“Goodbye. For now.” - mob psycho 100 fic
ao3 link here!
Summary: Mob and Reigen walk back to the bus stop after one last exorcism.
Genre: Fluff, bittersweet
Word count: 1,134
Warnings: none
~~~~~
Mentor and student walk back towards the bus stop with slow, leisurely steps.
“Another job well done, wouldn’t you say Mob?” Though Reigen says it as more of a statement than a question, as if he doesn’t expect his student to reply. They’ve done this routine enough times before that he doesn’t really need an answer. There are plenty of times Mob has remained quiet for lack of better things to say.
Still, Mob replies anyway. “Yes, Shishou. I’m sure the client's sink won’t leak anymore.”
Reigen shoots him one of his notorious grins, showing gleaming white teeth and making his eyes crinkle with a faint hint of crow's feet at the corners. Then, his pace slightly quickens, walking a few steps in front of Mob so he can’t quite see his face. It’s quiet for a moment, with only the sound of birds chirping faintly as dusk descends on Spice City.
“Y’know, I’m always happy to have your support, Mob. Thanks for coming with me today.” His voice is softer, without the sharp sting of a businessman’s sales pitch that permeates his usual speech pattern.
Mob is puzzled. “But I always come with you to exorcisms.”
Reigen’s steps slow a bit for some reason, but quickly resume pace. “True, but that doesn’t make me any less grateful.”
“Ah, I see. You’re welcome, Reigen-shishou.”
That makes his master’s steps falter again. It’s not often that Mob calls him by name, even with the honorific. Mob wonders what prompted him to do so in the first place.
There is silence for a minute before Reigen interrupts it again. “So. You’re going to university tomorrow.”
“Yes,” Mob replies, but his voice comes out more quietly than he wanted, too quiet even for him.
“Are you excited?”
Mob ponders that for a moment. “I’m not sure. It’s… It will be different.”
“Hah. Well, it’ll give you the opportunity to have new experiences at least. Make sure you take advantage of that, Mob. I don’t want to see you getting bored when there’s so many things for you to do.”
“Yes, Shishou.”
There’s silence again, but it’s not an uncomfortable one. Mob appreciates the feeling of a slight breeze drifting alongside them, the sound of birds chirping, the bright oranges and deep purples of the setting sun, the sound of their feet padding against pavement. They walk toward the end of an era.
It’s not long before they reach the bus stop.
Reigen turns abruptly and offers his hand with a lopsided smile. Mob looks at it, then meets his piercing brown eyes, the same eyes that gave him so much comfort when he was scared of himself, too scared of what he could do to think clearly. They were the eyes that always let him know someone was looking out for him.
They’ve known each other for seven years, and this is the last time they’ll be together for a long while. Mob feels the heavy weight of nostalgia and reverence overcome him and, above all, he feels deep gratitude toward his mentor who has watched over him in his own obscure, strange way. So Mob takes his hand firmly, with more confidence than he ever would have otherwise if it weren’t for Reigen giving him that calm, reassuring smile.
The bus rolls up behind him, whining and screeching as it comes to a stop. He turns and recognizes the route advertised on the neon sign as his own, and he knows that it’s time for him to go. Reigen has to take a different route to get back to his apartment on the other side of the city.
“Well. I guess this is goodbye, Mob.” Reigen gives his hand a small squeeze.
“Yes, it is,” Mob observes. For anyone else, they would hear the same monotone he was known for. But for Reigen, Mob knew he picked up the slight stutter in his words, the hint of a solemn smile breaking apart the monotony of his ever-stoic face.
“Thank you. For everything, Reigen-shishou,” Mob says. There it is, Reigen’s name again. Perhaps he’s using it so much because he knows he won’t be able to for a long time.
Reigen’s grin widens, shows teeth, becomes so genuine that it almost hurts Mob to look at it. “Anytime, Mob,” is his reply. But then he tilts his head downward to break eye contact, his mouth pressing into a sad smile. When he looks up again, Reigen’s eyes are flooded with tears. “Kageyama Shigeo.”
He looks so, so proud.
Mob blinks and feels the gentle trickle of a tear falling down his cheek.
“Goodbye, Reigen Arataka. For now.” Without thinking, Mob reaches forward and embraces the man who told him, so many years ago, that he was a human being. That he was just as important as anyone else in the world. That he should accept himself for who he was.
After a millisecond of hesitation (or perhaps shock?), Reigen’s arms wrap around his shoulders with incredible surety in return, his breath hitching slightly as Mob squeezes around his ribs and lets his forehead fall into Reigen’s shoulder. Mob is a little taller than his master now, but Reigen will always seem like a giant to him. After all, Mob had stood on his shoulders and was able to see further. How lucky he was that this man was always there to catch him, guide him to safety, to carry the burden of his powers if just for a little while. Even now, his aura surrounds the two of them, but it’s a blanket rather than a vice. A gentle touch rather than a fierce grip. He hasn’t lost control of himself like he used to for a long, long while. Mob feels safe, and so, so incredibly loved.
The bus has been waiting for a minute too long. The driver must have taken a liking to the two strangers embracing at the first inbound stop of the Shio line. Mentor and student break apart, holding each other at arm’s length. Reigen squeezes a reassuring palm against his shoulder and smiles, bright and true. It tells him that everything will be alright.
Kageyama Shigeo steps back and boards the bus, taking a seat on the left side. He watches his master as the vehicle pulls away, toward his home, toward a new chapter of his life. Each raises a shaking hand in farewell, the same solemn smile softening Mob's face as his master becomes smaller and smaller through the window. He watches until Reigen's form becomes a speck in the distance, his hand still raised when the bus rounds the corner and he disappears completely from view.
Somehow, Mob knows this isn’t really goodbye. Rather, this is a reassurance. A promise.
They will see each other again.
