Archive of Our Own

Satoru used to be very worried about Megumi. Not for his safety in school because frankly he's a menace and ends up in the nurses office because he's being kept there so he can face consequences for fights, not because he needs the nurse. It's not because he's out and proud or whatever it is kids say these days because, again, Megumi could take down a full man and spit in his face afterwards. And Satoru knows he's safe on the internet and doesn't talk to strangers.

It's because Megumi is very lonely.

His sisters bring home friends. Tsumiki has a boyfriend who eats at the dinner table more often than Megumi does these days, Nanako invites her best friend Yakea over without asking anymore (Satoru simply expects her to arrive on Friday) and, when pressed, Mimiko will talk about this exchange student called Daisy from America that has "nice skin". Satoru knows the girls have friends. They talk about them and they invite them over for sleepovers and take day trips with them sometimes. Satoru, personally, hates most of them (even Yakea). Suguru has split opinions on Nanako's friends — he says some of them are two-faced.

Megumi, on the other hand, doesn't mention anyone else when asked about school. He walks from the classroom on his own, head held high but with a gaping space around him. He devours books, taking a new one with him to school everyday and at dinner says he finished it during lunch or a free period. He doesn't do sports and isn't apart of any clubs. Satoru thinks he's lonely and most of the time he's right. As someone who was a lonely kid until he was nearly fourteen, he knows from personal experience that it sucks. But Megumi is sixteen.

His worries, however, take an entirely different form when Megumi comes down the stairs one day and asks, in a dry tone that means he's uninterested in their answer but his sisters bullied him into coming down, if the jeans he's wearing are nice.

"They are," Satoru said slowly, and shared a look with Suguru, "why?"

"I'm going out."

Satoru blinked.

Suguru sits up from where he'd been slouching on the couch, tucking the bookmark between the pages to look at Megumi. Satoru feels like he's buffering at the moment, caught up in a trance staring at Megumi. He's wearing his nice jeans which makes it odd he felt the need to ask if he looked nice, and a black t-shirt with some band that Satoru isn't old enough to know. Over that he's got a blue jacket, the one with the moon and the stars embroidered on the back. Those are his nice-nice clothes. As in, his going out clothes that he wears whenever they go out to dinner or a family or to some function Satoru's family demands he be present for.

"That's lovely, Megumi," Suguru said, giving him a nudge to participate in the conversation, "do you know when you'll be back? Do you want a lift somewhere?" Suguru, his precious Suguru who probably has a better idea what's going on and is trying to make Satoru aware as well, is trying his hardest to seem nonchalant. However, Satoru's brain is still buffering.

"Uh, maybe nine? It's Saturday so that's okay, right?" Megumi asks, unnaturally chatty. He's nervous. Upstairs there's a sound like someone is walking around in his room and then Nanako's shrill voice called "those shoes are ugly!".

Is he… Is Megumi—

"That's fine! You can stay out later!" Suguru offers, smiling encouragingly at Megumi.

"Hm. Thanks." His eyes shift over to Satoru, still frozen in horror, before they dart over to the side and towards the shoe rack. He's nervous. "Also, no, I don't need a lift. I'm going to the aquarium and then to get something to eat, maybe somewhere else after, I'm not too sure yet—"

"Are you going on a date?" Satoru asks, interrupting Megumi. He stops mid-sentence, socked foot scrunching and rubbing against the ground as a nervous tic. His lips are practically bitten red, the skin peeled off and Satoru knows that Megumi only bites his lips when he's on the verge of an anxiety attack. Suguru sighs beside him and probably has his eyes closed, before turning to Satoru to give him the stink eye.

"Satoru," he says warningly, knowing exactly how he gets when it comes to dating. When Tsumiki brought Haku home the first time, there was practically war in the house. Dinner turned into a battle field, more akin to the meetings he takes with his council members at work rather the light-hearted dinners they usually have.

"I just wanna know!" He defends himself, his shoulders rising in defense. Satoru turns back to Megumi with wide eyes, hoping to play up the innocent look the way Tsumiki can. "I just want to know. I'm interested. This is me being interested. Are you?"

Megumi licks his teeth, pokes the inside of his cheek. His hands, which are painted black with little yellow speckles that look like blobs from this length but are probably stars, fiddle with the one ring he wears consistently. His sock glides across the ground and for a second, Satoru feels a little bad. Megumi struggles with being lonely, worries that he's too different from other kids to even deserve friends, and if he were simply going out with friends he probably would be worried enough to dress up a bit.

Then, Megumi opens his mouth and replies; "Yeah."

Satoru's guilt disappears immediately. He hums and nods once, sure that he's not being too outrageously weird like Suguru says he can be. Megumi stares at him for a moment before turning and going back upstairs, calling out to the girls that he's done and they better approve the shoes because those are what he's wearing. As soon as he's out of sight, Satoru turns to Suguru and pokes him in the chest accusingly.

"He can stay out later? Really? Nine is late enough, it's five! What are they going to do!"

"Satoru," Suguru says placatingly but also pokes him roughly in the chest which dissuades the gentle tone of his voice, "you know Megumi. He'll be back by eight thirty. I just wanted him to know that if he wants to stay out late, he can. The problem is, he doesn't want to. Ever. You should be encouraging him, not making faces like that."

"Faces like what? I don't make any faces! My face is great!"

Suguru gets up to get himself another cup of tea and Satoru stays on the couch, miffed. So maybe, just maybe, he's a little protective over the kids. That's not a bad thing! They had a terrible childhood before living with himself and his husband, and they were on average seven upon arrival! Megumi was the youngest at four. Satoru knows his kids and he knows what's right for them. Megumi dating at sixteen isn't the best idea.

But… he's right. Megumi will be back by eight thirty, the latest. Satoru will sleep well knowing that it probably didn't work out and that Megumi will be single and fine forever. Now calmed down, Satoru ignores how Suguru "accidently" kicks him when he sits back down, and pays attention to his work laptop again.

Megumi doesn't come home until quarter to twelve.

Life has been horrible since that day. Megumi comes home late from school, saying he's going to the library and that he doesn't need a lift. Satoru isn't annoyed at that at all because, frankly, having to pick up the kids from school was annoying. It was most definitely not his favorite part of the day. He's on his phone more often than not, and every now and then smiling and tucking his face into his shoulder or the closest pillow. The girls all squeal and giggle when his phone pings during dinner, and instead of barking some insult back, Megumi only turns red and checks his phone under the table. He still reads books but, every few weeks, he'll pick up a horror or a fictional book or, on one memorable occasion, a manga and read it.

Now, every Saturday, Megumi dresses up in his nice clothes and announces to the house that he'll be out late and not to wait up. Satoru and Suguru do every time since they're his parents, but Suguru claims they're still up when he gets back simply because they're watching a movie not so they can make sure he's home safe. Satoru sure is making sure he comes home safe, whatever about what Suguru is doing. And they might watch a movie Saturday together, but they did that anyway!

Megumi going out has nothing to do with it.

And now every other word out of his mouth is "Itadori". What did he do at school? Oh, Megumi and Itadori spent their free class together outside watching the clouds together. What did he eat for lunch? Itadori brough him in a bento box. What's Megumi going to read this evening? Itadori bought him a new dinosaur book and he's excited to start it. Apparently, dinosaurs are the only animal Itadori has an interest in.

Satoru feels unnecessarily annoyed because of it. Everyone thinks he's being strange and, thankfully, Megumi hasn't noticed yet because if he did World War Three would start in the house. He remembers Tsumiki's attitude towards him when he even implied he didn't like Haku, and Megumi is a touch more petty than she is. It's not that he's staying out late, he truly doesn't mind that. Like Suguru is, Satoru is happy he's not wasting away in his room. And, Megumi does look much better now that he's with Itadori. More happy, less likely to rot in his room on the weekend. Last Sunday they took a trip out of Tokyo to Shinjuku for some restaurant that Itadori wanted to try. Megumi wanted to go to the national garden as well and the photo that was sent to them — clearly not taken by Megumi himself as he's about four feet away from the camera — is his new background on his tablet.

He's crouching down, petting a dog. At first glance it looks like he's not paying attention to whoever took the photo but Satoru noticed his eyes are staring at something right above the phone, just barely out of centre from staring right at him, and the long shadow cast over the ground reveals a boys frame. He's smiling, just a little, but smiles out of Megumi are so rare it's practically a grin.

It's just that… it's Megumi. It's Meg. It's Gloomy-Gumi. It's his boy that's going out on a date, going to Shinjuku, going to the library or whatever. He's only got one son. With Tsumiki, he knew he'd have to get used to it because of Nanako and Mimiko — three girls means a lot of dates, even if one of them is awfully shy. But Megumi? He's the only boy, and a quiet one at that. He likes history and animals, is more likely to talk to dogs and cats and freaking bugs of all things rather than another person.

Satoru thinks he's deserved a bit of annoyance towards this Itadori Yuuji guy. He's practically stealing his kid away.

"I'm home!" The cause of all his worries calls out from the front of the house. Satoru hops off the kitchen counter where he was absent mindedly watching Suguru make dinner and sees through the window that a boy with pink hair gets back into a black car, that then drives off. He squints.

Megumi is already on the stairs by the time he's made it to the entryway of the house, nose buried in a book and walking up the steps quickly. His headphones are lying limp around his neck, turned off, and his jacket is dry. It's been raining all day. Satoru grinds his teeth without realizing it, hand tight on the banister. He's being irrational, he knows, but there's something about this that's driving him crazy.

"How was the library?" It's been hours since school let out. Suguru was making a late dinner for them, plus Megumi, since the girls had something to eat after coming home. They waited until he got back to eat, Satoru silently hoping to pry more information out of Megumi about Itadori other than "he's nice".

(Yeah, he better be nice, he's dating his kid. Nice is the bare minimum.)

"Uh, it was closed today," Megumi says as he stalls on the stairs, not nervous so much as he's distracted from whatever he's doing. Satoru feels a small part of him unclench, satiated in the knowledge that his kid hasn't changed at all. Megumi still gets this annoyed tone whenever he's interrupted, like he's already decided that whatever you're talking to him about is below him. Then, his words catch up to him and Satoru frowns.

"Where did you go then?"

"Itadori’s house. I had dinner with his family, will you tell Suguru he doesn't need to make a portion for me?" Megumi asks, looking away from his book briefly to make sure Satoru is still listening. And, he is, of course, since its Megumi talking and he's always paid attention to him. "Oh! Unless he's making prawns, then save me some and I'll eat it later or for lunch tomorrow."

With that, Megumi turns around and ventures further into the house, calling hello's to people who peek out of their rooms to see him. Satoru is rooted to the spot, surprised and a little hurt. His shoulders drop. He walks back into the kitchen, sure that Suguru would feel as bothered as he did but after regaling him of the story, all he does is smile a little and shake his head. Satoru asks what's so funny, wondering if maybe he's had an aneurysm or has been transported into an alternate universe where everyone is so laid back about everything.

"He lied, Suguru," Satoru says after a moment. Suguru smiles at him, teasing and playful until he realizes Satoru is being serious. Then, it slips off his face and he purses his lips, eyebrows drawing close together. Taking a deep breath, he turns the heat for the pan down and faces him properly.

"About what, Satoru?"

"Where he was! We thought he was at the library but he was in some strangers house."

"His boyfriend is hardly a stranger, love, and he didn't lie." Suguru runs a hand through his hair, getting irritated. And, listen — Satoru knows he's being difficult but there's something about this particular pill that's so hard for him to swallow. He clenches his hands at his side, staring at the countertop. He's not… he wasn't like this with Haku. Maybe he was a little antagonistic at the start and sure, the kid turned pale when he caught sight of him, but Satoru was mostly toying with him after they met.

"He got in a strangers car," Satoru argues weakly and Suguru doesn't even deign that with a response. There's no argument to be had here but it still feels like maybe there should be. When Suguru turns around again, faces him and gazes at him so deeply it feels like his soul is on show for him to see, he deflates. What a sorry sight he must be right now for Suguru to come over and rub his cheek, head pressing into his palm and eyes closing.

"What's got you in such a tizzy over this? It's Megumi, you know he'll be okay."

Yeah. He does know that. But, before now, Megumi was always okay because he had them, not anyone else. Satoru ignores the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach and collapses forward into Suguru, content for the moment to wrap his arms around his husband and think about anything but being sixteen and being in love with a boy. Megumi isn't him.

He's not.

Nearly five months after the disastrous jeans situation, Megumi basically repeats the motion. He comes down the stairs in nice clothes, much less formal and far more comfortable, and stands at the end of the couch. Satoru, who is acting as a pillow for a napping Suguru, turns to look at him and doesn't even bother to pause the tv. It's been muted anyway. He gently inclines his head for Megumi to sit beside him and, shoulders tense, he shuffles forward until he collapses there. Just like he used to do, Megumi tucks his feet under himself and rests his full weight against Satoru, practically climbing on top of him to do so. Something in him uncoils.

"You have to be nice," Megumi starts, voice muffled. His shoulders are thin and bony, digging into Satoru's ribs a little uncomfortably but he's clearly stressed about something. Suguru snuffles against his skin, presses closer, and the hot breath against his neck is starting to become bothersome.

"I'm always nice," Satoru whispers, smiling at Megumi when he huffs and rolls his eyes. He's still wringing his hands. "Come on, ducky, tell me what's wrong."

"Don't call me that," Megumi grumbles but at this point he knows it's useless — an old argument that they never really rehash but Megumi still complains when the nickname is brought out. "I mean it. You have to be nice. Everyone else will be, Tsumiki's already met him, the twins will probably make fun of his clothes but it won't be serious and Suguru will probably invite him to stay forever. But you? You'll be mean. You can't be mean to him."

"When am I ever mean?" Satoru asks, trying to subtly wake Suguru by poking his thigh. It's not working very well.

"And I'm only telling you now so you don't have time to come up with a thousand ways to torment him," Megumi says but then he stares off to the side and, rather distracted, mumbles, "maybe I should have told you when he was already here, that way you'd have no ideas on how to make him miserable, or—"

"Megumi. Who am I tormenting today?"

"Yuuji." Satoru raises a delicate eyebrow, keeping his face under control. It must be something in his body or his eyes though that clue Megumi into the thoughts circling his head, ideas on how to chase this boy from his home, because he huffs and sits up, pointing an accusational finger at him. "See! This is why I waited so long! Nevermind, I'll tell him not to come."

There's something undeniably bitter in his voice when he says that, old and full of hurt, and Satoru winces. Instead of apologising, because that's not really a thing he does, Satoru pulls him back down and swallows down the rush of protective anger that washed over him.

"Alright, okay, I'll try to be nice. Only for you though because I already hate this kid," Satoru says the last bit more to himself than Megumi. He still gets a swat for it, and then a shove from the kid himself. Satoru stares down at Suguru, who opens one blithe eye to reprimand him again, before closing it.

"What time will Itadori-kun be arriving for dinner?" Suguru mumbles, mouth full of drool that ever so pleasantly leaks out onto Satoru's shirt.

"In an hour," Megumi replies with red cheeks, looking away. Whether he's embarrassed or not, Satoru doesn't know and he doesn't have much time to think about it because Suguru's head comes up so quickly from his chest that his skull bashes against Satoru's nose, sending waves of pain through his face.

"Ow!" He hisses, lifting a hand to touch his nose.

"What!" Suguru barks, getting up quickly, "but I haven't even started dinner yet! Oh my god, I need to — wait, does he have any allergies or something? — no, it doesn't matter, he's coming to my house," Suguru mumbles, before turning and looking back at Megumi with a crazed look in his eye. "Well? Does he?"

"You just," Megumi starts, looking to Satoru for help but he stopped listening to whenever Suguru rants around the time they turned fifteen, "you just said that — you don't — um."

"Megumi, hon, I don't have all day, I barely have an hour! Dietary restrictions, allergies, is he a vegetarian? Anything?"

"No," Megumi replies, "no, he'll eat anything. Really. There's no need to make a huge thing, or something, just pasta would suit him. Honestly." Suguru barely catches the end of the sentence, rushing into the kitchen to start dinner. Satoru sighs and kisses Megumi's forehead before standing as well, walking into the dining room to set the table. They'll be busting out the fancy cutlery for tonight he thinks.

The hour passes quickly. Whatever Suguru is making in the kitchen smells delicious and it draws the kids out of their rooms. When Mimiko comes down in her pajamas, Megumi very delicately tells her that Itadori is coming over for dinner and asks her to get dressed. Nanako protests loudly, saying that since it's their house they can wear what they want but quickly quietens when Tsumiki hisses something in her ear. Those three girls can be a handful but Satoru is under the impression that when they argue it's better. When they get along, they're as thick as thieves and it always means something bad for him.

Now, they're practically best friends.

Satoru begins to sweat, just a bit.

There's a knock on the door at seven pm exactly. From across the room, Megumi's head whips around to the entry way before turning back to look into the dining room. Everyone is staring at the door. Suguru finishes putting the water on the table, eyes honed at the door, and Megumi takes off running for it when he sees the look in his eyes. Everyone is quick to trample after him but Suguru stops them at the doorway in the sitting room, not out of sight but far enough away that Itadori wouldn't notice them immediately. Before opening the door, Megumi shoots them all a scathing look. He reaches forward and opens the door.

Satoru's heart drops. On the other side of the door is a relatively tall kid, not taller than Megumi though, but he is broader. There's a bag hanging from one hand and in the other there's a white box, with a blue ribbon around it and a note tied to the ribbon. Kind brown eyes, pink (?) hair tussled from the wind, and a soft face pulled taught with a wide smile. Itadori is wearing a pair of black jeans with a white embroidered bomber jacket, a red hoodie underneath. He's also got red sneakers on. (Wonder what his favorite colour is.)

"Hey," he says and raises the hand with the bag to wave, keeping the box carefully balanced.

"Why do you have so many bags?" Megumi asks, eyes tilted in a slant and leaning away from Itadori. He moves out of the way for him to come in though, shutting the door after him. It seems like he's completely forgotten that they're all watching them, eyes focused solely on Itadori. Satoru's chest aches.

"What, no hello? How are you? I'm fine, Fushi, thanks for asking, how are you?"

"Fine. What's the with the bag?"

"It's for your sisters! I went back to Sendai yesterday to see Junpei and I saw this bag that Nanako talked about before, and then his doll that reminded me of Mimiko and by that point I was getting two of your sisters gifts so I couldn't not get one for Tsumiki-san, so I got her a charm for her bracelet—"

"You didn't have to do that," Megumi interrupted and, by now Satoru would have gotten annoyed that someone kept interrupting him but all Itadori did was stop talking and listen to Megumi. Satoru chewed a bit of his gums off, wrinkling his nose at the bitter taste of blood on his tongue.

"I know. But I wanted to, I want your family to like me. Before you ask," Itadori holds up a finger and closes his eyes, like he's about to impart the most important information in the world, "the box is cheesecake. For you."

He brandishes the box with a flourish, partially bowing. He looks up at Megumi with a cheeky grin, practically shaking with excitement. Suguru shoots him a bewildered look. Satoru feels the same way. This is the kid that Megumi has been dating for half a year? Spending all his weekends with? Who he talks to more than his own family? This buzzing ball of excitement and hyperactive energy?

"Ask me what flavor it is."

"Why?"

"Come on, just ask me."

Megumi sighs, "what flavor is it?"

"Passion fruit! Because—"

"Why passion fruit?"

"I'm passionate about you!" Itadori bursts out, grinning ear to ear and still holding the box away from him. Megumi rolls his eyes and his shoulders drop, pursing his lips. Satoru holds back a chuckle and then scolds himself. He's not here to find the kid funny, he's here to subtly passive-aggressively run him off without Megumi knowing what he's doing. A difficult task but one that he's set out to accomplish.

"That wasn't funny," Megumi says after a moment, straight to the point. He's definitely lying though because his lips twitch every now and then and he'll take a longer blink than usual, closing his eyes to compose himself.

"It was," Itadori argues, shaking his head in mock disappointment. Megumi makes a face and hums, reaching up to scratch his chin and pretend to think. After a second, he reiterates his point by repeating himself and shaking his head. Satoru might throw up a little in his mouth at the sight of them and, at the behest of a fond-looking Suguru, returns back to the dining room.

It's harder to hear them once they venture further into the house but, a second later they hear a loud laugh from the front door. Satoru takes his seat on one side of the table, after pouring a glass of water for everyone, the girls shuffling into their own seats at a leisurely pace. They've added another seat besides Megumi's, which was easy enough given the length of the table, but it upsets the balance of the table. The Fushiguro's usually sat to the right of Satoru with the twins on his left, and Suguru at the other end of the table. Only now, there's an extra table setting on his right. Satoru growls at it under his breath.

Suguru is still pottering around in the kitchen when Megumi shuffles into the room, red-cheeked and holding the box of cheesecake close to his chest. He drops it off on the table, probably unwilling to leave Itadori alone in the dining room while he would drop it off in the kitchen. He wordlessly points to the setting closest to Suguru (a safe spot, according to Nanako, who giggled and looked at him while she said it). Itadori, with a nervous smile directed to the table as a whole, sits down and follows Megumi with his eyes as he sits down as well.

With most of them now gathered at the table, they wait in silence for Suguru. The girls all share a look, then glance at him out of the corner of their eyes individually, probably waiting for him to break the silence by subtly threatening Itadori. However, Satoru will not say anything. Instead, he'll continue on with dinner as if Itadori isn't sitting at the table with them. He'll look at him for a while then look away, like he's below Satoru.

Megumi fiddles with his chopsticks, picking up and putting them down again. Itadori has his hands in his lap, like he's afraid to rest them on the table, looking everywhere but at their eyes. With a huge sigh, Megumi bares his teeth at Satoru and within the same second, turns to Itadori.

"Why are you being quiet?" He snaps, much to the surprise of Mimiko who raises her eyebrows at her brother.

"I'm nervous!" Itadori replies, probably trying to whisper but failing miserably. It might even be louder than his usual tone of voice. "You're family is very intimidating!"

"You've met most of them before!"

"Individually! In brief moments!"

Well Satoru feels a little better now. He thought, with all the gifts and everything, that Itadori had managed to work up some sort of relationship with them and they hid it from him. Knowing that he's at most met them in the hallways at school or meeting with Megumi after school before heading off to the library makes him feel glad.

"Well, it's nice to see you again, Itadori-kun," Tsumiki says, leaning over Megumi to smile at the boy. While still a little nervous, he smiles meekly back and waves a little. Satoru looks away. What on earth is taking Suguru so long? "How did your test go?"

"Oh, really good! I was super happy and my teacher was very surprised which… I'm not sure how to feel about, but she was also happy for me, so." After one question, Itadori seems to come out of his shell a bit, waving his hands around and smiling widely. Megumi lifts a hand and, without looking away from his sister, gives Itadori a high five. Satoru thinks he might mumble a "good job" under his breath.

Suguru whirls into the room, setting down a large pot of food in the middle of the table, side plates with tofu and greens on either side. Hm, Satoru leans forward to smell the kimchi jjigae and waits for the kids to take their own portions before taking his. While also waiting, Suguru turns to Itadori.

"Sorry that dinner is a bit thrown together tonight. Next time, we'll have a proper meal." Itadori seems mollified by the words 'next time', shoulders dropping a little bit. Megumi gives Suguru an eye-smile.

"It's okay, Geto-san, I appreciate you having me over at all. I know it was a little last minute," Itadori replies, sending Megumi a cheeky side-eye. Megumi conveniently looks away just in time, turning his face every which way to avoid it. When Tsumiki jostles his arm a little, laughing under her breath, his cheeks turn a soft red and he grumbles under his breath.

"That's alright, Itadori-kun. How did you get here with all those bags?" Suguru asks, gently prying into Itadori's life. People start picking at the food in front of them, taking noodles and lifting the ladle to scoop out portions of the kimchi jjigae. Megumi doesn't raise a hand and Satoru feels his face twitch as Itadori picks up his plate as well, giving Megumi a generous portion, all the while keeping up conversation with Suguru.

"My brother dropped me off! He was on his way to his girlfriends house," Itadori tacks on, as if that explains why his brother was passing through. Satoru gives himself a healthy serving of dinner, watching the exchange with a keen eye. The rest of the table is either looking at Itadori as well or whispering to the person beside them. He suspects this will be the topic of conversation between the girls for the next few weeks.

"That's lovely. You must be very close." Suguru passes the water over to Nanako, pushing a strand of hair away from his face. Logically, he knows that dinner is wonderful, but he hardly tastes it as he studies the conversation.

"They are. How was work?" Megumi interrupts, scowling a little. Suguru barely pauses as he answers, detailing how useless some of his students are when it comes to critical thinking.

"Working in a university is tough, I suppose, but rewarding in a sense. Satoru and I have worked in the same university for nearly, oh, ten years by now?" Suguru asks him and Satoru nods, not trusting his voice to come out peacefully and not growly. Every time Megumi and Itadori interact with each other, reacting to the other without a second thought, Satoru's blood boils a touch higher. Pleased with his answer, Suguru's eyes take on a funny glint as he looks back at Itadori. "Do you have any idea what you'd like to do after school?"

Satoru blinks. He really… he really thought that Suguru wasn't on his side when it came to poking at Itadori. He thought Suguru was going to sit there and make pleasant conversation with the boy for a few minutes before moving onto the kids, but he's actually steering the conversation back towards Itadori every time.

"Dad," Megumi says, a bite in his tone. Satoru squints.

"It's just a question," Satoru defends, speaking to Itadori for the first time since the night began, "but you don't need to answer it. We can be a bit over-bearing sometimes." Satoru grins at Itadori, hoping to ease him into the questioning he's going to receive throughout the night. Even though Megumi is looking at him like he's grown a second head, Satoru turns towards the girls to his left and nods at them. They hesitantly nod back.

"Uh, it's okay," Itadori says after a moment, putting down his chopsticks. Satoru notices for the first time that he's got a scar on his hand, most likely a burn judging by the shape of it. "I want to be a chef. I'd really want to open my own restaurant, but the immediate plan is to work in the ramen place not too far from my house. My brother and I know the owner and he said he'd let me work there and, like, learn things before going to culinary school."

Satoru is, and he really hates to say it, pleasantly surprised. He knows, from Megumi's stilted and practically monosyllabic answers previous to this night, that Itadori runs track and he does it well. He's also on the volleyball team, as a libero, and is going to Nationals fairly soon. Based on that, Satoru had assumed that he'd go professional with sports or maybe go into college to be a physical therapist or something related to sports. Maybe a coach for volleyball. A chef came out of left field for him.

"That's… interesting," Suguru says, failing to hide his distaste at the idea.

"It really is, Yuuji-kun!" Tsumiki interjects, looking encouragingly at him. Her hair seems to spill out of her pony tail and, uncaring for the fact that her chopsticks are currently dirty, she pushes it out of the way with one and continues eating. Satoru sighs. Some kids never learn manners and he seems to have adopted only those types of kids. "Are you planning to go to college directly out of school? My friend took a gap year and he really recommends it! I didn't think it was the best idea because of my course, but working in a restaurant might be handy! Even just postpone for a few months or something."

Megumi smiles at his sister, hand reaching out for hers. She glances at him and smiles, holding his hand tighter. Together, they both turn back to Itadori, waiting for his answer. Satoru and Suguru share a look. It's harder than he thought it would be to sit back and watch it all, to try an intimidate Itadori through sheer willpower and his "unnerving" eyes (Nanami's words, not his). Haku practically wilted the first time, it happened right in front of him. Instead, Itadori keeps his back straight and his shoulders relaxed, looking around the room every now and then and soaking up all the photos on the wall.

"I'm not sure right now. The councilor at school says to go straight in, that business prefer that, but if I want to open my own, then it wouldn't really matter. I guess I'd have to work up the experience and save for the bank," Itadori mumbles, rubbing his face with his hand before shaking his head. "But our friend is taking a year off! She's going to Europe."

"Kugisaki? She's going to Europe?" Megumi asks, and Itadori practically brightens as his whole attention rests on his boyfriend.

"Yeah! Something about seeing the fashion around the world before deciding on a style she'd like."

"That's cool," Megumi says with a nod, before pausing and adding, "do you think she'll bring Fumi with her?"

"Who's Fumi?" Nanoko interjects, obviously knowing who Kugisaki is but unsure who the new person is. Satoru is practically paralyzed in his seat, staring at his son. His chest physically hurts staring at him, his soft eye and kind voice as he details who Fumi is and why he thinks she'd go to Europe with Kugisaki. A whole friend group spills out in front of him, names tossed around the table easily, Kugisaki, Fumi, Junpei (though that comes with an eyeroll from Megumi and a teasing elbow bump from Itadori), as well as a few familiar names. Yuuta, his cousin, makes a brief appearance since Itadori knows him — he also plays volleyball but in a different school and apparently they're great friends despite the rivalry between them.

Megumi has a friend group. He's got more friends than Tsumiki, actually, and seems like he's built up a comradery between each of them. He voices that if Kugisaki goes away to Europe, he'd go see her if she went to France ("Of course she will," Nanako interjects with an eyeroll, "It's Kugisaki and Paris. She was practically made to be there.") and that he'd bring them back nothing. When Itadori pouts a bit, exaggerated and for fun, Megumi raises a hand to pat the head that landed on his shoulder and announced he'd bring Itadori back a keychain.

Suguru has relaxed since the conversation began. There's not a mean glint in his eye, not a single ounce of him rearing to go anymore. Satoru would feel a little betrayed if he didn't feel so… defeated. Without even trying, this kid has beat him at a battle of wills. He's not running for the hills, not avoiding looking in his direction, and even asks Satoru if he'd like some more food since the pot is by him. Satoru's second portion is more hearty than the first, a bit larger than the one he initially took and when Itadori hands him back his bowl, he sends him a cheery grin.

"Why a restaurant?" Satoru asks, speaking clearly and loudly, but never once looking away from his bowl. Satoru was still hungry, he's pretty much a bottomless pit most days, but he's not fond of taking a second helping — most of the time they leave the leftovers in the fridge and by the time morning has rolled around, they're gone. The kids eat whenever they want and he likes having the extra food there for them.

(Satoru doesn't think he'll ever forget how skinny the Fushiguro's were when he took them in. Megumi was light as a feather and had bird bones, delicate and easy to break. He had sunken cheeks. Tsumiki was wiry and too thin, puberty eating away at all the fat and nutrients that she could barely afford to get. Her hair was dull and frail, wrists thin and she easily bruised. They were more than thin, they were slips of kids racing past him.)

(He can still see them, racing past him, going, going, going — getting too far out of his reach now, hand posed out in front of him to catch them. They slip away and keep going forward.) 

Itadori turns to him. His face smoothens out easily from a cheeky smirk, mirth fading into something else. He gave Megumi a bigger portion than his. He did the same to Satoru. So, it's not a partner thing, he must do it with everyone. Mimiko holds her teddy tighter and he realises that she's been quiet all night, wonders if she's anxious. But she's only tightened her hold on him because he threatened to fall through her hands. When he looks up, she's not worried if Itadori will make fun of her. Nanako is on her phone, dinner bowl pushed out in front of her, scrolling on Instagram or something. They've settled into the typical dinner routine. Itadori just… fits in here, he guesses.

"You don't have to answer that," Megumi says quickly, and Satoru assumes that it's a difficult answer.

"I don't mind. I just don't want to, uh, bring down the vibe, I guess?" Despite how it may 'bring down the vibe', Satoru still wants to know. The girls are barely paying attention at this point of the conversation anyway, the twins whispering to each other about something on Nanako's phone and Tsumiki trying to peer over the table at it. The kids are masters at ignoring them when they want to be.

"It's alright, Itadori-kun, if you don't want to but I'm only interested. Meg told me you were into sports, I thought you'd go that route with a career."

"Well, I do like sports. But I don't care for them much — it's something to keep me active and it's a club for the evening? Sure, volleyball kind of eats into everything but I don't think I'd pursue it after school even if I loved it. It wouldn't be the same without my friends. But a restaurant? That's the dream. You know, people go into restaurants and they never forget it, if it was good or bad, if the bread was hard or soft, if the service was good or poor. A restaurant is something you remember.

And, you go there for something, like a celebration or a party. You go with people or by yourself, and I think most people go to feel special. Like, uh, some of my best memories are in a restaurant just because they were so important? I remember when I was, like, super young, my mom took us to this Italian place, a shitty place in general, but it's one of the only memories I have where she laughed and that made it amazing. And, for my older brothers birthday, all he wanted was to eat a hamburger. So, we went to a Burger King and got him one. Even though it wasn't personal, or even very good, he was so happy. Esu smiled the whole time and that was cool to me, I guess. That one meal made him so happy."

Itadori starts to loose focus on his trail of thought, staring at the wall behind Satoru instead of at him. He begins to feel like Itadori is staring through him though, searching in the depths of his soul and trying to piece together something about him. When he blinks, it's like Satoru can see it — himself and Suguru on a date in some restaurant, an anniversary dinner, a birthday dinner, a just-because dinner. They go to restaurants for a date. To feel special.

"Every good memory from when I was younger happened when we were sitting around a table and eating. I want to do that for someone, to take care of them and make them feel special. Everyone deserves that, you know, and I'd want to have some sort of personality to it? I'd want people to tell us why they were there just so we could make it better, upgrade them to something more than they wanted. I don't know how yet, maybe giving them a free bottle of wine or a tour of the kitchen, but something to make it more memorable than it was already going to be. I want it personal and real and... I want to feed people."

I want to feed people, Itadori said but what Satoru heard was I want to feed their soul, their happiness and their life. He wants to be the care-taker of people's life force. Everyone needs to eat, everyone needs people, and everyone needs happiness.

"It's a very hard profession," Suguru says gently, being swayed by Itadori's passion. There's something about him that's so incredibly earnest that it's hard not to be a little charmed. Being sixteen and already having such a passion for something is impressive as well. He didn't care for a lot at sixteen, barely cared for himself. God knows how Suguru found it in himself to hang around himself and Shoko at sixteen, each of them lost and angry in their own way. Looking at Itadori and Megumi beside each other, and then at Suguru, he can't help but draw some comparisons.

"I know. Being in the kitchen is hot and stuffy and stressful but I think that's a contained chaos, I know I could contain it. And people would love it there because it's raw and real and we would do good food. I would do good food, and it would mean something." Suguru nods, a raw look on his face. "I would make it mean something. All that hardship, the stress over the cook and the prep, would end in this wonderful feeling of accomplishment because I did it and I made it special."

Satoru almost regrets asking. He turns away and looks down at his plate, wondering what this feeling inside him is. Maybe the conversation continues after that, a touch more gentle and less prodding due to the fact that Megumi monopolizes Itadori's attention, discussing something from school or the other. The bowls are practically licked clean by the time he looks up again, taken out of his thoughts by Suguru collecting the bowls and turning down Itadori's offer to help. Seeking a moment alone with his husband to talk, Satoru offers to help and gets up with his own bowl before walking into the kitchen. He hears a huff and a laugh from the dining room.

When Suguru walks into the kitchen, Satoru is pacing. He's walking the length of the kitchen in a few seconds, long legs granting him this feat despite the size of the room. Suguru practically ignores him, dropping the white box on the counter, putting the dishes in the dishwasher. It's not a real thing that can bother him, in fact Satoru is excited to eat something so sweet, but the sight of it annoys him nonetheless. The box is just too perfect, too clean. The cake inside must be ugly or broken or didn't turn out right, hidden underneath a nice box.

"What are you doing?" Suguru asks when Satoru stalks over to it, changing his course of pacing.

"Opening the box," he replies, running a finger along the edge. Clean. Brand new. He sighs.

"Will we have it for dessert? Maybe we should ask Megumi, it was a gift after all."

"There's something wrong with him," Satoru announces, staring at the box. His eye twitches, just a touch. Suguru looks away from the shelf where he was picking out some plates for dessert, raising an eyebrow. He seems surprised. Satoru isn't sure why since it's clear to him that there's something wrong with Itadori.

"Who? Megumi?"

"No, Itadori."

"Satoru."

"What?"

"Come on," Suguru wheedles, coming around to take the box from his hands. He didn't notice he was crushing it a little, his hands indenting the sides of the box. He doesn't say much more than than, grabbing a cake plate to transfer it over. He closes his hands into fists, trying to tame this unruly feeling that's wriggling and writhing around inside him. He doesn't understand it, and doesn't like to sit with his emotions for very long, but that doesn't leave much room for him. He's thirty, he doesn't get to lash out anymore. He's not a child.

When Suguru tells him to go outside and to collect the kids plates and any lingering dishes from dinner, the kids are immersed in their own conversations. Itadori seems to have handed out his small gifts but there's a small envelope on the place mat in front of his seat. Satoru, who will proudly admit that he eavesdrops, gives him a skeptical look. When announcing those gifts by the front door, Itadori didn't mention anything for Megumi's parents. Itadori gives him a kind look, before continuing his conversation with Tsumiki about… politics? She seems very passionate about whatever they're talking about, a fierce look on her face that has Itadori nodding along with slight fear. Satoru escapes before he can be taken hostage as well.

The dishwasher is only half full by the time he's done loading them up, closing it with a small click. They'll put it on before they go to bed this evening, even if there will undoubtedly be a dirty dish in the sink by the morning. Suguru always bitches and moans whenever the kids drop dishes off in the sink instead of unloading the dishwasher and putting them in themselves, but he never says anything to them so Satoru wonders how much he really cares about it.

"Stop staring at the box like that, freak," Suguru comments, bumping his hip against his. They're both standing at the counter, Satoru glaring daggers into the white box. Suguru opens it up and nearly coos, taking out a perfectly made cheesecake. There are three visible layers — the first being the cookie crust, brown and the perfect consistency, the second the thick white filling that has a yellow tinge to it, and the third layer being a thin yellow film on top of the cheesecake. It's about half an inch thick and, when he gives it a whiff, unable to help himself, smells strongly of passion fruit.

"Wow," Suguru breathes, "it looks amazing. Do you think he made it?"

"I don't like him," Satoru bursts out. His mouth worked a little too fast for his brain to catch up but the sight of the perfect cheesecake and it sweet allure nearly curdles his stomach. For a man with a sweet tooth, something about it just bothers him, takes away his appetite. For a moment, there's no other sounds other than the kids in the next room over, a giggle or two breaking through the walls and a gasp along with a thump of someone hitting a table. Tsumiki's outraged voice cuts through the sounds of joy but they only double with her complaints. He can hear… He can hear Megumi laughing.

His boys laughing and he's not in the room, torn apart by the walls and staring down at a cheesecake he doesn't want but has to accept anyway.

"Satoru," Suguru scratches his head, eyes closed. He feels a little bad since Suguru no doubt likes Itadori already and — listen, it's hard not to. He get's that, he does. Not only is Itadori a bright kid, a few test scores be damned, but he brings out a childish fun side of Megumi they haven't seen in a long time. He laughs and he makes jokes and he smiles around Itadori. He has friends, close enough to them that he knows intimate facts about his life, and Megumi seems happy for the first time in a long time.

There's just… something about the situation he doesn't like. It makes his chest ache.

"Don't be like this," he finishes quietly, probably not wanting to start an argument. Satoru shakes his head, stubborn. "Don't be like this, don't do this. Even if you don't like him, which I don't understand by the way, pretend to. Pretend to like him, pretend to tolerate him even, but pretend! For Megumi."

"I'm doing this for Megumi, Suguru. That kid is…" He trails off, shaking his head and squinting angrily. With a deep breath, he calms himself down and closes his eyes completely. Itadori is a lot of things but unlikeable isn't one of them unfortunately. He's probably the ideal kid to bring back to the parents and if it were anyone else who had him knocking on their door, he would point and laugh at the misfortune of having the perfect "boy next door" type walk through.

"You can't even find something negative to say, Satoru! What is it about him that you don't like? That he adores Megumi, treats him with respect and love? That he interacts kindly with his family, doesn't judge the way we are? I know some adults who take a second look at us. He's very kind, strong willed, passionate, and cares deeply for our child — what's not to like?!"

Satoru raises a shaky hand to his face, looking away and out towards the window. The sun is setting. There's no natural sight that gets to him more than the view from their own house, the edge of the countryside spilling out before them. They planted a tree in their backyard when they moved in, watched it grow from a seed to a sapling to a tall figure that stands out from the pale blue sky. Satoru remembers the day he carved their initials in, the way Suguru looked at him underneath the stars. Then, nighttime was the only time they had alone, all of the kids being pre-teens and clingy. They're still clingy, to be honest, but… bigger.

"I do like him," Satoru whispers, caught up in the sight of the tree. It's tall and large, green leaves flowing gently in the wind, moving and whispering. He wanted to put a swing there, their backyard is long enough for it and the house is secluded enough away that no one would really care about the noise, but Suguru didn't care for the idea and the kids were too old to make much use of it. Something about the tree just called for it though. It's not old, not by a longshot, and still has growing to do, but there's no doubting the tree is nearly done. "I do like him," he repeats, wondering where he's going with this, "because of all those things. But this is Megumi we're talking about, he's… he's Meg."

That clawing feeling rises and clashes straight into him, nearly bowing him over. Fuck, he likes Itadori because he's a kind soul and dedicated and has a dream that includes pure love, not just ambition. He likes Itadori because some part of him reminds Satoru of himself, only on a better path in life. Those little comparisons between Itadori and Megumi he's been drawing all night, all these weeks since finding out about Itadori, have done nothing but place a bitter taste in his mouth that's downright false.

He remembers being sixteen and in love. He remembers the cruelty of it, the harsh downsides. the ups and downs. Satoru remembers being sixteen and thinking a boy is his whole world and having nothing else to show for it except and empty cavern in his chest by the time seventeen rolled around. Heartbreak was strong then, stronger than him, and he succumbed to it easily in the face of Suguru's absence. He doesn't want to watch Megumi lose his shine again, not when he's just barely gotten it back.

"They're not like us," Suguru says softly, no doubt reading the expression on his face. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much Satoru used to shut people out, Suguru has always been able to bully past that indifferent demeanor and make him bawl like a baby. Satoru's eyes sting. "They'll do it right, Satoru."

A smaller part of him knows this, and he gladly lets it expand. When the kitchen has been quiet for too long, long enough that the loud shouts and overall disruptions from the dining room have quieted down, Satoru opens his eyes. Everything is still right where he remembers it being, the cake on the counter, his husband in front of him, the kids in the house. A soft noise alerts him to someone in the doorway and, surprised, Satoru turns around to notice Megumi standing there.

"You have to like him," he says quietly, slipping into the kitchen. He shuts the shoji after him, barely glancing back to make sure no ones noticed he's gone. Megumi is neither soft spoken nor hesitant but his demeaner speaks to these descriptions. Worry blooms inside Satoru.

"What's wrong, ducky?" He asks, hoping to soothe. Satoru wants to walk over and run a hand down his face, cup his cheek and look at him pout. Surprisingly, knowing that usually Megumi would push his hand away and scowl, he stays rooted right where he is.

"You have to like him," Megumi says, much stronger then before. His eyes blaze. There's a certain way he looks sometimes that leaves Satoru breathless, not because of his resemblance to his father or anything, but because of how grown up he seems. Megumi has always seemed like a grown up trapped in a child's body. "I mean it."

"Honey, we do," Suguru says to placate him, not lying but not telling the truth either. Megumi's eyes don't stray from him. How long, he wonders, was Megumi standing there? Was he there for the whole thing? No, he must have seen the tail-end of Satoru's minor melt down.

"You have to like him because I do. And I know he seems kind of goofy and silly but I swear, he's serious about this, about… me," Megumi hesitates to say it but even with the small interactions they've seen, he knows he's right. "You don't know him the way I do. He's very smart, don't let Yuuji tell you otherwise, but just not in a scholarly way. And he's got a huge family as well so he gets how it can be sometimes. I don't have to pretend when I'm with him, and most of the time when he hang out, he doesn't care if he's mostly speaking at me rather than with me."

Spurred on by what Satoru can only imagine is love, of all things, Megumi places a hand on his chest and takes in a ragged breath, "and he cares a lot about me. Everyone always says he'd do anything for me and I didn't believe it until I found out that when he falls asleep during a stupid documentary I wanted to watch, he'll watch it over and over again on his own until he makes it through the whole thing. After practice, when he's tired and sore and wants nothing more than to go to bed, Yuuji will think of me. He'll text me and call me, asking about my day and wondering how my book is going. When I sit by the track while he runs, he waves and comes over for a second, just for a kiss or a hug, even though his coach screams at him. I feel like he does everything for me and I do nothing for him but he never asks for more, only ever wonders if I'm happy."

To Satoru's horror, Megumi's eyes begin to shine and he hiccups on a breath. Megumi stays firm and tall in his stance, practically daring them to disagree with him, and he gives into the urge to walk over to him. Megumi doesn't push him away, instead shoves his face into his chest and claws at his back. He might be crying a little bit but Satoru doesn't care, rubs his back and cradles his head to his chest.

Satoru pieced it together a few minutes ago why he didn't like the whole situation. Aside from the unfair comparisons he drew, he also viewed Megumi as a child still. Whenever he looks at him, his unruly hair and his beautiful green eyes, all he sees in a tiny child grasping at his sleeve. He sees Megumi curled up in a bed far too big for him, hunched over a teddy that's old and dirty but one of the last items his parents gave him before they died. He sees his youngest child as a baby, every single day, and maybe the knowledge he's in a relationship has shattered that vision. Megumi is, after all, growing up.

"I…" Megumi mumbles into his shirt, taking a deep breath before continuing, his voice less wet, "I care a lot about him. He makes me so happy, dad."

Sighing, Satoru rubs his head again, moving a strand of hair away from his face and tucking it behind his ear. Suguru comes up and holds them both close as well, sharing a look with Satoru before his adoration filled eyes flicker down to Megumi. "Well," Satoru sighs and smiles a little against his will, "of course I like him. I think it's actually impossible not to."

Megumi nods and rubs at his eyes, still so childlike that Satoru is almost transported back in time the very first time Megumi came to him while crying. He was six and still so small, bawling about how he dropped his stuffed toy in a puddle and that it was dirty now, and Satoru almost started crying alongside him. Between everyone who was there, Suguru who Megumi got along with much better than Satoru in the beginning and Tsumiki his older sister that he held in such a high regard, Megumi came to him to cry and to fix the problem. He remembers the fat tears, the hitching breaths, the feeling of amazement and slight panic since he didn't exactly know what to do. He remembers the weight of Megumi's head on his shoulder as they sat in front of the washer, watching the pillowcase that held his teddy tumble around with the suds and water. They sat there for three hours together.

"Literally against the law," Megumi mumbles and pushes closer for a second. Satoru barks out a laugh. When he pulls away, Satoru holds on for a second longer before reluctantly letting go. As he wipes his face and Suguru prepares enough plates for everyone outside, Satoru gathering the cutlery for dessert, Megumi tells them that Itadori is usually much less nervous and more relaxed, he's only worried they won't like him.

"He knows how important you are," Megumi says and even though he doesn't finish the sentence, Satoru and Suguru both know how it ends. His chest feels much warmer now, not as tight and achy. "Although, I don't know what I'll do next week. I'm meeting his older brother," Megumi says with a stressed look on his face, running a hand through his hair.

"Hopefully he'll have more notice than us," Suguru says slyly as he walks passed, giving Megumi a teasing look. Megumi turns red again. Left alone in the kitchen with only Megumi and the empty box, Satoru looks around the room with a keen eye. In the hallway there's something Megumi refers to as The Wall, which is a wall of pictures featuring the kids and the family in general, though mostly the kids. On the fridge there are pictures as well, tests and stupid magnets. The counter is cluttered, despite how hard Suguru tries to clear it off, people end up dumping their things there. Water bottles, keys, bracelets and rings all dot around the marble.

"I'm glad you're happy," Satoru says softly, unable to think about those dark years where Megumi so clearly wasn't.

Swallowing thickly, Megumi walks up to him and settles himself under his arm, murmuring his thanks. They walk back into the dining room together and this time, Satoru smiles kindly at Itadori and asks about the cheesecake.

He did make it by himself.