Chapter Text
Yuji woke up with his head on Megumi's shoulder. They'd both fallen asleep while watching the movie apparently, the computer was still open and sitting on Megumi's lap, although the screen was now dark, showing the reflection of Megumi and Yuji.
They looked comfortable together, Yuji leaning on Megumi and Megumi leaning on him, as though they were supporting each other. Yuji smiled as he realized, for the first time somehow, that Megumi trusted him enough to where he let him touch him, even while asleep.
Megumi never really liked touch, especially not after a few certain childhood events, so to be able to be in his space was everything to Yuji- it meant Megumi trusted him, wanted him in his space.
For some reason that made Yuji grin even wider, his heart light in his chest; it made him wonder what else he could do around Megumi that others couldn't.
Megumi was never really one for sharing food; yet he would always let Yuji steal his food even as he was batting away Nobara's hand, who was reaching out for the same purpose. He never really liked hugs, yet he let Yuji tackle him. He hated when people played with his dogs and yet he let Yuji cuddle and pet them as much as he wanted whenever they were able to visit his house. And, a very obvious one, he never ever did other people's homework, and yet he had done Yuji’s without him even asking.
It made Yuji unreasonably happy to think of all the things he could do with Megumi that others couldn't. It made his stomach feel all fluttery, it made him feel lightheaded like he was up in the clouds and it made him want to kiss Megumi so badly-
Wait.
Yuji blinked, dumbfounded by his own thought.
Kiss? Megumi? Kissing and Megumi. Kissing Megumi-
didn't sound horrible at all. In fact, it sounded really, really nice.
Yuji stares at his reflection in the computer with sleep blurred eyes, and a pounding heart, trying to make sense of his thoughts.
Wanting to kiss your best friend was normal, right? It was a very normal, valid thing and he was not freaking out about it. He totally was not freaking out and he was thinking normal thoughts about his best friend. He repeated the mantra again and again, because surely wanting to kiss your best friend, and wanting to hold him and wanting to go home to him after a long day and wanting him to always stay by his side and wanting to hear about his day everyday and wanting to cook for him was completely normal and totally platonic of him.
“Fuck,” he said aloud as he realized that he couldn't even convince himself that what he was feeling- a fluttery sense in his stomach and a lightness he couldn't explain in his chest- for Megumi was completely platonic.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he whispered, wanting to curl up into a ball but not wanting to disrupt Megumi even more.
How could he tell Megumi that he wanted to kiss him? That maybe he wanted more than that, that he maybe (definitely) wanted to be his boyfriend. He couldn't tell him but he also couldn't exist normally around him if he didn't tell him.
See, Yuji knew himself. He knew that despite how hard he would try, despite any effort he put into it, he would still be awkward around Megumi. He was a horrible liar after all (which was proven time and time again during his high school years.) and Megumi knew him the best; there was no possible way he could hide the fact that he wanted to be with Megumi.
Yuji groaned, wanting to stretch or run or something. He just needed to move, to do something so he could think. He couldn't be this close to Megumi and think like that; it felt disrespectful for some reason.
But he didn't want to get up and disturb Megumi; but sitting here, he was sinking into his own thoughts and he absolutely hated doing that. It made him feel so awful, as though he were drowning in a sea of his own thoughts. It sucked.
Sighing internally, Yuji decided to suck it up and make a decision. Slowly lifting his head off of Megumi's shoulder, he hardly dared to even breathe, sighing with relief when he successfully managed to detangle himself without waking the other boy up.
How he managed to sleep through all of it, Yuji had no idea. Megumi was usually a light sleeper; Yuji supposed it was good he was finally getting the sleep he needed. Megumi hardly even slept, and it worried Yuji although he supposed that would make him a hypocrite; he, himself, did not have a very good sleep schedule.
Finally able to tumble off the bed without pulling Megumi off with him, he slid off the floor in a heap of blankets and flailing limbs. Struggling to stand up, he tried his best to be quiet so as to not wake Megumi. He tip-toed around, trying to remember where the hell he put his phone.
Finally finding it under a take-away bag sitting on their shared nightstand, he pocketed it before heading toward the door, so so unbelievably glad that Megumi hadn't woken u-
“Yuji?” Came a quiet, sleep slurred voice that belonged to no one other than Megumi. “Where are you going?”
“Oh, um,” Yuji said eloquently, clasping the back of his neck as a new found bundle of nervousness found its way to the pit of his stomach. “Laundry, you know.”
And with that, awful, awful interaction out of the way, Yuji ran out the door, practically slamming it behind him.
I'm an idiot, he thought miserably as he walked as fast as he could down their dorm hall, trying to get somewhere where he could breathe properly, think properly.
Finding his usual secluded spot hidden by the broken vending machine that worked so well his first year, but was now beaten up and didn't accept any money or dispense any food. It was truly disappointing, but right next to it was a bench that hardly anybody ever sat at, and was set down directly in the sunlight.
Yuji sat down, pulling out his phone because he knew he had to call someone so he could yell at them about his stupid feelings that made him feel in stupid ways. He scrolled through his contacts, gnawing at his lip.
Normally, he would call Megumi. That's who he generally defaulted to. He was a comforting presence, one that calmed Yuji. But right now though, Yuji couldn't call him because the problem he was talking about fully revolved around him.
Yuji groaned, head in his hands as he realized that he would have to call Nobara since he was in no way willing to talk about his personal love (lack of love?) life to Coach Gojo or Professor Geto. Especially since Megumi was practically their child.
Taking a deep breath, he pressed the call icon next to Nobara's contact name, hoping for his own life that she was already awake.
Thankfully, she answered on the second ring, and Yuji felt just a little bit lighter.
“This better be good, Pinky,” Nobara grouched, and before she could say anything else, Yuji was already interrupting her-
“Is it normal to want to kiss your best friend?” Yuji asked, almost shouting as he finally got the words out.
“Excuse me?” Nobara asked, “I have a girlfriend and am very much NO-”
“No, no, no,” Yuji said, tripping over his words as he tried to correct her. “This is not about you at all. It's about Megumi.”
“Well, I'm shocked,” Nobara said in a tone that in no way indicated she was shocked.
“I think I have a crush on Megumi.”
Silence.
And then, quietly in the tinny sound of the phone’s receiver, he heard a very distinctive sound.
“Are you laughing at me?” Yuji asked, already kind of wishing he hadn't called her.
“Yes, I am, you absolute dumbass,” Nobara said after finally recovering from her laughing fit. “Did you just now realize you liked him?”
“I just now realized I liked guys,” Yuji said, a whole new wave of emotions washing over him as he realized.
There was a different kind of silence this time, more shocked and understanding than the laughing mockery of last time.
“Okay, so,” Nobara said slowly, “how that's new information to you, I'm not sure. But I've known for ages.”
“What?” Yuji asked, “how the hell did you know before I knew? And why didn't you tell me?”
There was more laughter on the other line before Nobara pulled herself back together again.
“Sorry, sorry,” she giggled, “this is just unexpected.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Yuji grumbled. “Apparently not that unexpected.”
“Yuji,” Nobara said, exasperated. “Literally yesterday you said, and I quote, ‘Yuzur Hanyu is hot as fuck.’ And, I hate to break it to you, but no straight man would ever be caught dead saying those words aloud.”
Yuji felt his cheeks warm up, a pink blush quickly spreading onto his cheeks. Okay, so maybe he had said that, but in his defense, Yuzuru Hanyu really was extremely attractive.
“Okay so you might have a point there,” Yuji said, slouching against the wall now. “But how did you know I like Megumi?”
“Oh my god, Yuji,” Nobara groaned, “how could anyone not know? You literally hang out with him every single day, and stare at him every chance you get. You literally make excuses so you can hang out with him more than you already do. That is quite literally exactly what I did with Maki before we got together.”
There was silence as Yuji realized that, yeah, he did do exactly that.
“Yeah, but,” Yuji grouched, frowning at his phone. “How did you guys end up getting together?”
“We talked,” Nobara said and Yuji knew that if she were here in person she would be giving him a very pointed look. “Like the adults we are.”
“Nineteen should NOT count as adulthood,” Yuji complained.
“Yeah well, sucks to suck,” Nobara said, “now I've gotta book it if I want to make it to class in time.”
“But, Nobara,” Yuji said, suddenly desperate, “what do I do?”
Nobara sighed, and Yuji knew that she was taking a long sip of her coffee before answering.
“You know what Yuji, I have no idea. Take him out somewhere, confess your feelings under the stars. Do what you want to do,” Nobara said, “but trust me. You don't have much to worry about.”
“What is that supposed to mean,” Yuji intoned, trying to without avail to keep Nobara on the phone longer.
“I promised I wouldn't tell but please,” Nobara said, “use whatever brain cells you have and peace it together before I go crazy watching you try and figure it out.”
With that she hung up, and Yuji wondered if he had even gained anything from that conversation. Oh well. He liked talking to Nobara, even if she attacked him relentlessly; besides she had helped him calm down, even if she had confused the hell out of him too.
Picking himself, he headed toward the track. He needed a place to think.
After all, plans didn't tend to make themselves.