reverbtunes - Tumblr blog

reverbtunes · 9 months

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sweet nothing

satoru gojo x f!reader

**part of my gojo as taylor series

content: talks of grief, references to hidden inventory arc, satoru just being in love, megs + tsumiki babies

an: giving love to one of the best songs on midnights. also idk where I procured this emo at like 1 in the afternoon but here we are

You give him the book after the two of you settle Megumi and Tsumiki into bed, in the few minutes of peace you and Satoru get before you both nestle into your shared bed. You hike your knees to your chest as he picks it up, a confused look meeting yours when he reads the title.

“On Grief and Giving?”

“I took Miki and Megs to the bookstore today and I thought you might like it.”

“A book about grief? I’m not grieving.”

You look over at him - sparkling blue eyes rimmed with red, the usual sparkiness in his voice gone for the past few days, and no smothering, smushy cheek kisses every morning. You scoot over and he opens his arm up, tucking you into his side.

You whisper the words against his neck, your hands placed on his body, tracing out the lines of his biceps.

“He doesn’t have to be dead for you to be grieving him, Satoru. The person we knew is dead and the reaction is all the same.” you whisper.

Satoru frowns, his hand going back and forth on your lower back. You know he hates it, when you try to talk about it. When anyone does.

“Just read a few pages. See if it’s your thing or not, okay?”

He looks into your eyes for a few seconds before nodding, pressing a swift kiss to your cheek. And when you leave to drop Tsumiki and Megumi off at school the next day, he reads the first page and promptly stops.

Grief stays the same size. Life begins to grow around it.

He thinks it’s stupid.

from y/n

you: don’t forget to bring strawberries home for froggy cake please!!

satoru: okay love. anything else?

you: that big fat ass

satoru: got it :D

you: you ruined it.

Tomorrow marks two years since Tsumiki and Megumi have been staying with you. And of course, in your ultimate corniness, you’ve convinced all three of them to make a cake with you. And because you can never say no to Tsumiki and Megumi’s suggestions, you’re making a strawberry froggy cake. Because Tsumiki wants to try to make a little frog with frosting and Megumi just wants to eat the strawberries off the cake.

He makes a mental note to drop by the store on the way home from his meeting with the higher ups and then his parents. Maybe buy some balloons or flowers or something to accompany the strawberries you asked for. He knows you said it was supposed to be a lowkey thing, just the four of you eating the cake together, but your annoyance doesn’t beat your surprised face, so he must.

Satoru stops by the coffee shop first, making it a clear point to be late to his meeting with the higher ups for a very stupid reason, and gets a sugary caramel latte. He can hear your voice in his mind - berating him for picking something so sweet - but persists anyway.

And as he leans against the counter, waiting for the cup with Satoru scribbled on the side, he takes in the shop, watching the people going around. He had never been too big on people watching, but it’s Tsumiki's favorite pass time at the park, pointing out people's silly outfits or how close and far they’re sitting away from each other.

He spots two little girls, making little beaded bracelets in the far corner while their moms both nurse a warm cup of coffee in their hands. They have their hands wrapped around the porcelain, like they’re sequestering the heat from the glass.

On the left, a young couple, nervously twiddling their fingers and cracking their knuckles as they make conversation - cheeks glazed pink and wobbly voices marking their conversation. They’re both dressed nicer than usual, clearly trying to impress each other.

And in the far corner, leaning against the chair, is Suguru Getou.

He nearly sprints to the other side of the shop when he sees him. Short hair, a man bun tucked neatly at the back with weirdly misshapen bangs and brown eyes. He can feel his heart racing, pounding even and the perspiration growing on his clenched fists as he moves closer.

And when he reaches their table, standing way too close and looking straight into his eyes, he realizes that this is not Suguru Getou. Instead, a kid that bears far too much resemblance to him. But his eyes are rounder, his nose isn’t as pointy, and he is not a murderer.

Satoru takes off and runs straight out the store, forgetting about his cup of coffee that’s getting cold in the pickup area.

Yaga and the higher-ups' voices drone out in the back, as Satoru wracks his head.

Why did he think that kid was Suguru? Suguru is dead.

And it only now occurs to him, that for all intents and purposes, he really does think he’s dead. But he knows he isn't because Satoru let him walk free. Because he had to clench his fists and swallow hard to walk away the last time he saw him.

But the man he knows is dead. Your voice is echoing in his head.

“Satoru, are you paying attention?”

“I mean, not really.”

They all pinch their noses and groan, starting the lecture he’s sure they were giving him all over again. And it’s nothing he hasn’t heard before.

We want you to take more missions, there aren’t that many special grade sorcerers available. We want you to spend more time teaching, you're not doing enough. A long list of we want, we want, we want.

And when the higher-ups trail out of the meeting, disdainful looks on their faces, he turns back to Yaga, who frowns at him. The question is on his tongue. He can’t bring himself to ask it.

Do you ever think you ask too much of me?

He understands. He tries to. That he is the strongest sorcerer, that there’s no one like him. That he may have infinity, but he knows they forget the inner parts of him aren’t untouchable. That he’s still a person, that he’s still soft.

Tsumiki’s shiny report cards make him beam with joy, fighting with Megumi keeps him up at night, and getting to hold you at night is the only thing that keeps him grounded sometimes.

That sometimes the smell of blood never leaves his nose no matter how hard he scrubs in the shower, that when he sees a boy who looks like Suguru, the wound he thought he patched over feels like it’s freshly bleeding.

But that doesn’t matter, because…

“You should be taking more missions. People are getting spread really thin.” Yaga says, clearing the dust off his desk.

…Because he’s the strongest.

As he drags his feet to the Gojo estate, he can’t help but survey the crowd as he walks there. Three girls with the same hair color as Getou, two boys with the same eye color, five people the exact same height, but none of them are Suguru Getou.

When he reaches his parents house, pulling out the long black chairs he uncomfortably sat in for hours as a kid, his mind wanders even farther when they start talking.

This time, he’s imagining. Daydreaming. What it would be like if he wasn’t the one gifted with the limitless and infinity. If jujutsu sorcery didn’t exist.

That he’d have more time, be more free to do what he wanted. Make chocolate pancakes with you every morning, before the two of you walk together to drop off Megumi and Tsumiki to school. You’d work normal jobs - maybe he’d still be a teacher, a normal one - while you would do something that was entirely too impressive. Like saving lives or writing books or working at a non-profit.

You would both go to Tsumiki’s first school dance together and take so many pictures that she’d walk away all embarrassed, red in the face. He’d go to every single one of Megumi’s baseball games, you’d both be the parents that are way too decked out, way too enthusiastic about their kid.

Satoru would help you collect vinyls and when Tsumiki and Megumi were long gone and the two of you would put them on and dance in the kitchen humming. You’ll get wrinkles at the same time and your hair would gray so the two of you would look like pale-haired ghosts together.

He zones back into what his parents were saying, their bored eyes glazed on him. And he doesn’t pay attention, because it’s nothing he hasn’t heard before.

They want him to be around more, because he should know how to take over the estate. They want him to meet with other clans, so he can help them with other deals. A long list of they want, they want, they want.

And he walks out, he wonders if his parents want the life he imagined for himself, the way he wants it for Megumi and Tsumiki. If that was the life Suguru would have lived, if things were different.

When he makes it home, the sun is sinking into the sky against the house, the sky an array of golden hues. And when he pushes his key into the lock, he’s met with one smiling face and two grumpy faces.

You march over, flicking Satoru’s cheek as he moves closer to you, grabbing onto your hands.

“Those strawberries better be hidden in your pants or something.”

He feels his face pale as he remembers that in the loop of things he’s been thinking about all day, he forgot to get the strawberries for froggy cake. And the balloons and flowers and everything else he wanted to give the three of you.

“Satoru. We really wanted strawberry froggy cake.” you whine, reaching up to rest your hands on his face, squishing hard.

He reaches for your wrists, pulling them down from his face and looking down at your joined hands.

“Oh well, I’ll just go grab them with Megumi or something.”

He watches you pad back into the kitchen, not even phased by his shortcoming, as you place a hand in Tsumiki’s hair. She’s very focused on frosting her little frog in the center of the cake, her eyebrows knit in concentration. He makes his way in, leaning over the counter as he intently watches the three of you.

“What if we all go to the store and pick up strawberries?” you say, a hand resting in Megumi’s hair.

Megumi directs off of you and to Satoru, glaring at him.

“Did you seriously forget the one thing we wanted you to get?”

“Megs, don’t be mean. It’s always fun to go to the store together!” you respond.

“I’ll let you pick out anything you want, kid.” Satoru mentions.

Megumi gives him a satisfied smile, hopping off his seat to go yank his shoes on. Tsumiki follows suit and you give Satoru a glowing smile as you drag the three of them out, hands intertwined as you go to the store.

And at the end of the day, in the few minutes of peace the two of you get before the next day, Satoru’s staring at you, memorizing the curve of your nose and the shape of your eyes, and the way your hair falls against your face.

You bring a hand up, cupping the side of his face as you whisper in the dark.

“You okay, Toru?”

“What do you want from me?”

He watches you frown and pull back, your hand shaking against his face.

“Are you mad at me, Satoru?”

He brings his hand to the back of your neck, bringing you back closer. He’s resting his forehead against yours, savoring the warmth that gathers in the back of your neck on his hands.

“No. No, no. I just…I want to know what you want from me.”

He watches you scrunch your forehead, as you ponder the question.

“I mean. I’d really like it if you didn’t leave the toilet seat up all the time.”

He cracks a smile, rolling his eyes at you, as he reaches for your hand to bring your knuckles up to his lips. He leaves a soft kiss, noticing the sweet smile that spreads across your face when he does, and drops your hand.

“That’s not what I meant, Y/N.”

“I mean. I’m not sure what you mean. It’s just small things, Toru. Like we should go on walks together sometimes in the evening, I think that would be nice. And we should watch all the Harry Potter movies together, like do a marathon and not sleep in between. And I’d really like a big diamond ring, circular cut, six pronged with a golden band.”

Your hands, still resting against his face, are now meshed in with a spray of salty tears and a whimpering Satoru. You instinctively bring him forward, tucking his neck into your face as he cries into your shoulders.

His tears are coating your neck as you run your hand through the white tresses of hair, whispering against his forehead. Imploring for what’s wrong. He doesn’t respond and the tears subside after a few minutes, his frame still shaking in your hold.

“I’m not that attached to a golden wedding band, Satoru. I can do silver.”

He laughs, pulling his face away from your neck to run hi shands through your hair.

“Gold is okay. I like gold.”

“What’s wrong, Satoru? Tell me.”

“Nothing. I just- that’s really all you want from me?”

“I mean, yeah. What else would I want?”

Satoru leans forward, pressing his lips against yours as he nearly cries into your face again, hanging off the ends of your lips. And you’re not sure what it means, what any of it means, but you let him - cry into your arms, hold you through the night, and make you breakfast the next morning.

In truth, Satoru cherishes the fact that everyone may ask the world of him, but all you’ve ever wanted from him are sweet, sweet nothings.

When you wake up the next morning, padding into the kitchen to make breakfast, you’re met with a box of strawberries, a sticky-note pressed on top. I love you, written in Satoru’s scribbly handwriting.

Life has grown around Satoru’s grief. And it looks like you.

taglist: @porridgesblog @platrom @k0z3me @kayleegomez @yihona-san06 @bsenpai @sweetenertea @skzismyhome @mykyoon @violetmatcha @rebeccawinters @luna0713hunter @shotenvinsoot @itzmeme @squirrelspoetry

#this is the best thing ive ever read #so much that i had to come back from my months of inactivity just to reblog it #satoru my angel #ska.jjk

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reverbtunes · 1 year

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crush culture! ; megumi fushiguro

megumi fushiguro is so in love with you, it makes him look like a fool.

megumi fushiguro x gn reader, falling in love, confessions, endless fluff, pining, hbd babygirl fushiguro where my hug at - wk: 5.3k

megumi fushiguro is not new to the feeling of embarrassment.

he's best friends with itadori yuji and nobara kugisaki, who apparently can't go 2 days without making a scene in public. he was raised by the strongest sorcerer gojo satoru, who has the least shame out of anyone he's ever met. these aspects of his life come with an assortment of humiliating memories surrounding them. but this? megumi thinks that this might take the cake.

"i do not," he practically seeths, face turned away and buried in his high collar as best he could, "like them that way. don't even."

megumi doesn't need to look at his upperclassmen to know that maki is smirking like an idiot, and that inumaki and panda were holding in their stupid laughter.

"sure you don't, fushiguro!" panda exclaims jovially, with an exaggerated wink and a pointed elbow nudge.

megumi wishes that animal abuse wasn't illegal.

because truly, there is nothing more humiliating than being grilled by his seniors as they interrogate him about his crush on their best friend.

"it's okay if you like them!" maki says. megumi thinks she might be attempting friendliness, but her words come out dripping with sarcasm. "we can help you!"

megumi snorts at this. "how could you help?"

maki frowns. panda taps his finger (?) on his chin (?) thoughtfully as he ponders. inumaki says something and panda snaps his fingers.

"they like books!"

megumi blinks. "like i said, how could you help?"

panda deflates. inumaki glares. maki snorts.

and then, footsteps sound as someone enters the common room- everyone tenses- and then you appear.

"hey! what are you all up to?" your voice is scratchy with exhaustion and you look absolutely beat but megumi can't help but think that you're the prettiest person he's ever laid eyes on.

because yes, despite what he said to maki, megumi fushiguro has a major crush on you.

you, a 2nd-year at jujutsu high. you, who remembers his favorite foods and buys him trinkets from your missions. you, who checks in on him, and you, who he can never, ever tell he likes because that would be even more embarrassing.

besides, it's not like you like him back. to you, he's probably just the emo 1st-year who can't speak coherent sentences when you're around and sulks around all day.

"oh, nothing important," maki waves her hand, dismissing your inquiry. she looks at megumi with a stupid sly grin that makes him want to punch her.

you apparently follow her gaze, eyes landing on megumi and alighting with sudden enthusiasm.

"oh, fushiguro! i didn't see you!"

megumi blinks. the other 2nd-years do a poor job of muffling their laughter.

if you hear their cackling under their breath, you ignore it, and riffle around in your bag and pull out a tiny wooden figure. it's a dog, painted black and white with yellow eyes. it sits flat on the palm of his hand.

"i saw that at a booth near the train station while i was coming back from kyoto," you explain. "that reminded me of you, so i got it! for you!"

you look at him almost expectantly, as if you're waiting for something. and as if that weren't enough pressure, megumi feels 3 pairs of other eyes boring into his soul.

everyone in the room is watching him. you are watching him. and all he can manage is a strangled, "thanks."

that one word, he wishes it could capture every single thing he wants to say to you. he hopes that instead of the 'thanks' you hear an 'i'm in love with you' and 'i like you so so so much' and 'i want you so bad for real.'

well, scratch that. that would be even more embarrassing, actually. he hopes you just hear the 'thanks.'

and he thinks that you just process the monotonous gratitude and not the underlying message because you deflate a little, and you seem more tired. megumi winces. what were you expecting?

he doesn't get a chance to contemplate his thoughts. maki whacks him in the back of the head. he didn't even hear her walk up.

"okay, fushiguro, go away. we have important 2nd-year business to discuss which you," she points at him for emphasis, "are not welcome to."

megumi snorts. he knows it's a lie. but what else can he do? he stands, still holding the wooden dog like it's a precious treasure in his hands, and leaves without another word, preparing to bury himself in his humiliation back at his dorm room.

megumi's next mistake is accidentally letting it drop to nobara and yuji that he kind-of-maybe-sort-of likes you.

"you like them?" nobara all but gasps.

yuji faux-faints onto megumi's bed, wailing something incoherent about his 'precious boy growing up.' the dark-haired boy makes a mental note to change the sheets.

the 1st-years were situated in megumi's dorm room. nobara was perched hugging her knees on his spinning desk chair, and megumi sat on the floor leaning against the back wall.

"shut up yuji," nobara frowns and dismisses. her brow furrows as if she's trying to unravel a huge mystery. "but you're so... you. and they're... them."

megumi regrets ever opening his mouth.

yuji is having his own conversation on megumi's bed, babbling something about you being 'so pretty' and another fragment about how 'fushiguro would be a good boyfriend!'

nobara doesn't so much as glance at him before turning back to megumi. "do you even follow them on instagram?"

megumi huffs. "how is that relevant?"

nobara snatches his phone from the desk, tapping in the password, which, how did she know his password? she pulls up instagram and finds your account in the search bar.

she gives the same stupid sly grin that maki did and megumi once again feels an overwhelming sense of regret.

"you do follow them. and you're a big fan, it seems!"

yuji reaches over and swipes the phone from her hands. "i wanna see!"

"what do you have to say for yourself, fushiguro?"

megumi wants to wipe the smirk clean off nobara's face.

"shut up," is all he says.

nobara tuts like a disappointed schoolteacher. "do you even know anything about them?"

megumi flushes. "we don't talk often. that's the issue."

"really? because, they talk to everyone. a lot. they don't shut up, actually, in a good way. and they try to speak to you."

at this, megumi looks up at her. she continues:

"but when they talk to you it's like talking to a bag of bricks. i've seen it firsthand. why don't you work on that before complaining, dimwit?"

before megumi can defend himself, yuji is exclaiming something rather loudly.

"they like pokemon!"

nobara and megumi both look at the boy, unimpressed. he notes this and tries to defend himself.

"hey, i'm just trying to help. they posted this with a pokemon card in the background," he checks the date, glancing back at megumi's phone, "two years ago."

and that's when megumi is met with a sinking feeling. this must be what despair is, he thinks, as he snatches the phone back from yuji, ignoring his whining.

megumi could cry, at this very moment, as he scrolls through all your posts only to see that yuji has liked every single one, dating back to 3 years ago.

he buries his face in his hands and groans, ignoring nobara's questioning and yuji's pestering.

"what happened? someone tell me," the ginger demands, before grabbing the phone to see for herself. and she gasps, so loudly and so dramatically that you'd think that her own mother was shot in front of her.

"itadori."

the boy looks confused. "what?"

"you fucked up."

"huh?"

"this is irreparable damage," nobara all but shouts, waving the phone around in the air, "now they're never going to get together and it's all your fault, and they probably think that fushiguro's a creep and will hate him forever now!"

yuji joins in the caterwauling by trying to justify his sins, and megumi covers his ears. and then, a notification arrives, and megumi's phone pings.

everyone is silent. you could hear a pin drop.

nobara slowly, slowly checks the sender before jerking the phone out towards megumi. "it's them," she whispers.

megumi feels ill as he takes the phone back. he doesn't really want to reply but yuji and nobara are watching so intently and he doesn't want to keep you waiting, so he opens the message.

you is my insta that interesting LMFAO

megumi blinks. he's not too sure what to say.

"play it dumb," nobara hisses at him, "reply fast! your read receipts are on, dumbass!"

megumi srry what r you talking about?

he sends the text, and nobara swipes him on the head. "you sound so mean! what if they take that the wrong way?"

you sorry LMAO i dont want to bother u 😭😭 im just confused

megumi oh no wait im srry i think that was yuji he was using my phone idk what he was doing

nobara sighs in relief.

"crisis averted," she crows, "eat shit yuji."

megumi ignored the resulting argument as he continues to text you. he can't help but smile at his phone as the conversation keeps unfolding.

you oh LMFAO well that explains it ig!!

megumi yeah haha srry about that again

you oh its no problem i was just like confused what're u up to rn ?

megumi's heart flutters. this is so you, to ask what he's doing, and it's so you to care. one side of him is blushing and kicking its feet, and the other wants to sink into its grave and rot because how is he meant to say he's talking to his stupid best friends about you?

and so, he lies.

megumi im just reading rn itadori and kugisaki r hanging out w/ me in my dorm being very loud nothing new

you omg !! i didnkt know u liked reading what book?

this is where the panic sets in again. megumi reads, sure, and he likes it, but he wasn't reading anything at the moment.

besides, how far would you look into the answer? if he said a romance book, would you take it as flirting? if he said a smart, pretentious-sounding book, would you think he's smart?

he isn't sure so he just tells you whatever he's just finished, which happens to be a romance.

megumi rn im reading My heart and other black holes it's rlly good have u read it before?

you no buuuut ive def heard of it somewhere i'll add it to my 'to read' list rn

megumi silently applauds himself because, hooray! he's pretty sure he did something right!

his phone pings again: it's another text from you.

you its kinda late rn and i have an early mission tmr sooo i should probably go to bed

you but dont get me wrong id love to continue our convo soon !! are you free tomorrow around like lunch?

megumi yeah i am

you perfect!! i know this rly cute cafe if youd like to meet me there after my assignment!!

megumi yeah actually that sounds great i'd love to

you ok awesome :) im tapping out for tn then ill text u when tmr!! goodnight fushiguro !

megumi goodnight, sleep well!

megumi stares at his phone. and then he looks at his friends, who are still bickering. and then he looks back at his phone.

nobara catches on. "what happened? what were you guys talking about?"

megumi can't speak and he just hands nobara the phone. she scrolls through the messages and gasps very loudly, for what must've been the 100th time that night.

yuji, who had gotten up, read the messages over her shoulder. "oh, wow! yay fushiguro! i knew it'd work out!"

nobara swats his arm.

"you dumbass," she snips, "how is he supposed to go on a date with them if he can't even speak to them in person?"

megumi wishes that the ground would open up and eat him alive.

yuji 'ohs' and flops back onto the bed, resuming whatever the hell he was doing on his game console.

nobara takes a deep breath. "fushiguro," she starts, "you are going to need some serious help."

it was 7 in the morning on the dot when megumi's door was slammed in.

the noise woke him up, and he shot out of bed like a bullet. maki, panda, nobara, and yuji all filed in through the doorway. megumi frowns deeper than he thinks he ever has.

"get up, fushiguro!" maki's voice is drill sergent-esq with how utterly loud it is. "we have work to do!"

she sports her wooden bō and a stern expression. everyone else looks similarly serious. megumi's eyebrow twitches.

"what is going on."

no one bothers to explain- instead, maki gestures, and panda all but drags the boy out of his bed.

"we're here to help train you," yuji chirps, "you've got a big day today!"

megumi kicks and punches but can't get out of panda's grasp, so he allows himself to go limp. he thinks that if he had been fully awake, he would be bringing every single person on campus hell.

"yes," he groans, "today's big, sure. which is why i don't want to talk to you guys. you're all bad luck."

"now, now," nobara chides haughtily, hands on her hips, "we've done so much for you already! and we're helping you prepare for your date! how is that bad luck?"

"yeah!" yuji's exclamation is even louder than maki's wake-up call and megumi wants to tear his ears off.

"and plus- we made inumaki go with them on their mission and told him to mess something up so you have extra time!"

megumi blinks. he's still being dragged around like a doll but he pulls his phone from his pocket to see a message from you:

you hey sorry this mission is taking a little longer than expected we might have to have a late lunch :(

he taps out a reply hurriedly and resumes being hauled across campus to- the training field? what exactly are they going to try and teach him?

when megumi is finally released, he stands, brushing the dirt and dust off his clothes- before maki knocks him to the ground again with her bō.

he glares up at her as he sits, not bothering to get back up again.

"first things first-" she says, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose, "don't be yourself. you're really awkward, laughably so. and i don't know their type but generally awkward guys aren't it."

megumi says nothing. there's no getting out of this- his only real option is to wait it through. and honestly? he's not that mad anymore, just a little disgruntled. he needs the distraction or else his nerves will eat him alive.

"i don't even know if they're into me," he grumbles from the floor, "how do you guys even know if this is a date?"

his words are followed by silence. and then the other students break out into a fit of laughter.

yuji leans down to megumi's level and smacks him on the back while he cackles joyously, sending the other boy sprawling across the dirt once more. "good one!

panda wipes a tear from his eye (can pandas cry?). nobara leans against maki and clutches her ribs.

megumi rolls his eyes. he isn't looking forward to this.

the entire 'training session' was generally useless. it was just a lot of 'be nice to her' and 'get her to fall in love with you' with no actual explanation of how.

megumi thinks he might be ill when he walks into the cafe and sees you there. you look elated when you see him enter, already sitting in a booth seat.

he sits across from you. the cafe is, true to your word, charming. potted plants are abundant and the natural light filters through the skylights.

"fushiguro! i'm happy you're here!"

this was you. an undeniable kindness, an insurmountable sense of caring that you put on display for everyone to see.

"i said i would, didn't i?"

megumi surprised even himself when his words came out normal and decidedly not choked up. this was progress- maybe maki's methodization helped.

your grin rivals the sun and megumi finds it in himself to muster a small smile-ish in response.

megumi thinks that you can sense his pensiveness, and he is silently thanking you for your grace. you steer the conversation, prompting him to speak every-so-often. he doesn't even get a chance to utilize maki, nobara, yuji, and panda's shit advice, not that he would've in the first place.

eventually, he works up the courage to inquire about your day and mission, which you gladly speak about. the flow of the conversation is easy and light. he only wishes he could join in more, but his nerves stop him.

at some point in conversation, you blink, and thrum your fingers on the table. megumi observed how you slightly jostle your bowl of udon, but you don't seem to notice or care.

"i'm sorry! you asked me about my day, but i totally forgot to ask- how was your morning so far?"

it's megumi's turn to blink dumbly. he had been really, really glad when you'd glossed over his morning in the conversation. he wasn't too sure what to say.

it's not that megumi was a bad liar. he lied a lot growing up, mostly to gojo, and now mostly to his friends to get them to leave him alone or shut up. but he didn't want to lie to you. he didn't even think he could- his brain was working overtime to converse with you through his anxiety. how could he conjure a lie?

megumi internally prepares for you to hate him and lose all interest after he begins telling you about his morning.

"kind of rough," he means it as a joke but you look so curious and concerned that he can't just leave it at that, "our wonderful classmates woke me up at 7 to... speak with me about stuff."

he's really, really trying to exclude the actualities of the event, but he's already in too deep.

"oh, that's awful," you sympathize, "what stuff?"

megumi wants to die. he wishes that his bowl of ramen was poison and that he's passed out right then and there. he wishes that the ground would suddenly start shaking and that the roof would collapse right on top of him. but none of that happens and he continues to talk.

"it was... kind of to prepare me for this date thing, i guess." he talks to quietly and quickly that you almost don't catch what he says. but to megumi's misfortune, you do. and you laugh.

and at that point, megumi might as well be dead for real, because your laughter is the most beautiful sound in the world and he is so, so embarrassed, more so than he's ever been. this has to be #1 now, for his most humiliating life moments.

(megumi also needs to stop saying that. it seems like every time he decides a new moment is the most mortifying of his existence, a new one comes in to replace it. he thinks he's accidentally manifesting it.)

"really? is that why inumaki came with me today, last minute? to buy you time?" your eyes are twinkling now, and you look at him so amused that it would really be a crime to not indulge in this conversation.

"it is," he confirmed. "it's not like it was worth it. i should've just slept in."

your grin grows, and megumi decides that there isn't anything he wouldn't do to make you smile like that again.

"what did they tell you?"

megumi tells you about maki's opinions on 'awkward boys.' he tells you about yuji's exuberant laughter and very loud opinions. he accidentally mentions his doubt about this being a date, to which you look away, a bit embarrassed.

"i meant it to be," you explain, "but i wasn't sure if i communicated it properly, y'know? but i'm glad you got my point."

you continue to prompt megumi to talk, and suddenly, you're both running your mouths. he doesn't think he's spoken this much to anyone in forever, and he's shocked at how easy it is to speak to you once he's started.

you're really listening, and you find him funny, and you think his opinions and stories are interesting, and megumi has never wanted to speak more.

the conversation seems like it could last forever, until you are both prompted by a waitress who politely tells you that the cafe is to be closed soon and that you should finish up and pay. checking the time, megumi realizes that it's been 3 hours. his food is only half-eaten and has long since become cold and soggy.

the two of you pay and leave. megumi confesses that he's never really done this before and he's not sure what he's doing as you two walk to the train station and you beam at him, bumping into his side purposefully.

your hand finds his and you nimbly intertwine your fingers- megumi thinks he could die a happy man right there.

"it's okay," you smile, "we can make up the rules. it's up to us."

megumi contemplates this, for a moment. he is feeling oddly emboldened. maki was wrong, he was right, you seem to be liking him a lot, and he got over his nerves and actually managed a human conversation.

so he's only a little nervous when he proposes:

"i have a rule, then."

you raise an eyebrow, urging him to continue.

"we do this again soon."

megumi doesn't look at you, and suddenly all the anxiety sets back in, because, god why did he say that and why aren't you replying and what is going on and do you hate him not and did he ruin everything?

he risks a glance at you, expecting to see you throwing up in disgust or glaring daggers at him. but when he turns, he sees you, eyes wide and cheeks hot, opening and closing your mouth. he squeezes your hand, feeling a little bit of satisfaction, and that seems to help you work out your thoughts.

"sorry," you laugh a bit, "i just... wasn't expecting that. but i agree with that rule. i definitely do."

the walk back to the train station is peaceable, and the ride home even more so. megumi doesn't think he's felt this kind of feeling in years, and he thinks he loves it.

when the two of you return to campus, megumi is reluctant to let go of your hand. you turn to face each other, near where the dorms separate into year-based sections.

"i had fun," you say, a bit breathless. you're not sure what from.

megumi smiles unconsciously. "i did, too."

"i'll text you?"

"i'll look forward to it."

megumi expects you to let go of his hand and turn back to your dorm, because that was that, and the first date was done, but instead, you hesitantly lean close to his face as if you were about to tell him a secret.

but instead of whispering something into his ear, you plant a quick peck on his cheek before scurrying away, leaving megumi to think as the sun lowered in the horizon.

he stares after you, and he is suddenly extremely grateful that yuji didn't know social media norms.

the following stretch of what would be considered 'dating' was, in megumi's humble opinion, perfect. when he was with you, it was like everything clicked into place.

you were one of the few people megumi would consider himself comfortable around, and you were by far the person he spoke to the most. he was only grateful that gojo was overseas at the moment because he'd never live down how utterly and undeniably lovesick he was.

besides, he already heard enough from his friends.

"you guys are so obsessed with each other, it's disgusting, just get hitched already," maki scowled.

"when are you going to ask them officially?" nobara gossiped.

"life is so unfair," panda stated.

"you guys are so, way, mega, too cute! can i be the flower boy," yuji wailed.

"salted salmon cod roe," inumaki exclaimed.

but they did present the very real question of when and how megumi was going to ask you officially.

nobara was the most insistent.

"why do i have to ask? why can't it just happen?" megumi had made the mistake of inquiring at some point. nobara responded by kicking him in the ribs.

"they made the first move, so it's your turn now."

(megumi supposed that her reasoning was sound, but concluded that her methodization was a bit harsh.)

and so, it was up to him to ask you to officially be his partner.

he had a few ideas, all of which were quickly shot down by his council (nobara and yuji) for various reasons.

a text was too anticlimactic. a dinner date was too formal. a picnic was too casual. a walk was too boring. and simply asking you? that was apparently taboo.

and all of these ideas were presented with the clause that megumi could ask you verbally. sure, he'd become quite the conversationalist around you, but he thinks that he might pass out should he attempt to ask you something of this gravity.

this, megumi decides to ditch all of his friends' advice and take it his own route. if it'd worked for the first date, why wouldn't it work now?

he visited his favorite bookstore in tokyo 3 months after your first date and picked out a copy of 'my heart and other black holes.' he spent a week rereading it and annotating it with little notes and thoughts. he doodled in the margins. he wrote little jokes in the spacing.

and then, on the very last page, megumi wrote a little note. his handwriting was neat and his phrasing was clear, but he couldn't help his anxiety lurching as he reread it.

what if you misread it? what if you say no? what if you don't even read the book?

the logical side of megumi knew that none of these would happen. but he couldn't help the stress mounting within his chest.

on the next date you both went on, this time to a record store, he handed you the book. he told you that it's nothing much and to read it whenever you'd like, pretending like he didn't just hand you a piece of his heart.

but you'd smiled at him with stars in your eyes, and megumi couldn't help but think that it'd all work out.

later that night, long after all your classmates had fallen asleep, you cracked open the book.

you decided you could read it all in a night, seeing as it was a rather short novel. you retrieved your pen and a highlighter from your desk, ready to annotate, when you saw that megumi already had. his thoughts and feelings were scribbled between the lines, his mind whirring with connections and ideas displayed on the pages.

you could cry, this meant so much.

you breezed through the story, smiling to yourself at megumi's comments. it was over before you knew it- and just as you were about to close the book, the empty page at the back where the dedications usually go held some dark blue ink.

you riffled through the pages back to that spot and read the little note that awaited you. it was brief, and the sight of your name written in his writing alone was enough to make your face heat.

you read his condensed message about 'how he's never met anyone quite like you' and about how 'you make him feel more like himself than anybody else ever could.'

you read about how he's liked you forever, and how he was sorry that he couldn't ask you in person, and you read his final, concluding question: the question asking if you'd officially be his partner or not.

you close the book and stand.

the time is 2:57 in the morning when megumi is promptly awoken by a knock on his door.

he almost doesn't answer but then he hears your voice calling his name through the sliding door, and who is he to leave you waiting?

you look tired, is megumi's first thought when he sees you. your eyes are droopy and you waver a bit as you stand. but you're holding something in your hands- a novel. the cover is familiar. megumi realizes what this is about but he can't find it in himself to bring it up.

"what are you doing up so late? you should be getting some sleep," megumi chides you gently instead. you don't reply, instead sliding in past him to sit on his bed.

megumi blinks. he's not too sure what he's supposed to do now. he's not to sure that you know what you're doing, even.

he sits next to you on the bed, waiting for you to say something. you don't.

you look at him. he looks back at you.

finally, megumi breaks the silence.

"did you finish the book? what did you think?"

you don't reply right away, blinking at him owlishly.

"i really want to kiss you right now," you reply.

he wasn't expecting that.

"oh," megumi says.

"yeah," you respond.

he blinks at you. you keep on staring at him.

"okay."

that's all he needed to say, apparently, because soon enough you're kissing him, and he's kissing you back.

when you break away, your head stays close resting on his collarbone. the material of his sweatshirt is soft and plush beneath your cheek.

neither of you speak for a few moments. you don't need to see megumi's face to know that he's flushed cherry-red.

"so," he starts awkwardly, "i take it you liked the book."

you laugh, a sleepy laugh into his figure, and he smiles. his arm moves to wrap around your waist.

"i say yes, by the way," you basically whisper, "i would love to be your partner."

megumi doesn't think he's felt affection this profound for anyone before. here you are, his partner, so lovely even when you're about to pass out.

"cool," he whispers back, but you're already asleep in his arms.

bonus:

nobara is a little concerned when she wakes up and you're not in your dorm.

usually, you're asleep much later than she is, with the exception of when you were forced out of bed. you'd typically stagger out of your room and meet her in the kitchenette where she'd make breakfast for herself, you, and anyone else who'd ask that morning.

for you to be awake before her without any obligations was unusual.

but the pitiful amount of concern she holds vanishes within a heartbeat when she, upon entering the common room, sees you and megumi curled up close on the sofa.

you're both tangled together, so engrossed in each other's presence that neither of you notices nobara's entrance until she loudly clears her throat.

you smile nervously. "morning!"

nobara doesn't return your greeting, instead furrowing her brows. "when did you get up today?"

you blink, trying to come up with a reply because you see the cogs turning inside her head and you can predict where this is going.

"uh... an hour ago?"

you think you've never seen nobara look more smug. "you liar. i know that's a lie because when i checked 2 hours ago, you were gone."

"so," nobara grins, "where did you sleep last night?"

you look at megumi. megumi looks at you.

neither of you are sure how you're meant to lie your way out of this one.

#THIS IS SO CUTE IM CRYING #yes im back in my megumi phase and i dont want to hear anything about #it #in love #ska.jjk #fic rec

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