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Life after the final fight with Sukuna was never quite the same and Yuuji didn’t think it was possible to go back to the way things were. In some ways, the changes were horribly painful. The people missing from their lives and the hole they left behind. But some things were better changed, like the fact that years later Megumi and Yuuji were married despite all of it.
He was the most happy about that change.
Another change he wished had never happened was the political strife. It was impossible to ignore after the disaster jujutsu society was left in. But the inner clan politics were the worst and Yuuji had tried to stay out of them and keep the people he cared about out too.
It didn’t end up working.
Yuuji finishes up slicing the green onion. It’s the final garnish for dinner tonight. He glances at his phone and the time. It’s already thirty minutes before Megumi said he’d be home, but Yuuji isn’t too worried. Probably just bad traffic or some old clan member talking too much.
Yuuji washes his hand so it doesn’t smell like green onion anymore and walks over to the kitchen table with the foods ready for dinner tonight.
The sound of paws and claws hitting the floor is the first sign that Megumi is here, then the sound of keys turning in the door, and then the sound of rushing feet running towards him. Kuro reaches Yuuji first, jumping up, happy to see Yuuji.
“You’re such a good doggie, yes you are!” Yuuji says, as he fluffs up the fur around Kuro’s face and neck. His tail is wagging so fast it’s hitting the kitchen counter loudly. “Such a good doggie keeping Megumi company all day. You’re going to get a treat later.”
Kuro’s eyes light up, obviously recognizing that word.
And then Megumi comes into the kitchen at a slower pace, dropping his keys onto the side table near the entrance of their apartment. He’s still wearing the formal dark clothes required for clan meetings, entirely gray and black like most Zenin clan members.
Yuuji keeps petting Kuro who is more than happy to accept the attention. “Hopefully the meeting wasn’t too bad this time.”
Megumi sighs, a very long and deep sigh. “As good as any meeting with all the clan members present could have gone.”
Yuuji stands up, keeping one hand resting on Kuro’s head. “So super badly then?”
“The worst.” Megumi walks over to him and Yuuji immediately pulls him into a hug.
And even though he knows Megumi had a terrible day dealing with the clans and their politics, he can’t help but love these hugs. He knows they help Megumi too.
He’s warm in Yuuji's arms and they stay there for a while, just enjoying each other’s company. Yuuji rests the side of his cheek on Megumi’s shoulders, holding him closer.
Sometimes he imagines what it would be like if Megumi and him didn’t get pulled into the mess of jujutsu clan politics after Shinjuku. They had hoped they could find some sense of peace after Sukuna was gone, but the clans somehow appeared like they had been waiting for their chance.
It was a mess. One they had to pick up from all the adults, most of which were dead. But there was no one left to deal with it so it fell to them in the end.
A new responsibility on their shoulders.
He knew if Gojo was still alive he would have…
Yuuji squeezes Megumi tighter for a moment. “You’d think they’d at least listen to the Head of the Zenin clan.”
Megumi sighs, shaking his head. “They think it’s insulting that I'm somehow still the head of the clan. They don't want to listen to me.”
“I mean,” Yuuji leans back and looks into Megumi’s green eyes. “Who else is there? There’s not exactly a lot of Zenins running around jujutsu society anymore. And Maki doesn’t want to be associated with the clan anymore.”
“I know.” Megumi shrugs. “Try telling that to the ancient Gojo clan members who think me and Yuuta are planning a mass murder of all of them to end their reign. ”
Yuuji makes a face. “What? Did they seriously say that?”
Megumi rolls his eyes. “They did. I swear I almost had to laugh.”
“They’re lucky Gojo wasn’t…” Yuuji quickly trails off, the name hanging in the air. Sometimes, even just mentioning Gojo is enough to alter both of their moods, but this time Megumi huffs a little.
“Gojo wouldn’t have let this happen in the first place.” He glances at the stove where the soup is still lighting steaming. “He always hated the higher ups. He was always making fun of them, even when I was too young to know who he was referring to.”
Yuuji laughs, going back to slicing the last vegetables for dinner. “Yeah, that sounds like him.”
Megumi has the smallest smile now. “He used to do impressions of all of them for me and Tsumiki. The impressions turned out to be so accurate that when I did finally meet all of the higher ups, I knew exactly who each one was.”
Now Yuuji laughs and he can imagine a tiny Megumi trying to act like he didn’t find antics funny. Megumi comes to stand beside him, stirring the soup. “How were the students?”
“Well, I barely got to see them actually. Apparently Nobara and Maki planned a trip with them or something. I did get some pretty chaotic videos from the first years.” Yuuji grins as he turns on his phone to show Megumi. “It was supposed to be an educational trip, but it seemed like they were shopping so who knows.”
Megumi snorts while he watches the video on Yuuji’s phone. “And they didn’t invite you?”
“Nope!” Yuuji flips the fish in the pan, glancing over his shoulder. “It was a girls trip! Apparently Nobara wanted to celebrate that there was finally an all-girls class at Jujutsu Tech so I wasn’t allowed.”
“Ah,” Megumi says, amused now. “That does sound like her.”
Yuuji grins. “So I spent most of the day planning class related content honestly. Not super fun, but I do feel way more prepared than before so that’s good.”
Megumi nods. “Structure is always good.”
Not that their first-year classes ever had much structure to them, especially not when Gojo was teaching them. Those classes were mostly learn-on-the-way sort of deals. He loved them.
Kuro shoves his nose into Yuuji’s palm, his giant eyes practically begging for a treat. He flips the second fish fillet, patting Kuro’s head. “Hey, this isn’t for you. These spices are bad for dogs.”
“They probably wouldn’t hurt him.”
Yuuji looks down at Kuro and his giant, innocent eyes. Even years and years later, sometimes it’s hard to remember that Kuro isn’t a normal dog that might get sick from eating the wrong thing, but made from shadows. “Yeah, I guess that’s true. But it still feels wrong.”
“I know,” Megumi says, reaching up onto the fridge to grab the box of dog treats. “It’s still why I give him treats even if he’s technically a shadow.”
Kuro runs over to Megumi, his tail wagging even faster now and he perfectly catches the treat. Which makes sense considering that he normally catches curses instead which are much harder to deal with.
Megumi walks back over to him, helping get the dishes out. “Thank you for making dinner.”
“You know I love to cook,” Yuuji says, smiling. “Plus, you can still mostly only cook those meatballs.”
Megumi turns away slightly, embarrassed. “It’s a good recipe.”
Yuuji laughs.
Dinner with Megumi is always nice and it’s one of his favorite times of day if he’s being honest. Even cleaning up the dishes and putting everything away is enjoyable because Megumi is with him. It makes it less of a chore and more of a way to spend quiet, peaceful time with his husband.
Maybe some people would say it’s boring, but Yuuji thinks their calm, peaceful evenings together are more fun than going out and partying. He’s had plenty of constant adventure, probably for a whole lifetime.
While Megumi reads a new biography, Yuuji plops his legs over Megumi’s legs and watches a movie. It’s a new movie directed by the director of Human Earthworm. It’s not the greatest movie of all time and definitely isn’t anywhere near as good as Human Earthworm, but it’s still good.
And when it’s time for bed and they’re laying beside each other, Yuuji smiles in the dark and holds Megumi’s hand in his.
“I’m so happy you married me.”
He hears Megumi huff a small laugh. “I should be thanking you.”
“I’m always happy to marry you.”
Megumi laughs now, a full laugh and Yuuji is so happy that he’s able to witness it.
“I love you.”