Chapter Text
It had been the first time in weeks that Megumi has stepped out of the apartment he shared with Nobara for something other than his classes. It was thanks to Nobara’s pushiness and inability to take no for an answer that he had very unwillingly found himself at some party in someone’s basement which was potentially just as dingy as his own place. Only difference was this place was full of drunk people sweating and chanting along to the loud music.
Megumi sighed, leaning back on the couch he’d been glued to ever since arriving. This was the only non-crowded area in the small room they were all in. Nobara had gone off immediately to do whatever it is that she does. Shots, dancing, whatever. She was more into the party scene.
The beer can that Megumi had taken was still cold in his hand, moisture dripping softly into his lap and dampening the shorts he wore. Strobe lights flashed around the room. He had a headache.
When Megumi had told Nobara that he didn’t want to go out, he wasn’t just being what she’d call a “loner virgin”. He seriously just didn’t want to go out. Especially not to a place like this. With a slow blink, he downed the rest of the can, chugging the bitter liquid into his stomach.
He set it down onto the table in front of him along with the four, maybe five other cans he’s gone through just this past hour.
Maybe halfway through that hour, a boy had sat next to him on the couch. And from cautious glances, Megumi noticed how his hands fidgeted with his hair and clothes along with his knee that’s been bouncing up and down since the moment he’s sat down. Perhaps he was just as out of place that Megumi felt.
But he didn’t spend too long wondering about it because just a few metres ahead was the unmistakable figure of Gojo, the man he’s been trying his hardest to avoid for the past months. His nerves shot up as he stared at him with a feeling akin to fear. Even in the dark he stood out with his white hair and blue eyes that still shone in the darkness of the basement.
Shit. Megumi could feel his pulse quicken with every step from Gojo. He hadn’t spotted him on the couch yet but it was only a matter of time until he did, and when he did he would see Megumi sitting alone at a party downing beers. Alone.
In that moment he felt utterly pathetic and he knew that if Gojo saw him, he’d make sure that feeling of shame only grows, even if he wouldn’t do it on purpose. Gojo would no doubt give him a mocking smirk, patting him sympathetically on the back like a kid.
Unfortunately, Nobara was nowhere to be found, too far away to save him from the embarrassment he’d feel if he were to be seen.
But after everything that happened between the two of them, he was not going to let that happen. He wasn’t going to let himself be made to be the same little kid that Gojo still saw him as.
With a shaky palm, Megumi reached out to the only one who could possibly help him in this situation. He couldn’t handle that sort of embarrassment, not tonight at least. He was a little drunk and very desperate.
And before he could even think, he makes the stupidest decision of the night. His hand collided with the pink-haired boy’s next to him, clasping it gently and blurted out. “Can you pretend to be my boyfriend for five minutes?”
He swallowed the saliva that had built up in the pool of his mouth, travelling down his dry and aching throat. The question took even himself by surprise but he didn’t have the luxury of time to dwell on the potential consequences for what he’s just started.
But he didn’t back down. He stared pleadingly into the swirling brown eyes just a foot away from him. The boy gawked back at him, his mouth hanging open like a fish that’s just been reeled in. But he nodded, adjusting his grip on Megumi’s hand so their fingers intertwined with each other. Ever so slightly, he scooted himself closer to Megumi.
He had sighed in relief, his shoulders slouching slightly. Even though he could feel the uncomfortable heat from the others body and that the others hand was hit and sweaty, he still felt much better than he did before,
Horrifically the relief didn’t last long when Gojo decided to make his presence known to the two on the couch. “Yuuji!” He’d called out, his voice slurred as was his slow movements.
Yuuji? Who was Yuuji?
“Ah, Gojo.” The boy greeted him back. He had a bright smile on now, his lips curled upward as he spoke. “What’s up?” He asked.
Megumi swallowed thickly as he watched the two interact. So his name was Yuuji, Megumi figured, and Yuuji knows Gojo. He wondered how they’d met and what their relationship was, he wondered how close they were or if it just happens to be another one of Gojo’s friends.
But seriously, how close could they be if they’re on last name basis, or at least Yuuji was. He wasn’t too sure what the others full name was yet, and he almost figured that it was his first name. Gojo usually did call almost everyone by their first names regardless of how well they knew each other.
Gojo stood facing Yuuji and not even glancing in his direction and he made it ever so evident that he had no plans to acknowledge him. He was happy for it, or at least that’s what he told himself. But his chest ached. He hadn’t even gotten the courtesy of a hello. Megumi felt invisible, he was almost thankful for it even if it did sting a little.
Before Megumi could sit there wallowing in his own self pity, Gojo spoke up. “So what’s.. this?” He asked, gesturing to the two boys in the couch.
There was an obvious tone of both disapproval and judgement in his voice which just ticked Megumi off. He wore a smirk, one that Megumi recognized through pain. He knew it wasn’t directed to Yuuji, but instead it was to him even if he was still facing away from him.
That’s when Megumi realized that nothing would happen unless he did something first. And in that dingy basement, Megumi made the stupidest decision for the second time that night. “He’s my boyfriend.” Megumi interjected.
Gojo’s stance opened, turning to look at Megumi. His blue eyes lingered thoughtfully before turning back to Yuuji, his gaze gone as quickly as it came. Frozen in his spot, that was all he needed for the pit in his stomach to grow infinitesimally deep.
A smile formed on Gojo’s face and Megumi knew better than to trust it. But truthfully he couldn’t tell whether it was fake or not. “So you finally did it, huh?” He patted Yuuji’s back, hitting it roughly. “See, I told you everything would work out with him!” Yuuji offered a smile again but Megumi could feel him tense up under his palm.
Finally did what? He wanted to ask what either of them Gojo was talking about but he didn’t, his unsaid questions interrupted by the white-haired man standing above them.
His body turned towards Megumi once more, though just barely with his eyes lidded shut along with a shit-eating grin. “Megumi.” He said, sending an uncomfortable chill through his body. He clenched his jaw, heat burning through his veins as Gojo spoke to him. “I’m surprised.”
Yuuji looked between the two of them, his eyes glancing back and forth rather quickly. Hid eyes widen slightly at Megumi, and he wondered if Yuuji had realized it was because of Gojo that he was doing this. Megumi didn’t say anything, giving the man standing above him a tight lipped smile.
He watched Gojo, glaring up at him. His attention was back on Yuuji, smiling down at him. “Why don’t you guys come to my party then?” He asked. “It’s a small get together but I’m sure they’d all love to hear that things worked out for you two.”
He couldn’t decipher a thing that Gojo was saying. He didn’t understand what he was saying or what any of it meant. Why would anyone care that the two of them are together?
Megumi felt like he was going to be sick. The thought of going to a party held by Gojo made him want to vomit. But he couldn’t decline the offer. He just couldn’t. He knew that Gojo was doing this to mess with him, he understood that from the moment he got Yuuji’s attention.
“We will be there.” Megumi said, his voice laced with a poison he hoped that only he could hear. Gojo smiled at Yuuji, ignoring Megumi again.
With that, he said nothing else and left, heading off towards the crowd away from them.
He kept his hand laced with Yuuji’s. For the first time that night he fully looked over at the boy next to him. Looking desperately into the eyes he’d met earlier, he let out an exasperated sigh.
He couldn’t bring himself to talk about the very prominent issue lingering between the two of them, woven between their interlocked fingers. So avoiding the question, he tore himself away from the brown eyes across from him to stare into the crowd that Gojo had disappeared into.
“What’s with the dyed hair?” He asked, a scowl taking over his face. “Are you some punk?”
Yuuji’s eyes widened suddenly at the comment, he glanced up, picking up a thread of his hair between his fingers, pinching it gently “Huh? Oh, I thought it looked cool.” He responded with a shy pout crossing his lips.
Megumi’s face contorted. “Are you pouting at me right now?” The other stared at him, mouth half opened just like when he’d spoken to him for the first time that night before he gave an awkward smile.
The music shifted from song to song as they sat there in silence for god knows how long. He wishes that he drank more, staring at the cans on the table before him. He was far too sober to have done all that rationally and far too drunk to fully understand the consequences that this would all have.
He sighed, shrugging it all off. He couldn’t put this off any longer. “Gojo said some weird things.” He said with his eyes closed and his headache growing with every second.
He watched Yuuji glance nervously down at their hands still together and then back up at him. He felt his hand start to slip away. Megumi panicked, grabbing the hand and pulling himself closer on the couch so he could whisper into Yuuji’s ear. “Please just keep playing along I need to play this up for Gojo.” He said and pulled back away.
Even in the dark Megumi could make out the pink flush that covered the other boys cheeks. Yuuji interlocked their hands once more, noticeably more sweaty than before. “Okay, sorry.” He laughed, raising his free hand to sit on the back of his neck.
He glanced over at Yuuji. His hand was so warm, and he was sure that his own was cold to the touch.
They stayed there for another few minutes to silence, their bodies much closer to each other than before. Megumi looked away, with a deep breath he prepared himself for the dive into the crowd.
He’ll just leave and never have to speak to this guy ever again. Megumi didn’t know if he could handle the aftermath of what he’s done. No, he definitely could, but just not right now. Either way, he was sure that Yuuji could handle the mess, even if he was unwillingly dragged into it.
“You know.” Yuuji spoke, stopping Megumi from his plan to leave that was seconds away from being put into action. “I had a pretty huge crush on you— nothing serious but I just thought you were really attractive and cool and it was just a small crush you know..” He seemed unable to control his own words.
Megumi cringed. “I’ve never spoken to you in my life.” He retorted.
The other pouted again. “We have.” He mumbled, watching himself as he traced circles along his own thigh. “Once.”
“Once?” Megumi scoffed.
“Last semester we had a class together.” He continued. “I dropped my pencil and you picked it up for me.”
Megumi stared incredulously at him. “You had a crush on me because I picked up your pencil?” He asked, air filling his lungs.
Yuuji groaned, burying his face in his hands, Megumi’s being dragged to sit gently his cheek. Although Yuuji didn’t seem to notice it or maybe he just didn’t care. “I just thought you were really pretty, okay?” He said, stumbling over his own words.
“You don’t even know me.” he mumbled, quiet enough that Yuuji couldn’t hear what he’d said. “Alright, come on.” Megumi said speaking louder this time.
He stood up from the couch, dragging Yuuji behind him as he walked into the crowd. Finding Nobara, he tapped her shoulder. She spun around, very obviously too drunk for her own good.
“Megumi!” She shouted, raising her arms up in the air. He grumbled at the name as she wrapped her arms around him. “Oh, and Yuuji.” She said, noticing him standing behind Megumi.
She looked down, her eyes finding the pairs hands still glued to each other. Yuuji gave her a panicked look but still didn’t pull his hand away.
“I knew you could do it, Yuuji!” She cheered over the loud music and people. Yuuji smiled bashfully back at her, another blush crossing his face.
“I just came to tell you we’re leaving.” He shouted back, ignoring what she’d said, though he made a note to bring it up later.
Nobara looked knowingly between the two men that stood in front of her. “Have fun you two!” She replied, punching Megumi in the shoulder with a thumbs up.
He glared at her, unamused, but she turned back around, going back to enjoying herself with a few others around her. Megumi tightened his grip on Yuuji’s hand, dragging him back through the crowd.
On their way out Megumi was startled by strangers who he’s never even seen before whooping and congratulating Yuuji as they left up the stairs to the door. Megumi was more than annoyed and Yuuji had his head down in embarrassment.
It wasn’t until they were far away from the house that Megumi stopped, dropping the hand that held tightly onto his the whole way here. Finally he felt like he could breathe.
With a deep breath, Megumi ran his hand through his hair that was blowing in the cool midnight breeze. “Did you tell the whole fucking university about your small crush?” He asked mockingly.
Yuuji said nothing, staring at the concrete sidewalk beneath them. Megumi looked up at him and sighed once more.
“Sorry, just forget it.” Megumi said realizing the harshness of his words when it was him who had put them in this situation in the first place.
Yuuji looked up, taking Megumi by surprise with the sudden change in attitude. “Listen, there was a lot of pressure on me to ask you out from everyone. So if you want to be my fake boyfriend then I want to be yours as well. I don’t care about whatever your reason is but I just want people to think that you at least gave me a shot. Then we can go back to being strangers.” He huffed out, pausing to assess Megumi’s reaction to all of it.
Megumi bit his tongue. He didn’t know what to say. But he knew he had to say yes unless he wanted to embarrass himself even more than he would’ve if he’d just left the other boy alone on that couch.
It was Megumi’s turn to stare absently at the pavement now. He couldn’t bring himself to look up. “Just until Gojo’s party.” He said. He carefully peaked up at Yuuji. He was smiling largely back at him. His cheeks flushed from embarrassment from the situation he found himself in. He felt just a little bit pathetic. “Let me walk you home since I was the one who dragged you out of the party.” Megumi said, hoping he could change the subject.
But Yuuji didn’t take the hint, still spouting crap from his mouth, stuff that made Megumi wish he would just shut up forever.
“I just.” He began to speak again as he started to walk away. Megumi caught up to walk by his side. “Really admire you. You’re very smart. The way you think is very rational.”
He looked over at Megumi, the moonlight shining down, casting light into the same brown eyes that he uncomfortably couldn't look away from. He was fully entranced by the boy he basically promised himself to ignore and leave in the dust of a problem that shouldn’t have been his. Rational thinking was not a good way to describe the way he was acting right now.
“I read your thesis from last semester. Gojo had shown me it actually. He couldn’t stop praising you or your work, and honestly I totally agree with him. You’re seriously smart. Not to mention you’re really good looking.” He said, tacking on the last sentence with a short laugh.
Megumi blushed slightly at the compliments but all he took away from what Yuuji had just said is that Gojo praised him. “Gojo talks about me?” He asked, mostly speaking into the void but Yuuji looked over nodding vigorously.
“Totally! Actually, he’s the one I first heard of you from, and then when I saw you for the first time..” He trailed off. “Oh God, I sound like a crazy stalker. I swear it’s nothing like that.” He laughed awkwardly.
“Wait.” Megumi stopped in his tracks. He felt all the colour drain from his skin. His hands quivered down by his sides, ”You’re Yuuji Itadori?” He asked, finally putting all the scattered pieces together in his head.
Yuuji stopped as well, turning to look back at him. He nodded. “Yeah. What, so you do know me?” He replied with a smile, but Megumi was in no mood for it.
He blinked, looking over at Yuuji. “Holy shit, I hate you.” But his words had no force behind them. He recalled the months of hell he’s endured lately hearing all his friends drone on and on about how much happier Gojo is now. And that Yuuji Itadori is by his side instead of him.
Yuuji frowned. “What’s with you two.” he mumbled. He lifted his head and turned to look at Megumi. “Every time I ask about you, Gojo gets all moody and cold the same way you do. But he’s fine showing me all your old papers and stuff, he says we have a lot to learn from each other.”
Megumi couldn’t look at him, his face turned a bright shade of pink. The guy that stood barely a foot away from him had read all of his work. He felt humiliated. If he could get rid of every trace of his past works he would. They’re full of errors and poorly executed thoughts that he just simply didn’t know enough about to be writing a paper on. His work was pretentious and childish, much like him.
“It’s none of your concern.” He replied. Any attempt to put malice into his words failed.
“Maybe.” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
Megumi wasn’t being secretive on purpose. Honestly, he wanted to tell Yuuji about what happened, about the last time that he’d properly seen Gojo. He wanted to tell him about the first time he met Gojo. For some reason he wanted to spill his guts out onto the floor, letting him know all his demons and let him in on what goes on in his head. But he couldn’t, not with Gojo’s new prodigy.
He hadn’t realized how pitiful he must’ve looked until he felt Yuuji’s hand in his. “Megumi.” Yuuji ran a warm hand up and down his arm.
Megumi shut his eyes trying to ground himself back to reality. He shouldn’t be here, accepting pity from Yuuji, the source of all his problems. He reopened his eyes, meeting the warmth of Yuuji’s eyes in front of him. He felt sick. His hand burned in his.”
Detaching from his grasp, Megumi took a small step back, earning another frown from Yuuji. He sighed, pressing a palm to his forehead. “Sorry.” He said, continuing to walk onward with Yuuji following by his side.
Megumi stuffed his hands into his pockets to try and rid himself of the numbness he felt and trying to hide how much they’d been shaking.
“Sorry for what?” He peered at the dark haired man beside him.
Megumi glared ahead at the view ahead of him. “Dragging you into all of this.”
Yuuji mumbled something that Megumi couldn’t be bothered to ask about. They walked the rest of the way in silence, letting Yuuji lead the way to his place. Megumi tried his hardest to ignore every time their hands had brushed up against another. After a few times, Megumi wondered if Yuuji was doing it on purpose. Not that he minded. The warmth of his skin was nice, though he’d never admit it.
He sighed and looked up. He stared up at the night sky. There were no clouds blocking his view of the moon or the swirling stars that surrounded it, dazzling in the black void above them. The air was freezing around them but for some reason, he didn’t seem to be cold in the slightest. He couldn’t tell if it were the beers he drank or the sheer embarrassment from the situation he put himself in.
“Well, this is my stop.” Yuuji pointed to the building in front of them.
“So you want to date me?” Megumi said bluntly, eliciting a blush on Yuuji’s face.
He kicked a stone across the sidewalk. “I wouldn’t put it like that.”
“You said—”
“I know what I said!” He interrupted, his face even more red than before.
“Then would us being in a fake relationship hurt your feelings? I really need to go to the party and show Gojo but I have no intentions to play with your feelings.”
“Does it have to be fake?”
“Yes.”
There was a silence.
“Why?”
Megumi paused. In all honesty he wasn’t sure why. Either way they’d be doing the same thing. Still, it was uncomfortable to think of this guy he’d only just met as his boyfriend. Especially when he knew that feeling would seep into the relationship they would have. “I wouldn’t be a good boyfriend, trust me.”
Yuuji furrowed his brow. “How would you know? We haven’t even tried it out!”
He could hear the exasperation in Yuuji’s voice. Still, as stubborn as it was, he knew. He just knew. If anyone was to look at the history of Megumi they’d understand and they’d agree that he was unfit to be in a relationship. Especially in one with someone as nice as Yuuji.
“How about this.” Yuuji said. “Let’s fake it until Gojo’s party, and if by then I’m still around, give me a chance.”
It shocked Megumi how quickly Yuuji had changed his demeanour. Not even twenty minutes ago, Yuuji had been trying to work up the nerve to ask him out at the party, now he was demanding to get into a relationship with him. He couldn’t deny that he was in a way impressed by his adamance.
There was a silence that lingered between the two, tense and sharp. Megumi didn’t know what other choice he had but to say yes to this. “Okay.” His throat ached with the single word.
With the agreement, Yuuji beamed at him. “Perfect! You better clear your schedule, we have a lot of dating to do!” He cheered excitedly.
“Fake dating.” Megumi clarified, earning an apologetic laugh from Yuuji. “Give me your phone.”
Yuuji handed it over without a second thought. Megumi wondered if Yuuji would give him his wallet while he’s at it. Instead, he settled for typing in his contact information.
Handing it back, Yuuji seemed to stare incredulously down at it. “Fushiguro? Isn’t this your last name?”
“So what? Nobody calls me by my first name.” He responded.
“I’m your boyfriend now. If you want people to believe this we’re going to have to call each other by our first names.” Megumi frowned but Yuuji kept going. “That’s totally absurd! They’re supposed to think we’re fucking but I don’t even know your first name—”
He was cut off by Megumi who had jumped forward and clasped a hand over his mouth, his other hand resting on his shoulder. “Shut up.” He breathed. They were barely inches apart, his breath that smelled of beer reaching onto Yuuji’s cheeks. His face turned red under the moonlight, his heart racing.
He let go of Yuuji, stumbling backwards a step. He snatched the phone back and erased the contact, rewriting it to be his first name. He handed it back to Yuuji, his heart still beating at a mile a minute.
Pocketing the phone Yuuji gave him a smile. “Then, I’ll see you later.” He said, taking a step closer to Megumi.
Taking hold of his shoulder, Yuuji leaned in. He pressed his lips gently against Megumi’s cheek. They were warm. “Goodnight, Megumi.” Then turned to disappear into the apartment building, leaving Megumi reeling in the darkness of the night.
It was then that he started to wonder exactly what he got himself into.