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Megumi has known Yuuji for as long as he could remember. Some time, way back before his brain formed and he developed consciousness, some loud-mouthed kid with pink hair moved into his town, enrolled in his school, sat next to him in class, and the rest was history.
The two were always known to be together. When one was there, the other was always close behind. There was a familiarity that grew over the years, to the point where they could just show up at each other’s house, unannounced, and no one would ever bat an eye.
Complete opposites too. Yuuji was bold, loud, extroverted, friendly, and kind. Megumi was analytical, quiet, apprehensive, indifferent, and reserved. Still, they worked.
They always did.
So, it was really no surprise that Megumi fell in love.
Who else to better complete him than his best friend? Someone to balance him out. Someone who stays by his side. Yuuji has always been there with a wide smile and brown eyes softer than the golden clouds during a fall sunset.
There’s just one problem.
Yuuji is totally in love with Tsumiki.
It totally makes sense.
Tsumiki is probably the kindest person that Megumi knows. She’s someone that’s always been the giver, never the taker. The kind of person to let Megumi have the last slice of pizza, to let him pick during movie night, to always put others first before herself.
Yuuji is exactly that person, too. For as long as Megumi has known them both, they’re the best people in his life, probably the whole world. So, entering high school, when Yuuji started to blush and stutter anytime he was visiting, it wasn’t hard to put the pieces together.
Megumi is in love with his best friend, and his best friend is in love with his sister.
But it’s fine, he tells himself. He can live with that. Even though they’re in their final year of school, it’s perfectly okay. Yuuji is still in his life, and that’s all he could ask for.
The bell rings, signaling the end of the school day. Megumi stands, stretching, before he starts to make his way to the hall. He waits by the stairs, like he always does.
“Megumi!” Yuuji calls out, jogging to bump his shoulder. They fall into their habits, heading to the doors. “You’re still helping me with that essay tonight, right?”
“Yes, you know I will,” Megumi replies with a sigh, though not exasperated. A small smirk rests on his lips.
“Your place or mine?” Yuuji sends an exaggerated, flirtatious look Megumi’s way, causing him to roll his eyes.
“Mine, if that’s okay,” he replies. “It’s my turn to cook dinner tonight. You can join, if you want.”
“Tsumiki will be there?”
“She lives there. So, yeah.”
Yuuji doesn’t say anything further, and Megumi can feel a pang in his chest. It really is unfair, he thinks to himself. But he can’t be too upset. Not when they walk side by side, back to their neighborhood.
They never leave school without each other. It’s always them.
Passing through the city, they walk in silence together. Megumi tries not to stare, but he can’t help stealing glances every now and then as they move in the afternoon sun. Yuuji looks beautiful, he always does, in the soft, orange light. Tall, tan, and bright.
“You know,” he starts, voice nervous. “I’ve been needing to ask Tsumiki something. I hope you don’t mind if I steal her for a bit before we get started on the essay.”
Megumi can feel his throat close, and he tries his best to swallow and smile. “Sure. I’ll just be in my room.”
“Sweet, thanks,” Yuuji says, with a smile so bright, it makes Megumi want to melt. “I’ll just come up after.”
“Sounds good.”
Megumi should have expected it, honestly. For the past several months, whenever Yuuji would come over, he would act weird. Always around Tsumiki.
Recently, it’s been worse. Tsumiki would look his way, and Yuuji would blush and avert his gaze. He would ask to help her in the kitchen while Megumi sits on the couch, reading and listening to their quiet whispers.
It didn’t help that it seemed like Tsumiki liked him, too.
Just the other day, Megumi walked into the living room to find them, huddled together, talking like they were the only two people in the world. He didn’t hear what they were saying, he didn’t want to, so he just turned around and silently returned to his room.
Last week, Tsumiki tapped on Megumi’s bedroom door, asking to steal Yuuji for a moment in the kitchen. Before Megumi could even answer, Yuuji was shooting up, across the room in seconds, leaving him for his sister as they laughed and scurried off.
It’s not that Megumi hates the idea of them together. In fact, he couldn’t imagine a more perfect pairing. It’s just that… he wished it could have been him instead. If Yuuji had to go and fall for a Fushiguro sibling, why couldn’t it have been him?
Arriving at home, Tsumiki smiles as she greets them, pulling them both in for a hug. Megumi tries not to look at the way that Yuuji’s arms wrap around her back.
“How was school?” she asks, taking a step back.
“It was fine,” Megumi answers. “I’m helping Yuuji with an essay.”
“He’s my hero,” Yuuji jokes, and Tsumiki giggles.
“Well, I won’t keep you,” she says. “It’s Meg’s turn to make dinner. Are you staying?”
“If you’ll have me.”
“We’ll always have you.”
Megumi feels a knot form in his stomach, and he starts towards his room.
“I’ll get set up for you, Yuuji,” he calls back, not waiting for a response.
As he reaches his door, he can still hear them talking:
“Aren’t you going to go work on your essay?”
“Actually, I needed to talk to you about something first.”
Yeah, Megumi doesn’t want to hear any more of that.
He closes his door, maybe a little too harshly, and falls back onto his bed. Staring at the ceiling, Megumi knows that he needs to get over it, to be happy for them, but he can’t bring himself to. He feels sad, dejected, hurt, and tired. Of all people… it had to be Yuuji. And, of all people… it had to be Tsumiki.
With a final sigh, he decides to stop lamenting, to get his laptop out and prepare for this essay. He was always better than Yuuji in academics, and just because he’s pining and jealous of his sister doesn’t mean that he’s a bad friend.
Just as he gets his laptop and notes out on the bed, Yuuji walks in, face read, breathing like he’s run a marathon. He’s got a stupid smile that he’s obviously trying to hide, and it dawns on Megumi.
There’s no way, he thinks to himself. Did they kiss?
Megumi is feeling the anger before he can process it.
Yuuji looks like something life changing just happened in the other room, not even six meters from where he sits on his bed. He’s just so mad.
“Are you done, or are you ready to get started on your work?” he bites out.
Yuuji’s eyes widen a bit, shocked. “What?”
“The essay,” Megumi huffs, trying and failing to mask his annoyance. “That’s what you wanted to come over for, right?”
Yuuji pauses by the door, face still flushed, and nods. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s great. Why wouldn’t it be?” Megumi replies, curt.
“You sound mad.”
“I’m not.”
“I know when you’re lying.”
“Then stop.”
“Megumi,” Yuuji states. His voice is firm, and when Megumi looks up, he sees a stern expression that Yuuji so rarely wears. “The hell is going on?”
“Nothing, Yuuji, it’s fine,” he lies through gritted teeth.
“Clearly not, because you’re acting like I did something wrong,” Yuuji replies.
“It’s not you.”
“Then what is it?”
“Nothing that you should worry about.”
“You’re my best friend. I’m going to be worried.”
Megumi rolls his jaw, looking at the scattered notes on his bed. “I don’t need you to be.”
“Megumi—”
“How did your talk with Tsumiki go?” he cuts in. “Did you ask her what you needed to ask her?”
Yuuji pauses, clearly taken aback. He runs a hand through his hair and swallows.
“Yeah, it was fine.”
“Just fine?”
“Just fine.”
Megumi nods, and he can’t help the sharp laugh that escapes him. It catches Yuuji off guard, who flinches at the cold tone of his voice.
“So, what? Are you two, like, together now?” he asks, turning back to glare at Yuuji.
Maybe he sounds bitter, maybe he sounds jealous. It doesn’t matter. Megumi can’t help the swarm of negative emotions in his gut right now.
“Are we what?” Yuuji asks, mouth agape, eyes wide, and brows furrowed. “Me and Tsumiki?”
“Isn’t that what you wanted to ask her?”
“Isn’t that—” he huffs out something between a scoff and sharp exhale, “—that is not what I wanted to ask her.”
Megumi pauses, pressing his lips together. After a moment, he asks, “What was it, then?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Because she’s my sister.”
“You’re lying again, Megumi,” Yuuji declares. “Be honest, why do you want to know?”
Megumi swallows as his chest tightens. Humiliation swarms in his stomach, and he suddenly feels a lot more vulnerable than he ever has in his entire life, looking at Yuuji.
He still stands at his door, his fists clenched, as Megumi sits on the bed. It’s like they’re both trying to pick each other apart with their eyes, searching for an answer that neither of them wants to give.
Yuuji moves closer to the bed, pinning Megumi to where he sits with his gaze. “Why are you so upset about me and Tsumiki talking?”
“That’s not why I’m upset,” Megumi argues, but his voice wavers.
“So, you didn’t sound super jealous during the entire conversation just now?”
Megumi swallows, jaw tight. “No.”
Yuuji smirks at him, stopping right in front of him, standing before the bed. “You’re lying again. I can always tell.”
“I hate you.”
“Liar.”
“I can’t stand you.”
“Liar.”
“You get on my nerves.”
This time, Yuuji laughs.
“Okay, yeah. That one’s true,” he says.
He looks down at Megumi with a certain fondness in his eyes. Something soft and tender that Megumi has never seen before. Yuuji inhales a shaky breath, the slight bob of his Adam’s apple visible as he swallows softly.
Slowly, he reaches and cups a hand on Megumi’s cheek. The contact causes Megumi’s breath to hitch, but he doesn’t pull away.
“What are you doing?” he whispers.
Yuuji smiles softly, his voice just as low, as he says, “Do you want to know what I was asking Tsumiki?”
Megumi finds himself nodding, and all the anger and the jealousy dissolves from his stomach.
Yuuji leans in, barely inches from his face, and answers: “I was asking for advice.”
“What kind of advice?” Megumi asks, voice tense, as he takes in the scent of his best friend.
The proximity is magnetizing and disorienting. It feels like he’s going insane from the faint breath ghosting his lips. He’s sitting there, on the bed in his room, his best friend cupping his cheek, dangerously close to his face.
He should pull away. He should break the contact.
But he can’t. There’s no way to break this spell.
Because Yuuji isn’t looking him in the eye anymore.
“The kind of advice you ask when you want to tell your best friend you love him.”
And then before Yuuji can even make a move, before he can be the one to pull him in, Megumi surges forward and kisses Itadori Yuuji.
Time stops, and the world fades away.
The kiss is hesitant, exploratory, but there’s a hidden layer of desperation beneath each movement.
It’s as if they’ve both been waiting for it, but Megumi doesn’t care to try and unpack that right now. Not when all he can think of is the soft press of Yuuji’s lips, the way that his thumb grazes lovingly against his cheek.
Megumi holds onto Yuuji’s shoulders as if he’ll topple over if he doesn’t. Yuuji cards his other hand through his hair, and it just makes his grip tighten even more. This is what he’s wanted. It’s all he’s ever wanted. Something he never thought he could have.
He thought Yuuji was in love with Tsumiki, but he’s the one pressed against his lips. It engulfs him, leaving Megumi desperate for more like a man searching for water in a desert. It’s refreshing, a sort of oasis that makes him feel like he’s floating.
When they finally part, they’re both panting, out of breath, stunned, but not unhappy.
“You—” Megumi tries to say, but he still can’t quite find his voice. He looks to his best friend, who’s smiling a thousand-watt smile, happier than he’s ever seen him before.
“I love you, Megumi,” Yuuji confesses, taking his hands in his own, holding them like they were something precious. As if Megumi was something precious. “I have for a long time.”
“Me,” Megumi breathes out. “You love me.”
“I’ve been trying to figure it out with Tsumiki.”
“With Tsumiki,” he echoes.
“I was so scared. I didn’t know how to confess to you,” Yuuji admits, his eyes wide, staring directly into Megumi’s.
“Yuuji, I—”
“I love you.”
Megumi’s breath hitches, and he stares up at Yuuji, whispering as he says, “I love you, too.”
Yuuji grins once more, bright and triumphant, like he’s just won the lottery. Megumi thinks he’s the one who feels like a winner, but maybe they both can be one.
“I thought you were in love with my sister,” he admits, huffing out a small, disbelieving laugh.
At that, Yuuji laughs, loud and full. “Sorry, no. Wrong Fushiguro.”
“I think you picked the right one, though,” Megumi teases, pulling Yuuji closer.
He leans down, his gaze tender and filled with love. “I know I did.”
And then they kiss once more.