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Satoru Gojo was not known for his ability to be responsible.
Well, honestly, this was always a debatable fact. Where the higher ranking jujutsu sorcerors might suggest that this 22-year-old was still a reckless boy driven not by commonsense, his close friends might complain about the newly turned 22-year-old being too responsible seeing as it was yet another weekend where he passed up plans to go out so that he could hang out with a nearly 9-year-old boy.
Perhaps his reputation was constantly being debated by anyone and everyone in and out of his life, but the young white-haired man couldn't care less.
He was too consumed with preparing for what he deemed a ‘Middle Birthday’ celebration. Both he and his little friend shared December birthdays. Though Satoru swore to do a whole individual celebration for Megumi’s day, he also wanted to celebrate on the 14th of December, which was basically one of the halfway points between the two boys’ birthdays. So, the older of the two haphazardly planned something.
So after a Wednesday that had left him absolutely exhausted, he pushed
As he scaled the stairs to his apartment, he ignored yet another call from a friend. There were multiple reasons he ignored that call without even checking the caller ID,
- he set a special ringtone for the handful of people he actually cared about in his life-this was not it
- he would not cancel this celebration for anything, so it could be put off for later
- even if he had wanted to, if he even moved the wrong way, he could risk dropping everything he was balancing in his hands.
Both hands were full of a combination of bags with take-out, groceries, and mochi, so the tall man opted to knock on his door instead of setting things down only to pick them back up.
About 30 seconds later, the sound of locks being turned could be heard and a breath later, a short boy stared up at Satoru.
The boy’s typically spiky hair was wet and wore a set of navy kids pajamas.
“Happy Middle Birthday!” Satoru beamed at the young boy.
“Sure” Megumi responded flatly, however after living with the boy for a few years Satoru was able to make note of the smallest of quirks up in his lips.
As Megumi held the door open, Satoru shuffled through the cramped apartment into the kitchen.
Though if he wanted, he could probably afford a better living space, Satoru opted for this 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment that was full of character on the outskirts of Tokyo with a view of the mountains. It was what he wanted.
Satoru set the various bags on top of the counter as he started to unpack their contents and recount his thoughts to Megumi who sat on a spinning stool at the small island that the two deemed to suffice for a dining table.
“So, I was thinking, we eat. I’m absolutely famished so let’s do that first. I got you that ginger scallion ramen you like… Oh, I also got things to bake something… I don’t know if we want to do that… you got mad at me for screwing up the last time I tried to bake but if we want, it’s an option… I ALSO GOT KIKUFUKU MOCHI-and before you tell me that that is a waste of money and out of the way, I know it is, BUT it’s our middle birthday, so we have to do extra to celebrate… And if you want later we can watch a movie…” Satoru trailed off absentmindedly as the boy sat listening.
Finally, all the materials that were not the two takeout containers of ramen were put away into their correct spots. Megumi would get mad at Satoru if he failed to put everything away as soon as he brought home groceries-something about if he didn’t put them away immediately, he would never put them away. A statement that was very much so true.
Satoru placed the containers of ramen on the island as he leaned on the countertop with a soft grin, “You ready to eat dude?”
Megumi rolled his eyes as he reached out to grab the container with ‘GINGER’ written in sharpie on it, “Sure.”
Satoru chuckled to himself and the two proceeded to eat in silence.
When he first took on the boy, Satoru often found himself feeling insecure and scared at the absolute lack of fluid communication between the two. He had always been able to maintain at the very least a light banter with everyone he encountered. But this kid refused to talk.
As he spent more time with the boy, he realized that it was not out of any grudge or anything, but the boy was just… quiet. With time Satoru had realized that the boy did not resent Satoru’s constant babbling about random subjects, instead listened quite intently, enjoying listening, sometimes adding in snarky commentary about whatever the tall man would babble on about.
Satoru very much so appreciated the small boy who would listen and not interrupt-making sure to leave space for Megumi if he ever felt the urge to rebuttal.
So yet another meal spent in silence was nothing new or concerning to Satoru, instead something he welcomed.
-
Megumi would not boast about his social skills ever. He was the quiet kid who did his homework during recess while all the other kids would play. The first few years of his life were just a muddy mess. He was not too fond of them, however absolutely loved his mother for the time he had her. Then one day, he was on his own, alone. He just stopped being loud and turned quiet.
And this introverted boy could not begin to articulate the gratitude to which he held the man over double his own age that never got upset with a lack of communication; a man who always tried.
The two of course would engage in conversations from time to time, in the past year especially Megumi had opened up a lot more to Satoru.
Sometimes the two would participate in snarky banter, other times, they’d just give each other stupid looks without saying anything, something Megumi would feel in the mood to foster a solid conversation. Satoru always let Megumi lead the direction of it all.
What was happening right then was a slew of banter between the two as a slight dusting of flour-covered the counter and floor. Megumi giggled whilst Satoru on yet again another failed baking attempt.
After dinner Satoru had insisted at trying his hand yet again on baking, which had been going fine. Well, in what would be standards for Satoru, fine. But nonetheless, he had followed the recipe. It was perfect! …that was until he had tried to use a mixer right after he had added in flour… BIG mistake.
One second the kitchen was mostly clean, the next it was covered in flour.
As Satoru ran a towel under the sink to get it damp, he turned himself to face Megumi slightly, before giving a shy boyish grin.
“Sorry” He sheepishly apologized as he turned to gather some more flour from the counter with the towel. He genuinely felt bad for wrecking what could have been a simple sweet shared homemade dessert for the two… he had bought mochi predicting something like this would happen… but still, though he’d never admit it, he was disappointed with himself, “I uh there’s ginger mandarin mochi in the freezer for you…”
Megumi just giggled back.
“Your shirt matches your hair” Megumi grinned out, pointing at the light dusting of white flour on the dark shirt Satoru was wearing. Satoru’s worry dissipated.
“Oh my god, I swear, Megumi, if it was not our middle birthday, I would attack you right now!” Satoru grinned back. And though he might not be completely done with mentally beating himself up, he would do that later, in this moment instead he would focus on the teasing little boy spinning on a stool in front of him.
“Ha! You couldn’t even if you tried… snow monster” Megumi teased back.
“You wanna bet?” Gojo asked, setting the towel down and prancing over to the boy, “Be careful or the snow monster might get you!”
Megumi found himself quickly enveloped in a long pair of arms from behind and giggled as he realized the snow monster had gotten him.
“I got you!” Satoru giggled with the boy.
“One day… I’m gonna be so strong, you won’t catch me” Megumi smiled, tilting his head up to gaze up at a pair of piercing blue eyes. Then started to elbow the tall man in an attempt to free himself.
“Sure you will kid, sure you will” Satoru forced a smile and squeezed the kid tightly, “All right kid, I want my mochi.”
Megumi slinked out of Satoru’s embrace and followed close behind to watch as the taller man grabbed the mochi out of the freezer, handing Megumi the ginger mandarin box and grabbing the box of his own favorite.
“Thank you!” Megumi piped out as he grabbed a pouch carrying a singular mochi from the box, and unwrapped it, proceeding to take a bite and grin.
Satoru seized the opportunity to lean down and take a small bite of Megumi’s treat, earning him an irritated look. Satoru simply shrugged.
“It’s the tax for me getting it for you,” Satoru said, before replicating Megumi’s previous actions with his own box of mochi.
The two consumed their mochi in silence for a moment, before Satoru got up and ran over to grab his laptop. He circled back around to where he and the boy were sitting, opened it, and pushed it in front of Megumi’s face.
“What d'ya wanna watch?”
“You could’ve at least opened the browser before shoving it in my face.”
“Yeah, but, lil man I need you to start figuring out how to do things for yourself, you’re growing up y’know?”
“I’m not even 9 yet. And when in the real world will I have to know how to open up Netflix?”
Satoru shrugged in response, earning an eye roll from Megumi before he opened a tab of Netflix and perused his options.
Megumi sat back, arms crossed.
“There’s nothing.”
“What? There has to be something?”
Megumi shook his head. Satoru’s heart dropped a bit. He had to come up with something quick… but uh what?
“So, uh, what do you propose?”
“Can you read a book instead? I get to pick though” Megumi said, a slight pink tinge appearing on his cheeks.
Satoru grinned and stood up, “Of course. Follow me”
The two journeyed into Megumi’s room, a red racecar bed on the floor, it was nearly too small for the boy and he insisted that it was too childish, but Satoru thought it was funny so made Megumi keep it.
The soft golden star-shaped lights on his wall illuminated the small blue room, making it look what both Megumi and Satoru would consider magical.
Satoru climbed onto the bed. Despite his tall frame taking up most of the space on the bed, there was still a good amount of space for Megumi to crawl into after he grabbed a Magic Tree House book from his shelf.
Satoru made a face of approval as he saw what book the young boy had grabbed, and Megumi pulled the covers over himself.
“Okay. Start”
Satoru chuckled to himself at the eagerness of the boy, and started the book, “One summer day…”
-
Around 20 minutes later, Megumi had to roll his eyes at himself because though he was still awake, the 22 year old caging him in bed had passed out whilst reading.
He let out a dramatic sigh before deciding there was nothing to do, succumbing to going to bed. Megumi curled himself inward at Satoru, finding warmth in the taller man whom he considered something like a father and something like a brother-he wasn’t too sure on the specifics.
In a few days, he would be 9, a year that would mark his third year living with this oaf next to him, but Megumi didn’t mind. He was grateful. For though he’d never voice it, he loved the stupid man who let him into his home. Megumi smiled big to himself and sighed as he closed his eyes. Satoru wasn’t that bad.
You see, though Satoru Gojo was not known for his ability to be responsible, he instead possessed an innate ability to make a child smile. Perhaps he should consider teaching.