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noira-l · 2 months ago

Text

𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠

⋆ ★ '𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞' - 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

chapter summary: Megumi awkwardly asks Satoru for help with his first shave after weeks of hesitation. Despite the teasing, Satoru patiently guides him, creating an unexpected bonding moment between them.

warnings: fluff, father / son moment, slice of life, first shaving, hitting puberty, razors, a little cut (blood, just a tiny bit), teasing, Megumi is kinda awkward and Satoru is proud to be a father figure.

author's note: Oke! So! I haven't seen a fic like this anywhere (might be wrong, correct me if so), and I found the concept totally adorable and couldn't resist writing this as soon as the thought popped into my head. Hope you like interactions between them ;3

It had been a long couple of weeks for Megumi.

Every morning, he stared at the mirror, glaring at the small, stubborn patch of facial hair growing on his upper lip and chin.

At first, he tried to ignore it, thinking it might just be a phase, something that would disappear as quickly as it had appeared. But each day, it seemed to taunt him, getting thicker and darker. It was an undeniable sign that puberty, the inevitable storm he’d been trying to dodge, had arrived.

Megumi wasn’t one for asking for help, especially with personal things like this. He liked his independence, his ability to figure things out on his own.

But this?

Shaving?

This was unfamiliar territory, and though he hated to admit it, he needed guidance. He had stared at the razor his guardian had left out on the bathroom counter for a few days, feeling its weight in his hand as he practiced slow, cautious strokes in the air, too nervous to actually try it on his face. The thought of cutting himself was embarrassing enough. The last thing he needed was to walk around with a face full of tiny nicks and razor burns.

After much internal debate, he came to an uncomfortable conclusion: the only person who could help him with this was Satoru Gojo.

That realization didn’t sit well with Megumi. Of all the people to turn to, it had to be him.

Satoru was playful, unpredictable, and never missed an opportunity to tease Megumi about anything remotely personal. The idea of standing in front of a mirror with Satoru beside him, cracking jokes and treating it like some kind of bonding experience, made Megumi cringe. But, as much as he wanted to avoid it, he didn’t have a choice. If he didn’t ask Satoru, he’d have to figure it out himself - and that was a gamble Megumi wasn’t willing to take.

So, he waited.

He waited through the days when Satoru went on missions, or came home so late that he didn't manage to reach him, waited through the long silences when the house seemed even emptier without him. When Satoru was finally home at his normal evening time, Megumi knew he was out of time. He had run out of excuses.

Tonight was the night.

With a mix of reluctance and awkwardness, black haired one found himself standing outside the bathroom door, his hand hovering over it.

Inside, the sound of running water splashed against the sink. Satoru had disappeared into the bathroom minutes earlier, likely getting ready for bed after a long day. Megumi shifted on his feet, internally debating whether to knock or to just turn around and pretend like none of this mattered.

But the patchy mustache on his face wouldn’t let him ignore reality any longer.

He raised his hand to knock, hesitated, then finally let out a quiet tap against the door, barely loud enough to be heard over the sound of water. For a brief second, Megumi hoped maybe Satoru hadn’t heard it, and he could walk away. Maybe he could figure this out some other time, when it didn’t feel quite so embarrassing.

The hope didn’t last long.

There was a pause before the door swung open.

Satoru stood there, relaxed as usual, with a long shirt on and a towel slung over his shoulder. His white hair was still damp from the shower, with a few strands falling sloppily across his forehead. A small smile appeared on his face when he saw Megumi standing with her hands clumsily folded, trying to look indifferent.

"Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite brooding teenager." Satoru greeted, leaning casually against the doorframe, he mischief in his voice unmistakable "What’s up?"

Megumi shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the floor before looking up at Satoru with a faint scowl.

"I, uh… I need your help with something."

Satoru raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued "My help? With what exactly?" his grin widened as if sensing the awkwardness radiating off the kid "Come on, spill it. What’s the big deal?"

Eyes lowered to the floor, a faint scowl replacing any response. Megumi let out a frustrated breath, clearly uncomfortable "I… I need to learn how to shave."

For a second, there was silence. Then, predictably, Satoru's grin morphed into a wide, amused smile.

"Oh, this is amazing." he said, unable to contain his laughter "You, Megumi Fushiguro, the kid who broods his way through everything, needs my help with shaving? Oh, this is great. Really great."

Megumi rolled his eyes, arms crossed over his chest "I knew this was a mistake." he grumbled, turning as if to walk away "Forget it, I’ll figure it out myself."

But before Megumi could take a step, Satoru reached out and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back toward the bathroom.

"No, no, wait, don’t be like that. I’m just messing with you!" he said, though the smirk hadn’t left his face "Come on, let’s do this. It'll be fun."

Megumi frowned, but he didn’t resist as Satoru ushered him into the bathroom.

The space was bright and the counter was cluttered with Satoru's various personal care products, though half of them looked like they hadn't been touched in months. The smell of shower gel was in the air. The older one crossed his arms, looking far too pleased with himself as he eyed the younger one’s face with exaggerated seriousness.

"Alright, kiddo, let’s start by taking a look." the older said with exaggerated seriousness, leaning in to inspect Megumi's face "Ah yes, a fine crop of peach fuzz, right here." he teased, poking lightly at his upper lip.

Fushiguro scowled, batting his hand away "It’s not that bad."

"Relax, it’s a rite of passage." Gojo replied, turning to rummage through the cabinet "Ah, here we go! Shaving cream, razor, aftershave… hmm, now do I trust you with a razor, or do I need to call in a professional?"

"Just get on with it." Megumi glared at him, exasperated.

Satoru chuckled, but didn’t push it further. He grabbed one of many razors in a multipack from the cabinet and handed it to Fushiguro with a grin.

Black haired stood in front of the bathroom mirror, now smeared with a bit of condensation from Gojo's recent shower. The weight of the razor in his hand felt strangely significant, like it was a test of maturity that he wasn’t quite ready for.

Awkwardness lingered, thick and undeniable. Satoru stood beside him, fiddling with his own razor as if this were a casual activity they did every day, his usual playful smirk tugging at his lips.

"So! Just like there are many cursed techniques..." he began, his voice dramatic "... there are also many techniques for shaving. Some are more efficient than others, but today, I’m going to reveal to you my own secret shaving technique."

He turned the faucet on, letting the water warm up before grabbing a washcloth and handing it to Megumi "Okay, first, wet your face with warm water. Opens up the pores or whatever."

He followed Satoru’s instructions, wetting his face, though he still looked like he wasn’t entirely convinced this was necessary.

White haired one then shook the can of shaving cream dramatically before squeezed some into his palm and handing it to kid next to him "Now, the magic foam. Lather it up."

Fushiguro did as he was told, applying shaving cream to his face while Satoru stood beside him, doing exactly the same thing as he did.

"Don’t go too heavy. Just enough to cover your face, but not so much that you can’t see what you’re doing." he spread the foam evenly across his own face, demonstrating as he spoke "See? A nice, thin layer. You wanna feel the razor, not get lost in a mountain of foam."

He felt so awkward, like he was painting his face, but Gojo was watching him with a surprising amount of patience.

"Not bad, not bad." Satoru said, nodding approvingly "But don’t forget the neck, unless you’re planning on walking around with half your face looking clean and the other half looking like a scruffy mess."

"Can you be serious for once?" Megumi muttered, focusing on spreading the cream evenly to his neck as well, trying to remember all the steps Satoru had demonstrated earlier.

Satoru just grinned wider.

"Where’s the fun in that? Alright, now for the tricky part. The razor. You wanna go with the grain, not against it, or else you’ll end up with cuts and looking like you’ve been attacked by an army of tiny knives. That's funny, I had a situation like that in real life!"

Gojo demonstrated by making movements in the air, not yet applying a piece of plastic to his face. Megumi tried to feel with his hand how he should turn the tool, so that it would go as smoothly as the older one next to him.

"Always go slow. If you rush, you’ll look like you’ve been in a fight with a cat and lost. Here’s the trick." Satoru said, lifting the razor and positioning it carefully against his neck.

"Start with the neck. It’s the easiest place to mess up, but also the easiest place to correct." Satoru explained, his tone suddenly more serious, as though he was giving instructions for something far more important than shaving "Just avoid too much pressure on Adam's apple and move slowly."

Megumi watched intently as Gojo carefully and precisely glided the razor down his neck, avoiding the sensitive area with practiced ease. Fushiguro, feeling a little more confident, brought the razor up to his own neck and mimicked the movements.

"Like this?" he asked, his brow furrowing in concentration as he worked alongside the white haired one, both of them standing side by side in front of the mirror.

"Exactly. Nice and steady." Satoru said, casting a sidelong glance at the younger one "Not bad, kid. Now, once you’ve got the neck down, you can move on to more complicated terrain." he watched as Megumi did a few strokes across his neck, he waited patiently for him to finish.

Satoru finished shaving his neck with ease "Don’t forget to rinse the blade after a couple of strokes." he did just that, risning the razor in boiling hot water. Then turned his attention to his chin. He lifted the razor, positioning it just below his lower lip.

"Now we move on to the chin. Gotta be careful here too, or you’ll end up looking like you lost a fight to a particularly angry porcupine."

Fushiguro followed suit, doing his best to replicate the careful movements his guardian was demonstrating. The two of them stood shoulder to shoulder, both razor-clad hands gliding across their skin.

It felt oddly… normal. Like this was something they did all the time, though it was far from their usual interactions.

"You know, I wasn’t really blessed with much facial hair. Genetics didn’t think I needed a full beard to complement my already perfect looks. But who knows, Megumi - you might end up with more to shave than I do."

Fushiguro huffed, concentrating on his strokes "Yeah, lucky me."

Satoru’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he continued to shave "Maybe you’ll be able to pull off that rugged look, huh? The ladies love that. But me, well, everything went into my other attributes." he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Can you just focus?" he nearly nicked himself.

Gojo chuckled "That’s what I should told you, you need to stay focused. Look at that - you’re getting distracted."

Black haired one glanced down and saw that he’d missed a spot on his chin. He muttered something under his breath, but quickly corrected his mistake, his movements now a little more cautious.

Gojo finished faster than him, completely avoiding the cheek area, as he mentioned he had absolutely nothing to shave there, so he washed his face straight away, wiping it with a towel.

Fushiguro, on the other hand, had a few randomly distributed hairs in different areas that he managed to shave off quickly, starting to catch on to how he should direct the blade to get the best effect.

"You know..." his guardian said, leaning against the counter "... you’ll be doing this more and more. Puberty’s a relentless thing. Before you know it, you’ll be shaving almost every day."

Megumi sighed "Great. Just what I wanted."

He was almost finished, but just as he reached a particularly tricky spot, the razor snagged slightly, catching on his skin. He stuttered in his movement, flinching slightly as the blade nicked him.

"Hold up." Satoru said immediately, catching the motion out of the corner of his eye "I told you. You’re not fighting a curse here, no need to rush."

Megumi frowned, frustrated with himself, dabbing at the small cut "Yeah, yeah. I’m fine."

Gojo gave him a knowing smile, though it was softer this time "Just a small nick, no big deal. Happens to everyone the first time."

"Even you?" Fushiguro asked, though there was a hint of skepticism in his tone.

"Especially me. You should’ve seen my first shave. Looked like I went head-to-head with a blender." a wide grin appeared on the pale face.

"I doubt that."

The last bit of cream disappeared from the young teenager's face. He turned on the tap and rinsed off the rest of the little white lines that remained on his face. The towel absorbed the drops of water that ran down his neck.

He glanced at himself in the mirror. Instantly better. Although he reproached himself for the little scratch, Megumi was genuinely pleased with the effect he had achieved. Finally he wouldn't have to be embarrassed at school about how he looked.

Satoru, standing beside him, seemed far too proud.

"Look at that! Clean as a whistle." he said, examining his face with exaggerated approval "Not bad for your first time. But we’re not done yet."

"Huh? What now?" Fushiguro groaned internally, shooting his guardian a sideways glance.

He didn't understand a bit, after all he had just finished, what does this annoying type still want from him? It's enough that he feels stupid sitting here with him anyway, asking him for help.

"The grand finale." Satoru announced, picking up a small bottle of aftershave from the counter. He wiggled the bottle in front of the teen's face like it was some kind of treasure "Aftershave cream!"

"What’s it for?"

Gojo uncapped the bottle, squeezing a small dollop of the aftershave cream onto his palm "It’s for soothing the skin after you’ve shaved, kid. Makes sure you don’t end up with razor burn. Plus, it smells nice - very sophisticated, like you’re someone important."

Megumi raised an eyebrow, unconvinced "You sure it’s not just another way for you to mess with me?"

Satoru gave a dramatic sigh, shaking his head. "You wound me, Megumi. This is the real deal. You’ll thank me later."

He rubbed the aftershave cream between his hands and then gently applied it to his own face, patting it onto his freshly shaven skin with practiced ease.

"You don’t need too much, just a little to cover the areas you shaved. Trust me, it’s important. Otherwise, your face will feel like it’s on fire later."

Fushiguro eyed the bottle warily but took it from Gojo’s hand. He squeezed a small amount into his palm, hesitating for a moment before rubbing it between his hands and awkwardly patting it onto his face like the older one had done.

"Don't rub it in like you're washing your face." the older one said, grinning as he observed his technique "Just tap it on. Light touch. Gotta treat your skin like it's worth something."

Megumi muttered something under his breath, but adjusted his approach, patting the aftershave onto his cheeks and chin. The cooling sensation spread across his skin, soothing the slight irritation left from the razor.

"See?" Satoru said, giving a nod of approval "Nice and smooth. And now you smell like a responsible young adult."

"It’s... strong." black haired couldn’t help, but wrinkle his nose at the scent

White haired laughed, clapping Megumi on the shoulder.

"Yeah, but it fades pretty quickly. Besides, it’s part of the process. Get used to it - you’ll be doing this more and more."

Megumi wiped his hands on a towel, his face still tingling slightly from the aftershave. He looked in the mirror, taking in the results of his first proper shave. He looked good, like his normal self he was used to.

Satoru stood beside him, admiring his own reflection with a satisfied grin.

"Now you’re officially a man. Or at least, a step closer to it."

There was no respond to that, just flicker in younger eyes, as if he realised something.

Satoru grabbed the aftershave bottle and put it back on the counter, then turned to Megumi with a grin.

"Next time, we’ll get into the more advanced stuff. Maybe I’ll even teach you about beard shaping."

"I’m never growing a beard." Fushiguro shot him a flat look.

Gojo chuckled in respond.

"That’s what they all say. Just wait until it sneaks up on you."

The teen shook his head, already done with the conversation, but despite himself, he felt a small sense of relief. This whole shaving thing wasn’t as bad as he’d thought it would be, and Satoru - teasing aside - had actually been helpful. Weirdly enough, it was kind of nice having him around for things like this.

"Alright, shaving master..." Satoru said, throwing his arm around his shoulders as they left the bathroom "...let’s go show off that baby face to the world. And remember, every time you shave, think of it as another step toward adulthood."

"Pretty sure it’s just a step toward more chores." he snorted in respond.

Gojo grinned "Exactly! You’re getting it."

Megumi, now freshly shaved stood at the door of his bedroom, watching as his guardian stretch his arms above his head with a satisfied grin.

"Well, that wasn’t so bad, was it?" Satoru asked, still clearly pleased with himself as he prepared to head to your shared bedroom.

Fushiguro shifted his weight from foot to foot, his eyes flicking down to the floor as he cleared his throat.

"Yeah, it was… fine." he muttered, glancing up briefly before looking away again.

There was a pause, then he added, barely audible "Thanks for the help."

Satoru turned toward him, his grin softening into something more genuine. He walked over to Megumi and gave him a playful pat on the shoulder, though his tone had a rare warmth to it "Anytime, kid. And hey - don't be embarrassed. You did good."

Megumi's face flushed slightly, and he gave a small nod before opening the door "Good night, Gojo."

Satoru smirked, watching him go.

"Good night, Megumi." he called after him, amusement dancing in his voice.

As Satoru lay back on the bed, a quiet sense of softness washed over him.

He hadn’t expected Megumi asking for help with something as simple as shaving to hit him like this. For all the teasing and playful banter, there was something deeper - Megumi was growing up and Satoru felt like he was more than just a protector, guardian or teacher.

He was part of that growth.

And he couldn't be more proud.

tl: @kalopsia-flaneur

#gojo and megumi #years to come #jujutsu kaisen #gojo x reader #years to come series #jujutsu kaisen fluff #gojo satoru #jjk fluff #jjk x reader #jujutsu gojo #jjk #megumi fushiguro #jujutsu megumi #jjk megumi #jujutsu kaisen megumi #fushiguro #kid megumi #father son bonding #dad gojo

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noira-l · 1 month ago

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𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

⋆ ★ '𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞' - 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

chapter summary: Megumi and Satoru went shopping together. Of course his guardian had to make an adventure out of it.

warnings: fluff, father / son moment, slice of life, picking up from school, shopping together, Megumi on verge of cringe because of Satoru's antics.

author's note: A little shorter chapter than last time, I have a few things going on in my life, but I will definitely be back with new, longer texts. Just you wait! c:

The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden light across the city streets as Satoru strolled toward the elementary school, his hands shoved casually into his pockets.

It was early autumn, and the air was crisp and fresh, carrying the scent of dry leaves and the distant hint of woodsmoke from somewhere in the neighborhood. Trees lining the streets were beginning to show hints of red and gold, their leaves rustling softly in the occasional breeze that swept through.

He stopped at the school gates, leaning against the iron bars with his signature carefree posture, drawing curious glances from the parents and children filtering out of the building. It wasn’t every day you saw a tall man with shock-white hair, dressed in casual attire that screamed anything but modest, waiting outside an elementary school. Some of the children whispered excitedly, pointing at the "cool man with sunglasses." A few parents glanced his way with raised eyebrows, trying to place him - he certainly didn’t fit the image of a typical parent.

Inside the school, Megumi was gathering his things, moving with the deliberate care of someone who had already learned not to rush life, even at the tender age of eight. His small backpack was slung over one shoulder, and his expression was, as always, a mixture of calm and concentration. His classmates were chattering around him, caught up in their after-school excitement, but Megumi seemed unfazed. He was used to being in his own world, and right now, he was thinking about the shopping list you had given him.

When he finally emerged from the school doors, he spotted Gojo immediately. Even in a crowd, Satoru was impossible to miss. The man was a beacon of both energy and absurdity. Megumi's eyes narrowed slightly, already bracing himself for whatever antics Satoru had planned for today.

"Hey, kiddo!" he called out, waving with exaggerated enthusiasm, drawing even more attention "Ready for our epic shopping adventure?"

Megumi approached him with a resigned sigh, clutching the list you had written "It's just shopping. Nothing epic about it."

Satoru ruffled Megumi's hair as they started walking, ignoring the boy's attempts to swat his hand away.

"That's because you haven't shopped with me yet. I make everything epic." he said that with infinite amount of confidence.

★ --

The streets were busy with the usual after-school bustle. Parents and children filled the sidewalks, and the sound of traffic hummed in the background. They walked toward the nearby supermarket, Satoru chatting incessantly about everything and nothing. Megumi listened with half an ear, his eyes trained on the list in his hand.

When they finally reached the supermarket, the automatic doors whooshed open, and they were greeted by the blast of air conditioning and the bright, fluorescent lights inside. The store was moderately crowded, filled with people finishing their errands for the day. The shelves were stocked with an array of autumnal produce -pumpkins, apples, squashes - adding a splash of color to the aisles.

"Alright, what’s first on the list?" Satoru asked, grabbing a basket from the stack by the door and spinning it around his wrist like it was some kind of accessory.

Megumi squinted at the paper "Vegetables. Carrots, onions, and potatoes."

Satoru nodded sagely "Vegetables, got it. We can handle that." he led the way to the produce section, pushing the basket along the floor with his foot like a makeshift soccer ball.

"Stop that." Fushiguro muttered, already embarrassed "People are staring."

"Let them stare." the older replied with a grin, not stopping his antics for a second "Maybe they’ll learn a thing or two about making shopping fun."

The produce section was bustling with people picking through the fruits and vegetables. Satoru picked up a carrot, holding it up to his eyes.

"Do you think this carrot looks at its friends and wonders what it did wrong in life to end up here?" he asked dramatically.

Megumi stared at him, his face deadpan "It’s a carrot, calm down"

Satoru sighed theatrically, tossing the carrot into the basket with a flourish "You have no sense of imagination, Megumi."

Ignoring him, Fushiguro reached for the potatoes, placing them into the basket with meticulous care. Gojo, meanwhile, picked up one of them and held it up to his face.

"Look, it’s like we’re related!" he joked, putting the potato next to his cheek. A couple of shoppers nearby glanced over, some smiling at the sight of the tall, eccentric man with a potato held up as if it were a family heirloom.

It looked as if he was behaving in this way specifically in the company of a child, wanting to achieve a very friendly and quite playful atmosphere. Wanting to entertain this little one in his company, rather than himself in all of this. None of the witnesses to Satoru's antics knew, that he behaved this way on a daily basis.

In general, Gojo was beginning to move gently away from a certain level of arrogance and cockyness with which he had once carried himself. As if from a teenager, he has stepped back to the level of a child in his humour. He was now leaning more towards fooling around and making really childish jokes. His irony and mockery were receding into the background, although Satoru didn't seem to notice this change in himself. Perhaps he explained it to the fact that he's been more in the mood for a different kind of joke recently.

Megumi let out a small, resigned sigh and grabbed an onion from the pile "Can we just get this done? We still need to get milk and eggs."

Satoru tossed the potato back into the basket and straightened up "Fine, fine. Onward to the dairy section!"

They made their way through the store, attracting glances and whispers as they went. Satoru’s presence was magnetic, and his antics didn’t go unnoticed. He continued to narrate their shopping adventure as if they were on a grand quest, occasionally pausing to debate with Megumi over the merits of various brands of cereal. At one point, he insisted on riding the shopping basket down the dairy aisle, pushing off with one foot and gliding along the tiles while Megumi followed behind, rubbing his temples in exasperation.

"You're going to break something." Megumi warned, glancing at the other shoppers who were trying to pretend they weren't watching the spectacle.

"Break something? Never!" Gojo exclaimed, still gliding down the aisle with a wide grin "I'm a professional."

A store employee approached cautiously, clearly torn between telling Satoru to stop and not wanting to get involved in whatever was happening. Satoru noticed the employee and gave him a dazzling smile, stopping the basket with a smooth motion.

"Don't worry." he said in a conspiratorial whisper "I'm just making sure this basket is up to safety standards."

The employee blinked, clearly unsure how to respond, before nodding slowly and walking away. Fushiguro watched this exchange, shaking his head "You’re unbelievable."

"Unbelievably awesome." he corrected, finally parking the basket in front of the milk section "Now, milk. Full fat, skim, or do we go for the mysterious almond milk that tastes nothing like almonds?"

The younger one reached for the carton of regular milk without hesitation "Normal milk. We’re not getting into this today."

Gojo pouted "You’re no fun, you know that?"

"You’re too much fun." he muttered in response, placing the milk in the basket.

Megumi has learned one thing through his small, short and rather painful life. Do not draw attention to yourself. This one motto saved him and his sister's skin many times when they had to endure the hardships of not having an adult in their lives. He wondered why, once there was an adult in his life, willing to take care of him, it had to be him. The ever-attentive, unserious, gigantic, young adult.

He said to himself that it was ridiculous, how someone like that even endured in society. How such a person was given custody rights. But no, he knew that the system was absurd, corrupt and unsuited to many situations more than once.

So he asked the better question: How do you put up with him?

You seem to know him quite well and put up with his behaviour in a way that could be considered admirable. He and his sister wondered what the specifics of your relationship were, because apart from knowing that you were not a real couple - as you had made clear to them - it was easy to see that you shared some kind of strange bond. A relationship incomprehensible to him, because why would two, really young adults, not even in a real marriage, adopt two children?

On the other hand, as long as Tsumiki had a real home and was happy, which she said and showed more than once, he was happy too. He lacked nothing - a fact that concerned and amazed him every day.

So maybe he was a little gratefull for that.

With the essentials finally gathered, they headed to the checkout. The cashier eyed them with a mix of amusement and confusion as Satoru started to arrange the items on the conveyor belt with the flair of a magician performing a trick.

"Look at that!" Satoru announced as he placed the last item down with a flourish "An impeccable display of grocery selection."

Megumi sighed again but said nothing. He just pulled out the list to double-check that they had everything. Behind them, a couple of older women watched the exchange with smiles, one of them whispering to the other "He must be such a fun dad."

If Satoru heard them, he didn't show it, but the comment made Fushiguro glance up briefly, his eyes softening just a little, even as he maintained his exasperated facade.

He wondered if they were blind or so filled with hope that they couldn't see.

Satoru paid for everything, of course, beforehand adding a sizeable amount of all sorts of sweets to thier shoppings, which seemed to be for a child, to make him happy. But no, they were for him, for an adult.

He wondered how long he would live, if he took such a large dose of sugar every day.

They bagged their groceries and headed back out into the fading daylight, the sky turning shades of pink and orange as the sun dipped lower. The walk back was quieter, the city settling into the calm of early evening. Satoru carried the bags in one hand, swinging them lightly as he walked.

"You know..." he said after a while "...shopping isn't so bad when you've got company."

Megumi glanced up at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice.

"I guess." he muttered, looking down at the pavement as they walked.

Satoru grinned, looking ahead "And who knows, maybe next time you'll even smile while we do it."

Megumi shot him a look "Don't push your luck, you're still annoying."

Satoru laughed, the sound echoing in the quiet street as they made their way home.

tl: @kalopsia-flaneur, @dainslumi

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