Work Text:
Gojo
11 pm, the port. Don’t be late
xoxo Gossip girl
Toji scoffs at the message, this Gojo brat sure is working his last nerve. He’s been hanging around the city for a little over 3 months now, far too long if you asked him. Still, Gojo had hired him for whatever reason & was paying prettily for Toji to do pretty much nothing. You don’t get easy money like that very often but looks like the free ride was up. The brat finally made arrangements to meet & discuss business. Sure, he could abscond with the cash but his interest was piqued. Just what kinda of trouble was Gojo in to warrant Toji’s assistance.
Toji arrives a little before midnight cause he’s an ass.
“You’re late,” Gojo grins, leaning on his obnoxious sports car.
“I’m surprised you waited around,” Tojo isn’t lying, he was genuinely surprised, even more so when Gojo didn’t bother to text or call him.
Too make the great six-eyes wait, Toji smiles smugly.
“Let’s cut to bus-“
“Does Megumi know you’re here?” Toji cuts him off.
It’s been weighing on Toji. He’s seen Megumi around, inevitably drawn to his son like a moth to a flame. Maybe stalked is the more appropriate term, watched from the shadows as his son goes about his day. He blames it on all the free time he has on his hands thanks to Gojo.
He had watched from a distance when Megumi answered his annual phone call to fill Toji in on the basics.
'Yes, I’m alive. No, I don’t smoke, gamble or drink. No, I don’t have a girlfriend.' - Toji caught him rolling his eyes like a little brat. It must be Gojo's influence.
'Okay, take care of yourself. Bye.' - Megumi had worn the softest expression Toji has ever seen on his scowling face and Toji had seen plenty of it lately.
He’s taken notice of more than he cares to mention cause what does it matter to him if his son takes his coffee black and bitter. The one thing he will mention is Gojo Satoru, the self proclaimed legal guardian, fucking his much younger son. No girlfriend ey, looks like Toji was asking the wrong questions.
“He doesn’t and he never will,” Gojo answers.
“You gonna pay me a hush fee?” Toji chuckles.
“No but I will continue to pay the agreed amount going forth,”
“Like a salary,” Toji grins, “You trying to employ me, sorry but I’m not that kinda worker.”
“You won’t have to work…much,” Gojo hesitates and that’s enough to tick Toji off.
“Oi, what game are you playing at. Get to the damn point, what do you need me to do?”
“I need you to stick around," Gojo visibly struggles to choose his words appropriately, "I need you to drop by for lunch or dinner or even a drink, whatever floats your boat. Just once a month, no more. Maybe get coffee with him, talk to him, get to know him.”
“You’re paying me to play happy family with my adult son?” Toji scoffs.
“No,” Gojo pulls a bag from the boot, ”I’m paying you to take an interest in your only son.”
Toji stares at him incredulously, “For how long?”
“Till you die,” Gojo answers plainly,” I’ll pay you a monthly wages until you die and then I will pay and host your funeral too.”
“You’re out of your mind. You rich people are batty. All this money and no idea what to do with it,” Toji can’t help but laugh at the absurdity.
“It’s simple, show up once a month. Have a little chat with him and live as freely as you want,” Gojo makes it sound so easy.
Toji hasn’t met Megumi in years, would the boy even recognise him. What would they even chat about? What a deadbeat dad Toji is? How he abandoned his son with a teenager that most likely groomed him?
“What’s this?” Toji opens the bag to discover stacks of cash and a white envelope.
Gojo hums loudly, ”think of it as an incentive.”
“For what?” Toji tears open the envelope to reveal a wedding invitation.
The paper feels expensive but the actual print is simple. Toji catches his name in bold; Fushiguro Megumi, son of Fushiguro Toji. His mouth dries up, stomach churning.
“You’re marrying my son, aren’t you supposed to ask for my permission first,” he jokes drily.
“Come to the wedding, get yourself a nice suit or let me,” Gojo says sombrely, “Come, give us your blessing, that’s all I ask."
Fuck Gojo for making it sound so simple when he knows it’s not. Toji stayed away for a reason, he’s a fuck up. His son is marrying into the most powerful sorcerer family, what need would there be for the likes of him. Toji’s head is pounding.
“What if I take the money and run,” cause Toji is an ass.
“I can’t stop you,” Gojo is already getting in his car,” but I will ask you this, please don’t break his heart.”
His heart? Does he even mean anything to his son, does he hold such power. Would Megumi even want him there? If he did, why didn’t he tell Toji when they spoke.
The sound of Gojo’s engine fades away, leaving Toji alone with his thoughts.
“Fuck,” he curses as he shuffles through the cash,”I need a bottle.”
-------time skip-------
The date of the wedding rolls around and Toji is still undecided. The money hasn’t stopped & Gojo hasn’t reached out after that. The brat was serious about leaving the ball in his court. Toji puffs on his cigarette, the last in his box. Time ticks by, his eyes follow the needle. He could miss this chance to see his only child get married or he could go and sit amongst the upper echelon of the sorcery world. Does megumi even know what it means to marry into the Gojo family, the crushing responsibility and absurd expectations. Is he ready for that?
Will Gojo protect him? Does Megumi even want this?
Questions fill his head & before he knows it, he’s at the venue. He slinks around, a master of stealth. He’s on the roof when he senses a presence behind him. It could only be Gojo.
“You're here,” it’s not Gojo.
Behind him, stands his son. To almost sneak up on him, when did Megumi become this powerful.
“I am,” he answers lamely.
Megumi is dressed in traditional attire, a silvery grey hakama over a white Kimono and a deep blue haori that bears the Gojo family crest. It doesn’t get any realer than this, his son is really getting married.
“Why?” Megumi inquires, his voice devoid of emotion.
Toji gapes as Megumi’s icy gaze tears into him. He’s angry and he has every right to be. Toji hadn't expected to meet him, he just wanted to lurk around and make sure he was alright.
“Cause, I wanted to ask you,” Toji manages,” is this really what you want, kid? Do you really want to marry that Gojo brat.”
“Why do you care?” Megumi bites back.
Toji winces,” because these families are like wolves, they’ll tear you a part at their convenience. Spouses are not treated with the same respect, they won’t treat you as nicely as Gojo. Even if you are strong, the holder of the great ten shadows, it means nothing to these people. You’ll be expected to meet absurdly high standards, they’ll use you to get to Gojo, to manipulate Gojo. The politics of a family like that, it’s hell. It sucks the life out of you."
Toji is talking from experience, he had run far far away from that hell but the damage was already done. He was broken, a defected human roaming this earth. He couldn't let the same thing happen to Megumi. Megumi was a gift, a blessing bestowed upon him. A blessing he nor the Gojo family deserve.
Megumi deserved better.
He looks Megumi in the eye, his shame be damned, "Do you really want this? That’s all I want to know.”
Megumi stills, he looks like he’s pondering his answer which scares Toji. To be unsure just moments before your wedding is not ideal but Toji won’t let that Gojo brat drag his son into the lion’s den against his will.
“And if I don’t,” Megumi finally speaks, his gaze softer, ”then what?”
“We leave,” Toji answers like it’s obvious,”we get the fuck out of here.”
“If they don't let us,”
“Then I’ll kill them,” another obvious answer.
“Gojo will kill you,” Megumi replies, the tiniest of smiles gracing his lips.
“I’ll kill him first,” Toji doesn’t miss a beat.
"You can’t,” Megumi huffs.
“I’ll try,” Toji is dead serious, ”just say the word.”
Megumi laughs, ”You’re unbelievable, you know that.”
“Megumi I’m serious-“
“I do, I want to marry Gojo. I want to be with the man I love, I want to be his strength and his confidant in this chaotic world. We can’t escape everything, there are somethings we must bear. It’s a terrible thing to do alone, so I wish to be with him,” Megumi explains, ”if you’re willing to kill for me, is asking you to stay too much for you to bear? Just for a while, not long. I know his family doesn’t want me, I know years of conflict between the Zenin and Gojo clan will come to a head over our marriage. I won’t ask you to defend me but can you stay with me?"
“I can,” Toji sighs in relief, ”if that's what you want.”
“It is,” Megumi turns, ”there’s a suite prepared, so you can wash up, please shave. Gojo picked out your outfit, I hope you don’t mind.”
Toji falters, ”You knew? About Gojo meeting me.”
“He tried to hide it at first,” Megumi peers over his shoulder, ”but there isn’t a lie that man can tell which I can’t see through. You think I wouldn't notice all the payments he made to your conveniently anonymous account. He almost died because of you.”
Tojo cackles, his chest swelling with pride. Looks like he was worried about nothing.