sunshine and midnight rain

Chapter 6

-"Okay okay, let's start then!"

Megumi's pov

As expected, we finished in around 35 minutes and like Itadori said, they were easy to make, also the broth. The dishes really had a good look and their preparation had been enough to make me hungry. Apart from the fact that he's really friendly and seems like a good soul, he also knows how to be adorable sometimes, not that I show it anyway, it doesn't have an effect on me, it's just cute. I noticed that he's starting to behave in a strange way somehow, since the eyes thing I guess, nothing so serious, he just blushes during random moments, probably because he's still embarrassed I think.
"Fushiguro, would you mind telling me something more about yourself?Like hobbies and so."He asked while preparing two bowls of meatballs, accompanied by mushrooms and various side dishes, while I sat at the table.
"I live alone, like you. A man named Gojo Satoru, practically my father, provides me everything I need and I manage to see him around twice or once a week, he's the one who raised me even though he's a fucking dumbass, but he's so busy that we don't manage to live together. Anyway, I like reading, spending time alone, playing video games when I'm willing to, listening to music, go jogging and those things." There was silence coming from him, he seemed really focused on what he was doing but you could sense that he was thinking about something.
"What's your favourite weather?"
"Rainy weather."
"Oh, really?"He was confused and turned to me. "I love when it's sunny."He said smiling. He continued with the preparation. "Day or night?"
"Night."
"I knew that!"He shouted happily, turning again to me. "Night scares me sometimes."He said, this time continuing to prepare the dishes.
"Why?"
"It's dark and everything, I don't have problems staying up late in the night or going outside during the night, it's just a little creepy when you hear weird noises or it's too dark."
"Yeah, so you prefer the day, right?"
"Yes!"
"Predictable from you"
"How can you say that?"He asked curiously.
"It just matches your personality."
"My personality?"
"Yeah, that sunny thing."He laughed. We then spent some seconds in silence till he talked again.
"Fushiguro, what do you usually do when you are anxious?"
"Why this question?"
"Because, well...I know that everyone has its own ways to manage anxiety, but I never really dared to ask someone because I felt a bit embarrassed and it's probably a strange question to ask too. Not that I'm really anxious as a person, but in the past I remember I had some difficult moments due to anxiety, anxiety attacks I guess, and nothing really helped me that much, I also used to hide them from my grandpa. However, one day he found out I had these attacks, that are not as heavy as panic attacks, during a school event, it was like the last day of middle school I think and there was this conference where I  and other people had to talk in front of everyone; I remember that he had held my hand when he noticed I was shivering, and then I calmed down almost immediately. From that moment I slowly started not to have these attacks anymore, just really rarely but that's normal for everyone, sometimes it happens."
"So, in your case, holding your hand is the thing that helps you the most?"
"I guess, but, you know, it was my grandpa, if someone else tries I don't know if I'll calm down that much but I'm sure it'll help a little."He said quietly, smiling in a sad way while looking at the ground. This must be so painful for him. "Do you have any methods to calm your anxiety, Fushiguro?"He asked then, looking at me. "I'm not really an anxious person, Itadori, it happens but never too much. I just put up with it."
"Yeah, clear."He sighed. "Everything is set up, let's eat then!"He said happily.
"Wait, dumbass, we still have to set the table."
"Oh, right. Ahh, I'm starving!"He whined. We started setting the table quickly, I was hungry too. Everything was set up within 3 minutes and sat down to eat.
"These are delicious, Itadori."I was surprised.
"Thanks to you too, Fushiguro!"
"I'll try to make them at home as well."
"Oh really?"He was excited.
"Yeah."
"I'm happy 'bout that!"He gave me one of those big smiles of his. As we ate we talked about other simple and basic things and to be honest we got to know each other quite well. I noticed that Itadori loves to tell things concerning him or his life and experiences. Being an extrovert, he told me lots of things about himself, I did too, but far less compared to him. For instance, he asked me what my favourite flowers were, I had to think about that to be honest, he made me search for the answers of things that I never questioned myself about. I discovered that he loves flowers and that he used to bring them to his grandfather when he was in hospital. Moreover, he used to bring him especially white and yellow flowers because they reminded him of purity and happiness. We also talked about roses, considering that they are very popular between love and important occasions. He asked me what my favourite one was, and I had to search inside myself again, not really knowing what my favourite one is. However, I discovered again that his favourite rose is the red one if intended as love and relationship and the light yellow one if the topic concerned is friendship, but he likes its colour as well. He also told me that he always associates the roses that someone gives to him to their meaning; that means that if someone gives him red roses as a present, he associates them with love, especially if the other person knows the meaning as well; for him it would be an indirect way to say that the person is in love with him or has a crush on him. That was really interesting. He also told me about that time in middle school when a girl gave him a small bouquet of light blue roses, in the middle of spring, while strolling along an avenue of cherry trees. The girl, whose name was Lily, had told him to go home and search for the meaning of the colour of the roses, he did, and he found out that blue roses are symbol of aspiration and admiration, also mystery, intended as a romantic bond. I was really surprised, but still didn't know my answer.

Yuji's pov

I loved talking with Fushiguro about all that stuff. So far, we get along really well and I'm really happy about this. We continued talking even after finishing dinner, while drinking juice again and laughing at each other's jokes. I adored everything about that. For the first time in a while, since grandpa's death, I never felt so relieved and light, my chest didn't hurt at all, I felt calm and finally happy for the first time again. Offtopic, this was also the first time I've seen him laughing. I didn't expect that, he obviously didn't laugh as much as me, but his smile is something, gosh, outside this world. It's perfect. Thin lips, often bitten by beautiful white teeth, giving them that red colour, glossy aspect, the delicate shape of his smile. It would have been embarrassing for me to know that I got a crush on a random guy I met at a new school, nevertheless, that's  really what it seems...I'm not gonna try to get with him or something, I'll just wait for it to pass, it's just a small crush that'll probably go away soon, I love having him as a friend and it's probably already unusual for him to open up that much with someone, moreover, he wouldn't like me anyway, I'm far too different, noisy and bothering compared to him, also a bit dumb. Well, I just hope he liked spending time with me as much as I did.
"Itadori, maybe it's too soon to say that, but the time I spend with you is the most enjoyable of all."He led me out of that stream of thoughts.
"Uh?"My heart skipped a beat again, damn, what even is this coincidence? I was looking right at the table confused and embarrassed at the same time, lost again in my thoughts, when he interrupted them again.
"Itadori, it's time for me to go home now, thank you for tonight."
"Oh, yeah, let's go then."I tried not to sound too flustered and tried to act normally.
We reached the entrance pretty quickly and he took his jacket after putting on his shoes. He put it on and was still fixing the hood of his hoodie when he started to talk with me again and thank me all over again.
"Don't worry, Fushiguro, it's a pleasure for me, I'm sure that even with Kugisaki we'll manage to have dinner together soon."I smiled looking at him, as if he was a daydream. Well, I guess I must really like him if I even look at him that way. I've experienced that just once in my life, with that girl I even told him about. We stared at each other's eyes without saying anything, I don't know how that situation started but I didn't care, it seemed so perfect that I couldn't figure out what was happening, I just let time pass by. But then, suddenly, it hit me. I didn't even notice, it happened so fast that it's inexplicable. I can't tell how and when, it just happened, and then, I understood nothing, nothing could make me understand.
Is this what it feels like? Is this that fifth of second that we talked about in the library? Does it really take this little to make it happen? Is this really enough to make someone a prey?
I couldn't really move, I was totally paralysed on the spot, still not fully conscious of what happened. He spontaneously hugged me then, it came so natural, and wow, I never felt so good in someone's arms, never felt so safe, so unjudged, so free, protected, relieved, warm. At the same time, I never felt so weak and exposed to someone. Embracing him seemed like the form of removing all the pain, but something scared me, that feeling did. It's so strong that makes me frightened, frightened of what I would do for him, which obstacles, no matter how hard they are, I would pass for him, all the love, the protection, the safe place I would give him and the affection. Everything hit me so hard and fast that I didn't realise it, I understood nothing.
I had my face in the hollow of his neck, left exposed by his black hoodie, together with his thick steel necklace, which has the aspect of a chain. I could smell his perfume clearly, so clearly that I could have drowned in that essence. It smelt so good that it didn't help me at all in trying to understand what happened to me. I was somewhat upset, all those feelings completely drained me and continued to drain me even in that moment, I surely was tired and shaken by different things. I felt my knees weak, they were shivering, but that was not notable and it was without question not because I was tired. I even felt sleepy somehow. I felt so good with him that I wanted to fall asleep. What would it be like to sleep in his arms?
When he broke the hug I felt completely cold. We greeted each other even if I was shaken, and then he started walking to get home, I closed the door.

Is this falling in love?

(shorter chapter)