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“Hey, Nanamin, does Gojo have a favorite student?” Itadori asks between bites of his burger.
Nanami had indulged Itadori’s pleading to stop for food after pursuing some information about a curse nearby that turned out to be a simple nest of flyboys. The two sat at a table near the window watching people pass by; Itadori asking questions about anything and everything and Nanami patiently answering.
“A favorite student?” Nanami arches a brow above his glasses.
Itadori swallows a mouthful and continues, “Yea! A favorite student! I feel like he spends a lot of time with me but I can’t tell if it's that I’m the favorite or that I have so much to catch up on. But he did also teach the second years before and, wait, did he teach the third years before that or-?”
“Fushiguro,” Nanami replies plainly.
Itadori’s eyes widened in surprise, “Fushiguro? But he always looks annoyed when it comes to anything about Gojo!”
Simply humming an acknowledgement, Nanami turns back to his own food, leaving Itadori to his increasingly strange mumbling trying to overanalyze his friend and teacher’s relationship. It seems to those like Itadori who don’t know the story, their relation must come off as odd. But it might be Gojo’s best and worst kept secret to those that knew the eccentric man.
The photo he keeps in his wallet of two kids he shares no blood with.
The fact that he seems to coincidentally have free time from missions 3 days before Christmas, but the holiday itself doesn’t mean much to the man.
If one knows to look closely, there’s a specific smile he has whenever Fushiguro introduces himself.
Once upon a time, Nanami wasn’t sure why Gojo would smile the way he did. A bit softer than his usual grating, carefree ones. A bit more real. Nanami came to learn the reason soon after Tsumiki was cursed. It was more startling to learn that Gojo had the capacity to care in that kind of way.
Nanami looks across the table at Itadori. Anyone could see that he and Gojo got along like a house on fire. Their relationship is vibrant and filled with understanding, much in part to Itadori’s deep well of emotions. It’s filled with awe from student to mentor and respect from both parties. If Nanami were not Gojo’s junior he would have guessed Itadori in a heartbeat.
But he was there when a frantic fifth year had no idea what to do with a sick elementary schooler.
He had seen Gojo’s phone background photo from Fushiguro’s middle school graduation.
From what he knows, he wouldn’t say Gojo particularly raised those children. He did sponsor them and check in and care for them but he was certainly too young and inexperienced with child care to genuinely raise them. He was needed for missions too often to even be just a constant presence, which Nanami would venture, may be why Fushiguro is none too keen on seeing the Six Eyes as anything remotely resembling a parental figure.
But Fushiguro’s feelings are his own and, while Gojo may not be forthcoming about his fondness, that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. The man is essentially still a grade schooler, with grade schooler logic; he wouldn’t tease you if he didn’t love you. His most popular target is obvious if you’re looking.
Nanami looks back to the confused boy before him, “I didn’t say it was a two way street.”
Itadori looks even more confused by that addition. Nanami softly sighs through his nose, “Though, I do believe you are a close second, Itadori.”
Itadori perks up and cheers to that addition. Nanami sees a spark of idea in his eye just before he asks, “Hey Nanami, who’s your-”
“Itadori, please just eat so we can go.”