Work Text:
Dawn
o-0-o
Dawn was only just peeking out when Naoto opened her eyes.
She was.. delightfully sore, with a tingle still running through her skin, the adrenaline still buzzing - even as she worked through the initial grogginess of the morning.
Although when she made to reluctantly greet the day something warm, heavy and… rather strong barred her from moving.
Tatsumi Kanji was fast asleep, a surprisingly soft breath was the only showing he was still alive. Ironic, as usually he was so…very loud and brash and…
His arms were both wrapped firmly around her and he did not seem to be ready to awake any time soon.
..and really Naoto couldn't bear to wake him.
He had always been the perpetually tired one of the group. For whatever reason Kanji-kun had been distinctly sleep deprived even through the early days of the Investigation years ago - an odd phenomena, but nevertheless he was strangely able to truly fall asleep anywhere for these short power nap stints and then bounce back up with perpetual energy like before.
Like a living battery almost??
It was…fascinating truly.
Though, listen to her, sitting up in this slowly growing dawn contemplating with a further growing clarity what she had done the night before.
What they had both done:
Had it been a mistake?
…surely yes. The whole episode had been… out of character- chaotic… and…
Wonderful.
…shit.
Naoto hadn't meant for it to go that far- or well…perhaps she had- hadn't?
Yes, No- maybe so?
Her mind was fogged even without a drop of liquor having passed through either of their lips.
The grim irony of both Naoto and Kanji having been the sober responsible ones and yet who but them had tumbled, down into the sheets and years of a pent up… something between them had released at last.
It made no logical sense. Naoto was not one to ingest hard spirits but most especially not when the former Idol Risette - other wise known as Rise, was around. She could not- putting it crudely- hold her liquor, and so Naoto had always vowed to ensure she would be coherent enough to keep her erstwhile rather impulsive friend out of trouble…
The rest of the team were all as equally irresponsible- even their own illustrious leader had had far too many cups of the Amagi Inn specialty sake [ which Yosuke-san had poured far too many times into said cup] and yet…
Who had finally removed the cup from Yu-san's hands but… his former Kohai, Tatsumi Kanji, who had sternly but kindly informed his “senpai” he'd had enough and he wasn't argued with either.
They'd gotten their former Senpai all to their beds, and then all that had been left was …they themselves in the quiet of the night, only broken sometimes by the occasional loud snore from Yosuke-san's futon and the clap that was Yu-san's unconscious attempt to quiet him from the room next door's rather thin walls.
“Troupe o’ fools.”
“Indeed.”
Though lo and behold - who had had ended up tangled in a mess of confusing sheets, lustful desire and inevitable questions?
The only two sober ones.
It had just…happened.
A few stray touches, lingering glances or two, and a slow…shy but genuine smile curling wider through the entire night.
Naoto had been like the moth drawn to the electric flame…again.
So of course she'd pulled him through the door after he'd offered to walk her back to her room.
Looking at the facts of this case however, she also blamed the hair.
No really, ludicrous as it was, she blamed that damn dark shade that had matured a boy into a man seemingly overnight that first Golden Week after the case.
And she'd been fascinated ever since.
As shallow and asinine as that was Naoto had been unable to take her eyes off him even back long ago that first Golden Week of many, he'd stood tall, confident, no longer squinting as Yu-san's gentle encouragement to resume wearing his glasses had taken fruit and…
He had just looked…
That is to say…
Rise-kun had perpetually teased Naoto the ‘tables had turned' and infuriatingly.. she was correct.
Had been… that is.
Though her timing was off, the moment Naoto's thoughts had shifted from an indifferent bemusement to…something more for this young man had been… more subtle.
On all Hallow's Eve, during that run through training and Naoto's first trek into the darkened halls of the TV realm, Yu-san… or well more likely Yosuke-san had decided they all should wear Halloween costumes as a joke.
An idiotic one. Naoto had been unimpressed with the Cat number Rise-kun had foisted on her but admittedly the costume given to Kanji-kun, their living tank and prime defense had been decidedly appropriate.
He'd made a delightful Frankenstein's Monster even if he had been unaware of the origin at first or…well so Naoto had thought.
His musings, half to himself over the injustice of the tragic tale had struck her dumb. He had seen through the “horror” aspect to the truth of the matter, even as their friends had continued on Naoto had listened, stunned.
What kinda parent does that to their own kid… Frankenstein was the real monster not this guy, but everyone was afraid of ‘im because he was different. That's just messed up.
He'd come to the heart of the tale by his own conclusion, with no prior instruction or...
How could Naoto not have become utterly fascinated by the walking contradiction in front of her- was she not a detective? A perpetually curious being?
…ah excuses. Excuses.
‘Overcomplicating things' as Rise-kun would say.
Naoto had simply felt that first burgeoning attraction. One that had grown exponentially when she'd seen the boy grow into a “man"- a confident male specimen content in his own skin - and well… in her opinion Kanji-kun had every right to be extremely confident in his body…his muscles… large..and yet warmly comfortable head rests like so-…
…yes. Quite.
…. Moving on.
The dawn was steadily growing, soon the slivers of light would cast their gaze on him and he would no doubt awake as he always did with the sun. The solar powered battery as he was.
Foolishly she sunk back into the fleeting shadow of his hold, willing the sun to take a sabbatical for a moment longer, the shift in his breathing was a sign he was starting to awaken, and again… foolishly Naoto clung tighter.
She didn't want the harsh gaze of the real world to put a hard real edge to the night before. The no doubt widened eyes and sputtered words, her own cheeks burning, her own stuttered replies.
She'd wanted. He'd wanted.
They had wanted.
But… now it was time for Dawn's interrogation to begin.
Three…
Mm, the hell…w-wait… N-Na….Naoto…?
two…
wait…. Last night wasn't a…
One
Dream?
Eyes wide. Jaw ajar. A quick scan around the room.
A heart beat. Though whose she does not know.
Eyes meet. Cheeks burn.
There is no going back.
“Good morning Kanji-kun.”
They will greet this long overdue new dawn. …. Together.
End.