Work Text:
Satoru’s phone is ringing insistently in his pocket. He’s currently somewhere in Europe, exorcising cursed spirits that for some reason the local sorcerers couldn’t handle. Everything about the situation was stupid if Satoru had to be asked. It was stupid but he was the strongest (he’s just about had enough hearing this idiotic phrase), the only person who could handle situations like this on such a short notice. The only one who had to handle situations like this. Satoru didn’t even want to think about why a special grade curse this powerful just popped up all of the sudden with no signs at all. He really didn’t want to deal with any of it.
Another low level cursed spirit jumps towards him, arms outstretched. Satoru shifted just slightly and extended his hand out to throw a miniature version of blue towards the cursed spirit. The pathetic little thing implodes upon impact with blue.
His phone rings again. Satoru reached into his pocket and answered the phone with a grumble. “What?” Satoru snapped into the phone receiver. Why was everyone always trying to contact him? Wasn’t it enough that these people were throwing him left and right to solve problems that weren’t even his to begin with?
The line is quiet for the first few seconds of the call and Satoru resists the urge to spew a few curses into the receiver of his phone. Instead he waits a few more seconds, hoping for another voice to come from the other end of the call but nothing comes. Satoru’s just about to end the call when a small voice comes from the other end.
“Satoru?”
It’s Megumi.
Satoru’s heart beats awkwardly for a split second. Megumi never really called. He never had a reason to and even if he wanted to, well, Megumi was the kind of kid who just refused to talk. Knowing this, a spike of anxiety punches him in the stomach. A group of cursed spirits jumped out from behind the trees and Satoru barely even glanced at the group, tossing a careless flick in their direction. They quickly disintegrate into nothing.
“Megumi! What’s wrong? Why’re you calling?” Satoru doesn’t mean to sound so anxious. Nothing bad would ever happen to his kids and he had little reason to believe that they were stupid enough to get themselves into a situation but he can’t help but worry anyway.
The line went quiet again urging Satoru to press his phone deeper into his ear until the keyboard of his phone is digging into his cheek.
“Can you come home?” Megumi asked after a short while. His voice impossibly small.
Satoru glanced around the area quickly. He spots a few more cursed spirits that are crawling their way towards him, “Right now?”
“Right now.” Megumi repeated.
“Give me two minutes, ‘kay?”
The call ends shortly after that. Satoru turned towards the cursed spirits and got to work. It took him a minute to get rid of all of them. On a normal day he would boast about it. Maybe snap a selfie and send it to Shoko just so that someone else could bask in his glory— but his mind was elsewhere.
Satoru surveyed the area one last time. It was a lazy old town with barely any people to populate it and barely any sorcerers to respond to the scene. Satoru checks again, he doesn’t see any cursed spirits within his eyesight and thankfully he can’t sense any either. It should be good for now, Satoru thinks to himself. He tucked his hands into his pockets before he warps himself all the way back to Tokyo. It wasn’t advisable. The higher ups didn’t like whenever he warped— something to do with legal stuff and trespassing —but he never really paid attention to what those geezers had to say. At that same moment, Satoru pops into existence by the entrance of the apartment. He stumbled the moment his feet met the floor, falling straight into a cabinet.
“Megu-chan!” Satoru called out. He quickly kicked his shoes off and headed deeper into the apartment. At his call, the sorcerer found his kid peeking his head out from the behind the bedroom door.
“You’re here.” Megumi noted, almost as if he didn’t really believe that Satoru would come at his call.
“Well, yeah.” Satoru said, “You called.”
Megumi shifted around uncomfortably, his small fists tugged his oversized shirt lower until it covered his knees. Satoru hummed to himself and walked closer, a hand already placed atop his head, rubbing his fingers through the nest of hair affectionately.
“What happened?” Satoru asked.
Surprisingly, Megumi didn’t shy away from the affection like he usually did. Instead, Satoru felt the subtle lift from the boy’s head, pushing himself up into the touch.
Instead of answering his question, Megumi replied with another question, “Were you at work?”
Satoru nodded, “Yeah. Work again.” He had never really explained what work was to the kids and he wasn’t sure if he was ever going to. All they knew was that Satoru would leave the apartment every now and then. Sometimes it would be a few days, sometimes it would be a few hours— all the kids really knew that Satoru had to be at work, practically a non-negotiable in their household but really, Satoru wouldn’t ever put work above the kids if it came down to it.
“Sorry…” Megumi had turned his head away and slowly began to slip away from Satoru’s grasp. Pulling away from the touch as quickly as it had happened. Satoru didn’t take it to heart. Instead, he followed the young boy into the bedroom. He stopped by the doorway, leaning against the wall as he watched Megumi fuss around with his own things. The kid waddled over towards futon and It immediately became obvious to Satoru that Megumi was stalling.
“Megumi.” Satoru hummed.
Megumi let out a little grumble but he kept his attention to the pillow he was fluffing up. Satoru felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards.
“Megumi.” Satoru repeated, his tone a little firmer.
Megumi lifted his head this time and Satoru couldn’t stop himself from chuckling.
“Tell me what’s wrong buddy.” Satoru crouched down until his knees were bumping into his chest. He spread his arms and gestured for Megumi to come forward with a twitch of his fingers. Megumi reluctantly walked into Satoru’s outstretched arms, standing as stiff as a board. Satoru paid it no mind and wrapped his long arms around Megumi, pulling him closer until he was pressed into his chest.
It stayed quiet for a minute or two before Megumi decided to speak up.
“Woke up and you and nee-chan were gone.” Megumi mumbled.
Satoru’s heart swelled. Megumi rarely got clingy and even if he did, he was only clingy towards his sister. So maybe Satoru was going to milk the situation a little but who could blame him?
“Yeah?” Satoru hummed and reached up to pet the back of Megumi’s head, “I was at work ‘nd Miki’s at school.” Even with that explanation, Megumi didn’t seem content as he pushed himself closer into Satoru’s arms, lifting up his own arms so that he could wrap them around Satoru’s neck.
“Couldn’t wait ‘till Miki-chan got home?” Satoru asked. Megumi shook his head.
“Wanted you to come home.” Megumi said.
Yeah, Satoru might just die right now.
Satoru shifted a little and Megumi’s grip around his neck tightened. Alright, Satoru thought to himself. Megumi isn’t going to be letting go anytime soon. Satoru moved his hand down to cup Megumi’s butt so that he could lift the kid along as he rose to his full height. Megumi didn’t say anything and stuffed his face into Satoru’s shoulder.
“Did you miss me?” Satoru asked quietly. He maneuvered his way into the bedroom and laid on the tatami mat, flat on his back. Megumi didn’t pull away and chose to rest on Satoru. God, Satoru wanted to snap a picture because there was no way that he was ever going to let himself forget this moment.
“Maybe.”
Satoru chuckled but didn’t press further. He wrapped his arms around Megumi and turned to lay on his side. Megumi curled up into Satoru’s chest, his own little knees pulled up close.
“You’re like a little bug.” Satoru mumbled. He reached down and swiped Megumi’s bangs away from his forehead. The kid grumbled and tried to shake the hand away. “A tiny, clingy little bug.”
The two stayed like that, curled into each other comfortably. It wasn’t long before Megumi fell asleep, the tiny crease between his eyebrows easing up until his face relaxed completely. Satoru watched a little while longer before he himself fell asleep. The two only awoke hours later to the sound of Tsumiki’s voice.
“Hey! Let me join!”