Work Text:
If there was something that Nanami Kento was sure of, it was the fact that that person couldn't possibly be you day drinking.
But you possessed the long, dark hair that Nanami is so familiar with, usually a few metres away from his desk. He was familiar with your shoulders, your waist and how it descends to your hips. He's seen you--keenly observed you--for most of the last two years and he refuses to think that he's gotten you all wrong.
It was an unassuming Thursday morning and he stepped out of the bakery he frequents into the liveliness of Tokyo. Nanami didn't think you were the convenience store type until he saw you there, balancing a coffee cup atop a rather thick pile of files, and drinking something out of a tall bottle concealed in a brown paper bag.
There were no remnants of a breakfast meal, he noted as he scanned your table. And judging by your sunglasses even though the sky was cloudy, Nanami could only deduce that you had a rough night.
If you had a night to yourself at all.
He glances at his watch. He really shouldn't be walking towards you when he's planned to come into the office at exactly 8:00 AM. But if he is late, then you will be too, and he knows you hate being late.
To his surprise, you greet him first, "good morning Kento-san. Care to join me on this wonderful day?"
He wasn't sure if the sarcasm in your voice was due to your work circumstances or because of his unwanted presence but he decided to take your greeting in stride, "good morning, how are you?"
You regard him curiously, debating if you should give him the honest answer. You decide you're too tired to care, "I feel like absolute dog shit , Kento-san."
He widens his eyes briefly, taken aback at your profanity-- so early in the morning --before motioning for the empty seat across you, "may I?"
"Sure, whatever."
A part of him knew it was no good to pry but seeing you like this: so careless and free from your usual uptight attitude inspires him to ask, "do you want to talk about it?"
"Let's just say that I want to kill my supervisor," you give in, "he probably lied on his resume because I had to do his job for him. I'm not his secretary, you know."
Nanami nearly swelled with pride; he wasn't too sure what you thought of your own boss but Nanami hated his guts. He often thought about how your boss kept calling you for meetings, knowing that it meant additional workload.
"And I only have a few days until the deadline. Days! I don't know what to do anymore," your voice possessed a shrillness that Nanami was not used to and it thrilled him to think that you've gotten comfortable enough to start ranting.
And okay fine , he is intrigued by you. You kept to yourself and minded your own business, and you always skipped out on the mandatory work party at the end of every year.
What hit the nail on the head, however, is the fact that last year, you volunteered to stay behind to archive files and organise instead of joining the rest of the team for yakiniku. While he was out drinking and having mindless conversation with other people from the floor, Nanami found that he couldn't help but think how it would be so much better hunkered in the small store room with you, surrounded by tons and tons of papers that absolutely needed to be filed away.
He thought about towering over your petite frame and flicking the light off, shrouding the two of you in complete darkness, pretending the bulb no longer worked. He remembers imagining how you would panic and turn to him for comfort and he'd gladly give it.
He nearly blushes at the memory. Kuso , that's ... that's ...
What can he say? He has admired you from afar for the longest time.
Your voice brought him back to the situation at hand, " gomen Kento-san. That was too much."
Nanami was one of the few senior employees in the same department and from the moment you met him, you cannot deny his magnetism. He always looks good in his pressed suit, walks with purpose, and he has charm, even if he didn't mean to be. Especially if he didn't mean to be.
Your interactions with him were few and far between but you like to think he likes working with you. He even indulges in mindless water cooler breaks whenever you pass his desk and motion for the said machine. Plus, every time you see him in the break room, he's always offered you a cup of coffee.
Come to think of it, that's how you two met in the first place.
You liked to think that he wanted to get to know you, being the newest member on the floor that he waited for you to come to the break room. Conveniently, he had a pot of coffee ready and even boiled some water (perhaps he wasn’t sure if you were a coffee or tea drinker–best to be prepared). He didn’t really talk much and you were too shy to speak, but the two of you didn’t mind sitting in silence, and maybe that’s why he warmed up to you quickly.
Nanami watches as you reach for the bottle, taking a big swig before offering it to him. Tentatively, he raises the bottle to his lips as you watch, mesmerised.
But mostly surprised that he's willing to share a drink with you.
Hmm...he's not so uptight after all.
Budding workplace crush aside, you've convinced yourself that a man like Nanami Kento cannot possibly be single. Just because he doesn't talk about his personal relationships, doesn't mean he doesn't have any. And if he was single, you wouldn't dare think for a second that he likes you that way. You've convinced yourself you're not his type.
He has grabbed a folder from your pile and fiddled through, your coffee cup in his other hand. He hums, peering over your notes, adjusting his glasses before giving it back to you neatly.
"I'll see what I can do."
. . .
The universe seems to conspire against you today.
You waited all morning and decided to wait until 2:00 PM just to receive rejection from the suppliers you've contacted, all with the same issue.
...unfortunately, the time frame is too short...
...your request cannot be made without at least two week's time...
...we apologise for the inconvenience...
You sigh and lean back on your chair. You have anticipated this reaction and have written up quotes for other suppliers. For now, all you can do is wait. The morning had been too busy and you were sporting a massive headache (from not eating breakfast or for drinking, who knows?) that when your reminder for 2:00 beeped from your computer, you'd completely forgotten about lunch.
A few desks away, Nanami was surprised you hadn't gotten up for any of your morning breaks to get coffee at least. He contemplated inviting you for lunch but thought against it, scared to appear too keen.
Aside from knowing you hate being late, he's also figured that you love coffee and cats--the silvery cat hair on your dark slacks stood out. There was effort in trying to remove it, which was why you're not covered entirely with it. He knew it should irk him ( use a lint roller! ) but he found it oddly endearing. He could picture you with your cat on Saturday mornings, preparing a coffee, without the rush that a typical weekday usually requires.
Then he began wondering what you look like in the mornings, if you preferred pulling your hair up in a ponytail or if you let it down in messy waves. He also wondered if you wear matching pyjamas or a sweater set, or a large t-shirt or nothing ...
He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to focus when he saw you finally tear your eyes away from the screen and stretch. Nanami tried to look away but your dainty wrists above your head, your blouse catching on the gentle slope of your chest, revealing your waist, proved to be too distracting. He jumps from his seat and marches to the break room, hoping to avoid you for the rest of the afternoon.
That is, until you enter.
"Hi Kento-san," you wave, oblivious to the situation at hand.
He hums and turns to the coffee pot, "would you like some?"
"Yes please," you heat up your food for late lunch.
Immediately, you plan to eat at the balcony instead, knowing that Nanami preferred the quiet. Plus, you didn't exactly have the energy to strike up mindless conversation.
Without looking at you, he asks, "how's the supplier situation?"
"Ahh," you sigh, "they're unable to do the request, as expected. I'll call up a few local ones before the day ends."
"Will you be needing my...assistance?"
There was something in his voice that you couldn't pinpoint. It also seemed like he's trying his best to ignore your presence in the room. Nanami wouldn't ask if he really didn't want to, right?
"Well," you start, "I still need to follow those up. It just means a later night for me."
Nanami took his time making your coffee (and his. It would be weird if he didn't make his own), contemplating on what to say next. On one hand, it looked like you're doing a lot better than this morning but on the other, he couldn't resist–he wants more time with you.
He eventually turns and walks right in your space, handing your coffee with milk, just how you like it. He pauses and realises he probably shouldn't be close enough to smell your perfume.
"I'll stay with you."
The surprise must've been evident on your face because Nanami seemed taken aback by his own boldness. "Only if you want to," he added hastily, drinking out of his own coffee cup.
A part of you wants to be polite and insist that he go home but the other screamed at the rare opportunity. And against your logic, the latter won out. "Sure," you nod, "as long as it's okay with you."
You'll deal with the repercussions later. If any.
"Done," he says stiffly and walks out, leaving you to the beeping noise that the microwave made.
For the next three hours, Nanami stared at the clock, willing for it to go faster. He even finished his tasks a little earlier than expected and yet it was still another 10 minutes before the day officially ended.
Nanami couldn't understand how you managed to occupy his mind the whole damn day when you were always just there . It would seem that today's interactions served as a floodgate that he could no longer close.
Once most of the people from your floor cleared out, he can no longer wait too far from you. He walks and takes the seat next to your desk.
"Hi Kento-san," you say without looking at him.
"How's it going?" he leans forward towards your screen and catches a whiff of your perfume once more.
"I've gotten in contact with one of the local suppliers. Their prices are steep but they're doing this on such short notice, I don't think my supervisor would mind," you were still in work mode, eyes darting all over the screen, "I'll be an hour, probably."
"Okay," Nanami leans back on the seat and drapes his white handkerchief across his eyes, "let me know if you need me."
You nod, keeping your eyes on the screen, "yes boss."
He scoffs and relaxes further in his seated position. Now that he has you to himself, he doesn't quite know what to do. All Nanami knows is that he is exhausted from the day, exhausted from work, exhausted from spending so much energy looking for an excuse to pass by your desk.
Even with his eyes covered, he knew exactly where his hands lay on the arm rest, with his right hand a whisper away from where you sit. His fingers twitch, and it's taking all of him to not reach out and touch ...
Nanami, get a grip..!
You continue to work for the next several minutes, hashing out emails, and even answering a phone call. From what you could tell, Nanami was contently dozing off in the seat next to you. You sneak a look at the taller male, slumped on the chair, with his handkerchief over his eyes. It didn't cover his eyes fully, and you can tell that he's got his eyes closed.
You tried. You really, really tried not to but your eyes began wandering across his physique: the broadness of his shoulders, his strong chest, his stomach, the veins on his forearms, and even his hands…
"Oi, back to work," his face was carefully blank, one eye open from under the handkerchief.
"Sorry!"
The embarrassment caused heat to rise up your neck, making your ears tingle. You heard Nanami chuckle in reply, exacerbating your shame. For the rest of the hour, you didn't dare look back, keeping focused on your work.
And when you finally did, a soft snore greeted you instead. Nanami had fallen asleep seated up, lips slightly apart, hands fully relaxed, and his legs splayed and outstretched. You take a moment to appreciate the view but there was no way he could be comfortable on an office chair like this.
As much as you wanted to stay and observe some more, you gently skimmed your hand on his arm, "Kento-san, let's go home."
He merely stirred. You try again, tapping on his bicep, "Kento-san, it's nearly 7:00 PM."
No response.
You sigh and gingerly remove the handkerchief from his face. You curse at how attractive he is. His face is strikingly beautiful, especially when he's peaceful like this. It's such a stark contrast from the seemingly permanent frown he wears around the office nowadays.
You could only hope that you're one of his reasons to smile.
You lean over him this time, face hovering above his head as your hand finds their way to his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Kento-san," you speak up louder, "you need to wake up. I can't leave you like this."
His eyes flutter open and stare right at your own; you never realised that he had brown eyes.
"All done?" he asks, and you nod in response, "okay then, let's go."
He waits patiently for you to pack up and you head towards the elevator together, saying goodbye to the security guard on the way.
"Thank you Kento-san," you sigh happily as the elevator begins to descend.
"You're welcome," he rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.
You shake your head, "not only for staying behind with me, but for this morning too. I really appreciate that."
"I'm glad," he smiles and you catch his reflection on the elevator doors. Almost immediately, the smile fades to a small grin and it disappoints you a little.
"You should definitely consider going for a managerial role," you quip, keeping the mood light.
He chuckles, "ahh...probably not. Management won't be able to afford me."
The elevator doors slide open and both of you step out into the cold autumn night. There were still a lot of people on the streets and the noise seemed to burst the small bubble that enclosed you and Nanami, bringing you back to the real world. One where you are unremarkable, and him being incredibly unattainable.
"Well," you start, "we should--"
Nanami nods, "yeah. We should--" should what exactly?
You bow to him, "good night Nanami-san."
Nanami's heart drops. You were back to calling him Nanami after being 'Kento-san' the whole day. He couldn't let today end like this.
Without thinking, he grabs your arm, wheeling you around to face him, "I-I--" he stutters, not sure what he wants to say.
You slow him down, clutching the wrist that held on to your arm, "what is it?"
"I..." he sighs, "what do you think of me?"
Nanami searches your eyes, as if staring intently will give him answers. And it kind of does, when he sees your own orbs widen in surprise, then soften as you register his question.
"Please answer honestly," he nearly begs, wanting to know if he was the only one who felt this way.
"I think," you start, turning over all the appropriate words in your mind, and hoping you'll somehow find the best ones, "you're a great person."
His eyes lit up, "and?"
You avert your gaze, "you're also...nice and responsible…”
"...and...?"
“A-and...attractive…" you stutter.
He's suddenly too close; you can feel the warmth emanating from him even in the chilly wind. There was nowhere else to look aside from him but you're determined to keep your eyes straight ahead, right on the middle of his chest.
He repeats himself right in your ear, “...and…?”
"I...like you?"
Did he just reverse psych me into confessing?!
You squeeze your eyes shut and prepare for the worst.
He leans away, tilting your chin to meet his eyes. The browns in his irises glint in the lamp light, and he mutters "that’s good," before capturing your lips into a kiss.
His kisses were different from what you know of his personality. Where at work he is more blunt and demanding, here he is tender and slow, even letting you lead for a few moments before he takes your breath away again. He is impossibly gentle in his ministrations and you could feel your legs giving out.
One of his hands crept up to hold you in the small of your back, steadying you, while the other cupped one side of your face.
It felt like forever before you broke apart, leaning into each other's space, catching your breaths. You feel absolutely wrecked and, looking at Nanami, you're glad to see him in the way he is right now–panting lightly, ears and cheeks tinged with pink.
It was as if the entire day was a build up to this moment, and you are just naturally drawn to the flow of events.
But in Nanami's mind, it's been a long time coming. You've been completely oblivious to him (not that he pursued you conventionally) and would always find ways to downplay his advances. Not this time, though. He was certain that he likes you and he wants you to know that.
"So..." he starts, not wanting the moment to end, "what are your plans tonight?"
And his heart swells at the sight of your smile.