He woke to her curled against him, back to his chest, blue hair cascading down her neck and trapped under the collar of her blue pyjama top. Her bindings removed, he traced her figure down to the gentle curve where she had arched into him in the night to keep warm.
"Contact lens, where are you?" He grumbled as he paced the large room, hastily throwing his shirt from the day before over his head to stop the chill biting at his chest. After giving up on his search, realising he had most likely left it in the downstairs living room, he watched his partner's sleeping form murmur, pull the covers tighter over herself and fall into a deeper sleep.
"Rest well." He whispered as he slipped out the door, pulling it too behind her.

He was sure he had heard footsteps. A maid perhaps? She said they let themselves in, and I imagine they have to start this early to stand a chance of cleaning the place before dark… he noticed they were travelling further away, he reasoned they had made a right turn at the top of the staircase and entered a door along the hallway.
"Well…better be a little more courteous." He mumbled to himself as he gently paced across the hallway towards the stairs.

He had only descended the first step when he heard a door above him creak back open, and what sounded like a metal object being placed at the bottom of the stairs. He reacted in the worst way possible, losing his cool momentarily and feeling his footing slip on the staircase. He felt himself caught by someone before forcibly thrown down onto the third step from the bottom, wincing through the pain that ran through his pelvis.

"Master Shirogane, this is Narukami-san." The voice, deep and low, he recognised as the secretary of the estate. He briefly registered the sound of heavy footsteps behind him and gulped, recognising those to belong to none other than the master himself.
"What would Narukami-san be doing in the estate at this hour?" Yu registered a sense of amusement in the man's voice, before there was a silence and he noticed Yakushiji nodding to the man at the top of the stairs.

"Here." The man turned from Yu to reach for something on the shelf at the bottom of the stairs, before thrusting a warm cup into the boy's hands, a smile on his face, making Yu even more flushed and nervous. "What happened to your eye Narukami-san?"
"That's the first thing you ask me?" He felt as he choked on the tea.
"There's plenty more to ask, you should go to visit the master in his study. Drink up now. Master Shirogane can be a most impatient man." Without another word, the secretary stood straight from his kneeling position before Yu. "And Narukami-san, your shirt is on backwards." He then ascended the stairs after the master.
"M-my shirt?" He glanced down, noticing the design was wrong, the patterned side on his back. Nice moves there, idiot.

This most definitely wasn't how he planned on introducing himself to her grandfather as more than just her friend.
"I have not seen you since the hospital, before we left several weeks ago." The man poured himself tea from the same teapot he assumed that Yakushiji had used before pouring Yu a second one, offering the complimentary sugar and milk and sugar to the silver haired boy. "Yakushiji, you may leave, check on Naoto, she is most likely still asleep." The secretary nodded wordlessly before closing the old door behind him. "Tea?" He waved his hand to the tray in front of him, Yu nervously forced his head to bob up and down.

"The question is, Nurakami-san, why are you in the estate alone, with my granddaughter the day after New Year's?" Now that I think about it, asking this instead of about my eye was definitely the weirder option.
"Um…"
"I hope you already realise I know of your and her relationship." The stern look of the elder Shirogane had melted into an all knowing smile almost instantly.
"How did you?"
"I am a detective, it is my job to know things. I have experience that my granddaughter does not yet have, I don't need to hear your words to know everything you have to say. She is simply an open book to me. Not yet experienced enough to deceive me." The man drank slowly from the cup, placing it down with a satisfied sigh before continuing. "I see what she means about you however, you do not give away a lot." Yu felt himself wince, worried the man was talking about his eye.

"Did you know about me being here?"
"No, I had a suspicion." The man shook his head. "After all, Naoto-chan makes for an awful liar, and her alibi Christmas Eve was flimsy as well."
"And there I was thinking she was some ace detective." Yu smiled to himself, turning his gaze down to his trembling hands, seeking warmth from the cup.
"She is very much so, but she lacks life experience, which often makes her excuses and explanations weak." There was a brief silence. "I trust your uncle and cousin are well?"

"What?" His question had caught him off-guard he shook his head before smiling. "Yes. They've been released from the hospital temporarily for New Year. They're due back soon for further treatment."
"You see through your left eye, do you not?"
"Hm? Ah, wait, how did you know I could see? It's not like you can make out my general eye anymore." Yu was genuinely shocked at that statement.
"You move your eye to focus, I can see you are trying to focus the left eye as well."
"I can see your reputation is well deserved." Suddenly feeling a little more at ease, he reached for his cup. "My retina was detached in an accident when I was a kid. They operated on it fast enough to save around eighty percent of my retinal cells."
"You must wear a contact lens to cover the eye, one that is tinted to remove that hazy colour from your partial sightedness." Yu nodded before drinking his own cup of tea. Silence fell between the two of them.

"Shirogane-san?" Yu asked, looking down once more.
"What is it boy?"
"Am I in trouble?"
"Perish the thought." The man turned his attention to the opening door, a bleary eyed Naoto entering.
"Grampa I-! Senpai!" She blushed brightly as she realised Yu had been in the study with her grandfather. "Grampa I can explain!"

"Hush Nao-chan, I have no need of explanation. Take a seat." She took her seat beside Yu, placing the white container with Yu's contact lens inside that Yakushiji had pressed into her palm on the desk between her and Yu.
"I passed Yakushiji in the hall, he told me to pass this on to you, Yu-sama." She felt strange as the words passed her lips.

-x-x-

"Welcome to the velvet room."
"Happy New Year! W-where's Marie-chan?" Yu glanced around shocked. "And that persona of mine?"

They had discussed Marie, and Yu did not hesitate in agreeing to find and save her. It was then the dragon made its appearance, the gold beast trying to occupy as much of the car as it could.
"He has been a rather difficult guest." Margaret was smiling despite her words.
"Master, there is so much I understand. But before I ask, what has strengthened your bond to Naoto so?"
"Getting busted falling down the stairs in the Shirogane estate by her grandfather." The dragon had the smile of a Cheshire Cat.

"As myself and Kohyru have discussed, for some reason, he does not recall the purpose he has in Naoto's mind." She poured Igor another glass of liquor, offering one to the dragon as well, it released one of the orbs in its claw, allowing it to hover above its head before wrapping its claw gently around the crystal. "We have come to the conclusion this has something to do with the memories both you and her have locked up in your respective skulls."
"In other words you don't know and you picked something we shared in common." Yu smiled. "Tell me what you have learned."

"He is able to pass between the pair of you as both of you have a common interest. Namely in her…unusual behaviour and past." It struck Yu that Igor was choosing his words carefully. "It could also be that you and her share a common trait – you are both used to feeling alone. Albeit for different reasons." The long nosed gentleman waved his hand, indicating that Kohyru was invading his personal space, the dragon had completely blocked out the window with its tight coiling, threading between all he furniture in the back of the car as well.
"When we attacked her persona, she temporarily allowed herself to drop her guard. The way our bonds works mean we, or rather I, would have sensed this, you know my hearing is good enough to hear a heartbeat of a person – I offered her the goodness of your heart. Subconciously, she took that chance."
"However…" Igor drew attention back to himself, Yu only glanced above the man's head to watch his persona drink the glass, crushing the ice in its jaws before swallowing them too. "Fate may have something to play with it. It may simply be you are fortune's fool."

"You see, the wheel of fortune is a difficult one, it could be that Kohyru's presence in her mind is simply a random play of fate." Margaret explained, placing the compendium on the table before Yu and Igor, the dragon casting a shadow over the book, white smoke gently released in waves from the jaw as it exhaled. "Kohyru could be viewed as the ultimate form of the only individual whom you shared in common as a social link. He has explained himself that he represents Ryatoro Dojima, your uncle."
"Adachi worked at the station too." Yu pointed out.
"She found him an insufferable, intolerable fool." The dragon snarled. "Prior to her introduction to the group, your 'Investigation Team' as it were, he would have been the only human you both interacted with in common."
"They didn't get along when they first met, my uncle got drunk after being upstaged by her."
"Yet they still spoke, perhaps because your uncle is acquaintances with her grandfather." The dragon growled.

"You do not have many memories before your arrival to Inaba, yes?" Margaret watched him quietly, Yu glanced at the floor. "For all we know, you could have other ties."
"How does this relate to my serpentine friend?" Yu asked, the dragon leaning his head down, awaiting attention. Yu placed his hand on the dragon's head, the smoke warmed him, its skin strangely hot to the touch.
"Your memories are locked deep away, that bubble of hers contains all her childhood memories. Who's to say you did not meet in years gone?" Yu was wide eyed, although only the right eye displayed his shock. "Perhaps that would explain why she was so receptive to my invasion of her thoughts. With her childhood though, I doubt she will recall any happy memories or strangers."

"So what will you do now, dragon?"
"I feel she still needs me at her side." It explained. "Thus I will be whispering in her ear to follow her, and your own, desires for longer yet. And that shadow of hers requires more assistance yet."
"Assistance?"
"She still wants to believe she can do a lot on her own master, the split personality is fading, leaving only her child self, but the other self is still in control on occasion." The dragon shook its head slowly. "Aside, she makes for good conversation. As chaotic and locked down her mind is, the girl is as bright as starlight and sharp as nails." The beast faded into blue energy, flowing into the card in Yu's palm.

"I will begin a search for Marie." Margaret smiled softly. "Happy new year Narukami."
"Happy new year, I have to be off now, I have other greetings to be giving." He stood and bowed, turning his back to the velvet sister and her master. "I trust he caused you no hassle."
"None we could not handle." The woman explained. "Good day."

In a town the size of Inaba, he was still surprised that he had not been caught leaving the velvet room, stepping out from a wall as it would appear. He only had two more people to visit, well, one person and a small furry beast to be exact.
"I guess you got lots of offerings." He petted the fox gently on his head. "Happy new year Mr. Fox." He took his place on the steps in front of the offering box, the fox gently sitting beside him, yipping at the attention it received. "I guess you can live in peace now we saved Inaba." He hadn't noticed the figure, dressed in dark jeans and her normal blue longcoat, blue cap firmly in place on her head. The fox noticed first, turning its attention from him to the new visitor at the shrine, a slight growl erupting from its lips before realising she was familiar to him. She chose to keep her distance from the fox, it made her nervous.

"I thought I would find you here senpai, have you been praying here again?" She asked.
"Talking with Kohyru and playing with Mr. Fox. Kohyru wished to discuss what he learned with me." Yu rose from his position at the steps, the fox staying in place. "Do you not want to wish Mr. Fox a happy new year too? I was going to visit you after we were done here."
"The fox makes me anxious." She stepped back gently.
"Anxious? The fox would have bit me by now if it was aggressive." Yu smiled. "Be brave."

"Acknowledge you are afraid and use that precious logic of yours to deduce why." She swallowed hard as she heard the dragon's call.
"I hear him too." Yu smiled. "He is right, why are you afraid of the fox? You do not fear Kohyru." She blushed at that realisation.
"The dragon is the one that saved my life."
"Did the fox put yours in danger?"
"No, he's just a fox." Naoto looked as if a lightbulb suddenly lit up in her head. "Just…a…fox. Vulpes vulpes." The fox paced to the side of Yu who knelt down beside the fox.
"He has teeth, he has claws, he has a good bite. Kohyru has those things. And I can bite pretty well too." He winked, smirking as she blushed and huffed at him.
"Can I pet you?" She knelt down in front of the graceful red fox, admiring the polka dot neckerchief it wore, it lowered its head to her. "Who gave you your little accessory there?" She reached her hand out and the fox gently pressed its head up to meet her hand.
"Naoto." Yu let her fuss it for a moment before directing her attention back at her. "…it's a fox, he can't answer your question about his dress sense." He let out an 'eep' as he heard her draw her gun at him. "I'm sorry." He smiled despite himself.

"Did your grandfather say anything after I left?" He asked, escorting her back to the estate after they had discussed most of the information that Kohyru and the velvet room residents had offered.
"No, he just said he already suspected as much, he also welcomed you to stay at the estate whenever you liked, as long as we tell him you're there this time, of course."
"Random point whilst we're walking, you look better without the bindings."
"Don't you mean you look less gay?" She shot back, for once not losing her composure.
"Eh, a little." He shrugged.

-x-x-

"Well I guess the ski trip is postponed." Rise pouted as they hovered over Yu's sick form.
"It must have been a killer cold to put senpai down for a while." Kanji pointed out.

"Naoto-kun, is that anger I sense in you?" The dragon growled. A little, yes. Despite herself she found herself responding to him. Won't his contact lens continue to damage his eye? Will he get better? Will he be ok under the kotatsu for so long? Why is Rise sulking over something as unimportant as a ski trip?
"To her, being as isolated as she was due to her lifestyle choices, the ski trip is not a minor thing."
"Silly Nao-chan, the others will all know about you and him dating if you're not careful!" Her shadow chimed in.

That dragon had stayed at her side since Yu had fallen ill. She sensed him calling to her in the back of her head whenever her mood went low. Whenever she found herself trying to bite back the urge to yell at a member of the team, or when she was tempted to go and assist Teddie in caring for her partner, instead of going to help her grandfather and Yakushiji, the dragon would call her back in line.

"What is that ridiculous green tarp Willow is covered in?" She asked, balancing carefully on the icy fence.
"Oh good day Naoto-sama." The young stablehand was pulling another horse across the field, assessing its hooves and walk as he did. "Your grandfather bought it back with him, he had contacted the man who gave him the horse. He said that the horse behaves differently when covered in that weird outfit. They apparently used it underneath the metal armour and saddle during the competitions."
"His friend shipped this to him?"
"Indeed, and sure enough whilst Willow is in it, the horse doesn't mind being outside."
"Impressive."
"Are you thinking about something?" The stablehand walked towards her, he was the closest person to someone her own age on the estate. "I know as a humble servant of the estate it is not my business –"

"I'm just worried about when my friend goes back to Tokyo." She cut off his sentence.
"I thought he wasn't returning until the start of April, that is a long way from now m'lady."
"I know just…"
"Ah, young love." He smiled. "You are worried when he leaves, a part of you will leave too. Tokyo is a train ride away, your grandfather is liberal with his control of your movements, I am sure that he would permit you to visit him on weekends, after all, who's never skipped school before." He winked.
"Please, stick to your duties. As a stablehand you are a good man, as a guidance counsellor, not so much."
"Your words are cruel Naoto-sama." He bowed slightly, laughing as he did so.

-x-x-

It had been a long time since she dreamed of Kohyru, his presence that night filled her with a warming comfort.
"You are worried for him." Kohyru growled.
"Of course." Naoto glanced down at the whiteness beneath her.
"My master was called fortune's fool, I can see now why Margaret referred to him as so."
"What?"

"Riddle me this, young one: Of no use to no one, yet absolute bliss to two. The small boy gets it for nothing, the young man has to work for it. The baby's right, the lover's privilege, the hypocrite's mask. To the young girl it brings faith, to the married woman hope. What am I?"

"What are you-?"
"I speak of the simplest desire you and my master share. When you have my answer, you must show him what I speak of." The dragon knew what she needed was something to occupy her mind.