Medica Materia A Mob Psycho 100 Fantasy AU

Chapter 4

Dimple did not exaggerate; Mob really was a disastrous student. The cauldron was caked with yellow filth, remnants of what was supposed to a cure for headaches coagulated on the damp sand. Reigen sighed at the mess strewn about the beach. He was not angry, just tired. "Good try, Mob. Why don't you clean this up while Serizawa and I gather food?"

Mob nodded; his face covered in yellow muck. "Yes, Master."

Reigen watched the boy drag the grimy cauldron to the river. "Do you want your shirt back? It's mended now," he asked Serizawa.

"I can wait." Serizawa was fine in just his undershirt, but honestly, he just liked the way Reigen sneaked glances at his shoulders.

Dimple agreed to stay behind and watch Mob, so Serizawa and Reigen went into the woods alone. Reigen picked his way through the foliage with the grace of an experienced forager. Serizawa enjoyed watching the smaller man work, content to just hold onto the food Reigen found. The way that Reigen poked at fronds and how his eyes scanned the horizon zeroing in on the tiny plants he wanted was mesmerizing.

At least it was until he broke the silence. "Once we find Mob's parents, I'm dropping him as an Apprentice."

This was not a conversation Serizawa felt comfortable having. He had only known them for a day and this position seemed drastic. "But why?"

"He has no talent and his heart is not in it," Reigen said, digging up some edible roots. "I'd rather see him try and fail at tasks he wanted to do. Watching him struggle just to please me--" His lips thinned in self-directed disgust. Reigen raised his head to look at Serizawa. "I won't have him suffer for that."

"How do you know he dislikes it so much?" Serizawa asked. It was possible Reigen misunderstood the situation. "Maybe he just needs practice."

"When you've spent as much time with him as I have," Reigen said, "you learn to read his moods. He'd be better off doing something else."

Serizawa used his magic to create a basket, an easier way to hold the growing pile of edibles. "Like what?"

"He picked up on what you taught him quickly," Reigen said, throwing another root into Serizawa's hands. "Perhaps Mob could be a Mage."

The food tumbled to the ground, forgotten in Serizawa's agitation. "A Mage's life is one of violence," he said, voice trembling. "I've done so much evil I can't take back. Hurt so many people. I can't do that to him, I could never—"

"Hey." Reigen grasped onto Serizawa's trembling hands, his thumbs caressing him with soothing circles. "I'm not asking you to teach him how to fight. I wouldn't do that to either of you." When he saw Serizawa calm, he continued. "I just thought that trick you showed him was a good one. Maybe there were others like it you could teach him, make him a Mage of Peace."

"A Mage of Laundry," Serizawa muttered.

Reigen didn't quite laugh, it was more of a snort but Serizawa liked the sound of it. "Don't underestimate how much people would pay to not do laundry themselves."

"How much would you pay?" Serizawa asked. Reigen made a face, as if he was seriously thinking about it. He hummed under his breath, tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. Serizawa's eyes flicked down, Reigen was still holding his hands. He didn't think that the blonde knew he was doing it. Serizawa resolved not to tell him.

"A lot," Reigen concluded. He finally noticed what his hands were doing and quietly released Serizawa. "We should pick those vegetables up."

"Reigen," Serizawa said, as he regathered their dinner, "would you take on another Apprentice if you didn't have Mob?"