Chapter Text
“Soooo… why did you punch the kid?” You ask your nephew as you both walk to the car. There’s a little smile at the corner of your lips and you know you’re not supposed to find this situation funny, but it is.
You’re supposed to be the adult here. Luckily — or not, depending on perspective — Megumi’s parents are out of town this week. Which means that you’re the one that’s picking him up from his stupid ass elementary school at the other side of the city, and he’s staying over at your place.
“He was trying to bully me.” The dark-haired kid justifies and you’re biting the inside of your cheeks. You want to laugh, you really do because you told him last year “bully them back, worst thing that can happen is they hit you.” It was some stupid ass advice.
At least that’s what your sister would say if she knew you had said that to her miracle angel baby. Sometimes she really thought maybe there was some freak thing and you and her husband were somehow related — like mentally. He too, was full of fuck ass advice that only generated more trouble than necessary. And when she complained about it you always said, “but you love me though” and that is exactly what Toji always said after causing problems of the same sort.
At first, when she brought that gruff, gigantic, muscle-ridden guy to your family home, you were not sure. But then, he said he’d help when you threatened to shoot off Rei’s ex’s kneecaps, so he’d have to stay straight legged for the rest of his life. You thought that maybe he wasn’t too bad for your sister. Then within a year she was pregnant with Megumi, and he hadn’t somehow disappointed you or broken your sister’s heart, thus he was worth it.
And Megumi was a riot.
That’s really the best way to describe him. He was fairly brooding for a little kid, but only because he was so serious. Because of this trait, you’d talked to him like he was capable of depth and meaningful conversations since he was an infant. He was really sweet to his mother, adoring almost. But sassy to his father which made you laugh.
As for you, you got the best of it. A spunky, hilarious nephew with a hint of unhinged. Your sister claimed he got that from you — it didn’t make much sense, but you liked the idea and therefore decided to treat it as a truth.
Instead of being a responsible adult and being stern with Megumi — like he’s mom would have been — you take him out for lunch. At least you don’t high five and praise him, but you are definitely holding back.
“How did it go?” Your sister asks later that day, when she does her daily check-in. You try to be as neutral as possible when you explain but she can sense your amusement.
“You and Toji are gonna turn him into a little criminal.” She complains and you hear her husband in the background asking, “why am I in it?”
“I didn’t do anything!” You defend.
“My sweet baby is surrounded by two idiots he admires, and they’re both okay with violence!” She’s exasperated at this, but not fully serious.
“Like, what? You’d prefer it if he just let that kid bully him?” Toji asks again in the background.
“Nooo, but violence isn’t the solution!”
“Eh. I bet that kid won’t try it again though. I’d say violence works well enough, sometimes.” You quip.
“I hope Megumi’s not around hearing you while you say this, ✧✧✧.” Your sister chastises.
Megumi is in fact totally hearing you. Now, your sister did ask for the phone not to be on speaker for this part of the conversation.
“She’s right though.” Toji adds to your sister’s grief, and she clicks his tongue at him. “Sorry mama.”
You snort at their interaction and when she finally says her goodbyes, you sit in front of Megumi at the coffee table where he has his homework laid out.
“Okay buddy. You can’t give other kids black eyes and get kicked out of school, okay? It’s not… uh… yeah. Just don’t do that.” You can’t give him a good enough reason why and the kid knows it, which makes him smile in victory. He’s too cute to be stern at, you don’t know how your sister does it.
“But I’m not getting punished?” He smiles brightly.
“You think your mom’s going to let it go when she gets home?” And his smile disappears instantly, which makes you cackle. He’s in a for a long conversation about the use of violence. And so are you. And so is Toji. But for now, you can just enjoy hanging out with you nephew — who you’ll be taking into work with you tomorrow since he’s been expelled for three days.