Work Text:
The darkness of the night engulfs everything in its way, setting a mystic shadow over Jujutsu High. In these late hours, nothing but silence walks the halls. With only one exception of Yuji Itadori.
Yuji’s hand trembles as he reaches for the doorknob that leads to his bedroom. Just 12 hours ago he was partaking in a gruesome battle against a special grade curse. Dried blood stains his finger tips, the sight of it making his stomach churn.
The doorknob twists and the oak door creaks open to reveal his bedroom. Same as always. Vibrant posters lining each wall and figurines strategically placed on shelves above his bed. In the corner of his room is a laundry basket with freshly washed and folded clothes. “Megumi must have done that” Yuji whispers to himself. Megumi always had a knack for cleanliness. Never leaving a dish unwashed or in this case a piece of clothing unfolded.
Yuji walks towards his bathroom and stares down at the sink. His eyes betray him and he glances up at the mirror, the sight he sees repulses him. A deep gash marks his left cheek and his eyelids are stained with a crimson tint. Yuji’s bottom lip is split but that isn’t anything new. His head dips once again in an attempt to console himself.
Hands shaking, Yuji twists the steel tap to free a gush of cold water. Without a second thought, Yuji pushes his hands underneath the water. A stream of water trickles onto his knuckles which are turning a darker shade of purple with each passing moment. Fingers intertwining vigorously in an attempt to rid his hands of each invisible curse,the only things running through his mind are the stains that have marred his pale fingers. After what feels like hours of the same process, the blood still doesn’t make a move to stray away from his hands. With each passing second, Yuji’s thoughts drift farther and farther away from the confines of his dorm room.
Fear consumes Yuji as his mind wanders to a darker place he vowed he would never enter again. What if he’s marked with the memory of these curses forever? What if he was wrong in thinking he could keep up with this life?
“Itadori.”
Yuji’s head snaps up and moves quickly in the direction of the doorway. Standing a mere few feet away, is Megumi Fushiguro . Dressed in a black long sleeve shirt and checkered blue pants. His raven hair slightly obscuring his eyes and his voice hoarse most likely from sleep. He stands motionless in the doorway. Face blank but a twinge of concern poisons his midnight black eyes that compliment lowered brows.
“What are you doing?” Megumi questions even though deep down he already knows. This isn’t the first and probably not the last time Megumi has found Yuji in a state like this.
Yuji turns his body fully to face Megumi. His eyes dip to the floor and then all the way back up to the raven haired boy's eyes. On the journey up to his face, Yuji takes him all in. Tracing the soft curves of his body and committing them to memory. Just in case next time he doesn’t return home.
“Gojo-sensei told me you were returning tonight so when I heard the water running I assumed it was you” voices Megumi, a twinge of uncertainty tainting speech. His eyes narrow when Yuji still doesn’t say anything. His limbs still locked in the same position over the basin of the sink, shoulders slumped and dripping hands resting on either side of the countertop. Only now does Yuji realise water is still rushing out of the tap but he still doesn’t make a move to end its reign of terror. Instead, he chooses to watch the droplets cascade into a whirlpool and be drowned away into never ending darkness.
Megumi takes two long strides towards Yuji and stops a few steps away from the concrete counter. Making sure not to drench his sleeve like Yuji seems to have done, he leans over and twists the tap twice to end the bouts of water that had previously been falling. Without hesitation, he grabs a clean towel out of the folded laundry basket and hands it to Yuji to dry his hands. Hastily, Yuji accepts the towel and mops up the drops of water remaining on his fingers.
Yuji begins to move towards the doorway but something obstructs his path. No not something, someone. Megumi has shifted to stand face to face with Yuji.
“What’s wrong? You haven’t said a single word.” Megumi says in a stone cold voice. The harshness in Megumi’s voice should bother Yuji but instead it brings him a flush of comfort. In traditional Megumi style he is upfront and detached. Yuji sighs and his shoulders deflate in unison with his breath. Normality. This is what he has been craving.
Yuji slides past Megumi in the doorway and makes his way towards the bed. He sits down on the edge of his bed and rests his elbows on his thighs. Without realising it, Yuji’s hands travel towards his hair, which is ruffled due to his lack of care whilst on the job. Yuji’s fingers rake through his hair in an attempt to maintain the trembles coursing through them. As Megumi swiftly takes a place next to Yuji on the bed, their legs touch and a familiar feeling that only Megumi can supply Yuji with rushes through his entire body.
“I’m sorry” blurts out Yuji. His voice slightly cracking at the end and the hitch in Megumi’s breath signals that he noticed as well. Before he could stop himself, it just all rushed out in one, long blur.
“So many people died. So many, Fushiguro. If only I’d been a minute earlier or a bit faster, I could’ve stopped it. Hundreds of people counted on me and I let them down.” Yuji inhales sharply. ”Fuck.” He mutters under his breath.
As if on cue, tears begin to stream down Yuji’s face, pooling on his cheeks. In an attempt to wipe them away, Yuji lifts his sleeve towards his face but Megumi beats him to it. Soft fingers caress his cheek turning them a light shade of pink and in one clean sweep, the tears have disappeared. Without missing a beat, another gush of tears follows the last.
“I’m sorry” Yuji says once again not sure if he’s talking to himself or the raven haired boy sitting across from him. Megumi’s hand is resting on Yuji’s lower back and drawing tiny circles that are burning into Yuji’s skin.
“Stop saying that.” Megumi returns in a brash tone. The tears now forgotten, Yuji furrows his eyebrows and his face morphs into a look of confusion.
Without waiting for a response, Megumi keeps talking. “You always say you are sorry but what are you even sorry for? You didn’t ask to be Sukana’s vessel or even a Jujutsu sorcerer at all so you have no reason to be sorry. You apologise for surviving in a world that forces you to bear the weight of others' sins.”
Shock slams into Yuji as he stares at Megumi, an expression of disbelief marring his face. Megumi has always been straight forward with him but he has never said something like this. Before he can talk himself out of it, Yuji throws himself towards Megumi and buries his face in Megumi’s neck. Water gushes from his eyelids and lands on the nape of Megumi’s neck. For the first time in Yuji Itadori’s life, he feels seen. Megumi’s arms wrap around Yuji’s waist, resting comfortably near his lower back once again. Sobs that have been held captive in Yuji’s throat, release themselves and with each one, Megumi’s grip gets tighter.
“I’m here Itadori. I’m here.” He says so quietly it could’ve been mistaken for a breath. Yuji leans into Megumi’s touch, warmth devouring him. Yuji, still not moving a muscle, whispers “I missed you so damn much.” His hot breath tickling the back of Megumi’s neck and causing an array of goosebumps to blossom down his back.
Realisation dawns upon Megumi and he shoots up from the bed, and in turn lets go of Yuji. He grabs Yuji’s hand and they wrap around one another's fingers, intertwining. Megumi’s thumb traces patterns on Yuji’s palm. “I forgot I need to show you something.” Megumi exclaims, pulling Yuji up from his place on the bed and leading him out of the confines of his dorm room.
Yuji’s feet graze the cold oak floor of the hallway and a gust of air tickles his arm. He mindlessly follows Megumi down the silent hall. None of the students at Jujutsu High are awake at this late hour, setting an eerie quiet over the school which is usually bustling with chattering sorcerers. They come to a halt outside of Megumi’s dorm room. Twisting the door handle and pushing the wooden door open with a creak that echoes through the night, Megumi reveals his dorm room. Almost identical to Yuji’s except Megumi has kept his in pristine condition. Not a single piece of clothing is scattered on the floor or a single figurine misplaced.
“Take a seat.” Megumi directs Yuji towards his bed. The sheets are ruffled and creased from sleep most likely. Yuji sits down and pulls the covers over his legs, a new found chill climbing up his spine. The bed is still faintly warm from where Megumi must’ve laid before Yuji woke him. Guilt bites at Yuji’s thoughts but he shakes his head and chooses to ignore its faint whispers.
Megumi is crouched down in front of his wardrobe and seems to be searching for something. His hands shuffle throughout a box and when they become satisfied, he pulls an object out of the box. Yuji’s confusion deepens by the second until Megumi turns and Yuji gets a full view. “When you were away that new movie you were talking about came out, the one about the werewolf boy so I bought the tape for us to watch. We can watch it now if you aren’t too tired?” Megumi questions, staring at Yuji waiting for an answer. Yuji’s heart flutters at the thought of Megumi listening to him when he talked on and on about his interests.
“I would…really like that.” Yuji says apprehensively, his cheeks turning redder with every thought about Megumi doing something like this for him. “But friends do this stuff together all the time,right?” Yuji ponders to himself. He still doesn’t know where he stands with Megumi and it's eating him alive. Megumi pushes the tape into the television that sits at the foot of his bed. Yuji moves to the left side of the bed and his arm grazes against the wall, Megumi takes a seat next to him, the bed lowering as he takes his place.
As the movie begins and the opening screen pans onto the TV, Yuji rests his head on Megumi’s shoulder. At first Megumi stiffens but as time passes he relaxes into Yuji’s touch. Megumi’s arm travels around Yuji’s shoulder and he traces patterns up and down his shoulder. Whilst the movie plays in the background, Yuji’s eyes begin to flutter closed.
Megumi watches as sleep captures Yuji and takes him far away from this broken world. Admiring every curve on his face and berating the curses that left their marks on him, Megumi’s attention has strayed miles away from the movie. Yuji looks beyond peaceful, lying in Megumi’s bed without the weight of the world leaning on his shoulders. Yuji says he’s sorry not because he’s wrong but because he’s kind enough to carry everyone else’s sins. If only one day it could just be the two of them. “I’m sorry” Megumi whispers as the sound of the TV becomes far away and sleep begins to console him.