Chapter Text
"What happened."
Serizawa asked, monotone, watching with cold, way too cold temper as Reigen blinked, and then winced, his whole purple-dotted face folding. Not like the neat origami-smiles he got used to, looked longingly to, fell in love with; But like crumpled paper, ugly, careless, rough, angry, ill-intended.
Reigen tried -- Serizawa felt worry and sadness swell in his chest on realizing that he knew he would try it, -- to compose himself, disarm the feeling of urgency, scarlet post it notes inside Serizawa's racing mind.
"Oh, this?" Reigen said, and many would assume Serizawa wasn't good at reading people but he was. Years of experience reading the accusing faces of counselors and concealed fears into his mother's eyes and his own, when he faced himself in the mirror after a mission at Claw's.
Reigen's voice was tight, a bit slurred together as he avoided touch his obviously split lip.
"It was nothing, just a little occurrence at work." He justified, his hands lacking enthusiasm, but his smile not losing warmth, care. "I'm fine, really."
Serizawa tried to bring the same calmness to his own surroundings then, tried to downplay, something gnawing at the back of his mind that he shouldn't make a scene and just be patient but he couldn't. He wasn’t practical and rational and layered, he wasn’t like his boss, and would never be. Reigen, bless him, he was good with pretending, good at making himself look indestructible and crackling with energy when he was actually made of Washi: Carefully put together, beautiful, unique, adaptable, artistic...but fragile. Easy to wrinkle, easy to crump, tear apart.
And something, someone, crumpled him. Someone crumpled Arataka, his Taka. And he was hurt and he was being strong but so stubborn, so stupid and Serizawa crumpled himself with worry and fear and uselessness.
He was made to protect who he hold dear under his umbrella, and the moment he let go of it...
"Katsuya, don't be like that, it is..." Reigen's voice sounded sad, trailing off in another wince of pain.
"Taka...!" He croaked, his own face full of paper thin wrinkles, tears thick and coated with ink green when floating around them, joining several items scattered around the office, dancing in the cold air of autumn. Serizawa had no care for them.
The only care he had poured itself in his calloused, inept hands. Hands who saw blood, hands who crumpled others made of Washi just like his delicate lover. He cradled Reigen’s face carefully, touch barely there,thumb brushing softly on small patches of untouched skin. For once, the younger man gave up on speaking and unfold, leaning into the touch tiredly.
“What happened to you, Taka...?” He repeated in a echoing whisper, sound distorted around the barrier he unconsciously made around them. Reigen sighed, biting back a little wince that went straight to Serizawa’s heart. He was also made of Washi, fragile and bare, thin under waves of gunpowder.
“I was ambushed.” Reigen said, voice small. “Probably an unsatisfied customer. I couldn’t see their faces, it happened too fast, but It wasn’t the first time angry clients sent....not so civil complaining messages.” at that he chuckled sadly, his swollen, half closed eye twitching.
“Oh my god.” Was all Serizawa managed to answer, holding the conman closer, making his aura warmer. His tears hovering around them like drunken fireflies. “It…It had happened before?”
“A couple of times.” He answered. “Usually I call sick in those occasions, I didn’t want Mob, still a kid, to see me looking like…Well, like this.” Reigen went on, gesturing at his face weakly. “But business been slowing down lately, there are some renovation loans after serious damages and I...I can’t afford myself to not work, Kasu.” And the small nickname at the end, god, Serizawa almost let out a whimper. Last time Reigen used it was some months ago, after a couple lemon sours that made Reigen way more open, confessing in a sad whisper he felt a bit empty nested after Mob had to leave work to focus on his entrance exams. It was as endearing as it was aching.
“It hurts like hell, but I’ll be back in shape in the morning. I have to at least do some work today, or the office will--”
“Shhhh.” Katsuya shushed him, arms now moving to go around him, pull him close, slow and tender, folded Washi fresh out of the water. He still felt tears rolling down his cheeks but they were no longer floating, his aura focused on this new yet familiar feeling: protectiveness. Instead of lashing out around everything on their way, however, it folded around them, akin to a cape, keeping them safe and warm and he was sure Reigen could feel it too. His limbs felt like jelly as he supported his whole weight on Serizawa.
“You’re being silly, Taka.” The esper whispered, kissing at the injured man’s temple. “You’re not alone in the office, you know? I can easily work with you to cover the expenses.”
“But…”
“Hey, now.” Serizawa interrupted, his voice watery but firm, rocking both of them back and forth. Reigen was limping against his chest, and he was worried. “You’re almost falling asleep. Couldn’t you trust me to at least call a cab and wake you up when we get there?”
“There…?” Reigen slurred, letting out a small pathetic hiss. “Where is ‘there’?”
Oh. Serizawa actually forgot to say that part. “...The Hospital.” he explained, placing another kiss into his boyfriend’s hair.
“Huh…” Reigen mused, folding his arms weakly around Serizawa’s chest, around his ribcage, lungs, washi-heart. “It does hurt a lot…”
“There you go then.” He hummed, satisfied, counting as a victory even knowing it probably was because Reigen was too hurt and tired to resist any longer. “Shall we go?”
Reigen then tightened his grip around his chest, letting out a small, hissing yawn. His head was resting lazily at the side of Serizawa’s skull.
“Mmm.” Reigen babbled, not sounding quite awake. “Your aura sounds like a lullaby, you know that…? It made my headache go away.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.” He confirmed, sinking around Serizawa, smashed origami. “Could you keep it on?”
Serizawa chuckled softly, the dry tears cold against his swollen, cried out face. He used his telekinesis then, floated Reigen up, folded his legs around his waist, supported him entirely on his arms, around him, paper bag over rotten fruit.
Washi body over Washi heart.
“Sure thing, Taka.” He said, and opened the door.