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For someone whose power is focused on the infinity around him, making him the literal embodiment of the word 'untouchable', Gojo Satoru has no sense of personal space.
Everyone knows this of course. His colleagues know it, he'll sprawl all over Nanami at the teachers' lounge and latch onto Shoko every time he's visiting the infirmary even if he has no reason to himself. His students know it, Nobara looks proud of herself every time she receives anything resembling a head pat and Yuuji will smile brightly at him, kind of like a puppy given praise or treats.
Unlike the other two, Megumi regards this as everything else about him, he'll roll his eyes and tell him to stop being embarrassing, the tips of his ears bright red, and Gojo will just snicker and drape his arm over the boy's shoulders.
It goes like that for many years, they fight curse after curse and then crash together to watch movies, the older years joining them too some days and Gojo will smile affectionately at this safe bubble of people all around him, striking up a bittersweet sense of nostalgia.
His kids are marvelous and he has no doubt they'll be the flame of this new generation of sorcerers and before he knows it they're old enough to be thinking about jobs. He remembers when Nanami left, even if he came back in the end, remembers others who decided that being a sorcerer wasn't what they truly wanted and left this world behind. Gojo had never considered it. Truth is, it wasn't an option for him in the first place.
He still takes every given opportunity to cling on others, in a way it's comforting, this line of work means death is always creeping up on you so maybe if he holds them close enough his infinity will stop death too. It's a childish thought and he knows it, maybe it would be better if they did leave this world behind after all, that way they'd be safer.
Still, things don't change.
At least that's what he thought until a curious little thing kept repeating itself.
It started innocently enough, they were watching some absolute garbage horror movie and, honestly, Who's idea was it again? They've seen far scarier things than the cheap CGI trying to jumpscare them every other scene. Oh right, he suggested it.
There's some chick on the screen reading over some ancient cursed book and a tall shadow hovers over her threateningly. How can you not feel that, Gojo wonders but he's not really following the plot, he's never been good at paying attention to anything, but then there's a light weight resting on top of his shoulder, black hair obstructing half of his vision.
He blinks and cranes his neck down slowly and surely enough Megumi has fallen asleep on him. It's honestly adorable, his arms are crossed over his chest and his bangs hang low over his eyes. Gojo smiles and carefully extracts an arm with care not to wake him up and rests it over his back, pulling him closer. Megumi has grown tall, he's almost as tall as Gojo now so it's slightly a tight fit but then he relaxes further into his side, a small content sigh escaping his lips.
And truly that in itself would have been fine, Megumi was probably too tired and didn't think about it, but the thing is it keeps happening.
They'll be walking down the streets exhausted after another mission, and before Gojo can even drape his arm over Megumi's shoulders there'd be an arm hooking under his, keeping him close like Gojo would just walk away or something.
They're sparing, and Gojo is honestly immensely proud of how far Megumi has come, his technique matched only by himself. Nue charges at him and he blocks the attack with ease when suddenly there's a shadow under him and he thinks, Huh, when did that get there? Before he can even think to use his infinity he's falling through it, blackness enveloping his senses until it's all he can see and feel and then it's not, and he's still falling until he hits the ground with a thud.
"Ow, my Megumi is so sneaky," he laughs and tries to stand. A hand extends toward him and he takes it, let's himself get pulled up as if he hadn't just gotten his ass handed to him.
Megumi just shakes his head as he helps him up, he reaches over and dusts his clothes off, expression unimpressed but satisfied.
"That's what you get for being so full of yourself, you idiot."
He's about to reply with something sarcastic, because please, he is Gojo Satoru, he can afford to be full of himself and that's what he does best, but there's a palm way too close to his face and his brain shuts off. He's momentarily confused, his eyebrows rise up slightly but he stays very still. Did he hit his head when he fell or something, maybe he's bleeding, it has been awhile since that has happened, but the hand merely straightens his round glasses and retreats.
They go back to normal after that of course but the little things keep happening and honestly Gojo thinks and feels way too much, it's as if his technique always backfires and he can only think about infinite possibilities.
Megumi has never been one for physical touch, he cried when Tsumiki was hospitalized but never returned the hug Gojo had initiated at the time. He holed up in his room when Yuuji 'died' but was quick to get back up on his feet, old enough to know that's how their life is. He always either allowed Gojo to be near him or pulled himself away with a scowl on his face. Gojo thought of it as a need to be independent, so what triggered the change?
One day he's back after a long period abroad for one of his missions. He brings the others souvenirs and Nobara practically runs him over to get her stuff, Yuuji asking about his trip with animated hand gestures full of excitement, and he sneaks a glance at Megumi just standing a bit back from the other two, a faint tint of red on his cheeks at being caught staring.
Gojo decides to tease him as per usual and opens up his arms with a big grin.
"No hug for me?"
He obviously knows he'll get a rude reply or a scoff at best, and he does, but what he doesn't expect is for Megumi to take up the offer and wrap his arms around him.
"Welcome back, moron."
Megumi's voice is so soft and affectionate that it completely takes him out of it. A hand rests on the back of his neck, the other around his waist, just holding him without too much pressure. It lasts for a second longer than just casual, if Gojo even had any clue what was casual at this point, and he's not even fully returned the embrace from his surprise when Megumi pulls back and takes a step away, moment gone just as quickly as it had happened.
If anyone else finds it odd, they don't seem to comment on it.
Gojo wills his brain to just ignore this, whatever this is. Just like he uses glasses and blindfolds to minimize sensory input he would just put up a mental barrier on whatever his brain was trying to look for and accept that's how things were now. Maybe he managed to pass on his need for physical displays of affection to Megumi, it wouldn't be a surprise and he certainly has no complaints about it.
So that's what his new reality is for a long time again.
He'll slide down the pillows as they're watching another movie, unable to get comfortable and an arm will prop itself underneath his head.
"Stop fidgeting," Megumi will say, his eyes trained on the screen not even turning to look at him and Gojo will just purse his lips into a pout and rest his head on top of the offered arm. It's comfortable and warm and if he falls asleep like this then it's not like he'll miss anything important.
They have lunch at the school's cafeteria just after training, and honestly he's always been far too tall to properly sit in these tiny chairs, he should have had them changed ages ago. He extends his sore legs and with an amused smirk plops them unceremoniously on top of Megumi's lap. Megumi doesn't even seem to notice as he's in some deep conversation with Yuuji about celebrities and it's easy like that. One of his legs is very close to slipping off and he's about to readjust his position when a hand shoots down and pulls it back and then stays there, lightly massaging his ankles. It makes him tilt his head sideways in thought again but he doesn't comment on it and neither does Megumi.
If there's one thing worse than regular Gojo Satoru, it's drunk Gojo Satoru. It's summer and another school year has just ended so they all went out to celebrate, and obviously it would be a missed opportunity not to try out as many drinks as he can. When will he ever get the chance to be away from stuffy old men lecturing him about his manners again?
There's music too and he's suddenly so happy, it's been awhile he felt so carefree, as if the weight of the world wasn't resting on his shoulders, so he just enjoys his time. He joins Yuuji on karaoke and yells his heart out singing cheesy love songs till after midnight. He's having so much fun that when there's an arm tagging at him and someone, he thinks it's Nanami but he can't tell, telling him it's time to go he just whines like a child. It all becomes a blur after that, people part ways and he's humming a song under his breath. At some point someone supports his weight, his own arm held high over the person's shoulders as they walk.
"It's fine, I'll take him up," the person, Megumi, as always the responsible one, reassures the others, his voice very close to Gojo's ear and he feels shorter for a second which makes him pause his humming because, Since when did his Megumi-chan grow taller than him? In reality, he's still a few centimeters taller, his head is just hanging low and he's slouching, but he's way too wasted to realize that.
The walking seems endless and they're even going up some stairs which honestly is so unnecessary, he could just sleep right then and there but there's a click after that and he just assumes they made it into his apartment.
He's tired and sleep doesn't sound awful but he's also not ready to let this day go and wake up in an empty room, so he just twists in Megumi's hold and pulls the other closer, slightly swaying.
"Megumi~ Let's dance! It's a shame to go to sleep so early!"
He feels Megumi sigh against his neck then but he doesn't pull away, just letting Gojo move them left and right in slow motions.
"You call this dancing? Even Itadori can do better than this," Megumi says then with amusement and it strikes right on Gojo's inflated ego.
"What has Yuuji ever done to you! Always so mean, Megumi-chan~"
He twists the other’s arm over his head and smiles brightly as he turns and holds him close again, and, This is a weird thought but Megumi has very long eyelashes. Gojo should have longer eyelashes than him, shouldn't he?
He doesn't realize that he's staring for a bit too long then. They've slowed down now and Megumi is giving him a funny look, at least he thinks it's funny, though then again all of Megumi's expressions are funny, and he honestly wants to treasure them all. He raises a palm to hold the face in front of him in place, trying to save it like all the photos he keeps on his phone, moments like these that he wants to look back on in case anything happens.
Megumi jerks back then, eyes wide and face bright red, but Gojo is still holding onto him and he's so unsteady on his feet he manages to trip and lose his balance, falling back, thankfully on something soft, most likely his sofa, dragging poor Megumi down with him.
He laughs again and wraps his arms around the other trying to cushion the fall a tad too late.
"Sorry, sorry~ I guess I really am drunk, huh?"
Even though it's an awkward angle the position isn't uncomfortable, Megumi feels solid and warm on him like those self heated blankets that should be far too hot for the season.
"You finally figured that out?" Megumi sighs again and shifts in an attempt to get up but Gojo just tightens his hold on him and presses his face against Megumi's neck.
He feels the boy freeze but his brain is far too foggy to make sense of anything. A few ticks pass by and when Megumi speaks up again he's almost fallen asleep.
"Uh, Gojo-sensei?"
"Mhmm?"
"You're going to have to let go of me."
Gojo ponders on this for way too little before confidently declaring, "No."
Megumi lets his head fall forward in resignation, as if he was expecting that kind of answer. "Why not? I have to return to the dorms you know."
Gojo hums again as he thinks of a logical explanation.
"Feels nice," he ends up mumbling intelligibly and smiling because, It feels like the correct answer, right?
They sit like that for a little more and honestly what would anyone say to that, Gojo thinks he's made a very good point.
It's when he's almost asleep again when Megumi slips from his hold and hovers over him, Gojo lightly hooks his hands over the back of the other's neck, barely holding him down, and makes a sound of protest.
"Don't leave me…" It's supposed to sound petulant and whiny like his usual theatrics but he's so tired it comes out more like a whisper.
His eyes have dropped shut and he's slowly losing consciousness when there's hands carefully guiding his own down.
"Stop thinking, you're drunk…. I'm not going anywhere far," a disembodied voice says and Gojo doesn't have half a mind to disagree with it.
The last things he registers are his glasses falling from his face, or maybe someone's taking them. They could have them, he had way too many pairs anyway, and then a hesitant brush over his bangs, cool air hitting his forehead, before he blacks out.
When he wakes up the next day, feeling hot and thirsty from the hangover, he'll realise that, no, no one took his glasses, they were placed right next to him on top of the small wooden table along with a glass of water.
The days after that are calm, they don't have as many classes because it's summer and the trio is already in their fourth year so he doesn't have to worry about them as much.
The serene feeling lasts for about a week.
Megumi is avoiding him.
At first he'd dismissed it because obviously the kids wouldn't need him as much now that they're almost on the same grade as him, but it's not just that.
His texts get even rarer than usual and he's always busy when Gojo calls him.
On the days they do see each other Megumi just keeps his face glued to his phone, which is common in itself, but he doesn't even look up to address him.
Worst of all, and the nail in the coffin that Gojo has done something wrong is he'll completely brush off any attempt at physical contact.
Gojo will try to nudge his feet with his own under the table at the cafeteria to get his attention but Megumi will just draw them in on himself and shake his head to signal he's fine.
During movie nights he'll either sit on the far end of the couch or just say he's too tired and retreat to his room.
He wonders if maybe he's sick at some point and even asks Yuuji who just scratches the back of his neck.
"Oh, Fushiguro? I don't think so, sensei, but now that you mention it he's been acting kind of odd lately."
Nobara doesn't say anything but she does give him a contemplative look which suggests she might be onto something.
Gojo doesn't want to push him, if Megumi has a problem then he'll come to him on his own, right?
Still the days pass and nothing changes and this whole thing is really taking its toll on him. He finds himself missing this little routine they'd settled into, a comforting arm linked with his, a shoulder to rest his head against when he's tired, a person to lean on him as he walks.
He loses sleep night after night over this and he feels kind of pathetic. It's not just the physical things either. He's missed the teasing, the scoffs or eye rolls thrown at him whenever he's being impossible, the little smiles he'd get whenever he got beaten at training, the sarcastic remarks bouncing back at his own, green eyes looking up at him with both admiration and exasperation…
He suddenly whirls his thought process to a halt as he examines the things closer and ends up feeling dizzy. He couldn't be… He'd known Megumi since he was half his height, he'd been his legal guardian up till a year ago, he practically raised him! Whatever he'd stumbled upon was completely inappropriate and wrong, the kid probably saw him as a father figure, which was a messed up thought in itself considering he killed the boy's father in the first place.
He ends up stumbling to his bathroom, let's cold water run over the top of his head trying to dispel the nausea.
He couldn't ruin this. His brain unhelpfully supplies memories of another time when he'd ignored things until it was far too late and he does end up throwing up then.
He cleans himself up but doesn't leave the bathroom, instead opting to rest against the clean tiles, feeling like a dirty spot on them himself.
He wrecks his brain trying to figure out what he did, he must have done something to push Megumi away from him and he shudders at the possibilities. Maybe he said or did something while he was drunk. He just hopes it's the first if any. What was wrong with him? He was even worse than those creepy old geezers that occupied the higher up positions.
No matter how long he tries to think back on it he comes up empty handed but he's made up his mind to talk to Megumi sooner or later, he owes him that much and more, but for now he just had to wipe his brain clean.
Opportunity presents itself a day during training. He's honestly feeling completely out of it, even Yuuji and Nobara manage to take him by surprise and break through his infinity, or maybe he's not putting it up in the first place.
"Sensei! Don't go easy on us!" Yuuji audibly sighs at being treated like a child, unknowing of what's truly going on.
"Ah, sorry, sorry~" Gojo fakes a laugh and drops down in a low squat to rest, suddenly feeling drained. "I sometimes forget how strong you've become."
The kids must notice he's acting strange because they stay quiet for a bit, watching him. It's Nobara who breaks up the silence.
"Are you drunk?"
The word makes him flinch even though it's said so casually. From the corner of his eyes he sees Yuuji nudging her with wide eyes.
"Eh~?" He draws the vowel out and rests his head on his hand, innocent look in place. "What makes you say that?"
Nobara gives him a flat stare and without missing a beat starts listing things: "You're sweating, your form was off, and now you're slacking."
"Kugisaki!" Yuuji practically screams her ear off but she just rolls her eyes.
Another beat, and then Gojo bursts out laughing, this time genuinely.
"Fine, fine—" he raises up his palms in defeat. "You got me~"
"Sensei!" Yuuji turns his attention on him, shoulders dropping with disapproval. "You shouldn't be drinking at school, you'll get in trouble…"
Gojo feels a sting of sadness for lying to his kids but it's easier to lie than admit what's really been bothering him, so he just goes with the flow of this little white lie he's created.
"Why don't we take a break, huh? I promise I won't do it again!" As an act of goodwill he raises four fingers up to swear it.
"Okay! Let me get you some coffee, sensei!" Yuuji runs off as if on a mission and Nobara follows after him, shaking her head.
"Are you really drunk?" It takes him a second to realize it's Megumi that's asking him and it's already more interest than what he's shown in him in the last few weeks all together. Gojo is unsure how they're supposed to act these days so he just slips back to his old self.
"Worried?" He gives Megumi a little teasing grin.
"No," Megumi is quick to reply and gives him his signature unimpressed stare. "You should know better."
It's the closest to normal they've had in a long time and Gojo's smile widens feeling elated.
"My Megumi is so strict!" He places a hand on his chest and fakes a wounded look but drops the act as it's never worked on anyone. "You'd be such a great teacher, hehe~"
Before he realizes what he's doing his hand is hovering over the boy's head as if to ruffle his hair by instinct but he sees Megumi flinch and freezes, pulling his hand back like it's burned.
Megumi doesn't look at him now, he gives him a curt nod and steps away.
"Get some rest," he adds way too formally and then turns to walk away.
Gojo is already on his feet and reaches over to hold him back by his arm.
"Megumi—" He immediately releases him as he notes the boy's tense shoulders but doesn't stop. "Please talk to me."
"What's there to talk about?" Megumi asks with his back still facing him. "You're drunk, just go to sleep or something."
Gojo rushes in front of him and takes off his glasses. "I'm not drunk, I promise, see?" He gives Megumi a small smile while letting his eyes show right in the open bright light. He sees Megumi take his features in with surprise and he realizes he's probably not making a good case for himself with how little sleep he's been getting, he probably looks like shit.
"Ah. That is...I—" He stumbles at his words trying to sound nonchalant but unsure how to approach the subject now that he has the chance, suddenly wishing he hadn't taken off his glasses.
"Did I do something?" He internally cringes at his words but better be direct about it than leaving things unsaid. "Did I say something that made you feel uncomfortable?"
"What are you—"
"You don't have to hide it to make me feel better. Just—" His hands hang in the air over the kid's shoulders and he still sees Megumi tense up.
"This! What is this, Megumi? I don't-Why are you acting like this? I promise, I'm not mad at you!" He does rest his hands on his shoulders then just as a reassurance, just so he can explain before Megumi bolts away from him or something. "I just can't remember what happened, I never- What did I do?"
Megumi just looks up at him with wide eyes and Gojo does want to disappear just then because he sees fear in them. Megumi is afraid of him. The only person who stuck by him since he was a teen, longer than he can honestly remember, just after Gojo's world came crashing down, never acted like everyone else around him, and he messed it up. His ears ring loudly and he almost doesn't hear Megumi speak.
"You didn't do anything."
"Megumi, please don't—"
"You didn't," Megumi cuts him off then, voice clear and certain. "Don't blame yourself, it's not something you said either."
Gojo just stares then, confused, and waits for him to continue but that's all he gets.
"I don't understand…" Megumi still avoids his searching gaze. "Why are you acting like this then? What happened?"
"I can't tell you," Megumi says quietly and Gojo just holds him tighter.
"Megumi—"
"I can't!" His hands get abruptly brushed away by fisted palms and Megumi looks up at him with unshed tears in his eyes. "I can't! You're- You're all I… I c-can't. I can't lose you…"
Gojo just stands there frozen to the spot, of all the things he was prepared to deal with this wasn't it.
"You'll never lose me, Megumi," he says softly and takes a step forward but Megumi takes a step back in return. "I don't—"
"Don't make me say it…" Megumi's breath hitches but he doesn't look away this time. "You must see it."
For all of Gojo's Six Eyes all he can see is tears gliding down bloodshot green eyes.
"I will fix this." Megumi takes another step back and Gojo can now make a web of shadows opening up behind him like a portal. "J-Just give me some time and I'll... I'll get over it."
Before he can even say anything else Megumi is swallowed by his own created shadows, leaving Gojo alone at an empty training field.
When Yuuji and Nobara return with his coffee he thanks them before quietly informing them class would be cancelled and then teleports away, leaving them both standing there, with a full cup of coffee and a thousand questions. He still has no clue what made Megumi act this way but it's clearly related to him and the kid asked for some space and time and he can give him that.
The next day he packs up his things and gets on the first flight abroad.
He keeps his phone with him at all times in case anything happens, he'd hate himself if he was needed but was too far away to get there in time, but also in case Megumi reaches out. The days turn to weeks and then months, it's probably the longest he's been away from Japan but no one questions it, the higher ups were probably glad he was out of the picture for so long. He meets up with other sorcerers on his missions, Yuta comments on his attitude, asking how come he's not flirting with every client they get. Gojo just stares at him through his glasses.
"What's with that scary look? Creepy. You look like you're going through a breakup— I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" He adds quickly with a laugh at the now glare, though both of them know he's not really angry.
Yuta drops the subject after that and the next day they part ways as he's flying back to Africa. His words end up playing at the back of Gojo's mind. He spends a whole day locked up inside his room at the hotel trying to piece things together as he always does these days.
He recalls Megumi's words as clearly as if they were said yesterday.
'You didn't do anything. It's not something you said either.
I can't tell you. I can't lose you.
I'll fix this. Just give me some time and I'll get over it.
You must see it.'
He thinks back on Megumi's face as he'd tell him all this. What was he not seeing…
There's a tiny thought nestled at the back of his brain ever since that day that has taken place and refused to leave. At first he had pushed the thought away, that was very much not the time to be selfish and creepy, but the more he tried to figure anything out the more the idea grew in size. It would make sense with how Megumi had phrased things, how it was something he wanted to get over and felt scared to tell him.
He spends the rest of the night replaying every interaction they've had throughout the years, every laugh and hug and bright red ears...
He could be very wrong about this and completely misunderstanding everything but, what if he wasn't? Would it really be that bad?
Winter comes and he decides it's finally time to return to Japan for Christmas. Sure, half of his friends didn't even celebrate it but there's something urging him to go back now, and he thinks spending winter alone amongst strangers would be a tad too sad even for him. He buys everyone presents of course, at least his family was useful for something, he'd never given a second thought on spending his fortune away if it made others happy. The flight is long and Tokyo is cold and grey under thick dark clouds.
His students, now almost graduates, come to greet him like usual. Yuuji envelopes him in a big hug that Gojo honestly melts against and Nobara informs him he's late but she's prepared to forgive him as soon as she sees the bags. Megumi is there, he gives Gojo a soft smile and a welcome and Gojo is hit with just how much he's missed home.
The celebrations at school were never an event to be underestimated. All the students held a party at the main area of the dorms, with movie marathons and fruit punch and this year there was even a full on decorated Christmas tree. Though the decorations were a tiny bit questionable, Gojo thinks to himself as he examines miniature versions of cursed objects and shikigami, like a mix of Halloween and Christmas all together. Most of the staff is gone on vacation except for Nanami, Yaga and Shoko and they sit by the entrance to the dorms catching up on cases.
Gojo gets snuggled in between Yuuji and Panda, who's already graduated but is doing his internship at the school anyway. At the edge of the couch he catches Nobara kissing Maki on the cheek and then giggle as they glance back sneakily at the other teachers. Yuuji is feeding Sukuna popcorn as if that's a regular thing but he guesses it is after all these years. Laughter bubbles around him and he lets his mind stop thinking as the movie picks up.
It's only around the third one that he carefully slips away and exits into the cool night air, just sitting at the edge of the wooden mat to the dorms, a glass of apple juice in hand, this time non-alcoholic. He can still hear the sound effects of the movie playing inside and he sets his glasses down, it's calm and the stars are shining brightly at him.
"Isn't it cold out here?"
He turns then and surely enough Megumi is standing over him, his large coat in hand. He throws it at Gojo's face who just smiles good-naturally at him.
"How do you know I just don't get cold?" He asks as a matter of fact, as if it could be something everyone knew.
"We both know that's not how it works. The environment around you would influence your temperature even if it didn't touch you. Just like a fridge." Megumi rubs his palms together trying to get warmer but still staying close by.
Gojo extends his palms out in an offer to join him and Megumi just rolls his eyes but ends up sitting down next to him, letting his hands get pulled on Gojo's lap.
"I would say that it's more like a thermos, I can keep a steady temperature for a long amount of time but I don't have it up all the time." He huffs a breath over their hands, Megumi making it a point to stare at the ground in between them without revealing his thoughts.
He's just about to say something silly again just to keep this easy atmosphere up for a bit longer when Megumi speaks up again.
"You killed my father, didn't you?"
Gojo pauses and stares right at him, of all conversations he was expecting to have today, this taking him by surprise, as everything about Megumi did these days, he assumes. So much for the easy atmosphere, a part of his brain that's not panicking supplies.
"Who told you?"
Megumi shrugs then as if he hadn't just admitted to knowing one of his biggest regrets. "I just figured it out after a while. I mean—" He fidgets around trying to choose the right words. "It kind of made sense how you knew where to find us. You also said he was going to sell me so he'd either be in prison or well…"
Gojo releases the hands in his and rubs the back of his neck as he tries to collect his thoughts.
"I don't really care," Megumi says off handedly and then shakes his head. "I mean, of course I do care that he's dead, he's my father, but I'm not going to hold it against you, I don't even remember him."
Gojo stares at him again, dumbfounded. "You aren't angry that I killed your dad?"
Megumi shrugs again, "Knowing you, you probably had a good reason, plus who would sell off their own kid? He sounded like a douche."
Gojo can't help but bark a laugh then, it's short and more because of how completely unexpected the conversation ends up being than what he'd always imagined. He opens up his arms then, wide enough, and asks lightly,
"Can I hug you?"
Megumi runs a hand through his face and mumbles something that sounds like, "You don't have to be embarrassing about it." before he leans forward and Gojo wraps his arms tightly around him. Megumi's hands snake around his middle and Gojo rests his head on top of Megumi's with a sigh. They sit like that for a little while, just comfortable in each other's warmth and Gojo wonders if Megumi has missed this as much as he has.
"I'm sorry," Gojo says earnestly, he's always thinking back on his earlier years and there's a lot of things he wished he'd done differently.
"I told you I'm not angry—" Megumi mumbles under him but Gojo stops him.
"Let me say it still. I've been beating myself over it for a very long time, you know." He feels a burden lifting off of him at the revelation, thinks of everything he'd always pictured himself saying when the time came but in the end he decides he won't talk about himself for once.
"Fushiguro Toji. He was very strong, probably almost as strong as me at the time. He technically did almost kill me once." He feels Megumi inhale at that and quickly adds, "But you know me, can't stay down for long except on Sundays." He thinks back on the events and decides that maybe Christmas wasn't the best time to share the full story of how his father murdered a little girl in cold blood so he just skips over a few chapters for now.
"Well to put it bluntly it's not exactly a lie to say that he was kind of an ass but," —'I have a son. Do with him whatever you want'— "for all it's worth I think he cared about you." Megumi doesn't say anything so Gojo just keeps going. "His last words were of you. If he hadn't told me I'd never known where to find you." In a way, he thinks to himself, he feels thankful to Toji. Finding Megumi had been unknowingly his own salvation.
Megumi is still quiet and Gojo pulls back very slightly to peek at his face. He looks a bit flushed from the proximity of the hug but otherwise no sign of feeling uncomfortable. Gojo smiles down at him softly and before he lets himself second think about it he leans forward and places a light kiss on top of the boy's forehead.
The reaction is instant. Megumi buries his face at the front of his coat in embarrassment. A quiet, "Why are you like this?" sounds muffled from between the thick layers of fabric. Gojo chuckles and peels his head back with a palm on his face, wanting to see the expression for himself. Megumi's eyes are casted to the side, the flush from earlier extending from the top of his ears all the way to his nose.
An idea forms in his mind then and it's far too simple not to try it. He takes a second to fully commit to it before leaning down again and just presses a kiss on Megumi's cheek. It's over in a second and he's almost about to regret it when wide green eyes stare at him like he's transformed into a curse himself but then they fall down to his lips and Oh, he was right.
He inhales a deep breath then and Megumi's eyes snap back to his in mortification but Gojo just smiles at him a bit too happily and with a hint of mischief. He brings up his other hand to cradle Megumi's face in his palms. Megumi's eyebrows scrunch up in confusion, his eyes piercing through him as if trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle. Gojo lets him stay confused for a bit longer, partly because he's a little shit and partly because it's a very endearing sight. If he'd been in the same spot a few months ago he honestly doesn't know how he would have reacted but he's done a lot of thinking and he's decided that he can't really picture himself without Megumi at his side. It's kind of ironic, their powers and clans meant to clash against each other, but ending up bound together by a chance encounter. Hopefully Fushiguro Toji wouldn't reincarnate as a curse to get him after this one, that would not be a fun family meeting.
He finally breaks their eye contact, letting his own eyes fall down on the parted lips in front of him long enough so it wouldn't be mistaken and then glances back up, a wordless ask for permission.
If anything Megumi's eyes get blown out even wider, it's one of those funny expressions Gojo wants to save in his mind and he tips his head to the side, eyes crinkling at the edges and unable to stop his teasing smile from spreading into a grin. The motion seems to startle Megumi who's probably expecting something else and the boy just shuts his eyes tight in panic. It takes every inch of self control to hold back a laugh and Gojo even bites down his own lips to stop himself. He takes in Megumi’s open expression, the silent trust that’s placed on him, as it always has, and he feels adoration and affection swell inside him until it’s so much it pushes him to close the distance between them. He’s still smiling into the kiss and it’s short and sweet and his lips barely even brush against Megumi’s and then he’s already pulling back way too eager to see the reaction.
Megumi stays still for a while longer, his eyes fluttering open slowly as if his mind is still processing what just happened and then he's looking up at Gojo again, eyebrows dropping down into a frown like an angry kitten.
"You knew?" His voice is scratched and unsteady. "All this time? Why didn't you say anything?! Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to—" His sentence gets cut off as Gojo kisses him again, just because he can and because Megumi is always adorable when he's mad.
"Technically I didn't. I just confirmed it like a minute ago," he pulls back to say and Megumi just stares at him looking like an overgrown tomato.
"But...That day." Megumi shakes his head as if in an argument with himself. "I thought…"
Gojo pulls him in again, placing butterfly kisses at the top of his eyebrows that are always worrying too much, at the bridge of his nose and both sides of his temples.
Megumi places a hand on his shoulder then, just lightly pushing him back and Gojo comes face to face with wavering green eyes.
"Oh, Megumi…" His thumb rubs soothing circles at the side of his cheek and then he shifts his position to wrap both arms around him again. "Come here."
There's no hesitation this time, Megumi all but collapses on him, his hold tight. Gojo holds him back just as tight, his hand coming up to support the back of his head and he brushes a few stray strands in place.
"I'm sorry it took me so long. Never said I'm the brightest, just the strongest, you can't have everything," he adds and smiles when he feels Megumi grunt under him.
"Sensei! Yaga-sensei is looking for you—" A voice that sounds a bit too much like Yuuji comes from behind them just then.
Megumi scrambles back in an attempt to put as much distance between them as he can but it's already a little bit late for that.
"Panda-senpai owes me ¥2000," Nobara, who just appeared right next to Yuuji, says calmly.
Gojo grins and places a finger on his lips. "I'll give you double if you keep quiet about it, okay?"
"Deal." She gives him a thumbs up, suddenly convinced. "Honestly sensei, you're slower than Itadori sometimes."
"Eh? What's that supposed to mean—Oh." Gojo watches Yuuji with amusement as a seemingly imaginary light bulb lights up above his head. "This actually explains a lot of things."
Megumi for his part hides his face behind his hands, the shadows around him becoming larger the more the scene goes on.
"Tell the headmaster I'm off for today," Gojo says with a wink and tosses Nobara his credit card.
"Yes, sensei! Enjoy your evening!" Yuuji bows cheerfully and walks off. Nobara creeps closer to Megumi with a snicker on her face.
"That's one unshakable character alright, that of a child's—"
"Shut your mouth!" Megumi yells back at her, hands ready to summon his shikigami but she just runs off laughing.
After they're both gone Gojo slides across the mat, hands reaching forward but Megumi pushes him back with a glare.
"Megumi, please~ Just a hug, I promise!" Gojo says innocently but Megumi doesn't budge.
"How can you take this so lightly? You work as a teacher here and I'm your student! What if the headmaster finds out? What about the higher ups?" Megumi says as the usual voice of reason and with a hint of worry.
Gojo pauses and hums as he thinks this through. "Should I just quit, then?"
"Take this seriously!" Megumi barks at him but Gojo smiles softly and takes his hands in his.
"I am." He rubs the palms in his with his thumbs and looks straight up at Megumi. "I'm serious, Megumi. You're twenty, in a few months you're graduating. We don't have to hurry. Also it's not as if anyone can do anything to me, I can just kill them." He grins widely at the flat stare he gets and places a small kiss on top of Megumi's right hand. "Have you thought about what you want to do after school?"
Megumi looks to the side towards the tall trees that surround the school grounds.
"I was thinking of asking Panda-senpai to help me write an application for an internship." There's a faint blush creeping up on the sides of his cheeks again. "Someone told me I'd be a good teacher."
He turns back to look at Gojo again, his expression hopeful and full of admiration. Gojo's smile softens and he reaches a palm forward to capture his face and lean closer. Megumi lets him, his hands coming up to rest on the back of Gojo's neck, pulling him in. This kiss was slower than the others, Gojo angled his head to the side and Megumi pressed right back to meet him. In the background the theme of a movie ending sounded from inside of the dorms and then, without either of them noticing, the opening of the next one echoed just after it.