Chapter Text
It's Saturday afternoon and Megumi and Tsumiki are with friends. Well, Tsumiki was invited to go swimming to the local pool with her friend group. I told Megumi to go out and socialize so I could clean up the penthouse.
Honestly, this is all an excuse to take a breather from the kids. We've been at it for only 10 months, but it feels like we've known them forever.
Satoru left in the middle of the night, but he told me he'd back soon.
I go around vacuuming and tidy up Tsumiki's bedroom. Megumi is too tidy for a 5 year old, but well, one less thing to do.
As I am washing piled up dishes, Satoru opens the door coming back.
"Pookie, you're cleaning on a Saturday" He boos me for being responsible.
"Someone has to. I sent the kids out for the day to have fun. At least I hope Megumi has fun. I left him at the public library and told him to find something to do. Is that bad?"
"Leaving a kid by himself? Sounds like responsible parenting to me" he smiles and I sigh.
"They know the way home, so they shouldn't have a problem to come back" I say trying to make myself feel better.
He notices.
"Don't worry so much. They're strong kids. Now, let's talk about us" He says changing topic. "How about we take a good nap?"
"You can go sleep, I don't feel like it".
His face straigthens and he grabs me, throwing me over his shoulder to dump me in our bed and wrap me with his arms and legs.
"Okie, time to sleep then" He snuggles and I struggle to break free.
"At least let me take my phone" I protest and he loosens his grip as I take it out of my pocket.
While Satoru relaxes I scroll through Instagram and Pinterest. That's until I find a post and read it.
It's a thread where a user asks about wanting to ask this guy she's dating what they are. She's scared that it's too soon and so another user posts her personal story: she and her boyfriend moved in together like 10 years ago and then they had kids and now she is noticing she never asked her boyfriend what they are.
My eyes widen and I turn my head.
"Satoru"
He groans in response.
"Satoru, listen"
"I'm listening" he complains.
"I know you love me, and we've been dating for a while, but now we have Megumi and Tsumiki and we live here at the penthouse and I know it might seem sudden, but is it too late to ask what we are?"
I feel him breathe and nudge him thinking he fell asleep.
"Ouch, don't hit me" He complains and taps my leg in punishment. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I feel like the past two years we've gone at full speed and suddenly there's the kids we took in, and I'm living this life-"
"You're my wifu"
"Your what?"
"My wife, mine" He repeats and yawns.
"But don't you think-"
"Can we talk after the nap? New rule: we won't talk while Satoru rests".
I huff and turn sinking on the pillow.
"Another rule: no sulking when in the same bed as Satoru"
"You're an idiot" I mumble and turn around facing him.
I stop, noticing his tired face and sigh, resting next to him.
We end up napping for three hours and I wake up worried to see if anyone has called home. Actually, Megumi is the one who awakens us. He got back from the library and came to ask if we were going to go pick up Tsumiki.
"Oh, yeah. We should. Thank you for waking us up"
I grab the phone by the bedside table and call Tsumiki. Gojo bought her a phone so she can be more independent and keep in contact when she needs something.
"Tsumiki" I speak as she answers the call.
"Hi"
"Hi, are you alright?"
"Yeah"
"You girls are at the pool or?"
"No, I went to Nariki's house. I'm here now"
"Ok, um what time is it?" I ask and try to see the bedside clock but Megumi is faster.
"It's 5:17pm" He states and I nod.
"Tsumiki, listen, we can go and pick you up if you'd like or if you want to stay longer, tell me where Nariki's house is and then we'll go"
"No, it's fine. I can go back by myself"
"Are you crazy? You're too young to be out when it's dark. Now way. I'll pick you up" I state serious.
She gives me the address and I scan for some paper and a pencil and write it down, saying goodbye.
Megumi already left the bedroom and Satoru is showering.
I go back to my chores and begin to prepare dinner for my boys. I do some rice with veggies (which Satoru should definitely eat more of). And cook some pork as well.
"MEGUMI! SATORU!" I shout to the top of my lungs as I turn the stove off.
Megumi is comes down and he sets the table while I serve the dishes.
"SATORU GOJO!" I shout again and hear something being shouted back.
Minutes later Satoru comes skipping downt the stairs looking refreshed wearing a smile as he sits down to eat. That is until he sees the veggies are mixed in with the rice already.
"What's that" he asks pointing to his plate and looking at Megumi's noticing his rice and veggies are separate. "Why didn't you separate my rice too?"
I shrug feigning innocence.
"I must have confused it with Megumi's plate. But he's a good boy and eats his food without complaining" I point out and Satoru pouts melting in his seat.
"Eat, baby. It'll be cold otherwise" I usher as I take a bite of my food. "We have to go pick up Tsumiki in an hour at a friend's house".
While Gojo fumbles, Megumi keeps eating quietly. That's when I notice he's skillfully separating the peas from the rest of the food.
"Megumi"
He gives me a side look as if he doesn't know.
"Megumi, you better eat the whole thing" I warn.
Gojo takes note of Megumi's skill and starts separating the veggies from his rice while I scold the kid.
I turn my eyes suddenly and snap at him.
"I saw that!"
Satoru drops the fork looking at me with widened eyes.
"What?"
"You also better eat the whole plate. If you guys want to eat something else you better cook it yourselves"
"I can cook next-" Gojo begins to offer but I cut him off squinting my eyes.
"Healthy food" I remark.
He scowls and pouts resting his chin on his hand and playing around with the veggies as he eats the rice and pork.
After eating, Megumi brings his plate to the kitchen.
"It's ok, just leave it" I insist and usher him to leave the cleaning to Satoru and me.
As we do the dishes I turn to my man to pass him a plate to dry.
"He's always so attentive." I say thinking of Megumi.
Satoru licks his finger to clean a spot of food still in the plate and I stare squinting my eyes.
"I just washed that" I state.
"There was a thingy" He insists and I take the plate to wash it all over annoyed.
"So, what are we?" I ask going back to my earlier worry over the post I'd seen.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Satoru stops drying to give a side look.
"Are we just boyfriend and girlfriend? Are we life partners?"
He seems perplexed and confused about my questions, but quickly recovers from the shock to reply with a soft smile.
"To me you're everything that matters in this world. What we have, that's what I care about. Everything else is a nice addition, but it doesn't mean shit if I'm all alone".
"So that means I'm what to you?"
He laughs at me and places his arm around my shoukders kissing my head.
"Hunny bunny, you're my girl" He states as if that meant everything.
"Yeah, ok, but I need you to be more precise" I insist turning the water faucet off.
The silence is prominent and I want to hear him say it: whatever it is I am in his life.
"We've been living together for more than a year and you still don't know it?" He asks. "How do you want me to clarify it any more? I told you, you're my beautiful girl".
"Yeah that's romantic, but Satoru I want to know what our relationship is"
"Why do you worry about those details? We are life partners, Bonnie and Clyde, ride or die, partners in crime, besties for ever, the sun to my shine, spice to my sugar, Batman and Robin, two halfs of the apple-"
"It's an orange"
"Whatever you say. My point is we are together and that's all that matters. Or do you have any complaints?"
"I DON'T have complaints. It's more like I fear that, i don't know, that we have skipped on all the normal stages of a relationship." I admit.
"What stages? That's not a rule, it's more like suggestions. But if what we have works and we're happy, isn't that all that matters?" He offers not understanding why I'm so upset by this.
"I am happy and I trust you are loyal, but sweetie, I just keep worrying because now it's not only us-" I stop and look around making sure Megumi isn't around.
"He's upstairs" Gojo states reading my mind.
"Within a year of relationship these kids came to our lives and now it's been 11 months since they live with us and honestly, they have grown attached to us. And I've grown fond of them too. It's not only about me and you, it's about taking care of them too now. They depend on our stability and our relationship with each other. And it feels like-"
"It's a lot of pressure," he finishes my thoughts. "I understand what you feel, but it's just a feeling. Don't let it distort your perspective of us. If I didn't believe we can do this, I would have never allowed it to happen. Or do you think I'm the type of person who goes around looking for kids to adopt and bring home?"
I sincerely stare at him doubting for a second. He is quite caring deep down. I'd always thought it was his compassion that got him to make the decision. He notices my thoughts drifting and intervenes.
"I didn't do it because of a gut feeling or blind faith only. I know you, and I know me. I know who we are and our limits. You are the most amazing, strongest, most lovable woman. It's not about me wanting to tie you down to me either. If you want to be free of all this, you can go. It's better now than if you wait any longer. I won't tell Megumi nor Tsumiki anything. You're free to go and live however you want to. But everything I've done has been under the perspective that you are my girl, the woman of my life, and I intend to live whatever time we have to the fullest and do as much good as I can while I live. I know you care for the kids because you are that kind of person and I know you're the only one I could trust to live my life with."
I stare and think deeply.
"I honestly do feel like you're the kind to pick up a random puppy and adopt it"
"Yeah but these are kids" He clarifies and I nod letting a long exhale out.
"Don't you think we should formally adopt them?"
He grins and pats my back.
"Mm, it could be convenient to protect them legally. But we should marry first, don't ya think?"