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After several hours of relentless fighting against special grade curses, the veil is finally lifted and the battle is officially over. Darkness has crawled across the sky and night has fallen, bathing the city in a deep midnight hue. A loud groan echoes through the street causing Yuji Itadori to glance around, but to his surprise not a single Jujutsu sorcerer is in his eyeline. Another deep groan follows swiftly after the last. It comes to Yuji’s attention that the sound has originated from an alleyway a few feet away from him.
Tentatively, Yuji walks towards the alleyway that has been shadowed in a mystic gloom. Confusion dawns upon Yuji, all the curses must have been exorcised as Gojo-sensei deemed it safe to lift the veil. Turning the corner towards the opening of the alleyway, Yuji squints to see if anything is hidden between the curtains of darkness.
Pure terror flushes through Yuji’s body as he sees a familiar body sprawled out on the grey concrete. Jacket disregarded and raven black hair obscuring his face, Megumi Fushiguro lies slumped on the floor.
“Megumi!” Shouts Yuji, his voice slightly cracking, fear consuming him. Without another thought, Yuji rushes through the alley dodging piles of garbage on his way to Megumi. When he finally reaches the raven haired boy, he crouches down by his side. Itadori pushes Megumi’s hair out of his face to reveal a gruesome sight. A deep gash marks his left cheek and another is placed underneath his left brow. His lip is split open but that isn’t the worst of it. A deep cut is oozing blood from the top Megumi’s head, staining his black ruffled hair.
“Itadori, my head hurts” mumbles Megumi, leaning his entire weight onto Yuji in an attempt to stabalise himself. When his eyes begin to flutter closed, Yuji takes it upon himself to keep Megumi awake whilst waiting for Gojo-sensei to come.
“Hey, hey let’s stay awake now Megumi.” Whispers Yuji, trying to grasp the boys attention although it doesn’t seem to be working. Megumi’s eyes have rolled back and jaw dropped open. Yuji decides to shake him, which suprisingly makes him gain consciousness again. “Itadori.” Voices Megumi sounding dazed. Yuji nods his head and smiles as Megumi makes an attempt to communicate. “When we get back to school do you want to go to the Autumn Festival with me?” Megumi murmurs as his eyes begin to close once again. Yuji shuffles on his knees and positions himself to look Megumi in the eyes.
Yuji begins to understand the gravity of the situation and realisation dawns upon him that Megumi might actually die here if Yuji doesn’t act now. “Yes, we can go together. And how about we get cotton candy. I know how much you like the bubblegum flavour.” Yuji says in one big blur, trying his hardest to keep Megumi intrested in the conversation so he doesn’t lose his grip on reality again. Yuji racks his brain on ways he can keep Megumi occupied. Megumi slowly nods but his head slumps once again against Yuji’s chest.
Grasping at straws, an idea blooms inside Yuji’s head but he doesn’t know if it’s crossing the line. “No, in a situation like this nothing is too much. Right?” Yuji whispers under his breath. Before he can talk himself out of this extremely bad idea, Yuji’s right hand reaches out to cup Megumi’s face whilst his left run through Megumi’s hair. Without comprehending what he’s about to do, Yuji’s face moves towards the raven haired boys’. Yuji tilts his face slightly, his mouth crushing against Megumi’s. A sudden warmth spreads throughout Yuji’s face as he slowly adjusts his lips and after a moment Megumi begins to kiss him back. Megumi’s hands rake through Yuji’s hair, exploring the seam of his mouth with his tounge.
Yuji pulls away slightly and staring right back at him is a stunned Megumi. Shock plastered all over his face and a twinge of confusion marring his beautiful features. After a moment or two of staying like that, Megumi murmurs “mm hmm that was nice.” He splutters and once again his eyes begin to droop. Yuji’s cheeks flame up and turn a pink pigment. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to do.” Mumbles Yuji, too embarrassed to make eye contact with Megumi’s closing eyes. “Shit.” Whispers Yuji to himself. It didn’t work, what is he supposed to do now?
As Yuji is still processing what has just occurred, Megumi leans forward and throws himself into Yuji’s arms. He buries his face in the crook of Yuji’s neck and lets out a deep sigh. “I can’t do this anymore.” Megumi mumbled slowly. Without waiting for a response, he carries on. “Death is always waiting at my doorstep, it’s always lurking behind me and tapping me on the shoulder. I don’t want to do it anymore Itadori.” The last part is barely intelligible and could’ve been mistaken for a breath if Megumi wasn’t so close to Yuji.
Sharply inhaling, Yuji responds, tears beginning to fill his eyes “Every time you fall, I’m the one left standing in the silence, wondering how many times I’m supposed to watch you disappear and still call this living. I can fight curses. I can’t fight the fear of losing you again. I don’t know how to carry that anymore.” Megumi pulls back and a perfect picture of shock is drawn over his face. Yuji had never shown this side of himself to Megumi and by the look on his face, Yuji can tell Megumi is just as surprised.
A gush of wind forces a wave of bravery to consume Yuji, without wasting another precious second he continues, “The world doesn’t stop when your heart does but mine comes crashing down.” Yuji pulls Megumi into him one more time, craving his touch. The warmth radiating off Megumi comforts him in a way only one boy is capable of. Megumi’s hands travel down to the small of Yuji’s back and linger there for a moment. Despite the heat rolling of Megumi’s body, Yuji learns that comfort doesn’t always feel warm. Sometimes it looks like Megumi standing in the wreckage with him, saying nothing, letting the pain exist without asking Yuji to be anything other than broken. Yuji never needed Megumi to save him; he just needed someone who could stand beside the weight he carried and not look away.
The patter of heavy footsteps against concrete viciously pulls Yuji out of the confines of his mind. Hesitantly, he loosens his embrace with Megumi and after a moment, comes to the conclusion that the noise is from outside the alleyway. Yuji glances at Megumi, his eyelids dropping once again and a deep crimson red cascading down his forehead. Panic claws at Yuji as reality come crashing down once again. Within the next second, Yuji is on his feet and striding out of the alley in hopes that the footsteps have originated from Gojo-sensei.
Sharply turning the corner, relief washes over Yuji when he finally locates the creator of the sound. Gojo locks eyes with Yuji, a wide, boisterous grin spreading across his face. Not a single splatter of mud or droplet of blood marks Gojo, he is the strongest sorcerer after all. Both hands are tucked away in the pockets of his trousers and his shoulders are slumped in a laid back fashion.
“Gojo-sensei! It’s Megumi. He’s been injured!” Bellows Yuji, his voice echoing through the empty city street. As if on cue, Gojo’s face drops into an expression of deep dread and his casual stroll turns into a full blown run. Together they sprint back to the now moonlit alley, squinting to see between the shadows that have engulfed the small space. Once they have made their way over to a collapsed Megumi, Yuji crouches down so they are at eye level.
Megumi’s olive skin has turned a pale white. His face gaunt underneath the illumination from the moonlight and his deep black eyes sheltered underneath his eyelids. A tragic feeling like none other drowns Yuji. Something is wrong. Really wrong.
“Gojo…Gojo-sensei…is he okay? Why isn’t he awake.” Says Yuji, turning his whole body to face Gojo. He stares at Gojo, eyes pleading for this not to be what he thinks is happening. Gojo slowly reaches his hand towards Megumi’s face and places his ring finger underneath Megumi’s nose. After a beat or two, Gojo’s hand drops back to his side, colour flushing out of his features. “Hey! Why aren’t you saying anything? Come on use your teleportation and get us back to Jujutsu High! He’s dying!” Shouts Yuji, trepidation building in his stomach.
Slowly but surely, Gojo whispers “Yuji… He’s not breathing.” Yuji’s worst fear has been confirmed, all rational thoughts stray from his mind. Tears begin to pour out of his eyes and one by one they meander down the surface of his cheek. “No. No no no. This isn’t right. Don’t just sit there. Do something!” Screams Yuji, his voice banging of the walls of the alley. On instinct, Yuji begins to violently shake Megumi in hopes he will recognise his touch and awaken once again.
Desperation grasping at Yuji’s mind, he grabs Megumi and pulls his lifeless body into his arms. “Megumi. Megumi please wake up. Don’t leave me here on my own.” Mumbles Yuji, his words muffled as he buries his head in Megumi’s shoulder. Yuji’s body shakes from the force of his sobs, no longer repressing his once held in emotions. Yuji held Megumi like an answer he was never meant to find—realizing too late that strength isn’t about saving everyone, but about living with the weight of the one he couldn’t.
Underneath the ethereal radiance of the moon lie the two boys, one taken too soon, and another who will forever mourn the boy he once knew. The night bears witness as silence settles between them, heavy and unforgiving, and the moonlight traces the shape of a promise that has been broken by fate. In the stillness, grief becomes a second heartbeat, and the one left behind learns that some bonds do not end with death, they linger, aching and eternal, carved into the soul like a scar that will never fade.
“Yuji.” Whispers Gojo, voice soft in an attempt to soothe Yuji’s broken soul. “We have to go, it’s dangerous for us to stay here.” Gojo continues, hesitantly grabbing Yuji’s arm and pulling him to his feet. Slowly, Yuji begins to stand, not for one second taking his eyes off Megumi. Each step away from the raven haired boys limp figure, feels like the twist of a knife.
As his eyes meet Megumi’s final form one last time, Yuji silently wishes that they will meet again. In a world far beyond their own. A place far greater than this rotten one.
Yuji reaches the end of the alley, Megumi’s body slumped, propped up against the brick wall, left underneath the silvery glow of the moon. His beautiful boy’s final resting place, illuminated by the liquid light of a place millions of miles away from here. And even as the night claimed Megumi’s life, Yuji knew that loving him would be something he carried for the rest of his life, unbearable and eternal.