Takemichi was trying to read, really desperately hard but his head was killing him and the energy drinks were making his heart race. His eyes were going in and out of focus on the screen making reading impossible. When he lulled forward again, Naoto put his hand on the crown of his head and pulled it up, "You have to read this, it's vital information. And that part there too. Don't miss that either. Are you listening to me?"

Takemichi blinked, one eye closing faster than the other, "I'm trying."

Naoto sighed and took a long sip of his coffee. They'd been at this long enough that Takemichi had heard the world outside Naoto's shaded windows go to sleep and wake back up but so far Naoto had only had a couple of cups of coffee. He'd taken off his sport coat and untucked his dress shirt, but beyond that, he still looked put together and focused. Takemichi rubbed his eyes furiously, clearly, Naoto was used to all-night stakeouts and research sessions. He wasn't though. No matter how much he wanted to save Hinata this didn't feel like a good way forward. What was the point of reading all this if he didn't have the brainpower to remember it?

Naoto sighed heavily, resting against a low bookshelf by the desk. He stared at Takemichi just long enough and hard enough to make him self-consciously turn back to the computer, "I'm reading, I promise. Sorry."

"No it's-" Naoto sighed, pinching his brow, "It's okay. I know it's a lot and it's been a long night but we can't wait long to send you back again and we've got a lot to cover."

"No I-" Takemichi forced himself to smile, truthfully he wanted to yell at Naoto to leave him alone so he could curl up on the couch in the other room and go to sleep for a little while. But he couldn't do that. Hinata had died four days ago. And this time Naoto had been working for twelve years to try and stop it all by himself. "Hey, what did you want to be?"

"What?" Naoto blinked, eyebrows crinkling together under his dark bangs.

"You know, when you were a kid? I mean...before we met," Takemichi tried to smile but he felt his lip twitch in discomfort under Naoto's mildly annoyed stare.

His eyebrows set harder and he frowned deeper, "Why does that matter? Are you trying to get out of reading? Takemichi you-"

Thankfully the doorbell rang. Takemichi breathed, feeling the tension release from his chest. He could hear a light voice on the other side of the door but he couldn't make out the words.

Naoto jumped to his feet, setting his coffee cup down on the desk. He furiously tucked his shirt in but looked panicked, glancing quickly at Takemichi, "I'll be right back just...keep reading, okay?"

"Yeah...sure…" Takemichi said, glancing at the words trying to feign reading even though he was fully intent on shutting his eyes as soon as Naoto was out of the room. The way Naoto frowned at him made it seem like he'd guessed Takemichi's intentions but he still hurried off toward the door.

Takemichi shut his eyes and leaned back in Naoto's desk chair. He could hear Naoto's feet softly padding through the short hall off the office and down the stairs. Even though Naoto was a year younger he owned a home though Takemichi half suspected he just did that so he could have the whole top floor as an office. He heard the slide of the door lock and Naoto's voice so soft it seemed like he was whispering. The voice that responded was much louder, not yelling but a normal volume, one Takemichi could make out, "If it's that big of a secret I won't go upstairs, promise. I just wanted to bring you something to eat."

Naoto spoke again, low but inaudible, faster this time. It was strange. Strange enough that Takemichi opened one eye and looked toward the door, leaning slightly to see if he could hear better.

The woman spoke again, slightly softer, "Why are you whispering? Did your partner sleepover or something?"

Naoto spoke even faster this time and Takemichi heard bags rustle as they were set on the counter, two sets of steps matching up like Naoto was following the woman around.

"Nao, you're starting to weird me out. Are you okay? Should I-" and then she began speaking so softly Takemichi couldn't hear her.

It was strange, a little scary really; given Naoto had basically taken him hostage in his house after he rescued him. He knew he should probably stay upstairs, let whatever was happening in the kitchen go, maybe get a little rest while Naoto wasn't around to lift his head and monitor his reading progress, but his curiosity was killing him. Worse, the smell of fish and miso soup was leaking up the stairs and making him drool. He stood, blinking as his eyes adjusted to finally looking away from a screen. He moved down the steps quietly, listening as Naoto and the woman spoke.

"I really appreciate it, but-"

"But?" Kaede echoed, smiling as she pulled rice from the pantry. Naoto was like this often. Always a little secretive about his Tokyo Manji gang research, a little nervous about their relationship. The few friends she still had expressed some reservations, as they'd put it, but it had never bothered her. Of all the things in her life, Naoto's concern for rules and following them was far from the worst. In a lot of ways, it was refreshingly foreign to her.

Naoto frowned the way he did when he was worried about something but couldn't decide how to say it. She smiled and turned the rice cooker on abandoning it as soon as it chimed to life, gliding around the counter to take a hold of his face, "Nao…? Are you okay?"

He softened, leaning his face into her touch, "It's been a long night. And I don't want to get you involved."

She tried to suppress her laugh but she barely succeeded making Naoto grimace at her. Her involvement was unavoidable now. Of course, she knew Naoto was aware of that, deep down. That was probably why he made a face, it was something bad he couldn't fix, a problem there was no solution for. After all the past is the past. His concern now was how involved she was with his investigation and the constant fear that it might invalidate something in court.

"I won't be," she smiled softly, kissing the tip of his nose, "I promised before, right? And we haven't gotten in trouble, because you love your rules."

His frown deepened, though his eyes stayed half-lidded and gentle, "Rules-"

"Exist for a reason, you've said," she said, grinning when he all but pouted at her finishing his sentence. She leaned in. Slowly at first, watching him; curious if something was bothering him more but he didn't wince away. Instead, he let himself melt for a moment, putting a hand on her hip and pulling her in as her lips finally touched to his. When she pulled away he still seemed worried about something but she decided not to press it, at least not right away. Instead, she turned and started pulling takeout containers from the bags on the counter, "I thought homemade rice would be best but for everything else, well, you know, I'm not a very good cook."

Naoto smiled slightly, "Actually I don't know that. I've never seen you try."

"Oooh, are we going to be funny from our sleep deprivation?"

He chuckled softly, walking to a coffee pot and pouring the small amount that remained before preparing another pot. They worked in silence for a moment, easily looping around each other as he made the coffee and she set out the bowls and containers. They never spoke much in the morning, she was always a slow start when she first woke up and Naoto easily got lost in his thoughts, but it was a comfortable familiar silence. Suddenly, she felt a twinge at her neck, a cautionary pull high in her stomach; the familiar warning bells she'd honed over the course of her life. She whipped her head around and made eye contact with a young man on the stairs. He flinched hard, practically falling back against the wall, squeaking as he caught himself. Harmless. Her nerves settled and she smiled apologetically, "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, haha. No, it's...it's fine!" Takemichi managed to choke out. His heart had already been racing from all the caffeine, but the way she'd turned so fast; eyes coldly locking onto him out of nowhere. He hadn't even moved since he got to the bottom of the stairs. He knew it was wrong, but he was so surprised he'd stayed completely stilled and watched as she teased and kissed Naoto. Not that he didn't seem like a good guy; obviously he was noble enough he spent his life trying to save Hinata, and as a police sergeant at just twenty-five he was successful, and he wasn't unattractive either. Takemichi just hadn't expected something as normal as a girlfriend to be a part of Naoto's life.

He straightened up and could see Naoto frowning at him again over the young woman's shoulder, "I thought you were going to stay upstairs?"

"Uh...I…."

"Nao!" she frowned, turning on Naoto who blinked down at her, "if you can take a break so can he." She turned toward Takemichi again, "Did he keep you up all night working? You'll have to learn to say no to him or you'll never sleep."

As soon as she turned Naoto continued to frown over her shoulder at him. He took a sip of his coffee and shook his head. She must not know, Takemichi realized, all these years and Naoto kept the time travel a secret.

The woman must have noticed because she looked back at Naoto and frowned, "Don't bully him, Nao."

It flustered him, just enough for Takemichi to notice. His cheeks turned slightly pink and his eyes widened, "Kaede, please."

She rolled her eyes back to Takemichi, "Come on, you should eat with us. Then you guys can go back to work."

She slid an empty bowl toward him on the counter, "Miso soup, grilled aji, and rice coming up. It's not much but it's better than," she cut her eyes back at Naoto who looked away sipping his coffee again, "eating nothing for extended periods of time."

It made Takemichi smile. It was nice of her to bring food after all but, it seemed nicer how well she knew Naoto and how naturally she responded to it, "This is really sweet. Thank you."

Her grin lit up her face, disguising the slight bags under her eyes, "See, he said thank you right away, it wasn't so hard." She smiled back at Naoto who grimaced at her slightly.

"I said thank you I just also told you you didn't need to do this."

She shook her head at Takemichi, "Unbelievable. Isn't he?"

"W-Well," he glanced between them.

Naoto put his hand on her shoulder and she leaned to look back up at him, a small smile still pulling on the corners of her mouth, "Don't tease him."

She looked back at Takemichi then, squinting her eyes and nose at him slightly as the rice cooker sang the little song that meant it was done, "Sorry, I'm not trying to give you a hard time. Come on. Let's eat breakfast."

Naoto hadn't realized how hungry he was until he took his first bite. As soon as the soup hit his tongue he set in, hunching over his food slightly to lessen the distance between his mouth and the utensils.

"Oh," Kaede spoke, wiping her mouth between bites, "I forgot to ask your name! I'm Kaede Ejiri, sorry for not saying it earlier."

Takemichi's eyes widened slightly, glancing too obviously between them. Naoto sighed, nodding softly. He was sure they'd never crossed paths. Takemichi had barely been involved with Toman in the past before he'd run off so Naoto was certain they'd never met. Even if they had, soon Takemichi would go to the past again and the present would shift once more.

"It's ah...Takemichi Hanagaki," he smiled, awkward and boyish. The exact bumbling charm that Hinata always seemed to swoon over after a date, when Naoto could hear her through the wall between their rooms.

Kaede smiled, taking a large bite of her fish. She sat folded in the chair, the heels of her feet on the edge of the seat and her arms looped around her legs, the childish and uncomfortable looking way she always sat in private, "That's a nice name. Have you known Nao very long?"

"O...oh…" Takemichi swallowed so hard it was audible. "W-Well…"

Naoto glanced at Kaede and found she was already looking at him. Her eyes were a deep brown, so dark they almost looked black at a distance but here, inches away, he could see the variations; the darker and lighter tones that ringed her pupils. He'd always thought they were beautiful, a deep, complicated color that radiated comfort and warmth. She sighed, face falling as she realized, "Not something I should ask about, right?"

"That's right," Naoto nodded, setting down his bowl so he could put a hand over her's, squeezing it gently, "I'm sorry."

She shook her head and a soft practiced smile came back across her peach-toned mouth, "Don't be," she gave a quick dismissive laugh, "You did ask me not to come. I was the stubborn one."

"I think stubborn is probably good," Takemichi suddenly spoke, a bashful smile on his face, "I mean...Tachibana is pretty stubborn too."

She laughed, her eyes squinting and nose crinkling up the way they always did when something particularly amused her, "Incredibly!"

Naoto let go of her hand and continued to eat. He had texted her explaining he probably wouldn't be able to see her for a day or so before he'd gone to the train station. It was cowardly, but he knew there was a chance Takemichi's time jump would keep them from ever meeting again. He'd thought the secrecy around Takemichi would be too upsetting for her but she seemed unfazed, happily eating in the breaks of her story.

"No really, Nao is lovely," she smiled at him quickly, "but he is very stubborn and by the books. Once we were undercharged for a meal and he corrected them. Even insisted on paying the right amount when they thanked him and told him it was okay."

Takemichi laughed, looking at him incredulously, "Seriously?"

Naoto straightened, "They deserve to be fairly compensated, that's all. You tell that story too much, Kaede."

She grinned at Takemichi again, "Only because I think it's very charming. Really! I just," and then she turned to him, pausing slightly before she spoke ever so slightly softer, "don't know anyone else that would do something like that just because it's the right thing to do."

He lost himself for a moment. He felt his eyes water as he looked at her. Just as her surprise registered on her face he stood and walked back to the counter, quickly working on another cup of coffee, "I think the coffee isn't working as well anymore; my eyes are watering from lack of sleep."

It didn't seem to satisfy her. She watched him, frowning with worry but he wouldn't look her in the eye. Takemichi seemed to sense it and jumped in, "How long have you two been together…? I mean, if you don't mind me asking. Is that weird to ask?"

Kaede turned, laughing slightly, "No, not weird. Hmm...a little over a year, right, Nao? That's right, isn't it?"

"A year and five months, next week," he said, staring into his coffee as he stirred.

"Wow!" Takemichi said, "How did you meet?"

It didn't feel that long. Getting to know Kaede had been so natural and easy that they'd become familiar relatively quickly, despite Naoto's trepidations and lack of experience. Maybe it didn't feel that long because Naoto had always dreaded a possible end date, one far worse than a relationship coming to a natural end. A unique kind of question mark on the future that no one else had to deal with. He'd hoped he could save Hinata on his own. That Takemichi's warning would have been enough and she would have survived and Kaede would remain in his life. But he'd failed and lost Hinata and soon, he was sure, Kaede too. After all, he'd never been much for believing in luck or in chance and it seemed impossible that they'd randomly meet again.

She was quiet for a while, pushing her rice around thoughtfully long enough that Takemichi started to stutter out an apology before she cut him off, "We met at a convenience store near the police station. We were both trying to make their end-of-shift coffee drinkable, I think."

"That's right," Naoto smiled at the thought, "We were. You were turning it into a sort of sugar bomb, I was preparing it like a normal adult."

"I don't drink coffee to be in pain, Nao," she pouted at him.

"Not immediately, just later, when you gave a headache from the sugar crash," he said, smiling back at her as she playfully rolled her eyes.

"Naoto is a very good boy, he probably always ate his bell peppers as a kid," she teased, grinning at Takemichi again before picking up her bowl, "Are you done?"

"Hmm? Oh. Yeah!" Takemichi rushed to shove the last of his rice in his mouth and pass the bowl to her.

She smiled and took it, turning to clear Naoto's bowl as well. She looked at him, face full of silent concern, a expression she tucked away before she turned toward the sink where Takemichi could see her face again and started to wash the bowls.

"Working from home all day?"

"Mm. Yes, that's the plan."

"Okay. Then it shouldn't be hard for you to take a nap and shower and eat your other meals, right?"

Naoto sighed but he couldn't keep himself from smiling and when she set the last bowl up to dry she turned to him with a knowing grin, "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Takemichi, do you mind making sure he doesn't forget? Don't be afraid to bully him either. Like I said, he's very stubborn."

Takemichi smiled, standing from the table, "Sure thing, hey I'll...go on up. No rush or anything. Uh, it was nice meeting you."

"You too," Kaede said, waving her fingers at Takemichi as he thankfully rushed up the stairs.

She looked at him again, concern flooding to her face once more but she didn't speak until the door swung shut upstairs, "Nao-"

"It's okay," he forced himself to smile even though he was sure it wasn't convincing, "I promise. I just haven't slept and I have a lot on my mind."

"That you can't share…" her voice drifted off and she looked out the window. She didn't talk about it often but he knew it must be hard for her to have to compartmentalize so much of her life. Never sharing certain things about her past with him, never hearing about most of his work. Yet she'd never really complained, maybe because there was no way for her to do that without breaking the rules.

"It'll all be over soon, I promise," in the worst way possible, he wasn't lying.

She nodded, "Well...I'll let you get back to work. Tell me when you're done maybe we-"

"Come back tonight," he said suddenly, surprising them both.

"Huh?"

"Stay here tonight, with me," he could feel the desperation in his chest, but he hoped it wasn't leaking out into his voice.

"Will you be done then?"

"No, Takemichi will probably still be here but-" her eyebrows moved so high on her forehead he couldn't help but huff in amusement, "what?"

"You really are sleep-deprived, aren't you?" her face crinkled again into a grin, she leaned in looking up at him.

"Kaede-" it flustered him easily, the way it always did. Her confidence in their relationship, in his attraction to her despite all the challenges made flirting much easier for her than it was for him. He'd never been much for teasing or joking, at best he was painfully earnest so her gentle flirtatious teasing always strongly affected him.

"I'll come back," she grinned, leaning up to kiss him quickly, "just text me when you're finishing up, okay?"

He nodded, "I will. I'll see you tonight."

"Later," she drawled out, slinging her bag over her shoulder and heading out the door without looking back.

When Naoto came back up the stairs Takemichi couldn't hold it back anymore, "You didn't mention you were dating someone!"

"It's not...it doesn't change anything we have to do," Naoto sighed, untucking his shirt again.

"Are you kidding?!" Takemichi all but squealed, "but...when I go back in time, I'm going to change things. That's the whole point. What if-"

Naoto's eyes darkened suddenly and he turned sharply toward the board where he'd carefully tacked all the photos of the Tokyo Manji gang members. Takemichi fell silent. He was stupid. Of course Naoto had thought about the what if's already. He'd been thinking about this for twelve years, after all, there probably wasn't much he hadn't considered or written in ink on a whiteboard. Takemichi swallowed hard, again wondering how much of Naoto's life he'd sacrificed to try and make this work. He wondered what would happen to Kaede if she didn't meet Naoto at a convenience store coffee counter. Would she be happier? Less happy? Would it even matter at all? Maybe if things are meant to happen they always would. Maybe no matter what Naoto and Kaede would find each other but if that was true then maybe Hinata was always meant to die and nothing he could do would stop it. His heart strained, that thought was too painful and, clearly, some fates were avoidable since Naoto had survived this time.

"I know," Naoto said suddenly, "I know when you go back in time everything might change. I'm not even certain I'll remember, I remember you from the past because you told me something directly but only time will tell if I can remember this future once you go back. We better both hope I can if you don't succeed the first time."

Takemichi hadn't thought about that. Really he hadn't thought about any of it in detail and now that it was his head was rushing. He had a little less than twelve years to save Hinata. Suddenly he wondered how many it would take to succeed.

"There are a lot of things…" Naoto suddenly continued, turning slightly to look at Takemichi over his shoulder, "that we don't know. But I do know we don't have a chance of saving Hinata if you don't go back in time and...I like to think that Kaede can have a good and happy life regardless...even if I'm not in it."

Takemichi swallowed hard, he could feel tears welling in his eyes. He tried his best to choke them down with limited success, Naoto wasn't crying after all so why should he? "I'm…" he croaked, trying his best to think of something to say as small tears slid down his face that he furiously wiped away. He wanted to find some way he could reassure Naoto he wouldn't lose Kaede to save his sister. That everything would work out in the best possible way.

"We need to get back to work, I'm going to step away for a little tonight, spend some time with Kaede, and then I think you'll have to go," Naoto didn't betray anything. His face was strong despite the shine in his eye and Takemichi knew if working is what Naoto needed to do to deal with it he should just follow his lead.

"Yeah let's…let's get to work," he said, sniffling and turning quickly to the computer with renewed focus.

Naoto hoped Takemichi was serious when he said he'd stay up reading while Kaede was over. He wasn't much for trusting other people without supervision, he preferred to do things himself or stay close by to make sure they were done correctly. But at the same time, he knew he didn't have much longer with Kaede and he chose trusting Takemichi over ruining the little time he had left.

She'd changed since she'd come over in the morning. She'd brushed her honey colored hair so the strands turned in slightly at the ends, especially the two shorter pieces that framed her heart shaped face. She'd even put on a little makeup and a sundress almost as though they were going out on a date.

She grinned at him when she noticed his look, "I thought it was a special occasion so I wanted to look nice."

He sighed, letting his arms loop loosely around her, "You do look nice."

She hummed, arms circling around him mirroring his placement, fingers taking hold of his belt loops, "So why did you invite me over in the middle of your multi-day work-a-thon?"

"Because I love you."

She blinked, stunned to silence as her playful flirty expression melted away. Though he told her he loved her numerous times, neither of them said it particularly often.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," He sighed, moving in to rest his head on hers so she couldn't read his tormented expression, "I just love you and I miss you when I work like this. I've always appreciated how much you have to deal with privately to make this work. I've been thinking about that a lot since this morning."

She wiggled in his arms, trying to free herself so she could see his face, "Nao, something is wrong. I can tell. Please...what is it?"

He pulled back, holding her by her shoulders, watching how she searched his face for an answer. He had so much he wanted to say to her but he had to stop. He couldn't say anymore if he wasn't going to tell her the whole truth and that just seemed cruel to them both when she wouldn't remember in mere hours. "Nothing, I promise. I'm just. I got in my own head and I wanted to thank you for everything. Out of the blue, I know but...I'm just glad I have you."

She smiled gently, a slow suspicious look that made it clear she wasn't convinced, "If you say so…"

He leaned down, an arm wrapping around her again and pulling her into a kiss. His other hand moved slowly to the side of her head, tangling gently in her hair. She moaned slightly, pressing up against him, pulling his hips forward and then letting her hands slide to his chest and grip at his shirt. When he pulled away her mouth followed after his, "Nao…"

She looked up at him, eyes lidded and face lightly flushed, a lurid stare as she played with the fabric of his shirt. His hand gripped into her back making her take a sharp breath. He remembered their last time together. It was more than a week ago now; the tragedy of how much he worked and how badly he wanted to part himself from her to make the coming change easier. She leaned up, lips pressing on his, hands now balled into fists around the fabric of his shirt. He could tell she missed him. Sense how badly she must want him from how strong of an effect the kiss had seemed to have.

He pulled back, "Kaede…"

"What is it?" she breathed, mouth still close to his.

"I'm...just deliriously tired...I…" it wasn't a lie really. He hadn't slept in over a day. But in truth, he could ignore that for now if he wanted to. He could take her to bed, given her the attention she wanted and deserved. But he wouldn't. As much as he desired her it felt wrong. It would just be another cruelty, a selfish act on his part. So he wouldn't do it, no matter how it made his body ache. She frowned slightly, disappointed and a little embarrassed. She tried to draw back but he held her in a hug, "Can you forgive me?"

She sighed, hugging him back and pressing her face to his chest, "I'm not mad so there's nothing to forgive. Of course you're tired. Let's go to sleep? Hmm?"

He smiled at her, resting his forehead on hers, "Are you sure?"

"Of course," she grinned, pulling away to root through his clothes for something to sleep in, "but you should know, I'm going to seduce you tomorrow morning."

He forced himself to smile at her, feigning an eye roll that made her laugh. He breathed deeply through his nose trying to lessen the catch in his throat.

They got ready for bed in another familiar silence. Kaede was quick to pull him into her arms as soon as he laid down. Resting his head over her heart, fingers playing softly with his hair, "I love you, too. I don't think I said it back before. And...I'm proud of you. I know you deal with a lot more than you say...and I hope one day it's all over and we...I would like it if we didn't have to keep secrets."

He felt a tear suddenly leak from his eye, trailing over his cheek and falling onto his shirt she was sleeping in but she didn't feel it. Instead, she drifted off, her arm sliding down his back and onto the bed when she fell asleep. He laid there for a while, listening to her breathe and mumble softly in her sleep, the slow steady sound of her heart. When he sat up she didn't stir. She was still when he kissed her, though a soft smile ghosting over her lips. He got up and redressed, and headed to the door where he stalled, turning back to look at her. She looked peaceful, her hair splayed over the pillow and head lulled toward where he'd laid. Her mouth slightly open and moving as she breathed. He stayed like that for a while, trying to memorize the soft features of her face.

Finally, he turned and went to find Takemichi, coaching him over the last details of his mission. If only he could find Manjiro Sano or Tetta Kisaki, none of this would happen. Toman wouldn't exist, at least not in the way that it did presently and maybe all the suffering they brought to Tokyo would lessen. He knew he could maybe tell him more, reveal more of the truth but he hoped it wouldn't matter. He wanted to leave Kaede out of it. She'd been through enough and he couldn't do anything to protect her now.

He shook Takemichi's hand and quickly caught his body when he went limp. He lifted him with surprising ease and laid him on the guest bed where he lay eerily still he'd have to set him set up with the IV soon, but for now, he had to know. He stood and headed back down to his room, trying to dismiss the vain hope that Kaede would be there. He opened the door to find his bed made and empty, the photo of them together he left on his bedside table having vanished. Nothing left of her but memories only he could carry. All he could do now was hope that it was worth it.