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"Have anything special planned for tonight?"
Gojo's thumb hovered over his phone's keyboard as he craned his neck to look at Shoko. She watched him from her perch a few steps above him, her expression somehow neutral yet laced with an undertone of judgment—like she already knew he'd done something wrong. Gojo's nose scrunched up as he thought about her question. What was special about that night?
When he took too long to answer, Shoko sighed in disappointment. "Why am I not surprised?"
"What's so special about today?" Gojo asked when he still couldn't figure it out.
As far as he was concerned, it was just another typical Friday. His only plan for the night was to hang out with Megumi and Tsumiki, which generally consisted of eating dinner together and watching movies once the kids finished their homework. Racking his brain, Gojo couldn't recall anything special about the date either. December twenty-second—almost Christmas but not quite. Certainly not worthy of anything special.
"Seriously, that poor kid," Shoko muttered under her breath as she descended a few steps until she was standing on the same one Gojo sat on. "Satoru, do me a favor and pick up something on your way home for Megumi—something that doesn't scream I'm an idiot who totally forgot about your birthday!"
Gojo's brain short-circuited. Shit…shit, shit, how could he completely forget about Megumi's birthday?!
"Oh, and give this to him for me." Shoko held out a gift bag that Gojo took, his heart plummeting into his stomach. "Tell him I said Happy Birthday."
With that, Shoko left Gojo alone with his thoughts. That Shoko not only remembered but had also gotten Megumi a gift made Gojo feel like the biggest piece of shit. Some guardian he was. Shoko was right; he needed to do something for Megumi. Something that didn't make the poor kid feel like an afterthought. Yeah, Gojo deserved to feel bad for forgetting; he wouldn't deny that, but that didn't mean Megumi had to.
Checking the time, Gojo quickly pocketed his phone and hopped up with a newfound determination. Dashing into the school, Gojo made a beeline for Yaga. If he played his cards right—and put his ego in check long enough to beg—Gojo might get Yaga's permission to leave early, giving him enough time to get everything he needed before Megumi got home.
- - -
Knowing he was crunched for time, Gojo tried scouting out nearby shops, only to be disappointed by the sheer amount of department stores, fast-food joints, and flower shops. Megumi was too young for flowers to mean anything, and the only baked goods he could find were doughnuts, which felt too casual, especially with how often Gojo bought them alongside whatever takeout the kids wanted that night. If Gojo bought those for Megumi's birthday, he'd know Gojo fucked up big time.
After another ten minutes of searching, Gojo was debating taking the train over to one of his favorite bakeries when he spotted it—a small bakery nestled between a bookstore and a noodle shop. Despite its small size, the place was certainly popular, with a steady stream of customers entering and exiting the shop with a variety of sweets. That it was right next door to a bookstore couldn't have been more perfect, and Gojo wasted no time rushing across the street.
Entering the small bakery, Gojo was greeted by the comforting smell of warm bread and cinnamon. What little seating they had was filled with patrons, a few of them accompanied by dogs who sniffed at Gojo curiously when he walked by. Gojo ignored them in favor of checking out the cakes on display. While everything looked amazing—Gojo had to come back another time to try all of this—none of it really screamed 'six-year-old's birthday'. That is, until he spotted the smaller display case near the counter.
It wasn't your traditional birthday cake by any means—in fact, Gojo didn't think it was technically cake at all. The treat that caught Gojo's eye was a large, soft frosted cookie in the shape of a dog bone—possibly cinnamon-flavored. A little odd, but Megumi absolutely adored dogs. The kid had practically harassed Gojo into teaching him how to summon his divine dogs, completely smitten by the idea of summoning two canine companions anytime he wanted. A dog-themed birthday cookie couldn't be more perfect.
"Good afternoon. What can I get for you?" a woman asked when he stepped up to the counter.
"I'll take that one." Gojo pointed to the cookie, his eyes wandering over the other treats in that particular case. Below the larger cookies were smaller sandwich cookies with what looked like vanilla frosting. "And let's throw in two dozen of those."
"Someone's getting spoiled." The woman smiled sweetly as she gathered up and packaged his sweets. Gojo swiped his card when prompted, not once glancing at the price. "Any special occasion?"
"Birthday, actually," Gojo answered with a grin. "My little blessing turned six today."
"Oh, how cute. What type?" she asked as she handed Gojo his box of sweets.
What type? Gojo blinked slowly, confused by what she meant. Did she mean type as in…blood type? Gojo didn't understand how that was relevant in the slightest, but—"B positive," Gojo muttered with zero confidence, like he fucking knew what blood type Megumi actually was.
The cashier looked taken aback by his answer—was B positive bad?—before seemingly collecting herself. She chuckled awkwardly before wishing him a good day and quickly moving on to help the next customer. Still baffled by the entire exchange, Gojo took his sweets and left, sidestepping around a small puffball of a dog that was determined to nip at his ankles.
Stopping at the bookstore next door, Gojo browsed through a few different genres before settling on some classics that seemed right up Megumi's alley. To Gojo's immense joy, the shop offered custom gift wrapping, saving him time on wrapping them himself. Books wrapped and ready to go, Gojo stopped by a few more stores before ordering takeout at the noodle shop. With everything he needed acquired, Gojo hopped on the next train to Saitama.
- - -
Gojo was just finishing plating the cookies when the front door opened. Megumi and Tsumiki waddled in, both of them bundled up snug for the cold. Gojo walked over to greet them just as Megumi was shrugging off his puffy winter coat.
"Welcome home!"
"Satoru!" Tsumiki smiled up at him. "You're home early. Did something happen?"
"Nah, just came home early to celebrate my little sea urchin turning six today," Gojo said with a bright grin, his attention turning to Megumi. "Happy Birthday, Megumi!"
Megumi paused mid-hanging up his coat. He shared a look with Tsumiki that Gojo couldn't decipher before finally looking at Gojo. "Thanks…"
It wasn't quite the response Gojo had been hoping for. In the end, Gojo chalked it up to Megumi not being used to having people besides Tsumiki wish him a happy birthday. Now that Gojo thought about it, when was the last time either of the kids had a proper birthday—one that wasn't thrown by each other?
"Why don't you go get cleaned up for dinner while I finish up out here?" Gojo suggested, glancing back toward the kitchen. That should give him enough time to unpack and get dinner into proper bowls. "After that, Tsumiki and I can sing you Happy Birthday! What do you say, Tsumiki?"
Tsumiki was practically glowing with excitement. "Yeah!"
Megumi, on the other hand, looked like he just witnessed Gojo kick a puppy—a very cute puppy. "You wouldn't dare."
Gojo grinned before ruffling Megumi's hair. "Get ready, birthday boy!"
Megumi scowled, muttering under his breath as he trudged to his room. Tsumiki disappeared into her own room with much more pep in her step. Gojo chuckled as he went to get dinner sorted and the table set. Once that was done, Gojo retrieved the guest of honor—Megumi's birthday cookie. With a little help from the microwave, Gojo managed to warm the cookie enough to throw on some sprinkles and exactly six candles, which he carefully lit.
When Tsumiki and Megumi returned and sat down at the table, Gojo had to do a double-take. Sure enough, Megumi had changed into his pajamas, the fuzzy pair Gojo bought him for winter. Megumi didn't even notice him staring, his eyes instantly drawn to the cookie. Gojo couldn't really bring himself to care too much about the pajamas, not after seeing the way Megumi's eyes lit up with excitement.
Gojo clapped his hands together, gaining both kids' attention. "You know what time it is, Tsumiki!"
Try as he might, Megumi couldn't drown out Gojo and Tsumiki's unique rendition of Happy Birthday. Tsumiki forgot about half the song, throwing in her own lines here and there, while Gojo sang every single note horribly off-key. By the time the song was over, Megumi looked about ready to die.
"Make a wish, Megumi!" Tsumiki encouraged him.
Megumi's brows furrowed together in thought before he leaned forward and blew out the candles. As Gojo cut the cookie, Tsumiki tried to guess what Megumi had wished for—everything from a pet dog to his own library. Megumi stubbornly refused to give her any hints, adamant that if he told her, the wish wouldn't come true. Gojo listened to the exchange with a fond smile. With how mature Megumi often acted, it was nice hearing him talk like the little kid he actually was.
"Alright—" Gojo handed them each a plate with a piece of the frosted cookie. "—time to eat!"
Tsumiki put her cookie off to the side, saving it for after dinner, while Megumi wasted no time biting into the frosted cookie. Gojo quickly followed suit with his own bite, unable to resist his sweet tooth. The second the soft cookie hit his tongue, Gojo paused. It wasn't cinnamon like he had thought, but rather peanut butter flavored. Even more surprising was the lack of sweetness you'd expect from a cookie—almost like the baker forgot to add sugar.
Thankfully, Megumi didn't seem to mind. By the time Gojo took his second bite, Megumi was already done with his piece and eyeing the rest of the cookie. Sure, it may not have been what Gojo expected—or would consider a real dessert—but at least the birthday boy liked it. The frosted cookie was gone long before the noodles, the sandwich cookies untouched.
After dinner, they moved on to presents, with Gojo giving Megumi Shoko's to open first. Reaching into the bag, Megumi pulled out a wolf plush—a black wolf plush with big, white button eyes. They reminded Gojo of that new movie he'd seen back in spring. Caroline? Whatever, all Gojo knew was that it creeped him the hell out. Megumi, of course, adored the thing and held onto it for the rest of the night.
Not to say Megumi didn't appreciate Gojo's gifts. He seemed especially interested in reading a particular book; something about a real-life pirate…or maybe it was a gladiator. Tsumiki liked what appeared to be a romance—age appropriate, of course—and Megumi shamelessly told her she could have it. So, pirates and wolves it was. Duly noted. At least Tsumiki was happy with her new book.
"Can we watch a movie before bed?" Tsumiki asked, giving Gojo the biggest puppy-dog eyes he's ever seen. "Please?"
"I don't know, Tsumiki, what does the birthday boy say?"
Both of them looked at Megumi, who just shrugged before turning his attention back to the pirate book nestled comfortably in his lap. Honestly, Gojo wasn't sure if he could actually read at that level yet, but Megumi seemed determined to try. Tsumiki looked back at Gojo pleadingly. Technically, Megumi hadn't really given them a solid answer, but—
"Alright, one movie, but then it's straight to bed."
"Yes!" Tsumiki exclaimed as she hopped off the couch and dashed to her room.
That alone told Gojo exactly what movie they'd be watching—for the hundredth time. Next year, Gojo was going to buy that girl an entire library's worth of movies she liked. Scratch that. Christmas was only a few days away, and while Gojo may have already bought them presents, a few more couldn't hurt. Not if it meant not having to listen to those same songs over and over again.
"Can I have those?" Megumi asked, Gojo following his gaze to the sandwich cookies on the table.
"Of course you can, kiddo!" Gojo went and grabbed the plate before setting it down on the coffee table in front of Megumi. "Eat as many as you can stomach!"
Megumi grabbed a few of them just as Tsumiki returned with the movie. Gojo popped it in the player before settling down between the two of them on the couch. Megumi happily munched away at the cookies, Tsumiki helping herself to one. That single cookie quickly turned into two, then three, then five. Eventually, Gojo's curiosity won out, leading him to give one of the cookies a try. Both kids liked them so much that by the time Gojo snagged one for himself, there were only about six left.
Just a little nibble. How bad could they be? Gojo thought as he bit down. Thinking they'd be peanut butter as well, Gojo was completely blindsided by the overwhelming flavor of bacon that attacked his taste buds.
Trying his best not to gag, Gojo tossed the rest of the cookie somewhere behind them. He'd clean up that atrocity later. Tsumiki was so enthralled by the movie that she didn't notice. Megumi, on the other hand, looked up at him, confused. Gojo silently waved him off, but scoffed when Megumi rolled his eyes. In retaliation, Gojo ruffled Megumi's hair and stole the rest of his cookie while he was distracted.
He returned it after Megumi threatened to kick him in the ribs.
The rest of the night went smoothly, the sandwich cookies disappearing completely. No tummy aches, thank god. Once the movie was over, Gojo got the kids ready for bed, Megumi insistent on sleeping with his new cursed wolf plush. Gojo didn't argue, but warned Megumi not to follow any rats through tiny doors before promptly turning off the light and shutting the door. He snickered as he heard Megumi ask Tsumiki what he was talking about.
With the kids finally in bed, Gojo finished cleaning up the kitchen. Despite the rocky start, Gojo considered Megumi's birthday a success—all thanks to Shoko. As he put away the leftover noodles, Gojo made a mental note to get her something nice as thanks for saving his sorry ass. Maybe he'd even get Yaga a little something for letting him leave school early.
In fact, Gojo had the perfect idea, one that would allow him to kill two birds with one stone. Fishing the packaging out of the trash, Gojo looked up the bakery online and was thrilled to see that they offered pre-orders and pickup. Gojo browsed through their cake and cookie options until he found something he believed Shoko and Yaga would like. It wasn't until he began looking for a little treat for himself that Gojo noticed something odd.
The cookies he'd gotten for Megumi weren't listed with all the other cookies. They had everything from butter cookies to shortbread, and even some peanut butter cookies, but nothing bone-shaped. Frowning, Gojo clicked around until he found a separate section—a section featuring freshly-baked goods for your furry friends.
Oh…Oh no.
Gojo felt his stomach drop as he scrolled through their limited selection of dog treats. Sure enough, the very same bone-shaped cookie he'd gotten Megumi was available for purchase—right below them, a selection of different flavored sandwich cookies. A cute little dog sticker told Gojo that bacon-flavored was their number one seller. Gojo stared, mortified.
Thankfully, the bakery was located in Tokyo, a small shop that wasn't easy to find unless you knew where to look. Gojo took the box and ripped it into tiny pieces, paying special attention to the bakery's name and ensuring it couldn't be put back together. So help him, Gojo would do everything in his power to ensure Megumi never knew it existed. Megumi never needed to know.
- - -
Stepping into the first-year's dormitory, Gojo was greeted by a bunch of shouting and so early in the morning. The sun had barely risen about ten minutes ago. What it was like to be young and so full of energy. Oh, who was he kidding? Gojo still had a ton of energy. Energy that he easily mustered up as he walked into the kitchen, where Megumi, Nobara, and Yuji were having their shouting match.
"Yo!" Gojo greeted them with a bright grin. "What's got you three so excited?"
All three heads snapped in his direction, and it took Gojo a split second to notice three things. Nobara whipping her phone away from Megumi, Yuji sinking down into his chair as if bracing for impact, and Megumi's eyes attempting to burn a hole through Gojo's head. It certainly wasn't the happy welcome Gojo had been expecting.
"What?"
"No, I can't do this right now!" Megumi stormed past Gojo. "I don't even want to look at you!"
Megumi slammed the door shut behind him, leaving Gojo alone with Yuji and Nobara, the latter of whom was looking at Gojo like he'd just done the most hilarious thing in the world. Gojo was at a complete loss. Just the other night, Megumi had been looking forward to celebrating his birthday with Gojo. He was supposed to take the three of them out for breakfast.
"What did I do?" Gojo asked.
"I don't know," Nobara answered with a shrug, her lips twitching up into a smirk. "Maybe it has something to do with feeding him literal dog food as a kid!"
Oh…shit.
"You told him?!"
"It's not like we knew!" Yuji looked like a dog who didn't understand why he was being yelled at. "He told us about the bone-shaped cake you got him one year, and Nobara thought she had seen it before, so we looked it up online. How were we supposed to know that it was some big secret?!"
"Figures." Nobara sighed as she rested her head on her hands. "I always thought you were a little crazy, but feeding your own kid dog food? That's a new low, even for you, Gojo-sensei."
"It was an accident!" Gojo shouted before promptly leaving the room.
He let out a deep sigh before making the trek to Megumi's room. Gojo should have come clean a long time ago; he knew that, but how exactly were you supposed to tell your kid, 'Hey, remember that cookie I got you for your birthday? Surprise, it was actually dog food'. Just the thought of it made Gojo cringe, and not much did that. Either way, the cat was out of the bag now and there was no way of rangling it back in.
Stopping outside of Megumi's door, Gojo raised his hand to knock when the door flew open.
"You ate it," Megumi stated. "You ate it!"
"I only realized after I put you and Tsumiki to bed." Gojo smiled despite the situation. "Those bacon-flavored cookies were shit, though. Don't know how you liked those so much, unless you're actually part dog."
Megumi slammed the door in his face. Gojo waited patiently until he opened the door not five minutes later.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Gojo shrugged. "I didn't know how."
"You are impossible." Megumi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Nobara's never going to let me live this down."
"Not even after you're dead," Gojo supplied helpfully. "You still up for breakfast?"
"Make one joke—one—and I will punch you."
"No promises!"
Megumi sighed from deep in his soul, but shrugged past Gojo. Gojo grinned and ruffled his hair on the way by. Megumi may have grown out of trying to smack his hand away, but his pout was still as adorable as ever. As they walked together back to where Yuji and Nobara were waiting, Gojo wondered just how far he could push his luck.