Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Megumi Fushiguro has always loved coffee, he claims he developed a taste for it since he had to deal with Gojo and his studies that took him all night to finish. So, who would be surprised to find out that he has an addiction to it in college? Certainly not him, so he was quite pleased to see that the veterinary clinic he would be working at was by a cute little cafe. Well, he would be a receptionist since he’s still in school, but a step is a step. Little Megumi might even crack a smile, he did not like to smile often.

On his first day he shows up to his job early to be professional . . . by one hour. “I would rather be early than late anyways” he mumbles to himself. 

“My kid is the type of kid to show up early, scope out the scene so that nothing surprises him!” Gojo would say whenever he had the opportunity to talk about Megumi. Even if Megumi hates to agree with his legal guardian (sure he’s like a dad but acts more like a fun uncle, though he would never admit it to him), he is right about that. Perhaps though, being one hour early may have been a bit much. 

As he starts getting nervous about his first day, even though he knows he will probably just get a tour and general information, he really doesn’t want to screw this up. He hopes to be a veterinarian, he has two dogs patiently waiting and cheering him on as he takes this big step. He double checks the time, his wallpaper being him and his sister as little kids. “Eleven and my shift starts at twelve, I guess I could grab a coffee while I wait. I might just get coffee everyday from here if it’s good.”  

Before he walks in he looks up to see that it’s called Hai Cafe. He walks in, he smiles as he smells the coffee and sweet-smelling pastries. He looks at the menu as he gets in line but decides to get what he would get anywhere else, a black coffee. “It may be simple but atleast I know they can’t screw it up.” He thinks to himself, he doesn’t really like sweet coffees thinking that it ruins the flavor. “One tasty cappuccino coming right up!” interrupts his thought. “So cheery, at least he likes talking to his cust-” is all he gets to think before he sees the cutest and cheeriest guy he has ever had the honor of seeing.

“Hello! My name is Itadori, what can I get started for you today?” Megumi feels more nervous about answering this than starting his job. He starts fidgeting with his phone case to calm his nerves. 

 “H-Hi can I get . . .” his mind goes blank. 

He stops fidgeting with his phone case to get a good look at this “Itadori” guy. A cute boy with pink hair, bright smile and muscular build in a black t-shirt. Megumi does not stare since that would be rude, but he does take a quick little look. Itadori looks at him with a smile “He looks like if a golden retriever were a human” is the only thing that comes to his mind when he can finally think again. 

“Would you like any recommendations? I get that our menu might be a lot if you're new here.” Itadori says tilting his head with a sheepish smile, “If it makes you feel better when I first came here I was confused on what those words meant.” 

Megumi just nods his head waiting to hear what the pretty boy in front of him has to say since he clearly cannot. 

“I love all of our frappuccinos but my all time favorite is a caffe mocha with extra chocolate. I get that almost everyday!” Itadori leans in just a bit, whispering a bit so that only Megumi can hear. “It’s kinda my cheat snack just between you and me.” 

Megumi smiles, not really knowing what it means but he will definitely keep that a secret. “I’ll get my usual, one caffe mocha please.” Megumi says, proud that he managed to not stutter. Megumi nevers stutters, but a cute boy would make him stutter suddenly. 

“And may I have a name for your drink?” 

“Fushiguro”

“Alright so your order will be up soon, so feel free to take a seat by the waiting area” Itadori gestures to a place Megumi didn’t even notice. Tucked in a corner is a couch with two tables for what he assumes are students who want to study. He makes a mental note of that since he can go here after class and study before his internship. 

He sits on the couch and pulls out his phone. Looking at his phone screen he cracks a sad smile. “If you were here to see what just happened you would tell Gojo and never stop bringing it up. I would want that if it means you're here”

Megumi starts getting sad, he misses his sweet older sister. She was the type of sister who would help him get ready in the morning, help tuck him in bed. Maybe she acted more like a mother, but whatever she did made him feel loved and taken care of. If only he had her with him right now. 

“Order for Fushiguro!” Megumi blinks rapidly to stop the tears that slowly crept in on him, standing to get his drink. While walking he realizes that the line that was here when he got there was gone. 

“Here you sir! I hope you like it, I made this one all by myself!” Itadori puffs his chest like a hero who just saved a whole town. Megumi finds it silly but decides to keep this conversation going. “I would hope so, who else would be here to help you?”

“Well, it would probably be Kugi but she went on her break right before the rush. She's been here waaay longer than me, she's been here for a whole year! Can you believe that!” Itadori says, like an excited little kid.

“Is that supposed to be a long time? I feel like our big boy jobs are gonna be way longer than that.”

“I guess but I try not to think about that, I'm more of living in the now type of guy. That way, I’m not so stressed about things that haven't even happened yet.” Itadori had a face that expresses something that Megumi can't understand. Sadness? He doesn’t like this look on the guy, his smile should always be on display. 

“You know, I like that way of thinking, I focus more on the past and future. Mostly on the things I can't control, I wish I would focus more on the now and not when it’s over ” Megumi decided to be honest, it’s one of the things he hates about himself. 

Itadori looks up and blinks, he thinks for a moment then shines that bright smile. “Well then I hope you live more in the now. You should start by enjoying today!” Itadori reaches for something under the counter and pulls his phone, resting it on the counter while leaning on the counter with his head in his hands. “What are you doing today? You could start by living in today’s moment”

Megumi gives a small smile “Well today is actually the perfect day to live in the moment. I start my job at the clinic next door. My shift starts at twelve and I cannot wait to start.”

Itadori checks his phone “Oh! You may wanna head out it’s 11:49!” He sits up looking frantic like he is the one starting his first day.

“Oh uh, thanks for checking the time. Oh and thanks for the talk I guess I’ll see you around!”

“Yeah, totally uhh, oh and thank you come again!” Itadori does a quick bow and starts cleaning up as Megumi leaves. 

As Megumi steps out of the cafe he smiles to himself. “Maybe today is better than I expected. I get to be one step closer to my dream and a cute cafe with a cute boy works there, and this coffee tastes amaz-'' he stops after taking one small sip.

“It’s so sweet, did I order the wrong coffee?”

Chapter Text

Megumi lays on his bed after he showers reflecting on the day he’s had. It was actually quite a good day for him, his shift was better than expected as he got the privilege to pet every single animal at the shelter. He also discovered he has a big love for bunnies as his favorite was a little baby orange bunny whose name was “Mango.” He now knows he wants to adopt a bunny, but perhaps a white one. His day was almost perfect, minus the coffee incident. 

“What the hell did I do wrong?” He mumbles on his pillow, a habit he developed when he shared a room with Tsumiki. He tries to think how on earth he got it wrong, like so wrong that it wasn’t even close. 

“He probably just gave me the wrong one. Yeah that was the reason I'm sure it wasn't my fault, Just a silly mistake from that Ita-”  He stops mid thought, he was so focused about his coffee he forgot about the cute boy. “Maybe I should get my priorities straight, unlike me.” He cracks a smile, Gojo would definitely approve of that joke. 

Megumi decides to get up and feed his dogs, who he’s had since he was a kid. A special gift from Gojo a year after being adopted by the man. They were one of the many gifts he was gifted by Gojo, this apartment that he shares with his senior, Yuuta being the biggest yet. 

“Well if you want to move out I’ll help you out just enough so that you make it by.” Gojo had said that and naturally, one would assume some furniture or a month's payment, not a whole damn apartment. It was a huge apartment for one guy and his two dogs.

“Are you sure this is enough for you? I can find a bigger apartment if you need.” Yep, a three bed two bath apartment was small for just one person. Gojo grew up rich, so he wouldn’t really know what broke was. A product of being heir to the biggest web browser in Japan, “Infinite Domain” and was Japan’s google. 

Once he managed to convince Gojo it was more than enough, he offered his place to Yuuta whenever he came back. He had been studying abroad in Africa and was also helping kids get education, he had to get experience teaching somewhere. It just happened to be in a different country. 

As Megumi got the dog's food ready on the counter, he saw a note left on the table.

“Hey Megumi, I’m doing a study group with the others and then staying with Toge for the night. He left some Pork Shogayaki in the fridge so please help yourself to it. Maki also took the dogs with her on a run. Panda also gave them a bath after their run. I’ll be back after class tomorrow 

- Yuuta”

“Wow, I hope he knows that he has my number, no need to leave a note for me to read. Well, he does love writing I suppose. Thank you Inumaki as usual for the meal.” Megumi puts the bowls of food on the ground for his dogs to eat. “We may have to get Maki to take you guys on runs while I work now huh? Bet you two would enjoy that very much. Probably not the shower but you two do need that.” 

He scratches his dogs ears then bops their noses. Megumi loves talking to his dogs. As sad and lonely as it sounds, they were his first friends. Always by his side and cried when he was at school, luckily the neighbors never complained. If they did Gojo would have probably bought their silence with an ungodly amount of money anyways. 

Once the dogs eat their meal Megumi decides now is the perfect time to eat his dinner while watching some Wendigoon. He loves that Inumaki is always making food, it makes sense with him being a culinary student. He can't wait for the moment Yuuta finally asks Inumaki out since it is so painfully obvious, they basically are a couple. The moment they do date Megumi gets more food and he would certainly not complain about that. Him and Maki made a bet while they were all in highschool, she bet on them dating during college while he bet during highschool. Yet here they are, graduating in two years and the most that has happened is a drunken kiss on the cheek. Panda has that on video and uses it to blackmail Inumaki to cook whatever he wants.

“Talk about a slow-ass friends to lovers trope, luckily I’ve never liked anyone befo-'' He cuts himself off as he remembers what happened today. “I think I’ll just eat and head to bed. Besides he was just attractive, probably will be that one crush that turns to nothing.”

Megumi eats his dinner then heads to his room to do his night routine. Brush his teeth, change to his pjs, light a candle then calls his dogs so they can sleep with him on his bed. As he turns off this light on his night stand, his phone flashes and shows a notification from Yuuta. It went away almost immediately and he sees his home screen. Little Megumi with Little Tsumiki happy and together. 

“Tsumiki, why did you lie to me? Why couldn’t you tell me? Did you think I wouldn’t care?”

Somedays are harder than others for Megumi, remembering his sister that passed in his second year of highschool. She was sick, so sick and hid it from everyone for so long until she collapsed. Gojo was with Megumi when they received a call that she was close to the end. Both of them were shocked since she claimed to be doing fine. Megumi put blame on himself for not visiting her more often. They went to different highschools, Megumi to a school for the gifted while she went to an all girls school. He never really got to see her, not until it was too late. 

As he begins to tear up, his dogs come and give him cuddles. Megumi noted it as they’re way of cheering and comforting him. They lick away his tears and he smiles and remembers that he isn’t alone. His upperclassmen always checked on him and took him out to cheer him up, mainly being the reason why they are all his friends now. Even Gojo, taking his on shopping sprees, mostly to the bookstore since that’s where Megumi would smile more often. 

Megumi decides to check the messages once his dogs decide that he is better. 

“Hey so the others want to know if you’re free after work tomorrow, Maki found this new ramen shop and they wanna try it. No pressure or anything as always but if it helps, there's a pet shop next door that we can visit after if you wanna come!”

“Curse Yuuta” Megumi thinks “ He looks like a nice guy but uses your weakness against you. Looks like I’m going out tomorrow night and I didn’t even have a choice.”

“Now you know me well enough to know that I can’t say no to that, I’ll be there around seven.” Sending his response he then puts his phone on the stand.

He sees that his dogs are already curled up and fast asleep. Megumi decides he should sleep too. As he closes his eyes and drifts off, he sees that Itadori guy again. “Should be a goodnight’s sleep then.” That's the last thing Megumi thinks before being consumed by his dream.

Chapter Text

Megumi stands outside watching a pink sunset as light rain begins to fall. He continues to stand when a familiar face stands next to him and holds a pink umbrella out to cover him.

“Wow, it looks so beautiful that the sky is crying at such beauty,” Itadori says, giving a glance at Fushiguro. “So what brings you to the cafe before it even opens? If you wanted to see me, you should have just asked for my number y'know.”

“What if I just wanted to grab an early breakfast, what then?” Megumi says, turning to give him a serious look. “Is this how you talk to all your customers? Your manager would be so disappointed.”

“My apologies, dear customer, but since it appears that I am not prepared to begin working, you shall have to wait a moment for your breakfast.” Itadori says, bowing to him while talking in a professional tone, making Megumi chuckle.

As Itadori opens the door and lets Megumi in, he begins to whistle to the tune of Island in the Sun by Weezer. He puts the umbrella up and walks over behind the counter.

“Alrighty dear customer, would you like a drink fit for a cool guy or for a mysterious guy who doesn’t let people in but deep down wants someone to understand him without having to open up much?”

“I beg your biggest pardon?” Confused, Megumi turns to look at Itadori but instead sees Gojo sitting at their dining table on the phone with Geto.

“Suguru, I really want to help him, I just don’t know how. He isn’t talking and isn’t hungry, all he does after school is come home and brings the dogs into his room. He doesn’t go out and visit the shelter like he used to. At night I hear him go into Tsumiki’s room and cry, I want to comfort him but he’ll ignore my efforts like always.”

“Gojo? Gojo what is going on?” Megumi tries to take a step out to Gojo but he can’t move. As he tries, he looks down and sees grass. As he looks up he sees his upperclassmen sitting on the stairs of their high school.

“We should ask him to go with us. Maybe it will help distract him.” Yuuta speaks softly. “He's the only 2nd year since Nanako and Mimiko moved with Geto so he must be even more lonely.”

“We can try but I doubt he’d come when I went to visit after the funeral. He looked at me with a numb look, all he did was stare at me and walked to his room. Gojo is thinking about getting him therapy since he won’t talk to anyone about anything, even if Tsumiki isn’t involved.”

“Guys? Guys, I am okay see?” As he takes a step, he falls through the ground. He lands in an empty room with a casket. “What, wait no no no please do not let that be it.” He quickly jumps on his feet and runs to the casket. “Tsumiki! Wake up!” As he reaches the casket, he sees his sister laying there holding a bouquet of her favorite flowers, forget-me-not. Her fingernails painted a soft pink. “Tsumiki?” As he reaches his hand out to grab her he can’t. He’s grabbed from behind and thrown on the ground.

He jumps back on his feet seeing his sister’s casket disappear. And he suddenly wakes up.

Jolting awake, his dogs react as well, heads jolting up, turning, and searching the whole room until they both land on Megumi. Megumi tries to control his breathing, something he has to do often when he gets these kinds of dreams. Once he calms his breathing, he turns his attention to his dogs. While Megumi dislikes many things in life, scaring or hurting his babies has to be up there.

He scratches their ears and speaks softly to them “Hey it’s ok guys, see, I’m right here safe and sound. How about we get some breakfast?” With the promise of food, the dogs jump out of bed and sit by the door waiting for it to open and devour their yummy food.

As Megumi rolls out of bed, and takes a deep sigh, trying to put that nightmare behind him. He checks his phone, “Ugh, 8:25, guess I have time to kill before class at 9:30.” He walks over and opens the door, and they lead him out to the kitchen. He gives the dogs their food and decides to make a cup of chamomile tea to give him some peace of mind. He grabs his favorite mug, a dark blue with random pink splatters, it was a gift from Tsumiki a few years back. He turns on the stove to boil his water “I am not some animal who drinks microwaved tea, unlike some people”. He remembers the time in his freshman year when the students came back from the corner store drenched in water, and Panda, fitting to his name, microwaved water for them to have tea. Megumi still can't look at him the same after that.

Once his tea is ready, he grabs a sweet pink concha pan that Gojo made after coming back from his trip to Mexico. “Megumi, you will not believe that these people have this for a snack! I saw people get it for breakfast, dessert and just because! It’s so yummy, I learned to make it.” Now, Megumi is not a sweets kind of guy, but he did have to agree with Gojo, it is pretty tasty.

Sitting on the couch, Megumi turns on the tv and starts browsing until he finds something to entertain him for a bit. He pauses to take a sip of his tea, he lands on the local news and spots a certain pink-hair individual. His eyes widened, his mug stayed pressed to his lips, and a slight blush appeared on his cheek. He snaps out of it when he hears Itadori laugh “Oh” is all that comes to his mind.

As he pays attention, he figures out that Itadori is being interviewed on TV. He looks to be wearing the school track team uniform. Megumi thinks that it looks good on him, and not because it shows off his well-built body. No, Megumi would never think of that.

“Well, you sure did an impressive run at the tournament last week. You set a new record in Japan for the 400-meter sprint!” Megumi’s jaw is dropped, trying to process what he had just heard. “He beat the country’s record! Well, that explains why he is well built, but oh wow, that is astounding.”

“Now, tell us Itadori, why do you run? Is this a career you want to pursue, or is this just a hobby you just happen to excel in?” The reporter turns to Itadori, who stands there, seemingly deep in thought. “Well, the short answer would be, I wanna go to the Olympics, this is just a stepping stone I guess you could say.” He fixes his hair and turns to the reporter, who gives him a simple nod. “Well, what made you want to go to the Olympics? You definitely have the talent and skill, so you have a very high chance of achieving your dream.”

Megumi watches intently, so much so that he doesn’t notice the dogs sitting on the couch resting their heads in his lap, he didn’t see that one bought a pink bunny. “Well, my grandpa told me before he died he wanted me to live my life so that when I die, I die with no regrets. That I am surrounded by people who love and care for me. I lost my parents when I was a baby and then losing him at 12 made me do some deep thinking. After I was adopted by Nanamin, he encouraged me to do a sport. Maybe he wanted me not to be stuck in my room looking back. I tried many, and I was great, but I fell for running. The feeling just made me happy, I can’t explain it. All I knew was that I wanted to do this for as long as I possibly could.”

Megumi wants to keep watching, he wants to learn as much as he can about this boy. When he checks the time, he’s got 20 minutes before he has to leave for class, and he’s still in his PJs. Reluctantly, he turns off the TV and gently pats the dogs to get them off him. Megumi quickly gets ready and decides he’ll go to the cafe after class to talk to Itadori. He grabs his keys that hang on a pink hook and locks the apartment, and heads to his class.