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“Why would you say that to him?” Serizawa whispered towards his general direction, but wasn’t looking at him.
Ah, Reigen thought, so that’s it.
“What do you mean?” He asked back, feigning ignorance.
“It is… not okay. You should have told him that”
It was not okay. It was wrong and even he knew as much.
His mom was scolding him more frequently. Even his dad had made time to sit him down and explain him how he was making your mother worry, Katsuya, do you even care? Can’t you try and behave like a normal kid for her?
He didn’t know what behavior was that, his dad didn’t tell, but he for sure knew what was not normal – same as how he knew he couldn’t avoid it.
Luckily, he figured it out pretty quickly: if he hid away, he couldn’t do anything that’d make his mother worry, right?
“Someone invited me out… but I don’t know if I should go”
“Well, do you like this someone?” Mob looked dumbfounded at him “It doesn’t have to be-“ how was the expression? “like-like. If you enjoy being around… them, then why not?”
“It’s a boy”
“So?”
Mob looked down, a small smile adorning his face.
He held hands with a classmate, one of the few he considered a friend.
It was warm and made him feel giggly inside, so they did it a couple more times – it almost became natural, when doing homework together or playing.
Serizawa wasn’t very interested on puzzles but his friend was, so he passed pieces along, letting their fingers brush together. One time his friend finished a whole puzzle using only one hand, just to allow Serizawa hold his other one.
“It’s a boy”
Serizawa almost dropped the books he was putting away. He whipped his head to stare at his boss and coworker, intently listen listening for Reigen’s reply.
Please, don’t be cruel.
“So?” Reigen grinned. Serizawa was unbelieving “You can have the afternoon free, if you decide to go”
Serizawa bit his lip and kept it to himself until Mob walked out.
“Why would you say that to him?”
Shimazaki listened to music on his earphones and probably napped; Serizawa was curled around him, eyeing a magazine, when Touichirou walked in.
He left immediately without saying a word, but made sure to send his message across by shooting them a disgusted look.
Serizawa felt his stomach sink and a weight constricting his chest. Embarrassed, he got up from the couch and remembered just how much he still needed to learn from the world.
“Hey, Serizawa”
He couldn’t outright ignore his boss, but he still didn’t meet his eyes, staring at the pink tie.
“Yes”
Reigen hesitated; maybe he didn’t want to confront him after all. That’d be for the best.
“… would you like me to cut your hair again?” He settled before the silence stretched too uncomfortable, and made the mistake to actually reach his hand for Serizawa’s hair.
Serizawa barely contained his outburst, looking him on the eyes for the first time in days.
“Don’t touch me like that” He let out through clenched teeth, and turned brusquely to hide the tears welling up.
His door was locked that night. He tried but couldn’t forget the look on Touichirou’s eyes, the one he most wanted to be affectionate with.
Someone knocked once, twice. It must have been Minegishi; he was smart enough to take his absolute silence for an answer, and leave.
His bed was cold that night.
His friend’s mother had taken the habit of watching over them while they played. It made Serizawa uncomfortable. But he didn’t have to worry much longer: after the lady visited his own mom, he wasn’t allowed at his friend’s place anymore.
He wasn’t present on the conversation but he stood behind the living’s door, not letting his sobs be audible so he could hear about how he was a sick boy, corrupting my son, I always knew something was wrong about him, I don’t know how you’ll manage but I don’t want him seeing my kid anymore.
Not long after that he stopped seeing everyone altogether.
“You should have told him that” Serizawa insisted with the voice he could found “It’s nice of you to be comprehensive… but you shouldn’t encourage him” He covered his mouth as a sob threatened to spill out, forcing it down his throat “How is he going to be normal?”
Reigen’s eyes widened and his hands flew up for a second, before collecting himself.
“Mob deserves happiness, so” Reigen approached him with cautious steps, as he would approach a stray cat “I’m always going to encourage it” Since Serizawa wasn’t rejecting him, he lifted a hand and rested it against his arm “And you, too…”
“Don’t say it” Serizawa pleaded.
“You deserve happiness as well”
Serizawa broke down, crying.
There it was – that ugly feeling, once more. Wanting to be recognized, appreciated. Held.
The worst part was that Reigen provided him with plenty recognition, and appreciation. No, the worst part was the hope he foolishly felt rising in his chest.
He had to make it stop. He promised himself he was going to make it stop, but, he didn’t know how.
Reigen seemed comfortable around him; patting his back, grabbing his arm to catch his attention, falling asleep on his shoulder on a trip back from a job that turned out longer than expected.
Serizawa loved the contact; and at the same time and with the same intensity he could picture the disgusted expression on Reigen’s face if he found out the reason behind the way his employee looked at him. He had to hide it.
“I wanna be here for you – if you let me”
Serizawa was – mostly – done crying, but he didn’t trust his voice. He couldn’t ask Reigen what he meant.
“As your friend” Reigen elaborated anyway “O-or, even, more than-“ He cut himself off, shaking his head “Nevermind. I’m sorry. This is not the time. I don’t want to make you feel pressured. I-“
Serizawa was the one to cut his rambling then, by placing a hand over his.
Smiling, Reigen entwined their fingers. It was warm and made him feel fluffy inside.
“You’re safe here”