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“Satoru!”
The man in question glanced up from the book he was reading and smiled at the two figures heading towards him, one basically dragging the other.
“Tsumiki-chan! Megumi-chan!” Satoru greeted the pair, unable to stop the smile that rose to his lips.
“Don’t call me that!” Megumi huffed as the pair came to a stop in front of him.
He couldn’t believe that it had only been a few weeks since their first meeting. Already, in just the last few weeks, he had grown attached. So attached, he hadn’t left and didn’t really want too.
The last few weeks had been relaxing in a way he couldn’t explain.
He was sleeping more, eating more and just felt more content then he had in… well… forever.
He hadn’t put his life at risk. Hadn’t had to kill anything. Hadn’t had to deal with blood and gore.
He hadn’t been forced to do anything he didn’t want too – okay, that one was a lie. Tsumiki had forced him to be her guinea pig, which was why his nails were currently painted a horrible shade of blue which apparently matched his eyes but really didn’t.
He had seen a few curses but nothing overly dangerous.
But there was still a part of him that felt wrong for just leaving. A part of him that kept reminding him about everything he had left behind.
Family, friends, Suguru.
“How was school?” he asked as he collected the bags that had been resting at his feet before standing up.
“Good!”
“Boring.”
The two very different responses caused Satoru to chuckle as he followed after the pair as they lead the way back to their apartment.
“What did you buy today, Satoru-san?” Tsumiki questioned him while slowly down to walk beside him to try and peak into the shopping bags he was holding.
“Some beef, vegetables, rice, miso,” he listed off while opening the bag for Tsumiki to see inside.
Tsumiki had been helping him learn to cook, something which had been a disaster at first, but like most things, he was picking it up quickly.
He had gone from burning rice in the rice cooker, something that not only Tsumiki had been surprised at but also Megumi who barely stepped into the kitchen, to now he could make rice perfectly without a rice cooker – though he stuck to the rice cooker because it was just easier.
He had not only learnt to cook rice but lots of other things. From fish, to vegetables, to cake – that had been his personal favourite.
Thankfully, he had someone to help him financially while still remaining MIA, allowing him to buy all the food he wanted to keep learning and experimenting. And if the kids started looking a little healthier because of the increase of food, who was really going to complain.
He loved having a wealthy Aunt that hate not only the Gojo clan but the Jujutsu world and was more than willing to listen to her runaway nephew.
“Did you get ginger?” Megumi’s voice piped up, causing him to turn away from Tsumiki, and give the boy a bright smile.
“Of course, I did. It’s your favourite after all,” he ensured the boy, earning a small nod in response.
He knew that despite the minimal response from Megumi that boy was clearly happy, the little bounce in his step gave him away.
And this is why he didn’t want to leave, because of stupid little moments like this.
“Why are you still here?”
Satoru paused and glanced up from the book Megumi had just handed him.
The pair had gotten into the habit of having story time before bedtime – something Megumi refused to acknowledge as story time but still seemed to get excited for anyway.
“What do you mean, Megumi-chan?” he questioned while patting the empty spot beside him. Megumi glared at him for the nickname while moving to sit beside him.
“Why are you still here?” Megumi repeated.
“Um… cause it’s story time?” he responded in confusion while holding up the book.
“No,” Megumi huffed, “Why are you still here?”
“Here? As in?” he questioned, arching an eyebrow. Megumi let out a frustrated groan while gesturing to the empty room around them.
And then it clicked.
“Are you asking why I haven’t left?”
Megumi stared at him for a long moment before slowly nodding his head.
“Everyone else has,” the boy mumbled, dropping his gaze to the ground. Those three words hit him hard. How many times has Megumi – has Tsumiki – had their little hearts broken by someone important leaving?
What would have happened if he hadn’t killed Toji Fushiguro? Would he have come back for his children at some point?
“Do you… want me to leave?” he questioned while watching Megumi closely. Even just asking the question made his chest hurt. He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay here with the two Fushiguro's but if he wasn’t wanted…
“No…” Megumi mumbled so quietly that he almost missed it. That single word flooded him with relief and he couldn’t help but reaching out and wrap one arm around Megumi, pulling him tightly into his side.
“Then I’m not leaving,” he stated simply.
“But why?” Megumi asked, kicking at his thighs with his little feet, it wasn’t painful but it did highlight the fact that he had once again let his Infinity down around Megumi.
“Because you don’t want me to leave and I don’t want to leave. Now, how about we start story time?” he asked while finally opening the book in his lap with the hand not wrapped around Megumi.
“You promise?” Megumi asked while finally accepting his hug and leaning into his side.
“Do I promise what?”
“What you won’t leave,” Megumi spoke with such seriousness that Satoru couldn’t help but tighten his arm around the boy.
“As long as both you and Tsumiki want me, I’ll be here. That, I promise.”
“… okay,” Megumi mumbled before pointing towards the book, indicating it was time to stop talking and start reading. Something he was more than happy to do.