Work Text:
Reigen stumbled out of the taxi, tossing cash at the cabbie with a grunt. Man, he should NOT have had that second lemon sour. He wobbled his way toward the stairs that lead to his apartment when suddenly he stopped and looked at the sidewalk. There lay a little worm. Toward one end was a clump of dirt that looked...familiar.
With a gasp he drops to the ground, eye hovering an inch over the worm. "MOBBU?! IS THAT YOU??"
He scoops up the Mob worm into his hands, squinting at it. "Oh my god, Mob...We're gonn- We're gonna figure this out, lil buddy!" His eyes water. "And if we don't, I'll still love you as a worm! Your Shishou will get a nice tank and fill it with the best dirt and, and--" He sobs in earnest.
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The worm in his hands wiggles.
"I know," Reigen says earnestly. "We'll figure it out. I promise you." He then stands and carries the small creature that is his disciple into his apartment and places him on the table. "We, uh... are you thirsty? Do worms get thirsty?"
He staggers into his small kitchen and fills a glass of water before returning to the table, placing it next to the squirming worm. Then he stands for a moment, observing as the worm taps one end against the glass.
"You..." Reigen's voice wobbles, and he collapses once more to his knees, throwing his head back. "YOU CAN'T! WHAT KIND OF IDIOT AM I, OF COURSE YOU CAN'T DRINK FROM A GLASS! YOU'RE A WORM!"
He heaves a shuddering sob, and then another one, in and out and in and out into hyperventilation until he hears a quiet tap against the ground. He looks down and sees that Mob-worm has squirmed his way off of the table, and is trying to writhe towards himself.
"Of course," Reigen says. "What was I thinking? I'm so sorry you had to see that. Of course we'll- of course we'll figure this out. I... I'll call Serizawa."
Reigen pulls out his phone, dialing clumsily for the other man. Serizawa picks up quickly.
"HE'S A WORM!" Reigen yells into the receiver. "Mob, he's turned into a worm!"
"...Are you drunk?" Serizawa asks.
"Yes, but that's beside the point," Reigen says. "Mob is a WORM and you have to help me help him!" Mob-worm pokes Reigen's leg. Reigen's lip wobbles. "He's scared, Serizawa. Please help us."
"Are you..." Serizawa pauses. "Are... you sure that it's Mob? And not... just a worm?"
"I'M POSITIVE!" Reigen cries. "ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE!"
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The work wriggles again, a little lost on the slickness of the tile.
Reigen turns, choking back a sob. “He’s just….. he’s so LITTLE, how could it not be Mob??? And he’s quiet and a bit silly and…. and….”
A cry escapes this time.
Reigen bends down to scoop up the little guy, pressing his phone between his shoulder and his ear.
“……”
Deafening silence from Serizawa.
“… Well…. um. Do you have any dirt?? I’ll come over and try to help. Just. Hang in there, Okay?”
A click. Serizawa is gone.
Reigen turns wildly towards the fern on his window sill, worm mob still in his hands.
Of course!! Dirt!!!
He rushes over, and dumps the plant out, hurriedly placing the worm into the…. hm. Very dry dirt.
Ah!!!
With a stumble, and a slight- he thinks- knock against the table, Reigen grabs the water from the counter and nearly falls over trying to pour it into the dirt.
A knock.
“Oh!!!!!! Heyyyyy!!!!”
Reigen flings open the door, eyes red and face flushed a dark peach.
Serizawa looks him over and sighs. “Okay. Where is he.”
Reigen blubbers and gestures wildly toward the puddle of dirt next to his window.
Serizawa approaches cautiously, and then stops.
Sighs again.
“Reigen.”
He hiccups, distraught. “Yeah???”
“This…. this is just a worm, sweetheart.”
Sniff.
“…Oh. ….. Really…?”
“Yeah, hun. Let’s…. let’s get you to bed.”