Work Text:
His eyes look up at the neon sign in the window, hands in the pocket of his hoodie. He’d passed the shop in Tokyo a few times, but he’d never thought much of it until now. The windows were dark, and he wasn’t able to peer in to see the goings-on of the interior. He’d had some free time, and since the school grounds were currently being used by Megumi and Nobara, Gojo had advised him to take the day off and spend some time around Tokyo to destress from losing Junpei.
Nanami had reluctantly agreed, and had Ijichi drop him off.
Itadori had known others who’d gone to his previous high school —before all this wild shit with Jujutsu High had happened— who’d gotten tattoos. They were some of the more buff guys on the Sugisawa track team, and even Coach Takagi had gotten a couple that he bragged about constantly. Itadori bit his lip. He’d never considered himself much of a tattoo person, despite Sukuna’s influence when the Curse King took over his body, but...
At first, as he opened the door, he thought about getting something from one of their shared movies. Itadori figured that it would be an obscure reference, and that anyone who saw it would most likely just take it at face-value, and think nothing of it past that. But as he stepped into the dark tattoo parlor, Itadori flipped through several of the art books as he waited in line for the reception desk.
That was when he saw the marine life section.
Closing the book with a smile, Itadori stepped up as the next in line for the desk. The young woman, with tattoos all along her arms and chest smiled up at him.
”How can I help you today?” She greeted.
“Uh, hi.” Itadori said with a bright smile. “I’ve never done this before.” He admitted.
“That’s fine! Did you have any idea of what you want to get done?” He showed her the one he’d spotted in the book, and she grinned at him, before saying that they could actually fit him in that day.
The wait wasn’t that long, and Itadori wasn’t all that nervous— hell, he’d been broken and beaten by curses, and even died. What was one little tattoo?
Megumi pressed his face into the back of Yuuji’s neck, breathing slowly. It was something that they did often, particularly after Megumi learned that Yuuji was actually alive. Of course, Megumi had expected Yuuji to tease him for it, if not out him to Nobabra (or worse Gojo) for being a huge cuddler.
But Yuuji never did.
Instead, they’d lay in Yuuji’s bed —because Megumi was still adament about not letting Yuuji into his room for... reasons— and just lay there, listening to the other breathe. He knew that something bad had happened to Yuuji while he was “dead”, and although Gojo had offered to share what had happened, Megumi figured it was best to just let it be.
Whatever it was, though, it had shaken Yuuji up. Every so often, he’d notice out of the corner of his eye: Yuuji staring out of the window with a despondant look on his face, or a faraway look in his eye as he rubbed the same spot on his shoulder. But when someone actually had brought Yuuji back from the inside of his head, he’d smile that sunshine-filled smile that lit up his entire body, as well as the rest of the room. If Yuuji wanted to talk about it, he would’ve done so already.
He’d thought that Yuuji was asleep already, judging by the even sounds of his breathing, and the warmth of his body that seeped into Megumi’s front. He had his arms firmly wrapped around Yuuji’s waist: something that he’d soon realized was a hard thing to live without. After the first time they’d been this close —which was an interesting thing within itself— Megumi had found that he’d had a hard time falling asleep without something to hold. Even in his own room, when he’d slept alone, he had tossed and turned until he grabbed one of his dark sweaters, rolled it up under his head as a pillow, and held said pillow close to his chest.
Not that he’d admit that, even to Yuuji.
There were a lot of things he didn’t admit, especially to Yuuji. He didn’t even want to admit to what they were doing right now, even the first time:
It had started when Yuuji had appeared at his door in the middle of an afternoon they had off, with a heartbroken expression on his face. Megumi’s heart ached to see him in such a depressive state, but what hurt even more was when Yuuji had tried to play it off, a fake smile making Megumi want to exorcise whatever or whoever had made this absolute ray of sunshine look that way. Which, in turn, spiraled into an emotional panic as Megumi had to grapple with the implications of what that actually meant for him and his feelings towards Yuuji.
But instead, Yuuji had asked for Megumi to come over to his room, just to watch a movie with him, offering no other explanation further than that. Megumi had reluctantly agreed, wanting to go back to resting after their recent fight with cursed spirits. He followed Yuuji into his unkempt room, with the lights off. Lacking any other place to sit, Yuuji and Megumi sat upright on the former’s bed, watching a bizarre movie from Yuuji’s phone that he held between them. At first, he tried to pay attention, but it was hard, considering the darkness of the room, the warmth of Yuuji’s body at his side, his previous tiredness...
The next thing he knew, he opened his eyes to an unexpected sight. The two were curled up together, and Yuuji’s head was on his chest, fast asleep. Megumi swallowed hard, and although every muscle in his body screamed at him to leave, to run away and never look back, he forced himself to close his eyes and go back to sleep. However, as he shifted to get more comfortable, Yuuji groaned, and blinked up at him.
”Fu-Fushiguro?” Yuuji’s eyes widened. “I-!” A blush rapidly spread over his cheeks, and Megumi rolled his eyes.
”Shut up and scoot over.” He grumbled.
“I- Are you sure?”
”I said scoot over, idiot.” A momentary look of confusion crossed Yuuji’s face before he broke out into a shit-eating grin. Megumi shoved him gently, and laid down on his side, grabbing onto Yuuji’s waist. “Idiot.” He muttered into Yuuji’s back.
But as they lay there, Megumi rested his head in the bare crook of Yuuji’s neck. He wasn’t sure what this meant for the two of them, but it was pace that they were both comfortable with, and even though Megumi wasn’t one for labels, he knew if Yuuji wanted to call them what they were, that was going to be up to the pink-haired idiot to do so.
“Fushiguro?” Yuuji said. Megumi froze, having been under the impression that Yuuji was asleep.
”What?”
”I...” Yuuji paused, but made no indication of continuing. Megumi couldn’t see his face.
”You what?” Megumi pushed, his words coming out more harsh than he’d meant.
”Nevermind.” Yuuji mumbled softly, but his body tensed up. He’d do this sometimes, get up to the point where he’d almost say something, then back off, unable to finish his course of action. Megumi wanted to push him, to force whatever it was out of him, just so they’d get it over with. But he knew that it was something that had deeply impacted Yuuji, so he tried to not force it so much.
Yuuji pulled away from Megumi and sat up on the edge of the bed, facing away. He pulled off his turquoise hoodie that he’d been wearing, flinging it to the ground. How careless, Megumi thought, this is why your room is always a mess.
That was when he saw it.
Megumi wasn’t sure how he hadn’t noticed it until now, but then again, when he wasn’t in uniform, Yuuji was often wrapped up in one of his hoodies. Megumi’s eyes were unable to leave the dark black lines that traced over Yuuji’s shoulder, the graceful curves that made up a jellyfish tattoo.
Without thinking, he reached up, and traced the lines on Yuuji’s shoulder, fingertips softly grazing over the raised flesh, feeling the grooves in the other’s skin. He heard Yuuji’s breath hitch at the contact, but the pink-haired man didn’t move.
”When did you get this?” Megumi asked, distracted at the feeling of the healed tattoo lines. How long had Yuuji had this? He was sure that he didn’t have it when they met: but then again, it seemed to be healed for long enough that it surely wasn’t a fresh tattoo.
He half expected Yuuji to talk himself up, and say what kind of a brave man he was for facing the ‘horrors’ of tattoos and the ‘pain’ that Megumi assumed came with getting them. But instead, Yuuji didn’t respond.
In fact, he said he said nothing, and the silence dragged on uncomfortably. Maybe he just didn’t hear me?
”Yuuji, wh-?” But Megumi stopped when Yuuji pulled away, covering his face and crawling back into the bed. Immediately, Yuuji hid his face into Megumi’s clothed chest, wrapping his arms around the other in a tight embrace. Megumi felt his heart shudder at the contact; they’d never done this before. And with his face buried in Megumi’s chest, Yuuji was sure to hear how loud his heart was pounding at the act. Idiot, he cursed himself for the feelings coursing through him.
That was when Yuuji sniffled and his body began to shake.
”Yuuji-“
”Please.” Yuuji whimpered, his voice so broken that Megumi felt his breath leave him in a rush. Instead of saying anything, he simply wrapped his arms around the other, and pulled him close.
Yuuji continued to softly weep for a minute or so, not able to move his face from Megumi. But, after a while, his sobs turned into nothing more than stray sniffles, and bright tear-slicked eyes peeked up at Megumi.
”Yuuji.” Megumi said quietly.
”I’m sorry.” Yuuji said, wiping at his eyes, but then began hugging Megumi’s midsection again. “I just...”
”If you don’t want to tell me about the tattoo, you don’t have to.”
”It’s not that, it’s just...” He paused, and sniffled again.
”Is this about what happened when you were supposed to be dead?” Megumi asked softly. Maybe this was it, maybe he’d finally get Yuuji to open up about whatever had been bothering him—
“Yeah.”
”This is related to whatever it is that you’ve been keeping to yourself, isn’t it?” Megumi asked, going out on a limb. He was almost sure of it, and the cracked look on Yuuji’s face only confirmed it, as he glanced away from Megumi. “You got this to remind you of—“
“No, you’re right. I don’t really want to talk about it.” Yuuji muttered darkly, pointedly not looking up at Megumi.
”Are you sure—?”
”Yeah, just leave it alone.” Yuuji said, turning over.
“Yuuji, I know something’s bothering you—”
”Megumi, don’t.”
”You shouldn’t keep whatever it is to yourself.” Megumi pushed, and he could feel Yuuji’s body tense up at his words. “It’s not healthy, and it will eventually make battling curses even harder—“ But Yuuji rolled over and shoved Megumi. Had it been anyone else, Megumi wouldn’t have moved. But since it was Yuuji, Megumi felt his body flop to the hard floor.
”Shut up! I said I don’t want to talk about it! I’m fine, Megumi!” Yuuji shouted, but the tears rolling down his cheeks said otherwise. Megumi picked himself up off the floor, and walked over to where Yuuji had erupted from the bed. Yuuji turned away, fists clenched at his sides. But Megumi marched over to Yuuji, and wrapped his arms around him, even when Yuuji tried effortlessly to push him away.
Yuuji’s tears fell to the floor, but Megumi didn’t let him go.
”You lost someone, didn’t you?” Megumi asked softly. Yuuji sighed, but nodded. “I’m... not really good with this whole feelings and comfort thing, but... I’m sorry for whatever happened.” He felt Yuuji’s defenses deflate within his arms, right before Yuuji turned and grabbed Megumi back.
”Thank you.” Yuuji looked up at Megumi, and rested his head in between Megumi’s neck and shoulder. “Can we just... stay like this for a bit?” Yuuji asked softly.
”Yeah.”
”Thank you.”
They did stay like that, until Yuuji pulled back. He had a small, awkward smile on his dumb face.
”Actually, can we lay down? It’s a little more comfortable.” Yuuji admitted, and Megumi smiled.
“Yes, Yuuji.”
They laid down together, curled up towards each other, with Yuuji’s bare skin exposed. Megumi couldn’t help himself from running his fingers over the tattoo, loving the way it felt.
”Is this okay?” He asked.
”Yes.” Yuuji said, watching Megumi feel the skin, and the imprinted ink that made up the jellyfish on his upper arm. “It... feels nice, actually.”
Megumi continued to do that simple action until they were both fast asleep in each others’ arms. He woke up to Yuuji watching him curiously.
”Uh, wh-?”
”Sorry, you just... look so different when you sleep. You’re a lot less angry.” Yuuji chuckled, and Megumi rolled his eyes.
”Whatever, idiot.” There was a pause, but Megumi felt himself smile at how ridiculous this all was.
”Hey, Fushiguro?”
”Hmm?”
”Can I... Can I kiss you?”
”I- what?”
”We totally don’t have to if you don’t want—!” Yuuji started to back away, and Megumi rolled his eyes again and pulled Yuuji closer with his arms, and pressed his lips to Yuuji’s.
“You’re an idiot.” Megumi said as he pressed his lips to Yuuji’s.
“But you—fmmh!” Yuuji melted into the kiss, and Megumi grinned.
“...yes?” Megumi asked, a smug look on his face. Yuuji grinned and leaned in for another kiss.
”So, does this make us...?” Yuuji asked.
“It makes us whatever label you put on it, Yuuji. I don’t really care for all of that stuff. But, I like whatever it is that we have, right now.” Megumi admitted.
“So, we are boyfriends. Got it.” Yuuji grinned again, and Megumi kissed him just to get him to shut up. Megumi held Yuuji in his arms, and found his hand unconsciously rubbing the tattoo. Yuuji seemed to notice it as Megumi did. “One of the things I learned from this,” he nodded at his tattoo, “was that I shouldn’t wait around for things.” He looked up at Megumi. “I like you a lot, Fushiguro.”
”I like you too, Yuuji.”
“And in all seriousness, I will tell you about the tattoo one day. Just... not yet, okay? I’ll tell you when I’m ready.”
”Okay.”
”Until then, can you just... keep doing what you’re doing?” Yuuji nodded at Megumi’s arms that were tightly wrapped around him, as well as his fingers that slid over the lines of his tattoo gently.
”Yeah.”