Work Text:
i.
"I'm home!" Yuuji yells into the quiet of the apartment, letting the front door close shut behind him.
He shakes off the water droplets stuck in his hair, toeing off his soaked shoes simultaneously. Of course, the one time he forgets his umbrella it starts pouring the minute he leaves the library.
He shudders at the feeling of the drenched material of his t-shirt clinging to his back, goosebumps rising on his arms as the water cools against his skin. He picks up his backpack, making his way straight to the bathroom.
"You're dripping all over the floor," he hears Megumi's voice as he passes through the living room. Yuuji doesn't stop for the full lecture, just glances in his direction, Megumi's head popping up over the back of the couch, a smirk slowly appearing on his face.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll clean it up after I shower," Yuuji says, a shiver running down his spine. "You can lecture me about forgetting my umbrella after that, too," he adds when he notices Megumi's mouth opening.
Megumi just rolls his eyes as Yuuji turns and shuffles into the bathroom.
He turns on the shower, letting the room fill up with steam, warming up his clammy skin as he shrugs off his wet clothes, throwing them straight into the laundry basket.
He takes his time in the shower, letting the hot water ease the tension from his muscles, mind racing through a list of chores and assignments he needs to get started on. The semester has barely started and he's already behind on work for half of his classes.
Yuuji sighs, shampooing his hair and washing away the coldness of the rain. He doesn't dawdle, wrapping a towel around his waist as he steps out of the shower, making his way into the bedroom. He pulls out a pair of fresh sweatpants and a soft t-shirt, pausing for a second at the visible lack of a bright yellow hoodie on the middle shelf. I could have sworn I washed it on the weekend, he thinks.
He shrugs to himself, not thinking much of it. I probably left it somewhere else in the flat.
Yuuji grabs his laptop from his slowly drying backpack, thanking the universe that the water doesn't seem to have seeped through the material and damaged any of its contents. He walks back out into the living room, briefly noticing the absence of any water in the spot where he was standing before. He smiles at the realization that Megumi must have wiped it up while he was in the shower.
He heads directly to the couch, plopping himself on the opposite side of where Megumi is still sitting, back against the armrest, legs stretched in front of him and a book in his hands.
And wearing his yellow hoodie.
Yuuji freezes for a second, right hand stopping midair in the process of pushing his laptop open on his lap, eyes fixated on the rise of Megumi's collarbone against the collar of the hoodie.
The color of the hoodie looks atrocious against the pale tone of Megumi's skin, but Yuuji drinks up the sight in front of him as if he spent the last week in the desert.
The rain is still heavy outside, grey sky barely letting any light through the windows. Instead, Megumi has pulled up the large lamp, the one that usually stands in the corner of the room, to the couch, basking the room in a warm soft glow. It almost seems like the boy in front of him is the light itself, bright and warm and soft. His presence feels like a gentle squeeze on Yuuji's heart, pulling him into his orbit. Like a sunflower turning to look at the sun.
Yuuji always found it funny when people referred to him as the sunshine of their little trio. Sure he's easy-going and quick to warm up to people, especially next to Nobara's prickly personality and Megumi's usual frown. But he always felt more like the moon, basking in the light of the two of them instead, reflecting it back into the world.
"You're staring," Megumi points out, eyes not leaving the page in front of him. When Yuuji says nothing, he finally looks up at him, blue eyes meeting his with full intensity. Megumi raises one eyebrow in a silent question, his face softening.
Yuuji forces his body to move, shaking off whatever possessed him before. He's not entirely sure what went over him, this isn't his first time seeing somebody wearing his clothes. But there's just something about Megumi, gloomy brooding Megumi whose closet is 90% made out of black, wearing his favorite bright yellow hoodie. As if a piece of Yuuji has a permanent spot in his life now, letting the world know Megumi belongs to him.
"Sorry, got lost in thought," Yuuji gets out finally, body relaxing into the couch as he opens his laptop fully.
"Don't think too hard, we don't want you hurting your pretty little head," Megumi teases as his gaze turns back down onto the book in his hands. Yuuji stretches his leg, kicking Megumi's hip bone in retaliation. They settle into their corners of the couch, legs tangled in the middle, a comfortable silence stretching between them interrupted only by the pitter-patter of rain against the windows.
Yuuji spends exactly 20 seconds looking at the empty document on his laptop screen before huffing and dropping it onto the coffee table. The soft glow of the lamp in the late afternoon and the sound of the rain are slowly lulling him to sleep. And he knows exactly how comfortable the material of his hoodie is against his skin.
He shifts, forcing his way between Megumi's legs until he's laid out on his stomach, arms circling around him and head settling on his chest, right below the place where he's holding up his book. The material feels soft against his cheeks, Megumi's scent mixing with the clean smell of their detergent. Yuuji sighs, content, and buries his face deeper, eyes closing on their own.
"Don't you have work to do?" he hears Megumi ask softly, but he feels one of his hands slipping into his hair, combing through the wet strands, nails scratching against his scalp. A low rumble rises from somewhere deep in his chest at the sensation.
"It's fine, can do it later," Yuuji mumbles straight into Megumi's chest, any conscious thoughts slowly slipping away from him.
He falls asleep to the sound of the rain, to Megumi's fingers playing with his hair, to the sound of Megumi's heartbeat against his cheek, a warm feeling spreading through his entire body. The feeling of being home.
(Unfortunately, his peace lasts only a couple of hours before he's violently woken up by a certain ginger-haired menace dropping on top of the two of them, demanding she is given attention. Although, Yuuji is not entirely sure he minds.)
ii.
Megumi is slowly losing his mind.
He's spent the last 20 minutes rummaging through the closet, opening every last drawer, searching through every corner and crevice. Specifically, looking for his nice white button-up that fits a little snug around his arms, making Yuuji and Nobara stare at his shoulders just a little longer than usual.
He glances at the clock on the bedside table, noting that he has a little under 5 minutes left to dress if they want to make it on time for their reservation. He straightens up, black slacks undone and hanging low on his hips, chest still bare as he shuffles towards the laundry hamper next to the bedroom door.
Megumi will be the first one to admit that he doesn't care much for fashion. He understands basic trends but he will always prefer functionality over style. He has never felt much need for dressing up before, that is until he ended up dating his two idiots. The same two idiots that not only cared about fashion and style themselves but somehow managed to rub off on him.
Or maybe he's just selfish and wants to see Nobara's eyes darken when she sees him in a suit, wants to see Yuuji swallow hard at the sight of him in a well-fitted outfit.
So, of course, the one time he tries to dress up for them, the universe decides to sabotage him.
"Megumi, why are you taking so long? We're gonna be late," he hears Nobara shout from the living room, brimming with annoyance. He can hear her pacing around the room, heels clacking against the hardwood floor. She's never been known for patience or being able to sit still for long.
He huffs under his breath staring into the half-full hamper.
He knows he's been busy with classes and work recently but he could swear he did his laundry on time. Hell, he even remembers ironing the shirt specifically so he could wear it for the dinner date they planned for tonight.
Megumi shakes his head and makes his way to the living room.
"Have you seen my-"
The question dies on his lips as his eyes settle on his girlfriend.
She looks gorgeous, red lips pursed in exasperation, short hair gathered in a deliberately messy bun at her nape, her long neck accentuated by the long earrings resting against her exposed collarbones. The black pencil skirt is hugging her curves just right, her legs seeming longer than usual with the added height of her heels.
And tucked into her skirt is Megumi's white button-up shirt.
He stops in his tracks, shamelessly staring. He's quite used to their size difference, often revels in being able to tower over her, but that didn't quite prepare him for the sight of her small figure enveloped in his clothes.
The shirt's way too large on her, her body practically swimming through the material. If it were anybody else the too large size would look ridiculous, but the way she tucked it into her skirt gives her a sort of effortless elegance. She left a couple of buttons undone at the top, stretching the collar to hug her bare shoulders, exposing the top of her cleavage.
Megumi's throat feels dry all of a sudden, a warmth blooming in his core. Something hot and possessive rushes through his system the longer he looks at her.
Megumi is a proud feminist and would never dare suggest that somebody could ever own any woman, and especially not somebody like Nobara. But at this moment, watching the rise of her bare chest straining against the material of his shirt, he wants nothing more than to press a myriad of bruises into her collarbone, mark her as his for everyone to see.
"How are you not dressed yet?" her tone is accusatory as she stares at his bare chest. If he were paying attention he'd notice her eyes linger on the taut muscles of his stomach, flicking over the happy trail running from his belly button to the waistband of his underwear. "Aren't you the one always pestering us about the importance of being on time?"
She crosses her arms over her chest, bringing Megumi back into reality. He shakes his head, a smile growing on his lips as he forces himself to tear his eyes away from her in his shirt.
She's looking at him, brows drawn together, her eyes throwing daggers at him.
Sometimes, he can't believe he got lucky enough to have her.
"Nevermind, give me two minutes," he says as he turns on his heel and rushes back into their bedroom.
He can hear her grumbling something about being a hypocrite as he opens the door of the closet one more time. Since his own plans of dressing up have been so rudely squashed he ends up taking the first ironed shirt in his line of sight, a soft baby blue button-up he's pretty sure was a present from Nobara. He puts it on as quickly as possible, grabbing his socks on the way back out into the hallway.
By the time he's put on his shoes, hands reaching for the jacket hanging from the hook on the wall, Nobara is standing beside him with her coat on, purse clutched under her arm as she aggressively taps her fingers against her phone.
"Yuuji's done with his thing so he's on the way, he said he'll meet us there," she says without looking up from the screen.
Megumi uses her being distracted as an opportunity, wrapping one arm around her waist and pressing a soft kiss against her neck, right below her ear. He hears a shallow gasp escape her mouth as he pulls away and opens the door for them.
"You look beautiful, by the way," he smirks as she gathers herself, a pink flush rising on her cheeks.
"Of course I do, somebody has to carry the looks in this relationship," she scoffs as she pushes past him through the doorway.
He snorts, closing the door behind them and offering his arm for her to hold on to, the movement making his shirt slip a little lower down her shoulder.
Maybe the universe didn't sabotage him tonight after all.
iii.
Dumbass #1 4:37 pm
Just got here, will be out in 3 mins
Nobara frowns at the screen of her phone before tucking it back into the pouch on her arm. She huffs, wiping away some of the sweat gathered at her temples with the back of her hand.
It's Wednesday afternoon, the one day of the week when her and Yuuji's schedules line up almost perfectly. Which is how wednesdays at the gym became a standing weekly date for the two of them. Nobara's class finishes a little earlier before Yuuji's done with his shift, so she usually spends the time before he arrives warming up on the treadmill.
With how busy they've all been lately she'll take any opportunity to spend time with her boyfriend. Even if it means forcing herself to exercise in the process.
She focuses on her breathing, on the rhythmic beat of her feet against the machine, her heart thumping in her ears. Her stiff muscles are slowly coming to life, blood pumping through them, making her hyper-aware of every sensation against her skin.
She knew college would keep her busy but she didn't realize exactly how easy it was to get swept up in work until she was halfway through her first year and struggling to run a mile to catch the bus. That's when she decided to make sure to go to the gym at least once a week, even taking up kickboxing classes.
But exercise is always more enjoyable with another person, somebody to spot her when doing weights and egg her on during cardio. She's come to look forward to their weekly gym sessions by now, both to spend some alone time with just Yuuji and enjoying the pleasant ache in her muscles after the workout.
And the fact that she gets to shamelessly ogle Yuuji working out is just a bonus.
The digital clock on the treadmill beeps, signaling that she's been on for 20 minutes now. She lowers the speed until she's no longer running, slowing into a quick walk instead. She's running through the list of rounds she wants to do today in her head when she looks up and notices her boyfriend walking out of the men's changing room and making his way towards the treadmill area.
Her boyfriend, who is currently making more than a few heads turn in his direction as he prances through the busy room.
Because he's wearing the tightest cropped shirt humanity has ever seen, biceps bulging out of the short sleeves and stomach on full display in all its glory above the waistline of his shorts.
Not just any shirt either, Nobara realizes, but her old oversized gym shirt.
Nobara has to hold on to the bar in front of her to prevent her from stumbling down the treadmill as the realization hits her.
She continues to stare unabashedly as he comes near her, a huge grin on his face lighting up the air around him when his eyes lock with hers. She forces a smile before her eyes roam down his body again, over the rise of his chest, the chiseled muscles on his stomach, the bare skin between his belly button and the waistband of his shorts.
The shirt that Nobara usually had to tie around her waist is somehow too small for him, every part of his body unfairly large compared to hers. But Yuuji not only makes it work, he sometimes makes the shirt look better than it ever did on her.
Or maybe you just like seeing him in your clothes, a small part inside her, the possessive part she's quite well acquainted with, points out. Maybe you like staking a claim on what's yours.
She doesn't have time to examine those thoughts before he's standing only a few inches away, looking at her expectantly.
"Hi," he smiles, his eyes lighting up. He reaches out to tuck a strand of hair that's fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear, fingers lingering on her cheek briefly. "You almost done? Can you spot me while I lift?"
"Yeah, I'm done here," her voice comes out hoarse, forcing her to swallow the lump that's accumulated in her throat. She switches off the treadmill, letting Yuuji grab her hand as she gets down, legs a little shaky, and lead her towards the weights.
She can feel the stares of countless strangers follow them around. Yuuji's current attire works like a magnet, pulling everyone's attention to himself, making something hot stir in the pit of her stomach in response.
They go through their usual routines - she spots him first, he checks her form when it's her turn, all while catching up on their weeks. It's the middle of the semester, so they're even busier than usual, barely getting to see each other apart from the few precious moments in the morning and before bed. She's too proud to admit it out loud but she misses them, misses her boys, craves their undivided attention, their all-encompassing presence around her.
So it's that much more frustrating when her eyes keep catching onto women and men around them blatantly checking out Yuuji. She can't really blame them, she shamelessly stares at him whenever they're here even without the extra distraction of the crop top. But that doesn't stop her from growing increasingly more irritated with every passing second.
It's her shirt he's wearing. She should be the only one allowed to enjoy the view.
"You okay? You've been scowling for a good 10 minutes now," Yuuji asks, concern laced into his voice as he bends down to pick up his water bottle from the floor.
Nobara unclenches her jaw, not even realizing her teeth were grinding silently, relaxing her facial muscles until the line between her eyebrows disappears.
Come on, you're not somebody who simply suffers in silence. If you gotta show everybody here who Yuuji belongs to, so be it.
She shakes her head for good measure before plastering on the widest smile in the history of humanity. She swings her arm around his shoulders, having to get onto her tiptoes to reach him, and tugs his face to her eye level. Suddenly, she's hyper-aware of his muscles moving beneath the material of the shirt, his scent inhibiting her senses from this close.
"Aww, are you worried about me? What if something was wrong, would you take care of me?" she teases, in a saccharine voice, not giving him any time to respond before pulling him down, pressing her lips against his. The kiss is brief, mostly since Yuuji is frozen in shock, but she does notice out of the corner of her eye some of the women around them frowning and turning in the opposite direction. Good.
"Come on, let's finish up quickly so we can go home."
She tugs him to the other machines, reveling in the warmth of his hand in hers.
And if she spends the rest of their session a little more touchy than usual, hand steady against the bare skin of his lower back, pressed against his core muscles during push-ups, even making him hug her from behind for a mirror selfie, then nobody can really blame her. She never learned how to share what's hers very well.
It's only when they're waiting at the bus stop to go home that she notices the text in response to their picture:
Dumbass #2 6:12 pm
who let him wear THAT
+1
"It's open!"
Maki lets herself into the apartment, taking off her shoes and heading straight to the living room. She's used to Nobara running late whenever they make plans, having been friends with her for over two years now. She's learned about her bad habit the hard way after getting stuck in the rain waiting for her on multiple occasions.
She's no stranger to the apartment, having been here plenty of times for game nights and parties, so she doesn't ask before plopping herself onto the couch in the living room.
"Hey Maki," Megumi enters the room from the kitchen, carrying a steaming mug in his hand. He's wearing a pale t-shirt that seems too short for him, the material riding up above his waistband, revealing his belly button. Something about the pattern on the shirt feels eerily familiar.
She hums and nods in his direction just as the front door opens again, and Yuuji rushes inside in a flurry of explosive energy.
"I'm home!" he yells as he walks through the hallway, stopping in his tracks when he notices Maki on the couch. "Oh, Maki, hey. You and Nobara going out?" he asks as he makes his way towards Megumi who has already settled into the opposite end of the couch, his mug left on the coffee table.
"Yeah we're just gonna grab dinner, maybe go for drinks after."
"Sounds good," Yuuji replies, distracted as he bends down to press a kiss against Megumi's cheek. Megumi leans in, almost subconsciously, eyes focused on his phone in front of him. Yuuji's black shirt hangs loosely over his shoulders as he stretches out, recounting the events of his day to his boyfriend.
She watches them for a minute, lets their peaceful domesticity wash over her. She still remembers when Nobara first introduced her boyfriends to her, the three of them drawn to each other like electric currents, crackling with the excitement of a new relationship. The current is still there, but they've settled into each other since then. Maki can see it in the way Megumi now accepts gentle touches without complaining, the way Yuuji seems content to stay in on a Friday night, the way Nobara's short temper has mellowed out when they're around.
They're good for each other, Maki finds herself thinking not for the first time, they fit together, like pieces of a puzzle.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm ready to go now!" Nobara rushes into the room from the bedroom door, one arm tugging on a denim jacket and the other trying to put the clasp on her earrings. She throws an apologetic smile in Maki's direction before making a beeline towards the boys. She reaches up to press a quick kiss against Yuuji's lips, one of her hands brushing through Megumi's hair, affectionately.
"I'll text you when I'm on my way home," she says, finally managing to put on the denim jacket, a bright colored print of a tiger visible on the sleeves.
Looking at the three of them standing next to each other, recognition stirs in the back of Maki's mind.
"Have you guys just given up on wearing your own clothes?" she asks, amused. A smirk blooms on her face when she notices the three of them glance at each other and blush immediately.
Because she's right. Megumi's wearing one of Nobara's old shirts, which explains why it's so short on him. She's pretty certain the black t-shirt hanging off Yuuji's shoulders belongs to Megumi, considering Yuuji's general disdain towards black clothing. And the sewn-in tiger patch on the jacket Nobara is wearing is a dead giveaway as to who the rightful owner is.
Maki can't help but laugh when she notices the expressions on their faces, like three deer caught in the headlights.
"Don't worry, you all look cute," she pushes herself up from the couch and makes her way towards the front door. She turns around briefly, looks at Nobara who is still frozen in place, cheeks flushed. "You coming?"
This gets them out of the stupor, Nobara puffing, Yuuji ducking his head in embarrassment, and Megumi rubbing the back of his neck, self-conscious. She watches them exchange soft glances and quick touches, moving in perfect sync as if three pieces of one whole.
It's quite a sight to witness this much pure unfiltered love.