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Tenderness.
An attribute and virtue heavenly bestowed upon Yuuji Itadori; like a sixth sense, Yuuji held within himself the innate ability to provide comfort to others.
Megumi Fushiguro was not immune to this ability.
Tap-cold turned lukewarm in Yuuji’s palm, he tested the temperature of running water at his fingertips with utmost care and attention. Spillage from the faucet ran loudly, water sloshing against tile only added to the noise, and Yuuji found himself wishing he could quiet it. He plugged the drain, the water now hot enough to begin filling the tub in earnest.
He cast a softened look of mild concern over his shoulder, eyes searching for where Megumi was still slouched on the bathroom floor. Donning a filthy version of his uniform, the visible patches of once-pale skin had turned a purplish-blue. Streaks of crusted-over reddish-brown were splattered across his clothing, and faint traces of the same hue left marks across his tired face. Unfortunately, this was considered to be a good day in the life of a jujutsu sorcerer.
“The bath is almost ready.” Yuuji said only loud enough to be heard above the still-running water. Megumi looked up at him, but didn’t respond. Yuuji smiled at him anyway.
Turning back to his task at hand, he poured in suds alongside the cascading stream. Bubbling foam began to form at the base of his makeshift waterfall, traveling upwards on itself before running down the length of the tub. Iridescent shimmers bounced in the light, swaying in time with the movement of the bathwater. The faucet creaked as Yuuji shut it off, quietly standing from where he had been knelt down, his actions encored by the last few droplets dripping against the sudsy surface.
He shuffled across the floor, finding himself in front of Megumi. He offered the assistance of his hands, and Megumi didn’t have the energy to deny it. His palms met Yuuji’s, softly at first, and the callouses he wore from wielding various tools and clasping his hands in summoning felt like thankfulness against Yuuji’s skin – thankfulness that his hands were still warm.
Megumi’s grip tightened as he began to raise himself from the floor, and Yuuji stooped low to wrap a caring arm around his side. When Megumi was finally at his feet, it was more so due to Yuuji’s hoisting than his own strength, as that had been long depleted.
“Do you need help with anything else?” Yuuji spoke in a hushed tone, and Megumi shook his head. Retracting his arm from its gently-placed spot, Yuuji fought down the urge to caress his cheek, to kiss his forehead, to pull him tight and wish away every ounce of pain that Megumi was feeling at that moment.
Instead, he took a step back.
“I’ll be down the hall if you need me – but you already knew that.” Yuuji flashed him a crooked smile, stepping past him toward the door.
A pathetic grip at his wrist stopped him.
“Stay.” Was the only word whispered, a word packed with admittance and plea, and it came from Megumi.
Yuuji stood, frozen in time if only for a moment, hand hovering over the doorknob. His unwavering desire to help others bubbled to the surface, overpowering and overlooking the feelings that resided within his chest.
“Okay.” He responded, just as quiet and just as timid.
Megumi hissed as he began to pull his uniform over his head, ungraceful and almost frustrated. Despite wanting to offer his help, the words would not leave Yuuji – partly for fear of pushing his limits, and partly for fear of what he might say instead.
So instead, he stood there, dumbly, awkwardly, looking around the room and locking his eyes on one specific floor tile.
“Do you plan on taking a bath with clothes on?” Megumi asked halfway through discarding his pants, and Yuuji knew his face was flushed without even looking in the mirror.
“I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to get in with you or not.” It was honest.
Disbelief shook Megumi’s head and crept an inkling of a smile across his lips, one that Yuuji would cherish for the rest of his consciousness.
He busied himself with removing his own clothing – though much more casual and less complex than the outfit Megumi had to rid himself of. Yuuji hadn’t been a part of the mission Megumi had been on, it was an off-day for him – although he had spent most of it wondering when Megumi would be back.
Swallowing his self-consciousness, Yuuji stripped himself of his last remaining garments. He made his way to the tub, carefully stepping over any of Megumi’s discarded clothing. Megumi had already sunk himself chest-deep into the heated water, eyes closed in relief as tension began to leave his overworked body. Yuuji stepped in, attempting delicateness so as to not disrupt Megumi, and placed his body on the opposite end of the tub.
Their legs met somewhere in the middle, an awkward tangle of limbs that made Yuuji giggle, which in turn made Megumi scowl.
“We aren’t kids playing in a bathtub, you know.” Megumi sassed, leaving his eyes closed as he spoke.
“I know, I know.” Yuuji rolled his eyes playfully, even though Megumi couldn’t see it. He sank himself lower, careful not to press too much of his body against Megumi’s, momentarily thankful the water was clouded by a screen of bubbles. “I had grabbed you a washcloth,” he started, “Did you want it now?”
“Mmm, too tired.” Megumi sighed, wincing as he leaned himself against the back of the tub. He had several nasty bruises from his earlier fight, a prominently large one on his left shoulder and another blossoming just under his jawline. The dirt and grime and blood would soak off, Yuuji supposed, but he still blurted out an intimate suggestion.
“I could help you… if you want?” His voice lost confidence with each syllable, and by the end of his question he sounded almost shy. He pretended not to notice the way Megumi’s eyes opened, just a fraction, to see if he was kidding or not.
The lack of denial from Megumi was likely due to his stubbornness, and his lack of accepting affection. However, Yuuji reminded himself, this had nothing to do with affection beyond that of a friend helping a friend. This was not a romantic gesture, but one he simply wanted to do because he cared.
Megumi wouldn’t ask for this – he never would.
But Yuuji knew. He always knew.
“I could wash your hair for you.” Yuuji said, softly and, unintentionally, full of love.
“Okay.” Megumi answered after pondering for a moment, quiet and subtle, as if he were afraid someone might hear him.
Bringing his arms up from under the surface, Yuuji motioned for Megumi to come closer. He sat himself up straighter, moving his legs to either side so Megumi could fit between them. Megumi was slow-moving, achy and sore, making his way across the tub in his own time. Yuuji was patient – he would wait for Megumi forever if he had to.
“Turn so your back is to me, I don’t want to get soap in your eyes.” Yuuji smiled, and Megumi silently listened to his careful plan of action. He brought his knees upwards, shimmying himself in the opposite direction so that his back was facing Yuuji’s chest. “Okay, tilt your head back a bit. Please.” Yuuji whispered, fearing if he spoke too loud, it might break this already-fragmented moment in time.
Leaning his head back toward Yuuji, his unruly black hair was nearly matted with post-battle sweat and grime. Yuuji cupped soapy water into his hands, lifting it up quietly besides the trickling droplets that slipped through the crack between his palms. As gently as he could, he poured the water over Megumi’s hair, repeating the motion until all that remained was water-slicked strands of black. He reached behind himself, grabbing shampoo from the ledge of the tub, accidentally squeezing out more than he meant to. He went with it anyway – lathering the liquid across Megumi’s hair, tenderly, gently – massaging the back of his skull in small circles with his thumbs while he was at it.
The action made Megumi shudder beneath him, and Yuuji paused his ministrations to check in. “You okay?”
“Feels nice.” Megumi admitted, and Yuuji felt something beneath his ribs stir.
He smiled in response, continuing downward to rub out the tension and aches from Megumi’s neck. Then to his uninjured shoulder, between his shoulder blades – each step lower had Megumi sighing in content, his body relaxing into Yuuji’s touch. It felt like something sacred, to hold beneath his trusted palms the person he loved so deeply, so truly. In truth, Yuuji may have enjoyed it just as much – if not more than – Megumi himself.
“Time to rinse,” Yuuji reminded him, “Close your eyes.”
Megumi’s eyelids fluttered closed, something like bliss mixed with relief barely visible before they shut completely. Using the same method as when he wet Megumi’s hair initially, Yuuji rinsed the shampoo from Megumi’s head, running his fingers through the strands gently to break up any remaining knots.
“All done!” Yuuji beamed, admiring his work.
“Thank you.” Megumi replied, a hint of softness evident in his tone. He pulled his arms around himself, hugging them across his chest with a slight shiver.
“Are you cold?” Yuuji’s heart skipped a beat before he even asked, his affections beginning to overtake his prior urge to simply help Megumi.
“A little,” Megumi answered. “My wet hair is making me cold.”
Yuuji knew he could keep him warm.
“C’mere.” He whispered, wobbly and full of unspoken emotions. “Lean back.”
Megumi propped his chin over his shoulder, eyeing Yuuji with a tired, but entirely accepting, look. He took Yuuji up on his offer, settling his back against Yuuji’s chest like a trust fall. Except, trust had been long established and flourished healthily between them – it felt more like watching Megumi fall into Yuuji’s love itself, embraced sweetly by the heart-shaped pool of feelings that resided in the molecular divide between their skin. Megumi’s damp hair made contact with the base of Yuuji’s throat, nestling his head comfortably beneath his jaw as if it were meant to fit there. Like an instant reflex, Yuuji brought his arms up to wrap their bodies together tighter, holding him around his biceps and locking his hands across Megumi’s chest.
Trapping steam and warm water in the crevices between them, Yuuji aimed to conserve as much heat as possible, keeping Megumi comfortable beneath his own embrace. He was certain Megumi could feel the rush of his heartbeat, a steady, quick thump against the back of his shoulder. His breaths came out as shaky puffs of air atop Megumi’s slicked hair, and, against his desperate urge not to, Yuuji buried his face into the very same locks.
He breathed in a mixture of their scents and shampoo, a clean and comforting aroma that made his chest feel tight and actions more impulsive. Gently and almost dismissively, he placed a chaste kiss to the back of Megumi’s head, pausing afterward both in shock and in preparation for scolding. However, he was only met with a light gasp and fluttering eyelids, and his mind recalled the same reaction from earlier when he had rubbed out Megumi’s muscles.
Does he like this, too?
Pressing onward to find out the answer, Yuuji started a trail of kisses, beginning with the same spot he had initially made contact with – although, this time, with more intent and passion. He squeezed Megumi tight in his arms, afraid he might slip away and Yuuji would lose his chance to openly display his affection. Megumi shuddered beneath him as Yuuji made his way to the shell of his ear, but he lolled his head to the opposite side, giving Yuuji more room to continue and serving as a signal to keep going.
Tiny and feather-light, Yuuji pressed his lips mere centimeters apart, covering every open patch of skin that the top of Megumi’s left shoulder had to offer. He worked his way back up, slower and deeper this time, allowing himself to savor the taste of Megumi’s skin against his lips. He chanced a kiss of his cheek, head craned to the side putting them face-to-face, and their flushed looks had nothing to do with the heat.
Megumi’s eyes sparkled in wonder at Yuuji, wide and full of some sort of realization or epiphany. Yuuji wanted to smile, to laugh, to tell Megumi that he loved him – but the need for action had overcome him, and there was one visible spot left that he hadn’t pressed his lips to. And so, pulling Megumi impossibly tighter, Yuuji did. He sealed their mouths delicately and with utmost care, a simple, testing caress of sensitive, plush skin. Reciprocation had not been expected, but it was certainly welcomed, as Megumi’s mouth moved like muscle memory against Yuuji’s own.
It was tender and soft, the kiss that they had shared, and they broke apart from it only seconds later. A few seconds that had felt like an eternity in the best way possible, for in that single moment Yuuji tasted his moon and stars against his own sun. Like completing a cycle, they had now come full circle in their journey of unwavering trust and delicate feelings, putting their hearts to the stars and letting them soar. The galaxies trapped within their chests began to spill out, clashing together to create a new universe where they allowed themselves to love each other, openly and unapologetically.
And, to show his dedication to their new era, Megumi loosened from Yuuji’s grip, reaching behind them to grab the shampoo.