#Dad Reigen Week 2019 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

strawbrymilkshake · 6 years ago

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smoking is bad for you, you know

Dad!Reigen Week 2019 Day 3: Sports || Lessons

AO3 Description: Ritsu, eventually, learns to trust Reigen. (4.7k words)

Ritsu trusts his instincts.

It’s only been quite recently since he learned what instincts even are, but he knows himself and he knows he’s usually right. So, when Shigeo introduces him to his new master, Ritsu knows what to think about this man based on how he first feels.

“Hi, Ritsu,” Reigen smiles. He crouches down to be on eye level with him. “Shigeo didn’t tell me he had a brother.”

Ritsu doesn’t like Reigen.

“Ritsu’s in the grade below me,” Shigeo tells Reigen. “He’s ten and really cool.”

“Oh, awesome,” Reigen says. He turns to Ritsu. “Do you have psychic powers like your brother?”

“Ritsu doesn’t have psychic powers,” Shigeo says.

There’s something bristling within Ritsu when Shigeo says that, but he can’t tell what. He would have been happy to tell Reigen that himself.

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Reigen says.

Ritsu really doesn’t like Reigen.

“You’re a psychic?” Ritsu asks.

Reigen nods, the movement natural.

Ritsu looks away.

“Master’s the greatest psychic,” Shigeo tells Ritsu. “The greatest ever.”

“Of the twenty first century,” Reigen corrects, and stands up. “I’m the greatest psychic of the twenty first century.”

Ritsu really doesn’t like Reigen.

Nobody talks for a few seconds, and Ritsu is okay with that. Shigeo’s busy looking at Reigen in awe, and Ritsu is busy mentally cursing out the inherent injustice that comes with being alive.

Why should this guy get psychic powers, when Ritsu’s been trying his whole life, and gets none? What makes him so special? Is he an older brother too? Maybe younger siblings just don’t get them. And what makes him so great, anyway?

The more he questions Reigen the more he doesn’t like him. Ritsu doesn’t know what it is — Reigen’s too tall, Shigeo likes him too much, and he kind of smells a bit, too. It’s a little…familiar? But Ritsu can’t place it — and his face falls into a scowl as Reigen looks down at them. It’s his instincts, he reminds himself, he doesn’t need to have a reason. He just doesn’t like Reigen.

Still, no one has said anything since Reigen has proclaimed his greatness — there’s no way he’s actually the greatest psychic of the twenty first century, anyway, if anything, Ritsu thinks his brother should hold that title — and he doesn’t see the point in being here any longer if nothing else is going to happen. He doesn’t want Shigeo to think that he’s getting bored or anything, though, so he just glares up at Reigen instead, hoping to leave the strange man as soon as possible.

Reigen looks between the two of them.

“Has anyone ever told you guys that you look the same?”

Ritsu’s heard it before — from teachers, strangers, friends at school. It wasn’t even all that uncommon when people mistook him and his brother for twins. They both nod.

Reigen lets out a small laugh. “You two must get along well, huh?”

Ritsu nods.

Later, when they’re at home and Ritsu has all but forgotten about his meeting with Reigen, Shigeo tentatively asks him what he thinks of his master.

Ritsu looks at Shigeo. He can’t tell what he’s thinking, or what he wants Ritsu to say.

“I think he’s cool,” he lies.

—-—-—

Ritsu doesn’t see Shigeo all that much anymore.

He often walks to school alone, which, granted, is because of his own decision to join the student council, so that one’s on him. But even then, before he entered middle school, afternoons at home were a little quiet and dragging without his brother around, and they still pretty much are — the house is just him and his parents. It doesn’t feel empty, per se, but Shigeo’s absence from the house is far too noticeable.

Ritsu’s more than used to it by now. Now, afternoons where Shigeo comes straight home from school can leave the house a little crowded; Ritsu thinks of it as a chance to get closer to his brother from all the days they’ve missed. The few off days where, walking home, Ritsu and his brother take up twice as much space on the sidewalk, he thinks of as quality bonding time.

But still, for the trailing end of elementary school, and now as he begins planting his roots in middle school, Shigeo is becoming less and less of a constant in his life.

“I miss you,” he tells his brother, suddenly one day, not sure where it comes from. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages.”

“Oh,” is all that Shigeo dignifies it with at first. Then, a pause, a consideration, then: “Sorry, I didn’t notice.”

“It’s okay,” Ritsu finds himself saying.

“I’m always at Master’s,” Shigeo explains, even though they both already know it. “You don’t really like him, do you?”

Ritsu blinks for a second, not sure where this is coming from. Sure, he wouldn’t mind blaming Reigen for the slow drifting apart of him and his brother, but it’s a little weird to him that Shigeo is basically offering him that on a plate. He chooses his words carefully.

“I don’t think our personalities mesh well.”

Shigeo nods, satisfied.

And for all Ritsu knows, that could really be it. He never really dedicates much time to thinking about Reigen, or thinking about how much he doesn’t like Reigen — deciding from the get-go to avoid him was really enough. But Ritsu likes to think of himself as somewhat dignified and respectful. Incompatible personalities is a bit of a lame excuse to justify not getting along with somebody — he’s more mature than that.

Ritsu suspects it’s something to do with the fact that Reigen reeks of being inauthentic. Not necessarily in his personality — for all that Ritsu is concerned, Reigen is damn near an open book when it comes to that — but Ritsu has not once believed that this man is in possession of psychic powers. He can’t sense it, he doesn’t have any powers of his own, but he’s lived with Shigeo his whole life. He knows what espers are like. And besides that, Ritsu knows what it’s like to live a whole life without psychic powers, and he can see that in Reigen. He relies on his brother just a little too much.

Ritsu hasn’t discussed any of these thoughts with Shigeo, mostly because he has no idea how to bring it up. He knows, also, just how much Shigeo likes Reigen, how important a place he holds in his brother’s mind, and he knows better than to go about calling the man Shigeo trusts most untrustworthy. There’d be hell to pay.

As worried as he is about Shigeo’s reaction, though, somewhere in the back of his mind Ritsu wonders if it would be better to tell his brother upfront that Reigen doesn’t have psychic powers. It would be better than letting it play out and reaching a point that could have been avoided if Shigeo knew, right? Reigen can’t protect Shigeo if something goes wrong, and Reigen can’t protect himself if something goes seriously wrong, and that’s the last thing Ritsu wants, right?

He doesn’t want either of them to get hurt, right?

Right?

Right, yes, of course he doesn’t want either of them to get hurt — it’s not something to dwell on, how obvious it is. There’s no way in hell he’d want either of them to be anything other than healthy and sound in mind and body; as much as Ritsu would prefer to avoid Reigen, he’s still a decent person who doesn’t want to see him get hurt. And Shigeo is his brother. Of course Ritsu cares about him.

And despite that, Ritsu still hesitates to tell him. He doesn’t think too much about why.

The conversation between the two reaches a natural resting point, and they’re both comfortable in the silence. Faintly, from their dad’s room, the smell of cigarette smoke gently wafts between them.

Shigeo scrunches his nose up. They never really talk about their dad’s smoking habits — the most mention it gains is a quick, understanding look between the two brothers. So Ritsu isn’t sure what overtakes him now.

“I wish he’d quit.”

Shigeo nods in understanding. It’s something they both feel, but have refrained from saying out loud before. Ritsu is noticing that — most of their conversations go unsaid. He supposes it can’t be helped, with their opposing schedules and all.

“We should tell him to quit,” Ritsu suggests when Shigeo doesn’t continue the conversation. “He’ll listen to us, right?”

Shigeo considers it for a second. “It’s Dad," is all he says. Ritsu understands.

“Well, we can ask Mum and she can tell him to quit.” Shigeo still doesn’t look sure. “They have to start listening to us eventually, right? We’re not kids anymore; we should have a say in family matters.”

Shigeo cocks his head to one side. “You only just graduated elementary school.”

“Exactly. We’re growing up.”

Shigeo hesitates for a second. “Well…if you want to ask Mum then you do it. She won’t like it if I’m the one who asks her.”

Ritsu nods. “Fine. I’ll ask her.” He hesitates. “I’ll…do it later, though.”

“…Okay.”

—-—-—

Ritsu needs to learn to stand up to his brother. He ponders this frankly terrifying concept for not the first time in his life as he stands, arms crossed over his chest, at the front desk of the Spirits and Such Consultation Office. Shigeo’s been out sick with the flu all week. Reigen needs someone to do some actual work around here.

“Stop glaring at me like that,” Reigen tells him.

“I’m not glaring at you.” He wouldn’t be in this situation if he’d just told Shigeo how much he really, really does not like Reigen. And yet, here he is. Here they are.

Reigen exhales through his nose. “Is it gonna be like this the whole time?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Okay.” Reigen stands up from his seat and starts walking over to Ritsu’s side of the desk.

Before he can say anything, Ritsu speaks up. “I mean, come on. This isn’t going to be fun for either of us. We both know you would have much preferred it if my brother had gotten Hanazawa or someone to fill in.”

Reigen stops in his tracks. “When did I ever say that? Do you think I don’t like you?”

Ritsu doesn’t have much of an answer, aside from a non-committal shrug.

Reigen blinks for a second, as if shocked. “Well, I do. You’re a good kid.” He walks past Ritsu, grabbing something from a bookcase. “You’re a fine replacement for your brother.”

Ritsu’s heart drops, and he feels his jaw clench impossibly tight. He’s pretty sure he stops breathing for a few seconds, and his nails are digging into his skin. He stands, a statue in the office, and it’s only when he hears Reigen continue to mill about that the tension in his body drops. He takes a few breaths.

“Do you know what I think is funny?” he asks Reigen, turning to him.

Reigen’s got some kind of folder full of paperwork in his hands, and an expression like he’s not used to this much amount of talking. He doesn’t particularly look like he wants Ritsu to continue, either.

“If my brother thinks that you have psychic powers,” he continues anyway, “then he should have no reason to get me to fill in for him.”

Reigen is still looking at Ritsu unimpressed, but he hesitates slightly in his movements.

“Do you think he trusts you?”

Reigen doesn’t say anything, doesn’t move for some moments. It’s a stalemate of sorts.

Just when Ritsu is about to break into a really quite polite smile, Reigen drops the folder into his hands. Ritsu startles slightly, trying not to drop it.

“Of course Mob trusts me.”

Reigen doesn’t expand upon that any further before he walks back around to take his seat at the desk. Ritsu is busy looking at the paperwork that Reigen oh so kindly handed over, not even really taking it in as he flicks through the pages. He looks to Reigen for an explanation.

“You know the work Mob does here isn’t limited to his psychic powers, right?” He’s pulled out his laptop, giving it more focus than he is to Ritsu. “I give him work experience. He learns how to deal with customers. Hell, he may have even picked up a thing or two about how to successfully run a business.”

Did you teach him about self-aggrandising, too? Ritsu thinks.

“Get to work on sorting those. When you’re done, I’ll give you something else to do.”

Ritsu can’t help but think that Reigen just wants him to sit down and shut up. Gingerly, he takes a seat at the side desk of the office, watching Reigen do his ‘work’ from the side of his eye.

He doesn’t tell Reigen when he’s done with the menial task, instead opting to think on how he should go about organising his pay for today. He supposes putting up with Reigen won’t be all that bad if he gets some compensation. He sits there for a minute or two, not really bothering to hide the fact that he’s doing nothing, and before long he realises that the clicking of Reigen’s keyboard has quieted some time ago.

He waits for Reigen to speak up.

“So… Are you and your brother close?”

Ritsu sighs.

“Hey!” Reigen exclaims. “I’m trying to make conversation, here!”

Ritsu turns to look at him. He looks more frantic than anything. “Do you…” He trails off, trying to look past Reigen’s weirdness. “Do you really care?”

That sets him off. “I don’t know what makes you think that I don’t!” He throws his hands down on either side of his laptop. “Did I do something? Did I say something wrong that I don’t remember?”

“You’re asking me why I don’t…” Ritsu trails off again, for whatever reason unable to say out loud that he doesn’t like Reigen. “You really want to know?” He scoffs. “Well, for one, you’re not exactly the best influence on my brother.”

Reigen blinks, processing the information. “Oh, right,” he says. “This is about your brother.”

“Don’t talk to me about my brother.”

“…You brought him up, though…”

The conversation sort of stutters and skids to a halt. Ritsu knows that he’s not being the most tolerable person right now, and that Reigen doesn’t entirely deserve this out of nowhere — but if he wants an explanation, he’s going to get one.

“It’s not just about my brother,” Ritsu says. “You’re also just…really shady.”

Reigen doesn’t seem fazed. That seems to be enough evidence to Ritsu — if Reigen doesn’t bat an eye at being called shady, then he’s been called it enough times over the years by enough different people that it must hold some ground. And in all that time, did he never once work to combat it? Did he never put in effort to not give off the worst vibes he could when he meets someone? There must be something inherent to them, Ritsu reasons. Reigen is a fundamentally shady person, and he’s right not to trust him.

Slowly, Reigen’s expression shifts to expectant, and Ritsu realises he hasn’t offered much more than that one statement. The seconds tick by, and as Reigen and Ritsu stare silently at each other, he finds his brain scrambling for what next to say, frantic to build his impromptu case against Reigen.

Except, wait, shouldn’t he know what he doesn’t like about him? He’s been avoiding him all these years; he should know the reason behind it.

And then, a revelation; Ritsu works to keep the epiphany internal, to not show his mind on his face as he realises it. He avoids Reigen at every chance he can get, so much so that he hasn’t even put thought into what he doesn’t like about him — he knows there’s something, obviously, and the actual fact of not knowing the reason behind his avoidance isn’t really his most pressing issue right now — it’s the fact that he’s backed himself into a corner where he has to admit that.

“Nothing you do seems genuine,” he says quickly, hoping Reigen won’t pick up on the non-explanation.

Reigen still looks expectant.

Ritsu clicks his tongue. “I don’t know,” he hesitates, again, searching for what to say, “you clearly don’t have psychic powers. I don’t know how you did what you did at the Claw base, but… Well, if you do have psychic powers, then you’re using them wrong.”

Reigen leans back in his chair, crossing his arms.

Ritsu could get into some serious trouble for this, but he continues regardless. “You’re always so flippant about everything, like exorcising spirits is just some fun side-gig to you, and…” He doesn’t know why he’s still talking. He looks around the office. There are some tacky figures dotted about, questionable books on the shelves, the (frankly) shoddy paperwork in front of him, an ashtray across the room from him. It’s good enough for him. “This place is hardly a professional business, you smoke, your handwriting could be better…”

Ritsu blinks, suddenly aware of his words. It’s all kind of nonsense at this point. “Oh. I’m sorry.” Reigen still looks unaffected, both by the words and the apology. It’s just a matter of formality, anyway. “That was pretty rude of me to say, huh?” he continues regardless.

Reigen shrugs. “I asked for it.”

That isn’t necessarily the response that Ritsu wants, but he’s not sure anything Reigen could have said would have satisfied him.

Reigen throws his head back over his chair, apparently taking in what Ritsu said. After a moment or two has passed, he locks eyes with Ritsu again.

“I don’t smoke.”

“What?” Ritsu furrows his brow. “Yes, you do.”

Reigen shakes his head. “Nope.”

Faintly, from somewhere in the back of Ritsu’s head, a memory from a while ago — it would be about three years, now — wafts through his mind. “Yes, you do,” he repeats. “I remember — the first time I met you. Pretty much the only thing I actually remember from meeting you. You reeked of cigarettes.”

Reigen doesn’t respond for a second. Then, “That’s the only thing you remember from meeting me? It wasn’t that long ago, was it?”

“I try not to remember our meetings.”

“…Okay… It must have been a really bad first impression, then.”

“Something like that.”

“Well, anyway, I quit. A couple of years ago, I think.”

Ritsu points to the ashtray on the other side of the room. “What’s that, then?”

Reigen follows his gesture. “That’s for customers. Sometimes they smoke in here, I only smoke at home.”

Ritsu scoffs. “So, in other words, you didn’t quit. You do smoke.”

“Ah, well—” Reigen fumbles for a bit, and Ritsu is interested to see how he pulls himself out of this one. “I don’t smoke here. That’s what I meant when I said I quit.”

“…Uh-huh.”

“Look, I—!” He stutters. “I don’t smoke around Mob, that’s something, right? He asked me not to, so I don’t. I’ve hardly smoked since then, so it’s basically quitting.”

Ritsu’s positive that that’s not how it works, but his mind is a little preoccupied at the moment. “Wait, what? My brother asked you to quit?”

“Yeah, when he was younger. I mean, I get it, it must have been annoying to be around.” Ritsu bites back a remark about how it’s not the only annoying thing about him. “And besides, I’d been meaning to quit anyway. I guess that was just the push I needed.” Reigen looks at Ritsu. “What, is there something wrong with that?”

“What? Oh, no. It’s just…” Something overtakes him for a second — it’s not confusion exactly, but it’s something akin to it. “Well, our dad smokes.”

Reigen cocks his head to the side, not replying but waiting for Ritsu to continue.

And for some reason, he does. “Neither of us have really talked to him about it.”

Reigen nods. “Ah, yeah. Both of my parents smoked. Still do, actually. I just picked up the habit.” He leans forward, resting his arms on his desk. “Don’t smoke, Ritsu.”

“Yeah, I know not to smoke.” He sighs, picking back up on his train of thought. “I don’t know, I guess it’s kind of weird to me that my brother would actually speak up to you about it.”

“It is?”

The words are practically flowing out of him at this point, a steady waterfall of vented frustrations. “I mean, our dad’s smoked our whole lives; I thought he— I mean, I guess we just accepted it.”

Reigen leans back on his chair again, bringing his hands together behind his head. He takes a long, slow breath. “Mob’s been changing a lot recently, underneath all our noses.”

“Oh.” Ritsu looks down.

The room’s changed. He doesn’t feel closer or further away from Reigen, but the distance between them is different, somehow. Like one of them’s floated higher and the other’s drifted downwards, or they’ve each changed colours and the lighting of the scene’s all off. He feels further away from himself.

“What are we talking about?” he asks.

“Um, smoking?”

“No, I mean… Why am I saying this to you?”

“What do you mean?”

Now, what is the best method for telling someone ‘I don’t like talking to you and the fact that I’ve talked to you as much as I already have talked to you makes me like you even less’ without saying those exact words? Ritsu suffices with rolling his eyes.

“Reigen, you know what I mean. I…” He’s not sure what overcame him during the course of this conversation that convinced him it would be a good idea to open up to Reigen — like, seriously, Reigen? Reigen? Really? Opening up to him? — but whatever the reason, he’s there now. And he can’t exactly back out without awkwardly cutting the conversation off. “Look, I don’t talk about this stuff to anyone. I haven’t even talked to my brother about this. I shouldn’t be talking about this to you.”

“I think that means that you’re warming up to me, Ritsu. Have you finally learnt to trust me?”

Ritsu actually recoils at the thought. “Uh, no.” Reigen looks almost exasperated, leaning forward in his chair.

Ritsu looks away from him. None of this makes any sense. He doesn’t feel confused, but something close to it, he’s not uncomfortable, but it’s almost there. He should have told Shigeo that he didn’t want to come.

“Oh, wait,” he speaks up after a moment or two of silence, “I know what’s happening now.” He looks back at Reigen.

“You do?”

“Oh, my god,” he whispers under his breath. It all makes sense now. Why the room feels different, why he had a heel-turn change of heart, why he can’t make sense of his own thoughts — it’s all coming together. He brings his hands to his temples, protecting either side of his head. “Do you have telepathy!?”

“What? No!” Ritsu continues to cover his temples, convinced at this turn of situation. Reigen rolls his eyes. “I’m not telepathic, Ritsu. I have no idea what you’re thinking. I didn’t make you open up to me, that was something you decided on your own.” Ritsu still isn’t relenting. Reigen sighs. “You know that’s okay, right? It’s okay to talk to me differently than you’re used to. And that…you talked to me about this before your brother. Things like that happen sometimes.”

Ritsu slowly lowers his hands, crossing his arms. He takes a sharp inhale. “Okay, dude. I get it. You’re cool, or whatever, and…I’ll try not to avoid you anymore. I won’t insult you, either, okay? Let’s just work the rest of this day—”

“No, Ritsu, look,” Reigen cuts him off. He breathes deeply. “In all seriousness, I know you don’t like me. I know I’m not your favourite person in the world. And when it comes down to it, that’s perfectly fine; who you do and don’t like is entirely your business, and more often than not, it’s something that can’t really be helped.

"But you’re gonna learn this one day — or, hell, why not learn it right now? No time like the present, right? — it’s a fact of life that you might not like someone, but you still have to work to get along. And sometimes, it’s not even that bad. Sometimes, you realise you were wrong about them. That happens more than I’d like, actually.

“And sometimes, I know it’s humiliating, trust me, but people you don’t like will have opinions that make sense, or good points that will change you, and you pretty much just have to learn how to navigate people. And how you fit in between them.”

Ritsu hates to admit it, but Reigen’s actually making sense. Maybe it’s a little over-generalised, or a little far out of Ritsu’s scope of caring, but he doesn’t get the urge to completely tune out Reigen’s voice.

“And, also,” Reigen continues, and Ritsu knows that he’s slowly coming to grips with Reigen actually having meaningful advice, but he’s pushing it a little right now, “I know it’s not entirely my place, but you should learn to trust your brother more.”

“Excuse me?”

“All that stuff about me not being a good influence on him, or how you didn’t expect him to tell me to stop smoking — you know Mob’s his own person, right? If I was really such a bad guy, don’t you think he’d pick up on it?”

Ritsu feels like the air in his gut has been completely punched out of him. However slowly he was coming around on Reigen before, he’s now had the rug pulled out from underneath him, and the hard smack of the ground is stinging his conscious.

Reigen is completely right. How on earth did this happen?

Has he really not been trusting Shigeo? Since he got his psychic powers, Ritsu thought that any of the conflict between them had all but faded away, and they can now relate to each other through common goals, through similar ideals. How is it that Reigen can understand Shigeo better than his own brother can? Is Ritsu at fault for this?

It makes sense, though, Ritsu reasons; Reigen is older, he knows more about people and he spends enough time around Shigeo. Maybe Ritsu can take some cues from him.

Awakening his psychic powers always seemed like a reset button for Ritsu, like that point in his life was where everything turned on its head. He got the powers he always wanted, and now he never has to succumb to his brotherly envy again. But, maybe he’s simplifying it too much. There’s more to his relationship with his brother than their psychic powers, and there’s more to himself than whether or not he has powers — there always has been. That much should be obvious to him, so shouldn’t he grant the same point of view to his brother? Shigeo’s more than just the greatest psychic — he is not his powers. He’s his own person, and if Reigen is right about him changing so much so recently, then Ritsu’s really got nothing to worry about.

“Ugh,” Ritsu scoffs, the weight of his realisation finally taking hold on his shoulders. “You’re right.” He sits up straighter, looking around the room. It doesn’t feel any different to before, just the way that he fits into it has changed. He looks back to Reigen, and sighs. “So, how am I getting paid for this, anyway?”

Reigen thinks for a second. “What’s your favourite food?”

“Um…I like tofu. And boiled pork.”

Reigen nods, storing the information away. “Let’s see what we can get you after this, okay?”

“Wait, really?” Reigen would really be willing to buy food for him, even when he’s been adverse to him this whole time?

“Of course. Just make sure you don’t tank my business today, and we’ll get something afterwards.”

Ritsu blinks. Yeah, he definitely should learn to trust Shigeo more. His master is pretty alright.

“Thank you.”

#mp100 #mob psycho 100 #dadreigenweek2019 #ritsu kageyama #reigen arataka #smoking tw #cigarettes tw #my writing #this turned out WAY longer than i meant it to but. i mean what else did i expect from me #also idk if this is confusing or anything but just for clarity the timeline in this fic is:#10-11yr old kageyamas -> 13-14 pre series -> 13-14 post ritsu getting powers but pre end of series

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