Chapter Text
“We’re supposed to be baby shopping, brat. We don’t have time to watch your stupid fucking movie.”
Yuuji pouts, grumbling curses under his breath. He trails ahead of his brother and Megumi down the streets of Shinjuku, shopping bags swaying in his arms. Although the original quest of this shopping trip was to buy supplies for Geto’s pregnancy, Nobara had hijacked it by spontaneously planning a pack outing to a nightclub. She, subsequently, is forcing all of the boys to get an outfit for the occasion. She demanded when they left the school that she would approve of each one, but she wandered into a Zara thirty minutes ago and none of them have seen her since.
Megumi tightens his grip on Sukuna’s hand, trying not to bump into the rush of people. Most mind his space, wary of the two opposing Alpha’s leading his way. Mostly, people are just wary of Sukuna. Regardless if they can sense cursed energy or not, he’s an off-putting figure.
“Okay, but hear me out,” Yuuji starts, trying to navigate walking backward to talk to them while not bumping into someone or something, “We shop for Geto-sensei, then we see The First Purge, then we go back to the school and get ready to go out.”
“It’s already four-thirty, Yuu. Nobara wants us to meet back at the school by seven.” Megumi explains, watching the crestfallen look overtake the pink-haired boy's face. The distressed look pulls at Megumi’s heartstrings, making his Omega stir with the need to soothe and comfort. Megumi lets out a sigh, “We can see it next weekend?”
Yuuji’s smile instantly returns to his face as he runs up to bump against Megumi. “Yes! Thank you, Gumi!”
The nervous pit instantly vanishes from Megumi’s stomach, his Omega purring in pleased satisfaction of keeping everyone satisfied.
Stupid fucking biology, Megumi lements internally.
Sukuna shoves his brother away, scowling at the childlike behavior. He always became more territorial over Megumi’s space when the two of them got close to their cycle. His brother is no exception, even though Yuuji shows a more protective side over the pack Omega as well.
A tattooed arm is quick to regain its position around Megumi’s waist, giving a comforting squeeze as they pull their way through a dense portion of the crowd.
The three of them continue window shopping, looking for anything that could assist their senior Omega in his pregnancy.
The cat was officially out of the bag about Geto’s unborn child, as he could no longer hide the roundness of his abdomen. Gojo beamed like the cat who got the fucking cream anytime someone mentioned the Omega’s expecting state. Sukuna’s stomach still turned at the thought of a mini-Gojo running around the Jujutsu Tech campus.
“What could we possibly get for Geto that Gojo hasn’t already?” Sukuna grips after they leave the third store empty-handed, “The whole house is filled with pup and maternity supplies.”
Megumi and Sukuna had decided after their last trip to the Geto-Gojo household to not return until after the birth. Geto’s nesting instincts were driving him crazy, and it was apparent during their short overnight stay that their presence had interrupted his precarious balance. Regardless of the endless supplies that Satoru had piled around to ease his worries, Geto still insisted that the house had to be spotless all the time for the baby’s safety.
“He’s going to need third-trimester clothes soon. It’s farther out, but it’ll be here before we know it. I know he hasn’t bought any, and God help Gojo if he came home with clothes sized for a heavily pregnant person right now.”
Sukuna chuckles at his mate, tucking a piece of hair behind his ear. “What makes you think you’ll have better luck?”
Megumi hums, “Because I’m his loving and adoring Omega son, therefore I’m just looking out for his best interests, not making a statement about his appearance. It’s all about perception.” Megumi wags his finger to Sukuna’s amusement.
“What about our outfits? We promised Nob that we would buy something new?” Yuuji questions, looking for an acceptable clothing store to duck into. Megumi also surveys the area, trying to find some place that would cater to all of their tastes.
Megumi sharply grabs both of the Alpha’s hands and drags them to the brightly lit department store. Usually a place like this would be his nightmare, but they’re on a mission and no one could save them if they let down Kugisaki.
Yuuji breaks away, going to look at the muscle tees.
Sukuna pulls Megumi towards the rack of crop tops on the far wall, a pleased hum reverberating in his throat. A tan hand runs its way up and down Megumi’s arm, distracting the smaller man as they weave their way through the clothing isles. When they reach the back of the store, Sukuna thumbs through the rack, instantly picking out a particularly short cropped deep red top. It is spandex tight and Megumi squints up at the tall man.
“That leaves nothing to the imagination. I might as well go shirtless, Kuna.”
“Not if you wear your high waisted black jean shorts,” Sukuna reasons, “Throw in some silver hoops too? You’re all set, baby doll.” He flashes his blinding canines that always make Megumi feel weak in the knees.
Megumi, much like his freshman year self, did not like to show too much skin. He’d definitely gotten more comfortable, but it still made him squirm when he felt people's eyes on him. But, the top is pretty. The color is a close match to the swimming scarlet pools of Sukuna’s eyes. It also, predictably, had a sweetheart neckline. Every top Sukuna had gotten for him prior to their bonding had been with a high collar, covering his mating mark partially or almost fully. However, after the Alpha sunk his claim into Megumi’s skin, all tops were as low cut as socially acceptable. Sukuna loved nothing more than seeing the flash of white and pink scarring in public, a visible claim.
“Fine, get the top. You better not gripe if everyone can see my nipples through that fabric though.” Megumi huffs, turning to find a jewelry rack. He picks up a matching silver earring and necklace set. He then sets out to find the button ups.
Megumi can feel Sukuna’s amused breaths against the back of his neck as he looks through the shirts, each one not quite satisfying what he wants to see from the Alpha. Finally, he finds a short sleeved black button down top. He selects a size he knows is one too small for his mate, and thrusts it into the tattooed man's hands.
Sukuna chuckles, looking over the plain shirt. “Cute. What with it?”
“Black slacks, black belt, your earring stack.” Megumi lists off, envisioning the monochrome outfit. He has no doubts that Sukuna will look positively mouth watering. The small flame that constantly resides in his lower abdomen during his pre-heat flares to life at the mental image. Sukuna’s knowing smirk tells him that he wasn’t subtle about his yearning.
“Hey, guys!” Yuuji’s voice resounds throughout the store. They turn to find him holding up a yellow and gray muscle tee, “Which one?”
“Yellow!”
Yuuji flashes a thumbs up at Megumi, reracking the gray shirt. Sukuna presses a kiss to Megumi’s cheek before making his way to the register. Megumi walks to the exit, lingering until the twins are finished up.
He pulls his phone out to find a few missed messages. Some from Gojo, most from Nobara.
Satoru (ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥: gummiii! are you and suk taking next week off? need to mark it for missions.
Satoru (ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥: also if ur in shinjuku pls get me a strawberry nutella crepe from the shop on the corner of west block before you leave! use ur credit card (๑♡3♡๑)
Gumi: Yes, next week. My heat should start in a few days, probably 2 or 3.
Gumi: Fine. Also, I charge everything to my credit card anyways? You have too much money.
Megumi checks that Sukuna and Yuuji are still waiting in line before he thumbs his way over to the text conversation with Nobara.
Noobs: cafe above zara. come.
Noobs: hello?? cum.
Noobs: answer your phone sea urchin
Noobs: above zara. cafe. now.
Meggy: Why?
Noobs: come. bring itadori.
Meggy: Which one??
Nobara, predictably, did not reply. Megumi huffs a sigh out through his nose just as the twins wander up to him, new bags in hand. Sukuna tilts his head to the side, eyebrow quirked in question.
“Nobara wants us to meet her back at the cafe we last saw her around. She told me to bring you guys.”
“Alright!” Yuuji cheers, ever the optimist. No questions asked, Yuuji shoots off down the street in the direction of the cafe. It won’t be too far to back track, but annoyance grates under Megumi’s skin.
“It’s all good, love. I’ll make sure you can fit in a nap before we go out.” Sukuna assures, returning to trailing his hand up and down the length of his partner's spine. The smaller male smiles in pleased satisfaction at the attention, always noticing how attentive his mate is.
When they reach the cafe, Yuuji is already standing in front of the table that occupies Nobara and… a girl he does not recognize. She’s tall, with brunette hair. She’s pretty, but her appearance holds no recognition to Megumi. It seems that it doesn’t to Sukuna either, as his face ticks in confusion. They wander up to the table, watching Nobara try to helplessly explain the situation.
“Oh, Megumi! I was starting to think you were going back to the school early.” Nobara’s cheeky grin is anything but comforting. She’s up to something.
“I was going to, but someone texted me that I had to meet her at a random fucking cafe instead of go nap.” Even as he spoke, Megumi could feel the weight of his eyelids dragging them downward. Exhaustion began to cling to his bones, always more prone to burnout the closer he crept to his heat.
“You napped before we left! Anyways, this is Fushiguro. Fushiguro this is–”
“Ozawa! Right?” Yuuji buts in like an overexcited puppy. Suddenly, Sukuna’s posture straightens and his head tilts, ever so slightly. Megumi was beginning to feel like he was getting left out of a joke.
He felt a pull on his hand as he was dragged into the booth next to Nobara, between her and Sukuna. Sukuna’s hand naturally came to rest on Megumi’s thigh, a steady tether. Megumi took the opportunity to slump against his mate, enjoying the radiating heat.
When Yuuji begins to ask questions at the mysterious girl in rapid fire succession, Megumi thumps his hand impatiently against Sukuna’s. Sukuna turns his head, to be met with furrowed brows and an annoyed expression.
“An old classmate.” Sukuna whispered in his ear as Yuuji and Ozawa continued to talk.
Megumi picks up on certain points of the conversation, hearing Yuuji’s overly energetic voice give his former classmate the fabricated story of how cool his “religious” school is. Although it was funny to listen to Yuuji attempt to lie his way through a story, Megumi is more focused on Ozawa’s reactions.
The tall Beta is pink from neck to ear tips. Megumi is certain that if it was possible, steam would be coming out of her ears. Ozawa traces Yuuji’s every movement, entranced by his overwhelming positivity. There wasn’t a need for hearts in her eyes, Megumi can see the puppy love radiating off of her.
Oh. That’s why they’re here.
One look at Nobara confirms Megumi’s suspicions. There’s a smile tracing the edges of the redhead's lips, hidden by the coffee mug held to her face. She is obviously pleased with herself for executing her plan, and Megumi internally rolls his eyes at the typical behavior.
Megumi lets out a breath and slumps into Sukuna’s side, no longer feeling the need to put on a front for the old classmate. The weight of his pre-heat is really beginning to build in his chest, making him anxious and flighty. Usually when he gets like this, he has Sukuna scruff him and let him drift off for a bit.
But since he’s still forced to be in Shinjuku, he’ll settle for resting his eyes against his mate’s bicep.
What a nice bicep it is, too.
Sukuna’s head turns, his eyes fixing on the sight of Megumi’s eyes slowly starting to droop close. He’s been aware of the push and pull of their bond all day, both of their instincts trying to pull each other over the edge and into the throes of their cycles.
The Alpha smells the warm lavender begin to bleed through Megumi’s scent patches. Sukuna still isn’t keen on Megumi wearing them, not enjoying how they rub his mates skin red and raw. But, Megumi insists that he puts at least one on when they go out in public. Two if he’s even two weeks out from his heat or going on a mission. His scent is more dominant than others, and the black-haired sorcerer has always liked to lay low.
Megumi’s sleepiness was cue enough that it’s time for them to head home, but the scent was just the final trigger. That doesn’t mean that he can’t tease Megumi a little bit on their way out, though.
Sukuna slowly trails his hand upwards from its resting position on his mid-thigh, doing figure eights with his fingers across the denim. Megumi huffs, slightly adjusting himself in the booth while trying not to knock against their peers. Sukuna feels the thump of Megumi’s head against his arm, signaling that the Omega is very aware of what his mate is trying to pull.
Not that he needed any sort of physical confirmation. Sukuna never felt arousal in his chest, not arousal that was his own . The bubbling feeling of excitement was overtaking Megumi’s nervousness Sukuna had felt previously.
Sukuna doesn’t even try to pretend to be interested in what his brother and Nobara are bickering about this time. Nor does he pretend to care at all about seeing someone from his past. To be honest, he wouldn’t have ever recognized Ozawa if Yuuji hadn’t. He never really interacted with the Beta, other than the few times she was hanging out with his brother when he went to get Yuuji after his club.
The voices of his companions in the cafe atmosphere do little to drown out the sounds of Megumi’s harsh breathing. Or, maybe Sukuna’s just more attuned to it than others, as none of the other people at the table seem to be paying the pair any attention at all.
Sukuna works his hand up even further, stroking over his partner's hot core. Megumi’s thighs clamp closed, as he struggles to try to keep a straight face. They still have an audience and although Sukuna may be shameless, Megumi certainly is not. It’s not until Sukuna starts to work at the buttons of Megumi’s jeans that he officially calls it quits, pushing the tattooed arm away from him with a harsh glare and glint of small canines.
With Megumi officially worked up, Sukuna fishes his phone out of his pocket to shoot off a text to Ichiji. He forwards the driver their location, knowing that it won’t be long before he arrives. Ichiji hung around them a lot, as he was of little faith in their reliability.
“Okay–” Sukuna claps his hands together, effectively interrupting whatever his brother was saying, “–me and Megs are out. See you back at the school.” Sukuna tries to pull himself, as gracefully as he can, out of the too small booth. He turns to help his mate, who has a significantly easier time.
“Be ready to get ready no later than seven. I mean that, you two!” Nobara squints at them, pulling her upper lip in disgust. Yuuji’s face falls into the downcast look he sports whenever his brother and best friend's sex life becomes the topic of conversation.
Sukuna throws Nobara a kitten grin, teeth shining from ear to ear. “Best behavior! Scouts honor!”
Megumi slaps his arm, “Shut up.” He grunts out, annoyed.
“Yessir.” Sukuna pecks Megumi’s forehead before the Omega sharply turns, pulling Sukuna towards the exit. Sukuna turns to give the rest of the group a tightlipped smile while trailing backward after the incessant Megumi. Nobara sticks her tongue out at him while Yuuji mouths whipped.
Brat.
“So run me through this again— She’s totally your type, you think she’s hot, you liked her back in middle school, but you don’t want to go on a date?”
Yuuji nods his head, pulling the yellow muscle tee he bought earlier in the day over his head. “Yeah, basically.” He walks over to Nobara’s mirror, fluffing his hair up and putting on his necklace.
Nobara chuckles, completely befuddled. She leans back in her chair, observing the pink-headed Alpha. Maki also seems to be at a loss, tilting her head to the side in question.
“You don’t even want to meet up in a low-key thing? Like a hook-up?” Maki pries further, still just as unable to comprehend the situation as her girlfriend.
Yuuji shakes his head, turning back to face the two. “Nah. I’m usually game for a casual fling but I genuinely liked her. That would feel a little cheap, y’know? Sort of like betraying my younger self.”
Nobara’s convinced that if she squints any further, her eyes are going to shut completely. Still, she leans forward in her chair to try to get closer to Yuuji— as if closer physical proximity would compensate for the lack of mental comprehension.
“Yuuji, she wants to date you. You can make the younger you so proud.”
“Not right now. I’ve still got a lot of training to do as a sorcerer before I’m comfortable settling into something more permanent. I need to get stronger, ensure that I’ll make it home after every mission.” Yuuji looks steadfast in this, like a conviction he must uphold. It makes sense, the Itadori family consists of two people. “I also am young and would still like to do my fair share of experimenting,” A sly grin creeps over his face, “If I date Ozawa, that’s it for me. I wanna work my way around a–”
“Stop. You’ve ruined it.” Maki sighs, shaking her head in disappointment.
Nobara looks to be deep in thought, mulling over Yuuji’s words. It wasn’t often that they heard honestly from the younger twin, usually reserved about his dating preferences. “You really had a thing going there for a minute, didn’t know you had that in you. Awe inspiring, a little. You should consider writing a biography.”
“Oh my god, shut the fuck up.” Yuuji chucks his discarded tee shirt at the Beta, making her gag in disgust at the worn garment. “Not everyone is like Gojo-sensei or my brother. We can’t all be satisfied with finding the love of our lives at sixteen.”
“Or Yuuta and Toge and Megumi.” Maki adds, absentmindely. Yuuji chooses to ignore her.
“Speaking of your brother, why is he late? He promised me, he and Megumi would be here at seven.”
A knock at the door interrupts what was bound to be a prolonged rant about Sukuna’s irresponsibility. At Nobara’s call, the blonde Cursed Speech User pops through the doorway, already dressed for the occasion. Toge’s mask was tucked neatly into his pocket, a matching white to the shirt he is wearing.
“Konbu!” The Omega greets, shutting the door behind him.
“Hey, Toge!” Yuuji greets, rushing up to hug his upperclassman. Toge ruffled Yuuji’s hair affectionately, basking in the joy radiating from the young man.
“Were you talking about Megumi and Sukuna? ”
The trio nod in unison.
“I walked past their door on my way out of the family housing. The hallway smelled like someone lit lavender incense. ”
Nobara tilts her head back and lets out a loud groan. “Why do I ever trust them?”
“I didn’t even mention the noises I heard. ” Toge signs to Maki, and Yuuji lets out a miserable cry.
“Changing the topic!” Yuuji yells, “Are you ready to go, Toge? I think we’re just waiting on the two of them now.”
“Almost. Nobara has to cover the hickey on my neck.” He signs, turning his head to display the yellowing bruise painted brightly against Toge’s pale skin.
“Holy fuck, he mauled you?” Nobara questions, moving from her position in her desk chair to stand next to Toge, tilting his head towards the light to survey how bad the damage is. Toge shrugs absentmindedly and Nobara wacks the back of his head. “You shouldn’t let him mark you up just because he gets separation anxiety.”
Toge sighs, “Separation sickness is a real thing, Nobara. He’s more sensitive to it than others. He’s also Yuuta. He’s never, not going to be anxious about leaving. I just let him do what he needs to.”
“He’s not gone for that long, right?” Maki asks, “I’m pretty sure Gojo said it was only going to be for a few weeks, and he’s staying with Miguel the whole time.”
Toge nods, rolling his eyes as Nobara scolds him for moving as she applies a green color corrector to the more red looking parts of his hickey. She has no doubt that she’d be able to cover it, but she is going to seize being able to boss her upperclassman around while she can.
“You didn’t think to do the cold spoon trick? It’s not like he’s here to get mad at you for getting rid of it.” Nobara comments, waving cool air over the creamy concealer, drying it quickly to Toge’s skin.
“No. I didn’t leave my den much the day after he left. Too sad. ”
Nobara groans, “Oh my lord, are all you mated pairs this pitiful? I swear Sukuna is the exact same way when Megumi is gone for more than six hours. It seems like more trouble than it’s worth.”
Toge chuckles, shaking his head lightly. His phone buzzes, likely a text from said mate. The blonde pulls out his phone just as the door opens once again, this time to the haphazardly dressed Megumi and Sukuna. Sukuna is still patting down parts of Megumi’s hair, rumpled and distressed. As if hands had been running through it repeatedly.
As if their physical appearance wasn’t evidence enough, both of them reeked of pheromones. Even though two new thick scent patches had been placed on Megumi’s neck, his dominant lavender smells overwhelmingly smokey, and Sukuna’s sage has stronger floral notes than usual.
“You two are revolting. Chair now, Fushiguro.” Nobara squawks, pointing to the makeup chair for the night. Megumi pulls away from Sukuna, taking a seat and letting Nobara have her way with his appearance. It’s the least he can do for making them wait on the pair. “First, your hair.”
Megumi at least has the shame to appear embarrassed in front of his peers as Nobara uses a pick to return his hair to its usual fluffiness. Sukuna hears Megumi defend himself weakly— grumbling something about taking the pre-heat edge off. The Alpha just smiles smugly, taking the chance to flop on Nobara’s bed next to his brother, knocking his arm against Yuuji’s leg.
“You drinking tonight?” Sukuna questions.
Yuuji nods, “I was planning on it, why? Should I not?”
“Nah, you’re fine. I’m just trying to see if anyone in the group is planning on being sober. Right now, that’s a no. I’ll text Nitta in advance to see if she’ll DD us for some extra cash.”
Yuuji stares dumbfounded at the sight of his brother arranging a designated driver for the pack. Sukuna eventually notices the eyes on him, and turns to glare at his twin. “What, brat?”
“When did you become so responsible?”
“What the hell do you mean when?” Sukuna questions, offended. “Who the fuck do you think was making you dinner every night, punk? The fairies that also kept the house clean?”
Yuuji jerks and belly laughs, accidentally banging his head off the wall with an oof . When he collects himself he continues, “That’s not what I mean. I mean you take responsibility for everyone , not just family.”
“Mmm, still wrong.” Sukuna scrunches his face up, “It’s still just family.”
Yuuji gasps and shoots forward, trapping Sukuna under him while pinching his brother's cheeks and shaking him back and forth. Sukuna hollars, trying his best to shove his heavyweight brother off of him.
“Oh my gosh, Suku that was so cheesy!”
“No!” Sukuna yells, bunny kicking Yuuji and effectively shoving Maki off the bed with his thrashing. The others had grown used to the brothers wrestling, paying no attention to the sibling antics. Sukuna claws at Yuuji’s arms, throwing his body weight around to dislodge the stronger twin. “Everyone here is fucking related, dipshit! Gojo is Meg's dad, Yuuta is Gojo’s cousin and Toge is Yuuta’s mate, Maki is Megumi’s cousin and she’s basically bonded to Nobara.” Sukuna grunts in effort as he tries to get the upper hand on his brother, who is still crushing him under his weight, “It never fucking ends get off of me you fatass! ”
Sukuna delivers one more kick to Yuuji’s sternum, except this time he imbues a touch of cursed energy. It’s just enough to knock Yuuji backwards enough for Sukuna to push him fully off, slapping him on the head for good measure.
“Did Suk pick out this shirt?” Sukuna hears Nobara say, now applying liner to Megumi’s waterline, smudging it out to give him a collected but distressed look. Sukuna thinks it makes him look mouth watering, and he resists the urge to sweep the Omega back into his arms once again.
“Yeah, he buys all my low cut shirts.”
“Fuck yeah, I do!”
Megumi shoos him away with a hand flick, being extra careful not to move his upper body. Sukuna feels his phone vibrate in his back pocket, and pulls it out expecting it to be Nitta replying to his request. It’s not Nitta, but he’s not surprised to find rapid-fire incoming messages from Yuuta.
Spooky: Hey, Sukuna! You guys are going out tn right?
Spooky: Do you have a DD or a sober person in the group? Toge is going to drink and I worry that everyone will be distracted with their mates that he might get overlooked.
Spooky: No biggie if not, I’m sure you all will be safe. I’m just being neurotic.
Sukuna chuckles in amusement at the messages, recalling a time his freshman year when he was teased relentlessly for his overprotective nature. The call was always coming from inside the house, as everyone in Jujutsu Tech was overwhelmingly territorial of each other. Pack dynamics were a weird thing.
Sukuna does receive a text back from Nitta, and it’s just a thumbs up and a reply saying she’ll pull up to the school in fifteen minutes. He relays this information to the group, to which Nobara promptly freaks out that she spent too much time on other people and not on herself.
Scary: Nitta is gonna drive. I don’t think any of us will be sob in the club, but dw we’ll always watch his back. Chill.
Scary: Do you have a return date yet?
Sukuna looks up to see Toge giggling at something on his phone, no doubt replying to his own messages from the Mimicry User. Toge had been mostly normal so far, aside from moping around campus the first day. But, Sukuna is aware that he doesn’t spend enough time with the other male to truly know. Prolonged separation was never easy on mated pairs, especially younger mates. But, they were Jujutsu Sorcerers and they had a job to uphold.
Spooky: I should be back in two weeks, give or take. We’ve just been bouncing around Africa and I’m tired. Wish I was with y’all :/
Scary: Next time. We’ll watch over Toge. Talk to you soon.
Sukuna pockets his phone again, directing his attention to Nobara who is trying to rally the troops. Everyone is finally looking up to her standards, and she’s getting the feeling that she should’ve at least been tipsy thirty minutes ago.
Sukuna wraps a hand around Megumi’s exposed waist, pulling him flush into his side. His vision truly did come together, the red top complementing the Omega’s pale undertones. It brought out the natural rosiness of his cheeks, the flush that would take over anytime Sukuna’s skin brushed against Megumi’s.
Megumi stretches up onto his toes to place a peck against Sukuna’s lips, before pulling him along to follow the group out of Nobara’s dorm.
Sukuna’s nose crinkles at the smell of so many people in such a small space. Their scents and sweat mingle together, clinging tightly to the back of the Alpha’s throat and roof of his nose. The music also pulses straight through his temples.
This really isn’t his scene, but he’ll grit his teeth and bear it so his pack has a good time.
He can sense Megumi regulating himself through the overwhelming scents, pressing himself closer to Sukuna to seek out the safe scent of his mate. Sukuna traces a hand up his spine to the base of his neck, thumbing over the thick scent patch covering Megumi’s scent gland.
All the more reason for Megumi to be dosed in his scent.
Yuuji leads the group, directing them by elbowing his way to a free table near the back of the club. It’s a little quieter back here, allowing Sukuna to actually hear what the people around him are saying.
“Who is in charge of getting the first round?” Yuuji asks while people begin to file into the booth.
Toge points at Maki and Nobara, then throws up a peace sign. Nobara protests indignantly, but Maki yields in good faith.
“What does everyone want?” She pulls out her phone, opening her notes app.
“A cosmopolitan for me!” Yuuji shouts, pulling Megumi into the booth next to him. Sukuna huffs, sandwiching the small Omega between the large twins. Megumi doesn’t seem displeased with this arrangement however, taking a refreshing deep breath. Sukuna chuckles at his behavior, earning him a kick to the side of his shin.
“Aperol spritz,” Toge throws a thumbs up at Nobara, making sure she understood his order before gesturing to Megumi.
“Moscow mule.”
“Make that two.” Sukuna says, not picky about his liquor. He doesn’t drink for the taste.
The girls give them a whole hearted middle finger before traversing the crowd once more, insearch of the bar. Sukuna will be sure to take care of the next round. He turns to tell Megumi as much, but finds his mate fixed on their upperclassman across from them.
Toge is anxiously looking at the swarm of people, thumbing the edge of his phone that is resting on the table. He looks as though he can’t decide if he’s happy to be there or not. Sukuna can see exactly what is going on. He feels out of place. Not quite whole without his other half.
“Toge,” Sukuna breaks the unusual silence, rare when Yuuji is around. It seems that he was also absorbed with the concerning behavior. “How are you?”
The blonde seems caught off guard by the sudden concern, observing how suddenly, everyone’s eyes are on him. His eyebrows scrunch together, contemplative, but then he shrugs dismissively.
“I’m fine, I just feel weird. It does not feel right not having him here. I know me and Megumi had that mission a few months ago and that was fine, but this is different. We’re doing something as a pack and he’s not with us.”
It’s hard with the mask on to tell Toge’s full range of emotion, but with the way his gaze was scarcely tracing up from the table, it was easy for Sukuna to assume that the separation was beginning to weigh on the Cursed Speech User.
“How strong is your bond with the distance?” Megumi asks.
“I can still feel him, obviously. But I don’t feel his emotions as clearly as when he’s here. It’s like I have his presence with me but he’s just out of full reach.”
Megumi reaches his hand out across the table, gripping Toge’s smaller one with a comforting squeeze.
Sukuna knows it’s only a matter of time until he’s sent away on his own mission abroad, but he’ll be damned if he’s not taking Megumi with him. It’s not like the higher-up’s hadn’t tried already to separate the Special Grade and First Grade sorcerer. There were multiple occasions of Megumi being requested for a mission that he was “perfect” for, but Gojo intercepted each one. The Prime always feared that they were ambushes— attempts on his son's life.
Sukuna figures that he won’t have to worry about being long distance from Megumi for a while, at least until the higher-ups simmer down. He’ll always be hesitant about it— he can’t fathom the effects of separation sickness. Toge already is suffering from a withdrawn mood, and it has only been a few days.
“Don’t worry, Toge-san! I’m sure Yuuta will finish up his mission as quickly as he can to get back to you!” Yuuji beams, always the optimist. Yuuji might’ve been naive, being unbonded himself and offering advice. But, he has a twin. So, he’s at least somewhat aware of what it’s like to have your soul tethered to someone else.
“Thanks, Yuuji. I’m sure the worst of it will pass in the next few days.”
“Oh, not this again!” Maki’s loud voice proclaims, barging her way back into the booth with Nobara in tow. They thrust the appropriate drinks into everyone's hands, everyone offering quick thank yous. “Stop dragging your feet about Okkotsu! He’s fine, you’re fine, enjoy your night!”
“If it makes you feel any better, he was texting me earlier to make sure you were going to be taken care of tonight. I think he’s feeling it just as much as you. It’ll make that sweet reunion sex even better.” Sukuna grins at him, making Toge cackle while he checks that he’s safe to pull his mask down to take a drink.
The group sits together, talking and boozing. Sukuna feels a little lighter in the head after his drink, and it’s obvious that the lighter weight people of the group certainly do. Sukuna takes a larger gulp of his gingery drink, and notices the stronger than usual presence of vodka.
“Nobara, how many shots did you ask for in these?”
The Beta taps her chin in faux contemplation, “Only like three per drink.”
Everyone's jaws drop, staring at her in disbelief. Megumi holds up his copper cup, almost completely empty. He shifts his gaze between the cup and Nobara, who is grinning at him. The haziness of his eyes gives away that the effects of the vodka in his drink are already starting to take effect.
“Are you stupid? You didn’t think to warn any of us before we chugged down our first drinks?” Megumi scolds. He’s sensitive to— well, everything . Alcohol is no different, so Sukuna gives it ten minutes before the little Omega is starting to slur his words.
Suddenly, a familiar beat starts to play over the club and Toge shoots up from his position in the small booth. He tips back the rest of his drink, downing it in one go.
“Oh, hell yeah Toge!” Yuuji cheers, following suit.
Toge shuffles out of the booth, reaching back to grab Megumi’s arm across Sukuna. He tugs at the black-haired male incessantly, urging him to follow his lead to the dance floor. With Megumi’s inhibitions thoroughly lowered due to the effects of vodka, he agrees much quicker than he usually would. But, he does spin on his heel to grab Yuuji’s arm and drag him out to the floor with them, who turns and grabs Nobara.
The four of them stumble their way into the crowd of people, just within eyesight of Maki and Sukuna, who still remain at the table.
Sukuna nurses his drink, sipping it much slower than his counterparts. It’s not like he doesn’t have a nice view to enjoy his drink with. Megumi is vibrant under the bright, colorful lights. The way his body sways, from his own doing and from getting jostled slightly, amplify his alluring presence. Sukuna wouldn’t be surprised if the whole club's eyes are on him, with the way Megumi is feeling himself tonight.
The alcohol has given him a nice glow, just adding onto the pre-existing flush from his pre-heat. His top slips slightly off his shoulder, and Sukuna gets a peak at a love bite he left on Megumi’s collarbone. He smirks in satisfaction.
The sound of ice clinking and straw slurping reaches Sukuna’s ears, signaling that he’s reached the bottom of his cup. He decides that it’s time to break away and get one last drink for himself and his group, not allowing them to overindulge too much tonight. He relays this to Maki, who nods then makes her way to the swaying group on the dance floor.
As Sukuna makes his way to the bar, Megumi notices that his mate has left their spot. He knows that he won’t stray too far though. Megumi continues to sway to the music with his friends, dancing with Yuuji.
The pink-headed Alpha is laughing, jostling Megumi’s arms around in an awful dance move. It makes Megumi bark out a laugh at the antics, seeing Toge’s phone camera glint under the lights.
He’s feeling good. The alcohol mixed with the heat from his incoming cycle is making his head fuzzy. He’s most definitely drunk, but he could go for another drink. He’s still far from overserved, and he knows his limits.
Megumi squeezes Yuuji’s arm before pointing to the bar. Yuuji tilts his head, silenting asking if Megumi wants him to come with. Megumi shakes his head, patting Yuuji’s arm before breaking away and towards the lit up bar in the back.
It’s crowded, but he should’ve expected that. There isn’t an abundance of Omegas here though, so Megumi quickly catches the attention of the bartender. He’s about to rattle off another drink order when he catches the scent of Sukuna close by. He notices Sukuna already standing by the bar, obviously waiting for a drink to be made. He waves the man off, watching the way his eyes cling to Megumi’s sloping neckline.
As Megumi walks over to Sukuna, he notices that his mate isn’t alone. There’s a woman standing in front of him, smiling unnaturally wide as she tries to talk to the bulky Alpha. Sukuna’s face is flat as he replies and he looks back out to the dance floor, eyes squinting as he tries to pinpoint the location of Megumi and the rest of the group. It’s clear that Sukuna sees the rest of the group, but not Megumi because he suddenly feels a press through their bond— Where are you? Sukuna mumbles something back to the woman, who is still fruitlessly trying to get Sukuna to engage with her. Whatever he said, she must’ve found it hilarious because she clutches his arm in support as she laughs.
Yeah, that’s enough.
Megumi cuts through the crowd, weaving his way through people's bodies. He hears a few disgruntled heys, but people bite their tongue when they notice the small figure of an Omega. Sexist society perks, he guesses.
He makes it to Sukuna’s side, quick to wrap a possessive arm around the man’s thick waist. Sukuna lets out a startled noise, before quickly settling as he notices the presence of his mate. Megumi presses back to the unanswered call— here! Sukuna chuckles, kisses the top of his head.
“Hey, shithead. You know, when I call for you, you should answer.” Sukuna pouts at him, obviously pretending to be more upset at being momentarily ignored than he truly is.
“But I’m here now, so it doesn’t matter.” Megumi grins at him, leaning up to press a kiss against his cheek. “Who’s this?” Megumi keeps his tone light and airy, but Sukuna sees right through him with a scoff and a playful pinch against his side.
“I’m Keo, one of the bar hands.” A Beta with brunette hair, obviously not Japanese. Megumi just tilts his head at her, shrugging.
“Cool. Did you order more drinks, Kuna?” He purposefully traces his hand around the back of Sukuna’s belt, toying with it teasingly.
Sukuna is very aware of what Megumi is doing, but his emotions give away the desire building. He grips Megumi’s waist sharply, pulling Megumi and dislodging him enough that he loses his hold on Sukuna’s belt.
“Yep, just a shot for everyone. That good with you, sweetheart?” Sukuna grins down at him, wolfish.
“Perfect.”
Somewhere in their teasing and flirting, the what-ever-her-name walked off. Megumi feels satisfaction residing in his stomach, his Omega pleased at being able to lay their claim over their mate. Sukuna chuckles, nuzzling his head against Megumi’s.
“Six shots?” A flight of shots is placed up on the counter and Sukuna thanks the bartender. The dark-haired Alpha’s eyes once again trace over Megumi’s figure, and Sukuna’s friendly attitude shifts into something more intimidating. He flashes his fangs quickly— so quick that it could be mistaken as a trick of the light.
But the bartender gets the message and works his way over to the next waiting patron.
Sukuna hands one shot to Megumi, taking one for himself as well.
“Down the hatch, sweet thing.” Sukuna smiles.
“No reaction, check it.”
Both tip back their shots. Sukuna grimaces at the taste, sticking his tongue out in disgust. Megumi, true to his word, has no reaction to the brutal burn of the tequila.
“That’s freakish.”
Megumi shrugs, placing the empty shot glass back on the counter. “I’ve had to take oral medication all my life. I’m used to nasty shit.”
Megumi takes two shots from the counter, Sukuna following suit. They make their way back to their friends, who have migrated towards the middle of the dance floor. They hand everyone their respective shot, and everyone goes back to moving with the music.
Sukuna’s hand finds their home on Megumi’s waist, pulling the Omega face to face with him. Their noses touch, and Megumi looks into the searing red eyes. When he was younger, he used to believe that if he looked for too long, he would never look away. It used to scare him, the thought of giving himself entirely to someone else.
Now, he embraces it. There is nowhere else he would rather be than inside of Sukuna’s arms. They have a life together— a den, a job, family that loves them. There is nothing else that Megumi can ask for. He is completely fulfilled, all because he chose to take a chance on the bullheaded Alpha that crashed into his life three years ago.
“Stop thinking so much.” Sukuna says into his ear, kissing the shell of it.
“Only thinking about you.” Megumi says back, hands finding purchase against the Alpha’s firm back.
They sway to the music together, gradually drifting from their friends. Sukuna presses even closer to Megumi, enjoying the way his body is rubbing against Megumi’s much smaller one. It’s obvious that the other male is feeling the same thing, as his drunken state has him gasping where he would usually cover his visible pleasure in public.
Sukuna decides to cover Megumi’s mouth with his own, swallowing the small sounds that are only for him to hear. No one else is deserving of hearing the small pants and gasps that Megumi lets out whenever the fabric of his pants rubs against his clit just right.
It’s not Megumi’s fault that alcohol makes him exceptionally horny.
The giddiness Megumi is feeling bleeds over, making Sukuna’s inebriated state feel that much stronger. He presses his thigh subtly between Megumi’s legs, the Omega clamping down against the pressure but then using it to grate slowly, relieving himself of the pressure building at his core.
Megumi bites on Sukuna’s lower lip, not hard enough to draw blood but certainly hard enough to leave his lip red and swollen. He’s not the only one in this relationship that is overly possessive.
“I should call an Uber, right?” Sukuna murmurs in Megumi’s ear, pulling away from his lips just long enough to deliver the message.
“You should’ve done that five minutes ago.” Megumi pants, using Sukuna as help to support him upright. Sukuna laughs and pulls him out of the crowd of people.
He’ll shoot his brother a text about their location. He has more important things to do.
October 31st
7:42 P.M
The mated pair are curled together in their nest the next day, content to waste the remaining days of Megumi’s pre-heat away.
This one has been particularly rough, for no apparent reason either. Geto and Shoko checked over Megumi this morning and found no abnormalities, but his cramps have left him breathless at times. It pains Sukuna to see, even more to know that he’s dealt with that since he was a pup.
But, heating pads and Sukuna’s presence help. So, they do both.
Megumi is reading his latest historical nonfiction, The Kite Runner when his phone chimes with an incoming call from the bedside table. Sukuna continues reading his own book, Into the Wild. He needs to get to the bottom of what this Chris McCandless guy was doing.
“Fushiguro-Itadori.” Megumi greets, not yet taking the time to mark his page in the book. He listens for a moment, then sits upright in slight alarm. His scent immediately becomes stressed, filling the room with a rotting lavender.
That’s enough to set Sukuna on edge, who marks both of their places and sets them on the bedside table. He rests his hand against Megumi’s shoulder, a silent comfort.
Megumi pulls the phone away from his ear and turns it on speaker mode.
“— just fucking screaming for me. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s not looking good.”
The voice on the other end of the phone is Gojo, and he sounds more stressed than Sukuna has ever heard him.
“Hold on, back up. What’s happening?”
“Oh, Suk! Awesome, I can talk to both of you! I was telling Gumi here about how a veil has been cast over all of Shibuya, and everyone inside is yelling my name. Massive Halloween bummer! ”
That’s…odd. Sukuna can’t think of a single curse that would make a group of non-sorcerers chant together. Also, a veil large enough to cover all of Shibuya? That must be the work of an advanced Curse User.
“What do you need from us?” Megumi asks, biting his nails. Sukuna pulls the finger out of his mouth, holding it in his own hand.
“Look, I know Megumi is about to go into heat, which will trigger your rut, and blah blah blah. But, this should only take tonight. We’re getting everyone dispatched to Shibuya so we can make this quick.”
Sukuna thinks over Gojo’s request. They aren’t technically supposed to start their cycles for another day or two, which would give them enough time to complete the mission, come back and get ready.
However, Megumi is already starting to smell much more potent. He’s not comfortable sending him out into battle when it’s uncertain if he can be safe.
“Not a good idea, Gojo.”
Sukuna can hear Gojo sigh, “You know if it was up to me, this would be a non-starter. Suguru is sidelined, obviously. So, we’re down a Special Grade. On top of that, Yuuta is in Africa. So, there goes another. You two are our next heavy hitters at the school so we need you in case things go sideways. Which they won’t, but just in case!”
“What about if I go, and Megumi stays here?”
Megumi lets out an indignant noise, “Are you fucking serious? I’m not incapable because I’m in my pre-heat, knothead!”
He should’ve seen the knock against the head coming.
“I’m going with you, Kuna. I’m going with both of you. We’ve talked about this before. This is not up for discussion. My heat isn’t that far out, but I can push it off if I need to. I’ve dealt with awkwardly timed heats as a kid, this isn’t my first rodeo.” He takes a breath, “Unless I’m actually in heat, I’m good to fight.”
Sukuna looks at him, then back to the phone.
When Gojo doesn’t say anything, Sukuna continues. “Of course. I wasn’t insinuating you couldn’t, love. I just worry about someone using your secondary gender against you.”
“Oh, don’t worry! We’ve trained him against that, Sukuna. ” Gojo sounds smug, even over the phone.
Megumi smiles lightly at him, brushing the fringe out of his eyes. It’s telling, forgiveness.
I know. You’re just worried.
Sukuna bumps his head against his head, and Megumi rakes his hands through the thick, pink hair.
“What do you need from us, Gojo?”
Gojo hums, “I agree that we do need to factor in Megumi’s pre-heat in case this runs longer than we think. So, Megumi is going to go with Nanamin. ” Sukuna opens his mouth to retort, but Gojo beats him to it. “ No complaints, Itadori-kun! If Megumi went into heat around you, you would just go into rut and where would that get us! You’ll be with Yuuji. I’ll text you both your entrance locations. Stay safe, I’ll see you soon. Love you, Gooms.”
Megumi smiles at the affection from his adopted father, “Love you too.”
He hangs up the phone, placing it back on the bedside table.
Sukuna takes a deep breath, rubbing his hands down his face. He turns to look at Megumi, who’s looking at the wall with a troubled expression.
“This is just another mission, love. Don’t worry so much. In and out, yeah?” Sukuna reassures Megumi’s worries, trying his best to soothe the frazzled distress that had taken over the room.
Megumi squeezes his hand, before pulling him in for a kiss. Unlike their previous pre-heat kisses, this one is slow and thought out. Desperate for their remaining time together, before they have to go their separate ways.
“Zero injuries, promise?” Sukuna scolds, already knowing his mate's propensity for getting flung around.
Megumi chuckles, humored by Sukuna’s protectiveness. “Alright, no injuries. I promise.”