Chapter Text
Itadori had been back for nearly a week now, and Fushiguro still wasn’t used to it. Nobara seemed to have adapted much quickly, back to insulting the pink-haired boy ruthlessly and beating him in about every Nintendo game available under the sun, and Fushiguro didn’t get it.
Was it because she didn’t have a huge crush on him? Who couldn’t like Itadori? Was Nobara lesbian?
Fushiguro shooed the thought away immediately with a little mental scoff but his mind latched onto the thought. She certainly behaved differently around Maki Senpai, and talked about her different too.
Hmm. Maybe he’d have to hold some experiments of his own, but for now? He’d focus on his own predicament.
“Megumiiiiii!” Yuji drew out, giving the quieter-boy a shoulder punch. “You’ve been so quiet! See something while fighting those curses?”
They were currently walking back from yet another mission- just an abandoned school brewing miserable emotions and raising pesky curses. They’d been dispatched to exorcise them all, and they did. Yuji took the top two floors, Megumi the middle two, and Nobara the lowest pair.
“Hm-? Oh, no, Yuji.”
“Alright,” Yuji said suspiciously, eyes catching the setting sun and almost making Megumi’s own pair soften before he caught himself- preventing him from positively melting on the spot.
“Seriously, Yuji. I’m all good. Anyways, tell me about that story you mentioned earlier?”
He took no opportunity to turn down that chance, launching into his elaborate story on how he pranked Nobara.
Their destination was an older yet fine-quality ramen shop where Gojo would meet them at. Megumi used to go with him to the place, and he had to admit: it wasn’t half bad. They served the most delicious soba, though he wouldn’t entertain Gojo by letting him know his satisfaction.
Fushiguro realized he wasn’t listening to what his crush was saying and instead focused on his own train of thought. Yuji was in the middle of retelling his scheme, something having to do with shampoo.
For some reason, he felt his heart sink. He was jealous, maybe even envied, the two’s relationship. Constantly playing games, talking, texting, teasing, etc. Why didn’t they talk that much? Why did Megumi hardly contribute to their conversations?
Did Yuji like Nobara? Fushiguro felt suddenly panicky. Yuji never pranked Fushiguro, and he didn’t pester him as much as he did Nobara.
“Er- Megumi?” Yuji interrupted Megumi’s tangent. “What’s wrong? You got so sad all the sudden! Was it something I said? I’m sorry!”
“What? No! No, no,” Megumi inserted hastily, eyes widening. “No,” He repeated, “Don’t apologize. I’m not sad- well, maybe a little, but it’s not because of anything you said. Sorry, for interrupting your story.
Yuji immediately frowned, lip jutting out just slightly like it always did. “What’s making you upset? You can tell me, y’know? I won’t mind.”
Megumi almost gave in- when Yuji used that tone, it seriously did something to him, messing with his brain.
He shook his head instead with a small, reassuring smile. “I promise it’s alright. Promise,” He added more firmly when Yuji’s worryingly adorable sad face didn’t falter. “Hey, look, Tsuichi Ramen is right there,” Megumi said, pointing to the upcoming restaurant positioned on the side of the street.
Yuji looked over immediately and his eyebrows raised, looking at the hanging sign he couldn’t quite read yet from the distance, though Megumi remembered its familiarity from the plethora of times he’d visited.
Yuji turned to look back as if he wanted to push further with Megumi, but Nobara had caught up to them from her position far behind, skirt swaying as she ran. “Boys! Is that it? It better be good!”
“Yeah, it is,” Megumi answered, glad to see Yuji startled out of continuing his interrogation as Nobara clapped him on the shoulder. “I think Gojo will be meeting us there, too. He’d better be paying.”
“He better,” Nobara agreed in a slight snarl.
The trio continued to make their way down, now enveloped in a conversation featuring all of them, each contributing (even if Megumi didn’t like the way Yuji smirked at Nobara).
It was around 6:00, the sun sinking below the horizon like they’ve seen it every day, taking longer and longer to set as they got closer to summer.
They walked on the side of the road, pavement worn under their feet, due for a new paint-job or rebuilding.
Fushiguro tried his best to convince himself he wasn’t jealous of the girl in their group, telling himself that Yuji and Nobara were just friends- that even if they did like each other, it wasn’t any of his business and that Yuji could like whoever he wanted. The thought almost made Megumi nauseous- seriously, when did he get so invested in this?
Approaching the restaurant, they saw Gojo sitting on an outside bench resting against the glass door, crouched over on his phone with his forearms on his knees. He was also donned in his Jujutsu High uniform, looking over when he noticed his students coming over.
A smile was quick to spread on his face as he waved them over.
One thing Fushiguro could not deny about Gojo was that he seriously loved his students. He had no clue as to why he’d chosen the teaching career out of anything, with him being the strongest and all, but he was grateful for it. Sure, maybe he wasn’t the best suited to be an adoptive father, with his snarky and unserious demeanor, but he was a damn-good teacher who cared about his students.
You could see the love in his smile as he ran over, hair bouncing slightly over his blindfold. “Hey! Are you guys ready for some noodles? Megumi, you like the soba, yeah?” He said with a mischievous smirk, Yuji looking over curiously. “It’s the best,” Gojo added in a sing-song voice.
“Shut- shut up,” He scowled, feeling his face heat up. How’d Gojo find out he liked the soba here so much? It probably didn’t help that it was his order every time they came here.
Gojo barked a laugh and Yuji smirked faintly, not helping with the warmth in Megumi’s cheeks.
“So you like soba, hm? Warm or cold?” Yuji asked, walking in step with Megumi as they entered the shop.
“Warm,” Megumi muttered, adverting his eyes and fidgeting with the high collar of his uniform.
“Ohh, yeah? I like it warm too! Although I prefer temmpanyaki… though I guess that’s not a noodle dish, is it?” Yuji realized with a slight frown.
The corners of Megumi’s lips twitched.
“I didn’t know you liked soba so much!”
“Well… I honestly like anything with ginger, but I guess I kinda… have a sentimental feel for soba. Plus, it tastes good, and that’s all that matters. And it’s cheap,” He added quickly in response, regretting his first reason listed because Yuji’s smirk grew.
“Sentimental, eh? Didn’t take you as a feel-y kinda guy!” Yuji laughed, elbowing the other playfully in the ribs.
Megumi, with no way to recover from this, scowled and turned his head away, only causing Yuji to laugh aloud.
“It’s okay, I like sentimental things too,” Yuji said in a less ecstatic tone and more ground-level. “Like, my grandpa used to make me the greatest niku dango- hey, you said you liked stuff with ginger, yeah? I can teach you sometime, if you like! Niku dango has a lotta ginger so—”
“No, I know what it is,” Megumi interrupted. “But, uh… yeah, sure, if you want,” He continued, trying to appear less excited about the offer than he actually was.
“Great! Some night soon I'll show you.”
The pair were called out of their conversation and Gojo redirected their attention, making sure they caught up. A waitress guided them to a table where they got situated and sat down.
—————
Soon, they were back at the dorms, bellies full of hot broth and warm noodles, Yuji claiming the couch. He’d eaten more than Gojo and Megumi combined- seriously, how’d he stay so fit?
Megumi heard his friend call him, so he glanced over in the direction he’d heard his overly excited voice.
“Come sit down! Ya wanna watch a movie?” He asked with a friendly cock of his head, patting the empty space next to him on the couch. “Pretty sure Human Earthworm Three is up for streaming for free! We can get you all caught up in the trilogy, the fourth one is coming out in theatres next week!”
Usually Megumi would have dismissed the idea immediately, who’d want to watch someone so stupid-sounding as that?, but he found himself entertaining the thought before heading over to the couch to sit down next to him.
He tried to keep his distance- there was plenty of room on the couch and he didn’t want to get too close for two reasons:
He’d turn the color of a tomato and suddenly get all stammer-y,
And second, he didn’t want any chance of Yuji cozying up and falling asleep on Megumi, because that would be an utter disaster. He wouldn’t hear the end of it from Nobara, and Megumi didn’t know if he had the strength to shove a sleeping Yuji Itadori off himself.
Their shoulders ended up touching, and Megumi tensed immediately. Yuji seemed to notice, because he shifted and leaned against the armrest. “Have you seen any of the Human Earthworm movies?”
“No, but I understand the gist and plot of it.”
“Ah, alright. You fine if we start from number one?”
“Yeah, sounds good to me.”
Yuji grabbed the remote and clicked the right arrow button until finding the correct platform said movie was on.
The screen was black for a moment as it loaded then showed the screen, displaying some mad scientist cackling evilly in a lab, concocting some sort of bizarre serum to inject his human subject with.
The movie was stupider than Megumi thought it would be, but Yuji seemed to genuinely love it. Did he like cheesy movies like this one? It was pretty niche, so.
Luckily for him, he realized neither of them were actually really paying attention to the movie. Ten minutes in, Yuji was pulling at the hemming of the couch, tugging at a little black string keeping the stitching together.
“So… you seem different,” Yuji said, eyes on the cushions.
“Different how?”
“Just… nicer to me, I guess.”
“I haven’t been,” Megumi objected quickly.
Yuji turned his head and looked over with a shit-eating smirk. “You have.”
“You’re imagining things,” Megumi retorted, shifting.
“You smile more, and we’re on a first name basis,” Yuji pointed out with the same, stupid grin.
“That- that doesn’t mean anything,” The other choked out quickly. Had he really started smiling at Yuji?
“Okay,” Yuji said, raising his palms, “sure.”
“Sure?”
Yuji snorted and pulled into himself with a stifled laugh, eyes darting to Megumi and back to the couch.
“You’ve got a lot of nerve, y’know?”
“I know! It irritates you though, so I think I'll keep using it,” Yuji answered with a smug grin.
Megumi’s jaw nearly dropped, causing Yuji to burst out laughing.
“Megumi, your face!”
“The audacity,” Megumi scoffed though couldn’t help a smirk of his own. “Doing anything to piss me off, hm?”
“Yup!” Yuji agreed with shame, only a broad smile.
Megumi smirked and took the pillow next to him to smack the boy in the face.
“Hey!” Yuji protested with a gasp, taking his own pillow and returning the blow.
Soon enough, they were wrapped up in a pillow fight, Megumi grinning and even laughing against his own will. Human Earthworm One played in the background, completely forgotten by the two teenagers just being human for once.
Yuji, with his freak strength, accidentally ripped apart a pillow, causing a sudden explosion of feathers, stirred around the room from the activated fan.
Yuji stood in the center of the room, standing with his mouth wide open and covered in small, white feathers, blinking with the most guilty expression ever.
Before he could stop himself, Megumi burst out in laughter, wheezing and gripping the headboard of the couch.
“You could have killed me with that!” He accused, trying to keep down his laughter but his lungs simply wouldn’t allow it.
Nobara, hearing the commotion, came storming out of her room and her door flew open so hard it smacked into the wall. “What are you fools doing? It sounds like there’s two dying elephants out here!” She criticized, stomping into the living room then positively freezing.
The two stared as her eyes scanned the room, taking in still falling feathers; scattering the room in fluffy foliage, a destroyed pillow; its seams torn apart, two guilty classmates who both sat positioned on the floor, and a cheesy movie playing in the background; filling up the awkward silence.
Megumi had long since dropped his weapon while Yuji still clutched his empty sack that used to be a source of comfort.
“What happened?” Was all Nobara could make out. “You’ve destroyed the living room… I'M NOT PAYING.”
“No we haven’t!” Yuji exclaimed, looking around after quickly standing up. “Okay… maybe a little bit, but it was just one pillow! Plus… the couch has been practically disassembled… but other than that- and the lamp,” Yuji sighed, bowing his head and glancing sideways at the knocked-over tall lamp which had gotten in the way of their destruction.
Megumi not-so-discreetly shuffled over and grabbed it by the pole and stood it up, making sure it was steady before stepping back.
Yuji caught his eyes and smirked, resulting in Megumi quickly looking away and crossing his arms.
Nobara let out a sigh that indicated she was suffering deeply. “Itadori! Clean up all of those feathers. Fushiguro, you’re coming with me.”
“O! Good luck, Megumi!” Yuji exclaimed, waving goodbye with the same-old enthusiasm he always carried, meanwhile Megumi himself has about the same amount of excitement one would when walking to their own funeral.
Nobara caught him by the wrist and dragged him off to her bedroom.
Oh goody, he thought.
After she closed the door impatiently after shoving him in, Megumi wondered vaguely what she was going to talk to him about.
“You are so obvious,” Nobara groaned dramatically, flopping down onto her chair and rubbing her temples. “I didn’t think you, of all people, could have a crush- I would have assumed you were aroace, but I guess not!”
Megumi blinked, startled. “What-? Hold on, what do you mean? What’s aroace?”
“It means you don’t like people, Megumi!” She nearly yelled, patience coming to an all-time low.
“Oh. Oh, yeah, I guess that seems accurate. I mean, I thought so too.”
“So you do like him?”
“I- I didn’t say that.”
“You said ‘I thought so too’, which implies something changed your mind. That ‘something’ being your big, fat crush on Itadori.”
“I don’t- I don’t have a crush on Itadori—!” Megumi gawked, turning a particular bright shade of scarlet.
Nobara merely cocked an eyebrow.
“…Am I that obvious?”
“Yes,” came her immediate reply.
Megumi groaned and dragged a hand down his face, sitting down on the end of Kugisaki’s bed. Nobara sat up and scooted over, patting him on the back sympathetically.
“It’s alright, let it all out.”
Megumi shot her a glare but exhaled again. “I’m so done for. Yuji is annoying, energy-draining, innocent, space-invading, concerning and just pure annoying in so many ways,” He listed, hands clenching in a claw-like motion, but relaxing as he continued, “but he’s so nice, and genuine, and sincere and pretty, and whenever he smiles it makes me smile too, I really can’t help it…”
“Wow, buddy, you really are down bad,” Nobara snorted, dirept of any of her previous empathy.
“I thought you liked him, though?”
“What?!” Nobara shrieked, standing up with the most repulsed expression on her face. “Absolutely not. Ew, ew, ew, why would you think that?”
“…You don’t? I guess- nevermind, I mean… nevermind.”
“I don’t get where you got that idea,” She replied with another shudder, then finished, “but spit it out.”
“You guys are just, like… really close. Always teasing, blah blah. But nevermind, like I said, it’s stupid.”
“Wait-wait-wait. Don’t tell me you were jealous of me?” Nobara asked, raising her eyebrows and an amused smile sneaking its way onto her face.
Megumi went red again, eyes widening. “What? No!” He paused. “A little?”
Nobara burst out laughing and began her intelligible wheezing.
“Shut up! You would too, if your crush was always smiling at someone else and spending a bunch more time with them,” Fushiguro defended.
“Okay, fair, fair,” Nobara managed, regaining her bearings as she wiped a tear from her lashes. “But no- I don’t like Itadori. And I promise, he doesn’t like me.”
Megumi tried to hide how shocked and hopeful he suddenly got.
“How do you know?” He tried asking casually.
Nobara saw straight through his act and offered a small, genuine smile. “Because he looks at you the same way you look at him- all puppy-dog eyes and melty.”
Megumi choked on air. “I don’t look at him like that!” He exclaimed, then started to panic when Nobara just stared at him unbelievingly. “I don’t, right?” He asked, much less sure.
After a click of her tongue, she said tentatively “Well, let’s just say it’s a miracle both of you are oblivious, otherwise you’d have fucked each other by now.”
Megumi groaned aloud for the second time in the past five minutes. “Well, shit. What am I even meant to do? How are you so sure he likes me? What if it’s just a small crush and I ruin everything by letting him know? What if—”
“Oookay, I’m gonna stop you there before you start spiraling. First off, just be yourself. I know it’s corny, but Itadori already liked you for who you are, so. Second, I already told you. He’s almost as obvious as you are- a girl’s got a radar for these kinda things! And finally, third of all, you’re just overthinking it. I’m going to totally deny I ever said this, but… anyone’d be lucky to have you.”
Fushiguro whipped his head over to look at his classmate, and she immediately looked away with a scowl. “Forget I said that. Now, go! You’re hogging up my bedroom. Go flirt or something?”
“Flirt?” Megumi echoed, but he’d already been kicked up and begun to be shoved out of the premises.
“Go!”
Well, crap. What was he going to do now?