Nanami closes his book and sets it aside. He stands and takes Haibara's hands, rubbing his thumb across it to comfort him. He guides him fully into the living room and sits back down.
"Okay. We can talk about it if you want," Nanami offers.
Nanami wraps his arms around Haibara, one around his shoulder and the other resting on his thigh. It's nice to hold him, especially after whatever happened. He's calmed himself down (really impressive compared to some of what he's seen from people), though it might not have been anything major. That's easier.
"Pretty much. Gojo's a far more accepting teacher, but it's still the same old same old."
"I ran into one of the kids he'll be training in the future. He seemed
pretty standoffish which I mean, people are like that." Haibara relaxes
against him with a sigh.
"I didn't expect him to ask why I bother training when I don't have any
cursed energy here, though."
A slight shrug. "Like I'm supposed to just sit back and let you or whoever
protect me instead of standing with you."
Pretty standoffish. Most of the second years are already here, and neither Inumaki or Okkotsu are standoffish. He wouldn't even describe Panda that way. It's definitely not Itadori, and since it's a boy, that means Fushiguro. Not the friendliest person on the surface, though Nanami thinks he's a good kid. A powerful one too since he's already learning how to expand his domain. There's a reason Toji went after him, not Nanami or Zen'in Naobito, after killing the special grade.
"If it were what you wanted, I would let you do that," Nanami says, "but I know it isn't." So they work together, instead of against each other. Nanami trusts Haibara, no matter how much it puts his heart in his throat.
"He clearly doesn't understand how Folkmore works. Or you."
He doesn't speak as he considers Nanami's words, his expression thoughtful. It's not that he thinks he's good enough to be on par with even Nanami or the students. He's not, He never really was even as a student.
But he'd ignored it and look where that had gotten him.
"What do you want me to do?" Because letting him do it just to soothe his own ego is a stupid move, even he can see that.
It's a hard question, a difficult question. Nanami isn't sure he knows what he wants. He's had so many awkward uncomfortable conversations with Inumaki because Inumaki doesn't want to be treated as a kid, doesn't want to be protected. It's not something Nanami can easily step away from. And Haibara?
Nanami doesn't want to lose Haibara, not again, not even if he comes back from it. "I— I think we all should train. What we want to do and what situations the fox will put us in won't always align. We should all be ready to defend ourselves and others who cannot."
That doesn't exactly answer the question.
"I want you—" it cuts off briefly. "To be safe."
That isn't how Nanami meant to put it. He blinks and sighs. "I don't know what that means. You're far more capable than many people here, but the fox made me watch a wizard school movie version of what happened. Of your death. It's hard to get out of my mind. I don't want to lose you."
"You want me to not engage unless I'm forced into it." His voice is quiet, Haibara pressing a kiss to his jawline lightly so the words aren't taken as Haibara being upset with him. Because he's not. He just doesn't like feeling like he's not contributing in some way.
Especially if Nanami is on the front lines fighting in whatever may come up. "You didn't tell me about the movie, Kento." Which was something they maybe should have discussed before now. But it's not something Nanami really wants to talk about.
Nanami's jaw tightens. What he wants and what Haibara wants on this matter don't align. It's Haibara's choice, and Nanami will respect it. He doesn't want to keep Haibara in a cage, unable to do what he believes is right. "You don't have to do that," Nanami says, "I want you to be true to yourself. What I want conflicts with itself."
He sighs and lifts a hand to rub at his temple. "The movie was the movie. I spent the whole thing, once I recognized it, waiting for the worst to happen, and it did. Despite that, it wasn't the focal point of the conversation Inumaki and I had. The same conversation we keep having." Hopefully more productively this time, but Nanami isn't sure.
"It's nothing I haven't pictured a thousand times."
"...Kento." His voice is soft and Haibara shifts in his lap so he's looking him in the eye. "Putting your own wants aside for me is admirable but it's not what I want from you. You lost me once, we both know that and the last thing I want is to make things more difficult for you.
There are other ways I can be of use here." His hands come up to frame Nanami's face, his thumbs sliding along his jawline.
"Because more than anything else, I don't want to add to your stress and making you relive that doesn't exactly align with that either."
Nanami sighs and deflates a little. He dislikes the idea of Haibara changing so many things about his life for him. This... soulmate bond they have already changes Yu's vision, so he only sees full color around Nanami. How is that fair? Nanami welcomes being marked by his love for Haibara. He enjoys seeing the mark that showed up at the same time, but it's hardly the same.
"You still need to train. I am sure if we try to avoid ever putting you in danger, the fox will find a way to do so," Nanami says seriously. That's how things work here. It's a good place, certainly, but it finds those pressure points and presses them.
"You are the most wonderful part of Folkmore, Yu. I never expected we'd get this opportunity." He takes Yu's hand, the one with the engagement ring, and kisses it. "I want you to be happy here."
"I'm here with you. How can I not be happy?" It's the truth and he's not even bothered by the changes since he's come here. What bothers him is how tired Nanami tends to look, but he's been working on that with their weekends away. And he knows Nanami feels responsible for the kids, even Geto-san and Gojo-san and it's fine.
"I'm not training to go hunt things, I'm training so you don't worry about me." But if that's making him worry more, maybe it's time to look into other forms of training.
"If I took on a different form of training. One that didn't expose me to weapons, would that be something easier for you?"
Nanami often feels the same. It would be hypocritical to doubt him. "I want even more happiness in your life," he says, meaning it. "Happiness with me, and happiness... via other things as well. Whatever they may be."
That's what he's wanted for Haibara for a decade. A life.
He blinks. "You can train with weapons. That doesn't bother me," he says, "You've been training with Maki right? She's tough, but she won't seriously hurt you. It's whatever unknown fights we face, not her, that worries me."
"Hey, you need to stop doing that." Haibara brushes a kiss to his lips briefly before he keeps going. "Without you, I wouldn't be happy. Not really. I could be content, sure, but you're the reason I'm truly happy here, Kento. Your presence is what makes this home for me. Without you? I might not even be here, anyway." Because all he'd wanted was to be with Nanami.
"And whether I train with her or not, I feel like you'd be a lot more relaxed if I could fight from a distance." Which is something he can work on.
Nanami flushes slightly. Perhaps it's selfish of him to want Haibara to find happiness in other things or guilt for all he's experienced in the world Haibara could only watch. Not that Nanami was happy exactly. It's strange after talking with Geto about not revolving his whole life and existence in Folkmore around Gojo not to consider the same for Haibara. They aren't those two, though. "It's a hard habit to break," Nanami says. "I won't apologize for wanting you to be even happier. I'm not trying to make you happy without me. Seeing you do things you like... I like it."
A distance is usually safer, yes. "Having the flexibility to do either is good, for when the fox feels uncooperative." A pause. "But... yes."
"I'll see what I can about the distance issue. It might not be hard with how things work around here. That being said, if you want to see me to do what I like more, all you have to do is ask, Kento." His lips twitch into a grin, Haibara leaning in to kiss just below his ear.
Nanami leans his head back and groans. He walked right into that one. Haibara makes sure to tease him whenever his words sound silly or can be taken a certain way or— There's a lot of circumstances under which Haibara teases him.
"And I thought we were past the honeymoon stage," Nanami teases.
"Not even close." He leans in, brushes a kiss to Nanami's jaw, the corner of his mouth before kissing him properly, although it's just a kiss this time.
"We've got years of that ahead of us, I hope." If he's honest, the rest of their lives, but it'll have to end eventually, probably. "I never want to stop feeling the way I do about you now."
His ears twitch at the touch and he shifts in Nanami's lab, maybe a bit more deliberately than just as a reaction to his ears being touched. "I know." And that's what he wants as well. The rest is honestly just details, but as long as they're basically on the aame overall page?
They'll work it out.
He is quiet for a moment though before his lips twitch. "So how many times did you sleep with Gojo-san?"
They have definitely finished the serious portion of the conversation when Haibara gets like that. He strokes Haibara's ears again, soft and slow, in no rush or hurry. Sometimes it's just nice to—
Nanami coughs at the question. He's not embarrassed about sleeping with Gojo, nor does he think Haibara judges him for it. It's just... shocking and surprising and maybe those two words mean the same thing. It bears repeating. "Not that often," he says thoughtfully, "I wasn't keeping count. Maybe once or twice a year once I went back? On average."
They were friends first and foremost, as much as Gojo drove Nanami nuts. While Nanami gets as horny as the next man, he didn't need to act on it that much. Plenty of the time he took care of things himself. There's other matters besides sex.
Nanami stroking his ears is distracting and he makes a soft sound in response, shifting again his lap before he forces himself to focus. They can move to the couch in a moment, after all.
"And would you have told me that if I'd asked you a month ago?"
His hand pauses without thinking about it. It's a strange question. Yes, it's not something he would bring up in conversation on his own, but Haibara asked. So he answered.
"If you really wanted to know."
It's not a secret, not from Haibara. It's simply not something he usually talks about.
"What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done, then?" Because while Nanami would tell him if he asked, maybe a different direction would be better for confirming his thoughts.
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Re: After meeting Megumi
"Okay. We can talk about it if you want," Nanami offers.
Re: After meeting Megumi
"Are they still teaching the same things at Jujutsu high that they were we were students?"
Re: After meeting Megumi
"Pretty much. Gojo's a far more accepting teacher, but it's still the same old same old."
Re: After meeting Megumi
"I ran into one of the kids he'll be training in the future. He seemed pretty standoffish which I mean, people are like that." Haibara relaxes against him with a sigh.
"I didn't expect him to ask why I bother training when I don't have any cursed energy here, though."
A slight shrug. "Like I'm supposed to just sit back and let you or whoever protect me instead of standing with you."
Re: After meeting Megumi
"If it were what you wanted, I would let you do that," Nanami says, "but I know it isn't." So they work together, instead of against each other. Nanami trusts Haibara, no matter how much it puts his heart in his throat.
"He clearly doesn't understand how Folkmore works. Or you."
Re: After meeting Megumi
But he'd ignored it and look where that had gotten him.
"What do you want me to do?" Because letting him do it just to soothe his own ego is a stupid move, even he can see that.
Re: After meeting Megumi
Nanami doesn't want to lose Haibara, not again, not even if he comes back from it. "I— I think we all should train. What we want to do and what situations the fox will put us in won't always align. We should all be ready to defend ourselves and others who cannot."
That doesn't exactly answer the question.
"I want you—" it cuts off briefly. "To be safe."
That isn't how Nanami meant to put it. He blinks and sighs. "I don't know what that means. You're far more capable than many people here, but the fox made me watch a wizard school movie version of what happened. Of your death. It's hard to get out of my mind. I don't want to lose you."
Re: After meeting Megumi
Especially if Nanami is on the front lines fighting in whatever may come up. "You didn't tell me about the movie, Kento." Which was something they maybe should have discussed before now. But it's not something Nanami really wants to talk about.
And he gets that, he does.
Re: After meeting Megumi
He sighs and lifts a hand to rub at his temple. "The movie was the movie. I spent the whole thing, once I recognized it, waiting for the worst to happen, and it did. Despite that, it wasn't the focal point of the conversation Inumaki and I had. The same conversation we keep having." Hopefully more productively this time, but Nanami isn't sure.
"It's nothing I haven't pictured a thousand times."
Re: After meeting Megumi
There are other ways I can be of use here." His hands come up to frame Nanami's face, his thumbs sliding along his jawline.
"Because more than anything else, I don't want to add to your stress and making you relive that doesn't exactly align with that either."
Re: After meeting Megumi
"You still need to train. I am sure if we try to avoid ever putting you in danger, the fox will find a way to do so," Nanami says seriously. That's how things work here. It's a good place, certainly, but it finds those pressure points and presses them.
"You are the most wonderful part of Folkmore, Yu. I never expected we'd get this opportunity." He takes Yu's hand, the one with the engagement ring, and kisses it. "I want you to be happy here."
Re: After meeting Megumi
"I'm not training to go hunt things, I'm training so you don't worry about me." But if that's making him worry more, maybe it's time to look into other forms of training.
"If I took on a different form of training. One that didn't expose me to weapons, would that be something easier for you?"
Re: After meeting Megumi
That's what he's wanted for Haibara for a decade. A life.
He blinks. "You can train with weapons. That doesn't bother me," he says, "You've been training with Maki right? She's tough, but she won't seriously hurt you. It's whatever unknown fights we face, not her, that worries me."
Re: After meeting Megumi
"And whether I train with her or not, I feel like you'd be a lot more relaxed if I could fight from a distance." Which is something he can work on.
Re: After meeting Megumi
A distance is usually safer, yes. "Having the flexibility to do either is good, for when the fox feels uncooperative." A pause. "But... yes."
Re: After meeting Megumi
"I wouldn't complain."
Re: After meeting Megumi
"And I thought we were past the honeymoon stage," Nanami teases.
Re: After meeting Megumi
"We've got years of that ahead of us, I hope." If he's honest, the rest of their lives, but it'll have to end eventually, probably. "I never want to stop feeling the way I do about you now."
Re: After meeting Megumi
"That's why I proposed," Nanami says, "I want you for the rest of my life. I know how I feel and that it'll never stop. Only grow."
He reaches up to brush one of Haibara's ears. "Though I'll admit I never imagined these in our lives."
Re: After meeting Megumi
They'll work it out.
He is quiet for a moment though before his lips twitch. "So how many times did you sleep with Gojo-san?"
Re: After meeting Megumi
Nanami coughs at the question. He's not embarrassed about sleeping with Gojo, nor does he think Haibara judges him for it. It's just... shocking and surprising and maybe those two words mean the same thing. It bears repeating. "Not that often," he says thoughtfully, "I wasn't keeping count. Maybe once or twice a year once I went back? On average."
They were friends first and foremost, as much as Gojo drove Nanami nuts. While Nanami gets as horny as the next man, he didn't need to act on it that much. Plenty of the time he took care of things himself. There's other matters besides sex.
Re: After meeting Megumi
"And would you have told me that if I'd asked you a month ago?"
Re: After meeting Megumi
"If you really wanted to know."
It's not a secret, not from Haibara. It's simply not something he usually talks about.
Re: After meeting Megumi
Re: After meeting Megumi
His cheeks have already gone red. His ears too. Because it's, well, embarrassing. He'd rather not talk about it.
"Please, tell me what you're thinking. It can't be about... that."
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