Work Text:
Two hours. That is how long Megumi had waited for Itadori in the lounge, sure both were aware that Itadori had a bad issue with being late but it was never this horrible. Honestly Itadori had even gotten better with his tardiness upon the two speaking about it, so in Megumi’s mind it was astounding that he was back having to search the complex for his friend (of course by searching the complex he meant walking all the way back to the boys room to start where he most likely was at). With a quiet huff and the pop of a few joints, Megumi was off in search of his friend.
While the walk was not long, Megumi still disliked making it; the hallways were stuffy, the wood retained too much of the mid-summer heat, and the windows left him feeling watched, paranoid, fearful - everything. Megumi appreciated the way that blinds were tugged down partially in the hallway, blocking the windows view and some of the heat. It was an addition made by Gojo. Gojo who always tried his best to help all his students with their emotional distress, he was never the best at it, according to himself. The elder had once mentioned that his old friend was always the more emotionally available one between the two.
The red cedar walls morphed under the heat and forced Megumi to pull at his uniform collar as he approached Itadori’s door, they’d have to plan an inside event instead - Megumi was refusing to leave the house now. “Itadori, we really need to talk about,” halfway into Itadori’s room is when Megumi processed the scene in front of him. Yuuji's room was a wreck; photos ripped from the wall, scratches damaging the paint, blood soaking into the carpet and steadily pouring into it, and at the center of it all was the man of the hour.
Yuuji sat on the floor, back leaned against his disheveled bed and knees pulled up to his chest. Scratches were dug into the side of his thighs while blood poured from cuts that were on the tops of them. Yuuji's arms rested atop his knees, covering the lower half of his face as his body slowly rocked back 'n forth, back 'n forth, back 'n forth. With each movement a shuddered breath and muffled hit sounded, Yuuji's eyes never moved, not when Megumi entered, not when Megumi coughed to cover his gasp, never.
Megumi wanted to vomit. Of course all of them had seen horrific things, mutilated bodies, curses, and corpses entering rigor mortis from missions, yet nothing was like seeing his best friend in such distress with self-inflicted injuries. What could he even do? Megumi wasn't emotionally available, nor did he even know what he should do first. Should he snap Yuuji out of whatever this is or take care of the wounds? Should he coat his words in sugar or be blunt? What is he supposed to do!?
Fear didn’t often overcome Megumi - let alone fear where he wanted to turn heel and run - yet today it did. Megumi spun on his heel, fear spiking within his body as he sprinted down the hall. Don’t get him wrong, he wasn’t running away from the situation; he was running towards help. Help that Megumi knew he could never give, help that he trusted to save his only friend from them-self. Help named Gojo.
“Gojo! Something’s happening with Itadori!” Megumi clasped onto the doorway as he spoke, body bending down as it shook with every breath - everything in his body was on overdrive as the image of Yuuji played over and over and over. Gojo tousled Megumi's hair, by now he had made his way in front of Megumi and was attempting to help draw him back and get answers.
“Okay, I hear you ‘Gumi but let’s take a breath first. What’s happening, is Itadori safe?” While Gojo’s voice was steady and calm, underneath it Megumi could hear the layer of fear - pure worry that etched at his body that he would lose another student - another person just like him.
“He’s not safe, please go help him. I- I didn't know what to do!” Megumi let his head fall, he couldn't look up at Gojo as he broke. He couldn't willingly let himself know someone was seeing his collapse even if it was the man who raised him in some ways. "Please hurry, I can't lose him again."
Gojo lifted Megumi up, humming as the boy spoke. Quietly storing all the information and trying to discern what has happened. “Don’t worry, I’ll go help him. Why don’t you stay here and prepare stuff for a movie night? Ita would probably like that when he’s better.” Quickly, but never losing the care, Gojo sat Megumi on his bed legs resting just off the edge, with a chaste kiss to Megumi's hairline Gojo was off to go find Itadori.
Megumi normally would groan and huff about how Gojo is treating him like a little kid and they aren't even truly family - Gojo is just his benefactor. Right now though, Megumi desperately needed this and was so glad Gojo could see that and was willing to give it to him.
Of course Gojo was not sure what to expect upon entering Itadori’s room, while he knew it was bad from his pseudo-son’s reaction - Gojo doesn't care of Megumi doesn't consider him as a father figure, he will always assume that role for his kid (any of his kids really) - it did not prepare him for the scene he bore witness to.
They really needed an onsite therapist.
With cautious movements Gojo made his way in front of Itadori and sat down; every movement Gojo made he was sure it was obvious and far enough to not be seen as dangerous. He could faintly hear Itadori mumbling to himself, words muffled between the boys arms that led to twisted hair with his hands firmly latched on the locks and pulling at them. “Kugisaki, ‘saki, ‘sakis dead, why’s she here, why, why, why.”
Everything about this moment yanked on Gojo’s heartstrings and made the man want to reach out and grab Itadori. Hold him until he didn’t have nightmares and flashbacks, until he didn’t jump at utensils dropping and scream in the dead of night. Simply hold him until he was okay again. “Yuuji, Kugisaki isn’t here. You’re having a flashback, okay?”
Itadori hummed, trying to latch onto Gojo’s voice, anchor himself in the present. “Flashback, ‘kay.” The words didn’t match up with what he was seeing, Kugisaki lying dead on his carpet - her face blasted open and blood drying around her eye socket. “How’s ‘saki here?” Itadori attempted to pull his eyes away from the scene, to look anywhere but at his friends corpse. Gojo was next to her, why wasn't he freaking out? How was she here? Why is he not doing anything!?
“She’s not, I know you see her right now but she isn’t here. It’s just your mind playing tricks on you.” Gojo stood himself up, chattering to Itadori as he moved over to his drawers. "I'm not going to leave you, I'm seeing if you have any bandages. We can't just let you slowly bleed all over your floor now." It was a struggle for Gojo to try and remain in a flatter range of tones, he knew speaking too fast or jumping ranges could drag Yuuji further from him and the present.
"Have bandages." Yuuji carefully unwrapped one of his arms and pointed over at a slender box shoved underneath a bookshelf. "Hide them." Gojo hummed attempting to ignore the implications of that and instead focused is own mind on the task. As he uncapped the isopropyl alcohol and begun to set everything out Gojo tried to pick up some idle commentary, telling Yuuji that he was thinking about having a movie night - without Yaga's creations - and that he should join him once this is all over. Anything that could be said was said.
Gojo leaned forward, careful to not startle Yuuji as he reached behind him and pulled a stuffed snake off the boys bed. He had already heard the story behind it once, Yuuji was chattering about it to Nanami while Gojo was working in the room with them - Yuuji didn't need to know that though he just needed to focus.
Cautiously untangling Yuuji's fingers from the boys hair, Gojo sat the snake plush in his hands. "I saw this little guy up there, he looked lonely." Having thoroughly distracted Yuuji Gojo began to disinfect and wrap the wounds, checking the scratches as well as he went.
“‘Gumi got me the snake,” Itadori let the plush coil and flow out of his hands and flop on to his knees. Gojo nodded, encouraging the first year to keep speaking as he worked. “Won it at a festival. ‘Gumi saw that I liked it so he played the game to win it.” Itadori huffed out a small laugh, distantly recalling the way Megumi got so frustrated when he missed shots. How the boy muttered about scams and corrupt workers while counting out his yen/
The more Gojo could get Itadori to focus on other memories than the horror he was seeing on his bedroom floor was a win. “Megumi is always so competitive at festival games, I’ve been trying to convince him to settle down.” Itadori hummed as he fiddled with the snakes tongue, pushing the felt up to hit the plushes beaded eyes. "How long did it take for him to win it for you?"
Yuuji went silent for a bit, seemingly mulling the question over as the snake was twisted and folded in his hands. "I'm sorry you had to help me sensei.." Itadori stared down at the plush almost as if it owed him money. "I'm sure it wasn't easy seeing this." Ever the considerate and ever the idiot. If it wasn't rude Gojo probably would have shook Yuuji and told him to never worry about things like this. Told Yuuji to always come to him or send someone to get him if something like this happens again. Confided that he knows what it's like, he's seen his best friend laid dead in front of him too.
Just simply tell Yuuji, "it's okay kid, I've seen worse and will always be here for you." Gojo finished wrapping the last of the wounds and cleaning up the blood staining the boys skin. "I'm here no matter what, even if you have to send someone else to fetch me." Itadori continued to stare daggers at the plush, he wasn't sure how to react or what even to say at the outstretched hand in front of him.
"You mentioned a movie night?" It was an obvious conversation change but Itadori just hoped that Gojo would simply accept it and move on. "Can I take the snake along too?"
Like a mouse to a cheese wheel, Gojo took the bait - he probably just accepted it, while he played the idiot he truly wasn't one. "Of course kid, Megumi's already setting everything up. Are you able to walk okay or do you want me to carry you?"
Itadori shoved himself up, his legs shaking slightly from the pressure. "I can walk, this isn't new." Once again Gojo found himself ignoring the implications, it's something they can unpack later when the world wasn't piecing itself back together and both boys weren't still in the midst of grief. "What movie are we watching?"
"Not sure! I left Megumi to figure that one out." Gojo glanced back at the room as they left. He'll definitely be sneaking out of movie night to clean this up, but that's okay he doesn't mind doing it for his kids.