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Gojo Satoru is a weird man. Megumi knows this the moment the man stopped him on his walk home, spreading his legs way too wide to be comfortable when squatting in front of him, and making weird faces like a fool. It had seemed like Gojo was trying his best to appear nonthreatening; he failed miserably, but Megumi won't tell him that. Instead, Megumi gave him his signature frown in hopes to shut the older man. Gojo didn't shut up. It was worth a try.
Gojo is a weird, weird man, because he eats more sugar than Megumi's sure is healthy. He guesses he wouldn't know for sure since he's only 7, but still. It feels like Gojo would eat three tablespoons of sugar in one sitting if he could. It's weird.
Gojo is weird, but Megumi likes him. Because Gojo is weird, but he also stays. He learns that Gojo, despite always being met with Megumi's grunts and frowns, always has a kind smile on his face. His hands are gentle when he takes Megumi and Tsumiki's bags when they walk home together, when he ruffles their heads, when he soothes Megumi when he has nightmares, and when he links both of his pinkies with Megumi and Tsumiki's when they asked him to promise to never leave. Megumi believes him, and he thinks Tsumiki does too.
At this point, Gojo's presence is a constant. Maybe they could even be called family, even though Megumi has his own dad and mom and Tsumiki has her own dad and mom and they didn't even know who Gojo was until a few weeks ago, but still, Megumi thinks (hopes) that they could be a family. It's okay if their family is weird, right? Because Gojo is weird, and sometimes Megumi's classmates call him weird as an excuse to not do group work with him... it seems like Tsumiki is the only normal person in their family. Still, Megumi wouldn't worry because Tsumiki says she loves him. He believes her, too.
Megumi was walking towards Gojo's room when he heard the soft cries, just like his when he used to feel sad but didn't want to bother anyone else. The thing is, Megumi is not crying, and neither does his sister because she's asleep. It also feels weird to guess that Gojo is the one crying, because, well, his Gojo is happy and lively and brave and he just doesn't cry. Is he even able to?
Megumi considered waking up Tsumiki and make her go check with him, but she had spoken sternly to Megumi earlier, telling him to only wake her up when it's time for breakfast because she has a big big BIG Math test tomorrow and she wants an A to make up for the C- she got on her homework from when Gojo had tried to help her. Megumi doesn't want to get on his sister's bad side, so he chooses to scratch off her name on the mental note he had. He must be brave on his own then. He bitterly thinks of the puppies he had summoned one afternoon after practice with Gojo, wishing he had mastered his technique already so he could go with them instead. Except Gojo told him he still has to work hard to be able to call them whenever he wants, so he scratched off his puppies as well. Ugh, this is annoying.
The cries are still audible from where he stands, a few meters away from the door to Gojo's room. Is it really Gojo? Why is he sad? Is it he feeling guilty about Tsumiki's homework again? But he had made up for it by buying her the new play-doh set, so it doesn't make sense. Is it because of Megumi?
Anxiously, Megumi walked closer and closer towards the guy's room. He has to make sure anyway, right? And Gojo always calls him brave, so Megumi has to be. He has to be. He has to be, for Gojo and Tsumiki.
"Gojo?" he called.
The cries stopped.
"G-gojo, are you okay?"
Why is it so silent?
"Gojo, if you don't answer, I'm going to come in!" he insisted, yelling a little, but not too much so he won't wake up Tsumiki.
Then, he heard someone clearing their throat—it better be Gojo.
"Megumi, why are you still awake?"
Megumi huffs. If he was 5, he would absolutely stomp his feet in annoyance. He's actually considering to do it now too, so Gojo knows for sure that he's being annoying.
"Why are you answering questions with questions? You said it's rude. You're a hypoc- hypo-" Ugh, why can't he remember the word? "Whatever! You're annoying!"
Megumi considered to go back to his room when he heard Gojo laughed quietly, and really, why is he laughing? Megumi is worried about him! He wishes he could kick Gojo on the knee. But before he could turn around, the door knob turned and the door opened, revealing Gojo who's still in his work (or school? Megumi isn't sure) uniform, blindfold discarded on the floor near the entrance, which makes it possible for Megumi to see Gojo's eyes being all red and puffy. So it was Gojo's cries.
"Hey, I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Gojo asked. He kneels down and spread his arm, inviting Megumi in. Megumi went and hugs him tight.
"No. Nightmares," Megumi answered.
Gojo hummed in reply. His hand is starting to rub softly against Megumi's back. "It's okay, you're safe, Gumi."
Megumi lifts his face from Gojo's neck to look at the guy's face. He touches Gojo's slightly damp cheek. "Are you sad?"
The smile Gojo gave him is weak. He nods.
"Why?"
"I... I lost someone today, Gumi."
Megumi's eyes went as wide as saucers. "Your parents?!"
Gojo laughs softly before shaking his head. "No, Gumi, my parents are long gone. It's someone else."
Megumi feels sadness grow in him. He doesn't like not having his parents, and he thinks neither does Tsumiki. He never thought that Gojo had the same fate as them, and even now he loses someone else? He hugs the man again in hopes to comfort him.
"I'm sorry," he muttered. "You don't have to tell me. I don't want you to be sad, Gojo."
"Don't be sorry, sweetheart." Megumi feels Gojo's kiss on top of his head. "You make me feel better. You and Tsumiki both."
"You make us feel better too, even though you're loud and sometimes embarrass us."
He feels Gojo's chest rumbling along with his laugh. "It's because I love you, you know?"
Megumi doesn't know. He loves Tsumiki, but he never thought to embarrass her. But Gojo is weird, so Megumi doesn't argue. "I love you too, Gojo."
"Promise to never leave me?"
"You're silly," Megumi says. He lifts his face again so the man could see his annoyed face clearly. "Where would I go?" I love you too much goes unsaid.
Gojo smirks before pinching Megumi's cheek. "You sea urchin head, can't you just promise me?"
"Ugh, let go!" Megumi yelled. "Your hand is sweaty, old man!"
Finally, Gojo's laugh seems sincere. "I'm not letting go until you make the promise!"
"Fine, fine! Ugh! I promise, now let go!"
Gojo let go of his cheek and caresses it softly. "See, that was easy."
Megumi scoffs. He tugs on Gojo's hair lightly in retaliation. "You're smelly. And don't call me sea urchin head!"
In the end, Megumi wasn't sure who it was that made Gojo sad that night. But he hoped that he gave the man enough comfort to keep going, like Gojo always does for him and Tsumiki. Gojo and sadness wasn't a good fit, so even though Megumi is still a child and was only 140 cm from the ground, he would still be brave so he could protect Gojo. Because Gojo is weird, but he's also loving and kind and gentle and he deserves to be loved as much as he loves Megumi and Tsumiki (and Gojo loves them a lot, so yeah, that's a lot of love for Gojo too!)