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English
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Published:
2026-06-01
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960
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1/1
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Self Reliance Vs. Self Destruction

Summary:

Teru and Reigen walk back to Teru's apartment after the fight with Claw. Teru is stubbornly refusing help, but is forced to begrudgingly accept Reigen's offer to stay with him until his apartment is less... rubble.

Work Text:

Teruki Hanazawa was not about to pass out.

He was pretty sure his legs were under him, and he full intended for them to stay there, and for him to stay upright. After all, he was walking with the world's most overbearing conman, and he knew Reigen had bigger problems to deal with than carrying him.

Teru was also completely fine for the record, sure he had spent the last 2 days (he was pretty sure it was 2 days at least) losing his goddamn mind and fighting the terrorist organization that had been trying to kidnap him for 4 years because said terrorist organization suddenly wanted world domination and it was his job to protect Mob and help take them down, but he was fine because he was Teru! Teru who never got hurt, sick, or needed any help from anyone.

Teru's legs buckled slightly, clearly because they hated him and wanted Reigen to get the wrong idea that he wasn't the world's most capable 14 year old. He was pretty sure he was on the way back to his appartement now that the fighting was over and the city was slightly destroyed. He didn't remember why Reigen was with him though.

"Hey, kid" Sometimes Teru wondered if Reigen did have some telepathy or something, the non-esper was way too good at knowing when Teru was thinking about him

"Teruki"

"Call me Teru, Mob's Master"

"Ouch, that hurts Teru! I know you know my name at this point"

"And you know mine" Teru looked back down at his unruly feet, willing them to get him home without further incident.

Reigen coughed loudly and spoke again "Anyway, you sure you don't want to stay over at my place? I know you're probably desperate to get back to your family but uhh these buildings are looking a little too psychic explosion affected for you to be able to stay here"

Teru said nothing, hoping Reigen would take it as exasperation instead of anxiety, and continued walking.

To say his building was affected was certainly an understatement. Reigen started to say something but Teru tuned him out in favor of staring blankly at the swinging hunk of railing where his balcony used to be. He'd liked that balcony, on summer nights he'd sit cross legged on the concrete slab and stick his hands through the gaps in the metal bars of the railing, listening to the bustle of Seasoning City, too busy for Claw to risk an attack.

"Hey kid, you good there? You look a little green, you gonna throw up? If so, let me direct you far, far away from me" 

Despite his condescension, Reigen looked at Teru with poorly hidden concern, he tapped his phone against his sweaty dress pants and crouched to be just below Teru's eyeline.

"I'm not throwing up, I'm not 5"

"Kid I throw up all the time, do I look 5?"

"Can I just go home please?" Without waiting for a response, Teru floated himself up to the crumpled pile of concrete that used to be his door, and immedietly realized he had a problem.

The destroyed appartment was missing two walls, meaning no locked door, meaning there was no way he would get any sleep if he stayed here. Even with Claw gone Teru couldn't stand the risk of an esper organization finding him without even a door to close.

Reigen chose that moment to make it up the stairs, coming to a stop next to Teru just inside the apartment. Somehow the man was even sweatier than he had been while fighting Suzuki.

"Yeah, you wanna call your parents or something? I know you were planning on assessing the damage a bit more but you really shouldn't be out here right now, you seem exhausted"

There it fucking was. Reigen was a kind, caring man despite his stupid agency. Teru wanted to snap at the mention of calling his parents to take care of him. What Reigen was suggesting was not something Teru would ever do, he was 14 for crying out loud! What 14 year old calls their parents to come get them when their appartement is a little destroyed, not Teru. 

This was a bit of a problem for him though. While he was independent, Teru wasn't stupid. He knew he couldn't exactly stay here. He had to be careful with this though, he couldn't let Reigen think he was weak. Teru had survived Claw. He wasn't about to let some 28 year old fake psychic ruin his perfect life alone, just because he felt bad for Teru. Because that's what this was! Reigen wouldn't be still here with him in this wreckage because he cared about Teru, no, Reigen was here because he was a kind man whose guilt didn't allow him to leave a perfectly capable esper alone.

"Hey Teru, whats-"

"So," Teru flashed Reigen his most 'I am completely fine and do not need help' smile, "I know I said I was all set, but is your offer to stay the night still open?"

Teru hated this, he hated this dependance, and he hated how scared he was in the second it took Reigen to respond.

"Yeah of course, why would I have mentioned it if I was gonna take it back? But are you sure you'd rather stay with me than like, literally anyone else?"

"I don't have anywhere else to stay right now"

Teru immediately winced when the words left his mouth. Way too desprate, way too childish.

"Alright so, we're going to my place! It's a little small but I've got a couch you can sleep on and uhh food? probably? No idea if it's edible but there's probably food in my house and..."