Goodwill Event - Tumblr Posts
The Question of Heirs - Noritoshi Kamo
A small drabble as part of Obeisance to The Arrow, can be read on its own though
[Noritoshi brings up the topic of children while suffering from brain damage, post the Goodwill Event]
[tw: discussions on pregnancy and childbirth, infertility, mentions of infidelity, child marriage]
Being in Jujutsu High gives you an illusion of independence. When you spend your whole day trying to best Maki in sparring, not much thought goes into what the future holds. Especially when the future is as constricting as yours and Noritoshi’s.
“Do you want children?” He asks. You two are watching the sunset out of a classroom window. After the first day of the Goodwill Event, Noritoshi is terribly injured. He’s suffered major head injuries, including a few cracks in his cranium. He’s expected to make a full recovery in a few days, thankfully. It still breaks your heart to see him bandaged up like that. Was it the shock of the disaster with the special-grade curse, or the concussion speaking? Why was he talking about children right now?
“It doesn’t matter what I want.” You shake your head. “We’ll have to have some. I think I’ll push out, like three or four, and then just leave”.
Noritoshi laughs. “Three or four? Do you think it’s so easy to just have kids?” Yup, he’s definitely not fully fixed up there. You humour him anyway.
“No, I mean, I don’t have to be in their lives for long, you know? I know my role. They’re for the Kamo Clan, they’ll be more your children really. I just have to give birth and raise them past toddlerhood.” You shrug. “Besides, I do want the best for the Clan too. And you. The more children we have, the higher is the possibility that one will inherit Blood Manipulation.”
“Hmm” and you two sit in silence for a bit.
Till he breaks it: “You don’t have to.”
“What don’t I have to?”
“Have children if you don’t want to.”
You raise an eyebrow at him. Was he mocking you?
“No, really, you don’t have to. Producing an heir is my job, not necessarily yours. Pardon me– I'm being very direct– but we can say you’re infertile and, if you are okay with it, I can have a few children out of marriage. It’s not uncommon.”
From anyone else, you would have interpreted it as a threat - bear my children or I’ll have you replaced by a mistress. But you get what Noritoshi’s saying. Knowing him, he will take care of you, children or no children. He’s offering a painless way out with no conditions; you don’t have to go through pregnancy and childbirth if you don’t want to.
My life is so weird. My actual husband is offering to keep mistresses to keep me happy. You crack a smile, it’s too funny. This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.
“We don’t have to think about it now anyway.” You drop your head on his shoulder.