A/N: Naegiri is so important to me. Naegiri has to be my OTP; they work together, help each other, have a mutual trust and bond unlike any other. They're perfect in every aspect, bring out the best in each other, and I hope I can portray that well in this drabble. I love Naegiri; I'm always RPing it and making headcanons about those cutes, so I'm surprised I've never written a fic about them before now. I'vebeeninNaegiriHellforwelloverayearnow. I will warn that there's a little SDR2 spoiler in here, so steer clear if you don't want to be spoiled.
Also, I'd like to dedicate this story to two special people. First, Erin. She's my ride or die Naegiri RP partner, she's always someone I can rant about Naegiri to and know she appreciates the pairing just as much as I do. We've had many a fanrant about Naegiri in our day. Our RPs inspired this little drabble, so thank you, Erin!
And Jessie. We got into Dangan Ronpa together and watched the anime and read the DR/SDR2 playthroughs at the same time; we've been in rock bottom together ever since. She was the one who encouraged me to turn this little prompt into a fanfic, and is always there to listen to me babble about Naegiri/Dangle Rhombus in general. Thank you for everything!
I hope all readers enjoy, despite how short this is!
"You have a really pretty smile! ...It's a shame to just hide that. I, for one, would prefer it if you smiled more!"
She still remembered those words vividly, to this day.
Trust is a fragile thing, drifting from solidarity to nothing from the most trivial of actions. She'd learned that years ago, at thirteen years young when she'd first become a detective after years of her grandfather's tutelage. The gloves she wears on her hands serves to conceal the scars that changed her forever and enforce the principle her family imparted her with: there's nothing to be gained by expressing your emotions, and everything to lose. That was the Kirigiri family's pride amongst generations of detectives. Her gloves are a constant reminder of what's at risk should she dare to trust someone again.
It wasn't until she met Makoto Naegi, a boy so foolishly honest, that she began to reconsider her methods of distancing herself. Outwardly and openly expressing her thoughts and feelings was not how she conducted matters; Naegi, on the other hand, was an open book. Someone she had initially deemed unimportant exceeded her expectations and taught her how to hope. For someone so observant and perceptive, Kirigiri's first impressions were usually immaculate; and that was the first and only time she'd ever been glad that her deduction proved incorrect.
Upon further assessment, Kirigiri concluded that there was a goodness in Naegi she'd never encountered in anyone else. His genuine love and care for people was something to be admired by the girl who purposefully isolated herself from others. Now he was not only an inspiration to his friends, but to the whole world. Even when he had every reason to despair, he didn't. He kept strong for the sake of others, and always retained enough hope to spread to everyone else.
Naegi emanated hope. Even though the attentive Kirigiri recognized the signs of fatigue in the lines around his eyes that indicated he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep due to stress in quite some time, his smiles were still practically ethereal with hopefulness and encouragement.
Naegi's heart never faltered, so in that unwavering heart would Kirigiri place her trust. After all they'd endured together, he had earned it. Although she'd vowed to never trust in another again, Naegi had proven to her time and time again that he was worthy of something so sacred.
Kirigiri's job as a Future Foundation member was to help him spread hope in this despairing catastrophe their world was currently engulfed within. Naegi's smiles had a positive effect on everyone and availed to rejuvenate her as well, so, keeping the words he'd spoken so long ago in mind, she began to return the favor.
"...I, for one, would prefer it if you smiled more."
Everytime they crossed paths in the Future Foundation headquarters, Kirigiri bestowed a smile in kind. One she reserved solely for him, a person who had managed to coax a genuine smile from her that nobody else had been able to in years.
Gauging his reaction intently, she sees the way his hazel eyes light up and cast a jovial warmth across his visage. Though they exchange no words, they exchange meaningful glances, and that's enough. Words didn't need to be spoken.
She carries the sight of his bolstered expression with her throughout the day as she goes about her work.
..You're the reason I can keep smiling in this world.