Chapter Text
The door closed behind him with a soft click, and for a moment everything was silent. The welcoming scent of home enveloped him with a familiar warmth, different from what he'd felt hours before, but comforting in its own way.
Yuuji slowly took off his shoes, still feeling the slight tickle in his chest, that emotion that had settled in since Yuuta had walked him to the taxi.
He walked to the living room with soft steps, stroking the inside of his coat, still warm from their shared warmth and with a scent he found impossible to ignore.
Dinner was already served when he entered. Ryoumen was already at the table, his usual superior demeanor hidden behind a mocking smile.
His father, on the other hand, seemed more relaxed, although the same mixture of curiosity and concern still shone in his eyes.
"You came just in time," Jin commented lightly, serving him a generous portion of rice and stew.
"What? Is your secret date with the gentleman who loves insufrible kids?" Ryoumen raised an eyebrow as he bit into a carrot with exaggerated slowness.
"It wasn't secret," Yuuji grumbled, feeling his cheeks immediately color. "It was just a normal date... it's no big deal."
"Normal? Please. I saw you walk in like you were floating. What's next? Are you going to send each other letters scented with rose petals?" Ryoumen rests his head on Yuuji's shoulder with fake bright eyes and his hands together imitating –in the worst way– a lovesick schoolgirl.
"Ryoumen!" Jin protested, though he couldn't hold back his smile.
"You should grow up a little..." Yuuji muttered through gritted teeth, eyeing his food with sudden interest, wishing his rice would swallow him whole and hide him from the scene.
"So what? Did he kiss you? Did he hold your hand? Did he say something cheesy? Did he talk to you about the stars?"
"Stop it!" "I'm done," Yuuji exploded, standing up abruptly. "I'm done. Thanks for dinner."
"But you barely touched your plate," Jin commented, although his voice was soft and understanding. Yuuji shook his head and left silently.
His room was his sanctuary, and that night he needed it more than ever. He gently closed the door and sank onto his bed without even changing his clothes.
The room was dim, except for the desk lamp he always left on. It brought him peace, a habit he'd had since childhood, so if that light would chase away any shadow his imagination might conjure.
Ridging in his pants pockets, his fingers brushed over a small folded piece of paper. As he pulled it out and unfolded it, Yuuta's round handwriting appeared before his eyes. At the top, in clear, simple letters.
The smile that formed on his lips was inevitable. I have caressed the paper as if it were something fragile, something precious. A part of him wanted to reply immediately.
He could text him, ask if he'd arrived safely, thank him for the afternoon, or simply wish him goodnight… but another part hesitated. Was it too soon? Too anxious?
While his mind silently debated, he removed the T-shirt he was still wearing. The soft fabric retained, against all logic, Yuuta's scent: warm leather and freshly ground coffee. He brought it to his face without thinking, inhaling the traces of the alpha who had made him feel safe… and special.
His heart pounded, but his body slowly relaxed, as if just the scent of that scent would melt away the tensions of the day. He lay back on the bed, the shirt still in his hands, his thoughts slowly revolving around everything they had shared that afternoon.
Yuuji didn't notice when his eyes began to close. Tiredness gently overtook him, his nose still buried in that olfactory memory, enveloping him with a foreign but welcome warmth. His breathing slowed. His face relaxed. And his soul, for the first time in a long time, was at peace.
Jin was walking down the hallway, turning off the apartment lights. It was already late, and although the day had been long, his mind couldn't help but return again and again to the image of his youngest son so excited.
He stopped in front of the half-open door to Yuuji's room, the lamp still on. I sighed. That child, even now that he was no longer a child, still clung to the habit of sleeping with a light on.
He entered silently, ready to turn it off himself. He found him asleep, half-turned on his side, hugging his shirt with a placid expression on his face.
But what made him stop completely was the scent. It wasn't Yuuji's usual soap, nor the floral detergent they used. It was something else. Warmer, deeper. Coffee...leather...
Jin frowned slightly, recognizing the scent he'd smelled hours before. The same scent that alpha, Okkotsu Yuuta, carried with him. Something stirred inside his chest. It wasn't distrust, but rather... a paternal instinct that never slept.
He approached carefully, arranged a blanket over his son's body, stroking his hair with a tenderness that only a father knows how to manage without waking him up. Then he walked to the desk to turn off the lamp... but before doing so, he saw a small piece of paper almost hidden under Yuuji's cell phone.
I carefully slid it open. It was no bigger than the palm of his hand. As he read the written words, a low laugh escaped his throat.
"Call me whenever you want another date," huh?
He shook his head, resigned, with an indulgent smile. He turned off the light and left the room quietly, closing the door softly behind him.
Tokyo was enveloped in an unusual calm for a weekday afternoon. The sky, lightly covered by high clouds, filtered a soft light that made it easier to walk the streets without feeling the weight of the sun.
Yuuji walked with somewhat distracted steps, his hands buried in his jacket pockets and his gaze lost among the city buildings. Beside him, Fushiguro walked silently, more attentive to their surroundings than to the conversation between them.
The bustle of cars, the distant voices of passersby, and the crunch of dry leaves under their feet were the background music for the short excursion they undertook that afternoon.
Although they had agreed to visit the Tokyo Municipal Library late in the day, in search of some record or text that might explain the marks that had appeared on Yuuji's face, but the real reason was much more intimate.
"Thank you for coming with me," Yuuji murmured after several minutes of silence, his soft voice breaking the rhythm of their steps. "I didn't know who else to talk to about this."
Megumi glanced at him for a moment before answering, no longer needing to feign seriousness. He raised his head, gazing absently at the sky. "I'm your friend, Yuuji. If I don't do this for you, who will?"
Yuuji nodded, lowering his head slightly, hiding a rebellious smile on his lips. He felt tired, and he knew Fushiguro had noticed it too; there was a reason he'd arrived that morning with Yuuji's favorite candy without saying a word. "Sometimes I think I'm overreacting."
The omega muttered, just enough to get Fushiguro to pay attention, hiding under the high collar of his jacket when he received a glare from his friend.
"You're not overreacting," Megumi stated, this time in a softer tone, her brow furrowed as she nudged Yuuji's arm in a friendly manner. "Having two marks isn't common. And even though we don't know why it happened to you, you shouldn't minimize what it means to you."
They both crossed the library entrance. The imposing, aging building welcomed them with the scent of old leaves and visible dust scattered through every sliver of light that illuminated the colossal room. The high, baroque-style dome with famous Renaissance paintings made the atmosphere somewhat welcoming.
As they both walked silently through the tall shelves filled with books, in the section on omega physiobiology, connections between castes, and more specific books on recognition marks, their fingers ran over the different titles and countless books. There was a soft murmur that was barely perceptible; the echo of the library was truly loud.
"How did you realize was Hana?" Yuuji asked, feigning interest in a randomly selected book. The surprising question caught Fushiguro off guard, forcing him to ponder his words for longer than necessary.
"You can't compare with me and Hana, Yuuji." Fushiguro leaned slightly against the shelf opposite where the omega continued to read the various books, grabbing some after reading their back covers in the hope that one might solve his existential problem.
Megumi received in response one of those withering looks the omega rarely gave; he knew he was looking for a more open answer than the one he gave. He straightened up and scratched his cheek shyly.
Despite having spoken several times with Kugisaki and Yuuji about his relationship with Kurusu, it remains embarrassing to him. "I only knew it when I saw her. The mark manifested itself the second time we met in our lives. The first time, I wasn't even introduced as an alpha yet."
The answer wasn't enough for Yuuji. Megumi knows when he hears a loud snort and notices his shoulders slump in sadness at not finding anything to console himself with. "Maybe if there were two of us, everything would be so simple for me."
Fushiguro decides not to say more; he doesn't think it's necessary. He accompanies Yuuji from behind, holding several of the books the omega handed him so he can carry them to the table where they could review them in more detail.
In a few minutes, they have a stack of at least 10 books on the same subject. Yuuji carries the last two while Fushiguro grumbles behind him. They both sit at a table near the large windows that overlook the library's inner courtyard, a beautiful meadow and green space where people can spend their afternoons under the sun or the snow.
Yuuji takes a deep breath with his eyes closed as he feels the warmth of the sun appear between the clouds after a cloudy morning. Fushiguro silently appraises his best friend's profile; the dust particles create an image bordering on the ethereal.
"Even with a only soulmate, everything is so difficult. The beginning is always the hardest." Megumi reflects as he settles into his seat, pretending he didn't stare at Yuuji any longer than necessary. He can feel his honeyed eyes when his head is bowed.
"I have two men who share my soul in a certain way. Nothing could be harder than that, Fushiguro." Yuuji speaks with a harsh tone in his voice. In the distance, someone shushes them, and they both remain silent for several minutes. Megumi, stunned by the omega's reaction, decides to remain silent while he arranges the books on the table.
Yuuji feels completely embarrassed when he sees Fushiguro's head bowed and his more delicate movements around him. He has to let out a sigh and put his puppy-dog eyes before speaking in a low voice, almost a whisper. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to talk to you like this..."
"No." Fushiguro cuts off any apology sharply, but his gaze reflects understanding and gentleness, his scent making itself felt so Yuuji doesn't worry. "You're right, nothing can be more difficult now." The alpha reaches out one of his hands to offer one of the many books he's selected to Yuuji. "Now let's just focus on making you feel better."
The omega has to bite his lip hard. There's something about Fushiguro's sweetness and infinite patience with him that moves him to the core, and the fleeting thought of longing for him to be his soulmate crosses his mind. His eyes connect with Fushiguro's blue ones.
And the image of Yuuta suddenly materializes like deja vu.
Yuuji smiles, nodding as he refocuses so he can concentrate on that day's reading. Megumi was right; they should focus on their well-being before thinking about any alpha.
The sun was just beginning to set behind the tall buildings when Yuuji and Megumi left the library. The air felt a little chillier, heavy with the promise of a long night, and they both walked in silence, several books under their arms.
Among them stood out ancient volumes of bonding biology and dusty manuals on omega-linked genetics.
"Are you sure you don't want me to carry them?" Megumi asked, raising an eyebrow as she noticed Yuuji awkwardly shifting the weight of the books from one arm to the other.
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just... didn't think they were that heavy." He replied with a slightly stifled laugh, quickening his pace to keep up with his friend. "Right now I just want some sugar in my blood or I'll die."
Fushiguro rolled his eyes and nodded, noticing how Yuuji's cravings for sweets had grown lately, as if it were a symptom of a phantom pregnancy. The thought of Yuuji becoming a mother terrifies him, feeling sorry for a child who doesn't really exist. "We can go to Shibuya to a cat cafe if you want."
Yuuji's eyes sparkled like a child offered a lollipop. He nodded excitedly and began to quicken his pace to get to the train station that would take them to their destination in Shibuya. Desserts and cats sound like a wonderful combination at that moment.
The sound of traffic was common in that area, and it mingles with the conversation they both share about missing Kugisaki at that moment, but understanding that she's fulfilling her role as a good alpha with her girlfriend. They joke together while they offer their condolences to Maki.
They were soon interrupted by a growing commotion. A group of teenagers ran past them, laughing and shouting excitedly, followed by more people heading in the same direction.
"What's going on?" Yuuji asked, turning to Megumi, who had already stopped, frowning. For a moment, he thought they were both lost.
"It looks like an event... Maybe a street show?"
The murmur of the crowd became almost deafening, and the two friends were sucked into the flow of people until they reached a large square, where several LED screens shone brightly. Colorful lights jumped from one side to the other, projected from a stage set up in the center, adorned with glittering decorations and moving metal structures.
The screams rose loudly just as the name of a new artist was announced. Yuuji and Megumi allowed themselves to be absorbed by the colossal mass of people, and suddenly they both ended up in the center of the audience, which waited expectantly for the artists to perform. The announcer's voice echoed through the PA systems strategically placed everywhere.
Yuuji blinked, confused. Seeking solace in Megumi's gaze, the two are so close that their shoulders bump and they're constantly being pulled by the teenage girls fighting for better positions. Fushiguro is sure he's been insulted for disturbing someone's gaze.
When the MC announces the group that's about to perform, the lights dim to build anticipation in the audience, and a song familiar even to Yuuji begins to resonate throughout. His nose suddenly starts to itch, barely able to concentrate on his own thoughts when everyone starts shouting euphorically in unison, "Call Me Baby!"
The lights explode in color when the members are on stage, and Yuuji feels faint when the first boy appears on the large screens that more clearly convey what's happening on stage.
His knees tremble, and he has to hold onto Fushiguro's arm; the deafening screams and the sudden appearance of the white-haired man make him dizzy. His confused eyes are evident to his best friend, who has to bend down and get close to his ear to speak loud enough to be heard. "What's wrong, Yuuji?"
"Him! Fushiguro it's him! The fucking mysterious man from the store!" The omega responds almost shouting; there's so much fear and surprise in his voice that Fushiguro has to move to see Yuuji's face again and make sure he heard correctly.
"There's no fucking way your soulmate is the damn Satoru Gojo, Itadori." Megumi declares, seeking to convince himself more than to reassure Yuuji. He quickly reaches for his hand when he notices Yuuji is trembling violently. "Yuuji, I need to know if you're okay."
But the omega doesn't respond; his eyes are dazzled by the man with white hair and addictively blue eyes. Yuuji can finally smell the scent fluttering around him, discreetly enveloping him. Lavender and cedar, as if that same scent were a lighter. He can feel the mark on his cheek throbbing and almost burning. Yuuji brings one of his hands to cover his right eye, letting out a gasp of pain at the sudden heat.
Megumi doesn't hesitate for a moment to wrap his hand around Yuuji's arm and begin to walk away from the crowd gathered around the stage. He himself was feeling overwhelmed by the loud music and the shouts around him. He dragged his best friend to one side of the crowd.
The alpha stands in front of Yuuji, his arms enclosing them there while the omega catches his breath and looks to Fushiguro for support. "Better? You're an idiot, you scared the shit out of me."
Yuuji rolls his eyes and gives him a sly smile as he familiarly squeezes Fushiguro's cheek, sensing the tenderness of the frown and the innocent pout that formed after scolding him. "You're overreacting, I'm feeling better now, thanks."
Suddenly, a blue-haired woman dressed entirely in black, wearing a headset and a large card hanging from her neck, approaches them with confident steps and a curious look. Before speaking, she shows her card, which identifies her as Kasumi Miwa, manager.
"Sorry for interrupting." The girl speaks loudly enough to get both friends' attention. Fushiguro, by inertia, stands in front of Yuuji, protecting him from the strange woman who approached. Miwa, for her part, stands on tiptoe to meet Yuuji's curious gaze from behind the alpha's shoulders, protecting him. "Itadori-san?"
The surprising question takes them both by surprise, sharing a quick glance before Yuuji peeks out from behind Fushiguro and nods. Megumi frowns as he scans the woman in front of him from head to toe, quickly identifying her as a beta almost the same age as both of them.
"How do you know Itadori's name?" Fushiguro decides to speak, also speaking almost shouting, as the audience begins to scream once again, and everything feels confusing and strange.
"Itadori-san." The woman completely ignores Fushiguro and returns to addressing the omega alone. "Would you be so kind as to accompany me backstage? There's someone who's been looking for you."