Hello hello, and welcome to my first ever attempt at Naoto/Yuu! Please keep all hands and feet inside the story at all times, and as always, I hope you enjoy the ride!
Breath in...
Breath out...
The door unlocked with an audible click. Shoes were tossed carelessly aside, and footsteps pattered quietly toward the small living room.
Breath in...
A tiny sob bubbled in her chest, but years of practice kept it down.
Breath out...
Naoto stood frozen in her tiny apartment. Her feet dug into the carpet, as if she wanted to move. To run, and escape this place, but she didn't move an inch.
She didn't want to be here. No, the idea of being here sickened her. There was somewhere else, a far off place that she wanted -needed- to be.
Another sob wormed its way into her-
Breath in...
-and this time she was having much more difficulty keeping it down.
Breath out...
A scowl appeared on the girl's face. Naoto sat down on one of the two couches stationed in her living room, and her teeth clenched almost painfully.
She was acting like a child. A child who was trying to control their temper over something they wanted, but could not have. She wanted to scorn herself, belittle herself for having such paper-thin control over her emotions at a time like this, but she didn't. She knew it would only make her feel worse.
With a heavy sigh, the girl leaned farther into the cushions and pulled her hat off. With her other hand she pushed back her tousled blue hair. Her eyes closed, and she sat in her own silence.
Thoughts and nightmares, images of her wild imagination clawed at her mind and made her feel restless. Again, she knew she shouldn't let such fallacious assumptions get the best of her, but her fear and her guilt were weighing her down and making it almost impossible. Nanako. The name itself felt like bile in her throat. Not because the name repulsed her, but because it made her feel repulsed with herself. That poor girl, alone with that psychotic man, in the TV world no less. All of it, all of this could have been avoided if she had just figured it out faster-
Naoto snapped her neck at the sound of a harsh knock against her door. It startled her, made her feel uneasy, but she placed her hat back on her head and got up regardless. A hallow feeling washed through her as she walked silently to the door. She wasn't in the mood for socializing with neighbors, or anyone really.
She gripped the doorknob and turned it stiffly, the door creaking open. What stood on the other side might have been the last thing she wanted to see right now.
"Senpai, what are you doing here at this hour?"
Yuu's usually straight face was replaced with a small smile, and the school uniform he had been wearing earlier that day was now a more casual attire. He stood stock-still; as if he was unsure himself of his own arrival, but the look passed and all his attention was now on Naoto.
"Yosuke had asked me to help him with Teddie, so I thought I'd stop by for a visit" his voice was calm, and in Naoto's mind soothing to hear.
"Well, if you really went through the trouble of traveling all the way from Yosuke-senpai's house to my own, then I guess I can't really deny you a... quick visit".
She turned almost robotically, and walked back into her apartment. Naoto couldn't even bare to look at him properly, or else she knew she'd let something slip. No, she had to be strong. Especially for her Senpai.
She was now standing aimlessly in the living room, looking for something to occupy her time and to keep her distance from him. Something in her mind clicked, and she turned to see Yuu following close behind her.
"Would you like some tea, Senpai?" her voice came out much flatter then usually, and she could see out of the corner of her eye that Yuu had noticed it as well.
"That sounds lovely. Would you like some help?"
"No. No thank you, I can manage".
She nearly scurried into her kitchen, and the moment he was out of earshot she let out a long sigh. Not looking him in the eye when they spoke was killing her. It made her feel rude and unfriendly, and immature. She shook her head, and grabbed the nearest kettle she could find. After filling it with water, she took two cups in her other hand and slowly made her way back into the living room.
Yuu was sitting, and his eyes were on her as she entered. Something about it made her feel uneasy, like his eyes could see everything in her. Naoto placed the cups and kettle on a table that sat right between the two couches, and she took her place opposite Yuu. There the two sat in silence for a few minutes, pondering what the other was thinking. Finally, Naoto spoke up.
"Hm, Senpai. You said earlier that Yosuke needed your help 'dealing with Teddie'. What did you mean by this?" again, her voice felt flat and cold in her throat. Without a word, the boy took his cup and brought it to his lips. After what felt like ages to Naoto, Yuu placed the cup back down and caught her eyes with his own.
"Teddie was worried about Nanako-chan, just as the rest of us are. Yosuke needed my help calming him down since it seemed the poor bear was about ready to burst into tears".
The way he spoke, the way he looked at her as if searching, prying for something, was all too much for Naoto. The sob that she had been pushing down the entire time came surging back into her, and it took all of her strength to keep it at bay. With a shaky hand, Naoto grabbed her own cup and brought it to her lips. She kept it there for what seemed like forever, but Naoto knew she'd have to put it down eventually and face Yuu. To face her shame.
With a reluctant frown, Naoto removed the half-empty cup from her lips and placed it neatly in her lap. Her hand stayed clasped to the tiny mug as she willed herself to look again at her Senpai.
"I see... and did that go well?"
"Well, it went fine, until Teddie began to blame himself for her kidnapping..." the boy's look became more intense, "however Yosuke and I were able to calm him down successfully. It was almost to heart-breaking to watch". His voice lowered solemnly at the end, and the intense look in his eyes was replaced with a more understanding one.
She didn't even realize it, but the hand that was still clasped firmly to her cup was now shaking, as was as the rest of her. It was getting to her, all of those blasted emotions she was refusing to accept. With her eyes still locked on to his, a thought crossed her mind. She wanted to leave. To get away from this, and to get away from Yuu.
In that second Naoto shot from her seat, bumping her leg against the table and causing the cup in her hand to crash to the floor. In the heat of the moment she lost her balance, and nearly fell unto the table itself, were it not for a pair of hands that caught her.
The girl was frozen, inside and out. She didn't even know what she was doing anymore, but all she knew was that she was in Yuu's arms, and whether she could help it or not, she couldn't deny that it was a blissful feeling. In her stupor Naoto tilted her head up to see Yuu smiling down at her.
"So, that panicked feeling I've had was true. There really is something bothering you". Naoto didn't say anything in return. All she could do was stare back as Yuu continued. "It's Nanako-chan, isn't it?"
It was that name again. That name that grated on her mind and made her feel worthless and small. As if the sudden shock of feeling brought Naoto back to life, the girl pushed herself out of Yuu's arms, but remained where she stood.
"If you really came here to... check on something like this, then I'm afraid to inform you that your projection of my recent actions are indeed false" her last few words nearly made her choke, "I'm perfectly fine".
Naoto's words echoed through her mind and throughout the room as an unbearable silence was cast between the two. She wanted to move, put couldn't. She wanted to look at Yuu, to see if he would look back at her, but her eyes stayed rooted to the floor. The small girl couldn't help it anymore, and she began to tremble almost uncontrollably again. She clenched her hands furiously, hoping the pain would keep her from crying.
Her cold world suddenly began to thaw as two warm arms encircled her. Her first thought was to fight it, to push the arms away and run, but she no longer had the strength to do so. She had tired herself out trying to wage war with her own emotions, and she was now losing. One of the hands surrounding her was placed gently on her head, and she went with it as it brought her closer to him.
"You're still blaming yourself for Nanako's kidnapping, aren't you?"
She nodded and remained silently.
"You've been avoiding me because you thought you were hurting me, weren't you?"
Another nod, and this time when a sob appeared in her throat she didn't catch it. It bubbled out of her, and with it came a small stream of tears that stained Yuu's shirt and her cheeks. In return the silver-haired boy held her head and cradled it against his chest softly. The whole ordeal felt awkward for Naoto, but at the same time relieving and natural. She continued to cry softly, and he continued to be her support. With his other hand Yuu removed the hat that was still sitting on her head and ran his fingers through her frazzled hair. Naoto liked the feel, so she made no protest.
Time had been lost to her now, and it felt as though ages had passed while they stood there together. Something warm rushed by her ear, and she realized that it was his breath. It tingled against her skin, and a nervous feeling crawled up form inside her. Seconds passed and soon words that she could barely hear echoed in her ears.
"Even the strongest people need someone to catch them when they fall. Will you let me catch you?"
Her mind and her thoughts were still locked in a standstill, but it didn't matter. She knew her answer. Slowly, as if afraid he might disappear at any moment, she unfolded her arms from in front of her and wrapped them around his waist. Her hands twisted themselves into the fabric of his shirt. It took her a moment, but soon enough her face was buried in his chest. It was so warm, so welcoming. The cold that had pricked her skin and made her feel stiff was melting, and a soothing feeling grew and spread through out every inch of her body.
"... Thank you, Senpai..."
The words felt sweet on her tongue, and yet she couldn't help the nervous feeling that came with them. Contented, she closed her eyes and let her body relax against his. She still felt guilty, she wouldn't deny that, but it didn't feel bad anymore. It felt as though the pain and guilt had washed from her, leaving her in some unknown bliss. It also left her tired as sleep started to drag on her body. Her conscious began to slip, but she didn't mind.
Before all feeling was lost, she felt something unbelievably warm and soft make it's way onto her forehead. Whatever it was, she'd find out when she woke up.
With her Senpai.
Oh my gosh, yes! Just barely broke 2000 words! Uh ahem, anyway, I hope you enjoyed!