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According to romance novels and movies, there were thousands of different ways to be confessed to. Yuji was sure none of those declarations of love went anything like this.
“Yuji…so happy…”
Yuji cut the water off, shaking his hands over the sink to the sound of Megumi’s raspy and disgruntled voice.
“Moves so good. Fuck. Everyday…”
Despite Megumi’s whispers, the thin bathroom walls revealed the truth.
“Like that… I’m happy…Ngh!”
Yuji pressed his ear against the wall. Thud. His head hit and the voice on the other side went quiet.
Broken breaths. Nervous shuffling of feet.
“Megumi?” Yuji asked the wall. “Are you okay?”
No answer.
“I didn’t mean to disturb you. I was finishing up in the bathroom.” Yuji tried to play it cool. “Rare, we take a piss at the same time, huh?”
Nothing.
Yuji exited into his room. He slipped on his sneakers and slid open the back door to the patio. The cool night breeze greeted him as he walked over to Megumi’s back door.
Knock. “Megumi, you didn’t respond to me so I am checking to make sure you’re alright!” Knock. “Megumi!”
He pressed his face flush against the cold glass. Narrowing his eyes, he noticed Megumi’s bed was untouched, and a single lamp was on.
“Are you seriously gonna hide in the shadows from me!” Yuji pulled Megumi’s door aside.
He entered the room and flipped the light switch to brighten the place.
Megumi emerged from the shadows with a sigh, “Yuji Itadori, the only one stupid enough or kind enough to follow me to the end of the earth.”
“You went quiet, I was worried something happened to you!”
“After everything you heard, you’re still worried about me?”
“You saved my life.” Yuji was Megumi’s choice. The only person Megumi ever had a choice about letting into his life.
“I did that because I was selfish.”
“Selfish for my existence?” Yuji teased.
“Yes,” Megumi walked towards the bathroom. He gestured for Yuji to follow. “The moment you leapt into action to save people, I knew I couldn’t let you go.”
Yuji swallowed hard. He turned, catching sight of his reflection in a window. His calmness contrasted with the emotions inside him. “Have you considered why you feel that way?”
“Been trying to figure that part out.” Megumi’s fingers brushed against Yuji’s.
Yuji felt his heart leap to his throat, choking off any words of desire.
“Not in a weird way,” Megumi revealed his bathroom.
Towels neatly on the rack, toothbrush covered, and tissue untouched. The only odd part was the bathtub with two pillows and a blanket… almost like a bed?
“I was in bed watching a video Gojo sensei recorded of our practice.” Megumi took his phone from his pocket and showed Yuji the screen. “I didn’t realize I was commenting out loud about your fighting style.”
Oh. OH! Megumi’s kindness eased Yuji’s heart. He couldn’t stop from smiling.
“I gotta learn how to move good on my feet like you do. Maybe I can use my shadows to make up for it.”
“Haha.” Yuji chuckled. Megumi wasn’t confessing feelings for him. Megumi was only satisfied with saving him, so he could learn how to fight better. Ah…his brain. Why did his brain play with him like this?
“What’s funny?” Megumi’s blue eyes were usually cold and distant, yet for a brief second, Yuji noticed they burned. Burnt with something unrecognizable and entirely different from the Megumi he knew.
Yuji caught another nervous chuckle before it left his lips. “Thanks for sharing that with me.”
A hand rested on Yuji’s shoulder.
Megumi leaned in close, “I only showed you because I trust you.”
“Okay.”
Megumi raised a brow, as if he didn’t know to be confused or reinforce his previous statements with more seriousness.
Serious, yet painful, would explain the dark bags under his eyes and the gruffness of his voice. “It will be fine,” Yuji patted the hand on his shoulder. The firm grip relaxed slightly. “I’ll let you get back to your videos.”
“Glad you understand.” Megumi removed his hand.
Yuji caught it before Megumi pulled away. “Or you could try to get some sleep?” He felt Megumi’s bigger hand tremble in his own, so he clasped it with two so it was fully protected.
Megumi cut his eyes at Yuji, making their height difference almost intimidating.
“I get nightmares too. Some nights it's really bad.” Yuji said. “But pushing yourself to be better when you’re feeling overwhelmed is self-defeating.”
“I’m not. I’m distracting myself.” Megumi insisted.
“Let me help.”
The corners of Megumi’s lips twitched.
“I can distract you.” Yuji guided Megumi out of the bathroom with a promise, never letting go of his hand.
He wasn’t sure what he should do or how he could calm Megumi’s uneasiness. But he didn’t want anyone he cared about to suffer alone. Talking wouldn’t work since Megumi wasn’t a yapper, maybe the most effective thing would be…
“Do you have a sleeping bag?” Yuji asked.
“You don’t have to do this. It's your special day, I should be asking what you wanna do.”
“I want you to answer me, please.”
Megumi went over to his closet and pulled a sleeping bag out.
“We’re gonna sleep under the stars!” Yuji slid open Megumi’s back door to greet the outside world, buzzing with nightlife.
Megumi stepped out behind him. The moonlight illuminated his tired features as the breeze blew through his unkept hair.
Yuji turned on the porch light and pointed to a spot.
“Here?” Megumi rolled the sleeping bag out.
“Yep, now get inside.”
Megumi sighed as if already annoyed, but followed directions.
“Does it feel like a warm hug?”
“Nope.”
Yuji unzipped the sleeping bag. He squeezed in beside Megumi.
The two of them lay shoulder to shoulder, their legs tangled beneath the blanket and heads so close that if they turned, their lips would kiss the other’s cheek.
“Feels like a warm hug, now?” Yuji asked.
“Someone is warm,” Megumi muttered.
Skin to skin contact from their arms to their hands. Their fingers twitched as if unable to decide whether to lace together or not.
“Really warm,” Megumi muttered again as if in disbelief.
Yuji didn’t know if it was possible for his entire body to heat from nervousness. Megumi was so close. He heard and felt each breath: soft, gentle, almost like a lullaby under the night sky.
“Yuji,” Megumi said, his name and his heart nearly stopped.
Yuji wanted to look at him. He wondered what expression Megumi made when he called his name so sweetly.
“Do you like looking at stars?”
Yuji gazed at the display of stars in the sky. It was rare to see them clearly with all the light pollution from Tokyo. So far away, yet shining so brightly.
“My big sister loved stars. She taught me how to identify constellations.” Megumi’s chest rose and fell almost in sync with the twinkling of the stars.
“Really? I don’t know anything about stars, even though I grew up in the countryside!”
Megumi clutched the fabric over his heart. “You share the same ideals, but you’re nothing alike.”
Of course, the only reason Megumi said Yuji’s name so sweetly was because he imagined Tsumiki. Yuji squeezed his eyes shut. Of fucking course!
“Tsumiki is smarter, too.”
“HEY!” Yuji turned to look at Megumi, “No need to rub it in!” His lips brushed against Megumi’s cheek as he spoke.
Megumi made a curious noise and tilted his head closer to Yuji.
“Comparing me to Tsumiki feels weird. I mean, she’s your sister and I…” Yuji knew better than to get his hopes up. “I’m your friend.”
“You’re closer than that to me.” Megumi locked their pinkies together, holding tightly as if there was nowhere else for Yuji but by his side.
“Your best friend?”
“Yeah. Something like that…”
“Even closer? Like family!” Yuji grinned.
“Family can still be separated.” Megumi pointed at the stars. “Like the star-crossed lovers. My sister once told me that myth.”
“I heard that story at a festival before. The King didn’t approve of his daughter marrying the commoner, so he separated them.”
“According to the stars, the Milky Way separates them so they can only meet once a year.”
“Lonely.”
“Not really. Jujutsu sorcery has a curse on the myth.” Megumi gestured to a bright star.
Yuji lifted a finger towards the sky. “With that?”
“Kinda. There are three stars.” Megumi traced one over to the other.
Yuji moved his finger around as if the sky was his canvas, trying to connect different stars to see a picture.
“If I remember correctly, Vega and Altair are the two lovers.”
“Pretty cool the stars have names! Who is the third star?”
“Deneb. That one is hard to find because it’s not as bright as the oth—“
“Found it!”
“How do you know?”
“Because they meet in the middle like a triangle!” Yuji closed one eye to envision it, his finger drawing closer to Megumi’s.
Their fingers tapped together and erupted in a bright light. Oddly warm and soothing—something snaked around his finger. He wanted to verbalize it, hesitating in fear of breaking whatever flow state they had just entered.
Megumi scratched the back of his head. He stared at Yuji with obvious confusion.
Yuji gave him the same look back.
“That…this is why I don’t tell you stuff!” Megumi avoided Yuji’s gaze, eyes reflecting the stars in the sky.
“Why? What happened!” Yuji looked at his finger. A red string was tied to it. He followed the string’s connection from the nicely wrapped bow.
Megumi had the other end of the string tied to his finger. It blew in the air, unable to float freely, as the finger traced the triangle shape in the opposite direction.
“Megumi!”
“I’m trying to fix this mess! Let me think.” Megumi furrowed his brow, continuing to retrace the stars.
Yuji tugged at the red string. Firmly wrapped, infused with cursed energy, and almost translucent. He tugged at it with a bit more vigor.
“Stop messing with it!” Megumi grunted, “In Jujutsu sorcery, if two people trace the lovers' triangle, it ties their souls together!”
No wonder pulling at the red string felt like pulling at his heartstrings. “Why do you wanna undo it?”
Megumi lowered his hand from grasping stars. His face flushed, tongue freezing to reduce his words to disoriented stutters.
“Not like us being connected changes anything. It could be helpful so we never lose each other if we get separated in battle.” Yuji stroked his finger as if an expensive ring was on it rather than a cursed red string.
“I guess…But people with cursed energy can see it. How are we gonna explain?”
“To me, it is another thing that means I get to stay by your side. I don’t mind what excuse you come up with!”
“Why do you want to stay with me so badly? I’m no one special. You’re strong enough without my help.”
“You’re my special.” Yuji noticed Megumi’s blushing face, it made his heart flutter many times, but none compared to the way he felt about him in this moment. “I’ve loved many things before, but this is the first time I’ve ever wanted to be loved back.”
“Is that so?” Megumi muttered, and slowly his clouded expression faded into a small smile.
“Yes.”
“Prove it.”
“How should I do that?” Yuji whispered in Megumi’s ear, carefully pushing his body onto him.
Megumi tapped his lips. The red string on his finger seemed to pull Yuji closer.
Yuji puckered his lips.
Megumi’s eyes captured Yuji’s until they fluttered shut. Their lips met hesitantly, with extreme care as if touching something priceless.
“Come on, Megumi.” Yuji encouraged once their lips parted, “Kiss me like I’m your wife.”
Megumi kissed Yuji again. So unlike him. Desperately assertive, like this kiss meant everything to him.
Yuji’s heart and body quivered as Megumi traced his scars and ravished his lips. He wrapped his arms around Megumi, hugging him with every ounce of love.
Megumi probably didn’t have the words that Yuji expected from a love confession. Yet Megumi’s actions were so clear, so vividly betraying his emotions.
Megumi kissed Yuji’s lips, then moved to his cheek, his chin, and kissed down his neck.
“Hah! Mmm~Megumi!” Yuji laughed at the sensation of Megumi’s mouth sucking his skin.
Megumi silenced Yuji with another kiss, sharing their desire to be together.
Their bodies shuffled around in the tight sleeping bag. Until, a lofi hip hop beat filled the air along with the sound of Megumi’s voice: “Happy birthday to Yuji! Happy birthday to Yuji! Happy birthday to my—“
“Fuck. FUCK! FUCK!” Megumi broke the kiss, shouting loudly over the song. He struggled to find his phone.
“Megumi, earlier…” It had to be when he was in the bathroom. “Were you recording?”
Megumi paused the video, a glossy look filled his eyes. Yuji wondered if it was from lust or holding back tears.
“If watching the training video was a lie, I won’t be mad.” Yuji said.
“You weren’t supposed to hear that.”
“But you were singing for me! For my birthday!”
“Shut up. I wasn’t singing. I don’t sing.”
“Rapping?”
“I was SAYING IT. Practicing saying it.”
Yuji reached for Megumi’s phone. “Let me hear the full song.”
Megumi shoved his phone in his pocket. “It’s not ready yet.”
“Are ya gonna show me when it is?”
“Yes, my wife deserves nothing but the best.” Megumi kissed the red bow on Yuji’s finger, “You deserve that much effort for all the effort you give me.”
Effort? Standing by Megumi wasn’t stressful, he wanted to be there for the only person who treasured his existence. Megumi never looked at Yuji like a cog to be used and discarded.
“That was why I was practicing. It’s been a while since I said happy birthday to someone. Didn’t think I’d say it again until Tsumiki woke up.” Megumi gazed at the stars above.
“Seriously? It’s a song!” Yuji laughed.
“Actions mean more than words, ya know?” Megumi still couldn’t look Yuji in the eyes, yet it didn’t sound like he was joking.
The red string on Yuji’s finger trembled against Megumi’s lips. “We’re gonna be together forever, so don’t make me wait too long!”
“You want forever with me?” Megumi smiled, touching the string on his finger with newfound admiration.
Forever being able to cuddle. Yuji rested his head on Megumi’s chest.
Forever feeling secure. Megumi nuzzled a kiss in Yuji’s hair.
Forever receiving kisses. Yuji reached up, shyly touching the spot. A quick peck from soft lips warmed his hand.
Spending forever with Megumi was a future filled with happiness.
“Get comfortable. I don’t think the string can tangle.” Megumi said.
“Okay!” Yuji felt the string around his finger tightening as if locking them in place. “Are you comfortable?”
“Comfortable enough to close my eyes for once.” Megumi’s satisfied voice echoed above Yuji.