Work Text:
It was a rather good day, mostly because Mob and his Shisho were gonna hit up their usual ramen spot after today's job, and really, any day spent with his Shisho was a good day in Mob’s eyes.
However, on this particular day, Mob had an irritating itch that had formed since he first started today's job, and Mob just couldn’t seem to scratch it enough. He’s not sure how it first formed, but it started the moment the client seemed just a bit too friendly towards his shisho.
It all seemed innocent enough, Reigen and Mob flying through the standard procedure of dealing with a haunted house. Mob half-listened as Reigen buttered up the client with his usual customer-service charisma, all the while Mob not-so-subtly scanned the area of the front house. The client was clearly loaded with cash; not many comfortably well-off people casually purchase antique mansions that cost about as much as two sports cars. It was no wonder that Reigen was extra friendly today, where most people saw just another rich guy, Reigen saw a walking dollar sign that could clearly give off an exceptional tip.
“Shisho-” Mob had started, turning back towards Reigen to tell him that he could feel an abundant amount of energy radiating up the stairs when his heart skipped a beat, and his throat closed up.
The client had Reigen’s hand firmly clutched in his, lips pressing soft pecks on his knuckles. Reigen looked startled, and his cheeks grew redder by the second, whether from embarrassment or flattery, Mob didn’t know. Once Reigen was able to slip his hand from the client's, he discreetly rubbed the spot on his knuckles that had been kissed fervently on his pant leg, chuckling all the while, “Aren’t you friendly?” The casualness of the comment did nothing to hide the nervous indignation of his voice, or at least it couldn’t hide from Mob, who could read his shisho like an open book at this point.
“Only to the pretty ones,” The client oozed with unbidden desire. Reigen’s demeanor began to shift, going from openly chatty to a deer-in-the-headlights, and that only fed the flames of Mob's rage. He could barely stop himself from pinching the corner of the sleeve of Reigen's suit jacket and tugging it with undisguised intent. “Shisho,” he said through clenched teeth, gesturing towards the stairs. “I can feel it -the energy. It’s coming from up the stairs,”
“Ah! Yes.” Reigen startled and straightened out the nonexistent wrinkles in his suit jacket. “ Excuse us, but my student and I must get to this spirit as soon as possible. We’re fairly busy, y’know,” Reigen waved off the client, pushing along Mob as if in a hurry. Mob made no struggle against his shisho's gentle hands, wanting just as badly to leave this touchy client behind.
“Well, hold on a moment,” the client cried, startling both Reigen and Mob enough to stop them in their tracks. “Why don’t I show you around a bit? This place is huge, after all, it's not uncommon that guests get lost,” the client reasoned, grabbing onto Reigen's elbow, not sparing Mob a glance, making it quite clear Mob was not included in his plans.
“That's alright, I’m sure we’ll figure it out just fine ourselves,” Reigen said, holding out one hand in front of his chest as a faux barrier as he pried his other out of the man's rather assertive grip. Reigen attempted to turn, probably to make a sudden escape, but the man only placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.
“Oh, but I insist, what kind of homeowner would I be if I let my lovely guests lose their way in my establishment?” he asked, though it sounded much more like suggestive teasing. The man's voice began to tickle in Mob's ear most irritatingly, and the mere sight of the man’s hand on his shisho's shoulder was enough to send another wave of burning ire crashing into Mob once more. Once again, Mob couldn’t help but react.
He walked down the steps calmly and without hurry, and while he seemed the epitome of calm, his clenched fists and the slight scowl on his face, detectable only by a few of the closest people in his life, told a different story.
He clasped the client's wrist, and the man jumped in surprise at the sudden twinge of pain that trickled up his arm from the sheer strength of the grip, hissing through his teeth once Mob flicked the man’s hand, which had opened to relieve pressure, off of his shisho's shoulder. The man immediately clutched his aching wrist to his chest, delicately looking at Mob with a mix of anger and fear.
Mob remained a stone-faced pillar between the client and a stunned Reigen, and only steadfastly reprimanded him. “ Do not touch Shisho,” was all he could manage in his brain fog of red.
The awkward silence was disturbed as Reigen laughed nervously, grabbing hold of Mob's arm, much gentler than the client had gripped Reigen, and stumbled up the stairs, pulling Mob along with him. “Ha, Mob, that wasn’t the spirit. That was the client!” He deadpanned. Once they gained the proper footing at the top, Reigen pushed Mob behind the corner, calling down to the client, “Just give us a few minutes,” before disappearing as well.
“Geez, Mob, you nearly broke the client's wrist!” Reigen admonished, rubbing the bridge of his nose with pinched fingers. “You can’t be doing that, okay? I really cannot afford a lawsuit right now.”
To his credit, Mob really did look like a kicked puppy, eyes glistening remorsefully, and cast down to the floor, face slightly flushed. It truly was a pitiful sight, enough to make Reigen soften entirely. “I’m sorry, shisho,” Mob muttered. “The client was very disrespectful. He kept touching you, even when you kept pushing him off; he’d keep doing it. It made me…upset.” It was a rather pathetic explanation, though it was just enough for Reigen's frustration to completely melt away like sugar in water. Reigen smiled tenderly.
“Look,” he began, placing reassuring hands on both of Mob's shoulders softly, as if rooting him in place. “I appreciate you worrying about me, Mob. Really. But you shouldn’t be worrying about how clients interact with me, I promise, I can handle it. I mean, I’m the one who should be worrying about you!” He emphasised with a delicate squeeze to Mob's shoulders. “Just… promise me you’ll let me handle it from now on, okay?” He said sweetly, and Mob just couldn’t say no.
So he accepted it with a hesitant nod. Reigen straightened, clearly satisfied, and ruffled Mob's hair, much to Mob's delight. “Ha, if you weren’t my student, I’d have you be my bodyguard! I’ve never felt more protected in my life.” He said with a laugh.
Mob blankly looked back, “I’ll always protect Shisho. Shisho is very special to me,” He said, in his usual monotone voice. Reigen turned furiously red and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Geez, Mob, no need to flatter me,” he coughed.
The job had been fairly easy, the ghost having been the spirit of a young girl still searching for the dolly she never got to retrieve before she died, once the doll had been found wedged in the cracks of the rotting wood in the attic, a place where the current resident claimed to never set foot into, the ghost girl easily, and without much fuss, rested easily, leaving the world behind.
“Another job well done, Mob!” Reigen chirps, clapping Mob on the back gently. “You were great back there!” Reigen praised, and Mob preened. The client gingerly gave Reigen the owed amount, and Reigen accepted with a simple ‘thank you’.
Reigen and Mob went to take their leave, but were stopped by the client, who looked properly high-strung. He went to take hold of Reigen's hands, but promptly stopped himself when meeting eyes with Mob's hardened ones.
“I know I’ve come on strong this evening. But please, hear me out,” He begged, clasping his hands together. “One date is all I ask. I’ll even pay for everything.” He shuffled closer to Reigen with every word, as if that would magically assist him in getting a ‘yes’.
Reigen only shook his head “I’m sorry, sir. While I’m greatly flattered, I keep only professional relationships with my clients. Please, have a nice day,” Reigen concluded as he hurried out the door.
Mob followed behind, but not before briefly stopping in front of the rather heartbroken man. The man's gaze travelled down to Mob's height. “What do you want?” the man growled, a big switch from his shattered demeanour before.
“I understand why you would reach for my shisho. He’s the best shisho ever. But you’ve overstepped too many boundaries today.” He said. The man's face twisted into confusion. “You’re lucky I have such a kind shisho, because I would have snapped your wrist in half if shisho hadn't stopped me from it.“
The man began to tremble; tears from fear replaced the tears of sadness that had originally welled up in his eyes. “ I’m willing to give you another chance, even though you’ve already messed up too many times. I can be forgiving too.”
“Stay away from my Shisho.” Mob finished, unblinkingly, and with that being said, Mob turned and left the mess of trembling man to wallow in his misery.
It didn’t take long for Mob to catch up to Reigen, who had noticed Mob wasn’t with him, rather quickly. Upon finding him, Reigen placed his hand on his hip “Where’d you disappear off to? I was calling for you!” he questioned teasingly.
Mob blinked sheepishly, “Sorry, Shisho, I stopped to help a stuck cat out of a tree.” Mob didn't like lying, especially not to his shisho, but he hated having his shisho upset at him even more, and he’d surely be upset if he knew what Mob had actually stuck behind to do.
Reigen beamed. “Aren’t you feeling helpful today?” Mob only shrugged, causing Reigen to chuckle. “I’m starving, it’s a little early for dinner, but, hey, it's been a long day, and you’ve worked hard. Think of it as a reward,” Reigen rambled, already on his way in the direction of the ramen stand.
Today was cut out to be a good day, after all.