Chapter Text
The cafe was bright and the air was filled with the scent of coffee, tea, chocolate, warm pastries and the noise of people enjoying their lives. Megumi nursed his ginger tea between his hands, stomach fluttering with nerves. It had been months since he’d last seen Tsumiki but he knew she was busy. The teaching job she’d fallen into had kept her swept off her feet, helping teenagers shape their future and choose a path to walk. It suited her well and she was fantastic at what she did.
She’d been nudged into the job after Sukuna had spoken to a friend of a friend of a friend. It was difficult for somebody with no job history to suddenly find themselves thrusted into the world of employment but Sukuna opened the door for her after she’d complained one too many times at needing to do something to help others. He’d asked her what she had in mind and after she rattled off a few job titles, Sukuna told her to hold that thought. Within an hour she was being driven to a middle school to watch another teacher work and learn about the job.
One month of shadowing various teachers in the school later and she agreed it was a good fit for her. She wanted to be a teacher and help the next generation find their way. Sukuna made a few phone calls, falsified a little bit of history for her, and she started her teacher training a week later. The rest was history and Megumi thanked Sukuna when his sister officially completed her training with a face splitting grin.
They were supposed to meet for coffee and a chat. Supposedly Tsumiki had something she wanted to tell Sukuna and Megumi, something important. When she refused to give them any further details Megumi stewed, stomach twisting with knots and he tore at sugar packets as he waited for his sister and her boyfriend to turn up.
A large hand settled over his fingers, pried them apart, and slid between the gaps to squeeze. “You’re fidgeting,” Sukuna said and he brushed a thumb over the back of Megumi’s hand.
Megumi let out a breath and squeezed Sukuna’s hand back. “Sorry.”
He could hear Sukuna’s eye roll. “What are you worried about?”
Megumi hiked his shoulders about his chin and shrugged. “I don’t know.” He’d spoken to Tsumiki just last week and she’d mentioned she and Daichi were looking to purchase a place not too far away, which washed him in relief. After spending so long with his sister just out of arm's reach, to have her under a different roof had been an adjustment that had hit Megumi hard. He wasn’t aware of how much he enjoyed her company until she’d moved out from Sukuna’s estate into her own tiny flat. He wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to take it if she moved to a new town.
He didn’t hate her for it. She wanted to grow, experience life and everything it had to offer and she couldn’t do that from within the walls of a crime syndicate. She needed space and so Sukuna gave it to her, although he made sure a second tiny flat just a few doors away was purchased at the same time. His men were constantly posted there with one job and one job only; keep an eye on her place and make sure nobody hurt her.
Over the years the watching eased up. Sukuna stopped having men follow Tsumiki to work and back. Stopped posting his people in her school and stopped having his people work in places she regularly liked to visit.
Paranoia had kept Sukuna wary of letting her get too far away from them too soon. In the weeks after the fall of the Gojo estate, things were chaotic. Whilst rumours had spread Sukuna was responsible, people still fought to eradicate what little remained of the Gojo family. Somebody decided to take out Satoru’s parents, somebody else killed a cousin and his family. Another cousin was murdered and apparently Satoru even had a sister who never saw another sunrise. Things were crazy as other families tried to lay claim to territory and Sukuna had to claw it all back, almost going to war with everyone else in the country.
It had taken almost two full years for things to settle, for new boundaries to be made and honoured. During that time Megumi made good on his promise to stick by Sukuna’s side. Even after all of the chaos eased up and things grew quiet, Megumi played the dutiful soldier standing by Sukuna through everything. Not that he minded. Not a day had gone by where Megumi regretted his decision. Sukuna never raised a hand at him, never threatened him, never forced himself upon Megumi, and never gave him a reason to be afraid. He turned Megumi’s entire world upside down, kissing Megumi’s body with reverence and prayer behind closed doors, whispering his worships into his skin as he took him apart in every way Megumi never knew was possible.
If Megumi believed love was real, he would almost call himself stupid enough to believe that’s what it was. But he preferred to think of it as trust, loyalty, devotion. Megumi was devoted to Sukuna and in return, Sukuna was devoted to him.
Even after those two years Megumi found no reason to stray, to leave. He was happy and content, unable to find one reason to be afraid of his future. His thirtieth came and went and now Megumi was so sure he would reach forty and more.
Sukuna squeezed Megumi’s fingers and brought them up to his lips to kiss them. “Relax my darling. Please.”
A smile flickered Megumi’s lips up and he let out a breath, leaning his weight in Sukuna’s direction. “Yeah, sorry–”
“And stop it with the apologies. You have nothing to apologise for.”
“Right I’m–” Sukuna gave him a pointed look and Megumi chuckled with a shake of his head. He retook his hand and reached for his drink, letting the warm liquid soothe his nerves a fraction. “She’s late.”
“Ever since she started seeing Daichi she’s always been late.”
Megumi snorted. Sukuna was right. Daichi was a guy who worked in the building across the street from Tsumiki’s school. They were regular commuters on the same train to and from work and eventually Daichi asked for her name. They talked on the train as they waited for their station, about what they did for a living, their family, their likes and dislikes, their hobbies, and eventually Daichi started to bring Tsumiki coffee. She brought him pork buns and asked him to dinner. Six years later they were living together and looking to buy somewhere new.
“Yeah but he’s alright.”
Sukuna only hummed and reached for his phone, checking the messages his people left for him. Out of the corner of his eye, Megumi watched Sukuna, still in awe that he was of interest to a man like Sukuna. People’s heads turned on the streets whenever they passed and Megumi was certain if he wasn’t so pressed to Sukuna’s side, there would be flocks of men and women rushing up to him and asking for a drink or two and a number. Yet somehow Sukuna never saw it and never looked, his gaze fixed in Megumi’s direction, a warm smile thrown his way and nobody else’s.
It melted Megumi’s heart and made his knees weak every time. He thought he would’ve gotten used to it by now but even after almost a decade by Sukuna’s side, Megumi still felt like a teenager experiencing a crush for the first time. It made him look forward to each day he spent with Sukuna.
Movement caught his attention and Megumi looked up to see Tsumiki and Daichi approaching their table with fresh drinks. Megumi beamed at her and nudged Sukuna’s side. He flicked his attention up, mumbled, “One minute,” and set about replying to someone.
“Tsumiki,” Megumi said the moment his sister was close enough.
“We’re so sorry we’re late,” Tsumiki said.
“There were delays on the lines,” Daichi supplied, sliding into the booth alongside Tsumiki.
His gaze flicked to Sukuna still tapping away on his phone and Sukuna didn’t bat an eye as he said, “Apologies, I’ve just got a little thing to sort out with work.”
Tsumiki shared a look with Megumi and he nudged her leg underneath the table with his foot. “So,” she said, “what’s new?”
“We’re going to Toyama this afternoon,” Megumi said.
“That’ll be nice,” Daichi said. “Business or pleasure?” The guy was aware Sukuna’s ‘job’ took him all across the country and as far as he knew, or as much as anybody had informed him, Sukuna was some sort of specialist consultant. Daichi wasn’t quite privy to the truth and he’d never set foot inside the Ryomen estate nor were there any plans to let him near it. Sukuna had a safe house a short drive away he always used if ever Megumi wanted Tsumiki and Daichi over for dinner.
“Both,” Sukuna supplied and he put his phone away, finally giving the table his full attention. “I’ve got a client meeting, then we’re spending the next week enjoying ourselves. What’s that place you wanted to visit?”
“Jigokudani Monkey Park,” Megumi said, “but that’s on the way back.”
“Well,” Tsumiki said, “I hope you two have a wonderful time.”
“We will,” Megumi said. He sipped on his tea, set his cup down, and nodded to the pair of them. “So what’s going on with you two? What did you want to talk about?”
Tsumiki’s body straightened up with a deep breath, lips twisting into a giddy smirk, and she shared a look with Daichi. He shared her excitement and cleared his throat. “We umm–” he started.
Tsumiki threw a hand in Megumi’s direction. “We’re getting married.”
Megumi stared at the ring on Tsumiki’s finger. It reflected Tsumiki perfectly, gentle grace wrapped up in eloquent beauty and Megumi grinned. He offered her his congratulations and asked when it happened. For the next hour Tsumiki and Daichi explained how Daichi proposed; a home cooked meal of Tsumiki’s favourite food, complete with homemade dessert, her favourite film, and a shoulder massage before Daichi whispered the proposal into her ear. They went on to explain the tentative plans they had in mind for the wedding, a lot of details still on the table.
At one point Tsumiki reached for Megumi’s hands and took both of them in hers. She cleared her throat and said, “Megumi, there is one thing I know for certain.”
“And what’s that?”
A shy smile curled her lips up. “I want you to walk me down the aisle.”
He beamed, heart squeezing inside of his chest. “Yes,” he said, “I will.”
Another hour passed with them all catching up, talking about work, in the vaguest sense for Sukuna and Megumi, with more questions being pushed towards Tsumiki and Daichi to keep them talking. By the time hour three crept around, Tsumiki called it a day. She said they were supposed to meet Daichi’s parents that afternoon to give them the same news and they wrapped up their conversations. Megumi and Sukuna offered another round of congratulations and they left as one. Tsumiki hugged her brother one last time, thanked Megumi for everything, took Daichi’s arm and left in the opposite direction.
Megumi watched her leave, only moving when Sukuna grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the car parked around the corner waiting for them. They had a long drive ahead of them and Megumi spent it nervously twisting his fingers in the hem of his shirt. Tsumiki was going to get married. She looked ecstatic and Megumi was overjoyed for her. It was all he wanted; Tsumiki’s happiness, and he’d gotten it, they’d both gotten it.
He curled against Sukuna’s side, head nestled against Sukuna’s shoulder, and closed his eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered, “for everything.”
Sukuna freed his arm and wrapped it around Megumi’s shoulders, drawing him closer. “The one to thank is you, Megumi.” A kiss was pressed to Megumi’s temple and Sukuna let out a small breath. “If you hadn’t planned to meet me again and make that deal, you and Tsumiki may very well have been killed by now. You made this happen.”
He shook his head. “You’re the one who–”
Sukuna squeezed his shoulders a fraction. “But you started it. You asked and I answered.”
Megumi’s bottom lip wavered and he snuggled himself down against Sukuna’s side, teeth working on the inside of his cheek. When Sukuna put it like that he supposed the guy had a point. Still, even if he didn’t ask for it, Megumi always thanked Sukuna when he could for saving them, for risking everything to take on the Gojo family and win.
At some point during the journey Megumi fell asleep and when he awoke he found himself lying in Sukuna’s lap, fingers gently carding through his hair whilst Sukuna spoke quietly on the phone. Megumi hummed, nuzzled against Sukuna’s thigh and worked on opening his eyes. It was dark outside of the windows and stars crept through the clouds in the sky. He smiled, stretched, and rolled onto his back in the cramped space to give Sukuna a warm grin. “Hi.”
Sukuna matched his grin and brushed a few strands of hair from Megumi’s face. “Hi. Enjoy your nap?”
“Yeah. Did I miss anything?”
Sukuna shook his head. “No. We’re still a little ways from a safe house.” He brushed a thumb across Megumi’s cheek. “Get some more sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.”
“I thought we were–”
“First thing tomorrow.”
“Oh.”
Arching one brow Sukuna gently tapped Megumi’s chin, encouraging him to tip his head back a fraction to meet Sukuna’s gaze. “Why do you sound disappointed? We’ve got plenty of time.”
Megumi swallowed and shrugged his shoulders. Uncertainty. He wasn’t entirely confident in Sukuna’s plan. After everything settled down after the fight, Megumi reminded Sukuna about the Zenin estate he’d promised him and a look crossed Sukuna’s face. He went along with Megumi’s orders to arrange a meeting with the lawyers guarding the property so Megumi could fulfil his final duty of giving it to Sukuna. The date was set and they met the lawyers. Megumi signed the paper, confirmed he wasn’t making this decision under duress, and passed the pen over to Sukuna. But Sukuna refused to sign it, telling Megumi he didn’t want it.
“Why?”
“Because it’s yours.”
“And I want you to have it.”
Sukuna asked for a few minutes alone with Megumi and once they had the room, Sukuna stepped into Megumi’s space to confess he’d stopped caring about the estate a long time ago. Megumi’s company was more than enough in terms of payment. “Keep it,” Sukuna said. “The Zenin’s built their empire on bloodshed, cruelty, and a heavy hand. Rebuild it to your desire. Show the world what the name really means. Give it a new meaning, a new purpose. Whatever your heart desires, make it yours.”
That’s where they were on their way to now.
Or, in the morning. He’d been thinking about how he would fulfil Sukuna’s demand, what he wanted to do with it and he’d been scratching his mind. Even as they pulled into the safe house and climbed out, Megumi was still thinking, pondering, questioning what it was he was going to do with it all. But his mind ran blank each and every time.
Sukuna dragged him to bed and Megumi was too exhausted to fight the sandman, falling asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. When morning came Megumi was still unsure of himself. He couldn’t do what Sukuna had asked. He’d never been in a position to make decisions, to plan a future. He’d always been following along to somebody else’s ideals.
Sukuna reached for Megumi’s hand during the car ride to one of the buildings belonging to the Zenin’s, to Megumi, and squeezed. Sukuna was hoping if Megumi saw the place for himself it might jog some ideas. “You’re thinking,” Sukuna said.
“I don’t–” Megumi started, “I don’t know what to do.”
Sukuna hummed and he brushed a thumb over the back of Megumi’s hand. “You already do.”
Megumi shot him a frown and opened his mouth, only to close it a moment later. Did he know? He’d been thinking so much about it he’d had a hundred ideas and discarded a thousand. He’d come up with something and tossed it away in the next second, calling it stupid and fruitless. He wasn’t a thinker, not like Sukuna or Satoru had been. Megumi didn’t make decisions like this, he couldn’t see the bigger picture.
Before he knew it however they were pulling up in front of a building. It looked like all of the rest in the area but there was definitely an air to it, reminding everyone it was empty and vacant. Megumi pursed his lips as he climbed out of the car and stared up at the high rise, curiously wondering what it had once been used for.
“Here,” Sukuna held out a key to him and Megumi swallowed as he took it and looked at the building again.
Slowly he walked up the steps leading to the front door, pressed the key into the lock, turned, and pushed the door open. It was dim inside, windows letting in streams of sunlight, and Megumi looked for a light switch. When he turned them on, lights flickered into life and everything looked… normal. He wasn’t entirely certain what it was he expected but he walked through the halls, footsteps echoing against the silent walls. He pushed through another door, wiped the dust off on his pants, and continued down another corridor. He came to another door, opened it, and stared in awe at the view on the other side.
It was some sort of grand hall with floor to ceiling windows taking up the entirety of the back wall. Megumi stepped further into the room and peered through the grimy windows to see a small courtyard awash in greenery. Foliage had been left to run wild and rampant and he turned in a circle, admiring the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
“What did they use this for?”
Sukuna shrugged a shoulder. “Beats me. It’s common for a lot of us to buy property simply to use up our cash. It looks like a legal investment in the eyes of the government and, as long as we pay the bills, nobody cares if they gather dust.” He peered up at the chandelier too and hummed. “The Zenin’s had a nasty flair for picking beautiful places and letting them rot.”
Megumi made a noise and looked out of the window again. It looked as though at one point there was some kind of well maintained garden outside and he wondered what it would look like if somebody cleaned it up. The Zenin’s were awful for letting it go to waste like this but he wasn’t surprised. They ruined everything they touched. Even the wooden flooring looked as though it used to be gorgeous at one point in history. With a good wax and polish he was sure it could look as good as new.
“So,” Sukuna said, “what do you want to do first?”
Megumi took a deep breath, held it for four seconds, and slowly released it, eyes fixed on the peeling paintwork on the walls. “I–” he started, scratching at thoughts and there was a single one that screamed at him, “I want to erase the Zenin name and replace it.”
All his life “Zenin” had followed him like a dark cloud, ruining everything. Once people learnt his name it was all they saw: Zenin. The bloodshed, cruelty, inhumanity, the definition of needless violence. Megumi detested the name ever since he was forced to take it and had wished for anything that wasn’t tainted in blood and death.
“I like it,” Sukuna said. “What are you replacing it with?”
Megumi smiled. “Fushiguro.”
“Fushiguro?”
“Yeah, it was my mother’s name.”
“Tell me about her.”
Megumi swallowed back the lump in his throat. “I don’t remember much. I barely remember what she looks like anymore but I know she was the only person my father loved enough to marry. He even took her name, stuck around, and had me before things went to shit. I know she made him smile and everytime I think of her I always have this warm feeling. I know I was always happy whenever she was around and she always made me feel safe.”
A hand grabbed his and Megumi blinked away the water eclipsing his gaze to find Sukuna smiling fondly at him. “She sounds like an amazing woman.”
Megumi laughed and wiped at his eyes. He hadn’t spoken about his mother in years, hadn’t tried to think about her too much because it always left him feeling raw and vulnerable. “She was.”
“So, Fushiguro, do you want to start your new future today?”
“As long as it’s with you, Ryomen.”
“Always.”