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[jjk-expansion]

The Five Times He Almost Kissed You...The One Time He Did || Kento Nanami

Summary: The five times where Nanami almost kissed you, and the one time he finally decided to take a chance.

Warnings: 18+, mild adult content, swearing.

Authors Note: I had so much fun writing this one, and I hope you enjoy. I have only just started watching the anime, so please forgive me if I get anything wrong. Gif by @erensjwife

One…

The first time Gojo had introduced the two of you was a day after Yuji Itadori’s miraculous resurrection. You were only a few years younger than himself, and perhaps a little older than a first year Jujutsu sorcerer should be, but Gojo had vouched for you, claiming that you had immense potential in your abilities, though they were still developing and extremely rare.

All Nanami knew, was that you could use your cursed energy to create protective barriers around yourself and others, and that your reverse cursed technique somehow came naturally to you, you could heal any wound or injury on yourself and others. It was an incredible technique no doubt, but from what he had heard from his colleague, the healing aspect of your technique was very physically demanding. So he made a silent promise to himself, should the two of you work together in the future, that he would be careful not to sustain any injuries that required your attention.

However, that was not to be the case.

Leaning back against the white tile, Nanami sighed heavily. The wound in his side was throbbing painfully, the bleeding refusing to stop no matter how many pieces of paper towel he held to it to stop the blood flow. The amount of blood from the wound had eased slightly, but not enough for him to be happy with his current state.

He had sent you a text twenty minutes ago to meet him here, and he silently hoped that you had seen his message and that you were on your way. He shouldn’t have left you alone on that cinema rooftop with those two human monsters to go after that cursed human spirit, he also shouldn’t have left himself open to the spirit’s attacks. That couldn’t be helped now though, and so all he could do was wait, and hope that he wouldn’t eventually bleed out.

There was a faint knock on the bathroom door, his eyes glaring towards the door as his entire body tensed in anticipation.

“Nanami? It’s me…are you in there?”

The sound of your voice caused his body to relax, a sense of relief washing over him as he cleared his throat. “I’m alone, you can come in Y/n” he called out to you, adjusting his position against the wall. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror to his right, from the corner of his eye he could see that he was slightly pale, thanks to the blood loss. His hair was in slight disarray, and his favourite blue shirt was stained a deep purple. He cursed under his breath as the door opened, his gaze returning to your entering form…and widening in complete shock.

You were covered in small cuts and bruises, your (eye/colour) eyes meeting his own brown hues as an awkward yet kind smile formed on your lips. Your (hair/colour) hair was a complete mess, stray strands framing your face at all sorts of odd angles. You closed the door behind you and released a huff, blowing upwards to remove some of the strands of hair from your vision as you approached. He noticed in his stupor that parts of your uniform had been ripped, though they were easily reparable, they had no doubt been made by cuts that pierced your skin.

Nanami didn’t know what to say. He watched as you now stood before him, your eyes widening at the amount of blood-stained paper towels there were strewn about the basin. You met his gaze with a look of concern on your features, a sincere look on your eyes as folded your arms over your chest “What happened? Are you alright?”.

Nanami grimaced, the throbbing in his side annoying, and the newfound heat on his cheeks infuriating “I-I’m fine. I was careless, it won’t happen again.”

He watched as you sighed heavily, your eyes falling downward to where he desperately clutched at his side. You hummed lowly, extending your hands and gently prying his away from the wound so you could get a better look at it. You could see through the fabric of his shirt that this was no mere flesh wound, the cut ran deep, no wonder there was so much blood everywhere.

“It’s fine, you don’t have to-“

“Shh…” you replied quickly, “I’m trying to concentrate…”

Nanami watched you intently, the blue hue of cursed energy swirling around your hands has you gently held them one over the other and pressed your hands firmly over the wound. Nanami hissed, feeling the cursed energy surge through him like the feeling of pins and needles which faded to a feeling of numbness, and it seemed like almost instantly that feeling faded.

Nanami turned his gaze back towards the mirror, lifting his shirt high enough to examine the fading blue glow where your hands had been when a shocked gasp left his lips. There was nothing there, almost as if he hadn’t been injured at all. There was no scar, no remanent of the wound that he had sustained. It was incredible. That was when he noticed your reflection swaying in the mirror.

His eyes widened as his gaze quickly returned to your form. Your skin was pale, your eyes slightly glaze as you swayed dangerously from side to side. Nanami’s hands gently grasped your shoulders, steadying you in place so that you wouldn’t fall. You were breathing heavily, your eyes squeezed shut as small beads of sweat formed on your forehead. He was growing increasingly worried the more you continued to sway, your left hand darting out to stabilise yourself against the bathroom basin with a low groan.

“Sorry…” You apologised, blinking slowly to try and stop your spinning vision “I’m a little tired after fighting those…things.”

The two of you were so close now, Nanami was practically holding you upright against him. He could feel his heart racing in his chest as your tired eyes lifted to meet his, a lazy smile forming on your lips. He couldn’t think straight, he couldn’t stop the racing of his heart. You were so close that he was worried you might hear it. The sudden urge to kiss you crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it with a shake of his head. He had only just met you a few weeks ago, he couldn’t be thinking like this could he?

As a small blush formed on his cheeks, Nanami helped you to stay on your feet whilst he tossed the blood-stained paper towels in one of the bins. He then carefully wrapped his arm around your waist, steadying you against him as the two of you made your way out of the bathroom. He had no idea how thankful you were for this, as he allowed you to lean into his side as you walked out onto the city streets. He was practically shielding you from any prying eyes, and especially in your battered state, it was an incredibly kind gesture.

You found yourself unconsciously leaning closer to him, savouring his warmth and the distant smell of his expensive cologne. Unknown to you, Nanami wrapped his arm around you tighter, determined to protect you no matter the cost.

Two…

Having known you for just over a month now, Nanami learned that you were the type of person who would go out of your way to help anyone, whether that be one of your friends, or a stranger on the street. But this often led to you over-exerting yourself, especially when your other first years Yuji, Megumi, Nobara, Maki, Inumaki and Panda required urgent healing after an assignment went wrong.

You had been returning from an assignment with Nanami when Gojo had asked you to return to Jujutsu High asap, since the exchange event was in a few weeks, and everyone needed to be at the physical peak. Nanami often thought that Gojo took advantage of your cursed technique, especially after he had witnessed it first-hand. He saw how completely wiped out you were after healing his wound, it worried him just thinking about what could happen to you if you healed multiple people at once.

Arriving back at the school, you both jogged towards the infirmary where Gojo had directed you. When you arrived, your eyes widened as your gaze landed on your fellow first years. They had all sustained wounds or injuries of varying degrees of severity, which meant that you would have to expend more cursed energy to heal them completely.

Nanami wasn’t happy.

He turned to Gojo, scolding his colleague quietly enough so you couldn’t hear him while you set to work. “This isn’t a good idea, Satoru, she can’t handle-“

“What do you mean? Of course she can!” Gojo exclaimed, gesturing over to your knelt form as you struggled to heal a small cut on Nobara’s arm. Nanami ‘tsked’ annoyedly, “You’re happy for her to burn herself out!? You and I both know that she struggles with maintaining her cursed energy-“

“You worry too much, Nanami. Y/n is more than capable of-“

“Do you know what happens when she heals to many people at once?” Nanami snapped, his eyes narrowing dangerously on the man before him. When Gojo didn’t answer and instead cast his eyes downward, it only confirmed Nanami’s suspicions. Of course he didn’t know, you had never done this before. Just healing him was enough to deplete your energy, to send you swaying on your feet and feeling incredibly nauseous on the return journey home.

When Nanami returned his attention toward you, his eyes widened in disbelief. You had already made your way to Panda, having already healed Yuji, Nobara, Megumi and Maki…and you seemed fine. Though you were facing away from him, he couldn’t see your face, but you appeared to be holding on for now. As you turned your attention toward Inumaki, Nanami’s eyes watched your hands. They were trembling, badly. He watched as your cursed energy flickered around your hands as you struggled to maintain your focus, the blue flames faintly burning as you placed your hands on Inumaki’s wrist.

You were pushing yourself too much, your cursed energy was fading. But you pressed on, forcing your cursed energy to surge forward and heal the cut on Inumaki’s skin. Just as the scar tissue healed, you released a pained whimper as your cursed energy spluttered violently, dissipating into nothing as you collapsed forward onto your hands and knees. You couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think clearly. Your body was consumed by a dull ache that continued to increase, an ache that felt like you had overworked your limbs too much, but you knew that it was your cursed energy biting back at your for over-extending your abilities.

You felt a hand place itself on your shoulder, but you couldn’t determine who was speaking through the ringing in your ears. Stars began to dance across your vision as you struggled to focus on your surroundings, your entire body shaking as you felt your limbs give out from underneath you. You collapsed into a pair of strong arms, the sound of distant shouting the last thing that crossed your senses as your vision faded and you were consumed by darkness.

Nanami was furious.

You had collapsed exhausted in his arms, head coming to rest against his chest as he wrapped his arms around your protectively. Panicked shouts erupted around the room, with Yuji and Megumi arguing over what they should do. Nobara, Maki and Panda tried to calm them down, while Inumaki sat in disbelief, staring down at his wrist with an expression of guilt.

With a sharp glare, Nanami turned his attention toward Gojo who stood silently in the corner of the room. With the blindfold over his eyes, his gaze was downcast, and his hands were stuffed into his pockets. Nanami could tell that Gojo was feeling guilty, though he wouldn’t admit it out loud. But Nanami huffed loudly in annoyance, skilfully picking you up in his arms bridal style and carrying you out of the infirmary. He paused by Gojo, glaring at his colleague from the corner of his eye. “I warned you that this would happen, and yet you didn’t listen. Do not, make this mistake again” he spoke darkly, not bothering to wait for Gojo’s reply as he carried you out into the corridor, and made his way towards your quarters.

He'd been there only once before after sustaining another injury, where you had offered to heal it for him and refused to let him leave Jujutsu High until he let you. No matter how many times he declined and said he could take care of this one himself, you were incredibly stubborn, an adorable pout forming on your face as you tried to reason with him. He let you heal him of course, on the promise that you wouldn’t exhaust yourself while doing so. Which you hadn’t, but the memory made him smile unconsciously.

As he reached your bedroom and slid open the door, he looked down at your unconscious form and sighed softly. To some it looked as if you were merely sleeping, but deep down he knew that this was more than that, this was something that had been brought on by your expenditure of your cursed energy, that fact alone made a small sense of worry settle in the pit of his stomach. The repercussions of healing cursed energy were still unknown, given its rarity. Perhaps this was one of them, a way for your body to rest and regain its energy.

Nanami gently placed you under the covers of your bed, tucking you in and making sure you were comfortable. When he was satisfied with his work, he cast one more glance down at your form and sighed longingly. You looked so peaceful, so innocent. Your kindness was rare in this world, especially the one you both shared. The life of a Jujutsu sorcerer was dangerous, you had to be ready for death at any moment. But Nanami found himself craving your company. He valued your presence more over the others, and he looked forward to the times when the two of you would work together.

It was the little things that he noticed about you. Your smile, your laugh, the way you fiddled with your hands whenever you were nervous, or the way you would cheer happily whenever you made progress with your cursed technique. He was drawn to you, though he sometimes wondered if he shouldn’t be. He was a professional sorcerer, and you were technically a first-year student despite your age. But you were both adults, so he supposed to some degree that status didn’t matter.

A sudden thought crossed his mind, to press a gentle kiss to your forehead in goodbye. But that was quickly dismissed with a quick shake of his head. He didn’t want to disturb you, and he thought it would be inappropriate for him to do so. So he closed the door to your room and left, but not before asking Yuji to give him updates on your condition whenever he could.

Even with Yuji giving him updates, Nanami was getting worried about your condition. You had apparently been in a state of limbo, in and out of consciousness for brief periods of time. You were in good hands though, he knew that the others at Jujutsu High would take care of you, but that didn’t make him any less worried. It had been three days since he had left you, and your condition hadn’t changed. It was now Thursday, and Nanami waited eagerly for Yuji’s text.

Itadori

She’s awake! She’s still a little tired, but she’s asking for you.

Nanami felt his heart stop, his eyes widening as he reread the text message over and over. A feeling that he could only determine to be elation consumed him as he replied to Yuji, grabbing his jacket and racing towards his apartment door.

I’ll be there in an hour, keep her company until I get there.

After what felt like hours, Nanami had finally arrived. Everyone was training, he could see Megumi and Yuji sparring in the middle of the grounds, Maki and Nobara were working on their techniques…

And there you were, engaging in a conversation with Panda and Inumaki. There was a small, tired smile on your lips, you were being polite and nodding along to what they were saying. But when your eyes met his from across the grounds, your eyes regained their enchanting sparkle, and you looked a lot happier.

He watched as you excused yourself, slowly standing up from your seated position and wrapping a small blanket around your shoulders before making your way over to him. He met you halfway, not wanting you to waste the energy you had just recovered on him. He smiled down at you as you stood before him, a sense of nervousness consuming him as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “H-How are you feeling?” He stuttered, internally cursing himself for the mistake in his speech.

You shrugged your shoulders, clutching the blanket closer to your body as you shivered at the cool breeze. “I’m still a little tired. Gojo has put me on leave so I can rest a little, but otherwise I’m doing alright” You replied kindly, giving him a kind smile. A moment of comfortable silence passed, as both you and Nanami enjoyed each other’s company. You cleared your throat awkwardly, “I uh…I wanted to thank you, for what you did…” You spoke softly, your eyes falling to the ground as a small blush crept onto your cheeks “…You didn’t have to, and to be honest I’m not sure if anyone else would-“

“You’re my partner…” Nanami interrupted blatantly, his words causing your head to shoot back upward in shock “…I warned Gojo that we didn’t know what would happen if you exerted your power, and I wasn’t particularly happy that you would so recklessly put yourself at risk like that…”

He trailed off when he watched your expression fall, the sparkle in your eyes flickering slightly as your gaze fell to the space between the two of you. Nanami sighed slightly, extending his hand and hooking his fingers under your chin. He lifted your head up and stared deeply into your eyes, “…but that being said, the kindness you show people is rare these days, and in the short time I’ve known you, you would go above and beyond to help your friends no matter what the cost would be to you. I made a promise to protect you the first time I met you, and that isn’t going to change now. If you promise me to take care of yourself, then I’ll be happy.”

The sparkle in your eyes returned, glowing brightly as your tired smile widened. The blush on your cheeks darkened, but that didn’t stop you from nodding excitedly. “I promise, as long as you promise to let me heal you when you get hurt, and you can’t protest! If we’re partners, you have to expect that you’re my first priority when it comes to life or death”.

He should have expected that, you giving him a condition to your partnership. But nevertheless, he accepted with a small nod of his head, his stomach erupting in butterflies.

Three…

You dodged Nanami’s attacks, a grunt of effort escaping you as you flipped over to land behind him, bracing your wooden naginata for his next attack.

It came swiftly, he’d already wheeled around and was preparing to strike when you spun to your left. However, he had already anticipated where you were going to go and changed his direction of attack. Your eyes widened as you lifted your hands up to prepare for the blow, knowing that Nanami’s attack would likely send you reeling backward, or flat on your ass.

Nanami slashed with his short sword slicing the naginata completely in half, the force of his attack knocking you completely backward. You released a small shocked scream as you landed on your back, a sharp pained gasp leaving your lips as the air was forced from your lungs. As the dust from the training ground cleared and the stars dancing across your vision ceased, you found yourself staring up at the sky.

This wasn’t working. You had made the active decision to train and make yourself stronger, thinking that maybe this would help you manage your cursed technique so that you wouldn’t pass out as much or expend all of your energy. But so far, the only thing that had happened was that Nanami kept handing your ass to you again…and again…and again. Just when you thought you were progressing and feeling good about yourself, it was ruined by one small mistake.

You groaned and brought your hands to your eyes, balling them into fists to rub away the frustrated tears that threatened to fall. Footsteps crunched against the dirt, a shadow obscuring the sunlight above you. “Come on, again” Nanami ordered, likely extending his hand towards you to help you up from the ground. Your hands dropped to your sides, your tearful eyes glaring up at your partner as you sighed heavily.

“Tell me honestly…am I getting better?” You asked him, a small painful pang twisting through your chest. As you laid there, you waited for Nanami’s reply. He stared down at you through his glasses, you could see that he was deliberately thinking of a reply, or trying to craft it rather so as to not hurt your feelings. But he didn’t have to say anything, his hesitation was enough.

You let out a small whimper, pushing yourself up into a sitting position as you buried your face into your hands. You began to cry, your heart aching as you sobbed loudly. You felt so useless, what use was a Jujutsu sorcerer who couldn’t defend herself, or who was so weak that she could only heal a few people before collapsing from exhaustion.

You wondered what Nanami thought of you in this moment, practically curled into a ball and a complete sobbing mess. You must look so pathetic like this, but you didn’t care. Through your cries you heard the crunching of dirt once more, feeling Nanami’s arm gently brush yours as he sat down on the ground beside you.

The truth was, you were getting better, ever so slowly. You were making progress; he saw it on your last assignment together. You were holding your own incredibly well against a Special Grade spirit when he had accidentally left himself open to an attack, which left him incapacitated. He should have known better, but when he came to you were healing him, and the special grade was gone.

He removed his glasses, sighing lightly as he placed them in his pant pocket. He then reached out and took your hands in his, gently prying them away from your face. When your eyes met his, Nanami felt his chest tighten unbearably in sadness. Your beautiful (eye/colour) hues were bloodshot, the sparkle that he had come to love so much was non-existent now. You looked so sad, your bottom lip quivering as you sniffled softly.

His thumbs gently traced circles on the back of your hands, a gentle comforting motion that caused your cheeks to flush a bright pink and your stomach to do backflips. “You are progressing at your own pace, but I am seeing improvement from you Y/n-“

“I just feel so useless!...” You exclaimed, releasing a loud huff in frustration “what kind of Jujutsu sorcerer am I, if I collapse at the slightest use of my cursed technique? What kind of sorcerer am I if I can’t even protect the people I care about-“

You were suddenly silenced as Nanami surged forward, cupping both sides of your face with his hands and staring deeply into your eyes. Your eyes were wide, your body completely frozen as the distance between the two of you became smaller.

Nanami could feel his heart racing, a light blush forming on his cheeks as he spoke softly. “You are not useless, Y/n. Yes, your cursed technique is rare, and not much is known about it…but that’s what makes you extremely powerful. We don’t know the true extent of your power, but that is also the beauty of it. You have so much potential, but the fact that it takes such a toll on you physically means that we have to do this slowly so as to not hurt you in the process. You and I are in this together, and I am going to be with you every step of the way.”

The two of you were so close now, so close that of Nanami had closed the distance, his lips would have been on yours. And god, he wanted to kiss you. You did something to him that he just couldn’t understand, you made his heart race, he couldn’t think clearly whenever you were near. His stomach wouldn’t stop doing backflips, and his chest would tighten nervously whenever your hands accidently brushed, or when you hugged him, or when you smiled or laughed. It dawned on him then in this moment as he held you so intimately, that he loved you. His eyes softened upon this realisation, a loving smile forming on his lips as he watched your shocked expression fade.

You wanted him to kiss you. He was so close to you now, your heart was racing so wildly in your chest that you were surprised that Nanami couldn’t hear it. You had had a crush on him since your first meeting, that crush slowly growing into a deep and affectionate love when Yuji had told you how concerned Nanami was about your condition when Gojo had asked you to heal everyone before the exchange event. Your missions together only fuelled your love for him, and now that you were both in this intimate position, you wanted nothing more than for him to capture your lips with his.

But of course, the moment was ruined.

“Hey! There you two are! You both weren’t answering your phones, and I thought I’d find you here!”

Both you and Nanami instantly pulled apart, blushing furiously as you both turned to face the evil grinning face of Gojo a few feet away. You couldn’t stop the small laugh that left your lips as Nanami’s face instantly changed from a soft loving expression to a harsh glare, as he directed his annoyance towards your colleague with a sharp reply. “Do you mind? We were kind of in the middle of something-“

“If by ‘in the middle of something’, you mean staring dreamily into each other’s eyes, slowly leaning in and waiting for the other to make a move-“

Nanami jumped up from the ground in a flash, sprinting toward Gojo with an annoyed cry whilst the white-haired sorcerer screamed in fright. You shook your head as you watched the two of them run around the training grounds while you made yourself comfortable, folding your arms over your chest and crossing your legs as you waited for your partner’s return.

Four…

After deciding that the team needed a night out free of stress and cursed spirits, Gojo had invited everyone to a local bowling alley in the city. He had stated explicitly that it was a ‘compulsory team building exercise’, and so Nanami had no choice but to attend.

He would have preferred to stay inside his apartment, reading a good book and staying warm on this particularly cold night…or inviting you over and making you a nice dinner, like he had planned. But you had managed to convince him that it would be fun, you did remind him that he did have to work with the others and not just you, which he blatantly protested. But even still, he found himself entering the bowling alley a few minutes earlier than the agreed meeting time, his eyes landing on Megumi and Maki who sat at a booth by the wall.

He was a little dejected that you weren’t here yet, but he hoped that you would show up soon. He sat beside Megumi and watched annoyedly as everyone else arrived, even Gojo arrived before you, and he was usually late to everything. His phone vibrated on the table, alerting him to a new message. He lifted the phone to investigate who was texting him and smiled when he saw your name pop up on screen.

Y/n

I am on my way, I promise! I just got a little caught up, tell everyone I’m sorry and I’ll be there soon.

Nanami chuckled, replying casually and ignoring the fact that Yuji and Gojo were peering over his shoulder to see what he was smiling at.

Are you alright? It’s not like you to be late.

You didn’t reply, for ten minutes Nanami waited anxiously for his phone to alert him to your message. He was growing anxious and irritated, crossing his arms over his chest as he eyed the door of the bowling alley. Every time it opened his heart leapt into his chest in the hope that it was you finally arriving, but he was left disappointed each time.

His phone vibrated again, Nanami’s attention immediately shifting back to the table as he snatched the device off the table before Gojo could grab it. Your name appeared on the screen again, a small sense of relief settling in his chest before it was replaced with panic. He had to reread the text twice, just to confirm that what he was actually reading was correct.

Y/n

Hey, sorry I didn’t answer. There was a cursed spirit on the train, nothing to major. I’m just down the street now, I’ll be there soon.

Nanami practically jumped out of his seat beside Megumi, with everyone shouting at him and asking where he was going. He raced towards the door, his worry and panic consuming him as his hand grasped the door handle. His mind raced as he threw open the door. Where you alright? Were you injured? He had to get to you, he had to make sure that-

As he opened the door, almost tearing it from its hinges, he froze in shock with his eyes widening in disbelief. You were standing before him, your eyes meeting his with a kind smile in greeting. His eyes examined your entire form from head to toe, searching for any sign of injury. But when he found none, the relief he felt was euphoric.

“Hey, I told you I was literally down the street. You didn’t have to come out and-“

Your words died in your throat as Nanami wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his embrace and hugging you tightly. A blush formed on your cheeks at his sudden gesture, but you returned his embrace, wrapping your arms around his torso and burying your head against his chest. The smell of his cologne overwhelmed you, the scent of bergamot and leather, with a faint smell of vanilla that drove you crazy. You breathed deeply, releasing a long breath as you spoke softly “I’m okay, Nanami. I’m fine”.

He pulled away from you just enough so that he could peer down at you. With his arms still wrapped around you, he smiled down at you lovingly. The way your eyes softened, shining so brightly under the city lights. He wished he could have stayed in this moment, with you in his arms forever.

But once again, Gojo had to ruin it.

“Y/n! There you are, we were worried you wouldn’t show up” He teased, appearing beside Nanami and wrapping his arm around his shoulder. You gave Nanami a knowing smile, sensing his annoyance at the sudden intrusion, but you turned your gaze to Gojo and shrugged.

“I’m sorry, I got a bit caught up with something. I’m here now though, so let’s get this night started” You replied, feeling Nanami’s hold on you tighten when Gojo leaned his full body weight against him.

Gojo grinned, his gaze moving between the two of you behind his glasses sceptically. “Alright then! Let’s get you two kids inside, and we’ll get things started!” He announced, motioning with his head to follow him as he removed his arm from Nanami’s shoulder and disappeared back inside. Your eyes met Nanami’s once more, you could see that there was a small glare set onto his features, the reflection of the street in his glasses hiding his actual gaze. But when you pulled away from him and held him at arm’s length, his gaze moved back to you.

You smiled up at him, taking his hands in yours as your gaze flickered to Gojo’s retreating form and then back. “Come on, we should head inside. Gojo might lose his mind if he has to wait any longer” You joked, your words causing the man before you to laugh. Nanami shook his head, nodding in agreement with a short sigh “I suppose you’re right, I’m not promising that I’ll be any good at this though-“ “Oh, I’m terrible at bowling. We can both share in the embarrassment then” You joked lightly, grinning teasingly as Nanami chuckled wholeheartedly.

The two of you joined the others, and the night of chaos began. Gojo had decided to make it a challenge, splitting the group into two teams. Whichever team lost, they would have to buy the winning team ice cream. Thankfully, you and Nanami had ended up on the same team, partnered up with Nobara, Yuji and Panda, while the other team consisted of Inumaki, Gojo, Megumi and Maki. While they were uneven teams, you were getting your asses kicked.

You slumped back into your seat, sighing heavily as you folded your arms over your chest. This was the last round, and the other team was nine points ahead thanks to a spare from Megumi. It was Nanami’s turn, the last turn of the night. “You’re up Kento…” Gojo drawled, standing tall and confidently “…try not to miss”.

You really didn’t want Gojo to win, he would brag about it for weeks on end and would never let you hear the end of it. You watched from the corner of your eye as Nanami stood up from beside you, stretching out his arms as he made his way over to pick up the bowling ball. You grew nervous as you watched him walk up to the lane, his intense gaze focused on the bowling pins.

He lifted the ball and swung, allowing the ball to fall from his hand and roll down the lane at a high rate of speed. Your hands flew to your mouth as you waited anxiously, it was like the entire room had gone silent as you all waited for the impact. The ball made contact with the pins…and you watched in amazement as all ten pins fell over. And with that, your team had won by just a single point.

Your team jumped up and cheered ecstatically, while you rushed towards Nanami and practically jumped into his embrace. He caught you with ease as you wrapped yourself around him, holding your thighs securely he spun you around with a deep and happy laugh. “You did it! You won!” You cheered, laughing along with him as you leaned back slightly to stare into his eyes. You removed one of your hands from his neck, and gently removed his glasses before placing them in his jacket pocket. He looked stunned by your actions, a light blush forming on his cheeks as the surrounding bowling alley seemed to fade out of existence.

He wouldn’t lie to himself, Nanami had often thought about holding you like this perhaps in a more…intimate position. It made his heart stutter, his brain short-circuit. He was suddenly very aware of the distance between the two of you, or lack thereof really. All he could focus on was the feeling of your hands on the back of his neck, the sensation sending a rather pleasant shiver down his spine. He could have kissed you, he almost did. You looked so beautiful underneath the neon lights of the bowling alley, your eyes reflecting the colours in a dazzling array. The urge to capture your lips with his was strong, but then you both suddenly seemed to snap back to reality upon realising that you were in front of numerous prying eyes.

He carefully placed you back down on the ground, clearing his throat awkwardly as the two of you fixed your clothes with a few quick brushes. However, it seemed that no one seemed to notice the moment the two of you shared, as they had descended into a tense argument. Megumi had claimed that your team had cheated, while Yuji retaliated and defended your team.

You and Nanami turned to look at each other again, laughing quietly to yourselves as you both stood together, hands brushing one another’s as you watched your friends descend into a full-blown blame game.

Five…

“Are you seriously getting mad at me for this!?” You exclaimed, glaring up at the man before you in annoyance. Nanami huffed, his hands clenching into fists by his side as his anger grew.

Upon a sudden revelation from Sukuna, who Yuji had allowed to take over in order to deal with a rather difficult Special Grade spirit, he had taken a great interest in you when he first heard about your abilities. He was impressed, a healing cursed technique like yours hadn’t been seen in hundreds of years, since he was last physically alive, and not to the powerful extent that he could sense in you. He’d offered to help you master it, stating quite blatantly that if you didn’t and expended too much of your energy in one go, your cursed technique would kill you.

As it turned out, your cursed technique used your physical life force to heal a wound or injury. Because you were channelling it through your form, and not allowing yourself to draw on the cursed energy surrounding you, it was killing you every time you used it. It was still a very dangerous technique, Sukuna made the point of stating.

‘You wouldn’t want to die saving your dear, precious Nanami…would you?’

And now the two of you found yourselves here, in Nanami’s apartment arguing for the past half hour.

Nanami took a moment to compose himself, allowing himself to take a deep breath in and releasing it slowly, his shoulders rising and falling tensely. “No, I’m not mad at you…” He spoke lowly, staring down at you whilst trying to contain himself “…I’m more mad at the fact that you actually thought about working with Sukuna-“

“What else am I supposed to do!?” You exclaimed, throwing your arms out in exasperation, “You heard him, if I don’t learn how to use my technique properly, I will die. If he is the only one who knows how to master it, then maybe I should take that chance”.

“Absolutely not…” Nanami growled, his jaw clenching harshly “he wants something from you. You saw how interested he was when he met you, once he has taught you everything he knows about your technique, if he knows anything at all, he’ll force you into a pact, and I am not going to let that happen-“

“I want to be able to help people without collapsing after I heal a papercut…” You spoke firmly, your voice quivering as your hands balled into fists “I want to be strong, I want to be able to help everyone and myself, and I can’t do that with the way I am now”.

“You are talking about getting help from the most powerful and dangerous Special Grade spirit we know…” Nanami snapped, his eyes narrowing into a dangerous glare as his tone darkened “…you would be throwing away your life either way.”

“I want to be able to protect the people I care about Nanami, I want to be able to protect you…” You cried, the angry and frustrated tears falling onto your cheeks. You felt like he wasn’t listening to you. He didn’t know what it felt like to feel completely useless, to feel like you were only getting in other people’s way when you used your technique. If you used it in the field to keep someone standing, you were practically a deadweight afterward, completely tired and worn out.

You weren’t strong like Nanami, your cursed technique didn’t allow you to pinpoint a spirit’s weak spot and strike with deadly precision. You weren’t skilled in weaponry like Maki, nor were you able to fight like Megumi or Yuji. But protecting them, protecting Nanami…that is what mattered to you.

Nanami sighed heavily. He could see the frustration on your face, but you weren’t listening to him. Sukuna would use you until he got what he wanted. He would train you, yes, but then what? Nanami wouldn’t be able to live with himself if that happened, if Sukuna were to possess you and use your healing technique to his advantage. So Nanami shook his head, trying to maintain a calm composure so as to not completely blow up in anger.

“I don’t need your protection, Y/n. You need to focus on protecting yourself, and you need to go about it the right way”.

He watched your eyes widen in shock, the tears in your eyes freely falling onto your cheeks as your body trembled. The look on your face made his heart ache painfully, your bottom lip quivering harder as your gaze fell downward to the floor. The choked sob that escaped your lips broke him. Regret instantly settled in his chest as he watched you wipe your eyes, grab your jacket from the top of his kitchen counter, and slowly trudge towards the door. You didn’t say goodbye to him as you left, you merely opened the door and disappeared out into the hall.

A heavy weight hung in the air as Nanami sunk into the chair behind him, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed heavily. Tears stung his eyes, his chest aching as the heartbroken expression on your face imprinted on his mind. The one thing you wanted to do was protect him, and he had just told you that he didn’t need your help.

He cursed loudly, swatting at the decanter on the coffee table and sending it flying, the crystal smashing violently and the liquid inside splashing all over the floor. He slumped further back in his chair, breathing deeply as he tried not to cry himself. He’d hurt you, he’d promised to never hurt you.

He decided that he would call you later to talk, to apologise for what he had said. He never meant a word of it, all he wanted was for you to understand that he was trying to protect you from yourself. He would never let you make a deal with Sukuna, over his dead body. But first, he thought he should let the situation calm down.

An hour later his calls were left unanswered, his texts unread. He supposed that you had just turned your phone off, or you just weren’t speaking to him now. That didn’t stop him from staring down at his phone screen, desperately hoping that you would answer him sometime soon. That hour turned into two, then three and so on.

He went to bed, hoping that when he woke up the next morning there would be a reply from you. But it was now 1am in the morning, and he couldn’t sleep. Your silence was unnerving, it was incredibly unlike you. His mind raced, going through multiple scenarios of why you weren’t responding to him. It literally could be that you just weren’t talking to him. You were mad at him, and you had every right to be. But a part of him worried that maybe something had happened to you, that you had been hurt by some sort of spirit or you had expended your energy somewhere…and he wasn’t there to help you.

But he knew you were strong, you were more than capable of defending yourself. Of course you were, he had trained you himself. But he would continue to worry about you, he cared about you too much not to. He tossed and turned, becoming restless as he couldn’t get comfortable, sleep alluding him completely. A sudden thought crossed his mind, he should go to Jujutsu High and see you, apologise personally. But it was way too early in the morning, and he didn’t want to wake your either.

But he decided to do it anyway, your silence eating away at him. He got out of bed and dressed quickly, choosing for a more casual look than his daily suit before stuffing his phone into his jean pockets and exiting his apartment. He estimated that he would likely reach Jujutsu High a little before 2am, taking into account the traffic that would likely be in his way.

By the time he arrived, heavy raindrops had drenched his clothes. His hair was a mess, matted to his forehead as he skilfully and stealthily approached your room so as to not alert the guards. He was a bit surprised to see light coming from inside your room, but it allowed a sense of relief to settle over him as he knocked on your door gently. He could hear a faint shuffling sound from behind the door, his eyes watching as it swung open to reveal your form huddled in a blanket.

Your eyes widened, a short gasp leaving your lips as you frantically searched the hall behind him. “Nanami!? What are you doing here!?” You exclaimed in a hushed whisper, your eyebrows furrowing as you stared up at him in confusion. Nanami sighed softly “I…You weren’t answering your phone. I know you’re mad at me, but I wanted to apologise-“

“So, you came all the way here, at 2am in the morning, in the rain…to apologise?” You asked quietly, a light blush forming on your cheeks as you put two and two together. Nanami nodded, small droplets of water dripping from his hair and onto the floor.

“What I said, about me not needing your protection…I didn’t mean it. Knowing that you are by my side and using your ability to protect my life has made me realise that yes, being a Jujutsu sorcerer is extremely complicated, and these forces and techniques all work in mysterious ways, but I’ve come to love yours even more than the others. You are selfless, kind, and willing to risk your own life to protect the people you care about, though I would prefer that you didn’t. If you wish to speak with Sukuna and learn how to master your technique, then I won’t stop you, but I want you to know that no matter what happens I will not be happy about it, but I will stand by you and help you to the best of my ability.”

His words struck you with such intensity that your eyes stung with tears. Your heart beat wildly in your chest as you stared up at him with a soft and loving smile. A pleasant shiver ran down your spine, your chest filling with such emotion that you just…didn’t know what to do. You surged forward, wrapping your arms around his torso and hugging him tight. You didn’t care that Nanami was soaked, or that your clothes were now damp, all you cared about was him.

Nanami instinctively wrapped his arms around you, holding you close and burying his face in your hair. He thought about pressing his lips to your skalp, a gentle kiss to seal his apology and hopefully gain your acceptance. He wanted you to know that he was truly sorry, and that there was more that he could do if his words weren’t enough-

All too quickly you pulled away, stepping back and taking his hands in yours and tracing gentle circles on his palms. “I’m sorry too, for everything. I’m not going to speak with Sukuna, I’m going to do this my own way…and I would like you to be there with me-“

“Of course, anything” Nanami replied quickly, your smile causing his heart to swell with happiness. With a small motion of your head, you spoke softly “You can stay the night if you want, I don’t see the point in you coming all the way here and then going all the way back. You’ll be getting back by like 4am-“

“Oh no, really it’s fine Y/n I-“

“Nanami…” You whispered sternly, giving him a stern playful glare as you shook your head “…I insist. Seriously, I have some of Gojo’s old clothes that might fit you-“

“Why do you have Gojo’s old clothes?” He asked bewilderedly, giving you a confused look as you giggled awkwardly.

“Oh! No it’s nothing like that I promise! When I first got here in winter I didn’t have that many warm clothes, so he gave me a hoodie and trackpants to keep me warm!”

“Uh huh, sure” Nanami teased, chuckling as you hauled him inside. You groaned, lightly punching his shoulder as you closed the door behind him “Seriously? Gojo is like an older brother to me, I’ll get you the clothes just shhhhhhhh!” You scolded, to which Nanami glared at you playfully. He smirked, taking the clothes from you and disappearing into your bathroom.

When he emerged, he saw that you had already crawled into your bed. You gently patted the mattress beside you, the blush on your cheeks deepening. Nanami knew exactly what was going through your mind, and without another word he crawled under the covers beside you. Your heart was beating so fast you worried that he might hear it, as the two of you settled in. With a small whispered ‘goodnight’ to each other, you both fell into a comfortable sleep.

Come morning, Gojo grew concerned. You usually woke up early and met him for breakfast, and when you didn’t, he knew something had to be wrong. He made his way to your room, knocking gently and waiting patiently for your reply. When none came, Gojo slowly and quietly opened your bedroom door and his eyes widened in shock and awe.

You were lying in bed, tangled in Nanami’s arms! Your head was buried against his chest, with Nanami’s arms wrapped around you securely. The two of you were snoring softly, completely dead to the world as you shifted slightly, Nanami’s arms holding you closer whilst his chin came to rest on top of your head. Gojo snorted quietly, covering his mouth with his hand so as to not burst with laughter. He needed evidence that this happened, otherwise no one would ever believe him. Hell, he wouldn’t believe him if he wasn’t looking at this historic moment right now.

So Gojo quickly took out his phone, snapping a few pictures before exclaiming victoriously in a hushed whisper…that was until a pillow smacked him in the face. With a loud ‘oof’ he heard a stern voice growl “Delete that, or I will make sure you regret it”.

“No way Kento! I have been waiting forever to catch the two of you like this, I need evidence this happened otherwise people will think I’m crazy!”

“You are crazy!” Gojo heard you screamed, your voice loud and high pitched “Get out!”.

The glare that Nanami directed towards him was so intense that Gojo felt an overwhelming sense of nervousness consume him, the hairs on the back of his neck sticking up on end as the familiar feeling of cursed energy hung in the air. Gojo shrieked as he left your room, phone clutched in hand as he laughed evilly.

The one time he did…

Finally, a quiet night in.

A night that was undisturbed by the sudden appearance of a cursed spirit, one of your fellow first years requiring your attention, or Gojo suddenly appearing from nowhere and ruining the peace.

Deciding to follow up on that nice dinner he wanted to make you weeks ago, when everyone went out bowling instead, he invited you over to his apartment so he could make you your favourite dish. You practically lived at his apartment most days anyway now, he didn’t mind though, he loved your company, and honestly wouldn’t have minded if you said that you wanted to stay permanently.

He kept sneaking glances at you from the kitchen, watching your huddled form on the lounge as your curled up with one of the books he was reading. He was already about halfway through it, but you had taken a great interest when he had explained the plot to you on the morning when Gojo had caught the two of you together. He watched as your eyes skimmed the pages, the way you unconsciously bit your lip as you tilted your head to the side in intrigue. They way you smiled when you-

“Shit!” Nanami hissed, the knife in his hand clattering against the stone-top loudly as he stepped backward away from the bench. A sharp stinging pain coursed through his hand, a strange warmth spreading downward as he lifted his hand up in front of his face. He cursed again at the blood that poured from the cut on his finger, immediately turning around to face the sink and run his hand under the water.

“Are you okay?” He heard you call out from behind him, the soft ‘thump’ of a book landing on the coffee table echoing throughout his apartment. Nanami winced as the water made contact with the cut, the stinging sensation becoming unbearable as he allowed the blood to dribble down the drain. “I’m fine, I just dropped something” he lied, bracing his other hand against the kitchen sink as he pressed his lips together in a thin line. The pain was becoming worse, he’d surely cut deep hence the amount of blood. He shook his head in annoyance, cursing himself internally.

Damn it, he’d ruined everything. The food was no doubt covered in blood, completely inedible. Just one night, one night where something didn’t go wrong-

Nanami watched with wide eyes as your hands suddenly appeared in his field of vision, reaching across him and turning off the tap. He stood practically frozen as you turned him to face you, taking his injured hand in yours and holding it close to your face to examine the cut on his index finger.

You pouted slightly, peering up at him through your lashes as you ‘tsked’. “Well, that was silly of you” You scolded, shaking your head teasingly while Nanami blushed a bright red in embarrassment. He cleared his throat awkwardly “I-It was an accident” He stuttered, feeling the weight on his chest lift as you laughed softly.

“I would hope so…” you replied calmly, placing his hand in-between both of yours as you closed your eyes “…I wouldn’t be very happy with you if it was intentional”. He watched in amazement as your hands began to glow, the blue cursed energy flame consuming both your hand and his. That familiar pins and needles sensation settled in his hand as he watched the cut on his finger close, the blue flame flickering out as the wound completely disappeared. His eyes flickered upward to watch your face for any sign of discomfort, waiting for any sign of fatigue that would indicate that you had expended too much of your energy.

But when you opened your eyes and released a deep and calm sigh, Nanami felt an overwhelming sense of pride consume him. Your eyes met his and you smiled, teasingly holding his hand up in front of his face “See? All better. Was that so hard?”.

Nanami chuckled, shaking his head at your playfulness. You had come so far with your cursed technique, it practically didn’t bother you that much anymore. The two of you had figured out why healing others took such a toll on you, and it was because your cursed energy was so potent that it often didn’t align with someone else’s. You had to attune yourself to their cursed energy, match its frequency, and then allow your technique to flow through them in order to heal them. It was harder for some more than others, with Nanami it pretty much came naturally to you now.

He examined his finger, still impressed by the fact that there was no scar tissue left behind. Your abilities amazed him, it always left him speechless. “So? How does it look?” You asked softly, waiting anxiously for his answer. Nanami shrugged, turning his hand over with a slight huff. “Eh”.

“EH!?” You exclaimed, your eyes widening in shock as you stood there bewildered “There’s nothing there anymore! What do you mean eh!?”.

Nanami erupted in laughter, pulling away from you and clutching his stomach as it ached. He watched as realisation dawned on your face, flinching away from you as you lightly began to punch his arm lightly. “Oh you ass! That’s not nice!”

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it…” Nanami replied, wiping a stray tear from his eye as he composed himself “the look on your face was priceless”.

He watched as you pouted, folding your arms across your chest as you turned away from him. He felt a bit bad, turning you around to face him again as an apologetic smile formed on his face. “I’m sorry, I was only teasing” He spoke softly, to which you nodded slowly.

You hummed a small reply, avoiding his gaze on purpose as he tried to get your attention. You looked at anything but him, and your teasing laughter was driving him insane. Your laughter grew louder when he grabbed your waist, pulling you against him so that there was no space between you. Your eyes widened in shock at the sudden movement, a bright blush forming on your cheeks as you stared up at him.

It happened all so suddenly as Nanami dipped down to capture your lips with his. You immediately melted into his touch, wrapping your arms around his neck while his hands settled firmly against your waist. You found yourself being moved backward, your lower back making contact with the countertop as you were now effectively pinned between the counter and his chest. You moaned softly, your heart racing as your hands tangled themselves in his hair.

You had been wanting this to happen for months now, this kiss had been way overdue. A surprised squeak left your lips as Nanami’s hands moved down your waist to your thighs, not once breaking the kiss as he effortlessly lifted you up so that you now sat on the countertop. He moved to stand between your legs, one hand resting on your thigh while the other moved back to your waist. A pleasant shiver coursed through you as you inched yourself closer, a low groan resonating deep within the man before you as he deepened the kiss.

Eventually the two of you pulled away, breathing in much needed oxygen as you placed your foreheads together. Nanami so desperately wanted to continue this, months of pent-up feelings and emotions had finally amounted to this long-awaited kiss, and he wanted more. He froze completely as he watched your eyes fluttered open, your hands slowly tracing downward from his neck and grasping the tie around his neck.

“What would you say about skipping dinner? We could maybe do this another-“

Before you could finish his lips were on your again, your words dying out and your train of thought forgotten as Nanami lifted you into his arms and carried you towards his bedroom. You soon became lost in a tangle of limbs and sheets, the night becoming intensely pleasurable and one that you wouldn’t soon forget.

When Gojo visited the next morning, concerned at the fact that neither one of you were answering his texts or calls, he soon got his answer. Entering Nanami’s apartment unannounced, his bright blue eyes widened in shock and embarrassment at the sight before him. You were sat on the kitchen counter wearing nothing but Nanami’s favourite blue shirt as you turned to look at him over your shoulder, and Nanami was completely shirtless, glaring towards him in annoyance and rage.

Gojo had never left a room faster than he did that morning, not once looking behind him in case an angry Nanami was hot on his heels.