Archive of Our Own

It’s Suguru’s birthday today. 

That had been the thought looping in Satoru’s mind from the moment he’d opened his eyes this morning after a quick power nap to the bleeding hours of sunset.

Today is his best friend's birthday. He knows that somewhere, Shoko is thinking the exact same thing. It’s their first birthday not together. The first birthday not as a group of three. They’d had a tradition to go out for ice cream for everyone’s birthday. Ice cream and an evening spent doing whatever the other wanted.

But now Suguru is gone (Gone, not dead. He’d left him in front of a KFC). Now Suguru has left, and there is no ice cream. There’s McDonald’s, though.

Though it’s not for him, of course. As if he could eat anything on a day like today. But Megumi and Tsumiki didn’t know the difference. To them, it was any other day, and they were probably starving at this hour. He hadn’t meant to lose track of time, but he’d started walking this afternoon and hadn’t stopped until the sun started going down. Only then did he remember ‘Hey, idiot, you have mouths to feed. Two of them.’

So he’d bought McDonald's and put on a plastic smile as he entered through the door.

“Hey, rugrats, I brought dinner!” Satoru proclaims like a modern-day hero as he multitasks between locking the front door and setting down the takeout on the table in the foyer. 

There’s no response. Not even a shout of acknowledgment from one of their rooms. Satoru quirks a brow. Strange. Usually, Megumi and Tsumiki were like rabid animals when it came to food. They tended to eat like it was their last meal, a clear sign of childhood malnutrition or whatever Shoko had told him when he’d asked.

“Satoru-san!” A familiar voice gasps from one of the bedrooms as Tsumiki crashes open a door and bolts down the hall. Her eyes are filled with worry rather than hunger for a good meal. Well…takeout, but a good meal as far as a six and seven-year-old were concerned.

“Ah, there you are. Was starting to think I’d have to eat all this by myself—“ Satoru starts.

He hears the girl make a distressing sound and snaps his mouth shut as he finally looks at her. Her hands are shaking and she looks scared shitless to be honest.

“Megumi won’t get out of bed! He says he’s not hungry, but I think something’s wrong. He’s really pale and warm and breathing kinda funny.” Tsumiki frowns deeply. “I think he’s sick!”

A flicker of something unfamiliar or perhaps all too familiar jolted him upright at that. Is it fear, he wonders? No, surely not. That he hasn’t felt since Toji Fushiguro shoved a sword through his neck and let him die. And yet the feeling stays lodged in his throat, unyielding.

“Oh?” Satoru chuckles, albeit nervously. “Well, let’s see if we can convince him to get up, ey?”

The young girl nods, but Satoru can see she’s still just as worried, if not more, despite his attempts to stay calm and collected while the pit in his stomach grows. With freakishly long legs he crosses the living room into the hall and knocks on Megumi’s door.

“Megumi?” he calls. “Dinner’s here. Come on and eat. You don’t want to stay a short stack forever, do you?”

He hears a grumpy sound from the other side of the door.

“Alright, coming in, kid,” Satoru says before letting himself inside the six-year-old’s dinosaur-themed bedroom. He freezes as he takes in the sight of Megumi buried in a mountain of blankets, shivering and flushed. Tsumiki is right to say he’s sick, looking at the way his breathing is shaky and wheezy.

Uh oh.

It would seem his impromptu parenting skills would be put to the test today.

“Kid?” Satoru comes to kneel at the side of the bed. He’s hesitant as he places his palm against the boy’s forehead, partially scared of getting bit without Infinity on. He tries not to have it up while visiting the kids. Both of them hate it, though, he knew Megumi would never admit to it. But to his utter shock, Megumi leans into the touch with a soft sigh, and it startles him more than the fact that the kid definitely has a fever.

“Yikes,” Satoru hisses and Megumi’s nose scrunches up in what looks like irritation when he pulls his hand away. “How long have you been feeling bad? You didn’t say anything yesterday when I dropped by.”

He didn’t live with them, but he tried his best to check on them as often as he could given how young they were. Though the older Satoru got, the less of a good idea that seemed. Maybe it was time to change that. He had the room after all.

Megumi’s eyes look a little glassy as he rouses himself a bit and pulls himself up to sit. The child wracks his brain before replying hoarsely, “Since I got to school. The teacher didn’t notice me sleeping.”

“Sneaky as ever. Nice.” He probably shouldn’t encourage that behavior, but the kid was just too much like himself not to be proud of his mischief every now and again. “Well, sick kids still need to eat. What do you want? I brought takeout, but maybe that’s not the best idea, looking at you.”

Megumi tries to pinch him but misses spectacularly and nearly falls off the bed. He steadies himself before Satoru can. The boy gives up quickly and asks, “Soup?”

“I’m sure I can manage—“

“I’ll make it!” Tsumiki decides and Satoru lets out a huff of offense. His cooking isn’t that bad. He’s still learning! Suguru would be better at this than me. He was so much better with kids. 

“Fine, fine. Come on, Megs, we’re camping out in the living room so I can make sure you don’t succumb to an early demise.” He frames it as a joke, but in truth, he’s two seconds away from calling Shoko for advice.

“M’not dyin’ stupid. M’sick,” Megumi grumbles, but slowly drags himself out of bed with his dinosaur comforter in tow. His movements are sluggish, and it winds the poor boy quickly until he’s able to collapse into the couch. The child groans as he tucks himself beneath the blanket.

”Still definitely as grumpy as ever,” Satoru notes with a nod and looks around the apartment for either the landline or his own phone that he’d probably left in one of his dirty jean pockets again. He finds his own phone first and redials Shoko from a new voicemail left the other day. He really should check these more often…or let them build up to piss her off more.

Shoko answers on the fifth ring just as Satoru starts getting nervous. “Eh, what? I’m a bit busy for your nonsense right now, Satoru.”

”You hear that, Megs? Auntie Shoko called your sickness ‘nonsense’.” Satoru grins when she sputters on the other line.

”I did not, you twat! What do you mean sick—yes, yes, I know there’s other people waiting!”

”Where are you right now?” Satoru asks as he plops down next to Megumi on the couch, opposite where he’d curled up at the edge of the sofa.

”Gah, stuck in Kyoto cleaning up after you idiots as usual. A second-grade collapsed a subway tunnel, so it’s taken hours to get everyone out. Nanami-san exorcised it and promptly left the mess to me.”

”The man has a policy to clock out on time, you know him.” Satoru points out.

He hears a huff on the other line. ”All I know is the next time I see him will be with my foot shoved up his—“

”Hey, small ears!” Satoru reaches to cover Megumi’s ears, who growls at him in turn. “Sheesh.”

”So what’s wrong with the brat? He get his ass beat by some fourth-years or something?” Shoko asks.

”As if,” Megumi grumbles. 

“Or something. He’s sick with some bad cold,” Satoru explains. “He feels pretty warm and he’s got a bad cough. I figured we could use some of Auntie Shoko’s expertise.”

“What’s his temperature?” she asks, sounding like she’s currently doing something else from the muttering he hears.

“Uh…high?” Satoru says dumbly.

“On a thermometer, genius. You do have a thermometer, don’t you?” 

“Uh…” Satoru cringes. Shit.

“Fucking hell, Satoru—“ Shoko chides him.

“Hey! I’m new at this, thank you!” He defends himself. 

“Ugh.” Shoko sounds like she’s pinching the space between her brow. “Go to the store and buy one! Get some children’s acetaminophen as well and some kids’ cold medicine. Don’t bundle him up in blankets no matter how cold he is. It’ll just make his temperature go up. I’ll be there first thing in the morning. I’m stuck here for right now. Just… be sure his temperature doesn’t get past 40°C. If it does, call me immediately. Got it?”

There’s a seriousness in her voice that he rarely heard like that. Satoru shoots up and eyes the sleepy kid warily. The child in question curls further around his blanket as if daring him to try to take it.

“Got it,” Satoru says, and the line clicks. He scowls at the phone and mutters, “Rude.”

He turns to Megumi. This would likely not be easy. “Megumi.”

“I will bite the shit out of you.” 

“Language! Who taught you such foulness! Certainly not me!” Satoru lies with a faux smile and then sniffs when a savory smell wafts from the kitchen. Say what you will, Tsumiki was a damn good cook, especially for her age. He looks back at Megumi curled further into his covers and sighs. He knows a losing battle when he sees one. “Fine, fine. I’ll be back. I’m going to grab some medicine from the store, and a thermometer before Shoko beats me with her stethoscope, ‘kay?

“You’re leaving?” Megumi croaks, and it's a voice so small that it kind of breaks his heart. He expected resistance from Tsumiki at the most, but certainly not from his stubborn, prickly Megumi. The child slides from the couch, trying to stand as if going after him, but quickly begins to sway. Satoru lunges across the room, his technique helping him catch the boy as his knees buckle.

“Easy, kid!” Satoru sweeps him into his arms briefly, depositing him onto the couch before the boy could fuss over being held. Surprisingly, Megumi lets out a hardly audible whine, as if he hadn't wanted Satoru to let go. Surely not. He was just imagining things. He kneels by the couch and brushes spiky hair from Megumi’s face before assuring him, “I won't be long. Ten minutes tops. I'll even teleport to make it even quicker.”

“I don’t feel right, Satoru-san,” Megumi admits wheezily, and Satoru concurs if he's calling him that. He never called him by his first name. Tsumiki would on occasion, but again…never Megumi. The boy’s chin wobbles. “My breathing hurts and m’really cold.”

Satoru takes a calculated risk as he cups Megumi’s burning cheek with his hand and thumbs it gently. He soothes him as best he can, “I know, bud. Just a few minutes. I’ll be back before you know it. Think you can be brave for me and wait? I’ve gotta get some medicine for you. You’ll feel much better after, okay?”

Megumi leans into his hand until something passes over his expression, and he jolts away. “Fine, whatever.”

There he is. For once, his apathetic response makes Gojo feel much better. And with that, he stands and quickly teleports out.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Tylenol. Tylenol. Why couldnt she have said Tylenol like a normal fucking person? It had taken him way longer to find it because of that. Ten minutes turned to fifteen to nearly twenty due to a small line, but the moment he checks out, he’s teleporting back, probably scaring the shit out of the poor cashier.

He materializes at the front door and is quick to unlock the door and let himself in only to hear something he never thought he would. Megumi is crying. 

And if that doesn't make him feel like a failure of a parent–guardian, nothing will.

“Shh, shh, Megumi, it’s okay! Look, he's back! I told you he would be!” Tsumiki consoles as she gently brushes her fingers through her brother’s hair, holding him close despite his sickness. And as cute as the sight is, he needs his sweet girl away from the infectious, snotty child before he’s dealing with two sick kids.

“Woah!” Satoru rushes over and kneels by the couch once more, confused and concerned by Megumi’s tears. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. What’s wrong?”

Megumi gently pushes his sister away, and his snot-covered, splotchy face twists up in anger as he yells hoarsely, “You said ten minutes! I thought you–you said te-ten!”

“I know, I’m sorry. I got caught up in the store trying to find the medicine, but hey, I’m here now.” Satoru tries to explain.

“You lied!”

Satoru winces, and all he can say is, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“Thought you-you left us.” Megumi sobs, and this had to be the illness messing with his head. All rationale had flown out the window, but the words made his blood run cold regardless.

“Hey. No, not like that. Never like that. I’d never—” Satoru quickly assures.

“They all say that.” Megumi interrupts, his gaze hazier than it was earlier. Satoru hears the shuffling of feet and briefly turns to see Tsumiki watching the two. 

Satoru pushes Megumi’s hands from where he’d been poorly hiding his splotchy face and tells him, “Well, I mean that. You’re stuck with me whether you like it or not. I’m not going anywhere.” 

Before the atmosphere could get too raw, however, Megumi bursts into a coughing fit that rattles his entire body, threatening to topple him over from where he sat on the couch. His hand comes up to clench around Satoru’s sleeve. Satoru steadies him with his free hand while the other, still clutched by Megumi comes up to wipe away some of the snot and tears dripping down his face as he settles.

“C’mon, don’t cry. This isn’t like you. Where did my ‘Gumi go?”

“Ask me when I don’t feel like crap and don’t—hic—call me that.”

“Ah, there you are.” Satoru tries to smile as he finishes wiping away excess tears, unfazed by gross snot. He wipes his hand against Megumi’s shirt and then claps suddenly. “Come on, let’s get something to bring down that fever. I left the medicine on the counter. Let me go grab it—“

Megumi throws himself into Satoru’s arms, wrapping his own tightly around his neck and shoulders, just shy of strangling him. “—for you,” he finishes. His hands hover with uncertainty over Megumi’s back because he’s once again never done this. Megumi’s never clung to him before, he’s hardly ever hugged him before. The closest thing to a hug they’d had was when Satoru was purposely teasing the boy. Never a real one. Was this a real one? 

Megumi shivers a bit in his arms and finally Satoru moves, entwining his arms around this small bundle of tears and spiky hair. He runs his fingers gently through the strands and Megumi only curls further into him.

Is this what he’d needed all this time? Was this just what kids were like when their brain is being fried by a fever? Should he call Shoko? Or should he just enjoy the moment while it lasts?

He decides on the latter as he gathers him up further into his arms and stands to his feet. Megumi rests his head on his shoulder and Satoru fights hard not to coo at him as he retrieves the paper bag off the counter. He shifts Megumi into one arm and in an impressive feat of multitasking manages to open up the bottle of Tylenol while Tsumiki grabs a cup of water for him. 

Satoru gently ruffles her hair in thanks before saying, “Why don’t you go eat your dinner and get into your pajamas? I don’t want two sick kiddos to worry about and who knows if he’s contagious.”

Tsumiki pouts for a moment, probably not wanting to leave Megumi, before she asks, “Can we watch a movie too? I’ll sit in the beanbag away from Megumi, promise!”

And damn if Satoru isn’t shit at denying her anything. He gives her a soft smile. “Sure thing, princess. I’ll let you pick the movie.”

“Nooo…” Megumi whines into his shoulder as if reminding the two that he’s here. Satoru chuckles. 

“I’ll let you both pick the movie,” he compromises.

Megumi pulls his head up like it weighs a ton to eye his sister and asks, “Ponyo?”

“Ponyo!” she agrees before running off to go eat her dinner. Satoru shakes his head fondly and then looks back to Megumi.

“I’m gonna put you on the counter a moment while I measure this okay?” Satoru tells him and while Megumi seems very hesitant, he reluctantly untangles himself from his guardian. He moves quickly as he unboxes the thermometer from the packaging and hands it to Megumi to put under his tongue. He then measures out the cough syrup, which is some sticky purple goo that smells as sickly sweet as it likely tastes. 

The thermometer beeps and Satoru’s heart drops a bit at the number. 39.6°C Not quite 40°C but close enough to scare him. He manages somehow to keep a straight face as he hands Megumi the water and Tylenol to down and then the cough syrup.

“Bleh!” Megumi cringes at the nasty taste, and Satoru nods in sympathy. 

“Figured that wouldn’t go down easy. Feeling hungry yet?” Satoru tries but Megumi just shakes his head.

“Feels like I’d rather barf. Sorry,” Megumi directs towards his sister, who has fries shoved in her mouth.

“That’s okay! I’ll put it in the fridge for later!” Tsumiki assures him once she chews. She truly was the kindest little girl he’d ever met. And a great big sister.

Before Satoru can even try to pull away, Megumi grabs at him anxiously. It seems he was still unsure if the man meant what he said earlier. Satoru’s heart clenches tight. How could he believe that? He’d known these kids for over a year now, and they still thought he was just a temporary figure in their lives. Even though he had full guardianship over them and couldn’t leave them even if he wanted to now. 

The thought makes him feel about as sick as Megumi. Damn.

He never meant to get attached like this. He figured he’d be a figurehead in their lives to help them pay the bills and stay out of the foster care system, but no. Here he is. Nineteen years old and about to watch Ponyo with his…kids. He wasn’t their Dad of course, he’d never put that on them. Besides, who’d want Satoru Gojo for a father anyway? 

“You’re thinking too loud. Your face looks weird like that,” Megumi cuts into his internal dilemma and pokes at his cheek.

“You’re one to talk, snotty,” Satoru retorts.

“At least I don’t look like I was dropped on my head as a baby when I think,” Megumi fires back. Come on kid, you can do better than that.

“Oh yeah? Guess I'll take my wounded pride and go cuddle Tsumiki instead—“ Satoru huffs dramatically and starts to turn away from the boy.

“No!” Megumi’s face is red and flushed, whether from embarrassment or illness, Satoru couldn’t tell. So, admittedly, he felt a little bad about messing with him like that. A little. Small hands grab onto him and Satoru relents easily. He hugs the kid close and smirks.

“Sike.”

The boy grumbles in his arms but doesn’t react more than that. Instead choosing to rest his cheek against his shoulder. He was looking more sleepy by the second.

“C’mon kid. Let’s go watch some Ponyo,” Satoru says.

“M’kay…” Megumi relents easily, forgetting any tiny rage he normally might have in this scenario. Satoru smiles as he sits them down on the couch. Tsumiki charges from her room dressed now in her favorite purple nightgown with unicorns on it, having finished her meal perhaps a bit too quickly. He really didn’t want to deal with two sick kids tonight.

Still, she seems alright as she flips through the DVD book looking for Ponyo before finally she exclaims and slides the disc into the player. She then turns and jumps into her big beanbag chair Satoru had bought for them not long after meeting them. Their then sparsely decorated apartment had been damn near depressing to look at with the lack of proper furniture. So he took it upon himself to do the interior decorating with the help of Tsumiki.

Megumi, of course, had just rolled his eyes and said he didn’t care what furniture they got.

Megumi shifts in his hold, reaching over Gojo to grab something on the other side of the couch. He buries his hand in his forgotten comforter, sifting around till he pulls out a small stuffed black and white wolf Nanami had bought him. He looks at Satoru a moment, squinting as if daring him to make fun of it, but Satoru shuts his trap for once and lets the boy settle back into his lap with his stuffed animal.

Tsumiki turns off the lights, runs back to her beanbag, and presses play on the menu screen. Satoru settles back, still unsure of how to position himself with Megumi in his lap. It ends up being easy to get comfortable enough and Satoru finds himself zoning out slightly while the kids enjoy the movie. The movie fades into the background and Satoru finds himself wishing Suguru was here to share this moment.

The sun has long since disappeared below the horizon when Megumi shifts again in his arms, turning to the side so Satoru can wrap his arms around him again. Satoru hides a wobbly smile in his hair as he presses his cheek into the spikes. He was going to enjoy this while it lasted.

“I don’t hate you. ‘n case you thought that,” Megumi suddenly mumbles into his shoulder, during the part of the movie where the mother is driving home like a bat out of hell. Tsumiki is lightly snoring in her beanbag, a frog stuffie held tight in her arms.

Something in Satoru’s chest aches at that. Somewhere deep down he’d had his doubts.

“Aww, ‘Gumi!” Satoru coos, squeezing him in his arms and rocking them a bit.

“Nevermind. I take it back,” Megumi groans, but doesn’t try to pull away, instead shoving his face to hide in Satoru’s collar.

“Nope!” Satoru nuzzles into his hair and grins. “No take backs!”

“You’re the worst,” Megumi grumbles and Satoru just hugs him closer, shifting slightly to lean up against a pillow so Megumi can lie more comfortably on him since he didn’t appear to have any desire to move anytime soon. 

“I’m pretty fond of you as well. You and Tsumiki. My itty bitty kiddos.”

“You really won’t leave?” Megumi whispers. This kid will be the death of me.

He still thought this was all temporary.

“No kid. I really won’t. I’ve got the proof on paper if you want to see it one day. You two are all mine,” Satoru explains.

“On paper?” The boy looks confused.

“A contract. One of total guardianship till the two of you reach eighteen. It means I’m responsible for you and your sister, and it keeps both of you out of foster care.” And the Zenin clan. 

They’d have to get through me first. He’d see that clan burned to ash before he let them get their cruel hands on Megumi. Who knows what awful lonely pedestal they’d put him on. Probably one like mine.

“What happens when I’m eighteen?”

You can leave me behind. “The contract becomes null and void. Er—meaning you’re free of me.” The thought leaves a void in his chest that he never thought he’d feel. Not since Suguru.

“No!” Megumi yells too loudly. Tsumiki mumbles at the sound in her sleep before she shifts on her side and settles once more.

“Shhh! You’ll wake your sister!” Satoru admonishes gently but a warm feeling curls in his chest at the defiance.

“No.” Megumi ducks his head again and Satoru wonders if it’s time to recheck his temperature. He was sounding delirious again, surely. “You said you wouldn’t leave.”

“Shh…I’m not.” Satoru shakes his head.

“But—“

“All that means is you have the choice to leave me, Meg. I’m not going anywhere. If you still want me in your life…if I haven’t absolutely driven you crazy by then…I’ll always be here for you and Tsumiki.”

Megumi sits up at that and Satoru feels himself being harshly criticized beneath the six-year-old’s green eyes as he searches for the honesty in Satoru’s. He huffs and rolls his eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

Ouch. “Ouch.” 

“I want you to stay.” Megumi looks away.

Satoru swallowed thickly, finding his voice suddenly tight with emotion. He tried not to let it crack as he nodded and said, “Okay then.”

With that, the two settled back and continued watching the movie with Tsumiki’s soft snores in the back. Megumi went completely still after a while, and when the credits rolled and Ponyo had found her happily ever after, Satoru found that both of his own were sound asleep.

Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to join them if only for an hour or two. Then he would check Megumi’s temperature one more time for the night and let them both rest till Shoko arrived. 

Admittedly, he’d miss how cuddly and open the kid is being, but he much preferred a healthy Megumi to a sick one. So Satoru tips his head back into the pillow and lets himself truly sleep for the first time in a while.

And maybe this time, he didn’t mind finding himself with his head in an old friend’s lap and gentle yet calloused fingers running through his hair in his dreams.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

He’s sweating when Satoru comes to. It feels like he has his chest pressed to a hot stove and as he stirs to find and remove what was making the room suddenly hot and stuffy he remembers.

Crap.

“Megumi!” Satoru sits the two of them upright and he hurriedly feels the boy’s sleeping face. The kid is practically boiling and shivering like crazy. He looks at the clock and finds that more than five hours have passed. It’s four in the morning now. He’s overslept. He’d let himself over fucking sleep at a time like this. “Fuck! Megumi c’mon buddy. Wakey, wakey.” 

He tries to be quiet to avoid waking Tsumiki, not wanting her scared for Megumi the way he’s increasingly becoming. Megumi doesn’t stir even as Satoru shakes him. So he hauls him into his arms and carries his limp form over the counter. He sticks the thermometer in his mouth, minding his teeth and wants to cry at the number.

40.2°C

“Oh my God.” Satoru fumbles in his pocket for his phone and has Shoko’s number dialed in an instant. And thank the fucking stars she answers on the second ring.

“40.2!” Satoru can’t stop his voice breaking now. “Shoko it’s—“

“Breathe. Don’t scare the kids, Satoru.” Shoko’s voice is far too calm for how he felt, but he tried his best despite himself.

“What do I do?” Megumi slumps over against him.

“I’m maybe forty minutes away now but my bag is at my apartment. It’s not quite high enough yet for the hospital so—“ He hears a car blare its horn in the background and Shoko swears.

“But you said—“

“I told you a slightly lower temperature because fevers aren’t technically bad for you until they get this high! It’s an immune system—fuck! Whatever! Just get some damp cloths on him. Not ice cold just somewhat, okay? If he wakes up enough, give him more acetaminophen. I’m coming as soon as I can, but 40.5°C means go to the hospital and don’t wait for me,” Shoko barks, and Satoru can hear more car horns as she presumably is speeding through traffic. “If he won’t wake to shaking, take your knuckles and make small circles a bit harshly against the center of his chest. It should wake him or at least make him stir or wince. Okay, I need to call Utahime to get my bag. Don’t panic.”

Satoru’s hands are shaking as the line clicks, but he steels himself and does as his oldest friend asks. He apologizes into the boy’s sweaty hair as he lays him down on the couch and runs to the kitchen to find as many washcloths as he can before throwing them into the sink and turning the spigot.

He quickly wrings them out and then hurries over to place them over Megumi’s forehead and the side of his neck. The boy doesn’t react in the slightest and Satoru runs a hand stressfully through his hair, knocking off his glasses. He tries again to wake him by shaking him and calling him, “Megumi. Hey Megumi! Wake up, kid. You hear me? It’s time to get up.”

He wonders how many would kill to hear the fear in the great Satoru Gojo’s voice right about now.

He’s about to try the chest rub thing Shoko mentioned when Megumi gives a pitiful whine in response and whispers, “M’here.”

“Hey. Hey, bud.” Satoru can’t help it as relief floods his chest and he presses his lips to the boy’s hairline. He feels something wet on his cheeks. He sniffs hard and tries to pull himself together. “I need you to wake up for me, kay? Your fever is higher now and I’m not gonna lie, you’re scaring the hell outta me.”

“But…y-you don’t get scared?” Megumi looks at him, confused and hazy-eyed.

Satoru grabs his tiny hand in his own and shakes his head. “I do. I do get scared, Megumi. I’m scared right now. For you. You know how we talked earlier about people leaving?”

“Mhm…” Megumi’s eyes are drooping and Satoru shakes him slightly again. Megumi starts shivering again with the cold washclothes covering him and Satoru moves to wrap him up in his arms.

“I need you not to leave me,” Satoru says and he hopes it doesn’t scare him. “So let’s stay awake.”

“I’ll…try. But I'm real tired, ‘Toru.” Megumi’s eyes flutter a bit and Satoru shakes him a bit again, clearing some of the haze in his dark eyes. The boy groans and asks, “Keep me awake?” 

“Want me to tell you a story? Or I know…let’s play a game. I ask you a question and you ask me one back. Anything you wanna know.”

Megumi suddenly looks more awake and Satoru can see something calculating in his head. Good. He got his attention. Hell, at this point, he’d tell him anything to keep him awake.

“Okay.” Megumi agrees and sluggishly sits himself up more in Satoru’s arms. He wobbles a bit, his head probably swimming if he had to guess. “You first.”

“Alright. What did you learn in school today?”

“I was asleep during most of it, nitwit. I told you.” Megumi scowls, and it’s awfully cute. Ah right.

“So mean!” Satoru whines falsely, happy to see some of his spirit back. “Alright then, how about the divine dogs. Have you seen them again yet?”

Megumi’s technique had finally formed a few months back during a bad nightmare he’d had. He woke up to find two large wolves looming in his room and when he screamed, they vanished into the shadows under his bed. It hadn’t taken long to put two and two together once Gojo found no curse residue anywhere near the apartment. After that, Satoru started showing him the research he’d done on Megumi’s Ten Shadows technique, teaching Megumi which hand shadows he could do and which ones he absolutely could not.

“No. N-Not since the first time. It doesn’t work when I signal them.” Megumi pouts a bit. His head lolls a bit then, and Megumi jerks himself up.

“It takes time, don’t worry,” Satoru assures him. “While Six Eyes and Limitless formed for me when I was four or five, I didn’t discover half of the things I could do till I was nearly a teenager. But you can already summon giant wolves from a mere shadow at six. That’s nothing to snuff at.”

“Hm,” is all the boy replies with. At least until Satoru informs him that it’s his turn as he stands them up and takes him back over to the counter for more medicine. Megumi’s shivering intensifies against the cold counter. While Gojo measures it out he has to keep one hand on the boy from slumping over while he forms his question. 

Finally Megumi asks, “Whose the man in the photo in your wallet with you and Ieiri-san?”

Megumi takes the medicine from Satoru before he can drop it on the floor out of shock. He answers the question with a question. “Since when did you get ahold of my wallet?”

“It’s my turn.” Megumi dodges and downs the medicine, coughing slightly. 

“Cheeky,” Satoru chuckles and then sighs. Well, he did say anything. “His name is Suguru. He’s my…my best friend.”

“How come we haven’t met—“ Megumi starts to ask.

“Ah-ah- my turn, Megs. Remember the rule of the game?” Satoru can’t help but be a dick even now. Megumi’s scowl deepens but it keeps the glassy haze in his eyes away. “How are we feeling? Your temp is up from earlier.”

“Tired, cold, and icky,” Megumi says bluntly, clearly wanting to get back to the prior topic. “So why haven’t we met him?”

Because he slaughtered an entire village and vowed to kill every non-jujutsu sorcerer. 

“We…um…well… he left me.” God, he makes it sound like a bad breakup. Which he supposes isn’t too far off. “Er—left Jujutsu High. We were classmates together and we were inseparable until…he…It was very sudden and not so long ago. Maybe just a month before I met you two.”

Megumi is quiet for a long time looking rather contemplative…or maybe woozy is the right term, before he asks, “Can I ask why?”

“I wish you wouldn’t. But I did say I’d answer anything,” Gojo admits.

For a terrifying moment he thinks Megumi will ask but instead the boy says, “It’s your turn.” And Satoru finally breathes. Perhaps he should just bite this particular bullet now.

“Why do you want to know about Suguru?”

Megumi shrugs. “You always look so sad whenever you look at your wallet. I just wanted to know why.”

“Well, it’s certainly not the money. So is that your question?”

“You don’t have to answer it. Not if you don’t want to.” Megumi mumbles into his shirt collar and Satoru bumps him again to keep him awake.

“The short answer is…It’s because he wants people like Tsumiki gone. People without techniques. And I can’t allow that.” Better to be honest now than have to explain why he lied later.

Megumi goes stiff and his head jerks up, looking at his sleeping sister. He shudders in his hold.

“He wasn’t always like that…something changed. Something snapped. We lost friends of ours and it just…broke him.” Satoru explains, as if trying to defend Suguru solved anything. “He used to be a good person. A good man. He used to have faith in people. And then—“

And then your father came along.

“I think it’s your turn,” Megumi says when Satoru cuts himself off. He looks down and realizes Megumi is holding his hand in his own burning ones.

“Do you still wonder about your father?” 

Megumi’s eyes go wide.

He doesn’t blame him. He hasn’t mentioned Toji since the day he’d met the two children. He’d decided that if Megumi didn’t want to ask about him then he wouldn’t say anything. Well until now at least. But right now he needed to keep him awake. 

Megumi isn’t silent long as he shakes his head fiercely. There’s a quiet anger there simmering under his scalding skin.

“He left me. He left Tsumiki. We were living off of nothing and he never came back. So, no. I don’t.” Megumi’s voice goes hoarse and it doesn’t take much before he’s coughing into his sleeve again while Satoru rubs at his back. All the while all he can think is,

Because he’s dead. Because I killed him.

And yet he says, “Who needs him right? I’ve had my fair share of shitty parents. You’re better off with someone who cares.”

You killed his father. Maybe he could’ve cared. He’ll never know.

It would almost be easier if Megumi did want to know about Toji. At least then the guilt wouldn’t silently eat Gojo alive.

“Like you?” Megumi asks sleepily.

May Toji Fushiguro spit on him from his grave.

“Yeah, kid. Like me.”

And yet. If he could do it all again. If he could’ve prevented Riko-chan’s death and left Toji alive he would still do the exact same thing. He would kill Toji again and again to keep this. He would let Riko die and…Suguru leave him. He would do it all again.

All to keep Megumi and Tsumiki. His kids. And may that be what damns him to hell.

”Satoru-kun?” Megumi chirps softly, snuggled up suspiciously so.

”Yeah, Megs?” His skin is still burning to the touch and it’s that warmth that probably made Satoru crash so hard earlier. He’s like his own little heating pad at the moment. It would be cute if it didn’t also scare the shit outta him.

”Why does Suguru hate non-jujutsu sorcerers? Why does he want them dead?”

And if that wasn’t the very question that kept him up at night. No matter how many times he thought it over he couldn’t wrap his brain around it. Sure, non-jujutsu sorcerers had been what killed Riko-chan, but surely Toji Fushiguro was an anomaly all together. There had been the celebration of the death of the Star Plasma Vessel…and maybe in that instance when he himself had wanted everyone at that party disintegrated for cheering on the death of a fourteen-year-old girl, he could understand. But then he pictured his sweet Tsumiki and the urge flees.

But that hatred Suguru had spread so deeply that it had caused him to commit the mass execution of a small village, along with Suguru’s parents. To this day, the only answer that found him was, “I don’t know. I really don’t. I know a few things that could’ve triggered that hatred but nothing solid enough to justify the extreme. Like I said, it was very sudden when everything happened.”

”Then what does Tsumiki have to do with it? Why would he hurt her?” Megumi’s voice grows shaky once more and Satoru has to remind himself that he’s still talking to a small child. 

“It has nothing to do with her personally. What he wants to achieve makes sense to him and whoever is crazy enough to follow him alone.” And damn if it didn’t hurt to say every word of this. God, why did he have to pick twenty questions to play? This was all so heavy on him.

”He can’t hurt her, Satoru.” Megumi coughs into his chest. He grips tight the front of his t-shirt and with all the seriousness a six-year-old can possibly muster says, “You can’t—we can’t let him. We can’t—“

Megumi breaks off into another fit, this one brutal on the poor boy’s lungs and throat. Satoru sits them up straight and holds his kid tight as he assures him, “He won’t. He won’t ever. I’d never let him near you or ‘Miki.”

But maybe in another world, another life…Suguru would be the sensible one who could dry the kid’s tears and soothe his worries away. Maybe he’d balance out Satoru’s childishness with his levelheadedness. Maybe in another life they’d raise the Fushiguro siblings together and Shoko could call them gay for it as much as she’d like.

In another life, Megumi wouldn’t have to look ready to go to war for his sister out of fear. As if Satoru would ever let him. The image of tiny Megumi with his divine dogs against someone as strong as Suguru Geto is enough to make him nauseous.

“It’s his birthday today,” Satoru says. “It’s all I’ve been able to think about today.”

“I’m sorry you lost your friend,” Megumi responds weakly but with as much sincerity as he could muster.

Satoru gives him a sad smile. “Yeah, me too.”

There’s a knock on the door and Satoru’s shoulders sag in relief. Shoko.

“That must be Shoko. Am I okay to put you down or—“ Megumi’s arms tighten around him once again. “Nope. That’s a no. Okay, kid, let’s go see Auntie Shoko.”

“She swears a lot,” Megumi says deliriously as his head lolled atop his shoulder.

“It's her love language,” Satoru laughs as he gathers the kid into his arms and makes his way over to unlock the front door. He is met with a serious-looking Shoko with two lit cigarettes in her mouth. He furrows his brow and envelops Megumi in his infinity to keep the smoke out of his face. “Hey, none of that near the kids. We talked about that.”

Shoko huffs and spits the cigarettes out on the outside pavement before stomping them out with her foot.

“Classy,” Satoru deadpans, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Can it. I just ran three red lights and narrowly avoided a speeding ticket to get here.” Shoko pushes her way past Satoru into the apartment and sets her bag down on the counter. “How's he doing?”

“Well he’s been latched onto to me like a little koala for a few hours now whereas normally he can’t stand being within five feet of me.” He feels Megumi pinch him.

“S’not true.” Megumi grumbles in his arms. “It’s ten feet.”

Shoko snickers at that while Satoru just pinches him back and says, “Well at least the medicine seems to be working if we’re back to insulting me. Guess I can put you down now—“

Megumi scrambles to hold on to him again and Satoru laughs victoriously, “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“Let’s take a listen to him,” Shoko says, pulling her stethoscope from her bag. She wasn’t a real doctor but she knew enough from her few years of experience that Satoru trusted her judgement probably more than most real doctors.

When Megumi made no move to let go of Satoru, Shoko simply sighs in exasperation and presses the stethoscope to his back. She listens to his ragged little breaths for a minute or two before she pulls away and grabs her flashlight. “Open your mouth and say ‘ahh’, gremlin.”

Megumi turns his head slightly from where it was buried into Satoru’s collar and scowls at her. Eventually though, with a bit of prompting she’s able to examine his throat.

“Looks probably like bacterial pneumonia to me. It would explain the fever. I brought a flu test with me but I think he might bite me if I try to swab him,” Shoko guesses, putting her stuff back in her bag.

“Hmph.” Megumi scoffs but doesn’t deny it.

“With his fever as high as it is I’ll stay a few hours to help keep an eye on him but I brought antibiotics that should treat it.”

“But he’ll be alright?” Satoru asks nervously and cards his fingers gently through Megumi’s sweat-soaked hair. Shoko eyes the gesture and her gaze softens. She nods.

“I believe we caught it early enough to keep him from getting worse so as long as we keep his fever down and keep him hydrated he should be fine in a few days.” Shoko hands him the bottle as Satoru’s shoulders finally relax in relief. He moves back to the kitchen with the bottle in one hand and Megumi in the other and quickly fixes up another glass of water for him. He hands Megumi the medicine which he thankfully takes with ease and even downs the entire glass of water.

He shivers and lets out a big yawn that makes him sway slightly. He looks up at Satoru and asks, “Can I sleep now?”

Satoru shoots a look to Shoko who nods at him. He turns back to Megumi and gives him a soft smile. “Sure can, kiddo. C’mon let’s get you to bed.”

“Don’t wanna be alone.” Megumi mumbles and it sends a shot of pain through his heart.

“Oh, trust me kid, I’m not going anywhere. Can you stay here with Shoko while I put Tsumiki to bed first?”

His nose wrinkles in contemplation. “Fine,” he grumbles and man this really was a whole different kid right now.

“Okay, wait here. Shoko, make sure he doesn’t fall off the countertop, will ya? He’s almost ate it twice now and the third time’s the charm and whatnot.”

“Pretty sure that’s not how it works,” Shoko retorts, but comes to stand by Megumi’s side once Satoru finally untangles himself from the koala hug. 

He swiftly moves to gently scoop up Tsumiki in one arm and carefully maneuvers her through her doorway before tucking her into bed. He brushes some hair from her face and whispers, “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Is Megumi okay?” she mumbles in response, still half-asleep and Satoru is quick to assure her. 

“He’ll be just fine, you did a good job letting me know. Now get some sleep, princess,” he lulls to her.

“M’kay…” And then she’s out once more. Satoru chuckles and quietly tiptoes out of the room and back to Megumi who was half-asleep on the counter being held up by one of Shoko’s hands.

“Come get your brat, will ya?” she jokes, causing Satoru to roll his eyes fondly. He hugs Megumi close to his chest and lifts him off the counter before making his way back over to the couch. 

He sits sideways to let Megumi sprawl on top of him with his head pressed against his chest. One of Megumi’s hands clutches the fabric of his shirt loosely while the other reaches blindly for Satoru’s arm so it lays across his back. Satoru brings his other hand up to rest in Megumi’s hair and smiles a bit dopily when Megumi sighs in content. 

It takes only a few minutes for his ragged breathing to even out as he falls asleep once again.

“He’s going to be so embarrassed about this later.” Shoko breaks the silence as she takes a seat on the couch opposite of them.

“Absolutely mortified.” Satoru agrees. “I can’t help but say I’ll miss this once he’s back to normal. It’s nice to be needed once in a while.”

“Who knows, maybe he’ll realize you aren’t gonna push him away next time. He might surprise you.”

“Mm…maybe. But I won’t get my hopes up. To be honest, I’m just glad he’s gonna be okay. He was scaring the hell outta me earlier,” Satoru admits with a shudder.

“The Satoru Gojo, afraid?” Shoko gasps dramatically. “Guess these two really got their hooks into you after all.”

“…Guess so.” Satoru shrugs as he thumbs through Megumi’s hair.

“Are you sure you’re not the sick one? I’ve never seen you so sentimental.” Shoko sounds uncharacteristically amazed. 

“Never really had a reason to be till now.”

“Well…maybe that’s not such a bad thing,” Shoko says.

The conversation drops there for a while while Megumi finally gets some well-needed sleep. He looks at the young boy and in his sleep, he looks nothing like Toji, perhaps he favors his mother in his dreams. He looks innocent and so very small. Nothing like the brutal man who’d murdered Gojo and Riko-chan.

Good.

“He asked about Suguru,” Satoru finally breaks the silence, pulling Shoko from whoever she’d been texting on her Blackberry. She froze in surprise. “He found the photo of the three of us in my wallet.”

“And what did you tell him?”

“The truth, more or less. I spared him from the gorey details of all of it. I tried to keep my answers as simple as I could but of course he had to ask on today of all days.” Well, technically yesterday now.

“Ah yes. I wished him a very happy ‘fuck you’ to the sky yesterday morning. Figured he’d sense the happy birthday anyway,” Shoko says bitterly but softens a moment later. “He made his choices as we’ve made ours. Hell, you’re holding one of yours.”

“Megumi was scared Suguru would come after Tsumiki. Probably gave him a few nightmares telling him that one.”

“I don’t think even Suguru is dumb enough to try and go after the kids, Satoru,” Shoko assured him but then hesitated. “Not now, at least.”

“You’re so helpful to my anxiety,” Satoru jokes with the urge to run his hand down his face.

“Just being honest.” Shoko shrugs. “I’d be more worried about him going after Megumi than Tsumiki. To have the wielder of Ten Shadows as a prodigy is quite useful for whatever dumb war he plans. Though in the end, he’s smart enough not to pick a fight right now. especially not against you.”

She’s right. Suguru is many things but an idiot is not one of them. And to go after something–someone Satoru loves…well, even he isn’t that cruel. Hopefully. 

At least not now.

But maybe one day. Satoru hugs Megumi and hopes the day never comes. But he knows in his heart that one day, Megumi will no longer cling to him.