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Twenty eight years. Twenty eight years and Reigen Arataka still hasn’t come into bloom.
He knows how it’s meant to work. When you meet the person you’re destined to be with, flowers start to bloom from your body. It’s a symbol of love, a manifestation of the extreme emotions that one experiences when they fall for another. It’s also something that Reigen is yet to experience. Almost all of his clients have already come into full bloom, as have most adults he passes on the street. He knows he still has plenty of time- he still hasn’t hit thirty after all- but seeing the people around him with colourful petals peeking out from under clothes and stems twisting elegantly around their bodies makes him feel… inadequate.
These feelings partially come from his family. He meets up with them once a year for Christmas, and avoids them the rest of the time. Their gatherings always go the same and to be completely honest, he’s getting sick of them. His mother will give him a pitying look from across the dinner table, her white daffodils lining her collarbones like a necklace. His father won’t even make eye contact with him, pink carnations sprouting from behind his ear and trailing down his neck. Even his sister Ayame, who’s a full five years younger than him, has come into bloom, the stems of her violets intertwining with her fingers, the small purple flowers blooming at her knuckles. Of course, he’s happy for her, but every time she gives him a gentle shove or ruffles his hair, the purple petals that fall onto his clothes cause a twisting feeling in his stomach that only make the feelings of inadequacy worse.
Hell, even Mob is coming into bloom; he comes in one day complaining that his shoulder is sore, and when he checks it out he sees that lilacs have started blooming through his skin, which is now bruised and swollen. Reigen knows from what his parents have told him that the pain goes away after a week or so, and he gives Mob and ice pack and some painkillers that he keeps in his desk.
“Shishou,” Mob says as he’s wrapping the ice pack in a towel, “Have you come into bloom yet?”
The question makes Reigen stop what he’s doing for a second, a lump forming in his throat. He doesn’t want to admit to Mob of all people that he’s yet to come into bloom, so he swallows down the lump and gives him the warmest smile he can muster as he places the ice pack against his swollen shoulder. “Yeah, I met my soulmate when I was about twenty,” he lies, “I cut back my flowers so they don’t get in the way. We’re not getting married any time soon so there’s not really any point in having them on show.”
Nice save, his thinks to himself as Mob gives him a thoughtful look before nodding in silence. Thankfully, Mob doesn’t bring up his ‘soulmate’ again, but Reigen still feels awful about it. He knows that it’s rare for someone to come into bloom so young, but it feels like a punch to the gut, like the universe is reminding him that he’s yet to do the same, laughing in his face while it does it.
It gets to the point where Reigen wonders if he doesn’t have a soulmate. According to the internet, the average age to come into bloom is twenty six in Japan, twenty four in China and twenty in the USA. He knows that there are plenty of people out there much older than who are yet to come into bloom, but he just wants to be…. Normal. It’s not like hasn’t tried to find his soulmate. For about a six-month period he’d go to bars in the evening after work, talking to whoever seemed attractive and vaguely into him. He’d wake up the next morning in a stranger’s room and check his body for a sign of his flowers starting to bloom- a stem, a leaf, a lump in his skin, anything- but it was always to no avail. He'd eventually given up, finding the hook-ups give him more pain than pleasure.
By the time his twenty-eighth birthday rolls around, Reigen is ready to give up. He's wasted so much time beating himself up over not having a soulmate, and for what? To impress his parents? To be a role model to Mob? To prove his worth to his clients? Rational thought tells him that there's really no point in trying so hard (though his emotions tell him otherwise), and that it's about time he just moved on and got on with his life like a goddamn adult. Moping over love is for sad teens and people who actually have soulmates , he tells himself, And I'm neither of those.
So, whenever the thought of coming into bloom enters his mind, or when he catches himself staring at a client's flowers for too long, he mentally tells himself off and forces himself to think of something else to take his mind off of it: over time he starts to convince himself that he's not bothered by his lack of soulmate anymore, and he feels much better for it.
--
Reigen isn't sure how long it's been since he last thought about how he's yet to come into bloom. He's been so busy lately he's barely had time to dwell on it, let alone feel sad about it. His mum text him every so often, but he makes a point of not reading them to make sure his parents’ disappointment doesn't get to him. Quite frankly, his lack of flowers have been the least of his worries recently. Mob's nearly died multiple times- hell, he's nearly died multiple times, and that's not even counting his friends or the countless lives that must have been lost with the fall of Claw. And then there's the newest member of Spirits and Such, whose reintegration into society is currently one of his top priorities.
Serizawa Katsuya is nothing like Reigen; where he's smooth-talking and silver-tongued, Spirits and Such's new esper's talents seem to lie in his empathy and emotional strength. He's kind and genuine, and he talks to Reigen about his life and his time in Claw as he cuts his hair and helps him pick out a suit. He’s also incredibly handsome, his masculine features and broad stature all the more accentuated now that he’s clean cut and wearing clothes that actually fit him. If it weren't for the fact that he'd been a part of an evil organisation for four years and had locked himself in his bedroom for the previous fifteen, Reigen would assume that he's already found his soulmate. When he tells him that he's yet to even start to blossom, he's a little surprised.
Serizawa is a comforting presence in the office. He usually just sits at the client table, doing homework and filling in forms for Reigen while he deals with the customers. As time goes on and he feels more comfortable with his powers, he joins Reigen on house visits and to full-on exorcisms, which he handles with ease. While part of Reigen is just grateful for his help at work, there’s another part of him- a part that he’s too ashamed to admit exists- can’t help but be thankful that he’s finally met someone around his age who’s yet to come into bloom. He tries to ignore it though, instead focussing on helping Serizawa with his reintegration into society.
Some things are best left alone, he tells himself. He actually starts to believe it, too.
--
Reigen first notices it on a Thursday afternoon during a massage. He feels an ache in his elbow and lower arm that worsens when he bends his arm. He does the best he can to ignore it, not wanting to take his attention away from his client. He makes a mental note to check it out once they leave, but the more pressure he puts on his hand the more his arm hurts, and eventually he stops the massage early, claiming that the client’s spirit has been successfully exorcised. The client- a woman in her forties- seems disappointed (which makes Reigen think that there had been no spirit in the first place) and frowns and begs for just a few minutes more. Reigen shakes his head, trying not to wince at the pain ins his elbow as he tells her to see Serizawa outside and ask him to ring her up.
Once she’s out of the room, Reigen undoes his shirt and takes it off, sitting down on the massage med and inspecting his arm.
There’s an angry bruise the covers half of his arm, starting just above his elbow and ending a few inches away from his wrist. It’s purple in some parts, red in some others, and the skin is raised and swollen around the crease of his elbow. He looks at it for a few seconds, confused. For a few moments he wonders if it’s some kind of a bite or infection, and hesitantly presses his fingers against the lump on his arm-
“ Fuck! ”
Reigen pulls his hand away as fast as he can as an intense burning sensation sears through his lower arm. He grits his teeth and hisses in pain before staring down at the bruising and swelling on his arm. This isn’t a bite, he thinks, there’s no way in hell a bite could look anything like this did- or hurt anywhere near as much as this did. It could still be an infection, but Reigen struggles to recall a time when he could’ve possibly been infected with something- not to mention he hasn’t had any injuries lately. He presses his fingers against it again, only to receive the same white-hot agony in his forearm that makes him yelp in pain without meaning to.
He wonders if he should talk to someone about it- specifically a doctor- but he decides against it; he can’t really afford to take the time off work and he’s sure it’s nothing serious anyway. He starts putting on his shirt again, deciding to leave it alone for the time being and disinfect it when he gets home. Or at least, that’s the plan until Serizawa comes into the room, his face painted with an anxious expression. Reigen’s halfway through putting his shirt on when the door opens, the lump-bruise-thing still exposed as his coworker enters the room.
“Reigen,” he says, voice edged with concern, “I heard you in pain, are you…?” His voice trails off as he looks at the injury on Reigen’s arm. His eyes grow wide in shock and for a few moments he stands in the doorway in complete silence. Reigen manages to give him a sheepish smile, frozen in place as Serizawa starts walking slowly towards him.
“Heyyy…” Reigen says slowly, cringing internally at how awkward he sounds, “Don’t mind me, just uhh… cleaning up.” As if to try and prove his point, he picks up the towel on the massage bed and starts to fold it, only to wince and let out a gasp of pain as he bends his elbow. Serizawa approaches him, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder; his touch is strangely comforting and despite the pain that Reigen is currently in, he can’t help but relax at the contact.
“Sit down,” Serizawa tells him, and he complies, taking a seat on the massage bed as Serizawa inspects his arm with a frown. There’s a long, uncomfortable silence, broken only by Reigen whimpering as he feels the man beside him holding his arm a little too tightly.
A few minutes pass as Serizawa turns his arm over, tracing the bruising gently with his fingertips. He frowns, his brow knitted together in thought; Reigen opens his mouth to say something but closes it again when he realises he has nothing to say. It seems a little strange to have Serizawa acting quite so… caring- usually Reigen would never dream of being so vulnerable in front of an employee, but right now it really can’t be helped. Besides, it isn’t like he doesn’t trust Serizawa. In fact, it’s the total opposite: despite only having worked for him for nine months, Reigen now trusts Serizawa just as much as he’d trust someone like Mob (though he would never entrust his health to him. He’s far too young to be dealing with that). He looks up at him, taking in his features, his dark eyes and distinct bone structure, and for a few seconds, Reigen can’t help but think how handsome he is-
“Reigen,” Serizawa says his name, which pulls him out of his thoughts and back into reality, “You… haven’t come into bloom yet, have you?”
Reigen snatches his arm away from him, the question catching him off guard. His eyes widen slightly and he can feel his face heating up with embarrassment. “Serizawa, I-”
“It’s okay if you haven’t, you know,” the esper makes eye contact and gives him a warm smile, “It’s just… Well, I’ve recently, uhh… starting blooming as well, and…” His voice trails off, but Reigen knows exactly what he’s about to say.
“You think I’m coming into bloom too?” he finished his sentence for him, and Serizawa nods. Neither of them speak for a few moments, but the silence isn’t awkward or uncomfortable like it was before. Reigen once again finds himself lost in Serizawa’s handsome face, and for a brief seconds he wonders if perhaps Serizawa could be his soulmate.
Almost as if on cue, Serizawa speaks. “I, uhh… think my soulmate is someone in my class,” he tells Reigen, “He’s also come into bloom recently, and we study together a lot outside of school… Do you know who yours is?”
Reigen swallows as an ugly twisting feeling grows in his gut. He thinks for a while, trying to remember who he had come into contact with recently that could be his soulmate. Unfortunately, almost all of his clients that week had been female, and out of the male ones he can’t recall one who hadn’t already come into bloom. He hasn’t really met anyone outside of work, so from there his mind goes blank. He shrugs.
“Probably a client or something,” he says as casually as he can, trying to disguise his disappointment and jealousy with apathy.
Serizawa nods, before telling him that he’s going to get him an ice pack to numb the pain with. Once he leaves, Reigen lets out a long sigh, unable to stop himself from frowning. Well that’s just typical, he thinks, I finally come into bloom and I don’t even know who my soulmate is.
That night he dreams about something that’s only a few inches away from him, but when he reaches out to hold it, it slips through his fingers and disappears. When he wakes up at three in the morning, he can’t bring himself to go back to sleep.
--
Reigen can barely bring himself to look at Serizawa the next day. Whenever Serizawa's starts talking to him he pretends to be typing up an email or look at something on his phone. It’s kind of rude, but he doesn’t know what else to do.
Of course he’s happy for Serizawa. Finding your soulmate is always a big deal, but after being trapped and manipulated for so long, after spending so much of his life stuck in a constant state of fear and isolation, knowing that he’s met someone who will truly love him must be an incredible feeling for him. It’s evident in his heightened mood and how he’s controlling his powers flawlessly that Serizawa has in fact found his soulmate.
Reigen just hates that it isn’t him.
Instead of dwelling on it though, he focuses on congratulating Serizawa, albeit from behind his laptop screen. He listens to him as he talks about his soulmate, a young man called Saito Nariyuki, about the study date they’d had the previous night, about the inside jokes they had and the meal from MobDonald’s they’d shared as they’d struggled through their maths assignment. He listens as Serizawa says that he’d walked him home and held his hand, Saito had told him that he really liked his new haircut and how he looked forward to seeing him in class. It sounds good- almost too good- and Reigen can’t help but wish it were him.
Serizawa is happy, and the last thing Reigen wants to do is make this about himself; he's also met his soulmate after all, and after all these years of desperately wishing he had one, the last thing he should do is feel upset about someone else's love life.
He comes to the conclusion that he should focus on finding out who his soulmate is- it'll cheer him up when he finds them, and then he can finally let go of his stupid, schoolboy crush on Serizawa. He know he shouldn't be developing these feelings for someone other than his soulmate- in a way he feels like he's cheating on them- but he can't help it. When he works with him every day it's kind of hard to not notice how handsome he is. There's a definite kindness in his smile and a warmth in his eyes that makes Reigen's heart melt-
No. No . He cannot think about Serizawa like that. They both have soulmates , for heaven’s sake, someone they’re meant to spent the rest of their lives with. Thinking about him now of all times…. It just feels wrong.
As days go by, Reigen learns to block out Serizawa talking about his soulmate. He feels awful for it, and he finds that it haunts him when he’s trying to get to sleep at night, tossing and turning over the fact that he’s falling in love with a man who already has a soulmate. But still, it’s for the best; how hard can it be to nod simply along to his coworker’s talks of dates late-night study-and-fast-food sessions without actually listening? Apparently it’s very hard; whenever Serizawa talks about it, Reigen finds himself unable to do anything but listen to him, sadness (and perhaps jealousy) festering inside his stomach like a pit of darkness, constantly threatening to swallow him whole. Work becomes hell, day after day of having to face his coworker and the fact that they’re destined to stay just that: coworkers.
Reigen’s pretty sure that Serizawa’s noticed that he’s started smoking in the office again. He knows he won’t bring it up though, and something tells him that it’s for the best if it stays that way.
--
It’s a Wednesday, and Serizawa is late for work.
Reigen shouldn’t really be as concerned as he is. He’d been due to start work at half past eight and it’s currently twenty to nine- he’s not even that late. However, Serizawa is never late. If anything, he’s usually early, arriving at the office five minutes before he needs to so he can greet his boss and make them both tea. Not only that, but with his heightened mood recently that can only be due to the discovery of his soulmate, he’s been extra punctual as of late. For him to still not be at the office at twenty to nine is worrying.
He chews at the end of his pen, tapping his fingers on the desk as he stares up at the clock on the wall. He hates to jump to conclusions but he’s genuinely scared that something’s happened to him. He doesn’t want to seem overbearing though, so he resolves to wait until nine before he calls him. If Serizawa is just running late, he’ll be in by then. If it’s something else…
Reigen doesn't want to think about that.
By the time Serizawa arrives, it's nearly nine o'clock. Reigen looks up as the door opens and smiles as he sees his co-worker, unable to stop himself from letting out a sigh of relief as he sees him unharmed.
“You took your time, Serizawa,” he says with a laugh, not wanting to come off as too annoyed, “Did something happen this morning?”
Serizawa doesn't answer. He slides his bag off his shoulder and dumps it on the couch, quickly following suite with his coat, and upon closer inspection, Reigen realises that, while he's not hurt, there is still definitely something wrong with him. Concerned, Reigen opens his mouth to say something else, to comfort him; however before he can, Serizawa has already made his way across his office and is entering the bathroom. The door slams shut behind him and a moment later Reigen hears the click of the lock being closed. He stares after Serizawa in shock; he's unsure if he should go after him or give him space, but something tells him he should at least try to help.
He gets up from his desk and walks over to the bathroom, raising his hand to knock on the door, but before he can, he pauses to listen to Serizawa instead. He's crying, and Reigen's feels awful- though he doesn’t know why. He swallows down the lump in his throat, weighing up his options. He doesn’t want to overstep his boundaries as his boss, but is worried about under stepping them as his friend. Frowning in thought, Reigen stands there for a few moments, listening to the gentle sobs coming from the other side of the door. He’s unable to help but hesitate before he knocks on the door, keeping his voice soft as he speaks.
“Serizawa?” he asks, “Are you alright?”
For a few seconds there’s no answer, but then Reigen hears the click of the lock from inside and Serizawa opens the door. He’s a sorry sight to behold as he forces a sheepish smile down at his boss; his eyes are red from crying and there’s wet lines on his cheeks from where tears have rolled down his face. He’d clearly gotten ready in a hurry, as his hair is messy and his tie is hanging loosely around his neck.
“Hey,” he says, his voice low and hoarse, “Sorry about that.”
“What’s wrong, Serizawa?” Reigen asks him, decided to ignore his unnecessary apology. Serizawa wordlessly looks at the floor, avoiding eye contact. Reigen reaches out and gently rests his hand on his arm to comfort him. In any other situation, he would’ve lost his mind at the contact, but right now he's far too worried to even think about Serizawa in a romantic light. He gives him to warmest smile he can muster, still holding firmly onto him as he leads him over to the couch to sit down.
Once he is sat down, Reigen hands him a packet of tissues that he keeps in the inside pocket of his blazer before getting up to make them both some tea. He figures he should give Serizawa some time to calm down and gather his thoughts before he tries to talk to him. When Reigen sits down beside him, he can’t help but notice how his left leg is constantly bouncing and the way he wrongs his hands together in his lap. Reigen’s never seen him like this before; of course he’s seen Serizawa sad before, but it has always been a loud, angry kind of sadness, fuelled by his fear and trauma. But this is completely different. This is a quieter, anxious sadness- one Reigen has felt himself many times in the past. It’s strange and more than a little worrying.
He puts his tea down on the table and rests a hand gently on Serizawa’s arm, which makes him look up at him with wide, bloodshot eyes.
“Reigen, I’m sorry, I-”
“Hey, don’t apologise,” Reigen does his best to give him a smile, “I’m not angry at you.” Serizawa nods silently, picking up his drink, blowing on it before hesitantly taking a sip. He puts it down again straight after- still hot.
“I… Can I talk to you about it...?” he asks, keeping his gaze fixed on the table in front of him.
“Of course, Serizawa,” Reigen moves his hand from his arm down to his leg, holding it still as he inhales shakily.
“You’ve got to promise me you won’t… judge me or anything,” Serizawa says, and Reigen nods. “To be completely honest, I… don’t understand this whole soulmate thing.”
“I thought you’d found your soulmate though?” Reigen asks, and the words cause a twisting feeling of jealousy to form inside of him. He ignores it; this is about Serizawa, not him.
The esper laughs dryly, shrugging. “I thought I had too,” he says, “But… I was wrong. Saito’s soulmate was someone else and I don’t know what to do… I don’t know why I’m upset about it… I never really liked him in the first place.”
Now that he says it, it all makes sense. Reigen’s noticed how Serizawa’s yet to come into bloom; there’s a halo of stems and leaves tangled amongst his dark hair, but not a single flower to be seen. If Saito really had been his soulmate, he’d probably be in full bloom by now. Reigen swallows as the jealousy disappears as quickly as it had arrived. He finds himself mentally scolding himself for it; Serizawa’s distraught and yet he has the nerve to feel good about it? He does his best to shove his thoughts to the back of his brain, focussing on comforting Serizawa instead.
“Well I suppose that means you’ve still got to find your soulmate,” he says, cringing at how forced his words sounds, “At least you’re not alone in that!” He gestures down to his sleeve, which he keeps rolled up in case anything starts sprouting through his skin (it hasn’t yet, but the lump on his inner elbow is getting bigger by the day, and Reigan can tell that it will penetrate his skin any second soon). Serizawa looks at it with a somewhat disappointed look in his eyes.
“You still haven’t found your soulmate, huh?” he asks, and Reigen can tell immediately that he’s just trying to change the subject. Not that he has a problem with that. Serizawa needs some time to take in what’s going on, and having someone else talk to him about it would probably be for the best.
“Ah, well, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” he replies- it’s a lie but he figures that Serizawa won’t feel any better if he tells him how awful he feels- “Your soulmate isn’t all that matters in life, is it?”
Serizawa doesn’t respond for a few moments. He seems to be processing what Reigen’s said, his eyes fixed on the lump on his arm. Then, he smiles up at him, and it’s a warm, thankful smile- a genuine one that makes Reigen’s heart skip a beat.
“I suppose you’re right,” he says, “Thank you, Reigen.”
“It’s no problem,” Reigen answers, resting a comforting hand on his back. It’s only meant to be a small, friendly gesture, but Serizawa seems to misinterpret it, pulling him into a hug and wrapping his arms around him. For a moment Reigen stiffens, but after a few seconds he relaxes into Serizawa’s embrace, sliding his arms around him as he pulls him closer to him.
The embrace is warm and intimate, and he feels his heart skip a beat as he melts into the heat of his body. He relishes every second of it, savours the feeling of his friend’s stubble brushing against his cheek and the strong grip of his hands, tightening around the material of his suit.
When he lets go, Reigen can’t deny the disappointment he feels in his stomach.
That night, Reigen finds himself dreaming about his friend’s embrace, his strong arms holding onto him, his skin brushing against his and his lips pressed firmly on his own.
--
When Reigen wakes up, he’s in pain.
The pain is specifically in his arm, and he hisses in pain as he stretches, sitting up and letting his eyes adjust to the dim light. It takes a few moments for them to do so, and once they do he looks down at his arm to see what’s causing it to hurt so much.
Almost immediately he feels his stomach turn as he takes in the gruesome state of his arm. There’s red running from the wound on his elbow, down his skin and soaking into his nightshirt. Blood has dried on his skin, turning brown against the purple bruising that covers his elbow, and among it all are small purple flowers, wrapping around his arm like a tattoo sleeve.
It takes several minutes for Reigen to process what he’s seeing. He swallows down the lump in his throat before closing his eyes and opening them to make sure it’s not just his mind playing tricks on him. It soons become apparent that he’s not, as when he opens them again, his arm is still a gut-churning mess of blood, bruising and petals.
He’s coming into bloom, he realises.
His mind goes blank for a few moments; he’s not sure if he’s happy or not, but he’s feeling something, something that’s just so overwhelming that his brain is struggling to function. He bites his lip, wondering what to do, who to talk to. He has no idea what- or rather who- had triggered it, but just knowing that, after years of waiting and wishing and hoping and crying himself to sleep, he’s finally found his soulmate makes him swell with pride. He wonders if he should tell his parents, but after a few moments’ contemplation he figures that they’ll end up grilling him about his partner (whose identity he’s still not sure of) and he really doesn't need that on a Thursday morning when he still needs to get to work.
So, he does the next best thing and calls Serizawa.
Reigen hesitates before calling him, wondering if they're at the level of friendship yet where it would be acceptable for him to ring him at- he checks his alarm clock- five-eighteen in the morning. He eventually comes to the conclusion that since Serizawa hasn’t long been a member of society he probably won't have the same boundaries as other people, and hits the call button.
It takes several rings for Serizawa to pick up - Reigen can only assume that he's just woken up- and when he dies his voice is rough and groggy from sleep. “Nnnggg… Reigen…” he groans, “why...why are you calling me so early…?”
In any other situation, Reigen would feel embarrassed and just hang upon after hearing him say that, but right now he's tired and overjoyed and he can't really think straight, so he stays on the phone anyway.
“Serizawa!” He cries, before realising he's probably being a little too loud for five-eighteen in the morning, “Serizawa, shit, I- I'm in bloom! ”
For a few moments there's silence on the other side of the phone and Reigen wonders if he’s overstepped his boundaries; he’s about to hang up when Serizawa answers and his heart is in his throat when he finally hears him reply.
“Reigen… Shit, Reigen....” he sounds panicked and it wakes Reigen up right away, suddenly alert at the apparent fear in his friend’s voice.
“Serizawa! Are you alright?”
“I’ve got to go, Reigen! I’ll, uh… I’ll see you at work!”
“Serizawa, wait-” Reigen says, but he’s cut off by the low bleep of his friend hanging up on him. Worried, he calls him again, once, twice, only for his call to be declined both times.
He’s more than a little confused, but he tries to push it to the back of his mind for the time being; he’ll see him in an hour or so anyway, and he doesn’t want to invade on his personal life. Besides, he has something else to focus on: his soulmate- or rather his lack thereof.
He doesn’t want to bother anyone else about his current… predicament, so he decides to confront the internet, hoping that he’s not the first person this has happened to. He opens google, hesitating for a second before typing
‘i’ve come into bloom but i don’t know who my soulmate is help me’
It’s an odd search, but he’s surprised to find that the links that pop up are ones that actually look vaguely helpful. The first is an article on someone’s blog entitled ‘How to know who’s made you come into bloom.’ It seems pretty promising, so Reigen taps the link, frowning when he comes to a pastel pink page decorated in hearts and adverts for someone’s self-help book. It’s obvious that whoever runs this page isn’t a professional or anything but then again, it would be pretty hypocritical for Reigen to judge somebody for that.
The article isn’t really an article; it’s more of a list accompanied by stock photos that still have the watermarks on them, and something tells Reigen that he should take this person’s advice with a pinch of salt. Still, he continues to scroll through it, taking in the information in the article.
‘1. You’ve had feelings for them for a long time,’ it tells him, ‘ This is a common issue for many people- they’ve come into bloom while having feelings for more than one person and are confused as to who their soulmate really is. It’s likely that…’
Reigen skips number one. It doesn’t apply to him anyway- the only person he’s really had feelings for recently is Serizawa, but they’re just friends so it wouldn’t really make much sense for it to be anybody else.
‘ 2. You can see yourself spending the rest of your life with them. Are you unsure as to which of your suitors is The One? Just try to imagine yourself living a domestic life with them- kids, pets, you name it. If you find yourself instantly turned off by this thought, chances are that they’re not The One.’
Reigen looks up at his tiny apartment that he’s lived in for nearly six years. He can’t afford to fix the broken boiler or buy regular groceries, let alone move out and start a domestic life with someone. The only person he can really see himself spending much time with outside of work like that would be Serizawa- he’s smart and kind and trustworthy and the kind of person that Reigen could rely on to remind him when rent is due. He skips through the article, trying to find something that he can actually use to help him.
‘7. You’ve shared a physically intimate moment with them recently. No, this doesn’t have to be a kiss in the rain. The movies may have you believe that some kind of grand display of affection is necessary to come into bloom but this just isn't the case. Maybe you’ve held hands, fallen asleep on their shoulder on the train, or even just given them a hug. These are all things that have caused people to-’
Wait.
Shit.
Reigen feels his heart skip a beat. It hadn’t occurred to him him before, but now that it does, everything suddenly makes sense. It’s all clicked into place; the last piece of Reigen’s puzzle has clicked into place and he’s staring at the finished product; scared, excited, brimming with anticipation for the day to come.
Reigen rushes to get changed. He doesn’t stop to make himself breakfast or pour himself a cup of coffee, and his cigarettes are left forgotten on his dresser as he leaves to catch his train ten minutes earlier than he usually does.
Usually Reigen would get off at Seasoning City Central, where he’d be a brisk five minute walk away from the office. Today, however, he gets off at the stop outside Soy Hospital, waiting on the platform. His knee bounces with excitement as hit sits on the bench, the dampo wood cold through the material of his trousers. He rolls up the sleeve of his jacket, flinching slightly as pain shoots through his arm before looking down at the flowers. Despite the pain, he’s overjoyed, and he can’t seem to get rid of the smile that sits on his face.
Not too far from the station there’s a tower block; it’s dark red in colour and probably houses several hundred people. Serizawa’s pointed it out a few times on the train home from work, explaining that his mom was helping him pay for a small apartment on the eighth floor, and that he is more than welcome to crash there any time he needs to. Reigen looks at the tower block now as he waits for Serizawa to arrive at the station.
Now that Reigen’s stopped overthinking it, it makes perfect sense. They both started blooming at the same time, he’d had feelings for him for a while and everytime he thought about his soulmate, his mind somehow always strayed back to his coworker. His friend. His soulmate.
It’s another ten minutes before Serizawa arrives. He’s wearing a dark blue suit with a grey tie, and he’s got his earphones in as he walks across the platform. He looks much the same as usual- save for the crown of purple and yellow flowers that dress his head like a halo. He doesn’t seem to notice Reigen so he decides to approach him, waving at him to get his attention.
“Reigen…” he says, slowly, carefully, the confusion in his voice clear, “Why… what are you doing…” his voice strays off as he looks down at Reigen’s arm, the lilac flowers blooming around his wrist, “Ah… you came into bloom too?”
There’s silence for a few moments. Reigen’s standing about a foot away from now, and his heart is beating a mile a minute in his chest and he’s staring into Serizawa’s chocolate brown eyes, taking in every little detail, every line on his face, every mark and blemish that somehow looks so perfect. “We both came into bloom at the same time…” he points out, and he swears that Serizawa goes a shade or two pinker, “What a coincidence.”
“Coincidence?” Serizawa raises his brows, and now it’s Reigen’s turn to blush.
“Or- or not!” he splutters, “Maybe we’re, ya know… meant to be? Or maybe not, I mean, who knows-!” He can feel himself starting run his mouth, and if it isn’t for the fact that Serizawa catches him off guard when he grabs his hand, he might not have been able to stop.
“You know, Reigen,” Serizawa says, “I was thinking about what you told me yesterday… about soulmates and , uh… How do I put this?”
Reigen doesn’t say anything, unable to do anything but stare at Serizawa. When it becomes apparent that he’s not going to respond, he continues to speak, giving him a warm smile as he gently squeezes his hands. “Well…” he says, “I think I might be in love with you.”
It takes a few moments for Reigen to process Seizawa’s words. He grins at him, tightening his grip on his hands as his mind tries to come up with some kind of response.
“Well, I guess that would explain the flowers.”
Wow. Smooth.
Serizawa just laughs at his reply, and before Reigen can do- or say- anything else, he’s pulling closer, closer, impossibly close-
And then they’re kissing.
Reigen feels Serizawa slide a hand around his waist, holding him firmly in his arms as he melts into him. His mouth tastes like coffee and he smiles into the kiss, his stubble tickling Reigen’s skin. It feels warm and safe, imperfect yet somehow everything he needs. It feels like home.
They eventually pull away, and it takes a few moments for them both to get their breath back. It’s Reigen who speaks first, still grinning up at his soulmate.
“I don’t think I have any pre-booked appointments today,” he says, “Why don’t we do something else today?”
Serizawa raises an eyebrow but doesn’t seem too bothered by the suggestion. “What, instead of going to work?” Reigen just shrugs.
“Sure, we can get brunch, spend some time with each other,” he tells him, “I’ll pay for everything if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Rolling his eyes, Serizawa leans forward and pecks him on the lips. “Fine,” he says, “But at the weekend I want a proper date. Somewhere fancy.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Reigen laughs, pauses, then adds, “I love you, Serizawa.”
Serizawa squeezes his hands in his own, his smile soft and genuine. “I love you too, Reigen.”
-
That night, Reigen looks up the flowers sprouting from his elbow.
It’s heather- and according to Google, it symbolises solitude and admiration. Curious, he looks up Serizawa’s flowers. Aftera few searches he discovers that they’re irises, symbolising wisdom and passion.
He doesn’t bring up the fact that he’s come into bloom, but he can tell by the way Mob looks at him and Serizawa that he’s worked it out. He doesn’t bring it up though. He’s in love, and right now, nothing else matters but that.