Chapter Text
2003, early December
Jin used to think he'd be happy when he has a wife and child. A happy little family. One he's always dreamt of. Yet, instead of his wife who's supposed to be beside him raising their son together, was a homeless man—with a child he picked up one rainy night—in her place. A man who looked like he could pick up any physical job and earn enough for himself and his son.
But it was fine. The man—Fushiguro Toji, he learnt was his name—would only stick around in Jin's home until the rain stopped.
Except Toji got kicked out of his apartment for not paying his bills.
That was almost five months ago. Now, Toji and his son, Megumi, practically lives with Jin and his two sons, Yuuji and Chousou, despite already having his own apartment next door.
"Dad... Yuuji's hungry." Little Chousou tugged on Jin's pants. The boy barely passed Jin's knees. "He's eating the blocks again."
"It's almost done Chousou, just wait a little longer." With a smile, Jin patted Chousou's head between his two pigtails.
He remembered when Chousou learned how Yuuji found it amusing that Chousou put up his hair like that and started to wear his hair like that ever since.
"Okay." Chousou walked back to the living room where Yuuji was to comfort the little guy.
When Jin heard his two sons conversing (in their own baby language), he smiled and went back to preparing the soup for dinner.
Jin really didn't think life would get better, not since his wife passed. Not since he had to take care of two boys on his own. He didn't think any of them could survive.
But then Toji and Megumi came into their lives.
The first few weeks were rough. There were five mouths to feed, not enough room for everyone, and schedules were tight. But they made it work. Jin didn't mind cooking for everyone—he loved cooking for others. The kids were all stuffed in one room while Jin slept in his own room and Toji on the couch. Jin would work from morning till evening while Toji looks after the kids and at night they'd switch. Jin would look after the kids while Toji worked (till this day, Jin still doesn't know what the other man does for a living to earn that much money).
Jin really didn't know what to expect when he first met Toji. For a man with a ridiculously large build who could crush Jin with a mere glare, it was baffling to find out the scary man had a whole entire crying baby in his arms. Despite his scary looks, Jin softened the moment he saw the baby, reminding him of his own son. So without even thinking, he offered the man to stay at his apartment since waiting in the rain wasn't good for anyone.
Sure it was a gamble, considering Jin had a four year old and a four month old sleeping in his apartment, he'd be taking a big risk. He'd always been like this. Too naive, his father's words, not his. But even so, the sight of Toji, clearly stressed from the constant wails his son was giving, reminded him of when he first lost his wife. Left alone with a toddler and newborn. In the end, Jin helped the struggling father, just like he wished someone did when he needed help.
But Jin's glad everything went well in the end.
His train of thoughts drifted to the man he's practically co-parenting now. Fushiguro Toji. Yes, he's shady as hell (somehow always dodged the topic of his occupation like the plague), admitted to having a gambling addiction, and has once hit a guy in front of Jin — in self defense, of course.
Then there was his physique—built like a tank and was a head taller than Jin—with a body that looked like it was sculpted by the gods themselves, not to mention, his immense strength. It only made sense with a body like that comes with that type of strength. When cleaning (he surprisingly cleans very good), Toji would lift up the heavy furnitures and sweep all the dust—and toys—under them. At one point, he lifted the couch while Jin was sitting there. And Jin wasn't exactly light.
But despite all that, Jin knew he could trust Toji. As scary as he might seem, Toji has a soft spot for Megumi and doesn't play when it come to his son. And Jin would like to believe that circle of people Toji cares for has expanded.
He hopes Jin is one of the people Toji cares for—
"Miso soup."
Jin jumped back, an audible gasp escaped his lips. "Toji-san! Y-you're up!" He cleared his voice when he heard his voice crack before talking again. "You scared me.."
The man beside him, who made no sound when coming here, didn't apologize. Of course not, it wasn't Toji's fault Jin gets spooked easily.
"I was hungry." Toji admitted unashamedly.
"Right, it's done." Jin turned off the stove and turned around to set the table only to find five bowls with spoons set. Did Toji do this? How did he not hear anything?
"They're hungry too." The taller man pointed a thumb towards the living room where the three boys were playing. Jin knew him long enough to know Toji was backtracking, trying not to seem as greedy than he actually was.
Jin only smiled before bringing the pot of soup to the table while Toji went to grab the kids so they can all eat dinner.
After tucking the kids in for the night, both dads cleaned the kitchen, Toji washing the dishes by the sink and Jin cleaning the table of the spilled soup caused by the kids. They both worked in silence, having done this for a few months now. It was muscle memory. It was therapeutic, to Jin at least.
Speaking of muscles, Toji had some impressive biceps. Toji clearly had muscles all over his body, but the most noticeable, to Jin, would be his biceps. They looked defined yet soft if touched. Touched. Jin briefly wondered if Toji's biceps would be soft to the touch. Jin was always fascinated by how it contracted whenever Toji would bend his arms that force his biceps to be more prominent, whether on purpose or not. He can't help but envy the man. Then, his eyes ascended to the small cut on the corner of Toji's lips. A cut he never got an explanation as to how Toji got it. But it didn't matter. Not when it moved along with his lips every time he talked. It made him look badass but not rough. In fact, he was strong but he can also be gentle. Jin would mostly see that side of him when he's with Megumi. With Chousou and Yuuji, too, now. He really wanted to know how smooth those lips were—
"Jin."
That seemed to snap Jin out of whatever weird thoughts he had, lifting his gaze from Toji's lips to his green eyes.
"Yes, Toji-san?" God, when did they even start being on first name basis? Was it when they first 'moved in'? Was it when they found it difficult to address each other without confusing their kids? Or was it when they both couldn't sleep one night and just spent the night in each other's company over tea while their sons slept in the other room after celebrating Chousou's birthday? Jin really didn't know.
"I've called ya three times already, Pinky." Toji was done doing the dishes and flicked his fingers at Jin, leaving water droplets on the latter's glasses. "I did the dishes."
Jin calmly took off his glasses to wipe the lenses with his shirt before putting them back on to see Toji's work. "Spotless. Thank you, Toji-san."
Silence filled the air around them. It became a little awkward, but not uncomfortable. It's still so weird living with another family in a small apartment, but they've adapted and gotten used to it. Not like they even had a choice since as soon as Yuuji and Megumi laid their eyes on each other, they've been glued to the hip and would make a fuss when they had to be away from each other.
They stared at each other for a few more seconds, which felt like minutes to Jin, before he eventually turned around the dinner table to put away the towel. He stopped just a short distance beside Toji, who was still lingering near the sink, to wash the towel. While doing so, Jin could feel Toji's gaze burning deep into his back. It didn't make him feel a weary or anxious as before. It felt like warmth. And he'd grown to welcome it, embrace it, even crave it.
"So," Toji started. "Chousou..."
There was a pause, the only sound coming from the running tap and suddenly, Jin felt a little nervous because where was this going? Had something happen to Chousou?
"He's a good kid." Toji continued, causing Jin to relax a little after processing the man's words. Jin released a breath he didn't know he was holding and turned off the water. "'M guessing he takes after his mom?"
Jin stilled. He didn't know how to answer that. He didn't know how to talk about his wife. He didn't know if he could.
Thankfully, Toji doesn't pry. But he does seemed to be waiting for an answer, letting Jin take his time to answer. Whether his answer was to shut Toji out or continue the conversation. It was as if he was letting Jin make his own choice, and he appreciated that a lot.
Finally, Jin gulped. "Yeah. I guess he does." He answered meekly, almost a whisper.
"What was she like?" Toji pressed on.
Jin twisted the towel in his hands and squeezed out the water with unnecessary force. He wasn't angry, no, he was just not ready to talk about Kaori yet. He also doesn't know Toji's purpose for bringing this topic up either.
But Jin swallowed again and twisted the towel the other way around, letting more water drip down. "She was impulsive and energetic like Yuuji." He paused to let it sink in before continuing. "She brash and had the confidence I always lacked. It was weird to think we'd be together. We'd be an odd couple."
Jin hung the towel up on the hanger attached to the wall of the sink and just stood there, hands gripping the edge of the sink.
"But she saw past my timidness and swept me off my feet anyway. And we decided to get together." He glanced at Toji from his peripheral vision to check if he was still there and listening to whatever nonsense Jin spouted.
"But my father never approved of us.." Jin had enough courage to face him, though his eyes were everywhere but on Toji's eyes. "Only because Kaori had a child from a previous marriage."
When Jin looked at him, Toji had a look of surprise on his face when he connected the dots. "Wait, so, Chousou is..." He trailed off. "Does he know?"
"Yeah, but I don't like reminding him. I don't want him to feel left out. I tried but when a child who doesn't resemble you in the slightest walk with you in public, people are gonna ask." Jin closed his eyes and sighed. "If only Kaori was here. She'd know what to do."
Toji stared and waited if Jin would say anything more. When he didn't, Toji spoke up. "I feel the same way. The last part."
"You do, Toji-san?"
"Yeah. Actually, I never wanted a kid. Only wanted to get out of that hell hole disguised as 'home'." Toji paused before he turned to get a glass of water, filling it to the brim.
Right, come to think of it, Jin didn't know a single thing about Toji other than he was a single dad with a son. He doesn't even know if Toji even had any other family. Maybe this conversation really was overdue. They were basically nothing more than two strangers living in the same apartment.
"Then she came into my life and ordered me around. But I'd be lying if I said I could say no to her. That's how we had Megumi." He downed the water in one go then slamming the glass onto the table with enough force to make a loud sound, but controlled enough to not shatter the glass or break the table. "But she just had to go and leave me clueless with a child I had no idea what to do with."
"Guess we do have something in common." Jin tried, trying to lighten the mood. But when there wasn't an answer, he thought he might've messed up. It was moments like these when Jin wished he had Kaori's wits and confidence to come up with responses that didn't sound offence or weird without thinking twice.
"I'm sorry, that was..— I just thought we could bond...— what am I saying?" A hand went up to cover the lower part of Jin's face to hide the obvious pink painting over his cheeks.
To his surprise, Toji made a sound that sound that sounded awfully close to a chuckle.
It was warm.
And Jin wanted to hear it more.
"It's fine." Toji grinned. Not the usual smug, shit-eating grin he had. It had a warm undertone to it. Close to fond. "Who knew Itadori Jin would look cute when flustered?"
"Cute?" Jin gaped at him, offended. "I'm not cute—"
Creak.
Both men turned to the hallway leading to the kids' room. Chousou appeared, eyes droopy, and stance unstable.
"Chousou," Jin's voice cracked a little so he cleared his voice. "Why are you still up, buddy?"
"'M thirsty... Why're you two still flirting?"
"Flirt— Chousou, I'll get you some water and you'll go back to sleep, okay?" Jin ignored the first question and also the following ones on why he's ignoring Chousou's questions, to grab a glass of water.
Jin didn't know what he was expecting, but he thought Toji would at least move aside so he could get water. But the fridge-built man did not move.
So, they both stood side by side, with a distance that didn't exist, for several seconds.
He could've sworn Toji scooted closer. But before he could dwell on it, Jin pulled away to give Chousou the glass of water and put him back to bed.