Chapter Text
Megumi grew up with Utahime as a constant force in his life. When the white-haired crass teenager came to pick him and his sister Tsumiki from the room they were living in, Utahime had been there.
When Utahime was still living in Tokyo, she would always drop in to check on the children to see how they were settling in their new home. "I don't have confidence in you raising kids, Gojo." Megumi heard her and Gojo in their usual squabble. "And why not, I am the strongest after all," Gojo would proudly retort. "Gojo, you are a man-child, you are only taller than these children but you're not any better." Utahime would huff and puff while she fussed on the children's laundry in Gojo's apartment. Megumi saw Utahime and recalled a distant memory of what made a mother. Sometimes the image of Utahime in her hakama and kosode looked like those pictures in his school textbooks of a mother. Gojo squabbling with Utahime over the smallest and most mundane things in their apartment reminded Megumi of the drama he saw on TV of married couples picking on each other while doing housework together.
It had been a year since they settled in and Megumi and Tsumiki were to transfer to another elementary school. Gojo had miraculously (dubiously) produced papers documenting the children as his ward and was able to get the children to enroll in a loftier school.
Tsumiki was calm as her usual self, quiet but confident. Megumi on the other hand was bursting with anxious energy that he could not express other than scowl more and more the closer they got to the first day of school. Utahime couldn't visit as often since she was on missions but promised to bring the children to school with Gojo.
Megumi was sweating in his blazer profusely; he couldn't stop himself from fidgeting until Utahime held his hand to soothe him. The children both insisted on coming to school by train instead of being chauffeured as wanted by Gojo initially, so the four of them took the train to their new school. There were some looks from passersby, a young couple with kids is what they appeared to everyone else. From the station to the school was short walk, Gojo continued to babble on things in between eating a sweet pastry he found from the train station. Megumi held on Utahime's hand all the way to the new school.
"My, there you are Megumi and Tsumiki!" The principal of the elementary school, a kindly middle-aged woman, welcomed as they approach the gates. She couldn't miss them because Gojo stood out from the crowd and the principal remembered the barely past teen enrolling two children in the school. The parents of other students looked at the young couple bringing in their children, with the black-haired woman sweetly holding the hand of her black-haired boy.
"Ah, yes, principal. These are my little rascals Tsumiki and Megumi." Gojo introduced the children and nudged each other forward as he mentioned their names, Megumi refused to let go of Utahime. "And this is Utahime." Gojo added belatedly. The principal kept smiling but there was a very little register of confusion in her face, a mother perhaps?
"This is a nice school; I might like it here." Tsumiki declared and tugged at Megumi who kept quiet.
"Yes, good morning principal. Please take good care of the children, Megumi may come off a little shy since everything has been a new environment for both of them." Utahime said softly, putting her free hand on Megumi's shoulder for assurance.
Megumi knew the teacher was eyeing Utahime curiously, he knew because Utahime was not with them when they visited the school and did the interview with the principal. "Mom, are you going to pick us up later after school?" he asked as he looked up to Utahime. She was a little surprised by what Megumi called her but kept her composure, "Of course, Satoru and I will pick you up later after school." She smiled kindly.
"Cool! Mom will pick us up, too!" Tsumiki joined.
Gojo just knowingly smirked at the side as the situation unfolded, feeling things in his stomach he couldn't yet explain. "Oh right, principal. She's the mom of these little monsters. Sorry, I forgot to tell you that." He added and laughed in his usual annoying way. "Well, the dad and the mom have got to go, my little children enjoy your school and see you later!" Gojo said as he stepped to leave the school gates.
"Well, I have to go. Enjoy your new school, okay? I will see you later." She kneeled to hug Tsumiki and Megumi.
"Thanks for bringing me to school, Mom " Megumi stopped. "I mean... Uta..." Utahime cut him off. She whispered in his ear, "you can call me Mom when you want to."