Chapter Text
From the first moment Megumi had crossed paths with Yuuji at that school all those years ago, he was intrigued. The raw physical strength that marked him seperate from bystanders, the spark of cursed energy that made Megumi follow him to that hospital, and when he jumped through that window and declared his conviction of a savior. Within mere hours of knowing him, if even that long, Yuuji had unknowingly filled a hole Megumi hadn't known was there. Despite their clashing personalities and opposite views, experiences, and everything that shaped a person, they complimented each other well. Their fighting styles and training aligned, and the role of a best friend niether of them had ever really had was naturally and seemlessly fulfilled. If it were anyone else, that would be enough for Megumi. He would appreciate his best friend and hang out with them and love their company, and not that Yuuji didn't do that for him, but it was different. Megumi doesn't know when it happened, it might have always been there, but he felt drawn to Yuuji in a way he didn't with any other people he considered his friends. It took a long time to figure it out, and himself out, but he realized the feelings he had for Yuuji weren't different because he was his best friend, or because he was now understood by someone other than himself, but because of non-platonic feelings. Megumi had opted to put them aside and not risk the relationship he had with Yuuji.
That was 2 years and 11 months ago ago. Now, more than 2 years after what happened in Shinjuku, Megumi was still struggling with the effects Sukuna had left in his body. After a small hiatus (that Yuuji had fought the new higher ups for, for Megumi), he had come back to sorcery and worked on recovering his version of all shikigami. After Sukuna's Totality adaption using Agito as a frame, Megumi's tiger, deer, serpent, and Nue were all unreachable for a long time. He first had to recover Divine Dog, as Demon Dogs were his first shikigami and therefore the easiest shikigami to reconjugate. Lots of his friends expected it to take time, as Megumi basically had to relearn his technique, but he had remastered all 10 within the first year after the battle. The truth was, Megumi didn't do it. He didn't have the strength to. The mental barriers and the way his technique, the thing literally encoded in his DNA, had rejected him. But then Yuuji came. Megumi didn't even ask for help, he couldn't. After all that had happened even opening up about little things was terrible, he couldn't believe what his incompetence and stupidity had let happen. He had believed it was his fault Yorozu had tricked him, it was his fault he couldn't reject Sukuna, and it was his fault that he had to be saved. The shame and loss of so many close friends (and one psuedo-semi-father-figure) had taken its own toll on Megumi. But Yuuji, the person who knew him inside and out, the person who had gotten him out when he couldn't even try or want to live for himself, was there when no one else was. If Megumi was honest, he never would have done any of it if it hadn't been for Yuuji. He's the one who motivated Megumi to fight back, multiple times. In that battle, reclaiming his shikigami, and everything in between, down to small missions and basic hygiene Yuuji had been there for Megumi, and encouraged him to live. Everyday was a fight, but they got easier over time and with Yuuji next to him. Although, there was one thing Yuuji couldn't fix. The want, no need, that gets stronger each day he couldn't help with. Megumi couldn't make him love him.
Sometimes, on good days, Megumi would look at his tanned skin, dotted freckles, and pink hair and just long to memorize every inch of him that a person was fallibly permitted to, yet he knew he couldn't. Sometimes, Yuuji would ask him what was wrong when all he could do was just stare. Sometimes, he would look at their pictures and wish he saw the same gaze returned, pupils equally dilated.
People that were not Yuuji helped him too. Nobara would come to his dorm and paint his nails and do facemasks, to encourage him to do the same effort daily for himself. She would help him when Yuuji wasn't there, and even when he was, she would support him. Because of her recent coma and lack of one eye, she was excused from missions too, to recuperate and adjust. Yuuji was often absent because of his new title as the strongest and his new techniques, so lots of missions fell to him. This meant he was not at a few of Megumi's shikigami conjugation rituals, and then, when he would doubt himself or feel tired, Nobara was there. Megumi was very thankful for her company and they would watch trashy reality TV (Nobara's doing, if it wasn't obvious) and talk smack about all the interviewees, etc. His trio meant a lot to him, even before Shinjuku, but there were others there for him too. Yuta knew firsthand about how mental health and jujutsu were coordinated, and Maki taught him lots of new physical fighting skills while most shikigami were still unavailable. Inumaki was great company, him and Megumi could just sit there in silence and do their own things, so long as they weren't alone. There was still someone missing though, and that made group gatherings that much harder. Not only was it hard to look at everyone's scars at once and know he caused it, but also the missing presences. Gojo, albeit loud, obnoxious, cocky, and a terrible teacher, was there for Megumi and had helped him with his technique, and as a child. He knew that Gojo was in a better place, one where he was reunited with long black hair, lilac eyes, and morality. But still, if condensed, Megumi missed him.
Grief is strange, once you accept what you've lost and mourn, there are random resurgences. Sometimes, while reclaiming his technique and running into a obstacle, all Megumi wanted was to ask and get an answer from someone who knew. Yuuji tried, like hell he did, but even with the title of the strongest, he didn't have the experience, knowledge, and reputation Gojo did. Not only in that, but on mundane days that would usually be spent with Gojo dragging him out to a stupid movie or shopping were now void of that. Even though Megumi fought back and disliked it most of the time, it was nice knowing someone cared, even if it was Gojo. Grief is weird like that too, in missing someone who wasn't necessarily one you had many positive memories with, just forced proximity. Sometimes you have to heal by yourself to truly heal, and other times you need others to rely on. Megumi processed the death of his benefactor alone.
As of the present, Megumi and Yuuji still had neighboring dorms. Everyone else had moved out, Nobara was traveling and doing small missions overseas, Yuta and Maki had gotten an apartment nearby, and Panda and Inumaki had also decided to stick together and moved to Kyoto, where they were roommates and went on missions. Hana visits Megumi a lot, and she became much more active in sorcerer society. The Kyoto and Tokyo schools officially decided to merge, but the Kyoto campus was still used for official business and as asylum to sorcerers. Megumi had assured Yuuji that they didn't have to stay at school and he would be fine on his own, but Yuuji had assured him that he wanted to be with Megumi and proposed the idea of teaching for younger socerers. So currently, they were preparing for that chapter of their lives and studying to pass the teachers test assigned by their principal, Utahime (in truth, the test was a formality, they were obviously going to be accepted).
The day before they were supposed to take the test, Nobara had arrived for a surprise visit and barged into Megumi's room.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She demanded.
Confused, and shocked, Megumi got up and asked, "What are you talking about? Why are you here?"
"So you don't want to see me?"
"No, just surprised."
"Why didn't you tell me you were applying for a teachers position? With Yuuji, nonetheless." The last part she said with a small smirk and a meaningful look that had lost meaning in relation to Megumi's interpretation.
"What is that supposed to mean? And I was going to tell you, when I actually got the position."
"We all know you'll get it, Utahime-sensei knows you guys are competent enough."
"Thanks, Nobara. How were your travels?"
"Ugh, great. I mean the curses were strange, with being foreign and all, but the food and the fashion ..." Nobara's rambles pleased Megumi, he was happy that his friend was content. They ended up on the floor of Megumi's dorm and heating up popcorn when Yuuji came back from a close mission.
"Nobara! Utahime-sensei said you were here! Lemme shower and I'll come say hi, give me a few minutes!" Yuuji left and Nobara glanced at Megumi.
"Are you good with that?"
"Of course I am, he's your friend too."
"That's not what I meant."
There was a pause where Megumi's breath hitched and he asked the question he was scared to ask earlier.
"What did you mean?"
"Your feelings for Yuuji, obviously." Nobara said it with the nonchalance of someone describing the weather, stuffing a handful of popcorn in her mouth, muffling the last few syllables.
"I don't know what are you talking about."
"Stop playing dumb. It's so obvious it's sickening, your reactions to his puppy dog eyes? Please."
"How long have you known? Does Yuuji know?" Megumi asked the last bit with a short breath, and slightly desperate.
"Hell no! He's too dumb to notice, besides no one cares enough to tell him."
"Oh, well okay."
Nobara noticed Megumi's lack of enthusiasm towards her words and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"
"What, the fact that he's straight and could never reciprocate or the fact that I love him so much I can barely breathe sometimes?"
"Either. It's not entirely hopeless, he hasn't ever said that he only likes girls."
"He literally never shuts up about Jennifer Lawrence. Plus, it's not like he doesn't know what types of people I'm interested in, I'm sure Todo told him what I said in first year."
"That's true. I know you haven't wanted to talk about it for a long time, but what did he tell you to get you back? No offense, but knowing how you were after the battle, it would've taken a lot to convince you to come back."
Megumi starts to respond, but gets cut off; "You're right, and I don't take offense, it's just that Yuuji said something that made me realize that-"
"What's up guys! Sorry I took so long, but that special grade goop was seriously gross, what are we talking about?"
Nobara, thankfully, quickly covered, and restarted her rant on the Southern Americas. Megumi watched a bead of water fall from Yuuji's hair and onto his shirt where the sleeve tightens from a taught bicep.
Hours later, Megumi and Yuuji kicked Nobara out for the sake of their test tomorrow, because even if they were easily passing, sleep was still important. She promised to visit afterwards tomorrow, and went back to her old dorm, where she was temporarily staying. Megumi walked two feet to Yuuji's door with him, Nobara walking the opposite way down the hallway. As Yuuji opened his door, Megumi saw the warm and familiar space, that slighted contradicted his own. Yuuji had gotten rid of the model poster, instead replacing it with a Human Earthworm one, and across from the foot of the bed was a large bookshelf of manga and DVDs of many films, but many copies of Human Earthworm, limited editions, signed copies, directors cuts, everything Yuuji could get his hands on. The rest of the films consisted of Studio Ghilbi classics, a few western and european films like Fantastic Planet, Avatar, Mysterious Skin, and weirdly, Can't Buy Me Love. Yuuji was always watching new movies, which became a regular thing for him and Megumi. As he prepared to say goodbye and started turning, Yuuji slightly grabbed his wrist.
"Megs, wait."
Setting his feet back down from where it slightly moved, and shiftinf his body back to its original position, Megumi put his eyes back on Yuuji.
"Yeah? What's up?"
"What ... What were you and Nobara talking about, um, before I walked in?"
At this, Megumi panicked. What the hell? Why does he care? What do I say? I can't tell the truth, oh my god he definitely thinks I'm hiding something now, fuck. Had he heard? Okay I just have to lie and say-
Yuuji saw the anxious feeling on his friend's face and realized that there was much more to Megumi's life than Yuuji, and that he was probably dealing with. lot more than something concerning him.
"You know what, forget I said anything, you don't have to answer. I understand if you wanted to confide in someone other than me, really I shouldn't have asked. Have a good night, Megumi." And with that, Yuuji did a small waved and softly closed his door.
The next day, Yuuji and Megumi were given their "test" which was just on basic curse knowledge, cursed energy and techniques, etc. Afterwards, Nobara joined them and the trio went to a cheap yakitori shokudo in downtown Tokyo. By mid afternoon, Yuuji and Megumi had gotten a call for a mission in Hachioji, which was weird considering their ranks. Both of them were special grade, as Megumi had gotten insanely better at using his technique after rebuilding everything he had previously lost, and now him and Yuuji were commonly referred to as the strongest, together. So a call for both of them was strange, but after receiving the details it turned out there were many low grade curses, and due to the proximity to Tokyo and the low grade of the curses, it would be easier for the both of them to go. The duo decided it would be easier to hop a train from where they were instead of calling Ijichi. They said goodbye to Nobara, then got on the 2:00 train over to Hachioji. After arriving, it was easy to lower their veil and exorcise the most of the curses. Until the second wave came. The same amount of curses they just exorcised came rolling in, and a shared look was all they needed to confirm both their suspicions that a bigger power was causing this. Yuuji made a familiar hand signal from across the clearing that Megumi copied, and Nue was summoned. The bird flew high and then disappeared over the tall trees. Both Yuuji and Megumi recognized that this type of attack was ideally responded to with weapon use. Yuuji grabbed a machete from a sheath on his back and Megumi reached into the darkness behind a nearby tree and pulled out a slim katana. Within minutes, the woods were clear again, and Nue came back. Following the electric bird, the pair trudged through the woods and fought the smaller waves of curses that came. As the flow of them ebbed, Megumi pointed out a new discovery.
"They are getting stronger."
"I noticed that too, but I thought I was imagining it."
"Of course you did."
Soon, Nue stopped at a dip in the terrain, a small valley of sorts. Megumi released the shikigami, and motioned to Yuuji to spread out. This time, only a few curses came out of the berms and surrounding wildlife. Megumi and Yuuji stepped backwards to be closer, with their backs to each other. One curse attacked, and then the rest followed. Megumi summoned Divine Dog, and put his katana back to use. Yuuji tightened the grip on the machete in his hand and swung at the nearest curse, only his blade shattered, but Yuuji didn't even flinch. He just whistled, and without taking his eyes off of the curse he was entertaining, Megumi reached behind him into Yuuji's shadow and tucked the blade of a more slender, sharper, knife into his palm, with the handle landing directly into Yuuji's backwards palm. A thank you was muttered and answered with a nod. After a few more minutes of fighting, a shout came from the area behind Megumi.
"Domain?"
A barrier spread into the valley and shadows enveloped. The pair shifted at the same time, turning into each other's side and switching. They continued alternating and the curses were quickly exorcised.
"Thanks, Megs." Yuuji said breathlessly.
"No problem. I'm not 15 anymore, you know. A few curses isn't enough to make me unable to open a domain."
"Of course, I didn't mean to doubt you but I wanted to get it over with and I needed to gauge where you were."
"Yeah, I understand. I would've done the same. Let's get back to the school."
"Should we call Ijichi?"
"Sure, why not."
As Yuuji turned his phone over in his hand to call Ijichi, a notification caught his eye.
"Oh my god!"
"What? What!"
"We did it!" Yuuji showed Megumi his phone and the text on the screen confirmed it. They were now teachers.
"Holy shit. I mean obviously we were gonna get it, but still. Yu, we did it." Megumi was in disbelief, and Yuuji felt the same. Yuuji wrapped his arms around Megumi gently, until he reciprocated and they were hugging.
Megumi whispered, "Yuuji, we did it. We got it. We get to do this."
"I know, Fushi, I know."
It really wasn't about the occupation, but more about what it meant. A job meant a life, a life that was their own and one that wasn't stolen. Because their lives didn't end at 15, and this was a testament to the work and hardships they had endured.
Slowly, they disentangled and Megumi wiped away a tear from the side of Yuuji's face, as well as a few of his own as Yuuji called Ijichi. The car came, and they worked on the mission report on the way back to the school. When they got back, they went straight to Nobara's room. A muffled "come in!" came from inside and Megumi nudged the door open. Nobara was inside, working on some work from her trips abroad. Yuuji put his hand on Megumi's lower back and tenderly pushed him further in. Nobara looked scared, eyes darting between their faces.
"What? What happened?"
"We did it."
"Well no shit. But oh my gosh, this amazing you guys!"
She got up and hooked her arms around both of their torsos, pulling the two boys into a hug. After a moment, Megumi pulled away and said, "Thank you, Nobara."
"Of course. I'm so proud of you two. Seriously. You guys deserve it."
"Aww Kugisaki!" Yuuji teased.
"I take it all back. You're a little shit, Itadori."
Megumi scoffed and said, "This is escalating, I'm going to take a shower."
As he walked away, Yuuji seemed entranced.
"Why is your face like that."
Yuuji whipped his head back around.
"Like what?"
"Like he," Nobara jerked her head to the empty doorway, "just hung the moon."
"Well, because he did. He saved us, Nobara. And he hated himself for it. I just- He's so strong. I can't help but feel proud, like 'This is my best friend, and new teaching partner! He saved the whole world from a terrible demon and makes the society a better place everyday!', you know?"
The look in Yuuji's eyes wasn't romantic, but it was full of love. Nobara knew then that Megumi was wrong.