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Celebrating one's birthday is always a source of happiness for any child or teen. Most agree.
Serizawa did not. He used to be very excited when he was nothing but a toddler, and his mother baked him a cake to celebrate. He would wake early to receive gifts that usually consisted of plushies and toys. Then his mother would take him to the park for a couple of hours, and she would try to play his favorite videogame with him before going to bed. It was a simple thing to do, but it made Serizawa happy.
But since he had started high school, things were different. For the first time, Serizawa had experienced what loneliness was. Being surrounded by so many people he didn't know was overwhelming. On top of that, most of his classmates had nothing in common with him, and he often found himself isolated from the group. Some of them enjoyed being mean to others, including him. Serizawa used to escape them as much as possible, but it didn't mean he could avoid them forever.
His birthdays were no longer fun. They had turned into ordinary days, running home from school to hide from the world in his room.
Serizawa stopped in a corner. It was raining, and he wanted to go home as soon as possible, but there was no way he could make it without getting soaked. He sighed, and he waited for a couple of hours.
When he finally made it, it was already evening. His feet were drenched from accidentally stepping in several puddles, but at least he had managed to keep the rest of his clothes dry. Serizawa reached the door, and he put the key in the lock. He could smell dinner from the hall, and he rushed to get inside.
"Happy birthday, Katsuya." His mother's sweet voice greeted him when he stepped into the house. The feeling of relief was immediate.
Serizawa hugged her without saying a word. He was exhausted and wanted to sleep, but he also wanted to make his mother happy. Skipping dinner wasn't a good idea.
"Why don't you rest for a while? Dinner will be ready soon, but you should take a warm bath first. I'll call you when I'm done, okay?"
Maternal instinct, Serizawa thought. She probably knew it hadn't been a good day without even asking.
Serizawa climbed the stairs to his room, then dropped himself on the bed. Why did he have to go out of his bedroom? Life was much easier on the inside: no spiteful people, no complicated relationships, and no one to hurt him in any possible way.
He heard a soft tap on his window and tilted his head. Maybe it had started to rain again. However, he quickly dismissed the idea when he heard it again after several seconds. Serizawa stood up and opened the window.
"It took you long enough!"
Serizawa smiled. He had just remembered why he still went outside the house despite the cruelty of the outside world.
Reigen's hair color was flashy enough to draw everyone's attention. Blonde was not a typical hair color in Japan, but Reigen used to insist and say his hair color was natural. Serizawa didn't mind that much. It reminded him of a wheat field and the sunlight that greeted him in the mornings. They used to wait for each other when classes were over for the day and walk home together even though they attended different schools. Reigen warmed Serizawa's heart with his presence. Their time together was never enough, and Serizawa always longed for more.
Reigen waved a hand at him.
"Arataka, what are you doing here?" Serizawa was delighted to see him.
"You disappeared today. I waited for you at the usual spot, but you didn't."
"Sorry. It was raining, and I thought you were already gone."
"It's a joke, isn't it?" Reigen pointed at him. He almost looked offended. "I would never leave without you."
Serizawa blushed and looked away, trying to hide his stupid crush on his best friend. He felt so silly he wanted to hide under the covers and disappear until the next day.
"Anyways," Reigen said, approaching the window. He still had some stones in his hand, the ones he had used to hit Serizawa's window, "I want you to come with me."
"I can't go right now. It's too late and my mother's cooking dinner. She won't be pleased if I tell her I'm leaving now."
"Don't." Reigen stated. He had a mischievous smile on his face. "It will only take a few minutes, okay? Just jump out of that window."
"Are you crazy?" Serizawa yelped, immediately covering his mouth with his hand. He didn't want to scare his mother. He looked behind him out of paranoia, but his door was still locked.
"You've got psychic powers. It shouldn't be that difficult," Reigen blinked.
"I'm not jumping out of a second-floor window, Arataka!"
"Please. Pretty pretty, please. Please, please, please-"
"Okay, okay!" Serizawa almost felt guilty. He reprimanded himself for being so weak to Reigen's pleas. "Just give me a moment, okay?"
Serizawa discovered jumping out of the window was the easiest part. His powers didn't respond well to him, and he barely managed to slow down the fall with his telekinesis. He awkwardly grabbed one of the branches that grew next to his room from the garden's house, but it proved futile. The branch was too weak to resist, and Serizawa fell flat on his face. He heard Reigen laugh.
"Yeah, okay. Very funny." Serizawa complained.
"I'm sorry. Can you walk?" Reigen chuckled but grabbed his wrist and pulled him down the street without waiting for an answer.
Reigen guided him under the streetlights until they reached a tiny park. The streets were quite lonely at that time, but Serizawa had enjoyed the walk. Reigen rushed to the closest tree and pulled out a box he had previously hidden under the bushes. He handed it to Serizawa with a proud smile on his face.
"What is this?"
"Your birthday present. You didn't think I forgot, didn't you?"
Serizawa opened it and pulled a framed photo of them. They took it a couple of years ago when they were still fourteen. They had struggled with the camera, but they managed to take the photo in the end, even if the result was a bit funny. Serizawa smiled fondly at the memory. At the bottom of the box, Reigen had left several Pokemon figurines.
"Where did you get those? It must've been difficult to find them."
"It doesn't matter," Reigen gestured, looking at Serizawa. His eyes were shining with anticipation. "Do you like them?"
"Yeah, I love them. The photo doesn't look bad either." Serizawa nodded several times, and Reigen giggled. "Thank you, Arataka."
"Don't mention it."
Reigen grabbed the box again and left it on the ground. Serizawa opened his mouth to ask, but Reigen was faster.
"I have another thing for you, but you must close your eyes."
"What?"
Reigen looked oddly nervous, and Serizawa felt the urge to obey to avoid making him more anxious. Reigen suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing them to look each other in the eyes. Serizawa blushed wildly, not knowing where to hide. If he looked at Reigen for one more second, there was no way he could conceal his infatuation.
"Close your eyes," Reigen stressed, almost pushing him down. "You'll ruin the surprise."
Serizawa obliged. Anxiety was contagious, and he already felt it crawling up his neck.
"Are you ready?"
Serizawa nodded, and Reigen leaned forward.
At first, the kiss was nothing but a brush of Reigen's lips against his. Almost like a question, as if his friend was asking him permission to continue. Serizawa opened his eyes, startled, but he didn't get off. Instead, he froze in his place, and Reigen eventually pulled back, his eyes wide open. He looked so embarrassed he didn't dare meet Serizawa's gaze.
And Serizawa realized he hadn't kissed him back. Reigen probably thought he had just ruined their friendship forever, and he would either run away or start apologizing. Serizawa was having none of it.
Serizawa was terrible at feelings, but he was sure about one thing. He loved Reigen.
"Katsuya, I'm so- hmpff."
Serizawa swiftly slid his right arm behind Reigen's waist, forcing him to stay still. His touch was solid but tender and loving at the same time. He clumsily kissed him before letting him finish his sentence, and Reigen let out a surprised whine. Still, he didn't pull back. Instead, he leaned back and wrapped his fingers in Serizawa's hair. A wild feeling of euphoria took hold of Serizawa, and he placed his free hand on Reigen's nape, pulling him impossibly closer. Kissing Reigen was as easy as loving him, but it was a thousand times more addictive. It felt like a roller-coaster ride.
Serizawa parted Reigen's lips and slid his tongue between them. He tasted sweet, like a promise of love. Serizawa wanted everything he could take. He tilted his head to the side, deepening the kiss. He wanted more; he wanted-
Reigen's hands moved to his shoulders, pushing him back. Startled, Serizawa reluctantly broke the kiss. His lips burned like fire, and his heart beat so wildly he could hear it inside his ears. Reigen's hair looked disheveled, and Serizawa's fingers itched to touch him again.
"Katsuya, wait-" Reigen whispered. He was totally out of breath.
"I'm sorry." Serizawa was suddenly pulled back to reality. He panicked. "Was it too much?" Serizawa let go of him immediately, but Reigen grabbed him by the hand.
"No, it was perfect. I was not expecting..." Reigen laughed and gave him a sheepish smile. Serizawa had to fight the urge to kiss him again. "But... would it be okay to go a bit slower?"
"Yeah. I'd like that."
Reigen leaned on him, pressing his cheek against his chest.
"Happy birthday, Katsuya." He had a smile on his face, but even surrounded by darkness, Serizawa could see Reigen was blushing deeply.
"I love you, Arataka."
Birthdays weren't a bad thing after all.