Work Text:
It’s warm.
The first thought Yuji has as consciousness begins to ebb on him like a ride, is how peaceful it is. He can feel the sunlight, the warmth of midday from behind his creamy eyelids. But Yuji keeps his eyes shut, urging a few more moments of peace.
When was the last time he slept through the night? Being Sukuna’s vessel comes with its stress and side effects, the most notable of which is that Yuji has to be in control of his mind at all times - and that includes when he’s in the only depth of his subconscious. But his restless nature began long before he became the king of curses vessel. Even in middle school he recalls countless nights tossing and turning, being pulled from a nonsensical dream with a groan, his eyes fluttering open to take in the dark shadows across his ceiling before stumbling back to sleep once more.
The last time he slept soundly, completely relaxed and unbothered, was probably near the tail end of elementary school. He feels a smile twitch onto his lips. It was before his grandfather started filtering in and out of the hospital, when his grandfather would still creep into his room late at night to make sure he was covered with a blanket, pressing a kiss to his forehead before leaving him to his dreams.
Yeah, this feels like then. This familiar warmth feels like the purest love, where the other person doesn’t want anything from you - not even a date. The kind of love where all they want, all that they yearn for, is for their beloved to be happy.
It’s nice, he thinks.
His eyes open slowly, almost tentatively, the bright red and orange hues lingering behind his eyes transforms into soft yellow.
Every crevice of the room is bathed in golden yellow light, the walls dancing with the hue. He’s not quite sure if this is morning or afternoon golden hour. It doesn’t matter though, Yuji abandons any concern for the time when the entire scene comes into focus.
Splayed across the foot of his bed is Nobara, soft snores tumbling from her chapped lips. Her short caramel-colored hair is littered with knots, strands sweeping across her face. She’s curled in on herself to fit on the dye of the bed, knees pulled against her chest with one arm lying across her legs and the other tucked under her head.
And by his quilt-covered hip is Megumi's signature untamed mane of raven black hair. It’s obvious from just a glance to him that Megumi struggled for several long moments to stay awake, shifting and twisting, desperately attempting to get comfortable, only to inevitably relent and slump onto the bed, his head cradled in both arms. Even composed while asleep, Megumi looks like something out of a portrait - every hair in place, deep peaceful breaths taken from his nose.
‘The least he could do is drool or something’ Yuji thinks, it’s a scornful thought, but the corner of his mouth twitches. The twitch turns into a crease, which turns into plump pink lips pulled apart - arched upwards and divided by a row of pearly white teeth.
He tries to suppress his grin, stifle it even if only by a single degree, but instead his smile only grows wider. He’s not sure what to call this type of joy, the flutter in his chest as he watches his two best friends refuse to leave his side for even a minute.
All he knows is-
“It sure feels warm to be loved.” Yuji murmurs to himself, eyes shutting once again as he drifts into a warm dream.