#nanamin angst hours | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kentopedia · 1 year ago

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piece of cake

FEATURING. nanami kento x f!reader — wc: 9.8k

SUMMARY: nanami can't help but notice your strange behavior, and he begins to grow suspicious (aka you throw him a surprise birthday party)

CONTENTS: sorcerer!reader, nanami's bday, husband nanami, reader & nanami povs, gojo being the bestest friend, also everyone loves nanamin!! very very light angst, slight misunderstandings, and ofc nanami being the love of my life. sfw!!!

note: this ended up way longer than i intended! the ending is a bit rushed, but i really wanted to finish it before his birthday ended. i love this sweet man so much :(

Nanami didn’t want to be that kind of man.

He knew that letting his thoughts wander into accusations were a one-way ticket to unfounded miscommunication. It was senseless to even go there; coming up with wild solutions that he couldn’t back up would only cause problems that didn’t need to happen in the first place.

With his whole heart, Nanami trusted you. He loved you, and he had never doubted that you felt the same. Honesty was important, and you were both mature enough to understand that communication was the only way to make a relationship work.

He reminded himself of that whenever his mind was clouded with uncertainty.

There was still a small twinge of doubt that wouldn’t leave him alone, and day after day, it became more and more difficult to convince himself that he wasn’t concerned. Every time he tried to speak with you about your strange behavior, you’d talked him into circles, bringing him right back to the beginning of the question like he’d never asked it at all.

Nanami tried to tell himself he was creating something out of nothing, but for weeks, you’d been coming home late, you were always on the phone, and he would have been an optimist or an idiot if he truly believed you weren’t hiding something.

When he really put his mind to it, he could stop himself from coming to unfathomable conclusions. You’d never given him reason to doubt you, even if your behavior had become suspicious as of late.

What he couldn’t diminish was the deeply buried fear that, maybe, you wanted someone more than him.

The entire mess had started just a month ago, when he’d stumbled into the lounge at the high school, a book tucked under his arm and a coffee in his hand. Lunch hour had just ended.

Nanami visited you at the school often, and at this time, you were almost always training Maki, or switching off a class with another sorcerer. Your schedule rarely deviated, and if you weren’t in the middle of teaching, it was because they’d needed you elsewhere.

So, of course, he was surprised to see you were doing neither of those things. Instead, you were in the lounge with Gojo, talking in hushed voices while you stood strangely close to one another.

Your back was turned towards the door when Nanami entered, and you gesticulated wildly with your hands. Between your speed and the low volume of your voice, Nanami couldn’t catch a word of what you were saying. It was obvious that you were excited, and Gojo leaned up against the back counter with an indulgent smile, placing his fingertips to his chin thoughtfully.

Nanami wasn’t sure whether or not to announce his presence, so he let the door slam shut behind him, breaking up your enigmatic conversation.

You whipped around in surprise, your eyes wide. In a similar manner, Gojo’s head darted up like he had no idea Nanami had entered at all. The scene would’ve been comical if it hadn’t been so unfamiliar.

“Nanamin!” Gojo stumbled around the first syllable of his name before recovering smoothly, smiling that cheeky grin of his. “When did you get in? I thought your assignment wasn’t until later this afternoon?”

As Nanami slid into the room, he glanced between you and Gojo with pinched eyebrows, attempting to ignore his unusually awkward behavior. Gojo slid across the countertop, slowly inching away from you until he hit the edge.

“Kento!” you said, in a voice that was much squeakier than your normal tone as you shattered the silence. “You’re here early.”

Nanami had long since given up on trying to understand Gojo Satoru’s behavior, but you were a different case entirely. Your smile was lopsided and uncomfortable, and you wiped your hands on your sides like you weren’t sure what to do with them.

He couldn’t tell if you were disappointed or glad to see him. His features pinched tighter, and he shook off the nasty voice of mistrust that threatened to cloud his logical mind. “I’ve been asked to take Itadori with me today. Apparently, someone’s been telling the principal that I’m a good influence on him.” He took off his glasses, meeting your eyes pointedly. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

You smiled sheepishly, drawing closer to him like a magnet. As you left Gojo’s side to stand beside Nanami, that sharp coil of irritation within him released. The lines in his forehead smoothed, and everything was just as it should be.

“I had nothing to do with this,” you said with a small shrug, fixing the tie that was already straight, as if looking for a reason to touch him. “What would make you think that?”

Nanami rolled his eyes at you, knowing you’d had everything to do with it, and gave you an exasperated smile.

You released his lapels shortly after to check the time and frowned when you realized how late it had gotten. “I have to go.” You pecked him on the cheek with a grin, and though Gojo was watching from behind the dark blindfold, Nanami couldn’t bring himself to care. “Maki’s meeting me soon, and I don’t want to make her wait. See you later, Kento.”

He squeezed your hand, the action almost imperceptible as you waved to the other man over your shoulder. “Bye, Gojo.”

Gojo returned the action, his lips pulled together playfully as he returned his focus to Nanami. Although he’d seen the two of you together on numerous occasions, his favorite pastime was teasing the younger man about any sign of affection.

Nanami sighed, suspecting that he’d have to tolerate Gojo for the next half-hour until Itadori was back. He took a long sip of coffee that scalded his throat and sat down on the couch.

The silence lasted until Gojo crept unfortunately closer, lurking like a cat until Nanami huffed, the sign of irritation that Gojo had been waiting for. The white-haired man drew out Nanami’s name like a song, and then plopped himself down on the chair across from him, blabbering on about things that Nanami really didn’t want to listen to.

When he realized five minutes had passed without Gojo even taking a breath, he gritted his teeth, and leaned back in the chair. “I didn’t realize you were such good friends with my wife.”

That wasn’t entirely the truth. Nanami had known that you’d gotten closer to Gojo since you’d started working for the school part-time, but you talked about him about as often as you talked about your other colleagues. About as much as Nanami talked about Gojo.

You’d never made it seem like he was the type of person you swapped secrets with in the lounge while everyone else was off on a break.

“Really?” Gojo drew out the word dramatically, his mouth curling into a pout. “I’d say we’re good friends, actually.” He tipped his head back, leaning against the chair with uncharacteristic seriousness. “We mostly talk about you, though. I know you better than I know her.”

“That’s a shame.” Nanami flipped the page, finishing the last bit of his coffee, and feigned irritation, even if he was warmed by the thought of you talking about him so much. “She’s much more interesting than me.”

Gojo laughed, and it seemed to be genuine. Nanami began to grow frightened that he might actually be roped into an actual, amicable conversation with the man.

“Aww,” he cooed sympathetically. “Don’t worry, Nanamin. I know you’re probably worried we’ll become better friends, but you were my friend first.”

Nanami glanced up, his lips pressed into a thin line. “Trust me, I’m really not worried about that.” He kicked his leg out, the beginnings of a headache forming in his temple. “I’m more concerned that she’ll invite you over for dinner. I’d like to refrain from any interactions with you outside of work.”

Gojo made a face and then whined dramatically. “You’re so mean to me.” He wiped a hand over his eyes like he was shedding tears.

Nanami sighed.

A few days later, when he took Itadori out for another training session, he began asking Nanami too many questions about his personal life. That fact wasn’t as suspicious as it was frustrating. He couldn’t help that Itadori was curious, but he could’ve asked him these things on the ride over, or while they were at the school.

Invasive questions in the middle of a potential life or death situation were not exactly ones Nanami wanted to tolerate.

“So… what kind of places do you like to shop?”

The question was completely unrelated to his lesson and completely out of the blue. Nanami stopped, eyeing the teenager with undisguised skepticism. “Itadori. I’m not answering that kind of question when we’re in the middle of something serious.” He thought about his words, and quickly rephrased them. “Actually, I’m not answering that question at all.”

Itadori stared back, his face falling theatrically. Nanami could’ve guessed from that expression alone that he’d been spending far too much time with Gojo. “Fine.” He relented, drawing out the word as he scurried to catch up with Nanami, who was already paces ahead.

He let a few minutes pass before his next question.

“Where are your favorite places to eat?”

Nanami closed his eyes to regain his patience. “I’m not answering that either.”

A huff of disappointment. “Well, can I ask about your favorite—”

“No.”

Itadori’s glower turned into something more like a realistic frowny face. Nanami tried to refrain from snapping at him in order to regain his focus. “What can I ask?”

“Anything that you will gain valuable insight from.” Itadori opened his mouth, and Nanami quickly sensed his next words. “Insight that isn’t about me.”

He deflated once more. “Okay, fine.” For a few more moments, he surrendered, letting the conversation stall. Nanami should’ve known better than to expect peace and quiet for long. “So… what days will you be going on assignments? Do you have like… a set schedule, or do you usually get called in?”

Nanami pinched the bridge of his nose, hearing the creak of a floorboard upstairs. There were curses nearby, and if Itadori continued yammering on without paying attention, that would spell a lot of trouble for him and the kid. “Why are you asking me this?”

“I’m just curious.”

“I shouldn’t have to tell you now isn’t the time.”

Itadori opened his mouth, but then seemed to register the sound of cursed spirits, and he finally sobered his attention. His expression changed to one of seriousness, and, thankfully, he let the topic go.

After a particularly stressful mission, Nanami went to the bakery that the two of you frequented, the one that had been the site of many of your dates throughout the years.

It was a quiet little café at the edge of the city, a perfect middle-ground between your home and the school. When he’d been working in the office, and you were still a sorcerer, you’d met him there on numerous occasions, usually bruised and battered, but never without a beautiful smile.

He stretched his back behind him as he headed through the door, his clothes dirtied from fighting and his hair in disarray. It was barely afternoon, and he was already exhausted, wanting just to go home and curl in bed to await your return.

It was a small daydream that would carry him through his last few hours of working, so long as no cursed spirits popped up in his vicinity of patrolling. There seemed to be more and more lately, and if he wasn’t being called off to go fight, then you were, leaving no time for either of you to be with each other.

As he crossed the threshold, another man was exiting, seemingly in a big hurry and carrying a coffee that he almost splashed all over Nanami’s chest.

Reeling in his irritation, Nanami began a polite, “Excuse me,” before realizing who had nearly trampled over him. “Gojo. What are you doing here.”

“What a coincidence seeing you here,” Gojo greeted with a wide grin, like he wasn’t the one infiltrating one of Nanami’s sacred, headache-free spaces.

Nanami cringed, looking at the coffee in Gojo’s hand and the white pastry bag, immediately recognizing the contents. It was your favorite drink, the dessert you got once a week; you’d been ordering the same thing for the past two months, always getting hooked on new things before you eventually tired of them. He knew the order by heart.

“Sorry, I really wish I could stay and chat, but I’ve got important goods to deliver.” He held up the bag and the cup, a receipt folded up between his fingers. Bitterly, Nanami noticed he hadn’t bought anything for himself. For someone with such a sweet tooth, it seemed hard to believe that he’d refrained from indulging.

Which, Nanami concluded with annoyance, meant that he’d come specifically for you. He checked his watch, pushing away the negative emotions. Even though you could’ve called him if you wanted something, like you always did, you’d asked Gojo instead. “She’s not on a break?”

“Some students wanted her help with some things. I told her I didn’t mind getting her something if she wanted to take a break later this afternoon.” Gojo flattened his blindfold over his eyes, the material bunching up around his nose. “Everyone’s out today, anyway.”

“I see,” Nanami said, hating the unnecessary sting in his chest. You knew he’d been working, and even though he told you where he was going, you probably hadn’t seen the message. If you were busy, then he couldn’t expect you to be checking your phone. “Well, tell her I said hello, then.”

“Will do,” Gojo saluted cartoonishly and flitted out the door, smiling with a kind of glee that Nanami, stupidly, wanted to wipe off his face.

Those separate incidents with Gojo had annoyed him, of course, but he knew they weren’t anything to get worked up about. In fact, he’d almost forgotten about the interactions entirely, until another week passed and Nanami slowly started to wonder if you spent more time with the white-haired man than the one you were in a relationship with.

You’d woken up before him that morning, and Nanami opened his eyes to a colder bed and the sound of hushed music softly playing from behind the bathroom door.

It was a cooler day for June. You’d opened the window, and there were dark clouds gathering in the sky, a sign that it was going to storm any time now. He stretched his stiff back, padding to the hallway, where he could see the light coming from the bathroom, the door cracked open. The smell of your perfume wafted through, and Nanami had half a sense to drag you back to the bed and keep you there until the weekend was over.

He pushed the door open further, leaning against the threshold to watch you swipe pink gloss over your puckered lips. Your makeup was freshly powdered, your hair done up in its usual manner.

Nanami smiled, leaning against the door frame as he watched you finish getting ready. “Where are you going this morning, pretty girl?”

You blinked at him through the mirror, putting the tube of lip gloss back in the bag before turning to him with a smile. You looked so sweet, and he yearned for you, almost in disbelief that you’d been together for so long. “I’m taking the kids shopping in the city with Gojo today.” You wrapped your arms around his stomach, tilting your head back to look up at him. “I’ll be home before dinner. Want me to cook tonight?”

Nanami brushed your cheek, feeling that annoying wave of irritation return to claw at him. He didn’t care that you were spending time with Gojo—he shouldn’t care. Your students would be there too, and you’d been happier ever since you started working at the school. The first and second years cared about you so much already, and Gojo was a much less annoying friend to you than he was to Nanami.

He liked seeing you so happy, despite the toll that the job often took on you. “Don’t worry about it. We need to pick up groceries, anyway. I’ll do that while you’re out.”

Your smile widened, and you leaned up, pressing a kiss to his lips. Although you’d meant for it to be quick, Nanami had wrapped an arm around your lower back, pressing you closer, deepening the kiss. He ruined your lipstick, smearing it all over his mouth, but he didn’t care.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered against your mouth, holding you close to him.

“I’m still in my pajamas.” You laughed, your cheeks growing warm as you drew away from him, teasingly dodging his final kiss. “Are you sure you won’t miss me too much when I’m gone?”

His eyes crinkled at the corners. “I’ll probably miss you too much.” As you fixed your lipstick, Nanami went back to the bedroom, rifling through his coat pocket for his wallet. He tossed the gold card on the bathroom counter, where your purse was laying.

You eyed him over your shoulder. “No.”

He stared back, just as seriously. “Yes. Buy yourself something nice, sweetheart.” He thought of the young teenager he’d been mentoring, who’d been putting in his best effort, and who he’d, unfortunately, come to care about quite a lot. “Itadori too. Just don’t tell him it’s from me.”

You blinked, before your expression changed into something so bright, Nanami would’ve done everything in his power to keep it there. “I knew you liked him.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

With an affection so full that it threatened to burst out of your chest, you jumped towards him, wrapping yourself up in his arms. He kissed your temple and breathed, remembering just how much he didn’t want to lose you.

You were true to your word, always. You came back when you promised, you told him where you were going, but Nanami noticed that you’d been even more secretive since you went shopping with Gojo and your students. When he asked your plans, you were even more vague. When you didn’t return with any shopping bags, he found it odd that you smelled of a cologne he didn’t wear.

He reminded himself of how much he trusted you—he really, really didn’t think you would lie to him, but he couldn’t deny that your behavior was confusing him.

Nanami finished off his tea, eyes across the room as he watched you type wildly on your phone, your brows crinkled. You sent a message then waited for a response, impatiently pacing across the kitchen.

He called your name, but you didn’t respond, too enraptured in whatever it was that you were doing. You seemed to be attached to your cell phone these days, always having a call to respond to, and always jumping when he was a little too close to seeing your messages.

Yesterday, Gojo’s name had popped up on your screen with a message, and you’d crawled across Nanami’s lap to get the phone before he could even think to hand it to you. Nanami had done nothing but stare back at you, and you’d smiled at him, embarrassed, still hiding the screen from him as you read the message.

He really, really didn’t want to jump to conclusions. But these days, you were spending all your free time with Gojo, and you grew defensive every time he tried to bring it up.

“Are you done with the tea?” Nanami asked again, piling up the dirty dishes from where he sat, noticing your cup was still half-full, but lukewarm.

You chewed your thumbnail anxiously, bouncing your leg as you waited for the person on the other end to reply. The phone shook in your hands, and you read through it again, obviously disappointed by the short response. He could’ve guessed who you were talking to, even if he didn’t want to.

Nanami frowned and called your name one more time. Finally, you looked up.

“What?” you asked, and then came to understand his question. The tea sat, unenjoyed, and shame marred your features. “Oh. I’m sorry. No, I’m not finished.” You frowned, tucking the phone back into your pocket before rushing over to your seat. “I didn’t mean to…” you trailed off, and Nanami stared, waiting for you to finish your explanation, even though you let it die there. “It’s been busy at work.”

Nanami hated how easily he could tell you were lying. He sighed, rubbing his temples as your phone rang again. This time, though, you kept it in your pocket.

It had been like that for the past couple of days. He closed his eyes, trying to come up with any possible explanation other than the most distressing one.

“Kento?” you asked in a small voice, noting his obvious discontent. “Is everything alright?”

He looked up at you, your eyes so wide and full of concern, and even if he wanted to be mad at you, he couldn’t. His chin fell, arms resting limply at his sides as you looked back at him, waiting for a response. “Is everything alright with you?”

“I’m okay,” you said, shifting where you stood. “Just busy. Like I said.”

The two of you stared at each other, waiting for the other to say what they really wanted to. Never once in your life had you had a problem with communicating, but it felt like now, you were hitting a wall.

All he could do was try his best. If you didn’t want to answer him, he couldn’t make you.

“Okay,” he said, taking your hand in his own. He brought it to his lips and kissed your palm, then the inside of your wrist, before massaging the center of it. “I don’t want you to feel like you need to keep secrets from me. If anything…” he steadied himself for his next words. “If anything changes between us, you can tell me. I’ll understand.”

Your eyebrows creased, before understanding seemed to dawn upon you. “Kento,” you said, dropping his hand to come around the table to climb into his lap, placing your hands on both of his cheeks. “Kento, no.”

“You’ve just been a bit—”

“I’m sorry,” you said, and he couldn’t help but draw back into you, smile when you kissed him all over his face, pressing the affirmations into his skin. “I’m not trying to be distant, really. Things are just busy right now, I promise.” You curled your fingers into his hair, scratching at his scalp, and Nanami brought his arms around your hips, settling you on his thighs.

“Okay. I just wanted to make sure.” His eyes softened at your frown, and he brushed his thumb under your shirt, grounding himself against your skin. “I love you.”

That put a smile back on your face, and you kissed him, whispering the same words against his lips.

Now, though he wasn’t so sure he believed what you were saying, as much as he wanted to. Maybe you were just busy at work, but you were certainly hiding something from him.

He knew that everyone had their secrets, but maybe it would’ve stung less if you’d just admitted you were hiding something from him.

The following week was the same routine, and as the workdays ended, Nanami saw you less and less each evening. You spent the majority of your time in the city center, and though you were often with your students, you were also with Gojo, and something about that fact was difficult to swallow.

Nanami felt a little sour that you never asked him to go too. He began to wonder if you were purposefully avoiding him, or if the students disliked him as much as he’d thought they did.

It was stupid, he knew it was stupid, and he didn’t want to be overbearing, to seem like he was the kind of man who wanted to control where you were going and spending your time with. He just wished you spared a little bit more of it for him, was all.

He woke with that thought in his mind as he rolled over on the cold bed, reaching out to wrap his arms around you. When he realized the spot beside him was empty, he blinked himself awake wearily, adjusting his eyes to the dark.

The hall light was on, a yellow glow peeking through the cracks under the door, and he frowned as he heard the sound of your voice, low and hushed.

Nanami weighed his decision. It was almost two o’clock in the morning, and though you often went to bed much later than him, a phone call at this time was pushing it. He climbed out of the bed, padding quietly over the door to see if he could catch a part of the conversation.

It felt like a breach of trust, and he didn’t want to seem like he was spying on you.

He pressed his ear to the door, waiting for your voice, though it was silent. Half a minute passed. His hands curled around the knob, and he shouldn’t be trying to listen in, he should just go out there and ask you if anything was wrong, and then—

“Gojo, I don’t know what to tell him.”

Nanami stopped, swallowing down his breath to still all noises from his body. He squeezed his fist tighter until his knuckles had gone pale, hearing you murmur under your breath. There were a lot of words he couldn’t catch, and he wrinkled his forehead, trying to catch a hint of context in what you were saying.

“I’m not very good at lying to him, and if he finds out—”

Your voice dropped quiet again.

Nanami felt something fall in his chest as he released the doorknob. He was too tired to think about it rationally, and if he listened anymore, he wasn’t sure what he’d do.

He stepped away from the door, his lips etched permanently into a frown.

After Kento had fallen asleep, you’d grabbed your phone off the nightstand, going through the to-do list that you’d created for his birthday.

You hadn’t meant for it to get so out-of-hand. He didn’t usually like big celebrations, and he’d never made a big deal of his birthday in the past. Though in your eyes, that was exactly why you needed to do something different for him this year.

Things had been going so well, and from what you could tell, everyone in your close circle cared about him more than he realized. It was the only way you could think to show that to him.

You’d just wanted to do something special for him, and it had turned into long shopping trips with Satoru Gojo, and secretive meetings with your students to make sure everything went exactly as you’d planned it.

And things were going according to plan… Only, you were starting to feel like your attempts at secrecy were sabotaging your relationship, and you feared that Kento thought the worst of your late nights out and your newly formed friendship with Gojo.

It was obvious that you were lying, and every time he brought it up, he seemed to become even more doubtful of your actions.

You flipped the hallway light on, dialing Gojo’s number, feeling antsy in your own skin. After two rings, he answered, his voice groggy and obviously full of sleep.

“Hello?”

“Gojo,” you said in a panic, rubbing your hand over your face with a kind of distress that he couldn’t even see. “I don’t know what to tell him.”

A beat of silence as he gathered his thoughts. “What?”

You almost felt bad for waking him up, but part of this was his fault. He’d been insistent on being a part of the plan, and now, he needed to listen to your apprehensions about the entire situation. He hadn’t exactly been sneaky either.

“Kento.” you said, pacing back and forth in the hallway, your voice rising to a high-pitched shriek, even as you tried to muffle your words. “He’s been asking me so many questions, and I’m so bad at coming up with answers. I’m seeming like a horrible person.”

Gojo hummed on the other line, and you hated how nonchalant he seemed about all of this. This was your relationship, and he was just sitting happily in his home, with the receipt for a cake that had cost way too much, and gifts for a man that had started to doubt you even cared about him at all. “Well…”

“Gojo,” you said his name again, sternly.

“Sorry.” He sighed. “Nanami’s a tough person to keep a secret from. Just keep telling him what you’ve been telling him: we’ve been assigned to more cases together, work is too busy, et cetera, et cetera. That’s fine.”

“But he knows that’s not true.” You pinched the bridge of your nose, frustration prickling at you. Either Kento was much too perceptive for his own good, or you were just awful at planning surprises. “I’m being too suspicious. I’m not very good at lying to him, and if he finds out, then all the secrecy would have been for nothing.”

Gojo was silent on the other end of the other line. It seemed he was absolutely horrible at consoling you, unlike the man in the other room who was sleeping soundly, unbeknownst to the fact that you were doing this all for him. “Look, it’s only for a couple more days, right? You can keep the secret until then, can’t you?”

You swallowed, steeling yourself for one last week of misery. You weren’t sure you could continue to stand the look of disappointment on Kento’s face every time you did something out of character. “I guess so. Thanks.” You yawned, rubbing your eyes. “Sorry, I woke you up, didn’t I?”

“Don’t worry about it. Goodnight.” He hung up, and you stared at the phone once more, trudging back into the other room.

You couldn’t help the guilt that had settled deep in your gut. Even if you were lying to Kento for something special, you knew how it looked on your end. You weren’t good at dispelling his accusations; every time you opened your mouth, you just incriminated yourself more.

You couldn’t wait until his birthday. Things would go back to normal, then, and he could finally see that everyone cared about him more deeply than he realized.

Rubbing your eyes with exhaustion, you crawled back into the space where you always slept. Although, this time, you realized Kento was not asleep like you’d left him but was blinking back at you with concern in his dark eyes.

You jumped, startled for a moment, before settling back down. “Sorry. Did I wake you up?”

“It’s okay.” He grasped your hand tightly, and you let him, let him drag you close in his arms as he curled around you. “Is something wrong?”

You tensed, and immediately realized that was a mistake. Fuck. You were so horrible at this. You should’ve just let Gojo and Itadori plan the entire thing, and maybe it would’ve been a disaster, but it also would’ve saved you a lot of unnecessary anxiety. “Everything’s fine.”

That didn’t exactly answer his question. Nanami turned on his side, the two of you staring face to face on the pillows. There was a wrinkle between his eyebrows, his eyes darting to each one of yours like he was trying to decipher a message. Then, he sighed. “Was… someone calling?”

“Just Gojo.”

“Gojo?” Nanami repeated, and though he seemed annoyed at the mention of him, at least he knew you were being honest about that. “Why the hell is Gojo calling you in the middle of the night?”

You blinked, realizing you actually had no good lie to cover that one. “Umm…” you played with Nanami’s hand, tracing the tendons and knuckles as he stared back at you patiently. “He wanted to know if I could cover for him in the morning. He’s… not feeling so well.”

You’d have to text him immediately so that he didn’t come to the school until later. Not that he would mind skipping out on a few hours of work, but even that didn’t seem to convince Kento. He opened his mouth, and shut it, as if trying to carefully put his words together. “That’s all?”

He said it in a way that made you think he was giving you an opening, like you had the option to tell him the truth if you wanted. Of course, you couldn’t reveal what you were hiding, but he didn’t know that.

You sighed, and smiled, kissing him as you curled your hands into his hair. “That’s all, Ken. I really am sorry I woke you up.”

Nanami stared back at you for a moment before forcing a smile, returning your kiss with all his fondness. He brushed your hair away from your face and kissed your cheeks before closing his eyes once more.

When the day of Nanami’s birthday arrived, you promised yourself that you wouldn’t panic if everything wasn’t perfect. He’d appreciate the sentiment, no matter what. Things didn’t have to go by the book for them to be meaningful.

Regardless, you went through your mental to-do sheet, made the final reservation for your dinner, and prayed that everything went as you intended.

Though you were usually not a morning person, you’d gotten up earlier than Kento to fix his coffee the way he always preferred, taking a quiet moment to still your excited nerves. When his usual alarm went off, at the same time every morning, you carried the mug back with you to the bedroom and smiled softly at his sleepy form.

You set the coffee down before he could fully gain consciousness, and sprang on top of him, peppering kisses all over his face until his surprise slowly melted, and he was hugging you tightly.

“Happy birthday.”

Kento smiled up at you groggily, his eyes still drooping with sleep as he curled a hand around your jaw. He pressed a soft kiss to your mouth, hugging you tight as he whispered, “thank you,” the touch of the words barely there at all.

You relaxed in his presence, sitting back as you handed him the coffee, to which his expression grew even more gentle. He brushed your hair out of your face and kissed you again on the forehead, making you melt, just as he always did.

“What do you want to do today?” you asked as you laid on his chest, staring up at him with every ounce of love you had to offer. “I have dinner reservations, but you’ve got all day until then.”

Nanami laughed, curling a strand of your hair around his finger. “It doesn’t matter. We can just spend it like any normal day.”

You frowned. “That’s not anything special. It’s your birthday.”

“It’s just a birthday.” He squeezed your arm before maneuvering you gently off of him so that he could sit up on the bed. “Besides, every moment I spend with you is special. I’m happy to just sit around and do nothing until dinner.” Kento seemed to notice your displeased expression, even though your heart had swelled at his comment. “Unless there was something you wanted to do instead…”

He climbed out of the bed, taking one sip of the steaming coffee before setting it back down.

“It’s not my birthday.” You watched him gather his clothes up off the floor with a sigh, the muscles in his back clenching as he bent over. “I want to do what you want to do.”

“And I told you I didn’t care.” He smiled playfully at you, tugging his shirt on over his head. Then, he reached over and squeezed your hand, coming back to where you sat, your legs swung over the side of the mattress.

“Kento.” You pulled him back down with a pointed expression, your faces close, lips almost touching. “I’m serious.”

He stared back at you for a moment, before relenting. “Alright.” Kento bent down, kissing you once more before going into the bathroom. “Let me shower, and we’ll go get some breakfast. How does that sound?”

“Is that what you want to do?” you asked, eyebrows raised.

Although you could tell he was amused by your insistence, he softened, his eyes melting into hearts as he turned. “That’s what I want to do. Happy?”

“Very.” You shoved him away, laughing. “Go take a shower. You’re not getting any younger.”

He rolled his eyes and retreated into the bathroom, the door shutting softly behind him.

When the water started running and Kento was definitely in the shower, you hurriedly dialed Gojo’s number, begging him to pick up. After the third dial, when you were certain he wouldn’t answer, a short tone cut through the line.

“What’s wrong?” he answered, clearly amused. There was shuffling on the other end, and some sort of yelp. Your brows pinched together.

As you listened closely to make sure the shower water wouldn’t turn off unexpectedly, you frowned. Your leg shook with anticipation. “What do you mean? I’m fine.”

Gojo released a breath, though his voice grew mumbled on the other end. “Well, you normally only call me if you’re panicking about the birthday situation, so—”

There was a scream. You dragged your hand down your face, as he said something sharply to someone on the other side of the call.

“Gojo?”

“Yeah?” Another sound, this one of extreme pain. “Sorry, I’m in the middle of something.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re exorcising a curse right now.”

He paused, and then the sound stopped, everything going silent on his side. “Well… I’m not anymore.”

You wanted to say that you were shocked he’d bothered to pick up the phone at all, but… You weren’t, really. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Unfortunately, cursed spirits don’t know it’s Nanamin’s birthday, so they just keep coming.” He sighed. “What a bummer. If they were nicer, I’d invite them to the birthday party.”

You snorted. “Right. I’m certain Kento would love that.”

Gojo laughed. “So, what were you calling about? If it’s to panic over your much too long list of things for me to do, don’t worry. Everything’s in order.”

“Really? Did you wrap the presents?”

He hummed. “Megumi did.”

You closed your eyes, holding back a sigh. That was probably for the best, anyway. You’d never seen Gojo wrap a gift, but you weren’t sure how it’d look if he did. “Okay… What about the decorations?”

“Itadori is bringing those over once you two leave.”

A part of you wanted to get frustrated with him for doing absolutely nothing, but it wasn’t his fault he had to work, even if he’d promised to help you out. At least he was delegating the tasks. One way or another, it would get done. “Are you going to help him at all?”

“Have a little bit more faith in me than that. You’re hurting my feelings.”

“No I’m not. Did you get him a birthday card?”

“I think Maki offered to do that. And before you ask your next question, yes everyone’s going to be there on time. Kugisaki followed up with everyone.”

“Oh my god… Did you do anything, Satoru?”

“I picked up the cake.” A beat of silence. “Well, I haven’t yet. I’m going right now. I got a little side-tracked.”

He’d given you no reason to doubt him, really. But you were still afraid that something would go wrong, and you’d be left without a cake, in the middle of a very important birthday. “Fine, but just know that I’m texting Megumi in an hour to come check on you. I can only keep Kento out of the house for so long, so you need to make sure it’s perfect.”

“You got it, boss. I’ll let you know if I need anything else.”

Once you’d sent Gojo the final list of things that needed to be done, you put your phone away, promising yourself that it would not be a point of stress while you were at dinner with Nanami. You’d reserved a table at his favorite restaurant and dressed up nicer than you had in a while.

After breakfast, the two of you meandered around the city for the rest of the day until your reservation, as you tried to think of anything that could keep him away from home. Worried that he would catch on, you continued to diffuse his concerns, kissing him with a smile as you pulled him along to the next place you could think of.

And though he’d protested, saying that you didn’t have to dedicate your entire day to him, you couldn’t think of another way that you’d want to be spending it.

When the evening started to fall, you made your way to the restaurant, and the phone buzzed in your bag. You gritted your teeth and ignored it.

“Are you sure we don’t need to go home?” Kento asked you, swinging your hand in his between the two of you. Neither of you had ever been big on public displays of affection, but holding hands through the streets was one of the nicest feelings you’d come to experience. “We have time.”

“No,” you said a little too quickly, and he eyed you curiously, almost stopping in his tracks. “We better get there early, just in case. Don’t you think?”

Kento raised an eyebrow, but then nodded, squeezing your hand. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to be early.” He smiled, humming to himself happily. “You know, you didn’t have to do all of this for me today.”

“I wanted to. I wouldn’t do this for just anyone.” You laughed, but for some reason, there was uncertainty behind his eyes. You felt the phone buzzing more and more in your pocket.

The restaurant was packed, and even though you were early to your reservation, they got you seated immediately.

“You look beautiful, sweetheart. Did I already tell you that?” Nanami said once you were seated.

You flushed, your cheeks growing warm as he stared at you across the table with gentle, brown eyes. “Thanks, Kento,” you said in a quiet voice, knowing that you’d looked much better earlier, when your hair had been perfect, and your makeup hadn’t smudged. Your dress now had some wrinkles, and you were sweating with nerves and the heat outside.

He glanced down at the menu, perusing it, even though he got the same thing every time. You ordered a bottle of wine to split between the two of you.

The server brought the alcohol back and poured it, then took your order back to the kitchen. When Nanami ordered, you dropped your chin in your hands, watching him, distracted by the very sight of him.

He nodded at the younger girl politely, and she grew pink, scurrying off to the next room. Kento looked back at you as you laughed and started up another conversation. You talked about school and work and everything in between, the mood only shattering when you felt the incessant buzz of the phone in your pocket.

You were in the middle of a story, but your sentences started to blend together into something that didn’t make sense. You stumbled over what you were saying, feeling the weight of the phone in your pocket as you tried to refocus on your words, but remained distracted.

The phone buzzed again in your pocket. You gritted your teeth. Fucking Gojo Satoru and his idiotic brain—you’d told him not to contact you.

“Is everything alright?” Kento blinked as you took your phone out and set it in your purse.

“I’m sure it doesn’t matter.”

He hesitated, thoughtful as he swallowed a sip of wine. “Well, I don’t want you to get in any trouble if it’s work.”

“I took off today. If they can’t handle two sorcerers being gone, then they’ve got bigger problems.”

Nanami sighed, drumming his fingers against the table. “I guess that’s true. Speaking of work, I—"

The phone buzzed louder, then there was a pause. It buzzed again. You cringed.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you, but—”

The phone started ringing.

You were close to throwing the bag altogether, and probably would’ve, if it hadn’t been one of the most expensive accessories you owned. Nanami looked down at the bag, then back at you, eyebrows raised.

“Honey…” he said, eyes gesturing to the phone. “Just answer it.”

You felt a wave of guilt wash over you, and you dug your phone out of the bag, Megumi Fushiguro’s name was bold as it lit up on the screen. You held it tightly in your hand and began to stand, feeling sick and horrible and wondering if all the secrecy had just ruined his birthday. “I’m so sorry Kento—"

He shrugged; his voice was solid with gentle patience. “It’s alright. Take your time.”

You nodded, and waited until you were out of earshot to answer the phone, feeling horrible about leaving him all by himself. Once you were in the bathroom, locked in one of the stalls, you answered. “Hello?”

“Itadori dropped the cake.”

You took a breath before answering Megumi’s calm remark, wondering how close you actually were to snapping. “What.”

In the background, the pink-haired boy wailed over and over, loud cries that were, clearly, full of remorse. “It was an accident!” He shouted over Kugisaki’s berating, and you weren’t sure whether to laugh or cry, because that was the last thing you’d expected to happen.

“Itadori dropped the cake,” Megumi repeated, flatly, like you hadn’t gotten it the first time. “It’s all over the floor. Kugisaki’s trying to get him to clean it up, but it’s just making him even more miserable.”

You covered a hand over your mouth, wondering why your eyes were welling up with frustrated tears. Things were not going the way you’d planned. “Is Gojo there yet?”

“Yeah.” Megumi hesitated, and there was a pause, like he was unsure what to do now that he finally had you on the phone. “Want me to put him on?”

You nodded, before realizing that he couldn’t see you, and muttered, “yes.” Within a moment, the older man, currently in charge of three teenagers, was on the line.

“This may or may not be Gojo,” he said, and you were glad that he at least had enough intelligence to sound nervous.

“Satoru.” You tried hard not to panic. “Please, please can you try and find another cake? I know it’s late, but I’m not sure how much longer I can stall here. I’m trying so hard not to be suspicious, but I’m horrible at it.”

“I can try, but—"

“Kento already thinks I’m acting weird, and he keeps asking me questions that I’m doing a very bad job of answering. I feel awful because it’s his birthday, and I’m afraid he thinks I’m just getting ready to split up with him or something.”

“Ouch.” Gojo said dramatically, hissing like he’d been stung. “That’d be a bit of an asshole move, wouldn’t it?”

“Well, I’m obviously not going to do that!” You scrubbed your hands over your face. “He seemed upset today, and I just don’t want all of this to go to waste. Please, Satoru. It doesn’t matter what the cake looks like, but just make sure that you get something, so that—"

“Hey,” he said, dropping the theatrics when you choked back a sob. His tone grew serious. “Take a deep breath. I think you’re forgetting who we’re dealing with here.”

“What do you mean?” You blinked, dabbing your eyes, hoping that your mascara wouldn’t smear.

“Nanami is going to appreciate the gestures, even if they aren’t perfect.”

You inhaled and exhaled, realizing that Satoru was right. Out there was a man that you loved very much, who loved you in return, and this was not as serious as you were making it out to be. “You’re right.”

“Obviously. Enjoy your dinner. I can take care of it.”

“Are you sure? It sounds like a warzone in the background.”

“Everything’s fine,” Gojo swore, even if you didn’t entirely believe him. “I told Megumi not to call you, but he loves getting me in trouble. Please, don’t worry about it.”

You opened your mouth, but Gojo had already hung up.

As you left the stall, you sighed, seeing yourself in the mirror. Your eyes were red with unshed tears, but you’d already made Kento wait long enough.

Twitching nervously, you headed back to the table. Nanami was sitting patiently, scrolling through something mindlessly on his phone.

“Everything okay?” he asked as you sat back down, noticing the signs of tears and misery. He reached for you across the table, but then thought better of it, and just frowned.

“Everything’s fine. I’m just really sorry, Kento.” You looked down at your hands. “I didn’t mean to be so rude. It’s your birthday. I want you to enjoy it.”

A beat of silence passed. He smiled. “I am enjoying it.” He did reach for your hand, then, and pulled it tight against his own. “This has been the best birthday, sweetheart. Why are you upset?”

You swallowed. “I’m not upset.” You shook your head, trying to clear the unhappiness from your expression. “Anyways, what were you saying? I interrupted.”

Nanami’s face fell. You’d changed the subject so quickly; he hadn’t had the chance to ask you any more questions. “Right. Well, nothing important. I just have to be in Kyoto next week.”

You frowned. “All week?”

He nodded. “I wanted to let you know in case you wanted to make plans. You’ve been...” he paused, thinking over his words. “Seeing Gojo a lot lately, so I thought you might want to—”

You stared at him, and realized what he was getting at. Fuck, you felt so horrible. “Oh,” you said, scratching your wrist under the table. “Yeah. Maybe. I’m sure he’ll be busy too.”

That wasn’t the answer Nanami was looking for. He stopped, and then regrouped, nodding. “Well, either way, I wanted you to know. They didn’t give me advanced notice.”

You smiled tightly. “I’m going to miss you.”

“It’s only for a few days,” he said, releasing your hand to place it back onto his lap. “But I’m going to miss you too.” There was something distant in his voice when he said it.

On the way home from the restaurant, Gojo texted you obnoxiously, sending you pictures of the house, the cleanliness of it, the set-up of the gifts, the new cake, and you smiled to yourself, somewhat relieved that things weren’t a complete disaster.

You could feel Kento’s eyes on you as he drove home, his hand resting on your thigh as you turned slightly away from him, keeping his eyes off the screen.

Stop sending me things before he sees my phone.

Gojo’s response was much too quick.

Stop looking at your phone.

You sighed, clicking the screen off and finally relaxing against the window. The secrecy was almost over; you hadn’t realized how difficult it would be to keep this all hidden without causing so much dramatic suspicion.

Nanami pulled into park in front of your home, squeezing your leg gently before releasing it. You expected him to make a move to get out of the car, but instead he sat, contemplative, the key still in the ignition.

You swallowed, looking at him. “Is everything okay?”

He took a breath, turning back to you with some sort of determination in his eyes. “Have I done something to upset you?” he asked, his voice so incredibly gentle.

“What?” you said, laughing nervously. “Why would you ask that?”

His face fell as he looked back at the steering wheel. “I just thought this would be easier if I’d hurt you in some way.”

Your mouth grew dry. You reached for him. “Kento—”

“Look,” he scrubbed a hand through his hair, the strands coming loose, falling onto his forehead. “I’m not trying to… I don’t want to…” His words fell off, and though you knew what he was trying to say, you didn’t want him to say it, because there was no reason for it. “If something’s wrong, I just want to know. Let’s at least try to fix it.”

“Nothing’s wrong, I promise.” You squeezed his hand, trying to pull away from him. “Can we talk about this inside?” You started to get out of the car.

“No, wait.” He stopped you again, eyes wide with disappointment, like he couldn’t get his words out fast enough. “This is what happens every time. I ask you about it, then you find a way to spin my words around so that we never talk about it. I let you every time, because I love you, and I trust you, but I don’t want to lose you.”

Your heart squeezed. “Kento.” You began, feeling bad that you were forced to talk in circles just to get him to believe in your lies. “I promise, we’ll talk about it inside. It’s still your birthday, and I don’t want to ruin it by misunderstanding one another. Please, let’s talk about it once we’re both settled in.”

Nanami’s shoulders stiffened, then deflated, but he didn’t let go of you. “There’s not… Someone else, is there?”

“Of course not.” You said fervently, kissing his hand. “God, Ken. You think I’d want anyone else when I’ve got you?”

He smiled, though it was half-hearted.

“Come on, let’s go inside. I’ll explain everything. I owe you that much.”

You led him into the house, holding his hand tightly, hoping that this went over as you intended. Beside you, he was still contemplative, flicking on the lights as you continued into your home.

“You know, I really think we should still—”

As the lights came on, his words were cut off by some variation of everyone yelling happy birthday, and he blinked back at the students he’d recently met, and all the sorcerers he’d worked with closely in the previous years. His jaw opened, then shut, then he looked at you, then back to Gojo, and you could see the understanding in his features before he’d expressed it, when everything clicked into place.

A moment of silence passed where Nanami said nothing, and then Itadori decided to fill that silence with very off-key singing, and Kento’s cheeks dusted light pink, barely visible in the light, as he squeezed your hand tighter.

Everyone made the rounds, greeting him with varying levels of enthusiasm, while Nanami just thanked them with quiet politeness, even though you could see that he was secretly pleased, his lips curling up into a smile, the signs of stress dissipating from his features.

Itadori approached with a poorly wrapped gift and a hug that Nanami didn’t quite return, but he didn’t push away, either.

Nanami took the gift, holding it with soft eyes like he’d been given something precious. “Thank you, Yuuji. This is very kind.”

“You’re welcome.” Itadori said back proudly, smiling smugly at his two friends over his shoulder, obviously proud that he’d gotten such praise. “It’s probably going to be the best gift you’ll get tonight.”

You could see Nanami trying to refrain from laughing, but he snorted instead. “Is this why you were asking me about all those things that I liked a few weeks ago?”

“Uhh…” Yuuji smiled sheepishly, rubbing a hand on his neck. “No! Not really. But… Maybe.” He sighed. “I’d thought you’d forget about that.”

Kento’s eyes crinkled at the corner, and he squeezed Itadori’s shoulder, clearly touched.

You kissed his cheek and left him alone to talk with everyone that came to visit, going to thank Gojo and the students that had helped you over the past few weeks.

An hour passed before you found Kento again, after the cake had been cut and Gojo had insisted he opened one of the many gifts he’d gotten him.

He was standing in the kitchen, staring at a pile of wrapped gifts and the sliced cake that wasn’t exactly what you’d intended, but had received the same reaction, nonetheless.

“Kento?” you said quietly, and though you could tell that he was appreciative of everyone, you still weren’t sure how the surprise had gone over. He turned to you, his sleeves rolled up, a few more strands of blond hair coming loose. His cheeks were flushed, eyes soft. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been lying—”

Kento was to you in two long strides, backing you into a wall before kissing you deeply. Your hands curled into his hair, and you hummed into his mouth with a smile as his hands rested on your hips.

“Don’t apologize,” he whispered against your mouth. “I should be the one saying sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to ridiculous conclusions.”

You laughed, kissing him again and again, feeling things finally ease back into normalcy. “I know how it looked—” He looked away, embarrassed that he’d even thought of the possibility that you would leave him for Gojo. “I’m sorry I was so suspicious.” You sighed, leaning back in his arms as you held his cheeks with both hands. “Were you surprised?”

“I wish I wasn’t. It was pretty obvious now that I think back on it.”

“But…”

“But, yes,” he said, kissing your forehead as you preened, proud that it had all pulled together in the end. “I was surprised.” He gave you one last kiss, whispering, “thank you” and “I love you” on your lips.

From behind the door, you heard shuffling, and opened your eyes to see Gojo snapping a picture, to which Nanami groaned, pushing himself away from you reluctantly.

Gojo grinned, “Sorry. I’ll let myself out. Didn’t realize you two lovebirds were in here,” he said, even though he most certainly did.

“Please do,” Nanami gestured in the direction of the front door. “I hate the fact that you even know where I live.”

Gojo’s face fell. “After everything I did for your birthday, and you’re still going to pretend you don’t like me?”

“I don’t.” Nanami sighed, before swallowing down whatever antagonist words he really wanted to say. “But thank you. I really do appreciate it.”

Gojo beamed—you intervened before he could even think to throw his arms around Kento.

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lovelywritinglady · 8 months ago

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Malaysia

Nanami Kento x Fem!reader

In which Mr. And Mrs. Nanami go to Malaysia…

Fluff, angst, mentions of death (the song I chose really reminds me of Nanami at the beach in that episode(iykyk) SPOILERS for season 2. Mentions of blood.

"Honey...Honey...Honey.." The echoing sound the echoing sound of y/ns voice rang through Kento's ears like a sweet lullaby.

Kento felt odd, almost like he was in a sweet dream. However, it all felt so real, so in the realm of possibility that this moment couldn't possibly be fiction. The soft sounds of waves crashing on the shoreline calmed him as he took in the feeling of the sun on his face. The air smelled salty and fresh, and so he took a deep breath allowing his lungs to fully expand. Kento heard the sweet voice once more and so he turned his head so that he could look at the vessel of the echo.

"Yes dear." Kento cooed as he took the hands of his sweet wife.

"You've been staring into space again. Is anything wrong?" Y/n asked as she lifted her hands in order to hiss the tops of his.

"No, I just felt odd for a moment, but I believe I'm just truly surprised that we finally went here." He responded honestly looking into her captivating e/c eyes.

"That's understandable, Love. We've been working far too hard for far too long, now it's time for us to rest." Y/n spoke in a sweet voice.

"Yes, you're right. Lets go for a long walk shall we?" Kento asked smiling at his wife.

"Of course, we can go for as long as you want." Y/n smiled back as she began walking down the beach with her husbands hand comfortably in hers.

They walked for what felt hours just soaking up the sun and listening to the calming sounds of the waves crashing on the white sands of Malaysia. Kento and y/n felt at peace if only for a little while. As their time would be cut short as the waves became quieter and quieter. As the sun became colder and colder. As the grip on each other's hands became weaker and weaker. Until the beach was no longer in sight...

Kento opened his good eye fully realizing that the vision he had was nothing but a dream. As his wife had already died, with her bloodied body laying motionless on the floor above him. Mahito had killed her which made Kento bloodthirsty for revenge. However, with the current state he was in, he simply couldn't fight any longer. Most of his body had been badly burned and he felt so weak. Kento the felt a hand on his back had already known whose hand it belonged to. Kento was ready to die now closing his eye until he heard the scared footsteps of his student walking into the scene. Kento opened his eye looking at Yuji who looked horrified at the scene before him.

"Nanamin." Yuji whimpered looking at his teacher with tears glossing his eyes.

Kento thought of what to say in this moment to comfort his scared student knowing that his own death was soon. Kento only managed to think of one thing.

"Itadori, you've got it from here." Kento spoke giving his precious student one last smile. As Kento smiled he saw the image of his long lost friend and his beautiful sweet wife smiling at him. Mahito activated his technique, and just like that Kento Nanami was gone...

"Honey...honey...honey..." A sweet voice called out to him. Only this time he knew exactly whose voice it belonged to.

Kento opened his eyes to see the beautiful face of his beloved wife. He thought to himself how magical she was and how much of a lucky man he was. He noticed the familiar landscape before him as he took in the salty sea air into his lungs as his ears heard the calming sound of the crashing waves hitting the shoreline. He then turned to his wife and grabbed her hands. He smiled at her and she did the same.

"Kento dear." She spoke sweetly. "Would you like to go on a walk?" Y/n asked him as he kissed the tops of her hands.

"I would love nothing more, my dear." Kento responded as he let go of one of her hands.

They both began walking together with content smiles adoring their faces. This time, the water seemed bluer and the sand more vibrant. The sounds seemed more calmer and the air more fresh. They spent a long time walking until Kento stopped. He turned around and leaned in to give his sweet wife a kiss on her soft lips.

"I love you, my dear." Kento whispered

"I love you too, honey." Y/n whispered back.

They both continued their journey. The peace they felt was endless as their time together would be forever on the vibrant and peaceful beaches in Malaysia...

Thank you so much for reading!💜

Please feel free to like, comment, request, and reblog!

Click here to see what I’ll write for and HERE for my master list.

• I do NOT own any characters except y/n•

L.W.L

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lees-chaotic-brain · 11 months ago

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Vacation (Nanami x Reader)

Part four of the you die in Shibuya mini-series

CW: angst, death, injury, jjk season two spoilers

YDIS Mini-Series Masterlist | JJK Masterlist | Blog Navigation

Taglist: @starlightanyaaa @unforgettabie (let me know in the comments or send me an ask if you want to get added)

There have only been three times that Nanami Kento has truly not been in control of his emotions. The first took place when he was in high school, and his best friend died before his eyes. The second took place mere hours ago, when he found Ijichi’s crumpled body on the ground. And the third?

Well the third was right now.

Right now as he knelt over your charred body, ignoring his own severe injuries. Just how cruel could fate be, making him watch as his beloved was incinerated before him because he wasn’t fast enough?

In disbelief he reached out and touched your cheek. Your skin made a dull crackling sound and stuck to his fingers when he pulled them away. You didn’t move. You didn’t breathe. He leaned down and pressed his ear to your chest, searching for a heartbeat.

In that vast and terrible silence, his imagination began to fill it with the steady thump of your heartbeat, the reassuring whoosh of air entering and leaving your lungs. Because you couldn’t be dead. He simply couldn’t comprehend it. He had bought that diamond ring for you mere days ago. You hadn’t worn it yet. He had awoken this morning to your warm body in his arms. He couldn’t accept a world where you wouldn’t be back in his arms at the end of the day.

Eventually the imaginary sound of your breathing was replaced by the sound of waves lapping on a beach, and his last thread of sanity snapped.

Of course none of this was happening. He merely had a bad dream while napping on the beach. The two of you had honeymooned in Malaysia. You were waiting for him in the beachfront hut the two of you had purchased. All he had to do was travel this last stretch of beach and he’d be back with you forever.

Staggering to his feet he began the long trek back to you, stumbling and twirling in an elaborate and deadly dance as he went. Unaware of anything happening in the real world, his body functioned on autopilot. Unrelenting in his determination to reach you, he ignored reality until finally, finally, he was so close to reaching you. But something stopped him and drew him back into the real world momentarily.

“N-Nanamin?”

A quiet broken voice broke his trance. Blankly, he stared at the teenage boy who had spoken. The boy seemed familiar…right. His name was Itadori. Itadori took another shaky step forward.

“Nanamin?”

Suddenly everything came crashing back onto Nanami. Looking away, he closed his eyes, willing all the memories away and waiting to be reunited with you. Exhaling deeply, he relaxed, preparing to be at peace, but a pair of familiar hands cupped his cheeks.

His eyes snapped open, and once more he found himself gazing into your beautiful ones.

Breathing your name, he reached out and attempted to touch your face, but you stepped back before his fingers brushed your smooth, unmarred cheek.

“My love.”

You gazed at him with such love, Nanami felt a great gaping pit in his chest.

“You’re not done yet. Help our Itadori one more time.”

Nanami’s eyes widened and you smiled sweetly at him.

“You’ve got this.”

From behind you, Haibara shot him a thumbs up. As the two of you began to disappear Nanami’s best friend called out to him.

“We’ll be waiting for you!

Taking a deep breath, Nanami turned slowly and offered Itadori Yuji some final words of encouragement.

“Itadori.”

He rasped with a comforting smile, gazing upon the boy he cherished like his own son.

“I’ll leave the rest to you.”

And with those words, he departed to join you and Haibara on an eternal vacation.

#lee's brain writes #jjk x reader #angst #you die in shibuya #jjk season 2 spoilers #hurt/no comfort

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rinzsu · 1 year ago

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cw. nanami kento x gender neutral reader, 0.5k wc, angst to fluff,reader calls themselve selfish once wherein your lovely boyfriend sings you a lullaby

the sky was aglitter with stars, as though the heavens were trying to distract from the absence of the moon. you had been laying here for a while now, restless, as you stared up into the inky airspace through your open bedroom window.

a series of rhythmic ticks and tocks echoes throughout the starlit room, the sound of time and progress, marking the passing of each moment and hour without him, his absence making you agitated.

it’s way past midnight and normally nanami would be home by now, sleeping soundly next to you as his shallow breaths and silent snores fill the room.

but this isn’t normal, and the empty spot on the untouched sheets to your left serves as a reminder that he is out there, fighting wretched curses for the sake of society, for you.

and yet here you are, complaining about his absence, resting peacefully in your shared bed as he risks his life each night over and over again. how utterly selfish of you.

the sudden buzz of your phone catches your attention, diverting your consciousness from your previous thoughts as you gently lift the vibrating device from your nightstand. your breath hitches before a hasty wave of relief crashes down upon you.

incoming call from nanamin♡

it takes you three rings to pick up, nine seconds before you press the little green button on the screen before the shrill, reverberated rhythm turns into soft breathing on the other end of the line.

“..you weren’t supposed to pick up”

there’s a pause before he speaks up again, and you know full well that he’s trying really hard to swallow yet another reprimand about bedtime. you chortle silently to yourself at the mental image of his slightly furrowed eyebrows.

he clears his throat before continuing.

“well.. since you picked up i‘m letting you know that i‘ll be gone for a little longer”

you sigh, before muttering a silent “okay”.

“you know i hate staying away from you too, and working overtime, but i need to get this done beforehand.”

it’s silent again, neither of you dares to speak up for another ten seconds before you hear someone calling your lover's name in the background.

“well.. i guess it’s time for you to-”

“you can’t sleep can you?”

you smile, sheepishly nodding your head as you give a little hum like he can actually see you.

silence settles upon you two for the nth time tonight and you’re about to bid nanami good night before he unexpectedly starts humming the tunes of ‘you are my sunshine’.

“..you are my sunshine, my only sunshine”

your boyfriend is far from the best singer, that much you know, and it doesn’t help that the way he tries to keep as quiet as possible makes his voice sound way more hoarse than it actually is.

and yet, there’s something comforting about the way he continues to miss the lullaby's actual rhythm and leaves out certain phrases.

“..you make me happy~ when skies are grey”

it’s ironic, really, how even just this, a tiny scrape of kento nanami, can lull you into the depths of slumber.

and so, you listen on to his little song as his voice slowly starts to grow more distant, the last lines of the song fusing into sole incoherent whispering.

©️ rinsque— do not plagiarise nor repost anything on any other platform.

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rykno-j · 1 year ago

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Phonecall (j/jk)

Summary: Like the title suggests, G/ojo makes a call for help. From who? N/anami. OR G/ojo calling N/anami to bring shit over for his cold

Ship: n/anag/o? it's up to interpretation

Notes: Tried to write a snz > plot fic for once. N/anami calls G/ojo "G/ojo-s/an" in the anime/manga so I'll probably retain that. I'm kinda proud of this one, ahh- (like the angst parts only) Oh right there's some angsty parts but it's pretty mild.. I think.. like there's more fluffy & snz parts..

Actually wrote this whole thing in 1 sitting. Imagine that.

2.7k words.

-----------------

"..Hh-hH'!! hAH'ZZDcHh!! hA'DzcHH!!"

Fuck. Those were the roughest he's had for today.

Gojo stares burry at his ceiling. The fan in the middle has 3 blades. If Gojo didn't know better, he'd say there were 5 instead.

His head hurt, everything hurt. He was sure he was sweating, but everything felt so cold.

..Must be a side effect from the fever, then.

Gojo sighed. It's been awhile since.. since-

"..hiH'tcHH!! haH'zZdchH!!"

-Since he had fallen sick. The last time.. the last time he had fallen sick..

It was only bearable because someone had been there.

Of course.

Gojo turns over to his table, the action taking up most of his energy. With what little he had left, Gojo reaches clumsily for his phone. It almost slips out of his trembling fingers as he flips it open.

The brightness from the screen stung his eyes, causing him to turn to the side to muffle a fit of photic sneezes into the back of his palm.

At least.. at least those didn't ruin this throat as much as-

"..heH'EshH'iww!! ..snff-!"

-As those did.

All the sweating he was doing now was probably due to his fever breaking, but Gojo wasn't so sure.

His brain loved to overheat, and while he would gladly heal any damage done to it with his reversed cursed technique, he was pretty sure this damned cold did not count as an injury.

How unfortunate.

He ate the last of his fever medicine 5 hours ago.

How unfortunate.

Although he was never one to back down from a challenge, even Gojo knew he would never make it further than the front door, if he could even manage to stumble out of his room.

"..hih'tchh!! hAH'DzcHh!! ..hH'!! ..haah.. ..snff-!! hh.."

Great. It's stuck. His body must straight up hate him.

In all honesty, Gojo figures that he deserves it. Who was it again? That said his body would give in if he didn't get enough sleep?

Right.. it was Nanami..

Nanami..

Nanamin!

Squinting at his phone screen, Gojo selects the 'contacts' option on his phone. He slowly scrolls down to the 'N' section, eyes gazing over a few painful contact names that he had yet to delete.

Even after all this time, he still couldn't just let go.

His finger hovers over the call button of Nanami's contact. Would he pick up? It's his off day after all. He knows how much Nanami treasures those.

Small breathers from the hectic world of Jujutsu. In fact, 'hectic' was putting it lightly.

Well, it's not like he was ringing Nanami up for anything stupid, like he normally does. Though, with that being said, this would count as something utterly stupid.

Nevermind that.

-----

Stepping out of the bakery, Nanami feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. Stopping in his tracks, he pulls it out, scowling at the name that appeared.

What did that annoyance (affectionate) want this time?

He lets a few more rings pass before picking it up, expecting to hear Gojo's obnoxious voice seep through the phone, no doubt to ask him out on another infuriating shopping trip.

Instead, he was met with silence.

Sensing that something was wrong, Nanami made his way to a more secluded area. Was there trouble?

"Gojo-san? Are you there?"

Nanami listens to the other side of the line carefully. But all he hears is soft, even breathing.

"..Gojo-san."

The breathing slowly turns into the sound of ruffling cloth, before a small string of inaudible mumbles could be heard.

"Nanamiin..?"

Nanami felt a pulse in his head. Seriously. Did he just wake up or something?

"..You called me?"

"I did..? Oh.. right I.. I dihH-..G'xxt!! ..did, didn't I? ..ahh, wait.. let me remembHh'!! ..h'NgxXt!! hh-G'nt!! ..aggnh, Nanamin I'm s' srry, haah-"

Instead of replying, Nanami's eyebrows furrowed. That voice was definitely Gojo's, but just what was he blabbing on about?

And those sudden, breathy sounds, punctuated by.. a weird, heavy noise. What were those?

"Are you okay?"

"Mm, no. Not really. Actually.. Nanaminn, can you come over?"

"No."

"..P-G'nXt!! ..Please?"

"I'm not falling for your tricks again."

"N-No tricks.. Nanamiin, pleease.."

Nanami sighs, wondering why he even decided to go back as a teacher in the first place. Why didn't he just delete Gojo's contact all those years ago?

"Fine."

"Yaay, Nanamin!!"

Nanami sighs again (he does this a lot when he's dealing with Gojo), finger reaching over to end the call when-

"Naanaminn, can you also bring some fever medicine overr? I.. ran out."

Fever medicine?

He opens his mouth to ask about that, but was only met with the monotonous beep of an ended line.

-----

The phone slips out of his fingers, dropping onto the floor with a thud that thankfully sounded like the item didn't crack into pieces.

All he had to do now was wait.. huh.

Gojo felt his eyelids slide shut. He tried to force them open to no avail. Seriously.. when was the last time he felt this bad?

..It was probably way back then, when he had gotten stabbed through his neck down to his knees, left bleeding out on the ground.

His eyes slowly slid shut, plunging him into darkness.

Darkness..

...

..Satoru-

..Satoru-!

Gojo suddenly jolts awake, the sudden movement sending him curled into himself with a fit of coughing, the scene that woke him up from his nightmare still dancing behind his eyelids.

..10 years.. or was it 11? 12? How long has it been since that day? How long has it been since he was last shook awake from a similar nightmare, tears streaming down his eyes, unstoppable?

Seriously.. this fever might just prove to be more of a nuisance than he originally gave credit to.

Lost in his thoughts, Gojo barely managed to register the sound of his front door opening. Even in his tired state, his body unconsciously prepared to fight, a thin layer of Infinity forming around himself.

"Gojo-san?"

With a weary smile, Gojo dropped his defenses. He recognised that voice anywhere.

"You left your front door unlocked." Nanami sounded pissed off. No matter, the most important part was that he came. He came..

"Ahh.. did I?"

"I'm serious. What if someone had broken in?"

Gojo felt himself relax as the shadow of Nanami's form stretched pass his doorway. "Nobody would do such a thing.. I'm sure. To non.. s-sorcerers, I'm a nobody. And n-nobody else knows I live hhH'!! ..here. Except you."

"That's not an excuse."

"Lighten upp, Nanamiin, I'm fiiine. Anywayy, I'm so glad you camee- I was convinced you would've ignored me for goood."

"..."

Based on the scene in front of his eyes, Nanami could easily conclude that Gojo was, indeed, not fine. Not in the slightest.

But even he knew it was futile to argue with the other, even in the.. state he was currently in.

"..Hh-G'nX'cthh!! ..hiH'gnXshh'!!"

"Bless you." Nanami sighed. So those sounds over the phone were sneezes, then.

Gojo removed the fingers pinching his nose, waving them dismissively.

"I'm fhH'!! ..fine, don't worhH'!! ..worr'hH-!! ..hiH'gx-ShHe'w!!"

Nanami found himself wincing at the effort it seemed to take Gojo to keep those quiet.

Seriously, of all the people he knew, including those he used to know, Gojo was never one to stifle.. unlike-

"Na-na-min! Did you bring what I asked for?"

"..Mm. Fever medicine, right?"

"Ahh- thank youu!! How much do I owe y-you?"

"Consider this a gift."

"How kind!"

Nanami stares, unbelieving, frozen by the doorway. Despite his distance away from the bed, he could clearly see how badly Gojo was faring. The disheveled hair, reddish hue surrounding his cheeks and nose, the fact he was lying down instead of bouncing around the room.

Why? Why was he always trying so hard to seem fine? Even after all this time, why?

Finally making his way inside, Nanami drops the plastic bag into Gojo's open palm.

"..Oh..You bought the solid kind."

"Huh?"

Gojo slowly removes the box, shaking it in the air. "..Solid.. pills."

"Yes." Was the fever messing with Gojo's brain? What was he asking?

Nanami watches as a pout forms on the other's face. It would have been quite comical, if not given the current circumstances.

"Nanamiin, I can't swallow pills that are this big, remember? Liquid.. do you have liquid ones?"

Ah.. right. Nanami remembers having this conversation with someone before, about how Gojo couldn't take solid medicine to save his life. He remembers the conversation, from ages ago. The conversation with.. with-

"I'll get water for you." Nanami turns to leave, shaking the image of that Someone out of his mind.

"Ah- Nanamin! Wait!"

Nanami found himself freezing at the sudden desperation in Gojo's voice. The tone of a scared child. When was the last time he heard that sound come from the other..?

"What is it?" His own tone softened, a subconscious reaction.

"..Don't go, please."

Once again, Nanami finds himself speechless. A few seconds pass, before Gojo cleared his throat, eyes looking everywhere except where the other was standing. Embarrassment?

"..Sorry.. I- that- that came out by itself, haha-"

Nanami sighs. Through all the years they had known each other, Gojo had always been an easy read due to his expressiveness. Although.. there were some people could read him better than others.

Nanami was one of these people. Possibly one of the few that were left, at that. It was to be expected, especially since the two of them were all each other had years ago.

Turning back to face the bed, Nanami shrugs off his coat, gently pressing it into the mattress next to Gojo's head.

"Mm.?" Gojo looked up at him, confused.

"..Look after this for me, I'll be right back."

"Ah, of course."

Turning to leave the room once again, Nanami was met with no sounds of displeasure this time.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Gojo's fingers wrap tightly around his coat, watched as Gojo brought the article into his chest, face buried into its collar.

Nanami felt his eyes soften at the sight. Even after all these years, Gojo never really grew up.

He was still the senior that greeted Nanami with that stupid smile on the first day of school, the friend who had comforted him when he was crying his eyes out, the friend who needed the comfort when it was his turn to cry his eyes out, and now the colleague who loved his students more than words could describe.

All of that put into the shivering body on the lonely bed.

"..heh'shHEiw!! hiH'gSsH'iww!! hH'!! ..snff- hH'dZzchH!!"

The corridor was quiet, Nanami could hear every little sound coming from the bedroom. Gojo must've thought he was in the kitchen by now, judging by how he was no longer stifling.

..How considerate.

"hiH'dzZch'iww!! ..H'tchh! aH'ngsHE'iw!!"

Nanami decides that he would grab a box of tissues from the living room. He doubts that Gojo even had any in his room.

Honestly.. his level of self care was off the charts at times. There was only so much his technique could heal. Cuts, bruises, fractures. Not colds, not fevers, not broken hearts.

That's what Nanami was there for.

It was decided then. He would stay over until Gojo was back on his feet. Nodding to himself, Nanami reaches for a cup, filling it with water.

He should probably leave for a grocery run after Gojo goes to sleep. He wonders if the other had even eaten a bite after this had started.

Probably not.

"..h'gShHE'iww!! hAH'dZzcHH!! snff- g'tchh! 'tchh! 'zztch! h'gtch!!"

As Nanami approached the room, the fits of sneezes progressively got clearer and clearer. The last couple sounded itchy, he noted.

Like Gojo's photic fits.

He remembers the first time he witnessed one, remembers the tears that gathered at the edge of Gojo's eyes under the sun.

He remembers that period of time years ago where Gojo would always misplace his sunglasses.

Before that, it never used to be a problem, since a Someone would always be there to make sure he didn't lose them, to make sure they were always covering his sensitive eyes.

After that Someone was erased from their lives, Nanami took over. He was the one that gave Gojo the idea of wearing a blindfold instead.

..Perhaps 'erased' was a little too strong of an expression. 'Slipped' would have been a better word.

He slipped from both their lives, both of them did.

"Gojo-san.?"

Nanami peeks into the room, the sight in front of him tugging at his heart.

Gojo had curled even his legs up to his chest, the long coat tangled between his limbs. There was a small, damp patch on the collar of the clothing right below where Gojo's nose was.

Nanami found himself not caring too much about that fact. He was just glad. Glad that he was able to provide the other with some comfort.

People often forgot that Gojo was human too. Despite how he was extremely immature and smiling all the time, Nanami didn't know of another who went through as much pain as he did.

Sometimes, it was almost like Gojo himself too, forgot that he had limits.

"Ahh- Nanamin.. welcome back!"

You don't have to force yourself to sound so cheery all the time.

"I'm sorry I made such a fuss just now, you did nothing wrong."

You don't have to apologise for anything.

"I owe you one."

No. Nanami presses the cup gently to Gojo's lips. You don't owe me anything. It was my pleasure.

When Gojo struggled to get the pills down, Nanami stayed by his side, rubbing comforting circles into his back.

He didn't know what else to do, what else to say.

Nanami stares into Gojo's dull blue eyes, the colour muted due to his fever. He remembers the last time Gojo's eyes wore a similar shade. He remembers not knowing what to do then as well, except to stay by Gojo's side.

"I'm really glad you came, Nanamin."

Maybe this was all Gojo needed after all, someone to support him. Maybe this was enough.

"Thank youu-"

Nanami hummed in reply, setting the cup down as Gojo dissolved into another small coughing fit.

"You're welcome."

"Juice would have been better t-thouhH'!! ..hih'G'Nxt!! 'NgxXt!! ..snff-"

Instead of biting back with a quick "the only thing you have in your kitchen is coffee and sugar cubes", Nanami pulled a tissue out of the box, pressing it to Gojo's nose softly.

"N-anamin?! I.. I can..hH'!! ..do that myself-"

"I'll let go if you promise to stop stifling."

"Hah? What do you mhH'!! hIH'KsShh'iw!! ..snff- heH'DzZtchH!! ..fuck. I'm so sorry-"

Nanami gently wiped the edge of Gojo's nose before pulling the tissue away, replacing it with a fresh one.

"W-Wait.. NahH'!! ..Nanamin-! Be carfhH-!"

Turning as far away from Nanami as he could in their current position, Gojo clasps a shaky hand over the one on his nose, his breath hitching desperately.

"..N'GsHH'iww!! hIH'tCHH-w!! hH'!! ..haaH.. nngh-..heK'sHh!! t'chh!! dzZtchH!!"

Pulling away once more, Nanami pulled a few more tissues from the box, this time handing them straight to Gojo.

"..Always thinking ahead, hm? How'd you know to get these from outside?"

"Your sneezes always get rather messy." Nanami wants to say, but he remains silent.

"..I'm sorry you had to see that, anyway."

"Don't worry about it."

"Mmh.. I'm a little tired."

"You should get some rest then."

"Yeah.. join me?"

Not expecting that response, Nanami stares blankly at Gojo for several seconds, before his eyes travel down to his wrists, where Gojo had already latched his fingers around.

Not like he had the option to deny the request..

..That's not it, Nanami thinks as he shifts to lift the covers. Even if he had the option to say No, he still would have picked Yes.

Finally setting down next to the other, Gojo shifts his grip from Nanami's wrists to around his waist, pressing his damp nose into the crook of Nanami's neck, lips on his collarbone.

"Na-na-min."

"Hm?"

"Thank you. For coming, and for staying."

"..."

"Will you still be here when I wake up?"

"I'm not going anywhere."

"..Promise?"

"Yes."

The grocery shopping could wait.

--end--

----------------

finishing notes: idk if the whole "gojo used to be with geto, and he still misses him" implication spoiled the nanago vibe of this fic

if it did, ahjhaesd IM SO SORRY

but i really, really REALLY, couldn't stop thinking about gojo and nanami using each other to heal from whatever tragedy befell upon them in the hidden inventory/premature death arc, and how they healed each other until eventually getting together.

that's all i have for now, thanks for reading!

Now I get to back to my week of examinations! Totally didn't spend hours writing this instead of studying for Economics! <3 <3

--5 days to Shibuya--

#j/jk #slightly angsty(?)#they're still going through a lot in my head #g/ojo s/atoru #n/anami k/ento #n/anag/o #and implied mentions of other characters *(cries)*#mythoughts #mywritting #i think towards the end my ability to write dialogue died #sry about that <3

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astr0disiac · 2 months ago

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ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 8: ᴛᴡᴏ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛꜱ

☆ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:

Tiana feels as though she deserves the suffering she's endured over the past five years after the tragic loss of her husband, Naveen. But Nanami wants to prove that she is capable of giving and receiving love again.

But even the sweetest of kisses can't heal the sourest of wounds.

An office-work romance like no other, filled with love, loss, and betrayal from those Tiana thought she could trust the most.

☆ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 11,261

☆ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: implied/referenced suicide [mild], implied/referenced self-harm [mild], implied/referenced miscarriage, angst, slow burn

☆ᴍʏ ꜱɪɴᴄᴇʀᴇꜱᴛ ᴀᴘᴏʟᴏɢɪᴇꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴍɪꜱꜱᴘᴇʟʟɪɴɢꜱ ᴏʀ ɢʀᴀᴍᴍᴀᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ᴇʀʀᴏʀꜱ☆

Nanami knew that Tiana needed time to herself to properly sort her affairs out, but he didn’t expect the time to slink on so agonizingly slow.

The wee hours of New Year’s Day turned into New Year’s night, which in turn crawled into the first complete week in January, then finally began slithering into the beginning of February; an entire month without really talking to each other, and Nanami’s heart grew fonder by the second. So much so that he began “observing” Takuma as he adopted his new position as CMO, Tiana always in his line of sight yet never offering him the time of day. Not even a sideways glance, when all Nanami could see was her. She seemed so hyper-focused, typing away at her desk, or conversing with her colleagues, never once allowing her mask of professionalizing to slip or crack. Her face was stern, yet confident, and Nanami would find himself watching her instead of supervising his junior, who would bring him back to reality with a quick snip of his fingers.

“Nanamin,” Takuma snapped his fingers near Nanami’s face, causing him to whip back to his trainee. Takuma stares up at the man, eyes squinted as he tries to read him. “You feeling alright?”

“Yeah, I um-” Nanami hesitated as Tiana pushed back from her desk with a huff, standing to stretch. Her hair was slicked back and curled into a puff, almost blending into the back of her black dress that flowed just below the knee. After a moment, she moves from in front of her chair, rolling it in, turning around just to stop once she sees Nanami.

Nanami can see her breath halt as she gives him a once over, then gives him an awkward smile with a slight nod, before clicking her way over and brushing past the two. On the outside, it looked as if an intern was being mindful of their boss’ presence, but so much was said between their sets of brown eyes. As she walks by, Takuma calls after her.

“Hey, Tiana!” He sounds so excited, and Nanami watches his eyes brighten. Tiana turns around, hands neatly placed over her abdomen as she greets him back.

“Hello, Mr. Ino. I didn’t want to bother you. It’s nice to see you.”

“I told you, you don’t need to be so formal.” Takuma said, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully, and Tiana laughed behind her hand.

“We wouldn’t want people thinking you're showing favoritism as soon as you step up in your new position, now would we?” Tiana shut him down so effortlessly and it made Nanami nostalgic as he stood there between the two as some sort of third wheel.

“Ah, I guess you’re right…” Takuma glanced away, trying to find something else to say. “What about lunch?” He asked hopefully. “Are you free today?”

Tiana paused, and for a split second, those soft eyes drifted up to Nanami. The moment was so quick, that if one were to blink they would have missed the small exchange. But Nanami saw it all in that moment; almost like a plea for help, for him to give some sort of excuse on why she shouldn't go. But she shook her head gently to decline, wriggling out of the situation.

“I’m sorry, I’m going to have to take a raincheck again today.” She says, and the glimmer dies in Takuma’s eyes and is instead reborn in Nanami’s. “I have a few more things to sort out.”

She gives another smile, her plump lips upturned as her eyes closed, and spun on her heels, clicking down the hall.

“You said that last time!” Takuma calls back in an indignifying manner considering his position, like a child pouting because their parents wouldn’t buy them a toy they wanted so desperately. Tiana doesn’t bother looking back, just shrugs as her hips wave goodbye to the men behind her.

“What can I say, I’m a busy woman.” And with that, she disappears from sight, both men sighing. The action catches Nanami off guard so much so that his breath gets caught in his throat, looking at Takuma’s mesmerized expression.

“She’s pretty, isn’t she.” He mumbles, just enough for Nanami to hear and he’s taken aback. Well, of course she was pretty, she was beautiful. Absolutely captivating, her skin glowed like the summer sun rising above a verdant valley, and her voice was as alluring as the strings of a cello; the swing in her words exuding something nostalgic. But he didn’t expect Takuma to feel that way, he had reduced Tiana to being “pretty”, a word so simple it was almost insulting. He would never begin to grasp a fraction of what Nanami thought or felt about her. What she meant to him.

“Oh, come on, I saw you looking.” Takuma punches Nanami’s shoulder gently, and Nanami realizes he hadn’t answered. He focuses his eyes on Takuma, who has a goofy grin on his face. “Almost everyone does, doesn't matter who. There’s just…something about her.”

“Sure.” Nanami gave a curt reply, his jaw tight.

Takuma wasn’t the only person Tiana seemed to connect with, she seemed to fit into the office space generally well, the New Year’s event inevitably bringing the workers closer and revitalizing their morale as a team. Watching Tiana mingle with her co-workers tugged at Nanami’s heart, yearning to be able to join her, to catch up, to even say a simple hello. But he had to give her space, and allow her some time. Patience is a virtue.

But time is a mother.

The middle of February meant one thing and one thing only: the annual meeting in the middle of the quarter to discuss the hiring and firing of interns for the summer. It was a very big deal, but the fate of someone's livelihood didn’t ever cause Nanami to bat an eye.

But now, Tiana’s fate was in his hands, and he was sweating bullets.

Nanami had zoned out for the majority of the meeting, mouth as tight as a clam as everyone else gave their observations about their current employees and deduced what they should or shouldn’t do to them. Since the company wasn’t necessarily hurting for employees, the “fire” pile just kept stacking higher and higher, and each name crossed out brought them closer and closer to Ms. Baker.

Nanami wasn’t sure what to do; he was a fair and just man and intended to continue as such, but what would happen to Tiana if she was let go? If she went back to America, Nanami wouldn’t be able to follow her there. She could get a new job in the precinct, but who’s to say she wanted to do that to begin with? Nanami could try vouching for her, but she didn’t do anything that made her particularly stand out amongst her peers and got into more alleged “trouble” than she should have. It would look outlandish coming from him. How could Nanami stick up for her to keep her position here, or anywhere for that matter? Did she even want to be in Japan?

Did she even want to be with him?

“-next is Ms. Baker.” Gojo says smugly, warping Nanami back to the present. Nanami blinks, lips skewed to the side as he stares at her name, flipping through her reports made over the past few months.

“Finally.” Shoko exasperates, leaning back into her chair and it creaks loudly, the sound scratching against Nanami’s heart. “Honestly, I think-”

Knock, knock, knock.

Three quick raps on the door, and it opens with a click, a young woman with long black hair peeking into the room.

“My apologies,” She speaks with robustness, her voice as strong as her gaze. “But Ms. Baker is here for her meeting, Gojo.”

Nanami frowns. Meeting?

“Meeting?” Shoko voices his thoughts, completely baffled at Gojo’s actions. “You scheduled a meeting with her for right now? What's wrong with you?”

“Of all times…” Mei Mei says pointedly, her chin balancing on her fist. “It’s very convenient.”

“Satoru…” Geto says in a low tone, one whistle away from a hiss. Gojo nods to the woman, and she returns the action, presumably going to get Tiana.

“What?” Gojo says with a shrug, alternating looks between his colleagues. “I want to hear what the princess of Maldonia has to say.”

“Right now?” Ijichi eyes him quizzically.

“Didn’t think we’d be here this long.”

The excuse is piss poor, Gojo knows that, yet doesn’t give a damn about how inconvenient this is to everyone else. Nanami glares daggers into Gojo’s soul, his frown so downturned it was practically slipping off his face.

“What are you up to?” Nanami demands, nose upturned. Gojo waves him off, face nonchalant as his blue eyes slice through his.

“Oh, my apologies Mr. CEO.” Gojo jeers, the corner of his lip upturned. “If this is too much of a nuisance, then by all means you can send her away.”

Gojo intertwined his fingers, palms downturned as he cradled his chin.

“Your choice.”

Nanami is a fair and just man and intends to continue as such. But a small part of him itched, wanting to know what Tiana so desperately wanted to talk to Gojo about.

Was it so dastardly that she couldn’t come to him about it? Why now?

“Nanami…” Shoko warns, but Nanami stays silent. He and Gojo have a stare down, Nanami’s veins throbbing against his skull as Gojo smiles knowingly; he knows that curiosity is bothering Nanami so much to the point where it burns. He knows that when it came to Tiana, Nanami had lost the drive to say no.

Knock, knock, knock.

The thuds intrude the silent room. Nanami’s jaw tenses as he loses his battle with Gojo, glaring at Tiana’s paper instead. He opens his mouth, an irate tone escaping his lips.

“Come in.”

Tiana’s heart dropped to her feet hearing his voice, she didn’t expect it, especially sounding like this. Yes, she had heard him in passing talking to other people in such a corporate tone, she used to have one herself, but now that same voice was being used towards her. So lifeless and cold compared to the compassion that was normally sent her way. Tiana’s hand hovered over the door handle as she trembled.

Was he mad at her for avoiding him these past few weeks? Was he mad that Tiana decided to seek help from someone else other than him, after he blatantly stated that he would go out of his way for her?

Why was he even here?

Too late to lose my cool now, Tiana thought. M’already at the door.

Tiana pushed the handle down, the gears and hinges twisting smoothly as the door swung open, revealing an entire audience that she hadn’t really prepped for. This was supposed to be a meeting strictly with Gojo, not Gojo and his goonsquad. Of course she knew Nanami, eyebrows cleaved together as he chewed on the inside of his cheek, almost looking through Tiana. She remembers her out of character heart-to-heart with Geto, the night of the gala he looked so elegant and calm, but right now he looked as if he were one twitch away from a physical altercation. Then there was Gojo, sitting as innocent as a doll, long white lashes blinking slowly as if his eyes were devouring the moment and simultaneously savoring it.

She recognized the woman with long brown hair, she had seen her hanging around Misha or smoking in the designated areas, under eyes dark and dotted with twin beauty marks, but wide-eyed as if baffled to see Tiana there. There was a gorgeous woman with threateningly bright silver hair, the only person out of the bunch who had their bearings together as she sat with a smile; probably a fake one but it seemed to calm Tiana. Then there was a black haired man with thin rectangular glasses, his eyes darting from Nanami, to Gojo, to Nanami, then back to Gojo as if wary one of them would leap across the table. It was so tense, the air stale with resentment, so much so it seeped into Tiana’s suit jacket, her arms beginning to sweat under her layers. She tugged at her brown cuffs, trying to reduce the clinginess of the fabric to her body.

“I’m sorry for the audience.” Gojo says, motioning towards everyone else at the table. “But this won’t be a problem, will it?”

Tiana’s eyes dart to everyone else, their expressions rigid as they practically devour the woman. And then there was Nanami, who’s eyes seemed to quiver with a sense of hurt as he trained them on her.

But Tiana had to do this. If anything, this might work in her favor. She would just have to apologize to Nanami later, along with the plethora of other things she had been preparing to say to him.

Tiana swallows her initial fear, slowing her breath through her nostrils. She had prepared for this, she had practiced nonstop. Studied and trained her vocabulary and response time from dusk till dawn. Replaced her usually lonely lunches and breaks with time spent practicing with Hana so that she could perfect her enunciation. Rehearsed over and over, committed so much effort that freezing up right now wasn’t an option.

She bows at the waist, not too deeply as Hana had corrected her multiple times, her folder neatly placed in her grasp as her curls fell past her face. The syllables exit her mouth with sharp precision.

“Not at all.” Tiana speaks, her voice pitched a bit higher than it normally would be if she had spoken in English. “I am glad that you took the time out of your busy schedule to speak with me. It is nice to formally meet you all.”

Tiana rises, straightening her waist as she gauges the general reactions now. Everyone’s taunt mouths seemed to loosen into something more astounded, Gojo’s brows raised to the middle of his forehead as he looked at her. But no one looked as surprised as Nanami.

Nanami wasn’t sure when Tiana was able to do this, it seemed to happen so fast, juxtaposed to their first initial meeting when she couldn’t even properly introduce herself. There were times Tiana had asked how to pronounce something, or Nanami would respond to her in Japanese out of habit. Tiana would refuse his English translation as she tried to formulate a proper response to him in a timely fashion, a game of sorts that bloomed between them. But she had never spoken so coherently before, she was almost a tone away from being a local. It was like looking at a completely different person compared to who he witnessed on New Year’s.

Gojo, who had been launched from his previous snub attitude, held his hand up as if to settle Tiana down.

“You can speak in English if you need to.” Gojo said.

“Are you sure?” Tiana tilted her head, looking at everyone to be granted permission. “Is that really alright?”

Shoko, after getting over her initial shock, leaned forward as she placed her elbows on the table.

“It’s fine. We’ll be able to understand. If need be, we’ll ask for further clarification.”

Nanami turns his head to Shoko, who lacked any sort of malice in her words. She seemed a bit more diligent, maybe even focused as her lips sat in a straight line, eyes studying the woman at the other end of the table. Nanami swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he turns to Tiana. Even though she didn’t ask for it, he gives her a small nod of encouragement.

Tiana exhales tightly through her lips, before placing her folder onto the table, nodding back. With a clear and concise voice, she commands the room with a simple sentence.

“I want to file an official report against my admin, on the grounds of producing a hostile work environment.”

Nanami’s insides knotted with each case that Tiana shared, with the evidence to back it up. Tiana passed around a manilla folder, and once it made its way to Nanami, he realized that it was the same one he had seen in her home. Tiana had been suffering so much right before his very eyes, and the evidence had literally been in the palm of his hands. With each statement, it unfurled more about Tiana’s dislike for Misha, not because of something so simple as a rivalry or even clashing affections, but because Misha had truly made Tiana’s life a living hell, and by the looks of it, for reasons that were simply inhumane. Nanami gripped his pen, tonguing the back of his teeth as Tiana explained her past few months here, providing emails, receipts, call logs, anything that seemed reputable.

Nanami felt sick, absolutely worthless that he couldn’t do something so simple with the power that he had. It wasn’t even about failing what Charlotte had initially begged him to do. He failed Tiana.

A deep frown resided on Shoko's face, her eyes darkening even more as she sucked in her cheeks. Ijichi’s palm covered his mouth in shock. Geto tapped his chin rhythmically as he listened, and even Mei Mei’s pristine smile faltered. The only one who seemed to be enjoying themself was Gojo, who looked as if he would sprout demonic horns and a pointed tail to match the smile curled on his lips.

God, Nanami wanted to smack that expression right off.

Once Tiana had started talking, the words flowed effortlessly from her mouth as she regaled all that she experienced. She spared no detail, hoping that those in front of her felt everything that she had; felt the same helplessness, the betrayal, the embarrassment, praying they had some sort of empathy for her story. That they could understand her to a certain extent.

Once she finished her spill, the room was so silent that Tiana mistook her pounding heart for a knock at the door, eyes darting to it briefly. Her mouth shut tight, nervousness washing over her like a chilling wave. Her evidence couldn’t be disputed, maybe ignored, but it couldn’t be denied. Especially with the plethora of voice recordings, jaws growing slack with each phrase that fuzzily spoke through her phone speaker. But even with all of that, everything was out of her hands. Before, she didn’t care if they fired her, as long as Misha went down with her for treating her like shit. She honestly never thought she’d make it past a simple internship, she hadn’t planned to stay forever. Just long enough to get back into the right headspace.

But now there was Nanami. Nanami who she shared her laughs with. Her meals, her days, her late night hours, her space, her time. Somehow, she had begun to share her life with him, and she couldn’t just turn back now. There was so much more to look forward to, so much more to say. He had become the callous of her desperation.

So she looks to him again, for guidance. She looks to him for light. She looks to him for strength.

She looks to him for help.

The look is utterly raw, and Nanami feels his resolve turn to mush. He immediately goes to speak on her behalf, to save her, when Mei Mei speaks up.

“I don’t mean this in a way to dismiss the issues at hand, but why did you wait until now to come forward?”

Tiana, expecting this question, straightened her back.

“Even though I don’t have much to show for it, I once owned a business of my own.” To Tiana’s surprise, her voice didn’t waver. “And I know from personal experience that it is much more beneficial to steadily build a case than filing a multitude of one-off complaints.”

There were more reasons than that, but that was strictly for Tiana’s enjoyment only.

Mei Mei’s face looked rather pleased, nodding her head as she sat back in her chair. Tiana wasn’t sure if it was because of her answer, or how confident in her answer that she sounded.

“Why…”

Tiana’s eyes darted to Shoko, having finally learned her name after a round of introductions earlier.

“Why didn’t you bring this to me?” Shoko asked, her head tilted. “I don’t mean to whine and complain, but Misha falls under my jurisdiction, along with formal HR complaints.” She looks around at everyone else in disbelief, as if searching for an answer among them. “I feel this is undermining me and my position here.”

Nanami looked at Shoko, her face tight and red, but it wasn’t out of anger. She looked embarrassed.

Tiana pursed her lips, keeping her tone in check as she responded with eloquence.

“If I were to be honest, I’ve seen you and Misha keep company quite a bit, and while it may be a petty and ridiculous reason, I became paranoid of who I could and couldn’t trust. I was scared that what I endured would have been swept under the rug, along with my presence here.”

Tiana bowed again, a lot deeper this time.

“I would like to sincerely apologize if this method seemed underhanded, but I didn’t know what other decisions I had left. This was the largest weapon in my arsenal.”

She raised herself, face etched with determination.

“Not only that, but I became privy to Mr. Gojo’s role here.”

Gojo pointed a long finger towards himself. “Me?”

“Yes.” Tiana nodded her head, continuing. “At the gala, I learned of Mr. Gojo’s credentials in the company’s database infrastructure and cyber-security accolades. In case Misha tried to disregard anything, Gojo would be able to trace the emails sent, documents released, anything that was done through the company’s emails would be revealed.”

Tiana looked towards Gojo, a sort of restraint about her as she spoke, for she felt she was giving more credit than what was actually due.

“He just seemed the most reliable at the time.”

“Relia-” Shoko was offended now, and even Nanami felt a sting in his chest, but Gojo butted in with a hearty laugh.

“No, no, I want to hear more.” Gojo smiled, and Nanami held up his hands to douse the conversation before it got too heated.

“That’s enough.” Despite not being so loud, his voice shook the room, the fury residing in him lashing out to everyone, including Tiana. Her neck tensed, the temper of his voice searing itself into her brain.

Nanami looked at Tiana, and she couldn’t read the expression on his face. He looked a bit flushed, a dash of anger, a pinch of sadness; Tiana knew that this had probably shell-shocked Nanami’s world. She didn’t like that her truth would be broadcasted like this, but a stumble forward was better than ten steps backwards.

She would just apologize later.

Nanami's lips puckered slightly as he tongued the inside of his cheek. Finally, with a deep exhale, he shifts in his seat, setting the pen he had been gripping down. Tiana watched anxiously as he folded his hands neatly on the table, peering at her.

“Anything else you would like to note, Ms. Baker?”

Tiana doesn’t know why, but the way he said her name seemed to snatch her ability to speak. Air having escaped her lungs, she nods feverishly, her neck strained as she tries to keep her stature from waning.

“I’m sorry-” Shoko shoots out of her chair with a small handbag, swiftly passing by Tiana without looking her way, and excusing herself from the room as the door slams behind her. Then Getou grips Gojo’s suit, yanking him up and into the office next door. Ijichi sits with the pads of his fingers touching as he glares at the table, and Nanami continues to eye Tiana. Mei Mei is the only one who had the decency to conclude the meeting.

“You’re dismissed.” She said gently. “Thank you for bringing this to us.”

Tiana nods again, spinning on her heels quickly to escape him. But Nanami seems to have a degree in deducing Tiana’s movements, because he’s hot on her tail, pushing his chair abruptly and speed walking behind her and out the door.

Nanami couldn’t read her mind, no matter how hard he tried, and he often did. And every time he tried to navigate the enigma that was named Tiana, he found himself perplexed as to why he tried so hard to untangle the mess that resided in her mind. Despite her reluctance, despite how much she pushed, he pulled even harder. Each time he unraveled the wound up woman, he found himself intertwining with her. It was fascinating how easily he found himself coming back to her no matter how far she tried to run.

This meeting was all it took to confirm his infatuation for her. Once perplexed and confused, now mesmerized by her smarts, her wits, her tenacity. Her sense of professionalism that swept through the room with each word she spoke; Nanami’s need to do right by her and to make sure she never had to experience something so low ever again, to make up for his failures. But in the same breath he was pissed, angered that she had the audacity to withhold this sort of information from him for so long. She was so adamant on dealing with things on her own, and while she had her own reasons to justify her actions, it didn’t make him feel any less useless to her. How was he supposed to support her when she was so keen on dismissing him?

Nanami is one toe step away from nipping the back of Tiana’s heel when he grabs her wrists, pulling her into a vacant hallway free of prying eyes and listening ears.

Nanami’s back pressed against the wall, Tiana just below eye level as he finally let his face slip, frustration knitted into his brows. As Tiana looked up at him, she felt as if she had been consumed.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tiana felt herself get choked up. She couldn’t understand why looking at Nanami felt as if she had failed him in some way.

Brown skin, even bronzer eyes that shined with the same grace as the lonely moon on a sullen night. Hair in tight kinks and coils as they bounced around her shoulders as she slowly shook her head, lips in a slight frown, but not as deep as when she first arrived.

Tiana took a shaky exhale, mouthing something intelligible, mouth gaping as she prayed a semblance of an excuse escaped her lips.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Nanami asked again, demanding as his face inched closer, hoping to find an answer behind her eyes.

Tiana’s voice croaks as she tries to twists her arm gently out of his grasp, but he doesn’t let go.

“I…I needed time-”

“Enough is enough.”

Nanami readjusted his hand so that it slipped into hers instead, their fingers barely grazing each other. He had his stance, and he was sticking to it, betting everything he had on it.

It was time for Tiana to stop being so afraid.

The sound of approaching footsteps cause the two to snatch apart, Tiana leaning to the wall parallel to Nanami, hugging herself as he stood there curling and uncurling his fists.

Tiana dabs the moisture from her eyes as Shoko turns the corner, a deep frown etched into her features. Shoko doesn’t seem to realize the energy that filled the space, her dark eyes glancing up at Tiana in shame. Then she bows softly, almost scaring Tiana with how suddenly she lurched over.

“I want to apologize.” Shoko said, her long hair falling over her face, her sudden movement fanning a sudden scent of tar to Tiana’s nose. She scrunched it as Shoko continued.

“I misjudged you, and didn’t use my role to discern the situation properly. If I had been more diligent with my job, this wouldn’t have happened. As your senior, it is absolutely shameful.”

Tiana holds her hands up, waving them erratically.

“Ms. Shoko, there’s really no need for all that.” Tiana quickly spoke. “This is my fault.”

“Nonsense.” Shoko said, adjusting her hair behind her ear as she straightened herself. “This is my burden to bear, so don’t you worry your pretty little head about a thing.”

Tiana clutched her suit jacket, an air of bashfulness fogging her brain.

Shoko turned her attention to Nanami, nodding her head in the opposite direction.

“Come on, Mr. CEO. We’ve got work to do.”

And with a quick pivot, she strutted back to the meeting room. Nanami didn’t budge, didn’t even dare to blink incase Tiana bolted in the millisecond that his eyes were closed.

“You should go.” Tiana muttered. He should go, but she knew Nanami didn’t want to. Tiana didn’t want him to either.

But Nanami didn’t have time to argue, neither was this the appropriate environment. There was so much to be said, so much to be done. There just weren’t enough hours in the day for those two.

“We’re not done.” Nanami firmly stated along with a motion of his hand, leaving after Shoko. Though his back was to her, Tiana gave a swift nod, her voice returning now that they weren’t sharing the same air.

“We’ll talk. Soon.” She throws in, hoping that will be enough to satisfy the persistent man. But it wasn’t.

“Tonight.” He says it more as an instruction rather than an option, leaving Tiana no room to refute as he turned the corner.

Nanami swung the door open, everyone seemingly resituating themselves in their respective seats, low murmurs and eyes glued to the table rather than each other. With a deep exhale, Nanami shuffles to unbutton his suit jacket, hastily making his way to his seat. A solution to this predicament needed to be solved. Immediately.

Gojo was the first to break the silence.

“She was very particular in the way she drove us into a corner.”

“You think so?” Ijichi timidly asks, and Gojo shrugs as he shares the details with his train of thought.

“Because of her ties with our competitor, this could be a ploy to tarnish our rep.”

“A spy, maybe? It’s a bit overkill if you ask me…” Mei Mei leans into her palm, shaking her head.

“She wouldn’t do that.” Nanami detests, his emotions lashing out before he could restrain them.

Everyone gives him a quizzical look, the room going silent momentarily at his sudden outburst.

“How would you know?” Ijichi asks, not out of ridicule but out of genuine curiosity. Nanami waves the question away, pulling an excuse out of his ass that had enough credibility to be fact instead of fiction.

“She doesn’t have any ties with his family, remember?” Nanami asked the group. “Neither of them would benefit from a ploy such as this.”

This time, Getou shakes his head. “I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. Even without Maldonia’s influence, Tiana still benefits greatly from this situation.”

Nanami clenches his jaw. He didn’t like how almost everyone here saw Tiana as some sort of devious woman with a hidden agenda to tear the company down when Misha was right there. There had to be something else, something he was missing that would explain these complications away.

Nanami turns to Gojo, elbows on the table as he folds his arms.

“What do you know?” He asks the smug man.

Gojo does that infamous shrug, eyes closed. “The original plan was to use this little favor as a trump card down the road, but Tiana’s move was too intricate to be a simple game of checkers.”

“Tiana deliberately saved this information for something else other than what she admitted to us. She waited until after one of the most important and prestigious promotional events of this company, which means it will embolden the company’s negligence if this were to get out to the press or other citizens.”

“That something like this happened right under our noses and the assailant was promoted without being properly reprimanded.” Getou drummed his nails on the table. “Allowing the cycle to be perpetuated with other employees without consequences and creating a toxic work environment for interns. It could damage our relationship with our foreign investors and sponsors. We’d lose future interns. We’d lose money. We’d lose our reputation, and the company would tank.”

“And we can’t outright fire Misha after such a huge step up the ladder, it’d paint us to be negligent.” Mei Mei says. “And demoting her under the guise of her ‘stepping down’ is just too unbelievable after the little performance she put on.”

“Whatever her main motive, it’s clear she wants our compliance.” Ijichi drags the folder Tiana had given them to himself, shuffling through the papers inside. “If we don’t act accordingly, this folder could be the death of us.”

“That doesn’t matter.” Shoko speaks, her voice firm. “We are negligent. And I’m the worst of us all.”

Her eyes droop in a tired fashion, and she seems to age as she balls her fist on the table.

“Shoko, you can’t solely blame yourself…” Nanami attempts to soothe her, but Shoko shakes her head instead. “We’re all accountable.”

“This happened in my domain. In my jurisdiction.” Shoko continued. “The reason I joined HR was to keep something as vile as this from happening ever again. And I failed.” Her voice seemed to catch, but she pushed through her words. “I forgot myself on my way to the top. Forgot my motives. I’ve stepped on so many people that I forgot where I came from, who I’m doing this for.”

Shoko’s expression was tight as she turned to Nanami, frustration boiling to her neck. But under that burning foil was determination.

“Let me handle this.”

Misha entered with an exaggerated bounce, but it soon faltered into a nervous jitter as she gazed upon the stone cold faces of her superiors. She swallowed, eyes darting to Nanami momentarily. He couldn’t have…

“W-What’s with the long faces?” Misha tries to joke, but it doesn’t land, not even earning any fake smiles from the ring. She chewed on her tongue, clearing her throat as she awaited some sort of response.

But when Shoko opened her mouth, she didn’t expect her past transgressions to come tumbling out, seeping into her like venom and causing her bones to chatter beneath her skin. Her eyes widened as Shoko tossed Tiana’s folder, holding all the evidence against her. And when Misha tried to dispute it, Gojo spoke up saying that he was able to trace and confirm all of their shared emails, even a few that Tiana had missed. He even joked about tapping into his phone, but his voice was far from light, it was a malicious threat decorated to be appealing.

“Let’s cut to the chase.” Shoko said, leaning forward with her palms flat on the table. “You’ve got two options. You can transfer to our sister location in the states. Or, you can pack up your things.”

Misha’s jaw drops, and she quite literally chokes, a small drop of spit flying from between her hovering teeth. “That- That’s not fair! How are those my only options?”

Nanami then steps in, eyes glaring into the table for he was too repulsed by the being in front of him pretending to be a human.

“A new start for you would be best. Even though you’ve sullied your ethics, you still worked a good portion of your career to get here.”

“We won’t demote you, that way we can at least save face. We also know your pride wouldn’t be able to handle a fall so great after receiving so many accolades.” Geto says with a frown. “I advise that you take this opportunity and bow out gracefully; take this relocation. It’s not going to end up good for you if you don’t.”

Misha grows more and more flustered, hands shaking so bad her body seemed to shudder. She kept blinking back tears as her jaw tightened, the thin skin on her temple thumping so loudly as she watched her life flush down the drain. Tiana really went this far over a little joke on the phone? It wasn’t even this serious.

“I-I was just joking. Hell, it wasn’t even just me!” Misha clawed her way to an explanation, but her grip ended up fruitless. “It was just a little hazin-”

“You think this is funny?” Nanami grunted, his sense of professionalism sliding down a steep slope. Tiana had been suffering so much with her personal life, then Misha had to go out of her way and make her job miserable as well? Jesus fucking Christ, the woman just couldn’t catch a break, and she had the audacity to think this shit was a joke? That Tiana’s suffering was something to chuckle at?

“You f-”

“We have a strict policy against hazing,” Geto spoke, saving Misha from Nanami’s onslaught of insults that were itching at the back of his throat. “If you’re trying to save your own hide, then you should have come up with a more believable excuse.”

“I should have come up with a believable excuse?” Misha’s vocal chords begin to tear in her throat. “At least I came up with something! All you corporate heads care about is your fucking paycheck, and some damn stocks.”

Mei Mei’s brows jolted, her lips dramatically frowned as she tried to hold back a laugh. Everyone at the table seemed to have their lips snagged between their teeth, unable to deny her accusations, because it was true to a certain extent. But Shoko saved their hides once again.

“Honestly, I don’t give a shit about this damn company. If I could, I’d let it burn with me inside. Maybe then I would be able to atone.” She spoke with a grim expression. “But hiim-”

She pointed to Nanami, and even he was caught off guard by what she said next.

“He is probably the most virtuous person here. He worked his ass off to get here, and I’d be damned to see it destroyed when he just reached his goal. It’s the least I, and his fellow team could do.”

Nanami swallowed thickly.

“He clawed his way to the top, and it may not be the prettiest job, and we may not like it, but we must prop him up from the bottom. And I’ll be damned if you fucked this up for him.”

The room was vacuumed tight, no one daring to even swallow too hard. Misha stood there, quivering like a leaf, eyes melting down her cheeks as she attempted to come to terms with her circumstances. But she just couldn’t. This was one of her worst nightmares coming to fruition. Her life in Japan, her life with Nanami, her career. It was pulled from under her with a grand swiftness, and she wanted to blame someone so badly. She wanted to pin the fault on anyone. Her superiors for being greedy. Nanami for showing her an ounce of kindness. Tiana for being the woman that she couldn’t be,

But no matter which way she directed her hatred, she ended up loathing herself even more.

“So choose.” Shoko sat back in her chair with her arms folded. “Even though it's clearly obvious what the better choice is.”

And even with that, Misha continued to grasp at straws.

“I can’t…” Her voice deteriorated in her throat, despite her continuously swallowing lumps of saliva to coat it in some sort of moisture. “I can’t leave…this is my home.” She clawed at her chest, praying the cold sets of eyes displayed before her would produce a molecular sized glimmer of sympathy for her. She had been working here since she was a senior in highschool, for God’s sake. They couldn’t just throw her away.

“Please…I don’t even know English that well…”

Nanami, who had been fiddling with Tiana’s phone that held a bulk of her evidence, clicked play on one of the voice memos lined on the screen, Misha’s garbled voice grating through the room.

“Get to learning.”

The short clip ended just as abruptly as it started, Misha’s breath catching in her throat. She looked at Nanami, shaking her head slowly as if to beg him not to go through with this. It was a mistake. She was human. Humans are bound to fuck up.

“Nn…Nanami…” Misha’s voice was low, speaking directly to him now. The man she had looked up to since she had started here. The man who she had longed for since she had met him. The man who couldn’t even spare her a second glance without it being filled with unadulterated disgust. When did he start looking at her this way? When did he become so displeased?

“Please…” She tried one more time, eyes boring into his skull, but he refused to look at her. His eyes downcast, lips downturned as he spun the phone on one of its corners.

“Maybe you should take your own advice.”

The meeting ended on a sour note as Misha trotted out of the room choking on her sobs. If this had been anyone else, Nanami and the others would have returned to business as usual. But because this was Tiana who he was dealing with, Nanami found himself agitated, his mood stuffing up the entire room with his foul attitude, unable to compose himself. So one by one, everyone scurried off, silently agreeing that they would continue their original meeting after they cleaned this situation up. The only person who stayed was Shoko, sitting next to Nanami. Finally, she spoke.

“How could I forget?” She asked Nanami, and while it may seem like a cryptic message to outsiders, those two knew exactly what they meant.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself.” Nanami responded. “Like you said, the higher you climb, the more people you step on. You lose your sense of self as you unbind from the ground; from reality.”

“Fuck…” Shoke swears, digging into her handbag. Nanami watches her from the corner of her eye; her fingers dancing around a cigarette before grabbing a sucker. She unwraps it quickly, and pops it between her lips.

“At least you made your goal. You made Haibara proud.” Shoko’s voice waned as the lollipop wiggled between her teeth. “I can’t even stop smoking.”

“Hey…” Nanami tried to protest, but Shoko held her hand up.

“I know you want to retire early, but I don’t want you to go out like this. It’s undignifying. It would have stained his name, and yours.” Shoko says. “You still have time. Don’t go and throw it away so soon.”

“You do too.” Nanami’s brows raise. “It’s never too late to change. So don’t let Riko watch you give up so soon.”

Shoko scoffs, dropping her head, the stick of the treat snagged between her canines. The two fall silent for a moment, until Shoko asks a question that Nanami had been terrified to ask himself.

“If Tiana hadn’t passed her internship…” She treads carefully, eyes downcast. “And she had to move back to the states, would you have gone with her?”

Nanami swallows, slouching in his chair slightly.

“As ridiculous as it sounds, I can’t see a future where I don’t follow her to the ends of the earth. And though I don’t want to admit it, I’d rearrange my whole life if it meant getting to get a glimpse of her every day.”

“Jesus fuck, Mr. Logic has become Mr. Delusional.” Shoko chuckles, turning to Nanami with a raised brow. “Have you two-?”

“No.” Nanami felt blush creep up from the balls of his feet, but he tried to keep his face as serious as possible. Had those ideas of intimacy crossed his mind before? Of course, even though he rebuked them as if they were demons coming to steal his soul. There was no use in indulging in those fantasies when the two had such a strained friendship right now.

Maybe it was because of the quickness of his answer, but Shoko tilted her head down, as if to call Nanami’s claim bullshit. There was no way Tiana had this once stoic man withering at his roots without doing anything to him besides existing

Nanami frowned, his brows lowering as he got a bit defensive. “We haven’t.”

“Alright, alright.” Shoko puts her hands up in defeat, biting down on the lollipop with a loud crunch.

“But seriously, if I was where I was supposed to be, you could have gone off and done whatever. It wouldn’t have been an issue.” Shoko’s teeth grind on the candy pieces. “Yes, you got where you got this position you’ve been aching for years for, but this can’t be the end all be all. There’s more out there for you.”

Nanami is touched, a shiver of appreciation running down his spine. His lips press into a tight line as he tries to find something to say.

“Next time.” Shoko’s voice is controlled as she speaks with assurance. “I’ll be ready next time.”

Nanami’s eyes do a quick glance to Shoko, whose face is hidden behind her curtain of brown hair, but Nanami can see a few drops of water splattering on the table in thick circles. He raises his hand, gently placing it on her shoulder.

“We’ll be ready next time.”

The day trickled on painfully, Nanami unable to focus on his personal work and instead worried about his personal life. After retrieving all the voice memos from Tiana’s phone, he had it delivered to her but another staff member; he knew that if he went down there it would probably cause a scene. Gossip traveled fast in the office, and just in case Misha had run her mouth the wrong way, Nanami didn’t want to cause anymore issues for Tiana.

But as Nanami leaves the office for the night to seek out Tiana, he passes Misha’s office that she had barely gotten acquainted with before it was taken from her. There were a few unopened boxes in the corner with labels, and a shelf that looked as though it were waiting to be used. He wasn’t sure how long he had been standing there, observing the personal touches that would soon be stripped from this room, when he heard Misha’s voice behind him.

“What are you doing here?”

Nanami turned around to see Misha, eyes swollen and cheeks flushed, and a dark crate rested on her hip. A light sheen laid on her forehead, and she looked older. When Nanami didn’t immediately answer, she skirted past him through the doorway, cringing back so she wouldn’t even brush against him. Nanami watched as she began tossing things into the crate carelessly, decorations, encased photos, books. It didn’t matter if it was plastic or glass, and Misha didn’t seem to care if anything shattered or not. Her life was already in pieces and being discarded to the wind.

“I’m sorry it had to go this way.” Nanami’s voice seemed to speak without properly examining what he was going to say. He wasn’t sorry at all. If anything, he was apologetic for Tiana experiencing something like this.

Misha blows air through her nose, then mutters under her breath.

“No you’re not.”

And even with the truth glaring at him in the face, he still found himself standing there, soaking in Misha’s misery as if he were doing a victory lap.

“Did you and Tiana team up against me because I knew your secret?”

“Tiana never told me about this.” Nanami immediately goes to her defense, hating the way Misha spoke her name as if it were some sort of vulgar swear.

“Well, at least you finally admitted it. Even if you had a roundabout way of doing so.”

Misha tosses a notebook into her crate, the items filling the container to the brim. She turns back to Nanami, eyes squinted slightly.

“Do you talk to her in the same roundabout way?”

Nanami doesn’t respond, so Misha continues with a dry laugh.

“Maybe that’s a good thing. Loving someone like that seems tiring.”

Nanami wasn’t sure if she was referring to himself or Tiana, but before he could fix his mouth to protest, she shot her mouth off again.

“Maybe I’m asking too many questions. A form of closure, perhaps?” Misha seems to giggle to herself as she continues, looking at her items that had piled up. “I always knew I was one of the little things to you, if anything at all since you found me unenjoyable.” Misha says, picking at the corners of a photograph that peaked out of her things. “And I was so fucking jealous of her; she just seems bigger than the world itself in your eyes.”

“I just didn’t stand a chance.” Misha gives a painful laugh, eyes welling with tears again as she tries to swat them from her eyes. “I had been insignificant to you for years, and the only time I ever mattered to you was when I was tied to her. The only time you ever looked at me was because of her.”

Her teeth were clamped together as she hissed out her words in rushed frustration, veins popping in her neck as she glared at Nanami.

“No matter how many asses I kissed, personalities I adopted, hands I shook, scrapes and bruises I got from crawling on my hands and knees to this summit, you didn't see it, didn’t see me until she came around. And that fucking hurts more than leaving this hell whole, because my significance was only mattered to you when she started working here.”

“And now…” Misha took a deep breath, her lungs jolting in her chest. “Now you can see me. The real me, and it’s still by her hand. Ain’t that something?”

Nanami could only frown as Misha went on her rant, her final words being a vent of all the shit she procured while being here, and for a moment, Nanami felt a sliver of sympathy. But it wasn't enough to move him.

“It wouldn’t have worked, would it?”

Nanami didn’t think Misha deserved an answer to her question when the answer was clearly evident after today. So with a solemn bow, his final goodbye to this woman, he bids her a silent farewell. He didn’t want to waste anymore energy on her; he needed to go see Tiana. He turns on his heels, heading out.

“Nanami.”

He stops, only momentarily, but he wishes he had kept walking.

“I hope you get the life you deserve.”

Like a stone being dropped in his stomach, he feels his soul weighed down. What he deserved.

What did he deserve?

And with a few staggering steps, he speeds to the exit.

Nanami finds himself standing outside of Tiana’s front door, shivering as he dialed her number for the umpteenth time, and heard her decline his call from the other side of the door. Losing his patience, he raps on the door quickly, causing Tiana to jump in her skin. She runs from her office to check the peephole, and sure enough, Nanami was there with a bright blush brushed across his face, and a few snowflakes melting on his clothes. How long had he been out there?

Her heart raced as she fidgeted with her robe, trying to decide on what to do. She wanted to see him, she wanted to converse with him so badly, but she was unsure of what to say. Her brain and her heart refused to cooperate with her as she held the door handle lightly.

Then her phone rings again from across the house, causing her to jump out of her thoughts.

“Tiana.” Nanami’s voice was muffled and strained on the other side, as if he were out of breath. Tiana couldn’t help but compare his tone now to how he spoke to her earlier, her brain doing a complete 180. “Come on, Tiana. I can hear your phone.”

She shifts her weight on the balls of her bare feet repetitively, every time her toes pattering as they stuck and unstuck themselves from the glossy wood. Blowing air through her lips quickly, she unlatches the door and opens it, trying to feign annoyance, but it falls flat.

“Don’t you understand the concept of space at-uhf!”

Nanami immediately engulfs Tiana in a hug, knocking the wind out of her words as one hand cradles her head and the other rests around the middle of her back.

“No.” Nanami mutters into her hair, his pained exhales tickling her scalp.

Tiana goes rigid at first, not because of the sudden proximity, but because of the warmth that flooded from her chest and into her fingers and toes. The feeling was so surprising, so comforting, and the way her stomach tugged hurt so good. Slowly but sure, she found herself burying her face into his chest, his heart thumping loudly against her flushed skin. Her hands steadily traced up his back before clasping the fabric of his shirt, the further she sunk into his arms the tighter she seemed to hold.

Tiana never thought a hug could cause her to feel so obsessive. Something so simple, a gesture so small made her feel such big emotions within her gut.

She caught herself inhaling the faded scent of his cologne, having faded from his day at work, but she missed that scent. How it mingled with the earthy tones and vanilla bean smell that encased her living area. She missed how it complimented her empty home, and God, her home hadn’t felt that empty since Naveen’s passing. Restraining herself from being with Nanami was like forcing the sea to reside in the sky and make it it’s new domain. Having Nanami in her life was like filling up a deep hole, once she put up that wall it was like everything Nanami had poured into her had been excavated out, leaving her womb empty yet again. It was strange, because it wasn’t even romantic at the time. She needed him, no, she wanted him around. His company. She enjoyed every moment they spent together, every time they’re laughs synced, every time they seemed to read each other’s minds. The sarcastic remarks. The stray touches. It was just hard coming to terms with her own desires, afraid she felt this way for the wrong reasons.

Even though she grew more limp in his grasp, her heart seemed to beat triplets, straining behind her ribcage. She missed him so much. She missed this so much.

And the way Nanami held her was enough to let her know that he felt the same.

“We can talk now.” Tiana mumbled, the vibrations tickling Nanami’s chest. He inhaled the scent of her hair, his finger’s twirling around a few stray ringlets as they tangled around his pointer finger.

“I wouldn't let go otherwise.”

Tiana ended up throwing on some sweats and her coat, pulling her hood up as they walked the trail of the townhouses, the orange and white bulbs humming in the cold night. Tiana had suggested the walk, the tug in her stomach pulling so hard that she felt nauseous, and the room becoming unbearably stuffy. Now that her face had significantly cooled and the movement gave her brain something to do, she could move forward with this conversation that was long overdue.

Or at least try to.

They walked in silence, bumping into each other’s sides every few steps as their feet shuffled through the snow. There was so much to say from both of them, but neither knew where to start, or who should start. Together, they sigh, their breath white in the moonlight.

“I’m sorry.” They both apologize at once, and the timing causes them both to stop in their tracks. They face each other, Nanami’s chin angled down slightly as he watches the beams of the moon catch in her eyes. Tiana’s lips were jutted out in embarrassment, glaring up at the man as one of the orange bulbs caused his irises to look like a reservoir of dark amber.

“Go ahead.” Nanami says gently. Tiana takes a deep breath, the winter air hitting the back of her throat sharply as she reveals herself to him.

“I want to apologize for how I acted…” Her voice dropped into a mumble as her eyes dropped with shame. She couldn’t bear going into greater details than that. “For today... For everything at the lodge back then. What I said…I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing for how you felt?” Nanami sounded distressed. “You didn’t say anything wrong. Now that I got a better picture after today…” He teases gently, and Tiana shrinks into her coat. “It makes a lot more sense. I didn’t get it then, but I’m starting to understand now.”

He pauses for a moment.

“I should be the one apologizing.” His eyes felt a bit heavy as he spoke. “That night, I tried to project my feelings onto you, and that wasn’t fair of me.”

Tiana is quick to cut him off, as if he had insulted her.

“Nanami…” Her face is in a deep frown. “You didn’t force your feelings onto me. It wasn’t like that.”

“It doesn’t matter, you weren't ready for me to dump that onto you.”

“It’s not that.” She interrupts him again, shaking her head. “It was just…too damn easy.”

Nanami tilts his head, his own face faltering.

“Isn’t easy good?”

“I don’t know anymore.”

Tiana turns slowly and begins to walk down the trail again, Nanami taking a long stride to catch up to her. They walk in silence momentarily before Tiana speaks up. Now would be the best time to be honest, to lay out all her worries before this man who she couldn’t seem to shake.

“I’ve always rejected the easy things.” Tiana seems to mumble, as if sharing a secret. “I’ve always been so gung-ho on doing things on my own, figuring things out on my own, even if it meant making it a thousand times harder for myself. I think a part of me likes the challenge.”

“But one of the easiest things for me that I wholeheartedly embraced was loving others. My ma, my pa,” She slipped into her southern accent a bit, which caused Nanami to smile, “My nana Odie, even him. The act of loving was always easy. But being loved was always so damn hard.”

“I could never find comfort in it.” Tiana shoved her hands deep into her pockets popping her knuckles to give her hands something to do. “And as much as I loved him, it caused so much strain on our union because I couldn’t let him love me the way he wanted to. I felt like…like…” Tiana stuttered, trying to find the right phrase. “Ah, shoot…”

“Like you had to prove yourself…” Nanami murmured his thoughts, finding yet another common thread between them. Tiana glanced at him momentarily, then nodded her head, continuing her trek through the snow.

“Y-Yeah…” She said, “Like I was undeserving. I just couldn’t sit still. I always had to do more than what he asked of me, and he literally asked for nothing. Said he’d take care of everything. Spoil me.” Tiana lets out a dry scoff. “And finally, all those times where he told me to relax caught up to us.”

She pauses in the snow, feet planted firmly as she looks up at the night sky. Nanami swore her eyes were lined with stars, but they were simply tears that she was trying to blink back into her skull.

“It cost him his life.”

Nanami doesn’t know what to say after that, or if it would be appropriate to say anything at all. As badly as he wanted to embrace her, he knew she probably needed this moment alone, to properly arrange her thoughts. Sharing something like that could take a toll on the body, and he would be here when the weight on her heart became too great to bear.

Tiana sniffles, turning to Nanami as she uses her sleeve to wipe her eyes. She is the one to break the silence once more.

“Nanami.” Her voice wavered. “I’m so confused.”

“Then I’ll help you make it clear.”

“I have so many problems-”

“And we can solve them together.”

Tiana grew flustered, of course Nanami would have a response for everything, never hesitating or voicing any doubt in them. Even though she was skirting around a proper confession and making excuses on why they wouldn’t work, Nanami didn’t wane or whine. She flopped her arms down in frustration, cheeks puffed.

“Nanami, we work in the same building, for Christ’s sake.”

Nanami pondered for a moment, then shrugged as if that was as solvable as one plus one.

“Then I’ll move buildings.” He seemed to chuckle when he said that, but there was nothing humorous about his words. He was definitely being serious about that one.

“Kento…” Tiana ridiculed, shaking her head. The lengths that this man would go was astounding, and her face began to steam.

“Tiana…” He returned the sentiment, his shoes crunching in the snow as he took a small step forward. “I hope I’m not overstepping my boundaries, but…you have to feel something.”

Tiana’s heart seemed to stop before giving a painful squeeze, and her hand flung to her chest as if to stop it from escaping.

“Even if you can’t find the words right now, tomorrow, or even next month.” His voice trickled into her ear like calm water down a stream. “You may feel alone, but you’re not alone in what you're feeling. I promise you. Is it so wrong to feel that way again?”

Nanami skated around that word, but Tiana knew exactly what he was talking about. Before, she told herself that it was impossible to feel that way about anyone else, especially Nanami. She doesn'r remember why she was so against it being him, but the idea seemed intangible. She truly saw Nanami as a crutch she leaned on to feel better, to simply fill in that spot that was previously designed for someone else. But at this moment, the tug in her lower abdomen was undeniable, even if she didn’t want to acknowledge it properly. Somehow, that Naveen shaped hole molded into the man in front of her.

And she wasn’t sure if that was the right way to go about this.

“It’s not feeling that way that’s the problem. I’m human. I can’t help it.” Tiana’s voice was small. “I just want to make sure I’m feeling this way for the right reason. I don’t want to hurt you, Nanami. I can’t go through that a second time.”

She frowned, a serious look etched into her face.

“I’d much rather die.”

She began walking away, but Nanami staggered in his steps.

“Don’t…” Nanami became breathless. Why would she say something like that? “Don’t talk like that…”

“Why not? Isn’t this what you wanted? My honesty?” Tiana asked as Nanami caught up with her steps. “You have it now, and I won’t hide anything else. Not like I could anyway because you’ll pry it out of me regardless…”

Tiana laughs gently, and Nanami joins, a harmonious sound escaping them. But his laugh falls silent soon after.

“What about you? You hidin’ something?”

Tiana didn’t expect an actual answer, but she didn’t expect utter silence either, their feet crunching rhythmically in the snow. She didn’t understand why Nanami hesitated, and when she turned to get a good look at his face, he quickly said,

“No.” He lied, face returning to its stoic manner. Guilt clogged up his throat, he felt like a fraud. How could he beg for Tiana’s honesty when he couldn’t even honor her and offer up the same sentiments?

Tiana shrugged his demeanor off, shaking his head as they kept treading along.

“You gave me your heart.” Her voice sends a shudder down his spine. “And I may not be able to return mine at this moment, but the least I could give you is the truth. That's all I have right now.”

Nanami wants to say something chivalrous in return, something selfless like “you don’t have to give me anything”, but he’d be lying if he did. He wanted this. He wanted her. He needed her.

So instead, his brows knit together, brown eyes wavering with his lips slightly apart. The expression was unexpected, a total contradiction to the usual confident face he held. His sharp features seemed to have softened, his cheeks tinged pink, and his nose as bright as a button. Feeling overwhelmed, an awkward giggle bubbles from Tiana’s throat, and she continues her walk, the image of Nanami so whipped imprinted in her mind forever. He finds himself chasing after her again, meeting her strides.

Their individual versions of the truth were laid out barren and naked, and the two felt antsy as if electricity were crawling through their veins. Tiana bit the inside of her cheek, smoothening her hair. She felt so giddy, as if she had made the latest discovery, or like receiving something shiny and new. She couldn’t help the way the words awkwardly tumbled out of her curled lips.

“So, what are we?”

Nanami makes a strange sound, something between a cough and a snort, and Tiana feels her ears burn. Her pace begins to quicken involuntarily, but Nanami keeps with her using elongated steps.

“I thought you weren’t returning my feelings yet?” Nanami slyly spoke, and Tiana felt herself shrink even farther into her coat hood.

“I’m not, I just-”

She clams up, hiding her mouth behind her zipper as white wisps spill from her nose. This area of gray seemed to excite her, yet caused tension behind her eyes. It felt like her head and heart were in some sort of battle of what was right and what was wrong.

Nanami, watching her cower away, sweeps a strand of blonde past his face.

“Whatever you want us to be.” Nanami answers. “The title doesn’t matter to me, and I feel like it’s already stressing you out.”

“That just sounds unfair to you.” Tiana mutters behind the fabric.

“I don’t care about that. I care about you.”

“So your care for me trumps how I feel about you?” Tiana stops as she tilts her head, her eyes shining. “Now that doesn’t sound fair to me.”

“Then you can choose.” Nanami stops with her, his hand brushing a curl behind her ear. “When you’re ready. How’s that sound?”

The dulcet tone of his voice made Tiana’s stomach roll, one of her hands pausing over her abdomen. Nanami’s hands were freezing, but it cooled her burning flesh.

“Are you going to keep invading my space like this?” She changed the subject, leaning into his hand with her eyes fluttering shut.

“Unless you command me otherwise.” His thumb finds solace in her plump cheeks, massaging the area right below her eye. “All you have to do is say the word. Do you want me to stop?”

Tiana hesitates, but a soft “no” fades past her lips. Nanami couldn’t help how his eyes flickered to them; the two-toned colored flesh sitting pretty on her face.

“Then until that moment, I guess you’re stuck with me.”

Tiana giggled, a childish sound erupting from her as she leaned into him, her teeth a pearly gleam.

“I think it’s the other way around.”

ᴘʀᴇᴠɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ | ɴᴇxᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ | ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴀʜᴇᴀᴅ | ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ʟɪꜱᴛ

#tianami #tiana x nanami #fanfic #anime #manga #writing #ao3 fanfic #jujutsu kaisen #misty #crack fic

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narumi-gens · 4 years ago

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could i request nanamin/f!reader unrequited love? ideally with nanamin pining after the reader. kind of want him realizing that he thought he was fine with his feelings being unrequited, but he's realizing that isn't that case.

notes: sorry for the long wait, anon! time to get back on the nanamin angst train.

warnings: minors/ageless/blank blogs dni, major angst, gn!reader, major manga spoilers

words: 700

Nanami accepted long ago that jujutsu sorcerers rarely made it to old age. He’s come to terms with it. He’s made peace with it. So, when he returned to the jujutsu world, he decided to live by two rules.

First, he would help as many people as he could with whatever time he ended up having. And second, he would create as few ties as possible so as to minimize the suffering of others in the case of an early death.

And for awhile, neither poses a challenge. He exorcises curses and defeats curse users as assigned and saves people where he can. He maintains professional and amiable, but not close, relationships. He lives his life just as his rules dictate.

But then he meets you.

And the more time he spends with you, the more he gets to know you, the harder the second one becomes.

When he tries a new restaurant or reads a new book or hears a new song, his first thought is to wonder what you would think of it. When he finds himself alone, he wonders what you’re doing. When he talks to you and sees your kind smile, he can’t help but wonder how your lips taste.

But every time those thoughts creep into his head, he’s quick to tamp them down before they can go any further. He takes any lingering fondness or any potential affection and puts them inside a box in his mind that he keeps locked.

However, there’s only so much room in the box. And eventually, he can no longer close it at all, and all of those feelings he has for you have nowhere else to go other than to take root deep in his soul, where they continue to grow like weeds that he can’t rid himself of.

You’ve never given him a hint that you’re interested in anything beyond friendship, but Nanami has been sure to remain distant enough that it would discourage you from trying to take things further if you were.

So, he puts as much space as he can between the two of you. He only sees you when absolutely necessary. He only asks about you if it directly pertains to a mission or a curse.

He only allows himself to think of you in those rare moments late at night, when he can’t sleep and his thoughts are already spiraling about the what-ifs and could-have-beens.

He thinks about what a life with you could be. He thinks about the quiet moments you both could share. He thinks about having you in his bed, spending night after night exploring your body and memorizing all the ways he could make you moan and gasp his name.

On those more desperate nights that usually come after a difficult mission, he thinks about what it would be like he if allowed himself to admit, even to himself outside of this fantasy, that he was hopelessly in love with you.

But, in the mornings that follow, he remembers his second rule. He continues to suffer in silence.

And when those final seconds are upon him, when he knows that this is his time, he can meet his end with a clear mind because for as much as wishes that you loved him in return, it’s a relief to know that his death won’t hurt you.

Or at least, that’s what he’ll go to his grave believing.

Because he’s not there when the list of casualties comes in, so he doesn’t see how you freeze when you skim the list and and your eyes stop on “Nanami Kento - Deceased.”

He doesn’t have to know about the countless nights you spend crying for him. He doesn’t have to know how long you spend mourning for him.

He doesn’t have to know how deeply you regret never telling him how you felt, how much you regret that died not knowing you had come to care for him, that you had come to love him.

He’s not alive to learn that he broke his second rule.

#nanami kento #nanami kento x reader #kento nanami #kento nanami x reader #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk #jjk x reader #jjk hc #nanamin angst hours #jjk spoilers

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neonscandal · 2 years ago

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At the end of the world // Or the last thing I see // You are never coming home, never coming home // Could I? Should I? // And all the things that you never ever told me // And all the smiles that are ever gonna haunt me

#neon sounds #i’m in an emo moment #sad anime girl hour #nanamin #nanami the emo #yu haibara #nanami kento #JJK #jujutsu kaisen #jjk angst #jujutsu kaisen angst #jjk brainrot #jjk nanami #jjk haibara #jjk shibuya

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smolpotatobun · 3 years ago

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doodle page~

#head empty only nanamin #missing nanami kento hours #I cried while drawing this is that even ok #I even listened to angst Nanami playlists while drawing help #jujustu kaisen #jjk #jujutsu kaisen fanart #jjk fanart #kento nanami #nanami kento #yu haibara #haibara yu #art #digital art #nariibun art

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littleholmes · 3 years ago

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no new chapter today but i’ll take this break and use it for shibuya remembrance

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justoneacatperson · 3 years ago

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My Omega

Alpha! Nanami Kento x Pregnant! Omega! Fem! Reader

Summary:

↳ The event between the two schools for sorcerers was attacked by unknown strong curses. You were hurt by one of the curses, saving your student. Now, you are just hoping for some universal power to help you not be torn by your protective mate, who is very worried about your condition.

warning(s): a/b/o; omegaverse; pregnancy (4 month); angst and fluff; the reader is Satoru's older sister.

word count: 1,2k

Note: I'm writing for jjk fandom for the first time, so I hope you like it and want to write more about it, because I want to have variety of fandoms in my blog. I apologize for the not-so-intriguing title, but I'm not good at inventing it. :)

That curse was strong. He endured Inumaki's cursed speech, causing the white-haired omega to faint. Maki and Megumi could barely contain the curse, so you had to act quickly and get Toge out of there.

You had just climbed on the roof to pick him up and get him out, but it sensed you and took root at you both. You managed to escape them together with Inumaki and use your cursed weapon to destroy the roots, but due to your condition you were not fast enough to escape the buds with which it fired at you. So one stuck in your thigh, growing a fruit with a jaw very similar of hydnora africana.

The more you used your cursed energy, the more it developed and took root in you. The rest of your students managed to stun the curse, sending it tens of meters away, giving you the opportunity to escape. Blood was flowing from your thigh and it hurt to walk on your leg. Fortunately for you, you were able to find the rest of your colleagues who immediately helped you and Inumaki.

Which brings you here. You were in one of the dormitories for the students, you guess they wanted you to lie on something soft and comfortable because of your condition, for which you will thank them for their care. Your hand instinctively went to your abdomen, gently tapping your bumb. They're fine, you knew they are fine.

Your sleepy eyes slid over your blanket where your leg was. You lifted your blanket, looking at your thigh. It was all wrapped in bandages, there was some blood on them, but it looked good, you moved your leg and felt an unpleasant tension in your muscles, but it was bearable.

Now you noticed that you were wearing a dress or, it was just a big T-shirt that managed to cover your body, you weren't sure, but it didn't matter until you smelted the familiar scent on it. Fresh scent of snow and mountains. Satoru.

-"Hey, sister!" exclaimed the white-haired alpha, scaring the shit out of you.

"Satoru!" you replied, looking at him angrily. -"Do not scare me."

-"I wasn't trying to scare you, I've been sitting here all along." your brother defend himself, waving his arms in front of himself. -"So... how are you?" you let out a sigh, leaning back comfortably on the headboard of the bed.

-"Fine, I'm just tired."

-"Normally, these flowers drained your cursed energy." Satoru explained.

-"Does Nanami know?" your brother laughed at your question.

-"And you ask? When I called him, the first sentence that came out of his mouth when he answered his phone was what was happening to you. He already knew something was wrong." replied the white-haired alpha, rising to his feet from the chair where he sat. -"I called him half an hour ago, he'll be here at any minute."

-"Save me, Satoru." you exclaimed, getting laughter from him.

-"Save you? My strong independent sister wants help from her little brother? Is that what I hear?" he asked jokingly, bending his body and putting his hand to his ear, pretending not to hear you well.

-"Don't laugh at me, you know he's going to kill me for almost killing myself." you replied in annoyance to Gojo.

-"This happens when you fight with highly graded curses, given that Nanamin only allows you to fight with second grade." Satoru accused you with his regular mocking voice.

-"What do you expect me to do? Let Toge die?"

You would continue your argument until you felt a familiar scary aura about ten meters from your dormitory. He is here. You and your brother froze in place, afraid to move a muscle. And that's where your life ends. You heard heavy footsteps coming to the dormitory door and smelled the sour scent of Nanami.

The door swung open, revealing the blond alpha. Gojo jumped in fear, releasing frightened pheromones.

-"Oh, Nanamin, nice to see you!" exclaimed the white-haired alpha, who immediately froze again when Kento looked at him with his periphery. -"Just to say that (Y/n) is to blame for everything! I didn't say or do anything."

-"Satoru!" you yelled at him before Nanami stepped forward, reaching your bed. -"Nana -..."

You were interrupted by your alpha, who embraced your whole body, pressing you into his. He shoved his face into your neck, absorbing your scent. You shivered at the tickle on your neck, wrapping one arm around him. His scent was sour and sad, so you spread yours to soothe him.

-"Are you okay?" he muttered in your neck.

-"Yes." you replied, leaning your head on his. Without realizing it, Kento was sitting next to you.

-”The pup?”

-"They're okay too." the blond let out a heavy sigh, calming his breathing. You could feel his body relaxing now, knowing you were fine.

-"Only her thigh is hurt, but she'll recover quickly. She'll spare it for the first few days by not walking often, so she needs to rest." explained your brother to prevent Nanami from directing his anger at him.

-"Can you leave us alone?" Nanami asked Satoru. The white-haired alpha left the room without saying anything.

-"Kento?" you called him. He rose from you and removed his glasses.

-"It really worried me, Omega." said the blond. His hands were still around you, and one hand was rubbing circles on your back. Yes, he kicked out Gojo because he doesn't like to show his soft side to other people.

-"I'm sorry, but you know that if..."

-"It wasn't you, Toge would probably be killed by the curse. Yes, I know." Nanami interrupted you. -"It doesn't make me any less worried about your health. I don't blame you for it, you did what you thought was right, as always."

-"I know." you replied. You stretched out your arms, wrapping your arms around your mate. He understood what you wanted and leaned towards you and touched your foreheads. -"But I'm fine now, let's not think it too much."

Kento leaned against the frame of the bed, pulling you to his chest. You leaned on him, your head under his chin, and your arms wrapped around his middle. His scent had calmed down and you could smell the caramel again. One of his hands went down to your bump, making small circles on your covered skin.

Nanami let out a throaty purr as he felt your puppy move in your womb. They were still too smal to move often, but they stretched rheir limbs from time to time. You, too, began to purr, rubbing your face against his chest.

-"Toge is okay if you're wondering about his condition. He had reached the limit of his cursed speech and fainted, but he'll recover quickly." you let out a contented sigh at your alpha's speech. -"And the other students are fine."

-"I am glad." you replied. -"But now we have special grade curses that are aimed at us, especially Itadori. I can't rest today, most likely Yaga will gather the other teachers and those from Kyoto to decide what to do with these curses, I should be there."

-"Yes." Kento agreed.

-"I want to see the students to make sure they are well." you said, lifting your head from the blond's chest and connecting your eyes. He understood the hint that you would need a little help to move because of your injured leg.

-"You're in too much of a hurry to get back to work and take care of your students." exclaimed the alpha, but helped you out of bed. - "You accepted the role of their mother."

-"If not me, who else? One part either doesn't have parents or they have a shitty apology for parents." you replied, stepping to the door of the room with Kento on your side. -"And let my brother take care of the students? It would be catastrophic."

This obviously improved the mood of your mate, getting laughter from him.

-"Yes, you're right."

#jjk omegaverse #jujutsu kaisen omegaverse #nanami kento x reader #kento nanami x reader #nanami x reader #nanami kento x fem!reader #alpha nanami kento #alpha nanami #nanami x fem!reader

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bemylord · 4 years ago

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ꜱ/ᴏ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴄʟɪɴɢʏ │ᴀᴘᴏʟᴏɢɪᴇꜱ

↳ characters: satoru, itadori, megumi, toji, nanamin, sukuna.

↳ warnings: it's fluff part, so there's no angst or hurtful things [some parts might be spicy].

↳ butler's remark: finally have dropped the last part of this angst theme.i don't know what kind of dr#gs i used when i was writing the last three.

↳ part one;

ɪᴛᴀᴅᴏʀɪ ʏᴜᴜᴊɪ:

he'd be very sad and angry at himself for screamed at you. he didn't mean to push you away because of his fatigue. as he recalled the phrase you dropped before leaving: 'i'm gonna cuddle with megumi-kun' this phrase goes on and on in his head as he runs into your room. he knocked first, hoping you're alone. he knocked again, but there's no response.

'my baby, i'm so-so-so sorry, baby.' he just jump to the bed, wrapping arms around your waist, pulling you closer to his body. 'no, don't cry because of me, i'm the worst boyfriend ever.' he kisses the top of your head.

yuuji will cry with you if you'd continue to sob your nose, burying your face as deep as it's possible in itadori's chest, unable to deny his necessity. he's comforting you in his arms, whispering praising phrases about you.

'i was a fool, y/n, please forgive me.'

'promise me you'll never scream at me like that.'

instead of words, but kissed your lips, nodded his head. yuuji will show his love and affection by kisses and hugs, holding you tight to keep you from running away.

'y/n, i love you.'

ꜰᴜꜱʜɪɢᴜʀᴏ ᴍᴇɢᴜᴍɪ:

you've decided not to leave but stay home, waiting as long as his malice calm down. you were waiting for him in the bedroom, still grieved by the last words. you know megumi wasn't serious - he hates being beaten up by todo or satoru, you also know that he'll be a puppy right after a bath.

he showed up in the room in the home shorts, aimlessly rubbing the back of the neck, breathing out what caught your attention.

'i shouldn't have let the anger gets the best of me, y/n.'

bruises and abrasions are coaxed on his upper body and face as it brings the pain when he sits on the bed. he again rubs the skin, nervous to ask you to heal him.

'i-i would like..'

'i'll heal you, 'gumi.'

he smiles, seeing you tenderly how you treat wounds. he thought you were going to kill him after the acuteness, but here you are, helping your lover.

'i don't deserve you y/n, you always have been so kind to me. i'm sorry for being a moron, my angel, i didn't mean it.'

you took him of guard by a quick, yet lovely kiss on the lips.

'i will make it up to you, i will change.'

ꜰᴜꜱʜɪɢᴜʀᴏ ᴛᴏᴊɪ:

you may think it'll take days or weeks for him to the realization of what did he do. you were a naive one by leaving the gold wedding ring on the table, thought he won't notice.

'i am not a servant or errand girl, i'm his wife!'

perhaps, you thought he won't sniff as you're leaving the house, silly. he has a perfect hearing to hear where you're going and what you left.

'what a jerk i fell in love for, had the misfortune to marry that...'

'to marry that?'

he finished your sentences, turning your body by your arm.

'need a woman to meet your needs, toji? i've had enough.'

his strong arm didn't let you a chance to leave the place you stand, only pulling you by the chin to look into the loving eyes.

'fool, you're my woman, my wife, and the mother of my future children.'

'regret?' he gasped into your lips before kissing them, nibbling lightly on your lower lip.

'i'll do anything to make you forgive me. should i ea-?'

'home, toji, home!'

'by the way, if you ever take the ring off, ohh. doll~'

ꜱᴀᴛᴏʀᴜ ɢᴏᴊᴏᴜ: [i think i was h1gh, no hate on me after]

i heard about the woman that have called her boyfriend about thosand or more times, so.. it's satoru. satoru has been calling you since you've left the house, maybe, you'd pick up the phone if you weren't be fury at your boyfriend.

you were walking in the park where gojo first confessed his love. your first kiss and something more than a kiss. that place you will always remember is the tallest and oldest tree in the park. noticeable and stately. as you came to the tree you heard someone behind you.

'you knew it's my place, y/n!' what? is that a touchy voice?

'whatever i'm leaving.'

'where do ya goinnng~~'

'home.'

'fine, i'm walking home too. take you home?'

'we live in the same house.'

'that's better! wanna watch netflix and chill?'

i'd say you're mad at him, but i'll lie. he's so funny and cute, how can you resist?

'don't act like a clingy, gojo.'

'you began first. ok-ok, i'm sorry, i'm sorry, i'm sorry.'

you had to gag him with a kiss because he would have continued talking nonsense. acting like a child. he lifted you by the waist, kissing you and whispering sweet phrases.

'i love when you're clingy, my baby, i was- i feel so bad due to the work, my angel. soon we'll be going on the mission.'

he lowered you to the ground, kissing you on the tip of your nose.

'let's pick some flowers and make a wreath, shall we?'

'we'll get arrested.'

'you can run, y/n.'

ɴᴀɴᴀᴍɪ ᴋᴇɴᴛᴏ:

you were taking a bath on your own, drowning in the tears - as you've mentioned you're overly clingy and vulnerable and nanami had had known this. he knew you could be sticky when you haven't seen him in a few hours - but does it badly? he knocked twice on the door, waiting for your response.

'darling, mm-' he hesitated as if you'll reject him. 'may i come in?' you only made a quiet mumbling sound, but it was enough for him to enter the bathtub.

he took off his suit, joining you. no matter how much you try, he will see your weeping eyes.

'i shouldn't have yelled at you over a hard day. darling, come to me, tell me how your day went.'

'not before you tell me about yours.'

you sat on his lap, massaging his sturdy, tired shoulders, helping him relax.

'taking a bath like that with you after a day's work is what i like best.'

he kisses your lips as your palms still find themselves on his shoulders. anyway, nanami doesn't want his future wife to cry over him - he'll be the best husband.

ʀʏᴏᴍᴇɴ ꜱᴜᴋᴜɴᴀ:

it has been weeks since you didn't interact with the king: neither you didn't come to his domain nor answer on his questions. when his sudden mouth appeared on yuuji's cheek, asking you to immediately come to his domain, you didn't feel the need to respond sukuna, irritating him.

you were waiting 'till the king will utterly be pissed off by your behavior, taking the possession of the vessel body to finally have a conversation with you.

'y/n, do something! sukuna has been so furious that i can hardly restrain him.'

'the king wants to see the stupid girl?' you crossed arms over the chest, letting out a sigh of relief - finally. 'i'm coming, sukuna.' you touches yuuji's chest to find yourself being instantly on sukuna's lap.

'you've been ignoring me for weeks, woman.'

'i wonder why? because i'm stupid and clingy?'

sukuna pulled the loose strands of hair out of your face carefully, so as not to hurt you with a claw. he cups your cheeks, making you stare directly at him in the eyes.

'i won't say it twice, so hear me out.' he kissed your lips with fondness, which was not characteristic of him. 'i'm sorry, okay?'

from now on, you can show off that the king of curses said sorry to you. be proud of yourself, 'till his eyes are cast dark hue, palms found themselves on your hips.

'i've been alone for days and days, y/n,' you could feel something raising underneath you. 'and why through all bastards you've chosen satoru?'

someone is jealous..

however, i have a feeling that there will be some sort of sequel...

tag my cuties <3

@monisi @herhappyplace @h3artfiilia @din0plushie @giaduuh @schleepyflocci @creammy0 @rmjace @whogonprayformee @wwholesome-vibes @blacckkwiddow @sivaneeee @deepcowboywerewolf @royaltyofwinterfell @bakugo1819 @electroniclightjudgeghost @alexganes @tonks221 @spn-obession @superbheropeachtrash @strwbrry-lia @sterieshinso @daynada @butyfigers @lonely-dreamer @adorenoya @fluffymarshmellowcat @cloudsinthecosmos @itsonyxpected @itspastellemons @kingdomblvck @lovliecs @doodledee-png @neo-lucien @fl4mepillar @musichime07

↳ back to the main master list.

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kitashousewife · 2 years ago

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evening stroll

an: this is the last fic for my summer holiday event!! i was so excited to write this one!! i hope everyone enjoyed this event, i had a lot of fun doing it :)

pairing: nanami x fem!reader

warnings: slight slight slight angst from a regularly stressed nanami, pet names (mrs. nanami, sweetheart, darling, doll), lowercase intentional, straight fluff, this may 100% be self indulgent bye

nanami is pretty sure that any activity that doesn't involve you isn't worth his time. but, maybe that's just the stress talking.

he's not too sure, though.

it's been a pretty average day for nanami. he parked in his usual spot in front of the school, strode up the same route to the buildings, and set his belongings on his desk in the exact same spot. he taught a couple classes for the first years since gojo is out of town, supervised training, and even gave some pointers. he left right at 5 o'clock, which meant he worked a perfect 8 hours today.

the drive home was traffic-free, allowing nanami the time to be with his thoughts. today was fine, sure, but it would have been better if he just stayed home.

you've been on your summer break from teaching at jujutsu high. being the smart one in your relationship, you opted to spend the summer break at home. nanami was offered the same thing, but he turned it down. today is one of those days that he regrets that decision. being the only person to consistently teach throughout the summer, he wishes he never said yes. gojo decided to teach half of the summer, declaring i need to be there for the kids, nanamin! principal yaga took a few weeks off. hell, even shoko decided to go out of town a few times.

pulling into the driveway of your shared home, nanami lets out a sigh. relief? exhaustion? he isn't quite sure.

he walks through the door and can't help the wide smile that stretches across his face. toeing off his shoes and walking inside, he chuckles quietly as he takes in the view.

there you are, laying on your stomach in the living room. book in one hand, your shared cat being pet with the other. the soft sounds of the record you put on float through the room. the rug the two of you are laying on coated in sunlight, which nanami can only assume is the reason the cat decided to join you. his fingers wrap around the knot of his tie, pulling slightly in an attempt to loosen it. the worn leather of his briefcase hitting the countertop catches your attention.

snapping out of your trance, you stretch much like the cat next to you before sitting up.

"hello, handsome." you smile, slowly standing up to walk over to your husband.

"hello darling. did you have a good day today?" the tie once around his neck now joins his briefcase on the counter. you wrap your arms around his torso, pressing your face into his chest. he chuckles at that. "miss me?"

"of course i missed you kento," you mumble into the fabric of his dress shirt. pulling away, you look up at him and smile. "but, to answer your question, my day was good."

he kisses your head before heading into your shared bedroom to change. "yeah? tell me about it while i change." you trail behind him, your cat losing interest quickly and heading back to his spot on the rug. propping yourself up on the bed while nanami changes into something more comfortable, you begin.

"well, i went to the farmers market for a couple things, i cleaned up a little bit," nanami hums. "i noticed that you did that, thank you very much." you nod. "of course kento. other than that, i didn't do too much. how was your day?"

he emerges from the closet dressed much more casually. the loose t-shirt moves against his body while the buttons his pants. "it was fine," he sighs, motioning for you to follow him back out to the kitchen. you oblige.

"just fine?" nodding, nanami reaches for a glass out of the cupboard. knowing what he wants, you surprise him by pulling a pitcher of lemonade you made out of the fridge. he smiles and shakes his head. you blush. "someone couldn't resist the lemons at the market, huh?" you pour him a glass, not without pushing him playfully. "she's the nicest old lady, kento! you know i can't say no to her."

"how many did you get?"

"that's not important."

"more or less than 5?"

"more," you mumble into your own glass, hoping he doesn't hear you. he laughs, and you roll your eyes in fake annoyance. "we aren't talking about me right now! now, tell me why your day was so fine," you walk over to where he is leaning against the kitchen island.

"well, there isn't anything very exciting about teaching, especially during summertime," he states. you roll your eyes for real this time, looking out the kitchen window.

"you've been cooped up most of the day, how about we go for a walk!" you turn to face him, and he quirks an eyebrow over his drinking glass. finishing the rest of his lemonade, he sets it down in the sink.

"this wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you like to snoop around the neighborhood, would it?" nanami asks, putting on his shoes despite his comment.

"i am not nosy, kento." you huff, slipping on your own shoes.

he is right, though. the two of you have lived in the cutest neighborhood for almost a year. throughout the seasons, you have watched the trees change, the gardens grow, and the children in the neighborhood grow as well. it isn't your fault that everything is so nice to look at, plus everyone is so outgoing.

shutting the door behind the two of you, nanami grabs your hand in his, fingers intertwined. despite the sun's slow descent, the air is still hot. even though he acts annoyed, nanami loves this neighborhood too. he would never admit it, but his favorite house is the one on the corner. they always have the prettiest flowers and the woman that lives there makes the best banana bread.

"kento, what if i told you i had a surprise for you?" you ask as you turn the corner, waving at one of your neighbors who is out watering their lawn.

"i wouldn't believe you. i always know everything that is going on, plus you aren't the best at keeping secrets."

you poke his side playfully. "you're wrong," you singsong back to him. stopping while you admire the beautiful flowers your neighbor has grown, nanami furrows his brow.

"impossible."

you giggle, grabbing his hand again while you continue walking. "what if i told you that i convinced yaga to give you the next two weeks off?" nanami stops walking

"i wouldn't believe you."

you knew this would happen. "believe it, kento. your wife is quite the negotiator," you beam, pointing to yourself.

he chuckles. "that i did know." you scoff. "but seriously, how?"

"while you were at work, yaga called me and asked if I would be willing to sub for gojo in a couple weeks, just for a couple days. i told him i would," you trail off, eyeing the free bouquet sign written in crayon on the porch of one of the neighborhood houses. you walk up and look small jars. "i told him that i would with one exception." you take your pick, a small jar filled with dandelions and rose. walking back to where kento stands at the edge of the driveway, grab his hand once more and begin your walk home.

"and what would that exception be?" nanami grabs the jar out of your hand, deciding that he will carry it for you the rest of the way home. you kick a pebble off of the sidewalk.

"well, i told him i would only come in if you got two weeks off of work. yaga told me he was okay with it, but i had to check with gojo since he would be the only one in town at that time," nanami knows exactly where this is going.

"what did gojo make you agree to?" he sighs, putting on a quick smile to wave at a couple riding past the two of you on their bikes.

you smirk up at him, and you can see the worry in his eyes. "nothing terrible," you say, earning a look from your husband. "but gojo will be joining us for dinner for a week.”

nanami groans and you laugh. “but, starting today you are on vacation, thanks to your lovely wife.”

the two of you return home, kicking off your shoes at the door. reaching down to pet the cat, he looks up at you.

“you seriously got me time off?“ you nod.

it feels like 400 pounds just left his shoulders. he can’t stop the smile that comes, head filled with possibilities for the next two weeks.

nanami stands up and pulls you close. grabbing your face in his warm hands, he places a soft kiss on your lips.

“thank you, doll. you have no idea how much this means to me.” you grin and lean into his hand.

“anything for you, kento. you’re too polite sometimes, agreeing to work the entire summer. you deserve a nice break,”

he kisses you again, this time he picks you up bridal style and walks you to the kitchen, setting you on top of the counters while you laugh.

“how about i make us some dinner to celebrate, mrs. nanami?”

“i would love nothing more.”

#kento nanami #nanami x reader #nanami fluff #nanami x reader fluff #nanami kento x reader #jjk fluff #nanami kento #jujutsu kaisen fluff #nanami imagine #nanami oneshot

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honouredsatoru · 3 years ago

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𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤

summary. jjk men grieving over their lost on the love of their lives.

warnings. death, heavy angst (?),profanity, denial. crappy writing, bcs i never proofread anything i write.

characters. gojo, nanami, geto.

notes. inspired by rosie posie's famous last words. i've been feeling really down for the past few days so writing this was sort of like a release for me, so enjoy haha. also, geto took me the longest because i had to do my research on birth complications, as well as it is completely ooc whereas gojo and nanamin took place in the jjk universe.

tags. @noritoshiikamo @kotarousgf @sirthisisa-wendys @megumisichigo @megumifushi @laudthingcat @lazy10ieiri @nkogneatho @sasso-oda @sookyshima @tojisveryown @fushigurocockslut @saintgojo @nanamisbreadstick @megumislonghair

nanami kento - kneeling on the floor with your beaten up body in his embrace, he held you close to him. no. this can't be. you can't be gone. just a few hours ago, you handed him his bento box, cheeks warm and so was that smile of yours, the smile that never failed to make his worries and stress go away.

from the corner of his eyes to the sharpness of his ears, he can hear the nearby curse oogling in happiness, feeling like it is on top of the world, managing to destory one measly human who happens to be the love of his life, the essence of his soul, the light that brought him joy.

gently carrying your body to the edge of the empty room, he kisses your lips, trying to capture the warmth he fooled himself into thinking that is still there. your cheeks were stained with blood and tears. it's breaking him. before all he felt was guilt but now, anger has made his heart its home. fishing out for his weapon, he looks at you once more, smiling softly with adoration.

"rest in peace, baby. you don't have to be afraid anymore. i hate to say this but, i have a work slightly overtime but i will be back, wait for me, okay? i love you."

geto suguru - no. no. no. today was supposed to be the happiest day of your life, of his life. the day the two of you welcomed your twin daughters, signifying the growth of the family you both craved from the moment you were pronounced man and wife.

"what do you mean you can't fucking save her?"

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU MEAN MY WIFE COULDN'T MAKE IT?! YOU ARE A FUCKING DOCTOR. IT IS YOUR JOB TO MAKE SURE... that.. that she will be safe.. i-it was your responsibility, doc."

"i am extremely sorry, mr. geto. [your name]'s body seem to be in a state of shock after nearly 14 hours of labour, causing postpartum haemorrhage. and her weak heart couldn't handle the pressure. i tried. we did our best to revive her."

he rolled his tongue against his inner cheek, scoffing as he took a step forward, grabbing the man in front of him by the collar, finger's crumpling the medic's pristine white shirt with his other hand raised in a form of a fist, ready to give him a punch.

"it's clear to me that you didn't try hard enough. you didn't do shit."

"sir. i would like to keep it civil between the both of us. please, for the sake of the other patients and for you as well."

he sighed, putting his hands down, taking a step back. his nails left crescent marks on the palm of his hands. tears threatening fall from his eyes to his cheeks. but no. he won't allow anyone to see him in that sort of state. he found it hard to breathe as the nurses covered your breathless silhouette, even with the doctor wishing him his deepest condolences, patting him on the back, the man of white coat and fatigued eyes excused himself, leaving suguru to the abyss of his own mind, completely blank with the only thing drilling into his eardrums were the clicks and clacks made by the doctor's shoes. he slumped against the wall, grabbing his hair, finally letting his ego down and grief washed over his body.

how will he survive without you by his side? his deadpanned stare was interrupted by a nurse lightly tapping his arm, asking if he would like to see his twin daughters in the newborn nursery. salty tears quickly wiped away and soft nods were given to her. the nurse guided him to the front of the nursery, politely showing him his twin daughters. a smile appeared as he nod and whispered thank you to her, turning his attention back to his two little darlings warmly wrapped in their blanket with two tags around their ankles, respectively. suddenly geto's body began to shake, he's crying again. those two girls are a result of his love to you and a gift from you to him. but you're gone. you're never coming back. he will continue to love, he said to himself but deep down, he knows that love will never be the exact same as it was before.

gojo satoru - shock. anger. guilt. those were the emotions running within his veins to his very heart. he was not ready to feel this sort of pain again. no. not after losing his best friend. now he lost his sweet love. you. nothing could've prepared him when he was informed of you losing your life to a mission that was even hard for other grade one jujutsu sorcerers. but its time to face the music. taking in a deep breath, he rested his hands in his pockets, making his way to the morgue. the moment he stepped in, everyone from the first year students to ijichi turned their attention to him. their eyes were filled with sympathy and grief for him but he didn't care for any of that. all he wants is to see you. his hand reached out to gently caress your hair, lightly tugging your bangs, a gesture that annoys you but he loves dearly. he leaned down, planting a soft kiss on your forehead. this time, it was a gesture you favoured to the gods.

hm. weird. she's freezing.

cold.

that's what he felt as his warm lips touched your skin. he takes off his blindfold, cerulean eyes staring at your beautiful face, tears making its way to the corner of his eyes as it gently streamed down his cheeks.

"[your name], you okay, munchkin? i love you. i love you. i love you... i love you, [your name]. you're gonna be alright. i am here now. i am never leaving you alone from this moment onwards. please.. i know you can hear me."

seconds passed by when finally, he covered your face with the cloth thats over your body, turning around to face everyone with a faint smile. only now, that streak of happiness you once gave him no longer lingers in his eyes. ready to leave the room, shoko grabbed his arm, asking if he is okay.

"yes. im fine, ieiri, i just need to grab [your name]'s favourite snacks. she's looking a little pale, don't you think? poor baby, she must be hungry..."

for you see. even the strongest of them all can some times crumble into a pile of nothing but dusts. it is only the matter of time and wind when it'll blow that dust into the horizon.

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nonbinaryeggrolls · 3 years ago

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Sweet Holy Honey pt. 2

Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3, Pt. 4

Nanami Kento x POC!Reader

Synopsis: To keep up with bills you take up a part time job as a stripper/waitress at a gentlemans club in downtown Kyoto under the stage name "Honey". Most days you have to deal with your perverted boss, slobby and drunk old dudes, bachelors, ceos, and college assholes, but every now and then the special customer comes in. He wears a neat beige suit, blue button up shirt, and an unforgettable cougar print tie.

Warnings: SMUT, angst, emotional and physical abuse, cussing, drug use, slight yandere behavior but Nanami isn’t dangerous or violent towards Y/N just obsessed

A/N: This is a normal AU where Nanami and the rest of the JJK characters just have regular jobs/lives

A/N: Just a little note, when you see Y/N and other girls names being italicised it means it's not their real name, it's their stripper name

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

A part of Nanami wondered why the hell he still did this, why he insisted on coming back week after week despite every urge that told him not to. It's not like he was an unattractive guy and couldn't get a females attention. He's been in countless situations before where all he had to do was peer over his glasses and before he knew it, he had a girl in his bed screaming his name into the pillow. In his mind, men who had to seek out and pay for sexual endeavours were pathetic, but there he was leaving work a half hour early just to go see you.

Gojo: "Hey Nanamin! Running off so soon? We were all going to get drinks!" he shouted, slinging his arm over Nanamis shoulder

Nanami inhaled deeply and rubbed his temples, though Gojos voice was perky and good for sales, it has never failed to give him a slight headache.

Nanami: "I already have plans tonight, we'll have to choose another day Satoru."

Gojo: "Plans? Again? That's the fourth Wednesday in a row, I'm slowly beginning to think you're a drug dealer!" the snowy haired man exaggerated, of course he knew Nanami wasn't a man to willingly involve himself in dangerous situations but his constant disappearance each week was intriguing him, "Cmon Nanamin, there's a new bar called the Red Tide opening downtown! I promise just a few drinks and we'll call it a night."

Nanami: "I'm...I'm sorry, another time Satoru. Drive safe."

Nanami cleared his throat and said goodbye to Gojo and the rest of his coworkers. He grabbed his briefcase and phone and made his way to the elevator door. He slumped against the wall of the moving elevator and let out a deep exhale as his mind shifted back and forth between a constant image

Honey...

Fuck this place is busy tonight

Nanami whispered to himself as he parked his obsidian Mercedes in the packed parking lot of the Bunny Room. There was a reason he always chose to come on Wednesdays and that was so he could avoid the annoying crowds and lines that were always there on the weekends and on Friday's, so seeing the club this busy in such an average day of the week pissed him off. Luckily Nanami wasn't a type of man to take chances with his time, he made sure to book an appointment every week at 9:00 pm sharp.

He made his way past the non appointment line and through the entrance door. His eyes widened and heartbeat quickened at the sight, he now saw why the place was so packed on a regular Wednesday evening. Each and every Bunny in the vicinity was topless with nothing but a pair of latex panties, high heels, and bunny ears to clothe them. It made him feel like a nervous schoolboy when he made eye contact with any of the Bunny Girls, even though it was their job, his chivalrous side told him not to look.

Bubblegum: "Pick your jaw up, baby you'll let flies in," she said, her hot pink panties clung to her hips like bees on pollen and her heart shaped nipple piercings twinkled underneath the blue lights. But as tempting as she was Nanami kept his focus only on her face and nothing else.

Y/N: "Apple martini?" She inquired

Nanami: "Oh um...no thank you. I-Is Honey here by any chance?" a part of him hesitated not knowing if he was ready to see so much of you. Bubblegums face contorted with clear annoyance

Bubblegum: "She's busy on stage right now...", he looks to the main stage and his heart jumps out his chest seeing your petite yet nimble body twirl and grind against the brass poll as men flung lewd gestures at you. The sweat on your face made your hair stick to your plump lips, he did his best to avoid view with your breasts, but how could he. They hypnotized him as they bounced and swayed, he was slowly becoming the men he found pathetic

"I can take care of you just as good baby, and my rates are cheaper too." Bubblegum whispered into his left ear

Nanami: "No thank you, my appointment is with Honey and I'd like to start it now please."

Bubblegum: "Ugh god you're so hung up on that bitch, don't you ever get bored? You know she gets dozens of appointments from dozens of guys like EVERY night right? She probably sucks them off too—

Kota: "I don't pay you to run your mouth I pay you to serve, get your ass to table 3." He growled, cupping her face harshly enough to leave a mark

Bubblegum: "Y-Yes sir!" She scurried off to another part of the club in complete fear

As the weeks progressed Nanami came to hate Kota and his agressive ways, he yelled and he grabbed like the women were play toys. If this is how he treated the girls in public then he wondered what went on behind close doors. Did he ever try to touch you? To hurt you? He looked like the type of low life scumbag to get off on making woman suffer.

Kota: "Look buddy..." he took a long drag of his cigarette, making sure to purposely blow it in Nanamis direction, "As you can see Honey’s preoccupied. She goes where I say, when I say to, and right now I'm keeping her ass on that stage..."

His words slowly drowned out as Nanami watched you intensively, it felt like the world stopped when you finally locked eyes with him...

"Keep going bitch!"

Your face winced in slight pain as a man slapped your ass far too hard, and all he did was laugh as he chugged down another tequila shot. He couldn't understand why it made him react the way it did, but his heart plummeted watching your eyebrows knit in pain.

Kota: "So unless you wanna be thrown the fuck out I suggest you—

Nanami: "Four thousand for the night" he deadpanned, "I'll give you four thousand dollars right now to get her off the stage for the rest of the night." He looked at the grimy man with smoldering intensity to prove how serious he was

He wanted you

Not in a way to satisfy him. No, he wanted you away from the hands of those animals that clawed at you like a piece of meat. Kota choked on his own saliva hearing the astounding offer and wasted no time. Immediately he hurried you off the stage, replacing you with Matcha for the night.

And so all he could do now was wait for you behind the velvet curtain once more...

Y/N: "H-He's paying four grand for me?" You looked at Kota in disbelief as he counted the hundreds across his desk like a kid in awe of their Halloween candy, "why would anyone do that for me?" you whispered to yourself

You heard a scoff from the lounge table behind you, you scowled knowing it was none other than Bubblegum. She glared at you with a stare sharp enough to cut through tungsten

Bubblegum: "God don't get so fucking full of yourself, you're probably just a walking fleshlight to him. You're just another hole for him to warm his dick in and you know it."

Midnight: "God, shut the FUCK up Bubblegum, you always got some shit to say cuz your pissed about having the least amount of tips every night!" She shouted in your defense

Bubblegum: "FUCK YOU BITCH!—

Kota: "ALL OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP! Don't stand around all day gawking, Honey just go get his dick wet already so he can keep coming back" you hurried out the door to waiting room 4 once again not knowing what to expect. No ones ever payed this much and expected just a dance, it made you shake with fear that he would try and hurt you or force other services out of you. Why was a he so fixated on you? Why did he think you were so special when you weren't?

Y/N: "Welcome back mister" you said pulling open the velvet curtain but to you're surprise he wasn't in his usual position. He stood in front of you with his jacket over his shoulder, when he started walking towards you, you're legs nearly caved in from how bad they were trembling, "P-Please don't it's just s-supposed to be a dance!"

You stumbled backwards almost tripping over your own feet until he caught you before damage could be done. You hadn't taken time to notice his cologne until now, when he rapped his blazer around your body and the wave of soft sandalwood and palm flooded your nostrils.

Nanami: "I'm not trying to hurt you. I just don't want you to be cold..." his jacket was oversized and hung well past your thighs. His hands moved from your shoulders to the sides of your face and caressed your hickory cheeks with a sense of care and delicacy you never felt before, "I want you to leave this on while you dance for me...can you do that for me Honey?"

Y/N: "Of course mister."

He sat back in his seat as you took position on the private dance pole, his legs spread apart to make room for the erection that was soon to come from watching. This waiting room was different, instead of a single couch it had an elevated pole in the middle of the room and multiple chairs surrounding it — often booked by bachelor parties. When the slow yet sensual music began you slowly spun and dipped against the pole, his jacket hanging slightly off your shoulder just enough for him to see the outline of your breast. In all the weeks that you've seen this man you never heard him moan like he was doing now but god was it beautiful. It wasn't rough and sloppy like most assholes that came in and immediately started grinding their dicks against you, it was deep and smooth like a glass of finely aged whiskey.

He shifted and thrusted in his seat, the friction of his pants fabric against his throbbing cock made a damp spot of precum.

He was aching

And to your surprise you were too. Each grunt and moan he made sank deep into your chest and spread warmth right into your aching pussy

Y/N: "Touch yourself..." you muttered with his jacket now fully hanging of your arms exposing your breasts

Nanami froze wondering if he heard you wrong. His confusion echoed through the lack of words.

Nanami: "I...I don't think I should—

Y/N: "Dont think about it. Just do it."

That one request was all it took for every sliver of restrain that he once held dear, to crumble right in front of you. His belt buckled clanked as he freed his throbbing member from the confines of his pants and immediately began stroking his shaft at an erratic and uncontrollable pace.

It was just as you thought, he was hung.

His tip was soon glistening with his precum to the point it started to drip down his knuckles. Nanami looked up at you, scanning from head to toe, memorizing every curve, beauty mark, and freckle he came across.

Nanami: "Fuck Honey Fuck...You're so beautiful...I'd tell you that everyday if I could" if it wasn't for the loud music in the other side of the curtain the sound of his moistened fists slapping against his balls as he jerked off would have echoed across the Bunny Room. Soon his hips started to stutter involuntary as he thrusted into his palm imagining it was your plushy insides. Your hips no longer moved to the sound of the music instead they gyrated to the tune of his deep desperate moans indicating his fast approaching orgasm

You're body shifted from off the pole to in between his legs as he continued to fist his length at an ungodly pace. You couldn't explain it, why his presence affected you so heavily, there was nothing special about the men who came into the Bunny Room they were just one disgusting horn dog after another— he should be no different. So why did he have you so mesmerized to the point that you ached for his release? You knew nothing about this man, not his name or what he did for a living or how old he was, but still your nipples hardened more and more at the thought of him marking your chest with his seed.

Nanami: "Such a good girl. Fuck I'm so close, I’m gonna cum — uggh — F-Fuck I'm gonna...aaaagh" His breathing hitched and his sentence was cut off by the ropes of white release that spurted onto your well oiled chest and dripped over your nipples. You rubbed your thumbs gently over your sensitive buds as you listened to him come down from his high

After using his tie to wipe up the cum from of your chest you rested your head against his knee. His thick fingers ran through your soft (H/T) hair, comforting your scalp like a mother's lullaby to the ears of a child.

Y/N: "I-I should get back out there, Kota while get mad—

Nanami: "I bought your shift for you remember? You don't have to worry about anything for the rest of the night" He looked at you with adornment in his eyes. You sighed in relief and continued to rest upon his knee until you drifted into a deep slumber.

As much as he hated it, Nanami had to leave, if he didn't his work would just continue to pile up. If he could he'd call off work tomorrow and spend the rest of the night being a pillow for you to rest on, but he had bills to pay and cats to feed. So he wrapped you in his jacket and carried you over to the couch in the back of the room, being sure to notify Midnight on the way out that you were still in there. With that he made his way out of the club past the rest of the stumbling drunk bachelors but not before placing a kiss on your forehead and leaving a hefty $1000 tip in his jacket pocket for you.

Morning came with the rising sun shining through the window of his lavish studio apartment. It'd be a perfect morning except for the fact that the poor man hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. He slept in his work clothes just so your bergamot scent could linger a little longer. It was mind consuming, Nanamis mind wrestled with itself for hours, wondering if he should drop this new habit before he became obsessed.

But that's the thing about Nanami Kento

He was a creature of habit

Once something became ingrained in his schedule, it soon became an integral part of his life. There was no denying it…

he was utterly, hopelessly addicted to you.

All characters belong to Gege Akutami. Story belongs to @nonbinaryeggrolls do not steal

#nanami x black!reader #nanami smut #nanami x y/n #nanami angst #nanami kento #jjk smut #jjk imagines #jujutsu kaisen #gojo satoru #gojo x reader #smut #jjk headcanons #toji fushiguro #sugurugeto

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