Chapter Text
It's been stressful the last few days. Reigen sighs as he watches Mob shuffling about the front of the Spirits and Such Office. Reigen had told him to organize and file the receipts until a client came in.
But Reigen had never unlocked the door or turned on any sort of open sign. They were taking the day off.
Not because they should. Reigen paid Mob for a reason after all. He didn't have much left over after paying rent for two spaces and all the other bills, but they needed the day off.
Reigen had seen the news last night. About a man being sighted near the odd supernatural occurrence that had happened at a local middle school.
Reigen didn't know how Mob could have done it, but he had known the moment he’d seen it that it was indeed his Mob who had been the source of it and Mob’s sullen face today had been confirmation of it.
It didn't make sense. Mob knew better then to do something like that with his powers, but Reigen also knew Mob better then to presume that he had done such without a reason or story behind it. Mob was Mob after all, and Reigen knew his disciple didn't have a single malice bone in his body.
So he had asked about Mob's night last night, and he had been met with a stone wall instead of a pleasantly polite but non informative answer that was Mob's usual answer.
So when Mob had turned around, Reigen had locked the door, instructed Mob on how to organize the receipts, settled at his computer, and started looking for the thing to cheer Mob up.
But - maybe Mob was a little too old to visit a dairy farm?
Reigen frowned at the computer. But there wasn't an admittance fee... And maybe he could talk them into free samples. Maybe even a cup of the raw stuff. He had only had it once himself so he figured it would be a new experience to perk the boy up with.
Reigen stood up and quickly shrugged on his suit coat, “Oi, Mob,” He said gaining the boy's attention, “I finalized the details of a case with a client. It might be a hoax, but I think we should go check it out all the same.” He lied so easily to Mob, but he thought nothing of it. After all, his actions might have been motivated by his need to look out for the boy who had named him Shisho, but that doesn't mean he'd gotten to the stage where he was admitting that to himself. After all, Mob had stonewalled him, and Reigen was the slimey one here. Mob was just a kid. He shouldn't be going through anything that would put him at risk or push him to lying. He shouldn't be going through the adult things like that. That was the point of being a kid wasn't it?
Why had Mob -? Reigen cut the thought off as Mob stared at Reigen.
“Ah,” Mob answered, “Understood, Shisho.”
Reigen nodded, “Thanks, Mob. Sorry to drag you around for what will probably be nothing but…”
“No,” Mob shook his head, “Don't apologize, Shisho. I thought the thought of getting out of the office.”
Reigen smiled.
~ ~ ~
Mob wasn't sure if Reigen had given the taxi driver the right directions when they pulled up in front of the Miss. Bovine McCow’s Cow Farm, but he had no idea how right he was to worry about that. He hadn't realized Reigen was paying the cab drivers in salt. He was too distracted by the lingering sensation that maybe someone out there was watching him after last night. Ready to hunt him down after what he'd done when he lost control in the fight with Teruki, “Shisho?” Mob said softly as Reigen stepped up beside him, “Are you sure we're in the right place?”
Reigen nodded, “Sure as I can be. Do you sense anything here?”
Mob shook his head. He didn't, “Where is the client meeting us, Shisho?”
“He isn't,” Reigen answered. Mob looked up at Reigen with his brow furrowed. Reigen looked down at Mob, “I saw the news last night, Mob.” Reigen explained softly.
Mob looked away. He stepped away from Reigen.
“If you don't want to explain what happened,” Reigen continued, “That's fine. I won't pry. But, you should open up to your mentor. I am here to help teach you how to control your powers after all.”
“I know,” Mob looked at his feet, and he shuffled his weight around uncomfortably, “I know that you've been lying to me.”
“About what?”
“About being a psychic,” Mob mumbled.
“Oh,” Reigen answered, “Then why are you still with me?”
Mob looked up at Reigen once more, and Reigen barely kept his stoic gaze as he too looked at the other in this awkward, painful confession. Mob smiled, and Reigen’s eye grew wider as tears dripped down Mob’s face, “Because,” Mob answered, “I know that you're a good man, Shisho.” He jumped forward and wrapped his arms around Reigen. He held him tight, “Thank you, Shisho.” He mumbled into the now greatly ruffled suit coat.
Reigen's arms had flown up in surprise, and now it was clear Mob wasn't instantly going to jump back from his prickly self he still wasn't sure exactly where to put to them. He gingerly put them down on the boy’s back and patted him - partially returning the hug, “Do you want to talk about what happened at the school?” Reigen asked softly.
Mob nodded, still buried in his mentor’s, his friend's, jacket.
“Do you know why I picked a dairy farm, Mob?” Reigen asked once he realized he was going to have to pry Mob off if he ever wanted to feel the lower half of his body again.
“Because I like milk?” Mob answered tentatively.
“Exactly,” Reigen nodded, “Now, real question here, have you ever had raw milk before, Mob?”
Mob shook his head.
“Then,” Reigen answered softly, “Let's see if we can talk the owner into slipping us some - technically they aren't suppose to serve the unpasteurized stuff, but -”
Mob slowly let go of Reigen and he smiled, “Lead the way, Shisho. I am glad we came. Even if we don't get to taste the raw milk.”
“Oh,” Reigen wagged a finger at Mob, “I myself have had Raw milk before. Every batch tastes different, but it is an experience worth having! What sort of Shisho would I be if -”
Mob tackled Reigen with another hug, knocking the wind out of him.
“Oi, Mob,” Reigen whispered with the little air that he could get as the panic swelled up in his chest, “Mob, What happened last night?”
“I -I,” He pulled away from Reigen, and he shuffled about as he tried to find the word.
Reigen put a strong hand on Mob's shoulder, “You don't have to tell me. You can take your time if you want to do so. Does that sound good to you, Mob?”
Mob had a ghost of a smile on his face and he nodded.
“Now, Do you want to watch your Shisho talk some poor staff member here into getting us the good stuff?”
Mob laughed, “It’s milk, Shisho,” Mob answered, regaining his normal mellow air as he fell in step beside his Shisho, “There is no bad stuff.”
Reigen laughed and he clasped Mob’s shoulder, “Oh, Mob,” He whispered, “Please never change.”
Mob looked up at Reigen and he saw the older man dripping some tears of his own. He smiled, “Of course, Shisho.”