I finished Angel Beats! about a short while ago, so, yeah, if it isn't for Naoi-kun I wouldn't even be here. Also, I didn't know that I was actually capable of creating a T-rated fanfic, but here it is—my very first one, which just happens to be a NaoixKanade! After reading all of yours—which happens to be painfully short, I need MORE—I got inspired to write some of my own.

Standard disclaimers apply.

Defenselessly Naïve
a one-shot dedicated to Naoi Ayato and Kanade Tachibana

It was deep in the night, and the cloudless sky outside was showered over by glimmering dust. The cold night wind gently rustled the small branches of a verdant tree, and the pale light of the silvery moon spilled onto the classroom's gray-tiled floor. The night was peacefully still, the crickets outside providing her something to listen to. A certain Student Council President dutifully tried to finish her paperwork early before the designated deadline, if the busy sound of the ruffling papers was any indication. Seated on the far center of the dark room was a serene, snow-haired girl, golden eyes focused on reading the papers in her full hands.

It was a lot of work when you were an entire school's president.

The quick hours passed on like seconds, and she slowly felt tiredness consume her heavy eyes. She inspected the amount of work she made, and she breathed a sigh of satisfaction. She was half-done, good. Yawning with the grace of a royal, she silently stood up to start collecting the mess of papers from the table. A pale, white hand started to reach for the last of the paper bunch, but she stopped mid-reach when three forceful knocks suddenly echoed throughout the room.

Kanade looked up, eyes focused at the door. Who could it be at this late hour?

"You may enter."

The door opened with a slight creak, and in stepped a certain olive-haired boy with eyes that glowed like melted ambers afire. The same white hand that was reaching for the last of her papers was suddenly frozen in place, her own yellow orbs overwhelmed, widening at the sight of…of him. He was dressed in his usual black overalls, a navy Mao cap lazily placed over his raised head, his long-sleeved uniform hugging a lean torso, the silk cloth of his dark trousers smoothly flowing down his long legs. Both arms professionally placed on his back, he stood with commanding authority that demanded respect and respect only—if his general-class uniform didn't already give it out. Dark green strands of hair fell over his dignified face, and the hat he wore cast shadows onto the yellow eyes that intensely glinted against the dark.

She was staring at him. Unable to look away. She was vaguely aware that she was staring, but she seemed not to care as only the picture of him became focused in her vision, all the others blurring away.

He was…he was actually…he was rather…

…attractive.

"Tachibana Kanade."

His voice interrupted her thoughts, and she didn't even realize that he was already handing her the paper she'd been reaching for. She looked up at him, golden eyes meeting a pair of mesmerizing ones. Kanade's face instantly flushed, and, clearing her throat, she snatched the paper from him. She ignored the sparks she felt when her long fingers lightly brushed against his equally slender ones. She immediately turned her back to him, walking over to a cabinet to start arranging the papers; but mostly it was an effort to hide her flushed red face from him.

It was nothing, she reassured herself, composing her suddenly-wild thoughts. Nothing. She was just…just…

…just tired.

Unfortunately, the boy wasn't stupid. An idiot, maybe, but not stupid. He was clearly aware of Kanade's actions and reactions, and, loving the idea of playing around with a stubborn girl, a mischievous smirk pulled at his lips. He couldn't help it. It had always been this way whenever he and Kanade discussed matters, conducted meetings, and debated on issues—she would get pulled by his magnetic charm, and then she would immediately try to resist. The fact that her resistance was almost always effective displeased him a little, but he had to be proud of the fact that his gravity was strong enough to pull an incredibly tenacious girl into his sphere of influence, even for just a second. As the peak members of the Student Council, they've always had a strict, professional relationship that never went over the line—but all those secret glances over the shoulder, the times they had to work together, the long walks he and she would have to take from the Student Council Room to the Principal's Office for reports—there had to be more. He knew she'd looked at him as more than just a council partner. She would never admit it, he knew, but her denial over her apparent liking of him was what amused him the most.

"N…Naoi A-Ayato." Kanade started, trying to impose upon him a commanding presence—but failed, as her stutter took over her first words. Naoi's smirk only grew, perfectly pleased of himself for having extracted the stutter out of that girl again. He was the only one ever known to have that effect on her, making the high and mighty Tachibana Kanade inferior to him on that one thing.

Kanade was aware of this, so, embarrassed, she shook her head and the redness out of her pale cheeks away. She knelt down in front of the cabinet and opened it, where she started to pile the papers in. This bought her some seconds to form some words she could use to distract the haughty smirk over this insignificant NPC right away.

"It's the middle of the night, and you are still awake." She kept her voice in her usual deadpanned tone, soft yet cold. Being the Student Council President, she had no trouble in stepping over her own embarrassment to stand with authority over the conversation. "Why is this so?"

"I should be the one asking you the questions," he replied matter-of-factly, starting to walk over to her kneeling form. Eyeing the bundle of paperwork she was stuffing inside the cabinet, he added, "You should distribute the labor to the other members of the Council. Those useless rats have nothing to do with their merry little lives." Then, a playful glint flashed through his eyes.

"A girl like you should be resting at this time of the night."

She knew how he played with cards. So she steeled herself, blocking his mischievous words from reaching her brain. She was thankful that she was currently arranging the papers to have something to busy herself with, or else she would've fallen all over his charm. Words had always been Naoi's expertise. "Don't flatter me. Explain your purpose."

Naoi stopped walking towards her. A frown replaced his taunting grin, but eventually he gave in to explaining to her his intention. He sighed, and he stood up straighter.

"I have something to report." The impishness was gone, only a cold and detached expression left. "The scampering group led by a certain Yuri Nakamura is currently hosting a party; guests only limited to them. Motives unknown. Venue is suspiciously set at Building C's rooftop, where a monstrous girl band played noise for them."

Kanade's expression remained stoic, yet she was silently exasperated. She closed the cabinet door and put a padlock to seal it; inwardly sighing while standing up. Monstrous girl band? That was Girls Dead Monster alright. No need to be surprised—it's them again. Building C is a good place for them to host some sort of a party, she guessed, because it is the most faraway of the buildings from the dorms. But even in this silent night, a loud party—especially with the GirlDeMo—would be impossible not be heard rocking with their music for miles across. Kanade strained her ears to hear faint sounds of electric guitars and rocking bands; Naoi was actually right.

Kanade nodded at him. "Thank you, Ayato. You're dismissed." She started walking towards the door, ignoring the ample scent of cloves that wafted her senses of smell as she passed by him. "I will go and investigate what those guys are up to again."

His frown deepened, and Kanade felt his cold hand pierce her skin when he grabbed her arm to stop her. "I will come with you, Tachibana."

A mild blush tinted her pale cheeks. He was becoming protective—the thing that Kanade almost fell for several times already. She appreciated his offers, really, only she didn't like the idea of him…protecting her. Because did his protectiveness actually…mean something? Just the thought was tempting; wanting her to scream with a passionate yes! But she had to say no. Because, as far as she knew, he would be the one who would need the protection, not her, especially if it's those guys. Also, he was just an NPC—basically programmed to say the words he says, to act the movements he does. She had to keep reminding herself that.

But, most of all, she wouldn't be able to focus if he tagged along with her; she wouldn't be able to. Only heaven knows why; but she had to say no.

Seeing her hesitation, he actually grinned—instantly knowing why this quiet girl even considered refusing: it's because she didn't want to be uncomfortable around his compulsive presence. He read right through her—such a transparent little flower. Focusing on the weakness of people around him, that was his expertise. He knew his charm was irresistible, but Kanade, who tried to resist it, is being gullibly foolish. He knew that she knew that he wasn't the type who let people alone to themselves and give them their peace; torturing them was more of his style.

He raised his head up a little higher to emphasize the effect of him looking down at her—an indication that he was commanding her this time. That haughty smirk returned to his face. "I insist."

Kanade shook away his hand from her arm, and the warmth that had taken over her body was immediately gone once she lost physical contact with him. "You don't wish to rest already? It's eleven thirty."

Disappointed with her actions of restraints, Naoi instead put both of his arms behind his back to impose firmness of his next words. Releasing a sigh, he closed his eyes to emphasize his 'isn't it too obvious?' voice to purposely make her sound stupid.

"From the reports I've heard and seen, Miss Nakamura and her so called 'Afterlife Battlefront' are a particularly violent group of high school students—even suspected to possess prohibited weapons at their disposal." He lifted his eyelids to reveal the mischief now apparent beneath the hazels. "It would just be proper if I, Student Council Vice President Naoi Ayato, accompanied his defenseless council associate to a potentially dangerous venue."

He looked down at her with that foreboding signature smirk plastered all over his face, waiting for her answer.

Defenseless? Kanade wanted to chuckle, but restrained herself. She had fought against the SSS countless of times singlehandedly; she had her own advanced weaponry for self-defense to protect herself with. But because this NPC had to be innocent of her abilities, she had to maintain the blankness of her expression. Looking right through the air in front of her, she said with an empty voice, "What is the purpose of this sudden concern, Ayato?"

Naoi saw this as a chance to advance to her. Putting one hand into his pocket, he again started to walk slowly towards her, the soles of his shoes delicately tapping onto the tiled floors of the dark room. "I wouldn't let someone as delicate as a white flower get destroyed by the rain."

She looked up at him, eyes blank and expressionless. "I don't need your protection."

There was a trace of a mocking laugh tinting his low voice. "A silly little girl has no chance of winning against a group whose members include a heavily-trained judo oaf and an ax-wielding idiot," he bluntly said, respectively referring to Matsushita and Noda. "And those are only the one of the most blockheaded of them all."

Kanade had the grace to release a tiny scoff. "Ayato, I might be the one who would need to protect you from them."

An offended eyebrow arched. "Do you really think that lowly of me, Miss Tachibana?"

"Yes."

"You dare defy me?"

She stared up at him, eyes a bland shade of gold. "I'm more capable than what you think you are."

Interesting. "Pardon me? I didn't quite hear."

"You are not capable of defending me," she repeated, eyes staring up at him.

This just encouraged him to think of more ways to play with her. I'll show her who's defenseless. He sneered.

"Don't be so sure."

Kanade was just about to push him out of her way and tell him that he was being ridiculous, but, for one, painful little second, she caught sight of his eyes. His eyes… slowly transforming from its glazed, ocher color, to a luscious, malevolent red. The world around her seemed to stop, as her golden eyes widened at an unspoken command to stay fixated at staring into them; the red orbs that she slowly let enter into her mind, gripping it with authority that no one else had ever been able to do before; into a universe where only he and she ever existed. The different sounds resonating across the room—the rustling leaves, the whispering wind, the echoing air—all of those disappeared, replaced by only a strange sound of silence. A silence that hypnotically rang into her ears, weakening her knees and annihilating her sense of consciousness. Against her will, her hands fell to her sides—and, for once in her life, she fell defenseless. Kanade found in herself no strength to resist the sudden gravity he was forcing her to fall into, a hidden intensity that persuaded her to lose contact with the real world.

She looked up at him, her usually blank expression now a mixture of helplessness and lack of control.

"Yes, yes, that's right. Stare right into my eyes," he breathed down at her. Delighted, Naoi took a step further, intending to aggravate the frail little girl by gently tucking a strand of white hair behind her ears; cold fingers leaving icy trails of light touches onto her face. Her face showed mild horrification, and she took a step behind; but stopped, realizing that her back now touched the wall.

"Imagine that you are sand," he commanded, his voice ringing in her ears. "A rock, once upon a time, worn by the storm; the solid toughness turning into the soft fragility of sand, fighting defenselessly against a flood that would carry it away."

Kanade tried to look down and blink her eyes shut, but Naoi managed to force tilting her chin so she would face him.

"Poor Tachibana," he mocked, his chuckles sending flurries through her stomach. "You have to practice defending yourself from me first."

"Ayato," Kanade started, keeping her voice as calm and composed as ever; her voice so quiet it was barely a whisper. She looked up at him, forming the words she knew would be most effective to halting the playful young man. "As Student Council President, I order you to stop."

He scoffed, putting his arms onto the wall on both sides, caging her in. He merely looked down at her, the impishness on his red-eyes the only thing illuminating the shadow that towered over her. His face was only inches away from hers.

"My, my, Tachibana," he taunted, the heat of his breath tingling into her senses. "Unable to defend yourself now, I see."

Kanade wanted to activate her Guard Skills right now—but his alluring effect seemed to block that ability from her. She looked up at him, narrowed her eyes, and produced the words; no matter how much she didn't want to.

"Your point has been taken, then."

A malicious smirk grew on the handsome features of his face. He reached out a hand to finger a strand of her hair, his breath sending sparks onto her cold skin. "I want you," he started, tilting his head from looking at the hair of snow in his hand to focus onto her face. "…to beg me to stop."

Kanade cocked her head to the side, genuinely confused. "I do not see the point behind this, but please show respect to your superiors."

Sweet, innocent little Kanade, thought Naoi, with a scorn that could insult even the most steel-hearted human being. She was just so pure, so delicately naïve—it made him want to…to…

Enough fun. He closed his eyes, frowned, and released the grip he had on her mind, letting the natural color of his eyes wash over the red glow. Kanade released a held breath as a result, which Naoi had unconsciously forced her to restrain.

He withdrew the arms that had been caging her, and used a hand to adjust the cap on his head. "My position being one step inferior to yours doesn't mean you are superior to me in all things, Tachibana."

Kanade tested her arms as she gained control of them again. "I guess you can prove that when you try defending me against the Battlefield."

Naoi was shaking his head in amusement as he walked towards the door. "That and more, dear President." Now, did naïve little Kanade Tachibana ever think that he was satisfied of proving his superiority by merely acting as her effective bodyguard?

As Kanade approached him outside the door, he offered her his arm; and together, they walked towards Building C to see who the inferior one between the two of them was.

The triumphant hypnotist's grin did not leave his face. Soon, he thought, he was going to prove, not only to Tachibana, but to everyone else, how Naoi Ayato can gain control of this Afterlife world and be its rightful god. Soon.

That…and more.

If I get inspired [*cough* reviews *cough*] I will make another one-shot. xD Fact: I already have ideas for a NaoixShiina AND NaoixYuri fanfic, so…stay tuned? I know this isn't worthy of your precious reviews, but please do tell what you think! Flames and encouraging ones always give me the Writer's Rush. (Don't worry, I only invented the term.) Oh, and, guys, time for a New Year's resolution.

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: I will train hard enough to become a real writer!

Keeping the beats,
rivalargentica