Work Text:
Eventually, finally , Serizawa was late to work.
When Reigen had hired him, ever since the very first day he walked into the mildly sad but newly restored office, Serizawa had kept impeccable punctuality.
He had read in a book or article somewhere (Serizawa read a lot of books and articles) that being on time was a first way ticket to being a good employee. The same unknown piece of writing had also said something about how making only green tea in the office was also a license to star employee-dom, as well as keeping his shoes shined and wearing oaky-smelling cologne, all of these things Serizawa also followed to a tee. This would be worrying, his seemingly steadfast belief in article business tips, if the tree cologne didn’t smell so nice. And oaky.
Anyway. Enough about the cologne.
Serizawa had showed up every morning, 9 am sharp, right as the office opened for business. Sometimes he was even early, catching Reigen jiggling the key in the shitty lock, desperately trying to unlock the door while simultaneously putting his entire weight on it. And sometimes Serizawa would reach out with his aura, wiggling its way through the lock, until the door opened with a nice click and Reigen almost fell in the door. He would quickly regain his footing and hold the door open for Serizawa with his crooked yet charming grin, and an “ After you,”
All these mornings had one thing in common. Serizawa was never, ever more than a few minutes late. And if he was late, they were explainable minutes, dammit. His bus hadn’t come, or the train was delayed, or he ran into a night school friend on the way and just couldn’t pass up a chat. It was never the shitty excuses Reigen had when he stumbled into work after a late night out, nursing a hangover as Serizawa was already opening the blinds and putting the kettle on.
Serizawa was a great employee. An excellent one, even, the kind of one people would put on business brochures and training videos. He was half of the whole of Spirits and Such. Serizawa was never late.
Until, one ordinary Thursday, he was.
It was ordinary in every sense except for the fact that the door unlocked on the first try. That should have been a sign to Reigen of something not quite right. But he just chalked it up to luck.
As the door swings open, a burst of cool air flowing through the stuffy room, Reigen turns the sign on the door over and sets down his things on the desk, covering a yawn as he does. The lights are turned on and the blinds are drawn up, making the office bright and even almost airy. Reigen walks over to the corner and bends down to the fan, clicking it on and giving it a kick when it refuses to start. After a minute of cursing and kicks, the piece of paper attached to the fan begins to wiggle in the air, signaling that the fan has finally decided to admit defeat to Reigen.
Summer in the office is often what Reigen refers to as “the worst”; the office, with its slightly outdated air conditioning with a tendency to quit, is often at the very least mildly uncomfortable in temperature during the hotter months of the year.
Today is certainly no exception. Reigen can already feel the back of his neck getting sticky, no thanks to the fan that’s on its last legs. Serizawa isn’t here to hear him complain and add a nod or a murmur of agreement, so Reigen folds a piece of paper into a makeshift and terrible fan, and waves it through the air as he clicks through email after email. He longs for an unordinary day, one where something, anything, interesting is going to happen. If he stares at the door long enough, he thinks, maybe someone like the yokai hunter they had encountered a few months ago will peek in, or maybe an old cursed granny will walk through the threshold and create Something Interesting. It isn’t long until the first appointment of the morning, but if something doesn't happen very soon, Reigen is going to start moving the office furniture around. For now he keeps staring at the door.
But no such luck. After a minute the door, which is very ordinary and uninteresting itself, becomes boring, and Reigen sighs deeply before continuing to sort through emails. Whenever he does look through his inbox, sometimes he will picture the emails as actual pieces of mail. The clicking of the email is the opening of the letter, reading it with its computer printed script, and when it no longer catches his interest or isn’t something important he’ll throw it over his shoulder with a hearty click of the delete button. Reigen has a good imagination, something people say is a great thing at his age (as if he is ancient and not a fresh twenty-nine!) but even sometimes it just can’t make such a boring situation any less boring.
“Okay,” Reigen announces to no one, standing up and stretching to one side. He cracks his wrists and clenches his hands open and closed before walking over to the coffee machine that sits alone in its lonely corner. Coffee is already brewed; he’d started the machine when he opened the office that morning, thankful for the great decision Past Reigen had made as he pours into a chipped mug. His usual two creamer packets go into the cup, stirred around with a coffee stirrer from a box Tome had brought in the other day. Sip, taste, sigh of contentment. It’s an alright cup of coffee.
Reigen takes the coffee back to his desk, setting it on the edge as he turns to the window. If the office is dry of entertainment, the window is an excellent place to go. Spirits and Such has a good view of Seasoning City; Reigen can see people walking below, on their way to work or summer cram school, and can watch the clouds above the skyscrapers gently float along, unbothered by the sticky heat.
He is looking at a particularly humorous old woman who carries a tiny dog outfitted with a sparkly tutu that sparkles from even all the way up to the office before he hears the turning of the doorknob. Reigen spins on his heel, a customer service smile forming on his face, before he sees who came through the door.
Tie askew, suit a little wrinkled, curly hair a mess, Serizawa quickly hurries over to his desk and sets down his things before catching Reigen’s eye.
“I am so, so sorry for being late. It’s completely my fault.” He says, his hands clasped as he bows, his shoulders hunched so much Reigen can’t see his face. He’s acting professional towards Reigen when there isn’t a client there; he really is sorry. And when he lifts his head, his eyebrows are bunched together. The dark circles under his eyes have gotten darker, he looks a little pale, too. He fidgets with his hands nervously. He doesn't seem like his typical self today.
“Jesus, Serizawa!” Reigen exclaims. “You look terrible!” Serizawa widens his eyes in embarrassment.
“I’m so sorry, this is so unprofessional. I’ll go clean up in the bathroom.” He turns to leave, but Reigen catches him by the shoulder.
“Serizawa, are you alright?” he asks, his hand sliding down to Serizawa’s arm. Serizawa looks away, an embarrassed and shameful look on his face. “This is pretty unlike you, and you don’t look so good. Is everything okay?”
Serizawa’s eyes soften. He bites his lip, searching for something to say, before opening his mouth and taking in a breath.
And of course that’s when a client decides to come in. It is her appointment time, anyway.
Serizawa hears the sound of the door opening, and shuts his mouth, his eyes steeling again. He opens the door to the massage room in the back right as the customer comes in through the entryway, her jewelry jingling as she steps into the office.
“You’re Reigen Arataka, right?” she asks. She is a young woman of medium height, her black hair coming just a little below her shoulder. Even though it’s scorching out, she wears a chic jean jacket over a summer dress. She looks too put together to be the kind of person to have an appointment at a place like this, but all sorts of people use Spirits and Such’s services, after all. Best not to have any expectations.
“Most certainly. What can I help with?”
The woman brushes her hair off her shoulder, sitting down as she nervously looks around the room. Her hands rest on the strap of her handbag, once-manicured nails bitten to the quick.
“Well, your sign outside said you specialize in exorcisms. My name is Yokimi Kato, and… I…well, I think I’m being haunted, or I’ve been cursed, or… something is just really wrong with me!” She blurts out, looking frantic. Her knuckles are white around the strap of her bag.
Reigen nods sincerely. From a drawer he pulls out a legal pad and grabs a pen, clicking it open.
“I see. What makes you think that? I believe you,” he adds hastily after seeing her expression change into indignant protest. “I’m just trying to… diagnose the problem. Why don’t you tell me a little about what’s been happening, Kato-san?”
Yokimi nods, and her fingers tighten around the purse handle. She draws in a deep breath, her eyebrows pushed together as she begins to speak.
“For starters, I’ve been sleeping horribly. Everyone at my job says how tired I look, and I can’t seem to get any rest. I've been struggling at work. I get awful nightmares, and I always feel like someone’s watching me. I’ve been getting terrible headaches, and unlucky numbers keep popping up everywhere.”
Reigen nods again, his pointer finger above his lip as his thumb rests under his chin.
“That does sound bad, I’m sorry this all has been happening. Now, when did all this begin?”
Yokimi begins to answer, talking about the timeframe, and Reigen catches eyes with Serizawa. He has finally come out of the back room and is fixing a cup of tea for the client, he now looks a little more put together. He still looks exhausted, though.
Reigen raises an eyebrow, pointing his chin ever so slightly at the client. Serizawa shakes his head, pouring the tea.
“-think that’s when it started, the necklace has brought nothing but misfortune to my life.” Yokimi continues. “It’s a shame, though, it really is so beautiful. And my boyfriend would hate for me to have to return something he bought for me because it’s cursed…”
Reigen clears his throat as Serizawa places the cup of tea on the desk near the client before stepping back. She takes a thankful sip.
“Alright, Kato-san, I think I’ve found your problem.” Reigen announces, standing from his desk and rummaging around in one of his bottom drawers.
“Really? What is it? Am I really haunted?” Yokimi exclaims. She grabs the hem of her dress, the fabric twisting in her hands.
“I believe you are,” Reigen says, placing a candle and a bag of salt on the desk before standing up again. Yokimi gasps, her face pale.
“I’ve seen this kind of spirit dozens of times. It’s a spector that comes around in times of high stress and anxiety. Have you been having trouble with your relationship recently? Miscommunication?” Reigen asks.
“I have been having trouble!” Yokimi exclaims. “How did you know?”
“Ah, I thought as much.” Reigen stands up, closing the blinds and lighting the candle, flicking the match out before tossing it in the trash. He walks behind her, sprinkling a little salt on her shoulders.
“The best thing for you to do at this time is to try to establish new habits. Good ones,” Reigen says as he begins to knead her shoulders. “Try to figure out the underlying problems in your home life, your relationship. Look at your issues from all angles, and be honest. To yourself and to the people around you.”
Yokimi nods, her eyes closed in bliss as Reigen works at her neck.
“And, most importantly, relax .” Reigen assures. He pushes at a knot in her back, and she almost instantly slumps in relief. “Soon enough, the spirit will go away.” He brushes the salt off her shoulders, wiping his forehead. “There won’t be enough stress for the spirit to feed on; it’ll starve, and you’ll be cured. But maybe go to the doctors for migraines.”
Serizawa checks her out.
“That’ll be 3,000 yen, ma’am.” he says, opening the safe box. She smiles as she pulls out her wallet, handing him the bills.
“500 yen is your change.” He hands a few coins back to her, and she safely pockets them.
“Thank you so much,” she says, beaming. She looks less tired already. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help, I’ll make sure to give a shining review!” Serizawa nods and smiles thankfully, sliding the safe back under the small reception desk.
“Have a nice day!” he calls as she walks out the door, a spring in her step. “Thank you for your patronage!”
Serizawa yawns as he tidies up the desk, clearing it of any leftover salt and putting the cup in the sink. Reigen is back at his chair, messing on the computer and humming under his breath as his foot taps on the floor. He’s back to using his terrible paper fan again. Heading over to one of the chairs by the window, Serizawa pulls out some homework. He doesn’t really have to get it done, but he figures it would be good to seem busy instead of sitting around, waiting for the next client.
“Say, Serizawa, we never got to finish our conversation.” Reigen suddenly announces from across the room. Serizawa startles, bending the top of one of his pages of work.
“We didn’t,” he responds, smoothing out the paper. Reigen stops looking at his computer, and instead is now looking at Serizawa.
“So…” Reigen says slowly. “What happened?”
Serizawa immediately goes on the defensive.
“Nothing happened, my train was just late. Super late.”
“Ahh, I see.” Reigen responds. “The train that runs from Lettuce to Soy Prefecture, right?” Serizawa nods heartily.
“Hm, that’s odd,” he says, raising an eyebrow. “That’s the line I take too. Guess I didn’t notice the delay.”
Ah, shit.
“How about you tell me what’s really going on? I’m worried about you, not because you were late. Although that is unusual. You just seem… not like you normally do.” Reigen gets up from his chair and moves to the seat opposite Serizawa, a concerned expression on his face. “As your boss and your friend, I want to help you. But I can’t if you don’t tell me what’s going on. So, spill.”
Serizawa is silent for a moment, recovering from being swept up in Reigen’s whirlwind of words. Nervously, he pulls at a hangnail before taking a breath and beginning to speak. He can’t help but feel like a client telling Reigen what issue they’re having.
“I’ve been doing poorly in one of my classes,” he begins, starting with the least offensive worry. “And I usually do fairly well, so I’m worried about my grade.”
Reigen nods.
“You study plenty. I’m sure all you need to do is really retain the information with a little more work, and you’ll be stellar. Is that it?”
No, it’s not it. Serizawa sighs.
“No, not quite. My mother’s been going through some trouble at work, and she seems to be stressed about it.”
“Not your responsibility and nothing you can do, although I’m sure she’s glad to have such a caring son. Next.”
“I’ve been having trouble with my finances-”
“Then I’ll give you a raise. Serizawa, I know you well enough to know when you’re dancing around an answer. Just be honest. Tell me what’s really going on.” Reigen looks expectant. “I can handle it. Lay it on me.”
Serizawa is quiet for a while, and Reigen notices his hands are shaking a little.
“I’ve been thinking about the past a lot.” Such a simple response, but especially for Serizawa it is one with much weight.
“What parts?” Reigen asks gently. Serizawa looks to the corner of the room, his hands twisting together. “If you wanna talk about it,” Reigen adds.
Serizawa shakes his head.
“Mostly about when I was a shut-in,” he says, sighing and running a hand through his messy hair. “I’ve been feeling… guilty recently. About how things have been. And I was late this morning because of how guilty I felt, and I just… couldn't seem to get out of bed.” He exhales, feeling embarrassed, exposed.
Reigen, sitting across from him, puts a hand on Serizawa’s arm. He pats it, one part a little awkward, one part comforting and sincere. He’s got a concerned look on his face, but not one of uncomfort. One of caring. “You deserve every good thing that happens to you, Serizawa.”
Serizawa takes a deep breath, pushing back his cuticles with a nail. His foot taps nervously on the floor, ever so faintly.
“I just… I spent so many years doing nothing. Being stuck in my room. And I kinda got used to the feeling of denying myself any sort of happiness that the unhappiness began to feel safe, and that now that all this… good has been happening, I feel like it’s wrong. Like because I wasted so much time, I shouldn't be having good things now. Ah, that doesn’t make sense. I really shouldn’t have said anything in the first place.”
Reigen shakes his head, but then stands.
“I have an idea. Something that might make you feel a little better, and we can talk about this more after.”
Serizawa lifts his head. “What’s your idea?” he asks. Reigen puts his hands on his hips.
“Well, I think a massage would do you good. Help you focus on something else for a little while. The clients love them, after all. Uh, unless you wanna really dig into all you’re feeling right now, which is fine, just tell me,” he adds, writing a cheerful-looking “On break!” onto a piece of paper and putting it on the door. Serizawa nods; it would be nice to have a distraction, he’s been worried and stressed all day. He wouldn’t be putting off talking about it, just… moving it to a later date, when he can wrap his head around his feelings better.
“That sounds nice, I’d like that.” he finally agrees, and Reigen smiles at him.
“Okay, great,” he says, heading to a cabinet. “Why don’t you head to the back room, I’ll meet you there in a minute? Take off your shirt and just get comfy.”
Serizawa nods, and then heads to the back room. He’s regretted even agreeing to this. Not having a shirt on in front of his boss? He’s pretty sure this is something one of the articles he read said never to do under any circumstances. But, he does it anyway. Takes off his suit jacket, his tie, and then his dress shirt, folding them all neatly and placing them on top of the row of cabinets behind the table. The table itself is in the middle of the room, next to it a smaller table with an incense holder sitting on it. The room itself is rather dark, the lights dimmed comfortably, and as Serizawa lays on the table he can feel himself relaxing just from the enclosed space. The door opens, and suddenly that sense of relaxation is completely eradicated.
Reigen enters, closing the door behind him. He’s shed his suit jacket and carries a bag of salt, setting it down next to Serizawa’s clothes. Behind him, he can hear Reigen humming, opening and closing cabinets. Serizawa stares at the ceiling as Reigen lights a stick of incense, waving it out and putting it in the holder. The incense itself begins to fill the room with a light scent of sandalwood, something Serizawa recognizes from Reigen’s dress shirts, a smell that lingers after he gets done with an “exorcism”.
“Smells nice,” he says quietly, trying to fill the silence.
Reigen leans his head over Serizawa, smiling.
“You like it? It’s my favorite. Imported, so it’s good stuff. Nothing junky.”
Suddenly Serizawa feels very frivolous and embarrassed.
“You don’t need to use your fancy incense for this,” he protests. Reigen waves his hand.
“On the contrary! This is a special occasion, and I must have the best for my best employee. Plus, Mob hates this scent, says it stinks up the whole office, even when he’s always just sitting at his desk, so I get to use it when he’s not here. Also good for keeping away evil spirits.”
Serizawa smiles a little, picturing Mob complaining about the incense’s smell.
“Keeps evil spirits and your student away. Funny.”
Reigen laughs at this. He sprinkles a little salt around on some plates, putting them on various surfaces in the room. He then wipes his hands on his pants.“Yeah? I should sell this stuff. ‘Keep your home free of malicious ghosts and sullen teenagers. Starts at three hundred yen’.”
Serizawa laughs inwardly, now picturing an annoyed Mob standing next to a mountain of incense boxes. His laughter peeters off, and once again, a silence fills the room.
Finally it seems like Reigen is ready. He sets a few things down and rolls up his sleeves.
“Okay, then. I’ll get started.” he announces. “Serizawa, would you mind flipping around for me? Lay on your stomach.”
Of course he should have laid on his stomach! He wasn’t going to get a collarbone massage, if those even existed. Serizawa cringes internally as he awkwardly lifts himself up from the table a little, shuffling to move onto his stomach. His head rests on the pillow, the small hole in the middle enough for him to stick his face through and stare at the ground.
“There we go,” Reigen says, his shoes clicking over to Serizawa’s side. “Okay, I’m going to put some massage oil on your back. It’s gonna be a little cold, fair warning.”
Serizawa waits a moment in silent anticipation, and jolts when he feels something cold touch his back. He can hear Reigen laugh.
“Told you. But it’ll get better in a sec. Let me know if anything is hurting, or if there’s too much pressure, or… ah, just tell me if there’s anything.”
Serizawa nods awkwardly, and lays silently as Reigen rubs the oil in a little. He tries not to focus on Reigen’s hands gracefully gliding over his back, and also tries to not feel embarrassed. With his acne scars, moles, and slight love handles, he feels too large, self conscious. But Reigen doesn’t seem to find anything unsightly.
“Oh, wow,” Reigen says quietly. Serizawa’s heart drops.
“What?” he says, muffled.
“Your muscles are just really tight,” he says, pressing at a spot on his back that makes him take a breath through his gritted teeth. “Have you ever gotten a massage before?”
Serizawa shakes his head, though it’s a little awkward because of the pillow.
“No, never.”
“Hm. Good thing you’re getting one now. It might hurt a little, but after you're gonna feel great. Really relieved.” Reigen moves to another spot, his thumbs moving in tandem, small circles under Serizawa’s ribs.
“You’ve got good skin,” he says after a while. Serizawa’s face heats up a little.
“Oh. Thank you.” he says in response. Reigen hums in acknowledgement. He pours a little more oil onto his back, and starts to dig at a spot at the nape of Serizawa’s neck. Serizawa hisses in pain, the pressure of Reigen’s hands hurting but at the same time seeming to unwind the knot. Reigen’s hands then turn light, gracing down to his shoulders, and tenderly pressing circles into his skin. Serizawa feels like every spot Reigen touches is on fire, hot and almost electric. He controls his breathing, a steady tempo as Reigen kneads and puts pressure on various spots on his back.
Serizawa closes his eyes, suddenly feeling drowsy. Like he’s drifting away, separate from his body and his worries, and all that remains is a pleasant pressure and the smell of sandalwood.
There’s a feeling of a slightly rough fabric running over his back, and Serizawa wakes up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes and taking a deep breath in.
“Hey, you awake?” Reigen asks, gently scrubbing a towel on his back to get the oil off. “You dozed off for a while there.”
Serizawa instantly shoots up, his face heated.
“I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean to at all.” he sputters. Reigen shakes his head.
“No worries! A lot of people fall asleep. Happens all the time. Some people even start crying sometimes. Massages will do that.”
Serizawa nods, still trying to regain full awareness. Reigen hands him the pile of clothes, and then turns to tidy up the room a little, blowing out a few candles and putting the incense back into its box. Serizawa takes his shirt and slides it on, buttoning it up. He starts to put on his tie, but Reigen raises a hand.
“It’s almost closing time, so no need to get all dressed up. Feeling any better, though?”
Serizawa nods again, folding his tie up into his jacket.
“Much better,” he says, and he means it. He really does feel much better. The stress and worry that he felt earlier isn’t gone, but it’s further out of sight. He doesn’t feel weighed down by those emotions, instead feels warm, safe. It’s the best he’s felt in a while.
Reigen stands by the cabinets, one hand resting on the counter top.
“Do you want to continue what we were talking about earlier?” he asks. Serizawa thinks for a moment, then shakes his head.
“I think I’m okay right now. I don’t really want to, and I guess I don’t feel the need to,” he responds, looking at his hands that sit on his navy slacks. “Not in a repressed sort of way, but like in a ‘this really helped me feel better about my feelings’ kind of way.”
Reigen smiles, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
“I’m glad I could help you. If you ever do want to talk about it, I’m always here to listen and offer advice. It might not be good advice,” he laughs, “But I’m here. All you have to do is ask.”
Serizawa nods, smiling a little wistfully.
“Thank you, Reigen. Thank you.” Reigen shrugs nonchalantly, turning to place a few things away in drawers.
“Of course. I’m happy to help. I always want to.”
Serizawa touches the back of his neck, a nervous habit. His hand brushes a little bit of the oil still hanging onto his skin, too thick for his liking.
“Oh, Reigen, if I could trouble you with a towel for a moment?” he calls out. “There’s still a little bit of oil on the back of my neck.”
“Yeah! Sure,” Reigen says, grabbing a hand towel and turning back to Serizawa. He leans in, rubbing the towel on Serizawa’s neck. Serizawa can see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows, and his face feels warm. Reigen smells like aftershave and a slight mixture of smoke and a vanilla-y cologne. He’s so close, so close that Serizawa barely has to move to close the space between them.
Reigen freezes for a moment as their lips meet, sending a jolt of fear into Serizawa’s stomach, but then leans into the kiss. His hand cups the back of Serizawa’s neck, his other hand coming to rest on his arm. Serizawa moves a hand to his waist, pulling him closer so that he stands between Serizawa’s legs as he sits, still on the massage table. Reigen, ever fidgety, moves his hand to Serizawa’s cheek, and opens his mouth deeper into the kiss. He’s warm, and soft, and everything that Serizawa had imagined he’d be.
Reigen moves his hand to Serizawa’s thigh and slips his tongue into his mouth, just a little bit, but enough that Serizawa shudders. And then pulls away.
Reigen’s eyes are still half-lidded until he widens them in surprise and embarrassment.
“Shit, I’m so sorry. Oh my God. I-”
Serizawa loses his confidence, all the blood in his face rushing to his cheeks.
“That was my fault. I’m sorry,” he fumbles. “I kissed you, and-”
“You kissed me,” Reigen repeats. Serizawa could crawl in a hole and die. Kissing his boss?! What was he thinking!
“I did, I’m so sorry. I thought- That was so unprofessional of me, and-”
“ You kissed me!” Reigen says once again. “You bastard!”
Serizawa shrinks in on himself, ready to apologize more, when Reigen says something completely unexpected.
“ I was going to kiss you ! I had a plan and everything!” he exclaims indignantly, pointing at Serizawa, who sits frozen on the massage table. “Do you know how long I’ve been wanting to kiss your stupid face, building up the confidence, and you just go ahead like it’s nothing?”
Serizawa is stunned.
“I- wait, you’ve been wanting to kiss me?”
Reigen groans, slapping his hand over his face. His cheeks are bright red.
“Yes! For so long. I just didn’t know how you’d react, if you…”
“If I’d feel the same way,” Serizawa finishes quietly. The room is silent for a moment before Serizawa starts to laugh, a big laugh from his stomach, and Reigen stands baffled for a moment before starting to giggle as well, and soon enough they’re both laughing. Reigen clutches his stomach.
“Oh my God. I’ve been so worried about this.” Reigen confesses. Serizawa laughs a little stronger.
“I have too! Who the hell has a crush on his boss? Ohhh, I was so scared that if I told you I’d get fired or something.”
Reigen shakes his head, the tips of his ears still bright pink.
“I’m so relieved. Ha. You like me too.”
Serizawa nods, taking his hand tenderly. The energy suddenly changes.
“I do like you. A lot. And if you like me too, then…” Serizawa takes in a deep breath. “Would you consider… dating?”
Reigen takes Serizawa’s other hand, grinning at him.
“That would be wonderful. I’d really, really like that,” he says, and then pulls Serizawa into a hug. Serizawa smiles into his shoulder, and the two stay intertwined for a while before Reigen pulls back.
“I guess it’s about closing time,” he says, glancing at his watch. “How’s about you help me clean up, and then we go for a soba run?”
Serizawa stands from the table and takes a deep inhale, closing his eyes. He smiles, and pulls Reigen closer by his arm, kissing him gently on the cheek.
“That sounds good,” he said, gathering up his clothes as they walked out of the back room, closing the door behind them. Reigen grabs a few papers and puts them away, shutting down his computer for the night, and draws the blinds shut. He takes Serizawa’s hand as they close the entrance door, locking it and then sliding the key back into his pocket.
“Where do you want to go?” he asks. “We’ve got the whole evening ahead of us.”