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The End? Or A New Beginning? (Yuna & Vandesdelca's 1x1)


The usual side effects of not having the glasses on were beginning to try to kick in. Between that and the images carved into her memory, Naoto felt herself beginning to have a headache. The second Kanji accepted and put the glasses back on, her vision went blurry once again. The vulnerable state she was in made her unable to help but swallow. Her eyes closed as she took a long, deep breath, trying desperately to calm herself.

Yes, calm. She was that scared to actually feel the need to resort to such tactics. No one had ever made her this genuinely terrified. No one. And this ... killer had seemed to do just that. Maybe because he wasn't only a killer? Rapist was definitely added onto his list of crimes. And the very real possibility of having that happen to her if he did catch her ...

No! No, no! Stop ... you're with Kanji. He won't ...

And yet, she couldn't help but remember this guy's own Persona seemed to be on par with Kanji's.

Her hands trembled as she held eagerly onto Kanji's arm, not needing to be told twice about not letting go. She had no intention of doing so on her own, fuck that. This guy would have to make her if he truly wanted to try to separate her.

"What he said. Let's ... just get them and go. Don't get me wrong, Teddie, it is very good to see you. In fact, you probably came at the best possible time. But ... I don't think I've ever been so eager to leave."

Naoto would have gladly explained to Kanji what was bothering her, namely the part on the girl having been nude and showing signs of raped. But .. she didn't know if she could relay the details in front of him with Teddie nearby.
 
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Kanji could feel her death grip on his arm, and after a moment he turned a bit, his other arm coming around as he moved to face her, his free hand landing on her shoulder. "I got ya, Naoto," he said, holding there for a long moment before he moved back around, switching his hands 'round so that he held the chair in his left arm rather than the right arm (which she was holding on to).

"Uh, alright! One bear-y fast escape coming up, haha... ha... ha," Teddie said, his laughter clearly just a nervous tick as he looked between Kanji and Naoto. "Right," he said, moving over to the two unconscious boys. One of them came around with a little bit of face smacking (even though he screamed when he saw the visage of a bear, however cartoonish). The other was a good bit more unconscious, and Teddie tossed the young man across his shoulder, holding on tight to him as he stood up. They always did seem to be stronger in the TV World, after all.

"Okay! Let's go, guys," Teddie said, heading for the main entrance. Kanji gritted his teeth. "Hey. Second-year -- stay close to me," Kanji said. He could see the boy freeze outright when he heard Kanji's voice, though the commanding note in it seemed to straighten out his spine a little bit. He nodded slowly and took up a position by Kanji's other shoulder, setting a hand on it lightly for guidance.

And so done, Kanji headed for the entrance. But before they ever got there...

"What happened to Miyuki-chan?" the second-year at Kanji's shoulder tentatively asked.

"... we... that fucker got her. Killed her right when we got there," Kanji said outright. He'd find out later, and sugar coating it now would just make it worse.

The boy froze for a moment, his voice curiously flat when he spoke again. "Oh." He was in shock.

It was a long trip out of there, seemingly longer on the way back than it had been on the way in, but they were at the entrance in due time. And with that... Teddie helped them escape back into the real world of Junes.
 

"Thank you. I -- " Naoto had been ready to apologize for the unorthodox mindset dominating her. But he wouldn't want that. Even with having only known Kanji for a few years, the detective felt pretty damn sure that would no doubt be his reaction. Her head and even chest fell against his arm as her eyes closed. With how close she was, Kanji would be very likely to feel and hear her pulse, let alone how fast her heart was beating by now. Even with the strong front Naoto was trying to keep in front of everyone else, her body was all but screaming just how scared she actually was.

The walk back stayed mostly silent. Finally, however, one of the teenagers spoke up. A twinge of guilt shot through Naoto. Should she even mention that their friend had been raped? She tried to figure out, in her mind, if it would be worse for them to be told by Dojima or any of the cops .. or herself. Her teeth gripped her lower lip as she tried to regain her composure and think logically on how to go about this. The news of their friend being raped would no doubt be as bad as hearing she had also been killed. But .. it felt wrong to keep that part hidden from them.

First thing was first, however. Soon, they left the TV and entered back into Junes. Her vision began to readjust and as it did so, Naoto turned to face the nearest teenager.

"May I ask a few questions, mainly how you all found out about that ... entrance? Did someone tell you to go here?"

It could have - and probably was the killer. But she wanted to hear and know for herself.

"I'm sorry for seeming a tad selfish. But truly, I am - we are - trying to help you out. If, however, you'd rather call me later and give me the details, I can respect and understand that. But answers would definitely be appreciated, preferably sooner than later."
 
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Yosuke was on the other side of the TV, looking incredibly worried when the five emerged. The boys' injuries seemed to heal up when they made it to the other side -- physical wounds never seemed to last from the TV World to the real world, though the psychological wounds... those weren't going to be going anywhere anytime soon. Both of the young boys seemed to be in shock, though they were otherwise physically alright.

"C'mon in here," Yosuke muttered, aiming the five of them toward the employee lounge, blocking it off a moment later.

Here they could talk.

Kanji finally let Naoto go in the lounge, unfolding his chair and sitting down heavily on it as he considered Naoto and the boys. One had been deposited on the lounge's couch, with Teddie standing off in the corner with his headpiece deposited on the floor.

"I-it's alright. It was... some guy. Had a really creepy laugh and... he was pretty tall. Like him," the student said, pointing at Kanji. "Called us on Miyuki's cell and told us if we wanted to find Miyuki, we had to come to Junes, to stand right in front of that TV. When we came, though... some arms just reached out and dragged us in," he said.

"I could probably check the cameras. Though it might not do a lot of good," Yosuke said. They wouldn't have evidence of him going through the TV, anyway.

"Why'd you even come instead of calling the cops?" Kanji asked. It sounded like they hadn't known about the TV World, after all.

"Miyu... Miyu tended to run away sometimes. Usually just to one of her friends houses... but this time, we got a call, and he told us that we had to try and find her, and if we called the cops, he'd... hurt her," the boy said, his eyes starting to well up. The shock seemed to be wearing off.
 

Needless to say, Naoto was glad Yosuke directed everyone into the lounge. There would be privacy. And she could hear and reveal everything without fear of the wrong people hearing her. Naoto took a seat beside Kanji, not minding for once that she was on the floor. She was safe .. and that was what mattered more than anything. Especially with the lingering threats, that she could have ended up very similar to this Miyuki woman. It made her almost sick and certainly more scared than she had been. She stayed silent at first, listening to the exchange between the guys first.

"Do you know if the voice who called you matched the one from in there? Or did you record that call by chance?"

Her hand raised as Naoto moved a few blue bangs away from her matching eyes, glancing nervously at the men. Her shoes gently tapped against the floor. She'd still been wondering if it would be best to inform them herself or let Dojima do this. And finally, Naoto had come up with a verdict. The deciding factor had been to let the others hear the cruel, harsh truth. If the voice that Kanji had heard hadn't given away it had not been Adachi, this bit of information would.

".... I'm sorry to say your friend wasn't just murdered. Kanji didn't see it ... but .... " Her teeth gripped her lower lip as her head bowed slightly. Her voice softened to barely above a whisper as she finished the revelation. "She was raped also."
 
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"Yeah, it was the same voice," the boy confirmed. He was never going to forget a voice like that, after all. "And, uh... didn't record them or anything. I didn't even know you could do that with a cellphone," the boy said, looking crestfallen a moment later. What if he'd been able to do that? Miyuki could still be...

Those tears started to spill in earnest when Naoto revealed what Miyuki had gone through before she had been murdered.

"What the fuck?" Kanji asked, standing up suddenly as Yosuke gasped, and Teddie looked... well, lost for a moment.

"What's that?" Teddie asked. Yosuke grimaced for a moment before he leaned over to Teddie to try and explain things a little more clearly. After a long moment, the blonde boy went even paler than usual. "... oh." Adachi had been messed up, but he'd never directly murdered someone... nor had he ever raped them.

This guy was on a whole other level it seemed. One that sent shivers up and down Kanji's spine.

"... okay," Kanji said, clearing his throat. "We need to call everyone about this, and especially warn Yukiko, Chie, and Rise. They gotta know to be more careful. They had pictures of all of us up in there, and he knew Naoto's name. I don't know how, but we gotta make sure that he doesn't get to any of us," Kanji said. He hesitated for a moment. Chie was at the police academy, Yukiko was in the populated Amagi Inn, and Rise was surrounded by people every hour of every day, including by bodyguards.

Naoto lived alone...

"... hey, uh. Naoto. Do you want to stay the night at my house?" Kanji asked, realizing only a moment later that maybe putting her up at the Amagi Inn might be better. All the same, as long as Naoto was safe... because if that whackjob could go through TVs and was interested in Naoto...

He didn't want to see her hurt.
 

A small smile crossed Naoto's face as the one teenager seemed intrigued on the cell phone recording. "You can if you know a few extra tricks. Dojima and a few others taught me that same one." But as soon as she finished her revelation, she went silent, knowing that all who understood the words would need time to register and realize they were definitely not dealing with any typically killer. The combination of rapists and murderers were by far some of the more dangerous types, simply because you could never get a good read off whether they were going to spare their victims or not. Granted, Naoto had never dealt with this before. But she had read and been taught about them.

And now to know she not only had to track one down ... but watch out for him at the same time ... made her shift uneasily on the floor.

Her smile widened as Kanji extended the offer for Naoto to remain with Kanji. "Get out of my head," she teased, chuckling softly. "I was going to wait for this talk to be over to bring it up. But since you did so .. please. I've never minded being alone. But after that encounter ... I don't ... really ..... want to be."

She usually just slept in the clothes she wore during the day anyway. A shower could work on maintaining her hygiene .. yeah. This could - should - work.

"Did you just want to finish your own shopping trip then? Mine can wait if I'm going to just go with you."
 
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Kanji offered her a brief smile -- glad to sharte something relatively lighthearted after talk of murder and everything. "Okay... okay, here's what we do," Kanji said, turning back to the room as a whole. Yu wasn't there to guide him... so he guessed he had to be.

"Yosuke -- call everyone. Teddie... I guess you should stick with the Amagis over at the Inn. She got kidnapped back then even while being at the Inn, right?" Kanji asked. He'd heard she had been kidnapped by Nametame as well back then, even if it had been somewhat before his time when it came to the group. "Chie and Rise'll be fine -- Chie's at the police academy, Rise's on tour... and neither of them are actually in Inaba proper right now, anyway," Kanji said, rubbing the side of his neck.

That just left the two kids.

"... uh," he said, glancing at the fully awake student.

"Hideki," he supplied, still a little too far gone in shock to be annoyed that Kanji didn't know his name.

"Right. Hideki, you... you get your friend home. And stay the hell out of that other world for now, y'hear? Leave it to us. We're actually equipped to handle shit like this. But I guess I'll keep you in the loop," Kanji said when Hideki looked ready to protest.

"Everyone good?" Kanji asked, glancing to Yosuke and Teddie. They nodded hesitantly, Yosuke nervously poking at his phone.

"Okay... Naoto, we need to stop by your place? We can just grab dinner for the night and try getting more groceries tomorrow or something. I'm always beat after heading in there," Kanji said. Plus, he'd have to budget time to explain things to his mom.
 

Naoto remained silent while Kanji took over the role of leader and gave people things to do. It was no doubt an interesting sight. But then again, that just showed how much he grew over the two years. It honestly impressed her. She probably could have done this herself ... if that bastard from the television hadn't freaked her out. Even if there were more than enough good reasons for her to have reacted the way she did, Naoto still couldn't help but be a bit annoyed at herself. That was likely her perfectionist side kicking in. It was one of the many flaws she'd been trying to work on getting ... better with. It was, obviously, still a work in progress.

But compared to how it used to be several years ago, it honestly wasn't as troublesome as it was now. That plus seeing Kanji smile made her do so.

As Kanji finished talking and directing everyone, Naoto slowly got up to her feet before looking up to Kanji. Her head quickly shook no. "I wouldn't mind just grabbing something then heading to your place. I don't really need much for myself. All my essentials I have on me; gun, wallet, clothes, stuff like that."

Moreover, another scary idea had come to her mind. Adachi could go both in and out of the television. What if this guy could also? They didn't see much of his actual human form so ... he could literally be anyone. She feared having another encounter and the easiest way to do that, in Naoto's head, was allowing this man too many time and opportunities. Granted, it wouldn't have been intentionally done. But .. still. She didn't want to take that chance, not yet.
 
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"Alright. Yeah, let's grab something simple... some rice, some steak to fry, and some peppers should do," Kanji said, giving Naoto a look. It conveyed a lot of things just then -- about how he hoped he was doing alright, about how he hoped Naoto would be safe... that ultimately, deep down, way under his thuggish exterior... he had the capacity to do right by the people he cared for. Sadly, as much as he'd matured, he'd yet to mature enough for any of that to pass through his lips.

"Okay... well, we'll still run by your place sometime tomorrow or something to grab your glasses. Oh, hey, Ted," Kanji called out to Teddie. "How fast can you make some more of those glasses?"

Teddie paused for a moment, looking speculative. "Um. Should only take me a few hours for each set," Teddie said.

"Could you make a coupl'a spare pairs? In case we don't have ours or those punks get thrown in? Because we're sitting ducks without them," Kanji said.

Teddie nodded slowly. "Uh, yeah. I can do that while hanging out with Yukiko-chan."

Kanji nodded, glancing back to Naoto.

"Let's go."

It didn't take long to get the needed ingredients -- small strip steaks, green, and red peppers, and a generous bag of rice. From there, it was just a quick stop by Daidara's closed shop to grab his shield (a far more effective weapon than the chair was, that was for sure) before they were back home to Tatsumi Textiles -- the shop they shared with their home in back and above.

The shop was just closing up, with Kanji slipping in with his key. His mother, who was just folding some fabric samples and putting them away, glanced up at the bell and smiled gently at Kanji and Naoto. "Oh, Kanji. You brought a friend. Ms... Shirogane, right?" she asked. She'd seen the news reports and had heard of Naoto from Kanji.

The shop was a nice little place -- a rather unassuming place that was primarily kept in business by the Amagi Inn... but supplemented by the big table of handmade stuffed dolls that took up one wall. Kanji had been busy these past few years, it seemed.

"Hey, Mom. Uh, yeah. She's got water damage at her place -- mold and sh... stuff," Kanji said, holding up the bag of groceries. "You mind if she stays over for a day or two while they clean that crap out?" Kanji asked.

"I don't see why not," she said, giving Kanji a look that was almost... odd, but made no further comment.
 

"That's fine. Sounds like a plan." Naoto couldn't help but smile as she listened to Kanji. The exchange and seeing more and more bits of proof that this wasn't just a dream made her feel ... better in a way. She couldn't pinpoint how but the detective definitely understood what her instincts were trying to say to her. Naoto had never really felt like she needed to be beside anyone for safety reasons, or any other motives at that rate. But she certainly felt secure while beside Kanji. It was another foreign sensation she was noting. This was much better than the panic, fear, and anxiety she'd been feeling moments ago, no doubt. At the same time, however, it almost terrified her in a way.

What if that man figured out she was starting to think of Kanji as more than a mere comrade? It could be used against them. They'd gotten lucky once before. Could that really continue to be repeatedly tested? Not forever, no.

After the exchange, Naoto found herself walking through Junes beside Kanji. She snuck glances toward him every now and again, feeling as if she should say something. But what was beyond her. Apologizing for revealing the truth? Nah. That'd be stupid for one. Two, it'd be more fitting to say that to Hideki and his friend more than Kanji. Her head bowed lightly as a defeated sigh passed her lips. No words or thoughts were coming to her head. In her own way, she was still taken aback by what had nearly just happened, and worse off, what Naoto's eyes had seen.

More than anything, instincts seemed to help her feet move as they continued to help ensure she never got lost or left Kanji's side. After everything was gathered, Naoto found herself briefly outside and entering the Tatsumi textile shop. As Kanji's mom came into view, her head bowed politely.

"Yes, ma'am. It is Ms. Shirogane."

It took every ounce of willpower to keep from chuckling aloud as Kanji hinted he even had an excuse figured out for her. It was another surpise she saw from Kanji. But this was definitely something that had been needed. And honestly, he had come up with perhaps the best possible thing to say; one of them anyway. She wasn't a good liar, for one. Two, she didn't know if she would have been able to figure a decent enough lie out. And mold would certainly be a legitimate reason to be out of the house.

"Thank you, ma'am. It was .. very unexpected. I'm pretty sure it was from the previous owners because I take care to avoid such things normally."

While Naoto wasn't usually fond of lying to people, she understood now was one of those exceptions. After all, it would have been difficult to say they had returned from entering a different world, let alone through a television of all places. No sane person would believe that. The only reason Dojima accepted that truth was because, near the end, Nanako had been dragged into the wreck and nearly died.

Otherwise, the group had kept the existence of the other world mostly to themselves, never once letting anyone else know about it.

Which made this new killer all the more intimidating; how had he found out about it? There were so many unanswered questions that needed to get answered, including how he knew her name, the team, any and everything else he had hinted about having knowledge of in that .. creepy shrine of his.
 
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Kanji had been more than happy to keep quiet -- not because he didn't want to speak with her, but because he didn't know what to say. He didn't scare easy for the most part; sure, some stuff got to him, but... the idea of not being able to protect someone really scared him. Not being able to protect his mom, or his closest friends, or... Naoto. The other day, he would have just called her a friend. Today... today had brought up so many feelings in him, feelings that had died down into embers after two years before suddenly being stoked back into a blaze.

Kanji was in love, and he was afraid that was going to spill out into everything... and even though he was better about it, tanking rejection from random people like it was nothing, he wasn't sure if he could take being rejected by her.

When all was said and done and the lie had been delivered, Kanji had glanced over at Naoto. He was pretty good at lying (since he'd never been able to tell his mom about the TV World), but he was also pretty sure she never believed him when he did lie. Mothers had a way of knowing... but perhaps she was just glad that she wasn't getting any other calls from the police or the teachers about what Kanji had been up to. He was on the up and up... and he'd brought a girl home.

"Well... I am sure we can set you up with a place to sleep. Kanji dear, you can show her around while I get dinner ready," she said, taking the bag of groceries and looking it over. "Mm. Should be just a bit," she said, smiling pleasantly to Kanji and Naoto before she made her way back into the store to the kitchen.

"Alright... well, c'mon and I'll show you the place," Kanji said, setting the shield down behind the counter as he led her into their house. He slipped his shoes off as he came out into the living room. Their living space wasn't too large, with a fairly small kitchen at one far end, a sitting room with television, table, couch, the usual things... one room off to the side was his mother's, while the stairs led up to his own. It was fairly similar to Narukami's house, differing only a bit in the layout and more obviously in the decor. It was homier and cleaner, perhaps as a result of his mother's influence.

"I think we could get you set up in the living room," Kanji said. He flushed for a moment, wondering if he should offer to show her his room. No one had ever seen it but himself and his family --it was kind of strange to think about it like that, but it was true.
 

The fact that Naoto wasn't the only one unsure on what to say made her feel a bit better; certainly less rude and awkward. Yet at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder what was even going through Kanji's head. But .. that was his business. If he wanted to bring it up, he could do so. Otherwise, she had no right to pester him with what would likely be a very petty question for him.

During the exchange between Kanji and his mother, Naoto took the opportunity to slip her own shoes off, figuring they followed the same custom like many other families in Japan. The sight of seeing Kanji do the same assured her the answer was likely yes. Naoto also noticed the look from Kanji's mother and despite her face remaining calm, she panicked inside. She wouldn't pry and ask her own questions, would she? Granted, she did deserve some answer if it came down to it. Thankfully, however, she didn't press for answers.

"Thank you again, Ms. Tatsumi. This .. really is appreciated, especially with the last second timing and all."

Leaving it at that, she followed behind Kanji, letting her eyes linger in each room to take in every detail, partly to admire everything and also to remember where to go. It'd be embarrassing to get lost, after all.

As the living room got brought up, Naoto gave Kanji a small nod. "Honestly, I'm .. not really picky for the most part. Just having your mom's grace is more than enough."

Even with Naoto being in a safe location, she couldn't help but feel as if eyes were upon her.

Something to do with the encounter of the killer?

Whatever it was, it made the detective glance behind her every now and again. After sneaking a third look over and seeing nothing, her head shook as she held herself.

"... I never thought I'd say this," she began, finally breaking the pause between them, "but I almost wish this were Adachi we were dealing with. This new one ... " Her head slowly shook. "Is .. he's ... on a completely different level. And even with all the training I've had to deal with this ... I don't know if I can. Not now that I know what he wanted to do with ... me and .... "

Her sentence trailed off as a shiver traveled along her spine.

"I don't often say this. But .. I'm actually scared for perhaps the first time in my life ever."

Even when she'd been told her parents had died, there wasn't nearly as much fear on how she'd live compared to how Naoto was feeling now with avoiding everything he hinted on wanting to do to her.
 
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"Of course, dear -- I couldn't turn such a young lady away, especially if she is one of Kanji's friends," his mother said. She was just glad her son had friends, considering. Wholesome types from what she could remember of every one... except, perhaps, "Risette".

As Kanji showed her around, he made sure to double check every window and make sure they were locked and covered. He was a little paranoid that they were dealing with someone so unhinged... and someone who could apparently go between the two worlds. Of course, it meant that he could even possibly reach through THEIR television, but theirs was too small to fit a whole person through (unless they were a child) so he was confident that they wouldn't have to deal with that.

When Naoto spoke, Kanji's shoulders stiffened and he turned his dark eyes onto her.

"... don't be," Kanji said at last, perhaps surprising even himself. "I'm not going to let that sick bastard hurt you. You're smart, you'll figure out who this guy is and what he's on about. And I'll be there to kick his ass when you do," Kanji said, his expression firmly set, reaching out to settle a reassuring hand on her shoulder... after a second or two of visible hesitation. "I'll protect you, Naoto. I... I don't know what I'd do if I let you get hurt. So I just won't let it happen." There was something else he wanted to say, lingering on the tip of his tongue, but he let it rest there for now.
 

It was nice and equally as astounding to Naoto to hear that Kanji still believed in her. Even with how scary this situation was, he wasn't doubting she'd still be able to do this; yet, she was uncertain about herself. It made a small smile cross her face. Naoto looked back again but this time not out of anxiety but to calculate, mainly the distance from their location to the kitchen. When the answer was far enough to consider her actions, she nodded then turned back to Kanji.

"I ... may I just ... be a bit selfish for a bit?"

Without exactly waiting for a reply, her arms wrapped gently around Kanji's waist as she hugged him, her shaking body pressed lightly against his.

"Please .. just for a bit. I know this isn't ... your forte per se but right now ... I just .... kinda need this."

Not to say this was her speciality. In fact, it was as foreign to herself as it was to Kanji. But for the first time in a very long time, she truly felt like - even if only for a few seconds - the sensation of being held would help her feel better if not temporarily forget about the creepy killer who seemed hellbent on trying to find her.
 
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Kanji's gaze followed hers to the kitchen, wondering what she was looking for. He might have thought that she was checking to see if dinner would be ready soon, or to cast her eyes about for a window to see if there were a pair of frightening eyes looking back... he didn't expect her words or her to step forward suddenly and press her shaking body to his own.

His arms went up as her arms wrapped tight around his body, the thuggish-looking man at a loss for words. Slowly, hesitantly, his arms came around. One went across the back of one of her shoulders, down her back as the other went across her shoulders instead, his hand coming to lay on the back of her head as he accepted her into his embrace, muscled arms squeezing her tight. He wasn't the smartest guy, or the most tactful, but he was strong, something she could feel in every inch of his body, and hear in the way his heart pounded fast and hard in his chest. He could protect her.

"... y-yeah. No problem," he said. He was fidgeting slightly, not sure what to do. Here he was, with the girl he'd been in love with for two years in his arms, and he was at a loss for words. He could feel her smooth body under her shirt, and took in her scent, intentionally or not, with every breath. "Uh, wh-whatever you need," he mumbled, closing his eyes. He hadn't realized how much he had needed this as well.

For as much as he professed his belief in her abilities, her strength... he thought she counted on his as well, exemplified in these quiet moments where they could simply take solace from the chaos they'd seen earlier.
 

An amused smile crossed Naoto's face, though it was hidden thanks to her face being buried against his chest and shirt. For someone who didn't usually do many gentle or sensual things with other people, Kanji seemed to be a pretty fast learner. Not that she'd doubted his intelligence or even instincts. But it was as she'd said; this wasn't either of their forte areas. That being said, it usually took people longer to try to adjust and adapt to things they weren't used to. Ah well. On the chance they became more than just comrades, this would be a new change he'd have to get used to .. eventually.

Her own eyes closed as she enjoyed the silence. Her mind was finally, even if temporarily, able to forget about all that she'd seen and been told earlier. There was no way that ... man - no, monster - could do anything to her. Not while they were here anyway. He'd likely been able to kill the girl in the television because it was easy for him to get away with. Hell, there would probably be little to no proof whenever her body was even found that could link back to him. But here ... there was no real way for him to just sneak inside. His mother would definitely notice someone trying to slip in. Moreover, it just didn't seem like his style.

He'd done everything, after all, thus far in the television; using a dimension few knew of or would even begin to believe existed. Kanji's house, however, didn't begin to fall under anything close to that category.

"Thank you for everything today." Naoto murmured gently, mentally reminding herself she owed Teddie a 'thank you' to him also. Gods knew if he hadn't arrived when he had ... things may have gotten even worse than they had.

Slowly, but very surely, Naoto felt herself relaxing against Kanji. It almost actually made her wish she didn't have to sleep alone tonight. But that'd definitely be pushing it and not just for herself. She doubted it'd make Kanji comfortable for one. Two, she certainly didn't want to infuriate - or at least give off the wrong impressions - to his mother.

So while they could stay like this, Naoto intended to enjoy every second of the embrace.
 
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It came naturally to him, perhaps, because... it felt natural. She was just the right size to be folded up into his arms, protected in the sanctuary of his embrace... and it was something he'd wanted for years now.

He relaxed against her in turn, his chin hovering over her for a few long, hesitant moments before he gently rested it atop her head, eyes closing as he simply... let it be for a time.

"... 'course," he replied. "I'm glad we ran into each other again. Even if everything else had really shitty timing."

He stayed silent for a moment, mulling an idea over in his head. "Hey, Naoto," he said on the tail end of that moment, sounding... speculative for a moment. "D'you wanna sleep in my room?" He realized after a moment how that might have come out, and immediately rectified it: "Uh, what I mean is... do you wanna take my room? Or share the living room? I could bring my futon down. I'd prefer to be on the ground floor considering... yanno."

Naoto might have had the gun, but he'd designated himself the protector of this house. "I just wanna make sure both of you are safe," he said, pulling back... but not leaving the embrace. It lingered as he looked down at her, something lingering in his eyes. He didn't know if she'd noticed it -- he sure hadn't noticed her noticing or whatever -- but his eyes were filled with far more than friendship when he looked at her.
 

Naoto's smile widened as Kanji began to talk on his own. Moreover, he went on to say he was glad to see her. "I definitely wish the timing of things had been .. better. But it honestly means a lot to hear that from you. For years, I thought it was just best to remain mostly hidden away in my residence. But now that I know I have someone who wants to see me .. I think I can finally begin to get over my social anxieties more."

Her head lifted gently as her blue eyes met Kanji's. Her cheeks almost instantly went a bit red. Still, Naoto managed to chuckle softly. "Well .. if you're sure about that. I was ready to take the floor but ... " She gave a light shrug. "I wouldn't mind either way. I ... really am not as picky as I should be. However, maybe sharing the living room wouldn't be too bad. I doubt anything's going to happen but I'd rather be closer to you. Much better safe than sorry as they say."

Sure enough, she did notice .. something in Kanji's eyes. It was all enough to make her ask the first thought that came to her mind as she saw the intriguing and foreign expression in Kanji's eyes.

"Is ... something else on your mind, Kanji? Or rather, what is on your mind?"

There would be no point in bullshitting herself. Of course there was definitely something. So the better question truly was the second one. While she could read others pretty well, Naoto still didn't have the ability to read minds. So, she would inquire rather than assume.
 
巽 完二​

Kanji smiled almost despite himself when he saw her smile, his grip on her back ever-so-slightly tightening. "Yeah... yeah, 'course I wanna see you. Uh. I think we all did. It's just..." Half their group had been in a later year and graduated earlier, and the other half had been split up even faster with her being a hermit and Rise running off back to fame and fortune after the school year was over.

And when she blushed... well, everything was that much worse for Kanji, who almost felt like he'd said something indecent. "I-I'm sure. It'll be safer if we keep together, 'n you can take my futon," Kanji said. He'd prefer to keep at the couch anyway, with his shield leaning up against it preferably. He doubted they had anything to worry about... but when it came to people like his mom and Naoto, he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Uh. Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's nothing important," Kanji waved off hastily when she asked after what he happened to be thinking. He wanted to say it, more than anything, but...

What if she turns me down?

Just say it. She'll understand, she won't hate your or anything.

But what if she says no?

But what if she says yes?

I can't.

You'll never know unless you say something.

The thoughts raged back and forth in his head, until he finally said something, words tumbling out before his brain could check them for whether he was making a complete idiot out of himself or not.

"I've always liked you--uh, uh a lot more than the other girls," he fumbled, "you know, Yukiko, Chie, Rise. I mean, they're cool, but you're cool." Wait. "Er, different. You're... different from them. Not in a bad way," he added hastily.

Good job, jackass.

"You're... special, Naoto. To me," he finally settled on, giving her a wary look, as if she was about to break out laughing at him, or slap him, or tell him she'd always been more interested in Yu, or... or Rise, or Teddie, or someone else.
 

"Well .. we had a bit of a rocky start when we met those years ago. I probably seemed really ... nosy and annoying to you. I wouldn't have blamed you if the answer was no." More like she wouldn't have held it against him but honestly, it was basically the same thing. Yet as his grip strengthened, it reassured her that everything he was saying was indeed true. It was nice to know simply because he was the better liar between the two. But this made it easy to know he was serious, if anything.

Even before Kanji had his internal fights, Naoto had been pretty sure his next words were important. He was like Yosuke; a man with a purpose. He never said or did something without a reason. There was always a motive and usually a damn good one. So when he finally began to elaborate and admit his true thoughts, Naoto felt her heart began to race.

It took a bit of rewording but finally, he said it.

Swallowing softly, Naoto's left hand wrapped over her wrist, helping her own grip tighten as best as it could.

"Thank you. I feel a bit ... stupid, though. You practically spelled it out even back then. And I just ... never acknowledged, thought on the signs, nothing. But .. past is past. I'm more than willing to start anew and be your par-- no, not partner. Lover."

Well, partner would have kind of worked. But it didn't have the right sensual touch compared to the word 'lover' so she'd switched to that.

All the same, now a thought of her own quickly entered her head. But she couldn't ask that! Even in her head it seemed ... like she'd abruptly gotten really slutty.

But do you really want to risk having your new stalker being your first?

Hell no!

And if he finds you while you're still a virgin?

....

It continued to go back and forth, making her wonder if it'd even be worth mentioning at all. True, Kanji had mustered up the courage so it seemed only fair to return the favor. But in so many ways, it still seemed ... really out of place to ask if he'd just be her first tonight.

There was always the bonus knowledge that they had at least known each other for some time so it wasn't as if she was inquiring right when they met. Not exactly. But it'd still be about as awkward as if that had happened.

Her body trembled against his before she finally let a single phrase softly pass her lips.

"Aishiteru, Kanji-san ... "
 
巽 完二​

"N-no, your poking around didn't bother me." That was a lie, but not to spare her feelings or anything -- she had bothered him in an entirely different way, thinking for several months that he had been growing a crush on a boy -- a crush that had certainly grown and blossomed over time. He'd been incredibly relieved when the revelation of her gender had come out... it had solved a few issues for him, really.

Kanji looked almost surprised when her arms squeezed his waist just a little bit tighter, his own arms tightening around her in turn, holding her close to him, protectively so. "I, uh... was I that obvious?" he asked. He thought he had done a good job of hiding it. Maybe he wasn't as good at lying or hiding stuff like that as he'd thought... but it was true. He'd been kind of a bumbling fool around here. Still could be.

For example, it took him a moment to even realize the implications of what she was saying.

He flushed all the brighter, looking almost panicked that... that things had turned out better than expected. He fought off the very strong urge to ask "Really?" (or even worse, "Why?"), instead keeping his mouth shut. Seconds dripped by, pooling into what felt like forever as he reeled in the knowledge that she wanted to be more than just his friend. She wanted to be his... his lover.

It was so surreal to him, to have Naoto in his arms and to be returning his affections. Were it not for the horrific nightmare in the middle of his day, he might have thought this entire day a wondrous dream. It was that that kept him grounded, made it all real to him, and made his heart hammer in his chest.

"... aishiteru mo, Naoto-chan," he said, the words sounding so foreign to all parties involved coming from someone like Kanji.

She loves you.

That was such a foreign thought, one which seemed like it could only come from a dream.

He licked at his lips nervously, his eyes flickering from her pretty blue eyes down to her soft lips. "I, uh... shit, Naoto," he said with a small chuckle. "I didn't... never thought you'd feel that way. About a guy like me," he said.Two years had done a lot for Kanji, made him into a better man that was doing his best not to simply ruin this moment. He was more of an action guy than a words guy anyway... so he took the plunge and leaned forward slowly, wanting more than anything to feel how soft her lips were in a kiss.
 

"Yeah. But then again, that kind of comes with me being a detective. It's my job to notice things on people. You were blushing constantly and had rather frequent nosebleeds around me. You .. talked differently to me, also. It started out a bit hesitant at first. But over time, it seemed .... " her head shook as she failed to figure out a proper term to use. "Something along the lines of ... damn. I know what I'm trying to say. It's not coming to me though. But I'm pretty sure you can understand and recall well enough what I'm referring to?" she half-stated and half-asked, uncertain if he even thought back much if at all to those times and days.

Her smile widened as a small laugh was soon heard.

"Like that, for example. Even without saying it, the word 'really?' is practically stamped on your forehead if not seen in your eyes. Yeah, really. I suppose ... none of the other guys appealed to me in such a manner. More than that, none ever tried to approach me like you have. But even if they did ... I don't know if I could admit to myself or them that my feelings would be able to be returned. I respect them as members of the investigation team; but that's mostly it. You .. hinted that you wanted to be more than a comrade. I will say, however, that it was definitely more subtle than as of recently. But now that we're like this ... and having already given a verbal vow to one another, I ... I just know that I've made the right choice. It's one of those things you can feel much better than explain."

Hopefully he'd had some sort of moment like that before to help understand what she was even trying to say. Maybe he had one when he finally accepted himself for whom he was despite having some feminine hobbies?

"Well, the same could be said for you. At least, at first I didn't think you had feelings for me ... "

Her sentence trailed off as she noticed Kanji leaning forward. While Naoto was still a virgin, she was by no means naive. She understood the gesture and what it meant. Thankfully, she had grown relatively well over the years. Two years ago, she had been stuck at an even five feet inches tall. Now, she had five more inches, making it a bit easier to reach Kanji who was at - maybe over - six feet tall.

Her heart began to beat faster as her arms shifted, moving around his neck instead of his waist. Leaning forward, Naoto gently pressed her lips against his, subconsciously closing her eyes as she leaned into the kiss.
 
巽 完二​

Okay, maybe I was that obvious.

Kanji almost grinned as she explained herself in that sort of vaguely long-winded and analytical manner she had about her. They shared that in common to a degree, trying to explain themselves when they were out of their depth... hers was a little more cut and dry than his various mumblings and rephrasings and everything else that came with him trying to make his feelings known to her. And just as she could with him, he understood her then.

"I know. It... yeah, it feels right to me, too. I can't explain it either," he said. It did feel right to him. He'd had people accept bits and pieces of him, but to have his feelings validated in such a way, not poked fun at or made to feel silly in any way... it was different. It was special -- she was special.

Kanji -- fifteen when he had met everyone else -- had had a little more growing to do as well. Standing still barefoot, he lingered around 6'2"-6'3", and with his shoes, it put him just around 6'4", giving him a good shot at being the tallest person in all of Inaba. The broadness of his shoulders only made him seem larger than he actually was... but as he leaned over to kiss her, his arms slid down her to her lower back, holding ever tighter around her and pulling her up just a bit against him as he kissed her.

It was a long, perfect moment, his eyes sliding closed as they indulged one another... He could stand there forever, continue this kiss or... perhaps even more, a thought that he managed to keep from manifesting as a nosebleed... but which instead manifested as a tightness and a bulge in his slacks that she'd ever-so-slightly be able to feel.

Perhaps neither of them noticed the fact that his mother had stepped into the living room behind the two of them, holding two plates. Very slowly she stepped back into the kitchen, smiling to herself. She'd seen it coming, considering. She cleared her throat and projected into the living room: "Dinner's ready."
 

A soft sigh mingled in with a moan as the kiss continued. It felt amazing though it wasn't just the feeling of having her lips against Kanji's. She had always been afraid of never being accepted for whom she really was and thus always feared her shadow had been right. But now, she never had to worry about wanting to be a man anymore. That guise was truly long dead and gone. She'd never have to try to be someone else again. Finally, Naoto had found someone who wanted her for who she was. It'd been years since she'd felt as if she were on cloud nine. But alas, that same happiness was flowing through Naoto.

Her heart raced more as she felt Kanji's member hardening and pressing against her jeans. Her cheeks darkened as she began to open her mouth wider, allowing him to slip his tongue in if he wanted. Before she could do that, however, an interruption intervened and halted any further progress.

As the old saying went, however, all good things truly did need to come to an end. Her cheeks quickly flushed as the sound of Kanji's mother clearing her voice registered to Naoto's ears. She deftly pulled away, turning to see that it was indeed Kanji's mom she had heard.

"Ah .. um. Thank you."

This had perhaps been a few other reasons as to why she hadn't mentioned to Kanji her secret desire on wanting him to be her first tonight. It'd seem almost .. disrespectful for one. And even if that wasn't the case, it'd be ... embarrassing to get caught by his mother doing much more than simply kissing. Also, she seemed to be a woman of tradition and had likely raised Kanji to be a man that was ... well ... somewhat the same. Not perfectly, mind you. But enough to have kept her thoughts to herself.

Naoto made no move to deny or apologize to Mrs. Tatsumi. It was difficult to go through with the latter when she didn't regret accepting the kiss. At the same time, she didn't try to make her think she'd seen things. No, that would have been stupid.

As she arrived at her spot, Naoto sat down, waiting for Kanji and his mother to join her.
 
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