November Rain A Persona 5 fanfiction
Sadayo Kawakami/Protagonist relationship
Rating M for Language
I do not own Persona 5 nor any of the main characters those are owned by Atlus.
This story is set six years after the game. This is a slice-of-life fiction. Nothing really game related. It's mostly about how they adjust to life after the game and the tolls relationships, family, and even having to deal with the fact that you can't relive the past.
These are just my own speculations about how this particular version of the relationship might go. It's all ideas in my head and how I feel my version of the protagonist would react.
Also….I know about the laws in Japan regarding consent (as much as a non-lawyer can). Many people have….commented that I am mishandling it. I can see how that is but truth be told it's all been planned and this chapter will have one of the last few mentions of it. I am allowing characters to express themselves in ways that they may have with limited knowledge. Such as the version of Kawakami's parents I created, being overly judgmental, controlling, and occasionally misinterpreting the consent laws. I'm making them seem like human people and having actual flaws and not knowing everything. That's it...that's all it's meant to be and if you feel the need to talk to me...please do. PM me and approach me in an adult manner and I will be happy to talk with you about my views.
I'm sorry for those who've read this and I've turned off...that wasn't my intent I am just trying to create a story with human elements.
Chapter 1
"I always hated driving through these hills as a kid."
Akira looked over up from his book at Sadayo who was staring out over the barrier of the train tracks and down the steep cliff that fell into dark forest. Snow had come early this year; a small powdering dotted the trees and he felt a smile spread across his face at the sight of her. Taking out his camera he leaned back and snapped a picture out of the window which earned him a growl.
"Really? I'm not exactly feeling like getting caught in a scenic view." She stared down at her stomach and cradled it in a protective manner. At nearly four months she had a small bump forming and was getting a bit worried now that they were getting closer to her hometown. She'd opted to start wearing some of her maternity clothes. She'd been getting rest at work and everyone had been helping her. Akira had stepped up and only missed about three doctors' appointments due to some work issues but he'd been there for everything else and went to their scheduled parenting classes. Despite his help, she didn't really feel like being in any pictures at the moment, and gave him a dirty look when he took two more.
"You weren't in the shot, so don't worry." He tucked the camera away and joined her in holding her stomach. "Everything's going to be okay." He kissed her cheek and wrapped his free hand around her shoulder. "I'm right here."
"You have been." The distraught lessened and she turned to meet his gaze. "I just don't want this trip to go badly. You know how they feel about us being together."
He kissed her again and whispered calming words as she buried her face in his neck.
He knew why she was worried, even his friends knew how her parents felt about him as her lover. It wasn't like they could hide their age difference and he knew her parents had dug into his past and had somehow found out about when they truly started dating. Her mother, Reika, had always been polite to him but that was it. She insisted they sleep in separate rooms and rarely left them alone together. If asked, AKira would say that Reika was a beautiful woman and that was based on the similarities he saw between her and her daughter. They had similar hair, complexion, and the same eyes, but the constant strain on the woman's face seemed to prematurely age her.
Sadayo's father, Sora, was a large and bearded man who was in charge of a shipping company. Though by nature, or due to his years of customer service, Sora proved to be a bit more cordial than his wife. While not exactly a warm individual, he did have a softer nature and at least gave Akira the luxury of casual conversation and an attempt to get to know him. Over the years they had at least grown close enough to have the occasional polite conversation and could be left alone without any discomfort and when the train came to a stop Akira was somewhat relieved to find him standing at their stop as opposed to Reika.
"Sadayo," the man's deep voice echoed like a growl and he smiled as he took his daughter in his arms. Akira in the mean time opted to maintain a respectful distance until called over.
"Hi, Dad." She gazed up at him happily, but concerned. "You're looking better than Mom let on."
He coughed out a laugh and patted her cheek. "I've been taking my medicine and the doctors say the prognosis looks good."
"That's wonderful." She waved Akira over and the younger man approached tentatively. "Did Mom tell you about his business?"
"She mentioned it." Sora extended a hand which Akira took and followed with a short bow. "You making any money at it yet?"
"Dad! That's a rude thing to ask." Sadayo huffed and gave him a glare but Sora remained firm.
"Some at the moment." Akira felt his throat clench a bit at Sora's attempt to emasculate him about his career. "I've got about seven people who've put in larger orders and we're mostly doing consultation at the moment, but we should have a steady stream of income from a few clients soon." He took Sadayo's hand and felt himself relax slightly. "But, we've been making enough to pay the employees, myself and Futaba, and I'm making sure to help out at home as well. I'm not going to let her be on the street."
Sora snorted in approval and Akira relaxed slightly.
"I'm glad to hear it." Sora straightened his clothes and gave his daughter an apologetic look. "I'm not being nosy, I'm being cautious and just making sure since you rarely call me."
"I've been busy." They began walking toward the car, Sora carrying one of the bags for them. Sadayo was walking between her fiancé and father. "You know I got promoted and what time I had on lesson plans and grading is now spent in meetings and doing paperwork for employees along with whatever else they throw at me."
"Welcome to management." Sora gave her an unapologetic grin as they arrived at the car.
"Did you get a new car?" Sadayo gave her dad a confused look while Akira held the door open for her.
"Got it about a month ago." Answered Sora as he stowed the bags in the trunk. "Other one broke down one too many times and we got rid of it."
"Oh." Sadayo gave her fiance a look of surprise at her parent's expenditure.
Akira shrugged in repsponse and climbed in after her. The car was roomy and looked to be somewhat used but in incredible condition. It was warm, comfortable, and Sora was about as pleasant as he could be and made small talk as they made the way toward Sadayo's childhood home.
Her hometown was larger than his, but not by much, and many people were still out and about in the market. It was just past four in the afternoon so most businesses were still open and AKira took note of a few shops that he may be able to use to curry favor with her parents. Sadayo had dozed while Sora was telling her about his work which caught his attention before switching to Akira as a sounding board.
"Is she feeling okay?" Sora's eyes pierced through the rear-view mirror causing the young man to fidget just a bit.
"She's overworked," he answered honestly. "She's been sleeping in on weekends but staying late during the week. Lately I am home before her so I've been taking care of minor chores and dinner for her." Akirasqueezed her hand and bit his tongue.
"I'm glad you've stepped up." Sora's eyes remained just as stern but his voice was softer. "I was worried about you and your intentions."
"Intentions?" Akira stirred in his seat again. "I've had honest intentions since…," he coughed and let himself grow silent.
"You were underage and had sex with my daughter?"
Akira took a deep breath and gave a sideways glance at Sadayo who was still dozing. Sora shook his head and turned to onto the street heading to his home.
"I don't know who initiated it and I can't do anything about it now. But," Sora parked in the driveway and shut off the car, his massive head filling the younger man's vision, the lights outside the house casting a dark shadow over him. "I'm not going to let her end up in trouble for anything you pull. You do right by her or so help me we will have a problem."
Akira simply nodded and said, "Of course, sir."
"Glad we understand each other." Sora climbed out of the car and headed to the trunk.
As the trunk popped open, AKira felt his heart slowly begin to return to its normal pace and breathed a sigh of relief.
"I wish I was back in Mementos rather than having to deal with this." Rubbing his face he reached out and gently shook Sadayo awake.
"What's going on?" Sadayo sat up and wiped away the hair plastered to the side of her face and some stray drool.
"We're here."
Sadayo stared out at her old home and groaned in frustration. Her hand reached into her shirt and pulled the necklace out that held their four rings and kissed all of them for luck before tucking them away.
"What happened while I was asleep?" She wiped at some crust as she yawned.
"Your dad threatened me about three minutes ago?" As he spoke, Sora began walking past with both of their bags in his massive arms. "Said that if I hurt you he and I were going to have problems."
"Ugh," Sadayo grumbled. "He's been saying that to me for years now and it seems he finally told it to you." She leaned forward and took his face in her hands and kissed him as her forehead nuzzled his. "I'm sorry."
"As long as I don't get threatened again this weekend I'll be fine." He gave her a quick kiss in return before opening the door and helped her out and up the slick path that lead to the quaint snow covered house.
It was warm inside and smelt like spices and there was some clattering going on in the kitchen.
"Sora, dinner will be ready soon. Can you please not eat from the pan?" There was the smallest hint of a laugh in Reika's normally cold voice and Jiro thought maybe he'd be able to finally win her over.
"You're a great cook." Sora sounded like he'd just swallowed something savory. "I can never resist your cooking."
Reika gave the faintest hint of a chuckle and there was a sound of things hitting the sink basin. "Where's Sadayo? I thought her and that," Reika let out a low grumble before saying, "that young man were with you."
"They're coming up the path. Sadayo fell asleep and I think they just wanted to talk for a minute."
"Talk my foot," murmured Reika as something slammed into the sink. "I still can't believe her and him….."
"There's nothing we can do about it now okay." Sora's voice was as gentle and comforting as he could make it. "They've been together for a long time and they are now both adults. We can't stop them so just try, okay?"
They heard nothing and then finally heard steps. Realizing the door was still open, Jiro shut it which the newly appeared Reika believe that they had just walked in and heard nothing.
"Ah, there you are." Reika approached, dressed in an apron and a simple pair of pants and a shirt. She walked forward and squeezed Sadayo, a genuine smile on her face before politely bowing to Akira. "Welcome home you two. Dinner will be ready in a bit but you can take your things to your room if you'd like."
"Room?" Akira arched an eyebrow and gave an equally perplexed Sadayo a cautious glance.
"Yes, your room." Reika blushed slightly and fidgeted momentarily. "You are both adults and well….you can share Sadayo's old room. There is a large futon and pillows set aside for you. We've also grabbed some of the winter blankets for you and the bathroom is ready if you'd like to bathe before dinner."
"I think I'd like to help you, Mom." Sadayo gave Akira a kiss on the cheek and pointed to the bags. "Can you get those?"
He nodded silently and grabbed the bags while Sadayo and her mother began chatting about her work and the car. He could see Sora sitting at the table reading some papers and Akira head upstairs and took a deep breath before opening the door to Sadayo's room.
In the few visits he'd made to her home, he had never set foot into her room and felt a bit awkward. It was a simple room, a small desk in the corner and an old tube television on top of a dresser with a DVD player. There were a few lamps and he turned one on before looking for the closet and stowed their bags. He really wanted to take a bath or shower, but it felt more prudent that he make his presence known lest he ruffle any feathers.
Running down stairs he heard Sadayo laugh and say, "No, Ryuji is a former student who is now our track coach. He's doing very well so far even though it's only his first year. He's set to take us to our third or fourth championship in a row this year. He and his wife have been together for about four years now and are expecting their baby any day now."
"Four years and he's already a teacher and parent? He's certainly not wasting any time." Reika shot a glare at Akira who had just approached the island in the middle of the kitchen. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"I was wondering if there was any help you needed with dinner." He knew Reika was particular about who helped her with food prep and he knew she was not on that prestigious list. "Dishes or seasonings or anything."
"You can get the bowls and plates." Reika's voice strained politeness as she spoke. "Sora can you please get the cups and utensils?"
The large man wasted no time in getting his wife's request and Akira followed suit and hoped that he worked quickly enough. He didn't know if Reika's silence was praise or judgment, but Sadayo smiled at him from the counter and that added a bounce to his step. When the table was set, food was laid out and a quiet meal was had. Conversation was sparse but polite. Sadayo was the focus of her parent's attention so he kept to himself and ate unless spoken to or was asked for his input. When they finished the cleaning he politely requested if he could use the bath and his future in-laws agreed saying that he could take his time.
Left alone to his own devices, Akira let the water fill up, setting it a bit hotter than usual since it wasn't his water bill he had to worry about. Smiling at his own indulgence he let the water wash over him, the aches from sitting and transferring trains all day slowly leaving his body. He let his mind wander, floating in the warmth and rejoicing in the momentary peace and quiet until the storm hit. He wasn't sure if or when it would. Sora seemed to have finally gotten over his misgivings and Reika was making an attempt to be nice so he decided to let those worries drift away. He didn't know how long he'd been floating in the large bath, he knew it wasn't long enough for him to fall asleep but the water had begun to cool enough that he felt the need to heat the water up. Opening his eyes, he blinked as the light struck his eyes and he caught the sight of a black blob out of the corner of his eye.
Rising slowly he drained some of the water before filling it.
"You sure your parents are okay with you being here with me?"
He heard Sadayo's feet on the wet floor and crouched down next to the bath. She'd finally taken off her sweater and rolled up her sleeves and began lathering up a luffa and waving him over.
"They went out for a few minutes and I told them I'd check on you." She began rubbing at the scars on his back and working at some of the knots. "Since it's a bath they don't seem to mind too much. It's the bedroom they worry about."
"Funny how things like that work out." Akira felt the knots releasing rather violently from his back and tried to think unpleasant thoughts as she rubbed him down.
"Chalk it up to our culture." Sadayo laughed and kissed the nape of his neck. "Don't worry about my hands though. I'll keep them where everyone can see them." She poured some water down his back and gave him a gentle pat on one particularly nasty scar. "Where'd this one come from?"
Akira reached over his shoulder and felt where her hand was and said, "A creature called a Rangda. I got caught off- guard and Haru pushed me out of the way just in time. She got hit in the shoulder before getting taken out by…," he coughed before adding, "Akechi took it out."
She dared wrapping her arms around his chest. The rings pressed against the top of his back and she could feel all her work becoming undone. Sadayo rarely ever brought up his adventures, there were so many memories that she didn't want to prod too much. She found him some nights sweating and thrashing, a pained look on his face as he panted heavily and groaned in distress.
Her touch helped him most of the time, but there were nights when she had to grab one of the small cushioned chairs in the corner and hold his hand until he calmed down. She didn't tell him after those nights when she looked like shit, why she did. He remembered the nightmares and hearing her voice, but he didn't know why she would appear in his dreams. He'd always give her a kiss and a hug after telling her about his dreams in thanks for pulling him out of his hell.
"I'm sorry I brought it up." She kissed his hair and then grabbed a small bucket and filled it with water and began wetting his hair.
"I want to talk about it." Her hands began working the shampoo into his hair and he relaxed slightly. "I want you to know enough to where I don't..." he extended his arms in a kind of awkward motion before saying, "I don't want you to feel like I'm hiding anything or that I don't want to tell you" He shrugged and felt her hands pull his head back. "It's just one of those things where if you don't experience it…."
"You won't fully understand it," she finished and began rinsing his hair and exhaled loudly. "I know what it's like to keep people in the dark about things they don't understand." They both laughed quietly and she began working the knots from his shaggy hair. "You're welcome to tell me whatever you feel comfortable with telling me. Remember our promise to do better?"
"Yes, dear." She tugged his hair and he laughed before kissing her wet hand. "I'll tell you more. It won't be a lot. Most of it barely seems like it was ever real but I'll tell you more. It's just very….I guess painful is the only word I can use to describe it." He felt his eyes begin to sting and he blinked it away. "So many times we nearly died. So many times I almost didn't come back."
Akira felt himself begin to drift to the final battle. They'd been nearly laid to waste, the power nearly overwhelming them. His friends were clutching their wounds, blood pouring from so many wounds that Jiro didn't even know how they were standing as Yaldabaoth laughed malevolently at him, calling him a fool for challenging him, for daring to defy his will.
"Akira," Sadayo had one hand on his cheek while the other stroked his hair. "Akira, I'm right here. You're safe and nothing will harm you."
The memory faded, his eyes refocused, and her face, the face that had saved him so many times returned to his vision. She was smiling sadly down at him. His head was cold but there was a towel underneath it at least which kept his head from hurting. His chest was heaving and he could felt his heart pounding. It took several deep breaths before he calmed down and sat up, his head leaving her hands as he rubbed his temple and unstopped the tub.
She stood up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, soaking her clothes. "You're safe here," she whispered kissing his back and holding onto him. "It's not fun but it's safe and I'm here for you."
"I love you," he whispered squeezing her hands like his life depended on it. "I love you."
"I love you too." She parted briefly from him and wrapped a towel around his waist and then began drying his hair. "Come on, they're going to be back soon and I don't want them complaining."
He let her lead him to her room where he finished drying off and dressed. When he was done he stood there, his mind lost on the memory,
"Akira." Sadayo's face was in front of his, her warm hands covering his cheeks, worry plastered on her face. "Akira what's wrong?"
He didn't say anything, he merely broke.