Work Text:
It was a sunny Friday evening, and Reigen was leaning back against a fountain in Parsnip Square, watching as people bustled about the shopping district completing errands and living their lives. A customer had called in just after Serizawa left for class, complaining about a spirit causing havoc at the square, and asking for an exorcism. The spiritual activity the customer listed (small objects floating, temporary hair color changes, a couple kids getting pantsed, etc) had all seemed like minor pranks, so after some brief consideration, Reigen had decided to scope the area out that evening, and see if he could convince the ghost to set up shop somewhere else. If he failed, he could always come back with Serizawa on Monday.
Though, having now spent almost 30 minutes at the site, he had yet to find any hint of ghostly antics, and was starting to wonder if the job was a dud after all. Bored with sitting around, Reigen’s mind started to wander to his co-worker. Now that he thought about it, this shopping district was pretty close to Serizawa’s apartment. Reigen wondered if the esper had shopped here before, and if so, if he’d noticed a ghost here.
For a lack of anything better to do, Reigen pulled out his phone and shot off a message, asking the esper just that. He stared at the open phone for another couple minutes, waiting to see if he’d get a response. When none immediately came through, Reigen checked the time again, “Oh, right. Class isn’t out yet.” He stashed the phone back in his pocket.
Reigen gave a gusty sigh, and then leaned back further to stare at the sky. If nothing happened in the next 30 minutes, he was going home, Reigen decided. Maybe he’d pick up dinner on the way. Reigen’s thoughts drifted again.
“I wonder what type of food Serizawa likes best…” Reigen mused absently.
“Wh- Serizawa? Are you talking about that big oaf?” Came an irritating voice from behind.
Reigen jolted, scrambling for purchase against the side of the fountain he’d been leaning against, nearly tumbling headlong into it. There, hovering above the water, was a small spikey orange spirit, which looked like an odd cross between a turtle and a frog. Maybe with a bit of salamander thrown in, in the face.
“You!!!” Reigen declared, pointing a finger at the spirit.
“Uhh… yeah?” the spirit replied, raising an eyebrow and looking rather unimpressed.
Reigen faltered, not really sure where he’d been going with the statement, before remembering the spirit’s question. “Wait, you know Serizawa? Esper with a really intense glare when he’s trying not to look anxious?”
“Yeah. Are you Reigen, by any chance?” The spirit asked, perking up slightly.
“Yeah? Did Serizawa talk about me?” Reigen asked, sweating slightly.
“Ugh, listen, my dude.” The spirit started, zipping closer, “You need to get yourself figured out, and ask that guy on a date already. I cannot stand listening to him pine any longer.”
“Man, the client wasn’t kidding, you really do like middle school style pranks,” Reigen scoffed.
“There’s no way Serizawa would be interested in me that way.” He continued, more to himself than the spirit, a wistful edge to the words.
Reigen pointed a finger imperiously at the spirit again. “You can’t trick me into making a fool of myself!”
“Sounds like you manage that just fine by yourself” the spirit grouched, rolling its eyes.
Reigen ignored it, focusing on the more pertinent part of the conversation. “What does Serizawa actually say about me? Does he complain a lot? Is there any boss-stuff that he thinks I should be doing that I’m not? Or any not boss-stuff? Did he think it was weird when I-”
The ghost cut Reige off mid-question, looking horrified. “Oh no!! No way, I’m not dealing with two of you fools!”
The ghost snapped its fingers, and suddenly Reigen felt a horrible pressure around his whole body, like he was being squeezed and compressed, and an intense wave of vertigo drove him to his knees.
Serizawa’s gonna be so pissed I got myself killed like this, Reigen thought to himself, distanty. And who the hell is gonna help him find a new job?! I hope he thinks to ask Teru instead of Mob or Tome.
Eventually, much to Reigen’s surprise, the pain eased off, and then disappeared entirely, with Reigen very much not suddenly dead.
“Huh. Not quite what I meant to do. Close enough, I guess. Seeya!” Came the voice of the spirit. Reigen tried to glance up from the ground at it, but it seemed to have already disappeared.
Reigen gave a long, exhausted groan, and started trying to struggle to his feet. His limbs seemed to have no intention of working with him, though, and he looked down at his arms, wondering if he’d injured himself when he fell.
Instead of the cloth of his jacket that he’d been expecting to see, he found a paw covered in pristine white fur.
Whaaa… Reigen thought. He glanced between his arms (... paws?), and then at his chest and belly under him, all of which were covered in either white, orange, or black fur. He felt an odd twitch near his lower back. Not anything uncomfortable, but like moving a muscle he hadn’t noticed before.
‘Am I a dog now?!’ Reigen yelped, though the sound came out more of a Mrrrrp?!
Twisting around, Reigen checked behind himself, finding a long tail that tapered to a point. ‘No, apparently I’m a cat, now?! What the hell!’
With a full body shake, and the new limb arrangement in mind, Reigen tried once more to get to his feet. He was a bit wobbly, but being on four legs instead of two seemed to make balancing easier. Examining the fountain (much harder from his new, lower vantage point), he came to the conclusion that the ghost really had run off.
Sitting on his haunches, Reigen stared vacantly, mind blanking on what on earth he ought to do now. It’s not like he could just go home like this, he didn’t have any hands to open his front door with!
After an undetermined amount of time, Reigen distantly noted the sounds of footsteps behind him, along with an odd twitching feeling at the top of his head (were those his ears? Reigen distantly wondered).
The footsteps came to a halt nearby, and Reigen considered getting up to move out of the way, when a familiar voice called out.
“Hey there, pretty kitty.” Serizawa cooed. Reigen turned abruptly to face his employee, who was crouching down towards Reigen, hand extended for sniffing.
Ears and tail twitching instinctively, Reigen stepped hesitantly closer. From the pleased expression on Serizawa’s face (rather than any concern), it was clear the esper didn’t realize the cat in front of him was really his boss, who had been transformed against his will.
Coming to a stop in front of the proffered hand, Reigen delicately sniffed at it, noting the lingering scents of graphite and paper on top of Serizawa’s natural scent, before rubbing the side of his face against the hand.
He paused after completing the motion, bewildered at himself. What the hell am I doing?? And then moved to rub against the hand again, slightly higher this time, to get his temple rubbed at as well.
Ok, note to self. Cat instincts are waaaay stronger than your self-control. Reigen thought distantly.
“Aww, you’re such a sweet girl, aren’t you?” Serizawa cooed, looking nearly besotted.
Huh. Apparently Serizawa is a fan of cats. Then, the actual contents of what Serizawa said registered. ‘Hey, wait! Who are you calling a girl?!’ Reigen demanded, ears going back in disapproval. Unfortunately, the only thing that came out of his mouth was a huffy “Mrrrow!”
“What’s the matter, kitty?” Serizawa asked, a look of concern on his face. He started to hesitantly pull his hand back.
‘Wh- I didn’t say you had to stop!’ Reigen meowed grumpily, jolting forward to headbutt the hand before it could get away.
“Ah, you’re just a talkative sort, huh?” Serizawa mused, extending his hand again, and beginning to actively pet Reigen’s head and back. “I should have expected that, you are a calico, after all.”
The duo stayed there for several long minutes, Serizawa gently petting Reigen, until they were distracted by the sounds of a nearby bar closing for the night.
Serizawa pulled out his phone and checked the time. “Oh gosh, it got late fast.” He pocketed his phone again, gave one last rub to Reigen’s head, and slightly bowed his head. “Good night miss kitty, it was nice to meet you!” And with that, he stood, and began to stride away.
‘Wh- wait! Don’t leave me here!’ Reigen shouted, dashing to get in front of Serizawa again. Luckily, the man had paused at Reigen’s distressed meowing, or the newly-cat would have wound up underfoot.
Serizawa crouched down again, giving Reigen a quick pet before lightly pushing him to the side. “O-oh, I’m sorry miss kitty, but my apartment doesn’t allow cats. You can’t come with me.”
Reigen was not to be deterred though. Before Serizawa could get to his feet again, Reigen took a running leap, and grabbed desperately onto the esper’s jacket sleeve with his claws, yowling. ‘I am not streetcat material! As your boss, I order you to not leave me here!’
Serizawa hurriedly shoved a hand under Reigen’s hind feet, as the cat began to slide downwards from the force of gravity, forcing his claws to dig into flesh as well as cloth. “Oh, oh no. Please quiet down kitty.” Serizawa said, making gentle shushing noises.
After a moment, Reigen felt Serizawa’s aura gently surround his paws, and pull his claws free from the esper. Reigen mewled in despair, fully expecting to be carried further away with the aura and abandoned to the streets for the night. It was a surprise, then, when Serizawa instead shifted the cat until he was cradled to a warm chest, and stood back up, resuming his walk home.
“Hopefully Reigen can help me find a good home for you on Monday,” Serizawa mused, glancing down at Reigen. “You’ve gotta stay quiet at my apartment though, or the landlord will make me kick you out.”
Reigen nuzzled into Serizawa, relieved at not having to be alone and helpless in this state. His eyes drifted shut, soothed by the warmth and the gentle motion of being carried. Distantly, he became aware of something vibrating in his throat, ear twitching in confusion.
“Poor thing, you must have been really lonely, if you’re purring so hard at being carried by a stranger.” Serizawa muttered, lightly stroking his free hand across Reigen’s head from forehead to scruff. Reigen couldn’t help but doze off at the feeling.
Reigen awoke to the feeling of being placed on a couch, having apparently already arrived at Serizawa’s apartment. Serizawa was bustling about the place, muttering under his breath. Reigen caught phrases here and there (“-any litter, but maybe if I-”, “-even safe for cats to eat? I-”, and “-door closed, but it might be nice if-” amongst the snippets).
Eventually, Serizawa slowed, and wandered back to the couch, looking over Reigen consideringly. “Ah, I wonder if you’ve been fixed already. Is there anything I need to do special for a non-fixed cat?” Serizawa asked. Reigen just tilted his head.
Suddenly, Serizawa scooped Reigen up. “Can people tell by looking, if a cat is fixed?” Serizawa asked, peering at Reigen’s face, before flipping him around and looking under his tail. “OH!!! Huh. Well, you’re definitely not fixed, mister kitty.” Reigen grumbled, ears going sideways in embarrassment.
Serizawa turned Reigen back into a cuddle against his chest, stroking along his spine in apology. “Male calicos are pretty rare, from what I’ve read,” Serizawa told Reigen, rubbing behind an ear before resuming the pets down his spine.
Turning, Serizawa strode over to his tiny kitchen, placing Reigen down in a plastic tub full of shredded newspaper. “Now… how do I teach you about a litter box…” Serizawa asked, chewing on lis lip.
Reigen flinched, horrified by the idea of his subordinate trying to teach him how to use the bathroom. Thinking fast, he pawed lightly at the tub to catch Serizawa’s attention (who immediately looked panicked, reaching to block Reigen from jumping out), and then turned to give Serizawa his back, before squatting in the traditional pooping position. He froze for a moment, desperately hoping Serizawa would get the hint, and was greatly relieved when Serizawa tiptoed away to give him privacy.
Reigen started to relax, preparing to jump free of the make-shift litter box, when he abruptly realized he actually did need to pee. Grumbling mentally, he quickly took care of business, and then hurried out of the kitchen, desperate not to think about the fact that he’d just used a litter box.
Reigen entered the living space to find Serizawa sitting at his computer desk, click-clacking of a keyboard occasionally interrupted by the softer click of a computer mouse.
‘Hey, whatcha working on, Serizawa?’ Reigen asked, fruitlessly. ‘I might be able to help, ya know.’
The calico eyed the edge of the desk, trying to calculate how far of a jump it was from the ground. With a mental shrug, Reigen decided to just wing it, and let his feline instincts do the jumping.
With a delicate landing of his paws on the table, and a hard ‘oof’ as he immediately ran into Serizawa’s arm, Reigen attempted to examine what the computer screen was showing. ‘Are you shopping? Or looking something up? You seem like the kinda person who likes to look up reviews of stuff before you buy it.’
Unfortunately, it seemed his new eyes didn’t work as well on screens as his old ones did, and all he saw was a lot of fuzzy light. He stepped closer, hoping it would help resolve the image.
An arm moved in front of him, gently pushing him back towards the side of the desk. Reigen deftly hopped over it, and moved in front of the screen again.
‘If you’re shopping, I know some great websites for discounts! And all the best ways to figure out which reviews are fake. All the online stores are full of fake reviews from bots, you know.’ Reigen rambled, still attempting to figure out what was on the screen. He pivoted to look at Serizawa, planning to start a lecture on the many scams of online stores, when he suddenly found himself lifted into the air, Serizawa’s hands around his middle.
“You don’t make for a very good window, mister kitty,” Serizawa informed him solemnly.
With a soft sigh, Serizawa leaned back slightly, placing Reigen to lean against the esper’s chest, with Serizawa’s left hand placed under Reigen’s hind feet to ensure he didn’t slip. After waiting a moment to ensure Reigen would stay put, Serizawa returned his right hand to his keyboard. Typing more slowly now, he pressed a gentle kiss to Reigen’s forehead.
“I don’t suppose you have a preference on your name, mister kitty? It seems rude to keep just calling you ‘kitty’, after all,” Serizawa said.
‘Ha, I’ve already got a name.’ Reigen meowed back, tilting his head to the side ‘though, I guess you don’t have any way to know that. I’m gonna have to figure out how to tell you at some point though, or I’m not sure how I’m gonna get turned back to human.’
“Ah, is that so?” Serizawa asked with a smile. “Hmmm… I’m tempted to call you Taka, because you remind me of Reigen an awful lot. But it would be embarrassing to introduce you to him on Monday like that.”
Serizawa shifted his right hand between the keyboard and the mouse a few times, moving between links, before giving a thoughtful hum and checking his phone. “I hope Reigen’s ok. He never texted me back, and he’s usually pretty timely about that kind of thing…”
Serizawa shifted his head to look down at the cat sitting against him. “Reigen is my friend and also my boss. He’s… a very complicated but very good person, I think.” Serizawa said, giving a smile like he was sharing a secret. The expression shifted to a sadder type of smile then, as he continued, “I think if you asked him, he wouldn’t agree, though. He always seems to think the worst of himself.”
Reigen stared at him, tail twitching in discomfort. He was happy Serizawa thought well of him… but he did think Serizawa was looking at him with rose colored glasses. Here Reigen was, taking advantage of his employee’s kindness and generosity while the man was none the wiser, invading his privacy and breaking boundaries he didn’t give Serizawa a chance to set. This was nothing if not the very picture of deception, and since Serizawa knew nothing of it, he still thought the best of Reigen. Reigen felt his heart drop to a pit in his stomach, and he suddenly wondered if he ought to have slept on the street after all.
Serizawa, utterly unaware of this train of thought, continued rambling on about names, offering different ones to the calico to test his reaction. When none of them garnered more of a reaction than the perk of ears that accompanied anything Serizawa said, the esper sighed and gave up. “Maybe it’s better to not name you, anyway,” Serizawa concluded, “I’m probably not keeping you, after all. It wouldn’t be wise to get used to having company if I’m just going to give you away in a few days.”
Reigen couldn’t help but think Serizawa looked sad at the thought, and wondered if the esper was lonely. The older man kept pretty busy, between work and classes and occasionally hanging out with Reigen or the kids. But maybe Reigen ought to try inviting him out more often. Or over for a movie or dinner or something.
“I’m surprised you aren’t begging for food right now,” Serizawa mused to the calico. Which caused Reigen to actually think about the state of his stomach, and realize he hadn’t eaten dinner yet, and was actually quite hungry.
‘Why did you have to say that?!’ Reigen complained loudly. ‘Now I’m hungry, and I’m too comfy to move. You had better take responsibility for this!’
Serizawa laughed softly at the yowling, “Ah, does that mean you actually do want food, and you were just being polite before?”
The esper stood, carefully using his right hand to ensure Reigen didn’t tip off of him from the movement, and moved them both to the kitchen. “I guess I ought to eat some dinner too.” Serizawa used his powers to open the fridge door for him, and peered inside. “Maybe I’ll make fish…that way you can have some too!”
Setting Reigen down on the counter and warning him not to get near the stove, Serizawa pulled out the fish and some vegetables, and started preparing the meal, carefully keeping the fish for Reigen safely away from any and all seasonings in an effort to make sure he didn’t accidentally poison the cat.
Reigen had to admit that, while Serizawa was a bit clumsy with inexperience, and could probably be a bit more inventive with his spices, the epser seemed to be a much better cook than Reigen had been expecting. He watched the careful focus the older man used whenever handling a knife, and the quiet pride at each successful step of the recipe. Reigen wondered if Serizawa had taken a cooking class, or just looked up advice on Mobgle and Mobtube.
He was surprised by a sudden pang of… he wasn’t sure what emotion. Longing maybe? At the fact that Reigen himself hadn’t been involved in Serizawa’s learning. Reigen tried to examine the emotion, not understanding why it was there, it’s not like he especially loved to cook. Still, something about it felt like when he tried to ask Serizawa out for drinks, only to be told the esper already had plans. Like a missed opportunity for something… undefinable.
Reigen was distracted from his thoughts as he was lifted from the counter, and carried over to the coffee table by the couch instead. A dish with his fish dinner was placed on the table next to him (courtesy of Serizawa’s aura), and Serizawa himself sat on the couch with his own dish, which included both fish and veggies.
Serizawa turned on the tv, and set it to stream some mech anime that Reigen had never heard of before. It had good animation though, and the commentary Serizawa provided while they watched was more than amusing to make up for being dropped into the show in the middle of the season. Reigen didn’t even notice how much time had passed, dinner long since finished, until Serizawa dozed off in the middle of a sentence.
Reigen jumped to the couch and examined Serizawa, checking to make sure the man had actually fallen asleep, before delicately using a single claw to press the pause button on the remote. He then nudged it to the other side of the couch, to ensure the play button wouldn’t get pressed again while they were sleeping.
Reigen gave a yawn (surprisingly satisfying, yawning with a cat’s wider jaw), and considered his options as to where to sleep. The professional thing to do would be to move to the side of the couch opposite of Serizawa, keeping his distance from the older man. He’d have to fess up to having been a cat eventually, and it would be easier if there were no embarrassing liberties taken in the meantime.
On the other hand… Reigen had to admit it had been incredibly soothing to be curled against Serizawa’s chest earlier. The esper was incredibly warm and sturdy, his presence reassuring in a way Reigen didn’t think he was ready to admit to. And… it’s been so long since he’s been allowed to spend so much time so close to another person.
Well, he could always claim the instincts made him do it, Reigen supposed, and he moved closer, curling into a ball on the couch next to Serizawa, head pillowed against Serizawa’s hip. Reigen quickly warmed in the space, caught between the esper’s body heat and the way the fabric of the couch bounced his own warmth back at him, and between one breath and the next, the calico fell asleep with a purr.
Saturday passed quietly. It seemed to be Serizawa’s chore day, as - according to the rambling story he gave to Reigen during breakfast - he usually spent the morning cleaning, and the afternoon working on homework he hadn’t finished during the previous week. Reigen found himself mostly just sitting nearby wherever Serizawa placed himself, soaking in the quiet companionship.
It reminded Reigen of quiet afternoons at the office, when Reigen would busy himself with paperwork and Serizawa would study or complete his homework. But this, with the quiet, homey atmosphere, the knowledge that clients would (obviously) not be interrupting, the intimacy of someone else’s living space… it felt like more. It felt like something Reigen hadn’t known he wanted so badly.
While taking a break after sweeping the floors, Serizawa suddenly admitted to the ceiling, “I kind of want to invite Reigen over, and show him my apartment.”
The esper turned to face the calico, “Do you think he’d be proud of me, for being able to manage an apartment? Or would he think it’s childish that I find it challenging?”
‘Of course I’m proud of you!,’ Reigen scolded, ‘But more importantly, you should be proud of yourself! Taking care of an apartment is no easy feat, and you’ve come a long way from where you started.’
That evening, Serizawa rewarded himself for the successful completion of his to-do list with another binging of anime episodes. This time, it was one Reigen had seen before, but hadn’t particularly cared for. When Serizawa started it up, Reigen thought he would be bored. But listening to Serizawa’s commentary about it, the things that the esper liked about it and the theories he had on the plot, made the show far more interesting than before, and Reigen found himself drawn in.
After a few episodes, Serizawa began to yawn, and he turned the tv off, turning towards his bedroom. He paused in the doorway, turning to look at Reigen, who remained curled on the couch.
“Ah, I’ll leave the door open, if you wanna sleep on my bed with me,” Serizawa said with a gentle smile, before continuing on to get ready for bed.
Reigen blinked, startled at the offer, before he reminded himself that Serizawa thought he was just a stray cat, not a human being. Reigen considered the offer for all of half a second before nuzzling back down into the couch. Sleeping next to Serizawa while they were both sitting on the couch was one thing, but sharing the man’s bed while Serizawa was unaware of who Reigen was? Even a conman like Reigen knew that would be a step too far.
Reigen tried to fall asleep, but after a day of mostly just sitting around and napping, the calico wasn’t particularly tired. So, Reigen listened to Serizawa as he brushed his teeth, changed into pajamas, and got into bed. He continued to listen as Serizawa’s breath deepened in sleep. He was still listening when, hours later, that breath stuttered, a low whine of fear threading through. He forced himself to stay still and listen, as several small objects started shaking in place, and eventually began to float in the air.
But he could not bear to only sit and listen, when the quiet of the apartment was broken by a sob.
Dashing to the esper’s room, Reigen barely managed to jump onto the bed before he, too, began to float. Thinking fast, the calico carefully, delicately threaded the claws of one paw into the espers pajamas, making certain to keep the points away from soft skin.
Using the other paw, he started tapping at Serizawa’s face, trying to rouse him. ‘Hey. Hey! Serizawa, wake up! You’re having a nightmare!’
Distantly, Reigen was aware that his words were unlikely to have any effect. He was currently a cat, after all, the only sounds coming out of his mouth were mewls and yowls, no matter what he said. Still, words had always been his strongest tool, so when he inevitably floated just out of reach of Serizawa’s face, he continued to talk.
‘Serizawa! It’s ok, you’re ok. You’re having a nightmare, but everything is alright. I’m right here, you're not alone. Please wake up, Katusya…’
Reigen wasn’t sure how long he talked for, but eventually, Serizawa woke up with a start. Everything that had been floated suddenly dropped, including Reigen, who dropped heavily onto Serizawa’s chest, forcing the breath from the espers lungs.
“Oh god! I made you float in my sleep… are you ok?” Serizawa fussed, checking Reigen over, “Please be ok! I knew I shouldn’t have brought an animal home, I’m so irresponsible! I’m way too dangerous to be allowed pets. I could have killed you!”
Serizawa was clearly spiraling, tears dripping down his eyes with fear of something that hadn’t come even close to happening. Reigen was perfectly fine, he didn’t have a scratch on him, but he wasn’t sure how to make Serizawa see that.
Once again relying heavily on his new instincts, Reigen leaned up to Serizawa’s face, with a paw on his shoulder, and delicately nuzzled at his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. The fur on his face was getting damp with tears, but Serizawa gave a quiet giggle and finally stopped saying awful things about himself, so Reigen counted it as a win.
Serizawa hugged his arms around Reigen’s middle, pressing a kiss to his furry face. “... I’m really glad you’re here, kitty,” Serizawa admitted, tiredly. Reigen only purred in response, and the two drifted slowly back to sleep.
The next morning saw Reigen mostly left to his own devices, as Serizawa entertained himself putting a gunpla together. Unfortunately, there wasn’t really anything for Reigen to do in an apartment that wasn’t fitted for a cat, as Serizawa didn’t have any cat toys, or perches by a window, or scratching posts, or… well. Anything that could entertain Reigen for more than a few seconds.
For a lack of anything else to do, and feeling like he was going to start climbing the walls otherwise, Reigen jumped onto a nearby bookshelf full of knick knacks, with intent to examine them. The items were all fairly small. Mostly figurines and completed gunpla, a few models of video game characters, and a handful of miscellaneous items that Reigen guessed had been gifts from people who weren’t otherwise certain what to get Serizawa. Probably classmates, Reigen guessed, examining a stuffed bear that had a cardboard book sewn to its hands.
The bear was awfully close to the edge of the shelf, it was a good thing it was a plush and not something more solid, Reigen mused to himself absently. Honestly, Serizawa ought to know better than to keep things so close to the edge of furniture. What if his powers went out of whack, or an earthquake happened, or-
Reigen’s paw suddenly reached out and batted the bear off the side of the ledge, causing it to plop to the ground. Reigen blinked at it, confused (he… hadn’t intended to do that), and then at Serizawa, checking to make sure he hadn’t seen the calico do that. Thankfully the esper was still focused on his task, ignorant of the cat’s mischief.
Ah well. No harm no foul, Reigen supposed. At least it was the stuffed bear, and not the far more entertaining-looking Hatsune Miku or the girl with the orange hair, those would be-
Whoops, and there went Miku, clattering loudly to the ground. Serizawa’s head jerked up at the sound, chair spinning wildly to face Reigen. Upon seeing the two items on the ground, and the cat on the shelf, Serizawa took a deep slow breath, hand going to his chest.
‘Ah, I startled you pretty bad, huh? Sorry about that.’ Reigen meowed, feeling sheepish. Serizawa used his aura to float the items onto a shelf higher up. “Please don’t knock those down, kitty. Some of them are breakable.” He then started to turn back to the gunpla he was working on, but stopped mid-turn. He frowned thoughtfully at the bookcase, and then a few more items (the most breakable things on the shelf) gently floated themselves from the shelf Reigen was sat on to the topmost shelf.
With a nod of satisfaction, Serizawa turned and resumed his work. Only to turn to face Reigen again when another figurine clattered to the ground. Serizawa frowned, looking distinctly unimpressed.
‘This is why you shouldn’t keep things so close to the edge of furniture.’ Reigen insisted with a yowl, ignoring the fact that if he weren’t knocking them down, there wouldn’t be any problem. He swiped another figurine off, only for it to stop mid-air, held aloft by the esper’s aura. Well… that was deeply unsatisfying.
Acting purely off instinct, Reigen felt his back end give a couple wiggles, and he launched himself at the hovering figurine. Unfortunately for the calico, feline instincts don’t tend to account for psychic powers, and the figurine shot upwards, safely out of reach on the top shelf, leaving Reigen as the one to clatter to the floor instead. Reigen sat dazedly on the floor, staring uncomprehendingly at the figurine’s new location.
Reigen’s attention was recaptured by the peal of laughter that broke free from Serizawa at the sight, eyes crinkling and face going red with the force of his laughter. Serizawa raised a hand to press helplessly at the side of his face, gasping for breath between further waves of giggles. It was the most beautiful thing Reigen had ever seen, and he couldn’t drag his eyes away from the expression of pure, unrestrained joy in front of him.
“You’re lucky you're cute.” Serizawa informed him, as he fought to calm his giggles
‘I think I love you.’ Reigen replied, stars in his eyes.
Were Reigen currently human, Serizawa’s blush would have quickly shifted from mirth to shock, and there would have been a terribly awkward conversation as two awkward idiots tried to talk about their feelings. But since Reigen was currently a cat, all Serizawa heard was a quiet “Mrp.”, and the confession went totally unheard by its recipient.
Sighing through a last few giggles, Serizawa decided he’d hit a good stopping point with his gunpla, and put together a tuna sandwich for lunch, setting some of the fish aside for Reigen to eat. Reigen followed along blankly, still startled by his revelation.
After they had both finished eating, Serizawa consulted his fridge, and then his pantry, before finally pulling a piece of paper off the front of the fridge. He turned to Reigen, and informed him seriously, “I have to go grocery shopping. Please don’t destroy the apartment while I’m gone?”
Reigen bristled slightly, offended at the implication, as if he hadn’t knocked several things off a shelf out of boredom less than an hour ago. ‘Hey, I am a perfectly behaved houseguest!’
“If you behave, I’ll buy you a catnip toy,” Serizawa offered. Reigen sat on his haunches and began to daintily groom his face. “Good, it’s a deal,” Serizawa announced. And off he went, out the door.
The house felt colder, somehow, without Serizawa around. More quiet and lonely, too. Reigen thought he’d hardly notice the older man was gone, given that Reigen normally lives alone anyway. But…
For a lack of anything else to do, and not feeling up to any shenanigans if there wasn’t an audience to perform for, Reigen decided to search out the best possible spot for a nap. He considered the couch, which was definitely a strong contender, but eventually wandered into Serizawa’s bedroom again, where he noticed a sunspot in the middle of the bed. He settled into it with a sigh; between the warmth of the sun and the way the sheets smelled like Serizawa, Reigen could almost pretend the older man was still lying here next to him…
Reigen awoke from his nap to the sound of a digital click, and Serizawa’s quiet laughter. He glanced up to see the esper taking a picture of him with his phone, and then realized he’d been laying on his back, limbs akimbo in the center of the bed. Reigen hastily clambered to his feet (ignoring Serizawa’s sigh of disappointment), and jumped off the bed, dashing back to the living room to flee his embarrassment, the sound of Serizawa’s laughter following him out of the room.
Serizawa came to sit on the couch as well, but instead of turning on the tv, he pulled out his phone, tapping through some screens that Reigen couldn’t see. The esper sighed again, a sound of disappointment this time, before leaning back against the couch.
“Reigen still hasn’t responded yet… this isn’t like him.” Serizawa announced to the air. “I don’t know what to do. What if he’s gotten hurt somehow? What if he needs help?”
‘I mean, I wish I could answer you, but even if I could read a screen to see what I’m writing, I don’t think these paws are coordinated enough to type something out.’ Reigen told him.
“Maybe I should try asking Shigeo-kun if he’s heard from Reigen.” Serizawa mused, before tapping on his phone again, and putting it to his ear.
“Good afternoon, Shigeo-kun. I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”
Reigen couldn’t quite hear the response, but the tone sounded vaguely friendly.
“Ah, I’ll make this quick then. Have you heard from Reigen-san this weekend?”
There was a short response, which Reigen thought started with a “no”. Which made sense, he hadn’t talked to Mob since Wednesday the previous week.
“Oh, uh, it’s just… he texted me Friday evening with a question, and he never responded back after I answered. I even texted a few more times to follow up, but he just… never answered again.”
Reigen thought he heard something about his parents that time? He considered that, and mentally shrugged in agreement. Yeah, in the few times that Mob had tried to contact him and Reigen hadn’t answered, it was usually because he’d gotten stuck dealing with his parents, and it’d put him in a bad enough mood he was worried he’d wind up snapping at the kid for no reason. It was a fair theory for this weekend too, even if it was an incorrect one.
“Ah, I didn’t realize. Reigen-san doesn’t talk about his family much, does he?”
If Mob responded to that, it was too quiet for Reigen to pick up at all.
“Alright, well, thank you for your advice! I’ll let you get back to your friends. Enjoy your weekend!”
And with that, Serizawa hung up the phone. He turned back to Reigen, lightly scritching behind his ears.
“I guess I just need to be patient and wait until tomorrow,” Serizawa said.
‘Mmm. And I guess tomorrow I need to figure out how to tell you that I’m me’ Reigen meowed, resting his head on his front paw.
“I wonder what Reigen’s favorite food is,” Serizawa suddenly said later that evening, while preparing dinner. “He eats a lot of ramen and takoyaki, but I don’t know if that’s because he likes it, or because it’s fast and cheap.”
Later, when they were watching tv before bed,“I wonder how hard it is to make takoyaki,” Serizawa mused sleepily.
At night, Reigen followed Serizawa to his bedroom, wary of the esper having another nightmare. As such, he easily heard the esper whisper out, “I hope I see Arataka tomorrow. I’m worried about him… I miss him.”
And quietly, unable to stop himself, Reigen responded, ‘I hope you see me too. There’s a lot I want… to say to you.’
All too soon, it was Monday morning, and Serizawa was fidgeting anxiously in the Spirits and Such office at the way Reigen failed to appear when the office opened. Well… Reigen was there, sitting on the couch, but he was still a cat, so Serizawa didn’t know that.
To Serizawa’s credit, he did try to stay calm. He made several attempts to call Reigen’s cell phone, and even made a quick trip to Reigen’s apartment (which he left Reigen-the-cat at the office for). When he came back, looking more anxious than ever, he left the sign on the door flipped to closed, and stifled a sob against his palm.
“What am I going to do if something happened to him?” Serizawa cried, crumpling to the floor in the middle of the room.
Reigen appreciated the concern, but something about this reaction felt a little extreme. It was too much to just be from someone worried about the prospect of suddenly being unemployed, and Reigen didn’t think he understood it.
…or, maybe Reigen was just afraid to face the understanding. His thoughts were forcibly dragged to the conversation with the ghost that started this whole mess, who demanded he ask Serizawa out so the ghost wouldn’t have to listen to the man’s pinning anymore. He remembered the way Serizawa mentioned wanting to share his interests with Reigen, wanted to cook for Reigen, missed Reigen after only a weekend apart.
He forced himself to stop being willfully blind, and considered every time they’d gone out for lunch or dinner or drinks. Every time Serizawa asked for his help with a new facet of adult life. Every time Serizawa stood protectively in front of Reigen, defending him from ghosts and unruly clients alike.
Every time they sat together in a quiet office, and Serizawa looked at Reigen and smiled, when he thought Reigen wasn’t looking.
‘Oh. Oh. You… Serizawa, do you like me?’ Reigen asked.
And just as he did, he felt an odd stretching, pulling weightlessness, followed by an intense wave of vertigo. And then he was on the floor, limbs akimbo, but undeniably human.
Unfortunately, given how long it had taken him to have his second earth-shattering revelation of the week, Serizawa was now so worked up that he, along with most of the small items in the office, was hovering in mid-air, surrounded by gusting winds like the start of a mini-tornado.
“Well that’s not good,” Reigen remarked dryly. He ran forward, and made a jump for Serizawa, just managing to grab the esper’s sleeve before the wild aura grabbed him and made him start floating towards the ceiling.
“Serizawa! It’s ok, you’re ok. Everything is alright. I’m right here, you're not alone.” Reigen yelled, trying to be heard over the aura-whipped wind. “Please wake up! Katusya!”
With a gasp, Serizawa came to, and everything dropped to the ground. Including Reigen and Serizawa, with Reigen landing on top of an unfortunate Serizawa’s chest, knocking the breath from his lungs.
“Ugh… that was less painful when I was a cat,” Reigen groaned.
“C-cat?!” Serizawa gasped, still trying to catch his breath back.
Reigen gave an awkward laugh, and strongly considered making a run for it. The office was already closed for the day, right? What would one more day off hurt???
As if he sensed the path Reigen’s thoughts had taken, Serizawa reached out and grabbed tight to the back of Reigen’s jacket (Reigen hoped his clothes had just ceased to exist when he was a cat, and didn’t smell like he’d been wearing them for 3 days straight).
“Wh-where have you been?!” Serizawa demanded, leaning forward against his elbows, eyes a bit wild.
“So, uh… you know your friend, the ghost of Parsnip Fountain?” Reigen started, rubbing awkwardly at the back of his head.
“Y-yeah?” Serizawa confirmed, looking incredibly confused.
“So, uh, turns out he got tired of listening to you pine? His words, not mine. And then I might have asked him some questions about you? And he got really irritated. And then he turned me into a cat.” Reigen rambled, eyes darting between Serizawa and any place that wasn’t Serizawa.
“Wh- you… cat? The calico???” Serizawa asked, blush rapidly taking over his face. Reigen nodded sheepishly. “Oh my god… this is so embarrassing… I said so much dumb stuff!” Serizawa whimpered, covering his face with his hand.
Feeling bold after everything that had happened, Reigen leaned forward, “For the record, takoyaki is my favorite food. And I can teach you an easy recipe for it that tastes better than the restaurant near here.”
“Oh?” Serizawa confirmed, looking back at Reigen.
“Mhm… also, I should probably mention…” Reigen paused, almost losing his nerve, but forcing himself onward “I really really like you, Serizawa.”
“Katsuya.” Serizawa blurted out, before stammering, “Uh, call me Katsuya. Please? I, um, I really like you too. And you called me Katsuya earlier, and I really like that too. So, uh. Please?”
“Katsuya,” Reigen repeated with a hum. “Alright. Then it’s only fair if you call me Arataka, isn’t it?”
“Arataka,” Serizawa agreed with a sigh, stars in his eyes.
“God, even now that you’re not pining, you guys are still gross,” came a familiar and very unwelcome voice.
Reigen and Serizawa both spun to find the ghost from the fountain hovering near the office door.
“I felt the curse on blondie break, so I figured either one of you got hit by a clue-by-four, or one of you died. Figured I’d come by and figure out which.” The ghost drawled.
Serizawa raised an aura-clad hand threateningly in the ghost's direction. “Ah, not in the mood for a chat, gotcha. Bye!” the ghost said, and scampered off.
“Man, that ghost is annoying,” Reigen complained with a huff.
“Ah, yeah. Bit of a mood killer, huh?” Serizawa mumbled, sounding disappointed, before starting to move away. Reigen grabbed the edge of his sleeve.
“Hey, I didn’t say that. I’m pretty sure we were about to kiss, and I am more than happy to go back to that.” Reigen stated, before hesitantly continuing, “...unless you changed your mind. Obviously. We don’t have to do anything if you don’t wa-”
Reigen was interrupted by Serizawa suddenly grabbing his face with both hands, and planting his lips on Reigen. He missed a little, winding up kissing mostly just Reigen’s upper lip in his haste. But Reigen palmed the side of Serizawa’s head, gentling the kiss and directing them to a more proper angle. And then there was nothing but the gentle slide of warm lips and small gasps panted against hot skin.
Eventually, the two broke apart for air.
“We should do that more often,” Reigen announced dazedly.
“Yeah?” Serizawa asked, with a sly grin, looking rather pleased. Reigen nodded rapidly, almost knocking himself over in his haste. He moved to go back in for another kiss, but was interrupted by a loud gurgling coming from his stomach.
“Maybe we should get some lunch, first,” Serizawa suggested with a grin.
“Sounds like a date,” Reigen promised, grabbing the older man by the hand, and dragging him to the door.