Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Mucchan, Mucchan. Are you really going to be working the day shifts with me now? For the whole summer?"

Mutsuki raises his head and his hands pause in the middle of drying a mug. He looks over to the blue haired. She's staring at him with a bored look on her face as she twirls a piece of hair around her finger. He'd expect her to blow a bubble with the gum she's chewing, but she just snaps it instead.

"That's what's I just told you," he tells her with a smile as he resumes drying off the mug in his hands. "Just for the summer since my classes are during the evening."

"But it's the summer! You should be going on vacation! Having fun and sleeping all day or something like that!" she complains and throws her hands up in the air. They've had this conversation before. "You should be having summer flings all over the place and going to the beach with beach babes or whatever people do in the summer!"
"You mean things you don't do."

"Exactly!"

A chuckle bubbles up in Mutsuki's throat as the bell above the bell jingles awake for the first time that morning (still technically morning even though it felt later). Saiko groans loudly at the sight of the customer and Mutsuki is at attention for his first order of the morning.

"Oh it's you," Saiko groans again and flops against the counter. Mutsuki inwardly sighs. He just cleaned the wooden finish a little while before.

"Shut it," the man grumbles as he digs in his pockets to pull out his wallet. "Ya shouldn't talk to a paying customer like that, ya brat. And I ain't in the mood to deal with it today."

"Awwww. Shirazu's in a bad mood," she continues to prod with a smirk on her face.

"I mean it. I ain't in a good mood. Fucking brat..."

Mutsuki's hand twitches slightly as he moves to get between Saiko and the man, Shirazu, to take his order (since his coworker isn't moving to do so and is just goading him on).

"I-I'll take your order," he states (damn his stutter), interrupting the banter as Shirazu flips Saiko off with a growl. "W-what can I get you?"

Shirazu freezes, probably just realizing that there's been another person in the shop the whole time he's been bickering with Saiko. It isn't the first time someone's forgotten Mutsuki's there and it probably won't the last either.

"Who the hell are you? Never seen you around here before," Shirazu says as he plants his hands on the counter and leans forward before.

"Shirazu don't scare him!" Saiko pipes up. "He's usually working closing! You're never here that late."

"That doesn't tell me his name."

Mutsuki instinctively looks down, refusing to make eye contact. "Mutsuki Tooru," he supplies quietly as he start counting the grains in the counter-top. He can feel two pairs of eyes on him and his hair raises on the back of his neck slightly.

Shirazu clicks his tongue and opens his wallet. "Black coffee, no cream or sugar." He hands over the dollar bills and Mutsuki makes the change as quickly as he can, dropping a coin or two on the floor in the process. He scrambles after them and looks at Saiko pleadingly to make the coffee, but she doesn't move.

Of course she doesn't.

Once Mutsuki has dropped the change (another coin fell out of Shirazu's hand and almost rolled under the counter), he hurried over to pour the daily brew into a styrofoam mug snug inside a cardboard holder (to protect sensitive hands from the heat and with the shop's logo printed on it in red ink). He hands the cup over and nearly tips it over, but
Shirazu plucks it out of Mutsuki's hand before that happens.

"Jesus christ, kid," he growls and Mutsuki's shoulders slump.

"What crawled up your ass and died today? Officer Urie's dick?" Saiko pipes up and props her head up in her hand.

Shirazu snorts.

He actually snorts and Mutsuki can only stare in awe and flush.

"He's actually the reason I wanna smash someone's face in."

"Oh yeah," Saiko drawls as she brings her head up and twists a strand of blue hair around her finger. "Wasn't his bike the one that fucked up after a routine maintenance?"

Mutsuki watches as Shirazu's face contorts to something almost bestial. His smile dips down into a snarl and color rises to his face in blotches. His grip tightens on the styrofoam cup and the cardboard holder creases under the pressure.

His bike was fucking fine and you know it! He's the one that fucked it up after it left the shop!" Shirazu snaps as his grip on the cup tightens and pops the lid off from the force. Mutsuki lets out a startled noise as hot coffee is splashed onto Shirazu's hand and onto the floor.

"Fuck! Shit's hot!" he hisses as he nearly dumps the cup onto the counter and starts pulling napkins out of the dispenser to wipe it off. Saiko just watches as Mutsuki scrambles, while tripping over his own feet, to get the mop and more napkins to help clean up the mess. Shirazu's grumbling and growling like a caged dragon or something when Mutsuki offers him more napkins. "Thanks," he mumbles as he wipes his hands, cup, and counter off.

"I've gotta get back to the shop anyway. Just add to the list of shit I have to deal with today," he grumbles as he heads to the door. He lifts his free hand in the air to wave back to the two coffee shop employees. "See you tomorrow. Don't make the coffee so hot."
And he's gone with a jingle of the bell above the door.

Mutsuki grips the mop tightly in his hands as he stares after the man, long after the door's been shut.

Chapter Text

"The officer involved in the accident earlier this week was discharged from the hospital early this morning. The assailant he was pursuing is still at la-"

"Saiko turn that shit off!"

Mutsuki peeks over the counter the best he can in his crouched position (someone has to do inventory and Saiko is too busy messing with the radio. And annoying Shirazu it seems). Mutsuki pushes his hair back from his face as he stands up, grunting quietly as his knees protest. He strides over and switches the stereo from radio to the CD changer to play the house album.

"Oh come on, Mucchan! I was listening to that!" Saiko complains loudly.

"It was disturbing our customer," he argues gently as he reaches over to fix Saiko's hair.

Cowlick city. He's not surprised since he knows for a fact that she just rolls out of bed before coming to work. He sighs and holds his hand out expectantly. Saiko drops two hair ties into his palm and turns around. They shouldn't be doing this in the front of the shop, but it isn't like there's anyone to cover for them.

"You're pulling too hard!" Saiko whines loudly as Mutsuki combs out the tangles the best he can with his fingers.

"If you brushed your hair in the mornings before you came in, you wouldn't have to deal with this," Mutsuki chides as if Saiko is a child.

"You two related or somethin'?" Shirazu asked from his perch on a stool at the counter.

"Why would I be related to one of my partners? Gross," Saiko grumbles as if it's a known fact.

"Partners?!"

Mutsuki sighs and separates Saiko's hair back in two bunches to pull back into her signature pigtails. "She just says that to get a reaction out of people," he tells Shirazu.

"Partners implies more then one though!"

Mutsuki sighs. Is he just being ignored now?

"I'm surprised you understood that much," Saiko teases with a smirk. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with having more then o -"

Thankfully she's interrupted by the bell above the door jingling softly to alert the trio to the entrance of another customer. Mutsuki thanks whatever god is listening and turns to greet the newcomer with a smile. It slides off his face almost immediately and the two stop bickering to stare.

"Well if it isn't Officer Oreo!" Saiko pipes up first, full of cheer and smiles.

Mutsuki watches Shirazu out of the corner of his eye as the police officer approaches the counter to order. "It's been a while since you've been around, Officer Urie," he greets gently.

"I've been on sick leave," Urie explains quietly as he brings his wallet out of his back pocket. "My usual if you still remember."

"As if I could forget," Mutsuki says with a smile. "Daily brew, two creams, and two sugars."

There's a smile on the officer's lips. At least Mutsuki thinks it's a smile - Saiko always says it's a grimace or a snarl. It's a rare look when the tension around Urie's eyes soften and his lips twitch upwards. "You remembered," he states, as if it's something foreign and unheard of.

"You were only gone a week," Mutsuki argues as he makes change and hands it over. He ducks over to the coffee pot and starts grabbing what he needs. "Give me a minute and I'll have it right up for you."

Mutsuki is mixing in the sugar when he hears the growl. Even Saiko puts her manga down and looks up to find the source of the noise. Is it one of their machines? Is the fridge going on the fritz again? That's just what they need at the moment.
"You."
Shirazu has stood up, cup of coffee clenched his hand. He's staring at Urie with a look of recognition and rage. "You! You're the asshole that fucked up his bike and blamed it on me!"

Urie doesn't look up from putting the change away in his wallet. Mutsuki freezes as the atmosphere changes. It's almost suffocating. Saiko shifts to stand closer to Mutsuki and to latch onto his sleeve as Shirazu grabs Urie's arm.

"Are you even fucking listening to me?! That bike was perfect when it left the shop! What'd you do to fuck it up?!" he yells at the officer.

Urie puts his wallet away in his back pocket and grabs the hand on his arm. "Don't touch me unless you want me to arrest you for assaulting an officer," he hisses. "And the bike? The maintenance work was shitty at best. It's no wonder the brakes went out when I needed them most."

"Why you little piece of shit!"

"Don't fight!" Mutsuki interrupts as he tries to intervene the best he can from behind the counter. He's halfway across the counter and he's reaching forward as if he can grab on Shirazu or Urie to break them up. "Not in the shop!"

Shirazu pauses before he lets go of Urie's shirt with a "tch". Urie straightens his uniform and brushes off invisible dust (or Shirazu germs, Mutsuki isn't sure). The only sounds in the coffee shop come from the stereo, still playing the house album in the corner behind the counter. Saiko's hand is raised as if she's going to turn it off, but she doesn't move to do so. She's watching intently and waiting. Waiting for someone to throw a punch maybe.

Instead, Urie grabs his coffee from the counter and takes a sip as he levels his gaze on Shirazu's. He doesn't look away when he opens his mouth to speak again. "Good job on the coffee. I missed the coffee you made while I was in the hospital," he tells Mutsuki. "I'll be back tomorrow morning before my shift. Don't let your coworker make the coffee. Last time she did, I was sick for half my shift."

Mutsuki nods dumbly as he watches the pair glare at one another, both refusing to break eye contact as if it will show submissiveness or weakness.

Shirazu makes a noise when his cell phone starts ringing and he's forced to look away to check the caller ID. Once the connection is broken, Urie takes another sip of his coffee and strides out the door as quietly with only a half wave before the door shuts behind him.

"Fucking asshole," Shirazu growls as he shoves his phone back into his pants.

"Yeah, well. You're the one that slept with him," Saiko drawls lazily, leaning on the counter now that the action's over.

Chapter Text

Shirazu's stuttering and tripping over his words as Saiko watches with a grin stretching her lips. She's obviously pleased with herself as she and Mutsuki watch as Shirazu's face turns red in blotches along with his ears.

"It's okay. Mucchan has a big crush on Officer Oreo," Saiko says with a wave of her hand and Mutsuki can only stare.

Betrayal.

"I-I do not!" he argues, putting his hands on the counter as if that's the solution to the problem he's facing now. "W-whatever I feel for Officer Urie is completely platonic."

"You want to platonically suck his dick."

Mutsuki feels the heat rush to his cheeks and buries his face in his hands. "Saiko, go clean the coffee pots," he manages from behind his hands, his voice is muffled.

"Not fair! You're only being mean because I said that in front of Shirazu!"

Mutsuki doesn't respond and just tries to regulate his breathing so his face cools down. After a moment, he brings his hands down and adjusts his apron awkwardly. He doesn't look at Shirazu or Saiko and hopes the flush of his dark skin isn't noticeable to either of them. Especially Saiko. If she notices, then he's done for at the moment. He faintly hears Saiko grumbling on her way to the sinks, but that at least means she's listening to him (for once).

Shirazu clears his throat and Mutsuki dares look up at him. His face is still blotched with color and he's not daring to look away from the corner that looks oh so interesting in the moment. Mutsuki swallows. Why does it feel like he's walked into a private moment? Like walking in on someone jerking off or crying (or jerking off while crying)?

(He's probably spent too much time around Saiko if he's thought of that.)

"I-it really wasn't like that," Shirazu attempts to explain, refusing to meet Mutsuki's gaze and Mutsuki feels the urge to look away. He gives into the urge and gathers his apron into his hands, tugging and pulling on it as if he can tear it (he can't, he doesn't have the upper body strength. He's tried).

Mutsuki swallows awkwardly and looks for anything to keep his hands busy so he doesn't feel so awkward in the moment. His skin feels too tight, too hot; there's a painful lump in his chest that feels like it's squeezing his heart. Is this a heart attack? Is he old enough to have a heart attack?

It's at the moment Mutsuki realizes the silence has grown too awkward for him to breathe. He needs to say something. Anything. Anything would be better than the silence (preferably something intelligent, please be intelligent).

"Uhh..."

Never mind. It's either tripping over his words or silence and silence is obviously the better choice at this point. He looks up from under his eyelashes at Shirazu and notices him turn towards the smaller of the two. There's white noise in Mutsuki's ears and he looks down, trying to force it away. Now is not the time for that.

"I-I mean it's not my place t-to know about that!" he stutters out, his voice sharp in the quiet. Even the stereo's been turned off so the house album has stopped playing. He can faintly hear Saiko washing the coffee pots somewhere behind him. "I-I mean...I'm just a barista...it's not like I-I'm actually involved in your private life or anything...."

Shirazu doesn't say anything and Mutsuki looks down again. He notices Shirazu's hand ball into a fist out of the corner of his eye. Mutsuki feels the urge to say something else, something to clarify that yes they have a professional, barista/coffee consumer relationship, but maybe being friends would be cool too. He's choking on the words as they settle in the back of his throat and knot together.

Shirazu's fist raises and unclenches so he can rub the back of his neck. "Am I really that scary lookin'?" Mutsuki hears Shirazu ask - himself or Mutsuki, he doesn't know because the orange haired male sighs and shakes his head. Is he disappointed or fed up?

"Don't feel bad, Shirazu," Saiko pipes up from the sink. "Mucchan's kinda scared of almost everyone. Though your ugly face might not help."

"What'd you say you fucking brat?!" Shirazu squawks and holds his middle finger up, gesturing at Saiko who just sticks her tongue out at him. Nothing seems to catch her offguard.

"I-I don't think you're ugly."

Mutsuki shut up while you're ahead.

"I-I mean...yeah you look intimidating, but you're not...unattractive I guess?" Why is he still talking? The red splotches on Shirazu's neck and face are reappearing or spreading and Mutsuki can't help but to think that it's a cute trait. Somehow.

"Mucchan...that's gross. This is Shirazu you're talking about!" Saiko argues as she drops a coffee pot in a sink of soapy water so she can saunter over to the counter and push on Mutsuki's shoulder as if to wake him up from a nap or a daze. "Look at that face! He's like a lizard or a shark!"

"H-hey! That's just fuckin' rude!" Shirazu sputters as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"S-some people like lizards and sharks," Mutsuki argues quietly before he twists his apron. "Can we stop talking about this already?"

As if the gods or whatever have heard his prayer, the phone rings. Saiko stares at it as if it's about to bite her, so Mutsuki answers it. "Hello? Yes, this is Mutsuki."

The white noise roars in his ears, like he's been thrown into a pool, like in high school at that one party when his classmates tried to see find out his sex. The memory comes slamming back as he listens to his boss.

"Tooru, I'm sorry about this, but at the end of the summer, we'll be closing the coffee shop. We can't support it any longer with the competition opening the down the street. Please tell Saiko. We'll be by later next week to go over the closing details with you both."

He can't find his words. He stands there, holding the phone to his ear, cradling it against his skull as if he could beg for his boss to take it back.

The line clicks dead and there's only a dial tone.