Work Text:
You wear your heart on your sleeve
To show that you are still free
While mine’s under lock and key.⸺Hold Fire, by Heart ★ Breaker
"Shishou," Mob said one summer day, "I want to stay over your place."
The clicking noises of typing stopped abruptly. Reigen slowly glanced to Mob over his laptop screen, expression inscrutable. Mob fidgeted a bit under Reigen's blank scrutiny, heart on his throat, dreading the older man's indignation. The lack of sound only served to increase his anxiety (Serizawa had gone to his evening school while Tome was still in uni and would be back next week).
Mob swallowed, looked away, to the tacky poster on the wall. The Reigen on the poster was smirking handsomely at him, so Mob pressed on, "T-tomorrow is the start of summer vacation so it's okay," because Reigen was bent on making sure Mob took school seriously, "and I'm eighteen," because it was the truth.
"We already celebrated your birthday," Reigen informed. He still sound distant but amusement tinged his tone.
It was true. Reigen had taken him on a picnic date for his birthday. The older man packed lunch, rented a car, and they drove to somewhere beautiful two hours away (Mob presumed it was a beautiful place, he didn't pay attention since he kept gawking at Reigen in his casual attire).
Mob glanced to Reigen whose face was graced with a faint smile. His face went pink (they were in the car, kissing languorously, hands exploring languidly, Reigen's smile was so—). "That's not what I meant. I just— I'm—" He swallowed, willing himself to calm down. "M-m-my friends—" (bad move, don't mention friends, he would think you wanted to experience young love), Mob stopped and tried again, "I... I want to see your place."
Reigen stared at his laptop screen thoughtfully, lips pouted a bit (kissable, tempting), two (suckable) slim fingers under the bottom lip. At last, Reigen sighed resignedly and grumbled, "Fine. Let's drop by the store to buy shabu-shabu ingredients."
Mob brightened and nodded enthusiastically. So they finished thirty minutes early, then headed to the store first. Mob took Reigen's hand and he spontaneously jerked his hand away but Mob held on. Reigen hissed, "People might see!"
"I'm eighteen." Mob squeezed his hand tighter. Reigen rolled his eyes and let Mob be even though he didn't squeeze Mob's back. It was (vexing) okay, Reigen would hold his hand (and hopefully more) when there were only the two of them in the adult's apartement.
They shopped for the ingredients hand in hand. Reigen grumbled once in a while that it was hard to shop with only one hand but Mob dismissed the comments by using his power helpfully. Reigen huffed incredulously yet he smiled. After they paid (Reigen tried to pull his hand away when the cashier stared at Mob's uniform and their joined hands. Mob held on and stared at the cashier back, challenging), they proceeded to Reigen's apartment.
Mob memorized the route, the exact address, the number of steps, everything (just in case). Reigen ushered him in and hastily closed the door before locking (them in) it. He muttered something about a woman next door who sometimes liked to engage him in small talk but Mob didn't pay attention. His attention was on the small space that was Reigen's apartment and the overwhelming scent of him. Mob suddenly felt shy as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, unsure of what to do while he watched Reigen walked deeper to put the grocery on the table. This felt so (lewd) intimate, like he was (penetrating) intruding.
Reigen, noticed he was stalling on the doorway, raised an eyebrow at him. "What, you gonna stand there all day? Come on in." Swallowing, Mob stepped in and put his bag on the floor next to the couch.
Reigen rambled on. "Let's see... I'm pretty sure I have a decent pot for shabu-shabu." He walked to a cabinet full of kitchen equipment. Mob followed close, longing. Reigen rummaged through it. "Should I just borrow from the lady next door?" Mob reached out, slowly, his heart hammered against his ribcage painfully. "Oh, right! Hey, Mob— guh!" Reigen turned around abruptly and bumped into Mob. "Why are you standing there? Don't follow me around! Geez! Anyway, do you bring spare clothes?"
Mob blinked, "Um, no." He had planned to stay over Reigen's, sure, but he wasn't sure Reigen would agree to it. Thus, he (purposely) didn't bring his clothes in case Reigen (would be willing to lend his clothes) rejected his proposal.
Reigen sidestepped him and rummaged his wardrobe then pulled out a pair of pajamas. "Here, my mom bought this for me when I moved here for work but I only wore it once. Go get cleaned up and changed while I set up our dinner."
Mob waited until he was in the bathroom to (sniff) inhale Reigen's scent on the pajamas. Under the smell of flowery detergent and musty wardrobe, there was Reigen, subtle yet lingering. Determined, he washed himself as clean as possible. He obsessively scrubbed the soap on every inch of his skin, thoroughly massaged the shampoo onto his scalp, making sure the (Reigen-essence) sweet scent seeped into his very pores. He walked out the bathroom, (smelling like Reigen) fresh and clean.
Mob saw Reigen bent over the computer desk while searching through his files for decent music (classical, piano concerto or something). Unable to resist the temptation, the teen approached and hugged him from behind. Mob's hand circled around Reigen's waist and kissed his nape, feeling him tensed up. "I'm done, Shishou," he murmured against Reigen's cool skin, sighing contentedly.
Reigen (wrestled) disentangled his hands, refusing to look at him. "'Kay. Wait on the couch. The shabu-shabu is almost done. I'll go get cleaned."
Reigen (fled) walked into the bathroom, leaving Mob to sulk on the couch, eyeing the shabu-shabu. Why was Reigen so hard to (seduce) reassure? Mob was eighteen already. All the guys in the school had (fucked) spent the night with their lovers at least once (Hanazawa boasted about his first time in a roundabout way and Ritsu's lips were locked tight but the blush on the tip of his ears betrayed his silence).
It wasn't like Mob wanted to be with Reigen for his body only (he did have an attractive figure, sensual lips, and clever hands), but this was what adults did, right? Dimple once threw an offhand remark that Reigen must be frustrated since he only had his hands, cigarettes, and beers to accompany his lonely nights. Thus, he decided to stay over, showing Reigen that (he could fuck him) Mob consented. Eighteen years old was old enough, right?
Not long after, Reigen emerged from the bathroom. He seemed to have calmed down considerably since he could see Mob in the eye and smiled. Strained, but it was a smile nonetheless. "Is it ready?" He plopped beside Mob (who tried to lean closer) and hunched over (Mob sighed in defeat and leaned back against the couch) to fuss about the shabu-shabu. He sipped the broth and hummed in satisfaction before smiling widely to Mob, "It's the most delicious shabu-shabu I've ever cooked!" he declared.
Reigen's smile glowed gold. Mob melted under the lustrous light, heart aching and yearning and swelling. Here was the man whose heart was made of gold, whose kindness was so rich, that even his lies guaranteed salvation. Mob wanted to have him all by himself (selfish), wanted to monopolize all precious stones that formed the deity called Reigen Arataka. He wanted Reigen to covet him the way he did (presumptuous, impertinent). However, what could he offer? He was nothing but (an inexperienced kid who likely wouldn't be able to satisfy Reigen) destruction and apocalypse.
Something on his eyes mellowed Reigen's smile. The man leaned over and peck his cheek affectionately. "Let's dig in, shall we?" he said. Mob smiled and nodded. Who could say no to Reigen? Not Mob. Never Mob.
They had a good dinner, and an amicable conversation flowed over them with Reigen dominated the conversation as usual, although he was less animated right now. Reigen seemed relaxed, mellowed, soft. He was a tad different from how he was when they were in the office (sharp, confident, reliable) or when they were on a date (mature and gentle). Mob stared at him the whole time and drunk in the view of this Reigen (memorized the picture, burned and branded it to his heart, making it mine)
It felt really nice, going home to Reigen's and having dinner. It felt like they were in a real relationship. And Mob relished the atmosphere, the giddiness, the exhilaration, (Reigen's undivided attention on him).
Then, Reigen asked, "So, have you decided on what university you want to go to? You wanna be a nurse or something, right?" Mob's mood soured at the inquiry and he looked away. He hated talking about university with Reigen (because the man seemed way too eager about sending Mob's off). When Mob was stubbornly silent, Reigen pressed on, "Mob?"
"I haven't—"
"Don't lie to me."
Mob huffed, retrieved his bag with his power, fished out university plans form, and gave it to Reigen. There were three options: one in the Spice city, one was next town, the last one was cities away.
"This one is the best." Reigen pointed the farthest one. Figures. "This should be the first choice."
"It's too far."
"Don’t be daft. It's the best—"
"Can we not talk about this now?"
"Stop being stubborn and childish. This is about your future—"
"I don't want to be far from you," Mob blurted. Bad move, but it was the truth.
That didn't surprise Reigen but he paused as he deflated. He looked at Mob with something close to sadness and guilt. Mob looked away. "Don’t— Mob, you can't decide on something that concerns your future based on where I am. Don't decide anything because of me."
Mob wanted to yell at Reigen obstinacy. Didn't he know he was the center of Mob's universe, the sun of Mob's galaxy? Didn't he know Mob wouldn't hesitate this much if he would just put a name on whatever they were doing at the moment? If only Mob was sure Reigen was his, he wouldn't be so anxious about university. Frustrated, he hissed spitefully, "You just want to get rid of me."
And Reigen kissed him, deep and demanding. The teen welcomed the sudden gesture, responding, kissing back with equal fervor. Reigen snaked an arm around him, pulling his body impossibly closer, while the other hand clutched his nape, tilting him back and locking him in place (like there was a place Mob would rather be). Mob clutched at the fabric on Reigen's shoulder, pulling the man closer to him. Reigen pulled away only to dive back in, delving deeper. Reigen kissed him and kissed him and kissed him and Mob wished he would (push him down and claim him) never let go.
Reigen leaned back at last, Mob blindly chased his lips, intoxicated, enthralled. When Mob opened his eyes, he found Reigen looked at him with something akin to desperation glittering in his eyes.
Reigen nuzzled his forehead to Mob's lightly, "That's not true and you know it." He cupped Mob's cheeks. "I know you've been working hard. I know you either want to be a nurse, a caretaker, or a physical therapist. I want you to pursue your dream the best you can." Reigen kissed the corner of his eyes before pulling back, looking at his eyes. "You have so much potential so you have to move forward." Another pause, a gentle squeeze on his cheeks. "I don't want to get rid of you, I'll never do that. You understand?"
(But you don't even say you'll wait, that you'll stay, and you lie so easily) Mob nodded, suddenly exhausted. Fighting Reigen was futile and he just wanted Reigen to (undress him and take him on the bed) hug him. So he dropped his head to Reigen's chest. The man immediately embraced him, rubbing his back while rocking back and forth in soothing manner.
Afterwards, they cleaned the dishes in silence; Mob kept glancing at Reigen and Reigen stared vacantly to the dishes. Finished, Mob sat on the bed, watching Reigen fussed over his phone near the bedside table, typing furiously. Mob circled his arms around Reigen's waist, kissing his waist and sighed, "Shishou..."
He felt all the fight left Reigen. The man turned to him and kissed him softly, gently, fleetingly, before pushing him down, or maybe Mob pulled him and Reigen followed (Mob would fall to hell and Reigen would follow, to accompany or to rescue). He smiled contentedly, resting his hands on Reigen's shoulders. He felt giddy, expecting, wanting, and willing. He was so drunk on happiness that he spoke without thinking, "We're like a newly-wed couple."
Reigen froze. His face was contorted into terror and anguish, so great that it turned Mob's blood cold. Mob lifted himself up and kissed him soothingly, telling him it was okay, it was all fine. After a beat or two, Reigen finally reacted and reciprocated then pushed him down to the mattress again.
This time, as he peppered kisses on Mob's neck (Mob hoped Reigen would bite and suck and mark him there but he knew Reigen wouldn't), he unbuttoned Mob's pajama shirt. Then, he kissed Mob's down, mapping the younger male's body with his lips and tongue; licking and sucking his nipples, mouthing the juncture where body met thighs (infuriatingly teasing), kissing the inner thighs, playfully grazed his teeth before sucking some hickeys on the soft flesh, marking Mob somewhere no one would ever see (his dirty little secret). His touches felt like worship (here was the benevolent golden god who worshiped this sinful believer).
Mob gasped and moaned and arched when Reigen wrapped his lips around him; licking, sucking, swallowing. Mob tried to remember how Reigen did it, memorize the things he did with his tongue, determined to use the same technique on Reigen, pleasuring him greater than anyone else (he burned every time he thought of all the people Reigen had been with). However, he couldn't because Reigen's hot mouth felt so dizzyingly good his brain turned to mush.
Several times, he felt the urge to buck his hips into the delicious warmth of Reigen's mouth, desperate to feel more friction. Reigen, however, firmly held Mob's hips in place (he wondered if the grip would leave a mark and helplessly hoped so) and kept the pace tantalizingly slow but intense.
Mob tightly fisted the sheets in order to keep himself from touching the golden halo that was Reigen's hair, for he didn't know whether it was allowed or not. Still, he yearned to touch it, to run his fingers through the silky golden threads, and then tugged (what kind of sound would Reigen make?). The more he stared at the shining golden halo, the more he teared up at the unholy sight. (Reigen was so gold, so kind, so pure, and he purified Mob's sin and regret and anxieties away. Mob didn't deserve him, shouldn't taint him, shouldn't monopolize him, but oh, Mob needed him so much he couldn't—)
He came harder than he did last year (when Reigen jerked him off on the office desk). He moaned the only word he knew at the moment, "Shishou..." And the high was so great he almost didn't feel Reigen kissing his face adoringly. Mob hugged him, didn't want to be far from him. "Shishou... you haven't... I can..." Mob pawed at Reigen's chest aimlessly. His fuzzy mind wasn't in sync with his jelly limbs yet.
Reigen caught one of his hands and kissed the inner wrist. "It's okay. I'll get us cleaned up, alright?" He left Mob for a second and got back to clean the exhausted teen.
After he was done, he pushed Mob to the inner side of the bed and lied next to him. Mob stared at him and Reigen did the same, contemplative. Mob reached out, cupping his cheek tenderly. Reigen let him.
Mob felt like crying; he loved Reigen so much, too much, that he felt like his heart might explode if he kept it all in. So he said it, "I love you."
"I know," was all Reigen could give to him.
Mob deflated, exasperated. He wanted to yell, to scream, to—
Reigen kissed him, preventing him from speaking, stopping him to profess his undying love to Reigen.
Sometime after midnight, Mob woke up, feeling the absence of Reigen's warmth. He blearily opened his eyes just a scant in search for the adult and found him sitting at his computer chair right beside the bed. Reigen had opened the window and was smoking. The moonlight made his complexion paler while his golden hair glowed dimly in the dark (a firefly, a nightlight, a star). If he just glanced to the side, he would see Mob staring at him. But he didn't. Reigen seemed lost in his own thought (in the depth of his brilliant mind).
"...good ...the long face?" said a voice Mob recognized as Ekubo's. Reigen didn't answer, he only took a deep drag of his cig and exhaled softly. Ekubo continued, "Why? Is it because he's a first timer? Heh, should I tell him what you like?"
Tell who what?
Another pause. A shift on the air. "I'm just kidding. You don't have to look at me like that. Geez, talk about being sensitive," Ekubo snorted. Mob wondered what kind of look Reigen gave the evil spirit that caused his voice to tremble a bit. "So, what's the matter?"
Reigen exhaled before answering, "You know what Mob said in the office earlier? He said he wanted me to take him home, said he was eighteen." Reigen snorted.
"So what?" Ekubo asked. "It's true Shigeo is eighteen. He's old enough now. He knows what he wants and the consequences."
"Eighteen doesn't mean shit. Mob doesn't know shit," Reigen spat harshly. Mob's heart sunk at his tone. No matter how mad Reigen was, he seldom used profanities, especially not in Mob's presence and never directed at or about Mob. "He's just a kid playing big guy in gakuran like all eighteen years olds do. If he was as mature as he tried so hard to seem, he should've known bringing him here is too risky! The nosy lady next door could've reported me if she saw him entering my apartment and didn't come out until late."
Mob flushed in shame. Reigen had told him on every opportunity regarding the risk if they really were going out. But Mob didn't think about any of it when he proposed his desire to the man. He was drunk on the blissful notion of going home with Reigen and did what adults do. Reigen was right. Mob was still a kid.
"Then," Ekubo said after a moment, "why did you still bring him home? Why didn't you reject him?"
Reigen exhaled shakily, "I was about to do it but I suddenly wondered: what was I doing when I was eighteen? What do eighteen years olds do? Eighteen years olds fool around with their lovers, they explore their sexual preferences. Heck, even I lost my cherry when I was sixteen. So I understand what Mob wants: he wants what his friends had told him. He wants to experience what teenagers his age have experienced. And all of a sudden, I can't deny him."
Reigen took another deep drag. Exhaled. Continued. "I can't rob him off his youth."
"Right," Ekubo scoffed, "poor Shigeo falling in love with the wrong man and nothing you said could deter the kid. He's wasting his youth, his puppy love, on you, on a relationship he can't even boast to his friends. So, what, you brought him home and let him experience some lame foreplay just so he would have a tale to tell his friends. That's what you thought when you brought him home, right?"
"That's—!"
"But Reigen, I don't think it matters to him at all." Ekubo's voice softened. "It's true that he might want to experience young love like his friends do. But he especially wants it because it's you. It has to be you. He would never regret spending his youth with you."
Mob saw Reigen gulped (the delicious bob of his adam apple) then slowly hung his head low. The cigarette smoke wafted in as the silence stretched. A lump was formed at Mob's throat, blocking his airways, holding tears at bay. Waiting.
"Remember that one time Mob hit puberty his power went amok?" Reigen finally said. Warmth filled Mob's chest; Reigen insistence on referring to the incident when he lost control as him hitting puberty made him incredibly happy (selfish, arrogant, hypocrite). "That day, in the hospital, he cried and begged me to please don't be afraid of him. I told him I would never be afraid of him."
Reigen scoffed, shaking his head. "I was telling the truth, I'm not afraid of him or his power. It's not him I'm afraid of, it's his youth, how fleeting it is. That's what I'm most afraid of. One day, when he's so much wiser, he might let go of my hands. I dread the day he comes to his senses and just leave."
Reigen took a sharp inhale, seemed ready to just snap, but he stopped midway, and swallowed whatever he wanted to say back down his throat. He took a final drag of his cig, holding the smoke in as he crushed the stub on an ashtray, before exhaling shakily. "That's why I didn't outright reject him," Reigen concluded.
Mob shut his eyes tightly, preventing tears from leaking, suppressing down the sob that was swelling in his chest. He didn't listen to the rest of the conversation, too busy with keeping the façade of sleeping.
The next thing he knew, Reigen was back on the bed. Reigen gathered Mob into his hands, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them, putting Mob's head on his chest. Mob nuzzled Reigen's chest, wrapping his arm around the older man and clung to the t-shirt on his back. Mob greedily inhaled his scent (cigarette smoke and flowery soap), monopolized his warmth, selfishly clung to him (mine, mine, mine ).
Reigen (for the first time in the day) squeezed him back. Mob felt Reigen's long fingers clutched the fabric on his back, too, pulling Mob even closer to him, as though he wanted to keep Mob inside of him and protect him from any harm. Mob heard him took a sharp inhale like he wanted to say something. Again, Reigen stopped and gritted his teeth.
Reigen sighed tiredly, resignedly, like he was giving up, and it made Mob hopelessly angry (don't give up on me!). Then, Reigen kissed the top of Mob's head and inhaled his scent.
When Mob woke up, Reigen was still there, hugging him. Feeling him stirred, Reigen pulled back a little, probably to see his face, but Mob petulantly chased his chest.
Reigen chuckled. "I know you're awake," he said, voice groggy from sleep, causing Mob's heart to flutter erratically.
"Five more minutes."
"It's past eight."
"It's summer break."
"Yeah, and I'm late to work."
"You're the boss so you're not late."
"The later I go, the fewer money I get."
That woke Mob up perfectly. He pulled back and looked guiltily at Reigen. "I'm sorry," for being such a selfish brat, for being inconsiderate. "I should've set an alarm."
Reigen scoffed. "I did, but I didn't hear it, anyway." He cupped Mob's cheek and pulled him back. "You're so warm."
Then, their lips met. Mob wasted no time in kissing back, melding his body onto Reigen's. He could feel Reigen's stubble scratching his cheeks and jaw, noticing the adult's morning wood against his belly, and basked in the knowledge that (should Reigen wanted it, he could do whatever he desired with Mob and the teen wouldn't object) he had such an effect on Reigen first thing in the morning.
Reigen finished the kiss by sucking on Mob's bottom lip before letting go sensuously slow, something he never did before (and it felt so damn erotic). Reigen waited until the eyes Mob had unconsciously closed opened (half-lidded, intoxicated by Reigen's morning taste), then grinned lazily. "Let's get cleaned up and have some breakfast."
After Mob nodded dazedly, Reigen landed a quick peck then trudged to the bathroom. Mob stared at his (sexy) back fascinatingly, finding his heart beat a little faster at the mere sight.
Then, when Reigen disappeared into the bathroom and the muffled sound of running water filled the air, realization hit him hard: he just spent a night with (his lover) the man he loved the most on earth. It felt so adult-like, so mature. Mob turned to lie facedown, burying his face into the pillow in order to hide his blush, only to inevitably inhale Reigen's scent (his sweat, hair, and skin). Mob wondered if he smelled like Reigen now, wondered if the sheets currently smelled like (blowjob, make-out session, and) Mob's (semen) body. (would Reigen burrow his face into the sheets and inhale Mob's scent? Would he fall asleep and dream of Mob's body?)
Mob must've fallen asleep at some point. He felt someone rolled him over and poked his cheek. "Wake up, sleepy head," Reigen said, amusement tinged his voice. When Mob opened his eyes blearily, his heart almost leapt out of his ribcage upon the sight of Reigen hovering above him. The adult's hair was wet and slicked back, his face clean shaved. The sweet scent of soap, shampoo, and aftershave (is this the smell of adulthood?) pleasantly assaulted Mob, and pink tinted his cheeks as a result. Reigen grinned teasingly. "What, did I really exhaust you much last night?"
It took Mob a moment to get what Reigen meant. A furious blush bloomed on both cheeks as the memory (of Reigen between his legs) from last night flashed before his eyes. "Shishou!" Mob pushed Reigen away, then escaped to the bathroom, ignoring Reigen's cheerful laugh.
Right after Mob closes the door, the sight of himself in the mirror made him groan. He looked positively wrecked: his hair was a mess, his bottom lip a tad swollen (courtesy of Reigen's kiss a moment ago), and crimson blush spread from his cheeks all the way down to his neck (and probably his shoulders).
Was this how he looked like (when Reigen jerked him off on the office desk last year, when Reigen sucked him off last night) every time Reigen kissed him? (would he look this ravished once Reigen decided to make love to him?)
Mob hastily took a cold shower, getting rid of childish blush as well as the disgusting sweat (and, though it's a pity, every traces of Reigen; his fingerprints, his saliva, the sweat on his palms as he touched Mob’s skin, the warmth of his mouth, the wetness of his tongue). Then, in the same way as the night prior, Mob vigorously (replaced the loss of Reigen’s physical remnants by) scrubbing the soap onto his skin (rebranding Reigen’s essence into his very pores).
In his haste to escape Reigen’s teasing, Mob forgot to bring his gakuran with him earlier. Thus, he settled on wearing Reigen's pajamas again but discarded his underwear to Reigen’s dirty laundry basket. His heart thumped harder in (excitement) trepidation as he did so (something he learned from movies, when the girls left their brasserie and lacy panty all over their boyfriend’s floor), wondering if Reigen would comment about it later.
Exiting the bathroom, Mob found Reigen had finished preparing breakfast: toasts, sausages, and scrambled eggs. Reigen himself was already half-dressed for work: two top buttons of his crisp white shirt were undone, the sleeves were neatly folded to his elbows, his pink tie was draped around his shoulders at the ready. (Was this how it felt to live with Reigen?) Mob's heart thumped harder as he remembered what he had offhandedly said last night-- we're like a newlywed couple. (Reigen in white and gold and colorful flowers, saying I —)
"Oh, you're finished?" Reigen brightly asked as he approached Mob, took his hand, then pulled him to stand next to the sofa. On the table, a hoodie and a pair of jeans neatly sat side by side. "Geez, you insisted on staying over but didn't even bring a change of clothes." He clicked his tongue while unbuttoning Mob's pajama top, shocking the life out of the teen.
"Sh—Shishou! What are you doing!?" Mob shrieked as he sloppily pawed Reigen's hands.
If the circumstances were different, Mob would gladly let Reigen do whatever he wanted. However, there was something different about Reigen this morning. He looked at Mob intensely (more than usual) and his smiles were sharper. His height seemed taller, his shoulders broader, his cologne (mixed with his natural scent, tinged with the whiff of their last night sexual activity) smelled manlier, and his kisses tasted more sensuous. Mob wasn't sure if his heart could take this version of Reigen at the moment.
Reigen swatted his hands away, continuing his task. "Help you get dressed. What else? C'mon, let me do this."
The teen proceeded to fight Reigen for a while but eventually gave up. So Mob (with his heartbeat skyrocketed) stayed very still as Reigen's nimble fingers, tantalizingly slow (probably deliberate), unbuttoned his pajama shirt. Reigen triumphantly slid the pajama top off (Mob suspected Reigen inconspicuously grazed his fingertips on Mob’s nipples at one point), then helped Mob wore the hoodie carefully, rubbing Mob's hair affectionately when he was done.
It didn't stop there. Reigen abruptly hooked his thumbs to the bands of Mob’s pajamas bottoms, causing Mob to squeak. The teen erratically told Reigen that he could do it himself to no avail. Once Reigen had set his mind into it, he would get it. Besides, Reigen looked so happy changing Mob's clothes that the teen eventually relented.
Mob looked away when Reigen crouched as he slid Mob’s pajamas bottoms down (trying his damnedest to not get embarrassingly hard). After Mob stepped out of his pants, Reigen stalled, staring at— “Does it hurt?” he asked (disorienting Mob, knocking his train of thought offrail), then touched one of the hickeys on Mob’s inner thigh. “This, I mean.”
Oh . “No,” Mob answered, voice thick and heavy. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong, out of habit, unusual, something foreboding.
Reigen smiled fondly, eyes still moving from one lovely bruise to another. Mob’s heart stuttered. Reigen had never acknowledged their (sexual exploration) intimate activity, never so much as mentioned it, even if the proof (their swollen lips, Mob’s disheveled clothing) were visibly tangible. He always (swept it under the rug in shame) disregarded it, locked it tightly behind closed lips (like a shameful secret).
Mob’s thighs shook slightly when the adult eventually pulled a new (Reigen's very own) boxers up, his stomach cramped as he held his breath when Reigen zipped the jeans (his bony knuckles gently rubbed his crotch). Reigen stood back up in satisfaction and Mob immediately buried his head in the crook of Reigen's neck, overwhelmed and overstimulated by the whole oddly sensuous experience. It wasn't like Reigen hadn't seen or touched him before (the adult had ravished him just last night) but this felt different, too new, incredibly good that Mob's heart would burst.
"You're so unfair, Shishou," Mob grumbled, feeling Reigen chuckled as a response. Feeling bold, Mob continued, "I want to dress you too." (and also undress him, because the only Reigen’s piece of clothing Mob had dared to open was his signature pink tie, two years ago).
Reigen laughed (but didn't give any further comment). "Let's have breakfast," he said (instead).
The breakfast tasted good, the atmosphere was cozy, their conversation was light yet pleasant. Reigen put his hand atop Mob at one point and didn't let go, occasionally stroking Mob's calves with his toes, leaving Mob flinched in surprise at every gentle touch. Mob was happy with this, indulged himself in Reigen’s undivided affection and attention. However, he was frustrated as well since the weird feeling persistently hovering at the edge of his mind, something he couldn’t quite put a finger on, let alone grasped at.
“Mob,” Reigen said, pulling Mob out of his reverie, “there was something at the corner of your lips. Here, let me wipe it for you.” Mob thought Reigen would wipe it with a napkin, so his breath stopped when Reigen leaned extremely closer and licked the corner of his lips. Mob stared dumbfoundedly at him while the man licked his lips, eyes following the flicker of the pink tongue (wanting it to be in his mouth). Then, as though he couldn’t help it, Reigen pecked Mob’s lips (Mob had half the mind to pull him by the collar) before sitting back down, seemingly embarrassed by his own action.
There it was, Reigen did it again, a shift in his mannerisms that sent Mob's heartbeat running about under his ribcage. Mob wondered what had caused Reigen to act more like a lover towards him. Was it Mob's (manhood) matured body that did? Was it his (lewd expression) sharper visage? Was it his (obscene moans) lower voice? Was it because Reigen (couldn’t get enough of Mob’s taste) had regarded Mob as a grown up, an equal partner?
As much as Mob hoped it to be true, he knew it couldn’t be, since Reigen had just frustratedly told Ekubo that Mob was a brat who didn't know any better last night.
The answer suddenly came to him when Reigen kissed him goodbye behind the closed door; Mob was flat against the door while Reigen’s body flushed against him. And the desperation he felt upon knowing sat heavily inside his stomach, eating him inside out (a blackhole, a curse, the fictional hanahaki disease). Panic and hysteria overwhelmed him when Reigen pulled away. Driven by obstinacy (because he just couldn’t —), Mob surged to him, pulling his collar to the side (his crisp shirt be damned), then latched his lips on the juncture of his neck.
Reigen gasped in surprise. He grabbed Mob’s shoulders and tried to push him. “Mob! Stop!” he commanded. But Mob didn’t, he grasped at Reigen’s waist and shoulders tightly, using his powers to strengthen him just a little. Mob bit, sucked (making lewd slurping noises), and licked when he was done, feeling Reigen shuddered ever so slightly (a feral satisfaction surrounded him at the sight of the blooming bruise on Reigen’s delicate skin).
(Mine, mine, mine…)
Once he felt Mob had finished, Reigen shoved him away none too gently, pulling his collar to cover the mark Mob had just created without looking at it. “That was…” Reigen was about to snap, but he thought better and sighed tiredly. “That was unnecessary.”
It hurted. “Shishou,” Mob said calmly, determinedly, “I’m not leaving.”
Reigen frowned in confusion before the implication dawned on him, and thus he darkly regarded Mob, daring and challenging him to continue. So Mob did, undeterred, “I have no intention of leaving you. Even if I do leave somewhere, I’m still not leaving you. In fact, I will hold onto you. I will latch onto you like a leech. Even if—” Mob’s voice cracked. (He shouldn’t cry, he wouldn’t cry, not now, not like this, not when Reigen was waiting to pounce at the slightest sign that this relationship was too hard on Mob). He swallowed the lump in his throat, blinked back tears that threatened to spill. “Even if you want to get rid of me, I won’t let go. I will hold onto you.
“Shishou, you might think I don’t know any better when I said it back in the aquarium two years ago. But I do, and I’m gonna say it again. I will never think what we have is a mistake, because it’s not. It’s definitely not. So Shishou, I’m not leaving.”
Mob unwaveringly held Reigen’s gaze. The adult was quiet for a few seconds, eyes gradually mellowed from hard to vacant. “I see,” was all he said to Mob (it sounded like rejection). “Be careful on your way home,” he added gently, completed with a smile. (A dismissal)
Mob smiled back gratefully, and it seemed to take Reigen aback. The teen turned around, opened the door, stepped out, and closed it with a final click . Yet the finality didn’t terrify Mob like he thought it would be, because now he knew it wasn’t the end. He did close the door, but had managed to prevent Reigen from locking it.
Mob walked away from Reigen’s apartment, determined to enter it (Reigen’s most private space) again.