Archive of Our Own ^beta

What was he doing?

He left the Jujutsu world to live a normal life, right?

A life where he could fall in love without the pretense of death; a life where he didn't have to worry about losing or being lost.

A life where he could love, and a life where someone could love him back. That's all Nanami wants. 

Lucky for them both, Gojo Satoru perfectly fit the criteria.

"Gojo-san." His co-worker, fellow sorcerer. The strongest.

Nanami watched as Gojo's eyes grew wider and wider with each step he took, the tips of his eyelashes nearly touching the bottom of his equally white brows.

"Gojo-senpai." His senior, though he didn't act much like it. Not that Nanami had any complaints, though.

He carefully took away his dark glasses, soundlessly laying them on the coffee table. Nanami considered the strawberry gloss Gojo smeared across his mouth every morning, wondering if it would make him taste even sweeter.

"K-Kento?" Gojo's heart raced as Nanami dropped his honorifics one by one, not ready for the next.

Nanami exhaled at last, drawing their lips together with the softest touch.

"Satoru."

His first love. One that he had been so desperately searching for in mundanity but found in a world that was everything but normal. 

Seriously. He internally shook his head at himself, gently placing his palms on either side of Satoru's face and trying not to laugh at how warm they were, his cheeks so, so red. 

Of all the people he had to find cute.. it just had to be him.

"Order for um, Gojo Satoru and Nanami Kento!" 

It was just a normal day for him like always, coffee at eight. Work at eight-thirty. Ends at five. 

He had a routine, and it was that same routine that kept him sane. 

So you can just imagine how it went when he sipped his coffee and got his mouth filled with rainbows.

Who—

"Hey there! You, with the weird tie!"

Nanami turned around. Not because his tie was weird but because he remembered the voice from earlier at the coffee shop, his predicament dawning on him.

"Hi," he deadpanned. The guy standing in front of him was exactly the type of guy he hated.

"Looks like I got yours!" He laughed. "Tastes like murdered coffee grounds."

Loud. Obnoxious. Tactless.

"At least it doesn't taste like unicorn shit," he replied.

"Ouch." The current bane of his existence frowned, handing him his cup. "Anyway, here you go!" 

He ignored the way his heart leaped at the slight brush of their fingers as they exchanged cups. 

"No worries." He eyed the blindfold concealing the rest of his coffee-stealer's face. "Take care."

"Thanks, you too! Ah, that hits the spot."

Kento found himself sighing as the mysterious man happily skipped away with his coffee that was more sugar than beverage, thinking that he would never see him again. 

Much to his chagrin, though, he did.

Satoru insulting his taste in coffee. Satoru bumping into him the next day, ordering his glucose monster of a beverage. Satoru walking in again, smiling as he caught Nanami's glare. Satoru stopping by his office decked in casual clothes, picking him up and insisting that he accompany him on the train ride. Satoru stealing the attention of his co-workers, and a few numbers as well (which he politely declined). Satoru not forcing Nanami to talk about his past, and quietly listening when he did, putting no pressure on him at all. Satoru buying him his favorite bread on missions when the kind girl at the bakery went on vacation.

Satoru letting him sleep in a little longer, turning off his raucous alarm and waking Nanami up himself with badly burnt toast that he ate anyway. Satoru with panic flashing behind his eyes as Nanami pulled down his blindfold, wanting to see them for what he thought was the last time. Satoru coming back home from each mission without fail no matter how far it was, hesitantly wrapping his arm around Nanami's chest and letting him know that he was there. Satoru introducing him to his students who eventually became his too, placing his full trust in someone else for the first time. Satoru pestering him at the vending machine, slipping poorly drawn jokes into his pockets and holding a placard outside his car.

Satoru texting him every morning before he left, leaving behind ridiculously sweet pastries that eventually turned into Nanami's favorite, once Satoru finally noticed. Satoru, learning how to iron clothes just so Nanami could rest a little longer, burning a few of his favorite shirts and one blazer before getting it right. Satoru straightening up his tie despite it already being straight, insisting that his Six Eyes made his vision far more superior and reliable. Satoru beaming with each smile he elicited from Nanami, and sometimes even his aggravated, half-hearted sighs, knowing when enough was enough and how to push his buttons just right. Satoru positioning himself at the front line just as the curse fired its attack, protecting Nanami and the civilians instead of himself. Satoru lying on the cold slab, pale and slick with blood. His own blood, this time. 

Nanami almost changed his mind, then, not knowing if he could handle loving a man who shouldn't be able to die but almost did. And for him, nonetheless. 

It was slightly terrifying to treasure someone else's life over your own for the fear of losing them, but Kento just couldn't resist. No matter how many times he told himself he wasn't going to willingly fall for someone he wasn't sure was going to stay..

"Nanami," Satoru gasped.

"How many spoons of sugar do you want, Satoru?" Nanami asked, leaning close.

Satoru couldn't formulate a single coherent thought at all, still in shock. "U-up to you."

"Leaving things to someone else?" Nanami purred. "That's not like you, Satoru."

There he goes again, saying his name. It rolled off the tip of his tongue like butter. 

Gojo couldn't bring himself to believe it. He was melting at the hands of a salaryman.

"It's okay," Satoru said, trying to turn the tables on him, ready to retort because perhaps that was his love language. Their love language.

"It's okay.." he continued, no insults coming to mind and brain going blank, ".. if it's you."

And it was in that moment Nanami knew.

Love was worth life's shit. 

He tackled Satoru to the couch, covering him in kisses and holding him like there was no tomorrow.

Who knew living— no, loving— could be so.. free? 

There were no other words that needed to be said as Satoru kissed Nanami back, yanking him down by his neck, as competitive as ever. 

In a world full of uncertainty, a world that he had to traverse on his own for years, Gojo Satoru finally found a place that he could always return to, a place where he knew that even amidst the chaos would remain steady and standing—

A place to call home. 

And that place was in Nanami Kento's arms, heaven in the sound of his laughter.

"Here," Nanami set down a cup of coffee in front of Satoru like he did every morning, his hair still slightly wet from the shower. 

Gojo stretched out his limbs before releasing them with a satisfied sigh, thankful for the warmth in his hands (and maybe his heart) as he passed Kento a slice of bread.

"Thanks," they said at the same time. 

Oh no, it was on. 

"Thanks, Na-na-min~!" Gojo chirped.

"Thank you, Sa-to-ru."

"No, thank you, honey."

"Nonsense. Thank you, darling."

Kento almost swore victory as Gojo's face flushed, but as they both knew by now..

They were both incredibly sore losers.

Satoru narrowed his eyes. "Killjoy." 

"Manchild," Nanami retorted without missing a beat.

"Sexy."

Now it was Kento's turn to blush. He coughed, clearing his throat.

"Obnoxious."

"Staid."

He raised an eyebrow at the deep word. "Wow, I'm impressed. Guess you must be a good teacher, after all, Gojo-san."

"Gojo-san?!" Satoru whined. "Seriously?"

"Yep."

"Fine! I'll.. I'll take away your precious bread!"

"Okay." Nanami pushed his plate towards him. "Take it, then." 

Gojo pouted, several years younger. "And your coffee, too!"

"Alright." 

That's it, Satoru fumed.

The legs of Satoru's chair screeched against the kitchen floor as he pushed himself back, climbing on to the table and nearly knocking over their entire breakfast. 

"And what about your heart, Kento?" 

Nanami gazed up at him, taken aback as he pointed a finger at his chest. He tried not to stare below Gojo's neck, his loose shirt revealing way too many things way too early in the morning. 

"Fine, you win," he sighed in defeat, a smile lingering on the ends of his lips. 

"YAY!!!" Gojo exclaimed. "That's 301 to 64 now, Kento— aCK!" 

Nanami's smile grew as he grabbed Gojo just as he lost his balance, nearly toppling off the dining table. "I think you have the scores reversed, senpai."

"Are you questioning my credibility, Nanami? How could you?!" He settled into a cross-legged position— yes, still on the table— before leaning forward with a frown. "You didn't answer my question, though."

"Hm? What do you mean?" Nanami furrowed his brows at him, confused. "Ah, that."

And what about your heart, Kento?

"Yes, that." 

Nanami sighed in exasperation, or at least, that's would other people would think at the sight of his face. 

Satoru, however, knew better. 

He always did, when it came to him.

Nanami lifted his head, planting a kiss on Satoru's forehead. 

"Do I really have to answer that, love?"

"No," Satoru mumbled weakly, feeling his heart soar before smiling at him sheepishly. "Sorry."

He grabbed the nearest mug and chugged it down in an attempt to disguise the butterflies in his stomach. Nanami nearly choked on his bread when Satoru abruptly spat out his coffee, reminding him of an all too familiar scene. 

"What's wrong?" He asked, although he already knew.

Satoru barked with laughter, sticking his tongue out in disgust. "Wrong coffee." 

Nanami couldn't take it anymore, releasing a short chuckle with a shake of his head. 

It was music to Satoru's ears.

"You can be really stupid sometimes, you know that, Satoru? A little crazy, too." 

"Yeah, yeah, but you're crazier."

Kento paused. "Why?"

"For loving me." 

God, it wasn't even eight in the morning.

"Perhaps you're right." I do love you. 

"Even dough I'm the most annoying person on the planet?" Satoru grinned. 

"Yes, and I caught that, by the way."

Gojo giggled, finally hopping back into his seat.

"Happy anniversary, Nanami," he said, raising his cup in a toast. 

Kento smiled.

"Happy anniversary, Satoru."

Nanami Kento's life was full of contradictions. 

But out of them all, loving Gojo Satoru was the best one yet.