This chapter: the wedding commences – Featuring Reigen "the Nile is not a river in Egypt" Arataka and Serizawa "blissfully unaware for now" Katsuya, with a bonus appearance by Shigeo "I need different adults in my life" Kageyama.

Reigen was fumbling with the tie on his suit more than he ever had before in his life.

The casual observer might assume he was nervous because he was about to attend his cousin's wedding, which under any other circumstances - and when said about any other person - might have been a reasonable assumption. In this case, however, it really couldn't be further from the truth.

He was nervous because he was about to attend a wedding held by his very annoyed family, with his only friend playing his fake date, a friend who Reigen was coming increasingly to terms with over the course of their stay might double as a crush. Which was strange, since Reigen couldn't remember the last time he had a crush on somebody. It must have been somewhere back in high school.

He didn't despise romance in theory but in practice, it had just never occurred to him as a viable option. He was much too busy with work to fall in love.

Which meant it was no wonder that it would happen to him at the most inopportune moment.

"Uh, do you... want any help with that?" Serizawa asked hesitantly, probably sensing his frustration from a mile away. His hands hovered in front of himself as if he was already halfway into the motion, but he was too self-cautious to step in without asking. Reigen dropped his own arms in defeat.

"I've done this every morning for the past decade," he told Serizawa as he stepped forward into Reigen's personal space and picked up the two dangling pieces of fabric. There was no need to clarify that, but it made Reigen feel better anyway.

"I know." With gentle hands and deft fingers, Serizawa finished the knot Reigen's nerves kept faltering on. "What is stressing you out? Do you think your father would make a scene at the wedding?"

Leave it to somebody like Serizawa to cut right to the heart of the matter. Reigen waited for him to finish, severely aware of the close proximity of their bodies and how he could feel the slight touch of Serizawa's chest against his every time the other man took a deep breath.

"Normally he wouldn't, but now I actually can't put it past him," he said. "I don't think I've ever seen him as pissed off as last night."

Serizawa wavered at the mention of those events. They hadn't really talked about it afterward, Reigen had allowed his mother to apply the unneeded bandage and they had gone back inside to finish dinner. His father had already been gone, citing some unexpected work obligation that couldn't be left unattended. The entire family would have realized he was lying, but they were all too polite to mention it outright.

Reigen knew neither of them was looking forward to this wedding if it was going to be more of the same.

"It will all turn out," he said, and at that moment he wasn't sure if he was reassuring himself or Serizawa but the soft smile he got in response was a reward in its own right. "It might even be fun, and if it isn't I've still heard there's an open bar. We could entertain ourselves."

"That's terrible, Reigen," Serizawa said, but his laughter betrayed he didn't mean it. He straightened his own tie and for the first time since waking Reigen properly looked at him. The suit Serizawa was wearing was the same one he used for work, which Reigen wouldn't complain about since it suited him well. For his own part, he was wearing a black pair of trousers and jacket with a white tie, knowing the off-grey he preferred wouldn't be formal enough for a wedding.

Not the kind of weddings his family threw at least.

"The boring part comes first," he said. "Official stuff, you know the deal." He gestured with his hand. "We'll just lay low and they won't even notice us."

"You're only making me more nervous," Serizawa complained weakly.

"And I'm only messing with you."

A knock on the door broke up their conversation and a moment later Reigen's mother was opening it to peek her head inside. She was holding on to the longer, trailing part of her dress to keep it from getting stuck or stepped on, hiking it up to reveal the sensibly short heels she was wearing underneath. She had her eyes closed. "Are you decent?"

"Yes mother," Reigen answered, relying on years of practice to not roll his eyes.

"Why, don't you look lovely?" she continued in approval after looking at them. With the door open all the way Reigen could hear the general tumult going on in the rest of the house, guests preparing hastily as the hour to set out drew near, and Kenichi in the distance yelling for his other shoe.

"I would say you are the one who looks stunning," Serizawa said. Reigen had to laugh at the way he so naturally deferred to others, but he was sure his mother was just the person to appreciate that.

"Oh, you're going to make an old lady blush." The silver bracelet on Yuuko's wrist made a soft sound as she waved the compliment away. "Are you ready to leave then, your father is already getting the car." She looked at Reigen at those words, waiting for him to decline the offer perhaps.

But he merely nodded. "Let's go to this wedding."

The wooden structure of the temple meant it stayed cool even in the blistering summer heat. Reigen blinked and tensed his jaw to suppress the immense need to yawn that was creeping up on him. Aiko raised the cup of sake to her lips for the second time while the Shinto priest spoke words that were too quiet for those in the back to hear.

Having to stand still for such a long period of time was the hardest part of all this.

Glancing at the man next to him from the corner of his vision, Reigen was more interested in looking at Serizawa than at the ceremony happening in front of him. His mind kept wandering to last night. What happened had been unusual, even for his father. Reigen had a sneaking suspicion something more deep-rooted was going on, but he wasn't about to go prying for answers. Still, he would have hated for Serizawa to become the victim of his own hesitance.

Much to his surprise, the opposite had happened. He had actually stepped in to defend Reigen when he felt most unsuited to do it himself.

Serizawa's eyes were glued to the scene in front of him, enraptured with the proceedings perhaps? He did mention he hadn't attended a wedding before – and even if he had it wasn't as common anymore to prepare an entire ritual like in the olden days. The cups were passed along to the parents, Suke's parents on one side and Kenichi on the other. In the absence of his wife, he had to drink from both cups, since leaving any drop would be like a deliberate curse spoken on the nuptial's success.

But Reigen's own gaze was drawn back to Serizawa's lips. What happened last night, he was sure he hadn't been imagining it. Still, he couldn't rule out a misinterpretation. Or wishful thinking on his part. How could he begin to presume what Serizawa might have been intending to do back then when Reigen wasn't even sure of his own intentions.

"I can assure you it's truly gone," Serizawa said. Being addressed so suddenly nearly made Reigen jump out of his skin.

He snapped his eyes forward again, hoping nobody had noticed him staring so intently at his best-friend-pretend-boyfriend's lips. "What's gone?" he asked, finding that keeping his voice quiet enough not to be overheard an impossible challenge.

"The spirit." Serizawa shuffled closer, confident that their position near the back of the room meant others wouldn't notice. "Are you concerned about it reappearing?"

Realizing how badly his intention had been misconstrued, Reigen put on a serious front. He could use this to definitely not mention his real thoughts. "Not concerned. Cautious."

From in front of them, Reigen's father cleared his throat. He had gone back to the silent brooding since last night, keeping suspiciously out of any conversation on the drive over and barely even looking at them. Even the glaring war had seen the odd ceasefire. But this little indication made it clear he was not beyond letting his annoyance shown or keeping up his good family name. Reigen bit his tongue, but didn't say anything else.

Serizawa's elbow dug into his side, a playful jab that nearly cracked a rib. Somehow it still made Reigen feel better. A reminder he would never be alone in all this.

The warm sun on his face once they left the temple was the best feeling in the world.

Reigen breathed in deeply, savoring the fresh air in his lung, and stretched his arms above his head. Standing still for a long time always made him jittery. The doting couple was herded away first, to give them time for a wardrobe change while the other guests gathered at their own leisure, preparing to travel to the venue the reception would be held at.

It was another short drive that wasn't any less tense than the one on the way over. Reigen's mother kept up a steady flow of chatter, complimenting everything from the conventional way the ceremony was held to the exchanging of the vows and the traditional wedding kimono Aiko would currently be busy changing out off. Reigen had a sneaking suspicion she would be less pleased with this second half of the wedding, inspired by western influences.

The hotel's ballroom was one mostly used for business purposes or meetings but the owners hadn't made a fuzz about renting it out for the wedding reception. With the appropriate decorations, you could hardly tell. Flowing fabric had been attached to the ceiling and walls, the warm off-white color combined with the chandelier lighting for an almost whimsical effect. The elevated stage and table for the bride and groom stood out at the back end of the room, creaking under the weight of a million flower-pieces. The other tables were similarly adorned, though the decorators had mercifully held off on the candles. Finely polished glasses made it so you could hardly look at them without blinding yourself with the light's reflection.

On the other side of the room, space had been left empty to serve as an improvised dance floor, soft music already playing from the wall-mounted speakers. Food would be served at the tables for a sit-down meal, but Reigen instantly spotted that fabled open bar he had been promised in the other corner.

Truly it was the kind of magical fairytale setting any little girl would dream of when thinking of her future wedding.

After taking a few minutes to figure out the seating arrangement – braving the temporary confusion always accompanying those affairs with large gathering – all guests had found their chairs. Reigen was dismayed but not surprised to find Serizawa and he had to share a table with his parents, as well as Kenichi and his cousins. Out of all the people in the room, perhaps the ones Reigen least wanted to spend time with.

This was quickly forgotten when the married couple made their entrance. Suke had changed from his dark wedding kimono into a suit more similar to those worn by most male guests, but with a bright yellow flower sticking from his lapel. It was the same color as the sash tied around Aiko's new dress, a sleek white gown that flared out near her ankles and had no straps. They looked much more like the couples shown on tv when portraying weddings, and the complete opposite of what Reigen knew their family liked.

Which meant he could already see his mood improving in the near future.

As the couple took their place on the stage, Suke holding out his hand to help his bride onto the elevated platform, the clapping and cheering from the crowd gradually subsided. Chatter filled the room instead and the music swelled to a louder volume. Some people made their way onto the floor to dance, while the couple was busy formally thanking the increasing procession of family members who made it to their table to give out wedding gifts.

Absolutely certain he'd rather not spent more time at the table than needed – which would be hard once the food started being served – Reigen fixed his attention on Serizawa. "Would you mind giving me this dance?"

Serizawa's eyes darted over to him like a deer caught in the headlights, then back to his parents who had not taken note of them, still engrossed in their own conversation with Kenichi. "B-but, what about laying low?"

"Oh, come on Katsuya, this is laying low." Reigen leaned in a bit closer, whisper in his voice for added effect. "You are supposed to be my boyfriend right? Boyfriends should dance together."

Serizawa sighed, long-suffering in a way people often seemed to be when spending enough time around Reigen. He considered it one of his more unique talents. Then he got up and offered Reigen his hand. They made their way onto the dance floor, not getting as much as a second glance from the other couples lost in their own worlds. Reigen stopped and suddenly realized he had no clue how to go about this.

An expert in many matters, slow dancing was not really among them. And if he had ever done it before then certainly not with a partner this much taller than himself. Serizawa stared at him, also at a loss.

Anybody who would happen to be looking at them must think they were idiots.

"Ah, I think that-" In attempting to position himself, Serizawa almost elbowed him in the side again, but to a more disastrous effect. His hand grasped Reigen's awkwardly, clammy with nervous sweat. After a moment his other slotted against Reigen's waist, the only place it would logically fit while dancing.

Reigen tried hard not to think about how he didn't really mind that at all as he settled his own hand on Serizawa's shoulder.

"And now we move?" Serizawa asked.

"Now we move," Reigen answered, doing just that. It was an uneven shuffle at first but it wasn't hard to follow the rhythm of the music. "Not ba-" Reigen was interrupted by Serizawa stepping on his foot with his full weight.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Apologies started pouring out of Serizawa's mouth instantly, and he would have pulled back if Reigen wasn't holding onto him so firmly, keeping them attached.

"It's fine," he managed once he was done hissing in pain. "let me guess, you've never done this before?"

Serizawa offered him a sheepish smile. "Not really."

"Just follow my lead."

Pulling Serizawa closer, their chests were nearly touching once they started moving again, slower but more in sync. Reigen noticed Serizawa kept glancing at their feet, scared for another misstep. Stretching out the hand still laying on the other's shoulder, Reigen used it to gently put it along the bottom of Serizawa's chin and angle his head up. "My eyes are up here," he joked.

Or it was supposed to be a joke, but then Serizawa was looking him in the eyes as asked, the warm chandelier light making every angle on his face stand out. Reigen was unable not to be aware of the faint stubble along Serizawa's cheeks, flushed either by the heat of the room or something else entirely. His irises were brown, too dark to discern yet somehow alive with color, amusement and fondness. How had Reigen never noticed that before, committed it to memory the way he wanted to with everything else about Serizawa. To never let go of again.

Whatever doubt had remained could surely be considered evaporated. He was suddenly glad for the hold around his waist or he might have just collapsed on the spot.

"Is this alright?" Serizawa asked, his voice sounded uncharacteristically sultry to Reigen's ears, but that was probably just his imagination.

It was hard to respond when his heart had just fallen clear through his chest. "Y-yeah." It took a minute for Reigen to realize he was asking about the dancing. "Yeah, it's great."

He felt more than heard Serizawa's deep laughter rumble through his chest. Oh, he was in deep trouble.

The song faded out, giving Reigen an excuse to stop moving with the last piano note lingering in the air before crudely being cut off by the start of the faster-paced dance number picked as the next track. The tonal whiplash was effective in breaking the trance that had grabbed hold of him, making him jolt hard enough to pull away completely.

If his heart had been going any faster Reigen might have thought he needed an ambulance.

"C-can I get your phone?" he asked.

Serizawa blinked at him, non-comprehending of the weird question. "My phone?"

"Your phones, yes, Serizawa can I have your phone? I need to make an important call and I left mine on the table."

"Why do-" But Reigen didn't give him the chance to finish, snatching it out of Serizawa's hand as soon as it left his pocket. He beelined it for the nearest exit, a pull-down hinged door that led to the back patio of the hotel. Nobody seemed to be around so it should be perfect.

Reigen touched the button to make the screen come alive, using the code he had seen Serizawa use a million times over to unlock the device. The background image made him stop though.

It was the picture they had taken at the beach. Serizawa had set it to his home screen. Reigen wasn't sure why this made him even more lightheaded than the whole situation already had.

Opening the contacts, he had to remind himself to scroll all the way down to the letter S to find Mob's number. He dialed it with misplaced confidence, looking around first to make sure nobody had come outside while he was doing this. His foot tapped an uneven rhythm on the paved stone, unable to keep still with uncontrollable nerves. As soon as he heard Mob start his usual greeting he was talking.

"Mob, it's me. I need your help."

A second of confused silence was all he got in response to his desperate plea for help. Then Mob decided to answer with: "Shishou, why are you calling on Serizawa's phone?" Leave it to Mob to underestimate the urgency of the situation.

"That's not important right now!" Reigen hoped he didn't sound unduly exasperated. "This is a matter of life and death, Mob."

He could hear a shuffle on the other end of the line, indicating Mob was moving while talking. "What happened?"

Reigen took a deep breath, steeled all his expectations for what was to come. It hadn't escaped him how utterly pathetic it was for him to ask advice from a middle schooler when it came to this, but Mob might be the only person Reigen trusted to be a hundred percent completely honest with him. And the only one he knew who had relevant experience on the subject. "I want you to tell me how you knew you had a crush on that girl in your school, Tsubomi?"

Once again there was no reply, and Reigen actually had to check to see if the line hadn't been cut. But then he heard Mob again. "Oh, is that all, Shishou?" Whether it was relief or not, Reigen couldn't tell. Maybe it was annoyance. Maybe Mob would hang up. Something desperate crept up Reigen's back.

"It's really an emergency," he pressed. "Life or death, remember."

Mob hummed. "Uhm, I think it was because... because my heart always beat very fast when I was near her. And I couldn't stop thinking about her all the time. I want to be close to her, and know more about her and hear her voice..."

"Right, right," Reigen nodded. The prognosis was looking bad. "Those are all feelings, but how did you know you were in love."

"I'm not sure, Shishou." Mob hesitated, and in his mind's eye Reigen could clearly see the way he was biting his lip in thought the way he always did. "I guess I just knew."

Letting his shoulders sag in defeat, Reigen sighed. "I see." There was no way around this.

"Why is this important?" Mob asked.

Fiddling with the buttons of his jacket didn't make Reigen any calmer. "You see Mob, I fear I'm suffering from a similar fate." He knew it was bad when even his own sense of humor failed him.

Mob took this information in without much surprise, considering the circumstances. "You're in love?"

"I'm afraid so," Reigen admitted.

"You're in love with Serizawa?"

Hearing that sentence was the nail in the coffin Reigen definitely didn't need. He could dig his own grave without having somebody else shove him over the threshold. "Would you look at the time, Mob, I really should get going. Have fun on your trip." He pressed the red phone icon before he could get a response. Time to feel bad about such things could always come later.

But that didn't mean Reigen wasn't painfully aware of the truth of that statement, and how little he could do about it.

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