Work Text:
"My girl Liddy used to always smoke
Cigarettes when she couldn’t sleep
She’d disappear for an hour and a half
And when she’d come back she’d brush her teeth"
The faint scent of cigarettes lingered in the air as you sat down next to Reigen, your fingers locked together. The dim lights of the city provided a sense of, what was it… solace; shielding you both from the chaos outside your personal bubbles.
"But I could still smell it on her raggedy tee
And I could taste it on her lips when we kiss
Poor little Liddy used to always quit
But she never really quit
She’d just say she did"
Your gaze wandered to Reigen’s lips, your mind flooding with memories of stolen kisses and bittersweet exchanges. Despite his attempts to quit, he always came back to the office with a cigarette in his hand.
"Cigarettes, cigarettes, out the window
Cigarettes, cigarettes out the window
Cigarettes, cigarettes out the window
Cigarettes, cigarettes out the window"
Your hand had unconsciously brushed against Reigen’s cheek, and he jolted at the sudden touch. Sooner or later though, he leaned into you, embracing the fleeting nature of your connection, like smoke fading and wisping away at the night sky.
"My girl Liddy used to always smoke
Cigarettes when she couldn’t sleep
I wonder what she did when she got done
I guess she’d just flick them out into the street"
In the quiet moments between shared glances, you can’t help but wonder about the secrets below Reigen’s confident, suave personality. You just imagine a tired man, under all those layers of smiles and grins, smoking the night away, cigarette embers floating through the streets, a release from the burdens that weighed him down.
"Poor little Liddy, she wishes it was dark
But it’s never really dark in L.A.
The light from the billboard always shines
But it changed twelve times since you went away"
As both of you looked down at the ground, city lights and neon signs flickering beneath, Reigen suddenly wrapped his arms around you. In each other's presence, you both could truly be vulnerable.
"Cigarettes, cigarettes out the window
Cigarettes, cigarettes out the window
Cigarettes, cigarettes out the window
Cigarettes, cigarettes out the window."
You felt warmth. A comforting embrace that could only reveal nothing but romantic feelings.
"We’ll find moonlit nights strangely empty
Because when you call my name through them
There will be no answer
Rather melodramatic, aren’t you?”
You leaned your head against Reigen’s shoulder, your eyes fixated on the moonlit sky, which still held the last traces of the smoke. Your eyes start to droop.
"We’ll find moonlit nights strangely empty
Because when you call my name through them
There will be no answer
You mind if I smoke?"
He palms another cig. He looks at you and you both understand each other's looks. You take out your lighter, and the dull click of it as you open it was barely heard. You held the flame of the lighter to the tip of the cigarette, illuminating the darkness with a faint glow. The flame danced, casting playful shadows on your faces as the familiar scent of tobacco wafted around you both.
"Cigarettes, cigarettes out the window
Cigarettes, cigarettes out the window
Cigarettes, cigarettes out the window
Cigarettes, cigarettes out the window."
Without a word, Reigen extends a cigarette towards you, offering it. You take it with a slight, lopsided smile, and stare at the lighter; but instead of reaching for it again, you bring the tip of your cigarette to Reigen’s, using the ember that still glowed to ignite it.
"We’ll find moonlit nights strangely empty
Because when you call my name through them
There will be no answer
I always smoke in the theater"
You take Reigen’s hand in yours, a not-so-subtle reminder of your presence. In the quiet intimacy of the rooftop, you both stared at each other, kissing the days of your happiness goodbye, hearts intertwined in a dance of emotions.
"We’ll find moonlit nights strangely empty
Because when you call my name through them
There will be no answer
Somehow, it enhances the performance."
“Hey uh, how about we stay here a little longer?”