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.
And you sit there with Utahime with silent, small tears. You know it isn't the end of the family at all, you know they'll always come back when they get bored or need a free meal, but you'll just miss them.
"Having your kids but losing these ones has to be tough."
"I'll get over it," you laugh, "you really think I will have multiple kids?"
She shrugs with hesitance. "I'd be really, really surprised if you only had one."
Geto, Satoru, and Toji barge in the room without warning not a moment later, all shirtless and laughing and you feel inappropriate looking at them. "What's wrong, y/n?" Geto asks first, and Satoru pouts with the click of his tongue.
"Toji, this news will put you out of commission." you warn as Satoru pats your head.
"What?"
"Your son is moving out soon," you say, "he's drawing floor plans in the office." Toji goes completely rigid where he stands, and Satoru can't help but laugh. "And he got a little girlfriend."
Toji raised his brows quickly before looking away, then shuffled in the direction of the dining room.
"...I'm going to have a drink."
"Wife, listen to this!" your husband laughs quietly, then turns to the hallway leading to the kitchen. "Soon it's just going to be us and Toji!" Satoru calls after him.
Toji gives him the finger.
Another week goes by. Your belly is so large and heavy that Satoru holds it for you. He stands behind you, his shoulders caving your own. The both of you sway in the doorway in the porch as his huge hands hold up that weight on his own, and you can't help but lean your head against his shoulder while he hooks his chin over yours. It feels so good. You almost feel like you did eight months ago.
"She's heavy," he rasps, "how you do this all day, I'll never know."
You smile. "You'll notice I spend all my time sitting down."
"I do notice. Mako and Yuji dragging you around all day makes me nervous."
"Uta has replaced me in that aspect," you laugh, "her and Jun make me stay in."
"Speaking of her..."
"Uta?"
"What? No, I'll never willingly talk about her."
"Oh, so what about Jun?"
"He proposed?" you asked quietly.
The next morning, you sat with Jun at the bay of the pond. The sun beat down on you, summer heat making her face even more flushed than it already was. She did not reply then, only nodded with a tearful smile as your hand covered your mouth. There was a smile behind it of course, but you could not help but cry too, as you looked at how purely happy she was. Haibara helped to heal her, he was perfect for her. She was perfect for him.
Dark hair swished behind Jun as her pearly white teeth shined in the gleam of the sun. Her smile was as genuine as you ever saw it. As if her mouth only spoke Haibara Yu's name. It was incredible to witness. She was so far gone over this man and with all the time you spent with her fiancé, you knew good and well that he loves her even more than she does.
"Jun!" Haibara came trotting down the field and the moment your lady heard her name out of his mouth, she sobbed harder and threw herself into your arms. "Oh, never mind, I'll leave you two alone!" You could sense the smile in his voice as your porch door closed once again.
On the ground, she held you tightly, but began laughing once you called her out for drooling on your shoulder. And then you both lay on the grass staring at the clouds. You were once again six years old, meeting Jun for the first time and having nothing to say, so you both chose to cloud gaze. You're once again fourteen, confessing your crush on Haru and hers on Naoya, you're both twenty laughing about Toji slipping in the snow, and you're twenty-three, dreading the coming day where she leaves you.
"It feels like the family is disbanding," she says quietly. You turn your head to look at her on the grass. "The kids are looking at land, Yuki and Choso are living together, Geto and Shoko have...whatever they've got going on."
"That came out of nowhere!" you laughed.
"Oh, you're telling me," Jun shot back, "she was smoking outside the other week and just said, Suguru's a good looking guy, right? I was thinking, what the hell is she talking like that for?!"
"You said yes, didn't you?"
"Of course I said yes. He's gorgeous," she rolled her eyes, "he's better looking than your husband."
"Oh, no he's not..." you chuckled.
"Gojo's a loser at heart. Maybe that's why I think so."
"A loser?"
"Yeah, he's just..." she trailed off, her hands waving around as she tried to come up with the words. "Kind of a dork, you know?"
"Nevermind. I know what you mean," you laugh to yourself, "the other day he asked me if a blind man could be a coachman."
Jun sighed. "He's something else." And then, with the twitch of her brow, she rolled over to face you. "Did you think me stupid?"
"For what?"
"Obsessing over Naoya for all those years?"
You shrugged on the ground, feeling the breeze across your nose as you looked at a cloud that strikingly resembled a peacock. "I did," you admit, "and after the one fight we had over it, I realized that he was your best option at the time. It would be exceedingly rare to find a man like Haibara in this world, but I am glad you did. He is not high born, but he makes up for it in charisma."
"He is the complete opposite of Naoya." she chuckled.
"Isn't it funny?" Your nose scrunches as you look at her. Jun, your oldest and greatest friend. Her eyes are halfway closed as a lovesick smile is etched across her face. "When will you be married?" You ask her quietly.
"I'd like to be in the spring," she says, but then frowns, "but...we talked about living together at his home by the ryokan."
"When?"
"This evening. He's eager to have me," Jun mumbles. You take a quiet breath. "I'm nervous to leave."
"We have never been without each other."
You both ignore the way your voice cracks.
"It won't be like the world is ending."
"But it is."
"No, it's not. The world does not end at twenty-three," she laughs dryly, before reaching over to thread her fingers through your own. "Just think of it this way: I won't be the one managing an inn, so I can come over as much as I want."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," she confirms. Her dark eyes burn into your own and you know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that this is the best possible thing that could've happened to this woman. "Neither you nor your husband is gonna be tough on that kid, so someone has to whip them into shape."
"Oh, and it's gonna be you?"
"Well who else would it be?"
The smile you share is one of child-like naivety but also of adulthood optimism. Jun has always been a constant for you. But, Haibara is her new constant, so you think you can live with only visits in the coming future.
"Honey! Are you done crying yet?"
Jun rolls her eyes playfully as you both sit up. She smiles over her shoulder as Haibara nears closer. You glare.
"Haibara-kun, I do not remember you asking for my blessing."
"But Gojo-senpai said it was okay--"
"She's kidding, Yu." Jun informs the worried man, who relaxes as he pulls her up by the hand. You wink at him. He smiles at you.
"I promise I'll take care of her, y/n," he says, his face more serious than you've ever seen it. Jun looks curiously at him and you nod your head once. "I will. I'll give her anything she wants."
You smile with the slight tilt of your head. "Well, lucky for you, Jun is not a demanding woman. Unlike myself," you quip. "And I trust you."
You knew you'd cry the moment you settled into your bedsheets. But Satoru was there for you. His breath fanned over your face while he murmured that it's all okay. One hand around your back and the other cradling your face into his chest, he listened to your saddened words about how they're all leaving, how you can't believe it's true, and how he can never leave you, either. But he was there.
Bare skin pressed against yours, wet kisses against your cheek and shoulder, you knew Satoru could not bear to be without you either. He's just as lovesick as you are.
"I love you," he says, "my beautiful girl, come here."
He holds you through the night, and he holds you through the day. He holds you in the summer heat, lightly tracing the bridge of your nose and brushing hair from your face. He helps you in the beginning of July, when you're sweaty and about to burst out a child, to see the beginning works of the teenager's new house.
Satoru holds your hand tighter when Yuji herds you to see every corner, spewing out fun facts about each room and every nook that Nanami and Toji had helped them create.
"This is going to be Fushiguro's personal library," he points excitedly to the small wood-lined room. Toji stood in there, quietly looking around with his hands on his hips. He looked sad. "And this is gonna be my indoor rice farm!"
"Oh," you laughed with a small nod, "I think you might have to move this outside."
"Who says you can't grow rice inside?"
"You can, but it won't taste good." Nanami says as he walks by. Yuji pouts and runs after him, followed by Maki and Mai fighting about something you cannot make out.
"Are you alright?" you turn slightly to find Satoru standing against a wooden beam. He's sweaty, as he's been helping out with the building process with the other men lately. But he walks over to you, his feet creaking the wood beneath him.
"I'm going to miss them."
"I know," then he's standing next to you by the opening which is supposed to be a window. You both watch the teenagers make their way down to the bay of the river, which is still a considerable amount away. Choso, Nanami and Geto follow behind them, as do Haibara and Jun with excitement. "They'll come back sometime. I know they will."
Your head rests against his shoulder as you sigh. "We'll have to bring the children out to see them. They've got a good amount of land here."
"Duh. Yuji would kill us if we didn't."
"We're all alone now."
"Isn't it great?" Satoru beams. "I get you all to myself now."
"Satoru, you always had me," you roll your eyes playfully. "Now all we have with us is Toji."
"I'll leech off you assholes for as long as I can." he grumbles in the other room.
"He'll find a way to be closer to Megumi, still." you say. Satoru agrees with the nod of his head.
"Any dad would. My kids won't leave me until I say so."
"I can't wait to see you as a dad."
Satoru holds you close again that night, together in bed, sighing peacefully. The estate is quieter than usual since the kids are tired from their efforts, but neither of you mind. All you hear is Satoru's quiet breathing from behind you and his heartbeat against your back. You love him so much, you can't even think straight.
--
You're watching Satoru try and make breakfast in the beginning of July.
Him and Toji stand in front of the stove in the back kitchens because Satoru just wanted to see if he could be a master chef, among other things. Your chin sits in your palm, smiling quietly at the two of them arguing over the amount of flour burning on the skillet in his attempt to make breakfast cakes.
"I got it, relax," Satoru groans, "go help your son build his house instead of bothering me."
"It's done, they just have to get all their shit inside."
"Language! My children are near."
Toji glares from his peripheral. "I spoke that way around Megumi and he turned out alright."
Satoru immediately turned around to face you with a wide-eyed expression, pursed lips on full display before Toji smacks the back of his head with a grumble. You only raise your brows once and turn your head.
"Absolutely, what a ball of sunshine." you tease.
"Hey, y/n! These look good, don't they?" Satoru grins over his shoulder at you expectantly, and you stand up slowly with a quiet huff (ignoring the way your husband grimaces). "Actually, you stay there, I'll bring these to you when they're done...do they look done to you?" Satoru mumbled in Toji's direction, who no doubt shrugs his shoulders, but you're still trudging over to the cooktop.
"Sit down, woman!" Toji says hurriedly once he sees you walking over, but you wave him away as you stand next to Satoru. "Man, you're pregnant as fuck."
Satoru snorts as you give Toji a very annoyed look. Annoyed because you are. You are exceptionally angry at anything besides the thought of pushing this child out. Nothing is funny. In fact, you're so pregnant that you cannot walk down the hallway without being short of breath.
"Look!" Satoru points to the small circular breakfast cakes sitting on the skillet with his spatula and with absolutely no surprise to anyone, they are perfect.
"Why are you so good at everything?" you sigh.
"Satoru the great! I told you!" he smiles again, bumping your shoulder with his own. He shoos you away with the promise of servitude. Yet as you take the first step back to your seat, you feel a pop and liquid begins to trickle down your leg in heaps.
"You pissin' on the floor?"
"Go to hell!" you shout, and Satoru then turns to see you flushed down to scarlet hues, standing still in a puddle of pale yellow water.
"Well, it's yellow." Toji shoots back.
"Honey, you couldn't make it to the bathroom?"
"It isn't piss, you dolt!" you screech at him like a madwoman. When you're mad, that's your favorite insult to throw at him. Satoru's eyes turn to confusion. Surely he would've smelled the smell by now. "I'm about to go into labor. Silence!"
Man, you had a mouth when you needed it. Definitely a Zen'in woman.
Satoru exhales quickly, abandoning his breakfast cakes and rushing over to you who is madder than a wet hornet's nest.
"Get away from me," you spit out as you hobble away and damn it, Satoru just thinks you're the most adorable thing on this earth. "I'm serious!" You yell.
"I know, I know," he says. He takes your hand, "we'll send word for Shoko. You remember what she said if this happened while she was away?"
"No. Do you?"
"Yes," Satoru tells you quietly. "I'll help you settle for now."
And suddenly Satoru feels his face getting hot. He tells a servant in passing to retrieve Shoko but as he's helping you walk into the estate's small infirmary, he feels the overwhelming feeling of holy shit, I'm about to be a dad. But you're grunting and sweating already as you walk beside him, your teeth bared through your breathing.
"Sorry I was mean." you say, still angrily.
"Nope, don't be sorry," Satoru says through his worry. Then with a lilt to his voice so small that you barely caught it, he says, "don't ever apologize to me, okasan."