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There was nothing particularly special about that night.
For starters, it was Tuesday.
Yuuji had gotten home from his shift a little after ten, kicked his shoes off by the door, and immediately collapsed face-first onto the couch. Megumi just turned the page in his book.
“You’re going to fall asleep, and I’m not dragging you into the room,” Megumi said, deadpan.
“I know,” Yuuji groaned, pressing his face further into the cushions. “Just give me a minute.”
Megumi sighed, turning the page once again as he snuck a glance at his husband, whose hair was still messy from the long workday.
Without thinking much of it, he reached over and ran his fingers through the soft pink locs, gently untangling a few strands. Yuuji let out a quiet, contented sigh, shifting his head to make it slightly easier for him.
Yuuji lifted his head, his lips curling into a soft smile as his eyes met Megumi’s. Megumi could practically see stars in his eyes, the sheer adoration in his gaze impossible to miss.
“Hmm…?” Megumi hummed, his gaze lingering on Yuuji. “Is something wrong?”
Yuuji stared at him for another moment before sitting up and inching close to his husband.
“Oh… nothing,” he replied, his warm brown eyes making Megumi melt inside. “Just admiring how beautiful you are.”
Megumi felt his cheeks burn from the comment, “Shut up.”
Yuuji only chuckled in response, planting a kiss on his husband's cheek as Megumi desperately tried to hide his smile.
“Can we watch a moviee?” Yuuji asked, leaning closer. “I haven’t seen you all day and I missed you.”
“No, “ Megumi replied instantly. “You need to go to sleep.”
“Pleaseeeeee.”
“No.”
“Pleaaaaasseeeeeee.”
“Stop.”
“Please.”
Megumi stared at him for a long moment, already knowing he wasn’t going to win this.
“Fine.”
“YAY!” Yuuji cheered, immediately snuggling closer to Megumi. “Can I pick?”
“Yes, but only one movie,” Megumi stated. “We both have work tomorrow.”
“Two.” Yuuji smiled.
“One.”
“Three.”
“No, two.” Megumi gave in, accepting defeat once again.
Yuuji gave his husband a small kiss on the forehead in appreciation before standing up and heading towards the kitchen to grab snacks.
The black-haired man figured it was a good time to quickly finish his chapter. In the background, he could hear his husband ripping open a bag, and the sound of the microwave opening and closing.
After a few moments, Megumi closed the cover of his book, carefully setting it down on the coffee table before leaning back into the couch.
Not long after, Yuuji came back from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn and a bunch of ginger candies, dropping them into Megumi’s lap.
“Got these just for you.”
Megumi stared at the candies in his lap, “I mentioned once that I really liked these, and you remembered?”
“Of course I did! Why wouldn’t I?” Yuuji replied, sitting back down beside him as the couch shifted beneath his weight.
“Thanks…”
“Anything for my breathtaking husband.” He winked, grabbing a piece of popcorn and tossing it into his mouth.
Megumi could feel warmth creep up his neck and into his cheeks. “You’re ridiculous.”
He wasn’t entirely used to hearing Yuuji call him husband. It had only been a few weeks since they’d actually gotten married, despite having been together for a couple years. Most people had assumed they were married long before they actually were.
Their wedding day had been its own ordeal, mostly because Gojo had insisted on paying for the entire thing.
Yuuji had protested relentlessly, arguing that he should be the one to pay since it was his special day too. Gojo, naturally, had refused to listen.
In the end, Yuuji had lost the argument.
Megumi still wasn’t entirely sure whether he was more surprised that Gojo had actually paid for everything or that Yuuji had genuinely tried to fight him for it.
Megumi was pulled back to the present when Yuuji reached over him for the remote. He switched on the TV and began scrolling through the catalog.
“How about this?” Yuuji said, clicking on the first thing that caught his interest.
Megumi took a quick glance at the description. “It’s up to you.”
Yuuji instinctively snuggled up close to Megumi, resting his head on his shoulder. “Alright, then we’re watching this first.”
The black-haired boy only hummed in response, tearing open a candy wrapper and popping one into his mouth. The familiar ginger flavour immediately spread across his tongue.
He could smell a faint trace of smoke, and he automatically assumed it was clinging to Yuuji’s hair from his shift. He immediately regretted not telling him to shower first. Megumi had just showered himself, and the last thing he wanted was to have to get up and shower all over again.
Yet, Megumi couldn’t help but feel comforted by his husband beside him. So, he didn’t say anything and simply took in the familiar scent.
Not long after the movie started, Megumi could feel his eyelids get heavy, Yuuji noticed almost immediately, glancing towards the dark haired boy beside him.
“Do you want to lay down?” The pink haired man asked, gently cupping Megumi’s cheek.
The other could only manage a sleepy, “Okay.”
Yuuji shifted to the edge of the couch, sitting up against the armrest before grabbing a pillow and placing it in his lap.
Megumi stretched out his arms before resting his head onto the pillow. He felt Yuuji pull the blanket over him, tucking it around his shoulders before absentmindedly running his fingers through Megumi’s hair.
Megumi’s eyelashes fluttered as the gentle motion slowly lulled him toward sleep.
Megumi wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep for, but he woke up to Yuuji gently shaking his shoulder.
The smell of smoke was gone, the lights had been dimmed, and Megumi was safely tucked underneath the blanket.
His eyes softly fluttered open, meeting Yuuji’s warm gaze once again. The pink-haired boy only smiled in response before leaning down to plant a soft kiss on Megumi’s forehead.
“Gumi, I want a snack.” Yuuji whispered, resting his arms on the edge of the cushion and propping his chin on top of them.
Megumi hummed, closing his eyes again as he shifted slightly to get comfortable. “Go grab something from the pantry, then.”
“I already checked! But I want something else!” Yuuji pouted. “Something with a bit of beef.”
“I went shopping this morning,” Megumi mumbled. “We should have beef in the fridge.”
“But I don’t wanna cook right now.”
“Then I can make some for you in the morning.”
“Technically, it is the morning.”
“Then, when the sun is up.”
“Can we just go to a convenience store?”
Megumi was now wide awake, staring at his husband, who currently resembled an overly hopeful golden retriever. “I don’t even know what time it is.”
Yuuji paused, glancing at the clock on the wall behind the sea urchin in front of him.
“Like… 1:16 AM.”
“You want beef at 1:16 in the morning.” Megumi asked, deadpan.
“Yes.” Yuuji replied, his eyes practically glittering with hope.
Megumi stared at him before letting out a heavy sigh. “Fine. Toss me a coat or something…”
Yuuji immediately jumped to his feet, rushing towards the closet as Megumi sluggishly sat up. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he barely had time to react before Yuuji tossed a bright red hoodie in his direction.
“My sweater is fine, right? Or would you prefer a coat?” Yuuji asked, pulling out a light jacket slightly out of the closet to show him.
“This is fine.” Megumi replied, pulling the hoodie over his head.
Yuuji’s familiar scent immediately surrounded him, warm and comforting. Megumi paused for a moment, simply enjoying it.
Yuuji walked over to the couch to grab his husband's hand, carefully pulling him up to his feet before they made their way toward the front door together. The sound of shoes being pulled from the rack and landing against the floor filled the room as they got ready to leave.
“I can’t believe you convinced me to do this.” Megumi sighed, pulling his shoes on.
“Gojo taught me that on our wedding day!” Yuuji said, a wide grin spreading on his face.
“Of course he did,” Megumi scoffed. “Did Geto tell you anything?”
Yuuji thought for a moment, furrowing his brows as he tried to remember. “I remember what he said. He just told me not to tell you.”
Megumi simply shrugged, standing up before leaning against the door and waiting for Yuuji.
“Alright,“ Yuuji said, getting to his feet. “Let’s go!”
Yuuji quietly opened the door, carefully stepping outside as Megumi switched off the light behind them. They were enveloped in darkness for a few seconds, their eyes slowly adjusting to the sudden lack of light.
There were hardly any streetlights in the neighborhood, mostly because Megumi enjoyed stargazing and had never wanted the sky washed out by unnecessary light. Because of that, he usually preferred walking whenever they went somewhere late at night, finding the quiet streets and clear view of the stars much more enjoyable than driving.
Yuuji never complained about the walking. If anything, he liked it. Every step toward the convenience store meant a little more time beside his husband, and he wasn’t about to waste an opportunity like that.
“Did Geto say something bad?” Megumi asked.
The pink-haired man shook his head. “No, just… something special.”
Megumi didn’t reply, leaving the two in a comfortable silence as they continued toward the convenience store.
After a few moments, Yuuji lightly brushed his fingers against Megumi’s, hesitating for only a second before carefully intertwining their fingers.
The black-haired man didn’t resist. Instead, his hand relaxed in Yuuji’s, their joined hands swinging gently between them as they continued walking beneath the stars.
“How was your shift?” Megumi asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
“It was okay,” Yuuji replied. “I ran into a burning building to save a dog because I knew you’d want me to.”
Megumi stared at him for a moment. “Yes, but I don’t want you to die in the process…”
“I wouldn’t,” Yuuji gave him a cheesy smile, gently squeezing his hand. “I have my lovely husband to come home to.”
The black-haired man thought for a moment before glancing over at him. “What did everyone at the station say about us?”
That thought had been lingering on Megumi’s mind for the past week. He hadn’t found the time to ask since Yuuji had been slammed with work ever since they’d returned, but now that the night was quiet and peaceful, he figured it was a good time.
“Well, Todo said we fit perfectly together.” Yuuji looked up at the stars, a small smile forming on his face. “Like the sun and the moon.”
Megumi glanced at him, quietly taking in the comparison.
“My captain, Nanami, told me that there were, uhh… better ways to show my devotion to you.” Yuuji chuckled. “He told me that I need to stop making dumb decisions so I can actually live long enough to celebrate our first anniversary.”
Megumi sighed. “He has a point.”
“Hey! I saved a dog!”
“Something bad could’ve happened,” Megumi hummed.
Yuuji didn’t reply. Instead, he stopped mid-stride and pointed towards the sky.
“Is that Hercules?”
Megumi followed his gaze, studying the constellation above them. “No, that’s Orion.”
“Right, Orion.” Yuuji muttered to himself. His eyes wandered across the sky before he pointed again “How about that one?”
“Lepus.”
“Lepus…”
“It kind of looks like a bunny.”
Yuuji squinted his eyes, trying to make out the shape among the stars. “Oh, yeah! I kinda see its ears and body!”
Megumi pointed toward the sky, tracing the constellation with his finger. “You’re looking at these ones, right?”
“Yeah, what else would I look at?”
“Well, you thought Orion was Hercules.”
“I was just testing you!”
“Sure you were.” Megumi smiled.
Yuuji stared at his smile for a moment. “I— uh… you can’t blame me! It’s easy to mistake the two!”
“I suppose…” Megumi hummed. “Do you see Gemini?”
Yuuji’s eyes darted across the night sky, searching for a constellation whose shape he didn’t even know.
“Uhh… is it that one?” Yuuji said, pointing toward a cluster of stars.
Megumi stared at his husband.
Yuuji slowly lowered his hand.
“Okay, no…” He squinted at the sky again. “How about that one?”
The black-haired man took his husband's arm, gently adjusting it to the middle of the constellation.
“I see it now,” Yuuji hummed. “How’d it get its name?”
Megumi stared at the stars for a moment, thinking about how to explain it. “Well, its name is the Latin word for twins,” he said, pointing toward the two prominent stars shining brightly in the night sky. “It represents the mythological twins Castor and Pollux. These two stars right here.”
“How come you know so much about astronomy?” Yuuji asked.
Megumi looked down, slowly starting to walk again before glancing back at his husband. “Gojo and Geto used to take me whenever they had the time.”
He kicked a small rock across the pavement, watching it roll a few feet ahead of them.
“We’d go out every weekend. Geto taught me most of what I know.”
“That’s nice.” Yuuji said. “How was Gojo during those trips?”
“Annoying, like usual.”
Megumi stared at the ground, watching their feet move in sync as they walked.
“But, I’d have to admit… it was nice having both of them around.” His voice softened. “When I was younger, he used to lift me toward the sky, telling me that maybe I could reach the stars one day.”
The black-haired man sighed, briefly closing his eyes.
“They gave me a childhood that I'd never trade for anything else.”
“Sounds like they were good dads.”
“They were.” Megumi whispered.
Yuuji smiled at him, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to the top of his head. “Would you like to stargaze with me every weekend?”
Megumi looked up at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
“I… wouldn’t be against it.”
After a few moments, the two fell into a comfortable silence once again, quietly making their way to the convenience store.
As the familiar glow of the store came into view, Megumi began to pick up the pace. Yuuji easily matched his stride, falling into step beside him without a word.
When they reached the entrance, the automatic doors smoothly slid open for them. Yuuji reached for a basket and gave the cashier a small wave, earning him a friendly smile in return.
Megumi led him toward the bento section, quickly picking out a small one that he knew would suit Yuuji’s tastes. When he turned around, however, he immediately noticed the small mountain of snacks that had somehow appeared in the basket within the last thirty seconds.
“Yuuji, no.”
The pink-haired man reached into the basket, pulling out a bag and holding it up excitedly. “Look! This flavour is trending again!”
Megumi took the bag from his hands and calmly placed it back on the shelf behind him.
“You tried this flavour last year and ended up giving it to Choso.”
Yuuji pouted. “He liked it!”
“He liked it because you gave it to him.”
Yuuji rummaged through the basket again, before pulling out a bottle of energy drink. “Okay, but I need this one.”
Megumi immediately took the bottle from his hand, closing his fist around it. “Not if you’re with me you don’t.”
The pink-haired man stared at him for a moment before reaching into the basket again. This time, he pulled out a small box of heart-shaped chocolates
“Then let me get these. For you.”
“No.”
When Megumi reached for the box, Yuuji lifted it high above his head.
“Yuuji.”
“C’mon Megumi. They’re for you!”
Megumi reached up, his fingers just barely brushing the bottom of the box. Despite the fact that he wasn’t much shorter than his husband, Yuuji had just enough of a height advantage to keep it frustratingly out of reach.
“Yuuji, just— give it!”
Yuuji grinned, slowly backing toward the cashier as Megumi followed close behind.
“Yuuji, I just bought stuff…” Megumi groaned.
“Please! I just wanna buy these for you!” Yuuji pleaded, looking at him with the most convincing puppy-dog eyes he could manage. “They’re ginger-flavoured.”
Megumi stared at him.
Yuuji held the box up a little higher.
“And they’re heart-shaped,” he added.
“No, put them back.”
“You can’t put a price on love, Gumi!”
The pink-haired man backed into the counter, turning around and handing the cashier $15. He flashed a small smile as she glanced between the two, giggling in response.
“Yuuji! C’mon!” Megumi sighed. “We don’t really have the budget for that right now…”
“Then I guess I'm sacrificing my late-night bento for a gift for my husband.” Yuuji leaned down, giving him a small hug. “Who definitely deserves it.”
Megumi went quiet.
For all the complaining he’d done, he knew Yuuji wasn’t actually trying to waste their money. He’d just seen something Megumi liked and, as usual, decided that was enough of a reason to get it.
“Fine then.” Megumi said, taking the basket from his husband's hand. “If you’re buying something for me, then I'm buying something for you.”
Yuuji’s eyes widened before he broke into a smile. “Okay, deal.”
Megumi backed toward the shelves, putting everything back while Yuuji held onto the already-purchased chocolates.
The black-haired man reached towards a back shelf and pulled out a bag of ridiculously large beef jerky, earning a quiet chuckle from Yuuji.
“Okay, c’mon. We can actually buy your bento now.” Megumi said, walking towards the refrigerators once again.
“I already said I gave it up for your chocolates, didn't I?”
Megumi glanced back at him. “Well, I'm buying you two things instead of one.”
“What—hey!” Yuuji exclaimed. “You can’t just one-up me like that!”
Megumi shrugged, continuing toward the refrigerators as Yuuji turned to another shelf.
He searched for a moment before grabbing a soup stock. As he looked up, he found his husband already standing beside him.
“Do I need to grab one more thing then?”
“No, otherwise I'll end up buying another thing.”
Megumi sighed, reaching up to gently grab Yuuji’s cheek. He ran his thumb across it a couple of times before letting go and walking toward the cashier.
“You know, you’re pretty handsome when you’re flustered.”
Yuuji stood there for a couple of seconds, completely frozen as he processed what had just happened.
His face slowly turned pink.
“…What?”
He looked back up, noticing his husband waiting for him at the register.
Yuuji quickly shook himself out of his daze before hurrying over, trying—and failing—to hide the grin spreading across his face.
A few minutes later, they were back outside, their bags in hand as the automatic doors slid shut behind them.
“I can’t believe you bought these…” Megumi sighed, pulling the box of chocolates from the bag.
Yuuji took the box from his hand, opening it and picking out one of the chocolates.
He held it up to Megumi’s lips, gently pressing it against them.
“Tell me if it’s worth it!”
Megumi glanced at him before hesitantly parting his lips, taking the chocolate between them before letting it fall into his mouth.
Immediately, the taste of ginger and sweet honey spread across his tongue. It was an interesting combination, but surprisingly, the two flavours worked well together.
Megumi looked back up at his husband, who was waiting for his response like his life depended on it.
“It’s good.”
“WOOHOO!!” Yuuji cheered, throwing his arms high in the air. “Let me try it!”
Megumi’s eyes widened as he yelled.
“Shut up!” he hissed. “You’re going to wake up everyone!”
Yuuji simply smiled, his shoulders shaking slightly as he tried to contain his laughter.
Megumi sighed, taking the box from his hand.
“Take one now so I can close the lid.”
“Mmmm…” Yuuji hummed, carefully examining the assortment of chocolates. “Are you sure you’re not gonna have another one?”
“No, I still have the one in my mouth,” Megumi sighed.
“Well, I'll only have one if you have another one.”
Megumi stared at him.
“What? Why do I need to have another one so you can have one?”
Yuuji shrugged. “Because I bought them for you. I just wanna make sure you eat them.”
Megumi’s expression softened.
“Of course I'd eat them dumbass,” he glanced away, quietly adding. “You bought them for me.”
When there was no response, Megumi turned back to see Yuuji frozen like a statue, his cheeks a light shade of pink.
“…What?”
“N-Nothing…” Yuuji stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re just… really cute.”
Megumi didn’t say anything in response, trying to suppress the strange warmth pooling in his chest, he took another chocolate, examining the shape before putting it in his mouth.
“Okay, now you have one so I can close the lid,” the black-haired man sighed. “And so we can go home.”
Yuuji lightly shook his head. “What flavour do you have? Is it good?”
“I’m not sure.” Megumi replied, picking up the flavour sheet and examining it for a moment. “I’m pretty sure I have the ginger and lemon one. It’s okay.”
There was no response,
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The only sounds were the soft breeze passing through the trees and the quiet rustling of leaves around them. Moonlight spilled across the pavement, softly illuminating their faces.
Yuuji gently reached up, tilting Megumi's chin toward him.
“Well, do you think it’s worth trying?”
Megumi’s eyes briefly flickered toward his lips before returning to his eyes.
“Maybe,” he murmured. “If you like lemon.”
Yuuji paused for a moment, his gaze focused on the man in front of him.
“I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Maybe it’s a good time to try again…”
Megumi’s lips curved into a small smile, as he gently moved Yuuji’s hand away from his chin.
“Not here, we can do this at home.”
The pink-haired man only pouted in response.
“Fine…”
Megumi shook his head, turning back toward the path ahead.
“Come on, idiot.”
Yuuji quickly caught up to him, wearing the same pout.
“You’re no fun.”
“But you love me.” Megumi smiled.
“Yes I do.”
As the front door clicked open, Yuuji immediately made his way toward the couch, landing face-first onto it with a thud.
Megumi followed closely behind him, he quietly let out a sigh as he closed the door. He took a moment to slip off his shoes, placing them neatly onto the rack before turning toward his husband.
“C’mon, take your shoes off,” Megumi said, heading towards the bedroom. “Don’t mess up the floor.”
“I won’t.” Yuuji groaned, pushing himself off the couch.
When Megumi entered their bedroom, he swiftly slipped out of his top and replaced it with a black long-sleeved tee. He traded his pants for a pair of matching pajamas that he and Yuuji had bought a while ago.
He headed towards the bathroom, leaving the bedroom door slightly ajar behind him.
As he stared at himself in the mirror, he took a moment to assess the damage. There were bags beneath his eyes, his hair was—somehow—even messier than usual, and he hadn’t the slightest idea what time it was.
He turned on the tap and began brushing his teeth, only to catch a. glimpse of movement through the open doorway.
Yuuji had finally made it into the bedroom.
Megumi watched through the mirror as his husband tugged his shirt over his head, tossing it carelessly onto the bed before reaching for a clean one. His pink locs were sticking out in every direction, and he looked about as exhausted as Megumi felt.
And yet, somehow, he was still smiling.
Megumi shook his head, turning back toward the sink. Of course Yuuji was still smiling. The man could probably fall asleep standing up and wake up grinning about it.
A moment later, the soft creak of the bedroom floorboards announced Yuuji's approach.
“It’s 3:05 AM, and we’ve made some pretty dumb decisions, haven’t we, Megumi?” he chuckled, coming up behind him and wrapping his arms around his waistt. “Now, can we finish what we were doing earlier?”
Realization slowly settled in.
The walk to the store itself hadn’t been particularly long. Twenty-five minutes, maybe, at most. Fifty minutes there and back
They’d left the house at around 1:20, which meant they should’ve arrived at 1:45. Except, they’d stopped to stargaze, which Megumi would’ve estimated added another ten minutes or so. That brought them to 1:55
They’d spent another five to seven minutes messing around outside the store, so Megumi settled on the latter estimate, bringing their arrival time to 2:02.
Finally, accounting for the twenty five minute walk home, they should’ve been back by 2:27.
Megumi stared at himself in the mirror, toothbrush still in his mouth.
Had they really spent thirty two minutes in that store?
“I meant, after you finish…” Yuuji clarified, interrupting his thoughts.
“Mhmmm…” Megumi hummed, honestly far too tired to do anything but crawl into bed and pass out.
As the two of them settled beneath the covers, Yuuji reached out, letting Megumi slip quietly into his arms. It was something they had grown so accustomed to that neither of them had to think twice about it anymore
As Megumi shifted to get comfortable, a brief silence settled between them.
“Are you comfortable ‘Gumi?” Yuuji asked, instinctively pulling his husband a little closer .
“Yeah, but I'd be more comfortable if you kissed me.”
Yuuji froze, earning a tiny chuckle from Megumi.
The pink-haired man stared at him for a moment, seemingly taking his words into consideration before gently titling his chin upward. He started with a soft kiss to Megumi’s forehead, followed by another on the bridge of his nose, then one on his cheek. Each kiss was gentle, and with every peck, Megumi felt a little more loved.
Finally, Yuuji’s gaze settled on his lips before he leaned in and kissed him properly.
His lips were soft, and Megumi could have melted right into the kiss. He probably could have stayed here forever.
Yuuji carefully broke the kiss, tightening his arms around him, and Megumi instinctively inched closer, settling against his husband's warmth.
For a little while, nothing seemed to exist. Nothing else mattered. There was only Yuuji, with his messy pink hair and his familiar warmth, holding Megumi as though there were nowhere else in the world he would rather be.
“Y’know, ‘Gumi…” Yuuji whispered, his voice soft and heavy with sleep. “I sometimes wonder if you’d rather have someone else.”
Megumi went still.
The question had caught him so off guard that, for a moment, he didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t imagine a life without Yuuji, much less one in which he wished for someone else.
“Never.” Megumi replied quietly.
He lifted a hand to Yuuji’s cheek, rubbing small circles against it with his thumb.
“I like my life just like this.”