Chapter Text
Megumi did not lust.
He did not pine. He was the heir to the Fushiguro throne, destined to rule harshly, akin to the rulers that predecessed him. Megumi simply would not allow himself to fall for any individual that was not his future wife. His queen.
So when a knight stumbled and fell into his life, Megumi vehemently denied his attraction to him. Even if this knight was abundantly handsome, irritating in an endearing way, and again, abundantly handsome, Megumi would resist his urges. For the throne.
Occasionally, Megumi did give into said urges, and search for information about the knight. He found the knight's name (Itadori Yuuji), age, past relationships, family, so on and so forth.
Megumi had many reasons as to why it would not be sensible to be with Itadori. First of all, Itadori was a man. Secondly, he was a knight. Third, Itadori came from a family with no royal background. Did Megumi have to name any more reasons? He could ramble on and on, surely. He has done, in fact, to his royal advisor, Gojo.
Currently, Megumi is ranting as to why he cannot stand the knight (who Megumi shall not name, as Gojo would surely find situations to put them in. Close, intimate situations.)
"And- And then he just looked at me! Can you believe it? He- He looked at me, after I had fallen into the fountain! He didn't say anything! Just looked at me! The other knights had to help me get out of the water!"
Megumi does not usually speak with such informalities, but with Gojo, and the situation at hand, he feels it to be more than necessary.
The prince scowls as the royal advisor, someone who should surely be more nervous around a member of authority, merely laughs, nay, cackles in his face.
"Y-You- You fell-" Another fit starts from the white-haired man. Megumi's scowl deepens, before a knock echoes through the room.
Gojo immediately sobers up, his posture straightening and face turning into the kindly yet intimidating expression he dons daily. He spares a glance towards Megumi, who nods in favour of the person who knocked entering the room.
"Enter!" Gojo shouts, with as much authority he can muster.
Megumi's heart immediately drops as he sees the pink-haired man enter the room. How dare Itadori not wear his armet when entering a room with the prince inside.
"What is the reason for your presence?" He drawls, watching Itadori flush for some unknown reason.
"Well- I just- I did notice that you fell into the fountain earlier this evening- And- And I just was asked by the other knights to- to check up. On you."
The prince does not realise that Gojo starts to slowly find out that this stuttering knight is the man that Megumi has been speaking about for so long. It is quite obvious, as Gojo watches Megumi's reactions to Itadori. Megumi blushing profusely, even if he tries to hide it with a 'nonchalant' posture, and Megumi's subtle glances up and down Itadori's frame, even though the knight is wearing metal armour.
Megumi's ears ring as he watches Itadori stumble over his words. He even allows Gojo to start speaking without a glance in his direction.
"Prince Fushiguro is doing quite well after the tumble, I must say." The blue-eyed man begins. Megumi watches Gojo grin as he watches Itadori's gaze travel from the prince to the royal advisor.
"May I ask what your name is, and why the other guards asked for your presence?" Gojo asks innocently, resting his chin on his hand.
The knight straightens up, grip on his armet tightening. "My name is Itadori Yuuji, sir. I must say I do not know why they requested my presence instead of taking the responsibility themself."
Gojo merely hums, seemingly lost in his own thoughts, piercing eyes flicking from the black-haired man to the pink-haired man.
Megumi finally takes the opportunity to speak, clearing his throat with only a minute blush on his face. "Thank you, Itadori, for asking. As the royal advisor has said, I am perfectly fine now. You are dismissed."
When Megumi hears Itadori's footsteps start to disappear, he braces himself for the inevitable attack.
"THAT'S YOUR-"
Gojo starts, but Megumi stands up and walks out of the room to head to his own private chambers. Of course, Gojo bothers him along the way, but Megumi has learnt that Gojo does not discuss private matters when out and about in the castle. He appreciates the advisor greatly for that.
────────
The next time Megumi finds Itadori, it is not accompanied with an embarrassing royal advisor, thank the Gods.
The prince finds Itadori standing guard by the gardens, a place rarely visited by any royal other than Megumi. He notices the knight by the pink strands of hair dangling in front of his eyes, visible even through the holes of his helmet. Megumi thinks to himself that he pays too much attention to Itadori.
"Be cautious, the fountain in the garden is quite large." Itadori says, and Megumi can hear the irritating giggle that would erupt from the man if Megumi was not the prince.
"You forget yourself, Itadori."
"All I'm doing is warning you, it is my duty as a knight."
"That's it? That's all you're doing?"
"Indeed. Whatever else would I be doing?" A smile easily comes to Itadori's face as he tilts his head, at ease even in the presence of an heir. Megumi knows that the smirk would tug at the scar at the corner of Itadori's lips- and Megumi wants to know where Itadori gained the scar from. The records, sadly, left that detail out. Does it hurt? Does he like it to be kissed? Could Megumi do more than kiss it?
Realising that he has been staring at Itadori for far too long without speaking, Megumi clears his throat, sending a side glance, almost a warning, almost a tease, as he enters the garden.
"Well, if you so wish to warn me, you may accompany me on my walk throughout the garden. So that I do not stumble, certainly."
He senses Itadori flounder before nodding exaggeratedly, the metal of the helmet clinking with his chestplace. Megumi flinches slightly at the loud noise, before moving into the garden without another word. He would not normally be this forward, especially with a man he knows he cannot have, but Itadori is.. special. In some strange way.
Megumi brushes his hand against the petal of a beautiful flower, a pink peony, he mentally logs. The prince hears the helmet come off before he sees it, almost dreading turning around to look at Itadori's face.
"What flower is that?" Itadori asks, leaning in far too close to Megumi's hand to stare at the floret. His breath brushes against his skin, and Megumi pulls his hand away with a discreet shiver.
"A peony." Megumi murmurs, tilting his head.
The knight hums, standing up straight once more, almost as if remembering who he's with. Itadori follows as Megumi strays away from the bush of peonies, starting to talk mindlessly about some of the other guards from the palace to fill the silence. Megumi does not feel the need to absorb Itadori's words, he just enjoys the way words seem to drip from the knight's mouth like honey.
Megumi seems to only be paying attention to Itadori's voice, since he doesn't realise when he starts to approach the fountain. Itadori places a hand on the prince's lower back, teasingly guiding Megumi away from the sculpture. The prince bites his lower lip, before scowling back at Itadori.
"Is there a need for me to be guided away from it? I am not a child, I hope you realise. The fall was a blunder that has only occured once in my life." Megumi forces the words out of his lips, to seem reluctant about the hand on his back. He blatantly fails at resisting to push into the hand on his back.
"We don't want to make the same mistake again, do we?"
Itadori smiles, his thumb rubbing small circles into his clothed skin. Megumi just now begins to realise how much of Itadori's armour Itadori seems to forgo. First the armet, then his gauntlets? What next, his chestplate?
Megumi sighs through his nose irritatedly, scowling as he ceases to audibly protest against the hand on his back. "I shall walk back to my chambers. Do not escort me."
Of course, Itadori ignores Megumi, walking with him to his private chambers. "But Prince Fushiguro, however shall I fufill my duty of protecting the royalty of this palace if I do not make sure that you are protected on a long and treacherous walk?"
Itadori conjures many similar excuses as to why he should be able to accompany Megumi to his chambers, all of which are completely invalid. Megumi, strangely, allows the knight to humour him with such strange excuses.
When the pair halt in front of Megumi's bed chambers, the prince clears his throat, leaning against the door in an unprincely manner.
"Thank you for escorting me, even if it was completely unnecessary." Megumi murmurs, hand resting on the handle of his door.
Itadori grins, dipping his head in appreciation. "It is only my duty, Your Royal Highness."
The prince hums, looking Itadori down up and down once more. He hopes that it seems to be that Megumi is appraising Itadori rather than anything.. carnal. "I shall see you around, I suppose."
With that, Megumi turns and closes the door to his chambers. He resists the strong temptation to turn around and open the doors, perhaps invite Itadori in, and perhaps-
No. He must shut down the thought before it crosses his mind. Megumi reminds himself that a beautiful queen awaits him very soon. He is already due to be engaged to some princess in a neighbouring state, unmarried due to his peculiar familial tradition. Even still, Itadori would be off-limits anyways.
The prince sighs through his nose, closing the door to his bedroom as if closing his mind off to Itadori.