Chapter Text
“Finally!”
Reigen’s sudden loud exclamation makes Serizawa jump and his head snaps up from his homework. He looks over to the other, watching as Reigen’s arms reach far over his head to stretch, his chair creaking a little in protest. A moment after, he slumps forward and gives Serizawa a wide and triumphant smile, not hesitating any longer to shut his laptop.
The ESPer finds it easy to smile back at him and his eyes follow Reigen as he sorts the last few papers on his desk into the according file cabinets. Tearing his eyes away from his boss, Serizawa allows himself to sneak a glance at the clock and realizes that it is in fact a few minutes past their closing time already. Just like Reigen had done with his laptop, he closes his textbook and pulls his bag out from under the table to pack it up.
“I’d say that we had a rather successful day.” Reigen’s voice is quite chipper and he pushes his hands deep into the pockets of his pants as he strides over to Serizawa’s desk. He’s smiling down at him with an expression genuine and kind. “Amazing work today on your part.”
Reigen pulls out one of his hands again and doesn't hesitate to use it to slap Serizawa on the shoulder. The force behind the encouraging touches never fails to surprise him - after all, Reigen doesn’t look like a particularly strong guy - and his own hand moves to gently rub the now slightly tingly spot.
“Five clients is much more than usual.” He agrees and finally pushes himself up from his chair. In the process he pulls off his suit jacket from the backrest and throws it over his arm after folding it neatly.
Reigen smiles even prouder at his statement, his hand now gesturing with wild excitement. “Exactly! We were even lucky enough to get some extra good tips today!” It’s a rare sight to see him this delighted and Serizawa finds himself studying the way Reigen's cheeks pull up and how his lips part to show off a wide grin. “And! You know what that means, don’t you? I think the both of us deserve to treat ourselves to an evening out, I’d say.”
The offer doesn’t come as a surprise and it’s easy enough to agree. Especially considering the ESPer would do almost anything if that meant he got to see Reigen this happy and enthusiastic for a little longer. “I think you might be right, Reigen.”
“That’s because great minds think alike!” Reigen snickers with amusement, his hand motioning Serizawa towards the door.
Without hesitation, he picks up his bag and swings it over one of his shoulders before following the other out of the office. Neither the soft humming nor the small jump in Reigen’s steps is lost to him and Serizwa can’t help the small smile that tugs at his lips.
“I’ve actually been thinking about trying out the new bar close by.” Reigen suggests, while he locks the door behind them. “It’s good to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while, so I figured why not be a little adventurous today.”
Finding the idea rather enticing, the ESPer nods firmly and his heart swells at how this seems to only excite the other further. Happy and chipper, Reigen absent-mindedly whistles a tune as they leave the building, not even a little disturbed by the crispy early fall air.
The last rays of sun are shining brightly through the space between the skyscrapers and buildings of Seasoning City and they cast large shadows over the streets. Still, every now and then they are lucky enough to pass through a patch of sun and Serizawa finds the last bit of warmth of the day rather enjoyable. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to worry about the setting sun and the unavoidable chill of the evening too long, because they do reach their destination after a rather short walk. Just a few rounded corners and crossed streets and they find themselves in front of a rather plain looking door.
The only indication that they are standing in front of a bar is the small neon sign hanging above them and the tiny front window that allows them to take a look at some of the patrons inside.
With an ease and confidence that leaves Serizawa almost fascinated, Reigen pushes open the door and steps aside to let him in. Despite how small and unassuming it looks from the outside, the inside is much larger than he had first anticipated. It stretches long rather and wide and the amount of people makes him frown slightly.
He must have looked uncomfortable enough because Reigen gives him a questioning look, silently asking if this is still alright with him. The small smile Serizawa gives him in return seems to be enough to quell his concerns and together they find themselves a table further in the back.
While they are sitting down, the ESPer tries his best not to let his eyes linger on Reigen as he slides his jacket off to throw it carelessly over his chair.
It isn’t that the other doesn’t look incredible with all of his suit on, but there’s something about the way his button-up hugs his frame that makes Serizawa feel a little warmer under his own collar. What doesn’t help either is that Reigen seems to relax instantaneously whenever he sheds some of his layers. The sight reminds the ESPer of how proper his boss had been the first week of working together. The contrast to now is stark and Serizawa wouldn’t trade the sight of how comfortably Reigen falls into his chair for anything in the world.
For a moment they sit in silence, Reigen studying the menu above the bar for their options and the ESPer has no issue with letting the other decide on what they are having. There’s a split second in which he admires Reigen’s concentrated expression and takes note of how his nose scrunches up ever so slightly in thought. However, it doesn’t last for long because he turns back to him already.
“I think I know what we’re having. You okay with me deciding what you get tonight?” The tone of the question implies that he already knows the answer and once he receives a confirmatory noise from the ESPer he’s already getting up again. Quickly, he moves over to the bar and Serizawa watches him lean on the wooden counter to grab the bartender’s attention with a short wave. The conversation is short and to the point, but it still gives the ESPer the opportunity to appreciate the way Reigen’s body looks leaning forward like this.
Before any wildly inappropriate thoughts can fester in his mind, though, the other receives their drinks and makes his way back over to their table. One of his hands is holding a skinny glas filled with a vibrantly colored liquid and his other is tightly wrapped around a simple glass of beer. Serizawa takes the time of him walking back to place down some of the coasters provided for their table.
“There’s much more to choose from than I originally thought. Quite impressive for a place this new, actually.” Reigen says as he plops back into his chair and leans on the table, his head now in his hand, propped up with the help of his elbow. There’s a short nod towards the ESPer’s beer. “Hope that’ll be alright. They had some fancy stuff imported from Germany and Scandinavia. Really couldn’t resist giving it a try. Well, forcing you to give it a try, I guess.”
His free hand moves to his drink to hold it up and Serizawa copies the motion. Carefully not to spill any liquid, they clank their drinks together. “To a successful day!”
They both take a swing of their drink and Serizawa’s eyebrows shoot up at the taste. He’s not necessarily the most fond of the taste of alcohol, but he finds the beer going down quite pleasantly. It’s a bit more hoppy than what he’s used to, but the taste is nothing short of refreshing after a long day of work.
With a satisfied sigh, Reigen places down his own drink and Serizawa can see the slight redness to his cheeks almost immediately. It’s no secret to him that the other is a lightweight - he had found out as much on their first time out - but it never ceases to amuse him just how quickly the alcohol settles in the other’s system. Then again, considering he can barely take more than two drinks himself, he shouldn’t judge.
“So. Serizawa.” Reigen begins and he leans a little closer, head tilting in interest while his hand begins to play with the thin stem of his glass. “How’s school going? You haven't mentioned anything about those exams of yours. How did those turn out? I’m sure you did great.”
A tipsy Reigen usually means a nosy Reigen, but Serizawa doesn’t mind one bit. Being induced with alcohol - in moderate amounts - and in a good mood, usually loosens the other up a fair bit and oftentimes there’s no end to his chatting or his abundance of questions. While he's obviously not quite there yet, he certainly will be soon enough. Especially considering that he's already nipping at his drink again.
“It’s- It’s going pretty good, I think.” Serizawa says, shrugging slightly. His eyes meet Reigen’s and there’s no doubt about the other’s honest interest - not with how wide he’s beaming after the ESPer’s answer. The expression alone makes a warmth unrelated to the alcohol settle in Serizawa’s chest, his heart beating a little faster. “Most of my exams went alright. Except for math, maybe. That one... uhm - I didn’t fail it, but it could have been better.”
He’s a little ashamed of not doing as well as he could have. With how much time he had spent studying in the office, he should have performed much better, but in the end he’s happy enough with having passed.
Reigen doesn’t seem to mind either and he simply waves one of his hands, using his other to take another sip of his drink. “Everyone has their strengths. Trust me when I say you shouldn’t worry too much about a single subject. As far as I’m concerned you’re doing amazing. If I had half as much determination as you when I was young, I’d have gotten in much less trouble with my parents.”
He leans back in his chair a little, his eyes never leaving Serizawa. After a second, his smile melts into something far more gentle and soft. “I mean it when I say you don’t have to think too hard about it. You’re doing great.”
However, he swallows quite hard after, his smile suddenly falling and his eyes tearing away from the ESPer. He tilts his drink towards himself, studying the liquid inside with a deep frown now and it’s obvious that he’s thinking quite hard about something. The sudden change of attitude worries Serizawa a fair bit and he sits up a little straighter immediately, trying to figure out what exactly the other is thinking. Once more Reigen brings his drink to his lips and he looks everywhere but the ESPer when he sets it down again.
“Considering everything you’ve been through, you’ve accomplished so much. I don’t think just about anyone could have just integrated back into society so easily.” He says, voice filled with a heaviness that puts Serizawa further on the edge. “I don’t think I ever met someone with as much dedication to work on themselves as you.”
It’s been a while since the ESPer has seen the other look so torn and he can’t quite find the connection between Reigen’s words and his shifted mood. There’s no doubt that he’s bothered by something and Serizawa doesn’t like that he can’t tell what it is.
“Reigen…” He shifts a little where he sits, trying to ignore the way the other’s downcast expression makes his chest clench. His fingers twitch with the want to reach out and over to reassuringly place his hand on Reigen’s shoulder but he doesn’t find the courage to do so in the end. “I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without you. If it hadn’t been for you allowing me to work with you, I wouldn’t be where I am now. You- you never once judged me for anything I’ve done wrong and supported me more than anyone else. This - I’m only able to be a better person because you gave me the space and opportunity to do so.”
His words make Reigen’s head snap back up to him and his face is twisted into something akin to surprise. At first Serizawa thinks he’s managed to cheer the other up a little, but the smile on Reigen’s face that doesn’t quite reach his eyes is enough to prove him wrong. “That’s not true, Serizawa. Even without me you would have been able to get to this point. There’s nothing special about me and you shouldn’t be giving me the credit for everything you worked so hard to achieve. I - I mean, I’m just me.”
Both of his hands play with his drink now and a rather pathetic laugh leaves his chest, shoulders slumping. It almost looks like he’s trying to make himself as small as he can in his chair. “There’s no doubt that you’ll go places one day. With how fast you’re catching up, you won’t have to work for me forever. I know the pay is shit and I can’t imagine this being anyone's idea of a dream future.”
Up until now, Reigen had always struck Serizawa as a happy and enthusiastic drunk, but with how crestfallen he looks right now, the ESPer might have to reconsider his previous assessment. Especially considering how deep Reigen’s words strike him.
“Reigen-” He tries to protest, but he gets interrupted by a dry and unamused huff.
“No need to apologize or anything, obviously. I’ll be fine. Sure, it’ll be a little lonely without Mob or you and- and I’ll miss you. But- But Tome might still be there for some time and Dimple comes around every now and then? So, don’t let me stop you from pursuing what’s right for you. What’s important is that you go for what makes you happy and I don’t want someone like me to hold you back after every-”
“Reigen.” This time Serizawa makes sure to keep his voice firm. The other’s tone rubs him wrong in ways that are quite hard for the ESPer to understand himself and it leaves him irritated at the other. “I enjoy working at Spirits and Such. You’re telling me that I should make sure I’m happy where I am in life, but I’m already plenty happy working with you. You aren’t reducing me to my powers either. I like having you around and I enjoy spending time with you.”
Serizawa knows he sounds harsher than he wants to or should be, but he wants Reigen to know that he’s quite serious about this. The other doesn’t respond immediately, however, and buys himself some time by taking another swing of his drink. The sigh that escapes him after isn’t a good sign. “It’s alright, Serizawa.” If the smile Reigen had given him before had been sad, this one is downright devastated and it makes Serizawa’s stomach drop, when he catches sight of how glassy and moist the other's eyes look all of a sudden. “You don’t have to say that just to make me feel better.”
Maybe it’s the alcohol influencing Serizawa’s judgment but he can’t help how upset the other’s statement makes him. The ESPer is still quite uncertain about a lot of things in life - fifteen years of isolation aren’t that easy to catch up on in the end - but if there’s one thing he’s sure of, it’s about the time he spends with Reigen.
Hearing the other so easily dismiss his conviction hurts.
“I am not. You don’t get to decide how I feel about this. I am -” Serizawa’s voice is raised ever so slightly but it’s enough to make the patrons close by turn to look at them. Taking note of it makes him realize that he’s getting worked up by this more than he wants to. Reigen’s red cheeks are a sign that he’s already plenty affected by the alcohol and it’s obvious that he isn’t feeling his best. With a deep breath, Serizawa takes a moment to allow himself to calm down. He forces his hands to clench and unclench to relax and when he continues, his voice is much softer and quieter. “I’m sorry. I just- I - I don’t like hearing you put yourself down like that. You’ve shown me nothing but kindness and never once weren’t open to having me around. There’s no reason for me to lie to you about this. Even after I finish up with school, I don’t see why I would want to leave.”
This time he isn’t too shy to reach out. He places his hand carefully on top of Reigen’s, his heart rate picking up at the contact almost immediately. The other’s fingers are much more delicate than his own and twitch ever so slightly.
Their eyes find each other once more and this time Reigen’s cheeks are dusted an even darker shade of red, his lips slightly parted. With the warm lighting of the bar, he looks absolutely stunning and it’s hard for Serizawa not to get lost in it, even if just for a split second.
“I-I like working with you. I really do. I’m not going to just go and leave you behind.” It may be a shot in the dark, but he has the sneaking suspicion that Reigen’s worry about him leaving isn’t just something his drunken mind had made up. The thought that the other is constantly concerned about Serizawa simply looking for another job makes said ESPer almost a little anxious, wondering where he had ever gone wrong to make the other doubt him. Though, that isn’t his biggest concern at the moment. Right now, he wants nothing more than to make the other understand that he isn’t going anywhere. Nervously, he licks his lips, allowing the alcohol to take him a small step further. “I promise, Arataka.”
The shift of emotion in Reigen’s face is fascinating to watch but it also encourages Serizawa’s heart to hammer against his rib cage and if it were to simply burst out he wouldn’t be surprised.
“Katsuya…” His name falls from Reigen’s lips melodiously and Serizawa knows that he will think of the way the other’s face splits in a smile after saying it for longer than he’s going to admit. “Thank you.”
“I should be the one thanking you.” The fingers under his own twitch again and Reigen shakes his head for a second, stopping only when he seems to realize how dizzy the movement makes him.
“N-no. I have to thank you - for everything. Being a friend and wanting to stick around and all that. Not… all people are that kind.”
“Well, there’s nothing I’d rather do.” At that, Reigen lights up in a way that makes Serizawa hope that there is no doubt about the honesty of his words anymore. Then again, if the other needed him to repeat it over and over, the ESPer gladly would. For now, though, he hesitantly and slowly slips his hand off the other’s, his fingers following the length of Reigen’s before finally parting and moving back to his drink.
Carefully, he lifts it up and tilts it towards the other, silently asking for another toast.
“To a long time as- as partner, then.” His choice of words makes his own cheeks feel a little warmer, though Reigen doesn’t object and lifts his own glass. He chuckles much more carefree after their glasses clink together and Serizawa finds himself unable to look away, determined to commit every little bit of Reigen’s expression to his memory.
While he takes a good long sip from his drink, Serizawa watches as Reigen crosses his arms on the table to let his chin rest on them. He looks up at the ESPer with a smile, his fingers drawing patterns on the wooden top of the table. In a small voice, he admits, “‘Wouldn’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Probably get yourself in much more trouble.” Serizawa dares to joke and to his delight it is met with a small laugh. The other’s head tilts to the side a little and his eyes are looking much heavier than just a few minutes ago.
“True.” He agrees a moment later. “I’m really glad you want to stick around. I’d miss you - crap. I’d miss you a lot, actually.”
“I-It’s why I won’t be going anywhere.” Merely hearing it again makes Reigen sigh happily.
After taking another good look at Serizawa, his eyes close and his fingers stop moving. “Hmm.”
Seeing the other like this makes Serizawa lean slightly across the table, his full attention on the other now - not that it had strayed far away at any point. “Still feeling okay?”
“Yeah.” The answer is a little delayed and Reigen doesn’t open his eyes to look at him. With how expressive he normally is, it is somewhat strange to see him this calm and quiet. Yet, there’s something so peaceful about it, that it makes Serizawa want to make sure the other finds moments to relax like this more often. “Just happy. Thanks to you.”
The statement catches the ESPer a little off guard and one of his hands moves to fidget with the short hairs at the back of his neck. Nonetheless, the satisfaction, that he is the one who is able to make the other happy, wraps around him comfortingly and the warmth spreads through every fiber of his being to take root and settle.
“If- I hope I can keep doing that.” He confesses, his heart thudding even louder now. There’s a second in which he allows himself to debate his next words and the liquid courage doesn’t play a small part in what he’s about to say. “I want to make you happy. M-more than anything else, actually. Arataka, I - I don’t know if this sounds stupid or is too much but you mean a lot to me. More than you can imagine. I want to stay at your side for as long as you’ll let me - because you- we- If you want I’d like to - to see if maybe we can be a little more than just… friends? If - if that makes any sense?”
His fingers pluck at the hairs a little harder now and his soar of confidence is quickly burnt out completely, his last words much more timid and quiet. The sudden fear that this is way too forward and sudden grips around his throat tightly and whatever floatiness he might have felt is ripped from underneath him. It’s ridiculous how sober he feels in comparison to just a few seconds ago and the lack of an answer makes him feel agonizingly nauseous.
However, his downward spiral into worry is quickly interrupted by a small snore.
After a second of confusion, he realizes that the sound is coming from Reigen, who is completely slumped over on the table at this point. A soft and reassured sigh escapes Serizawa and his nerves calm enough for a smile to play at the corners of his lips.
He doesn’t have it in him to wake the other up just yet and instead opts for finishing the remainder of his drink. The relief that floods him doesn’t come as a surprise to Serizawa. This is far from the confession that Reigen deserves and it’s not even close to encompassing everything the ESPer feels. Being allowed to keep his little secret for a little longer isn’t necessarily unwelcome.
If it ever does feel right enough to let Reigen know, he would want him to be sober enough to not have forgotten by the next morning, after all. So for now, Serizawa allows Reigen to sleep just a moment longer, sure that a waiter will be at their table soon enough to ask them to leave.