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Megumi is fifteen when he walks in on Kirara and Tsumiki kissing in the kitchen.
It's not entirely a surprise. He'd known Tsumiki had a crush. He hadn't expected her to act on it, though.
Plus, the kitchen, really?
He's responding before he's even thought things through. "Kirara-san, could I have a moment?"
Which is what brings them here.
"I thought we were on good terms, Megumi-kun~" Kirara giggles, but he can see the nervousness in her eyes. "A shovel talk, really?"
She's not wrong. They were on good terms. Being the only openly trans kids at Jujutsu High would've required some modicum of getting along, but it was more than that.
Megumi has always held his senpai in high regard for more reasons than one. Seeing her come out as a girl and be true to herself when they were both kids was, after all, the initial trigger that made him come out as a guy. He remembers the dysphoria of his first period, how he'd not gone to Tsumiki or to Gojo, but to Kirara instead, because she understood what it felt like, having a body that betrayed you.
He remembers. Watching Kirara teach herself make-up from tutorials. Helping her out sometimes - he had steady hands, and he always found it meditative. He'd done that for Tsumiki too. Chosen her eyeshadow, her eyeliner, helped her with her foundation and blush and whatever else she'd asked him to. It used to be something they just did as kids, but he'd developed an actual skill for it along the way, and was always happy to help his sister, and Kirara - who he thinks he'd naively considered as something between a big sister and a best friend.
Pastel would look good on you, a nine year old Megumi had said to Kirara, gently applying teal eyeshadow to her face. He'd touched her cheekbones with a pale pink glittery tint, and it'd felt good when she smiled at him.
However good his hands were at make-up though, they shook inevitably when he first began to take testosterone. There were a lot of things he could do, but self-injecting wasn't one of those. Kirara had helped him out every time.
"It's not about me and you," Megumi says with a little frown. "You and Tsumiki? What are your intentions with her?"
Kirara answers his question with another question. "Do you really think I'd take advantage of your sister? She's my best friend, you know that."
Did he know that? He thinks of their childhood, of Kirara, of her and Tsumiki stargazing together. Of the way they'd done girls' nights and sleepovers and the easy closeness they both shared. Kirara is right, Megumi knows that she would never hurt Tsumiki. But it stings despite that, in a way he can't quite understand or put into words.
"I know you wouldn't," Megumi murmurs quietly. He blinks, surprised he's tearing up, more out of anger than anything else. "I thought I was your best friend."
Something flickers on Kirara's face, barely there before it's gone. "Megs, of course you are. I can have more than one best friend, can't I?"
She shifts, moving closer, realising without his saying it that he'll accept a hug. He leans into her hold, closes his eyes. He's still mad, but it's soothing, like salve to a burn.
"I love you, kid," she says to him, gently. "Miki and I both agree on that, you know. You're real important to us both."
You're choosing her over me, Megumi thinks but doesn't say. His hands grasp Kirara more firmly, clutching at her. He's careful not to hurt her, but he thinks he creases her shirt.
"What's really bothering you, Gumi?" Kirara asks. She's not being kawaii about it, her voice serious and her demeanor solemn. "I know you. I know you're ruminating upon something. Come on, out with it."
You should choose her over me, Megumi thinks, in contrast to himself. Tsumiki deserves the world. Deserves everything. Deserves more than I do.
"I don't like change," Megumi murmurs, quietly. "I want Miki to be happy and to be safe, you know that." He pulls away from the hug, looks at Kirara genuinely. "Can I trust you to do both? To take care of her and to protect her?"
Kirara meets his gaze. "The way I see it, nothing is changing exactly," she says. "I've loved Tsumiki for a long time, Megumi. It's out in the open now, and I can act upon it. I intend to do exactly what you said. And if you're worried about you and me, nothing's gonna change between us, okay? You're my best boy."
Megumi snorts, despite himself. "I've considered you family for years now," he admits, quietly.
"Being your sister's girlfriend isn't going to change that for me or for you," she says. "In fact, it might even cement it."
Megumi takes a minute to process this. "So you're serious about her?"
Kirara nods. "It's too soon to say, and I haven't told her yet. I don't want to coerce her or pressure her, but I'd like to be by her side forever."
"Okay," Megumi says.
"Okay?" Kirara asks. "I don't know if you realise how much your approval matters to her. I think she'd break up with me if you told her to."
Megumi sighs. "Miki deserves someone's devotion," he says. "She's always the person in every relationship who gives and gives and gives. She loves people with all her heart, and there's nothing she wouldn't do for people she cares about. It's admirable, but it makes me worry about her too. She would choose to be unhappy if it meant people she cares about - like me - are happy. If she cares about you too, you need to be mindful of that. Put her first, because god knows she won't do it herself. As Tsumiki's younger brother, that's my humble request to you."
He bows, despite himself. "Please be good to her."
"Damn, you're intense," Kirara says, but she's smiling. "I promise, Megumi. I will treat her as she deserves."
Megumi nods. He doesn't smile, but it's a close thing.
"Okay, you still have your pensive face on," Kirara says. And it's strange, other than Tsumiki and Gojo most people can't tell his micro-expressions aside. She's right. "Megumi, tell me."
"You and Hakari are over for good?" Megumi asks.
Kirara grins. "Kin-chan will always be a friend to me, but yes. No lingering romantic feelings. He's busy dating both Okkotsu and Inumaki, and I think they keep him on his toes more than I ever could."
Megumi's quiet.
She's still smiling. "Megumi, I'm not going to shit-talk my ex to appease you when he hasn't done anything wrong. He was a gentleman and he treated me well, but I wouldn't go back to that relationship. He and I weren't compatible, that's all there is to it."
Megumi is still quiet. He doesn't say what he's thinking, what he can't stop thinking about ever since he saw the two of them in the kitchen, kissing. What guarantee do we have that Kirara won't leave us?
It's not like everyone who's ever claimed to love Tsumiki and Megumi walked out on them. Gojo stayed, after all. But Gojo wasn't exactly a benchmark of normal behaviour.
"Megumi," Kirara says, gently. She takes one of his hands. "I'm going to be presumptuous here and say very clearly. I'll never walk out on either you or Miki, okay? I love you both. In different ways, sure, but I love you both. I'll only leave if you want me out of your life. Until then, you're stuck with me, okay? And I'm going to say the same thing to Tsumiki, too."
Megumi blinks, all upset feelings leaving him like air from a punctured balloon, in a singular moment. How did you know I was thinking that, he wants to ask but doesn't have the guts to say.
But Kirara looks at him like she hears him without his saying it. Because I know you, the look in her eyes says.
This time, it's Megumi who initiates the hug. "I love you too," he murmurs against her shoulder.
"Softest shovel talk ever, Megs," Kirara says, but she sounds genuinely relieved. He thinks about what she'd said earlier, about Tsumiki finding Megumi's approval important, realises maybe it's not just Tsumiki who worries what he thinks.
"You're not even going to threaten me?" Kirara asks, and she sounds like her usual self, upbeat and cheerful.
"Threaten you with bunnies, maybe," Megumi says. He shifts away from her, gives her a gentle smile. "Why would I threaten you when all you've ever done is prove yourself worthy of my trust?"
"Aww, you'll make me cry," Kirara says, throwing peace signs at him. "Now shall we return, before Tsumiki comes here to check that we're not brawling?"
"We can brawl if you want," Megumi says, summoning a few bunnies.
Kirara laughs, loud and light, echoing through the apartment. "Never change," she says to him, ruffling his hair despite the small number of perfectly soft bunnies at her feet waiting for headpats.
They follow her as she goes back to Tsumiki, probably to report everything's fine. Megumi's emotionally drained out, even if everything went well. He leaves her to it, retreating to his room to take a nap.
The bunnies fade into the shadows as he slips into sleep, too. Kirara, watching, smiles fondly.
"Megs is probably asleep," she tells Tsumiki.
"How'd he take it?" Tsumiki asks.
"I think he hates that he doesn't hate it," Kirara says, with a little smile. "He said, in his own way, that he's happy for us."
Tsumiki smiles, relief clear in her expression. "I'm glad. I know change overwhelms him sometimes."
"Just him?" Kirara asks. She leans forward, kisses Tsumiki's forehead, revels in the blush that gets her.
"I can take whatever life throws at me," Tsumiki says. It's not an answer to the question,and it sounds almost rehearsed.
"You don't have to do that alone ever again," Kirara reminds her. "I'm here."
Tsumiki takes a minute to process that, staring at Kirara like it's her first time seeing her. Then she finally manages a smile, slightly crooked, bittersweet and almost sad.
"It'll take me a while to fully believe that," she admits.
"I know," Kirara says. She takes Tsumiki's hand, infinitely gentle. "I'm here," she repeats.
She'll say it as many times as it takes.