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Megumi can pinpoint the exact moment he fully realized that you were far more than a comrade or friend to him. He’s certain the feeling had existed far before then, but it was that movie night in particular that made him sit there and come to terms with it.
A horror movie had been put on by Yuji’s suggestion and Nobara was clinging to you from the opening jumpscare. Megumi couldn’t tell if you were frightened or not because you were smiling for her sake while she dug her nails into the skin of your arm. You grinned through the snag and sting of shallow crescent cuts and held Nobara when she jumped.
It was just such a selfless act. One totally undemanding of reward. Megumi admired that in you. Your resolve in uplifting her spirit through the movie and then pushing her follow-up film suggestion before your own.
That was when Megumi could look at you and realize the burning in his chest was not the affection for a friend. No, this was different - worse.
It appeared that Nobara noticed soon after he did.
In the kitchen, she pointed down at Megumi’s hand, “What’s that?”
“Huh?” Megumi followed her gaze to his skin, “Oh. A heart.”
“I can see that. Why is it there?”
“Didn’t wanna wash it off.”
“Okay, but who- “ she paused, eyes wide, “Oh my God, ew.”
“Ew?”
“You and…?” she shook her head, “They deserve better.”
Megumi’s brows furrowed, “Why are you like this?”
“Okay, fine, I’ll help, but only because you’d be hopeless.”
He raised the hand with the heart you drew, “I think I’m already halfway there.”
Nobara fixed him with an unimpressed, disbelieving stare and crossed her arms, “I’ll help you, you need it.”
“How could you possibly help me?”
...
“Kugisaki, this isn’t funny! Let us out, please?” you’re banging on the door to the closet you’d been shoved into with Megumi.
“‘Please?’”
“Well, I don’t wanna be rude.”
“You’re such a nice person,” he blurts it out suddenly, “Has anyone told you that? You’re a genuinely nice person.”
“Aw, thanks, ‘gumi. I try,” but you just laugh it off and he cannot comprehend that. You’re so worthy of the praise and yet you never cling to it the way he would.
You return to trying to pry the door open.
“You two can’t come out until spikey in there gets it over with!”
“Spikey?” Megumi narrows his eyes at the door, as if his glare could burn Nobara through the wood.
“‘It?’” you turn to the boy, “What’s it?”
He shrugs, “She’s crazy.”
Nobara huffs and stomps her foot, “I am not!”
“You locked us in a closet!” Megumi shouts back through the door.
...
It feels like hours have passed and you’re still stuck inside the closet.
“So, ‘gumi,” if it was anybody else using that name, he wouldn’t dream of responding, but the way it rolls from your tongue is just so sweet to his ears, “what was it that Kugisaki meant? What do you need to get over with?”
Once again, he shrugs, tossing his head back to rest on the wall behind him. His eyes fall to you, staring at the ground and dragging your finger into shapes on the floor.
Like sunshine and moonlight, he imagines. Two jagged pieces of a broken vase. You two fit together in complementary status. You highlight the softened edge inside him and he brings out your calm nature. Like puzzle pieces, you two are meant to fit into one another and remain.
He believes that, wholeheartedly. He hopes you do, too. Even though he can’t say it.
“Why are you so nice?” he murmurs into the darkness.
“That feels backhanded…”
“I mean it, even when we were locked in here you were trying to be pleasant to Kugisaki. Why?”
You shrug, “I guess I just want to be the person I needed growing up. Someone nice.”
He wishes he knew you back then so that he could be the person you needed. Not to make you sentimental for him, but because you’re so innately good that he feels that it’s what you deserve. Kindness and love. And if you couldn’t have gotten it then, he hopes he can be the one to give it to you now. Even if he can’t say it.
“You’re nice too, ‘gumi, you know that?”
“Only to you.”
“No, you’re nice to everyone. In your special way. Like when you give Itadori and Kugisaki your jacket when they're cold and walk Kugisaki around at night when she asks you to. It’s never super outright, but that’s what I love. When you quietly offer Itadori the last bit of your food.”
He couldn’t possibly be as kind as you say. Not nearly as great. Megumi knows this for a fact because you’re so wonderful, and he’s nothing like you - so there’s no chance he’s worthy of the praise you fit him with. But he lets you give it out anyway. If it’ll make you happy to say, then he’ll let you say anything.
“You love that?”
“Sure, I do. Who wouldn’t love you?”
The worst day of his life will be when you leave it. It’s one of those thoughts that just jumps into the mind. And Megumi realizes it to be completely true.
“Don’t say that,” he brings a hand over his face and drags it down, “I can’t handle it.”
He can feel you get closer, your hand going over his on the floor and your head falling to rest on his shoulder, “I think I know what Kugisaki wanted you to do.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
You turn your head, pressing your face into his shoulder, and he can just barely feel the imprint of your upturned lips through his shirt.
“Can I hear you say it, please?” your voice is muffled and it’s a shame, he’s always found the sound to be more heavenly than church bells.
“I…” he closes his eyes, embarrassed even though neither of you are looking at each other, “Alright.”
“‘Alright’?”
“Here it goes…”
...
When Nobara comes back to the door and opens it for a peek inside, she sees Megumi sitting at the far wall with you resting against his back and between his legs. You’ve fallen asleep with one of the divine dogs in your lap.
“We got bored waiting for you,” is all he can say.
Nobara smiles. It’s small and rare and Megumi barely sees it before it vanishes, “Finally, you two got it done.”
Megumi pats the dog’s head and it rises from your legs to leave the closet, he gently shakes you awake and threads his arm around you so you can still lean on him as you walk, half-asleep, back to his room.
As he passes Nobara, she thinks she can see an even rarer smile on the boy’s lips, “Thanks for meddling, even though your method sucked.”
“My method did not suck,” she narrows her eyes at his back as he walks away.
Megumi lets you settle into his bed with him beside you.
He hopes you never regret this, and he’ll work for that outcome. He swears, he will. To keep himself fitted to you - like the moon orbiting its earth. Jagged puzzle pieces. Meant to be together.
He’ll work for that. For you.
Because you deserve it.