Work Text:
Office work was as dull as it could get. Mindless gossip, pointless typing, and a lot of coffee breaks. As it was, Nanami had no intention of making friends or putting too much effort into what he was making. He was just getting by, trying to save enough money to live a comfortable life later.
So of course when he suddenly became a part of the CEO’s son's inner circle, he felt utterly confused. Gojo Satoru had started working in the company as soon as he was eighteen and rumors had it that he was gathering experience to rule the company someday. As soon as Nanami had seen him, he knew he had to stay away from him as much as possible. Not only was he loud, but wherever he went, there was a horde of suck-ups following him, which was annoying, to say the least.
But, somehow, after some people were fired and the remaining staff reallocated, Nanami was moved to his task force. To make matters worse, he was allocated to sit right next to him., Gojo was the only supervisor who demanded to sit this close to his task force.
The other team members were just as unusual as Gojo but far less overbearing. Ieiri Shoko, someone who seemed just as quiet as Nanami, often made snarky remarks to Gojo, as if he wasn’t her superior and the next CEO of the company. The other member, Geto Suguru, was just as comfortable around the man, if not more. They chatted a lot, and Geto laughed at almost everything Gojo said, which meant he was either a suck-up or had an incredibly silly sense of humor.
Despite all that, being on their team made Nanami feel more at ease. They were three of the most competent people he had met in all his years in the company, and for the first time, he felt like he wasn’t doing all of the job by himself.
However, it was a bit disconcerting how quickly they had started to act like Nanami was a part of their friend group.
Things started to get weird one day at the coffee break room when Gojo suddenly said… “You know, last night I had a strange dream.”
Two loud sighs interrupted him.
“This again, Satoru?” Geto complained. Sat next to him, Ieiri looked just as annoyed.
“What? If I can’t tell my friends about it, then who will I tell it to?” Gojo whined.
“Maybe a therapist?” Ieiri suggested and Geto let out a loud laugh.
“Satoru, you might make Nanami uncomfortable if you start this kind of conversation with him around,” Geto tried to explain. “He’s not used to your manners yet.”
Geto’s concern wasn’t unfounded. Dreams were considered a very private topic that should only be discussed with a lover or someone you’re interested in. That is because, as the legend says, soulmates always have the same dream.
“Don’t worry about me, I’m skeptical,” Nanami said. He never really believed there was such a thing as soulmates. His parents didn’t have the same dreams, but they were a happy couple as far as he was concerned. There were countless couples, though, that flaunted their soulmate status around, not that Nanami believed them.
But, as it seems, his opinion wasn’t a very popular one among the group. His three teammates looked at him in shock.
“How can you be one of those people?” Gojo asked, offended.
Nanami sighed. “I’ll believe it once I see it with my own eyes,” Nanami answered, though falsely. He couldn’t picture a scenario that would actually convince him of the contrary. He was just disinclined to believe in things such as destiny or fate. Life was as simple as it seemed, and he was content with that.
But Gojo didn’t seem to be very pleased with it. He sighed loudly before starting to gush about that weird dream of his. “So, I was at the mall, but every single store was a jewelry store. I was trying to find the food court, but it was impossible. I walked for hours until I decided to enter one of the stores and there was only one item there, a golden ring. So I tried to grab it but there was a glass case protecting it and no one was around to get it for me, so I tried breaking the glass, but it was impossible.”
Nanami, who was sipping on his coffee, froze immediately.
“What then?” Geto asked, apparently entertained, despite his early complaint.
“Then I woke up! What do you think that means?”
“That you’re a materialistic son of a bitch,” Ieiri answered, eliciting a laugh from Geto.
“What do you think, Nanami?” Gojo asked, making all eyes turn to the blond office worker, who was still buried inside his cup.
Slowly, trying to keep his composure, he rested the cup on the table and faced the three people ogling him.
The engines in his brain had stopped working and his throat had gone dry.
It made no sense that Gojo narrated Nanami’s latest dream, word for word, scene by scene. What a stupid coincidence, right after Nanami had argued against twin-dreams.
“What’s wrong, Nanami?” Ieiri asked, touching his shoulder. She had a worried look on her face that suggested that Nanami looked just as desperate as he felt.
Shaking the stupor away, Nanami replied, “I just realized I sent an out-of-date spreadsheet to the other department, which will lead to serious issues.” He got up quickly, as to convey how urgent his mistake was. “I’ll fix that in a moment.”
“You scared me for a second,” Ieiri let out a laugh.
“Well, leave it to Nanami to always be thinking of work,” Geto added.
Gojo, however, was pouting, eyes tracing Nanami as he left the room.
-
The next day, Nanami was glad he was the first one on his team to get there. The quiet environment was a good contrast to his mind, which was as loud as it ever was. Ever since the previous afternoon, all sorts of intrusive thoughts were piercing Nanami’s brain. It was so bad that no amount of chamomile tea had been able to stop his irritation.
Nanami planned to put on his headphones and turn on his music to max volume, avoiding any conversation his teammates might want to start with him. However, not even twenty minutes had passed when his plan had been interrupted.
Nanami’s shoulders were suddenly shaken by two very large hands. Startled, Nanami took off his headphones and looked around only to be met by a loud whine, “Nanamiii.”
He sighed. “What is it, Gojo?”
“I brought everyone bread, do you want some? Ah, I also brought coffee.”
The tension in Nanami’s shoulder eased almost immediately at the mention of bread. Gojo handed him a small package and a cup, and the smell of both food and drink quickly met his nose.
“Thank you,” Nanami said with a slight bow. He was truly grateful, as he didn’t have time to grab something to eat before work. After he dreamed of being in a bakery full of delicious bread, he really craved it.
“You’re all welcome,” Gojo waved it off. “I asked Ijichi to buy those for me after I woke up starving from this dream I had.”
Nanami’s face fell. Not this again.
“You dreamt of bread?” Geto questioned. “I thought your thing was sweets.”
“There were tons of sweet breads! I even bought one for myself.”
Nanami’s heart started racing. This is ridiculous.
Opening the package, Nanami saw the same croissant he had seen in the dream. A dilemma hit him. Should he really eat it even though it solidified a horrible truth he wasn’t willing to believe? But could he ignore such delicious-looking bread?
As it seemed, he could not. Only after he ate all of it did Nanami’s conscience weigh on him. Why the hell are we having the same goddamn dreams, please don’t let this moron be my soulmate, he pleaded to whichever forces of the universe were responsible for this. Please.
-
One week passed and Nanami’s despair only increased as Gojo narrated his dreams every single day.
How could Gojo be his soulmate when they were nothing alike? The story that opposites attract is nothing but stupidity. Humans aren’t magnets. No relationship could survive when two people have nothing in common, so how had fate united Nanami with that moron?
Nanami’s intense stare now bore into Gojo more frequently than he’d like to admit. It was like his brain was trying to make sense of him. What about that tall, languid, white-haired, and startling-blue-eyed man could mean soulmate material?
So far, when Nanami pictured his future, he saw himself with a woman and children on a beach somewhere. But even that seemed off the mark. His time was too consumed by office work to even imagine having a relationship.
Regardless of gender, though, he never imagined himself with someone so… How could he put it gently? With such a… strong… personality.
There was a duality to Gojo’s behavior that was disconcerting. He switched fast between spilling crude criticism and acting overly friendly. It was as if he couldn’t decide what behavior was the most appropriate at each moment and it always caught Nanami off guard.
The worst part, still, was how Gojo always invaded Nanami’s personal space, rolling his chair over to Nanami’s desk to see what he was working on, asking if he needed help, or simply pinching Nanami’s cheeks and saying he looked adorable, no matter how many times the man had sternly told him not to do that. At the very least, Nanami wasn’t the only one Gojo acted like that towards, though Ieiri typically accepted his bullshit less.
Nanami wondered if the great number of lunches and coffee breaks he accepted to share with them for the past few weeks were enough to grant him the “friend” status, and if so, how he could revoke it.
It wouldn’t be so unbearable, Nanami admitted, if he wasn’t hiding the unpleasant secret that Gojo might be his soulmate. And every day the tall man made sure to remind him of that, by telling the group yet another dream.
“Last night I had this wonderful dream, do y’all want to hear about it?” Gojo asked, clapping excitedly, as if he was actually expecting their answers. “I was laying on the grass under the most beautiful night sky I have ever seen… The moon looked so big and shiny, and the most surprising part was that there was someone next to me holding my hand. But even though we were touching, I couldn’t look to the side to see their face! It was so agonizing!”
Nanami let a small smile escape. He had particularly liked that dream. It was relaxing. The air in the countryside was much clearer than Tokyo’s, and the slight chill made the warmth of the body next to him rather pleasing.
But Gojo didn’t seem content with the dream. “It’s so annoying to have dreams like that when you don’t have anyone to do those stuff with you in real life! I’m sick of the single life.” He threw his head back dramatically.
“You’re so annoying, Gojo,” Ieiri complained, rolling her eyes. “You have all the girls fawning over you and yet you lose interest in them as soon as you realize they’re not your soulmate.”
Nanami felt a tingle of guilt inside of him. He had never met someone so dedicated to finding his soulmate as Gojo, and Nanami had all the information he needed and yet couldn’t find it in himself to relay it to him.
“Is everything alright, Nanami?” Ieiri asked, touching Nanami’s elbow to get his attention.
A bit startled, Nanami nodded. “I was just thinking about all the stuff I have to do once we’re back in the office.”
Ieiri raised an eyebrow as if she didn’t believe in his answer, but didn’t say anything else.
“Satoru,” Geto called. “Pay for our dessert today. It’s Friday.”
Gojo smiled. “What about we go for drinks later instead? On my tab, of course.”
“I’m in, but I also want dessert,” Ieiri added.
“Good! Let’s go together after work. Ijichi will take us.”
It didn’t seem like Nanami had any say in it, so later that day, there he was in the bar with his coworkers/somewhat friends.
Nanami didn’t think much in advance about how the night would play out. He didn’t expect the phenomenon that usually happened in the office — which consisted of multiple women gravitating toward Gojo and Geto — would also happen in a bar. Perhaps their looks played more of a part in all the suck-up than their positions of power. Nanami had really underestimated that.
But he seemed to be the only one who was surprised because the three of them knew exactly how to handle it. Accepting the drinks, but quickly ending the conversations. There also seemed to be some sort of hijacking on Ieiri’s part, who would steal some of the girl’s attention once Geto rejected them.
Gojo, though, didn’t seem to be rejecting this one girl in particular. She was almost sitting on his lap, with him whispering god-knows-what in her ear.
Nanami’s displeased face seemed to be quickly noticed by Ieiri.
“Have some fun, Nanami,” she said, nudging him. “You’d attract someone if you eased your expression a bit. And maybe if you loosened this tie…” She took matters into her own hands, immediately undoing Nanami’s tie and messing his hair out of his perfectly neat hairstyle. “Now smile a bit…”
Nanami now looked even more uncomfortable. “No, thank you, I’m only here to have a few drinks.” He really didn’t need to flirt in front of his superior and soulmate at that. It was weird enough seeing him all over some girl—not that Nanami cared, it just didn’t sit right with him. “Why don’t you bother Geto instead? He's been rejecting every girl who drops by.” Nanami asked to deflect, though he knew why.
“He’s like a lightning rod for queer women. They don’t usually approach other women in straight bars like this, so I gotta do what I gotta do.”
“And also I’m gay as fuck,” Geto added, laughing. “Just here to do you guys a favor.”
“But you know what’s funny?” Ieiri said, eyes fixed on Gojo, who seemed to be in a completely different universe than theirs. “It’s funny that he’s chatting so much with this girl when the person he wants to talk to is right next to us.”
Nanami choked on his drink and Gojo quickly looked at him. “You alright, Nanami?” He asked, looking slightly worried. The blonde girl on his lap shot Nanami a dirty look.
Nanami nodded. “It’s nothing.” Then, when Gojo’s attention was stolen by the girl again, Nanami said under his breath, “Don’t say nonsense like that again.”
Geto opened a big smile. “What? Do you think it’s nonsense? He’s been so insufferable… All that dream talk, trying to fish reactions from you… Sooo annoying.” Geto rolled his eyes.
Ieiri vehemently agreed. “He’s like that when he finds someone cute, but usually he gives up faster.”
Nanami frowned and shook his head. “I’m sure it’s just ‘cause he’s careless.”
“He literally never takes the eyes off of you. He may not be listening to us right now, but he’s definitely seeing you,” Geto pointed. “Let me demonstrate…” Geto leaned forward and grabbed Nanami by the neck. Nanami’s eyes widened, but he didn’t pull away. However, instead of the worst-case scenario he pictured, Geto just kissed his cheek, making Nanami’s face flush. “So cute.” Geto flicked his nose.
Embarrassed, Nanami looked away from him, and his eyes immediately met with Gojo’s narrowed ones.
“Y’all having fun over there?” Gojo asked with a playful tone, but there was a strange look on his face that Nanami had never seen.
Next to him, Ieiri laughed quietly covering her mouth, and on the other side Geto smiled wickedly.
“I was just telling Nanami how cute he is when he’s not talking about work only,” Geto fibbed.
Gojo, on the other hand, pouted. “Hey, how come you only ever talk about work with me? Do you like Geto and Ieiri more?”
Forgetting how baffled he was, Nanami felt the urge to smile fondly. But all feelings subsided when the girl on Gojo’s lap wiggled herself and whined for attention, which was quickly given to her.
Nanami sighed. “Was this show supposed to prove something?” he whispered.
“It did prove something,” Geto corrected.
“Yup, his neck snapped as soon as Geto leaned towards you, he’s so stupid,” Ieiri added.
“Well, office relationships are highly inappropriate, and besides, I’m not his soulmate, so I’m sure he won’t be interested.” Nanami’s lie slid through his tongue easily, as if he had practiced it.
“I’m not that sure about that though… you always have weird reactions to Gojo’s dreams,” Ieiri noted. “At first you looked like you were about to die, but then eventually you started to look like you were constipated. Those are weird reactions for a so-called skeptic, right, Geto?”
Geto nodded. “Hmm… How about we get some drinks and leave the rest for them to solve?” he suggested.
“Let’s go.” Ieiri jumped after him. Nanami shook his head in disapproval.
But if they planned to leave Nanami alone so Gojo could talk to him, they’d be very disappointed. The man kept talking to that woman, not paying attention to how he was now alone and pathetically sucking on the ice left in his cup. Gojo looked like he could care less about Nanami, which relieved him. He had nothing unrelated to work to say to Gojo.
Yet, the man couldn’t avoid glancing at Gojo now and then. He laughed a lot, like he always did, often approaching the girl to say something in her ear, to which she laughed back stridently. Nanami rolled his eyes at how cliche they looked together. Maybe that was the kind of person Gojo was looking to be his soulmate, and how unfortunate for the white-haired man that he was actually the opposite of that petite, cute woman.
Not that it mattered, because Nanami would never tell him, and therefore Gojo would have to eventually settle for someone who didn’t have the same dreams he had. How bad could that really be? Nanami shouldn’t feel guilty about it. He shouldn’t care about Gojo’s happiness at all.
But… for some reason, he couldn’t help but feel… awkward.
“We’re back!” Geto announced, putting three shot glasses on the table. Ieiri brought another mocktail, presumably for Gojo.
“Took you long enough,” Nanami grunted, taking his shot as fast as possible.
Ieiri and Geto shared a look. “So, nothing new?” The woman asked.
Nanami chuckled. “What, were you expecting some life-changing event?”
At that, Geto got up and walked closer to Gojo, said something to the girl he was with, and dragged him back to the table. “Share a drink with your friends, will you?”
“Sorry, guys. Got distracted for a bit.” Gojo seemed content, a smile coming easily as always. “It’s been a fun night, right? We should go to a karaoke next.”
After their conversation, Nanami found himself unable to look Gojo in the eye, so he did what he needed to do. “I think it’s time I go home. Thank you for the drinks and the company.,” Nanami bowed lightly toward the three of them, then one at once. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
After he heard their complaints about how early it was, Nanami left and got himself a cab home. His head was hurting and it wasn’t only because of the drinks. He was gutted by the idea that he might… That Nanami might have been jealous because of Gojo Satoru of all people.
“I must be crazy,” he whispered to himself. “I need some sleep.”
But what should’ve helped him recollect himself, only made it worse.
There was an unusual dream. For the first time, Nanami saw someone else in his dream. He didn’t even know it was possible to see real people in your dreams, with actual faces. And there was Gojo, wearing an apron and all covered in baking powder. He was laughing at something, while Nanami kneaded the bread dough. It felt domestic and relaxing like life rarely was for Nanami.
It left him with a strange sensation. It was longing. Like that kind of life was what Nanami had been secretly craving all along. Not necessarily a full family, and definitely not rotting away in an office. But someone he could smile next to, and feel comfortable.
So far, whenever Nanami tried to stupidly picture himself with Gojo, it had been complete chaos. Fights, complaints, stress. But why, after a single dream, was he starting to look at it differently?
What if Gojo’s lighthearted mood was a good contrast to Nanami’s more tense one? What if their opposing personalities balanced each other out? What if this is what they mean by opposites attract?
But no, that was ridiculous. Despite what Geto and Ieiri said, there was too little evidence that Gojo was even interested in him in that way. But he’s been looking for his soulmate, his traitorous brain countered. Yet… What if he’s disappointed it’s me?
Nanami rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. I’m going insane.
The worst part, the thing that kept bothering him was… If Nanami had seen Gojo, what had Gojo seen? Had he seen himself from Nanami’s point of view? Had he seen Nanami instead? Was that the end of his secret? Would Gojo be mad if he found out Nanami had been hiding this?
Suddenly, his phone started ringing on the bedside table. Startled, Nanami fumbled to get it, letting it fall on the floor. “Shit,” he grunted, picking up the phone that was thankfully unscattered.
It was Gojo. Nanami closed his eyes for a moment before picking up the call. “Morning, Gojo, to what do I owe the pleasure?” He let as much sarcasm as he could into his voice.
“Boss wants us back in the company right away, there’s an urgent thing we have to deal with. Geto and Ieiri are already on their way. Do you want me to pick you up?”
Nanami’s heart skipped a beat. It’d be faster than getting the train, but should he really accept the offer? What if Gojo confronted him?
“C’mon, tell me where you live or I’ll look it up in your file.”
“Fine, I’ll text it to you., I need at least fifteen minutes to get ready. I hope we’re being compensated for the extra hours.”
“Of course! What kind of boss do you think my father is— wait, don’t answer that, I might agree with you and lose my inheritance.” Nanami chuckled before he caught himself. “See you, Nanamin,” Gojo said before hanging up.
Before Gojo even announced his arrival Nanami was waiting by the door. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous for the wrong reasons. For the first time, he couldn’t care less about whatever urgent problem they might need him for at work, he just didn’t want Gojo to know.
“Yippee, Saturday ride with Nanamin and Satoru,” Gojo said excitedly, making a peace sign next to his eyes when Nanami entered the car.
The man only rolled his eyes and fastened his belt. “Let’s get going, shall we?”
Thankfully, Gojo was just as chatty as ever, and nothing indicated that he knew what was happening between them. Or what was supposed to happen, anyway. The more Nanami got close to Gojo, the more suggestive the dreams became and if domesticity was the last one, Nanami was becoming afraid of what could come next.
The morning passed like an ordinary office day, except for the chatter that was way less present, since they were heavily concentrated, intending to finish this as soon as possible.
Four hours later, they had mostly everything done and Gojo offered to pay for lunch. Everything was normal, except… Except that Gojo hadn’t talked about dreams yet. He always did, ever since that first time, every single time. So what was stopping him this time? Had he dreamed of Nanami? Was he disappointed? Nanami’s heart raced at the thought. It was ridiculous, hadn’t Nanami dreaded being Gojo’s soulmate not too long ago?
“Hey, guys,” Gojo’s interjection interrupted Nanami’s turmoil. “Have you ever seen people in your dreams? Like, see their full face?”
Nanami’s heart sank at the question. “No,” he answered quickly.
“Yes,” Ieiri and Geto answered in unison.
“Wait, what do you mean, Nanami? You never saw a person’s face in a dream?” Geto questioned.
“You can’t dream of someone’s face,” Nanami said as if it was a fact. I mean, it had been a fact so far, he thought to himself.
“Of course you can, I dream of random people all the time, even Geto has been in my dreams before,” Shoko said.
“Isn’t that weird, though?” Gojo asked. “I had never seen anyone in my dreams either, not until last night. It was my own face, which was even more weird. I was seeing through someone else’s eyes. That means my soulmate must have seen me, right? They know I’m me!”
Nanami looked away, feeling the guilt pile up. Gojo seemed so content with this possible connection to his soulmate that it felt wrong that Nanami had been hiding this for so long.
“Well, if you two already know each other, maybe they’ll look for you soon,” Ieiri said with a pointed tone. “I’m sure.”
“I hope so!” Gojo rested his head on the table, cradled by his long limbs, and sighed loudly. “I can’t wait.”
Nanami’s heart raced as the weight of the conversation lingered in the air. Gojo’s wistful sigh, his longing for a soulmate, and the tension Nanami had carried for weeks all converged into a storm of emotion.
Is it fair that I leave him wondering?
Those thoughts clouded Nanami’s mind all through the afternoon, leaving Nanami behind on his task. When he finally looked around, Geto and Ieiri had already left, leaving him and Gojo alone.
“You know, Nanamin,” Gojo began, leaning against the desk. “I’ve been thinking a lot about those dreams.”
Nanami swallowed hard, his hands clenching involuntarily. “What about them?”
Gojo’s gaze was piercing, his eyes uncharacteristically serious. “It’s like they’ve been trying to tell me something… They’ve been much more emotionally charged recently, it’s like it’s telling me my soulmate is close… But no matter how much I think about it, I don’t know how to crack the code.”
Nanami looked away and took a deep breath. How could he keep this up? Gojo deserved the truth—even if telling him the truth scared Nanami to death.
“Gojo,” he began, his voice softer than he’d intended. “Those dreams you’ve been having…”
Gojo blinked, a faint frown pulling at his lips. “What about them?”
Nanami’s usually stoic demeanor cracked under the weight of his confession. “They’re the same ones I’ve been having. Every single one of them.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and unshakable. Gojo’s eyes widened, his mouth opening slightly before closing again. For once, he was speechless.
“I didn’t believe it at first,” Nanami continued, his voice trembling. “I thought it was a coincidence, or maybe… I don’t know. But it kept happening. And then last night, I saw you. In my dream. Clear as day.”
Gojo’s expression shifted, a mixture of awe and something deeper. He moved his chair closer, letting their knees bump into each other. “You saw me?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Nanami nodded, his throat tight. “Wearing that ridiculous powder-covered apron. Laughing. You were happy. And so was I.”
The silence that followed was electric, charged with the weight of unspoken emotions. Gojo stared at Nanami, his usual bravado stripped away to reveal raw, unfiltered sincerity. Then, without warning, he broke into a radiant smile—one that lit up the dim office like the sun piercing through storm clouds.
“So it’s you,” he said, his voice trembling with uncharacteristic emotion. “I’ve been looking for so long, and… it’s you.”
Nanami’s heart was pounding in his chest, but he held Gojo’s gaze, his own resolve solidifying. “It’s me,” he confirmed. “If you’ll have me.”
Gojo laughed softly, a sound filled with relief and joy. “Nanami Kento, you’re asking if I’ll have you? You’re my soulmate. Of course I’ll have you.”
The world seemed to blur as Gojo leaned closer, his hand reaching out to cup Nanami’s face. The contact sent a shiver down Nanami’s spine, and before he could think, before he could question, Gojo kissed him.
The kiss was gentle but also hot and intense. Nanami’s heart was beating out of control.
When they broke the kiss, Gojo rested their foreheads together and opened one of the biggest smiles Nanami had ever seen.
“I knew it would feel like this,” Gojo murmured. “Like coming home.”
Nanami closed his eyes, allowing himself to smile as well. “It’s overwhelming,” he admitted. “But… it feels right.”
“Good,” Gojo said, pulling him into a tight embrace. “Because I’m not letting you go now.”
Just like that, Nanami had fallen in love.
Who would’ve thought so when he entered the company years before? What if he had gone to the rival company instead? What if he was the one fired and another person was moved to Gojo’s team?
Was it serendipity that wove their paths together? Was this the unavoidable future? Would Nanami like to avoid it, even if he could?
All he knew for sure was that he felt happy, for once. And that was enough.