Chapter Text
The creaks on the floor are loud as Megumi and Yuji walk into the house. The interior is clean and cozy. Megumi looks around and knows this has been built by Yuji and the other Megumi. He can already see their choices in the curtains, the open balcony with the clothes hanging, and the sound of laundry running softly.
The table was layered with a warm tablecloth and two chairs. One chair by the corner and another closer to the other. He already knows where old Megumi would be sitting, and Yuji would be serving. A wave of shame passes through him as he realizes he cannot help Yuji anymore. What has been going on in the future?
“Megumi?” Yuji calls him, his voice hoarse from holding his cries. He smiles warmly at Megumi, who is staring at the table, and motions towards the door.
“Yuji?”
Megumi flinches, hearing a voice so similar. It is him. The voice is strained and tired, but he can still hear a hint of himself in the way the other Megumi called for Yuji. He is glad for once that his love for Yuji is constant and it is evident still in the future.
Yuji opens the door and sneaks his head in. Megumi smiles widely, remembering his Yuji on the first day at Jujutsu High, sneaking his head first into his room. He watches Yuji straighten himself and walk into the room, motioning Megumi to follow.
Megumi finds himself frozen in place.
Is he actually ready to see an older Megumi? See his fate in the future? After all he has lost, he fears he is not the same after all these years. What changes might he have had? How many more regrets can he carry?
Yuji steps back and extends his hand. Callous and rough hands. No wrinkles and strains.
Megumi gulps and takes his hand as Yuji ushers him in.
The first thing that Megumi does is squeeze his eyes shut. The light from the window blinds him. That’s unusual. He always loved a dark room with everything closed. The fear of change starts to creep in again.
He slowly opens his eyes and sees an older man lying in bed. His back rested on a pillow, and his head turned to them. His hands are intertwined on his stomach, thin and strained. The scars around his eyes darkened and wrinkled at the corners. White hairs pushed back as if Yuji had just cleaned him up before leaving the house.
Both Megumi stare at each other and do not say anything for a moment.
Until younger Megumi utters in disbelief, “I look pathetic...” Not because he is old, but because of how he is next to Yuji. The older Megumi just chuckles lightly, very well knowing what he meant.
However, Yuji scowls at young Megumi and walks to his Megumi before sitting beside him. He cups the older man’s cheeks and leans his head against him. “Even though you are Megumi, do not dare say anything about my Megumi.”
The older man shakes his head, eyes still full of affection as he stares at Yuji before saying, “He is not wrong, though. I am pathetic.”
Yuji shakes his head and pecks the man’s lips as he scowls again and says, “No, you are beautiful. Say you are beautiful.”
The old man does not try to argue. Megumi understands why. Years have gone by, and probably along the line, Megumi had given up arguing with Yuji and listened to him just to make him happy all the time. The old man smiles and pats Yuji’s cheeks, “I am beautiful. There, I said it. Are you happy?”
Yuji nods and stands up to walk out. However, the older Megumi holds onto his hand and motions him to his side of the bed. He looks between the two Megumi and asks, “Do you guys want privacy?”
“I am okay with either.” Young Megumi responds.
“I need you to be here,” Old Megumi says and pulls onto Yuji lightly. Yuji responds to him, moves over older Megumi, and lies down next to him. He nuzzles his head into Megumi’s neck, and his hand lightly pats the wrinkled hands on Megumi’s lap. Megumi brings him close and runs his hand through Yuji’s vibrant pink hair. The scene is so intimate yet chilling that young Megumi wants to step out and give them privacy.
Old Megumi sighs and explains, “Last time I was here, in this scenario, only we talked. The older Megumi that time had Yuji walk out of the room. I am trying to do something different to see if I can change something.”
“You have nothing to change,” Yuji frowns.
“Have you been here before?” Megumi asks.
Old Megumi nods and gestures to the young Megumi to take a seat beside him. The young man finally obliges. He is determined to make changes if he has to.
“It is a loop. You will be old too in my place, and a young Megumi will come again. It is not a curse. I believe it is an attempt from someone outwardly to give Yuji something. Perhaps they will know my Yuji in the future and try to help him. There have been aliens from other worlds on this world. And they are powerful, and some are immortal like Yuji. And knowing Yuji-”
“He made friends with them.” The young Megumi says fondly. His kind Yuji. Always helping everyone regardless of his own needs. If any of that help has brought Megumi here in the future, then he is quite grateful for Yuji’s selfless nature. For once, because he still does not appreciate Yuji being so selfless.
The older man nods and assures the young one, “So, do not worry about going home. You will be sent back before you know it. But do you know why you are here?”
Yuji looks between the two men, curious and intrigued about the loop now. His Megumi travelled into the future when he was 28, but he never uttered a word about these events until now.
“Save Yuji,” Megumi answers. No hesitation in his response.
“Save me?” Yuji widens his eyes, visible confusion now. “From what?”
Older Megumi pats Yuji’s cheeks and answers, “You know what it is. I have been looking for ways to make your life bearable ever since I came back from the loop,” He turns to the young Megumi and hesitates as he mumbles, “But it seems like I failed. I still do not have an answer to how to do it.”
Yuji sits up and frowns, “You did nothing wrong, Megumi. I do not need any saving, especially from you. I am happy.”
Megumi clenches his fist, and he stares at the older man with a new determination, “Please give me as many details as possible of what route you followed and what happened to Yuji. I do not want to fail like you.”
“Are you guys serious right now!?” Yuji exclaims and glares at younger Megumi, “You are Megumi, but do you not see how sick my Megumi is? Who cares about Itadori Yuji, anyway? Haven’t we had enough of him!? Let’s go out and find a way to get you back-”
“I am Megumi, yes,” Megumi snaps at Yuji and continues in a low voice, “And I do not care what you have going on here, but I will grab the tiniest opportunities I can to save my Yuji. If he is saying he failed, then he failed. I know myself better than anyone.”
The older man sighs and holds Yuji’s arms. He cups his cheeks with the other hand and whispers, “Yuji, please. Listen to us. This reality here will warp, and there could be a chance to have a different ending right here, right this instance, if I can make any changes in the past.”
Yuji moves Megumi’s hand away from his face and lays it on his lap. He plays with the ring on the old man’s finger and mumbles, “I am happy, Megumi. I am happiest taking care of you and loving you. Have I ever complained? So why?”
“Your eyes never lied, Yuji,” Younger Megumi interrupts and states, “You might be happy, but I know you are regretting a future where Megumi can see you off and you do not have to see him die. It is just that easy to see. You regret a future where you could have counted your wrinkles with me. Or us pulling on our grey hair strands as we grow older. A future where we would watch our rings stay the same, and hands go scrawny.”
And that it hits Yuji like a truck, where he starts to tear up. His voice wobbles as he tries to cover it up. “Both of you are still so infuriating.”
The next hour goes by, Yuji and older Megumi detailing the immortality situation. Yuji had no clue he was like this until after his 35th birthday. Even though Megumi knew what was going on, he tried to make the blow lighter for Yuji, researching the book on souls by Yuki. However, it was not fruitful. Years of research and nothing that could generate ageing in Yuji. Death Paintings and their immortality were truly one-of-a-kind creations of Kenjaku. Upon the death of all the siblings, it was harder to find results.
Yuji had no clue Megumi was going through all this for him. It leaves a deep guilt for calling them infuriating for trying to save him. He smiles at the two men and, for the first time in a long while, Yuji finally says from his heart, “I am really happy, Megumi. You care so much about me,” He sniffles and wraps his hands around his Megumi, and nuzzles close as his lips graze his neck. “I love you so much, but I wish you told me. You didn’t have to carry such a heavy burden yourself.”
Megumi kisses the top of his head and says, “You are carrying the heavier burden. I did nothing.”
“This is not a competition. We are husbands. We share loads.” Yuji pouts.
“Says you,” Both Megumi says snarkily, knowing the selfless Yuji.
“Whatttt?” Yuji rolls his eyes.
Young Megumi looks down at his hand. Dejected and confused. The situation in the future does not look good at all. He had some hopes for the future after everything that happened, but now this. This is way far from his expertise and what he knows. All these curses and immortality were happening centuries ago, and now the main culprit is gone. He cannot even question.
“What if I make myself immortal too?” Megumi mumbles absentmindedly.
He did not realize what he said until he felt a silence surround the room. He looks up, and Yuji is glaring at him. Make himself immortal to be beside Yuji until eternity or the end of time? Can he do that?
Yuji grits through his teeth and orders, “You are not doing that. Do not dare you go back in your time and do that to yourself and me. I swear I will hate you forever.”
Megumi’s eyes twitch, “You cannot hate me. You don’t have that in you.”
“And you do not have that willingness to live forever!” Yuji yells this time.
Megumi flinches. Yuji sinks into a low posture, his eyes widening as his words dawn on him. It has always been known between the two that Megumi is always in line to sacrifice himself. While Yuji is the same as well, he felt obliged with Sukuna being inside him. However, Megumi never had the drive to continue living after what happened with Tsumiki and Gojo. He learned to live with that and bear it within himself. But was he ready to live forever?
Standing up, Megumi turns towards the door as he murmurs, “I am going to take a moment. Sorry.”
The couple doesn’t stop him as he closes the door on them. Megumi walks towards the dining table and takes a seat. He is a second away from smashing the table, but he pulls at his hair roughly.
Think, think, think. You have always been smart. Think Megumi.
However, everything is a loop. There are no traces or duplicates of death paintings. Kenjaku and Tengen, both of whom lived for years, are dead. Moreover, Megumi is not living long enough to solve these. How can he even make himself immortal? If there were routes and answers to immortality, there should be something to solve this as well.
Megumi flinches as he feels a hand on his shoulder. He looks up, and it’s Yuji handing him a glass of water as he takes a seat beside him. Megumi nods in appreciation and takes a gulp.
“Megumi.” Yuji hums his name and crosses his arms on the table before leaning his head on the arms.
“Hmm?”
“Megumi.”
“Yuji.”
“Megumi.”
The dark-haired man chuckles and runs his fingers through Yuji’s bright pink hair as he answers again, “Yes, my love.”
“I am sorry.” The boy looks down, refusing to meet his eyes this time.
Megumi shakes his head, his fingers tracing the frown between Yuji’s brow to release the stress, “You have nothing to apologize for, my love,” He leans his head against Yuji and nuzzles his nose against him, “Nothing you hear me.”
Yuji nods and looks up at him. He stares at him for a few seconds before saying, “You are so beautiful.”
Humming, Megumi shrugs and leaves a small kiss on his nose, “So are you. I love you, you know that, right?”
Yuji nods.
“So, what I want has always been to keep you safe and happy. You came into my life like blazing thunder, and I was infatuated from the very second. However, as days went by, you became a sunshine I started craving and running towards like a moth. Now, with my Yuji, I feel like a full-blooming butterfly where both of us just twirl around each other to see each other’s beauty in our scars. I cannot wait to grow more with you and feel more.” Megumi gulps and turns his face to leave a kiss on the boy’s cheek as he traces Yuji’s lips with his fingers.
Yuji’s eyes glisten, and he drops his head into his arms. His shoulders are shaking in silent sobs. Megumi’s eyes widen, and he stands up before engulfing himself in the man. He pats his shoulders and rubs his back slowly.
Megumi hears something creaking, and he looks sideways to see the older Megumi slowly walking towards the table with his crane. He stands up to help the man, and he shakes his head and motions him to stay with Yuji. Megumi nods and keeps patting Yuji’s back as the older Megumi takes a seat opposite Yuji and rubs his scrawny hands on his back as well.
The two men stay in silence as their sunshine finally cracks and lets the rain in today. Yuji sobs out loud and looks up before he starts rubbing his face, trying to calm himself. His chest starts hurting from how hard his throat bobs as he gurgles in loud cries. His tears are unstoppable as both Megumi rub his back and run their hands through his hair.
Younger Megumi pushes the glass of water against Yuji’s lips, “Take a sip, baby. You will be dehydrated.” Yuji nods and gulps a bit of water before Megumi sets it back on the table.
Minutes pass by before Yuji chokes out, “Can I say something?”
Both Megumi nod.
Yuji rubs his eyes and grits his teeth, “I hate whoever brought you here and made you see this future. I hate it so much. I hate that I was living my life unknowingly happy for years, while you have been racking your mind all the time thinking about my immortality. I hate it, Megumi. I want to stop this loop. I will find the being and stop it.”
Megumi reaches for his hands and rubs his fingers over his hand. “Yuji,” He begins sternly, “I will listen to any suggestions you have for me to change the future. But if you stop the loop, I do not care you cannot die, I will kill you myself.”
The pink-haired boy looks up in shock and laughs, throwing his head back, making both Megumi smile and blush.
“Okay, fair,” Yuji raises his hands in surrender, and everything settles in smoothly.
Young Megumi continues, “Sorry to ruin the moment. But I could not think of anything that would help.”
Older Megumi nods understandably.
Yuji clears his throat, and he grips their hands as he starts his suggestions, “I know last time you talked and thought of answers, but this time I hope my answer will help you.” He turns to the younger Megumi and smiles charmingly, “Do not think of anything when you go back to your Yuji. I understood what my Megumi was going through when he suddenly came back from his disappearance. There was a melancholy in him I couldn’t explain, but I knew Megumi stopped feeling things more with me. He was always travelling, hunting for answers, and I did not know what to do. Now I know it. But what I hope is that when you go back, you have to feel more things with me. I want you to do that. That will make me happier, Megumi. Let’s try it this time, please.”
No arguments. All of them agree to this conclusion.
Yuji brings both of them in a hug and utters slowly, “Happy Birthday, baby.”
The answer is to make Yuji happy as long as Megumi lives. Even though he sadly cannot see him off to his grave, he has to make sure he can make Yuji happier by his side. The solution can rest for the next loop. Or the next. Or the next.
It has been a few hours since Megumi suddenly stepped back into his timeline. He leaves the train in a hurry.
Yuji, I am home. He smiles brightly up at the sun as he keeps running.
I will make you so happy like none has ever been.
He runs past the Jujutsu High field and ignores everyone calling for him.
He makes his way towards the dorm and knocks on Yuji’s room, but there is no response. He opens the door to his room and sees a worried Yuji standing up. “Megumi! You did not respond for hours! We were so worried-”
Megumi tackles Yuji in a hug and grabs his face before kissing him. Yuji gasps in shock and grabs onto Megumi’s back for support as the dark-haired man pries his mouth open by biting at his bottom lip. His tongue meets his in a force, and Megumi groans and pushes himself onto the bed and pulls Yuji onto his lap.
Yuji moans and pulls back with hazy eyes as he questions, “Megumi? Where did you go?”
Smiling Megumi smooches the man’s neck, his cheeks, his lips, his eyes, his forehead and smothers him with kisses as he answers, “I went to look for answers to your happiness, love.”
Blushing, the pink-haired swats his chest and says sternly, “Only I have the answer to my happiness, Megumi. Do not leave again for so long without responding to my calls. Ask me next time.”
Megumi sighs. Yuji is always the same. Isn’t he? Why was he worrying so much when the answer was in front of him? The future will come one day. Now he can dwell in this sunshine for as long as he can.
“What will make Yuji happy now? Hmm?” Megumi nuzzles his head against Yuji’s chest as the man runs his fingers through Megumi’s black hair.
Yuji rests his chin on Megumi’s head and makes a humming sound as if thinking out loud as he says shyly, “Make love to me now, Megumi.”
Chuckling, Megumi draws Yuji close, lays him on the bed, leans over him, pulls down his shorts, and bites his neck. “As you wish, Yuji.”