Work Text:
12/24/2011
It had been 19 days since Kanji had been shot, but thankfully, after Kanji was discharged from the hospital, Yukiko was able to use her healing magic inside the TV world to fix most of the damage for him. It didn't completely heal him, but it made it a lot easier and faster for him. The fight through Magatsu Inaba had been rough on all of them, but they were eventually able to make it to the end and confront Adachi. The fight was hard. Harder than anything they had encountered on their journey throughout the world of Shadows. To make things worse, the self proclaimed 'Granter of Mankind's Desires', called Ameno-sagiri had appeared after they had barely just defeated Adachi.It was hard fight. They couldn't have possibly won without Yu's flawless leadership and their strength as a team, but after what felt like an eternity, they had finally done it. They defeated the killer and whatever this Ameno-sagiri was together, and with no one on the team any worse for wear. Naoto had assumed everything would be relatively fine after this, but ever since the moment they had spent together in the hospital Kanji had seemed to be avoiding her like the plague.
"I don't understand, Rise-san. I thought we had shared something when I visited him in the hospital. Did I simply misread the situation?" Naoto was at her wits end. She had assumed things would be different with Kanji from now on, and she was right. Before, Kanji would simply be awkward around her. He would blush, stumble over his own words, and even have the occasional nosebleed. Now, however, he simply stayed away from her completely. "Was it something I said to him?"
Rise leaned back on her on and placed another piece of Pocky between her lips. "I don't think it's that. You told me what went down, but it didn't sound like you said anything to piss him off."
Naoto sighed and took a small sip of her melon soda. "I'm not sure. Perhaps he simply... reconsidered the situation and realized I truly was at fault." She pulled her knees up closer to her chest. "I suppose I cannot blame him for that."
Rise gave her a small hit on the arm. "Hey, knock that off. You told me you'd stop blaming yourself for that. It's nobody but Adachi's fault, right?"
"W-well, he was aiming for m-"
Rise shot her a death glare. "Nobody's fault but Adachi, right?"
Naoto nodded solemnly. She knew it was a fools errand to argue with Rise when she had her mind sat on something. "Y-yes. Of course." She would tell Rise that to make her happy, even if she didn't believe her own words.
"You're just telling me that to make me happy, aren't you?"
Damn, it seems she has the ability to read minds as well, doesn't it?
"Now you're thinking I'm able to read minds, aren't you?"
"H-how on earth-?"
Rise doubled over laughing, and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Don't worry! I'm just really good at reading people. I'm not psychic or anything, probably." Naoto looked at her friend, feeling a small sense of fear in her potential psychic abilities. "Anyways, why don't you just talk to Moronji about it?"
"What makes you think he would even want to speak with me? His recent behavior makes it seem like he'd rather be left alone." Naoto wanted more than anything to just speak with him, but she also hated the idea of troubling him more than she already had. Rise sat up and flicked Naoto's forehead. Naoto quickly raised her hands to the spot she had flicked. "Ow! That was uncalled for, Rise-san."
"It totally wasn't, dummy!" Naoto's head gave Rise a confused tilt. "Moronji's just as bad with emotional stuff as you are." Naoto bristled a bit at the small insult, even if she knew she was rather poorly suited for emotional conversations. "You two just need to sit down together and hash out whatever's wrong, right?"
Naoto nodded, "That would be best, but when? He never seems to want to be around me."
"Why not tonight? Just go over to his house and tell him you need to talk!"
Naoto blushed and pulled her hat down to try and hide it. "T-tonight?! But... a male and a female spending Christmas Eve together... that usually holds romantic connotations, correct?"
"Well, maybe?" Rise replies to Naoto with a coy smile. "Would you be opposed to that?"
Naoto's blush deepened. "W-well... I wouldn't HATE it, per se, but I'm not even sure Kanji-kun shares the feelings I am... harboring." Rise gave her a look of disbelief. "W-what? I don't! If he felt that way, wouldn't he want to be around me more often?"
Rise's phone suddenly buzzed, and when she checked it she let out an ear shattering squeal. "Sorry, I gotta go Naoto-kun. That was Senpai, I need to get over to his house ASAP."
Naoto looked at her for a moment before realizing why she'd be going to the Dojima home. She had her suspicions about their relationship, but she just had them confirmed. "I-I see. I shall make myself scarce then. I suppose I'll see you soon then." She got off of Rise's bed an began walking to the door.
Suddenly, Rise grabbed her hand and gave her a pleading look. "Hey, promise me you'll at least think about Kanji-kun's house tonight? I really do hate to see you like this, y'know?"
Naoto looked down at her hand and nodded. She removed her hand from Rise's. "Y-yes. I shall give it some thought. Send Senpai my regards. Merry Christmas, Rise-san."
After leaving Rise's house she returned to her apartment to think. It was true that she wanted to settle things with Kanji, but she didn't want to bother him if he didn't want to see her. It could wait a few days, perhaps after the new year, she thought. She decided she would wait and began thinking about what flavor of instant ramen she'd have for dinner. She would absolutely not be heading to Tatsumi Textiles tonight.
Later that same night
Naoto Shirogane stood outside of Tatsumi Textiles, wondering if she should turn around and head home before she made a fool of herself. She had been standing for nearly 10 minutes, flip-flopping back and forth on if she should go home or not. Just as she'd finally decided to leave, the door of the home slash business opened, and there was none other than Kanji Tatsumi. He instantly began blushing when he saw her. "O-oh! H-hey Naoto! What're ya doin' here so late? We ain't open but if ya need somethin' touched up I'd be happy ta help."
Naoto smiled and looked down for a moment. Just as kind as always, Kanji-kun. "Actually, I was here to see you, but it seems you were headed out somewhere. Perhaps to..." She swallowed, "Spend the night with a partner?"
Kanji laughed, but couldn't hide the faint blush that had appeared on his face. "Nah, s'nothin' like that. I was just headed out on a quick walk ta clear my mind." In this cold? I surely hope it wouldn't be long. I'd hate to see you fall ill. "But now that yer here, would ya like ta come in? I could make ya some tea."
Naoto nodded. "Yes, I would like to head inside into the warm, but tea won't be necessary. I wouldn't want to impose."
Kanji moved back into the house and ushered her inside. "Nah, s'no bother or nothin'." He suddenly shot up, a warm smile appearing on his face. "Actually it's Christmas Eve, yeah? Why don't I make us some hot chocolate?"
Naoto smiled and nodded excitedly. "Oh, that would be wonderful, actually." She quickly regained her composure. "If it's no bother, of course."
"Like I said before, s'no bother. Ya ain't ever been a bother." Then why have you been avoiding me so? He led her into the kitchen and pulled out a chair. "Here, sit down. Ma's already in bed so we may wanna keep it down a bit."
Naoto sat down in the chair and nodded. "Yes, it would be incredibly rude to me to barge in so late and wake up the owner of the home."
Kanji laughed lightly as he began making the hot chocolate. "Yer nervous about somethin', huh?"
"I beg your pardon? What gave you that idea?"
"Yer doin' that thing where ya start bein' overly formal. Ya only do it when yer bothered by somethin'." She began blushing deeply and looked down at the table. When did I become so easy to read?
She cleared her throat. "My apologies. I actually came here to speak to you about something with you, if you wouldn't mind."
Kanji looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?" He turned back to the hot chocolate as he finished making it. He placed marshmallows in each mug after filling them with the drink. He handed her a mug. "Well c'mon. We can talk about it in the livin' room. It'll be warmer in there." Naoto stood and walked with him to the other room with her mug in her hands. They both sat down on the couch as Kanji looked back at her. "So what'd ya wanna talk about?"
Naoto looked down into her mug as she worked up the courage to address her concerns. "Well... Ever since my first visit to you in the hospital." She looked up at him and saw he was doing the same as she had a moment ago. "You've seemed to... avoid me." He looks up at her. "So I wanted to ask you, why? Was it something I did? Do you..." She did her best to fight back her tears. "Do you want nothing to do with my anymore? I understand if that's the case..."
Kanji took a moment to respond and she feared the worse until he spoke up. "S'not it at all. Ya didn't do anythin' or nothin' like that. I..." He took a moment, searching for the right words. "I was just worried about some stuff."
"And that 'stuff' is...?"
Kanji stared into his mug and took a quick sip. He didn't respond for what felt like an eternity. "Kanji-kun?" When he looked back up at her she noticed he had a chocolate mustache from his drink. "Ah, here. Let me..." She brought her hand to his face lovingly and tried to wipe away the liquid when he suddenly pulled back.
"S-see? It's..." He looked down again, unable to meet her gaze. "It's that."
Naoto gasped and looked away. "I'm sorry? I don't understand. What is 'that'?"
Kanji took another moment to respond. "I mean... ya've been touchy with me ever since I..." He took another sip, seemingly trying to use the moment to collect his words. "Ever since I was in the hospital."
"I... I see." She began to tear up. "I apologize, Kanji-kun. My want to... touch you made me fail to realize how you would feel." She sat the mug on the table and turned away from him. "I'm sorry. If you don't want any... physical contact with me. I have clearly overstepped my bounds."
"No, dammit! It ain't that I don't want... physical contact with you. It's just... I'm afraid that..." He looked back down into his mug.
"Afraid that...?"
"Well, it's just that... I want ya ta feel the same way I do towards ya."
Naoto turned back to him and tilted her head. "I... I see. So... why avoid me?"
Kanji leaned back and closed his eyes. "Because I'm afraid ya just feel that way about me because I saved ya. I'm afraid that feelin' ya have towards me is... fake. Manufactured, y'know? Ya only feel that way because I did somethin' above and beyond for ya."
Naoto sat for a moment looking at him. She wasn't sure what to say next, so she said the first thing that came to mind. "Rise-san was right."
Kanji's eyebrow shifted as he looked back at her. "Huh? Rise?"
"She said you were worse than me when it came to issues regarding the heart."
Kanji gave a small chuckle at that. "I guess she's right. I'm terrible with this shit."
Naoto took a sip of her hot chocolate and sat it back down on the table. "That is a trait we seem to share, then." She put her hand on his knee. "However, Kanji-kun. I thought the same thing for a few days after the hospital visit. That perhaps your actions on that night caused my thoughts to be... muddled." Kanji looked a bit defeated at that. "However, the longer we spent apart, the more I realized how affected I was by your absence. I... missed you. I felt my heart grow weaker any time I thought of you. Being with you makes me feel as if I can do anything, The moment we shared together in the hospital... it was the first time I've truly felt... home since arriving in Inaba."
Kanji stared at her for a moment. "I... I see, then. So... where does that leave... us?"
Naoto slipped her hand over his. "Well... I'd like to be yours, if you'd have me."
Kanji intertwined his hand with hers. "O-of course I will." They both fell silent for a moment. "And yer sure this is what ya want?"
"More than anything in the world." They leaned in close when Kanji noticed she had a mustache made of chocolate just like he had before.
"Ya got somethin'." He used his hand to wipe his own lip off to signal it to her.
She looked down and noticed the liquid on her lips. "Ah, it appears I do." She smiled at him. "Would you be so kind?" Kanji nodded and raised his other hand, but she grabbed it with hers. "Maybe with something other than your hand?"
Kanji gulped. "O-oh. Yer sure?" Naoto answered by leaning in and capturing his lips with a kiss. After a moment they pulled back, looking at each other.
Naoto laughed, "It seems I have only passed it on to you."
Kanji looked down and noticed the chocolate mustache on his lip. "I s'pose we'll have ta keep tryin' then."
Naoto leaned closer. "It seems we will." They snuggled close and began kissing again, completely losing track of time, but they'd have to make sure they were free from the clutches of the chocolate mustache. The kiss broke and she leaned in close to him.
Kanji began rubbing her back, taking a moment to simply enjoy her warmth. He looks out the window to notice snow had began to fall quite hard. He perked up, "Hey, look at that!"
Naoto looked behind her towards the window and smiled. "Ah, it seems we'll be having a white Christmas this year." They continued to look at the falling snow outside when the thought hit her. "I suppose I should be leaving then before it becomes too hazardous for me to return home." She said the words, but made no move to leave his arms.
"Y'know..." Kanji refused to look at her for a moment, seeming to try to keep hold of the small confidence he's built up. "Ya already walked over here and it was pretty damn cold then. It's just gonna keep gettin' colder, 'specailly with all this snow."
Naoto's eyes widened as she realized what he was hinting at. "K-Kanji-kun? Are you sure?"
He nodded shyly. "Only if ya want to! Don't feel pressured or nothin'." He untangled form her and began standing up. "Sorry if that was too forward."
She quickly pulled him back down onto the couch and cuddled in close to his chest. "I would love to, Kanji-kun"
Kanji melted back into her and smiled. "W-well I 'spose it's settled then."
"I suppose it is."
They were both silent for a moment until he spoke up again, "Uh, Naoto. One more thing?"
"Anything."
"Call me Kanji, ok?" She nodded as he pulled her in for another kiss.
I suppose I'll have to thank Rise-san for this wonderful gift tomorrow.