for all of two seconds."
"The way that he talks about you, I might as well have known you for years."
Minato squints, "What exactly does he say about me?"
"Oh, just random things. I didn't think you'd like sweets!"
"Do you do too?"
"Nothing beats meat for me!"
"...Meat?"
"By the way, are you holding up ok?"
"...I've been getting that question a lot."
"Ah, probably. But you're new here to town right? You can call it us looking out for you!"
"Is that all there is?"
They're not too far from Narukami's clique. His group of friends that come to see him everyday.
Hang out with him.
Talk amongst themselves with hurried whispers and pointed glances at the people around them.
"...Yeah."
She says that with less conviction than he would've liked.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"You alright over there?"
Minato blinks, "Hm?"
"Did you, like, doze off or somethin'?"
"I think so." Minato rubs his eyes.
"Seriously? Did you stay up all night playing that detective game again?"
"'S not exactly a detective game..."
He hears grumbling from the other side.
"Argh, that's not the point here! Focus!"
"I am."
"Yuka-tan's already worrying her head off over here. She's saying you need to get outta there and fast."
"I know. That'd probably be the best thing to do."
"So, aren't you packing up?"
"No."
"What?!"
"I can't leave."
"Dude! That's not something you should be saying at this point! I'm hearing all sorts of freaky shit going on over there!"
"It is. Freaky, I mean."
"Yeah, my point is you'd already know that first-hand! Dude, you have to get outta there!"
"I can't."
"Why the fuck not?!"
"Why...?"
"There's a killer on the loose in that town! You need to leave!"
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
He looks like he's about to say something else.
"Are you alright?"
"Why are you asking me that?"
His heart is racing.
Breathing accelerated.
Sweat cold on his skin.
Even now, Narukami's hand is warm on his skin.
Even...
Even...
Even when it's smearing blood on his neck.
Sand on his knees, and the sea in his hands. Receding farther and farther along as Narukami pulls himself up to shore.
"Minato."
His name. In his voice.
His voice, in a whisper, that sends thrills through his skin.
When Narukami draws himself up, the light glints off of it.
His silver-grey, reptilian-like tail. Where his legs should be.
"I'm glad that you're alright."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"You need to leave!"
"I know. But I still can't leave."
"Why?!"
"I've seen them, Junpei."
"You've seen them?!"
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"I thought the killer had got to you." Minato says.
Narukami's smiling.
"I have a bit of home advantage with this area. Being a siren and all."
"Siren?" The word is foreign in his mouth.
Everything in his body felt foreign to him at that moment.
Warm breath on his lips. Narukami's closer to him than he realized.
And he leans in more.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"I've seen them. I need to make sure he's fine."
"You actually found them? Those siren things?!" Junpei's stunned silent for a minute. He recovers quite quickly though, "I don't care about that! Look, you're not safe as long as you stay there, even with your whole 'thing' going on there!"
"Thing?"
"Your whole immortality 'schtick'!"
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Hands roaming his body, under his shirt.
Softer lips than he realized.
A blush on his cheeks.
And Narukami's body tensing up against his.
As Narukami feels the fangs biting into his lips.
He draws back quickly.
This close, Minato could actually see his own reflecting in those pretty, silver eyes.
And how his own had turned scarlet red.
"Sweet." Minato mumbles, a heated breath.
"You're...!"
"You're not the only one who's been hiding secrets." Minato points out to him. A hand coming up to his face. Wiping away the trickle of blood from his lip. "And if it's my life you're worried about, you do not need to worry. It's pretty obvious I'm not the killer either. But you and your friends know that already."
His words are unsteady. He's not used to talking this much.
"But if you're that invested in finding him, it's in my best interest to help you."
A smile now.
He's not used to smiling either.
"I don't want you dying on me so soon."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x