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For the first time in what felt like eternity, when Megumi opened his eyes, what greeted him wasn't a suffocating darkness. The sight was rather light-toned, clean, sterile even. Megumi took a better look, and oh. Where he stood was an airport.
"This is it then," he muttered to himself. Looks like Sukuna pushed his soul too far. The process of reincarnation is a traumatizing experience for a vessel, and Megumi wasn't an anomaly like Yuuji, he had fragile bones and shattered bits of soul. Not like Megumi couldn't fight and change his body back, but the demon's soul was tearing him apart bit by bit, it was a matter of time and Megumi suffered through it for so long, he's so tired and now...
Ignoring the heavy feeling weighing down in his chest, not fully comprehending what's going on or why he's there, he took one step forward, then another, and then...
"Hey, kiddo," he suddenly heard from behind. Megumi's heart skipped a beat. And after a moment it started beating with such force he thought it might break his ribs. Ridiculous, he thought on the back of his mind. If this is the end, why does his heart even beat?
Megumi turned around reluctantly. Not even ten meters away, Gojo was standing there, but he looked way younger than the last time they spoke to each other. Just like when he first met this man that saved his life and changed it forever, with his ever present grin, but Megumi couldn't help but notice: it wasn't one of his fake smiles for the public, no. This one was genuine and broken around the corners. Megumi couldn't help the shivering exhale that left his lungs.
He knew sorcerers do not tend to live long. They rarely have a chance to grow old, live normal lives, or have a family. You die alone, Gojo once said. If so, then why Megumi doesn't feel alone anymore?
"Hey, don't look at me with those teary eyes of yours, I might start crying, too, you know," Gojo said, with a hint of teasing in his voice. And it all was so familiar, so heartwarming…
Megumi started to crumble.
"Come here," he heard the man saying and didn't hesitate for a moment, before running in his arms, open in invitation. Tight embrace around his shoulders forced a weak sob out of the boy, and Megumi, normally indifferent in front of any sign of affection, didn't find it in himself to care. He missed this excuse for a teacher so much. He squeezed his arms around older's frame.
"Wow, kid, looks like you do love me after all," Gojo-sensei teased and laid his head on Megumi's hair. It was nice. Just like when he was six and just threw a tantrum of a child, so unfamiliar with the thought, that someone could care for him just for who he is.
"Shut up," he answered without real bite in his words.
They stood like that a little longer. In Megumi's life there was that many people he cared about and who cared for him. Gojo, with his childish attitude, Yuuji, who wears his heart on his sleeve and…
"Where's Tsumiki?" Megumi croaked. His throat felt tight because of the hurricane of emotions he didn't let himself feel for a very long time.
"She'll come later, kid," and after a second long pause, the man added "I think we need to talk, Megumi."
Megumi didn't bother to lift his head from where he rested it against Gojo's chest in such a childish gesture.
"We do," he sighed, "but I don't wanna do it here."
"We can be anywhere you want, kid."
And a moment later they were in their old apartment, where Gojo first took two little kids, who knew nothing about the world, except that it was cruel and rarely fair. The only place Megumi could think of as home. When he finally loosened grip around his guardian, Megumi noticed that now Gojo looks older, just like he last saw him, with broader shoulders and sharper face features. His school uniform disappeared and turned into an oversized pullover with sweatpants. Outfit Satoru Gojo always wore when he was home. Megumi himself stood in his domestic clothes and he felt a little bit shorter than usual. Just like when he was fourteen before his second growth spurt.
Everything felt like before their little peaceful world fell down. Before Tsumiki got cursed. Before he had to enroll in Jujutsu High.
"Yeah, I like this place way more than an empty airport."
Megumi hummed in agreement.
Once they sat on the old but cozy sofa in the living room, where three of them used to watch movies after a long day (or documentaries about animals, which Megumi liked so much and others would watch it with him, after bad days at school he had from time to time). Gojo made himself comfortable on the sofa, sprawling his long limbs on the armrest. Megumi also sat in his signature manner, with legs close to his chest and hands enveloped around them. They sat without saying a word for a brief moment.
"You never asked me about your dad," Gojo was the first who broke this comfortable silence.
Megumi's eyes were locked on the floor.
He indeed never asked Gojo about this man, whose face and name Megumi could never remember and who left him and his sister alone, forced to survive in the cruel world at a tender age of five and six. If someone asked Megumi about it, he would answer that he doesn't care about the man, and it would be the truth. He always had Tsumiki. Later he also had Gojo. He was not a perfect parental figure, barely acting like an adult most of the time, but Megumj trusted him, even if it was hard to define their relationship. At first Megumi didn't trust him, why would a child, betrayed by every adult in his life before? But Gojo was stubborn, loud, but more than anything he was honest with himself and others. When Megumi asked him why he bothers to stay with them, why he attends every school event Megumi and Tsumiki were participating in, if most likely when he was with them, people out there were dying. Why did he always take care of them when one of the Fushiguro siblings catches a cold? Why did he insist on quality time together? Why was he always there for them, when he clearly was a busy man?
"Because I care about you, for such a clever kid sometimes you ask very silly questions, kiddo" Gojo answered casually back then, and ruffled his hair.
That was the moment when Megumi realized that Gojo might be a part of his little broken family as well. But even after admitting that to himself, Megumi always sucked at expressing his feelings through the words. Gojo or Tsumiki never seemed to mind. They always acted like they knew how he felt without him saying it out loud. They both were the reason why Megumi didn't care much about the man, who gave him this face so much resembling his own and left him nothing more. He said that much to his guardian, who was looking at him expectantly whole this time.
"Because I really don't care about him, not when I have you both by my side" he admitted quietly, it was an honest answer.
Gojo looked taken aback by the statement, like it's still hard to realize that someone sees him as family and rock to lean on. Silly sensei, Megumi thought to himself.
"Oh," was the only thing Gojo said back.
Megumi looked at him again, and realized something. Maybe he didn't really want to know about his father, but it surely was bothering Gojo. Maybe he's the one who needed this talk after all.
"But..." he paused, "looks like now we have all the time in the world, for you to tell me. It was burdening you, wasn't it?"
Gojo laughed softly.
"Such an intelligent kid I raised," he said affectionately, "Indeed, it was bothering me for a while."
"So, who was he?" Megumi started. It's really happening now, in the figment of his imagination... no, he hoped it was real. It has to be.
Gojo fell silent for a moment. Megumi never saw him like that. The man took a deep breath and started talking.
Toji Zenin was the man's name. Abused by his family, he ran away and started a family on his own. And then lost everything again and became even more messed up than before. Gojo told him about everything. Told him about Amanai Riko, a girl too young to die from the bullet in her head, about Suguru Geto, traumatized and left alone with his thoughts for too long, neglected by everyone and suffocated by his loneliness. Told him how he killed Toji, now Fushiguro, with his own hands. And also told him…
"When I first met you, you looked so much like your father, that I wanted to leave and never come back..." Gojo admitted, and Megumi felt his heart sink. But Gojo continued.
"But after I spoke to you, I realized you are nothing like him, Megumi. I looked at you and suddenly saw Amanai, who was too young for her youth be taken away in such a gruesome way. I looked at you and saw Suguru, who was betrayed by everyone in this rotten system, even by me, 'cause my way of dealing with all that crap was focusing on other less important things... But more importantly, I looked at you and saw myself. A kid with so much talent and power, that you weren't seen as a child you were. Just as a subject of bargaining. Something to sell. Lonely child without anyone to tell you that you were one. After that I never actually thought of this man when I looked at you. I couldn't convince myself that I took you under my wing just for you to become my student, Megumi. I selfishly wanted to give you, you and Tsumiki, something I never had. I wanted to be your family. And your father ruined everything, but for one thing I am grateful. For you, Megumi. The only thing that bastard did right is telling me about you and naming you a 'blessing'. My blessing, that saved me from my abyss, and I'm so sorry I couldn't save you from yours", Gojo stopped talking with air caught in his throat. Megumi was speechless. He felt tears burning his eyes. He inhaled shakingly and they ran down freely down his cheeks. He felt a thumb on his skin, wiping away crystal teardrops. Megumi felt a ringing in his ears. Guilt started suffocating him. Blessing. Then why did everyone he loved die because of him?
"I-I know why you did this to my father, but I'm not mad, Gojo. I still don't care about him" Megumi found the courage to speak. He looked his guardian in the eye. He was ready for this revelation.
"You are… my family. You both were everything I needed, and I was so stupid for pushing you away, and now it's too late, isn't it? You said when you die, you are alone, but it's not true, right? Because I feel like I'm finally home. Like I finally can meet you and Her. You guys are where I belong and I'm so sorry I was a brat to both of you", Megumi had trouble breathing and tears were falling and falling, as the man tried to wipe them away fruitlessly.
"I'm so sorry I killed you both."
Gojo pulled into another embrace. They rarely hugged like this. Often it was a hand ruffling his hair, hand around his shoulders and playful (yet deserved) flick in the forehead. It was warm. Nice. He wants to stay like that forever. He finally can, doesn't he…
"It's not your fault, Megs. I swear it's not," Gojo muttered. Megumi felt like he was shattered to pieces and couldn't stop tears from falling down.
"I want to stay here," he says, while Gojo is rubbing his back and cradling the back of his head, "can I?"
"I'm sorry kid," Megumi's eyes widened, "but it's too early for you."
Megumi felt everything stop.
"What do you mean, I'm already here..." he said, confused.
"Yes, and I selfishly wanted to see you once more, talk to my precious student and give him my last lesson."
He tightened his grip around the teenager. "Live, Megumi. Your soul is still there, tied to another side by a thin string. You know there's someone waiting for you out there."
Megumi knew. But, oh lord, how much he didn't want to leave this place.
"He doesn't need me."
"It's not true, we both know it." And Megumi again knew that much.
"Tsumiki didn't come because you wouldn't leave if you saw her and we both want you to stay alive a little longer," Megumi was sure it was the truth, but…
"What tells you I will choose to leave after seeing you?" he asked quietly.
He felt Gojo freeze, and a moment later he felt him relaxing and letting out another genuine laughter.
"Wish we had more time and I could hear it in different circumstances," he ran his hand through Megumi's unruly spiky hair, "We'll wait you here Megumi, and we'll meet again, just later, after you live a long life, and I want you tell us about it, maybe tell me about your own family. Just for me, I need you to fight back once more. I need you to be brave, kiddo." Megumi nuzzled into his guardian's chest.
"But I don't want to not be able to see you again," the boy whispered.
"I'm a part of you, Megumi. Tsumiki and I both. So, I need you to save the boy you also care deeply about," Gojo reminded him gently.
"Promise me this one, kid?"
Megumi squeezed him even tighter. Tears didn't slow down even for a moment. But Gojo was right. Even if he didn't want to leave this place. His home.
"Look after Tsumiki then, while I'm not here," he asked.
"Of course I will, little one."
"And I love you, both of you," Megumi said out loud, before he could change his mind, because he never got to say it before, and probably won't be able to for a long time after. Megumi felt something wet falling on his head, tucked underneath Gojo's chin.
"I love you, too, kid," he felt kiss landing on the crown of his head,
"And now it's time for you to go."
Megumi opened his eyes and all he saw was shadows dancing around him. He was lying on the ground. It was so intangible, he felt like floating and being crushed under unbearable weight at the same time. He has to fight back. Sukuna might have suffocated his soul even deeper, but shadows are Megumi's home, this is where he grows.
Promise me this one, kid. He promises. He's starting to fight back now.