Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Teru's most covert shortcoming would always be his version of family.

He knew what it was supposed to look like. He had seen the routine rigidity of it through friends who had people to go home to at the end of each day, who couldn't make plans without first asking their parents what they were up to. He'd seen it through Kageyama and his family when he'd join them for dinner on the odd weekend, and Mrs. Kageyama would put a hand on his shoulder and ask him if his parents knew he'd be with them that night.

Teru had seen it equally mimicked on TV and through ads, seen it through values of safety and security, through protection and dependence and love—because families were always seen as a place full of love —he'd seen it through actions, through parents accompanying his classmates to track meets and sports games, who picked them up from school on their days off and took them out for ice cream when they were sad or let them stay in bed all day when they were sick. He'd see worried texts on his friends' phones while they were out, which seemed to result in angry phone calls, petty fights and warm hugs.

He'd grown accustomed to pretending he'd experienced it like everyone else. He'd laugh with classmates to show how much he related to how annoying his mom could be. Constantly worrying and asking where he is. Don't even get him started on his father.

When Kageyama would ask about his parents, Teru would shrug it off and claim the half-lie that they both worked overseas. If it weren't for the abstract knowledge of family that he'd managed to pick up on, he would have no way to superficiate how it felt and what it looked like.

Despite all the undeniable loopholes, things managed to work out just fine. Teru was an expert at being his own family. He could pretend all he wanted and pray no one on the bigger side of things got in the way. Strangely, it helped that he was in a system that didn't care much for his safety.

"Alright, class! Since everyone passed last week's midterm, I'll let you all go a few minutes early."

The students who sat themselves in his last class of the day exploded with excitement. Their teacher could be a bit stiff when it came to marking, but the one thing he knew how to do was keep morale up until the very end of the period. They all began to stand up, gratefully packing their bags before their teacher could change his mind.

The weekend was coming up quickly, and while kids were planning on going out with their older sisters or helping their parents clean up before it got colder, he had something else in mind entirely. It was intimidating asking someone else's Master for work, but Teru knew it would help his friend in the long run. And the man had said yes, which meant he couldn't have impeded someone else's psychic territory.

"Hanazawa? I'd like you to stay back. It'll only take a few moments of your time."

Teruki saw no problem with his version of "family" until it posed a few minor administrative issues.

He glanced at his friends, who were already snickering and halfway out the door. He nodded, giving up on getting to Spirits and Such early like a star (temporary) employee. With Kageyama out practicing each day for his marathon, he'd taken to S&S and offered to fill in while Shigeo took a few weeks off. Dragging Ritsu in seemed like a good idea, too. He knew the monikered little brother wanted to find every way to make it up to Kageyama after what had happened.

Teru wondered what working under such a powerful master would feel like. How many skills would he learn from a mere few hours of being in his presence? He still remembered the exhilarating feeling of watching the man battle it against the Claw members who had imprisoned them all those months ago.

"You needed me?" he shook himself out of his slightly unattainable fantasies and buckled his bag shut. His teacher was erasing the blackboard, sitting down and clearing his desk. When Teru offered to pull up a chair and sit on the other side, the man shook his head.

"This won't take long, but the school's been nagging me about it."

The teacher opened his desk drawer and pulled out a few pieces of paper held together by a thin, metal paperclip. Teru knew he would have no problem with it if it was more paperwork. He felt his shoulders relax until the man opened his mouth.

"Parent-teacher conferences are coming up again in a few weeks," he started, and Teru felt his mouth go partially dry. He knew how to put on a poker face with this stuff, but lying had become increasingly more challenging since meeting Kageyama. "I have no complaints for such a star student, but it says here on your records that your parents haven't attended a single meeting since your enrollment at Black Vinegar."

There wasn't much he could say to that. It was true, after all. However, there were things he could say to mitigate the damage—words that everyone seemed to understand.

"They're very busy people," he answered like he'd answered thousands of times before. His teacher nodded knowingly. Lots of parents were busy. Many of them were too busy to attend to little things like their children's education progress.

"I understand," his teacher pointed to a signature on the form, "They seem on top of everything else, from what I can see here. They've signed all your field trip forms and paid your fees all year. I know it seems tedious, but they'll have to appear once this term or the school will have to take it to a higher level. Perhaps you could give them a little nudge?"

There was no "nudging" his mother and father. He barely remembered their faces, how they reacted to things he'd done, and then slowly stopped looking his way. Teru remembered the shock on their faces when he first levitated something in anger. He remembered the poorly concealed fear that leaked from their expressions each time they were all in a room together after that. He remembered expecting anger the first time he wound up with Claw, but it felt more like dismissal. By the time he'd become a troublemaker and a target, it seemed like they already had more than one foot out the door.

Teru couldn't remember their real breaking point, but it had to have come a long time before they really took action. Everything was mediated so perfectly to leave him on his own. It was all foolproof…aside from moments like these.

"They're…very busy people," he repeated. It was all he really had for a situation like this. It usually worked. People had no problem with it. He felt annoyance start to blossom in his chest along with uncertainty . He wasn't sure where to go from here. He had to escape this situation and get to Kageyama's Master. Why was this happening today of all days?

"Yes, and I understand that," the teacher sharpened his gaze, "Surely you'll see them for dinner tonight? Or before you head to bed? The school will need a date and time. Please have one by tomorrow morning."

Teru felt his heart start to pulse in his chest. He wasn't sure how to get out of this one. Be smart about this…what would make them back off? His teacher turned to pack up his own belongings, leaving Teru to stand there like a slightly shaken tree. He felt himself sway helplessly. He thought he'd have more time to battle a scenario like this.

"They're abroad right now," he argued. His teacher slowed his movements and turned back around to face him. Teru continued, feeling the momentum in his speech return, "Out of the city. They'll be unable to make this meeting."

He watched as his teacher thought about it.

"Out for work, you said?" he gazed over at his desk, "Does this happen frequently?"

The man seemed to have softened up, and Teru pressed onward. What an easy way out. Why didn't he think of this before?

"The past year, they've barely been in the country. That might explain their absence at school events." Teru laughed politely and grabbed his bag, determined to leave and go find Ritsu and Reigen already. He was now obliged to cover for Kageyama, and he wouldn't let any nosy school admin people bring down his ability to help. "I can still get them to sign. My father can write a letter explaining his absence electronically. My mother, too, so—"

"Hanazawa," his teacher sighed, "If you're under the care of another person, you'll need to have them register with the school and have your parents sign off permission. If this has been happening all year, the school should have been made aware."

What a stickler. The man took another form from his desk and passed it to him. Teru felt himself wither, a ball of lead dropping in his stomach. Forging his parents' signatures was easy. He'd had years of experience drafting letters and handwritten notes by carefully replicating how his father and mother used to write. The school had never seen an issue with all this correspondence before.

"But—" he didn't want to sound so desperate, but it appeared he didn't have to as his teacher shook his head and pointed to both forms.

"Have your current caregiver sign this so we can have them in the system. I'll expect you to do this by the end of the week," his teacher, having no interest in backing down, offered him a stiff-lipped smile. "Have a good evening, Hanazawa."

***

Teru's dosage of family presence came in the form of a confidential, typed-up letter.

One that reached his apartment mailbox near the end of each month and had a return address that wasn't even remotely close to Seasoning City. It was proof that his parents were still kicking it. Working abroad, living abroad, receiving nothing but a letter and a list of numbers that attached him to his father's bank account. A direct deposit of money into his life that he could pretend was love.

There had to be a little love still there if they continued sending him what he needed to keep living. Sure, they had up and left him without a real word. They'd left him a note explaining their circumstances, that they had no choice but to move their work out of the city and suggesting that perhaps, for the sake of everyone involved, Teru wouldn't be coming with them.

It wasn't as if they were ever genuinely present before that. He used to wonder if they enjoyed the praise that came with having a child who seemed to effortlessly excel in anything he did. Teru remembered first learning how to harness his powers to cheat on tests, bolster his strength in sports, and win every trophy or medal and every schoolyard fight.

Being an esper didn't run in the family. He remembered realizing that when they grew wary and terrified of his abilities as if any emotion he felt would be the end of the line. He remembered their work days getting longer and their holidays home with him growing shorter. More money was left for takeout, more trips to their second place in the city, a studio he remembered they bought sometime growing up. His own place, they called it. A place he could destroy as much as he wanted and never get in trouble.

Teru should have expected them to never return the last time they dropped him there alone. But he still felt that terrible shock run through him when he found no one home that night. A few days later, the very first letter arrived in the mail, donning the signature of his father and mother.

But that was a long time ago.

"Man… I'm pretty beat," Reigen yawned, and Teru looked up from where the man was standing with Ritsu, calculator in hand, "How about we go get something to eat? We've gotta celebrate your first day somehow."

"My parents want me home," Ritsu muttered, grabbing his bag and jumping to his feet faster than the speed of light. The boy gazed up at Reigen and mumbled a thanks, shutting the door behind him. Teru didn't know what his problem was. Unlike him, Ritsu hadn't tried to put on an enthusiastic face this entire day. Wasn't he psyched to be working with the Reigen?

"He's just as weird as his brother…" the man muttered, smiling as Ritsu appeared in the window outside. The boy's face was flustered as he crossed the street and vacated the area before he could change his own mind about dinner.

"Haha. Yeah," Teru replied, slightly nervous. Even being in the same room as the man without anyone else to buffer the conversation was strange. It felt like he was breaking some sort of social rule. His shoulders stiffened as Reigen closed on him, grabbing his keys off his desk and gesturing to the door.

"Looks like it's just us. How about it, Hanazawa?" The man's energy was like a beam of warm light, different from the cold-stone adults he'd dealt with growing up. Most were idiots, bumbling and senile, pretending to know exactly what they were doing. The only exception so far might be Mr. And Mrs. Kageyama. And maybe…

Reigen moved his arm quickly in a way that said, 'Come on, kid.'

"Dinner's on me. Part of filling in for Mob is letting me use the company card for food after a day of hard work."

Teru didn't have to think about it twice. A hot meal with another person was better than another round of takeout and leftovers in his dim apartment.

"Sure." he finally agreed, smiling at the sweet, encouraging light that showered over him. Reigen's grin was contagious. Everything he did filled him with a strange kind of inspiration. He couldn't help but feel better about his day, even if his bag contained a form that he had the anxious desire to light aflame.

"I knew I could count on you," he snapped his fingers and gathered his things, "Great job today, by the way. You're a natural at all this."

Teru felt the back of his neck flare up from the recognition. He hadn't even used his powers yet, and Kageyama's famed Master was already praising him on the job?

"I—all I did was organize some files," he laughed nervously, hoping to catch the man in one of his captivating moods, "I promise I'm just as good with spirits."

Reigen shook his head and switched the lights off as Teru waited outside. The jingling of someone else's keys beside his own made him feel too warm inside.

"I gave you all the boring stuff on day one, and you didn't complain once. Even Mob likes to complain in his own way once in a while. So I'd call it a glorious feat for a kid your age."

Teru smiled to himself, trying to file away the kind words for later. "It was nothing."

The pair walked down the street as the sun dipped below the trees. Reigen didn't ask if his parents were waiting for him at home, and Teru was grateful for it. He usually talked endlessly when going out with Kageyama or even Ritsu, just to fill up the fact that both usually didn't say much at all. There was no need to do that with someone like Reigen. His energy could silence a room. Teru had seen it with Claw and how everyone turned to give him control back when they first got captured.

Reigen was evidently influential in the psychic and the business worlds, but his words alone still poked through the sharpest of swords, more than Teru's physical power ever could.

"Mob and I come here if we end up working past dinner," Reigen held the door open for him, and Teru watched as the man greeted the host as if he knew her, took off his jacket, and warmly gestured for Teru to follow. "This booth has the best view. It's great while raining, but sunny weather will do just fine."

The man rolled up his white sleeves and sighed in contentment. Teru attempted to relax his shoulders and calm his heart, pretending he wasn't having dinner with Reigen Arataka, 21st Century's Greatest Psychic and Teru's new temporary boss. Thoughts about what to do with this daunting guardianship form still plagued the back of his mind but he forced himself to push it back further and look up at the approaching waiter.

"No bowl cut today?" she asked curiously, passing out the menus, "I haven't seen the two of you come around here in a bit."

"Who, Mob?" Reigen chuckled, "The kid's got a marathon at school to run. I've got a few of his friends helping me out."

Teru melted into the foam booth, letting it press against his back as the two conversed. It had been a while since he'd felt this cozy. He wondered if the ambiance of this place or Reigen's mere presence was putting him more at ease.

"Before I forget," Reigen rummaged through his briefcase once they had both ordered and pulled out his phone. "I'll give you my number so we can keep in touch. I might need you earlier or later depending on exorcism appointments. It'll be nice to have you filed away for when I need you this week."

Reigen wanted his phone number? Teru stared down at his food piping hot in front of him. He wondered if Reigen would pay for this, too. Based on what Kageyama had said about him, the man would undoubtedly slip a few bills on the table regardless of whether Teru pulled out his card to cover half the bill. Reigen would probably walk him home while he was at it.

"Sure, I-" he stuttered, trying to find his voice. This wasn't like him. Despite barely knowing him at all, Reigen must have known that. The man leaned over and placed his hands up defensively, his rolled sleeves slipping back down and grey jacket discarded beside him.

"Unless you think that's overstepping. I just like to have everyone's names on hand. If you aren't comfortable with it, don't worry about it. I don't have to have you on-call all the time like I do with Mob…though it would be helpful for emergency exorcisms…"

Teru didn't wait around to hear what else the man was saying. Reigen was so confident, assertive, cool. In that moment, all Teru wanted to do was impress him.

Be reliable. He could be reliable.

Teru pulled out his phone, flipped through his contacts and tried to find the phone number he still hadn't memorized after getting a new one a few months back. His father had paid for it, of course. He hadn't seen his father's face in years, but the man still paid for everything so long as Teru could forge his signature.

His head went back to those stupid forms in his bag. To think the school had waited this long before asking him to prove his parents' existence outside of a signature.

"Here," he pushed his phone over to him, pulling a grin over his face. "I'd be happy to help you in Kageyama's stead as much as you need." He'd even be willing to skip school, maybe never show up at school again, if it meant no one would interrogate him about his familial situation. But perhaps that was a different kind of commitment.

Reigen smiled back, his eyes glowing with satisfaction. "That was quick. Thanks a bunch, Hanaza—"

"—Teruki," he interrupted, before realizing he'd interrupted Reigen Arataka, 21st Century's Greatest Psychic and the only adult who'd ever ask him for his number to ensure he was around and alright. "Teruki's fine. Or Teru."

Reigen snorted, taking his chopsticks and dipping them into his bowl. "Teruki for now. But don't think you can just go around calling me Arataka…at least, not in front of Ritsu. Sometimes, it feels like that kid is just trying to find footing before pouncing on someone like me." Reigen's eyes locked onto him, suddenly serious. "You wouldn't want to be responsible for a dead man…would you, kid?"

"Oh," Teru's face surely looked incredibly stupid, the way it glowed, "No, I would never—"

"Kids these days are so dense! I'm just messing around," the man snickered back, followed by the slurping of noodles. "Mmmh..this place never fails to amaze my taste buds after such a long day." He patted the table with his fist. "Well, eat up! Here's to a very productive first day."

A thought grazed Teru's head as he tipped the bowl to his lips.

It was a very selfish, very self-serving thought. One that accompanied a methodical plan that slowly began to form in the back of Teru's mind. Reigen was a responsible, giving person. He was mystical, busy, a very busy man. He lived here in Seasoning City. If Teru could guess, he was almost 30—a very responsible age for a very responsible, reliable, busy man. He was a model citizen, really. He even went above and beyond to inspire others.

As of this moment, Teru worked alongside Reigen. He had access to his files, which probably contained most of his information if he looked around hard enough. Maybe this would finally get the school off his back.

And who says the man even has to know?

"I've gotta head to the bank tomorrow morning. Drop off all the documents making my bag so heavy on my shoulder today," the man stretched, patting his chest after a warm meal. "So the office'll be closed tomorrow until you get off school. I might be a few minutes late when you and Mob's brother get out of class, so feel free to wait outside. Or actually…grab a snack for us. Here."

Reigen stuck a hand in his wallet and slipped Teru a handful of cash.

"Why are you—" Teru started.

"—I'll just put it on my incidental budget. That list has seen better days, but we've been getting a lot of customers since I appeared on TV. Gotta live it up while it lasts, right?"

Kageyama was so painfully right. Reigen was so good-hearted. It made Teru feel so much worse about what he was about to do.

"Thank you," was all he felt he could get out.

Reigen was a powerful man. Teru needed a guardian.

Maybe not really, but someone to pose as a guardian. Someone over the age of 18, someone responsible and stable enough not to raise any suspicion with the school. As the man left the table to freshen up, Teru ensured no waiter or host was watching as he slipped his hands into Reigen's briefcase, finding a folder of documents at the top.

Lo and behold, a signature. And a bunch of other pretty useful information sitting at the very bottom of the form. Before Teru could worry about his guilt or the fear of getting caught by Reigen returning from the bathroom, he stuck his phone under the table, turned on his flash, and snapped a photo from the darkness lurking under the restaurant's booth.

Teru promised Shigeo that he would stop causing so much trouble around the city and halt his plans to use other people for his own gain. But signatures…they were just so easy. And if he wasn't using his powers, did it really count as Kageyama's core rules of esper living?

"Thank you again for dinner," Teru managed despite the shame swirling in his stomach. "I look forward to working alongside you again tomorrow."

Teru concluded that Reigen had a way of looking right at his disciples without genuinely looking down on them. As the two of them walked out of the restaurant and headed their separate ways, Reigen looked over at him, extending his arm to lock the boy in a handshake.

"Like you said earlier about your work, it was nothing," Reigen waved it off, just like he waved off every one of his gestures, "And if you need anything at all, don't forget that my number's in your phone now. Alright?"

Teru's palm burned as they exchanged hands, but he had what he needed. Psychic or not, Teru knew he had to bite the bullet sometimes to truly survive. If he wanted to remain on his own, sometimes there was no other choice.

***

"Hanazawa?"

Teru wasn't sure if it was because of how caught up he'd been working for Reigen this week or if his mind had simply decided to mute the issue until further notice, but he honestly thought that once he handed in that foolproof form, everything would be fine.

He'd done everything he was supposed to. Stick Reigen's name, date of birth, flawless signature, and tied the man's address to his own, claiming in the margins that he'd temporarily live with Teru while his parents resided abroad. He put down the number of a burner phone that lived in his junk drawer and set the email address to one he controlled. Emails were very easy to make these days.

Tracing was for rookies, he thought as he sealed the form in an envelope and handed it to his teacher with a knowing smile. If Teru had any photo or copy of someone's signature and handwriting, his esper abilities would handle the rest. Simply closing his eyes and letting his mind focus on nothing but the movement of the pen allowed him to copy like a pro.

Thanks to that photo of Reigen's bank info, Teru had all he needed to pull the best fraudulent document he could…and hopefully, Kageyama would never find out that he did, in fact, have to use his psychic powers. But only for one aspect. The rest was pure—and probably criminal—human skill.

Teru must have forgotten that school authorities weren't as brainless as they used to be. In fact, they were getting to be nosier the older he got.

After weeks of silence, he lifted his school bag off the floor when the teacher called his name again. Most of the students had filed out of the classroom, eager to get home for the day as the wind outside started to pick up. His heart nearly leapt out of his throat as the instructor tapped his pen on the edge of his desk.

He tried to steady his voice to a mellow, slightly curious tone that did not sound nervous. "Yes, teacher?"

The teacher's smile was curt, not bothering to remain on his face until Teru reached the end of the desk. He didn't need to be told to sit down as his bag met the floor again.

"I'm not sure if I ever asked, but where exactly are your parents working?"

Teru forced his shoulders not to tense up. It didn't work as well as he wished.

"America," he answered quickly. Teru wasn't wholly lying—although the answer seemed basic, it was where his father and mother had gone to work before. And any money he received appeared to be wired from an American bank. It wouldn't be totally out of the question to assume it.

"I see," the teacher nodded. Teru couldn't see through his poker face. "And your mother's family resides there?"

"Switzerland," Teru corrected, starting to get annoyed. This wasn't supposed to be some kind of family interrogation. It stung a little, thinking about his mother too hard. Teru had never gone to visit her family. He remembered them planning a trip that got derailed after he started showing signs of psychic ability.

Go figure, he thought bitterly.

"I apologize for assuming," the man cleared his throat, returning to the task at hand…whatever that was. "I'm just trying to fill in a few gaps here."

Teru sat stiffly, not bothering to monitor how he looked. "Gaps?"

"Thank you for handing in that form as quickly as you did, but…the school's just wondering who exactly this man is and why he hasn't been mentioned on any previous forms."

"Rei—Arataka?" Teru corrected himself, watching the teacher's eyes narrow, "Well, he's—he's a family friend. He's been staying with me while my parents have been away for work. They're—"

"—very busy people, yes," his teacher didn't seem entranced with lies this time. "Is there a reason this Reigen hasn't been attending conferences and events in their stead? Or signed your forms in their place up until you mentioned him last week?"

The school was trying to pull a fast one on him. Why did everyone have it out for him at this place? Perhaps it was time to transfer next year, start fresh until high school, and avoid their eventual questions until he was old enough to sign his own forms.

"I— they didn't know you could do that," Teru held his breath at the error in his speech. Now wasn't the time for his walls of defence to crumble. "If they had known sooner, I'm sure they would have asked for the form to make things easier for everyone."

His teacher only seemed partly satisfied with that answer. "The school has tried calling your new guardian's phone number a few times this week with no answer."

Probably because the burner phone has been dead in my drawer since I got it, he wanted to say.

"I'll be sure to ask him about it tonight," he said instead, "Arataka's a very occupied man, too. He runs his own company downtown. It's been very busy as of late."

As of late? What kind of a kid says that to their teacher? Teru scolded himself, sitting back in his chair as his teacher examined him from head to toe. He wrote a few things on a sticky note, which he stuck to the opened envelope that Teru had handed in weeks prior.

"Would it be possible to get your parents on the line to clear a few things up?"

Teru wanted to laugh. "Not with the time difference, unfortunately."

His teacher nodded. At least he could accept that.

"Reigen, then? It would be best if you called him so we could speak to him." Look at his teacher, creating plausible excuses for his story for him. "Please tell him it's urgent if you have his texting number. I'd prefer to sort this out now instead of taking it to another level."

"He's still in the middle of his work day. I'm not sure if he'll be available to talk until the day ends," Teru retaliated, but his teacher had none of it.

"I'm sure he could drop his office work for just a moment to check on the child he's looking after."

"It's a very demanding job."

It felt like a stand-off between the two of them. Teru wasn't sure who would let up first, but he still refused to blink until his opponent stood down. The back of his mind itched to start lifting chairs and desks off the ground to scare the man off, but he knew it would only result in a trip to the office and maybe even the police. He had to be strategic with this.

"And if you were to just text him?"

"My phone is dead, Teacher."

It seemed like the man had finally given up, sitting back in his desk chair and waving him off.

"Fine. You're free to go, Hanazawa. Let your guardian know tonight and have him call the school this week, alright?"

"Yes," Teru bowed and picked up his school bag, trying not to let visible relief flood his face. "Thank you."

It felt like he could finally breathe again when he was off school grounds. Teru wasn't used to having all these eyes on him. It made him feel claustrophobic. Trapped. If this was how kids his age felt about their parents, perhaps he wasn't missing much. That was how he had to think of it.

Usually, after convincing a teacher once that he was fine and his parents were merely all about a very intense yet caring form of childhood independence, they left him alone for a good chunk of time. That was if they asked him at all. He wasn't used to having all these people breathing down his neck like he couldn't handle himself. If he had one more adult questioning anything more about his very fulfilling personal life, he was scared he would lose it on them.  

His thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of his phone. It wasn't really dead, of course. Teru tried to breathe properly through his nose, praying it wasn't the school again. When the familiar name lit up on the screen, he finally relaxing his shoulders.

But…only a little bit. What if the school had found a way to talk to him? What if the man rightfully had no idea what they were talking about, and Teru was truly in trouble for his increasingly large tirefire of lies?

Accepting the call, Teru pressed the phone to his ear and tried not to hold his breath. "Hello?"

"Hey, Hanazawa! What's new with you? School treatin' you alright?"

"Reigen," Teru forced his smile to match his tone. Maybe it would sound more believable if he put his all into it. "Is there a reason you're calling?"

A shroud of guilt overtook him as Reigen laughed and launched right into his spiel. Not for lying about his current position and status at the school but for dragging Reigen into this much more than he wanted to.

Part of him wanted to interrupt Reigen and blurt out everything on his mind. Tell him he was stuck in such a stupid position because he was perfectly capable of caring for himself. The man just had that effect, something he couldn't quite describe. Something about his aura felt far more trusting and warmer than any adult—any person —he'd come across. Kageyama really took after him in that way. There was a gentleness to Reigen's strength that Teru knew his friend wished he could master.

If he was convincing enough, Teru could get Reigen to call the school and confirm that he was fraudulently taking care of him to get these people off his back.

But Reigen wouldn't do something like that. Kageyama's Master seemed like he could do anything sometimes. It was evident with how he came in and destroyed any semblance of Claw's local division in record time. Although deep down, Teru knew that Reigen wouldn't be so deceiving with his claims. So fraudulent. Shigeo's little brother had his own theories on the man, but Teru couldn't bring himself to have Reigen grow disappointed in him for using him like that.

"Say…I know you've got a day off today, but how about you show off some of those skills?"

Reigen laughed heartily, but Teru could hear a restless waver in his voice. Part of Teru wondered if Reigen wanted to corner and confront him about the school situation in person. The man couldn't have known yet. There was no way.

"I've got a client who's got an evil spirit in her living room couch, and my psychic powers are starting to sense that it might not be an overreaction…Of course, I could defeat it myself, but I wanted to give you the chance since Ritsu's not so interested in exorcizing …"

Teru had yet to be backed into an actual corner. Having this situation prevent him from doing this job would prove that his plan had failed him, which he wasn't quite ready to accept yet. He could worry about what to do with the mess at school once Kagayama's marathon was over in the next few days.

He ignored the panic that still crept up his chest, pushing it out of his mind as his right hand gripped the phone against his ear.

"I'll be there."

"I knew I could count on you, kid! I'll text you the address."

There had to be a way to solve this himself.

***

The plan to sort everything out after the marathon never happened. But frankly, the school contacting Teru never ended up happening, either.

When a terrorist attacks your city, precautions about minor little things like forms and legal guardians get suddenly pushed to the back burner. Black Vinegar Middle School had barely been touched by Claw's wrath, but a message from the city administrators hit his inbox shortly after the broccoli sprouted.

URGENT ALERT: SCHOOL FOR SEASONING STUDENTS HALTED UNTIL FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON THE TERRORIST THREAT POSED TO THE CITY. PLEASE PROCEED TO EMERGENCY POP-UPS MARKED WITH RED SIGNAGE IF TEMPORARY SHELTER OR MEDICAL AID IS NEEDED.

Teru was so exhausted after such a harrowing battle that the thought of going to school the next day hadn't even crossed his mind. The wind blew harshly against his skin, much of it exposed from the ripped clothes he'd worn into battle with Claw. In the end, everything seemed to work out. Teru wasn't used to working with such a good team. Kageyama was genuinely impressive.

His powers felt sucked out of him now that everything was over, and he couldn't help but halt his fast-travelling methods for the time being, allowing things to recharge. The scenery wasn't pleasant, but having a moment to breathe and reflect on everything that happened was a blessing in disguise.

If Teru was honest, spending his night processing the strange events with Claw felt better suited outside than indoors…

What Teru had utterly forgotten to add to his mental list of things that happened all at once was that he could completely disregard his above statement. The outdoors seemed to come to him.

"Oh," he spoke softly to himself, lacking the energy to rage or fix things or use his powers again. "Right."

Teru had just set down his stuff after hiking it up the building's staircase when an unfamiliar draft brushed its way through his hair and underneath his skin. He shivered. His walls were built to retain temperature, but any structural features were toppled, and a crater-sized hole blew out the back of his apartment.

Clearly, the police hadn't been able to investigate this attack site yet. Teru wasn't surprised, given that the rest of the city was also in shambles. Perhaps people above or below him had realized and reported things, but…Teru didn't really know his neighbours, did he? His parents would possibly have gotten to know them if they had ever bothered to visit. Or live with him. Was that too much to ask, too?

Frustration clawed at the back of his head, burning holes where his eyes looked out to see the mess. Teru could only guess that everyone in the building had evacuated during the attacks. No one had bothered to make sure he was alive amid the attack. They probably assumed that family was taking care of him, which he didn't need. He was the one who ended up fighting the terrorists…why would he need a person to protect him from them?

His parents were right, in a way. He was a danger. Trouble with Claw showed him quickly that espers had no business living alongside innocents. Walking over to the relatively unharmed furniture in the living room, Teru grabbed a lime green blanket from the couch and shook any debris off to drape it over his shoulders. It didn't stop the cold.

Maybe I should have taken up Reigen's offer of staying at his place, he laughed to himself, thoughts coming out more bitter and exhausted than he could help.

Espers were always getting themselves into trouble like this. If he could talk to Suzuki the next morning, things would have been alright within the next few days. Sure, his bedroom was destroyed, and his living room had a massive hole in it, but sleeping here all night wasn't strictly out of the question.

A mighty breeze hit his face, and suddenly, calling Reigen didn't seem like such a joke anymore.

Teru barely knew what he was doing before his fingers clicked the keys on his phone, and two short rings blasted into his ear before he finally came to his senses that it was nighttime, that Reigen was not his Master, that he had no right using the man's phone number for something other than—

"Hey, kid! Why're you calling so late? You get home okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I didn't wake you up, did I?"

His movements felt robotic from the exhaustion he was experiencing. He knew that he would have just toughed it out any other time. He wasn't used to having someone to call. Teru could hear Reigen stifle a yawn on the other end, but the man's voice sure didn't reveal anything underneath all that charisma.

"Who, me? I'm just finishing up some paperwork. I don't think I was gonna get to sleep anytime soon after coming down from today. Speaking of…I think I'm gonna hire that Serizawa guy. I heard I get a tax break if I hire a felon. But uh…it would be out of the goodness of my heart above all, of course," Reigen got ready to launch into one of his captivating tangents. Teru was floored when the man cut right to the chase. "You okay? You never said why you were calling. Something else happen?"

Reigen must have been reading his mind through some subtle spiritual ability. Maybe it was due to the extreme tiredness that sunk all his limbs into the ground near the front door, but Teru couldn't help but just be honest.

"I need help with something," he stated bluntly. "I wasn't sure who else to call."

Teru expected Reigen to question him. There could have been several follow-ups to battle the vagueness he uttered.

…Is it an emergency? Are you alone? Why can't your parents help you out? Is Claw back? Can't it just wait until morning?

Instead, Teru could hear the jingling of house keys and the soft echo of footsteps as the man practically beamed his smile through the phone.

"No fear—your previous boss is here! Just…do me a favour and text me the address? My spiritual power doesn't exactly include a GPS system."

Teru thought about calling him back and cancelling. Telling him that tomorrow would work just fine and that he could handle whatever he thought was so important all by himself. Despite everything his mind threw at him, he still couldn't bring himself to even turn on his phone, let alone move his fingers. He knew he needed to rest his body before everything began to crash.

After a handful of minutes, Teru sat up as a quiet knock at the door brought him out of his thoughts.

"Hanazawa," Reigen poked his head in as he opened the front door. Teru waited for a witty remark or a comment about his home being up way too many flights of stairs and how the elevator had stopped working since the attack, but nothing came.

He opted to fill the space himself.

"Teruki is fine," he repeated, remembering when he first told Reigen that back when he worked in Mob's stead all those weeks ago. He knew he must have looked frazzled and far too weak to be Teruki Hanazawa, Co-Hero of Seasoning City and Defeater of Claw, but he couldn't bring himself to match his tone with the tired smile he gave the man. "I can't thank you enough. I know it's late, but Kageyama's house is done for, and I wasn't really sure who else to call."

He tried to push the smile that just wouldn't stick on his face. Reigen looked like he wanted to come in, and Teru didn't stop him as he took a few steps into the entrance.

"What's the problem, kid?" the man came further inside, leaning down to untie his shoes before staring up at what could now be seen from his distance. The elephant in the room. Reigen didn't even take the time to be shocked. "What happened to your wall?"

"Claw," was all he could say. His building getting destroyed was pretty inconvenient, but not out of the question. Teru watched Reigen's expression harden despite this objective fact. He decided to elaborate. "Earlier. It was the guy I brought in to throw around."

Reigen seemed to take in the damage from head to toe, surveying the rest of the place before turning to him. "Where are your parents?"

After everything that had happened lately, that was the question Reigen had for him? Teru couldn't stop himself from laughing before realizing that laughing at a question like that was definitely the wrong thing to do in this situation.

To his surprise, Reigen didn't say a thing. It looked like gears were turning rapidly in his head as he stood there, staring at the damage. Before Teru knew it, the man had his phone out. Not to call the school or child services or the police…but to point it to the massive hole in his wall.

"…what are you doing?" he asked cautiously. Reigen chuckled and slapped a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Taking photo evidence for when I talk to your building manager in the morning. They didn't think to relocate you after your place exploded? And you're only fourteen, kid. That makes it even worse. Were you just planning to sleep here all night?"

Teru supposed he was. But it wouldn't have been too bad, would it? "Well—"

"You've gotta be kidding me," Reigen ignored his justification to snap another photo of something Teru hadn't even really noticed when first walking in. That must have been why his lights didn't turn on. "Open wires? Really? If this isn't a safety hazard, that online course lied to me, and I'm getting my money back."

He felt himself start to shrink. Teru wasn't even sure why he'd ended up calling Reigen so late. This just seemed like more work for him that he didn't need. When had the man signed up to be his guardian? Well…maybe that second part was Teru's fault, but that was only for the school to have. And it wasn't like the man even knew about it…right?

Guilt clouded his conscience, and Teru suddenly felt like a burdensome little kid. He shrunk back, trying to undo a bit of the entitlement he'd displayed even when asking him here.

"I'm…sorry," he tried to say. It felt so unlike him to feel this beaten down. "I didn't think it was that—"

"Oh, no, no. Hold it," Reigen flung around and pointed his index finger down at Teru's chest. The man looked positively furious. For a moment, he thought he was going to get scolded. As much as he hated authority telling him what to do, this would be deserved. "Apologizing means you admit fault. You don't get to apologize for anything."

Instead, Teru watched as Reigen began ranting to the air beside them, all about municipal rights and evacuation laws and how stupid it was for Claw to rebuild Kageyama's house before even thinking about touching his. Teru found it mesmerizing, watching the man get so fired up. He worked for him for a little bit, sure, but what motive did Reigen have to care about him this much?

His chest hurt thinking about it, but it fully tightened when Reigen stopped talking and pointed to the remnants of his room.

"Pack up whatever you need."

Teru was floored.

"What?"

"If you're comfortable, you can stay at my place until we sort this out."

"Are you—"

Teru wondered if this was breaking some kind of code between him and Kageyama. How would he feel that his friend was gaining guidance from his Master? Reigen seemed to sense his unease and placed a hand again on his shoulder, this time leaving it there for longer.

Teru's shoulder tremored slightly from the touch, but he knew part of it was the exhaustion he felt. He was just so tired. He was tired, and there was an adult in front of him who was offering to fix everything for him to make sure he didn't worry and had a place to stay, food to eat and some kind of company after something so awful. It felt like television. Or visits to Kageyama's house, where Teru caught glimpses of what a worrying, endearing unit of people who cared for each other looked like.

It was like he had a….no. If he said the F word, he knew the thought would stick with him. If he didn't stop himself, the concept would eat away at him until he selfishly went looking to fulfill that feeling again.

When he pulled out of his thoughts, he realized they were already halfway down the street, with Reigen holding a duffel bag around his shoulder that Teru didn't remember packing. The man was mid-conversation, rambling about something funny Kageyama had done or whether Ritsu and that red-headed Claw kid would become friends.

"Kinda like how you're a best friend to Mob," Reigen turned and smirked, watching as Teru's face turned red.

"You really think Kageyama thinks that way of me?"

It was the first thing he really remembered saying since meeting with Reigen in his apartment. He knew how much Reigen liked to talk, but involving him? Teru wasn't used to someone talking about him outside of his psychic abilities.

Reigen stopped and shrugged, twirling his keys around on his fingers. The two were the same, Teru realized, in the way that he couldn't sit still without having something to mess with. Unfortunately for him, that seemed to be the thread inside his ripped pants pocket. He really liked those pants…maybe Shou's buddy could fix up his clothes, too.

"Mob's a strange kid. I wouldn't exactly say he's an open book. But when you're around him long enough, you start to see through it a little bit," the man paused before clearing his throat. "Well—I mean—I could tell pretty quick the moment I saw him how he felt about things. I've got the gift of reading people."

"Yeah," Teru was only half-listening as they rounded the corner, and his shoe tripped on a ripped-up piece of sidewalk. He couldn't tell if it was the new broccoli's doing or the fault of the other espers fighting. Reigen reached an arm out in front of him, stopping the diabolical faceplant that would have occurred. Teru was used to having his powers as a safeguard, but now…they felt so absent.

"Careful," Reigen chuckled, patting him softly on the back. The feeling sent shockwaves down Teru's shoulder, and he resisted the urge to turn around and demand something more. "Sorry. I know you're tired. I would've called a cab but I found out the hard way on the way home that they're out of service."

That, for some reason, made Teru laugh. Reigen seemed to get the message that a two-sided conversation was a bit of a no-go, so he filled up the empty space with witty anecdotes and stories about him and Mob when they first met.

Teru couldn't remember how he got into Reigen's apartment, but the man was already setting down his keys and throwing Teru's duffel bag on the bed. The man muttered about changing the bedding first, saying that he didn't mind giving Teru his bed for the night and that the couch was where he spent half his time anyway. A tall glass of water was put into his hands, and Teru realized the TV across from him had been turned on, and Reigen was flicking through channels.

"Nope, nope, nope…definitely not that. Yeesh, is there nothing on in this city besides coverage of the attacks? Hey—look! That's Mob!"

The recording didn't show his face, only a few glimpses of his golden uniform buttons shining from an explosive impact. His signature hair was still intact, too. Teru hoped he was doing alright, even after knowing his parents and brother ended up safe.

"Hungry? I ate two of these already tonight after such a wild ride today. Well…three now, I guess," a bowl full of instant ramen turned steaming as Reigen reached over and poured the electric kettle's contents into both of their bowls. "Wish I could give you something healthier, but where's the fun in that? Telling you to eat your vegetables? It's not like I'm your dad."

He was joking. Teru knew Reigen was joking, but something about that comment poked a hole in his chest, in the strange fantasy his brain had been partially living, even if he knew it wasn't true. He leaned back and let his head hit the back of the couch, hair messy and clothes still dirty from hours earlier.

Reigen must have locked onto his gaze because no laugh followed. Instead, the man dropped a pair of chopsticks in his lap, ruffling the top of his head.

"I'm more of...a cool uncle."

Reigen was smiling. A rush of relief fell through him instead, replacing the doubt from before.

"Thank you, Reigen."

"Don't worry about it, kid. Though you've still gotta get cleaned up before you get to sleep, though. I don't want any Claw-shaped battle marks on my fresh linen sheets."

Despite everything that had happened whilst in the throes of danger, was this what…safety really felt like? Having someone truly want to protect you despite having nothing to give back in return? Even if he was high risk? Or dangerous?

His noodles were still a little undercooked, but he couldn't help taking a bite. Teru was used to his pillars of stability routinely toppling, but this one had managed to stay for a bit longer than he thought. Teru closed his eyes and let Reigen talk and talk and talk.

He wished this feeling could just last forever.

Chapter Text

"You're usually one of my star students, Hanazawa."

No good feeling lasted forever. Especially when your school wasn't crushed or destroyed by any psychic debris, and all students were forced to attend class the following week. He didn't think anyone was genuinely ready to return yet—much less the ones that had to stop the attacks in the first place—but life was life, he supposed. Even if life included the worst timing.

"I didn't think I would have to bring my other colleagues into this situation, but it doesn't look like we're going to get the information we need without some kind of mediation."

Teru sat frozen in his seat as his teacher stood stiffly by the door, nodding at Teru regretfully. He was left with two other people sitting across from him, people he'd never really gotten to know. His vice principal and a woman he'd never seen before but knew had to be a guidance counsellor beside him, not even pretending to smile at him.

"We're concerned, Teruki," the woman from Guidance forced a warm look in his direction. Teru knew he was probably done for. Their attitudes seemed painfully bureaucratic as if they wouldn't even begin to hear him out on any excuse he could think of. "We'd just like to know why no one has managed to give us a call in the week that we started this case."

Case? He wasn't some pest crumbling their flawless yearly report. This felt ridiculous. He would have to be just as cut-throat as them to survive something like this.

"Hanazawa is fine," he nearly snapped back, eyes narrowing on the subjects before him as his teacher slipped out of the room. Even so, he tried to stretch out a smile. Things felt too confidential in here. "And as I have said, my parents are travelling abroad. I am staying with a family friend."

"We can't find this man on any other previous paperwork," the vice principal shot back. "Did he come out of thin air, Hanazawa? I'm only asking because it seems awfully convenient considering your circumstances."

His circumstances? Rage threatened to spill over, but he managed to keep it contained. Instead, his smile poked through, attempting to be just as falsely warm.

"Could you explain to me what these circumstances are by your definition?"

Teru was always good at maintaining mental fortitude, even if that used to mean picking fights after class on school grounds or using his powers to shield himself from others. He didn't think he could do that this time, not after what he'd promised to Kageyama and not after an esper-grade attack.

This wasn't a student whose mind he could bend or a teacher whose lax rules he could barely follow. Whoever these people were wouldn't hesitate to lock him up if he blew up on them. He just knew it.

"I'll tell you your circumstances, Hanazawa," the man leaned forward. It wasn't enough to launch a plausible conduct complaint but enough to send a slight shiver of dread down Teru's back. "You've been avoiding our questions about your home life since we started this inquiry. Your teacher has come back empty-handed all year, and no one in your family knows how to pick up a telephone or open their email. Frankly, it felt like a ghost town, with you as some kind of liaison claiming that the ghosts we keep trying to contact are actually there."

The vice principal kept his iron glare—one that made his soul want to hide behind his own body—and the woman from Guidance shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Excuse me?" Teru felt the words fly out of his mouth before he could stop them. His polite smile had begun to falter.

"I meant what I said," the man glowered, almost satisfied with making Teru sweat. "The question remains simple. Where are your parents, Teruki? Your immediate family? Your guardians? If a real-life human has yet to appear in person, I may as well be talking to a family of spirits."

The room felt colder than ever, causing the sweat on Teru's palms to freeze. He wanted to laugh at the audacity of this kind of interrogation—something that probably wasn't along the lines of professional—but who would get back to him if he launched some type of report? The city? The same ones dealing with the aftermath of the attacks and the new tourists drooling over that broccoli?

"He means to say that we're growing concerned for your well-being. We want to know how often you're being checked up on and cared for, and the easiest way for us to do that is to hold a simple meeting with your guardian," the woman continued, much nicer than the man but holding the same destination with her words.

There was a clear case of good cop and bad cop happening in front of him. Teru didn't like admitting he was worried, but the thought of these people interrogating him scared him, if only slightly.

No more even being fake nice to these people. They'd truly trapped him in here. The room had become suffocating. If he had to mentally fistfight these stiff necks to get out of this, he would.

"Again, I prefer if acquaintances call me Hanazawa. And this procedure was never required before," he argued, trying his best to control his tone. Sounding professional and quick-witted made for a much more convincing argument. Reigen taught him that when he took Teru to fight for insurance on his apartment building. Thankfully, all it took was an eventual signature from the guarantors—his parents' fake signage, thanks to Teru's nimble fingers—on the lease to sort everything out during the rebuilding process.

"Meeting with parents has always been our priority," Guidance smiled tensely. Teru shook his head.

"This is the first time I've met and spoken with either of you. What makes you think you can instantly demand some kind of update status from me? What's changed compared to all year?"

"If you'd like a no-nonsense answer, your grades this week have dropped low enough that it's set off our administrative radar," the vice principal said sternly. Teru didn't think it was possible to hate the guy even more. "When a student struggles academically, it typically means trouble at home. Is this not correct?"

He turned to the guidance counselor, who seemed only slightly mortified that the vice principal was giving Teru information that should really be said gentler—or maybe to his parents and not to him at all. Perhaps that last part was Teru's fault.

"Well—yes," she nodded slowly. Teru wouldn't look her in the eyes. "We noticed your last few tests have been…usually low. They've been flagged by your teacher, who recalled that he couldn't get in touch with a parent or guardian repeatedly."

"Two tests," Teru sounded less like an angry esper and more like a kicked puppy as he argued back uselessly. "Two tests, and—" a terrorist was attacking the city last week. Did that mean nothing to them?

He obviously couldn't tell them how he was running around, defeating Claw members left and right while having his apartment destroyed and his life upturned as Reigen took him in until everything was fixed up. He still needed to properly thank him for that.

And now…now he'd gotten the man roped into his business. He knew he was done for. If they found out he'd been forging Reigen's signature on official papers, Teru knew how much trouble he could get in. Suspended. Taken away from his apartment. Maybe even expelled and put in some place for troubled youth like the school had once threatened to do when a teacher caught him picking fights on Black Vinegar grounds earlier in the year.

He was lucky Kageyama had humbled him so early on. If he had that reputation now, he would no doubt be labelled as an even worse liar and delinquent than he already was in the eyes of these two stuck-up power abusers.

"You've had a history of trouble in the past," the vice principal added, as if he could read Teru's mind, "And while we're happy you've turned over a new leaf this year, the concern the school has still stands."

Teru realized the man didn't personalize the concern. Of course, it was just the school. His vice principal could care less about any of this.

"I don't understand what you're asking from me," Teru gripped the sides of the chair he was sitting in, trying his best not to exude any excess psychic energy. "I've given you all the papers and reasonings you could ask for. Not everyone can accommodate your schedule. Many adults here have demanding work lives, and—"

He realized he was beginning to ramble. Never a good sign. The pair of interrogators looked like they were this close to breaking him, and perhaps they were right.

The guidance counsellor spoke calmly, though a hint of worry poked through her gentle façade. "We aren't trying to be your enemy here, Ter—Hanazawa. We're only trying to make sure someone as young as yourself has the right supports in place to succeed."

Were they joking right now? What kind of adults were they? Just another pair of idiots. Everyone always claimed to "want the best for him" until it became too much work. Teru wouldn't fall into a trap like that again. He couldn't if he wanted to preserve his livelihood. His dignity.

His feelings.

"We've given many exceptions to your parents and the guardian that claims to look after you. As of right now, signatures are meaningless. We need this Reigen Arataka to come in with identification within 5 days, or we'll have to escalate this case to the next level."

Teru's blood ran cold. He knew what that meant. The next level . It meant wellness checks, city workers invading his house to determine his quality of life, it meant hunting down his parents or ripping him away from the life he knew. Despite how much he yearned for some authority in his life, putting someone like him with complete strangers could destroy him if he didn't hurt them first. Putting an esper with a crowd of ordinary people wouldn't do anyone any good at all. Why couldn't they just take a page out of his parent's book and leave him alone?

His mind began spiralling, thinking about every possibility that could come to him in one week. His eyes burned as he glared speechless at the vice principal, rage engulfing his gaze and threatening to burn into the man's puny lack of a soul. The guidance counsellor smiled down at him again. He felt so small and stupid.

"We have a very nice young woman here that you could talk to right now…if you're comfortable. It might help ease the later process," the woman urged, "It wouldn't mean anything, but it would allow you to tell a trusted adult the truth about what you're experiencing."

Teru could tell his face reflected his own fear at that moment. They were already assuming what would happen, weren't they? This was all his fault—all of it. If only he hadn't driven his parents away in the first place, if only he had been better at keeping this all a secret, if only he hadn't brought Reigen's name and signature into all of this…he was terrible for all of it.

Like hell, would telling the truth be any good to him now. He wasn't an idiot. These people were the idiots. Even if he felt like a child. He didn't need some social worker investigating his life. He couldn't explain his life to anyone who didn't harbour powers like him.

"Being honest now will help you later, sweetie. We promise you won't get into any trouble. I could bring you to the room next door, and the two of us could have a talk with her and—"

This was too much for him to bear. Teru felt like he was going to faint right in front of them, his stomach twisting with regret. The lunch he'd packed felt ready to come back up his throat with every breath.

He could tell the two adults in the room could see him panicking, and he didn't like it. So Teru did the first thing he could think of, the only thing that might defend him from stepping into another dooming interrogation.

With the immediate sound of blaring alarms beginning to ring in the room and distantly out in the hallway, Teru stood up on instinct as he realized just what he'd done. His abilities had—once again—offered him a way out. Golden energy slinking quickly down the hall, he knew his powers had done the only thing they could do.

He had pulled the fire alarm.

I'm so sorry, Kageyama, he apologized profusely to the boy in the back of his head, ashamed that he'd used his psychic powers to inconvenience these people and anyone else working in the school after hours. No matter how much he hated both of them, there was still the nagging feeling in his chest that he was only doing everyone wrong.

It was dangerous behaviour. Teruki was dangerous.

The vice principal was tight-lipped and silent as he glared down at Teru, surely placing the blame on him despite it looking like an unsightly coincidence. The guidance counselor looked almost relieved, though her expression seemed worried as she gnawed away on her bottom lip. The alarms continued to blare around them, and the man muttered something so quiet Teru could barely hear it.

"I'll pull you out of class tomorrow to finish this conversation."

Their little plan for him to fess up had been ruined, at least for today. Teru couldn't think of anything—much less the future—until he got out of there as fast as possible, practically running out of the school as staff crowded outside, talking about where the potential "fire" could be. He watched everyone, including his cold-hearted, conniving vice principal, gather and discuss the incident.

As quick as he could manage, Teru took off, not bothering to stop or look back until he was in the confines of his apartment.

***

He could feel an exceptional drain in his energy as he finally arrived, his lungs begging for air he couldn't obtain. He could still feel the panic swelling in his chest. It burned through his diaphragm and into his stomach, causing him to rip off his school jacket and discard it haphazardly by the door. Clawing at his tie next, Teru still couldn't believe what had just happened to him.

There were people after him. And it wasn't Claw this time. It wasn't any kind of supernatural villain. Despite that, it felt all the more threatening to his life. His teacher had said he had a week to pull things together for so many weeks now—he didn't expect these half-hearted cretins to get involved the moment he started slipping.

One week. Teru had one week—hell, not even—to make everything better. Why did it feel like he'd already been beaten at his own game? They'd set everything up in such a way behind his back that there was nothing he could do but turn himself in.

Teru felt like curling up and dying. Instead, he sunk to the ground next to his living room couch. He undid the top button of his shirt roughly, kicked off his shoes, and ignored his phone buzzing in his front pocket.

Bunching up his hands and grabbing at the hair on the sides of his head, Teru tried and failed to breathe. He felt undone, too hot, almost feverish. He felt so guilty for what he'd done to himself, what he'd no doubt done to Reigen. There was no reason the man wouldn't get contacted sooner or later about whether or not he wanted to launch a case of identity fraud.

Reigen was always good at pointing out fraudsters to him and Ritsu back when they worked under him, back when Teru had a purpose to someone else. He leaned forward, letting his head fall into his knees as the panic felt increasingly unbearable.

After what felt like hours of sitting there as still as a statue, Teru finally felt his stomach cave in and contract, betraying him after being dragged on such a teetering, unstable journey. He scrambled upwards as his body heaved forward, threatening to unleash everything at once.

Teru couldn't think straight, letting his body sound every alarm as he dashed to the bathroom. He didn't have to give himself permission to empty his stomach; his body roughly did it for him. He coughed at the acidic taste, feeling tears finally spring to life in his eyes and breaking the mental barrier he'd built for himself.

Teru couldn't remember the last time he felt this sick. Maybe after Kageyama had first beaten him? He hazily recalled growing a similar fever after being defeated by one of Claw's influential members, but it faded quickly with the reassurance Reigen had given to the team.

Thinking about Reigen made him feel even more awful about everything he'd done behind the man's back. And all for nothing. All so he could get himself in trouble twice as much as he might have if he had just told the truth. Maybe he should warn him before the authorities tracked him down instead.

Coughing up the last of whatever he'd eaten earlier, Teru spat into the toilet bowl, tears and snot streaming messily down his face as he turned his blurred, feverish gaze to his phone. It had managed to stay in his pocket despite his hurry into the bathroom, and he attempted to unlock it with shaky hands.

He felt almost delusional from the pounding in his head and the sudden ache in his muscles. He didn't feel sick earlier today. Why now? Was it because his body had finally had enough of his deception? Or was it simply because he knew he'd been defeated?

Teru clicked on Reigen's contact, sniffling and still attempting to calm his rapid breathing. He realized the buzzing in his pocket from when he'd first gotten home had been a notification from the man himself. He opened it up without a thought.

>Arataka Reigen sent a message.

Heading back from a job near black vinegar and

saw a fire truck outside the school.

Should I be worried? LOL.                 3:24pm

He would typically snort at the man's attempt to use text abbreviations that were a little outdated. Still, he couldn't focus on anything but how terrible he felt about himself and what he'd done to Kageyama's mentor, one who'd been nothing but kind to him since day one. Teru could barely see the keys as he attempted to type back.

>Teruki Hanazawa sent a message.

sorry mmy faultt             4:47pm

Only after he hit send did he realize how incoherent and confusing that sounded. Teru watched with bated breath as Reigen read the message, began typing, and stopped. Teru felt his shoulders finally give way, forcing him to lean uncomfortably against the bathroom wall. He inhaled too quickly. He couldn't comfortably get enough air in his lungs. Reigen had to have known by now. He had to have known what he'd done.

His phone began to buzz rapidly, and he looked at it through half-lidded eyes as it vibrated on top of his bathmat. Reigen's name popped up as the contact. Reigen was calling him.

A million things came to mind—a million reasons to just pick up and admit fault—and for whatever stupid reason, Teru's sick-addled brain ignored them all.

He chalked it up to the fear he still felt despite feeling too sick to think. As humble as he tried to be, Teru couldn't handle confronting the consequences of his actions this time. It felt like he had betrayed the trust of everyone he knew. And everyone he knew had families to fall back on if they were betrayed. Teru felt his breath catch in his throat involuntarily. He was just trying to do the best he could for himself. Another sob escaped him. Why did everything have to be so hard to do on his own?

Teru let it ring. He tuned out the silent vibrations, instead focusing on the cold sweat now drenching his button-up shirt. He wanted to be anywhere but in his own mind and body.

After a few minutes of silence, it rang again. Teru wondered if Reigen was the type to send voicemails. He would have to remember to delete them before he could listen to them so he wouldn't have to relive the disappointment in the man's voice.

There wasn't a third call but one short buzz to signal a text message. Teru opened it without thinking, knowing Reigen would see he'd read it.

>Arataka Reigen sent a message.

Everything ok?               4:55pm

He didn't have the courage to respond. All he could do was berate himself for what he'd done. With the last bit of his energy, Teru bit down on his tongue and pressed the palms of his hands into his closed eyes.

Think, he nailed the words into himself, into his brain as hard as he could. Think, think, think, think, think. This can't be the end of things. You've come so far without anyone else.

If he didn't find a way out of this, Teru would have his autonomy taken away instantly. All eyes would be on him. Eyes of worry, eyes of pity, eyes of manipulation. He'd seen how adults acted when they knew they had power over people as young as him. It had terrible results. If Teru wasn't careful, he would become an aimless drifter, someone desperate enough to listen to an organization like Claw.

And—what would Kageyama say about all of this? All he wanted was to be someone the boy could depend on and look up to. A shoulder to lean on, something to make up for Shigeo being responsible for his mental turn-around.

For the first time in so long, Teru had no answers. No sneaky way out, no solution that would help him keep the life he'd gotten used to. It only made the guilt sit worse in his chest, mixing around with the acid pooling in the back of his throat until he couldn't stand to do anything but lay there, curled up on his side. He couldn't even bother to get up off the bathroom floor.

For a fleeting moment, Teru wondered if he should just run away. He'd be following in his parents' footsteps, alright. If Teru had a kid to look after, he wouldn't run away. He thought about it bitterly, eyes still blurred from the wetness sticking to his eyelashes. At least Teru would be better than his parents. If he did run away, he wouldn't leave anyone completely alone.

His thoughts were interrupted by a series of text messages, ones he couldn't bother to check on this time. He felt so sick with himself that he couldn't move. Even if the adrenaline in his veins caused his shoulders to tremble, he couldn't bring himself to do anything but shiver.

As he lay there in feverish exhaustion, Teru thought he was hallucinating as a shadow began making its way down his apartment hallway. Forcing his half-lidded eyes open just a smidge, a pair of grey dress pants and newly shined shoes met his face from the floor.

He didn't even have the strength to be startled. Teru could only lay there, watching dully as the familiar figure leaned down, picking up his discarded phone and pocketing it before turning to the rest of the bathroom as if he were silently taking the scene in.

Teru thought the man was saying something, but his mouth only moved silently, and he still couldn't hear the words coming out over the blood roaring in his ears.

“…ey….hey…” After what felt like an instant, Reigen suddenly kneeled before him, face lacking any charismatic glow. The man looked more serious than Teru had ever seen him. "Hanazawa."

Teruki. Teru is fine, he wanted to say back. How often did he have to say it to Reigen before the words sunk into his skin and he understood that he was the only reliable person in Teru's life?

A hand was on his back, and he felt his muscles twitch and contract from the touch. When was the last time he'd been touched by someone genuinely worried for him? Or hugged? Did his parents hug him goodbye the last time they talked? He couldn't remember.

Teru attempted to lift his head to greet him. Reigen's eyes showed no emotion aside from a slight hint of worry. His expression appeared calm, and Teru couldn't tell what he was thinking, which scared him a bit.

"Are you hurt?" His voice became more apparent, his face more solid. Teru resisted the urge to reach out and confirm he was there. "Did someone do something to you?"

"Reigen," he choked out. His eyes still burned, and he felt acutely aware of the tears still sticking to the sides of his face. Reigen was still kneeling, his eyes examining him all over, trying to find something wrong.

"Just tell me whether or not I need to take you to the hospital," he spoke softly, yet not exactly gently. His question was clear as day. His words still had a purpose. "Because this is pretty unnerving for someone to walk into."

"No," Teru couldn't help but laugh quietly at that notion. Reigen always made him laugh, maybe unintentionally this time. He supposed it did look a bit concerning. His brain felt so worn out that he couldn't think straight. “Just…don’t feel well…”

Reigen looked him dead in the eyes, trying to transform into a human lie detector. Without a word, Reigen flushed the toilet with his shoed foot, hands still in his jacket pockets. Seemingly satisfied, he sat cross-legged in the doorway to the bathroom, pondering what should be done next. A cool hand pressed against Teru's forehead as Reigen tried to think about what to say.

"Fever. Though you probably didn't need my expertise to figure that out," Reigen confirmed, his expression betraying him and showing how his brain was clearly in a million places at once, "How long have you been feeling sick?"

"Not long. Happens sometimes," Teru managed to choke out. His body sent forth another wave of shivering cold, and the sweat that still stuck to him made him feel like a block of ice.

Reigen hummed in understanding. "You told me last time in that guy's hideout. Something to do with your powers fizzling out, right? Don't go burning yourself out."

Reigen gently ruffled the top of his hair, to which Teru muttered something that sounded between a "yeah" and a "thanks." He wanted to tell the man that he didn't need to be here, that sometimes curling up by yourself after a devastating defeat was a foreseen occurrence. Instead, he couldn't bring himself to speak, staring at the man with a glassy-eyed gaze.

 Reigen tried to smile, but Teru could see it was wrought with worry. It struck his chest like a battering ram, the guilt that someone he'd so viciously lied to was caring for him.

"Were you at school today?"

"Mhm…" Teru wasn't sure why he felt like being so brutally honest, but it felt like he had lost everything else today. "…set off the fire alarm."

"What?" Reigen's mind seemed to filter through why that was relevant until his brain reached the text conversation—if one could even call it that—from not too long ago. "So, it was you, after all. I didn't see any actual fire when I walked past."

Teru felt tears swimming in front of his eyes again. The liquid barrier broke open as he shook his head, curling up tighter from his spot on the ground.

"I messed up," he choked out, "I really—I really, really messed up."

How pathetic did he look right now? Teru didn't care. He couldn't think of anything else but himself and the guilt he'd put forth on himself.

"Whoa, whoa. Kiddo," Reigen sounded confused, almost surprised at the boy's resignation to tears. He put another comforting hand in between his shoulder blades. "One thing at a time, alright? You're still sick."

Teru shook his head roughly. Reigen didn't understand the extent of what he'd done. How much he'd screwed things up.

"It's all my fault," he tried to say soberly, but it sounded like he was barely conscious, begging for Reigen's forgiveness. Maybe he was. His head was spinning, the bathroom floor was moving, and Reigen began to look fuzzy in his peripheral. The man was starting to look twice as concerned.

"From what I know about you, it's probably not," Reigen tried to deadpan, but it sounded chock-full of disbelief instead. "You said no one's hurt, right?"

Reigen still didn't get it.

"I'm—so sorry," was all he could utter as if he'd run out of lines in his programming. The man in front of him only shook his head.

"Come here," Reigen, ignoring his apology, leaned forward and outstretched his hand, carefully bringing Teru to his feet. He felt jostled around, fragile like a feather, and couldn't help but lean into Reigen as he finally stood up. "Easy. I'm just bringing you to your bedroom."

The man didn't seem to mind.

Teru stumbled silently beside the man, letting him take over and guide him to his room. He would normally care about taking off his uniform and getting comfortable after school, but it didn't even register to him that he still had remnants of it on. Reigen didn't prioritize it, letting Teru sink into bed before quickly leaving the room.

After a long minute, he poked his head back in with water and a pill bottle he'd snagged from Teru's medicine cabinet.

"Think you can hold this down?"

Teru nodded blankly, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He felt like such a child.

"You are one, for starters. Which you can't seem to remember," Reigen interrupted his sea of thoughts, and Teru realized he must have said part of that out loud. "Get this down, and don't worry about whatever's in the back of your mind."

Teru felt almost grateful that someone was there to keep his thoughts from derailing. He did what he was told, swallowed the pill, and tried not to feel it travel down and past his chest where the knot of guilt still lay in his stomach. He let his head rest against his pillows, watching as Reigen stood by the end of his bed, unsure of what to do now.

"Sorry for all the trouble," he said instead of don't leave. Please, please don't leave.

He felt his eyes close before he could hear Reigen's response.

***

When Teru woke up, he felt drowsy. His curtains were closed, but he could see the sun poking out of them, shining into his bedroom. His stomach felt significantly less rocky, but his head was pounding, most likely from dehydration. Beside him was a glass of water he didn't remember bringing into the room himself. He didn't remember closing the curtains, either.

Sitting up, memories came flooding back from the evening before. Reigen had come by, helped him up, and gotten him into bed without much interrogation. Teru wanted to feel embarrassed for letting Kageyama's mentor see him in such a vulnerable state. Secretly, he was thankful for it.

Teru looked down at his wrinkled uniform, his clothing from the day before. Careful not to irritate his aching muscles, he carefully unbuttoned his shirt and pants, looking around for some more comfortable clothes to throw on.

He was still in a half-awake stupor as he wandered into his kitchen, not entirely thinking about why the sun could still be up until he was halfway into his kitchen and the oven clock showed that it was noon. Noon of the next day. Shit.

Panicked, Teru spun around and frantically looked for his phone, praying that he wouldn't be penalized if he logged his absence into the school now. Worse, they might send someone in to check on him earlier than they initially threatened.

His head began to spin with confusion. Teru's feet padded into the living room, where a hand on his shoulder caused him to jump forward. His sickly figure fell into a half-hearted defence position to charge up a blast of energy.

"Hey—no attacking. It's just me," Reigen spun Teru around to face him, hand still on his shoulder, "Whatcha running around for? You were dead asleep 15 minutes ago."

Teru's mouth felt too dry as he glanced around the living room, looking for his phone. "I have—"

"Sit down. You're making me dizzy just looking at you." Reigen guided him over to the couch in the other room, a hand on his back. Teru noticed Reigen's suit jacket splayed out on the sofa, rumpled as if someone had slept on it. "Hope you don't mind. I made this place my home for the night. I didn't have anything besides my work stuff, but that Serizawa guy is doing me a solid and bringing over some takeout later. I bought him a suit and everything, so he's been itching to pay it forward to me."

Reigen rambled on, and Teru felt himself grow drowsy again. Without thinking, he asked, "How…did you get in yesterday?"

Reigen's expression shifted, trying to remember. He pointed over to the door.

"Tried texting when I got here but you didn't answer. I told the guy in the lobby I was meeting you up there, and I guess he remembered me from when I yelled at him about your insurance last week, so he let me in without too much of a hassle," Reigen continued, "Took the elevator up and your door was unlocked. Followed a horror-movie-worthy trail of shed clothes into your living room. Which was terrifying, by the way. Even for a powerful spiritual psychic like me."

Teru didn't recall taking off his jacket and tie, but those items and his shoes were folded neatly on the coffee table, which must have been part of the "trail" Reigen had followed. He felt a twinge of guilt for having the man clean up in his stead. It was quickly overrun by thoughts of what would happen if he didn't log his absence before the end of the day.

"The school—" he started in a panic. The man shut him down again, passing him another painkiller.

"Don't worry about that. I called this morning," Reigen said matter-of-factly, disappearing into the kitchen to grab another glass of water. "It took a while to find the number, but they seemed shocked when I told them who I was. Guess I'm officially a household name!"

The man gave Teru a smirk, and he felt his chest hollow out with guilt. He knew that wasn't why they were surprised. He knew things that he didn't want Reigen to know, but the tidal wave of dread in his chest told him that he should just suck it up and tell him the truth.

That was what Reigen would want him to do, right? Kageyama, too. No matter how much the truth might hurt.

"Reigen, I…" he started, but his voice wouldn't let him finish. He could feel himself choking on his words before they came out of his mouth. Reigen looked at him while a stupid re-run played on the television in front of them.

"You're still looking kinda pale. I think you should rest a bit more."

Teru nodded wordlessly, standing up with his water and pill. Reigen shook his head quickly, patting the couch next to him.

"Wait a sec. I didn't mean to banish you out of your own living room," the man chuckled. "If you want some company, stay out here with me. I can't get enough of this flatscreen! How'd you even get something so big through your door?"

My dad, he wanted to say, but Teru wasn't even sure that was true. He recalled coming up here with his parents for the first time with the furniture already in place. At least they were thorough before abandoning him. Teru swallowed the pill in his hand, settling back on the couch just as Reigen came back into view with an armful of pillows and blankets.

"If you hold tight for another hour, Serizawa should be coming by to drop off Pho. It's great when you're sick. Man, I once had a neighbour back in college that…"

Reigen's tangent about their lunch made Teru inadvertently file away his troubles, choosing to vocalize them when he had the courage to. He sat on the couch as Reigen cracked open a bag of chips from his cupboard, and the pair watched a show Teru had never seen before. He felt his eyes beginning to close underneath his duvet just as Reigen got up from the couch and announced that he'd be back in a moment to meet Serizawa in the lobby.

When he came back up, a bag of takeout in one arm, Reigen said he let Serizawa know that it wasn't a great idea to come up and visit. "The guy's way too anxious about getting sick, anyway. He showed up with a mask on, even when I told him it wasn't contagious. I think he's worried he'll go under the weather during his first week at work. I don't even blame him after working under such a tyrant."

They ate their lunch silently, Teru saving his other half for dinner. Reigen talked about Kageyama and how the kid had always had the same haircut since he'd known him. He even showed him a few photos of what his friend had looked like when he was young and first starting out as an apprentice.

"That kid's always been adorable. I remember when I gave him his first phone and he realized he could play games on it," Reigen chuckled fondly at the memory, "I had to initiate a no-phone policy for a week until he swore he would delete all his games. I didn't think he had to go that far, but he kept his word…I think, at least. Do you ever see him on that thing?"

"Only if he's texting you," Teru admitted. He'd regained some of his strength after eating the late lunch. It was enough to talk to Reigen without feeling like he would pass out.

"Aw, wait—really? I didn't know that. He's a good kid. Honest to a fault. I still can't believe he was the one who approached me. Psychic connection, I guess." Reigen laughed and flicked the channel over to some mindless news network. They were still covering the attacks but more focused on the broccoli. Since the shock had perished, no one in town knew what to make of it.

Talking about Kageyama's brute honesty made his stomach sink with guilt. He knew something had to be done before something was done for him. And…as much as Teru could pack up and run, he wasn't sure if he wanted that. Losing the closest people he'd ever had to a family felt like a big mistake.

And families were supposed to forgive, right? He shook himself out of that delusion. It didn't matter what Reigen thought of him in the end. He just had to know.

Still weak, Teru used his powers to slowly lift the remote, clicking it off. The room fell silent. Reigen looked over at him, confused.

"Everything okay?"

Teru must have had a stone-cold look on his face. He tried to shake it off, to force a smile, but he couldn't sugarcoat it. He had to tell the man what he'd done.

"Reigen," he took a deep breath, ignoring how nauseous it made him feel. Maybe if he could absolve himself from some of this guilt, it would make him feel better. "Reigen, there's something I haven't told you."

Reigen looked like he wanted to make a joke out of it, but Teru's expression must have looked so intense because it sucked the humour right out of the man. He sat up straighter on the couch, resting his hands. He tilted his head to one side.

"Is it something serious?"

"Yeah," Teru's voice went up a few pitches. He cleared his throat, trying to steady himself. He was lucky he had that painkiller to keep most of his illness at bay. "And I know I'm already finished, so I just need to ask you to forgive me."

"Forgive me?" Reigen repeated but didn't budge. "Alright. I'm listening."

With another deep breath, Teru had launched into his reasoning behind everything. His parents going abroad, his trouble with the school, how he'd used Reigen's name in the heat of the moment, and how it had all backfired on him immensely since it started. It was the first time anyone besides himself had gotten the whole truth. A fraction of the weight had lifted off his shoulders, but Teru knew he still had to deal with the bigger consequences.

Reigen's face didn't betray a single reactive emotion. The man remained calm and listened intently to the story, the testimony of how things had gotten this bad. By the end, he kept his index fingers clasped under his nose, contemplating. Finally, he turned to Teru.

"So you've been signing for things on your parents' behalf. I was wondering why they were never home but still had all their shit together for you."

Teru nodded shakily, unable to look the man in the eye. "Yeah."

More silence as Reigen slowly put the pieces together. "And that's probably what you did for your insurance last week, right? You used their signatures."

Teru managed another meek nod. He thought he might cry, but he didn't have the energy. The tears sat foggily in the back of his eyes, making it hard to swallow with the lump in his throat.

"Could I ask where you got mine?"

Teru breathed in and out as steadily as he could. He told himself he would be sincere and refused to back down on his word.

"That first dinner that we had after work? I think?" He said, even though he knew. He remembered every gruelling, guilt-ridden detail about it. " You were in the bathroom, and I went through your bag until I found a form with your information on it. I didn't even think before doing it. It seemed like a foolproof plan at the time. " He closed his eyes and let his face fall into one hand. "I'm just—I'm sorry, Reigen. I'm so sorry. " He sucked in another breath. This felt like word vomit and equally as sickening. "I've been selfish, but I was scared about what people might say if they found out I lived alone here, and I—I'm still scared. I'm terrified . I don't—I'm a risk to anyone who takes me in, and I didn't think the school would understand that, but now I'm scared they'll charge me with fraud for impersonating you and my parents even though it's my own damn fault for being so stupid and thinking I could get away with something so— risky."

He was doing more than rambling. It felt like a madman's confession. This wasn't just his stability on the line here, but maybe even his criminal record. Did they arrest people for things like this? Teru was almost sure they did. And he had no right acting so pitiful in front of Reigen, the man who'd been so kind and giving to him from the start. He'd gone and betrayed his trust, stabbed him in the back and dragged him into something so stupid and unnecessary.

"I know it's my fault," he could barely say, "I-I can't even blame them for wanting to investigate. I could have hidden it better or chosen another way to get away with things, or—" Teru didn't want to say the next part. "Or I could have just done something to make them stay."

And all because what? He was scared? What an awful excuse, and to someone like Reigen nonetheless. He deserved everything that came to him.

Reigen was still silent on the other side of the couch, seemingly still taking everything in. From the school's insistence to Teru's master plan, it was a lot to grasp initially. He wondered if Reigen would take his things and walk out. Even if he did, the best he could hope for was that he didn't press any kind of charges later on. Or maybe he would drag Teru to the school and reveal everything himself.

He sat tensely, waiting for a response, a reaction, anything at all.

"Man, kid. If I knew you could do something as ingenious as this, I'd have sat you down and given you a talk about responsibility a long time ago."

Teru blinked, surprised at the response. Reigen sat there, staring down at his hands and…smiling?

"I don't…" Teru started, but Reigen seemed determined to finish his thoughts.

"You pulled a fast one on me, and I didn't even realize it. Do you know how hard that is to do? I've got eyes everywhere, Hanazawa," he continued chuckling to himself, "And normally, I'd be pretty pissed off that you've been doing something like this behind my back, even if you felt it was better to lie and be aloof about things. But I've gotta admit, I'm impressed. The fact that no one caught on is…"

Reigen paused before continuing, hesitant about what to say next.

"It just reminds me of something I'd do." He cleared his throat again. "When I was younger, I mean."

Teru wasn't quite sure what to say to that.

"You're…not mad?" He finally asked. In fact, Reigen didn't even seem half as bothered as he imagined he'd be. Earnest, kind, advice-giving Reigen was…strangely okay with what he'd done.

"Kid," Reigen almost laughed, shaking his head with disbelief, "I've met some shitty parents, but this is a whole other playing field. The only ones that really seem at fault with this are them. Like—seriously. I get wanting your child to have some kind of independence, but dumping you off and throwing money at you is a new level of cowardice. Psychic abilities are just another skill out there. So, what? They're afraid that their kid has talent?"

Teru had no idea what to say, but the way Reigen had simplified it to such a degree almost made him want to laugh.

"They knew I was high-risk," he argued, but the man wasn't having it.

"High risk for what? I'm not abandoning a child if they can throw a baseball too far and claim it's because I'm scared he'll use the arm to take a swing at me."

In all his years alone with his powers, Teru had never thought of them like that. Just another human ability. It had felt like such a burden at times, only really acting as his catalyst for isolation and—now—a tool for his survival. The way Reigen spoke about it was so…natural. He didn't fear it. He didn't fear him.

"But back to the elephant in the room. You haven't been using my name to get money, right? Or take money from the business?" He asked carefully. Teru shook his head.

"I would never. I—I can pull up proof if you really need it."

Reigen raised an eyebrow, though it was less skeptical and more comical. "And my reputation as a spiritual consultant?"

"Unchanged," Teru swore on the life of both of his parents, his powers, and Kageyama that he was telling the truth. At least now.

Reigen's smirk left his face momentarily as he leaned forward, sighing. "Well…normally, I'd lecture Mob if he made a mistake like this. And the kid's made a lot of mistakes, but more to do with problems in the psychic realm. This is…" the man gestured to Teru and the very concept of his problem, "It's different."

Teru hung his head. "I know. Again, I'm—sorry." He prepared for the lecture that he more than deserved. But instead, Reigen shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Look, I'm not gonna pretend like what you did is morally great, but on a scale of bad things that have happened to everyone these past few weeks, this is pretty minor in my world," he explained instead, "And I don't know if a lecture is really the way to go about this. I have a feeling you already know what you did, and I know one thing for sure—you aren't gonna do it again."

Teru couldn't find his words, but nothing in his repertoire could prepare him for that.

"Realistically, I've got two options," Reigen said, crossing one leg over another and letting his hands fly wildly, "I know you didn't want me involved with your personal business, but you've kinda thrown my name into this whole thing."

"Yes," Teru bowed his head nervously, albeit equally confused, "Of course."

"I can help you tell the truth to the people at your school, explain the situation to them in a way that might get you the least amount of damage in the end," he proposed, "Or I can help you get away completely unscathed."

Reigen's words hit him with a slight delay. He had only really taken the first option until his brain realized what the man had said.

"Unscathed," Teru repeated out loud, "You want to help me…lie to them?"

"Well, that makes it sound terrible!" Reigen waved his hands in protest, "Look, do you want my help with this or not? I could easily drop you into the hands of some non-psychic adults if that's what you think you need. But…jeez, after meeting so many psychics last week, I'm not sure how great that'll be."

"I just don't want to cause any more trouble," he replied. It was tiring, just adding more things onto the pile of lies he'd accumulated. "For you or Kageyama, or—"

"This isn't about me or Mob," Reigen shot back, "I'm asking what you need out of this."

Teru knew the battle against Claw had shaken them all. Kageyama had said something about their kind sticking together, but Kageyama also had a family to go home to. Maybe he should stop thinking about what Kageyama would do. He wasn't Kageyama.

He was worse.

"I conned you, " Teru blurted out, "I'm—I'm the opposite of what you stand for—what Kageyama stands for. I'm a fraud, and you're okay with that? With helping out someone like that?"

Reigen grew quiet, and Teru wondered if he had finally said the one thing that would send Reigen off to the other side. Instead, he looked sad. Regretful might be a better word. Or maybe contemplative.

"Look," he finally said, raising his head to face him. His hands, usually all over the place, sat restlessly in his lap, "I haven't…been honest with people in the past. And sometimes the present, too," He chuckled to himself. "I know I preach a certain moral code with my work, but a part of that code is knowing that sometimes, things out there don't really align with what you'd normally do. Like a gray area."

Teru felt mesmerized. He couldn't take his eyes off the man as he continued his words of controversial yet comforting wisdom.

"I know your situation is unconventional as an esper. I also know that people who don't get that can make things ten times worse, even if they think they're doing you a favour," Reigen inhaled quietly. "But you're a kid, Hanazawa. If I'm being honest, I don't really know what would help you. I can't pretend to know the extent of it all, but…I know you've done things to protect yourself. That's what Mob does when he explodes, and Ritsu when he withdraws, and even Serizawa when he fought for the wrong side. Sometimes people do bad things to keep themselves afloat."

His words were honest, a layer of truth that Teru wasn't used to hearing. Reigen always seemed impenetrable—he still was, in his eyes—but Teru had never seen an adult, a role model, be so brutally honest with their claims.

"If I had any reason to believe what you're doing is putting yourself in danger, I'd become the bad guy and stop you any day," Reigen put his hands up in reassurance, "But in simpler terms, what it looks like to me is that you need someone to go in and sign a few papers to let you keep living like you're living. Is that right?"

"Yes," Teru said quickly. He felt swayed by the man's ability to captivate even an audience of one. "I know it's messy. I'm sorry for lying."

He had a strange, gnawing feeling that Reigen just…understood.

"Sometimes, in the greater scheme of things, a few lies can keep everything together," Reigen spoke, though Teru wasn't sure if it was directed at just him anymore. After a few seconds of reflection, Reigen hopped to it and lifted himself off the couch. "If I'm gonna do this for you, I need you to promise me a few things, though."

Teru felt his chest tighten. Reigen was trusting him to do the right thing. Even if he was a stupid kid, even if he'd already messed things up once. "Anything, Reigen. I'll do anything."

"Great," he clasped his hands together. "Then I need you to swear to me that anytime you need anything, you'll text me. Or call me. Can you do that?"

Teru's face felt hot as he realized what Reigen was implying. He wanted to look out for him? For real? Outside of this fake charade he'd created to help him get through school? He stopped himself, the skepticism and doubt coming back into play.

"I don't want to interfere with your personal life anymore than I already have," Teru began. Reigen stopped him in his tracks.

"You should've thought of that before picking my signature to forge. If I'm gonna be responsible for you on paper, I've gotta be at least a little responsible for you in practice. I know you're an independent kid with your own stuff going on. I don't wanna squash that," Reigen's eyes twinkled with the same look he'd seen him give Mob. "Whatever you need, whenever you need it, alright? Don't hesitate."

It took Teru a moment to compose himself. He wanted so badly to hug him in that moment, to grip the cuffs of his rolled-up sleeves and call him family. Now would have been the perfect time to do it. Instead, he lifted his gaze from where he was staring anxiously and offered him a genuine smile.

"Got it," he said, "And…thank you, Reigen. Really."

Reigen looked touched for only a moment before he assumed the charismatic character Teru again recognized. It was comforting to see something he was so familiar with, but it battled with the instability that had met him in the last few weeks. He put an arm of reassurance around Teru's back, squeezing him tight. No words accompanied it. None were necessary.

"Let's make a game plan. Actually—do you have a pen and paper anywhere? I'm gonna need all the details to pull this off."

***

Teru and Reigen met for breakfast early that following day. With his fever spurred by guilt and defeat dismissed, Teru had washed, dried, and ironed out his best-fitting uniform for the occasion, careful not to spill syrup on his perfectly tied tie as they sat at the diner a few blocks from his school.

"Now, you better not tell Mob I told you this, but sometimes a businessman's skills are just as good as a conman's. That's what makes conmen so good at what they do," Reigen said between mouthfuls of pancake. "I'm not saying that makes me a conman, but let's just say I've picked up a few methods of the craft to help me along."

Teru grinned, ignoring the ball of nerves that remained in his stomach. Reigen departed earlier that night after ensuring Teru had something to eat. He was already feeling better after unloading his labyrinth of lies onto another person, but the fact that he had a trusted adult in his ring made him feel all the more supported.

"Got it," Teru replied heartily. He was still determining what Reigen had up his sleeve, but the man always had something to make things go his way. He just had to lean back and trust him, and…he hadn't done that with an adult before, had he?

"I just need you to stand there and let Reigen Arataka work his magic," the man snapped his fingers in front of them as if he were performing a magic trick right at the table.

 "I hope this can get them off my back," Teru finished off his plate and pushed it out before him. It was delicious, as was everything Reigen treated him to. 

"Oh, trust me," the man slapped a few bills onto the table and grabbed his briefcase. "They won't even know what hit 'em." 

As they finished their breakfast and sauntered a few blocks north, Teru couldn't help but hang back behind Reigen as Black Vinegar came into view. The darkened windows loomed over him, the building towering, taller than it usually felt. Reigen glanced behind him and backed up, cocking his head to the side. 

"Ready to do this?" 

Teru straightened his tie and breathed in slowly. He needed a minute. Just a few more words of reassurance. 

"Do you think…we could not bring this up again once it's done?" He asked hopefully. As much as he'd gained most of his confidence back, he couldn't help but consider this entire situation as crushingly humiliating.

"Hmm?" Reigen turned his head and let him continue.

"We don't have to fully pretend it didn't happen, but I'm sure we both want to get back to what we're used to. Or even if we…" Teru danced around the true meaning of his words, finally just spitting it out. "Could we just keep all of this from the rest of them? Especially Kageyama?" His voice rose, "I don't want to be seen differently than I already am."

The last thing Teru wanted to do was take Reigen from his friend. That wasn't the goal at all. He wanted this to be one and done, to keep living as he was living, and maybe text Reigen about a few stupid things that had to do with his apartment or his bank. He could keep (justifiably) using his parents' signatures to get by, and until he was old enough to escape them, that would be that. 

If the man could just agree, that is. Teru stared up at him silently as if he were still eating the boy's words. 

"Unless I have no choice, you have my word," Reigen reached out his hand, and they shook on it. He understood. Maybe Reigen had secrets of his own, too. "Lips zipped, kid." 

The man pretended to zip up his mouth and pocket the key in his suit jacket. Teru laughed, the feeling of Reigen's hand still tingling on his palm. He let his arms fall stiffly to his sides and walked in. 

Much to Teru's displeasure, the secretary who always hounded him for being late was working at the front desk. She was nice enough, but Teru wondered how they might get through her.

Teru took a weak breath and tried to put back the mask of courage he always carried with him. He was told to let Reigen do his thing, so he would let Reigen do his thing.

And sure enough, there came Reigen, walking into the office next to him as if he had all the power in the world. He looked important, determined, yet approachable. He looked…like Reigen. Teru had forgotten what it was like to see him in public action.

"Good morning, ma'am!" The man approached the front counter, his smile so white that it was almost blinding. Teru observed silently. The man had his charisma meter turned all the way up to ten.

"Good morning," the secretary sounded bored as ever, although a hint of curiosity pecked at her usually down-trodden voice. "What brings someone like you here today?"

"Well, ma'am, I'm assuming there's been some sort of mix-up involving some of the staff at this school because I've gotten about four missed calls in the last twenty-four hours," Reigen's hands flew wildly around the room, painting some kind of story that was so convincing, Teru wasn't sure what was truth or fable. "I'm here to drop off my nephew myself since Black Vinegar seems to have a vendetta against my family."

"A vendetta? " the secretary raised an eyebrow, leaning forward, "Well—if you could give me the name of your nephew, I'll— oh."

Her eyes filled with realization upon seeing Teru standing stiffly beside Reigen, trying not to interrupt the performance.

"Good morning, Miss Akiyama," the boy smiled. The secretary eyed Teru up and down, then Reigen, before turning back to her computer.

"You called yesterday," she said, unusually alert. "I had the pleasure of talking with you about Teruki's absence. Is that right? Mr. Rei…"

"Reigen Arataka! 21st Century's Greatest Psychic! That's right, ma'am—you were, in fact, talking with a bit of a celebrity. Only Seasoning City's most reliable spiritual consultant."

Akiyama's eyes lit up gleefully as if she'd seen a very enthralling ghost.

"Teruki, dear. Why didn't you tell me your uncle was a psychic? No wonder you've all been so busy—I swear I saw you on TV last week!"

"You've got that right," Reigen grinned, "A re-run of my press conference, perhaps? Or maybe my accomplishments in banishing spirits in the digital gaming sphere? I'm known for more than that, though. My spiritual massages are my great expertise. Hey—I'll tell you what?"

The woman practically had stars in her eyes as she messily clicked around on her computer and shoved Teru a late arrival hall pass. "What? What, sir?"

He leaned over and spoke quieter, closer to her ear. "I'll give you 30% off if you're a first-time customer. That back of yours is looking pretty out of whack. I can sense it…an evil spirit."

Akiyama felt around until she had a hand on her spine and a smile. "Why, I always thought it was this dingy old job in front of the computer, but—but—why, you're right! I can feel it now!"

More office staff had crowded around them, and Reigen was handing out promotional material like his life depended on it. With each handout he made, Teru listened to him rave about his dearest family friend's child, his nephew Teruki, who was ailing yesterday, so he had no choice but to cancel work and nurse him back to health for the day. And on top of all that, the school was accusing him of some kind of neglect? Don't be silly!

As Teru watched in awe. Reigen was surrounded by the co-ed staff sipping their coffees and cracking jokes with him, starstruck that Teruki was being looked after by the Reigen Arataka. Was this what he looked like when first getting to know him? This starstruck? The man just had a way of getting into people's heads and lighting up entire rooms with nothing more than his character.

Clutching the hall pass, Teru stood away from the crowd, nearly bumping into a teacher coming out of the staff room with a fresh mug of cheap coffee.

"Pardon me, I—" the man he'd collided with began apologizing before realizing who he'd run into. "Hanazawa."

The vice principal had grabbed him loosely by the collar, pulling him up to his level.

"Sir," Teru tried to swallow his fear, attempting to maneuver this himself as his safety shield wooed the rest of the staff across the room.

"Where were you yesterday?" he demanded, "We had a conversation to finish, and I won't forget that little coincidence from a few days ago."

"Sick," Teru forced a smile, desperate to get out of his clutches, "I was sick. I—I couldn't come in yesterday. I wanted to, but—"

"Attempting to defend yourself?" the man asked snidely, letting Teru's tie catch his fingers, "I happen to have Guidance and a third person you have yet to meet in my office. We were just talking about how we should proceed with—"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" a familiar voice rang out, and Teru felt himself melt into the floor with relief. Reigen had come to save him. Finally. "You'd better get your hands off my kid before I sue this place to the ground!"

"Your kid?" the vice principal let go of the boy's collar, letting him drop to the floor and scurry behind his gray-clad hero, his temporary family. "And who might you be?"

"You don't get to call the shots around here. Not with me, bucko," Reigen pointed a finger up to the man's face, practically up his nose, "Not when I've been ruthlessly harassed while I've just been trying to do my job. You probably had me playing on your TV in the background while filing whatever you have in your hand!"

The office staff watched just as tensely as Teru did. The showdown began, and the vice principal crossed his arms defensively.

"You still need to introduce yourself, sir. I'd like to know who you are to this child in case you're someone he just picked off the streets."

Reigen blinked once, then twice, his face white with what looked like pure outrage.

"Who do you think you are, questioning my relationship with Teruki? The kid who I've practically raised since knowing him? The one who I proudly refer to as the nephew I never had? Questioning me— Reigen Arataka —currently one of the busiest spiritual consultants on the planet? " Reigen glared down at him, a smile growing on his face, "I should have seen this coming, to be honest. Things don't seem very bright up there."

The vice principal paused for a moment, connecting the dots. Teruki to Reigen, and Reigen to this vacuous black hole that was celebrities on daytime television.

"Arataka," he said in shock, "I–I hadn't realized the connection until now, I—"

"Reigen will do just fine, Mr…"

"E-Egawa."

"Egawa, sir," Reigen continued, hand motions hypnotizing even his apathetic vice principal. "What gives any of you the right to treat my family like this? I understand keeping kids safe, but I filled out all the papers I thought I needed to fill out. And even despite the busiest time of my life at the office, I've managed to come in here this morning and cancel all my appointments because Teruki here has been interrogated by members of staff? Threatened?"

The vice principal stood just as stiff as Teru felt during the interrogation a few days before. This time, he was getting a taste of his own medicine. "W-well, we thought it best to ask Hanazawa himself if he was truly alright. We'd been giving you calls for weeks with no answer."

"Ah, that might explain a few things. My old phone had been tragically hacked and destroyed by an evil spirit. I've had to get a new one this month, and I suppose I put in the wrong number on instinct," Reigen responded almost instantly, "And still…you really thought it was necessary to threaten my kid over two failed tests and a wrong number? Two failed tests after a terrorist attack, nonetheless. Does everyone in this school have no shame?"

The staff watched the conflict intently until the vice principal realized a packed audience was in attendance.

"Please, come into my office. I have two people who would like to speak with you," he scurried as Reigen sauntered behind him. Teru and the staff watched as the door was shut and things were muttered loudly, mostly by Reigen. Within a few minutes, the door burst open, and Reigen was buttoning up his jacket. The vice principal looked… overjoyed. It stood unfamiliar on the man's face.

"I told you, Egawa. 30% off means you still gotta pay up," he flashed an accusatory glance, holding out his hand until the man fished out his wallet joyfully, practically throwing yen his way.

"Hanazawa, I believe we've finally gotten everything sorted out," the guidance counsellor beamed, another woman he hadn't met following behind her. "And we do apologize for the misunderstanding. When you said Reigen was busy, we had no idea it was because he…"

"Welp, that's my watch going off!" Reigen's wrist began beeping as if on cue. Teru stared up, semi-amazed at the fact that Reigen had planned how this interaction would go, down to when he'd be set to leave. "I have a meeting with Seasoning City's finest in about twenty." He looked around at the staff, flashing them all another smirk. "I take it I've proven my identity?"

"Y-yes," the vice principal nodded, turning to the both of them. "Please, don't be late to your meeting, Mr. Reigen. And Hanazawa… you're half an hour late to class. Please, move along."

"Yes, sir."

"Thanks a bunch, Egawa. And come around next week for me to see about those possessed shoelaces you have on your feet."

As he watched Reigen walk confidently out of the school behind him, the man barely gave him a second glance. No grand signal of acknowledgement besides a quick smile, a wink, and a thumbs up hidden behind his back that was so quick, Teru almost missed it. He was great at acting, but Teru wondered if some of the stuff he'd overheard wasn't entirely false.

To an extent, at least. Teru didn't want to mentally overstep more than he already had these past few weeks.

He knew Reigen wouldn't bring this event up unless Teru did first. That was part of their little deal. Reigen did Teru a solid, and in return, he…wait. What was in it for Reigen? When he ran through all the reasons in his head, they all seemed to return to the fact that it helped him immensely. Even the conditions that Reigen had given him himself.

If the man were still standing beside him, Teru knew he would say something inspiring or comforting like he would with Kageyama. Like, "You're just a kid. There's nothing you owe me besides making sure you end up okay. " Or "Dontcha worry about that. I promise I'll know who to call when I need a favour from someone."

Those unspoken words still hung in the air as if both parties were thinking them, shooting them back and forth between their brains in a game of pseudo-telepathy.

Teru turned the corner, a late pass in his hand as he made his way over to his morning classroom, weight finally off his shoulders. He knew now there was someone he could call. Someone who looked out for him on days he couldn't himself.

Was that family? Was that what it meant?

Teru was too afraid to ask, but the unconventional definition he'd come up on his own suited him just fine.

As Reigen officially left his sight, Teru realized he had no idea how to truly make it up to the man for doing this. A grand gesture, an even bigger thank you, a thoughtful gift, nothing felt quite right. He would have to brainstorm and strike when the best time came around.

Knowing Teru, he would put it off, and put it off, and put it off again and again and again. But…in the grander scheme of things, maybe that was okay. Why rush?

It wasn't as if Reigen was going anywhere anytime soon.