Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a regular day at the PM Coffee House, albeit a bit busier than usual. A regular, the well-dressed Mr. Hirotsu was drinking tea by the window. 

“That damn mackerel!” A red head grumbled as he walked into the backroom. “If he hadn’t quit I wouldn’t be having to train new employees. Its not like I dislike the brats they just cling so so much. I swear last week I thought I saw Q have my contact saved as pumpkin latte mom. I dont even like pumpkin spice! HE loved pumpkin spice, not me. I can’t stand it as much as I can’t stand him.” He took off his leather jacket and placed it on a hook in the wall after grabbing  a light green and blue apron from it.

“Hey Chuuya! Can you give me a hand? Orders are piling u p and I have no help because it’s Gin’s day off and Tachihara clogged the toilet again.” A blond woman whose name tag read Higuchi said while making up a caramel macchiato.

“Sure, just lemme get this on first.” Chuuya agreed around a hair tie he was holding in his mouth. It was a policy for all long hair to be tied back, though it got stricter after an incident with a milk foamer which resulted in part of Chuuya’s longer hair having to get cut off.

Chuuya walked out to the counter where he took over some of the backed up orders. All was peaceful…for about 2 minutes

Tachihara burst through the bathroom door. “IT’S FIXED!”-he saw Chuuya- “OK SO IT WASN'T MY FAULT THIS TIME.”

“Uh huh emphasis on ‘this time’”, Chuuya said without looking behind himself. 

“It really wasn't though! Some kid thought it would be a good idea for their rubber duck to have a swim in the toilet.”

Higuchi handed a customer their coffee , “I apologize for the wait. We are quite short staffed today.”

“It’s ok! I wasn’t in a rush anyway,” the customer replied, taking a sip. They walked through the door and ever so slightly you could see a brown-haired scruffy young man running down the sidewalk dragging along a very confused gray haired person. 

A foreboding chill ran down Chuuya’s spine as he heard a familiar voice outside the door.

“Now remember, we are here for me to show you the competition,” It said.

Oh, you have to be kidding me.

The door swung open revealing the brown-haired scruffy man who looked to be in his early 20’s, “Heyyyyy long time no see Chuuya!”

Chuuya was filled with rage how DARE he come back after leaving so suddenly! And to act like we’re friends? He left, left me, after being here for so long, for that tacky new place!

“My my my look what the cat dragged in” Chuuya grumbled pouring a hot coffee.

Chapter Text

“Hey where are we going?” Questioned the gray-haired person as he trailed behind the aforementioned scruffy man. 

Their brunette companion spun around to face him, “What a wonderful question Atsushi! Why does anyone go anywhere?”

Atsushi sighed and looked at him with a tired expression, “That doesn’t answer my question Dazai.”

The older one pointed in front of them to a row of shops, “See that one? The coffee shop that's trying to be all, -he makes air quotes and waves his hands around- ‘look at meeee I’m fancy and sleek and modern.’ That's our competition and I’m having you try them out!”

“Why though? Isn’t that helping the competition out if I’m buying something?’ Atsushi was rightfully confused. 

“Who said you were going to be getting something? Cmon!” Dazai grabbed Atsushi’s wrist and started sprinting for the shop.

“HEY!”

Dazai abruptly stopped and Atsushi almost fell on their face, “Now remember, we are here for me to show you the competition.” He said before dramatically opening the door and sauntering up to and leaning his elbow on the counter nearest a ginger man.

“Heyyyyy long time no see Chuuya~”

Chuuya, without even looking back at him grumbly responded, “My my my look what the cat dragged in” while pouring a hot coffee.

“What no Mackerel? And technically I dragged in the cat,” Dazai replied, still leaning against the counter.

“I’m not a cat, I’m a tiger.” Atsushi tiredly sighed, clearly they had had this conversation before.

“Now now, don't get your tail in a knot, how about you go look around while I talk with Sluggy over here.”  

As Atsushi began looking around at the brick walls of the coffee house, he started to hear arguing. Don’t tell me he acts like he does around Kunikida with this guy…

He looked at all the pictures on the walls, spotting a picture which was titled, “Our star employees of 2019.” In it there was a man with indigo hair standing in the back with the word boss written above him, with presumably the employees around and in front of him. The employees all had their names written above them. 

Oh hey the redhead Dazai apparently knows is here… Above him was written “Nakahara”  Behind him, someone was giving him “bunny ears” with a fiendish grin. IS THAT DAZAI??? Wow he was emo as a kid.  

Next to Dazai there were two older men, one had reddish brown hair and light beard stubble the other had dark green hair and glasses. The green-haired one looked exhausted. How I get you, Dazai is very tiring but we still love him don’t we? 

Close to Dazai there was a young teenager in a similar style to Dazai who had “Akutagawa” written over his head. Who cut his hair like that?  

Atsushi heard a crash followed by a shout from behind him and whipped around revealing Nakahara pressing Dazai against a wall, the crash likely coming from a knocked over chair. 

“...I’m just going to get something.” Atsushi sighed and walked up to the counter to peer at the menu.

It had some sandwiches available for lunchtime. 

Hmmmm… Kyoka likes the fruit ones, but the tuna one and egg one also sound really good.

“Hi welcome to the PM coffee house, where we’re like a family. May I take your order?” A man with dark red hair and a blue apron with a bunch of pins on it said tiredly. Not even looking over at the fighting.

“Oh yeah, can I please have a fruit and cream sandwich and a tuna sandwich?” Atsushi looked at the poor cashier and then back to Chuuya and Dazai who were still fighting though it kinda looked like they were flirting with Chuuya pressing Dazai against the fake brick wall. Atsushi looked at the pins as he typed on the register. There was one with a black lizard on it and one with some dogs. 

“Is it for here or to go?” The redhead asked with a strained voice as another crash sounded from the wall.

“To go please,” Atsushi replied and heard a very quiet ‘oh thank god’ from the crashier.

“That’ll be 1500 yen”

Atsushi paid, sneaking another look back at the fighting duo. 

Someone with short sleek black hair, the ends dusted with white like powdered sugar on a donut, handed the cashier a bag with the sandwiches. Atsushi looked at him as he turned and walked away, his eyes drifting down to his tight black pants, his waist accentuated by the apron tied snugly around it. Atsushi felt his face heat up and quickly looked away before someone noticed.

“Excuse me, are you alright?” The cashier asked with a concerned looking expression that if you looked closely you could tell he knew the answer already.

“Oh! Y-yes I’m fine” Atsushi stammered, their face getting redder.

“Here’s your food, have a nice day,” The cashier handed him the bag with a quirked eyebrow and an amused smile.

“Thank you, you too!” Atsushi chirped back.

Speed walking over to Dazai and his friend(?), he saw a blur of black and red trying to split them apart. The blur was pulling Chuuya away but was having problems doing so since it kept disappearing the moment it touched Dazai, it must be an ability.

The wielder was the man from before. His clothes were all black and his apron red. He had no eyebrows but it strangely suited him. His badge says Akutagawa Ryu, he must've been the young teenager clinging to Dazai in the photo only older now. Atsushi joined the attractive man in pulling the pair apart but instead of Chuuya he pulled Dazai. It wasn't very hard to get him away even with the height difference since Dazai was quite light or maybe Atsushi was just strong?

Forcing himself from looking at the cute goth they focused on separating the two. “Cmon Dazai you told me you were just showing me our competition, I saw them now let's go you’re probably bothering the customers.

“THAT'S WHAT YOU CAME HERE FOR?!” Chuuya yelled, reaching over to punch him before Akutagawa pulled him away further.

Dazai smirked, “Aww, did chibi want me to come here to see him?” 

“Fuck you, you Mackerel,” Chuuya angrily spat but had a sprinkle of pink on his cheeks if you looked close.

The duo seemed to relax so Atsushi and Akutagawa cautiously let go

As soon as he was free Dazai leaned over Chuuya and slipped a piece of paper into his pocket. He whispered something Atsushi couldn’t hear but Akutagawa clearly did since his eyes widened. Dazai stepped away and Chuuya was almost as red as the cashier's box dye job.

"Alright, c'mon Atsushi lets go," Dazai sang as he strutted out through the door making the bell jingle sweetly.

Atsushi sighed and started to follow him. He saw an older man in the corner sipping from a tea cup. They walked over to him and started to apologize with a bow "I'm sorry for the way my friend acted I hope it didn't bother you too much." 

"Not at all son, I remember when those two used to work here together. It was entertaining to say the least." The man responded with a soft smile as if he was reminiscing.

"Well that's a relief, I hope you enjoy your tea sir." Atsushi quickly left after that to find Dazai to make sure neither of them got lost he'd hate for Kunikida to have to come pick them up, especially on his day off. 

Oh boy will I have quite the story to tell everyone when we get back...