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"Choso?" Yuuji called into the apartment from his room, opening his door and peeking down the hallway to find the older setting down a few grocery bags.
"Yuuji!" His older brother stretched his arms out in greeting, bags forgotten as he smiled widely at his brother's presence.
The older man treated the occurrence of seeing Yuuji like it was rare even though they saw each other typically at least once a day. Yuuji never comments on the elevated mood, figures that Choso will always be making up for years lost between them even if that results in over the top displays of affection such as the hug he was currently being engulfed in.
“How was school?” The older man prompted after turning back to the groceries again, and Yuuji knew that despite the fact Choso was currently multi-tasking all of his thoughts were on his younger brother as he waited for the answer.
“Uhm, It was good.” Yuuji chuckled a bit nervously, scratching the back of his head. “There was actually something I wanted to talk to you about…”
Choso immediately froze, groceries forgotten again as he turned to face Yuuji with complete and undivided attention- his brotherly instincts seemingly sensing Yuuji’s nerves. “Something happened? Or, someone?”
“No! No— nothing bad, nobody did anything to me.” Yuuji reassured quickly the moment Choso’s gaze darkened.
“So there’s nobody I have to deal with?” He verified, all serious face and dark, unwavering tone.
“I hope not.”
Yuuji answered, internally praying that Megumi wouldn’t be deemed someone ‘to be dealt with’ in Choso’s book.
“It’s actually, um… well-“ Yuuji clenched and unclenched his fists as he thought of the right way to start the conversation. “Y’know how a few months ago I told you I liked this one boy?”
Choso nodded sagely, eyes closed and arms crossed in front of his chest — a much more laid back posture than his previous terrifying seriousness. “Yes, I remember you speaking of a boy months ago. I thought he had rejected you?”
“What? No!” Yuuji gave him a confused look, tilting his head. “I never said that- what?”
Choso blinked, taken aback at being mistaken. “But you had said you liked him something like 5 months ago.”
“Well, thats true.” Yuuji shifted on his feet. “I just didn’t do anything about it… But now I have, well I did two weeks ago, thats actually the point I was getting to because we’re together now and-“
“You've liked him that long and you only got together two weeks ago?" Choso cut him off with a raised eyebrow.
"Not everyone is as forward as Yuki." Yuuji deadpanned. “But anyway yeah- I’m dating him now and I thought I’d let you know.” Yuuji blushed a bit when he said the word ‘dating’, still getting used to saying it about him and Megumi (he had the feeling it would never stop making his chest feel warm).
It was silent for a few moments as Yuuji nervously waited for his older brother’s verdict, watching as Choso finished putting up the groceries.
As the silence stretched, Yuuji grew awkward.
“So are you… okay with that?”
Choso looked back up at him. “Of course I am? I thought I had told you love is love?”
“No- I mean, me dating Fushiguro specifically.” Yuuji clarified, trying not to laugh at Choso’s worried expression.
“Oh, well. I do expect to meet him.” Choso said sternly. “The sooner the better.” He pushed, as if he suddenly realized he needed to analyze the new boyfriend. Yuuji was slowly regretting saying anything else.
"Please try not to scare him off, you can be kinda intimidating." Yuuji requested, scratching the back of his head as he remembered how introducing Choso to his friends tended to go (with Yuuji reassuring them later his brother wouldn't kill them).
“If he’s able to be scared off, I doubt his suitability.” Choso crossed his arms decidedly. “Only those who will go through trials can be worthy of my brother.”
“That’s not-“ Yuuji sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He loved his older brother, truly and with all his heart, but talking to his older brother was at times equivalent to talking to a wall. “Just don’t embarrass me, please?”
“I’m not embarrassing.” Choso replied indignantly, giving Yuuji a slightly confused and slightly hurt look.
Yuuji’s eyes widened and he gestured wildly with his hands as if to erase his previous words. “I didn’t mean it like that! I just-“ He trailed off, eyes catching Choso’s confused ones, and let out a breath. “Just be nice, like how you are with me. I want you guys to like each other.”
Choso hummed in aknowldgement, no longer looking upset much to his younger brother's relief. "Of course, I will be... reserved."
Yuuji gave him a long look, gears turning in his head as he tried to decipher what Choso meant by ‘reserved’. While Choso being quiet could mean good things, Yuuji wasn't sure that others could determine his body language that well. This meant a lot of talking on his part to ease inevitable tensions. And knowing Megumi, he would probably take Choso's ‘reserved’ stare the wrong way.
"You don't have to be silent." Yuuji settled on, hoping it would get across his fears.
"I will not be silent. I will just be observing. Not embarrassing."
"Right..." Yuuji mumbled, running a hand through his hair and sighing defeatedly.
“Did you eat dinner already?” Choso questioned, always one to check and make sure he had a meal in him.
“Yeah, I ate some leftovers an hour ago… I think I’m going to go back to my room, to call Fushiguro and all…” He explained, slowly positioning himself to turn back down the hallway to his room.
Choso just nodded in response, his eye brows furrowed as he seemed lost in thought.
Yuuji decided not to dwell on the expression and hurried to his room, plopping onto the bed with his full weight and bouncing slightly as he pulled his phone out from his pocket and called Megumi (which took barely any time considering his boyfriend was among the starred contacts.)
Ring...
…Ring...
"Hey, how does this weekend sound?"
There was shuffling on the other end.
"Huh?"
"For dinner at my house, meeting my brother..." Yuuji clarified, realizing despite them talking about it earlier he had expected Megumi to read his mind.
"This weekend?" Megumi's shocked voice rang out, shuffling again as he presumably sat up in his bed. "That's soon. So you told him?" He questioned the last part as more of an observation and shock.
"I said I would!" Yuuji defended, staring down at his phone with furrowed eyebrows.
"You've been saying that everyday this week." Megumi pointed out flatly.
Yuuji shrunk his shoulders in on himself, slightly embarrassed. "It's a difficult conversation! Not- not that I find you difficult, not at all I just mean that he's-"
"This is important to you. I understand." Megumi cut him off before his boyfriend could start overthinking things, or well, continue to overthink things.
"Yeah." Yuuji breathed out. He knew Megumi would understand, despite the fact the other had yet to tell his own family (because, quote "Tsumiki probably already knows, and Gojo would be way too annoying") "So would Saturday work?"
Megumi hummed. "Sure."
Yuuji sighed in relief, glad the other didn't seem nearly as nervous as he himself felt at the prospect of dinner. "Thanks, Fushiguro."
The call was silent for a moment. "...You don't have to keep calling me that."
"Huh? Whaddya mean?'
"We're dating. You can call me Megumi." He stated clearly, no longer hesitant.
"But-" Yuuji blinked, mouth opening and closing as he processed and tried to form a response. "But you only let your sister call you that, I thought?"
"Yeah, well-" Megumi paused, releasing a breath as he spoke again. "I'd rather not wait forever."
And he left it at that.
Yuuji smiled wide, and Megumi must've known the boy carried a goofy, gleeful expression, without having to see him.
"Okay, Megumi. I'll see you Saturday, yeah?"
--------
Why is he so tall?
Was the first thing Megumi thought as he took in the bulky figure standing in the doorway.
Choso stood with his arms crossed after opening the door, his eyebrows furrowed as he managed to look down on Megumi despite the younger being tall himself. He was wearing some obscure rock band t-shirt that was probably one size too large, his hair was done up in the usual spiky buns Megumu had seen in affectionate photos on Yuuji’s phone, and he looked like sleep was a foreign concept with the dark bags under his eyes making him look dead. As Megumi glanced down, he was greeted with the source of the added height: giant black platform combat boots.
Megumi wouldn’t say he was intimidated by the stance, but he was beginning to grow worried they’d be locked in a staring context. Thankfully, Yuuji was close behind his brother, poking his head out from behind him and widening his eyes when he realized who was at the door.
“Choso, can you let Megumi in?” Yuuji called frantically, shoving Choso slightly and smiling awkwardly at Megumi.
Choso replied by begrudgingly side stepping slightly out of the way of the entrance and giving Yuuji an inquisitive look at the change in name.
Megumi assumed the other had plans to stare at him intimidatingly for much longer, but Choso still adjusted to Yuuji interrupting and gave Megumi one final once over before leaving to the kitchen without ever speaking a word.
Yuuji grabbed the door before it could shut on Megumi, looking nervous as ever as he tried for a reassuring grin.
“Ignore him, he’s been acting weird all day. I’ve never brought anyone over like this, I’m pretty sure he’s treating this as a chance to be a mother hen.” He laughed, strained, and beckoned Megumi to enter, which Megumi did quickly to avoid another second of standing awkwardly in the doorway.
He hadn’t been sure what to expect when meeting Yuuji’s brother, but what he assumed was a show of hostility from the blatant intimidation tactics was not one of him. Megumi knew his boyfriend really cared about his older brother, and vice versa since he also knew the amount Choso sacrificed to be there for Yuuji (which included quitting his old job to move to Tokyo within the same month of discovering he had a younger brother that needed him). He felt his nerves and anxiety build in his chest at the thought that dinner would continue with such a negative aura, as clearly first impressions with such an important figure in Yuuji’s life were… not going great.
Yuuji, meanwhile, was still smiling awkwardly as he pulled out a chair and gestured for Megumi to sit.
“I’m not sure your brother is very fond of me.” Megumi pointed out, his voice flat despite his inner worries.
“What? Pssh, no way!” Yuuji laughed nervously, one hand holding the back of his neck while the other swatted in the air dismissively. “It’s just uhh… awkward! Just a bit awkward.”
Megumi smiled at the effort, but he knew his boyfriend was just scrambling to reassure him everything was going smoothly. “It’s okay, relax. You’re just stressing yourself out more trying to comfort me, I can handle this.”
Yuuji deflated, his shoulders dropping and his breath leaving him dramatically. “I just want this to go well!” He groaned, eyes shut and a hand rubbing at his face.
Megumi watched him for a moment, frowning. “I’m sure it’ll work out. We both have something in common, after all.” He reassured, sitting down while Yuuji hovered next to the chair.
Yuuji glanced up, his hand still covering half of his face as his available eye locked onto Megumi. “What’s that?”
Megumi shrugged with a small, reserved smile (the genuine yet small ones he saved for Yuuji) as he answered: “We both care about you.”
The pink-haired teen blushed, and his goofy smile returned with it as he quickly glanced embarrassedly away to the floor. “And I care about both of you, I just hope he can see that…”
“From how you talk about him, I think he’ll come around.” Megumi said after a moment, coming to his own realization about his boyfriend’s brother.
If Choso cares so deeply for Yuuji, then he’ll be able to see that Megumi does too.
It was just a matter of making that fact clear to him.
In that moment, Choso’s voice thundered from the kitchen.
“Yuuji! Come help with bringing the meal over, extra hands are necessary!”
The teen addressed stumbled and quickly called back. “Be right there!”
Yuuji glanced over at Megumi, giving a small salute and grin. “Duty calls, be right back!”
Megumi rolled his eyes and shooed him away, deciding not to comment but some form of amusement must have flickered in his eyes because Yujji’s grin grew before he turned and hurried to the kitchen.
It was going to be a long dinner, but with Yuuji there Megumi was sure it won’t be too bad. He hoped Choso would see how much he cared about the idiot, for all their sakes, and Megumi was set to show him — no matter how many trials he’d be put through.