Work Text:
The car ride was silent. Usually you wouldn't mind it, as Nanami Kento is generally not one for small talk.
Curiously, you sneak a look at him.
His jaw was tense, lips set in a hard line. There was a beat and a small pulsing from his jaw, as if he was constantly stopping himself from saying a word. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles taut with the effort.
Still, it was quiet. Too quiet.
The streets of Tokyo flooded with multicoloured lights as he drove past. The glass of the heavily tinted car windows separating the both of you from the noise and the happiness of the outside world. Drawing a deep breath to mitigate the silence somehow, you reach for the radio but Nanami firmly holds your hand and brings it back to your side of the car.
"Do not touch what isn't yours," his voice rumbled from his chest as he turned the radio on himself.
It was settled on a jazz and bossa nova station--tsk, typical Nanami--and the light, airy sound of the guitars soon filled in the awkwardness in the air.
You wouldn't dare speak to him, as you barely knew who he was. Nanami was just another face in Jujutsu High for you. Another co-worker, Another pawn in this war.
Albeit a crazy strong one at that.
You've heard how he annihilated Shigemo during the Shibuya incident. How he faced off Mahito with Itadori and Todou. How they emerged glorious, somewhat, with nearly all of Shibuya reduced to fire and dust and wails of the dying. All of this chaos happening, while you and several others, given the gravity of the situation, were tasked to assist from Kyoto.
That, and the fact that he drove you crazy a tiny bit. He isn't hard on the eyes after all.
Knowing him a little more outside of the profession, however, was out of the question. It didn't take a genius to know that Nanami is a no-nonsense man who does what is appropriate and wouldn't dare gamble lives aside from his own. It's not fair to him, you thought as you changed his bandages during his recovery, who looks after him?
There was no one in his life that you knew. No lover, or close friend. Even Satoru is merely an acquaintance to him and it made you lonely to think that this man is only friends with ghosts from his past.
You're suddenly determined to change that.
The next few days proved to be akin to a chess game. With both of you making unsure moves towards the other, determined to say something, without really saying anything at all. He has paid for your lunch in the Tokyo cafeteria thrice, perhaps in thanks for looking after him as he recovered, and you would always send him a 'thank you' note on his desk in the offices. You greet each other in the halls, just like how respectable co-workers do, but it never evolved into anything more.
So when the opportunity came--a search and rescue operation for Nanami Kento and Maki Zen'in after a mission gone wrong--you decided to rise to the occasion and it nearly cost you your life. As soon as you woke, you see Nanami leisurely reading a book by your bed side. Barely sparing you a glance, he snaps his book shut and calmly calls for the nurse. He made sure you were attended to before leaving unceremoniously, unintentionally raising a ton of questions that you're too afraid to ask.
So to see him waiting with his car outside of the clinic a couple of days later after you were discharged was a shock. And an even bigger shock was when he insisted he drive you home.
The sound of the car coming to a full stop snapped you out of your thoughts and you sigh inwardly, realising you're in front of your apartment. You curse at yourself for not striking a conversation with him at least.
You reach for the door handle but found it locked.
"Nanami-san, what--?"
He's removed his glasses, "you've disappointed me." His gaze was intense and hard to read.
You fiddle with the hem of your sweater, averting your gaze. Suddenly the air was thick with uncertainty and tension and you found it difficult to speak up.
"I-I don't understand what you mean."
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "the search and rescue. You weren't meant to fight."
Oh...this is what this is about.
"But you're my mission--"
"No buts," he snaps, "no saving my life in the expense of yours. No exceptions. You hear me?"
"You would've saved mine," you mumble, leaning further into the seat, "what I did was a knee-jerk reaction. I save people and keep them alive, that's what I do."
"You're a medic!" he nearly screeched, and you almost laughed at how the generally stoic man was practically bursting at the seams. He took a deep breath, composing himself. "Look," he began, "your fighting technique is unrefined. That simple domain was incomplete and a fluke, at best. Do not do that again unless you've trained for it."
His eyes continue to stare intently at you, daring you to challenge him. When the silence stretched for a bit longer, he seemed satisfied to have the last word. Nanami sits back up, preparing to move once more. And when he spoke again, his voice was gentle but dismissive:
"I am not worth your life."
You didn't know what to make of that, only there was a fierceness bubbling at the pit of your stomach and the persistent thought--you're wrong, Nanami. You're wrong, wrong, wrong...!
"You're not being fair, Nanami-san," you spoke softly, breaking though the annoyance that Nanami didn't bother hiding. His usual annoyed playfulness is reserved for his interactions with Gojo, but seeing this side of him directed to you was almost a privilege. Sacred.
You like to think that he lets his guard down when he's around you.
You choose your next words carefully, knowing that this intense moment between you is in the balance. One misstep, and you might as well return to being just colleagues forever, which was extremely lonesome, especially after this stupid car ride.
Finally, you look back at his eyes defiantly before saying: "you always look after everyone. So please let me look after you."
The soft jazz music continued to play in the background but his reluctance to bite back after his earlier outburst made the air heavy with awkwardness once again. You wish you could string the words back in your throat when he surged towards you, gripping you tightly, pulling you in an embrace.
"Na-Nanami-san..."
"Shh..." he wound a hand on your hair, placing a chaste kiss on your temple, your skin pricking warm where his lips had touched, "don't say a word."
You could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest, acutely aware of his shallow breathing, memorising the placement of his hands and how warm they are and how he smelled of coffee and something sugary sweet...
"Thank you," he whispers, so soft you could barely hear it over the music," I know of the lengths you went through to find me. But I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if you'd died because of my recklessness."
The memory of being trapped in that timeless domain, with nothing but the curse happy enough to watch you descend to madness, caused your breath to hitch in your throat. Sure, you got out alive by commanding your own domain but the nightmare--the possibility-- of being trapped until the soul has expired, will always put you in a panicked state, not unless you learn your ability. The thought nearly brought tears to your eyes but you blinked, willing for it to go away.
"I am neither dead nor dying, Nanami-san."
He starts pulling away and you immediately miss his warmth and his scent. He leans back on his chair, still looking as immaculate as ever and you could only hope to not look like a dishevelled mess after one measly embrace. You tuck your hair behind your ear, self-conscious.
"Let me train you," he offers, "no exceptions."
You nod mutely at this, not really knowing what else to say. He did say no exceptions...
A fleeting smile graced his features and he visibly relaxed before unlocking the car doors. "I'm sorry, that was forward of me," he said, likely an afterthought, "I usually don't do...emotions..."
He helps you with your overnight bag and walks you to your apartment door. Even after the intimate moment you shared in the car, it seems as if Nanami has built his walls back up while you want nothing more than to invite him in and...well.
"You'll be alright now," he mumbles, placing your bag down on the ground gently, "If you need anything else, please let me know."
"Yes, I will. Good night Nanami-san," you bow generously, "thank you for bringing me home."
You decide not to push it. He granted you a moment of vulnerability that you wouldn't change for the world. You could only hope that if anything more happens, it will happen organically over time. This seems like the right decision to make.
As for him, he decides to smile, "good night. We start training tomorrow."