#shieldofemperor

“Hey Naoto, can you stand?” he said, facing the somewhat inebriated young detective.

Come to think of it, he felt slightly drunk himself, but that was impossible, right? There wasn’t supposed to be alcohol on the side of the table where the underage participants in King’s Game were. But far be it for anyone to call out Club Escapade on their mistake — they would get in just as much trouble for underage drinking as they would for serving them. He knew for a fact that the last time there was a King’s Game, he didn’t feel anything. But a combination of the atmosphere and some alcohol (Booze has no right tasting that innocent, he thought) had brought his feelings for Naoto to the surface. And though he was unskilled in such matters, he was all but certain her feelings for him were the same… maybe. Unless it was just the influence. Naoto was rather small and just one drink might put her over. Thankfully it was wearing off for him, but he was almost twice her weight after all.

“Naoto, you there?” He’d never seen her this unfocused before.

Unfocused is the right word as Naoto only respond to being called twice was to turn her head vaguely in the direction of Kanji. Vaguely. Because she isn’t sure how many of him there is suppose to be now but it’s definitely not one.

"Hiii~" She answered eventually, having no idea what she was answering to. Her body seems to heat up and her stomach feels weird, but not in any unpleasant way. And there is a sweet taste on her tongue. Also, she’s very thirsty. "Say Kanji? Where are those sweeeet tasting drink gone? I could use moreeee…" She’s slurring some of her words, practically hanging off Kanji at this point.

A little breeze blew by and it tingles her legs. “And whyyy is everything breezyyy?” She asked, unaware she’s not in her normal clothes after the event in the club.

“Whoa, you don’t need any more of that, Nao,” he said, directing her to the closest water fountain he could find. She was once again grabbing onto him for support. He shouldn’t read too much into that… should he? He was so confused. How long was he going to keep doing this to himself?

But then he recalled that, somewhat under the influence, they had shared that bottle of sweet tasting something and had just about admitted his feelings to her with a kiss on the cheek. Well, that he liked her a lot and didn’t want to take advantage of her in that state. She hadn’t given him an answer… but maybe she interpreted what he said wrong? It wasn’t like her saying I’m pretty meant anything, baka, he thought to himself. He couldn’t kid anyone. No one had an interest in Kanji, the former delinquent, the bicurious butch fairy who made dolls. Least of all, one of the most popular yet mysterious students of Yasogami High. Right?

He wouldn’t mention it again if she didn’t. He was too afraid of any awkwardness that might occur.

At her second question, he noticed her skirt flying up slightly in the breeze, showing more leg than he was used to from her. Quickly, he tried to hold it down without actually touching her hips so any passersby didn’t see. “Crap! We don’t need any Marilyn Monroe moments here. Yeah so… you don’t remember? You switched clothes with Minako, she just came back from work and— never mind.” He rather liked the sight of her in a maid’s outfit. It was a bit loose, and it’s not like he had some fetish for women in servitude, but she rarely wore clothes that showed much of her slim figure. She had stopped binding some time ago, which made it look even better… but had to focus. “Here, drink water. You need to get that crap outta your system.”

"Ehhh… I remember Minako walking away with my keysss… and I get to wear your shirt and it was big and comfy!" She declared happily by his side.

Hanging on to him via a death grip on his coat, she stumbled over to the water fountain he lead her to. She changed her position from using Kanji as a walking stick to hanging onto the fountain sides. She reached over and pressed the button, water sprouting up and she stared at it with a frown. “This doesn’t look quite as nice as the other drinks…” She mutters before leaning over and drink from it.

But as one might imagine with a drunk, she leans too far and practically have water splashing at her face. Which is just as well, as that seems to jolt her momentarily from her drunken stupor.

Gasping, she step back and shook her head, splashing water around for a moment and blinked, her eyes focusing a little more. “Kanji?” She turned around slowly, face still red and water dripping from her hair and face to the maid outfit but she seems a little more awake. “Urgh… I shouldn’t have drank so much…” Or at all, but her mind doesn’t seems willing to be that logical yet. She looked around them, at the closed shops and dark sky with dully lit street lamps. It was quiet and cold, a sharp contrast to what happened mere hour beforehand.

Something nagged at the back of her mind. An important question that they should seek the answer for as soon as possible but she can’t tell what. Deciding maybe more water would help, she turned back to the fountain, her arms gaining more strength or at least, more coordination, and took a long drink from it. She also took this chance to splash more water on her face, not caring how cold it is against her skin, heated from the alcohol that she can still taste in her mouth.

“Ah-heh… technically I guess it was my shirt, but that was the Kanji from an alternate universe, remember?” He couldn’t help but smile at the fact that wearing “his” things made her happy. Kanji never figured she liked him that much even as a friend, but she kept a pretty stoic exterior a lot of the time so it was near impossible to tell what she was thinking. “We’ll get your clothes and keys back soon, no worries.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at her trying to drink the water. “Yeah well… you surprised me. Didn’t think you’d cut loose like that. You need to be careful next time. I mean, you’re kinda small so the alcohol works faster,” he tried in to say in a matter of fact way rather than scolding.

The thought just hit him. “Can you text your granddad? Gettin’ a train back to Inaba this late’s gonna be like, impossible. We better just stay at a cheap motel or something. There’s gotta be something nearby…” He then took his phone out and sent a text:

Hey Ma, getting a motel here. Will take next train out in morning. We’ll be safe, no worries.

After letting Naoto get some more water, he escorted her outside and started looking around. He started a search on his phone for motels in the area. One of them sounded familiar… “Nah, not that again. And people’d get the wrong idea.” He then located a more sensible place just a few blocks away. “Bingo. Will you be okay walking?” he asked her.

Any further attempt at working the water fountain is mixed success. Water dripping from her face, she shook her head to splash it off only made her head spin. “Well, I like your shirt…” She mumbles while battling the water.

Managing to get a few more mouthful of water, Naoto gave up on that endeavor and let go of the fountain, leaning against it unsteadily. “I didn’t think it had that much alcohol in them…” Actually, she was already down a slippery slope by the end of the first drink. The rest simply followed. “The bright colours are also very deceiving…”

But too late to complain now. Holding onto Kanji again, she was helped outside where the air was chilly and the maid outfit didn’t do anything to help the matter. She shivers, raising her wet arms to try dry off her face at least. It worked as well as expected. “Right… grampa. Motel.” That sounds about right.

As Kanji searched for one on his phone, she pulled out hers (she was thankful she had the presence of mind to take out her phone and keys before the clothes swap, unfortunately the keys was chained to her belt though) and made a quick text to her grandfather. Or attempted to.

To: Grampa { OUT IN CITY WITH KJANJI. STAY IN HORTAL FOR THE NIGHT. WILL GET HOME TOMORROW MORNING. CALL WHEN I GET HOME. IS SAGE. }

She squinted at the bright screen, thought it seemed alright before sending.

Locking her phone and sliding it to the very small pocket of the outfit, Naoto looks up from Kanji’s side, eyes still largely unfocused but at least she’s more alert.

"Let’s get ourselves a room." She said with a tired, lazy smile.

Kanji tried to stop himself from chuckling some more when she was losing the battle with the water fountain. He blushed some more at what she said about his shirt. Maybe he could get one of her own if she liked it so much. He certainly did.

“Be surprised how much a kick that stuff has. Least that’s what Naoki told me,” he recalled being told. The Konishi family had always been very knowledgeable about what they were selling, something Junes couldn’t quite match in the spirits department.

Kanji waited as Naoto texted her grandfather, but noticed something amiss besides her intoxication. “Wait, you’re shivering. Are you cold? Um, you already wore my shirt but…” Now was the time for chivalry. He took off his leather jacket and went behind her, gently guiding her arms into the sleeves while making sure she was steady. “A tailor made fit,” he joked about the oversized garment on her, trying to lighten the mood a little.

“Room. Right! Just this way.” Most of the night he’d been pretty passive. But now he decided it couldn’t hurt to actually hold her back. As they walked in the direction of the motel, he shifted his hand to around her waist as she held on to him for stability. She was so warm… her skin felt soft through the fabric. But he was just helping her stand up, right? Of course, he knew he was lying to himself, but he had to test the waters. See if, once and for all, she felt for him as much as he felt for her.

The cold air outside did help in clearing her head a little, but did nothing for the fact a maid’s outfit is not made for cold temperature, especially one dripping water. She tried to wipe it off again, resulting in just spreading more droplets all over her face and down to her clothes.

At least Kanji is kind enough to lend her his jacket, because intoxicated or not, she would be too stubborn to ask for anything. The jacket was warm and blocked the wind, and smell like him, which makes her smile widen as she tuck her head lower into the jacket that drapes over her frame like a blanket. “It’s warm…” She mumbles under it.

Feeling an arm on her back prompted her to do the same. Normally she would question it but… it’s Kanji. If she was to assign an attribute to every male member of the Team, Kanji would be ‘safe’. The second would be ‘gentle’. Both he’s displaying excellently and Naoto finds herself leaning against his side, wrapping her arm to his back and clung on there, her other hand holding the jacket close in the front.

The streets was quiet as they walked, well pass the time for most people to venture out. The walk was slow, mainly because Naoto keep stumbling over her own feet and attempting to match Kanji’s natural stride by widening hers has almost ended in her running into a lamppost. “I have my wallet, I can pay for our rooms tonight.” She suggest when they were getting closer to leaving the street behind.

Kanji had never seen her smile as much as she did tonight. “Glad you like it…”

She began leaning on him. His heart was beating a mile a minute… yet this was the happiest he’d ever been around her.

Naoto was still a bit tipsy. She was clearly starting to regain control. It made him wonder why she was still being so close to him… “Whoa!” Kanji pulled her out of the way just in time. The lamppost came pretty close to creating a comedy movie moment. Okay… she still needed to sober up some more.

Her next suggestion caught him off guard. “Oh. Are you sure?” He didn’t totally mind of course. Her family certainly had more money. Though somehow he felt responsible for her.

Truthfully, Naoto isn’t sure what she is doing herself. It seems any attempt on her part to be serious just keep failing immediately. Her head is still warm and woozy, and while she’s starting to calm down, it isn’t happening as quick as she had hoped.

It certainly isn’t happening fast enough for inanimate objects to be considered dangerous. First the water fountain and now the lamppost…

"It’s okay." Naoto nodded, which just made everything a slight bit worse. "Just let me get my card…" She struggled against the long sleeve of the jacket and the unfamiliar outfit underneath to get her wallet. Once she does, she flipped through several cards before picking out one, handing that over to Kanji. "Use this one… it’s one of my disguise card though so it uses a different name and all." She explained quickly as they make their way inside the motel.

“Oh… okay…” He had a feeling why she was using one of her disguise cards.

“Ah, welcome,” said the male clerk, putting down a magazine and still unfathomably chipper this late at night. Kanji figured they slept during the day or something. “You two are in luck, you have the last room.”

Room. In the singular.

“Right… so what’re the specs.”

“One queen size bed. I’m afraid the room isn’t a honeymoon suite or anything, but it should be enough for you two lovebirds.”

… why did people assume they were a couple sometimes? Oh, right. Because she was still clinging onto him and wearing his jacket. In this situation, he had to admit it made sense.

“Uh…”

“Anything wrong, sir?”

“No! Um, will that be okay for you, dear?” he asked, lookin towards Naoto. “Sorry, long night for us and all.”

Busy scanning the lobby of their chosen motel, Naoto almost missed the entire conversation. Almost. She did notice the single bed despite her state. And the fact the receptionist believe they are together.

Any other time, Naoto would at least make a fumbled attempt to correct him, but with how much filtering is correctly missing in her mind, she accepted it in stride.

Turning up to glance at Kanji, she smiled widely. “Of course, honey~ It’s perfect!” She answer, rivaling the receptionist in the department of ‘unholy hours to be chipper’. “We’ll take it. All we need is a bed anyway.” Naoto have no qualm as to how that could be taken. Or maybe she did it intentionally, as she glanced at Kanji’s face with a smirk that edges towards mischievous.

Kanji couldn’t help but grin and deepen in colour at the sound of her calling him “honey”. He flashed back to that rainy day where he’d refused to share an umbrella with her because he was over thinking things. Now, there was no avoiding being “practically a couple”. Everyone at Club Escapade had whispered it. He was thinking it… was she?

“Sure, we’ll take it.” He’d worry about the sleeping arrangements when it came time. “Here you go,” Kanji said, handing the card to the motel clerk, who in turn handed Kanji the usual forms to fill out.

He was terrified, yet thrilled at the prospect of dating her. Her! The Detective Prince! The newest generation of the Shirogane family, known widely as philanthropists and detectives. But even without the semi-celebrity status, she was still—

“Say… aren’t you her? The Detective Princess or something, right?” the clerk said, looking Naoto’s way.

Oh, brother… Kanji thought, looking up from writing a moment.

Naoto had turned her weight to lean against the table of the reception, watching Kanji filling out the form when the reception asked her. Seems he was paying more attention than she gave him credit, at least.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Me? You think a celebrity detective would be found tipsy in the city, well pass midnight and signing in a room with one bed for two people?”

"Nah, but I do get that a lot though. I’m Naoko Matsunaga." She gave Kanji a look, hoping he’ll catch on. "People seems to like to think of me otherwise and that’s pretty flattering, don’t you think?" Deceiving and being quick on your feet was one of the detective skills she had a little trouble with, although it seems alcohol helped with the first part. She make a note to remember that.

Wow, she was good, even under the influence.

“Ah, well, sorry to embarrass you, Ms. Matsunaga. That Shirogane girl does usually dress a lot more butch. Y’know, she’d look fabulous in—”

“I like the way she dresses just fine,” Kanji blurted in a non-defensive, matter of fact tone. Whoops. “I mean… it suits her. She’s independent and cool and stuff. And she’d look beautiful no matter what she wore,” he corrected himself as he looked over towards Naoto. Sheepishly, he handed back the forms to the clerk.

“Haha, yes sir. I suppose you’re right. Better watch out, miss, it sounds like you’ve got competition for your boyfriend,” he winked, completely unaware of the irony. Handing back the card, he finalized their arrangements. “Alrighty, all of this looks good. You’re in room 15, just down that way,” he added, pointing to the hallway and handing Kanji the keys.

“Great! Well uh, let’s go, Nao— Naoko.”

The conversation had turned into one that’s amusing Naoto to no end. Here she is, listening a conversation about herself in third person. It’s rather… insightful, she thinks. So Kanji thinks whatever she wears is beautiful, huh?

Lucky that her face was already red from drinking, it hides the fact the thought that Kanji finds her beautiful at all was making her blush and fluster.

"Oh, I’m not worried about that~" Naoto answered the reception before giving him a little wave and once again lean on Kanji, letting him lead them away to their rooms.

Once safely out of hearing range from the receptionist and the general lobby area, Naoto turns back to Kanji. “So Kanji-kun, do I have to worry about competition after all?” She asked playfully, despite her sobering up quite nicely now. Still, never a better chance to ask all these questions, she thinks, seeing as they were dropping the tension and asking questions about where they stand with one another…

What. What does she mean by that? She’s not actually… is she?

“Ah-heh… Naoto. You’re full o’ jokes tonight. Y’know, that thing about me bein’ pretty. Now this. Haha… heh…” But the look on her face seems to say otherwise, even it was somewhat mischievous. “Well um. It’s not like I haven’t looked at other peo— No I mean. Just. So, if we were dating for whatever reason. You wouldn’t have to worry ‘cause… ‘cause anyone would have to be an idiot to give you up. I mean I almost thought you and Narukami were dating, but he said you two were just friends. But I guess he’s pretty good at talkin’ to anyone…” Unlike me, he finished in his head.

Before he knew it, they reached the door to the room.

“Okay, screw this. You know what? I’m so tired of this shit. Beatin’ around the bush with you. Hiding it. Acting all nervous and crap around you. Been doing this for like two effin’ years now. Naoto…” He steeled himself to say what needed to be said. “Let’s go inside. I think you’re sober enough to hear it. You really wanna know how I feel about us bein’ friends?”

Naoto remained silent as he stumbles over his words in an explanation. It was almost obvious to see where he’s going with his words, so much so Naoto wonders why she didn’t catch it all before, having held it off as simply a suspicion. It was so much more obvious now, and she can’t be sure if it’s because the alcohol removed the logical filter to her emotions, which in turn removed the self-doubts enough for her to be bold.

Nodding, Naoto agreed to the brief wait. She can do that. If Kanji had waited for two years, she can wait a minute or two until they are inside. Her face was red but her eyes was clear. A little duller than before, but clear enough to know she is sober and aware enough for this. Whether she’s going to end up thanking the night or not, it all depends on how the next few minutes played out. She silently gulped as she stared at the door holding the number to their room.

Soon, everything is either going to get better or more awkward, but changes will definitely happen. She can’t say she isn’t ready to end this whole charade, but she truly wish to know what Kanji thinks, because he matters as much in this as much as she does.

Going into the room, they had little time to check it out.

“Naoto… I…”

Just say it.

“I have really… deep feelings for you. Romantic, y’know,” he was afraid of saying “love” because it might be too strong, even though that’s what he felt. “First, it was just some crush. I almost hated you because you made me question my sexuality. Thinking that guys have no business being that pretty. But even after I knew that you weren’t just… it didn’t make a damn bit of difference. Felt the same, no more, no less. My feelings got even worse the more I got to know you. But also… I thought I never had a chance. You told Yu that you didn’t really want romance and that it was a waste of time. Plus there were how many people, guy and girls, writin’ to you all the time? They probably offered more than I could and you just didn’t bother with ‘em. But even if you did, I’d be the last one you’d think of. That awkward dude in the group. It got worse when things like us tumblin’ on top of each other happened on the ski trip…”

Kanji had never said so much to her at once. He took a moment to catch his breath.

“Basically, I don’t blame you if you can’t lo— feel that way about me back. I mean I hope you do, but. Just, my admiration for you increases all the time. You’re so damn smart, you can be pretty witty when you want to, and your fightin’ style was just so frickin’ awesome in the arena. Plus you’re just totally beautiful in like every way. Your laugh and stuff. Your smile. And… yeah I said too much. Heh…”

Kanji wasn’t sure if he’d scare her off or not at this point.

Naoto sat on the large bed as he talked. There isn’t much she can say to him, not until he’s finish. She can’t interrupt him, she feels he need to get this out of his system. As good a detective as she is, Naoto doesn’t know when the feeling has started on his end, except that it had for a long while. Maybe it did start from their first meeting, when she was just working on a case without a personal stake, but she don’t dare believe herself to be that good…

Once he finished, Naoto remain silent, letting everything he just said sink in. It’s not that the influence is keeping the words out, rather, she wants to make sure she understood everything he had just said. A repeat is not an option.

Finally, she took in a deep breath and shook her head, chuckling lightly. It’s now or never.

"Yu-senpai showed up quite a bit in your talk, so let me start by reassuring you that I don’t like him in that way. We are just friends and any previous misassumption is only because he is really good at talking to everyone, and that lies a problem if such a relationship is pursued; he’s far too multi-facade. Too much guess work in something where guessing is not exactly a good thing.

That said, allow me to move on to my second point; you. You on the other hand, are honest with what you think and that’s far more admirable than you believe. Give yourself a little more credit, Kanji-kun.” She smiled up at him before continuing. She need to have this out before the alcohol completely fade from her system and took away her pseudo bravery.

"I’m… Yosuke-senpai say I have a tin-ear, and while I don’t usually agree with what he says, I have to concur with that one observation. On hindsight, I must have appeared rather dense, huh? Wh-what I’m trying to say is, I like you. More than platonic. While not as long buried as yours are in return, it’s there and I… don’t know what else to say. I’m not very good at these, so-"

She sighed and stood up from her seat. She’s still so much shorter than him but when she looks up, it didn’t seems to matter. She got what she wanted to say out, partially at least and jumbled as it was, now they both stand evenly with each other.

Even if she have no idea what to say after all of that.

"So… Kanji Tatsumi, that means I like you too." She said conclusively and waited for his response, whatever it may be.

Kanji could hardly believe his ears. He had wanted to hear that since… forever. But now he was simply in shock because he had rationalized all night that her affections were merely brought on by the alcohol and a need to stay steady.

Naoto likes me the same way.

“You weren’t dense. I guess we just… didn’t really let each other know, huh? And I thought you’d never feel the same. You’re all smart and stuff. And I’m just me so…” he remembered what she said about giving himself more credit. Plus, if Naoto liked him the way he was, both as a friend and romantically, he wasn’t too bad, right?

Naoto nodded, watching his expression carefully. It was almost comical. She can tell he was in shock, which is amusing considering she also knows he wanted this for quite some time. Then again, she can see why it’s a shock, since she herself don’t know what to do with all of this now out in the open.

"Just you is just fine, Kanji-kun." She spoke as he trails off. "You’re just fine as you are now. I like the you as you are." She answered, firmer, gaining a bit more confidence in her words.

Then it was silence. Taking a deep breath, because he still doesn’t seems to be able to accept reality, she decide to do the work for them.

"So Kanji Tatsumi." A small nervous smile made it’s way across her lips. "Now that all of this is out in the open, I assume that means our relationship is about to change…I mean… if you want it to?"

“That… Jesus, Nao. You’ve got no idea what that means to me. Seriously. I really like you the way you are too. It’s not even about ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ and crap. You’re just like, the coolest person ever and you don’t even have to try! So, you thinking that… Hah. I don’t think I’ve been this happy since we locked away that Adachi creep and finally solved the rest of the case.”

He was grinning and blushing like mad.

“Yeah, I do wanna take it a step further. I mean it’s not like we gotta get married and have kids right now or anything! Ahem. We just… ya know. Do what couples do? Go on dates and stuff. Maybe, um, cuddle a bit at each other’s place and watch movies? I-if that’s okay with you. I mean I really liked bein’ close to you tonight so…” He still couldn’t believe he had the courage to kiss her on the cheek like he did, but the deceptively cloying mystery drink gave him a bit of help in that department.

Naoto nodded. She still isn’t sure what Kanji’s Shadow had been about, but she have her guesses based on the Bathhouse itself with all the ‘men only’ banner all over the walls. But whatever the exaggeration of the Shadow had made, it was obvious in his action that it revolves around his hobby and his ‘masculinity’ or at least a portion of it does.

Which is why hearing him say that was in itself a testimony to how much he had grown as a person too.

"Of course it’s okay with me." Naoto answer with a nod. Her smile was big for her normal standard, but the feeling of joy that cruise through her veins dictates that as the minimum. "W-we can go out to a movie or just watch some TV. Anything you like." Mainly because Naoto have no idea how a couple really works. She had never been in this circumstances before. She suspect neither has Kanji, but together she’s certain they can find a way to make it all work out for the best.

“… that sounds kickass. I can’t wait.” Kanji sat there, starry-eyed, until he remembered what they were there for. “Uh, ‘til then, why don’t we get some shuteye?” he asked, starting to take his shoes off. He then headed to the bathroom so he could remove his piercing jewelry… all but his nose stud. He was beginning to regret getting that one. If he had it out for more than a few hours it would hurt like hell to put back in. He couldn’t take it out overnight or it might just close up entirely. Plus, he just wasn’t sure if he liked the way it looked.

Thankfully, the motel had cheap toothbrushes and trial size toothpaste “just in case”. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and came back out to main room. “All yours,” he said, taking off his socks and getting settled into bed.

Bed.

With Naoto.

He tried not to freak out at the idea. It’s not like they were doing anything dirty just because they confessed their feelings. But still, being close to her…

The alcohol fading in her system, Naoto nodded while resisting to yawn. She rubbed her eyes as she stretched her body. She watched Kanji enter the bathroom before kicking off her own shoes. Then she paused and looked at her own attire for the night.

Now a little more awake, she stared at the maid outfit. The horror is not setting in, but a frown spread across her lips. It wasn’t very comfortable to walk in, let alone sleep in. Still, it’s not as if she had much other choices in the matter.

Adjusting her outfit as best she could, she stood up and walked towards the bathroom once Kanji is done, missing his horror completely in her fidgeting. Likewise, she made use of the second set of cheap toothbrushes, still looking for possible ways to make herself comfortable.

It wasn’t until she’s out of the bathroom and stood before the single bed that she understood why Kanji paused in his steps. Oh. Right. One bed. Two people.

She, however, don’t seems too bothered by the idea. It’s Kanji after all. She trusts he won’t do anything, especially considering talking to him alone is enough to cause him to blush and stumble in his words. Gaining some courage in her trust, she went over to one side of the bed and lied down. And adjusted her outfit again. The zips are going to kill her back, she just knew.

Kanji watched as Naoto lay beside him. She appeared to be in pain. Oh… that maid outfit. Even slightly “loose” on her, it seemed to be one of those old fashioned uniforms meant more for looks than functionality. Most modern housekeepers wouldn’t be wearing those. Just where DID Minako work?

He couldn’t believe he was suggested this…

“Look, if you’re not comfortable in that… you can just wear my shirt. I-I won’t look…”

In a way, she is relieved to hear his suggestion. This outfit has too many zips and bits that dug into her skin, clung too tightly in several areas and restricting in movements. On the other hand, she’s going to wear his shirt… Naoto quietly debated this option, until she rolled over and a zipper on the side dug uncomfortably into her side.

"P-please… it would be highly difficult to sleep in this outfit. I-I know you won’t look…" This is testing their already muddled relationship even more. So many things happening in just one night.

“Okay…” He was a bit embarrassed to have his shirt off around Naoto. Even if he had been at the beach before, she wasn’t part of the Investigation Team yet. He couldn’t imagine wearing that “basic black” Yosuke hated so much around her now.

Reluctantly, he took his shirt off, handing it to her and hiding his torso under the sheets so she wouldn’t see how pale he was. It didn’t make sense of course, but nothing did when it came to being around her…

Naoto took the shirt gratefully, sparing a glance at Kanji, just one before heading towards the bathroom again to change. According to her memory, it’s not as if she haven’t worn his shirt before although the two situation is vastly different. He did say she looks good with his shirt on, if her hazy memory is to be believed.

But that matters little now. She have accepted his offer and as she slowly remove the outfit, she briefly wondered how they are going home when she’s in the maid outfit. Surely, the windmill of gossip will catch on fire if they appear like this. But that’s a worry for tomorrow. Slipping on his shirt, she yawned as she gather the outfit in her arms.

Walking out, she dropped them on a nearby chair before making her way to her side of the bed and slip under the blanket, all the while, a hand never let go of the bottom of his shirt, pulling them as far down as possible. The shirt already drapes over her but it still feel odd in nothing but a large shirt.

She wriggle herself next to him and with a moment’s hesitation, leans forward just enough to maybe touch his arm with her forehead. Her body have already curled itself up into a ball as she blinked sleepily. “Goodnight… and thanks again. For the shirt.” she hope in the darkness of the room, he can’t see just how red her face can become.

Naoto looked so good in his shirt. Was that weird? Maybe. But he couldn’t help but notice her legs, just imagining the way they curved into her behind underneath the shirt hem…

Kanji snapped back into focus as she lay beside him. Her breath was sweet, her face more beautiful than anyone he could think of. Hesitating, he felt her warm forehead against his arm as she curled up on her side. So she was a side sleeper. He wasn’t usually, but he wouldn’t mind doing it now.

"You’re welcome. Goodnight, sweet prince," he replied, getting a glimpse of her gorgeous eyes one last time before she shut them. Did he really just use that line? It was from ‘Hamlet’ if he recalled right. William Shakespeare. Though he used it in a far less tragic context, it was clear he was getting better at studying for school. This also meant he would be able to catch up to her intellect at least a little bit easier, something that had always intimidated him about her.

This hardly felt real.

He was expecting to wake up next to his senpai any moment now. Or worse, back in his home. Totally alone again. But he wasn’t.

"Hey Nao, you mind if I… cuddle up to you some more?" No answer. "Naoto?"

She was definitely asleep. Even her slow breaths seemed magical somehow.