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Satoru sure is taking his time buying the missing ingredients for your dinner. On the living room couch, Megumi is looking at his textbooks quietly while you and Tsumiki entertain yourselves by solving her advanced math assignments.
You would’ve helped Megumi too, but he’s been avoiding you, and you figured he didn’t want his former teacher getting into his business, so you refrained.
"That’s great, Tsumiki!" You praised "Great work!"
She beamed. "Thank you for helping me!"
"You’re welcome!" Then you turned the page to solve the last problem. "What about this?"
"Please don’t."
You turned to the voice only to jump in surprise when you saw that it was Megumi who approached you. Tsumiki hopped off the high chair, as if she knew what was on Megumi’s mind.
"Please don’t-"
"Megu-" Tsumiki tried to stop him, but Megumi shakes his head.
His fisted fingers are holding onto his shirt tightly.
Please don’t? What? The confusion must be evident in your face.
Megumi swallowed hard. "Please don’t take my dad. Please don’t take my dad away."
"Megumi," Tsumiki said, arms going around Megumi’s shaking shoulders.
Oh. You swallowed, and your throat feels tight looking at them. You know he’s a kid, but he’s never acted like one. It surprises and hurts you that you didn’t think about how he’d feel knowing that his former teacher and guardian are dating. No, not their guardian, Satoru is their Dad.
They’re still so young; they shouldn’t be feeling this way.
But they do, your mind whispers. You know why they feel this way.
"Megumi, Tsumiki..." you started, and Tsumiki looks up at you, worry and fear in her eyes, but Megumi is still bowing his head. You held their hands gently. You kneeled so they could see your eyes properly. "Listen to me, okay?"
"I won’t take your Dad," you promised, Megumi looks at you in surprise and relief. "But can I have Satoru?"
Tsumiki and Megumi looked at one another before they nodded, "Okay," their tone soft, small.
"Thank you."
You opened your arms to them, and your heart felt so full when they ran to hug you. It’s only when they both rested their heads on your shoulders that you felt tears.
They must’ve been so scared. You blame your thoughtlessness. You should've been more careful; you should've assured them properly.
"There, there," you say, patting their backs in what you hope is a comforting manner. "Your Dad loves you, okay? It’s not going to change just because I’m in the picture."
Megumi nodded, sniffing, while Tsumiki cried harder, and you had the urge to smack the people who caused him and Tsumiki pain—the ones responsible for putting that kind of expression on their young faces.
So you carried them both gently, and their arms are around you for stability while they lay their heads on your shoulders. You sway gently while muttering words of assurance and love to the kids you've grown to love.
Behind the wall, Satoru smiles while listening to your voice comforting his kids. You must’ve been so worried that you didn’t notice that he'd been gone for so long for someone who just went to the nearby convenience store, and it didn’t dawn on you that Megumi called him Dad.
In truth, he didn't expect that Megumi would consider him his Dad, much less call him that way. He's always thought that Megumi just tolerated his presence, but he should’ve known better than to doubt Megumi. That boy knows how to mask his real feelings well, partly because he’s a Zenin and partly because of a Zenin. No, Toji Fushiguro didn’t want to be a Zenin.
Still, he hoped that Toji knew how much the kids he abandoned suffered because of his neglect. He hopes Toji regretted his decision and loss.
Satoru shakes his head. It doesn’t matter now. It doesn’t matter that Toji abandoned them; it doesn’t matter that he’s facing resistance and pressure from the Zenins by having the sole inheritor of their clan technique in his care; and it doesn’t matter that he’s still too young to be a proper father because he is their Dad and he will protect them or die trying. Most of all, he knows you have his and the kids backs through it all.
Please don’t take my Dad
Tsumiki and Megumi are not his by blood, but they’re his. His to protect, to care for, and to love.
"Your Dad loves you. Satoru loves you both so much."
Satoru closes his eyes and relaxed.