Work Text:
Itadori Yuuji was tired.
After another exhausting day, fully packed with robberies, gun and bomb threats, all he wanted was to relax in his apartment with his boyfriend.
All he’s thinking while shooting webs from wall to wall is Megumi’s touch, his kisses on Yuuji’s temple, soft hugs and nagging filled to the brim with love.
The last robbery left him injured, his left leg aching, causing him to limp from roof to roof. He ends up sitting on a ladder, opening his phone and seeing a couple missed messages.
Yuuji exhales, the sigh echoing through every aching muscle in his body. Megumi was unaware of his identity, probably assuming he’d just had another long shift at the station. Being a firefighter wasn’t easy. Being Spider-Man wasn’t any easier.
A few floors below, a couple wandered down the sidewalk, fingers intertwined. They laughed at something only they understood, stopping every few steps so one of them could steal another picture, another kiss, another excuse to linger in the other’s space.
Yuuji smiled fondly beneath his mask.He wondered if that was what they looked like to strangers.
On the rare evenings they actually managed to go out, Megumi would grumble the entire time about crowds and overpriced food, yet never once let go of Yuuji’s hand. Yuuji would insist on taking pictures, earning himself an eye roll before Megumi inevitably leaned into the frame anyway.
Those nights felt impossibly far away. He treasured them deeply, in his memories. He loved every second spent with Megumi, even if it was as simple as a lazy morning or a late movie night.
He pushed off toward the next rooftop. Pain exploded through his left shoulder halfway through the swing, his grip faltering just enough for panic to seize his chest.
“Shit-”
His feet slammed awkwardly onto the ledge, knees buckling as he caught himself on the concrete. The impact sent another sharp pulse through his ribs, forcing the air from his lungs.
He stayed crouched there for a moment, waiting for his heartbeat to settle. Leaning against a stray wall, panting, hands shaking.
He couldn’t remember how many times he’d nearly fallen tonight. Three? Four? At some point the adrenaline had stopped masking the pain, leaving only fatigue in its wake.
He rested his forehead against the cold brick wall and reached into the pocket sewn inside his suit. His phone buzzed the second his fingers wrapped around it.
Megumi
You working late again?
The message had been sent nearly an hour ago. Yuuji stared at it until the screen began to dim his thumb hovering over the keyboard.
“I’m coming home,” he murmured to nobody, tucking the phone away before pulling his mask back into place.
Home wasn’t a place, nor was it far anymore.
————
Upon returning home, Yuuji tried to be discreet. Megumi was asleep on the couch, probably waiting for him to come home. His heart sank.
Standing on his tippy toes, he slowly closed the door and made his way to their shared bathroom, as if he was blindfolded. He then slowly opened the tap, just enough for water to flow, stripped and put his blood covered spider-man suit inside the sink, watching how clear faded to pink and then crimson.
Looking down at his own state, he was mortified. And in pain. Several deep cuts covered his torso, and probably his back, while also littering his thighs and hands.
None of them seemed life-threatening, so some gauze should do the trick. And, if it didn’t work out, he would turn to Ieiri-san.
Ieiri-san and Nobara were the only ones who knew about his identity. Nobara caught him in the act a couple months ago, berating him for his stupidity, while he himself turned to Ieiri-san for some deep wounds he needed help with just four weeks ago.
Despite hating this enormous secret he kept from Megumi, he just couldn’t bring himself to reveal it. He didn’t know what reaction to expect. Shock? Anger?
He probably wouldn’t be happy about keeping this from him, that’sfor sure.
During late night travels, Yuuji’s mind always wavered to Megumi. He wondered if the bed felt cold when he left at night, if it felt any warmer when he came back. If Megumi ever reached out, craving his touch, just to be met with nothing.
Thoughts cluttered his mind while searching for the hidden gauze. The spot was etched into his mind, recognising it like the palm of his hand.
Slowly inching down, opening the cabinet, cutting the white cloth into the needed diameters, applying it over the wounds, the lights fluttering open, dog slippers strolling into his view…
Oh shit.
Inching his gaze upwards, past grey sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt between sleep ruffled midnight hair was Megumi’s gaze.
Yuji froze, averting his gaze. He had been caught. It was a matter of time, honestly. Even Nobara was impressed on how he wasn’t caught yet, since he wasn’t famous for his exceptional lying skills after all.
“Yuuji?” A half-asleep Megumi yawned, scratching his eyes, adjusting to the light. His eyes switched from the bloodied sink to Yuuji’s face, to his injury-covered body and back to his face.
“Yuuji. What- Are you okay?” He crunched down, taking the gauze from Yuuji’s hand. His gaze wandered up to the forgotten spider-man suit, pieces fitting together like a puzzle
“So that’s where you’ve been.”
The silence was loud, bleeding into the walls like the blood oozing from yuuji’s fingers onto the marble tiles.
“Sorry…” Yuuji whispered, his gaze never moving from the stained floor. “I just didn’t-“
“…Move your hand away.”
“Huh?”
“You’re making it bleed more.”
The next half an hour was quiet, even a drop of water could be heard. But, Yuuji felt like he was suffocating. Tension filled the air, unwavering, words that haven’t been said yet, the feeling of a conversation that would be held in the future. In combination with the suffocating smell of blood, sweat and antiseptic, it made Yuuji want to throw up on an empty stomach.
Megumi didn’t speak. He unscrewed the antiseptic bottle and poured some onto a cotton pad. Even though he was prepared for the sting, Yuuji still hissed through his teeth but stayed still as Megumi cleaned another cut. His hands were steady, calculating, quickly swiping over the worst bits.
“Does it need stitches?”
“Let’s hope not.” Megumi tsked.
Silence settled between them again, broken only by Yuuji’s occasional sharp inhale whenever disinfectant touched another wound.
“Idiot,” Megumi murmured.
“Lift your arm.”
Yuuji obeyed.
“Higher.”
Megumi froze, grabbing Yuuji’s arm and lifting it completely, inspecting a “U” shaped mark. He raises his eyebrow.
“You stitched this yourself?”
“…Maybe.”
Megumi clicked his tongue, dropping the arm back down and now starting to wrap gauze around his torso and some areas of his back. His touches are methodical, never pressing, and just enough.
Whenever Megumi’s fingers brushed against his skin, Yuuji felt like he was on fire, the touch gentler than any antiseptic ever could be.
On closer examination, Yuuji feels his heart breaking apart. While Megumi is busy cleaning the wounds, he is plainly ignoring the tremor in his hands. It’s slight.
Almost imperceptible.
Yuuji only noticed because Megumi’s hands were on him, carefully wrapping each bandage despite the tremor threatening to betray him. Megumi wasn’t angry at him. He was scared.
“Megumi?” Yuuji asked, the name came out smaller than he intended.
Megumi didn’t answer immediately, his fingers pausing against the bandage wrapped around Yuuji’s ribs, his eyes fixed somewhere below his shoulder. For a second, Yuuji wondered if he had finally reached the breaking point. If this was the moment Megumi would look at him and say he couldn’t do this anymore.
Megumi took a deep breath. “I’m not angry,” he whispered.
Yuuji blinked. “I know you’re not,” Yuuji murmured.
“No, you don’t.” He made eye contact. Megumi’s green eyes shined under the pale bathroom light, emerald melting into amber. Despite the ethereally mirroring in his iris, his jaw was tense, eyebrows drawn together in that familiar expression Yuuji knew too well. An expression usually associated with strangers. Never with him.
“You don’t know because you weren’t here,” Yuuji stopped breathing.
“You were out there,” Megumi continued. “Every night. Fighting people who could kill you. Getting hurt, as if this is your job . Coming home and pretending everything was normal, like I couldn’t help you.”
Yuuji swallowed.
“Megumi-”
“I wake up sometimes because I think I heard something,” Megumi admitted. “A door opening. A window. Anything.”His fingers tightened slightly around the unused piece of gauze.
“And every time I check, you’re gone.”
Yuuji’s chest tightened. He gulped.
“I wanted to tell you.”
“But you didn’t.”
“But I didn’t.” He parroted.
“I didn’t because I was scared.” Yuuji’s tomgue scraped, throat sore from dehydration and pure truth escaping his calamity.
Megumi’s expression shifted.
“Of what? Me?” He scoffed.
Yuuji opened his mouth. Nothing came out. In his mind, a plethora of excuses traveled, because the truth was ugly and raw. The truth was that he could jump off buildings, fight armed criminals, run into burning buildings without hesitation. But revealing his identity to the one he loved the most, the one he would be infinitely lonely without sounded obscene.
That was the thing that scared him. “I thought you’d look at me differently.” Megumi’s face softened, just slightly.
“Yuuji.” He tilted his head.
“I thought you’d think I was reckless.”
“You are reckless.” Yuuji chuckled.
Megumi reached up, carefully brushing a strand of pink hair away from Yuuji’s forehead.
“I’m mot upset because you decided to become spider-man. I’m upset because you thought you couldn’t trust me.”
Yuuji’s eyes burned.
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Too late.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s alright.” Megumi swallowed. “You know, I’m not the best at..” he wavered around with his hand, while inching closer to the boy in front of him. “this.”
“Talking?” Megumi nodded.
“I noticed.”
“Shut up.” Yuji giggled, catching Megumi’s hand mid push. “I know you.”
“Yea. But, despite all that, I’m your partner. The person you see a future with. So, you can … confide in me.” Megumi stated, his thumb brushing over the edge of a small cut near Yuuji’s cheek.
Yuuji averted his gaze. “You’re right.” He ran a hand through his blood matted hair.
“Go shower. And please<\i> don’t wash your suit in the sink. ”
—————