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A week ago Megumi had asked if the Itadori twins could sleep over. Toji had said yes, though he agreed begrudgingly. He could tolerate Yuji and his golden retriever energy just fine. The tattooed twin, however, was another story. That kid refused to answer to anything but Sukuna, even though his real name was Ryomen.
Now both twins sprawled across the living room while Toji juggled snacks and drinks, trying not to drop anything. He still could not figure out how his son could call these two his best friends. One never shut up and cursed like a sailor. The other was almost too eager to help. Right on cue, Yuji jumped up and plucked the two bowls of popcorn from Toji’s arms before anything could spill.
Even with both twins in plain sight, Toji’s mind kept drifting back to Megumi. The boy had been acting off all morning. It was not the usual teenage secrecy.
Something heavier weighed on him. Toji had caught him pulling the two Divine Dog plushies out of the back of the closet, the ones his mother had given him. He had not seen Megumi touch them once since she passed.
His eyes kept returning to his son. Megumi sat on the floor with his knees drawn up tight. The plushies stayed hidden in his lap. His eyes looked too shiny every time the little deer appeared on screen. When the gunshot rang out and Bambi’s mother told him to hide, Megumi flinched hard. His breathing hitched.
On screen the fawn kept calling for his mother, unaware. Megumi’s shoulders drew up tighter. He chewed harder on the hoodie string until the fabric turned dark with spit. Toji’s stomach sank. He knew what was coming.
A high, broken sound escaped Megumi the moment Bambi’s mother died. Sukuna paused mid-chew. Yuji’s head snapped toward his friend.
“Megumi?” Yuji asked softly.
The dam broke.
Megumi let out a loud, heartbroken wail. He dropped forward onto his hands, clutching both Divine Dog plushies tight against his chest as sobs tore through him. “Mama… Mama!” His voice cracked high and small. “She’s gone. She’s not coming back. Daddy lied. Daddy said she’d come back!”
Sukuna sat up straighter on the couch. “The fuck’s his problem? It’s just a cartoon deer.”
Yuji immediately elbowed his twin in the ribs. Toji shot Sukuna with a sharp glare that promised consequences if he kept talking.
“Watch your mouth,” Toji growled. “He is not watching a cartoon right now. Drop it.”
Sukuna rubbed his side but slumped back down, muttering under his breath. Yuji shot his brother with another warning look before turning his full attention to Megumi.
Toji moved fast. He slid onto the floor and pulled his son into his lap. Megumi thrashed at first, legs kicking weakly as fresh sobs ripped out of him. “Want Mama. Make it stop. It hurts so bad.”
“I know it hurts,” Toji said. His voice stayed low and rough. He wrapped his arms around Megumi and held him through the storm with steady pressure. One big hand rubbed slow circles on his back. “Daddy’s here. I’ve got you. Just breathe, kid.”
Megumi cried harder. His fists twisted in Toji’s shirt as he buried his wet face against his father’s chest. The pacifier slipped from his hoodie pocket and fell onto the floor. Toji reached for it and gently pressed the black and red dog-patterned silicone to Megumi’s lips.
Megumi latched on immediately. He sucked hard between hiccupping sobs. His small body trembled but slowly started to calm. He curled tighter into Toji’s lap with both plushies trapped between them.
Yuji moved quietly. He gathered blankets and pillows from the couch and built a thick, cozy nest around them on the floor. “We can stay and help make it comfy for him… if that’s okay,” he whispered.
Toji nodded once. “You can stay. Just keep things quiet.”
Sukuna surprised him the most. After a moment of hesitation, the tattooed twin grabbed the remote, turned off Bambi, and switched the television to Care Bears. The gentle cartoon filled the screen with bright but calming colors. He kept the volume low, then tossed a couple extra pillows into the growing nest and stretched out nearby without another complaint.
“You’re safe,” Toji murmured against Megumi’s hair. One arm wrapped securely around his son while his free hand stroked through messy dark strands. “No more sad movies. Daddy’s got you tonight.”
Megumi’s sobs gradually faded into soft sniffles. He drank from the sippy cup Yuji offered with grabby hands, then settled heavily against Toji’s chest. His pacifier bobbed steadily. The twins stayed close but respectful. Yuji offered quiet comfort on one side. Sukuna stayed surprisingly tolerant on the other as he watched the softer movie.
Toji knew he was not a good dad. He failed more days than he got right. He was rough and impatient, and he was still figuring out how to raise a boy who carried so much grief. But in moments like this, when Megumi let himself be little and trusted him completely, Toji felt determined to keep trying.