Chapter Text
Fushiguro Megumi – 18:03 PM, 18/09/27
Megumi was exhausted, but he couldn’t tell if it was because of the curse he had exorcised, or Yuji’s inability to keep his mouth shut.
“Maybe we could go out with Nobara tomorrow,” Yuji proposed, looking up at the late dusk sky. “We could get some onigiri or buy something cool.”
The two of them had been waiting for Ijichi to arrive. They just finished exorcising a Grade 2 curse.
“I’ll pass.” Megumi replied, the words almost routine to him. He already knew that wouldn’t be an option, but he had to say it regardless. “We might have a mission tomorrow anyways.”
“C’mon, Fushiguro! Nothing’s wrong with a little down time after a day of missions, y’know.”
“I won’t be hungry.”
“Then we don’t have to get food.”
“I don’t need anything.”
“C’moooooon…”
“You never back down, do you?”
“Nope!”
Megumi sighed, admitting defeat. Yuji’s smile widened. As expected, Megumi would have to go out with Yuji and Nobara regardless of protest, even if he preferred to be by himself for his down time.
“One onigiri. I don’t need anything else.” Megumi dryly said, looking away from Yuji’s expression of appreciative joy. That smile alone was enough to make Megumi want to chop the guy’s neck.
“Awesome! We’ll find Nobara and take a ride out to the city then.” Yuji proudly beamed, looking in front of him.
A car pulled up to the two boys. Ijichi rolled down the window to greet the two of them as they approached the car.
The drive back wasn’t silent, much to Megumi's slight displeasure. Yuji talked about the mission with Ijichi the whole ride to Jujutsu High while Megumi stayed quiet, adding the occasional nod or “yeah” whenever he felt it was necessary. He had his mind on not having to do anything the next day. Which he doubted, but a day out with Yuji and Nobara wouldn’t be too insufferable.
18:27 PM
When they arrived at Jujutsu High, the sun had almost completely set. Stars shone in the dark sky above.
Megumi was just relieved to be back and was ready for bed. The halls to the dorms were quiet. The scenery outside the windows were dark and comforting, with the sound of crickets chirping being the only thing Megumi could hear, sans Yuji and his own footsteps.
“Home sweet home.” Yuji yawned with a stretch. He started to head towards his room and Megumi followed suit.
As nice as the silence was, Megumi felt uneasy. Like something was missing. It was almost too quiet (which Megumi usually didn’t have a problem with) but there was something bugging him that he just couldn’t quite grasp.
Wait a second.
“Where’s Gojo?” Megumi asked suddenly, realizing he hadn’t felt pestered enough this evening.
Yuji stopped walking just in front of his room door.
“I…dunno. That’s weird. He usually greets us after missions. Maybe he had a Special Grade Curse to take care of?”
That was a possibility. And a reasonable one too.
“Probably.” Megumi walked up to his room door. He felt an intuitive sense for a reason he couldn’t name.
“You miss him?” Yuji asked playfully, smiling. “Awww, you’re so considerate, Fushiguro!”
“Tch, as if.” Megumi retorted, eyebrows furrowed as he twisted the handle of the room door. “That dumbass is probably just playing with his food out there.”
Yuji laughed before opening his room door. “Whatever you say,” he replied. “Night, Fushiguro.”
Megumi sighed. “Night, Itadori.”
Yuji stepped into his room and closed the door behind him. Megumi didn’t immediately enter his room, however. He lingered for a moment, thinking about the uncertainty in his head.
Why would he need to be worried about Gojo Satoru? Why would anyone need to be worried? He’s the strongest. Megumi was acting like most of Gojo’s missions don’t happen during the evening or late night anyway. It’s been like this since he was a kid.
Megumi snapped out of his deep thought and decided it’d be best to just sleep on it. Gojo would be back by morning, it was no big deal. He stepped into his room and closed his door, beginning to get ready for bed.
2:13 AM, 18/09/28
If someone asked, Megumi wouldn’t be able to tell them what woke him up at such an early hour. He had zero clue himself.
He sluggishly took hold of his phone and checked the time. It was 2:13 in the morning. Megumi groaned and put his pillow over his face. It wasn’t the first time he’d woken up in the middle of the night, but it had happened often enough for it to be a frankly annoying pattern.
Megumi didn’t feel like trying to go back to sleep. He figured he’d be better off tiring himself out by walking around the school or getting something to drink than laying in bed with eyes sealed shut. He got up from his bed, pushing aside the covers, and walked out of the room, silent as can be.
The walk to the kitchen was dark and quiet. None of the lights were on in the halls, and everyone was clearly asleep. Megumi stepped into the kitchen with unshown content for the mundane quietness of the setting around him, considering the typically serious and occasionally chaotic nature of Jujutsu High. He decided a bottle of water would do him just fine.
As he walked to and opened the fridge for a water bottle, he remembered his brief moment of unease from the hours prior. Right. Gojo should be back.
Megumi tried to bury the notion of checking Gojo’s office as he grabbed a water bottle and closed the fridge. Would he even be in his office this late? He’d probably be at home.
“He doesn’t need me to check on him.” Megumi mumbled to himself as he untwisted the water bottle’s cap and took a sip. He took it down from his lips and sighed. “He’s fine.”
A silence followed as Megumi pondered over his water bottle. He should’ve just gone back to bed.
Should’ve. Unfortunately, his curious unease got the best of him.
Megumi exhaled, giving in and taking the walk to Gojo’s office. One check in couldn’t hurt, at least. Best case scenario, Gojo simply wasn’t there. Not that anything else could’ve happened to him anyway. He twisted the cap on his water bottle tight as he left.
2:21 AM
Megumi didn’t know what he expected to see.
Maybe Gojo was just sleeping in his office. Maybe Gojo was still out on patrol. Maybe Gojo was at home like he assumed. Who knows.
Whatever he expected, it would have never come to…this.
“…Gojo?”
There he was, the strongest sorcerer alive, kneeling at the foot of his cushioned chair and quietly sobbing into his blindfold.
Gojo’s head perked up quickly, clearly shocked that anyone would just walk in. He must’ve meant to lock the door behind him.
“Megumi..?” he asked, voice light and shaky. He whipped his head around.
The office was dark, just like everything else. Quiet too. But an air of tense sadness weighed down on Megumi in a way that he wished he could shake.
Megumi’s eyes were wide and his chest tightened with concern. Gojo Satoru? Crying? Admittedly, he didn’t think that was possible.
“I-I…” Megumi attempted, words weighing on his tongue that he couldn’t quite pick up. Megumi bit his cheek as he tried to think of what to say, if it would even be the right thing to say, and if there was anything could say to Gojo Satoru in particular. Megumi could barely face his own feelings, much less his typically hyperactive mentor. He gripped the water bottle in his hand.
What really made Megumi most nervous was the fact that Gojo didn’t move. He just…sat there, on the floor, caught teary eyed in a vulnerable he clearly hadn’t planned on sharing. He didn’t do anything.
“I wanted to check on you.” Megumi finally said with an exhale. “I…couldn’t go back to sleep.”
Megumi’s words were laced with worry, despite his best effort to sound flat. He didn’t know how to approach Gojo, especially when he was just staring like a deer in headlights from across the room.
The silence dragged on a moment longer. Megumi put a hand on his neck and looked at the floor. What was Gojo thinking about?
“It’s okay, Megumi.” Gojo replied, turning back to his chair and resting his head. “Just don’t tell anyone you saw me like this. Please.”
Megumi felt surprised. Gojo’s voice was sad and pleadingly soft, like he wanted to run away and hide. It was nothing like the Gojo he knew, and he couldn’t tell if that was a good or bad thing.
“Did something happen?” Megumi asked, stepping into the room before he could stop himself. He closed the door and locked it behind him. It felt like the floor would break if he made a wrong move or said the wrong thing. He bit his cheek.
Gojo didn’t reply. He only sat there with his head in his folded arms, but he didn’t stop Megumi either. If Gojo wanted Megumi to leave he’d surely just use his infinity.
Megumi took another careful step. No reaction. He began to reconsider going over to Gojo simply for the fact that Megumi was just barely good with emotions. He wished Yuji or Nobara were there as he got closer to Gojo.
“Gojo—”
It took Megumi three seconds to realize he was being hugged, and two more seconds to realize that Gojo had teleported from his spot on the floor. If Gojo hadn’t been holding on to him, Megumi would have stumbled.
Megumi was being held tight, as if Gojo were afraid he’d be taken away. His head was being cradled in Gojo’s hand and held close, as Gojo sobbed into his hair.
“Gojo…?”
“I need this. I’m sorry.” Gojo croaked as his chest heaved. “I’m sorry…”
What the hell was going on?
The only thing that felt right for Megumi to do was return the gesture. He hesitantly hugged Gojo, holding him as he wept. A pang of worry and empathy struck his chest. Whatever happened to Gojo must’ve been awful.
Before Megumi could have the confidence to say something, Gojo started to speak once more.
“I can’t lose. I can’t lose.”
Was he referring to his mission? Did he lose to a curse spirit? No—that’s impossible. Gojo doesn’t lose.
He does cry though. Maybe that was why he was like this.
They stood there for a while. Megumi felt a strange sense of calm hugging Gojo in a moment like this. It was the first time he'd met Gojo that he ever got to be this…close, he supposed. He’d never seen Gojo cry.
Megumi felt compelled to ask about why he was crying or what he was talking about, but the questions sat on his tongue and just stayed there. He figured Gojo would appreciate that more than somber confrontation. Megumi didn’t know how to be confrontational anyway.
After a good few minutes, Gojo stopped sobbing. He took a deep, shaky breath, and let go of Megumi. His chest slowly went up and down as he lifted his blindfold to wipe his eyes.
Megumi looked at Gojo with an expression of mixed emotion. He was confused and worried, but didn’t know how to put into words that felt appropriate for how Gojo was feeling.
“Gojo,” Megumi started. “I’ll go now, if you need me to.”
Gojo stopped wiping his eyes and looked towards Megumi, blindfolded still. Of course he didn’t want to show his eyes after the full on breakdown he’d just had. Megumi understood.
Gojo sniffed. “Yeah, I just…needed a shoulder to cry on for a bit.” he admitted as he turned around. “Just need to see your face.”
Megumi swallowed down another gut feeling. Now wasn’t the time, even if he could see that Gojo was leaving out something important. He didn’t want to push, or rather, didn’t know how to push the right way.
“…Okay.” Megumi replied. “I’ll…see you in the morning then, Gojo.”
Megumi turned, walking away and unlocking the office door. He still had his water bottle in hand, but he didn’t really feel thirsty anymore. He opened the door and stepped through.
“Thanks for checking on me, Megs.”
Megumi paused.
“No problem, Gojo. Get some rest.”
As he walked out and closed the door behind him, Megumi was very glad he decided to trust his unease all of the sudden.