Megumi isn’t very expressive in public. Anyone who sees him at Tokyo Jujutsu High would assume he’s distant, quiet, maybe even a little cold.

But in private… he’s very different with you.

You notice it the first time you’re cooking in the small kitchen of the dorm. The room is quiet except for the soft sound of something simmering on the stove.

You’re focused, stirring slowly, when you hear the faint sound of footsteps behind you.

You don’t even turn around before you feel it.

Two arms suddenly wrap around your waist.

Megumi.

He presses close behind you, chest against your back, his chin resting lightly on your shoulder. His hold is firm but gentle, like he doesn’t want to interrupt what you’re doing… but also doesn’t want to let go.

“You’re in the way,” you murmur softly, though there’s no real complaint in your voice.

He doesn’t move.

“…I know.”

But he doesn’t loosen his arms either.

Instead, he just buries his face slightly into the side of your neck, breathing quietly. His grip tightens a little, like he’s grounding himself there.

Megumi doesn’t always say when he’s tired or when he needs comfort. Missions, training, responsibilities—they weigh on him more than he admits.

But moments like this?

This is how he shows it.

You feel his nose brush lightly against your neck as he exhales.

“You smell like food,” he mutters.

You almost laugh.

“Well, I am cooking.”

He hums softly at that, the vibration warm against your shoulder. One of his hands slides slightly upward from your waist, resting over your stomach while the other stays around your hips.

Even though he’s taller, he somehow manages to fold himself comfortably against you, like you’re the place he naturally settles.

You try to stir the pot again, but his arms tighten.

“Megumi…”

“…Just a minute.”

His voice is quieter now.

He presses his forehead lightly against the side of your head, eyes half-closed.

No teasing. No embarrassment.

Just the quiet truth he rarely says out loud:

He likes being close to you.

And hugging you from behind like this—when you’re busy, when you’re not paying full attention—is his favorite way to do it.

Because it means he can stay there as long as he wants.