Chapter Text
It’s September.
Megumi has had better days, and obviously much worse. Let’s say it’s easier to ignore a black hole swelling in your chest, than to face it.
Nightmares cling behind his eyelids, like ink on paper. A cycle he can’t escape from, it’s truthfully annoying how every detail and context resorts back to the dark. Megumi may feel a sadness that drags him down, but he doesn’t suddenly despise his technique. Creating from the shadows, manipulating the outline. It was who made Megumi himself.
It just got overwhelming sometimes. Like now, as he’s stuck to his chair overanalysing a report worksheet that had no right being assigned to him, his lamp wasn’t shining as bright like it used to.
On the odd chance he’d summon one of his dogs to accompany him, usually during nightfall hours he can’t sleep or activities such as class exercises and training. Now though, he’d have to embrace the silence. Not that Kon was bad company, the shikigami was just too big and truthfully leaned toward the fighting type rather than a dog.
That’s what’s pulling his shirt collar and choking him off focusing. Corners of the room had a shift in the nook of his eyes and looking to see nothing was there, is tiring. He attempted to pull through with the report, and tried to sleep. Both options tumbled.
He sighs, frustrated; the world was out for him. Weirdly that thought causes waves in his head, so he pushes it away as soon as possible. He can’t be like that, it’s been months after the war, he should be better; and a few times here and there he is.
His mixed eyes keep rereading the same question, repeatedly tracing written letters of his name and date, like it wasn’t perfect enough.
He’s too damn tired for this. Burnt out, whatever the case is. So for once he doesn’t hand in a report early, shoving his chair against the wooden floorboards, realising how out of it he was to now hear his neighbour moving things around.
Whatever Yuji was up to now was as mysterious as how he was born to throw cars and punch concrete.
The days had blurred so quickly together, Megumi didn’t even know it was September. Thanks to his friends pinching him on the arms, squishing his cheeks for an extra tease “pinch punch first day of the month!!” Yuji and Nobara had shouted. He rolled his eyes at them, and sat down in his seat while they laughed. Sure; maybe he smiled a little and hid a laugh through a cough, but still.
Most days had mixed into a pot of accepting how future days will feel, with a cup of terrible dread that his stomach kept dropping. It wasn’t his favourite. A terrible turmoil winding up his throat, either preparing himself to vomit every thought he's ever had, or actually hunch over in pain.
While he slumps in bed, staring into the dark corners, he wonders if there’s a universe he didn’t feel this guilty thick riddance, dampening the pillow cases and stained a murky unrecognisable colour. Surely, after everything, there's a chance.
He hits the mat with a grunt, automatically dragging his hand along his scars, phantom pain over his cheeks. Maki was never merciful when training, it would’ve been nice for a heads up with how strong she is now. He knew about everything, like some silly story time they had spilled out. So, if anything he’s just mad at the world. He can't help the hidden supply of grief, both handling an unfair death to mourn; it grows to thoughts of blaming himself for it. Megumi knows it's pointless, and most of all completely stupid. Silly things always find a way in.
“You gonna lay there all day?” She hovers over him, staff in a fine grip. Her hair is a little longer now, an awkward stage where she can’t tuck it behind her ears. Lucky she’s careless of how she looks. Not that she looked bad, Megumi thinks her short hair matches much better. Sort of an odd look when her hair was so long, and the whip of her ponytail expressed a lot of her attitude.
He inwardly sulks “we got past the hard shit, can you tone it down every now and then with your hits?” Megumi’s pretty sure she didn’t take it as an actual request, intending to do the opposite now.
“Psh, just because we’ve gotten stronger, doesn’t mean I’m lightening my strategy”
He groans “knew I shouldn’t have said that” leaning up to rest on his elbows.
Maki swings the staff in her hands, easily swaying and avoiding the ends from smacking Megumi head on. Its base hits the dirt, while her free hand drops to help him up. Megumi’s pride is at a certain level; with how often he’s refused help and pushes his limits to a dangerous level that one would call stupidity. He doesn’t track down to it, so he pushes himself up, ignoring the outstretched hand of his cousin.
She looks at him strangely, opening her mouth to argue or worse, ask him a shuttering question. Neither of those things happen because she smacks her lips shut and the air is drawn away when Panda flies past them, like a human ragdoll. Or, well.. a Panda ragdoll.
“What the-” Maki hisses, glaring at the victim, then shifts to see past Megumi to avert her sharp eyes at Yuji, this doesn’t surprise him.
“Itadori. What—”
Panda shoves himself back upright “amazing Yuji! You should try this out Nobara!”
the ginger grimaces “I’ve had my fill on being thrown thank you very much” she shivers from the cold “can we go now?” a low groan from her chest as she huddles on the bench.
Yuji chuckles “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to throw you so far!” His bright curve of the lips dulling to concern. Like flakes of burnt wood, you don't think about it, the pieces passing and fly to invisible dust. No one notices the lighting difference from bits on fire, to its settling grey after touching the floor. Megumi notices, the subtle change in his relaxed frame, or his creased eyes when he really smiles. He hates it, he really does. Any of these thoughts escaping would guarantee him as obsessive, with how it warms his soul and heats up his cheeks. Like a jittery fangirl, all he musters up is a tight small smile as Yuji looks his way, dear god he’s awful at feelings.
He’s never flirted with someone, Megumi thinks, taking a seat on the bench; Maki whacks his head gently for sitting out so early. He tries not to care. Maki makes her way over to judge them “Panda, your technique of throwing people around isn’t a technique at all” her voice tight, Megumi can hear the amusement in it though.
Nobara’s distant snort runs in the background, sitting too far for conversation. She seems to not really be in the mood, he doesn’t blame her. Megumi wants to go back to his room almost every minute they spend out here.
“Lighten up!” Panda retorts.
Maki growls.
He looks at them, wondering how easily they’re just able to hover above water, feet touching the sandy surface. He glances at Yuji, evoking his earlier thoughts—being in a romantic relationship sounds dumb, a waste of time and a whole lot of problems that only exist around loving someone. Who gets what, you pay, no I pay. The miscommunication. Megumi wants to drown. Gazing at Yuji another time, there is definitely a line they've crossed. Mixing the hues of friends and something more.
Yuji is so very different. He’s kind as the wind, the outline of sunlight with winter fog. Megumi’s sure Yuji loves the snow. He’s sure the boy loves just about everything if he’d tried. His eyes have wandered off, staring at the tips of his old shoes. Megumi knows the other is someone dear to him, and the recollection of their messed up friendship brought unwanted feelings, at this rate he’s now accepted it. Their connection is an unnamed third thing, labels didn't feel correct right now.
A warm radiance is by his side, entirely zoning the outside discussions to strain in his lingering thoughts, he hadn't noticed until they spoke “hey” Yuji says, Megumi whips his head up. Panda had been thrown again, further this time, were they even training at this point? Either way they’d moved around enough to sweat in the cooling weather.
“Hey” he replies, forcing his eyes to stay on his shoes, nudging a rock under the sole.
“Not swapping with me?” Megumi asks, the conversation felt a little charged, Yuji looking at him in a way that felt vulnerable. He wants to disappear, and he shouldn’t think that. He needs to stop thinking that.
Yuji whines, cracking his knuckles “she’s so scary man! Do you not know how scared I am to face her? I think she’s made a deal with the devil behind closed doors, I may have broke another one of her tools so let’s hope she doesn’t find out, not that that it’s important actually. I noticed your fighting style—you're improving a lot,” he ends up trailing his sentence to minuscule words he couldn’t bare to focus on, since a hot flush in Yuji's cheeks grew with his wobbling inability to sit still, just so pretty against the shadow of his eyes.
“Itadori” he snorts, Yuji hums “I was rambling so bad I’m sorry, ughh I need to control that” he clears his throat, dragging his hands over his burning cheeks. Megumi shamefully gets the sudden urge to pry the boy's hands from his face, instead replacing them with his own. Wanting to feel the heat under his cold fingers, knowing how warm Yuji runs, a blessing for this weather.
“Anyway.. how have you been?” Yuji changes subject.
Megumi is a tad taken back from the turn “uh I’m fine? Good..”
“Good!”
“Yeah...good. Um, you?”
“Me?”
Megumi huffs. “Yes, I’m good. I’m glad you’re okay, I’m okay too” Yuji rubs his hands together, Megumi isn’t ready for winter just yet.
“Itadori, are you okay?”
He didn’t seem so. More so, jittery. His suspicion that questions are on the tip of his tongue. A mess of jumbled words and water coloured images. How else would one describe the mind of such a person. Yuji leans closer into his space, hands between his knees to keep warm.
“Do you maybe..”
Megumi’s heart starts racing a little at how he’s acting, then full force saying what Megumi thinks he’s saying at least, is not helping.
“Just say it.”
Yuji breathes a half laugh “do you wanna see a movie with me?”
His first reaction that comes to mind is to get up and make distance. Yuji doesn’t deserve that sort of response. It’s just frustrating, he’s been hiding in ways that no one would question. Especially his feelings for him.
'I can’t' is what he thinks of, he looks away, completely ashamed of what he’d wanted to answer back. Yuji saved his life, pushing him away is stupid.
Seemingly, the answer was made for him, deciding on a way to express the want and need fighting behind the skull on his body. Yuji’s awaiting eyes flicker over his thinking eyes and between the fit Panda is pulling from Maki’s scolding. Megumi opens his mouth to finally give an answer, throat closing up.
“Alright let’s cut this short! Since someone decided to sit out, and someone else wants to play fetch like a dog” Maki shouts upon their heads, Megumi flinches at the first targeted attack, clearly meant for him. Panda slumps, walking over to the two teens with steps of slow disappointment.
Actually that jab felt vile, as he glares at their best friend hugging her knees to her chest, avoiding any chance to spar with them.
The boy next to him must have clicked the sight as well “hey! Kugisaki is sitting right there, doing nothing!”
Megumi’s turn to snort, Maki whacking his shin with the staff.
Yuji then deflates, his body language changing from the disturbance. Megumi expects him to be persistent, that’s the way he does things, never ending will to keep going. Gosh he’s fallen far, pressed between the walls of ice that eradicated and cracked beneath. Is his head always going to sink? He can almost feel the pull of his negative thoughts through the floor.
“I’m a panda!”
Maki rolls her eyes “I know, that’s why I said dog”
“That makes no sense” Megumi quips, leaning his elbows on his knees, the girl glares at him, her scarred skin iced her eyes in favour “don’t get sassy! You’re dallying with Yuji after I beat you ass”
Megumi visibly blushes from the hairline and down his neck “shut up!” teeth clenching, biting his cheeks.
Yuji chokes on a noise, leaning his chin in his palm. Having forgotten the earlier offer, Megumi feels that familiar pit of guilt from avoiding the question. The turn of events now too late to go back. Which is an alternate lie, they can shift to old topics no matter the cut off, but now; he can’t.
She grins, a smug Nobara getting up to glue to the taller girl's side, and head out toward the vending machines.
Yuji jumps up from the bench, ready to leave, not before of course glancing at the raven. Megumi looks up at him, elbows on his knees; like a tug of war, rope piling up and landing in his lap. His metal walls get higher the further he pushes himself towards the ocean and Megumi is getting the idea he may be used to it.
Yuji sighs “I’m gonna go eat something,” stretching his limbs, Megumi nods up at him. The curse Megumi wants to spit is swallowed when the sight of lightly tanned skin shows to the crisp air. Whatever otherworldy hole Megumi must have fallen in is toying with him, suddenly having blushing messes a new trait to the teen before him. He’s seen the idiot without hardly any clothes on countless times due to their damn job. He mentally slaps himself as he watches Yuji walk away.
Then that’s it. Their conversations dull out over time like light shining through a dark tunnel. He vaguely remembers the ground under his legs, hands clawing the ground and at that rate begging Yuji to do anything other than save him. However, he’s here now, smiling in the blind spots, ears filled with his friends’ laughter.
He can’t hate it, because he’s meant to enjoy it.
When training is over and he’s waltzing back into his plain decorated room, he changes out of his uniform. Hoping for the rest of the day to be peaceful. If that’s what you’d call overthinking and reading books he’s finished a dozen times. He’s hours deep into a book he has already read a month ago when there’s a knock on his door, he wants to ignore it. But he claps his book shut and makes his way over.
The door clicks open “Fushiguro! Sorry, I know you want alone time, but uh, I brought you some food. I made something earlier, thought you’d like it” Yuji offers, hands out with a small bowl of ginger chicken meatballs. One of his favourites, and Yuji’s favourite dish to make. He knows that because Yuji never stopped making it when they had time off, plus Megumi ate them every time he did.
“Thank you, Itadori” he shifts to take the bowl, it's hot but not enough to hiss at the touch. the smell already makes his mouth water, he’s realised just how little he’s eaten today, his cheeks sting.
Yuji steps back a little “no problem,” he shuffles “I’m gonna, uh, go”
Megumi meets his eyes “uhm. Yeah, thank you, again”
“Sure” Yuji’s walking away, and it’s hurting for some reason. It’s so easy to just stop hiding away, stop avoiding all the interactions he has solely to mope. Megumi could drop a wall or two for a couple hour, hang out like they did before the culling game, bicker as if time shifted to the month they first started knowing each other. He kind of misses it. Not knowing Yuji enough, a new feeling.
He’d say that liking Yuji was also a new feeling to add, but with how long he’s felt this way, having his heart in the hands of his friend; feels oddly natural.
Megumi inwardly groans, he needs to stop thinking this way. Yuji doesn't make it far "Itadori?" he calls out, anticipation wavers through the air, the former faces him with a questionable upturn of his brow, he hums "yeah?"
"I...never answered you at training. I'm sorry" The awkwardness may only be resonating from Megumi, with how he’s been feeling that’s to no surprise.
Yuji's features almost melt, like the rays gleaming to melt ice in glass mugs "don't worry about it! No need to apologise Fushiguro" brown eyes dancing from the floor and the bowl of hot food.
Megumi swallows, not understanding why this is so hard despite killing curses for a living "I uh think a movie would be nice" he ends up saying, now wishing the bowl would burn his skin and all of his messy thoughts. Yuji beams "yes!" he clears his throat in a quick breath "yes, that sounds great, can I come in?"
Megumi nods, stepping back and widening the space. Now his overall system was in a need of rebooting, maybe turning his brain off and on like some Apple iPod would help. It did back then.
"interested in action movies? It doesn't have to be in that genre though!"
He huffs “whatever you want dummy. I need to eat this” his mouth is a waterfall at this rate.
Yuji chuckles “I know you’d like it”
“Don’t get cocky, I haven’t eaten it yet” a skip in his beating heart at how well Yuji sees him, with visuals or not.
He smiles a little at the sound of his laughing, finding Megumi’s laptop and searching for a movie of his favour. His eyes seem to glow at what comes up within his search, Megumi rolls his eyes at the screen as he peeks over it.
“No. We are not watching Human Earthworm 4” he glares at Yuji, which he can’t do for too long anymore. With how Yuji smirks at him, knowing every movie from such a franchise will rile him up, sometimes Megumi feels like Yuji likes him just as much as he likes him.
Yuji then pouts as Megumi averts his glare to the screen “okay fine. I will ignore your outrageous taste in movies. It such a good trilogy, you're seriously missing out Fushi"
Megumi rolls his eyes, sipping small mouthfuls of broth, it was heavenly. He might actually explode, from a million different reasons, this meal being a definite one.
Yuji’s still sitting, his back to Megumi’s knees. He can feel the warmth “get in dork”
Yuji raises a brow, scrolling through movie options and slowly turning his face to look at him, though he’s still stuck gluing his eyes to the screen.
“Wait for real? You’re not having me here just to kick me out?” Then in a blink his eyes are on his.
Megumi blushes “when have I ever done that?” He dejects, offended by the idea.
“Like 2 weeks ago??”
He’s quiet for a moment while he thinks back on the time Yuji lounged over his bed, starfish style and bored as all hell. Megumi was filling out some homework that the school weirdly still presents to them, Yuji had no interest to do his part. Eventually dinner time struck closer than lightening and Yuji was kicked out when the damn game he spammed buttons for was throwing Megumi off the rails. The weather that day was soiled with rain, it dampened Megumi's mood as much as it did the streets. Despite it all, having Yuji's presence that day made it feel like summer.
“That was different.”
Yuji grins, half lidded eyes falling from his and back to the laptop “uh huh."
“You’re getting cheeky, stop that. Now get in the bed and choose a movie before I do kick you out.”
“Okay, okay!” Yuji rushes, climbing over Megumi’s legs, careful of his food and snugs his back into the pillows. Sighing in content with the covers wrapped around his lap.
“This bed is so soft, why’d I get a rock to sleep on?”
“You’re so dramatic”
He ignores the jab “We gotta have a sleepover at some point, I’d rather sleep here for a night” he sighs comfortably, sinking further into the bed somehow. He looked very content, Megumi shivers on the inside, mad at how he wants to press himself up to Yuji and stay there forever.
Yuji’s face looks very sincere, perhaps the idea of Yuji cuddling up in his bed, sleeping peacefully as the moonlight peers to lighten his already bright hair doesn’t sound too bad. But, no. He shouldn’t have those thoughts. It’s fine, it’s fine and they’ll be apart like normal friends, when this gets older he’ll eventually be further from the star Yuji is and the worry that occasionally flies in his eyes will be no more. He can be alone, no one to worry about it.
Forgotten.
What a time to think so low, it’s like the world was muted. His mind is running and the universe is still so slow.
“I’d rather not share a twin sized bed with another person”
Yuji looks hurt for a second, which he knows isn’t a real expression for pain, however Megumi backs himself up before he can cry on the inside, no matter how much he wants to distance himself from everyone, the look of Yuji being even slightly upset always digs at his chest.
“But okay, whatever, I’ve felt your mattress before, it’s not like mine at all” he rolls his eyes gently, a subtle acceptance to his offer. Yuji clicks a random action movie, something he’s never seen and probably won’t remember in a week.
“Exactly!” Brightened up already, then he pauses “wait how’d you know?”
He’s stopped before biting into a meatball, chopsticks hovering before his lips. He sets it back to the bowl to prevent the sauce dripping all over him; he clears his throat “I just know.”
Yuji frowns at him, Megumi sighs “during the time you were ‘dead’ I had been the one to clean out your room. It’s whatever, I didn’t even do that much anyway.”
Yuji smiles softly “the least you could’ve done was change my mattress..”
Megumi flicks the side of his head “shut up” , shoving a meatball into his mouth to avoid grinning any more.
The movie wasn’t super interesting, and Yuji seemed invested so he wasn’t too mad about it. Megumi finished the last bite of his food before placing the bowl on his bedside table, planting a reminder to take that out to wash in the morning.
He slips a glance at the shorter, poor idiot who was drooping, long blinking and trying everything in his power to stay awake. He knew Yuji’s resilience, he could force himself sleepless nights for a long time, maybe the events of being able to be calm, no longer under a threat, and in a bed softer than his own helps.
“Itadori” he whispers, nudging the other’s shoulder with a gentle push, there’s no fight back or retort. He only gets a quiet hum in response as Yuji practically gives in to letting his eyes close. Megumi sighs, suddenly cutting himself off as a weight falls upon him. Oh no.
Megumi moves to wake him, getting a scene of Yuji’s peaceful face, cheeks coloured soft pink and his warm breath hitting the edges of his shirt; he wants to bathe in it. Breathe in the special energy and accept it.
The air flowing through his cracked open entryway is cool, the screen door keeping any sort of bug out. With the breeze of early winter and an annoyingly great comfort squished to his side, he sinks further into the bed.
Trying again, Megumi rattles Yuji by the shoulder in hopes he’ll wake up this time. The boy startles a little, eyes fluttering open “Itadori, you’re falling asleep, you should go back to your room” the option, or more so the demand makes Yuji whine tiredly.
“Can’t I just sleep here..?” he whispers, settling into the bed. To Megumi’s relief and also disappointment, Yuji turns his head from the closeness of Megumi’s arm to face the wall.
He sighs, Laptop settled in the blank spot of his chair, he lightly lifts the blanket to cover his shoulders, facing away from the other. His face is on fire, Megumi wants to shrivel up and implode a little bit.
Focusing on Yuji’s breathing set his nerves to a nicer level, his heart still skipping a beat at every shift or small motion Yuji made as Megumi made himself more comfortable.
It was nice.
He tells himself every chance he gets that having these fictional ideas where he and Yuji are happy, or just himself, was far from acceptable and that trying too hard at training was the only way to ignore his hands trembling around the latter.
Megumi practically lies still as a statue, stuck in his head. His position isn’t the most comfortable since he’s trying to keep to himself, not let a limb touch the boy. But for god's sake, Megumi’s been trying too hard at a lot of things that don’t matter.
His veins felt like vines and the blood coursing his body went to lead, an unknown tug in his chest makes him shiver to the bone. He has the chance to get up and make a fool of himself, sleeping anywhere but next to Yuji, or turn his body around and become the world’s biggest dummy that wants to cuddle their crush.
“Fushi?..” Yuji’s voice cuts in, tired and just under a whisper. The pillowcase crinkled and shifted from the turn of Yuji’s head.
“Sleep, Itadori” he says, closing his eyes and trying not to set images of Yuji’s soft features on the darkness of his eyelids. Sleep, that’s what he needs. There’s a form of guilt in his sternum, the result of his other reasoning as to why he didn’t want Yuji next to him in bed. Nightmares don’t hook to him anymore, they’re now a once in a while thing. If tonight he closes his eyes, and the glaring streaks haunt his vision, he’s not sure he could take the embarrassment. His nerves haywire from every rustle Yuji makes, reminding him that they may live next door to each other, however now in the same bed.
There's totally a harsh red tint over his face from this.
So, Megumi keeps his eyes open the most he can, fearing the damp images of those he once laid a gentle hand to, their aftermath covering his hands. Even though the unwanted visuals don’t come often. He still avoids and avoids and avoids.
It’s a cycle he doesn’t want to admit.
Focusing on the digits that flash along his bedside clock, he’s been thinking for too long. Or the movie went for a while without realising. It’s around 2 in the morning, over the breeze that comes and goes through his window, Megumi can hear Yuji’s quiet breathing. Can feel his weight within the blankets, its solace.
Eventually Megumi falls asleep, syncing his breathing to the boy behind him, and thankfully; his dreams are foggy with nothing to remember.
-
Today is going to set a permanent frown upon his features. He’s in Ijichi’s car, seated between Yuji and Nobara. The weather is cloudy and preferably the type of day they’d want to spend in their dorms, to discouragement and disbelief; they’ve been sent on a mission. All three of them for a reason he’s got no clue about, with the memory of Yuji’s body pressed to his side in the morning still in his mind, he’s glad Nobara can accompany his awkwardness.
They arrive at some abandoned warehouse, no longer in use and the energy from the place was seeping out of its metal doors. Luckily the place isn’t in a public setting; Megumi sighs deeply as they all climb out of the car.
He thanks Ijichi before the man drives off, watching the car trail down the empty streets while the others gamble over who will defeat the curse.
“You’ve got the power, I admit it. But I have a superior weapon, so I’m going to win”
“That’s a crazy take! I can just punch it and boom! Dead”
Megumi blinks for two seconds long “let’s just go”
“Okay bossy” Nobara speaks up, following along. Yuji skips to his side “it’s his way of affection, right Fushiguro?” The question in no way warrants an answer from him, it’s sort of obvious that Megumi will deny it. Yuji’s voice gives way to the sly smirk on his face anyway.
“Why are they making all three of us take down a grade 3 curse? Did they live under a rock when we saved the world” she asks rhetorically, Yuji chuckles at the sentence. Megumi tries to ignore them a little more.
As they walk down a concrete path, nudging the metal roller door up to open, is when the cursed energy rises, causing all of them to pause.
“I think we should start taking note that every time it’s a low grade on paper, is when we’re proven horribly wrong once we arrive” Nobara says, grasping her hammer sitting in the loop of her belt.
Yuji sets his shoulders, straightening his posture and cracking his knuckles to get ready at the hand.
“Yeah. It seems we should start” Megumi replies, summoning Kon, his black and white fur swelling from the inky shadows. He growls, looking around the area.
Megumi runs his hand through the mixed fur and with that, the beast is off. Nobara shudders “that thing is huge” her amber eye watches it take turns sniffing its surroundings and vanish around a corner. The place wasn’t small, so that’s frustrating, but glad that Kon is searching while the three of them take this floor. More ground to cover, and this whole thing will be over quicker.
A small laugh comes from his left, Yuji turns in circles as they walk to look at the place “I think Kon is cool, he looks a little bit like a werewolf, don’t you think?” His question was more aimed at Nobara. The girl hums in agreement, then her hand tightens around her weapon. Megumi wonders how Yuji figured out the shikigami’s name, which he can’t dwell on for much longer as the room feels deliberately worn down.
“You guys feel that?” She grits her teeth, and the dark shadows pool before Megumi to reveal Kon. He barks, Megumi huffs “you guys stay here, I’ll be back” and he’s stepping into the flooring.
Yuji squawks “what?! Wait—how’re you doing that? Never mind, what do we do??”
Nobara groans, taking out her hammer from the loop and pinching a nail between her fingers "let’s just get this over with!”
“It’s fine. Don’t die or I’ll—“
“Kill us?” Yuji answers, Megumi rolls his eyes fondly. The girl rolls her eyes "I'm so sick of you guys, may as well give me cavities" she flips her hair, puffing at their reactions. Yuji gasps, needing to retort a silly response to save himself, the game that Nobara pulled had to be set on pause for a moment as a swat flying curse hits him in the chest. "ack! what the hell?!"
Its wings flap around, slapping his arms and its nibbling on his strong grip. its wails and screeches trying to sting him, he yanks the slimy legs from his uniform and squishes it to a purple bloody pulp.
Yuji huffs embarrassed, making a grossed noise similar to a gag. Nobara laughs at the mess he made "this will never get old"
"Shut up! and you have no clue about we act" he retorts with the flick of his wrist.
Megumi sighs, shooting Yuji a look "don't say that like we're...ugh. I'm going!" he shakes his head before vanishing into the dark.
now was a terrible time for feelings and sugar sweet heartaches. This is so dumb. He's a sourcerer who never had time for those things.
As he resurfaces to what Kon had found, he hopes the idiots won’t get hurt. Some wishful thinking has started to rise within him now, it's annoying. Megumi crouches around the corner, feeling the energy much stronger now. There, by the collapsed concrete pillars and the ceiling caving in, is a sludgy curse. Its body twisted and large with stick like legs; the teeth stretched in different parts of its body. He wasn’t sure to be grateful that this curse was lurking the basement floor.
Megumi lightly cups the head of his shikigami's, ruling his voice to his fluffy ears “feast.”
It’s not a pretty sight, as Megumi skids along the floor from the curse’s punch. Yuji and/or Nobara haven’t arrived at his location, so either they’re lost or having the same troubles as him. As his shoulder hits the wall, the curse swaying and groaning to send its full mouth of sharp angular teeth in his direction, Kon rushes to his side; jumping into the sludge biting and clawing at its flesh.
He huffs, sinking his hand in his shadow to take out the cursed tool that hasn’t touched sunlight in 8 months.
The fight isn’t too hard, his body is tired and with only 4 hours of sleep, it’s not too bad that he’s taking this long. He stares at the blood stained over his sword, flickers of the curse’s blood on his hands and shirt. He’s reminded of the occurrence this sword was last used, its weight felt heavier. Stop, stop thinking about it. His hands, not feeling like his own. Megumi wheezes. Stop.
He looks up, the curse’s twisted body with clawed cuts zipped through its body, purplish blood oozing from its wounds, it shoots one of the gated teeth at his head. He ducks in time, swinging his sword at another flying, the tooth cracking in half and sounding along the floor.
Technique, what does this curse do? That’s what he should be focusing on. His head feels heavy, he had no trouble having short hours of sleep, so why is he feeling this way? Like he’s been up for days, like he’d been hit by a tailoring truck.
Fuck. The sharp metal of his sword sketches the ground as he leans against the wall. Its pitched noise is like nails on a chalkboard. His breathing feels deep, the need to close his eyes and fill his lungs feels as strong as magnets.
Kon is melting back into the shadows, whining at his host’s state. Megumi frowns at the curse, a ragged tooth shaped like splinters struck the wall, its edges covering his peripheral vision. Dangerously close to his head. Its impact shakes him more awake, jerking his head up to face the curse.
His shoulder hurts. His head is cloudy. For a moment he thought he saw black markings surround his wrists, an unforgettable tattoo. The curse must be playing with his mind, thoughts messing with what he’s really seeing.
fucking hell, did this thing know of his past? Messing with his vision, the amount of hours he actually slept with peaceful stars. Megumi wasn’t weak, they’ve trained overdue timers; and this curse was no special grade looking back on their reactions. There must be more than one, lurking in the walls multiplying the energy like a group project.
He’s gotten stronger. It’s true. So why was this so damn infuriating to deal with?
“Need… a br..eak?” It’s torn mouth mumbles.
He’s so tired. He stares at the curse, its legs disturbing and long, getting closer towards him. Winding up for a final blow. He thinks about nothing and everything while still fighting the feeling of anaesthesia, and flatting his back to the wall; preparing himself for the end. The moment. His eyes close on instinct as the curse flies towards him, sharp teeth and nails like steel, ready to penetrate his chest.
going out from a low grade curse is almost hilarious to what he had fought a year ago. But then again, it’s true he’s strong. And even more so now, it’s just his mentality that makes him not crack open his eyes.
He’s figured it out, the reason he’s staggering. The monsters strategy, oh how nostalgic.
There’s a ghostly cold air that slams past, nailing the curse in the wrist, Megumi’s eyes fly open as the curse screams in pain, agitated at being torn from the chance to kill. Another nail hits its neck, the energy buzzing away in the air. It’s staggered, and a final nail drills in it’s chest. The cursed energy is spiralling and the click of fingers spurs the trick.
Its body staggers and screams, blood pooling. The last of Megumi’s energy forces Kon to finish it off, a small feeling of glee after its body evaporates, fragments of smoke leaving a hot match. Aftermath feelings to give up have blended that energy into guilt and embarrassment again. Megumi sighs as his vision fills with the familiar sight of his friend. Nobara shakes his shoulders “Fushiguro! You moron of a boy, why did you—ugh. C’mon, we gotta find Itadori” her voice starts angry, draining out to concern. Which is a rare sound.
He groans as Nobara swings an arm around his mid section, pulling his arm to rest around her neck, helping him stand.
They’re walking up a flight of stairs when they hear a crash of metal and rubble. Nobara looks around “Itadori!”
Her voice sounds loud and it pierces his ears as the curse’s technique sinks deeper into his system. He might pass out, so to give Nobara less trouble, he fights it as much as he can. Forcing his eyes to be open, to stare at the floor and hitching his senses to drill on the noises of fighting.
Had Nobara been there for long? Her body is solid and reassuring against his side. Now he’s worried at just how much of the sloppy performance he’d challenged was shown to her, she must have seen it. The moment he...gave up.
Their walk is silent, and for once he hates it.
“Kugisaki..” he says, she turns her face to look at him, he can’t see her expression, but he’s sure it’s angry or something like indignant. Either way, she’s silent enough to speak her mind without words.
She gripes, tightening her hold when his feet stumble like he’d forgotten how to walk.
“I didn’t mean..” however he phrases it, he did mean to, didn’t he? He’s really going to collapse soon.
“We’ll talk after” she says. There’s no arguing there.
They’re getting closer to Yuji, as another curse radiates the area with its ambience, and Nobara whispers to herself “thank god” in her calm yet annoyed tone.
“Hey! Kill the curse already” her voice groaning “this dummy is weighing me down and I think—”
Megumi stumbles, Nobara hooking onto him tighter. She swallows a gasp as Megumi falls away from her for a second.
The energy starts to dissipate and Yuji’s strained voice cuts in, pulling him away from his thoughts.
“Woah. Fushiguro! Are you okay?” The boy speaks up, Nobara’s body and helping hands disappear and it’s like his own is swaying, mind swimming. Then it’s replaced with warm hands, and a steady frame against his side.
“He’s super out of it, I think it’s the aftermath of one of the curses”
“Jeez, multiple curses? I’m glad he’s not bleeding anywhere” there’s a pause and Megumi assumes Yuji’s checking over his dirtied uniform for injuries.
“Are you okay Kugisaki? I can’t believe there were three curses” he asks, voice still directed towards him but the strong gaze is no longer burning into his face.
She sighs “yeah I’m fine, a few scrapes and whatever but definitely not as bad as this guy” her voice pointed at Megumi. He cracks his eyes open to look at them, regretting it as their expressions showed more worry than their voices.
When Ijichi parks in front of them, they've climbed into the car by the order of the one they arrived in. Megumi hunches in the middle, so damn tired and doing everything in his power to not fall asleep on one of his classmates.
Yuji steadies him by the arm every now and then when they make a turn. While Nobara is quiet, he’s truly not prepared for what she has to say. He can see her clutching her arm, most likely a scrape she insisted wasn't too bad, and ending up stinging.
He can’t think much on it now though, tipping his head in a direction he doesn’t care about anymore, and letting sleep engulf him while the clouds darken and rain quietly patters over the roof of the car.