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“Arataka, what were you thinking for tonight?”
Serizawa and Reigen’s conversation is interrupted by a cacophony of car horns. Serizawa pauses and narrows his eyes at the traffic. As if each driver had personally inconvenienced him. After all, tonight is date night. They can’t just stand around debating forever.
Reigen smiles at the name. But his fingers flash over the keyboard. Reigen gets like this sometimes. He’ll forget plans, times, and work for hours over the blue light of his laptop. Serizawa walks to his partner’s desk, smiling fondly.
“We could go to Yama’s and get sushi,” he suggests.
Now that gets a reaction. Reigen’s fingers freeze over his keyboard. He raises his eyebrows, and his gaze, to stare at Serizawa. Then Reigen groans, pushes his face into his arms.
“We always go to Yama’s.” Regen frowns. Then he sits up in his chair, wide eyes flickering around the room. “Oh no. Katsuya, we do the same thing every weekend.”
Reigen stares at him in horror. “Are we… Are we boring?”
Serizawa laughs. “Maybe you are-“
“Hey!”
“I, on the other hand, enjoy Yama’s Sushi House.” Serizawa says with a smile, puffing out his chest.
It’s something Reigen would do. But it looks good on him. Everything looks good on Serizawa. Their sayings and mannerisms have molded together over the years. Sometimes Serizawa will talk with his hands and Reigen will whistle Serizawa’s favorite cartoons. They’ve inexplicably exchanged parts of themselves over and over. It’s hard to tell what was Serizawa and what was Reigen. They couldn’t imagine it any other way.
“Yeah whatever, you’re older than me anyways,” Reigen grins, pushing his paperwork aside. “I’m the hippest one here.”
“Please,” another voice laughs. “You wouldn’t know the meaning of hip if it bit you in the ass.”
“Dimple!” Serizawa frowns. “That’s not nice.”
Dimple raises an eyebrow as he floats over. “When have I ever been here to be nice? Don’t waste your youth, old man. 31 and counting.”
“Counting?” Reigen frowns. “Why do you say it like that, you waiting for me to join you in the afterlife or something?”
“No one is joining anyone in the after life!” Serizawa interjects. He turns to their floating friend. “Dimple, please. Let me have a romantic night with my boyfriend. One tender night is all I ask.”
Reigen smirks. “You know it doesn’t have to be tender. We can do whatever we want after all.”
Dimple rolls his eyes. “Disgusting. Alright I’ve had enough of you two anyways. I’m going to check in with Shigeo.”
“Make sure he studies,” Reigen calls. “I haven’t forgotten about that English exam!”
“What are you his mom?” Dimple sneers. “Who’s Mr. Responsible now?”
“Well,” Reigen shrugs. “As everyone’s employer I would hope so.”
“Ha! Start paying me and then we’ll talk,” Dimple says.
Serizawa was required elsewhere today. The past few days, actually, he’s been out of the office. Their clients have expanded past Seasoning City within the past year. Serizawa, Dimple, Reigen, and on occasion Mob, have built a group of loyal customers.
If that wasn’t enough Teru pops in at Spirits and Such on a weekly basis. He and Reigen are past the point of dancing around whatever relationship they have. Teru gives Reigen fashion advice which Reigen ignores but accepts with a smile. He encouraged Teru to keep him “up to date with the trends.” Teru beamed and accepted the request. Though he usually took it as a challenge, dropping by the office to inform Reigen of what his classmates were wearing and what Mob thought of Teru’s latest purchases.
Serizawa waves when Dimple says his final goodbye. Then the spirit floats towards the window and slips through it. The noisy street continues blaring and blasting into the night. Reigen smiles and shakes his head, consumed by other thoughts. It’s too easy to get distracted by the office. Sure, there are clients and ghosts and money.
But there’s something… more now. Like Ritsu remembering his favorite popsicle flavor when the ice cream trucks stops in front of Spirits and Such. They’re regular customers. There’s an alien popsicle Tome insists on buying, every time. Or Shou challenging them to games around the office between jobs. This little office he took a chance on has become his home. It seems appropriate. Reigen has taken a lot of chances in his life. But none of them have worked as miraculously as Spirits and Such.
“Arataka, are you coming?”
He turns his head. Katsuya is standing at the door. He’s wearing the blue suit today. The suit he wore on his first day of work. The orange tie is sitting at home in their closet. Instead, Serizawa’s dress shirt is tied with a green tie he picked out last month. The blue suit and green tie remind Reigen of his last days at his old job.
Serizawa smiles and waves him forward. “Come on, date night awaits.”
Reigen nods and puts away the day’s work. He smiles at the ink and forms scattered across his desk. Spirits and Such, it says. Underneath are their positions and names. Reigen Arataka and Serizawa Katsuya sit next to each other. Reigen smiles as he closes his desk drawers.
Their names look good together. It looks right. People told Reigen he was a fool to leave his steady job. But exchanging his old job for Spirits and Such, for Serizawa, the kids? It was the best decision he ever made.
Serizawa snaps his fingers and the lights cut off. Reigen smiles. He’s really gotten the hang of things. It’s amazing what Serizawa can do in his life. His smile leaves a permanent mark in Reigen’s. Though one detail has slipped their minds. Reigen mentions it when they close the door behind them.
“But we haven’t figured out where we want to go,” he says.
Serizawa smiles and squeezes his hand. “It’s not a problem. We always make the best decisions together.”
Reigen couldn’t have said it better himself.