Chapter Text
An ambulance appeared at the scene, even two.
Megumi didn't remember exactly how many people came out of their houses to look. Itadori was bleeding. Yudai was probably unconscious, but that wasn't important.
The blood started flowing faster in Megumi's veins and his head started spinning. Did all of this happen because of him?
Nanami arrived at the scene very quickly. The principal was just as desperate, and Nobara? She got so dizzy that she almost fell. Luckily, Megumi caught her.
───
"This got out of hand... What, Megumi?" Gojo asked without his usual laugh.
He never wanted to see Yuujis face so badly beaten...
Megumi doesn't even know how, but Gojo found out about the situation almost immediately and even came to pick him up by car instead of letting him go back by bus like always.
"No..." Megumi didn't want to drag this topic out, instead he buried his nose into the window. His stomach was squeezing.
Gojo gently turned down the radio and sighed. "So... Did they fight over a girl?"
"No." Megumi knows that Gojo is trying to lighten the mood and honestly... It wouldn't be so bad if Yuuji and Yudai had fought over a girl. Megumi wouldn't feel guilty now.
Or, actually, no? If Yuuji had argued over a girl, Megumi would have zero chance with him. He probably has one now too... Yuuji had a habit of defending his friends.
"You know..." Megumi's stomach suddenly tightened. "About me." He had to get it out. He hates pity, but he would like Gojo to understand him at least a little.
"Oh?" Gojo looked interested. "You~"
Right, it's Gojo. He could have waited and told Tsumiki... Or Nobara. Gojo probably had much better things to do than listen about some high school fight. Megumi would also consider it a stupid drama.
And telling him about Yudai's words with that supposed "sponsoring" would be humiliating.
"Never mind..." Megumi threw out.
"Oh- no, no! I'm not laughing!" Gojo quickly shook himself, embarrassed. "You can talk." He was never a good father figure. "Megumi?"
Megumi didn't say anything. Gojo swallowed hard, he probably guessed well that he had messed things up.
"Gojo, what do you... You know, what do you think about people who aren't straight?" Better to test the waters first, right? Megumi didn't take his eyes off the window.
"And what am I supposed to think?" Gojo smiled. "Shoko is a lesbian and my ex left me for her. I'm... Or was? In a relationship with Geto and my gaydar activates when I see you." Gojo nudged Megumi with his shoulder.
"What?" Fushiguro froze. Right... Why did he have to be so stupid? "I'm not gay..."
"And the grass is blue. You know... I'm not rejecting you."
Silence fell in the car once again.
Megumi felt ashamed. And terribly ashamed. He didn't want to admit it... He hadn't fully admitted it even to himself. On the other hand, how stupid did he have to be to not realize that Gojo would be contradicting himself if he didn't accept it.
"But..." Megumi stuttered. "It's just not... Weird?"
"No." Gojo answered practically immediately. "And if I say it's not, then everyone who says it is, is wrong."
Megumi lowered his head and... Covered his red face with his hands. Why was he blushing? It was still weird...
"Hey..." Gojo clearly noticed the worry. "If anything, we can always talk. Okay?"
"I guess so..." Megumi fell back into the seat.
At least Gojo accepts it, but Gojo is a separate entity. And probably the tip of the iceberg. I mean- deep down, Megumi cared a lot about his opinion, he was afraid of disappointing him. Sure, Gojo was stupid, but Megumi still felt like he owed him something.
But if he doesn't feel disappointed, then Megumi doesn't have to be so afraid. The black-haired boy covered his face with his hands. The corners of his mouth wanted to be happy and betray his head.
Yuuji was still left.
Did Yuuji not break anything? He looked tragic and Megumi could have reacted earlier. Without trying to hit anyone or hit Yudai himself. Then he would have spared everyone around him the worry.
Toji would probably be proud if he found out that Megumi was able to defend himself. Megumi had always been able to defend himself! Toji would consider Yuuji's attack a disgrace on Megumi. A disgrace that Megumi would have allowed himself.
He would probably think that Megumi was weak.
Megumi had always envied Toji's endurance. Mental and physical. He was a strange man.
Why, when he wanted what was best for Megumi, did he always behave even worse?
2019. Memories.
"Hm..." Toji sighed looking at the tree in front of them. The bench in the park was cold, but what could you expect. It was the middle of autumn. "Will you miss me, kid?"
Young Megumi didn't dare to look at his father because of the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "I don't know..." he stated finally.
Yes... He didn't know. Megumi didn't know if he wanted to miss him. He was an alcoholic and a gambler, he didn't give him and Tsumiki food and on top of that he disappeared for a few days or made a mess out of the house.
At other times he was caring. He never left food for himself when he had some and Megumi and Tsumiki didn't. He defended them and sometimes he even tried to be a father.
But only when he drank too much and got some idea in his head.
Megumi could miss that, but why... Why did Toji always get blackout drunk whenever they were supposed to watch a movie together? A few times Megumi panicked and didn't know what to do, and with time he adapted. It was normal... Right?
"That's good." Toji snorted. "Don't miss me, Megumi, I don't deserve it, but... At least don't forget about me. Deal?"
Megumi clenched his small hand around the hem of his coat. The coat was new... Gojo bought it.
"D-deal." He admitted in a trembling voice. He didn't look up and Toji seemed... Happy. He even snorted a little.
His eyes were slightly narrowed and his smile seemed warm.
Amidst the sounds of the wind Megumi heard the sound of a car horn.
Gojo gave Toji at most 8 minutes for the conversation. Apparently they had passed.
"Well then... Bye, kid."
"Bye..."
Megumi got off the bench and ran towards Gojo's car. He didn't want to cry. He felt embarrassed. Tsumiki refused to meet with her mother. He... Megumi, on the other hand, felt the need to talk with Toji.
"Everything alright, kid?" Gojo asked gently combing through the ends of the child's black hair.
"Yes..." Megumi cuddle his knees on the seat.
"Yes..." Megumi curled up into a ball on the seat.
2023. Now
It was only years later that Megumi realized that Toji wasn't happy because Megumi was leaving. He was happy because Megumi would have a chance at a better life.
Even alongside Gojo. Gojo whom Toji hated.
"Megumi. Are you hungry?" Satoru opened the door for Megumi and let him go inside first.
"I don't think so, but thanks." Fushiguro looked at the stairs. He wanted to go back to his room and bury himself under a blanket for the rest of the day...
"Alright." Gojo nodded. "But I bought you shigoyaki and I have mochi in the fridge!~"
"Really not hungry. Ask Tsumiki." Megumi rolled his eyes and climbed up to his long-awaited mountain.
Too heavy of a day... He hoped that the next days would be peaceful even though it didn't look like it.
Itadori is in the hospital after all. Partly because of Megumi.
Gojo Satoru.
Megumi was most likely already curled up. He always liked to lie in bed without consequences during autumn and honestly, you couldn't blame him for that. Gojo loved it too.
Tsumiki still had extra lessons which gave Gojo about 40 minutes of sitting at home, because since he went to pick up Megumi, he had to pick her up too.
He loved the two of them equally much.
Gojo stretched his shoulders and sat down on the couch, browsing through something on the TV.
One thing worried him... Did Megumi seem to blame himself for maybe not being interested in girls? He had always been prone to locking himself in his room for a few days.
And that was really worrying. What if these thoughts were really eating him up?
Could it have been Toji's influence? After all, Megumi had seen for many years that Gojo was in a relationship with a man.
It didn't disgust him. Megumi was more disgusted with himself.
His beloved boy had to torment himself with something like that.
Tsumiki and Gojo never judged him. They loved him. He didn't want him to have to worry...
On top of that, that Itadori boy got into a fight. Gojo would like to know the details, but asking about it would be rude.
The kid seemed hurt.
And Gojo didn't want to hide that it hurt him to see it. His heart simply clenched when he saw the boy he had saved in such a state.
He didn't want him to blame himself for something he couldn't change. He probably had to talk to him...
And he really rarely talked to him. Technically, Gojo could ask Nobara what had been said to Megumi, but knowing that girl, there's no way she'll tell him without Megumi's permission.
He could also ask Yuuji, but he's lying broken in the hospital.
So that's probably out of the question.
Why are there so many problems this month? And on top of that, Geto...
Geto who didn't bother to say a word! Gojo had been trying to call him lately, but nothing.
He wasn't interested in talking... Technically, he could call Shoko because she's probably up to date with Geto, but the woman is definitely angry at Satoru too.
And great. Again, no one stays with him.
"Better just deal with it yourself, man." Gojo rolled his eyes and headed to the kitchen.
He'd like to have something to drink, but he
promised himself that he wouldn't do it anymore. He bought replacement sweets. If this can help... He's addicted to them, so I guess it's even better.
Besides, he's the only one who eats them in this house! Megumi can't stand them and Tsumiki is on some kind of diet.
───
21:33
And so Satoru spent the rest of the evening watching movies on the couch and stuffing himself with a sick amount of sweets. He was probably the only human on earth who could handle that much sugar.