Title: Just For a Smile
Pairings/Characters: KanNao. So much KanNao.
Warnings: Extreme fluffiness. Wrote this late at night when I was tired and just off a P4 Arena high, so it's far from my best.
There's no way. Nope. Not gonna do it. Can't do it.
Kanji found himself pacing back and forth, staring down at the tiny bundle of fabric in his hands. He'd spent the last 3 weeks working on it. Normally, these sorts of things took him less than an hour, but he kept think about her, and whether or not she'd like it, or whether or not she'd wear it, or whether or not it would even fit her, and then he'd get all flustered and put it aside to work on later. He'd made countless numbers of mistakes, because as it took shape more and more, he couldn't help but let his mind wander.
Would she smile when he gave it to her? Oh, god, that would be amazing… It was rare he'd actually seen her smile.
He'd stopped pacing by now, his face taking a light red hue as he pictured it.
Shaking his head rather violently, he continued on pacing.
The mistakes, though he'd done his best to fix them, were rather prominent here and there… A missed loop here, a snag there… To the untrained eye, it would probably look absolutely perfect. To him, though, it was a disaster. Of course, he'd though several times of just starting over and making it again, but he knew if he did that, he'd just take another 3 months to make the exact same thing with the exact same mistakes. And he definitely didn't have the time for that.
He sighed again.
Alright. I can do this. I'm going to do this. C'mon, Kanji. You're a man! This isn't even that hard!
He was now walking down the road, in the general direction of her house. Well, house was probably the wrong word. Estate? Yeah, probably an estate…
He made the mistake of looking back down again.
Maybe he should have wrapped it. Or put it in a box. That's what you normally do with Christmas presents, right? Dammit, why hadn't he asked someone about this? Yu-Senpai would've known what to do, and he wouldn't laugh at him like Yosuke-Senpai would. Or maybe Yukiko-Senpai. She was a girl. She knew what girls liked.
Looking up, he realized he was at the end of the drive.
Slightly panicked, he almost ran back home right then, but after indecisively walking in a circle for about a minute, he steeled his nerve and made his way up to the door.
C'mon. Yes. You got this. Just… Knock. It's all you have to do. It's almost like… Punching the door. You've punched plenty of people, Tatsumi, a door should be no problem for you!
If anyone were passing by, they'd probably think Kanji was positively insane. He was standing at the door, staring at it as if it should just open for him on command. It didn't however, even when he actually tried (hey, his mind was on way more important things than the technicalities of opening a door!) After a minute, though, he gathered all of his willpower to raise his fist and rap on the wood of the door a few times. He stood stalk-still for what felt like an eternity until there was a stir of movement from inside. He saw a light click on, and then heard what was probably the sliding of a lock. The door opened just a few inches as a sliver of an eye and a bit of blue hair peeked through.
"…Kanji-kun? Is that you?"
No mistaking that voice. Kanji felt himself flush a bit as he looked down at his hands again, realizing he was still holding his gift stupidly in front of him. Almost violently, he put both hands behind his back and nodded somewhat sheepishly.
"Uh, y-yeah… I just… Um… I have something t-to give- Talk to you about. If, y'know, that's okay."
There was silence for a moment before the door shut again. At first, Kanji panicked, thinking she'd just shut the door on him for being an idiot, but then he heard the slide of another lock and the door opened again, all the way this time, to reveal a rather tired-looking Naoto.
"Well, if you came at this time, it must be something rather important… Come in, please, it must be cold out there. And you're not even wearing a coat…"
Oh. Now that she mentioned it, it was kinda cold. Actually, it was really cold. How had he not noticed that while he was walking here?
Stepping inside, he shuffled uncomfortably a bit as Naoto made her way out toward the living room. Taking off his shoes, Kanji followed, hands still firmly behind his back. Naoto took a seat in a somewhat large, fluffly armchair while Kanji took to the couch opposite her. He couldn't help but notice how different she looked from her usual self at the moment. Her short hair was messy, and she was dressed in rather adorable blue plaid pajama pants and a matching shirt with a heart on it.
She must have noticed his staring, as she interrupted his thoughts, "Um… Is something wrong, Kanji-kun?"
"U-uh, no! No! It's just, um… Well.. You look different… Than usual…"
Her eyes widened slightly in embarrassment as she raised her hands to her hair, lightly finger-combing it before going about straightening up her clothes. "Oh, yes. Well, I wasn't exactly expecting company at this time of night… Please, excuse my… Um… Unkept appearance."
"No! No! Don't apologize! You look fine!" His cheeks were probably glowing right now. He thought over the statement, though, and glanced out the window.
Huh.
How hadn't he noticed it was that dark out on his way here?
"Sorry, uh, what time is it again?"
Naoto looked down at her wrist, where a watch sat, "It's… 11:27pm."
"Oh. Wow. That late, huh?" Kanji looked down at his feet and messed around with the item in his hands, still behind his back.
"So, Kanji-kun… What did you need to talk to me about?"
"Oh, uh… Um… I just, uh…" He looked around the room, trying to think of something, anything else to say. Something that wasn't what he actually wanted to say, because he just couldn't bring himself to just come out and say, 'Hey, Naoto! I made this for you! Merry Christmas, I hope you're wear it and smile for me!'
However, nothing in the room exactly inspired conversation topics. Looking up, he saw Naoto's eyes locked on him in expectation. Knowing he has to say something, he just spilled out what he wanted to say.
"So, since Christmas is coming up, and, you know, people like to do stuff together and give each other stuff and everything I just kinda wanted to give you something so here you go okay I should probably go home now because it's late and mom is probably wondering where I am so good night."
Suddenly, he jumped up, practically launching the gift from behind his back at the girl sitting across from him before taking off toward the door, throwing his shoes on haphazardly and rushing out.
Despite his nerves, he managed to cast a glance over his shoulder as Naoto called for him. Was she… Blushing? She was looking at him, balled up material in hand, eyes wide in shock.
Dashing out the door, he took off down the road, back toward his house. Damn, it was cold out here. Why hadn't he remembered his coat?
(Back at the Shirogane residence)
Naoto was… Confused, to say the last. Kanji had just bounded out the door after showing up at her doorstep at 11:23pm and lobbing something at her. Allowing her knees to give out, she plopped back down on her chair, eyes turning from the now-shut front door that Kanji had just run out of to the tiny ball of material in her hand. Unfolding it, she found it to be a small, obviously hand-knit hat.
It was similar in color to her usual hat, a deep royal blue, though it looked more suitable for cold weather. Opening it up a bit, she found not only that is seemed to stretch quite a bit, but also that it seemed to have come with a tiny, hand-written note folded neatly inside.
Naoto,
Merry Christmas. Sorry if this is, like, weird or something, but I don't usually give people Christmas presents or anything… Well, except for, like, my mom. But that's different. Anyways, I hope if fits and stuff. And if it doesn't, let me know, 'cause I could always just make you another one or something. If you would want another one, that is.
-Kanji
Putting the note aside, Naoto opened the bottom of the hat and pulled it over her head. Sure, not exactly the same as usual, but… It was surprisingly warm. And it actually fit quite well. Picking up the note again, she turned it over in her hands before reading it over again.
When she went back upstairs, she couldn't help but smile to herself as she passed the mirror in her bedroom.
It wouldn't hurt to wear it to bed tonight, now would it?
Author's Notes: KanNao is my Hetero OTP 3 Srsly. I love these two so much ; w ; Anyways, I know it's kinda choppy, but I'm tired, and I kinda figured, 'Hey, Kanji's probably pretty tired too. And flustered. He wouldn't be thinking straight anyways!'
Anyways, hope you enjoy despite it's weirdness. Sorry if it sounds rushed, I kinda just wanted to write something while I was still on this P4 Arena high... Good god, that game is awesome.