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Gojo woke with a start, gasping like he’d just surfaced from drowning. The room was quiet, the kind of stillness that pressed against his ears and made his heart thunder louder in his chest. He stared up at the dark ceiling and tried to force his breaths to steady. The images were fading from his mind already, but the feelings remained. Fear, anger, despair. It felt like something was closing its hand around his throat, squeezing. He had the overwhelming feeling of being trapped. He sat up and pushed his blanket off of himself. Slowly, he reached up to pinch himself on the cheek.
Pain flared.
So, not dreaming.
He lay back down and stared at the ceiling. He should go back to sleep. He only got 3 hours of it a night.
Gojo was staying at the Fushiguro apartment for the night. Tsumiki had said she felt nervous for her exams the next day and asked him to stay over, and who was he to deny her? Gojo was happy to, anyway. It had been awhile since he last saw Megumi.
The Fushiguros were the closest thing he had to a family.
Then he heard it—a soft shuffling sound from the door.
“Gojo?”
Gojo sat up again.
The voice was small, hesitant, and familiar. Turning his head, he saw Megumi standing in the doorway. The 11 year old clutched a blanket around his shoulders, his face half-hidden in the folds of fabric. He looked younger in the dim light, the usual hard edge to his expression softened by worry.
"I had a bad dream."
It was the way his voice wavered, like he was trying very hard to be calm and was close to failing, that made Gojo's heart clench.
"Come here."
Megumi came closer, and he pulled the boy into his arms. Megumi stiffened, then sagged against his chest. His small hands curled into the fabric of Gojo's shirt. Gojo wrapped his arms around the boy's back.
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize," he said, rubbing Megumi's back. Megumi pulled away and sat on the edge of the bed next to him.
"Why are you awake?" Megumi asked.
Gojo thought about lying, then decided against it.
"I had a nightmare, too."
Megumi gave him a skeptical look.
"Really?"
Gojo put his hand over his heart and smiled. "Cross my heart."
Megumi rolled his eyes, but the tightness around his mouth had loosened.
Gojo reached over and tousled his hair lightly. “Bad dreams suck, huh? What was it about?”
Megumi hesitated, his gaze fixed on his knees. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Fair enough,” Gojo said, keeping his tone light.
They sat together for a minute, Gojo rubbed his face, trying to stay awake.
Then Megumi said, very quietly, "You died."
"Hmm?"
"In the dream. You were dying and there was nothing I could do."
"Oh, kid."
He gathered Megumi back into his arms and the boy buried his face in Gojo's chest.
"I'm here, I'm fine," he whispered, stroking his hair. "We're okay."
Megumi clung tighter.
"It's stupid."
"Nah. Dreams can be pretty scary."
Megumi sniffled, and Gojo's heart clenched again.
"I'm sorry, kid."
"Don't say sorry, either."
"Yes, sir."
Megumi pulled away, swiping at his face. Gojo let him go.
"You want water?"
"Yeah."
"I'll get it."
Gojo got up, went to the kitchen and filled a glass of water. Megumi was sitting on the edge of the bed when he came back. He handed the glass to Megumi and sat down next to him.
"Here you are."
Megumi took the glass. "Thanks."
"Drink it, you'll feel better."
Megumi sipped from the glass, then set it down on the nightstand.
"You know, I often dream about my mother," Gojo said. Megumi had spilled his own secret, so it was only fair. "The clan separated me from her when I was really little, but I don't know what happened to her." He shifted on the bed. This was the first time he'd spoken about her to someone else since Geto.
"She was kind and really pretty. She'd sneak me candy after my lessons, and we'd sit and read together in the gardens. Gave me lots of hugs. I miss her, you know..."
He felt a sudden, fierce ache, remembering her smile, the smell of her hair. He had few memories of her, and every year they seemed to grow fainter and further away.
He realized his throat had tightened and coughed, shaking himself from the past.
"Why don't you go look for her?"
"Afraid of what I might find," Gojo admitted.
"I guess I understand."
Gojo patted his back.
"You should sleep."
Megumi sighed, a little shakily.
"Yeah."
But instead of getting up, he shifted and lay his head down on the pillow, still hugging the blanket.
"Megumi?"
“...Can I stay here tonight?”
Gojo blinked, caught off guard for just a second before he ruffled Megumi’s hair again. “Of course you can, Gumi. You didn’t even have to ask.”
He stretched out beside him, resting on his side so he could see the boy’s face. “Okay, ground rules,” he said, his tone playful but soft. “No kicking, no stealing the blanket, and absolutely no snoring louder than me.”
Megumi snorted, the corners of his eyes crinkled as he grinned.
It was rare to see a real smile on Megumi, and the sight of it sent a rush of warmth through him.
Gojo turned and clicked off the bedside lamp, then reached out to pull the blanket over both of them, his hand brushing against Megumi’s forehead as he did. “I’m right here, okay? You’re safe. Go to sleep.”
He was rewarded with another sleepy, warm smile, and the words, soft but heartfelt, "G'night."
"Good night, Gumi."
With Megumi warm and safe beside him, the bad dreams stayed away. Sleep came easily, easier than usual.
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