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The mission was supposed to be easy. Get there, clear the abandoned building of the few grade 3 and 4 curses residing there and leave, as per Nitta’s request. Yet somehow this achingly simple prospect ended in complication, more specifically the two first years sent on the mission stuck fresh after battle in what must’ve been an old bedroom in the abandoned building, the smell of stale air and mold permeating their noses.
“Fushiguro!” came Yuji’s panicked yelp as his eyes flitted from the cursed spirit the two had just exorcised, to his pretty best friend faltering on his feet. The boy acted swiftly, steadying the other who protested weakly. “What’s up? did you get hit? I mean, I don’t see any blood— was it that weird purple stuff it-“ Yuji began to ramble, only to be shoved off by Megumi, who immediately wavered at the loss of support, catching himself on a wall.
“Shut up.” was all that followed for a few moments, Yuji’s hands hovering awkwardly in the air, ready to catch the other if need be. “I’m fine— just give me a minute.” Megumi finally continued, a weak attempt at a lie.
Seconds ticked past, Megumi’s eyes fixed on the splintering floorboards, Yuji’s worried ones watching his form. “Do you want me to-“ “No.”
The shorter of the two frowned, obliging before Megumi looked up. His usual perpetually annoyed expression was replaced with something much more placated, and Yuji felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest for a second time.
He realised the other must’ve noticed the reaction when Megumi’s brows furrowed, quickly jumping to yank the boy from the wall, pulling his arm over his shoulder to support him. “Cmon, Nitta’s probably waiting on us.” Yuji chirped with faux offhandedness despite Megumi’s weak protest, beginning to haul him into the dilapidated hallway to the exit.
Nitta was stood against the car door, impatient expression perking up once the two finally emerged. “Boys, what took you so—“ she began to call before pausing at the sight, Megumi reluctantly slumped against the other boy as he helped him outside. She quickly stepped forward, scanning the two for visible injuries, phone already in hand. “Did you hurt your leg? Will I call Shoko to see if she’s on campus?” Nitta asked, though the offer seemed to be just a formality considering her phone was already held up to her ear, spinning on her heel as she chatted into it, nodding her head to the car.
Yuji got the memo, leading Megumi to the car and opening the door, helping him into the backseat. Sliding in beside him, he moved to buckle Megumi’s seatbelt for him only to be shrugged off as he sluggishly did the action himself. “Stop.. doting on me.” he grumbled as he did so, the other buckling his own seatbelt as he looked on in concern. “M’not doting, you can’t walk on your own. Seriously, whats wrong with you?” Yuji protested gently, only to be met with a weak glare.
“You can’t just give me a look-“ “The curse.” Megumi interrupted sharply, before slumping back into the leather behind him as Nitta finally slid into the drivers seat, giving the two a concerned glance form the rear view mirror before starting the car. “Th’ purple gas it emitted during the fight. It’s uncommon, but Gojo told me that some low level curses, like grade 3 n’stuff sometimes have poison-“ “YOU’RE POISONED?!”
Yuji was met with a smack to his arm at the interruption, before Megumi continued. “OR, sedatives. Dumbass. Most arent strong enough to produce their own poison, n’gotta weaken their opponents enough to finish ‘em off.”
“…ohh. So you’re high?” Yuji mused, glancing over to the other. Megumi was visibly disgruntled though he wasn’t sure if it was with him or the curse’s effect. Despite that, he seemed different, usually tense shoulders slumped, like it was sapping at his will to keep up his usual demeanour. “No— I js’ said it’s like a sedative. Those arent the same.” Megumi huffed, head tilting back as the car started moving, lazy eyes blinking up at nothing in particular, eyelids slipping closed for longer amounts of time between each blink.
Yuji watched the other boy for a few moments, uncharacteristically quiet. He wondered why Nitta hadn’t put on the radio. He wondered if Shoko could fix up Megumi, or if he got to see the other relaxed just a little longer. He liked the idea of a Megumi with his guard down and relaxed. He also internally shook his head when his thoughts wandered to what Megumi might be like in more domestic settings where he wasn’t so high strung all of the time.
The pink haired student was tugged out of his inner thoughts as the car hit a bump, Megumi’s head lulling to the side, slipping from the car seat’s headrest. Yuji froze when spiky, slightly tousled raven hair met his shoulder with a dull thump, then remaining in place. Megumi was asleep. On his shoulder. Somehow. He was suddenly very grateful that Nobara wasn’t here to tease him, well aware of the boys teeny, tiny smidge of a crush, and now reddened cheeks that spread to the tips of his ears.
Nitta raised an eyebrow once she caught the sight in the rear view mirror before her eyes returned to the road, muttering something about stupid tropes.
Yuji was rigid for the remainder of the car ride, terrified of waking Megumi up and very conflicted. On one hand, the pressure on his shoulder was nice, and he was very aware of how hot his cheeks felt from the proximity from the usually touch avoidant other. On the other? He was very, very confused. Megumi had never seemed to show an interest in romance, boys or girls alike, so Yuji felt a little stupid for letting himself get so flustered by the mere act of being close to him.
Once the car pulled into the Tokyo Jujutsu High campus Megumi stirred. Instead of sitting up, a shallow hum came as he shifted against Yuji, still sleepy and out of it from the sedative that had been hitting harder now that it had time to settle into his system. Yuji tensed but didn’t dare try push the other boy off, flushing harder as he sat perfectly still. The sound of Nitta getting out of the car was lost to the poor boy once Megumi’s breath hit his neck.
Nitta walked to the side of the car, pulling the door open ready to help the drugged highschooler out if need be, only to pause at the sight. The usually stoic one practically snuggled against Yuji’s side, who’s face could currently put Mei Mei’s sheer red lipstick to shame. She blinked for a few moments before humming, stepping off to the side again. “I’ll just bring Shoko here.” She announced, before walking off towards the infirmary.
Yuji, who currently struggled to form any coherent thought with the other so close, gingerly raised a hand to poke Megumi’s shoulder. In doing so, the other pressed his face against his neck with a mumbled “Five mor’ minutes..” to which Yuji had to fight not to melt at. It was jarring, being so close to his classmate who refused to get needlessly close to someone unless it was training, snuggle into him.
“..Um. Fushiguro, we’re back at the school. don’chya wanna get to your dorm to sleep this off?” Yuji tried, feigning nonchalance like he wasn’t very aware of each point of contact between the two, and only got a hum in reply. “Fushigurooo..” he tried again, poking the boy once more.
“Shh. Y’r comfy.” Megumi huffed, causing the others hand to pause mid air where it was about to poke at him some more. “Ouh.” is all that followed in response, Yuji reluctantly letting his hand drop to his lap, giving into the request. It was one thing to have him so close, but another huge one to be called comfortable — or be told anything resembling fond whatsoever.
The two sat together in the car for what felt like ages, and when the distant sound of gravel crunching underfoot finally came, Yuji wasn’t sure he wanted the moment to end. Finally Shoko peeked her head in, unlit cigarette hanging from her lips as she gave me a hum, Nitta standing off to the side behind her.
“So… what happened here?” she mused, reaching out to poke Megumi, who grumbled half heartedly in response at all the prodding he’s received in the past few minutes. “Uhm. We were fighting a curse and it like.. spat out this weird mist? Fushiguro said something about it being a sedative that some curses sometimes have or whatever.” Yuji explained rather briefly, while Shoko observed Megumi. “And it’s been exorcised?”
“Uhuh!” Yuji nodded, looking down to the head of spiky hair currently burrowed into the red hood peeking out of his uniform. “So.. can you fix him?” Shoko reached over, placing a hand on Megumi’s shoulder for a moment as she seemed to confirm something with her technique. “Nope. He just has to sleep it off, shouldn’t last more than a day. Can’t heal his body if there isn’t technically anything wrong with it.”
The lucid of the two frowned, but he found himself with slight relief at the thought of being able to spend a little more time with a placated Megumi, before kicking himself internally. “Okay… and how come i’m not all wobbly too? I breathed in the same stuff as him.” Shoko paused, trying not to give the boy a look. How could he forget?
“The sukuna in you nullifies poison.. remember? Sounds like something hard to forget.” Yuji blinked before letting out a quiet “oohhhh.”, giving a sheepish smile before reaching to unbuckle Megumi’s seatbelt, and then his own.
“Fushiguroo.. wakey wakey..” Yuji murmured, trying to get the other to at the very least get out of the car. Instead, Megumi’s arm snuck around Yuji’s waist, trying to pull the boy closer with a sleepy grumble. “Fiv.. Five more minutes..” Shoko snickered at the display, before walking off while rummaging around in her pocket for a lighter. They reminded her of a certain two classmates during her time as a student.
Yuji bristled, flushing red once more at Megumi’s touchyness, it was a wonder how he hadn’t gotten a stroke yet. “Ah.. uh. Okay. I could just..” Yuji mumbled to nobody in particular as he carefully adjusted the other so one arm held his back and the other underneath his knees, scooping Megumi up and out of the car. Yuji closed the car door with his hip, gravel crunching underfoot as he trudged to the boys dorm building.
It was a wonder how Megumi hadn't protested yet, Yuji thought. If anything, the delirious first year looked almost.. content, a smile hidden in the pink haired boys shoulder. Yuji found himself smiling softly, a slight bounce returning to each exhausted step, counting the doors as he now went down the hallway. Empty room, empty room, empty room, until the second last door - Megumi’s dorm!
Yuji found it difficult to get the door open with his arms full, but managed it after a few attempts. It creaked open, revealing the same pristine living space he had came to associate with the boy in his arms. Crossing the room to the neatly made bed in the corner, he finally deposited Megumi onto it, crouching down at the edge as he started to untie the others shoes.
“Sooo..” Yuji would start, feeling somewhat awkward. “I don’t think i’ve been in your room this long without being kicked out.” he mused, slipping the first shoe off. “Tha’s.. I dunno. I like y’ in here. My space.” Megumi drawled, causing Yuji to pause and look up, blinking in confusion. He sounded more out of it now than before, the sedative really making its way into his system. “…huh?”
“You. Me, here. Away from, uh. People, annoying ones. No stupid interruptions.” Megumi continued, bleary eyes half open yet drawn to Yuji like a magnet, like they always seemed to do. “..oh.” Yuji replied, still trying to figure out what that meant. If anything, he knew it meant Megumi enjoyed his company, causing the corner of his lips to quirk upwards again, untying Megumi’s other shoe, placing both neatly on the ground.
Yuji rose to his feet again, reluctantly opening Megumi’s closet, the action slowed to give the other enough time to protest and tell him to shut it. When no complaint came, Yuji pulled out a sweater (he’d seen Megumi fresh out of bed in one before, and didn’t understand how the boy wasn’t overheating in his sleep), as well as some sweatpants.
He padded back to the bed where Megumi layed, head tilted to the side to watch Yuji move around his room. The pink haired boy deposited the clothes beside the other, scratching the back of his neck.
“Weeelll.. uh. I’ll leave you to get changed, I guess. Try to sleep this off, okay?” The shorter mumbled awkwardly. He really didn’t want to leave Megumi like this, a small bit out of concern, but mostly to try and soak up as much of this side of his friend as he could. He took a step back, only to pause when he felt a tug. Megumi had sat up, arm outstretched and hand currently latched onto Yuji’s sleeve.
“Stay.”
Yuji blinked, looking down at his sleeve, then over to Megumi. Huh. “I can’t just— you need sleep, Fushiguro.” He protested weakly, as much as he wanted to stay.
“Stay. Sleep hr’, idiot. S’fine.” Megumi drawled, causing Yuji’s face to heat up for the umpteenth time that day. He began to sputter, wanting nothing more than to take up the offer (demand ?), but he knew how awkward the morning would be. What if Megumi kicked him out? Never let him inside of his room again?
“..Okay.” The reply came regardless, Yuji was easy. He gently pulled his sleeve back, stepping towards the door. “I’m just.. gonna change, okay? Then i’ll be back. You should do the same.”
Megumi paused, not wanting the other boy to leave his sight even if just for a few minutes, but begrudgingly nodded. He sat up, picking up the clothes Yuji had left beside him.
Yuji nodded in return, striding to the door with one last glance to Megumi’s sluggish self, before exiting. The few paces to his own room felt like a mile, but soon enough he was inside, hurriedly changing into pyjamas. A loose t-shirt and spider-man pyjama pants, his usual sleepwear. Yuji left his uniform in a haphazard pile on the floor, glancing to his unmade bed for a moment, before he was leaving again and standing outside Megumi’s door.
He knocked softly, since he had changed rather quickly in his impatience to return to the other, he wasn’t sure how long Megumi would take to change in his current stupor. “You decent, Fushiguro?” He called, met with a muffled “Uhuh.”
Yuji pushed the door open, the room felt dimmer. Megumi must’ve drawn the curtains while he changed. His uniform was left folded on his desk, even in delirium he was neat. Yuji walked to the bed, where the other was already right at home, tucked underneath the duvet.
He looked cozy, Yuji’s mind helpfully supplied. He hesitated, lingering beside the bed frame just incase he misread what the others request to stay was. Megumi watched him with lidded eyes, waiting, before patting the spot beside him in the bed.
The vessel gingerly pulled back the sheets, feeling awkward now. “You sure about-“ “Get iiinnnn already.” Oh, okay. Yuji slid into the bed beside the taller boy, pulling the duvet back over the two of them and settling on his side to face Megumi. He was thankful for the dusk that blanketed the room, all too used to how hot his cheeks felt again.
The dorm was silent, both boys engrossed in something akin to a staring contest. Yuji took the chance to trace Megumi’s face with his gaze. His pretty lashes, the way his hair fell over his face, the line of his jaw. All of it was almost ethereal up close. It was hard to tell what the tallest was thinking even with his usual stoic features softened, but Megumi was going through the same motions as Yuji.
They were both captivated by eachother, Megumi lost in amber eyes that shone through the darkness of the room, and Yuji trying to commit Megumi’s softened gaze to memory. It was a comfortable silence, only permeated by quiet breaths and the sound of fabric shifting.
“…Yuji.”
The boy in question flinched as the comfortable silence was broken, with his first name of all things. That was a first. “U- uhuh?”
“I like y’-“
Megumi was sharply cut off, a tan hand pressed to his mouth. He blinked, Yuji blinked back, and a few moments passed before the hand was sharply pulled back like the action had burned.
“Sorry! Sorry- just, it sounded like you were gonna say-“ “I like you.” It was Yujis turn to be cut off, giving an indignant squeak hearing the statement in full. A dark red bloomed across his cheeks, the colour climbing to his ears once more as he stared back at Megumi.
“You dunno what you’re saying. Y’r, um. Like. Drugged, Fushiguro.” He protested, hope warring with denial to form a pit in his stomach. It’d be crushing if this was just the sedative talking.
“I’ve liked y’ for months. Since we met at th’ hospital. Since I seen y’ run past me at y’r old school.” Megumi continued, while Yuji was left to short circuit. “Wuh- what? Seriously? Are you sure?”
Megumi scoffed, bleary eyes tracing the colour barely visible on Yuji’s face in the darkness. “Yeah, idiot. Y’.. y’r stupid. I like you.”
Yuji nodded a few times, trying to calm his racing heart. He shifted slightly, a hand finding Megumi’s underneath the covers to lace their fingers together. “Okay. I, um. If this isn’t just.. the sedatives speaking.. I feel the same.” He hummed, squeezing the taller boys hand. Yuji swore he could faintly make out colouring in the others pale cheeks too. “But, we should probably wait to talk about this in the morning, right? Y’know. Well rested, rational, and um.. yeah.”
Megumi slowly nodded, shifting closer slightly. This prompted a slightly emboldened Yuji to let go of his hand, arm slipping around his waist to splay the warm hand against Megumi’s back. The raven haired boy shifted an arm so one of his hands were against the back of Yuji’s head, gently scratching his scalp. The touch elicited a contented sigh.
Their legs entangled, gradually settling to hold eachother, much to Yuji’s touch deprived delight. Megumi’s face tucked itself back into the junction between Yuji’s neck and shoulder, much like in the car. The shorter of the two smiled, pressing a cautious peck to the top of the spiky head of raven hair.
“Goodnight, Megumi.” It was nice to finally try out the personal name, especially when the words were returned with a quiet, satisfied grunt.