Work Text:
“Enchain.”
“There are two conditions. First, when I chant ‘enchain’ you will lend me your body for one minute. And second, you will forget about this contract.”
And suddenly, that memory rushed into Yuji’s mind as his body was taken over by Sukuna and he could only watch helpless as his control was rendered moot, his presence in his own body reduced to a mere speck in the corner of his mind, watching through eyes that were his but at the same time not, watching as the Double Faced Spectre controlled him like a puppeteer.
Yuji was banging on the walls of his mind, fists bloody and his throat raw as he screamed.
“Let me out!” He pleaded, watching Kurusu Hana be laid to the side, her eyes shut, the only comfort being that her chest still rose.
“It’s a binding vow I made with that brat. I can’t hurt or kill anyone within a minute.” Sukuna’s deep voice left Yuji’s lips as they curled up into a smirk.
“Sukuna?” Megumi’s forehead was beaded with sweat, his voice strangled as it escaped his throat.
“Of course, what’s next is a gamble.”
And he ripped his pinkie off. Yuji couldn’t feel any of the pain, so he watched wide eyed and terrified as the digit parted with his hand in a disgusting squelch, blood spraying all over his face and coating his tongue through his open mouth.
“Incredible!” Sukuna cackled. “What a thoroughly foolish brat! A binding vow not to hurt anyone but he didn’t even include himself!”
Because why would he?
“With this treasure, I summon –” Megumi started, lifting his hands up, curling his fingers into his palms but before he could finish, Sukuna had rushed over and cupped his cheeks with one hand, digging nails into his skin and stuck the finger right into his mouth, forcing it shut.
In that moment, Yuji felt Sukuna’s presence leave him, and as he was thrust back into his own body, the blinding pain from his severed finger left him standing shock-still, the iron taste of the blood flooding his mouth. He gagged, smelling it even up his nose.
“We’ll be able to see something interesting, didn’t I say that… brat?”
That was… Sukuna.
Yuji lifted his head, eyes wide in horror and they landed on a sight he never wanted to see in his life. A sight that made him feel sick to his stomach. There was Megumi, his best friend, the love of his fucking life, with those despicable black markings marring his beautiful face, his pretty green eyes gone cold and hollow.
It was the worst sight he could possibly imagine.
“Fushi…guro…?”
And oh Gods, they had never even gotten to first name basis yet. Would they ever get to that point? Would Yuji have the chance to tell the quiet boy how he felt or did this world have it out for him. Was he simply doomed by the narrative of whatever fucked up story someone was writing about his life? Had he really fucked up that bad in a past life that all his previous sins were coming back to haunt him now? But why did Megumi have to get hurt? He welcomed the pain, he would take any punishment for himself, but why was Megumi in the line of fire?
He blinked.
Meg – Sukuna appeared right in front of him, driving a fist right into his abdomen and Yuji was sure he felt something crack inside, blood spurting from his mouth before he was sent flying. He felt the air against his body before he crashed.
Everything ached, he didn’t know what was broken but it felt like his entire body was. Yuji could barely see through the blood dripping down his face, covering his eyes and he hastily wiped it away with a scarred hand, digging his teeth into his lips as the pain surged through his body at every little movement.
By the time Yuji stood once more, the only thing keeping him going being adrenaline and the sheer determination to save Megumi.
“So start by saving me… Itadori.”
Save him? Yuji thought as he watched Hana fall, blood trailing after her as she tumbled down. He couldn’t save anyone in Shibuya, he couldn’t save Nanami, he couldn’t save Nobara, he couldn’t even save Junpei. Had he ever really saved anyone? It felt like he was the one being saved, all the fucking time? Was this how he repaid everyone? By being useless?
He couldn’t lose Megumi too.
Hana landed. Yuji looked away, feeling sick as he heard the crack and saw all the red surrounding her. So much red, it was everywhere, it stained every part of her and her hair was dyed with it, it was spreading –
He looked up, making eye contact with Meg – Sukuna. Sukuna. It was Sukuna. But he would bring Megumi back.
“Sukuna!” Yuji roared, jumping up to him. He felt a deep, visceral hate bubbling up inside him, one he hadn’t felt since he had last fought Mahito, a hate he only ever felt when he fought the patchwork cursed spirit. He landed his punch on Sukuna and sent him all the way down to street level.
He didn’t pause his assault, landing hit after hit and using he could find around him as a weapon, but he wasn’t fighting just anyone. Sukuna’s hits hurt, but Yuji was nothing if not used to pain now.
“If it’s just pain, Itadori Yuji cannot be stopped.”
“Why can’t you just live without causing suffering?” Yuji gasped out, before he was slashed across the chest. He fell to one knee, feeling the pain erupt from the cut and burn through his body. Blood dripped sluggishly onto the ground as Yuji breathed heavily. His uniform was black so he couldn’t tell how much blood covered it right now, but it was probably a lot.
“To me, the real question is why are you all so weak? Why do such weaklings cling so fiercely to life?” Sukuna asked.
Because I have something to protect, dammit, Yuji thought.
“How can a creature that falls apart at a touch, say that it always wants to be happy?”
I don’t deserve to be happy.
“Your suffering is natural. You people are meant to be chewed up.”
“Then let’s see if you can chew up me and my suffering.” Yuji choked out as he forced himself to his feet. Not yet, Itadori Yuji, not yet. You can’t fall now, you haven’t done enough, he told himself.
“Try me.” The smug bastard returned.
The second Yuji moved forward; the pain returned. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. Cuts opened on every part of his body, blood dripping from them, his clothes ripping as Sukuna’s cursed energy tore through the pink-haired boy.
He let out a broken gasp, then grit his teeth, set his jaw, and took another step forward, pushing through the waves of pain because he couldn’t bow out now, not when Megumi needed saving, not now, not ever.
Inches away from Sukuna, Yuji fisted his hand, digging nails into open cuts and slammed his knuckles into Sukuna’s cheek.
“Damn you, Fushiguro Megumi.” The mutter left Sukuna’s lips and he probably hadn’t meant for Yuji to hear them, but they left the battered boy with a renewed vigour. Megumi was fighting back! Of course he was, he would never surrender his body so easily, not his Megumi.
And then he saw her.
Standing to the side, her burnt face blank and a sword dangling from her hands.
“Zenin-senpai.” Yuji breathed, his eyes widening.
“Sorry I’m late. Bring me up to speed.” She replied.
“Kill him. He’s not gonna die.”
Yuji had never fought with Maki before, but in that moment their attacks synced up and it felt like they had been fighting together for years. Where she kicked, he punched, where she went from below, he jumped above.
“Yuji, basically our goal is to capture whatever that is even if it means killing it, right?”
“Yes.” Yuji nodded.
“We’re going to speed things up, can you keep up?”
“Yes!” If it was to save Megumi, he could do anything.
And they sped it up. Yuji didn’t even think as he fought, he simply moved, his body knowing what to do, where to kick or punch or duck, manoeuvring around Sukuna and landed his attacks in sync with Maki.
Yuji realised, as he felt claws scraping down his face, that Sukuna’s fingers had transformed into their true form on Megumi’s body. Oh, they had transformed.
“Zenin-senpai! Get me an opening!” Yuji called and it just goes to show how much Maki trusted him in that moment that she merely nodded and returned to attacking with a newfound vigour, her punches landing even harder as Yuji moved his eyes, trying to see where he could cut in and –
There.
He ducked under another Cleave and a swinging arm, wrapping his arms around Sukuna’s arm and pulling him down, using his legs to pin him down as he moved his arms away to take a hold of his fingers and start pulling.
It seemed Sukuna had realised what he was trying to do because some of the fingers began transforming back into Megumi’s but it was too late then, because Yuji had pulled the pinkie off and immediately let go of Sukuna, rushing away and swallowing the finger.
There it was.
That cold, slimy feeling he had grown accustomed to slowly crept back, seeping into the precipices of his mind, and threatening to take over like he had before, but Yuji knew this presence and he was used to tamping it down so he did just that, exercising the same control he usually did and smothered it, sending it back to its designated prison in his mind.
When Sukuna was safely locked away, the exhaustion hit all of a sudden. Yuji felt the strength leave his legs and he dropped to his knees, blood still dripping from so many different places in his body.
“Itadori!” He heard Megumi’s voice and lifted his head, his fuzzy vision barely managing to make out Megumi’s face in front of him, lacking those horrific markings and simply concerned now.
“Fushiguro, I’m… glad you’re… okay…” Yuji barely got out before his eyes slipped shut and he fell forward onto Megumi.
“Itadori!” Megumi’s eyes widened in alarm and he caught the pink-haired boy, hands slipping as he tried to hold him up. He held one of his hands up and looked away instantly upon seeing the slick red that covered it.
“Maki-san, what –” The dark haired boy looked to his cousin.
“We need to get him to Ieiri-san,” She replied grimly. “Are you sure there’s no more Sukuna in you?”
“No, he’s…he’s gone. I can’t feel him,” Megumi replied. “Is he going to be okay?”
He sounded more vulnerable than he had ever let himself sound before, a childish lilt slipping into his voice as he gazed at Maki desperately, hoping for a positive answer.
“If we hurry,” She said. “Give him to me, you’re still a mess.” She sheathed her sword and held her arms out.
Megumi was reluctant to let go of Yuji but he could see how much the other boy was bleeding, could see the pallor of his skin and he knew he should let him go, so he handed him over.
“How’s your finger?” Maki asked as she lifted Yuji onto her back, draping his arms over her shoulders and holding onto his legs to keep him from falling.
“My… finger…?” Megumi asked, looking down at his hands and noticed a new scar on one of his pinkies. “What happened?”
“Sukuna must have healed it,” The girl mused. “Later, we should get Yuji healed first.”
“Right!”
“I’ll head back, follow at your own pace.”
And she was gone.
Megumi didn’t really remember much from when he was under Sukuna’s control, it was all in flashes and bits of memory. He knew Yuji was hurt badly and so was Hana. Where was Hana? They were nowhere near where the fight had started and he had no clue where that even was. He could only hope she hadn’t died from that fall, but Angel was reincarnated in her body, he knew she would live.
And so he began the journey of trudging back to their base where Shoko was situated, praying Maki would make it in time with Yuji.
When Megumi returned, exhausted, he found Yuji laid out on a makeshift bed on the floor, unconscious. His first thought wasn’t unconsciousness, he thought Yuji was dead when he saw him before he focussed and saw that his chest was rising and falling and breathed a sigh of relief.
“You should have Ieiri-san check you out as well.” Maki said in lieu of a greeting.
“It’s fine. She’s busy.” Megumi dismissed.
“Megumi,” Maki said sharply. “Have her check you out. Now. You were just taken over by the King of Curses, and our resident expert on the matter is currently unconscious. So go to her, or I’ll knock you unconscious too and have her check you out.”
“Yes, Maki-san.” He relented and dragged himself over to Shoko, presenting himself to her. Apparently Maki had already briefly explained what happened to the doctor so she quickly checked him over and gave him the go ahead to just get some rest. Megumi walked himself to Yuji’s side and sat, taking one of his hands in his own slender ones, hating how cold they felt in comparison to the warmth Yuji practically radiated usually.
“He lost a lot of blood,” Shoko said softly, wandering over after a while. “I healed him and he’ll live but he might be asleep for a little while to recover all the energy he lost.”
“I don’t even remember how this happened,” Megumi said. “I hurt him and I don’t even remember it.”
“I can’t pretend to know how you feel, but I know Itadori-kun felt like that a lot after Shibuya and I guarantee he still feels like that now.”
“But it’s not his fault!”
“Then you know it’s not yours either?” Shoko raised an eyebrow and Megumi fell silent. “The same applies to you, neither of you had control of your bodies, neither of you is to blame for what you do while Sukuna has control.”
“I want Tou-san.” Megumi whispered and Shoko’s face fell.
“Yeah, I know kiddo. Me too,” She ruffled his hair. “Ijichi’s bringing your sister into the colonies and then he’ll bring her back here.”
“Tsumiki-nee-san…”
“Yeah. You can help her with points if you want.”
“Itadori and I will,” Megumi said, determined, as if daring her to say otherwise but Shoko merely nodded.
“Okay. You’ve got 19 days to make a change. Plenty of time.”
“Mhm. Did… did Kurusu Hana make it back?”
“Yeah, she’s resting in one of the backrooms. She isn’t doing too well but she’ll be fine. I think she has something to tell you after,” Shoko explained, patting Megumi’s shoulder. “Take it easy, kiddo. I’ll see you later.”
Megumi merely hummed in reply, barely noticing her leave. He only had eyes for Yuji.
Megumi must have fallen asleep there, his cheek resting on his and Yuji’s intertwined hands, head bent over in what must have been an uncomfortable angle, because the next thing he knew, someone was tapping his shoulder and he was opening his eyes, shaking his head to get rid of the fuzzy feeling.
He looked up to see a smiling Tsumiki stood there, looking just as lively as he remembered her to be before she fell into that coma. “Tsumiki-nee-san…”
“Megumi.” She beamed.
Megumi was not a crier; he had never been. But in that moment, seeing his sister for the first time in what felt like forever, with all the built up emotions over the fight and almost losing Yuji and not having Gojo around, his face crumpled and he basically tipped over into her arms, his forehead falling onto her shoulder and his arms winding around her waist to fist the fabric of her shirt between his fingers like he used to hold her clothes as a kid when they walked together in the street.
“Nee-san.” He mumbled into her shoulder.
“What happened? Are you okay?”
“Tou-san, he –” Megumi cut himself off and Tsumiki blanched. She hadn’t heard her little brother call Gojo by that name in a very long time, not since he was quite young. Something intense must have happened to bring it back.
“Is he okay?” Tsumiki pulled away, cupping Megumi’s cheeks in her hands.
“He – they sealed him. He’s in the Prison Realm,” Megumi whispered, closing his eyes as he leaned into Tsumiki’s warmth. “And – Sukuna, the King of Curses, took over my body before Itadori stopped him and –”
“What?” Tsumiki sounded distraught. “What do you mean sealed? And who took over your body?”
Megumi sat her down then and recounted everything that had occurred since he met Yuji, going over Sukuna reincarnating inside the other boy up until the events of Shibuya and the Culling Games.
“And this is Itadori Yuji?” She asked, casting a glance to the sleeping boy behind them.
“Yeah,” Megumi nodded; his voice soft. “He hasn’t woken up. Nee-san, it was really bad.”
“He’ll wake up,” Maki’s voice appeared from behind them and Megumi lifted his head to meet her eyes. She wasn’t smiling but there was an expression of reassurance on her face. “You know he will.”
“Thanks Maki-san,” Megumi replied. “Oh, Tsumiki-nee-san, this is my cousin Maki. Maki-san, this is my sister.”
“Good to meet you.” Maki nodded.
“You too.”
“You should eat,” Maki said to Megumi then. “Yuta’s worried about you.”
“Okkotsu-senpai worries too much.” Megumi muttered.
“He does. So stop doing things that make him worry,” Maki retorted. “Eat.”
“Yes, Maki-san.”
Yuji woke up when Megumi was eating because of fucking course he did. He wouldn’t have even known had it not been for Yuta patting his shoulder while him and Tsumiki were eating.
“Megumi-kun, hey. Yuji-kun is awake, thought you should know.”
Megumi abandoned his food instantly, getting to his feet and running to where Yuji’s makeshift bed was. As he got closer, he could see the pink haired boy was sat up, legs over the side of the bed with Shoko leaning over him, her hand pressed to his forehead and Maki stood not too far away, her arms crossed over her chest.
Yuji looked up and his eyes locked with Megumi’s, widening as he realised who it was. He went to get up but Shoko pushed him down once more, her brows furrowed and her mouth moving. Megumi couldn’t hear what she was saying but he assumed she was scolding him for moving before she checked him over. So, he moved closer.
“Fushiguro, you’re okay.” Yuji breathed when Megumi was closer.
“Thanks to you.” Maki snorted.
“It was teamwork, Zenin-senpai.”
“I told you to call me Maki.”
“Yes, Maki-senpai!” Yuji nodded. “Is your finger okay, Fushiguro? I didn’t want to do that…”
“It’s… fine… just scarred,” Megumi lifted his hand to show Yuji the scar around the base of his pinkie. “What did you even do?”
“Ripped it off like he ripped mine off. Only, mine didn’t grow back,” Yuji laughed but it seemed to lack the warmth usually present in his laughs, lifting his own hand to show the missing pinkie. “’S just a finger.” It was not just a finger, but Megumi was not about to get into this with both Shoko and Maki watching.
“Is he okay?” Megumi asked Shoko instead.
“He’s right here.” Yuji muttered.
“He’s fine,” Shoko nodded. “He’s recovering just as quickly as he always does and I healed him too. He’ll be fine.”
“And –”
“Sukuna? He’s in there. Somewhere.” He tapped the side of his head with a fist gently. “Got him under lock and key, don’t you worry.”
“Megumi!” Tsumiki finally caught up and Yuji turned his head just in time to see her face transform when she caught sight of Yuji awake and talking. Her jaw dropped and she rushed forward, throwing her arms around him.
“Oh!” Yuji caught himself before he fell.
“Thank you for taking care of Megumi!”
“Uh… it’s no trouble, really!” Yuji laughed nervously, hugging her back hesitantly. “Who… are you?”
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” She pulled away and stood, brushing the creases on her skirt. “I’m Tsumiki. Fushiguro Tsumiki.”
“You’re Fushiguro’s sister!” Yuji realised. Tsumiki sent Megumi a glance practically screaming the absurdity she thought was them still addressing each other with their last names. Megumi merely shrugged in response. “But I thought…”
“Kenjaku activated Idle Transfiguration, remember?” Maki said.
“We had Ijichi bring Tsumiki into one of the colonies to get her registered and then bring her here,” Shoko added and Yuji made a sound of assent. “You and Megumi can help her change her score in a few days.”
“Sure.” Yuji agreed easily. He never failed to blow Megumi away with how quick he was to help, to support others.
“Take it easy today, let your body recover, okay?” Shoko said to Yuji and he grumbled but nodded his acceptance and she departed after patting his shoulder, called away by Nitta to look over one of the other injured. Maki merely nodded at them and disappeared, probably to go find Yuta or Toge.
“I’m gonna… go look for something –” Yuji said quickly, standing and barely hiding a wince. He was gone before Megumi could make a sound. He only watched with a hand outstretched a little and his mouth open as if to speak but cut off before he could even begin.
“Are you just going to stand there?” Tsumiki asked, her voice soft and gentle.
“I –”
“Go after him.”
Megumi found Yuji curled up on a window sill in one of the empty corridors no one ventured down because there was nothing to see here. The window didn’t show much, just the wreckage of Tokyo, but Yuji had his gaze fixed to something outside. He appeared to be so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t even hear Megumi approaching until he was right in front of him.
“Oh… Fushiguro…” He greeted, lacking the usual energy he possessed.
Megumi frowned.
“Shouldn’t you be with your sister?” Yuji asked.
“Tsumiki-nee-san will be fine. You’re not.” Megumi deadpanned.
“I’m fine.”
“Itadori,” Megumi gave him a look and Yuji barely met his eyes before he sighed, dropping his head low. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know,” Yuji admitted. “I’m just… I’m tired. I’m fucking exhausted and I know I have no right to be, not when so many people are hurt or dead and Gojo-sensei is sealed and we barely saved you from Sukuna but god I’m tired.”
“You always have the right.” Megumi argued, his eyebrows furrowed.
“I don’t,” Yuji locked eyes with him now, sounding incredulous. “You know how many have been hurt because of my shitty control over the parasite in my head? We might as well find the last five fingers before we do anything else and let the higher ups do what they’ve been itching to do since I ate the first one.”
“Yuji,” Megumi said, shocking Yuji out of his self-deprecating spiel by the use of his given name. The pink haired boys eyes widened. “Never, ever, say something like that ever again. You get it?”
“I –”
“The higher ups will never touch you. Not if I have anything to say about it. No one else will let them touch you either.”
“I’m not worth that much.” Yuji argued weakly.
“You are,” Came the insistence. “You saved me, you know that right? You realise how bad it would have been for me and so many other people if Sukuna remained in my body? With my technique?”
“I wasn’t exactly thinking about your technique in that moment, Fushiguro, I was thinking about you. I couldn’t care less about your technique. It’s you that matters.” Yuji said.
Oh.
“Oh.”
“Must have done a better job hiding it if you never picked up on it but I just don’t think I have it in me to keep another thing inside. I love you; you know? A lot. So much. I think I loved you the moment I met you. You were so mysterious and so pretty.” Yuji huffed out a laugh as he leaned his head back against the wall.
“The prettiest boy I’ve ever seen. I liked you then I think, and then I got to know you and how could I not love you? You’re so strong, and brave and so so good. You’re the best person I know. I love you so badly, Megumi,” Yuji laughed wetly, brushing the palm of his hand over his eyes and sniffling. “Gods, I don’t know what to do with all the love in my heart, I feel like it’ll explode.”
“Don’t explode,” Megumi whispered. “Can’t kiss you if you’re a goopy mess.”
“Kiss me?” Yuji’s eyes shot open. “Real romantic, aren’t you?”
“I wooed you, didn’t I?”
“I don’t think that had anything to do with you being romantic.”
“I love you too. I definitely did a good job hiding it,” Megumi hummed. “I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want to start anything if you felt the same because I was scared. They said they would execute you, and that would ruin me. It would ruin me even if we didn’t start anything. Tou-sa – Gojo-sensei used to always say that love was the most twisted curse of all.”
“Sounds like he was talking from experience.”
“I think he was,” Megumi always suspected, but he never brought it up. He knew it still caused Gojo pain even a year after Geto’s death, ten years after they parted ways. “It made me keep my guard up.”
“What changed?”
“I won’t let anything happen to you. I refuse. And… if nothing bad happens to you, why can’t I be happy? With you.”
“With me,” Yuji repeated, laughing in disbelief. “Am I dreaming? Surely not, my dreams are never happy.”
“That’s concerning.”
“Yeah well…” Yuji shrugged, tilting his head up as Megumi came closer, practically towering over him as he was still sitting on the window sill while Megumi was standing.
“Can I kiss you now, or are you still in danger of exploding?”
“Guess you’ll have to try and see.”
“You’re so stupid.” Megumi shook his head fondly, punctuating their conversation with a kiss.
BONUS:
“Hana should be able to open the Back of the Prison Realm when she’s more healed,” Shoko explained to the sorcerer’s gathered in the room. “Meanwhile, Yuji and Megumi can assist Tsumiki in changing her score.”
“I’ll be in your care!” Tsumiki said and Yuji beamed.
“We’ve got this!”
“Yo! I heard something about a rescue mission. You’re not planning to do it without me, are you?” An oh-so-familiar voice rang through the room and Yuji whipped around in sync with Megumi, both of them locking eyes with a sight for sore eyes.
She stood there with a clean uniform on, her shoes polished and a hammer hanging from her belt. Her hair shone under the glaring fluorescent light of the room and one of her eyes was covered in a black eyepatch, but Kugisaki Nobara smiled.