Archive of Our Own

This year’s season was starting, and Yuuji was ecstatic, being able to play matches with Megumi again (and the rest of the team) was something she was definitely looking forward to doing. Last year was great, though they lost some, it was still less than half of all the matches they played, so it counted for something. 

Yuuji had become well acquainted with most members of the team, though there seemed to be a bit of a divide between the freshmen last year and the upperclassmen. Presumably, because they were the new people and everyone already knew each other. Though Yuuji knew everyone, that didn’t mean they hung out when they weren’t playing. The people Yuuji spent time with the most were Nobara and Megumi. 

But there was something different about Megumi. It sounded stupid but she was drawn to the other girl in an inexplicable way. Megumi was so beautiful and so smart. Yuuji could tell her mind was running all the time. The way her gaze would track across the field, and in a second she was already in the process of enacting whatever she previously worked out. Somehow, she always looked to Yuuji when it came to helping, and Yuuji could only hope to reciprocate the way Megumi wanted her to. 

Over the past three months, since the summer had ended and the new year began, Yuuji had come to notice more and more things about Megumi. Not that she hadn’t noticed these things before, she just finds herself looking at her more and processing Megumi’s actions like she would a game almost. 

Megumi Fushiguro was a person who thought more than she spoke. Yuuji could go a long time without hearing Megumi speak, then suddenly she’ll give her input, and it’s always something insightful. It’s always something that seems as though she’s given some time before saying. 

They hung out after practice sometimes, when Megumi agrees, and one dusk-tinted sky, Yuuji couldn’t stop herself from pulling some of the grass strands that had gotten into her hair. 

“What are you—“ Megumi starts to say, then realized as her eyes follow Yuuji’s movements, “Oh. Thanks.” 

“Sorry—I uh couldn’t help myself,” Yuuji says giving a shy smile, and then, “I loved that save you did, probably where all this grass came from.” 

“Yeah… I wasn’t thinking about it.” Megumi shrugs. 

“I think that’s when I play the best,” She notices just how long Megumi’s eyelashes are, “When I’m not thinking.”

Megumi liked to read, and if she wasn’t reading, she was working on her book of puzzles. It had word searches, which were her favorite, sudoku, and various word riddles. 

When Yuuji asked about it, Megumi said her Dad got it for her from the dollar store after she finished her word search puzzle book she had from middle school. 

“He never knew what to get me, and when I first got it I kind of thought it was a stupid gift…” 

When she mentioned her dad, there was a certain sadness to it that makes Yuuji think he might not be around anymore. Maybe he died, or left? She doesn’t ask because although she considers them friends, they aren’t close enough to discuss something like that. 

Megumi is very good at all of the problems, and it doesn’t even look like it’s difficult at all for her.

“The word searches aren’t challenging at all, I just like the satisfaction of seeing it all complete,” Megumi says after Yuuji wonders how Megumi can finish a page so fast.  “Besides I can’t use my phone during school hours so it’s a good way to pass the time.”

“Can I help?” Yuuji asks, looking at the pink highlighter next to Megumi’s blue. She had four but her main was blue. 

“…” Megumi stares for a moment as if she wasn’t sure Yuuji was even real, “Sure, let’s start a new page though, I had a headstart here.”

“Headstart? Is this a competition now?”

“Actually it is, that’s what you agree to when you want to join me,” She says jokingly, handing Yuuji the pink, and Yuuji smiles back. The theme of this search was ‘Countries Of The Americas ’

“Do we have to go in order?” 

“Nope, I don’t anyway, too slow. Find whichever words you can,” Megumi answers, finding Argentina right away, then skips ahead to Ecuador . 

“Damn,” Yuuji mutters, wondering how Megumi can even skip around the page so fast. In a minute it’s already 5-1, if this was a competition Yuuji was losing badly. There were thirty-five available words and Megumi still got most of them.

In three minutes, Megumi’s managed to wipe the floor with her, and Yuuji groans, “Okay, you got me, you’re the word search goddess, you can have the crown.”

“Thanks, Yuuji.” She accepts the pretend crown placing it atop her head. 

“I swear, is there anything you can’t do? You’re smart, you know all the answers to everything, you’re athletic and…” 

Yuuji trails off, eyes looking into Megumi’s own, and the girl breaks into the most cocky smile. 

“Hm? Why’d you stop? Feel free to continue” Megumi teased, wondering why Yuuji stopped her appraisal. Maybe she’s been spending too much time with Nobara lately. 

“You’re beautiful,” Yuuji finished, and it was a statement so final that it could not be perceived as anything other than fact. 

Megumi didn’t know what to say to that, and stands, feeling rather awkward now and totally aware that she was staring at the prettiest girl at this school, who was seemingly totally unaware of that fact. Her previous confidence plummeted but not for feeling inferior. Just how could Yuuji say things like that?! With such ease, and a complete genuine nature Megumi has never encountered from anyone before her.  

“You’re stupid, we should get to class.” She says instead, turning her head to hide the redness that she knew would paint her face with her embarrassment. Yuuji was unbelievable . 

Another thing Yuuji noticed about Megumi is that the girl does her makeup phenomenally. Not every day of course, but when she does do it, she looks so good Yuuji practically feels her brain cells melt seeing Megumi look so flawless. Megumi already looked good without makeup, Yuuji got nervous looking into her eyes like she somehow wouldn’t measure up. She never ever felt particularly self-conscious but being around Megumi just made her think maybe she needs to put in more effort. 

On Tuesday, Yuuji had worked up the courage to speak to Megumi to ask her something she couldn’t even think about doing last year. It’s so weird feeling like this, she didn’t even realize she was feeling butterflies until Megumi truly laughed at something stupid she said, and she felt elated like she was floating. Wow. 

Megumi seemed to enjoy her company, and when they were together, things were easy and time passed so quickly. It just seemed to be that Yuuji couldn’t get enough time with her. 

“Megumi, hey!” Yuuji greets her in the afternoon. She looks absolutely stellar today. Her eyeliner was picture perfect, and her eyes themselves, well, Yuuji didn’t think she’d ever meet anyone more mesmerizing.

“Hi, Yuuji,” Megumi says and leans on the hallway wall, they seemed to have stopped for now, “I wanted to ask you how you were doing since the other day.”

“What do you mean?” Yuuji us a little confused, did someone tell Megumi she was sick or something?

“You got the hardest hit of the season with that kick to the stomach, you looked like you were going to vomit, then—“

“That?” Yuuji asks, with a laugh, that didn’t even cross her mind.  But she was happy that Megumi had asked. “I can take a hit I promise.” 

“Oh really? I guess I will be a little less careful with my passes then,” Megumi teases, then shifts like she’s going to walk to class, “I’ll see you?”

“Wait!” Yuuji says a little too forcefully to keep her here, “Sorry I uh just wanted to ask you if you could teach me…how to do makeup. I don’t know anything at all and…”

Has it ever been this hard asking anyone anything before?

“You want me to teach you?” Megumi clarifies she got exactly what Yuuji said even though her voice was much lower and she spoke quickly. “That’s—yeah I would love that.”

She tripped over her words at first but agreed, and Yuuji’s so happy in the she can’t contain herself sort of giddy way.

“Really?”

“Yes, yes,” Megumi assures, “I’ll see you after school Yuuji, you’re going to look perfect. Even more than now actually.”

Megumi gives a smile, and it’s such a rare sight that Yuuji’s heart stops, she’s so charming. Megumi’s already on her way to class, and Yuuji is still watching her go. 

How did she manage to make her so head over heels? Yuuji thought her type was tall blondes but maybe it was average-sized dark-haired introverts instead.

They agree on a time for Yuuji to come over, and when she gets home she cannot think about anything else. 

“Choso!!” She calls when she comes through the door, leaving her shoes by the entryway she peeks through the living room, then the kitchen, “I’m home!” 

Her older brother was probably either at work or helping out the neighbors. Yuuji only has an hour or so to change, and she wants to look nicer than she does now if she’s going over to Megumi’s house. By the time she’s ready to walk over, Choso still hasn’t come home, and she leaves a note on the fridge. 

Choso was incredibly paranoid. She still can’t believe there was a slim chance she might not have gotten to live with him. They were only half-related, with over a ten-year age gap. (Yuuji's father was old and got around) Their father advocated to house Yuuji, which Choso was absolutely enraged about. Yuuji had met the man once before the court date, and got the slimiest feeling ever, so without even needing a moment to think about it, she chose to live with Choso after her grandfather’s death. 

She knew Megumi’s situation with her own living situation was not exactly conventional either, so it was easy to talk about with her.

Before living with Choso, she took care of her grandfather for his end-of-life care and had to take care of herself in the process. It was nice to come home and not have to worry about every aspect of housekeeping. Choso was also teaching her recipes every so often that he learned from his mother, though she could tell it makes him sad to bring the old handwritten cards out. In a way it made them feel more like a family, more so than anything Yuuji’s had before. 

Yuuji was hoping to get a ride to Megumi’s house, but she’ll live if she walks. She’s got pretty incredible stamina, so a long walk wasn’t a big deal. 

Okay, maybe it wouldn’t have been a hard walk if everything wasn’t uphill. It felt like a more intensive soccer practice by the time she was a few minutes away. Which is saying something because Nanami might as well be a drill sergeant. 

Yuuji gets a nice look at the houses, and she can practically see how the average income increases as she passes by each block. What would Megumi think of her house if she brought her? She affirms her hunch that Megumi’s house must be well-kept and orderly when she gets to the front door. 

Megumi’s house is a two-story home, with a porch and a garden out front, with flowers complete with blue and purple hyacinths and orchids. It’s so inviting and put together. 

Although everything was clearly only able to be done by someone with funds, Yuuji could still tell the amount of care and time that went into the house. 

Yuuji double checks this is the right number, 1277, and she texts Megumi that she was here. After a minute or so, with no reply, Yuuji decides to simply knock on the door. She’s here a little early since she gave herself ample time to walk here. 

Normally, Yuuji doesn’t care too much about being early but she wanted to make a good impression, and she also didn’t know how much Megumi cared for punctuality. 

She’s so nervous she feels like she’s vibrating out of her own skin. She’s known Megumi a year now and she’s never had a reason to come over, Megumi just offered, like it was normal.  

“Whew, be calm, be calm,” Yuuji whispers to herself, it’s not like her to get nervous over being with new people. She loves meeting people, it’s always fun learning about others. For the first time, Yuuji finds herself being overly aware. Of what she’s doing, words and actions to the point of being a bit paranoid Megumi doesn’t actually like her at all. That was new, and those kinds of thoughts had never plagued her before. 

She tries to remind herself that Megumi wouldn’t have agreed to Yuuji coming over today if she found her irritating or invasive, today was going to be fine. 

After a few seconds of waiting, it isn’t Megumi who opens the door, it’s someone else. 

It’s Megumi’s father? Yuuji doesn’t really know, but this man doesn’t look like they’re related to Megumi, and the way Yuuji’s heard about them, her father didn’t seem like he was exactly…in the picture. 

“Uh hello? Is—Megumi here?” Yuuji asks double checking her phone making sure this is the right address, the number on the house is the same. She checks again, this is the right house. 

“Why are you asking? Who are you?” 

“Satoru!” The person turns at the sound of a man shouting, Yuuji peers in behind them, the inside of the house is just as tailored as the outside of the house from what she can see. 

“There’s someone at the door!” They shout back, tilting their head only a little not taking their eyes off Yuuji. Yuuji feels like they’ve seen them before, were they there at tryouts? Maybe a few of their games? Yuuji wouldn’t have ever connected them to Megumi. God, she wish she knew more about her friend, why did she never talk about herself? Is she the asshole? Does she not ask enough questions? Does she only talk about herself?

“Who?” 

Yuuji feels a little bit awkward being the subject of a conversation they aren’t even a part of. And where even is Megumi? She’s here only a little early and texted before knocking on the door.

“A friend of Megs,” They say, and Yuuji has the strange feeling Megumi does not like being called “Megs.” There’s no way. 

“That still doesn’t answer—“ The man’s voice gets closer, and suddenly they’re in view. Was this Megumi’s father? No , Yuuji thinks, These two definitely seem too young to have a fifteen-year-old girl as a kid.  So…just what was going on? 

He had long black hair, and dark eyes, gauges in their ears, and Yuuji notices a wedding ring when they brought their hands up to tie their hair back. 

“You’re that girl on the soccer team.” He says, and Yuuji nods, Megumi could also be considered a girl on the soccer team, so could anyone else on the team. 

“Yuuji!” The other one with bright white hair says, with a just as bright smile, somehow the air feels more relaxed, “Megumi adores you.” 

Yuuji’s stunned, and instead of even beginning to ask what that even means, they get to the topic at hand. 

“Yeah! I’m Yuuji. I’m Megumi’s…teammate.” Yuuji was going to say friend, but then it sounded presumptuous somehow to assume Megumi also views her as a friend the same way she does. 

“I’m Geto Suguru, and this is my partner Gojo Satoru, and Megumi is likely still in the shower or she just got out.” 

“Oh, nice to meet you!” Yuuji brings her hand out as a greeting, Gojo looks at her then Geto.

“She’s so cute, so respectful,” Gojo says, putting his hands together as if to pray,  “Please rub off on Megumi.” 

“Megumi is respectful, she just doesn’t respect you,” Geto corrects, pulling Gojo in and gesturing for Yuuji to come into the house.

“Nanako, tell Megumi her friend’s here!” Geto yells out and a kid, who looks about nine or ten, (Yuuji has never been good at guessing kids’ ages), comes to look at all three of them. 

“Okayyy,” Nanako groans a bit, running up the stairs. 

“So, Yuuji, we haven’t formally met you before, but we have seen you on the field with Megumi, you guys are really in sync.” Geto has a calming presence a very mature air to him. Yuuji would even say it was fatherly if she knew what she was talking about.

“Megumi trusts me, and I trust her so I think that helps,” Yuuji feels a bit like a fake saying this since their ease on the field can be attributed to much more than just that. It’s mostly Megumi being smart enough to think of plays at the moment. Then Yuuji being intuitive enough to follow her instincts and follow her lead. 

“Is that so?” Geto asks, and she feels like there’s more on his mind than just a simple response like that. 

“Yuuji?” Megumi’s voice comes through, and Yuuji looks up from where she sat, Megumi’s hair is soaking, it looked like she just came out of the shower, “You’re here early?”

“I am?” Yuuji asks, “Thought we said around 3?”

“I mean yeah but I wasn’t expecting you to be here at 2:50,” Megumi says, it was more a suggestion than an appointment. 

“She has a whole routine just roll with it,” Geto says to her, then louder, “I’ll leave you two alone.”

“Tell Gojo to do the same!” Megumi yells back when he’s heading toward their kitchen. He says something along the lines of No promises.

“Come upstairs, we can just stay in my room. Can’t promise Nanako or Mimiko not bothering us. The twins are a little handsy.”

“With people?”

“ New people,” Megumi says, and Yuuji looks around as she walks with Megumi to her room. 

“Oh my god,” Yuuji says audibly, “I love your room.” 

Megumi’s room whether by her own doing or someone else’s had much thought put into it. Much like the rest of the house. 

Her bed was towards the right wall, and the desk was across from it. Next to the desk, was a shelf for all of Megumi’s books, and vinyl records. 

Yuuji sees a record player stand right after spotting those, and the thing that ties the room together is all the colors used in the space. It was feeling sort of like a teenage boy’s room, but as soon as Yuuji thinks that she realizes Megumi was far too meticulous in the way everything was clean and organized for that. Yuuji truly thought those indie kids who thought they were so different had nothing on Megumi Fushiguro. She’s so cool and it was effortless. 

“Thanks,” Megumi answers, not knowing how to take the compliment. In all honesty, most of the decor was stuff that was her father's. At least half the vinyl records, the record player itself, and the guitar were her father’s. 

A year or so ago, Tsumiki cleaned out that storage they’d just had for ten years. Ten years ago was when Toji deferred the responsibility of their care to Gojo and Geto. Tsumiki had gotten the key to the storage when she was 18. The two said they wouldn’t touch it, since it belonged to her and Megumi. 

Megumi at first didn’t want anything to do with the junk in there, but Tsumiki had taken it out anyway and spent an entire weekend rearranging her room, and putting some (a lot) of Toji’s things in there.

She didn’t hate her father. Sure, she was upset with him for lying to her all those years ago. She was upset for him not explaining anything at all, but she was a kid. Maybe it was for the best. Then he went ahead and fucking died so, was that really even his fault that they didn’t have a relationship?

Megumi decided to try to get to know her father in this distant sort of way by looking through the things he had left behind. Listening to the music he used to enjoy.

Since Toji used to play music he enjoyed it a lot. Surprisingly, there were tons of instrumental stuff, jazz, and then more predictably hard rock, alt, and some older music, from the 70s and 80s. 

Also predictably, Megumi's favorite of it was the alternative stuff, and she’s got her favorite albums cover facing the room instead of neatly against the others.

Megumi also had some footage on a shitty camera from the 2000s showing her father playing electric guitar. It was really cool, it made her want to learn it, and YouTube was her best friend in that endeavor.

(She’s sure everyone was really happy Tsumiki got that out of storage for her now weren’t they?)

It’s hard to accept Yuuji’s awe. She really didn’t think all this was all that special, but Yuuji was enamored, running her fingers against the covers and taking one of her favorites in her hand. Hey, I think I know that song, leaves her lips before she carefully puts the item back and eyes lingering around the room longer until—

“No way !” Yuuji’s eyes latch onto the electric guitar on the edge of her room. It has its own stand, and on it was signed. The name is just a slightly faded Toji.

Yuuji knew jack shit about music so she had no idea who signed it. Megumi figured she’d say it later. 

“This is yours?” Yuuji asks, seeing Megumi nod. 

“That’s so cool…” They look around even more completely forgetting what she even came here for. 

On the desk, there’s a mirror and a vanity, it has Megumi’s more than modest makeup collection. Yuuji’s actually surprised considering what the rest of the room looks like. 

“Do you play?” Yuuji can’t help but bring her mind back to that cool guitar. While sitting on Megumi’s chair looking at the girl through her silver mirror. The guitar on the stand looked like something you don’t play, but maybe Megumi does? 

“I’m trying to learn.” Yuuji has a feeling she’s being a little bit modest here now. But now that she knows Megumi freaking plays electric guitar she’ll make it her life’s mission to hear it. 

“You’ll have to play for me sometime,” Yuuji says unashamed, then realizing the fact they didn’t even ask, how presumptuous that Megumi would want to play for her.

  “Uh-only if you want to, that is. But please?”

“I’ll promise I’ll play for you when I don’t make Geto’s ears bleed.” 

“Yes!” She laughs, it feels like another victory, “So um how do we start?” 

“First, we need a clean canvas so wash your face,” Megumi hands her a really soft small towel, “Bathroom is the next door over.” 

Yuuji nods, absentmindedly running her fingers over the soft fabric. What even is it? 

“I’m going to sort through my collection and see what works with you.” 

“Sounds good,” Yuuji goes over to the bathroom, and Megumi reminds them, 

“Left is hot, right is cold,” She says, “Even I sometimes forget, the sink is unlabeled.” 

As Yuuji closes the door to do that, Megumi looks back at her own collection. There are more things in the drawers. It’s mostly because Tsumiki when she was in high school practically hoarded makeup, so she ended up giving most of it to Megumi, entirely unused. 

Then she started high school and found that Tsumiki’s color palette was very much soft girl, and Megumi wasn’t exactly the same. For Yuuji though, a soft girl would be perfect. Her hair’s even pink. Was there really any thinking that needed to be done?

She’s so pretty already, makeup could do nothing but enhance what features she already had.

Megumi finds a foundation shade that might match Yuuji, something she’s surprised she even has considering she’s more than a few shades lighter than Yuuji is. Must have been something purchased online which was always hit or miss. She tests it on her skin and sees how far off it was from her color, and decides she’ll see if it matches Yuuji. 

If she likes it Megumi doesn’t mind giving some things to her. (Though she might have to find things to give Nobara too considering she shouldn’t be so obvious about her inclinations. Nobara would love free stuff. 

With that train of thought she takes some of the products that are unused and likely won’t be used by her and puts them on her bed. She thinks about Yuuji and Nobara and what exactly would fit them. The two were totally different in terms of how Megumi saw them. Nobara was a little more stubborn and headstrong, and Yuuji was empathetic but entirely genuine. Not to say those traits were completely opposites, or that they didn’t have all those traits. It was just a measure of how Megumi thinks different things when she thinks about her two friends. 

(Yuuji’s pile might end up being bigger than Nobara’s still. Hopefully, the girl wouldn’t end up finding that out.)

“I could fit a bed right here, a twin! I’ll clean your bathroom and everything, just let me have these towels !” Yuuji exclaims when she comes back from Megumi’s bathroom. It’s overdramatic and makes Megumi do one of her small smiles like she doesn’t want to really smile. Yuuji holds the towel to her cheek clearly she's very fond of the expensive feel. 

“Not a good idea, I definitely couldn’t fit another person in here.” 

“ Damn , you have more stuff than I thought,” Yuuji says, looking at the pile Megumi’s made on her bed. 

“Yeah, like I said, Tsumiki was a hoarder.” 

“No way this was all her stuff.” 

“Yes, Tsumiki is certainly a…shopaholic,” Megumi says. What she doesn’t explain is that Tsumiki had access to Gojo’s credit card and he didn’t particularly care where all of those funds went so it was very easy for it to get out of hand. 

“Does she live here with you guys?” Yuuji asks, she kind of wants to meet Megumi’s older sister now. She seems like she’d be cool. 

“No, she’s long gone, she’s almost out of college already,” Megumi explains, “Okay come here.”

She pulls Yuuji by the hand, directing her to the vanity/desk chair. Looking at Yuuji from the mirror, Megumi seems to be making a mental map of what she’s going to do. Yuuji loves watching her eyes go to this cool and careful planning. 

“Feels so professional sitting in a chair. Miss Fushiguro, make me a pretty girl.” 

Megumi doesn’t say the stupid thing that comes to mind first. How can I make you pretty when you already are?

Her picks on the desk included a 12 color palette full of pinks and rouges, some glittery eyeshadows are in this one. The title is embossed on the front and it comes with a mirror and snaps shut magnetically. It was nice, but Megumi literally hasn’t used it once. Hopefully Yuuji could get some use out of it. 

“I like that,” Yuuji says, eyeing the colors. Megumi was going to ask what sort of look she was going for but Yuuji stops her before she can even ask, “But Megumiii I want you to make all the decisions. Do what you think looks good.” 

Yuuji’s pout might just be the most adorable thing she’s ever seen. Megumi just stares, then shifts, “That’s a lot of trust I don’t know.”

“You’re totally capable of it. And I’m trusting you anyway,” Yuuji closes her eyes not even going to look until Megumi says she’s done. The way Yuuji wasn’t being sarcastic at all was a bit dumbfounding. 

“Okay, at least open your eyes when I explain what everything is.” 

“Hm.” Her eyes are in fact not open. 

“So you washed your face,” Momentarily a thought occurs, “Yuuji do you have a skincare routine?” 

“Uh no.” 

Megumi, without thinking, touches Yuuji’s face, in a sort of intimate caress, “You must be lying your skin is so soft. ”

Yuuji’s expression widens, Megumi pulls her hand back like a shock. Now she’s a little embarrassed. 

“Sorry—I,” don’t know what came over me. She stutters and Yuuji laughs it off.

“No problem, I mean, you’re supposed to touch my face to put your makeup on me. I don’t mind, maybe even come closer.” If Megumi was…someone else, she might thing that was flirting. 

Megumi just nods not even knowing what she could say to that. 

“Nobara might kill you if she hears you don’t have a skincare routine and is just naturally perfect.” She says instead, “You know she has a 10-step skincare routine.”

“That seems like a lot.” She’s not wrong. 

“To normal people like you and me, yes. To Nobara? She might have opted for 12 if she could.” 

Yuuji shrugs with a sigh, “She just likes looking nice. She’s sort of meticulous about it.” 

“Yeah. What about you then? Yuuji, what made you decide to ask me to do something like this for you?” 

“Uhm…” She starts, thinking, “You know what you should tell me what exactly it is I need to do for a ‘skincare routine.’” 

She used quotations, of course. 

“Alright.” She’ll let her slide.

Megumi explains the importance of washing your face more than just in the shower. Twice a day is just fine, Moisturizer and sunscreen. 

“You might be less susceptible but have you gotten sunburns before?” 

“No I haven’t, but I suppose that’s ‘cause whenever I’ve been to the beach—which isn’t a lot—Choso or would yell at me to put it on.” 

Megumi takes a guess.

“Choso’s your brother?” 

“Mhm,” She affirms, “So do you really need to wear sunscreen everyday?” 

“Yes,” Megumi urges, “Here I probably have extra.” 

She goes to the bathroom, pulling a small container. SPF 50, sunscreen and moisturizer. 

“Here, a two in one that isn’t terrible.” 

“Two in one’s are terrible?”

“Yuuji,” Megumi asks feigning seriousness, “Were you a boy in another life?” 

Yuuji only laughs lightly at that, “I swear it’s just ‘cause I don’t have a mom around.” 

Megumi feels her heart pang at the mention but she chooses to gloss over it like Yuuji was doing. It’s not like she remembered much of her own mom herself. 

“And no older sister either. I suppose I’d be just like you if I was just raised by just Gojo.

Though Geto is much more attentive.” 

What she doesn’t say is that Geto Suguru wouldn’t let her be caught dead using 2-in-1. Not with his hair routine, that long hair of his didn’t get that long nor look that glossy on the body of someone who used 2-in-1. That just didn’t happen.

“Put it on, you don’t need a lot, otherwise your skin starts to feel greasy.”  Yuuji listens opening the small container of sunscreen/moisturizer. Megumi thinks about everything she’s got on the table and what she’s missing. 

So, primer, foundation, translucent powder, mascara, eyeliner…brushes…

She looks to Yuuji for a second, 

Blush! she looks at her face seeing freckles she normally misses in the daytime sort of visible this close. 

… Highlighter she looks at the shine against Yuuji’s skin due to the light. Then she thinks about when they’re playing soccer, how the sun always seems to favor her skin, she just glows internally. Her mind trails off as she continues looking at the girl in front of her. She’s so pretty…uhm…back to the desk. Bronzer or contour? 

Bronzer, she decides. Yuuji’s eyes are on her now. She’s putting her long hair up in a ponytail and Megumi glances over as she does it and wonders how something so simple was just the most attractive thing. She’s down bad. Somehow when it’s just the two of them though she feels her stomach flutter at the sight. 

Her hair is so long. She wants to know what it feels like to run her fingers through it. Would Yuuji let her?

“Is there…something on my face?” Yuuji asks, tilting her head looking toward the mirror once more. 

“No no, I’m just preoccupied with what I’m going to do with you.” 

She hopes that didn’t sound suggestive or anything. 

“So, what’s next?” 

Megumi searches til she’s got the product she’s looking for, 

“Primer.” 

Megumi’s using a new set of brushes on Yuuji, since she already had them and was too lazy to wash all of her regular brushes. If Yuuji wants them, she’ll happily let her have the set. To be honest Yuuji could ask for anything in the room and Megumi would likely give it to her without a fight. Okay, maybe she’d fight a little bit for the guitar.

“Feels nice,” Yuuji mutters when the brushes touch her face. Megumi’s using a light hand, and doesn’t use too much product at once, trying to make the base smooth. 

“Do you switch brushes for every product?” 

“Not really, but I use the bigger brushes to cover your whole face, I’ll use,” she holds the small eyeshadow brush, “these smaller ones for your eyes.”

“Ok now close your eyes again.”

Yuuji likes sitting here letting Megumi just do whatever she wants using her face like a canvas. It kind of was a similar dynamic to when they played together and Yuuji simply followed Megumi’s lead. Everyone saw her as the MVP but really she was sure she wouldn’t be as good if she didn’t have Megumi right there with her. 

Yuuji was well-liked enough, outside of the game, but she never wanted anyone to like her more than she wanted Megumi to like her. 

They were two girls with completely different backgrounds (and clearly different socioeconomic status’)  but Megumi never made her feel bad about herself. At first Yuuji was intimidated, since she just has this sort of air to her that tells people that she wanted to be left alone, but she’s actually very nice and considerate. She was just more of an observer than an active participant. But when she did have something to say, Yuuji held onto her every word. 

As she works, Megumi talks, and Yuuji lets herself be guided by her voice and the feeling of soft bristles against her face. It’s calming, reminding her of a sort of guided mediation. Maybe she just finds Megumi’s voice soothing, or the fact that she’s lowering her voice just a bit, maybe now that they’re close with no outside interference of the field or the lunch room or classroom between them. 

Megumi doesn’t list the next step just moving through it, and Yuuji doesn’t really mind. In all honesty when she asked Megumi to teach her, it was more so that they could have something to do together or have something in common somehow. Less about an innate desire to actually learn how to do her own makeup. 

But she can feel the different brush on her face and the difference in texture that’s enough to let her know they’ve moved onto the next step.

“Your skin is darker than mine, so I don’t have any exact matches for your skin tone, and technically you shouldn’t mix makeup, but…” Megumi starts to think in her head it seems, as she shifts through her things. She has a lot more makeup than Yuuji initially thought. It’s not influencer level, but definitely shows that she—or rather her family, has money. 

“Open your eyes, how do you think this looks?” Megumi asks, and Yuuji realizes just how close she is. 

At this point, Megumi has taken to mixing a darker shade of foundation with one that must be her own match, and swatched it onto her hand. 

“Actually give me your hand,” Yuuji does without question, and can feel her body temperature heat up and it’s so strange. Maybe it’s the tone of voice or their proximity or the fact they’re alone or because Megumi was just so close and—

“What do you think? I think I did a pretty good job of matching it.”

“It doesn’t even look like you put anything on me,” Yuuji retracts her hand. If she hadn’t literally seen and felt Megumi’s brush on her she would have said that’s just how her hand looks regularly.

“I know it blends really well right?” Megumi says, slight excitement in her tone. With how monotone she usually is at school this was a win.  “We will have to get you one in your shade.”

That meant two things, shopping together, and the fact of it was a promise of future time together. 

Megumi’s proud of how the shade turned out, and then Yuuji closes her eyes again to get covered in it. 

“It feels like paint,” Yuuji says, though a bit less heavy than paint she supposed. Not that she was out here painting her skin on a daily basis.

“Huh, I never thought of it like that. I suppose that’s not a wrong observation.” A hint of laughter in her tone, Yuuji nearly opens her eyes to get a glimpse of the girl again. 

“You don’t need much at all,” Megumi comments, moving onto whatever’s next, “What I’m doing is pretty light.”

Yuuji feels the soft feathering of a brush on her cheeks and nose. She wonders of that was the blush, and then feels Megumi’s body come closer at an angle. But there’s no sensation maybe she’s observing up close how she looks. Yuuji’s breath stops

Yuuji still wants to speak, so she decides to ask a few questions. Hopefully it won’t just be her doing most of the talking and Megumi will open up a bit more. Yuuji feels like she doesn’t know all that much about her.

“Did someone teach you how to put on makeup?” 

“I learned from videos, but it was Tsumiki who got me into it.”

Looking at what she’s chosen to use on her, she picked some darker colored blushes to tint her face. These were always too vibrant to use on her own face, using it for Yuuji would look so much better. 

“She’s actually my half sister, and we have a pretty big age gap. Six years.” Megumi continues while Yuuji stays silent, listening. “I don’t know her mother, but we share the same biological dad.” 

“I know it sounds weird to say biological but I don’t know much about him besides that.”

“Tsumiki and I were moved here when I was in…3rd grade? Tsumiki was in her second year of high school at the time.” 

Megumi’s silent for just a moment, Yuuji wonders if she should say something but can’t think of a single thing. It also feels wrong to speak now like she’d be interrupting her train of thought.

“Gojo, is the one who opened the door, he’s the annoying one, and the one who knew my dad. He’s married to Geto, the levelheaded one, I imagine he told him that they couldn’t raise an 9 year old and a 16 year old at 24, but Gojo did it anyway.” 

“I do like them, and Tsumiki does too, it took me a long time to warm up to them, I think I was a little afraid they’d bring us right back to our father and I’d have to give everything up that I was trying not to warm up to.” 

“I always told myself not to expect anything, then you’ll never be disappointed, and I took a long time to get out of that.” I don’t think I ever actually did, is what Megumi keeps to herself, Yuuji’s quiet. Too quiet, and she needs to hear a voice other than her own now. Sighing she takes a step back hoping Yuuji doesn’t open her eyes. 

She looks at her handiwork, Yuuji’s beautiful face, and sees she’s missing one pretty important aspect. 

She takes this pink lipstick putting it on her subject’s lips perfectly with a thin brush, she wonders if Yuuji can feel her heart racing.

Then she puts gloss over it. Which just makes the vibrant pigment shine even more. 

What Megumi doesn’t know is how Yuuji is absolutely still, still as a statue while her mind is reeling. Megumi is so close to her lips, and there was something so sensual about the way she did this. If Yuuji didn’t know better she’d say that it was on purpose. But she knew it truly must be her own head shifting reality because—

“Almost done,” Megumi says, as if she knows Yuuji’s anticipating it. “Sorry if this became a bit depressing I don’t usually talk about myself this much.”

“That’s alright, I don’t mind, I like hearing about you.” 

A small brush is felt on the tip of her nose, with a light hand, Megumi almost feathers across it, even lighter than she had before with the blush, then moves in a line upward. It almost tickles with how precise it was. 

“Okay,” Megumi says after a breath, “Look in the mirror.” 

Yuuji opens her eyes and sees herself. 

“Woah,” She looks closer as if to test if that’s really her in the mirror. Megumi’s chin rests on her head looking at her eyes. The expression is a fond one. 

Yuuji’s takes in all the details of Megumi’s work. She has colored cheeks, her nose has the slightest bit of shimmer to it, and she’s shiny but in such a way that she’s angelic. Yuuji is sure she’s never looked better.

“I look so good! How is that me?” Yuuji looks at the winged eyeliner and how it is perfectly symmetrical, Megumi did a stunning job. She knew it would be. Megumi applied the eyeliner only once . The eyeshadow was a dusty rose, blending into a sort of brown toward the inner corners, it sort of went with her hair color. 

But it also suits her, strangely enough though Yuuji was shocked to see herself, she still knows it’s her. It’s not so drastic that she wouldn’t be recognized in the street. Even the makeup itself feels like it was hardly even there. 

“You did an amazing job,” Yuuji praises, absolutely elated standing up to hug Megumi. 

Megumi’s color palette consisted of more moody colors, so Yuuji’s sort of surprised she even had colors like these on hand. 

“I need to take a photo and send to Nobara,” Yuuji exclaims, taking a photo of herself on Megumi’s bed. Megumi takes a bag and puts the makeup items she’s going to give to Yuuji into it. She also writes a note for Yuuji to read when she gets the chance. While she does that, Yuuji is texting their mutual friend. 

“Ha! She’s asking me who is taking me out,” Yuuji says, looking at Megumi from her phone. “I just told her I had asked you to do my makeup.” 

Megumi places the bag on the chair by the vanity, and takes a seat on her bed, Yuuji laying down by the headboard. Yuuji puts her phone down in a rather dramatic way after that.

“What? Did she say something?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

Thinking it has something to do with her, Megumi presses further. 

“Obviously not, c’mon what did she say?” Megumi inches closer, Yuuji hides her phone behind her. Megumi reaches for it, misses, and tries again. 

Somehow, Megumi ends up on top of Yuuji, she didn’t think about it, and didn’t even question their proximity, until she’s looking down on Yuuji’s face, looking at the—frankly amazing—job she did, and the way her face just shines, she’s so pretty. She was beautiful. Yuuji’s pink hair splayed out, and Megumi is so close. Her legs on either side of Yuuji’s body, and she doesn’t press her whole weight into her, but now that she realizes this provocative position she takes advantage. 

Leaning in closer, as if they’re about to kiss, Megumi uses the distraction to take Yuuji’s phone right from the tips of her fingers. 

“Ha!” She gets off of Yuuji’s torso, reading Nobara’s message.

What a roundabout way of asking for a date Yuuji

Just kiss her already

So she was wrong, sort of. The text wasn’t them talking shit about her, or her work it was Nobara suggesting Yuuji was interested in her. Which leaves her…a little confused to say the least. Yuuji hasn’t shown any romantic interest, and Megumi feels like she would know. Since she’s been looking for any signs since they had met. 

Subtle pride merch maybe? A hint of bisexuality? A hint towards liking the same sex at all? Does she cuff her jeans? What music does she listen to? When she drinks lattes does is it non-dairy? Does she even drink lattes? 

She looked for any of the miscellaneous signs. She’s even more observant when it comes to Yuuji, and there’s been no indication…

“What is she going on about?” Megumi laughs it off, feeling her heart kind of hurt. Normally she’s able to just shove painful feelings down, or intellectualize her emotions so she doesn’t have to feel them at all, but the thought of Nobara joking about Yuuji having feelings for her just hurts. 

“She’s…” Yuuji doesn’t seem to have an explanation for her, “Nobara’s just dramatic, you know that.”

“Yeah I do,” Megumi says, taking a breath trying to remember, Yuuji isn’t at fault here, and there’s no reason to feel upset over something that doesn’t even matter at all. 

After a change in posture, she wills herself to feel better about it. How could she be upset with Yuuji staring right at her, with a full face of her best work dare she say?

“I put these things in a bag for you,” Megumi hands her a reusable bag, and it’s full of makeup that Yuuji could use. “You still will need a couple of things though.” 

“I also have another bag for Nobara,” Megumi feels the need to mention as if to subtly say I don’t treat you special, I swear, when really the reason they were even here right now is because Megumi gives preferral treatment to Yuuji for pretty much anything. 

“Do you want me to go or something?” Yuuji asks disappointment clearly showing. 

“No, of course not.” Megumi says louder than intended, “No we uh still have time before dinner if you want to stay. I mean you can go whenever you like, I don’t want to keep you.” 

“Nah I do have to be home for dinner. If I stayed for dinner Choso would flip out,” Yuuji says, “But we still have time, and I think this deserves a photo shoot.” 

 Yuuji smiles, and it’s so bright and genuine, Megumi feels more at ease and has no idea how someone could be this bright in life. Yuuji pulls Megumi into a side hug and takes a photo with the two of them.

“Oh my god, what if you taught me by letting me put makeup on you! You can tell me the steps and I—“

Yuuji says, so enthusiastically Megumi was sure if she said no it would be like kicking Demon, so she agrees a little too quickly.

“Sure we can do that,” Megumi says, wondering how the hell this was going to turn out. 

Well looking on the bright side even if it was bad, she could still laugh about it. After all, they were still in the comfort of her own home.

Though it wasn’t true, it felt like they had all the time in the world. 

Yuuji actually did a great job. 

She got frustrated with the eyeliner, and Megumi ended up showing her what she does. She puts the eyeliner on a angled makeup brush, and maps it out lightly, then using the eyeliner itself she traces the guide she made. 

She gets it done every time. 

When Megumi looks, she sees the eyeshadow colors Yuuji has chosen. A deep red-orange, and a gold sort of glitter. Against her blue-ish colors, it was almost refreshing in a way. Yuuji didn’t quite get it but she had a natural affinity for things.

“You’re so pretty Megumi,” Yuuji says as she’s putting the highlighter on her cheekbones and on the top of her nose. 

Megumi can’t breathe. Could she just say that? Without thinking hey maybe that’s homo? She’s so….

“Sorry if I made you uncomfortable I just…had to say it. I’ve been looking at you all day and you’re gorgeous.” 

“Thanks—?” She has no clue how to take a compliment. Especially not from Yuuji Itadori.

“Okay, I think you’re done.”

Megumi almost opens her eyes.

“Wait!” 

She closes them shut.

She feels Yuuji’s pinky finger in the corner of her eyes, must be the finishing touch.

“Okay, now you’re done.”

“I think I might be out of a job,” Megumi says with a slight chuckle, “Clearly there’s no more I can teach you.” 

Yuuji pulls Megumi into a hug while the girl is in the vanity chair. So she finds herself mainly hugging Megumi’s neck and arms, 

“Megumi!! Yuuji!” 

“Dinner already?” Megumi says and while Yuuji just says, “Shit.”

“Well, I have to go.” She takes her hands away from Megumi, “But let’s take a real good picture together.”

Megumi doesn’t seem so inclined.

“I won’t post it I swear! For our eyes only!” Yuuji says, crossing her heart childishly.

“Okay,” Megumi acquiesced, how could she deny it? 

Megumi and Yuuji take a photo, Megumi’s expression looking rather plain, while Yuuji smiles and leans her head against Megumi’s cheek.

“Another one.” Yuuji clicks her teeth, encapturing Megumi’s body in her hold, clearly not letting her go without a swoon-worthy take

That is the take she gets when Yuuji kissed Megumi on the cheek which she wasn’t expecting at all, and it showed. 

“Yuuji!” The camera has taken the image, and Megumi can’t even be mad, it was the closest thing she’d get to a real kiss and after the high tension today felt overdue.

“Bye Megumi,” Yuuji slips her shoes on so quickly and is practically racing out the door and Megumi’s seen it before. She loves running.

Yuuji Itadori was in a good mood.

Yuuji came over to her house and left with the greatest smile Megumi has ever seen.

Megumi’s heart was pounding. 

Fuck, crushes were dumb, and usually unobtainable. But that long pink hair, the athleticism, and amazing, outmatched personality….

If it was stupid to be feeling this way and if it was wrong, then Megumi Fushiguro was an idiot who was never right once in her life.