Naoto is trembling with fear. She bolts up in bed, searching her dark room with her eyes. A warm stream of tears flows down her cheek, and a chill down her spine. The nightmares interrupted another night's sleep. What happens in the dreams changes depending on the night. Some nights it's her finding the body of friends strung up on telephone polls. A sickening face of fear plastered on the unmoving bodies. The terrible dream this time was of the fog covered Inaba. Naoto was trapped outside fighting an endless horde of shadows that slowly shred and maul her as she cries for help. Sitting further up in bed, Naoto hugs her knees. Intense sobs are muffled by her legs. Naoto is so tired, so scared, so upset, but worst of all, alone. For what feels like the hundredth time, she sits awake, terrified of slipping back into a warped dream. Her sobs are interrupted by her phone lighting up. With a desperate scramble, Naoto crawls over and grabs it, flipping it open. It's a message from Kanji.
Kanji: Hey Naoto, I had a question for you. Would you like to spend Christmas Eve with me?
Naoto wipes her eyes and begins to respond. The fear in her heart is slowly replaced with a fluttering. Kanji makes her feel safe even through the phone. She texts back as quickly as she can.
Naoto: YES. PICK ME UP AFTER SCHOOL? PLZ RESPOND
Kanji: Sure, I'll pick you up tomorrow.
Her eyes shoot over to her dresser. A small box sits neatly on the messy top. She spent all day yesterday working on the perfect gift for Kanji, and now the day has arrived. That also means the dress that has been sitting in her closet for two days will need to come out, and she will have to wear it. For Kanji, do it for Kanji.
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There are only so many times Kanji can study his dark ceiling before he has to accept that this is real. He has a date with Naoto. Months spent pining, a day spent learning, and another spent making a stuffed rabbit with more intricate detail than anything he's ever made, all leading up to this moment. This intense excitement almost distracts him from the fact that Naoto responded to a text immediately despite it being four a.m. Her being up this late does concern him some, but she's a super detective, she probably has a case she's working on. A grin grows across Kanji's face. The Detective Prince is spending Christmas Eve with him. Life can't get better than this.
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Classes are hard to focus on, today more than ever. How can Kanji spend time reading about geometry when there is only twenty minutes left before school is over? He can hear the blood pumping in his ears, a raw nervous feeling in his gut. Fighting shadow monsters somehow isn't as nerve-wracking as simply spending Christmas Eve with a girl. No, not just a girl, Naoto. The pint sized, cute, brillant private eye that just had to enter his life. It should piss him off, having all these feelings. All he should be worried about is kicking monster's asses, and growing stronger. Instead he just keeps thinking about how fun it would be to hold her small frame in his arms. Warm thoughts flood his mind of her fingers intertwining with his, her face nuzzling into his neck, her tongue exploring his mou-.
"Tatsumi-san!" shouts Mr. Yamada pointing the accusatory finger. "Please pay attention!"
Kanji feels his face redden as he is chastised by the elderly teacher. Just a few more hours of this torture, and then he can finally turn dreams into realities. Well, he can at least stop fretting about them.
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The final bell rings loud in Naoto's ear causing her to swallow hard. Her heart is pounding like a drum over and over in her chest. It is finally time for her date with Kanji, and she couldn't feel more scared if she tried. Rise glides like a ghoul over to her desk. Her hands snake up to Naoto's shoulder in a slimy, uncomfortable kind of way. Normally she would stave off the idol, but today she really needs her help. Naoto's hands have been trembling all day, far too much for her to be able to get the sparkly dress zipped up. The dress was nerve-wracking enough without the second part of the plan. The only thing keeping her going is the idea of making Kanji happy. She just hopes her gift is good enough.
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KanNao Story: Fixing The Hat
FanfictionKanji has been crushing on Naoto since he met her, so the two crossing paths one day isn't special. What is special is the way Naoto begins to feel around the blonde punk as they grow ever closer.
