The fluff, it's…wow, is it shameless in this. Perfect for Valentine's Day!
Also, for the sake of said fluff, Naoto's cooking skills have been toned down a bit. Just a tad. In the name of chocolate!
February 13…nearing midnight.
"Souji-kun?"
"Yeah? Is something the matter?"
"Do…do you have free time for tomorrow? I-I was just wondering whether you could…visit."
"As a kind of social call or because it's Valentines' tomorrow?"
"The latter. I'm sure you knew that already."
"Just checking. When would be a good time to drop by?"
"Hmm…how about 4? In the afternoon, that is."
"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you then."
"Yes. Goodnight, Souji-kun."
Souji smiled as he closed his phone and shut his eyes, reclining comfortably in his futon. Quietly reminiscing about the past, he opened one eye to glance towards the clock that hung on the wall.
Naoto was doing the same, although her own observation was followed by a fit of tossing and turning. Her worry was growing that the chocolate would be sub-par, but as she thought back to a certain day in a certain year…
"Take all of me..."
Her eyes shot open as she groaned, recalling the words that still make her blush to this day. Pressing a pillow to her face, Naoto threw it off and tried to content herself with counting sheep.
…I must be losing it. It's just a day. A day that just so happened to be spent with him. Which happened to have ended quite…favorably…tomorrow will be fun.
February 14, Evening (aka 3:50pm)
It was a short walk to Naoto's apartment, and Souji felt that the day was going to be a good one. Sun shining, no clouds, no fog, no danger, no one to bother us…what's the worst that could happen?
Knocking gently on the door, he waited and listened for any signs that she was home. Fishing out his spare key, he slowly let himself in and called out. "Naoto? It's me! Is this, er…a bad time?"
"Wa-wa-wait! Don't come in here just yet! I've got it under contr-"
POOF-
…Oh no, I jinxed it.
Souji put a shameful hand over his face as he saw a small flash come from the kitchen, and he inhaled deeply as he took a cautious step in. It wasn't a few steps until Souji stopped dead, astounded by the sight that beheld him. Naoto was cooking. Although…it seemed that she had run into a few problems. Chocolate powder was strewn about, and a small plume of smoke was rising from one of the pots that Souji assumed she had been using. "…Spontaneous combustion?"
"…"
He watched with a minute sense of apprehension as he looked to Naoto, who seemed to be in the midst of some kind of mental turmoil. Some of the aforementioned powder had splattered onto her, and she thanked her own caution that she was wearing an apron that fit snugly around her. Fuming lightly, she collected herself and bowed slightly towards her guest. "Um…good evening, Souji-kun."
"Sorry for intruding…er…are you alright?"
"Nothing is damaged, but as for the chocolate…I cannot say the same."
Souji cocked his head and leaned forward a bit, taking Naoto's chin in his hand so he could lift her face level with his. She looked disappointed, with a hint of shame that Souji bore witness to the small explosion. "Don't look so sad. Stuff like this happens sometimes."
"But, I…it's such a simple process. If I hadn't gotten distracted, then-"
She trailed off as Souji let go, and he licked the chocolate powder off his fingers as he watched her look around. "...A shower will do you some good, I'm sure. I can clean up for you here."
Naoto gave him a grateful look as she let Souji undo her apron, and she looked back at him once before heading off toward her room. Souji tossed the dirtied apron into the laundry room and checked one of the off-hand cabinets for the cleaning supplies he had bought for her a long while ago. Setting to work, he tucked his phone between his head and his shoulder as he called Teddie.
"Hey there, Sensei!"
"Good afternoon, Ted. Are you busy?"
"Well…I just managed to escape the crowd of ladies trying to hand me chocolate…so yeah! I guess I am."
"Mind doing me a favor? Ask the produce manager for some of the basic materials of chocolate making. Get Yosuke's help if need be, as well. See what materials you can get and bring them to Naoto's, if you don't mind."
"Sounds fun! I'll see if I can get there in 20 minutes, ok?"
"Thanks. I owe you one."
Souji listened to the distinctive sound of Teddie hanging up before realizing the predicament he was in. His phone was still pinned in place, and his hands were dirty. Groaning, he flicked his head and dropped the phone on a chair nearby. By now, he had made some good progress, and the kitchen looked much better than before. He stopped at the sound of a light giggle. Without turning around, he began to wash his hands, greeting Naoto, who had just emerged from the bathroom. "It's not funny. I could've busted my phone."
"I beg to differ. You looked quite peculiar."
"But if I broke my phone, then I'd lose all the pictures I took of you while you were sleeping."
That managed to stun Naoto into an embarrassed silence as she sat down to dry her hair. Souji grinned lightly as he plugged in a hair dryer and set to work pampering her, despite the slight objections.
"…What are you doing."
"Hmm…?"
"I can help myself, I'll have you know."
"But I have fun, and you don't waste energy! It's a win-win scenario."
Naoto sighed softly, and settled in her chair as Souji combed her hair gently. The latter's smile grew as he watched her observe the kitchen, and the look on Naoto's face told him it was as if she was viewing it in an entirely new light. A sudden ring from the doorbell caught Souji's attention, and he put as hand on her shoulder as he leaned in to whisper, "I was also kidding about the whole sleeping bit."
He allowed a soft chuckle to escape his lips as he glanced back at Naoto's flustered expression, turning back to head towards the doorway.
"Delivery bear Teddie has arrived!"
Souji took a second to look Teddie up and down, silently thankful that his friend wasn't dressed as some perverted Cupid. "You're looking good in the roller skates. No wonder you got here so fast."
"Here's the supplies you wanted! Have fun making the chocolate with Nao-chan!"
"Thanks, Ted. Here's a topsicle."
"Thank you! See ya later, Sensei!"
Souji shut the door with his foot as Naoto watched questioningly. Holding the bag aloft, Souji grinned. "Let's make some chocolate."
February 14…10 minutes later.
"This…this is highly unorthodox…isn't it?"
"Now what makes you think that?"
"I, er…did research on the holiday. The articles I read detailed that the woman of the relationship is meant to prepare chocolate for her lover. And…here we are."
"I've availed myself in the idea that our lives are led by a certain unorthodox sense. Besides, remember when we shared it last ti-"
"I-I remember, thank you. I'm just happy that it turned out well."
"The chocolate, or…?"
"Not just that, it's just…everything, really."
"Want to elaborate?"
"I think you know already."
The two exchanged knowing smiles as they turned their attention towards their work-in-progress. The chocolate was coming along nicely, as the consistency was on-par with the cookbook they were following. As such, the new batch was ready in a short time, and Souji was taking a break from the heat of the stove by sitting next to the fridge with the door cracked open, in an effort to cool off. Naoto stifled a laugh as he began to doze off, but her attention wandered to the small sample pieces that they had set aside for testing and tasting. Then, she had an idea.
"Souji-kun?"
Souji ran a hand through his hair as he turned to face Naoto, who was sitting on the counter top with a fresh piece of the chocolate in her mouth. Despite the blush on her face, she was leaning forward invitingly, and her eyes showed no signs of regretting her offer.
Gently, he bit into the offered treat as his eyes met hers, and they both instinctively leaned a bit closer to each other as they tasted the chocolate melting on their tongues. Naoto took a weak grip on Souji's shirt as she felt his arms wrap around her waist, and she offered no resistance as she embraced his warmth. Silently, they opened their eyes to gaze affectionately at each other as Souji released her and reached up wrap one arm around her shoulder. Softly, he chuckled as he watched a soft blush dust Naoto's cheeks.
"As expected of my girlfriend's homemade chocolate."
"Hehe. Don't act like you had no part in it."
"Hm…would you mind if I had another?"
"Huh? Ah-mm..."
Souji kissed her again…
…and again…
…and again. Each and every time tasting the dangerously enticing blend of the chocolate and Naoto's mouth, and feeling a heat rise in his cheeks as he listened to her mewls. Finally, Souji ended his barrage of affection, and Naoto panted softly as she gazed at him. Reaching up to jab his forehead, she sighed as she murmured, "Know your limits."
"I can keep going, you know."
"I do. Indulge in moderation."
Naoto smiled softly as Souji looked away with a light blush, and her hand reached up to gently tousle his hair. His gaze, and only that, shifted to focus on her, and his eyes narrowed in curiosity as she reached down. "You can start balancing your tendencies by opening your mouth."
"Hm?"
Souji turned to her in confusion and opened his mouth to speak (not to obey her request, mind you), but was quickly silenced as a piece of chocolate was gently fed to him. He was caught off guard as Naoto smiled innocently at him, before shaking his head in defeat as he chewed reflectively. Taking a step back, he took her hand to help her hop off the counter. Souji tousled Naoto's hair as she took a small pair of tongs to gingerly pick up the chocolates and place them in an elegantly designed little box. Smiling at her glance that let him know that she could manage the rest on her own, Souji plucked a small bottle of juice from the fridge and wandered off towards the living room. As he left, Naoto quietly opened a drawer to reveal a small case of chocolate molds, and her eyes wandered to the still-warm chocolate that remained in the small pot they had been using…
Souji was absently flipping through the variety of channels as he waited for Naoto to join him, until…
"Um…Souji-kun…?"
Souji turned his attention from the TV to the one who had called his attention. Seeing that Naoto hadn't called him for assistance with anything, he set his drink on the table and stood to face her, sensing some stress from her as she kept her hands behind her back. "Everything alright?"
"Yes. Everything's fine, it's just…um…this was easier in my mind, but…h-here."
The blush on Naoto's face was evident as she reluctantly held the object in question out to Souji.
"I hope you're okay with putting up with me for another Valentine's Day. And…er…this is for you."
Silently, Souji accepted the small box that was offered shyly to him, and, as he opened the lid, he couldn't help but smile. Inside were chocolates different from the ones he had helped Naoto to make. There were bits and pieces that were shaped in objects relating to Valentine's Day, examples being arrows (Cupid?), angel wings, and small hearts. His gaze shifted a few times from the box to Naoto, who was nervously waiting for his reaction.
"…Custom molds?"
"Yes…I thought it would be more fitting for such an occasion. Do…do you like them?"
"That's an understatement. These look great…thank you."
Naoto laughed nervously as she looked away, embarrassed. "Don't give me that. You helped make the chocolate."
Souji watched her fidget nervously before reaching out to put a palm on Naoto's head, playing with her hair in a tried-and-true event to calm her down (P.S It worked). He gently tousled her hair for a few more seconds before taking another look at her face, which still had an expression of apprehension as she returned the stare. He watched her shift nervously, marveling at the contrast to the normally collected view her had of her. "Um…is something wrong?"
"…Let's have these together."
Her gaze moved to his face again, and he watched patiently until he was given a small nod in answer.
Minutes later, and the two were curled up on the couch, Souji sitting and Naoto resting her head comfortably on his lap. Despite her earlier reservations, she was now completely content with how the situation had turned out. Reaching out to the box that now rested on the table in front of the sofa, she broke a piece of chocolate in two, such that she could eat one and feed the other half to Souji. The two consumed the treats almost in sync, with Souji being the first to voice his verdict. "…I'm loving today."
Naoto chuckled softly as she nuzzled against his leg, murmuring her agreement. "I'm loving you."
Souji perked up as he heard the faint words, and he grinned slightly as he stroked her hair. "I love you, too."
The girl blushed with pleasure as she reached for another piece of chocolate, which just so happened to be shaped like a small heart.
So, yeah, uh…I'm back.
Sorry. I've been gone for such a long while, but for good reason. What reason? It'll show in time.
…Probably.