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It was raining outside. Not down pouring, but enough that the LeBlanc wasn’t seeing any customers.
Reigen didn’t particularly mind. It had been a while since he had some peaceful time to himself. He was always fretting over either Mob or Tome, although Tome he never really saw, which only made him all the more concerned. The silence at home was unbearable because of it, that distance between the two of them. Here, at his little coffee shop, it was comforting.
The news was on, just barely audible, and it was lulling him to sleep. He hunched over the counter, one arm propped up to support his head, his ankles crossed. His eyes were fighting to stay open, but the rhythmic sound of rain droplets hitting the roof were a force to be reckoned with.
As he was finally giving in, the bell to the shop rang.
Reigen shot up, attempting to appear as though he was not just falling asleep on the job, but the smug smirk of the customers face indicated he had already seen the barista dozing.
“Welcome.” Reigen greeted, a blush on his face. “Know what you want?”
“Oh, uh,” the stranger began, looking a little flustered. “I’m not too sure.” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck and sat at the seat in front of Reigen. “I was just in the area, and it was raining and well…”
Reigen nodded, hands crossed, trying to sum up the man in a glance. He was attractive, is what Reigen concluded. His brown hair was cut short, threatening to curl but not quite the length for it to be obvious. He had a large build as well, he couldn’t help but notice. It made his heart do flips, and fleeting images of being held by what Reigen can only assume were strong, but gentle arms, were immediately suppressed. He was wearing a suit, was what Reigen noticed next. It was a dark blue, with a yellow tie. A businessman, out here on what business Reigen wasn’t too sure. The harsh bags under the mans eyes made him feel a pang of sympathy, it was probably smart that he ended up stumbling into a coffee shop.
“Well, how about I get you the house special.” Reigen decided. “And some curry to go with it, if you haven’t already eaten.”
The man beamed, and nodded his head. “That would be great, thank you!” His smile was a little too genuine, and the relief a little too obvious. It made Reigen’s heart skip a beat, which he took as a sign to turn away and start working on the man’s order.
It didn’t take very long, as curry from earlier was sitting in the pan already, on a simmer to keep it from going cold. He poured it next to rice on a bowl and served it. “Your coffee will take a minute to brew.” Reigen told him, but it didn’t seem the man minded too much. He was already digging into the curry, as if he had just realized then how hungry he was.
“This is amazing!” He exclaimed, taking another bite. “I haven’t had curry this good in ages.”
Reigen couldn’t help but smile. It was unexpected, small but genuine. He had gotten compliments on his curry, of course. It was the best around in his opinion, but it was different hearing it from someone like him. There certainly was something endearing about a man his age scarfing down food like that.
“Thanks! Tastes even better with coffee. I’ve gotten this down to a science, they complement each other perfectly.” He replied as the coffee finished brewing. He pours the man a cup, but points a finger at him before setting it down. “Don’t go chugging this down like that curry, either. Take your time, you’ll get burned.” He chastises, but his expression is still lighthearted.
The man realized this and laughed, taking the cup. “I won’t, thank you.” He said, and takes a small, careful sip. “Oh, yeah you were kidding.” He blew on the drink, then took another sip.
Then he did something that Reigen wasn’t expecting. He stopped and seemed to think about what he just drank. Reigen can’t help but stare, he didn’t really mean what he said like that. It was…interesting. The man (god, Reigen was dying to know his name) then took a bite of the curry, not as fast as he had once been, being equally as considerate to what he was eating. His eyebrows were scrunched up, but his facial expression was soft as he thought about what he just ate.
It was making Reigen’s heart beat way too fast, it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything, just stand there and wait for the most bizarre man he’s met to give Reigen whatever conclusion he came up with.
“You put a lot of love into this.” He finally spoke, his voice gentle. “I don’t know much about the science behind it, but I can tell you care a lot about what you do.” He met Reigen’s eyes, his smile back on his face. “I’m glad you shared this with me, thank you.”
Reigen could feel a blush explode over his face. His ears and cheeks were burning, he could feel just about every hair on his neck. “I-I uh…” He sputtered. He couldn’t look away, but he couldn’t think of anything to say to that. What the hell was that, anyways !? Why was that so intimate ! Why gave this man the right to be so handsome and so damn compassionate ! It was making Reigen lose his mind.
“Thanks.”
The man chuckled, and nodded. “My name’s Serizawa Katsuya by the way.” He said, and took another sip of his coffee.
“Reigen Arataka.”
“I hope you don’t mind if I begin to frequent here, Reigen-san.”
Reigen could feel his knees start to give out. “I guess I could use the business.” He said lamely, hunkering himself over the countertop, using his elbows to support himself. “Not the most lively place, if you haven’t noticed.”
“I couldn’t image why, the food and coffee is amazing.”
“Yeah well, this isn’t the most noticeable spot. Most people who go to coffee shops nowadays are all younger kids, too. They want something hip or whatever.”
“And you’re not hip?”
Reigen couldn’t help but snort. “Do I look hip to you?”
“Hmm…” Serizawa hummed, an unsuccessfully hidden smirk giving way to any sort of seriousness he could attempt. “You certainly are something, Reigen-san.”
“But not hip.”
“I haven’t determined that yet.”
They went on like that for a while. Playful banter turned into idle chatter, which turned into a comfortable silence. Serizawa’s curry and coffee had long since been finished, and Reigen wasn’t going to make the move in picking up after him just yet. He enjoyed his company too much, didn’t want to seem like he was telling him to leave. They sat there, Serizawa watching the news on the small TV, Reigen nursing his own cup of coffee.
The chime of the front door broke down their little bubble. Mob had come home for the day, and it was then that Reigen realized it was dark out.
“I’m home.” He said, putting away his umbrella. The green cat he kept in his bag leapt out and onto the counter, shaking his damp body so that his awful, lime green fur would fall flat onto the countertops.
“Oi! Mob I told you about this cat!” He leaned over the counter, swatting away at Dimple, who meowed in what Reigen could only imagine was amusement with the way the pitch curled at the end. “I’ve got a customer you damn cat! I’m sure he doesn’t want your weird fur all over his suit either.” He huffed.
“Oh! I don’t mind.” Serizawa laughed it off, look down at the abomination. “I didn’t realize cats could be green though? Or have red cheeks…” Serizawa didn’t look so happy anymore. “Huh.”
“Yeah. Huh.” Reigen replied, and looked up at Mob. “You gotta clean up after him.”
“I know.” Mob replied, walking behind the counter and grabbing the handheld broom they had bought for this exact problem. “I’m sorry, sir.” Mob said with a bow.
“Like I said, don’t worry about it!” Serizawa gave him a polite smile, but rose from his seat. “I should probably get going though. I didn’t realize how long I’ve stayed.” He looked at Reigen now, who froze in place. “I’ll see you next time Reigen-san. Thank you again for the meal.”
“Yeah, yeah no sweat.” He said, looking anywhere except at Serizawa. He could feel the heat rise to his cheeks again. “I’ll see you.”
Serizawa left the shop and Reigen couldn’t help but miss him already. Dimple was back up on the counter again, and let out a long, obnoxious meow.
“Don’t say that.” Mob scolded the cat, and picked him up. “And don’t stand on there anymore.”
“Yeah.” Reigen booped Dimple on the nose. “What he said.”