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Gojo woke up in the middle of the night. Looking around the room, nothing felt out of the ordinary. He momentarily wondered why he woke up in the first place. Then he felt it again. That anxious feeling at the pit of his stomach. He also heard a faint, distant crying sound.
Instantly, his parental instincts kicked in. megumi He jumped out of bed as quickly as possible and ran to Megumi's room.
"Megumi, are you okay? " He partially shouted while bursting through the door.
The answer to his question was no as he saw Megumi curled up in bed, hugging his knees while silent tears fell down his face along with the almost inaudible sobs.
Gojo sat down at the edge of the bed and said, "Hey, Megumi-chan, why are you crying? Is it because you missed the greatest Jujutsu sorcerer of all time?"
It took one look from Megumi for Gojo to realize that he really messed up this time with his teasing.
He hurriedly tried to fix his mistake. "M-Megumi, I'm sorry 'bout that lame joke... Why are you crying?"
"Go away!" Megumi managed to say through silent tearful sobs before burying himself under the blanket.
He tried to reach for Megumi again but he just curled deeper within the blanket. Satoru sighed. He was indeed bad with kids. But he couldn't just sit there doing nothing while his little precious kid is hurting.
He peeled the blanket away from the young boy and placed him in his lap.
"You can tell me what's wrong y'know." Satoru whispered gently trying to hug Megumi to his chest. Key word: *trying*. Megumi wouldn't stop turning away and shifting in his lap.
"Why are you doing this, Satoru? You are not my dad!"
Though he would never admit it out loud, those words cut deeper through Satoru than a knife. He had grown fond of Megumi. Even as far as seeing himself like his father. He was ready to do anything for his 'son'. And he had done everything he could so far. But that didn't seem like the case for Megumi. Satoru's eyes stung but tears didn't dare to fall.
But even if it hurt as hell, his kid is still his kid and young Megumi still needed his care.
"That hurt, y'know?" Satoru said as he took of his blindfold. (Yes, he sleeps with it.) Megumi locked eyes with his caretaker and all Megumi could see was a look of pure hurt and betrayal yet filled with fondness and family love. And what made it worse was that sad, gentle smile. One of those smiles that people give when they say everything is going to be okay when in fact, they don't know if anything will ever be okay again. Fake reasurment.
Megumi saw just pure love waiting for confirmation. Waiting for him to say yes. To open up. He winced at that.
He looked away. He couldn't hold Gojo's gaze. It was too intense. Too emotional. Too loving.
"Satoru, did those words really hurt when I said them?" He still didn't look in his eyes.
"They broke my heart." Satoru gave that sad, gentle smile again. He almost said those words *cheerfully*. Which just emphasized his hurt. Megumi's heart broke.
"I didn't mean it."
"sure thing you didn't" Here it was again. That freaking smile.
Megumi couldn't handle it.
"I'll tell you what's wrong"
This time Megumi allowed Gojo to hold him.
"Sometimes I miss them"
"I see."
"Sometimes I wonder what I did wrong. Have I done something to make them leave? I miss my mom. I miss her so much. I miss my dad, too! But nobody understands! They say I'm too young to feel sad about it. But I feel sad about it! Is there something wrong with me, Satoru? Am I a mistake?" Megumi partially shouted at the end.
"No, not at all."
"Then why did they leave?"
"Because they are stupid and selfish. They suddenly decided they didn't want you and it has nothing to do with you. They didn't think about what would happen to you if they left and just abandoned you to continue their life. So don't blame yourself, Megumi. You are a very good kid and there's a lot of people that care about you and love you."
"Like who? " Megumi's eyes widened as soon as the words left his lips. How stupid could he get? Why couldn't he stop hurting Gojo?
"Like... Me. Nanami. Nanami cares a lot about you. "
He could feel the sadness that radiated from Satoru while saying those words. He could feel Satoru hiding his sadness to comfort him.
Megumi was five but he wasn't stupid. At least he wasn't like the other kids. It had only been six months since his parents left so he still missed them. Though, he knew that Satoru did everything he could to give him a better life than his parents. Either emotionally or physically, Satoru did a very good job. Yet they were still emotionally distant. Or more like Megumi was emotionally distant.
They didn't talk much at the dinner table or in the morning with breakfast. They rarely had a heart to heart conversation about anything. Gojo was trying but Megumi was the one refusing to open up.
Hell, he didn't want to be talking to Gojo about his day. He didn't want Gojo to pick him up from school. He didn't want Gojo to attend his soccer match. Or help him study late at night for his test the next day when he had been procrastinating all week. Hell, he just wanted his mom and dad to do all those things for him just like a normal family. Was that really too much to ask for?
But still Gojo did all those things and Megumi felt guilty that he didn't appreciate it.
"Megumi, I know I can't replace your parents. Nothing ever will. But I'm trying. I know it hurts and you're still not used to their absence and there's a lot of things you don't understand right now. But it will get better with time. I promise. And I just want you to know that I can never be in your parents place but I love you just as much as them."
That was it. That was megumi's last straw of keeping all his hidden emotions. He knew some of the words he was going to say might hurt Satoru but Satoru was the one that was practically begging for him to open up. So he did.
Megumi gripped onto Satoru's shirt tightly as he wailed high and loud. "It-it hurts, Satoru. It hurts so much. I miss my parents. I miss them. I wish they were here. Every night I dream that I'm home with them in my bedroom but I wake up to this foreign room in this foreign house with only you in it. I know you're trying your best but I still miss them. It makes me feel horrible that I'm still sad after everything you've done for me. I'm such a terrible person, Satoru. I'm sorry! I'm really really sorry! I ... I appreciate you. I'm just afraid that if I open up you're gonna leave me like my parents. I appreciate everything you've done for me. And I notice the extra effort you put into my lunch everyday for school. And your encouragement helps me play better in the soccer training. And....And I memorize the lame jokes you say and laugh in secret. And I also it when you compliment me or give that proud gaze. You know what, Satoru? You're better than my parents. They never gave me enough attention or took care of me like you do. I'm sorry that I never realized this until now. I don't want them. I want you. Only you. Please stay, Satoru. Don't leave me. Please, I'm sorry!"
Megumi wailed louder if that was possible. Gojo gently caressed his cheek with one hand while hugging him with the other." Shhhh," Gojo whispered. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. I never knew you felt this way, Megumi-chan. Thanks for opening up to me. Do you feel better now? "
Megumi nodded.
"Satoru?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings. Are you mad?"
"No, not at all. What you're feeling is totally normal. Besides, didn't you just say that I'm better than your parents? You love me but you're just too stubborn to admit it, Megumi-chan~"
Megumi blushed but said nothing and instead hid his face in Gojo's shirt. Gojo chuckled at that. Then he heard Megumi yawn.
"You must be tired after all this crying. Come on. Let's get you to bed."
Gojo set Megumi in his bed and covered him with blanket and got up to leave but Megumi grabbed his sleeve.
"Huh?"
"Don't leave..."
Megumi blushed and looked away.
"Oh, Megumi-chan is afraid of the dark and wants me to protect him from the monster under the bed? Oh how sweet."
"Sh-shut up, moron."
Gojo just smiled and ruffled megumi's hair. He curled up in bed and hugged Megumi tight. He was so happy. Megumi was his son. Megumi hugged even tighter.
Maybe Gojo could be his parent.