And Fortune's Fool

Inaba was a sight to behold in the winter. Naoto pushed her hands into her pockets as she watched the snow fall. It was a wondrous sight, and she found herself smiling as she watched the local children playing with one another in the cold.

She was walking down the sidewalk, snow crushed under her boots as she made her way to the bookstore. She was meeting Narukami there.

It did cross her mind that this very well could have been a date, but she tried to remind herself not to worry about such a thing. Whether or not it was a date, Narukami was still her friend. There was no reason to be anxious about spending time with one's friend.

Even if that particular friend was now her boyfriend…

Just thinking about the young man was enough to paint her cheeks red. She shook her head, trying to calm herself down. It had been five days since their Christmas...rendezvous. New Years was just around the corner. Their friends were planning on ringing in the new year together, and Naoto found herself smiling at that thought.

It had been a long time since she had celebrated New Years. She had always buried herself in her work beforehand. The only real celebrations she had experienced were when she was a child, with her mother and father. Her grandfather wanted to celebrate it with her, but she had always politely declined the suggestion.

Not anymore, she thought to herself. She made a mental note to call her grandfather and wish him a wonderful New Years, but for now, she had a different riddle to solve.

She saw Yu before he noticed her, and Naoto found herself smiling at the sight of him. He was inside the bookstore, talking to a couple of his classmates. She could just tell from the way he smiled, the way his hands moved, that his mask was off. He was showing them the real him, and if she was right, Narukami was offering advice to them.

Naoto walked into the bookstore, and greeted the owner with a nod of her head. She glanced at Yu as he spoke to the two boys, apparently just finishing the conversation.

"Huh, you know, I never thought about it like that," the shorter of the two muttered.

"Narukami, I really appreciate you listening to me, man. You're the best," the other, a taller brunette boy, grinned. He and Narukami bumped their fists together, before looking at their shorter friend with dark-blue hair not that different from Naoto's.

"Yeah, me too. I really appreciate you listening to me whine, dude."

"It's no problem. What are friends for?" Yu smiled. His silver eyes must have caught Naoto, because he suddenly glanced at her, eyes widening for a moment, before he smiled at the two boys. "Not to be rude, but if there's nothing else…?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, man," the shorter boy apologized. "We'll leave you alone. Have a good New Years!" The two made their way to the exit, walking on either side of Naoto before leaving the store.

As soon as the door closed behind them Naoto could hear a loud sigh. "Man, what is wrong with this town? Feels like everyone's got some kind of problem they want me to solve." He scratched at the back of his head, sighing again as he approached Naoto.

"It seems like everytime I see you, you're out helping someone."

"Yeah, well… a lifetime of sin leads to a kind of long penance," he replied. His eyes drifted for a moment, staring at the two boys through the large, glass window. "Just trying to put as much good as I did bad, I guess."

"I understand." Naoto truly did. Everytime she looked into Yu's eyes, every time she saw him helping some lost soul, regret and self-hatred shined in his eyes. I wonder if he'll ever forgive himself… "You know I forgive you, don't you? And the others? They-"

"I know." He smiled at her, but it was heavy with bitterness. His eyes still had that melancholic shimmer. "I know, hon." He whispered the words, but they still made the detective blush. The sight of her scarlet cheeks must have lit something up inside of Yu, because he began to chuckle. "Ready for our completely platonic, no way sexual or romantic outing, my platonic lifemate?"

Naoto lightly smacked the older man's arm, and he laughed again. "That isn't funny, Narukami," she hissed.

"Just messing with you, my little Navy Sweet," Yu teased, winking at her as he kept his voice low. "Besides, the owner's not even listening. He's got both headphones plugged in. He's probably listening to something."

Sometimes Narukami's observation skills amazed her. Other times they annoyed her. This was one of the latter times. "Be that as it may…" The sleuth decided to drop the topic, rolling her eyes. "Nevermind. Shall we begin our 'outing,' Narukami?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, my friend who I care for only as a friend and nothing more." At least Narukami had the decency of whispering that title.

The two began to look around the bookstore together, and Naoto found herself falling into place with the silver-haired man. Despite his teasing nature, Narukami and her truly did 'click,' as the saying went. They were similar to each other in the best possible ways, yet different where it mattered, where they needed to be.

"Hey, they have 'Postern of Fate!'" Yu grinned. "Tuppence and Tommy Beresford's last adventure…"

"I already have that copy," Naoto replied, dismissively.

"I know. This is for me." He winked at her, and she found herself shaking her head at his nature. He wore no mask with her. He didn't try to lie to her. He was just himself. Just like she was with him.

"Hm." Naoto picked up another big, a large doorstopper of a book. "'One Hundred and One Mysteries?' This could be a good investment."

"Pop it open. We'll see who can solve the first one faster." He moved to her side as she glared at him from under her cap.

"A good detective does not race for an answer. They seek it out carefully, and methodically, studying every detail of the case, before compiling their theory."

The two stared at one another, silver eyes meeting with navy ones. It was clear that Narukami either did not care, or was truly curious about who would win, so Naoto opened the book to chapter one and began reading it to herself. Narukami stood behind her, his silver eyes racing over the words.

"It was the husband," he declared.

His answer brought a smirk to Naoto's lips. "And that is why your badge says 'junior detective.' It was the farmer, clearly."

"Husband had motive."

"And an alibi."

"People lie."

"People can also surprise you." The two stared at each other again, before digging themselves into the book.

"Skip to the end!"

"What? No! We need to go over every detail of the case!"

"The answer is literally at the end of the chapter! Skip ahead!"

Naoto rolled her eyes, before turning the page and looking at the bottom. The book gave the answer to the mystery, and the young, navy-haired detective smiled proudly. "It seems as though hard work has defeated natural talent once again, Narukami. It was the farmer."

She smiled at Narukami, clearly proud of her own detective skills. The taller boy frowned at his girlfriend, and the book, before suddenly smiling. It was at that moment, Naoto realized her boyfriend had been messing with her.

"You are so cute when you're having fun," he chuckled, taking the book from her and walking to the owner.

C-cute? True to form, Naoto was left in a state of paralyzed embarrassment at the compliment. By the time she was able to move her feet again, Narukami had already purchased the books and was walking back to her. He was flipping through the pages of the book.

"Okay, let's try this second mystery. It starts with our characters at a bar…"

There were few truths to be found in the world. One, Yu remembered hearing, was that it was better to want than to have.

Yu couldn't have disagreed more.

"So, what do you want to do next, gorgeous?" Yu smiled at Naoto as the two walked down the sidewalk together. Each of them carried a paper bag, filled with the books they had bought. The silverette grinned as he watched Naoto's cheeks flare again. Oh, how he loved that sight.

"Could you at least try to keep a low profile?" she muttered, glancing away as her cheeks glowed.

"What? No one's listening in on us." Naoto kept her eyes off of him, and he smiled weakly. "Sorry. It's just… I'm happy with you. I wish I could tell the whole world how happy I am to be with you. You're just… perfect, Naoto."

She finally looked at him, and just one look into his eyes was enough to tell her he meant what he said. Her cheeks continued to blush as she mumbled; just barely loud enough for him to hear.

"I-I like you too, Narukami." The two stared at one another, and Yu watched as Naoto scanned over the street. She was looking for anyone they would recognize. Her eyes returned to stare at him, and she suddenly leaned forward, her lips gently pulled apart.

He smiled and moved closer, his own lips inching closer to hers. The kiss was chaste. Soft, gentle, and unassuming. They brushed against each other, but that was enough to feel a spark. Yu felt his lips curling into a grin, even when Naoto quickly pulled away.

"That never gets old," he confessed.

"Yes, well… uh…" Naoto gulped and Yu chuckled at her scarlet cheeks, when a voice called out ot the two.

"Senpai! Naoto!" Naoto quickly stepped away from Yu, keeping her distance from him as he stared at her. His silver eyes were still on his 'secret' girlfriend's face as Rise ran to the two.

"Hey, you two! What's up?"

"Rise-chan, h-hello."

"What's up, Rise?" Yu waved a hand, finally turning his silver gaze to the idol. As soon as he saw her, he noticed something off about the girl. Or perhaps, something on? Her smile was positively radiant, and her hazel eyes were shimmering like stars.

There was just a glow to Rise. He had never seen his 'little sister' so happy before. "Huh…" The glow itself was familiar. He had seen it on many boys and girls after he had seduced them, but Rise's was different…

"Not much. I just had to pick some stuff up for my grandma," she explained. "What are you two doing out?"

"Oh, we went to the bookstore together," Naoto answered, lifting her arm so Rise could see the bag. "We were just deciding what to do next."

"Cool. So you guys have a good Christmas? I heard you didn't even try going to Yukiko's party," the girl commented, her eyes narrowing as she gave a knowing smile to Yu. Naoto's cheeks were blushing again, but Yu knew how to play this game.

"Really? Cause I heard you and Kanji didn't show up either," the silverette countered. "He must have really liked his gift."

Now Rise was the one blushing. She turned her eyes away, chuckling quietly as she stumbled for an answer. "Y-yeah. We did. I mean, he did. He liked his gift." Her eyes met Yu's and the message was clear between the two.

"Well played."

"Oh! That reminds me! Yosuke wanted me to ask you both. We were thinking about going to the shrine tomorrow night to celebrate the new year! You two are coming, right?"

"That sounds wonderful. I'll be there." Naoto nodded her head.

"Sure." Yu nodded his head as well as Rise smiled at the two.

"Great. Make sure to tell Yosuke. We're meeting in front of the shrine at the shopping district at ten, so don't be late." Without another word, Rise began to walk pass the two. "I got to go! I'll see you guys later!"

Yu and Naoto waved goodbye to the copper-haired idol. The young man waited to make sure Rise couldn't hear him, before he turned to Naoto.

"She and Kanji are dating."

"Excuse me?"

"Rise and Kanji are dating. She's got a glow around her. Probably had to have happened recently. Still in the honeymoon phase," he explained.

"And you can tell that just by looking at her?" Naoto inquired, raising a brow.

"You're good at solving mysteries. I'm good at reading people." Yu smirked at Naoto as the dark-haired detective nodded her head.

"Hm. Perhaps they are then." She shrugged her shoulders, brushing the revelation aside. "It doesn't matter. We should respect their privacy. If they don't want to tell us, then we shouldn't pry."

"Right, right."

"Also, I think I know what I'd like to do now." Yu raised his brow as Naoto smiled at him. "Are you okay if we visit Nanako-chan and Dojima-san?"

The suggestion surprised the older boy, but he quickly grinned at the idea. "Sounds like a date, beautiful. Let's go!"

"Naoto and Yu are dating!" Rise declared as she pushed Kanji's door open.

If Rise was expecting shock and amazement, she was very disappointed. "Really? Good for them. About time," the blond smiled, before returning to his work. He sat at his desk, quietly stitching up a hole on one of his shirts. "Should I give them a call and congratulate them, or-?"

Rise fell behind her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting them on his broad shoulders. The young man felt a heat rising to his cheeks, but he did his best to continue working unabated.

"That's the thing, I think they're keeping it a secret."

"Huh? Why?"

"Don't know," Rise replied. "But you know Naoto. Maybe she's just shy."

"Hm." Kanji nodded his head, his mind almost entirely focused on his work. Rise glanced over his shoulder, watching his fingers work methodically.

"So… What do you think I should wear for tomorrow night? Something practical? Or something fun?" she teased, whispering into his ear. "Something thin? Something soft?" She took in a gentle breath and blew on Kanji's ear. She could feel his body turn rigid as he trembled her touch.

"N-not funny, Rise."

"What? A girl can't tease her boyfriend?" Oh, how she loved the feel of that word on her tongue. "Especially when her boyfriend's super cute, and tough, and saved her life?"

"Rise…"

"Just a big ol' teddy bear," she laughed. Kanji was melting in her arms. She sealed her fate when she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Kanji put his work down and counterattacked Rise, turning around and pulling her close.

"You think you're real cute, huh?" he muttered, trying to keep his face straight despite his scarlet cheeks.

"I think you're real cute." Kanji grunted, before leaning forward to capture Rise's lips with his. This time the idol was the one melting in his arms.

Naoto hadn't felt this way in a long time. The last time she felt like this was when her parents were still alive. It was hard to describe the sensation. It wasn't just happiness. She felt that around her group of friends. It was a different kind of joy…

It reminded her of sitting with her grandfather and studying together, but it still felt different from that. Then again, Naoto wondered if she was the one who was different now… Maybe that is it. Maybe I've finally opened myself to others...

"Big sis? Are you okay?" Nanako asked.

"Huh? Oh, I'm alright, Nanako-ch-" Naoto stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening at the title the little girl had given her. "W-what did you call me, Nanako-chan?"

The little girl stared back with large, innocent eyes, clearly oblivious of the ramifications of what she said. "I called you big sis. Cause you and big bro are together now, right?" Naoto's eyes darted towards Yu. He was talking to Dojima-san, who was seated in the corner of the room. Thankfully, Dojima did not hear his daughter.

Yu caught her staring, and must have noticed how distressed she was. He excused himself from Dojima's side and walked over. "Everything okay you two?" he smiled.

Naoto stood up from her seat and leaned towards the silver-haired man, whispering. "Did you tell her about us?"

"Huh? No," he replied, before looking at Nanako. "Why? Did she find out?"

"She called me her 'big sister!' Naoto hissed.

"Aww, that's cute," Yu grinned, before Naoto gently elbowed his arm. "Ow. Hey, Nanako, why did you call Naoto your sister?" he asked, speaking quietly enough so that Dojima didn't hear from across the room.

"Because… she is? Aren't you and her together, big bro?"

"N-no?" Yu slowly replied, his eyes turning away from the little girl.

"Really? I thought you were supposed to be good at lying," Naoto commented, glaring at the silverette.

"Don't blame me! Nanako's got puppy dog eyes, I grew a heart, and you're here. Lying's hard now," he grumbled, crossing his arms.

"D-did I do something wrong?" Nanako asked, her eyes falling to her bed.

Both teens immediately felt a wave of guilt, and Naoto fixed her hat to try and avoiding looking at the crestfallen child. "N-no! Not at all, Nanako-chan."

"Yeah, it's just that our relationship is a secret, so you have to be careful about who you tell," Yu explained.

"A secret?" Nanako repeated, tilting her head.

"That's right," Naoto agreed. "Do you promise you'll keep our secret?"

The child clearly seemed frustrated with the news, but she nodded her head all the same. "Okay… I promise." Her mood instantly brightened as she looked at the two. "But when you have kids, can I take care of them? I want to be their big sister!"

The couple turned bright red at her request, and Naoto was left completely silent as her mind spun out of control. C-children!? Children with Yu?! The very idea left her feeling hot and dizzy as Yu nodded his head, trying to maintain his own blush.

"S-sure, Nanako. We promise."

"Hey! What are you three talking about over there?" Dojima questioned, staring at the trio.

"Nothing!" Yu quickly lied, turning to his uncle with a smile. Naoto coughed into her hand and bowed her head, repeating her boyfriend.

"Yes. Nothing. Sorry, Dojima-san."

Yu walked back to his uncle's side, resuming their conversation. Naoto sighed in relief, before looking back at Nanako-chan. "Nanako, may I ask you a question?"

"What is it, big sis?" the girl asked, ignorant of the blush Naoto was suffering because of her.

"How did you know about… Narukami and I's relationship?"

"Oh, that was easy! He looks super happy when he talks about you. Even when he looks at you, he's just super happy, like how dad is when he talks about mom."

"I see." Naoto's blush was worse than ever as she smiled. She shouldn't have been so happy. She should be trying to plan out how to better hide her and Yu's relationship, and she would, but for this moment in time, she just smiled, her navy eyes drifting to where Yu sat.

He was talking to Dojima, but his silver eyes noticed her own as he smiled at her. The smile was nice. Simple. Honest. Naoto felt the warmth in her cheeks slowly crawl down her neck, and rest in her heart as she returned to talking to Nanako, unable to erase the grin that had formed on her own face.

"Nanako's smarter than I gave her credit for." Naoto rolled her eyes, her smile betraying her true feelings. "I mean, we better watch out for her. A few more years, a Persona… She'd take our place as the 'Smart Ones.'"

"Do the others really refer to us in such a manner?" Naoto sighed, clearly exasperated. She glanced at a nearby store the two passed by it. Her eyes fell on a stack of boxes inside, but she sighed, ignoring it.

"I heard Yosuke call us that when he thought I wasn't listening. It makes sense, after all. You and I are the Team Mom and Dad," he chuckled, smiling at Naoto's crimson cheeks.

"Absolutely mortifying…"

"Lord, you are cute when you blush." Yu savored the crimson cheeks of his love as they walked down the sidewalk. "So, what now?"

"It is getting late," Naoto observed, glancing up at the sky. "Perhaps we should part ways for now?"

"Aww. And here I was hoping we could spend the night at your place." Naoto tried to smack the older man's arm, but he easily dodged it. She frowned, hiding under her hat as he laughed. "Sorry. I can't resist. You're too cute."

"Louse."

"You love me." The young man came to a stop, and the detective did the same. "May I at least have a goodbye kiss?" Naoto stared at her boyfriend. He was grinning, smirking at her with his teeth bared. He leaned forward, staring into her navy eyes as he awaited an answer. Almost a full minute must have passed as Naoto and he just stared at one another, waiting for the other to make a move.

Yu was the first to crack. "Um, okay, i-it was just a joke, hon." Her silence was beginning to worry him. "I'm sorry. I-" Her hand was a blur as she caught his collar and dragged him off the street, and into an alley.

Once they were out of the public's eye, Naoto pulled his head down and pressed her lips against his. Yu's eyes widened as her lips crushed his, before he moved his arms around her and kissed back. Naoto moaned under his touch, her hand moving down his body to gently stroke and touch his chest.

His hands rested on her back, slowly tracing circles on her body as she melted into his touch. The kiss became softer, and she found herself gently nibbling his lower lip, fascinated by the texture of it.

Soft. A wealth of knowledge and all Naoto could think about was how amazing the kiss was. How it lifted her off of the ground and swept her away.

Yu experienced a similar sensation. He felt utterly lost in the kiss. He had been with many people in his life, but Naoto was something else. She was soft. She was slender. She was so damn perfect.

The sounds of Inaba faded away to oblivion as Yu's tongue teased her lips. He stroked each of the soft pillows, asking for permission to enter her mouth. She accepted, parting her lips and shuddering as his tongue entered her mouth. Her own tongue rose to meet his, and the two danced with each other for a long moment.

Naoto was the first to pull away. She was panting, a shortness of breath being the reason she needed to pull away. She covered her lips, staring at Yu with wide eyes. He smiled back at her, a devilish grin on his smug face.

"I-I should go," she mumbled.

"Right." If she stared closely, she could see a hint of red on his cheeks. It was a comforting reminder that he wasn't completely unflappable. "I love you."

"I-I you as well!" she replied, dashing out of the alleyway. His chuckle chased after her as she quickly walked back to her apartment, hiding her scarlet cheeks with her hat.

It did not take Naoto long to return to her home. She laid on her bed with a book in hand. But despite the acclaimed mystery novel, she found herself distracted with thoughts of a certain silver-eyed individual.

Memories of their kiss rose up in her mind, and she felt… divided. The kiss itself was nice, but perhaps that was the problem. Kissing Yu felt… too good. The effect of his kiss left her so perturbed…

She didn't know where she was, who she was when they kissed. She felt weightless. She felt burning. She felt like there was a fire in her chest that was consuming her.

Naoto didn't know how to properly explain the sensation, and maybe that was what bothered her the most…

Her train of thought was derailed as her phone rang. She picked it up, and noticed Yu's name on the screen. She answered it without hesitation.

"Hello?"

"Hey." His voice greeted her, and she could feel something was off. He was clearly sleepy. Why call her? "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Only a book. What is it?"

"Just wanted to hear your voice." Naoto blushed at that, a small smile on her lips. "So, what are you wearing?" Her cheeks turned a bright red at that, and she placed her book down as she sighed.

"Louse."

"Love you too, babe."

There was momentary silence. Naoto expected Yu to speak, but when he didn't she decided to point at the elephant in the room. "Narukami? Is something wrong?"

"Just… a nightmare." He sighed, and her brow strained in concern. "We're okay, right? I mean, you're happy dating me? Because, I mean, I'm happy dating you, and if I did something wrong, I just want you to know that I'll change. I know I can be kind of an idiot and-"

"Narukami. You didn't do anything wrong. I am happy with you," she promised. She bit her lower lip for a moment, before asking another question. "May I ask what the dream was about?"

He didn't answer for a moment, and she heard him sigh before he finally did. "You were there. You and me at the train station. You were leaving, and… and you broke up with me so things could be easier. So you didn't have to deal with a long distance relationship."

"Ah."

Naoto frowned at the imagery. She liked to think she would never do such a thing. She knew that a long distance relationship was inevitable due to Yu's time in Inaba being limited. She would not have entered this relationship if she couldn't stomach the idea of being physically distant from him...

"It was only a dream," she slowly began. "I would never leave you like that. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Still shook me…"

"I understand." Naoto nodded her head, despite knowing he couldn't see. "How can I help?"

"Just… talk to me?"

She nodded her head again. Naoto pondered what to discuss, before smiling. "You and the others went to the beach over the summer, didn't you?"

"Huh? Yeah, why?"

"Next time, I would like to attend as well. I understand that we'll need to wait until it's warmer out, and that you might need to return to Inaba, but-"

"That sounds great!" Narukami declared. "I'd love to. Seeing the hottest girl I know in a bikini? How can I say no to that?!"

Naoto was about to demand to know who he was referring to, before her cheeks burned intensely. "I-I wouldn't… I mean, I might, but… S-stop imagining me in a bikini!" she demanded. He laughed at her embarrassment, and she tried to pull her hat down, only to pinch her hair.

"Hey, if you're shy, we can make it just you and me. Maybe even try skinny dipping."

"Narukami!"

"Or we can just take a walk on the beach." Yu chuckled at her exasperation, clearly enjoying poking at his girlfriend's nerves.

She wanted to be mad, but she just sighed and smiled at him. "You are a fool."

"You're right, but I'm also your fool," he reminded. "Love you, Naoto."

Naoto would never think she would ever find such words to be comforting, but Narukami always did have a habit of proving her wrong. Her cheeks burned a bright scarlet as she muttered, "A-and I you."

END

We're back, baby! The adventures of Yu Narukami and Naoto Shirogane are back. Yes, this is a small update, but it's important to remember that this is all just set up and slice of life stuff. Much like Arc 2, we'll have a lot of dramatic, lovers stuff before we get to the game's content. Arc 1 was the same. The first half is about Yu and Naoto's growth as characters, and the second is usually about them facing off against a more physical threat.

This is the last arc of Just a Delinquent, bar some small epilogue at the end of the story.

I hope you look forward to it with me!

If you like my work, and want to see more, consider supporting me on Pat-reon. A small donation leads to faster updates, and even your own little shorts stories. You send me the prompt, I write it out for you. Smut, romance, whatever you ask.

Next Update: June 15th, 2018

See ya soon, be safe, and know that you are loved!