Chapter Text
When Megumi was younger, he lived with his father on a small island, in an even smaller village. His father was never around, always gone off on a new ship passing through the village every month without a word and coming back with gold coins in hand.
("Mer hunting," The other villagers whispered behind his back. "A wicked man," they called him. Megumi didn't care to pay them any mind.)
He hardly knew anyone in the village— besides his sister, Tsumiki— and he made no effort to acquaint himself with them either. He knew they detested him, but no one ever bothered him. His sister, though physically present, wasn't in great health.
("Soon to part," He'd heard the doctor say once. He chose not to believe that.)
Most days, she was made to lie in bed all day, attended to by the village doctor. This meant he was alone a lot of the time. He preferred it that way, anyway. Except…he had one friend.
They'd met by coincidence, if he's being honest. When he was around seven or eight years old, he had liked to explore the beach caves and alcoves off the water in the evenings, and one day, Megumi found him. He was exploring one of the rocky caves across the island from most of the village, when he spotted a shock of pink hair poking out over the top of one of the cave pools. The boy startled as he drew nearer, spinning around, revealing honey brown— almost gold— eyes. And...gills? Through the clear water of the pool, Megumi saw a finned, gray and white fish tail.
He'd heard of Mers before, obviously, but he never thought he would see one. Much less befriend one. There wasn't a day that went by after their initial meeting that Megumi and the Mer— "My name's Yuuji!" He had chirped, gazing at Megumi with stars in his eyes— didn't see each other. There weren't really any other kids his age in the village, none except Yuuji. He had always thought that Mers lived in groups, but he quickly learned that it was only Yuuji and his grandfather living in a small coral reef off the coast of the island.
Yuuji, much like Megumi, spent most of his time alone. His grandfather was old, not in good health (much like Tsumiki), so Yuuji was essentially free to roam the waters around the island on his own. For the next two and a half years, Yuuji and Megumi explored every inch of those shores together, splashing through cave pools, and reefs, and lying on the sandy beach at night when there was no risk of being seen. It was nice. But it was never going to last forever.
The last time Megumi saw Yuuji, it was a humid, summer night. They were sitting in the sand, Megumi's pants rolled up to his knees, the waves lapping at Megumi's calves and at the tip of Yuuji's caudal fin while their hair was tousled by the wind.
"One day, I'm gonna be taller than you." Yuuji states matter-of-factly. Megumi rolls his eyes.
"No way." He huffs, flicking sand at Yuuji. "I'll always be taller than you." He denies with certainty, lying back in the sand.
"Not true." Yuuji whines back. "I'll get big! I'm a shark— sharks are supposed to be the biggest." He puffs out his cheeks, splashing a bit of water at Megumi with the edge of his fin.
"Sometimes I think you may just be a gray fish. There's no way you could be a shark." Megumi scoffs, resting his arms behind his head in the sand as he glances over Yuuji's tail. Though proportionally small to Yuuji, it's definitely a shark tail— it has the same rough, gray skin and white underbelly, along with darker, strange markings across the back of his tail that neither of them have really been able to identify.
"I am a shark!" Yuuji whines again, the sound shriller than before.
"Fine, fine. Maybe you're a dog shark. Seems fitting to me." Megumi concedes, the corner of his mouth twitching into an unwilling smirk.
"I'm not a dog shark." Yuuji grumbles. "I'll grow up to be big, then you'll see." He huffs, flopping back into the sand next to Megumi. Silence stretches between them for a moment as they both stare up at the starry night sky.
"...Megs?" Yuuji murmurs after a moment. Megumi turns his head towards him. His tone is unusually serious, and Yuuji is never serious. Yuuji bites his lip, sitting up and staring out towards the waves.
"I think- I think my Gramps is getting worse…a lot worse. I think it's really bad." Megumi falters, also sitting up. He turns towards Yuuji fully, his brows furrowing.
"Oh. I'm...sorry." Megumi mumbles, not really sure what to say. He'd never met Yuuji's grandpa— in fact, he was pretty sure that Yuuji's grandpa didn't know that Megumi existed. They'd always been careful to keep their friendship under wraps. Who knows what would happen if someone found out.
"I think he's going to die." Yuuji whispers, his caudal fin swishing slowly in the rippling waves.
Megumi stares at him silently. He's never really been good with comforting people, never really been sure how to handle the fickle nature of other people's emotions. He scoots closer on the beach, hesitantly grabbing Yuuji's hand from where his fingers were running idly through the sand. He doesn't say anything, and he knows Yuuji doesn't expect him to. He's always been understanding like that.
"It gets worse, if that's possible." Yuuji breathes out a humorless laugh. "Gramps wants me to leave the reef once he's gone."
...What?
"What? Wh- what are you talking about?" Megumi stumbles over his words, his mind reeling. Yuuji? Leaving? Yuuji nods solemnly.
"He said it'll be too dangerous here for me on my own." He murmurs, intertwining his fingers with Megumi's.
"Too dangerous? That's not possible. We've both spent years around this island by ourselves." Megumi frowns, squeezing Yuuji's hand tighter.
"It wouldn't be the same." Yuuji flushes. "If another Mer were to find out I was on my own, I'd be done for. That's what Gramps says, at least."
"And you're, what, going to listen to him?" Megumi scoffs, his tone harsh and defensive. Yuuji bows his head, looking conflicted.
"I'm sorry." He replies, in lieu of answering. Megumi clenches his jaw.
"You can't be serious." He snaps, untangling his hand from Yuuji's.
"Sorry." Yuuji repeats, ducking his head lower. "But I made you something? To, um, have when I leave." Yuuji mumbles, a slight blush dusting his cheeks as he glances towards Megumi. He starts to fumble with the clasp of the necklace he's wearing— one Megumi had noticed earlier, but hasn't seen before.
"No, I-" Megumi groans, irritated. "I want you to stay! You aren't even going to argue with me about this?"
"Arguing with you will just make me sad. Or convince me to stay. I don't want either of those things." Yuuji huffs under his breath. Megumi clenches his jaw. Yuuji is going to leave him alone, and for what? Because his Grandfather said so?
"What would even be the difference? How would staying in the reef be any more dangerous than- than going out into the sea?!" Megumi lashes out, pushing himself up to his feet. He knows he's being irrational, but he just can't bring himself to care.
"...I can't say I entirely understand his reasoning-" Yuuji counters weakly.
"You've got to be kidding me." Megumi interrupts incredulously.
"- But I trust my Grandpa!" Yuuji finishes with a sigh, glancing up to meet Megumi's gaze guiltily.
Megumi stares back at him. He is so unbelievably angry, he feels like he's about to cry. He fights to keep the traitorous tears out of his eyes, trying to muster all his anger into a scathing look towards Yuuji. Yuuji just looks up at him, his expression that of a kicked puppy.
"Megumi..." Yuuji mumbles, also looking on the verge of tears. His bottom lip wobbles slightly. It makes Megumi want to simultaneously punch Yuuji in the face and throw himself in the ocean for upsetting Yuuji. He grits his teeth, turning away from Yuuji. He takes a half step forward, hesitating. He wants to leave. God, he so badly wants to storm off back to the village, leaving Yuuji behind on the beach. Megumi is sure Yuuji would take back his choice to leave then. At the same time, his heart twinges painfully at the idea of purposefully hurting Yuuji like that.
He doesn't get the chance to dwell on it further, as he feels a hand twist into the fabric of his rolled-up pants. Megumi glances down, finding Yuuji's tear-streaked face staring up at him. In Yuuji's other hand is the necklace he was fumbling with earlier, now removed. He blushes, shoving the necklace into Megumi's hand. Megumi scoffs, preparing to throw the necklace back at Yuuji— no matter how much he wants to keep it, maybe, maybe if he lashes out enough, Yuuji will stay. Instead, Yuuji moves away, scooting further into the lapping waves.
"Just take it. Please." Yuuji pleads, retreating into the water with a backwards glance towards Megumi. Megumi's fist clenches around the necklace as he spins around, reaching his other hand out towards Yuuji instinctively. A complicated, uncomfortable feeling curls in his chest. If Yuuji leaves, then he'll lose his first and only real friend. If Yuuji leaves, then Megumi will be left alone on this godforsaken island with his dying sister, a village that hates him, and the vacuum of space that his father leaves behind. If Yuuji leaves, what happens to him?
Megumi's throat constricts, tears welling in his eyes. He hates crying, hates it with his whole being— he's not some stupid kid. But Yuuji, Yuuji always manages to bring it out in him.
"Don't go." He whispers, knowing it's useless. He hates this feeling too— that feeling like his insides are being carved out and replaced with ice, like the dread of something he can't prevent. But despite it all, despite everything he hates in the world, he could never bring himself to hate Yuuji. Even now, when Yuuji is going to leave him.
"I'll see you again." Yuuji promises, like a vow, turning back to the open ocean. "When I'm big and strong, and I can protect the both of us. Just…wait for me, okay?" Yuuji turns on that last part, meeting Megumi's gaze with his own honey-eyed stare. Megumi stands there, the edge of the shell necklace biting into his palm from how hard he's gripping it. He wants to yell, to scream, to throw the necklace into the ocean and run back to that house in the village that barely feels like home. But he doesn't.
"You-" Megumi's voice wavers. "You're such a liar." He snaps. He knows there's no point in arguing anymore, Yuuji has made up his mind— and Yuuji is nothing if not stubborn.
"I promise." Yuuji murmurs, turning back away from him. Megumi watches him disappear into the waves, before finally unclenching his fist around the necklace and glancing down at it. It's a thin cord with a few smaller shells woven into it— some scalloped shells, and even a star-shaped pearl— and, as the pendant, a miniature conch shell. The conch itself is a cute pink, like the color of Yuuji's hair, with black spots and a creamy white inside. The necklace is beautiful, but it burns Megumi to the core. This is Yuuji's goodbye, and he knows it.
He doesn't see Yuuji again after that.
And hardly a few weeks later, while Megumi is still reeling from the loss of his only friend— his Yuuji— Tsumiki's health goes downhill fast. It doesn't take long after that for Megumi to be left completely alone. Only a few days after that, a strange man shows up at his door. The man— Satoru Gojo, a name that would nag at him for the rest of time— claimed to owe something to his father. The man doesn't say it outright, but Megumi can tell by the conflicted look in his eyes. His father was dead.
He'd only learn later that Gojo, despite his immature qualities, was the heir (but soon to be head) of one of the three political dynasties that ruled over the world, by the side of the emperor— as well as a newly-promoted Admiral in the Imperial Navy. He's whisked away soon after that, across the ocean and far away from the village he'd grown up in. He should have resisted more, or at all, really. Gojo is a nuisance at best and a downright burden at his worst, but in his almost eleven-year-old brain, Megumi really had no other option. He had no family left— that he knew of then, at least— and nothing truly tying him down to the village. At that time, he couldn't have cared less about what happened to him.
For the four or so years following his departure from the village, he adapts to the life that comes with being a member of an influential clan. And, in the last year or so, he's been made to attend the prestigious Jujutsu Academy, living there part-time whilst spending his time off school at the Gojo Estate. Though, he never really gets time off from Gojo himself, seeing as he teaches at the Academy.
He can't really say he enjoys the Gojo Estate— or Jujutsu Academy— more than he did his old village, but being a ward of the Gojo Clan has its perks. He's shown respect by his peers, by the other members of the clan, and he has unlimited access to Gojo's bottomless coin purse. Those perks, however, hardly make up for the political nonsense he has to deal with.
Like right now. Megumi sighs, feeling the sun beat down hot on the back of his neck as he stands on the dock. He faces out towards the sea while, on his left, sailors haul supplies onto the moored Carrack, which sways slightly in the wind as the sea-breeze blasts through his hair. From his hand dangles the shell necklace, wrapped around his fingers. He still wears it sometimes, but he mostly prefers to keep it on his person. Every time he puts it on, Gojo bugs him about where it came from and how he got it. Megumi has never told anyone about Yuuji, but he isn't really sure why. Every time he thinks about Yuuji, something hot and regretful curls inside his chest. Guilt, definitely— for how he treated Yuuji the last time they spoke. And the fact that he'll probably never see the pink-haired boy again.
"You gonna stand there all day?" A voice asks from behind Megumi. Megumi startles, the necklace almost slipping out of his hand. He clenches his jaw, turning to meet the person behind him. Gojo stands a few feet away on the dock, grinning at him as he tugs idly at the collar of his Admiral's coat. Megumi's gaze glides past him, towards the boarding ramp, where some lower rank officers are loading cargo onto the ship.
Megumi shoves the necklace into his pocket, giving Gojo an unimpressed look.
"Is all of this really necessary?" Megumi drawls, ignoring Gojo's comment. Gojo sighs.
"They're offerings to the old bastards of the Clan council." He shrugs, giving a distasteful glance towards the ship. "We should hop on, we'll be leaving soon." Gojo takes a few steps forward, clapping a hand over Megumi's shoulder. Megumi grunts, shrugging his hand off and walking towards the boarding ramp.
"I shouldn't even have to go to this meeting." He grumbles, adjusting his sailor's coat as he steps onto the ship. Gojo just chuckles behind him.
"If I'm being forced to go, then so are you." He smirks, stepping onto the ship after Megumi.
The deck of the ship is busy, as sailors bustle back and forth hauling supplies and readying the sails for their departure. At the bow of the boat, he spots Shoko and Nobara. Shoko leans on her forearms against the railing, an engraved pipe dangling from one hand. To her right, Nobara leans her back against the railing, scowling like she wants to burn everything to the ground. That, at least, isn't unusual. He understands why, though.
Nobara is one of his classmates at Jujutsu Academy— the only other first-year, in fact. Given that she doesn't hail from any of the major political families and that she got into the Academy based on her merits alone, they get along pretty well. Megumi would go as far as to call her a friend. Currently, the both of them are on break from school for the summer season. Spurred on by a rare moment of weakness, Megumi invited Nobara to spend the summer at the Gojo estate.
For the weeks leading up to this point, they'd been having a decent time. Nobara, seeing as she came from a small island village— much like he used to— was fascinated by the island that the Gojo Clan resided on. But now, due to her presence on the estate grounds, she's been roped into attending the Clan gathering, just the same as him.
Shoko, on the other hand, has been a partner of the Gojo family for years now. Gojo himself doesn't talk about it much, but Megumi has gathered that they must be old friends of some sort. She serves as the primary physician to the Gojos and remains involved in any Clan matters, despite not actually being a part of the bloodline. Not that Megumi can be talking on that front.
Gojo brushes past him, making his way over to Shoko and Nobara. Megumi huffs, annoyed, before following after him.
"Nobara, Shoko!" Gojo calls out, clapping his hands together. "Ready to get this show on the road?" He grins. Shoko quirks an eyebrow at him in response, bringing the end of the pipe up to her lips.
"I'm not." Nobara scowls, "Gojo-Sensei, how have I been dragged into this?" she complains. Megumi rolls his eyes, which gets him a jab in the ribs from Nobara.
"Sorry, my dear student, but you agreed to spend the summer at the estate." Gojo shrugs. "Most of the clan will be attending, and I can't exactly leave you here alone. It isn't like we have time to make a stop to take you home, either." He claps a hand over her shoulder. "Think of it as networking!"
Megumi scoffs internally.
"Networking? This gathering is going to be the worst political disaster of the century." He deadpans. Nobara turns towards him, irritated.
"And what does that mean?" She counters, crossing her arms.
"It means our current political climate is rocky at best." Shoko speaks up, before turning to Gojo. "The Mers will be attending this year, correct?" She asks, smoke wafting from the bowl of her pipe as she brings it down from her mouth. Gojo grimaces. Nobara tilts her head.
"Uh, what's that now?" Her brows furrow. "I don't really care to stay up on politics."
"Don't get me started." Gojo sighs dramatically. "But yes, dear Shoko, the Mers will be attending this year."
Megumi tenses. There's a long, well-known history between Mers and humans, and it's been the subject of clan debate as of late. At Nobara's confused look, Gojo continues.
"You've heard about the King of Mers, yeah?"
"A little bit. Scary shark dude, right?" Nobara taps her chin, thinking. Something uncomfortable twists in Megumi's chest at the reminder. Every time the subject is brought up, he never fails to remember that Yuuji, too, was a shark.
"Pretty much." Gojo shrugs. "Well, before he— Sukuna— came into power, Mers were treated pretty badly. The council and clans preferred it that way, actually. It was really just centuries of capturing and killing Mers as they pleased. Then, a couple years back, there was this whole sha-bang where Sukuna rose up and took control of the Mers, then started sinking any ships that crossed into his territory. He killed a bunch of other sharks, too— basically anyone that opposed him. From my understanding, there aren't any other shark Mers left." Gojo prattles on, gesturing with his hands.
That part, too, always catches his attention. He'd wondered lately how it was that Yuuji could have beaten the odds of something like that. Well, more accurately, his parents. It's been almost sixteen years since then, so it would have been just before Yuuji's time.
"Why haven't we learned about this in class, Sensei?-" Nobara starts pointedly, before being cut off.
"Shhh, I'm not done." Gojo interrupts with a huff. "The Mers are attending the gathering this year, acting as an additional clan. Yuuta— you guys remember Yuuta— has been working on negotiations with them for the past few months in preparation." Gojo beams, clapping his hands together.
Ah, right. Yuuta. The heir to the Gojo clan, but also a…complicated sore spot in the council. This is due to Yuuta being the product of a Mer and a Human from the Gojo clan. Being a mix of the two, he has the ability to walk on land and swim in the ocean, but he spends his time mostly at the Academy or the Gojo Estate. A few months back, though, he was roped into visiting the underwater city of the Mers by the council. Seeing as he is part Mer, the rest of the council thought it would be a wise idea to send Yuuta— Yuuta, of all people— to convince Sukuna to let up on his tyrannical rule over the seas. Needless to say, it hasn't been very effective. It's because of this that they're even involving the Mers in the gathering, as a last-ditch attempt to try and appeal to the King of the Mers. Megumi is, of course, skeptical.
"This won't go well." He repeats, crossing his arms. Nobara smacks his shoulder.
"Don't say that! If the old farts start pulling out swords, we'll be in the line of fire." She grumbles. Megumi just rolls his eyes. Shoko shakes her head with a sigh, standing up off the railing.
"I'm going into the cabin. We'll talk later." She waves behind her, dodging sailors as she walks towards the ship's stairs, down into the cabin.
"No smoking below deck!" Gojo calls after her, before turning back to Megumi and Nobara.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Megumi mutters, leaning against the railing.
"Only I'm allowed to complain." Nobara huffs, looking out over the bow of the boat and out to sea.
"At least it looks like it'll be a nice trip." She sighs, squinting up at the clear sky. Gojo's eyes pass idly over the sky at her comment, before stopping to tilt his nose up.
"Smells like rain." He murmurs, mostly to himself. "Better strap in, kiddos. We'll be taking off soon."
The first few hours of the trip are decently nice. The sun beats down hot onto the deck, but the heat is lessened by the salty sea breeze. After a while, though, Megumi spots the dark, churning clouds of an impending storm in the distance. Looks like Gojo's nose was right, as usual.
As the storm approaches, the waves beat harder against the hull of the ship, some even splashing up over the railings. Megumi watches in faint amusement as a sailor is drenched by one of said waves, squealing at the frigid temperature of the water. It isn't very long, though, until those other feelings are overshadowed by a kind of sinking dread. Gojo appears at some point, directing the other shipmen into various work on deck. In itself, that shouldn't be concerning; it is his job after all— but knowing Gojo, he never does his job as intended. Which means that something is wrong.
Megumi stands up on the deck, holding tightly onto a rope attached to the main mast, directly under the crow's nest. The ship rocks dangerously, throwing the newer crew members around the wet wooden boards as waves beat against the hull of the boat. He stumbles out of the way as sailors scramble past him, reaching for the lines to adjust the sails. He grips onto a section of the railing on the edge of the ship, his gaze searching for Gojo. Nobara and Shoko had holed up below deck, securing cargo, while Megumi and Gojo were meant to stay up on deck. He spots Gojo standing at the bow of the ship, their eyes meeting for just a moment, right before a particularly large wave slams into the boat.
Megumi can't honestly say he's sure what happened next. One moment, he's standing on the deck of the ship trying to keep his balance— holding on for dear life— the next, he's flying over the edge and down, down into the frigid waters below.
The impact of him hitting the water feels like being slammed into a brick wall, and it punches all the air out of his lungs. The water drags him under with no chance to catch his breath, the cold seeping through his clothes right to his bones. He's flailing, trying to pull himself upwards, but the waves beat against him, shoving him down.
This is it, he thinks. Fifteen years of struggling through life just to drown in the harsh, freezing sea. His vision is just starting to blur when he catches sight of something. A glimpse of pink hair, a hint of something gray in the edge of his vision, a peek of white. He's starting to think he's already hallucinating from the lack of oxygen when, suddenly, strong arms wrap around him from behind.
He's spun around, now staring into the face of one Yuuji Itadori. He must already be dead, then. He's dead, and this is heaven.
Yuuji(?)— from what Megumi can make out through his increasingly blurry vision— is staring at him like he's seen a ghost. The two of them are propelled upward, before both of their heads breach the surface of the waves. Maybe he's not dead, then. Megumi coughs and hacks, trying to spit up water as waves continuously slam over his head, with Yuuji still trying to keep them upright. The ship gets gradually further away, but he can hear the yelling of a distinctly annoying voice from over the railing.
Megumi's vision swims as Yuuji starts frantically patting the pockets of his soaked pants, but he can't bring himself to be offended, or even confused. His vision starts to black, dark spots dancing over his line of sight before he's forced to let himself close his eyes. Well, if he wasn't dead before, then there's certainly no way he makes it out of this, he thinks distantly.
He passes out, Yuuji's arms wrapped firmly around him.
Megumi bolts upright from where he was lying on his side, heart pounding and chest heaving. He should be dead. Is he dead? No, can't be. His entire body aches like he's one giant bruise, and his head is throbbing with the worst headache of his life. He immediately falls back onto his back with a groan, his vision blurring from the sudden movement.
From what he can make out through his fuzzy vision, he's staring at the rocky ceiling of a cave. How did he get here? The last thing he remembers is the figure of Yuuji— or, at least he hopes it was— grabbing him in the water. But it couldn't have been Yuuji, there's no way.
There's movement in his peripheral, to which he turns his head towards, but immediately hisses in pain as his whole body protests at the movement. He squeezes his eyes shut, but feels someone else settle down next to him. Megumi manages to wrench his eyes open, staring right into the face of one Yuuji Itadori, who is currently leaning over him. On his knees. On legs.
What the fuck.
Yuuji's face lights up upon noticing that Megumi is awake.
"Ohmygod- You're alright!" He rushes out, his mouth splitting into a wide smile. "I was getting worried, to be honest." Yuuji sighs in relief, sitting back on his heels. Megumi sits up slowly, staring at Yuuji like he's grown a second head. Or like he's come back from the dead.
"What the fuck." Megumi repeats aloud.
Yuuji, unperturbed, surges forward and wraps his— stupidly muscular— arms around Megumi (what the hell?) and squeezes until Megumi feels like his eyes are going to pop out of his skull.
"What- how-" He manages to gasp out, being practically strangled by Yuuji.
Yuuji pulls away from him after a moment, staring at him with those bright, golden eyes that Megumi could still remember vividly, even after the time they've spent apart. Despite it having been almost five years since Megumi had seen him, Yuuji still looks much the same. The same spiky, pink hair, the same crescent-shaped birthmarks on either side of his eyes, the same blinding smile. But with a few key differences. Yuuji is a few inches taller than him. And way more muscular than he remembers. With legs.
Yuuji sits on his knees in front of Megumi, wearing loose, flowy pants that look hand-patched and a tank top, leaving his sinewy arms on display.
"You..." Megumi flounders, at a loss for words. He needs to say something. "You're taller."
Wow. Smooth, Megumi. He facepalms internally.
Yuuji's grin widens.
"I told you I'd get bigger!" He boasts, moving to sit criss-crossed on the stone floor.
"Well, you definitely did, that's for sure." Megumi murmurs, finally looking around. The cave is, well, just that. He notices an opening that seems to go upwards, where sunlight streams into the space in thin beams. To his other side, there seems to be a pool that narrows into an underwater passageway. On the rocky ledge just above the pool, he spots his damp coat laid out to dry. Megumi finally glances down, noticing he is missing his jacket— leaving him in his still-wet pants and undershirt. Notably, though, he's now wearing his necklace.
Megumi takes a deep, steadying breath to gather his thoughts, as Yuuji just watches him with that same starry-eyed look he would give Megumi when they were younger.
"...How am I alive?" He asks after a moment, reaching up to rub at his throbbing temples.
"Well..." Yuuji blushes, scratching his cheek. "I was following your ship." He ducks his head, seeming embarrassed. "I didn't know it was your ship, though. Not until you fell into the water." He fists his hands in the fabric of his pants.
"Why were you following the ship in the first place?" Megumi snaps on instinct, before reigning himself in. "…I thought the King of the Mers forbade any interaction between humans and Mers." He restates, schooling his voice into something calmer, as opposed to the irritation usually evident in his voice. Yuuji visibly tenses at the mention of the King of the Mers, somewhat of a constipated look crossing his face.
"Um, I...like ships," Yuuji mumbles, fidgeting with his fingers. "But you're lucky I was there! You would've died otherwise!" He huffs, crossing his arms.
"I still don't understand that, by the way." Megumi points out, also crossing his arms. "I remember almost drowning, and there's no way you would've been able to, I don't know, give me CPR in the middle of the ocean." He pushes, irritation creeping back into his voice.
Yuuji blinks at him. Then blinks again. Several seconds pass before Yuuji claps his hands together suddenly.
"Oh, I can answer that!" He grins, like he just realized it himself. "It's because of the necklace," He explains, like it makes perfect sense. "I put it on you while we were in the water."
Megumi stares back at him.
"Were you always this dense?"
"Hey!" Yuuji snaps indignantly. "I'm being serious!" He grumbles. "The shell. It was a relic from my Gramps. It's blessed." He huffs, crossing his arms. "My guess is it allows you to breathe underwater, otherwise you'd be, y'know..." He trails off. But that can't be true, Megumi thinks. There is no way he's been carrying around a blessed object for years now without realizing it.
Blessed objects— typically shells, though there have been a few rare cases of other things— are exceedingly rare. Their effects range widely, and it's even been shown that the objects can change uses in between users. Many are held by prominent figures, mostly within the major clans, and are passed down through family trees. For Yuuji to have one in the first place, then to pass it on to him without him realizing, is borderline impossible. But apparently it's not so.
Thinking about it now, Gojo has always been unusually interested in the necklace every time he has spotted it. He's always known that Gojo had a blessed object of his own, passed down through the Gojo clan, but he's never seen it. The man must've known and deliberately not said anything. Ugh.
Megumi doesn't bother to question Yuuji further; he knows it will lead nowhere.
"...So do I have to bring it up, or are you going to address the elephant in the room?" He sighs through his nose after several beats of silence. Yuuji stares at him.
"Legs. You have legs?" Megumi stresses, already feeling his brain cells withering away.
"Oh, um. That." Yuuji mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck. "…the short answer is 'I don't know'."
"And the long answer?" Megumi shoots him a look.
"...Also I don't know?" Yuuji replies sheepishly. Megumi facepalms internally.
He can hardly believe any of this is happening. Until today, the idea that he would ever see Yuuji again was a little less than a fever dream, much less sitting here and having this idiotic conversation with him. He couldn't be more at a loss. Just a few hours ago (he thinks, he should probably ask Yuuji how long he's been out) he was dreading the events of the upcoming Gathering— wait.
"How am I going to get there now?" Megumi mutters, rubbing a hand down his face. Yuuji tilts his head.
"The Gathering?" Yuuji prompts, tilting his head. Megumi pauses, narrowing his eyes.
"Is that why you were following the ship?"
"...Maybe." Yuuji mumbles. "Don't look at me like that!" He whines at the pointed look Megumi gives him. "Look, my point is, I can get you there!" He huffs. "…As long as nobody sees us." Yuuji adds on. Megumi quirks an eyebrow.
"My uncle— I mean, I'm not supposed to go anywhere near the Gathering. But if we're careful, I can get you there!" Yuuji shakes his head, correcting himself quickly. Megumi pauses, thinking about it. That would definitely be the easiest solution, but...
Megumi just got Yuuji back. Sure, he needs to go back to the Gojo Estate eventually, but who is to say that has to be so soon? It isn't as if he wanted to go to the Gathering anyway. But even more, Yuuji is offering to put himself on the line to get Megumi back to his ship. Ugh, Megumi despises being put into hard places like this. The upside is, he knows Yuuji is alive now. Even when he does go back, he'll be able to do so with the chance of seeing Yuuji again. Plus the swim to the Gathering would give them a chance to talk...
"Alright, fine. As long as we're careful. I don't want anything to happen to you just because you stuck your neck out for me." He mutters, standing up. He walks towards the ledge that holds his coat, feeling heavy on his feet. He grabs the jacket— it's still a bit damp, but they're about to get back in the water, so whatever— and slips it back on.
"How long was I out?" He asks after a moment, watching Yuuji stand up as well.
"Only a few hours, I think." Yuuji hums, stretching his arms above his head. Wow, he really has gotten taller. He stands two or so inches taller than Megumi now, whereas before he was several inches shorter.
"I should be able to get you there before the ceremonies start." Yuuji grins, shooting him a glance before moving to sit at the edge of the pool. For a moment, Megumi wonders how he knows when the Gathering starts— but he knows that is the less urgent of his current issues.
Yuuji slips into the water. Megumi blinks, and it seems that Yuuji's tail has returned, similar to how Yuuta transforms between water and land. Huh.
"Ready to go? Yuuji tilts his head.
"...Yeah, let's go." He murmurs, before sitting down and sliding into the water after him.