beautiful one, sharer of my longing

41: Just us and Toji

Summertime comes with heat. It's the middle of May. And you watch from the sitting room as Satoru trains the kids once more. Well, he tries. Yuta and Maki both turn 18 while Yuji turns 16, and they think that they can overtake Satoru with no issue whatsoever. Well, they try.

Satoru's filling out his muscles again, he receives a new family katana from the blacksmith this month, and his smile is much wider than it had been as of late. You think it's because there is no more lingering coolness from the spring. You think he's never going to like being cold again. When Satoru makes them all mad from knocking them on the grass again, he keeps fighting with Geto with a grin that you can see all the way from here.

Yuji, Nobara, Maki and Megumi come in sweating and cursing about your husband. But, when they see you and Utahime sitting inside with lemonade on the table, they shush and join you in the quiet.

"y/n-san, me and Fushiguro and the girls were talking about building our own place soon." Yuji announces, and you raise your brows with curiosity. Him and the two sweating teenagers are looking at you on the floor, almost expectantly (well, Maki is daring you to oppose her). With a smile at Utahime and a sip of lemonade, you humor them.

"The girls, as in Mai and Nobara?"

"Yep!" he confirmed.

"They're out looking at land today by the river with Okkotsu," Megumi added, "plus, I think Itadori wants to move out so he can bring Ozawa over."

"Shut up, Fushiguro!" Yuji slams his glass on the table and also slams his arm against Megumi's head, making the both of them roll around on the floor in a ball of slapping and cursing. Maki rolls her eyes before looking at you.

"Who's Ozawa?"

"Ozawa Yuko, she lives down by the shrine," she says, "Megumi got himself a girlfriend, too."

"She is not my girlfriend, Maki!" Megumi shouts once he lets go of Yuji, stomping deeper inside the house and probably into his room.

"I don't think living together is the best idea." Utahime pales.

"Why?"

"You're gonna rip each other's heads off." you finish for her.

"Well, if all else fails, Yuki and Choso can separate them." Utahime responds. You nod in acknowledgment. Yuki and Choso bought a little place by the river not that long ago, but they still come by pretty often.

"I mean, it's not like we're gonna do it right this second," Maki says as she stands up, "we still gotta meet your kid and all."

You look at Yuji and Maki standing side by side. Maki cut her hair and earned a few burn marks from the war, but she's still gorgeous. Yuji got taller and larger in stature, with scars across his face. He lost his pinky, too, but he still has that same Yuji smile he always had. You realize that they are getting older, and thus...they won't need caretakers anymore. You look at them and smile sadly.

"You don't need to wait for me," you tell them softly. Utahime notices the redness covering your face and the gentle, sad smile that accompanies it. "If you want to get out there, just go. And if you hate it, you can always come back." In the quiet, Yuji looks at you with a strained smile.

"But I want to see her first." He lightly gestures to you, and you know exactly what he means.

"I've still got around a month, Yuji," you chuckle, "go draw up some floor plans and talk to your Nanamin about helping you build it. Satoru, too. He needs to get off the estate."

"Nanamin knows how to do everything!" he says back, "come on, Maki! I need to show you my special fishing dock! And my indoor rice farm!" Maki shouts a few choice words as Yuji pulls her quickly out of the room and into Satoru's office, probably for some papers. This, of course, entertains the rest of the prospecting homeowners for the rest of the night.