The Idol and the Prince

Part XII

09/14

Back and forth. Back and forth.

Naoto stopped brushing with the complimentary hotel toothbrush, staring aimlessly into the mirror, almost in a daze. The dark circles under his eyes made him look so haggard…so dead. As he continued to stare, he could feel the toothpaste dripping from his mouth, hitting the sink with a small plop.

Suddenly, something in his reflection caught his attention.

"What the-" The toothbrush in his hand was suddenly forgotten and it fell onto the counter with a clatter. The detective leaned in close against the mirror, pulling down the collar of his sweater as he revealed a large red welt on the side of his neck. His eye started twitching at the sight of the huge hickey, rubbing at it desperately with cold water. His cheeks began to redden considerably, realizing what it was. With a mouth full of blue toothpaste, Naoto could feel the panic start to set in.

It was morning and he and Rise had spent the night in a sketchy love hotel. The nightly charges were on his card and the people of Inaba must've noticed that their neighbourhood celebrity was missing. If they opened another investigation and tied witness reports to him, they would be in big trouble. Mainly him, but Rise's reputation was at stake as well.

Spitting the remnants of the toothpaste in the sink, Naoto rinsed out his mouth hastily as he bolted out of the washroom.

"Rise, we've gotta-" Naoto stood stock still in the doorframe of the bathroom, his eyes widening at the sight of Rise's flushed bare skin. The idol had her arms through pullover blouse, raising her hands over her head as Naoto looked on in shock. There was nothing to shield his eyes from her perfectly shaped breasts as Rise still failed to notice his presence at the door.

"Kyaa! N-Naoto-kun!" Her clothes barely half on her, Rise scrambled to cover her bare breasts, turning around as she sank to the floor in embarrassment.

"S-sorry." The detective hastily made his way back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. With his back against the door, Naoto struggled to still his racing heart, wondering why Rise's nakedness made such an impact on him this morning rather than last night when she was practically willing to ride him without her clothes on.

A few seconds later, an abrupt knock came at the door and Naoto stood, taking a deep breath before opening it. As soon as the door opened, the boy nearly had the wind knocked out of him as Rise flung herself into his arms. They stood there silently, Rise's hold tightening around him as she buried her face in his sweater.

"Is something wrong, Rise?" Naoto gently ran his hands through the girl's hair, brushing the loose strands aside as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

After another stagnant pause, Rise's voice broke the silence. "I was just scared that you'd left already…After all, you weren't beside me…and I couldn't hear the faucet running…your clothes were missing too…" Rise's words were muffled into his sweater, but Naoto could hear every word.

"I'm not that kind of person, Rise. I wouldn't do something like that to you." Standing slight apart, Naoto leaned down, cupping Rise's face with a gentle hand, caressing her cheek with his thumb.

"I just…I just feel insecure for some reason. Like I'm still missing part of you, Naoto…"

The detective was taken aback at that statement. He didn't know how to react to it, his mind drawing a blank. For a second, he felt like her words were finally an invitation for him to come clean, but something held him back, telling him that Rise only liked the Shirogane Naoto who was a successful detective, the charming young man he tried to make himself out to be.

Without thinking, Naoto dipped down quickly, capturing Rise's lips almost desperately as he pushed the thoughts out of his mind and distracted Rise from her worries. All he wanted to do was to bask in the moment as he wished that he really was who he claimed to be.

"Kujikawa."

There was no reply as the teacher called out Rise's name for the third time. He looked up, raising an eyebrow as he scrutinized the two empty seats in the back of the room. "Has anyone seen Kujikawa-san or Shirogane-kun today?"

Snickers erupted around the classroom as the teacher said this, but no one volunteered any information.

Kanji made a sour face as he contemplated the reason why Naoto and Rise were absent. It bothered him to think that they were away. Together. In some shady situation like the one they were caught in the last time. Sighing, the gangster wondered why he thought about Naoto so much. The boy was proud and arrogant, but there was just something childish and innocent about the detective as well. His long lashes, his silky head of blue hair, his beautifully smooth skin… not to mention his slender figure…Naoto would look good in a dress. Kanji's face colored a bright red when he realized that he was just fantasizing about his classmate crossdressing.

The scary part was that he was enjoying it.

"Tatsumi-kun."

"Y-yeah!" Kanji's head whipped over abruptly, trying to mask his embarrassment with anger, but it wasn't working out too well.

If Kanji wasn't such an intimidating figure, the whole class would've been snickering at him quietly, but no one wanted to go home in an ambulance today.

"Please read the next section."

"Uhh…what page are we on?" He looked at his book, feeling confused and hoping that lunch would come faster. Maybe then, he could give Naoto a call or something, pretend that he had stumbled across some kinda breakthrough in the case.

"Do you think Rise-chan's still the pure young maiden we saw last week?" Chie let her thoughts wander as she looked up at the gathering storm clouds. It really was a nice view and it was a good thing the roof was always so empty. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to use Yukiko's lap as her personal pillow.

"Now, now, Chie… Don't go and speculate random things. They've only been gone for….a day or two. I'm sure Naoto-kun's not the kinda guy to take advantage of a young girl." Yukiko arched her neck back to look up at the clouds as well. With her free hand, she absently ran her fingers through the brunette's short locks, eliciting a small noise of delight from the other girl.

Closing her eyes, Chie's voice drifted as she voiced her thoughts. "It's not really Naoto-kun I don't trust…" She adjusted her head on Yukiko's lap.

"Ohh… I see what you mean. Rise really is a wolf in sheep's clothing now that I think about it." The black haired beauty nodded to herself. "I still remember that black t-back she showed me one time. That girl really does have a nice figure. No wonder she's such a popular model." Yukiko's eyes clouded over as she lost herself in her daydreams.

Sitting up abruptly, Chie's face was flushed with jealousy as she fixed Yukiko with an incredulous look. "Y-You gotta be kidding me! I-I'm toned and physically active! Don't I look good in a bikini too!" The brunette lurched forward, almost yelling as she grabbed her girlfriend by the shoulders.

"C'mon, Chie! I'm just talking about it casually! It's not like I like Rise or anything! Besides, you're the only girl for me…" Yukiko leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Chie's lips as she wrapped her arms around the girl's toned figure.

"I-I get jealous too, though…when you talk about other girls like that." Chie returned the kiss with equal fervour, slipping her tongue in as they engaged in a tight lip lock.

Breaking apart briefly for air, Yukiko shrugged her sweater off as she started unzipping Chie's jersey. "There's really no one other than you who can get me so worked up…"

Chie's cheeks became even more flushed as she inched over, swinging her legs over Yukiko's sitting on her lap as she straddled her effectively. "You always know what to say to make the problems go away…"

Unbeknownst to the two hormonal teenagers, the door to the roof creaked open and they were graced with someone's presence.

"Ahnn…Yukiko…" Chie let out a breathy moan as Yukiko let her hands drop lower. The girl's intentions were anything but pure and the brunette could feel a pair of hands underneath her skirt, groping her backside through her thin bike shorts.

"And what I like best about you, Chie…is your firm…tight…"

"W-WAIT!"

The two girls jumped as a voice interrupted their lunchtime tryst. They hastily readjusted their off shoulder shirts, their unzipped skirts and their dishevelled hair.

The young man stared at the two girls, his face red with shame and embarrassment. All he wanted to do was call his little detective friend, to see if he and Rise really were involved.

"Gaaah! Damn it! Not again…K-Kanji-kun…? I-It's not…what you think it is!" Chie waved her hands around frantically as she stood up, her face burning up like a hot stove. "M-M-Me and Yukiko…w-we're just…really close! Sexual tension, you know?" Laughing nervously, Chie seemed to be losing her cool. Her left eye was twitching and her teeth were clenched tightly.

Yukiko, on the other hand, seemed rather dejected and frustrated, redressing herself quietly behind Chie.

"S-S-Sempai…I-I'm so sorry. I really didn't…mean…to…interrupt…" The gangster turned his head to the side, biting his lip as he wracked his mind for the appropriate words.

For a moment, Chie paused, taken aback by the boy's honest reaction. He wasn't like Yousuke. The brunette was sure that if Yousuke had been the one to walk in, he wouldn't have stopped them…

"Ne, Tatsumi-kun…" This time, Yukiko spoke up, her demeanour completely placid and business-like. "I would appreciate it if you kept what you saw a secret from everyone else." The girl placed a finger to her lips, gesturing to keep things under wraps as she winked.

Chie was dazed by the sight of Yukiko being so professional in a situation like this. She swooned, nearly forgetting where she was as she fixed her eyes on the beauty.

"I-I will! I promise!" Kanji bowed, his head nearly touching his knees as he swore upon his yankee honor.

Blinking, Chie regained her senses, reverting back to her original self. "Y-You'd better! If I find out that you leaked this to anyone, I'll…I'll b-break you like Yousuke broke my kung-fu DVD!" The girl was still flustered, her threat devoid of any actual…threat.

"I-I swear I will, Sempai! S-since…since I-I'm…I'm like that too!" Kanji's pale skin was as red as ever as he made this life changing statement.

"L-like…that? You mean…?" The two girls looked rather confused as stared wide eyed at the young man who towered above them. The manly and most feared gangster in Inaba was…

"T-t-to be honest! I l-l-l-like Shirogane!" Kanji's voice was almost an octave higher as he made his confession.

After that, there was an awkward silence as Chie and Yukiko shared an equally disturbed eyebrow raise.

"Uh…Sempai?" Kanji was puzzled by the silence, scratching his head in confusion, wondering if the shock was too much.

"Oh umm, well…We expected as much?" Chie shrugged her shoulders, staring blankly at Kanji.

"W-what….?" Again, the gangster was confused.

Yukiko had a contemplative look on as she pouted slightly. "There were clues…like the sewing…the cooking…the Naoto stalking." Chie nodded in accordance and the two smiled knowingly.

"W-well…I-I'm…not being too obvious about it, am I? After all, I think Naoto's pretty girly himself, isn't he?" Kanji smiled sheepishly as he posed his question, looking down with embarrassment.

"Naoto…isn't as girly as you think. I mean…sure he's got really long lashes and a slender figure, but..." Chie trailed off, looking to the side. She wasn't sure if she wanted to break it to the guy that Naoto was probably three times around the bases already with Rise.

"What Chie means to say is that…Rise's your competition. And I think she's gained more headway than you have, Tatsumi-kun." Yukiko said it rather matter-of-factly, offering her condolences through a consolatory smile. However, after realizing how she had worded it, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself. "Pfft…headway…"

Chie stared at Yukiko with wide eyes as her jaw dropped. "Yukiko! I-It's so not like you to make such a bad dirty joke…"

Giggling, the black haired beauty leaned in towards her girlfriend, whispering something with a devilish grin on her lips. Chie's expression changed rather drastically and the girl bit her lip, her cheeks reddening at the images that filled her head.

Kanji's expression was unchanging as he stared straight at Yukiko. All the color drained from his face and he seemed to be in shock. "Amagi-sempai…" Suddenly, Kanji started to teeter uncertainly, his eyes rolling back in his head as his pupils disappeared.

"Kanji!"

"Tatsumi-kun!"

He fell to the ground with a thud.

At his side, his two upperclassmen stared with wide open mouths.

"S-Should we get the school nurse, Yukiko?"

"I…think that would be a good idea…"

"Ne, Naoto-kun…" Rise tugged on the boy's sleeve as they rode the empty train back to Inaba. There was never anyone who rode the train to the end of the line and the two lovers were the only ones in the compartment.

"Yes, Rise?" Naoto's eyes were starting to glaze over. He was rather tired today and he yawned, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.

"What do you think of Yukiko-sempai and Chie-sempai?" Rise leaned on Naoto, resting her head on the boy's shoulder. She threaded her fingers through his and she relaxed, holding his hand loosely. The idol herself was getting quite tired as well. The idol wanted to strike up some idol chatter and her two sempai were a strange case she didn't get to discuss with anyone.

"Hm? I think they seem like good people? I personally haven't spoken to either of them very much, but I think they have rather good intentions." Naoto thought back to the time Yukiko asked him to join their group of friends at the club. Regardless of whether she meant it or not at the time, it made him feel…welcome. She really was a nice girl.

Naoto could feel Rise shaking her head against his shoulder. "That's not what I mean, Naoto-kun." Rise smiled to herself. She wasn't one for gossiping, but she really wondered what her ace detective could deduce from the two girls' suspicious actions.

"Oh…umm then what did you mean by that, Rise?" Naoto was slightly puzzled, wondering if he had walked into a trap of some sorts by answering incorrectly.

"Would you believe me if I told you that they were completely and totally 'involved' with each other…?" Rise waited for the reaction.

"By involved, do you mean romantically…?" Naoto's mind once again flashed back to the night at the club. He did remember the intensity at which Yukiko ravaged Chie's mouth and the many places that her hands were not supposed to be. It was rather graphic for his eyes, but he didn't think much of that since Yukiko was such a lightweight with the alcohol.

"I walked in on them once. It made me blush pretty hard, you know?" Rise grinned from ear to ear, checking to see if Naoto's ears were as red as she anticipated them to be. Yukiko and Chie were pretty hot and no normal guy would hate to see those two acting like they did.

However, to Rise's surprise, Naoto's expression was a mix of emotions. There was confusion and sadness and his blue eyes flashed with anger for a split second. There was a slight moment of awkward silence before Naoto looked over with a stiff smile.

"Oh, I didn't know that." He replied.

Naoto was obviously uncomfortable with the subject, his body tensing up, but he couldn't help but push a little further. After a slight pause, he continued on. "What do you think of their relationship, Rise?"

A little fazed from Naoto's reaction, Rise was rather startled. "Umm…well, I think they're a pretty cute couple? It's rather interesting to see how their personalities go so well with each other."

"I see…and do you think that what they're doing is…right?" Naoto's voice wavered for a minute as he looked at Rise with utmost seriousness.

"I really didn't flag you to be so…old-fashioned, Naoto-kun…" Rise was taken aback by his comment, wondering if that was what brought his mood so down.

"You didn't answer the question, Rise." Naoto's tone bordered on hostile, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"There's nothing wrong with what they have, Naoto." Rise flashed the boy a nasty glare, disapproving of his naivety. She thought he was better than this. "You don't have to be afraid of what they are. It's not like I'll become one of them just because they're my friends."

At that, Naoto's expression grew even darker. His eyes were unreadable as he looked out the window of the speeding train. He tried to concentrate on the flickering scenery that flashed by, hoping that it would distract him from his thoughts.

An hour later, the deserted train arrived at Inaba station. As the doors of the train slid open, two teens walked out in silence. Rise trailed behind Naoto, wondering what she should say to get Naoto back in good spirits. She didn't mean to bring up such a topic and she didn't mean to be so antagonistic with her choice of words. It was his fault anyway, since he was the one acting so weird.

As Naoto continued across the platform, he suddenly stopped and Rise stopped a couple of steps behind him. He turned as he took a deep breath. There was conflict in his eyes as the detective looked for the right words.

"I'm sorry." Naoto averted Rise's eyes as he apologized, feeling guilty for being so childish. He nearly contemplated telling her the truth, but he knew that despite how she defended her friends, it would be a different story altogether if she was in such a situation herself. He knew that she wouldn't take it very well. Call it his detective's intuition, but he had a bad feeling about telling Rise. Every time he thought about it, he felt nauseous.

"I-It's okay, Naoto-kun." Rise blinked, shocked that the boy was the first one to apologize, but she was honestly relieved that the tension had lifted.

"I was immature. It's not like I have something against…those kinds of relationships…it just…hit a sore spot of sorts. I'm sorry for acting that way." Naoto looked around shiftily, glad that Inaba's train station was always so dead. He didn't dare look into Rise eyes, afraid that the emotions that were going through his head would show in his conflicted gaze.

"Again, it's okay, Naoto-kun. I forgive you. Let's just go home, okay? I don't want to be reported as missing again." Rise laughed to herself as she grabbed Naoto's hand, tugging him along. She tried to push the boy's words to the back of her head, but she still wondered what kind of sore spot she had hit.

Naoto laughed too at the idol's words and he squeezed her hand reassuringly as they strolled off back into town.

"Oh god, oh god! F-Faster, Naoto-kun! Faster!" Rise clenched her fists as she closed her eyes. She could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins, her heart working itself hard. They had been at it for hours now. When they got back to her house, it was still light out, but now, it was well into the night. She had never felt such raw and unadultered

Fear.

"Oh my GOD! Why is that door locked! Run!" The idol cowered behind Naoto at the foot of her bed as she couldn't bear to watch the tv screen anymore. She shook his shoulders violently as she peeked out behind him occasionally.

Even with his redheaded distraction, Naoto manoeuvred the controller with unparalleled skill. The screen was a dark cityscape with horrid monsters chasing the player in a first person POV. The detective`s thumbs were a blur as he hit the buttons spastically, his eyes starting to twitch as he forwent the act of blinking to keep his focus. If only he could get to the abandoned car with the sawed off shotgun, he'd be safe, but for now, he had to avoid the horde of zombies that were gaining on him. However, his hand pistol was running low on ammo and his health bar was below 50%.

He only had four shots left.

"Kyaaaaah! Naoto, watch out!"

Naoto gasped as he felt Rise`s lips graze his neck. The idol tackled him head on, her arms wrapping around his waist as she threw her weight against him.

"R-Rise!"

The detective dropped the controller reflexively as he lost his balance, tumbling to the floor with Rise sprawled on top of him. With Rise's body flush against his, he forgot the game momentarily as he laid there on the floor, his heart beating rapidly from the high intensity of the game and the warmth of the girl on top of him. He swallowed hard, not even paying attention to the screams coming from the TV as he heard exaggerated the blood splatter and crunching of human bones between the teeth of hungry zombies.

"That was so scary, Naoto-kun!" Letting go of the detective, Rise sat up, straddling the boy rather casually as she voiced her concerns.

Shaking his head, Naoto smiled. "If it was that scary, why did you buy the game in the first place? Zombies are make believe just so you know." The boy had a smug look on his face as he laid there at Rise's mercy. She had him pinned down and it didn't seem like she was going to get off him any time soon.

"I didn't know it was going to be so realistic! It had good reviews too…and you were so good at it! I was so surprised, Naoto-kun." Rise grinned widely, cocking her head slightly to the side.

"The controls were pretty straightforward but I think I got far too caught up into the gameplay…And I think I could've cleared that last stage if you didn't tackle me, you know?" Naoto sighed. He was so close, but in a way, he was glad Rise stopped him. He wondered if they should have spent the last four hours trying to clear one of Rise's newly unopened games.

"You looked like you were having fun, but I was getting kinda creeped out by the zombies. I was so scared, you know? It was like a horror movie! Next time we play, we should play two player! And you'll have to protect me, okay?" Rise was completely serious as she flashed Naoto a radiant smile. She seemed excited for their next gaming date.

"Okay, okay. It's a promise then. Now, could you get off me? I know I must be comfortable as a chair, but…" Naoto sighed again, trying to sit up.

"No. I'll never let you go, Naoto-kun…You should just sleep over tonight." Rise leaned down, closing her eyes as she pressed a kiss to the boy's lips. She gathered fistfuls of his shirt in her hands as she ravaged the detective. Naoto's hands twitched as they hesitated a moment before coming to rest on Rise's slim waist. His head was lost as he kissed Rise back with equal fervour. Her lips were as soft and supple as always and for a moment, he forgot that they both had school early tomorrow morning.

As the kissing progressed, Naoto's jacket was suddenly discarded, his tie undone and his hair dishevelled. Warning signs were going off in his head, but he just didn't want to stop. His hormones were raging today and it was particularly hard to keep his hands off the voluptuous girl.

Before long, he found his own hands fumbling with Rise's button up blouse. Parting for a moment, Naoto's conscience caught up to him. Panting, Naoto slowly got up, easing away from Rise as he ran a hand through his hair. His head was spinning and his heartbeat was racing off the charts. It was too easy to get caught up in Rise and he nearly uncovered his secret again. He walked towards the door, not wanting to look Rise in the eyes at that moment.

Still on the floor, Rise sat up, adjusting her top, buttoning up a couple of open buttons. "S-sorry, Naoto-kun. You just looked so kissable right there…and I couldn't help myself…" Coming up behind the detective, Rise snaked her arms around Naoto, burying her face in the back of his shirt.

Naoto leaned back into Rise's embrace, clutching her hands with his own as he caressed them gently. "It's okay, Rise. I-I…I really lost myself too just then."

"Will I see you tomorrow, Naoto-kun?" Rise closed her eyes as she breathed in Naoto's scent.

"Of course you will, Rise. I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay? It's getting late though…I'll have to get going soon." The boy's tone softened as he said this. He knew it was naïve, but right then and there, he felt like he and Rise were made for each other.

Still unwilling to let go, Rise opened her eyes, peering at a digital clock on her desk. The red digits showed 11:09. It was rather late and they did have class tomorrow. "Okay…I'll let you go for now, kay?"

The two parted from their embrace and with one last good night kiss, Rise showed Naoto to the door. When the girl opened the door, a slightly cool breeze blew in and she could feel faint rain droplets on her skin. "Oh no! It's raining too now." She looked out into the street, the roads slick with rain and the streetlights reflecting off the puddles of water on the asphalt.

"That's okay. I can manage a little bit of rain." Naoto smiled, stepping out the door.

"You should just stay here tonight!" Rise grabbed Naoto's hand, holding him back as she pleaded with him.

Feeling his heart skip a beat at Rise's puppy dog eyes, Naoto had a hard time telling the girl no. "I'm sorry, Rise, but you know that I can't stay here tonight. I…just can't." He offered her a sad smile.

"I-I know! T-then just take an umbrella at least!" Rise grabbed an umbrella from the stand near the door and thrust it into the detective's hands.

"Thanks, Rise. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night." Naoto gave the girl a quick peck on the cheek before stepping outside.

"Good night." Rise's words trailed off as she watched Naoto disappear into the shadows of the night, only the bright red of his umbrella still visible in the distance. When the red was out of sight, Rise closed the door, feeling a smile tug at her lips. Light hearted and exhausted from a day of skipping classes, Rise pranced upstairs and flung herself on her bed. She closed her eyes and let herself drift off, but it wasn't for long.

It seemed like seconds after when Rise heard her phone ringing. However, her clock told her otherwise. It was 12:05, five minutes past midnight. She had spent nearly an hour dozing off before someone rudely interrupted her slumber. Rubbing her eyes, Rise flipped open her phone, a groggy hello escaping her lips.

"Rise, it's Naoto. Naoto's the next victim."

Still trying to recover from her sleep laden state, Rise was struggling to process the words in her mind. "Yousuke, what are you talking about?" Rise was confused. She had just seen Naoto that same night. There was no way…

Suddenly, Rise could feel the full brunt of the panic hit her as she realized the signs. She hadn't watched midnight channel. It was raining tonight. Hanging up without another word, Rise dialled Naoto's number, waiting anxiously as she held her breath. "Please…please…Please pick up…"

'Click'

The line connected and-

"Naoto-kun! I-" Rise stopped cold, her eyes widening.

"The number you have dialled cannot be reached. This number is either out of service or-"

Feeling a sense of dread fill her, Rise dropped her phone and rushed out of her room. She nearly tripped down the stairs, but she hastily regained her balance. Slipping on her shoes, she threw the front door open and ran outside, ignoring the rain that was falling all around her.

Rise just ran and ran. She was headed towards Naoto's house. She had never been there, but she knew where the ridiculously large mansion was. Running down the streets, her clothes were completely soaked, but the girl could care less. She only had one thing in mind until something caught her eye. Her pace slowed and she could feel the suffocating apprehension rise in her chest.

It was getting harder to breathe. The blood was pounding loudly in her ears.

In the middle of the road ahead, Rise saw a red umbrella lying open on its side.

Approaching the umbrella slowly, Rise felt her world collapse as she spotted Naoto's detective hat lying in a puddle next to the forgotten umbrella.

A/N: Hi there. Sorry for the hiatus. It's been almost a year. Lol. I'm so bad at writing multi chp fics. I should finish all these up before I gradute. It's like 2am. And I have some things to do early tomorrow. I hope this isn't total crap since it's had like bs plot development and very little editing. Maybe I'll come back later to fix it.

Filler, filler, filler.

I hope it's acceptable!

Please review!