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It’s been fifteen minutes since Spirits and Such closed for the day, yet Serizawa and Ekubo find themselves waiting on their boss-slash-partner, who’s spent the past twenty minutes writing out a single email.
On the one hand, Serizawa doesn’t blame Reigen for taking his sweet time. From the crack in the blinds behind Reigen, the esper can see that night is falling, a blanket of darkness covering the city. Typical for the day to end so soon in the middle of December. Judging by the faint shake of his shoulders and how often he clasps his hands together, Reigen’s feeling the chill in the office space. The cold is undoubtedly worse outside; Serizawa checks the weather on his phone and he involuntarily shivers.
Meanwhile, Ekubo is not as forgiving. His nature as an evil spirit gives him immunity—mostly—from human woes such as feeling hot or cold. Reigen has spent enough time around Ekubo to build up at least some tolerance to the frigid climate, or so Ekubo believed. When Reigen continued insisting he needed to finish up one last correspondence for the day, Ekubo tried to float over and take a peek at his laptop. The conman promptly lowered the monitor and said he’d finish soon.
In the meantime, Serizawa sits on the couch, his winter coat draped over his arms as he waits with masked patience. Ekubo is perched on the esper’s lap, eyes narrowed at Reigen.
Just as it nears a half hour since the office closed, Ekubo makes an annoyed sound. “Oi, Reigen. There’s no way an email takes this long to write. Are you done yet or what?” For extra measure, he adds, “Serizawa’s getting hungry.” The waves around his green form begin to pick up speed, a tell-tale sign of the spirit’s waning composure.
Serizawa leans over to give Ekubo a questioning look. Ekubo mirrors him. They have a silent exchange, eyebrows wiggling and mouths moving nonsensically that ends with Serizawa saying, “The ramen spot will get busy if we don’t leave soon.”
Reigen fixes them with a dubious look. “Alright, alright, I get it,” he says, his fingers picking up speed. “I’ll have this email finished in the next two minutes. This is something you shouldn’t rush, you know. From the title of the email to the signature—don’t forget about the tone either! What kind of businessman would I be if I did a sloppy job messaging a client?”
“You’re barely a businessman,” Ekubo says sharply. “You’ve got two minutes and not a second more, you hear?”
Reigen smirks, and he stops typing to rest an elbow on his desk, settling his chin on his open palm. “Thank you for being so understanding, my love,” he coos, batting his eyelashes. “I’ll finish as soon as I can, just for you and Serizawa.”
Ekubo, ever the romantic, yells, “Stop being insufferable and write the damn email already!” Above him, Serizawa cracks a smile.
The blond clicks his tongue, his act ending just as quickly as it began. “Whatever,” he grumbles, returning his hands to the keyboard. “Two minutes.”
Serizawa spends that time on his phone, earning a daily reward for one of his mobile games and checking social media. Ekubo, mood lightened by a tenth of a degree, sinks a little deeper into the esper’s coat, nestling into the fabric. The quiet atmosphere is interrupted every few moments by the clicking of keys.
Finally, Serizawa sees two minutes have passed on his phone, and he’s filled with indescribable joy. “Time’s up,” he says gleefully, looking up at Reigen. “Let’s go get dinner.”
“Oh? Two minutes have passed already?” He squints to look at the time on his laptop. “Ah, I forgot my computer is a few minutes behind, I thought it was a little earlier in the evening. Say, you two don’t mind waiting another two minutes do you—”
“Nope! We’re leaving!” Ekubo shoots up into the air, glaring at Reigen before regarding Serizawa with a much calmer expression. “Put your coat on, Serizawa. We’re gonna go eat a delicious bowl of ramen while the workaholic sitting over there can stay put and do overtime.”
Reigen scoffs. “Come on, one more minute, I swear. Seri, you can wait just a little longer can’t you?”
“Have a good night, Reigen-san,” Serizawa says, already on his feet and zipping up his winter coat.
“Hey! J-Just a minute!” Reigen stares in disbelief, his boyfriends waving him goodbye as they head towards the exit. “Alright, fine! So damn rude, the two of you. This is going to affect your performance reviews!”
“See ya!” Ekubo calls out as Serizawa opens the office door.
“I get it, I get it! I’m coming!” From the narrow entrance, Serizawa and Ekubo exchange smirks. They hear the sounds of Reigen’s laptop slamming shut, the infamous squeaking of his chair as Reigen scrambles out of it (Ekubo mumbles something about IBS), drawers opening and shutting.
Finally, Reigen steps into the hallway, all the buttons of his coat fastened and his scarf bundled tightly around his neck. He looks displeased at being rushed. “There. Now we can go outside. I hope it isn't freezing out there or worse, who knows if we'll catch a cold or flu.”
Ekubo offers his sympathy by rolling his eyes. “Stop being dramatic,” he says. “Let’s go already.”
As Reigen watches Serizawa and Ekubo head into the doorway, a realization dawns on him. “Oi, hold on for just a minute.”
“Do you need to use the bathroom?” Serizawa asks, turning his head to look back at him.
Reigen can’t tell if he’s being sincere or sarcastic. Serizawa has turned out to be a sassier character than he imagined, not that Reigen minds. So long as it's not directed towards him. It's usually targeted at Reigen. “No, I’m fine. Ekubo, can you move up a little?”
Ekubo, who’s floating beside Serizawa’s head, raises an eyebrow. “What for?”
“Just trust me.”
“What kind of excuse are you trying to pull here?”
“This isn't an excuse! I just said to trust me!”
“If this takes any longer, you’re ordering Serizawa extra chicken,” Ekubo grumbles, and Serizawa gives a quick nod of approval. But he does what Reigen asks and floats higher.
“A little more.” He moves higher. “A liiiiittle more.” Higher still. “Hmm…”
“Reigen!”
“Okay, that’s good enough!”
The wisp atop Ekubo’s form just barely brushes against the top of the door frame. Reigen moves to stand in front of Serizawa and beneath Ekubo. “Hey, Serizawa,” he says, a mischievous grin dancing on his lips. “Look.” He points up to the spirit. “Mistletoe.”
Again, Serizawa and Ekubo have a silent conversation the conman is not privy to. When they finish, they fix Reigen with puzzled expressions on their faces.
“Mistletoe?” The esper repeats, frowning. “But that’s Ekubo.”
“Yeah, you idiot,” Ekubo snaps, “do I look like a mistletoe to you?”
Reigen clicks his teeth, throwing them irritated looks. “You know what I’m talking about,” he says, his hands beginning to move on their own. “A mistletoe? The green plant with little red berries on them? People hang them up in doorways during the holidays?”
The pair continue to stare in bewilderment. Reigen clears his throat. “And there’s this tradition.” His face starts to turn pink, deepening into a lovely shade of red as he goes on. “They say if you walk under a mistletoe with someone, you have to kiss. If you don’t, it’s a sign of bad luck. Ring any bells?”
Ekubo’s look of confusion shifts into exasperation. “Now where’d you hear shit like that?”
“T-There’s no way you haven’t heard of a mistletoe before!” Reigen stammers out. He holds out his arms, flailing them around. “What about you, Serizawa? Surely you’ve watched movies with them! Or maybe you’ve read about mistletoes in a book or manga!”
“I don’t think I’ve come across them before. Sorry, Reigen,” Serizawa says, offering the blond an apologetic smile.
“Well, I’m not!” Ekubo’s forms bristles. “What kind of tradition is that anyway? Being forced to kiss someone because you’re standing under a plant with them. Humans are so weird.”
Reigen deflates. His arms fall back to his sides and his shoulders slouch. “Tch. Like spirits are any better,” he mumbles.
“It’s a little strange,” Serizawa interrupts, knowing how long their banter could go on for. “But I also think it’s nice if you’re with your partner. And if you’re with a stranger, well, there’s no one who’s going to force you to kiss them.” His eyebrows furrow. “But the bad luck…maybe that’s related to an evil spirit?”
“It’s just a superstition,” Reigen says, waving the thought away. “If it were real, you’d see everyone kissing under a mistletoe, no?” He shakes his head. “But that’s besides the point!”
Serizawa nods. “I think a mistletoe seems like a good excuse to kiss your partner,” he continues. He smiles softly, stepping close to Reigen so that they’re nearly flush together. “If it’s alright with you, I’d love to kiss you, Reigen.”
“Ah.” The conman blinks once, twice. His cheeks have gone bright red, and he fails miserably at suppressing the bashful yet goofy grin that makes its way onto his face. “T-That’s very polite of you to ask! Yes! Please, go ahead!”
The esper doesn’t waste a second. He wraps his arms around the blond’s waist, pulling him close and pressing his lips to Reigen’s. Serizawa moves gently, slowly. Holds him like he’s never going to let him go. He’s so warm. Reigen wraps his arms around his neck, tilts his head slightly and releases a content sigh as their kiss deepens.
After another moment, Serizawa pulls back just barely, leaving him enough space to give Reigen a quick peck before moving away completely. The older man’s beaming, delighted by the sight of his boyfriend’s flushed cheeks and squiggly smile. “Was that alright?”
“That. Good. That was good.” Reigen nods vigorously, trying to maintain some sort of decorum. “We’re guaranteed not to have bad luck now. Thank you, Serizawa.”
“Perfect. Are you two done? Can we leave now?”Above them, Ekubo looks bored, having spent the last minute acting as a mistletoe. But Reigen’s known the spirit for long enough to notice he’s pointedly staring anywhere but at them. Instead of his grumpy frown stretching across his form, it’s tiny, hardly bigger than his nose.
Serizawa seems to notice the spirit’s behavior as well. “We can go,” he says, his eyebrows knitting in concern.
Worry brews in Reigen’s chest. Ekubo was fine a few moments ago. Why did his demeanor change so quickly?
“Are you alright, Ekubo?” Serizawa ventures to ask.
“I’m fine. Don’t fret over nothing, Seri.”
This only causes Serizawa to frown. Several ideas come to Reigen. Hunger? Spirits don’t need food to survive. Exhaustion? While Ekubo tired easily when he was low on spiritual energy, he had a hearty meal of evil spirits the previous day.
Until one idea crosses his mind.
“Aw,” Reigen says, peering up at Ekubo with a teasing grin. “Is someone jealous? Do you want a kiss too, Eku-chan?”
Ekubo glares down at him with murder in his eyes. “What the hell are you talking about? Don’t be ridiculous. What reason do I have to be jealous? You’re both my partners, aren’t you? I can ask for a kiss whenever I want. Who says I want one now? Dumbass. Tch.” He glances away, refusing to make eye contact with him.
Squirms in place for a moment.
So quietly, it takes Reigen and Serizawa a second to process, Ekubo says, “...And what if I do?”
“Well, all you have to do is ask,” Reigen says. He proudly looks at Serizawa, who’s now more surprised than troubled. But not to worry! The conman’s already concocted a solution for this problem.
“Serizawa!” He puts his hands on his hips. “Please give me a boost!”
“Yessir!” The esper nods, seemingly understanding Reigen’s intentions and plan. And Serizawa is suddenly bending down, grabbing Reigen’s legs with his arms and hoisting him up. A strangled noise comes out of Reigen’s mouth.
Serizawa frowns, looking up at Reigen. “Is something wrong?”
“N-nothing! This wasn’t, uh, what I had in mind, that’s all,” Reigen replies, steadying himself and holding onto Serizawa’s shoulders for support.
“Oh!” Serizawa’s eyes widen. “You meant my powers! I’m sorry. Please wait a moment.” He tries to bring Reigen back down, but Reigen keeps his grip on his shoulders.
“No, no, that’s alright, Serizawa, this works,” he says, secretly giddy at this turn of events. “Lift me just a little higher.”
With some shuffling and adjusting, it’s not long before Reigen is facing Ekubo. “Hey there,” the blond says, flashing him a flirtatious smile. He tries moving his arm to rest his elbow against the doorframe, but he can’t quite reach, so he gives up and returns his hand to Serizawa’s shoulder. “You come here often?”
Ekubo raises an eyebrow. “You’re corny as hell, you know that?” he says, sounding unimpressed. “What kind of pickup line is that?” Below them, Serizawa chuckles lightly.
Reigen pouts. “It’s not that bad,” he says, leaning his head closer to the spirit. “Neither is the view up here. Gorgeous, I have to admit.”
“Hmmm.” Ekubo doesn’t move away. “Not terrible. Seriously, Reigen, you can do better than that.”
“Okay, okay.” Reigen pretends to think long and hard about it. “Ah, I think you’ll like this one.” He grins maniacally. “You must be a ghost, because you’ve been haunting my thoughts all day.’
“You’re an idiot,” Ekubo snaps. “Are you gonna kiss me now or what?”
Ekubo’s form is unusually cold, but as soon as Reigen’s lips meet his, he warms right up. Reigen will brag to anyone who won’t question his sanity about Ekubo being a good kisser—which means he can only brag about it to Serizawa, who vehemently agrees with him. He’ll tilt this way and that, finding just the right angle to make Reigen gasp, pull him into such deep kisses he forgets where he is.
One moment, they’re making out, and in the next, Ekubo’s disappeared from the doorway. Serizawa looks up to see two bright red spots planted on Reigen’s cheeks. They tilt their head down to face the esper.
“Oi. Serizawa.” For a second, Serizawa can’t tell who’s speaking, hearing their voices in tandem. That is, until a toothy grin appears on their face. “I think it’s my turn to kiss you, big guy.”
Serizawa laughs. “I think it is,” he agrees. He begins to lower Reigen’s body, just enough so that the duo don’t have to crane their neck. As soon as they’re in reach, Ekubo wraps their arms around Serizawa’s neck and goes in for the kiss.
It starts off messy as they’re both eager, their teeth clinking together at one point before they find a rhythm. Ekubo’s tongue prods at Serizawa’s lips, and the esper takes the hint, letting him slip through. They switch between long, languid kisses, memorizing the sensation of their mouths, lips, tongues, and short, sweet ones, lips brushing together, breaths mingling.
And Reigen feels a tingling pressure exit his body. Serizawa suddenly lowers Reigen completely. The conman has enough time to plant his feet firmly on the floor before Serizawa cups his face and crushes his lips against Reigen’s. He lets out a surprised noise but takes hold of Serizawa’s winter coat and tugs them forward, kissing them back fiercely. Reigen parts his lips enough for their tongue to dart in, lick lightly at the bottom of his lower lip.
Finally, they pull back from each other. This time, both their faces are delightfully rosy, especially Serizawa’s, whose cheeks are marked by Ekubo’s red dots. They’re both out of breath, both grinning widely.
“What was that, huh?” Reigen asked.
“He wanted to kiss you like that,” Ekubo replies, shrugging Serizawa’s shoulders. “I just gave him a little push to do it.” Embarrassment flashes on their face, and Ekubo laughs heartily. “Come on, Kacchan, don’t be so shy.”
Serizawa smiles, wobbly and absolutely charming. “Did you like it?” he asks.
Reigen shakes his head, grinning. “Loved it,” he replies. “You two are a wonder.” He returns his arms to wrap around their neck, content. The pair mimic his gesture, wrapping their arms around him and holding him close.
“So are you,” Serizawa says, adoration and endearment shining in their eyes. They look at him with such warmth in their eyes that Reigen feels like he's melting. “I love you, Arataka, Ekubo.”
Reigen clicks his tongue, cheeks on fire. ”Love you too, Katsuya. Love you as well, Ekubo,” he says, planting a quick peck on their lips.
Ekubo kisses the bridge of Reigen’s nose. “Love you both,” he says quietly, his smile gentle. They stand together in an embrace, Reigen pressing his head into the crook of Serizawa’s neck, Ekubo feeling the blond’s breathing tickle their skin.
“Did you know,” Serizawa suddenly asks, “that mistletoes are poisonous if you eat them?”
“Eh?” Reigen tilts his head back to give them a questioning look. “What are you talking about?”
Serizawa gaze wanders around, his head leaning to the side, as though he were listening to something. “Eating any part of a mistletoe is poisonous for humans. But it’s safe to touch.” There’s a pensive look on his face as he considers the history of the mistletoe tradition. “It’s good that they’re not harmful unless eaten. I don’t think anyone would want to hang them up if they were dangerous to touch. I wouldn’t want to kiss someone under them either.”
“Hey, how do you know all this?” Reigen squints at him. “I thought you said you didn’t know about mistletoes.”
Serizawa shrugs his shoulders. There’s a small smirk on his lips. From Ekubo or Serizawa, it’s difficult to say. Probably both. “Ekubo is very wise,” Serizawa says. “And he says he read about it somewhere a few years ago.”
“Eh?” Reigen wrestles himself from their grasp and takes a step back, staring at them in disbelief. “Ekubo knew this whole time?”
“I also knew,” Serizawa admits, smiling sheepishly and scratching his cheek with a finger. “Sorry, Taka. But you’re very cute when you’re explaining something.”
Reigen’s jaw drops comically for about two seconds before his face turns red once again. Furious and flustered, he points an accusatory finger at them and yells, “That’s it! You’re both getting a pay cut, got it? You can’t show that kind of disrespect to your boss! Making me look like a fool, is this any way to treat me?”
“You’d cut your hard-working deputy director’s pay?” Serizawa frowns, nearly pouting. “And you don’t pay Ekubo for all the effort he puts in either. Maybe it is time we start a union.”
“Stop fooling around!” Reigen knows they wouldn’t seriously consider it. Or would they?
Serizawa and Ekubo throw their heads back in laughter, their giggling infectious. The blond scoffs, smiling despite himself. “Unbelievable. What am I going to do with you two?”
From Serizawa’s head, green smoke swirls out. Ekubo’s form solidifies, and two little arms materialize for him to place them on his sides, similar to putting his hands on his nonexistent hips. “You’re gonna take us out for ramen, that’s what!” he says. “Serizawa’s actually hungry now.”
“He’s not lying,” Serizawa says. “We’re going to order two bowls.” Ekubo nods in approval.
“Well, we can’t have our beloved Serizawa go hungry, now can we?” Reigen brushes off his coat before walking back to the esper’s side. “Ready to go, big guy?”
Serizawa takes Reigen’s hand and intertwines their fingers, briefly squeezing his hand. “I’m ready,” he replies, his smile still as warm as ever. “What about you, Ekubo?”
The spirit settles on one of Reigen’s shoulders. “I’ve been ready,” he answers. “You got another email you need to spend a half hour writing or can we go eat dinner now?”
Reigen rolls his eyes, grinning. “Nah, let’s go.”
As they turn the lights off and lock the office door, head down the stairs of the building, Reigen wonders how he got so lucky. To have Serizawa and Ekubo, an important person and spirit in his life, love him so dearly. How they find ways to make him laugh and smile, how they willingly put up with his nonsense, how they stir such happiness within him. By the time they reach the bottom floor and head for the door, Reigen’s so lost in thought, marveling at his boyfriends, that he almost forgets why he took so long with that email.
Serizawa holds the door open for him and Reigen takes two steps outside.
“Damnit, it’s freezing out here!”