Pick-ups and Punctuality (or the lack thereof)
Characters: Adoptive Dad!Nanami x Elementary School Teacher!Reader
Content Warning(s): eventual smut MDNI, pining, flirting, suggestive situations, fluff, jealousy, domestic papamin moments, brief mention of character death, mention of unstable family and unfit guardian, kids being kids lmao, reader and nanami trying to maintain boundaries
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papamin fanart is by @/nume_x on IG, divider by @/saradika-graphics
āAre you waiting for your mummy or daddy, Yuji?ā
You were tired. Frankly, tired was an understatement. It was a deep-seated, gnawing exhaustion that cleaved you into two, but you kept the practiced smile plastered on your face. Glued on with seasoned ease, the gentle curve of your lips never budged all throughout the scheduled pick-up time. Variants of āSee you tomorrow!ā and āBye dear!ā flowed like honey, but the words tasted nothing but sweet. Being an elementary school teacher wasnāt for the weak ā you knew that going in, but being pulled apart in a new direction by a class of 20 seven year olds every other minute proved to be its own ordeal in a new weight class.Ā
The first day of school was especially rough, even for second year students. Clingy children (and even clingier parents), picky eaters, on top of tardy pick ups were only a handful of the fires you had to put out today. One thing you never compromised on though, was about never letting the children see beyond the cracks. They never deserved it. They didnāt deserve it. They were just children, after all.Ā
An adultās responsibility was never a childās to bear.
With yet another surreptitious glance at your wrist watch, you repeated your question patiently to Yuji. Naturally, given his boisterous personality, he had been too busy saying bye to each of his classmates who were being picked up by their caretakers on time. He failed to hear the question directed at him, and merely beamed brightly, waving his arms with abandon at his newfound besties: the reserved Megumi and the passionate Nobara.Ā
āFUSHIGURO! KUGISAKI! MAKE SURE YOU TWO COME EARLY TOMORROW ā we have to race again to see whoās the true winner!ā Yuji blared, any semblance of an indoor voice forgotten yet again now that he was no longer in the confines of the classroom.
āStop yelling. Senseiās talking to you.ā Megumi replied sagely. The boy possessed an unexpected calmness and stillness one would never have guessed possible of a child his age. With a quick point of his index finger, Megumi drew his energetic friendās attention to you.
Biting your lip, you struggled to maintain a straight face, torn between a giggle and a grimace at the boysā interactions. What interesting personalities you had in your class this year. Come what may, you knew you would never be bored with these two around.Ā
Never one to be impertinent intentionally, Yuji collected himself swiftly, bowing near instantly, albeit clumsily in his childlike manner. Stammering apologies rapidly while his face grew red hot, embarrassed at having been potentially rude to his sensei. Though you had yet to meet his parents, you could tell the young boy was raised with a strict upbringing and had been instilled with a traditional deference to those older than him.Ā
āGrandpa says I have to answer when spoken to⦠sorry Senseiā¦āĀ
āOh Yuji, itās alright! You were just excited, werenāt you?ā Genuine peals of laughter now escaped your lips as you ruffled Yujiās pink locks. It was only the first day, but you could not help but have a soft spot for the kid. His warmth, the magnanimous nature that he displayed the whole day when interacting with his classmates⦠In spite of his age, you knew heād be a great man some day. You could tell.
With the knowledge that his beloved sensei had forgiven him, Yuji straightened and flashed a toothy grin. āIām waiting for my Nanamin! Heās a bit late, which is strange. Heās never late! Nanamin says if a man is on time, heās late. If someone wants to be punctual, they should arrive five minutes early!āĀ
You stifled a sigh. In theory, the mysterious Nanamin made great points, but it didn't change the fact that this⦠Nanamin was still 15 minutes late. Your thoughts wandered to your half-eaten bento wistfully ā donāt ask, no time during lunch ā and your poor stomach commiserated. With a defiant gurgle, it protested loudly as Yuji continued extolling the virtues of his Nanamin and other life lessons his caretaker had (tried to) impart to him.
āOh! Oh! Nanamin also tells me all the time that-ā
Seeing that the boy was going to continue indefinitely, you gently placed a hand on his shoulder and crouched down to his eye level. With furrowed brows and the ever-present gentle smile, you tried to soften the blow as you subtly (and firmly) put an end to his rambling.
āThat sounds lovely, dear. But shall we drop your Nanamin a call? Itās getting a bit late, and Sensei still has to tidy up and cleanā¦ā you trailed off, not mentioning how you had yet to finish your lunch or find time to visit the washroom.Ā
Instantly, Yujiās expressive eyes lit up like stars. They widened expectantly, as if he had laid eyes on the rarest of treasures. Trembling with anticipation, Yuji gasped. It seemed an idea had struck him, fuelled by his desperation to impress his new teacher. In many ways, earning a sticker or a teacherās approval was more significant to him than anything with actual monetary value.Ā
āI-I can help! Iām super strong and I can move all the chairs and tables myself. Iām really, really good at sweeping too! Grandpa used to make me do that allllll the time at home,ā insisted Yuji with rapid nods of his head.Ā
Without a secondās hesitation, Yuji scrambled from the pick-up point and made a beeline to his homeroom, leaving you behind in his dust. He was gone before you could even craft a response, gaping at his ferocious speed like a goldfish.
Was the boy a car? An Olympian at the age of seven? Equal parts frustration and admiration warred in you while you hastened your steps. By the time you gave chase and arrived at your destination, Yuji had arranged half the classroomās chairs. To your utmost surprise, Yuji actually was strong enough to shift everything, and responsible enough to do a good job at tidying.
āLeave it to me, Sensei! You can finish your bento while waiting for Nanamin!ā the diligent boy instructed with an air of confidence, seemingly most at home when doing menial chores and physical labour. Not only did Yuji appear surprisingly mature at this point, your heart also twinged at his words. The boy truly was going to be someone special one day. He⦠noticed you didnāt finish your lunch?Ā
Perhaps it was the day's exhaustion. You were choked up and quickly swallowed the lump in your throat.Ā
Knowing that this child was so observant and sensitive, so kind that his love extended beyond his peers and even to his sensei⦠Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes.Ā
āNo, no, I couldnāt possibly! I appreciate your offer, sweetheart, but Iām not that hungry. Let me help you with cleani-āĀ
Despite your placid tone, your traitorous stomach picked that exact moment to stage a coop. Your brows shot up with mortification, though Yuji was intelligent enough to keep mum and avoid eye contact. Wordlessly, he simply pulled out a chair and retrieved your bento from your desk, which was wrapped with a simple green furoshiki.Ā
āNanamin says that we need to eat well so we can do our job well!ā Yuji parroted confidently. āSensei, you gotta eat too!ā
Heartened and grateful, you simply sank into the tiny, plastic chair and took demure bites of your cold rice.Ā
In no time, thanks to your hunger and Yujiās efficiency, your bento was polished off and the floor swept clean.
With the classroom now in presentable shape and the earlier warzone rectified, the two of you giggled as you lounged on the fuzzy reading rug, with young Yuji cocooned in your embrace and perched on your lap.Ā
āOoh~ Sensei, letās read another one!ā Yuji requested, reaching for the next picture book.
However, with it being a solid hour after the allotted pick-up time, you felt pangs of doubt and icy fear creeping into your heart. You had already let the administrative office know about Yujiās predicament, but no guardian could be contacted. Sure, you could keep the boy entertained a while more, but surely someone was supposed to care for him? His Nanamin? Or the grandpa he mentioned?
You absentmindedly obliged and read the animated characterās story outloud, stalling for time as you considered your next steps. Fortunately, Yujiās personal story time was soon interrupted by rhythmic footsteps approaching frantically.Ā
āSumimasen. Iām Nanami Kento, Iām here for Yuji. I apologise for my tardiness. I was held up at work.ā A rich baritone filled your ears, causing both you and Yuji to look up from the vividly coloured picture book.
Before glancing up, you had expected a frazzled father who simply lost track of time. Nothing could have prepared you for the young man at the threshold of the classroom. Seeds of confusion start to grow. The man before you was evidently someone similar to you in age, not to mention he had a finely cut figure decked in an expensive tailored navy suit. Who would have thought that Yujiās beloved Nanamin would arrive sporting meticulously gelled blonde hair and a ridiculously attractive undercut? You quirked a brow, tilting your head slightly but choosing wisely to remain silent and observant.
With a squeal, Yuji launched himself out of your lap and barrelled straight at the stoic man. In stark contrast, the man simply held out his arms silently, bracing himself for impact as the pink-streaked missile made contact with his target. āI waited for forever, Nanamin! At least Sensei is nice and pretty, or I would be soooo mad at you!ā Yuji declared without malice. His words were uttered with a hyperbolic honesty that only a seven year old could muster.
āYes⦠Iām truly sorry. I was held up at work, my boss⦠He-ā Nanamin caught himself before he continued further, belatedly realising he was attempting to justify himself to a seven year old with no concept of corporate deadlines and financial reports. āIām glad that you had company though, Yuji. I appreciate your patience. Sensei does indeed seem nice and pretty.ā
As the man who introduced himself as Nanami Kento spoke calmly to Yuji (as if Yuji were another adult dressed in a suit like himself), his eyes flitted to yours gradually.
After he acknowledged your kindness and attractiveness, both of your faces flushed mildly; Nanamiās from being so blatant with his flirting and yours from being showered with compliments from a fine specimen of a man with such rugged good looks.
āYup, Senseiās the bestest! Donāt tell Gojo-sensei from last year, but I like her way more!ā Yuji stage-whispered in Nanamiās ear.
āGojo-san will be heartbroken, Iām sure.ā Nanami deadpanned, his face impassive.
Before the duo could continue their atypical conversation, you cleared your throat and stood up to (formally) introduce yourself to Yujiās guardian.Ā
āAh, you must be Nanamin! Yujiās shared, well, heās shared a lot about you over the past hour! Iām his homeroom teacher for the second year,ā you interjected with your hand outstretched.Ā
Ears pink, Nanami pressed his lips together thinly at the silly moniker as if in distaste, but you noticed he made no attempt to correct Yuji any of the times he used it earlier. Your gaze softened, as you came to the realisation that the composed man with an even drier tone actually had a heart of gold underneath his layers of pantsuit and corporate jargon.Ā
His warm hand grasped yours with a quick squeeze, before both of you let go. The callouses, the size, the sheer heat of his hand⦠Biting your lip, you prayed fervently that the man could not feel your thrumming pulse, or even begin to suspect the lewd images running through your head.Ā
Not the time! Get it together!Ā
With a shake of your head to clear some of the more inappropriate thoughts from your mind, you focused on Nanamiās face, preparing to bid him and Yuji farewell.Ā
However, nothing could have prepared you for the final act of betrayal you would experience today. First it was your stomach, humiliating you in front of a student. Now, it was your skin flushing red hot, all thanks to the suave gentleman whose eyes seemed to roam over your body and read your mind and its perverse thoughts.
Truly, you were being tested by the universe today.Ā
āOnce again, I apologise for my tardiness. It won't happen again. Let me send you home, Sensei. I insist, maāam.ā
Under the two-fold persistence and persuasive ploy of the tenacious Yuji and adamant Nanami, you folded. Like a rickety old table. Like a shitty poker hand. Near Instantaneously.
Honestly, you didnāt stand much of a chance. The guise (and excuse) of professionalism you tried to cite merely melted away in seconds, like ice cream on a summerās day.
You soon found yourself ushered into Nanamiās pleasant-smelling car and onto the cool leather of the passengerās seat, much to your bewilderment.Ā
āSeatbelt all done!ā Yuji announced proudly from the backseat. āSensei, buckle up! WE MUST BE SAFE!ā Yujiās preflight safety checks, increasing exponentially in volume, made you cringe slightly as Nanami merely shushed him instinctively out of habit.
It seemed like getting caught off guard was the norm today.Ā Ā
Without warning, Nanami leaned over the console from the driverās seat, his deft fingers quickly tugging to buckle you up before you could protest further. He clicked the buckle into place, fingers brushing against your hip.Ā
Once again, both of you sported matching crimson countenances.
āSeatbelt, done.ā Nanami echoed quietly, while still hovering near your ear, the rich timbre of his voice reaching deep within you.Ā
Almost breathlessly, you nodded, thighs squeezing covertly.Ā
This was going to be a long ride home.
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A/N: keke very excited for this new series i hope u like it (ą¹įµā¤įµą¹)
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